OP, I agree with about 90% of your topic. It's not that I want everything, I really don't, but I don't like half baked simulation. Some rabbit holes don't bother me, such as Sims in TS2 walking off the lot or driving to go to work. But after TS3 there was this huge outcry from almost everyone who cares about simulation to have more hands on careers where the Sim actually had to do something instead of the player clicking a box. (whatever that 'box' might be, building, pc, invisibile portal etc.)
The longer this series continues the more I get disappointed. Because I see it all the time, players of today don't really want any simulation in my opinion. They have grown up on easy games where you click something and the task is done. Let's take for instance the new sunblock in the upcoming EP for TS4. Your Sim won't even have to get off it's lazy rear end go to a store to buy sunblock but the player can just click on the float out in the water to get sunblock. Are you kidding?
I can hear the arguments now, for even less simulation as follows, but it takes so long to eat, it takes so long to bathe, it takes away from player clicking even more stuff and instantly getting 'a lot done'.
Really, then what is the point of a life simulator if it doesn't simulate and I know the answers to that...again, but I want my Sim to talk to other Sims and 'have fun'. Doing what? Making the player click on an object and viola Sim is fullfilled, no hunger, no lack of energy, no need to bathe, no need to get up off their lazy rear ends and walk across the room but just click the object.
I won't be surprised at all if in the near future this series turns into exactly what I said and it's no one to blame but those who want easy peasy, click object and be done sort of game play. Examples to come, click fridge, full, click bed ,full, click Sim, fullfilled. End of gameplay. YAY we got it all done. :s
