6 years ago

Why I'm not excited for University (worst case scenario)....

WARNING: These are my thoughts and opinions, and they are not positive. EA/ Maxis, prove me wrong!!!

Ever since University was leaked, a lot of people have been excited and speculating about it. However, based on previous packs in the Sims 4, particularly Expansion Packs, I'm not looking forward to it. The majority of Expansion Packs for the Sims 4 have been fairly lackluster; the only one that stood out was Seasons. This is all speculation! Here are my top reasons why I'm (personally) not excited for University....

1. The World: Most likely, the world will not be very large, with very few lots. I'm basing this off the worlds we've gotten with packs like Get Famous and Get to Work. Both of those packs had more of gameplay elements which meant they had to limit the world sizes. I think University will be similar to these packs. Also, I don't think we will be able to edit university building lots at all. If there anything like the work buildings in Get Famous and Get to Work, they won't even be able to be selected from the map screen at all. All in all, I think the world will disappointing.

2. Dorms/ Roommates: After the disappointment of apartments in City Living, I don't think dorms will be any better in University. There will probably be loading screens between each dorm room. I also think dormitory buildings will be much smaller because the Sims 4 can't handle that many sims active on one lot. They will probably just be a copy of apartments from City Living with only 3-4 rooms per building with one large gathering area for eating and leisure activities. Dorm building will not be able to be edited. Also, I don't think we will get unplayable roommates since we didn't get them in City Living, which is something I've wanted since the Sims 2...

3. Classes/ Careers/ Fraternities & Sororities: Classes will most likely be rabbit holes. They will claim it's too many sims to have active in one room. There will probably be only have 1 career as a Teacher, and it will also be a rabbit hole career. Fraternities and Sororities will be extremely easy to join and barely even a challenge, based on how easy the game is generally. Also, they will most likely just be a household you can join with barely any new interactions or gameplay other than throwing keg parties and wearing togas.

4. Lack of New Gameplay to the Sims 4 as a Whole: There will probably only be one new trait, something ridiculously specific like "college savvy," where you get a positive emotional buff from being on campus. There also will only be one new aspiration that is also way too specific to University. The grading system will be directly pulled from Get Famous, Realm of Magic and Vampires, with very little variation. Grades you get in school will barely have any effect on your future career prospects. Dropping out of college makes no difference, since you can easily get to the top of your career without going to college in the regular game.

Things That Might Change My Opinion: Attraction, turn ons/ offs, hobbies, the ability to get "juiced," online classes, community college options for non-university sims, non-playable roommates (both at university and OUTSIDE university), no loading screens in dormitories.

What do you think? Are you excited for University? Or do you think it will be a disappointing like other Expansion Packs? Feel free to share, and don't take my opinion as fact :)

Writin_Reg
6 years ago
"invisiblgirl;c-17267605" wrote:
"Dannydanbo;c-17266875" wrote:
"invisiblgirl;c-17266726" wrote:
The only thing that is certain is that a good part of the community will be bitterly disappointed. If it's like previous university packs, family players will be annoyed at yet another YA pack, and those whose 'university' experience isn't American middle-upper class will be left out. If they leave out some features from previous university packs to add features for other life stages and experiences, American YAs will gripe about the pack being 'watered down'.

I don't think FAMILY players will be upset with a Uni pack. Going to Uni is a very important part of most families lives. The prep, the anticipation, the worry about finances, etc.

If it's like previous university packs, we won't be able to play our families at all while playing the YA at university. And my families do just fine without a university phase - I'm more interested in raising the toddlers and kids. I usually age up my teens early to start the next generation - the last thing I want to do is spend time partying at a university with my YA. (I think I played an actual student for half a day in S2 or S3 - it was horribly linear and very stressful for my 'loner' Sim.)

I'd much rather have an education pack that provides options, such as night school and online classes - that would fit in much better for family play. And, of course, I want features for my kids and teens, who haven't had much in recent packs. (Homeschooling!)

I just want teens and ya's going. Maybe have computer classes and night school for players who don't want real colleges of higher learning. Or those who just prefer community college. All that can easily done at home on a sim pc - that way they can leave Uni for the serious college student wanting doctrines and specialties, etc.

I do hope if they choose just one though they do the full University. But it would be better and give players choices if they choose both - stay at Uni the 4 years or home pc choices for the rest.
LiELF
Seasoned Ace
6 years ago
@Writin_Reg Long live Sims 2! Lol. I used to have three dorms and two Greek Houses nearly filled with my Sims in one of the University worlds - the French sounding one. I really weighed down my game with so many Sims. What a blast! Wish I could still play that save but I think I destroyed it with cheats and overloaded giant households in the Downtown. :D

One day I'll figure out how to get Sims 2 to play on Windows 10. Good times! <3
tcikes
New Spectator
6 years ago
"bixters;d-966787" wrote:
There will probably only be one new trait, something ridiculously specific like "college savvy," where you get a positive emotional buff from being on campus.

Ouch. That kinda hurt to read because it seems so likely to be true. I really hope it won't be...
alexsimmerman
6 years ago
Unfortunately, University is probably going to get a backlash for two reasons:

1- Because it's the most highly anticipated expansion, hype is super-high so the reality of the game is most likely going to fail to meet everyone's expectations.

2- Most of us agree; the Sims 4's game-play is very limited and superficial compared to previous games. We won't get the content in terms of re-usability, large world, detailed interactions so after a day or two; the community are going to run-out of things to do like we did with Island Living, Real of Magic etc.

I'd really love EA to listen to what game-changers are saying about not getting enough content from their packs
peterskywalker
6 years ago
Universities expansion will probably be okay at best.
Here is what I think will happen based on previous packs.
1. Thew new world will be medium-small sized because EA will state that they are focusing on gameplay.
2. Player can create dorms, or at least place down the shells because EA got major back lash from apartments. NPC will not fill other dorm rooms (you have to move sims there yourself if you want to see other sims).
3. sims in Fraternities and sororities are able to unlock perks to help them with things like faster homework gain, etc (like with clubs, vampires, witches).
4. only 1 or 2 new aspiration and traits. Sims 4 never had expansions or gamepacks that added a lot of new traits.
5. They will finally bring back the pool table.
6. Classes will be done like acting career in get famous. You can either go to a rabbit hole or attend class with your sim and have to complete goals in a certain amount of time.
7. Sims who are young adult and older can go to university from any world (they just travel off lot or you follow them to work when its time for class). You don't get dorm experience unless you live in a lot with the dorm lot class.
8. Sims who are in university unlock the ability to study either from a bookcase or computer (reused animations)
9. Most new socials created will be reused animations from the base game. Especially socials that involve talking such as talk about teachers, talk about major, etc.
10. There will be no new content for toddlers and kids except for maybe one or two pieces of CAS clothing. This will most likely be a shirt with a logo on it.
11. Other than CAS items, since they are the same height as adults, teens will get little or no new content exclusive to them.

I do hope however that the pack is actually decent.
A few things that I would like to see in this pack are as follows.
1. bring back pillow fight without restrictions (i.e. kids can pillow fight with adults, etc). Option for 3 way pillow fight, and adults are a lot less likely to do pillow fights autonomously unless they have certain traits (i.e. childish) or if they initiate it with their child or grandchild, etc.
2. Bring back the ability to play instruments together. Allow kids to also play instruments together with others as well (piano and violin). Sims teen and older could form bands. Add new instruments such as drums and electric guitar instrument.
3. Add some gameplay for kids and teens. This would be the perfect time to expand on the school system they already have. Even if they don't add the ability to go to class with them they could enhance gameplay with writing papers for extra credit. Studying for tests that appear every certain amount of days. More events/chance cards while at school. Ability for teens to take SAT test and get scholarships for college. Add more after school activities for kids and teens.
FriendlySimmers
New Traveler
6 years ago
sorry just adding my 2 cents here to me university is not a priority on my list that sort of expansion back i would of seen as the last ep before going to sims5 i would much rathere see a retro content expansion pack 1950 to now with clothes furniture and appliances from 1950,1960,1970,1980,1990,2000 to now, and alot of players would love a farming ep me the use of a farming ep while still giving my sims a modern way of life would be to home grow fresh vegetables and fruit fresh laid eggs fresh milk from a cow ect, would also love to see cars added resort hotels and true vacations including sims going on a cruise list is kind of long
janyses
New Observer
6 years ago
"Dannydanbo;c-17281768" wrote:
It's a shame that one of the most requested EPs will drop 10 days after Planet Zoo. If Uni doesn't meet expectations, it may signal the end of the Sims.

But... It hasn't been confirmed. o:)
Writin_Reg
6 years ago
Actually Maxis has had a huge drive for jobs for the next big Sims game - go to Maxis Careers and see for yourself. That's for Sims 5 looking at all the jobs being offered. So Sims is not going anywhere and until that one is closer to being done neither is Sims 4 going anywhere.
Writin_Reg
6 years ago
"Dannydanbo;c-17267690" wrote:
"invisiblgirl;c-17267605" wrote:
"Dannydanbo;c-17266875" wrote:
"invisiblgirl;c-17266726" wrote:
The only thing that is certain is that a good part of the community will be bitterly disappointed. If it's like previous university packs, family players will be annoyed at yet another YA pack, and those whose 'university' experience isn't American middle-upper class will be left out. If they leave out some features from previous university packs to add features for other life stages and experiences, American YAs will gripe about the pack being 'watered down'.

I don't think FAMILY players will be upset with a Uni pack. Going to Uni is a very important part of most families lives. The prep, the anticipation, the worry about finances, etc.

If it's like previous university packs, we won't be able to play our families at all while playing the YA at university. And my families do just fine without a university phase - I'm more interested in raising the toddlers and kids. I usually age up my teens early to start the next generation - the last thing I want to do is spend time partying at a university with my YA. (I think I played an actual student for half a day in S2 or S3 - it was horribly linear and very stressful for my 'loner' Sim.)

I'd much rather have an education pack that provides options, such as night school and online classes - that would fit in much better for family play. And, of course, I want features for my kids and teens, who haven't had much in recent packs. (Homeschooling!)

Firstly. previous packs were stand alone, S4 worlds are all connected. So, I see no reason that switching from one to the other wouldn't be possible.

Secondly, if that's how you feel, why would you even buy this pack in first place?

Thirdly, with every remake of past packs being smaller but more focused, I don't see a huge EDUCATION pack coming in November. That's far too much and I'd rather have all that data space for Uni. Grade school and High school are boring compared to college anyway. There is a possibility that a lower grades education pack might come later, maybe with a home schooling option, but I don't see it being a part of the Uni pack. If it was added, both Uni and lower grades would suffer and have little game play and it would have been a waste because no one will get what they want.

Same here. Uni is supposed to be just for Universities and higher learning - not grade school.
chickenow
6 years ago
I'm one of the few people that found Sims 3 University living disappointing. It felt less like a "life journey" and more like a feature your Sims could do before going back to standard gameplay with a couple of extra features. I feel that was in part due to 'Young Adult' already being in the game and also making the University World being a destination world therefore being restricted to only one household at a time playing at University.
I loved the feature in Sims 2 where you could select scholarships for teen sims and when the time was right, you could select the teen Sims which would join your Sim at University.
Given that Sims 4 has restricted worlds I suspect they will keep with the Sims 3 feature....