Rene Speculation: Aspirations, Wants & Fears, and LTWs
A thread to talk about all things related to aspiration , lifetime wants, and wants & fears in Project Rene.
Forum Discussion
We've gone through a lot of changes from Sims 2-4, so there is an opportunity here to return to the favorite design choices over the year while dumping what people dislike. That's what I speculate Rene will do.
In this reply:
(1) ASPIRATION METER
(2) ASPIRATIONS
(3) LIFETIME WANTS
(4) WANTS & FEARS
(1) ASPIRATION METER
First of all, the aspiration meter. Sure, there should be an option for the segment of the fanbase who really don't want consequences and just want to use the Sims game as a storytelling/ movie-making tool. But the Aspiration Meter added consequences and benefits to Wants & Fears. These are some of the historic consequences.
(2) ASPIRATIONS
Then we have aspirations themselves. Unfortunately, the definition of this has been conflated over the generations with Lifetime Wants. Sims 4 basically calls their Lifetime Wants "aspirations" and lacks the Sims 2 style aspirations entirely. We really need both. Aspirations are general orientations for your Sims regarding what they want to get out of life and what they value doing and achieving. They should be semi-permanent and last a lifetime.
I speculate that Rene has the opportunity to push the ball further beyond Pleasure, Family, Romance, Knowledge, Fortune, and Popularity. Something related to Creativity and another related to Crafting makes a lot of sense given the new gameplay elements of the Sims 3 and 4. These high-level aspirations should directly affect the types and Wants & Fears rolled, impacting the identity of the Sim. We'll get to that later.
(3) LIFETIME WANTS
Lifetime Wants are another feature I speculate Project Rene will add, similar to what we have in the Sims 4. I just hope it's not instead of everything else I've written about. Again, note the misnomer of "aspiration" here above the left-hand scroll box that includes "Renaissance Sim," "Archeology Scholar" and so forth. What EA really means to describe these things are Lifetime Wants. These LTWs fall under specific aspirations. Some LTWs could apply to multiple aspirations.
(4) WANTS & FEARS
Now we get to the core of the system. The Wants & Fears themselves. First of all, they are relevant to your Sims and the aspiration they chose. This is important so they don't feel generic. I speculate Project Rene will return to Fears being "rolled" just like wants in the Sims 2 rather than this new unpopular and buggy system they created of Fears developing like traits. In the first image, you will see the beloved "slot machine" aesthetic with the Wants & Fears visually represented via icons. They are refreshed and rerolled over time, a dynamism that many people love. The second image explains in theory how Wants & Fears could be generated.
Finally, Wants & Fears should be fun because they grow in challenge in intensity. Some wants are Power Wants with a starburst symbol so you know they are major impactful wants that are difficult to achieve. Wants often build on top of previously completed wants to add a sort of progression and achievement to the game.
In this reply:
(1) ASPIRATION METER
(2) ASPIRATIONS
(3) LIFETIME WANTS
(4) WANTS & FEARS
(1) ASPIRATION METER
First of all, the aspiration meter. Sure, there should be an option for the segment of the fanbase who really don't want consequences and just want to use the Sims game as a storytelling/ movie-making tool. But the Aspiration Meter added consequences and benefits to Wants & Fears. These are some of the historic consequences.
(2) ASPIRATIONS
Then we have aspirations themselves. Unfortunately, the definition of this has been conflated over the generations with Lifetime Wants. Sims 4 basically calls their Lifetime Wants "aspirations" and lacks the Sims 2 style aspirations entirely. We really need both. Aspirations are general orientations for your Sims regarding what they want to get out of life and what they value doing and achieving. They should be semi-permanent and last a lifetime.
I speculate that Rene has the opportunity to push the ball further beyond Pleasure, Family, Romance, Knowledge, Fortune, and Popularity. Something related to Creativity and another related to Crafting makes a lot of sense given the new gameplay elements of the Sims 3 and 4. These high-level aspirations should directly affect the types and Wants & Fears rolled, impacting the identity of the Sim. We'll get to that later.
(3) LIFETIME WANTS
Lifetime Wants are another feature I speculate Project Rene will add, similar to what we have in the Sims 4. I just hope it's not instead of everything else I've written about. Again, note the misnomer of "aspiration" here above the left-hand scroll box that includes "Renaissance Sim," "Archeology Scholar" and so forth. What EA really means to describe these things are Lifetime Wants. These LTWs fall under specific aspirations. Some LTWs could apply to multiple aspirations.
(4) WANTS & FEARS
Now we get to the core of the system. The Wants & Fears themselves. First of all, they are relevant to your Sims and the aspiration they chose. This is important so they don't feel generic. I speculate Project Rene will return to Fears being "rolled" just like wants in the Sims 2 rather than this new unpopular and buggy system they created of Fears developing like traits. In the first image, you will see the beloved "slot machine" aesthetic with the Wants & Fears visually represented via icons. They are refreshed and rerolled over time, a dynamism that many people love. The second image explains in theory how Wants & Fears could be generated.
Finally, Wants & Fears should be fun because they grow in challenge in intensity. Some wants are Power Wants with a starburst symbol so you know they are major impactful wants that are difficult to achieve. Wants often build on top of previously completed wants to add a sort of progression and achievement to the game.
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