Just curious where people land on this line. In the Sims 3, we are able to follow our sims everywhere but a lot of lots (restaurants, grocery stores, movie theatres, career lots, etc) are rabbit holes. In The Sims 1, 2 and 4, the worlds are closed you’re able to follow your sim in a lot of lots, like grocery stores, restaurants, stores and even to work sometimes. Overdue Edit: The reason I asked is because I saw a post where someone really liked the rabbit holes. It gave them a chance to take a break from micromanaging their sims and that they knew their sims were having a great time at the movies or at a restaurant and watching the work go by. I kept my post short to not bias the poll but probably too short. Sorry about that.

We don't have real grocery stores or cinemas in Sims 4 though.But I can live without an open world, and I really appreciate TS4's ability to travel freely within all worlds. And also with closed worlds we can have more people on community lots.But I really wish neighborhoods were open, or at least apartment blocks. I hate loading screens in apartments, even Sims 2 had apartments open.

I did love open world I’m TS3 but it was laggy and had its issues. So I believe open lots would be easier for the devs and should run smoother. But with better tech these days I can see open world making a come back. But I could see open lots with a world more like TS2, where there would be houses next to retail. So I’m in between, whichever would run smoother honestly.

Easily open world just not 32 bit like Sims 3 so pcs can actually handle it. I'd actually prefer something like open neighborhoods of 10 or so lots within larger worlds just so there would be more Sims filling the space but I also dont want rabbit holes of any kind if there's a restaurant I want to see and play the Sims inside same goes for anything else.

Of course I would want both, which I think is possible with today's technology. But if I had to choose, then I would pick open lots.

I liked the open world but i prefer it closed because this is the only sims game that im able to have almost all packs (every one that i want) and have no performance problems. On the other hand i miss some rabbit holes. Sometimes i just want to send my sim away and focus on others.

Do you prefer open world or open lots?

Shadow6331
5 years ago
why can't we just get chunks instead? that's neither open lots nor open lots in any way. it doesn't lag, there's not really any load time, and it's practically infinite, with the ability to modify each chunk. I don't see why we should be trapped with one of two very old methods of generating cell data.
jay-atelo
5 years ago
if they ever make a sims5, i'd be really disappointed if it didn't implement more of an open world like sims3, my favorite sims game. but as i saw someone else say, it does feel a lot more empty (or 'dead') with open world. so if they make neighborhoods, apartments etc open world but kept the community lots just an open lot, that would a pretty perfect balance. its 2020 so i know it probably isn't rocket science anymore to implement something like that. overall, i just hope a future sims5 takes more elements from sims3 than sims4.
Cinebar
5 years ago
If I had to choose between open world and or being able to build and play an open lot, of course I'm going to pick an open lot. I want to see my Sims in restaurants, theaters, bars, dance places, bowling allies, markets, shopping centers etc. I will always choose an open lot over an open world if that open world is filled with rabbit holes. Like so many little games these days. I don't mind a few rabbit holes but sea diving etc. no, it should have been open.

My answer is based on what you ask in the header and inferred in the topic. Open world with rabbit holes or closed world with all open lots...it has to be open lots, because I wouldn't play an open world with only rabbit holes. That would be highly boring.
SimsAddict_244
New Spectator
5 years ago
It depends. I would love open worlds but what would be the point of it if everything is in rabbit holes or that there's barely any sims roaming around? I love how lively community lots are in S2 and S4.
Onverser
5 years ago
I don't really get what you mean by "Open Lot"? Does that just mean closed world or what, if so of course I prefer open world who wouldn't but I also enjoy having good graphics and not having to wait 40 minutes for my game to load up
karon_shiruba
5 years ago
Open worlds and open lots can exist at the same time.
kwanzaabot
5 years ago
Sims 4 loading screens aren't that bad (10-20 seconds, max), I mean, they're not Animal Crossing ( :'( ) but honestly?

I'd like a mix of 3 and 4. Give us big neighborhoods with LOTS of houses (none of this "you only get 3-4" nonsense) and make it so all the lots in that neighborhood are visitable without load screens.

Open neighborhoods are the way to do it.
crocobaura
Seasoned Ace
5 years ago
I love open lots because that's where all the interesting gameplay happens. TS4 has more things to do in the open community space, like skating and playgrounds, but not being able to modify them is annoying. Also, I prefer the short loading screens instead of the crazy zooming around the neighbourhood for a sim to get to his destination, not to mention some of the questionable routes they took to get there.
Felicity1169
5 years ago
I don't mind loading screens, they are in my case faster and less laggy than your sim driving everywhere, and I really was not a huge fan of Rabbitholes for 90% of the community spaces in the Sims 3. In the future, I think it will be completely open with both lots and worlds. But we aren't there yet, even most open-world RPGs have loading screens between buildings.
cb2342z
New Spectator
5 years ago
Open world allows for so much more gameplay. Rabbit holes allow for quicker loading, and is less hardware intensive. But given today's computers, I don't see why we couldn't have both open worlds and lots for all uses. For example, in Get to Work with TS4; hospitals, science labs, and police stations are the first ever to feature open lots and actual open buildings. But, they are in hidden worlds. That is no good.

My biggest pet peeve though is the decorative buildings (and even major landmarks!) in the worlds. They aren't even rabbit holes! Either make them real, usable lots, or replace them with rabbit holes that at least have a function.