I wish the Sims Medieval got another chance

"Cinebar;c-16234366" wrote:

"venusdemilosims;c-16232888" wrote:
I liked this game for what it was, but it had so much potential that IMO was wasted. Once you got through the quests there was very little replay value. In the end it couldn't decide what it wanted to be. Had there been some sort of quest generator where players could write their own in addition to the ones provided, and had there been allowances for more customization, then maybe it could have been better.
But alas, it is what it is.

We begged them to give us a tool to develope/write our own quests, and I thought they might do that but then they suddenly dropped the game like a hot potato. But that is also around the time EA started building up the mobile side of it's studios and rethinking things about Emeryville studio.

According to http://sims.wikia.com/wiki/Maxis only the following games were developed in the Emeryville studio:
Spore
Spore: Galactic Adventures
Spore: Creepy & Cute Parts Pack
Spore: Bots Parts Pack
DarkSpore
SimCity
SimCity: Cities of Tomorrow
SimCity DLC

The Sims Medieval was according to the same source developed in the studio at Redwood Shores. So I don’t see how the fate of the Emeryville studio could have any influence on Medieval?

But we were explained before the release of Medieval that they had originally discussed it to be an EP for TS3 but finally decided it to become a standalone game instead. Therefore we know that EA only intended Medieval to be a sidegame to TS3 and EA has always wanted such sidegames to only be small games (probably to avoid too much competition for the main games). This is for me to see the most likely explanation of the fact that the Sims Medieval only got one (quite small) EP even though Medieval had deserved a better fate.

Edit: We could also discuss why EA then is making sidegames at all. But I think that the main reason actually is to also have something to sell to mainly new simmers who could think that the main games are too big and have way too many expansions.

"Erpe;c-16234407" wrote:

"Cinebar;c-16234366" wrote:

"venusdemilosims;c-16232888" wrote:
I liked this game for what it was, but it had so much potential that IMO was wasted. Once you got through the quests there was very little replay value. In the end it couldn't decide what it wanted to be. Had there been some sort of quest generator where players could write their own in addition to the ones provided, and had there been allowances for more customization, then maybe it could have been better.
But alas, it is what it is.

We begged them to give us a tool to develope/write our own quests, and I thought they might do that but then they suddenly dropped the game like a hot potato. But that is also around the time EA started building up the mobile side of it's studios and rethinking things about Emeryville studio.

According to http://sims.wikia.com/wiki/Maxis only the following games were developed in the Emeryville studio:
Spore
Spore: Galactic Adventures
Spore: Creepy & Cute Parts Pack
Spore: Bots Parts Pack
DarkSpore
SimCity
SimCity: Cities of Tomorrow
SimCity DLC

The Sims Medieval was according to the same source developed in the studio at Redwood Shores. So I don’t see how the fate of the Emeryville studio could have any influence on Medieval?

But we were explained before the release of Medieval that they had originally discussed it to be an EP for TS3 but finally decided it to become a standalone game instead. Therefore we know that EA only intended Medieval to be a sidegame to TS3 and EA has always wanted such sidegames to only be small games (probably to avoid too much competition for the main games). This is for me to see the most likely explanation of the fact that the Sims Medieval only got one (quite small) EP even though Medieval had deserved a better fate.

Edit: We could also discuss why EA then is making sidegames at all. But I think that the main reason actually is to also have something to sell to mainly new simmers who could think that the main games are too big and have way too many expansions.

Did you watch the very first walkthrough of TSM? Those guys said they were in Emeryville. Did that mean they were just there and visiting? No. It was not an official trailer but a walkthrough video. They had two if IIRC.

"Cinebar;c-16234442" wrote:

"Erpe;c-16234407" wrote:

"Cinebar;c-16234366" wrote:

"venusdemilosims;c-16232888" wrote:
I liked this game for what it was, but it had so much potential that IMO was wasted. Once you got through the quests there was very little replay value. In the end it couldn't decide what it wanted to be. Had there been some sort of quest generator where players could write their own in addition to the ones provided, and had there been allowances for more customization, then maybe it could have been better.
But alas, it is what it is.

We begged them to give us a tool to develope/write our own quests, and I thought they might do that but then they suddenly dropped the game like a hot potato. But that is also around the time EA started building up the mobile side of it's studios and rethinking things about Emeryville studio.

According to http://sims.wikia.com/wiki/Maxis only the following games were developed in the Emeryville studio:
Spore
Spore: Galactic Adventures
Spore: Creepy & Cute Parts Pack
Spore: Bots Parts Pack
DarkSpore
SimCity
SimCity: Cities of Tomorrow
SimCity DLC

The Sims Medieval was according to the same source developed in the studio at Redwood Shores. So I don’t see how the fate of the Emeryville studio could have any influence on Medieval?

But we were explained before the release of Medieval that they had originally discussed it to be an EP for TS3 but finally decided it to become a standalone game instead. Therefore we know that EA only intended Medieval to be a sidegame to TS3 and EA has always wanted such sidegames to only be small games (probably to avoid too much competition for the main games). This is for me to see the most likely explanation of the fact that the Sims Medieval only got one (quite small) EP even though Medieval had deserved a better fate.

Edit: We could also discuss why EA then is making sidegames at all. But I think that the main reason actually is to also have something to sell to mainly new simmers who could think that the main games are too big and have way too many expansions.

Did you watch the very first walkthrough of TSM? Those guys said they were in Emeryville. Did that mean they were just there and visiting? No. It was not an official trailer but a walkthrough video. They had two if IIRC.

I don’t remember that video. But why should the wiki about Maxis lie?

Will Wright was in Emeryville and we know that the studio made both SimCity games and Spore games. We also know that the studio was a part of Maxis. But in most places it is mentioned as “the SimCity Studio”. Maybe some developers from Redwood was in Emeryville to visit Will Wright and maybe also to show him the new Sims Medieval game?

"Erpe;c-16234483" wrote:

"Cinebar;c-16234442" wrote:

"Erpe;c-16234407" wrote:

"Cinebar;c-16234366" wrote:

"venusdemilosims;c-16232888" wrote:
I liked this game for what it was, but it had so much potential that IMO was wasted. Once you got through the quests there was very little replay value. In the end it couldn't decide what it wanted to be. Had there been some sort of quest generator where players could write their own in addition to the ones provided, and had there been allowances for more customization, then maybe it could have been better.
But alas, it is what it is.

We begged them to give us a tool to develope/write our own quests, and I thought they might do that but then they suddenly dropped the game like a hot potato. But that is also around the time EA started building up the mobile side of it's studios and rethinking things about Emeryville studio.

According to http://sims.wikia.com/wiki/Maxis only the following games were developed in the Emeryville studio:
Spore
Spore: Galactic Adventures
Spore: Creepy & Cute Parts Pack
Spore: Bots Parts Pack
DarkSpore
SimCity
SimCity: Cities of Tomorrow
SimCity DLC

The Sims Medieval was according to the same source developed in the studio at Redwood Shores. So I don’t see how the fate of the Emeryville studio could have any influence on Medieval?

But we were explained before the release of Medieval that they had originally discussed it to be an EP for TS3 but finally decided it to become a standalone game instead. Therefore we know that EA only intended Medieval to be a sidegame to TS3 and EA has always wanted such sidegames to only be small games (probably to avoid too much competition for the main games). This is for me to see the most likely explanation of the fact that the Sims Medieval only got one (quite small) EP even though Medieval had deserved a better fate.

Edit: We could also discuss why EA then is making sidegames at all. But I think that the main reason actually is to also have something to sell to mainly new simmers who could think that the main games are too big and have way too many expansions.

Did you watch the very first walkthrough of TSM? Those guys said they were in Emeryville. Did that mean they were just there and visiting? No. It was not an official trailer but a walkthrough video. They had two if IIRC.

I don’t remember that video. But why should the wiki about Maxis lie?

Will Wright was in Emeryville and we know that the studio made both SimCity games and Spore games. We also know that the studio was a part of Maxis. But in most places it is mentioned as “the SimCity Studio”. Maybe some developers from Redwood was in Emeryville to visit Will Wright and maybe also to show him the new Sims Medieval game?

Will Wright had already left Maxis when they released TSM. It was in 2011, and The Sims Studio is located in Redwood. They were building (TS3 already out) the TS3 and Emerville was producing TSM. Or at least that is they way the walkthrough sounded to me. Maybe we should ask SimGuruDaniel where TSM was produced since he was one of the TSM team.

"Cinebar;c-16237125" wrote:

"Erpe;c-16234483" wrote:

"Cinebar;c-16234442" wrote:

"Erpe;c-16234407" wrote:

"Cinebar;c-16234366" wrote:

"venusdemilosims;c-16232888" wrote:
I liked this game for what it was, but it had so much potential that IMO was wasted. Once you got through the quests there was very little replay value. In the end it couldn't decide what it wanted to be. Had there been some sort of quest generator where players could write their own in addition to the ones provided, and had there been allowances for more customization, then maybe it could have been better.
But alas, it is what it is.

We begged them to give us a tool to develope/write our own quests, and I thought they might do that but then they suddenly dropped the game like a hot potato. But that is also around the time EA started building up the mobile side of it's studios and rethinking things about Emeryville studio.

According to http://sims.wikia.com/wiki/Maxis only the following games were developed in the Emeryville studio:
Spore
Spore: Galactic Adventures
Spore: Creepy & Cute Parts Pack
Spore: Bots Parts Pack
DarkSpore
SimCity
SimCity: Cities of Tomorrow
SimCity DLC

The Sims Medieval was according to the same source developed in the studio at Redwood Shores. So I don’t see how the fate of the Emeryville studio could have any influence on Medieval?

But we were explained before the release of Medieval that they had originally discussed it to be an EP for TS3 but finally decided it to become a standalone game instead. Therefore we know that EA only intended Medieval to be a sidegame to TS3 and EA has always wanted such sidegames to only be small games (probably to avoid too much competition for the main games). This is for me to see the most likely explanation of the fact that the Sims Medieval only got one (quite small) EP even though Medieval had deserved a better fate.

Edit: We could also discuss why EA then is making sidegames at all. But I think that the main reason actually is to also have something to sell to mainly new simmers who could think that the main games are too big and have way too many expansions.

Did you watch the very first walkthrough of TSM? Those guys said they were in Emeryville. Did that mean they were just there and visiting? No. It was not an official trailer but a walkthrough video. They had two if IIRC.

I don’t remember that video. But why should the wiki about Maxis lie?

Will Wright was in Emeryville and we know that the studio made both SimCity games and Spore games. We also know that the studio was a part of Maxis. But in most places it is mentioned as “the SimCity Studio”. Maybe some developers from Redwood was in Emeryville to visit Will Wright and maybe also to show him the new Sims Medieval game?

Will Wright had already left Maxis when they released TSM. It was in 2011, and The Sims Studio is located in Redwood. They were building (TS3 already out) the TS3 and Emerville was producing TSM. Or at least that is they way the walkthrough sounded to me. Maybe we should ask SimGuruDaniel where TSM was produced since he was one of the TSM team.

Yes. TSM was released in March 2011 and Darkspore was released a month later in April 2011. But it was Darkspore that was made in Emeryville. You can ask Daniel if you want.

"Erpe;c-16233168" wrote:

"venusdemilosims;c-16232888" wrote:
I liked this game for what it was, but it had so much potential that IMO was wasted. Once you got through the quests there was very little replay value. In the end it couldn't decide what it wanted to be. Had there been some sort of quest generator where players could write their own in addition to the ones provided, and had there been allowances for more customization, then maybe it could have been better.
But alas, it is what it is.

I agree. But the problem was that it was intended by EA to just replace an EP for TS3 and I have to agree with EA that it was better to release it as a stand-alone game than as an EP. But then the problem was that EA didn’t want it to become bigger because EA feared that it then just would steal too many customers from TS3. Still I agree that it had the potential to have become a much bigger and better game.

I never looked at it that way. I guess it makes sense not to turn it into a game with many EP's if you loose TS3 players (which I doubt because it has a totally different feeling) If what you say is true, we are lucky we got an EP at all. The sims 2 stories never had EP's.

"Atreya33;c-16243909" wrote:

"Erpe;c-16233168" wrote:

"venusdemilosims;c-16232888" wrote:
I liked this game for what it was, but it had so much potential that IMO was wasted. Once you got through the quests there was very little replay value. In the end it couldn't decide what it wanted to be. Had there been some sort of quest generator where players could write their own in addition to the ones provided, and had there been allowances for more customization, then maybe it could have been better.
But alas, it is what it is.

I agree. But the problem was that it was intended by EA to just replace an EP for TS3 and I have to agree with EA that it was better to release it as a stand-alone game than as an EP. But then the problem was that EA didn’t want it to become bigger because EA feared that it then just would steal too many customers from TS3. Still I agree that it had the potential to have become a much bigger and better game.

I never looked at it that way. I guess it makes sense not to turn it into a game with many EP's if you loose TS3 players (which I doubt because it has a totally different feeling) If what you say is true, we are lucky we got an EP at all. The sims 2 stories never had EP's.

I agree that it was a different feeling. But most simmers still only play one game at the time. So if Medieval had become as huge as TS3 then they would have had to choose which game to play and only a minority would have bought everything for both games. I am quite sure that this situation was what EA tried to avoid.

"Erpe;c-16237553" wrote:

"Cinebar;c-16237125" wrote:

"Erpe;c-16234483" wrote:

"Cinebar;c-16234442" wrote:

"Erpe;c-16234407" wrote:

"Cinebar;c-16234366" wrote:

"venusdemilosims;c-16232888" wrote:
I liked this game for what it was, but it had so much potential that IMO was wasted. Once you got through the quests there was very little replay value. In the end it couldn't decide what it wanted to be. Had there been some sort of quest generator where players could write their own in addition to the ones provided, and had there been allowances for more customization, then maybe it could have been better.
But alas, it is what it is.

We begged them to give us a tool to develope/write our own quests, and I thought they might do that but then they suddenly dropped the game like a hot potato. But that is also around the time EA started building up the mobile side of it's studios and rethinking things about Emeryville studio.

According to http://sims.wikia.com/wiki/Maxis only the following games were developed in the Emeryville studio:
Spore
Spore: Galactic Adventures
Spore: Creepy & Cute Parts Pack
Spore: Bots Parts Pack
DarkSpore
SimCity
SimCity: Cities of Tomorrow
SimCity DLC

The Sims Medieval was according to the same source developed in the studio at Redwood Shores. So I don’t see how the fate of the Emeryville studio could have any influence on Medieval?

But we were explained before the release of Medieval that they had originally discussed it to be an EP for TS3 but finally decided it to become a standalone game instead. Therefore we know that EA only intended Medieval to be a sidegame to TS3 and EA has always wanted such sidegames to only be small games (probably to avoid too much competition for the main games). This is for me to see the most likely explanation of the fact that the Sims Medieval only got one (quite small) EP even though Medieval had deserved a better fate.

Edit: We could also discuss why EA then is making sidegames at all. But I think that the main reason actually is to also have something to sell to mainly new simmers who could think that the main games are too big and have way too many expansions.

Did you watch the very first walkthrough of TSM? Those guys said they were in Emeryville. Did that mean they were just there and visiting? No. It was not an official trailer but a walkthrough video. They had two if IIRC.

I don’t remember that video. But why should the wiki about Maxis lie?

Will Wright was in Emeryville and we know that the studio made both SimCity games and Spore games. We also know that the studio was a part of Maxis. But in most places it is mentioned as “the SimCity Studio”. Maybe some developers from Redwood was in Emeryville to visit Will Wright and maybe also to show him the new Sims Medieval game?

Will Wright had already left Maxis when they released TSM. It was in 2011, and The Sims Studio is located in Redwood. They were building (TS3 already out) the TS3 and Emerville was producing TSM. Or at least that is they way the walkthrough sounded to me. Maybe we should ask SimGuruDaniel where TSM was produced since he was one of the TSM team.

Yes. TSM was released in March 2011 and Darkspore was released a month later in April 2011. But it was Darkspore that was made in Emeryville. You can ask Daniel if you want.

(insert smile) Credits are on the disc, you don't have to ask anybody. :)

"Cinebar;c-16243945" wrote:

"Erpe;c-16237553" wrote:

"Cinebar;c-16237125" wrote:

"Erpe;c-16234483" wrote:

"Cinebar;c-16234442" wrote:

"Erpe;c-16234407" wrote:

"Cinebar;c-16234366" wrote:

"venusdemilosims;c-16232888" wrote:
I liked this game for what it was, but it had so much potential that IMO was wasted. Once you got through the quests there was very little replay value. In the end it couldn't decide what it wanted to be. Had there been some sort of quest generator where players could write their own in addition to the ones provided, and had there been allowances for more customization, then maybe it could have been better.
But alas, it is what it is.

We begged them to give us a tool to develope/write our own quests, and I thought they might do that but then they suddenly dropped the game like a hot potato. But that is also around the time EA started building up the mobile side of it's studios and rethinking things about Emeryville studio.

According to http://sims.wikia.com/wiki/Maxis only the following games were developed in the Emeryville studio:
Spore
Spore: Galactic Adventures
Spore: Creepy & Cute Parts Pack
Spore: Bots Parts Pack
DarkSpore
SimCity
SimCity: Cities of Tomorrow
SimCity DLC

The Sims Medieval was according to the same source developed in the studio at Redwood Shores. So I don’t see how the fate of the Emeryville studio could have any influence on Medieval?

But we were explained before the release of Medieval that they had originally discussed it to be an EP for TS3 but finally decided it to become a standalone game instead. Therefore we know that EA only intended Medieval to be a sidegame to TS3 and EA has always wanted such sidegames to only be small games (probably to avoid too much competition for the main games). This is for me to see the most likely explanation of the fact that the Sims Medieval only got one (quite small) EP even though Medieval had deserved a better fate.

Edit: We could also discuss why EA then is making sidegames at all. But I think that the main reason actually is to also have something to sell to mainly new simmers who could think that the main games are too big and have way too many expansions.

Did you watch the very first walkthrough of TSM? Those guys said they were in Emeryville. Did that mean they were just there and visiting? No. It was not an official trailer but a walkthrough video. They had two if IIRC.

I don’t remember that video. But why should the wiki about Maxis lie?

Will Wright was in Emeryville and we know that the studio made both SimCity games and Spore games. We also know that the studio was a part of Maxis. But in most places it is mentioned as “the SimCity Studio”. Maybe some developers from Redwood was in Emeryville to visit Will Wright and maybe also to show him the new Sims Medieval game?

Will Wright had already left Maxis when they released TSM. It was in 2011, and The Sims Studio is located in Redwood. They were building (TS3 already out) the TS3 and Emerville was producing TSM. Or at least that is they way the walkthrough sounded to me. Maybe we should ask SimGuruDaniel where TSM was produced since he was one of the TSM team.

Yes. TSM was released in March 2011 and Darkspore was released a month later in April 2011. But it was Darkspore that was made in Emeryville. You can ask Daniel if you want.

(insert smile) Credits are on the disc, you don't have to ask anybody. :)

I know. But when I am watching movies there often are some of the actors who aren’t mentioned. So it can be hard to find out who they are. In the same way I am not sure that the credits always mention all the developers who maybe only worked at the game for a short time.

"Erpe;c-16244009" wrote:

"Cinebar;c-16243945" wrote:

"Erpe;c-16237553" wrote:

"Cinebar;c-16237125" wrote:

"Erpe;c-16234483" wrote:

"Cinebar;c-16234442" wrote:

"Erpe;c-16234407" wrote:

"Cinebar;c-16234366" wrote:

"venusdemilosims;c-16232888" wrote:
I liked this game for what it was, but it had so much potential that IMO was wasted. Once you got through the quests there was very little replay value. In the end it couldn't decide what it wanted to be. Had there been some sort of quest generator where players could write their own in addition to the ones provided, and had there been allowances for more customization, then maybe it could have been better.
But alas, it is what it is.

We begged them to give us a tool to develope/write our own quests, and I thought they might do that but then they suddenly dropped the game like a hot potato. But that is also around the time EA started building up the mobile side of it's studios and rethinking things about Emeryville studio.

According to http://sims.wikia.com/wiki/Maxis only the following games were developed in the Emeryville studio:
Spore
Spore: Galactic Adventures
Spore: Creepy & Cute Parts Pack
Spore: Bots Parts Pack
DarkSpore
SimCity
SimCity: Cities of Tomorrow
SimCity DLC

The Sims Medieval was according to the same source developed in the studio at Redwood Shores. So I don’t see how the fate of the Emeryville studio could have any influence on Medieval?

But we were explained before the release of Medieval that they had originally discussed it to be an EP for TS3 but finally decided it to become a standalone game instead. Therefore we know that EA only intended Medieval to be a sidegame to TS3 and EA has always wanted such sidegames to only be small games (probably to avoid too much competition for the main games). This is for me to see the most likely explanation of the fact that the Sims Medieval only got one (quite small) EP even though Medieval had deserved a better fate.

Edit: We could also discuss why EA then is making sidegames at all. But I think that the main reason actually is to also have something to sell to mainly new simmers who could think that the main games are too big and have way too many expansions.

Did you watch the very first walkthrough of TSM? Those guys said they were in Emeryville. Did that mean they were just there and visiting? No. It was not an official trailer but a walkthrough video. They had two if IIRC.

I don’t remember that video. But why should the wiki about Maxis lie?

Will Wright was in Emeryville and we know that the studio made both SimCity games and Spore games. We also know that the studio was a part of Maxis. But in most places it is mentioned as “the SimCity Studio”. Maybe some developers from Redwood was in Emeryville to visit Will Wright and maybe also to show him the new Sims Medieval game?

Will Wright had already left Maxis when they released TSM. It was in 2011, and The Sims Studio is located in Redwood. They were building (TS3 already out) the TS3 and Emerville was producing TSM. Or at least that is they way the walkthrough sounded to me. Maybe we should ask SimGuruDaniel where TSM was produced since he was one of the TSM team.

Yes. TSM was released in March 2011 and Darkspore was released a month later in April 2011. But it was Darkspore that was made in Emeryville. You can ask Daniel if you want.

(insert smile) Credits are on the disc, you don't have to ask anybody. :)

I know. But when I am watching movies there often are some of the actors who aren’t mentioned. So it can be hard to find out who they are. In the same way I am not sure that the credits always mention all the developers who maybe only worked at the game for a short time.

They used to, including just interns (who work for free) but TS4 doesn't even have a credit section that I have seen in the game does it? I think they stopped listing who all worked on games and where.