Console Controller Feedback

I am playing on PS5. Since the update with the new controls, I am unable to undo several steps continuously in build mode, because each time I press L2, it undoes ONE step and then the search / text input box comes up. So I have to wait about 2 seconds, close the box, and then repeat several times until I have gone back far enough to where I wanted to go. This used to take 2 seconds before and now it is slow, infuriating and unusable. Please stop the search coming up when pressing L2 and put the quick undo back.

Is there not a way to make the build mode menu be manually closable, and when you open it again it just puts you back where you were? I get that before the issue was that when it closed you had to navigate back, but surely having it remember where you were is better than having it open constantly.

Why does it automatically change to arrow mode?
The scrolling with the small scrollbar is slow and fiddly, it is not a nice user experience. Sometimes I am able to scroll with the stick but then sometimes it stops working, (I do not know why) and I have to precariously navigate to the tiny scrollbar to the far right and try to scroll the items that way. The scroll sometimes goes too fast that way so I don't see all items. Then I have to navigate back to the middle of the screen to select the item I want. Then back to the right to scroll. You get the idea. It is SLOW, fiddly and not relaxing.

Someone said that pressing the pad should make it scroll again, but it doesn't always work for me, and when it does, instead of immediately being able to scroll through the item catalogue that is ALREADY OPEN, as expected, I have to navigate back to it through the path - so, objects by function / dropdown / category / subcategory - to get to the objects, even though it is already there on the screen! This is bad UX again and others have also mentioned the repetitive strain injury risk. Also this doesn't actually solve the problem you were trying to solve, because I still have to do the same navigation as before, even with the items right there.

Also why change the X to R2? It is an uncommon user pattern and unintuitive. Please put it back to X to confirm. 

I should be able to use the left stick to navigate through the catalogue, its categories, subcategories and items, and using the right one to scroll through the objects.

Scrollbars and dropdown menus are not user friendly for console. You really need to get some UX/UI designers to redesign your menu for console specifically instead of trying to treat consoles as a PC.

It should stay in stick navigation mode unless I deliberately switch to arrow mode, and when I switch back, it should put me into the open items directly. I should also be able to navigate back to the categories with the left stick and not have to use circle to go back several times. 

PS5 player 

• How do the controls feel?
  Clumsy, tedious, mysterious, not user friendly
  
  
• Where do you struggle most when trying to play with a controller?
  -Build mode, things like pulling in eaves on one side of a roof only, anything that uses shift or alt on PC etc is not clear how to achieve on console
  -When choosing interactions with sims, it is difficult to navigate to short dialogue options, as they tend to be skipped and you have to find the right angle for it to select. 
  -Sometimes out of the blue, the controller navigation speed speeds up to really fast so that you can't select anything. Have to go to the gallery and click around there a bit, then go back to the game to fix it. 
  
  
• What experiences or features are difficult to use?
  -Moving a house on a lot, because when I click move house, I then have to exit twice by pressing O+O, THEN I can move it and also the main reason why it is difficult to use is because it is so unclear where the house will be placed. First the house shifts slightly, so you don't know whether that is where it is now or a new location. And when you want to move it like one square you basically have to guess, as the outlines do not show where it will be placed. 
  
  -Another thing that is buggy is windows. I can toggle R1 / L1 to cover an entire wall with wallpaper at once or just one piece of wall. Same with floor tiles, full floor or one tile. However, this toggle doesn't work with windows. If I forgot to toggle it off after using it on a wallpaper or floor tile, it will try and place a window repeatedly around the room. There is no way to go back to just one window, unless I go back to a wallpaper or floor tile, and toggle it off there, then go back to the window again. Even worse, this workaround seems to have stopped working recently, so now I have to quit my game and then go back in in order to be able to place a single window. 
  
  
• Which buttons do you wish behaved differently and why?
  -I wish there was an easy way to do shift, alt whatever else they do on PC to do more advanced build controls as well as resizing, moving objects vertically. 
  -I'd like to see the build mode menu have an overhaul for console specifically and be made user friendly. 

I'm surprised no articles have come out about this yet. I do feel that this issue deserves some attention, especially where players with disabilities are concerned.

The game is being praised for being inclusive (which it is) in the media yet a huge portion of players have been forced to stop playing because EA didn't consider how these needless changes will impact those with disabilities and conditions.

I'm considering reaching out to some websites. 

Having the same issue on XBOX One.  Wasn't like this before the las update.

Although I’m not physically disabled in a way that affects my gaming, I am autistic. This change has affected me in that it was a huge, unexpected change (I don’t do well with those), and that it’s essentially taken away one of my special interests, something I rely on for emotional regulation and wellbeing.

I think there has been plenty of feedback now, Sims. Time to change the controls back!! I haven’t been able to play in over TWO WEEKS now, and I’m getting pretty pissed off. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on this game, so I would say it’s reasonable to expect the bare minimum of decent controls. Console controls were tricky to learn as is, and now you’ve bumped them to impossible. No one asked for you to change build mode on a whim… but here we are! Please change them back. Don’t forget, we pay for the game too..! And this is a great way to lose your paying customers. 

@EA_Solaire 

Though it was thoughtful of you guys to try and attempt an update for the user interface on xbox console in build/buy mode. It's safe to say-- simmers aren't happy with this abrupt change; it seems to have caused more harm than good to the dedicated simmers. 

No i personally am not angry with this change, sure, it's tedious, yes it's causing ample problems, crashes, frustrations etc. 

Please @EA_Solaire talk with your team, discuss a better method or return our user interface back to normal. It is way more difficult to do anything in build/buy mode and it would be very appreciated if things go back. 

Please update us on a fix or at least let us know more about the "fix" the team has in store. 

Kindly yours,

MittensKio