Although I’m someone who uses an insane amount of realistic CC skin details (and mods…?) I actually like the basic look of The Sims 4 sims.
I appreciate that the game was never designed to look or be realistic and it never should be. Personally I’d prefer a CAS tool that is on par with the Create a Pet Tool: Give us the ability to build semi realistic sims, but only if the player wants that.
Also, the Sims aesthetics can never be looked at without taking all the other elements into consideration. As has been mentioned in this thread, Sims have always acted silly and comical and they continuously find themselves in the most ludicrous situations. Funny characters, Silly Woohoos and crazy Deaths play a big part in the Sims series, therefore anything too realistic is just not going to work.
The Sims shouldn’t even be compared with Paralives in that regard because there’s nothing remotely funny about Paralives.
I believe that many folks who seem to want a Sims 5 or a Paralives as soon as yesterday, in reality just hope for a different life simulator altogether: some kind of marriage between Second Life and Paralives, rather than a different Sims title.
I feel that it is high time for a realistic life simulator to hit the market so that the sims can at least focus on being the sims again.