Back when The Sims 4 came out, one of the Guru’s gave us some insight as to why they can’t have more than one lot active in The Sims 4, with one of the reasons being Multitasking. According to the Guru’s, Multitasking was too taxing on people’s processors to be active on more than one lot.Apparently Sims are constantly aware of all the variables in which creates a sort of virtual mapping and too many variables can cause the game to slow down as the processor is constantly calculating all the options available, with multiple interactions at once. Interestingly, The Sims Mobile was launched as a watered down Sims 4, and one of the features missing is multitasking HOWEVER the game has a semi-open world where multiple venues are available at once, and your Sim can travel between them without an issue (eg. A Sim can visit a Resturant and then visit the Hospital). So it seems it really is a case of one or the other with current hardware, but what are your thoughts on it?

For me, the older Sims games feel so outdated without multitasking that it’s almost laughable. It’s weird to think Sims couldn’t listen to music while cooking, or watch TV and chat while working out at the Gym. And loading screens aren’t an issue for me (except Sims 2 which seems to always take the same time no matter what). I can load a save in TS3 in about 10 - 20 seconds and each loading screen in TS4 is about 5 seconds, thanks to my SSD and Core i7. And honestly, 5 seconds doesn’t bother me at all.

NOPEBy definition, it's not even really multitasking. Sims 3 (heck, even Sims 2 AND even Sims 1) showcased superior multitasking in some specialized cases. I mean if my Sims sit down to eat breakfast together, a Sim family in Sims 3 can successfully eat their breakfast and gain socialization without slowing themselves down at all. If a family does the same in Sims 4, it turns into a nightmare where you have to cycle around the table canceling everyone's social desire before they all end up late for work, and it's a never-ending battle cause the little jerks will constantly re-queue new social interactions even after they've been canceled.Multi-tasking to me means multiple actions being done simultaneously for a boost to efficiency, such as doing the laundry while watching the news and chatting on the phone for an increase in social and fun while the laundry itself gets completed at about the same rate it usually would. In Sims 4, it means the game periodically cycles between action A and action B. When action A is being completed, action B is completely put on pause and vice versa. It's not multitasking, it's a dumb little automated toggle they honestly would've been capable of implementing in any of the past Sims game. The problem this has is that Sims in Sims 4 obsessively socialize at all times, even when they don't need it, so the multitasking system usually just means the player's desired action for the Sim will be slowed down by their obsession with social tasks. If not for the multitasking system, we wouldn't need to babysit our sims half as much as we do because they wouldn't constantly hunt chat partners."Multi"tasking and the emotion system are probably the two biggest bombs of Sims 4. Both of them were promised to be revolutionary and both are absolutely terrible. If there was an option to turn off multitasking in the game options, I think it would be very tempting to do so. It would more or less function as a mini-free will toggle that solely effects their obsession with socializing.

I can totally see why this isint possible at the moment, however i would like to visit my neighbor without having to go through a loading screen. Thats just my opinion

The thing that bugs me most, which isn't addressed in this poll, is how long my Sims will just stand doing absolutely nothing. I'm not talking about another Sim is on the way to interact with them. They have things in their queue, yet they just stand there as if I have all day long to wait for them to move!As for the loading screens, I really don't mind them, but I started with Sims2. Sims3, for all of the niceties of the open world had its own set of problems. I usually use Razor to shut off the background processes whenever I play that game. Plus, I have at least 20 NRaas mods to improve things.So, I'm ambivalent.

One of the major justifications for loading screens in the Sims 4 has nothing to do with multitasking, it has to do with the client base they are going after. The Sims 4 comes at the time after the open world concept was good for the Sims 3, but it had so munch problems with it as the target market of simulation games have never had much luck at generating enough high end game players to make it worth the higher details and attention with the MMORG and the first person single player or team shooting games they have not really had a chance. So to make up the difference they offer the most lacks system requirement they can go to make sure that most computers will be able to play the game. The major problem with TS3 is it really annoyed the lower end of the target market that don't have the best computers. Its not about whether they can do it as you can do anything with computer games now. So they had to make sure the Sims 4 would be able to be compatible with both PC and later on Mac a year later, and if they wanted more money they wanted to make sure they could eventually branch it off to console, mobile and that way you could play The Sims anywhere. So what I am saying its not about if they can or should do it, Its about making sure their target audience can play the game on any store bought computer which not many simmers know about how computers run and what computers would give you more bang for your money by making sure the game can run fresh off the shelf of a computer store they have a higher chance of making a lot more money and attracting new gamers.Also, a side note. Most processors can run 2 or 3 games at once especially the dual and quad core processor the limitation is not the processors themselves but the ram and the input controls. In theory you could run The Sims 4, Car Mechanic 2018, Farming Simulator 17, but you only got one graphics card one keyboard and mouse and limited ram memory, which part has to be used by the OS.

Was Multitasking worth the loading screens?

Saneksemoo
7 years ago
"Sofmc9;c-16290842" wrote:
Ehh.. I'm not sure I follow you. Looks natural to me the way sims drink while reading. And while the sim was drinking milk I notice she still glanced down at the book..

My point was, your sentence was contradicting and just goes to show how that "holy-moly it's so amazing" mechanic fails to prove it's worth of being something when it actually it isn't. Your sim didn't read and drank milk at the same time. In the time stamp of 00:06-00:21 she read, in between looked up away from the book in the next second, later in 00:23-00:26 she interacted with a milk, then idle while sitting gazing or watching paint dry in the last remaining seconds of the video.

That's not multitasking. However, she did two things that confirm the ability being demonstrated:
1) sat while reading.
2) sat while sipping/drinking.

I'm just disproving that she didn't do what you claim and declare that sim child was doing. Otherwise, If she did the visual would be something like on of these examples:
http://c8.alamy.com/comp/GC5XKH/young-female-reading-dieting-book-while-drinking-beer-in-a-pub-garden-GC5XKH.jpg
http://cijiware.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/stock-footage-woman-drinking-a-coffee-while-she-is-reading-a-book.jpg
http://freedesignfile.com/upload/2017/05/While-drinking-coffee-while-reading-girls-Stock-Photo.jpg

Now compare any of these to your simulated version:
https://i.imgur.com/9CfdBaK.png

See the difference between the two examples of RL and TS4 concept of multitasking. That child isn't even trying to look at the book while consuming the diary. Animation wise, for your multitasking criteria to live upp to its definition, her head would have to tilt down and eyes open at the written material (with maybe a little detail of them drifting from side to side to simulate that she's reading quietly in her mind). And I putting bets that her motives hunger and fun (If that's does happen while those queued interactions are in action) didn't increase simultaneously at once.

In TS4, multitasking isn't that astonishing If you think about it, because most forms of it existed in past games already, and it doesn't even help at her when it was promoted in unique examples that are pretty ironic (e.g. sims mixing a drink, but takes a quick break to talk to buddies nearby, than later shuts up and continues to mix: where do developers find multitasking in that???).

"Sofmc9;c-16292488" wrote:

https://i.imgur.com/v2MCBud.png

https://i.imgur.com/0gDOoLR.jpg

Now in this one, the woman holding the baby while talking with other sims is multitasking. Thought bubble, moving lips, the kid in her arms: all shown at once in a screenshot.

"JoAnne65;c-16293040" wrote:
I think they may mean talking on the phone while holding a baby/toddler.

http://i.imgur.com/NepOt0a.png

ETA: read back and people aren't saying this is not in Sims 4, but rather that it already existed in the earlier games, that it's not new.

Anoter great example of multitasking.
Cinebar
7 years ago
I had to vote indifferent because honestly the other games had multitasking, but I don't mind some loading screens if there is an open district which we all asked for and don't need the entire 'world' open to me. TS4 has some good examples of true multitasking but the chores while multitasking are Not multitasking and actually just add to my annoyance about TS4. Stopping reading to look at the wall picture isn't multitasking. Stopping writing a novel to look at a painting isn't multitasking. True multitasking is my Sim in TS2 reading the paper looking up to see a Sim walk into the room, speak to them, while flipping and readjusting the paper to read another section. That's the difference as others have already pointed out. To say TS2 or TS3 never had it is just flat out wrong. The type of multitasking in TS4 is more a bother and annoyance than a help so probably not worth the time it takes to finish a chore (because they stop and don't actually multitask as pointed out) and not worth more loading screens. TS4 would have been better with the four houses next door open like in The Sims Medieval where it's dark but you can 'look at' if you click on it and see Sims inside actually doing stuff unlike TS3 you had to actually visit.
icemanfresh
Seasoned Newcomer
7 years ago
I guess we could argue that the multitasking in Sims 2 and 3 are very specific to certain situations, while the one in TS4 is generalized and applies to almost everything. It's not perfect, and it also annoys me when sims take too long to eat (which was also a problem when sims talk over breakfast in TS2 tbh), but there are some things that demonstrate true multitasking in the game. Like when a sim on the treadmill watches TV. Since their eyes aren't doing anything while running, the TV doesn't really take away from the running. Or when they talk on the treadmill, same thing.
GoldenBuffy22
7 years ago
No. There is no excuse or reason to having loading screens in a game now a days. If you make the core game engine stable an open world can work. We can have better multitasking and open world. No excuse.
astera00
New Spectator
7 years ago
I really like the multitasking, it feels more realistic to me. I find it too limiting to have a family at the dinner table, hungry and say, have low fun or social, then not be able to fulfil those needs. For example, when I have sims sitting in front of the TV chatting, it feels like a real family and I get 2 or 3 needs up at once. However, I dislike the fact that socializing can result in the tasks taking a lot longer than they should. It's almost as though they add up the time for all the tasks they're doing and just stretch it all out. If it was more efficient, it would be a lot better. Perhaps they can take the time for the longest task and just make sure it takes no longer than that. I'm sure it can be programmed in so that it ignores the other durations and only takes the longest one. Then it would be perfect. This bothers me the most with food really, since they need to eat and get out the house!

One weird place there's no multitasking, where I would really like it, is when one sim is in the bath and another is standing next to them. You can't talk to them. I get why you can't do this in the shower, I mean in real life that's noisy, but it's quite simple if say, your spouse is having a bath and you're washing your hands/brushing your teeth or whatever, for you to have a conversation with them.

Slightly related, is how long it takes sims to complete certain tasks. For example, when you count in sim minutes how long it takes to wash their hands, it's completely unreasonable in real-life. I wish some of the times would be tweaked for some tasks, but I might start a thread for that and the emotion system, because I think it could work really well, it's just a matter of the values assigned to them being fixed.
Sigzy_29
New Spectator
7 years ago
"LeGardePourpre;c-16304228" wrote:
Compare Loading Screen to Multitask isn't balanced, they don't affect the game the same way in the same proportions.
Why do not ask CAW and Multitask or Open World and Multitask or CASt and Multitask too ?

In these cases Multitask will always loose, so the question is subjective.

Multitask is a minor feature almost invisible when you play, you don't stop to play in order to say "OMG, it's multitask !!!" each time it happens.
Loading Screen gets a major effect because it forces you to take a pause, it's possible you become angry and say "I hate loading screen".

Boy are you tripping?

Multitasking was indeed invisible on TS2 and especially TS3 but never on TS4 when there's a big specific rectangle UI for it right besides the sim image. I didn't even notice sims on TS3 could chat on the phone while holding babies up until this thread. I never noticed sims in TS3 could have three sometimes even four sim conversations until TS4 came out with it's very specific social UI where multiple sims appear.

Multitasking/smarter sims was the most advertised thing on TS4 next to emotions and weirder stories.

In TS4 my sim is sometimes alone next to his house and a random sim appears in the social UI and to my surprise this sim is four blocks away in the edge of the map, my sim will stare at nothingness waiting for this random to come to him and say whatever, it makes no sense. I wish they would fix this and sims getting into other sim conversations.
astridentanja
7 years ago
"Sigzy05;c-16306289" wrote:
"LeGardePourpre;c-16304228" wrote:
Compare Loading Screen to Multitask isn't balanced, they don't affect the game the same way in the same proportions.
Why do not ask CAW and Multitask or Open World and Multitask or CASt and Multitask too ?

In these cases Multitask will always loose, so the question is subjective.

Multitask is a minor feature almost invisible when you play, you don't stop to play in order to say "OMG, it's multitask !!!" each time it happens.
Loading Screen gets a major effect because it forces you to take a pause, it's possible you become angry and say "I hate loading screen".

Boy are you tripping?

Multitasking was indeed invisible on TS2 and especially TS3 but never on TS4 when there's a big specific rectangle UI for it right besides the sim image. I didn't even notice sims on TS3 could chat on the phone while holding babies up until this thread. I never noticed sims in TS3 could have three sometimes even four sim conversations until TS4 came out with it's very specific social UI where multiple sims appear.

Multitasking/smarter sims was the most advertised thing on TS4 next to emotions and weirder stories.

In TS4 my sim is sometimes alone next to his house and a random sim appears in the social UI and to my surprise this sim is four blocks away in the edge of the map, my sim will stare at nothingness waiting for this random to come to him and say whatever, it makes no sense.

Yes, multitasking (“multitasking”) in fact annoys me more than loading screens do. Loading screens are there, you know they are, you’re prepared, you just accept you have to wait through them. Multitasking happens at inconvenient moments. Taking their food outside and eat it in front of the mailbox for example because you said “sit down and have dinner, then get the mail for me please”. Or when you tell your son to start doing his homework and mom spontaneously sits down to have a chat with him. Let him do his homework lady, what kind of mother are you! Don’t you know that he isn’t multitasking, that he actually stops doing his homework while you talk?
Horrorgirl6
Seasoned Veteran
7 years ago
"Writin_Reg;c-16291185" wrote:
Makes me seriously question what is the REAL reason our Sims in 4 still go without things like lounge chairs by the pool and swings on our sim kids playgrounds - or even slow dancing and bed cuddles... or toggles and options for that fact.

Well rayhrr this was ever meany to be olumpus.There is unuse code for sn online feature. So this was originally mrant to be an online game. I reslly do think the reason we have less things. Because this game was never meant to be a sequel it was meant to be an online versipn of the sims
Sigzy_29
New Spectator
7 years ago
"LeGardePourpre;c-16306367" wrote:
"@Sigzy05;c-16306289" wrote:
In TS4 my sim is sometimes alone next to his house and a random sim appears in the social UI and to my surprise this sim is four blocks away in the edge of the map, my sim will stare at nothingness waiting for this random to come to him and say whatever, it makes no sense.

It's not "Multitask", it's Smart Sim feature :p .

When I said "Multitask is a minor feature", I mean its effect is minor on the game like the Emotion system.
TS2 genealogy, TS3 Open world and Create-A-Style were major features, a big evolution.

I see no difference between TS2/TS3 and TS4 when my sims sleep, cook, pee, do jogging, take a shower, go to work, do workout (pushups), swim laps, climb a wall, play basketball, play bowling, play to void critter, ...

The majority of the interactions are not multitask or fake multitask (alternating tasks).

I see multitask only when they eat+watch TV+talk, dance+listen to music+talk or drink+talk

Note: "Multitask" means "to perform two or more tasks simultaneously"

Oh I see :p
astridentanja
7 years ago
"LeGardePourpre;c-16306386" wrote:
"@JoAnne65;c-16306302" wrote:
Taking their food outside and eat it in front of the mailbox for example because you said “sit down and have dinner, then get the mail for me please”. Or when you tell your son to start doing his homework and mom spontaneously sits down to have a chat with him. Let him do his homework lady, what kind of mother are you! Don’t you know that he isn’t multitasking, that he actually stops doing his homework while you talk?

It's not Multitask the problem, just the sims are not enough smart to balance their behavior. Multitask doesn't help.
You can still turn off the "Free will", Multitask will no longer annoy you.

With or without multitask, the sims will keep on doing unexpected thing, I know that issue since The Sims 2.

The Sims really need a new AI.

You mean you can disable multitasking? It’s not about doing unexpected things, I like it when they do unexpected things (which is why I like playing with free will on). It’s about their inclination to combine two instructions automatically.