Unpopular opinions about ts4

"aricarai;c-16219562" wrote:

"JoAnne65;c-16219521" wrote:
Double post, sorry, but I feel ETA-ing this to my previous post will be confusing ( @aricarai ). I'm still a bit struggling with this phrasing (and it indeed makes me go 'well, those simmers indeed don't matter to me as far as the development of this game is concerned'):

This has so many different "play styles" and not everyone enjoys the game the same way. For example, there are Simmers that spend all of their time in CAS, just to take pictures or edit their Sims; I'm pretty sure a lot of them don't give a hoot about "game play" but more about clothes and hairstyles.

Maybe I'm completely misinterpreting the 'gameplay isn't the answer' observation, but why shouldn't gameplay be 'the answer' in general just because there are simmers who choose to play the game strictly the way they play Fashion Model or Daz3D? Apart from this by the way, I know a simmer who ended up playing Sims 3 that way because - of course - she loved doing that, but also because she actually missed the gameplay from Sims 2 in the successor. I believe she still played Sims 2, and Sims 3 she only used to make screenshots. In her case, even though she loved doing what she was doing, it was a shortcoming in Sims 3 that made her exclusively play it that way. I believe (lost track of her) she never made the transfer to Sims 4 because in that game she missed both gameplay and looks/appearance (for her, obviously).

I appreciate there are people who don't give a hoot about gameplay but more about stuff, but why would that be an ingredient for the development of a Sims game in general? Isn't that like sayin:"'I only play GTA because I love driving around through that world in a car. Refining and developing all the other gameplay isn't the answer for this game. All they need to do is make beautiful cars for the game, new radio stations with cool music and enough space to drive around in." (actually this is the only way I would ever play that game ;))

You are misinterpreting it @JoAnne65 and forgetting a very key word in that phrase - ALWAYS - game play isn't ALWAYS the answer.

Look, for me, I didn't NOT play the Sims 3 because it lacks gameplay. I didn't play because I preferred to build in it.

As someone pointed out earlier, look at it as different categories of game play. I'm a builder and decorator first, so stuff matters most to me. This is by no means me saying that I think game play for the people exactly enjoy playing with Sims should be elimated. I'm just saying it should be inclusive for all types of game play because there are a heck of a lot of people that build, mod, create CC, decorate, take pictures, etc and that's it.

As I said before, this game has always been about what you make it and how you as the player wants to play.

I think the confusion (on my part) lies in the question what gameplay is exactly. Because the addition of CASt for instance for me is gameplay. Gameplay I so much miss in Sims 4 that I gave up building, it’s no fun for me. Where in TS3 I love it. This doesn’t mean I don’t play Sims 4 because there’s no CASt, building is just one aspect in the game and if I’d enjoy the rest, I could live without it. So if that is what you (and @LiELF ) mean then I guess we agree? It sort of relates to how I felt after seeing the LGR review of Dragon Valley I once saw. He was listing what the world had exactly, in a rather dry and bored tone of voice, and all I could think was: “You don’t get it. You don’t get how Dragon Valley completely changes my Sims experience, purely through its different atmosphere.” So if that’s what’s meant then yes, I agree, gameplay doesn’t always matter. But only when there’s enough gameplay present already (like wallpaper only makes sense when there are walls). In Sims 4’s case I think gameplay does matter, always, because there’s an overkill of wallpaper and a shortage of walls.

"LiELF;c-16219720" wrote:
Wow. Unpopular opinion is unpopular. Lol

I just wanted to pop in again because it seems like some people have either read through my post regarding gameplay too quickly, did not read it entirely, or misunderstood it. I highly recommend going back and reading that part again carefully, just for clarification.

@aricarai thank you for responding to so many posts, I feel that you really "get" what I was trying to say. :)

I did state in my post that gameplay was important. I also stated that the term means something different for each person, and that's why it's so important to be as specific as possible when trying to state what you want in game. The point was that some people's idea of "gameplay" is not the same as another's, and I've seen some people yelling for "gameplay", but then go on to describe something that isn't actually playable, like weather. Yes, weather can be a very important part of the game, as it brings immersion, ambience, realism, and even adds to simulation. But I wouldn't call it gameplay. See what I'm saying? Another example is my own request for a fear emotion. Sim emotions aren't gameplay either, they are more simulation. But the lack of a fear emotion leaves a large, gaping hole in the mechanics of the game for me.

Part of the problem that I see when we generally demand "gameplay" is that it's such a generic term that the devs don't know what we're asking for. Look, in Cats and Dogs, we got a brand new playable career, the veterinarian. That's gameplay. But did it make all those who asked for "gameplay" happy? Nope. But it actually IS gameplay. And sure, there are a lot of people having fun with it and others who say they've always wanted it, but many feel that it's just recycled mechanics and would rather have had... wait for it.... doghouses, toys, and pet beds. Yes, *objects*. I have actually seen posts where people would have sacrified actual gameplay for a load of objects that they felt were important, or for an animation of dogs sleeping on Sim beds. But just because these things aren't "playable", per se, it doesn't make them any less important to simmers or the game.

Anyway, I hope that helped to clarify my "unpopular opinion" for some people. It is, after all, supposed to be "unpopular", and if you disagree, you disagree.

Did I win the thread for "most unpopular opinion"? Lol

I reread that part several times already but I’ll admit I keep having trouble totally getting what you mean. But like I said in this post before (and you confirm that), it might have something to do with what can be considered gameplay. Weather indeed isn’t gameplay, it’s atmosphere. But doesn’t the fact many people are craving weather in their game next make the thesis “gameplay isn’t always important” rather a popular opinion? Because personally I don’t really understand that need (and I’ve said so in the poll topic about that). A lot of people are bored, did about everything there is to do (gameplay) and now they want to do it while there’s a thunderstorm and that will make all the difference?

If by “gameplay isn’t always the answer” you mean “boring repetitive gameplay won’t save this game” I agree as well. As far as I’m concerned they can keep their checklist based gameplay, I don’t need it. But that’s hardly unpopular either because lots of people aren’t too happy with the GTW set up I believe.

I’m not having problems with your opinion being popular or not, or me agreeing or not agreeing (I’m in fact starting to believe I do agree to some extent, though not so much in relation to Sims 4), it’s rather that I can’t quite follow what is meant and since lack of good, challenging and replayable gameplay is my main issue with Sims 4, I reacted. In fact I believe it’s exactly the addition of good gameplay (toddlers, vampires, parenthood) that made 2017 such a good year for the game.