We often see many different threads about reality play vs occult and or things that are all in our imaginations being discussed for gameplay and argued here on the forums. That's a good debate to have, but how much reality is too much in The Sims? Such as is it ok with actual players who prefer no other life states in their games to accept no simulation of the Sim being transported from point A to B? Is that lack of reality play acceptable in future games or even TS4?Or for those who prefer all reality play such as those who prefer no aliens etc., no vamps!, is it ok that Sims in TS4 don't drive, fly (in planes) take a bus, or a train or a boat and that an elevator is not really an elevator in TS4? Is it ok that their teen Sims look exactly like YAs and Adults, unless you zoom and or alter the Sim?Or that Sims who own a shop don't have to hire a manager for the shop while they are away and can still get money from the pot with a click of a button?Or that they don't take out the trash but players just drag it over to the can and kaching! instant cash?Or that Sims with particular traits don't even have anything mildly related to those traits but get an inspired buff, the one go to buff for almost everything in TS4?Or that Sims can get money faster than bees can collect pollen in TS4 or perhaps any future game?On the other hand how much reality is too much? Such as Sims having to buy new clothes if they have grown taller? And or fatter? And or skinnier? Or having to call a taxi because yes, it is a long way to the desert from a snow capped mountain. The things mentioned are not all of the things not simulated in TS4 but let's hope they are in TS5 etc.Take the poll to reveal how much of your disbelief you suspend. :) ETA: The poll is meant to spur a conversation about why we accept so little simulation compared to we 'think' we play a reality game when we don't and how much would be too much and for what reasons. Set aside any issues with bugs and or traits lacking, etc. etc. and think about reality of life and why we have accepted the lack of it in TS4 but defend that we play a reality game.

I'm usually okay with accepting the game's limitations when playing a realistic storyline. But I do get the sense that some of those limitations are in place for different reasons.For example, it's more for the player's convenience to have some forward momentum in the gameplay, so in-game time passes faster, we don't have to wait 9 months for a baby to be born, we don't have to go to the dresser to change clothes or pick out a new outfit every day, etc. I would lose interest very fast if some of those things were more realistic.Meanwhile, I feel like other limitations exist mainly for the developer/animators' convenience: Sims fading away so that they don't have to animate them getting into cars, Sims spinning into their clothes so that they don't have to animate them getting dressed, etc.I'm less understanding about the limitations in the latter category because these things were clearly just shortcuts, and instead of getting back to them later (like in one of the countless patches/full-priced expansions), they're just sort of accepted as personality quirks of the franchise that then persist from one installment to the next.Overall though, it is what it is, and I usually enjoy the game without thinking about those things very much. But it would be cool if EA was more interested in fleshing out what's lacking in their game rather than continually adding more random features, like the planet Jakku from Star Wars or whatever the heck is going on in TS4 since I last paid attention.

I was born with an extraordinary imagination. Perhaps that’s why I like TS4 so much, I don’t need my game to do every nattering little detail for me because I can quite literally see most of my story in my minds eye. The game just adds an extra level of enhancement to that.

No, the way you want to play your game should never be considered "too much".

I currently play with a lot of occults, but when I first got the game I mostly played more realistically. I was very happy when I moved from Sims 2 to Sims 4 and found that shopping was no longer required and you could feed a baby standing at the bassinet instead of having to trek across the house. I prefer to focus on my goals for my sims, whether career, aspiration, relationships, family, fame, etc, and not wasting so much time on more realistic details suits me perfectly. I also like that the less interesting parts of real life are mostly optional - you can add laundry or vacuuming to your game but those of use who find it boring have the option not to. I wouldn't mind better grocery store mechanics so that sometimes I could choose to play a family that only cooks what they have the fresh ingredients for and they could go buy all kinds of harvestable and craftable food items if they don't have them. But I much prefer paying at the fridge most of the time.

I do wish the game was more realistic, but not in the sense that I want cars or specific animations. I would like the game to incorporate more chaotic situations, or unexpected bad events, in a way that resembles more real life. (unexpected deaths, your sims' partner autonomously leaving out of the blue or leading a double life, burglars, etc...) Another example is making it harder to make money. In real life if you receive an unexpectedly high bill you can't really go outside, dig up some rocks and sell them to an abstract entity. In my game I incorporate things like this but only through my imagination. It would be nice to have chaos spawn within the game, though. I am fully aware this will never happen because they are opting for a more positive, bubbly game, which I completely get and it's a valid choice, no shade towards that. That's why my hopes are on modders at this point :)Improving how traits impact autonomy I believe is a step towards what I want. A big thing for me would also be giving purpose to the sims that walk aimlessly around the lot I am playing at. Right now, if I recognise a sim walking around I just pretend they are on their way to do XYZ. It would be nice if I didn't have to do that and if whatever the sim did autonomously had consequences.On the other hand, when I hear about a new real life kind of tedious task being incorporated into the game, I always feel like it's unnecesary a priori - for example I felt this way about laundry, or about the mods that incorporate mestruation - two things I don't particularly enjoy irl - but when I give it a chance, I end up liking the gameplay. I'm feeling the same way about vacuming, I hate the idea a priori because it seems tedious ( and buggy :neutral: ), but it's quite likely that I wouldn't mind the gameplay if I ever were to buy the kit. I feel like the developers are good at making tedious real life activities actually enjoyable in the game. I see those things as nice if I give them a chance, because in fact it incorporates difficulty to the game and it has negative consequences if you avoid the tasks, which is cool, but it is not what I think of when I wish for more realism in the game.

Reality Players, How Much Is Too Much?

Archivist
New Spectator
4 years ago
I'm usually okay with accepting the game's limitations when playing a realistic storyline. But I do get the sense that some of those limitations are in place for different reasons.

For example, it's more for the player's convenience to have some forward momentum in the gameplay, so in-game time passes faster, we don't have to wait 9 months for a baby to be born, we don't have to go to the dresser to change clothes or pick out a new outfit every day, etc. I would lose interest very fast if some of those things were more realistic.

Meanwhile, I feel like other limitations exist mainly for the developer/animators' convenience: Sims fading away so that they don't have to animate them getting into cars, Sims spinning into their clothes so that they don't have to animate them getting dressed, etc.

I'm less understanding about the limitations in the latter category because these things were clearly just shortcuts, and instead of getting back to them later (like in one of the countless patches/full-priced expansions), they're just sort of accepted as personality quirks of the franchise that then persist from one installment to the next.

Overall though, it is what it is, and I usually enjoy the game without thinking about those things very much. But it would be cool if EA was more interested in fleshing out what's lacking in their game rather than continually adding more random features, like the planet Jakku from Star Wars or whatever the heck is going on in TS4 since I last paid attention.
JanuaryGarnet08
New Spectator
4 years ago
I was born with an extraordinary imagination. Perhaps that’s why I like TS4 so much, I don’t need my game to do every nattering little detail for me because I can quite literally see most of my story in my minds eye. The game just adds an extra level of enhancement to that.
Aikamatkustus
4 years ago
No, the way you want to play your game should never be considered "too much".
Daephene1
New Spectator
4 years ago
I currently play with a lot of occults, but when I first got the game I mostly played more realistically. I was very happy when I moved from Sims 2 to Sims 4 and found that shopping was no longer required and you could feed a baby standing at the bassinet instead of having to trek across the house. I prefer to focus on my goals for my sims, whether career, aspiration, relationships, family, fame, etc, and not wasting so much time on more realistic details suits me perfectly. I also like that the less interesting parts of real life are mostly optional - you can add laundry or vacuuming to your game but those of use who find it boring have the option not to.
I wouldn't mind better grocery store mechanics so that sometimes I could choose to play a family that only cooks what they have the fresh ingredients for and they could go buy all kinds of harvestable and craftable food items if they don't have them. But I much prefer paying at the fridge most of the time.
mingussssss
4 years ago
I do wish the game was more realistic, but not in the sense that I want cars or specific animations. I would like the game to incorporate more chaotic situations, or unexpected bad events, in a way that resembles more real life. (unexpected deaths, your sims' partner autonomously leaving out of the blue or leading a double life, burglars, etc...) Another example is making it harder to make money. In real life if you receive an unexpectedly high bill you can't really go outside, dig up some rocks and sell them to an abstract entity.

In my game I incorporate things like this but only through my imagination. It would be nice to have chaos spawn within the game, though. I am fully aware this will never happen because they are opting for a more positive, bubbly game, which I completely get and it's a valid choice, no shade towards that. That's why my hopes are on modders at this point :)

Improving how traits impact autonomy I believe is a step towards what I want. A big thing for me would also be giving purpose to the sims that walk aimlessly around the lot I am playing at. Right now, if I recognise a sim walking around I just pretend they are on their way to do XYZ. It would be nice if I didn't have to do that and if whatever the sim did autonomously had consequences.

On the other hand, when I hear about a new real life kind of tedious task being incorporated into the game, I always feel like it's unnecesary a priori - for example I felt this way about laundry, or about the mods that incorporate mestruation - two things I don't particularly enjoy irl - but when I give it a chance, I end up liking the gameplay. I'm feeling the same way about vacuming, I hate the idea a priori because it seems tedious ( and buggy :neutral: ), but it's quite likely that I wouldn't mind the gameplay if I ever were to buy the kit. I feel like the developers are good at making tedious real life activities actually enjoyable in the game.

I see those things as nice if I give them a chance, because in fact it incorporates difficulty to the game and it has negative consequences if you avoid the tasks, which is cool, but it is not what I think of when I wish for more realism in the game.
OldeSimsFan
Seasoned Rookie
4 years ago
As a 'lifer' TS2 player I like how TS2 does it. Enough non-reality to be fun and a break from RL, but not so much that it keeps hitting the 'say, what?' button. TS4 is guilty of the latter. Am fine with the unique character types so long as they don't dominate the overall game.
d_dreamer71
4 years ago
I am not really good at describing how I feel about the game, right now it needs something to make it more enjoyable. Doing the same things all the time is quite boring to me. It needs something, but I am not sure what to say it needs. I liked (mingussss) comments. Sorry if I misspelled the name. Lots of good comments!!
AstroX1424
Seasoned Newcomer
4 years ago
"d_dreamer;c-17871462" wrote:
I am not really good at describing how I feel about the game, right now it needs something to make it more enjoyable. Doing the same things all the time is quite boring to me. It needs something, but I am not sure what to say it needs. I liked (mingussss) comments. Sorry if I misspelled the name. Lots of good comments!!

This is how I currently feel. The fact that TS2 and 3 exist is always going to make me want more from TS4, I guess that means I do like more simulation (realism) in my game. This is why I like TS3 better, TS3 truly feels limitless in terms of being able to do what you want and that's partly due to to not only mods but just the general openness of the game.

Got a little off topic but TS4 feels limited in all its areas, to limited for me to enjoy in any capacity.
Burnziie
Seasoned Novice
4 years ago
Quite honestly, the Sims has basically always been a grounded lifesim with occult elements, I don't think we can really have a game without them at all. They've been commonplace since the first game with the Ghosts, Makin Magic expansions (that had fairies, ghosts and mummies long before TS3 did) spellcrafting and zombies. Things like Zombies and genies as far back as the first expansion... And even the Monkey Butler from the Console ports

I always saw my playstyle as relatively grounded, minus that I play occults a fair bit. Although there have been times I do just want a normal neighbourhood without Joe Shmoe being abducted and Impregnated by aliens. (Even worse in the Sims 3 where its just completely unavoidable if you still have your males avoid telescopes like a plague (so I just mod aliens abductions out of every single game))

I'd like to point out the Sims 2 did the mix of occults and realism perfectly fine, EA added all the nice grounded things already although the occult area was lacking in the game, probably making it the most realistic, minus the ghosts and rather odd Social Bunny.. Plus aliens, while it still managed to expanded on the normal elements with each expansion even if it adds some odd things each time like bringing in Bigfoot with vacations.

And even the occults pretty much fit in, neutural Witches in the SIms 2 would be pretty much unidentifiable with normal clothes until they did magic, vampires were rare to showup at any downtown lot leaving you only with a non-grounded over the top caricature of a pickpocket. (Still wish they made him look and act less silly though)

The problem is I think comes from the later games, while they are definitely adding some grounded everyday things like vacuuming, universities and laundery, the silly elements still manage to force themselves in. I'll use the Sims 3 University Life as an example, if you just happen to have Supernatural installed you'll be unable to just have a normal university of people (plus the two plantsims which are relatively hard to meet personally) and it feels like 2/3 of the students are all occults with no toggle on if you want them. Which is fine for people who don't mind the occults, but then also still a problem if you just want a mostly grounded save... Or how Seasons in the Sims 2 will have penguins walking down the side of a city in the Winter...

...This has really just been a thing since the Sims 1 though with Claire the Bear thieving from trashcans since 2003...

Avoiding overly silly things from expansions that add them for most part isn't really that difficult outside of a few exceptions like above, or the downright loud ITF portal that invades every single new save within seconds. But I really think they need to be toggles in the future. Like I'd love Seasons as it is without alien abductions if there was a simple toggle.

EA cutting out the actual life sim elements like cooking with utensils and actually serving food at the dinner-table to guests, instead of having a job end up with you becoming a literal Super-hero is something all on EA since they could easily keep the grounded careers (mob-boss was the last rank for a criminal in the first game) and smaller details, while still having a few sillier elements to brighten the mood. Which the first 2 games did exceptionally.

I can't blame the less realistic elements for taking away from the life simulation area, its all on EAs developement and what they're aiming for. If the Sims 5 was a game about filing taxes and only earning a minimum wage taking a whole lifespan to finally buy a house I'd not enjoy it, but if the Sims 5 was a game about fighting dragons with only bare basic motive management I also wouldn't enjoy it. EA just need to keep remembering the old fans who liked to live a normal life with the occasional break from reality.
6425059
4 years ago
I somestimes wish I didn't have to do so much "pretend" when it comes to Animations or Conversations (or Babies!). But I am fine with teleporting, dressing, paying at the fridge, etc. It is the nature of a Computer Game that not everything is the way it is in RL - after all, in RL I don't usually spend 2 hours trying to figure out how to get out from behind the stairs where I got stuck, or four hours cooking Mac&Cheese I won't even have time to eat...

I find that when things get too easy for me, I have to change up my gameplay a little (e.g. ban lily farms from my Game...), but that is manageable and a personal preference.