5 years ago
Why MultiPlayer Won't Work
These are my musings, thoughts, observations after being a part of this community for more than twenty years.
I will start with the example of the player who says they never build anything, so a server world where Maxis controls everything would be just fine with them. OK, but let's go deeper. Are they sure about that? Do they never use the hand of god to move, change or delete anything? Of course they do. Do they never decide a couch should be yellow instead of blue? Of course they do, so once they see they won't be able to drag anything, change anything, color anything or delete anything (possibly in their way) it's not even going to work for them, those who say Maxis and other players' builds are just fine with them. Are they really going to tell me they never move a curtain, a table, a window, a door, or unblock an aisle? Of course not, of course they do this even if they didn't build a world and or a house or community lot.
Let's talk about the player who can't stand townies in weird plum outfits. How much of our OCD will take over (me included) and will be bothered by Not being able to change the clothes of any townie(other player's Sim)? Funny at first but not so funny in particular situations.
Those who can't stand watching Let's Play sessions because we want to tell that user/player what they should have done first, what they should be doing, and how they are doing it. :o You know 95% of us all get frustrated by watching someone else play and our hands itch to reach out and click the 'right' thing and or move the camera over to something else because we don't like their play style nor do we think they are doing it right. lol You know we are all that way, so how frustrating is it going to be on the most of us who can't even stand to watch others play when we know we won't be able to say' yeah, but...you should do this that way or this way etc.' We will lose patience and rage quit and you know it.
Annoying townies. How many of us have been busy with a Sim no matter if we needed to skill for something and or were working on a different thing in game or relationship or whatever, only to be interrupted by another Sim and we kept cancelling the other Sim from bothering us at that moment. Well, how does that work in multiplayer when a player has their Sim keep requesting to be talked to, and or noticed or helped or whatever. You know we are going to lose patience with a real person this time, and instead of locking up an annoying Sim in single player this time we have to take a breath and remember that annoying Sim is another person. Again most of us aren't going to like that. Then little cliques will form that talk about so and so having an annoying Sim and how to avoid them. Is that nice? No, and why multi player is a fast way to cliques that allinate others who could be a child in reality. So, some nice players will have to actually change how they play their own Sims to put up with other people's Sims and actions so they don't fear hurting someone else's feelings. Is that Simming? No.
Cliques, envy, strife, backbiting and gossip. Is that what we want the Sim Commuity to become. It goes on enough as it is already and has for years and years. Just imagine the cliques of a multiplayer Sim game.
Do any who want a multi player (what I saw here is a mere handful of less than ten) want to play a game where they give up their own choices about their own Sims? Just so they can say they play a multi player game? I don't think they will want that money spent on all that just to remove more and more choices they had in older games. Taken from the God of their Worlds in 1,2 and 3 to not so much a god of the world anymore in TS4 but at the mercy of Maxis building TS4 to please themselves rather than the consumer, to no control at all in a multi player.
Maxis, your Simmers don't like you having control (game mechanics and your choices of content) and they sure don't like other players getting control.
Sim friends: How many Simmers have said they didn't like 1 and 2 required your Sim to have so many friends before they could get a promotion? How do any of us think this works in a multiplayer? On steriods, that's how. It's my impression this would be overkill in a mult player because of what else would there be to make a gamer level up? other than microtransactions? Needing Sim friends who would be other players. Ten friends to get that promotion....means you spend a lot of your time smoozing strangers or your own friends, and or being able to complete a tasks. Is that perfect Sim world we want? I don't think so. It's annoying sometimes in single player games, a Sim your Sim might not even have met calls your Sim up and waste time talking on phone just so you can build a relationship (for job) of a Sim you didn't want your Sim to become friends with to start with. It changes your story doesn't it? Yes, it does. When you might have only wanted a few good friends for your Sim and related to a particular story in your head.
Custom Content, I'm sure this time Maxis has a plan to have other popular Simmers create content for you then sell it to you and Maxis boast and brag to buy their stuff. (Much like the favoritism of the galary) So, a few become the gods of the DLC and you wind up giving other players money for things you need. When in the past cc has always been a gift out of the abudance of sharing of good people's hearts..other than TSR who monetized, which btw was always against EA T.O.S. I guess it no longer matters since so many make a good amount on youtube, tumblr etc.
Mods will be out since it would change how a server world would work. Don't like that Sim always rubbing their belly thinking about food? Too bad it's a thing and no way to get rid of it. lol I know many in TS2 hated the idles of the FT pack it was one of the first things to get rid of in that pack. Thank you Pescado.
Need a bigger home in multiplayer..why? you won't be able to play more than one Sim. Probably not a family player to be found.
It's 3:00 A.M you can't sleep, so you load a multiplayer, there is a task you and someone need to finish, so you think you can work on that...no they aren't logged on and won't be for several days. So, one you either quit that task and give up, and or join forces with another...back stabbing your 'friend'. Or you just go ahead and lose the reward you needed by just abandoning the tasks. Only to come back and see your 'friend' is back and upset with you for quitting and now they can't get the reward, either. It's Paradise , right? Oh, the joy.
Let's say it's just for skill building and or a reward to play in a server world but some minor single player game...think about TS4 and what it still doesn't contain in interactions, actions and personality. It would be even less in a multiplayer that is linear, and quest driven.
I will start with the example of the player who says they never build anything, so a server world where Maxis controls everything would be just fine with them. OK, but let's go deeper. Are they sure about that? Do they never use the hand of god to move, change or delete anything? Of course they do. Do they never decide a couch should be yellow instead of blue? Of course they do, so once they see they won't be able to drag anything, change anything, color anything or delete anything (possibly in their way) it's not even going to work for them, those who say Maxis and other players' builds are just fine with them. Are they really going to tell me they never move a curtain, a table, a window, a door, or unblock an aisle? Of course not, of course they do this even if they didn't build a world and or a house or community lot.
Let's talk about the player who can't stand townies in weird plum outfits. How much of our OCD will take over (me included) and will be bothered by Not being able to change the clothes of any townie(other player's Sim)? Funny at first but not so funny in particular situations.
Those who can't stand watching Let's Play sessions because we want to tell that user/player what they should have done first, what they should be doing, and how they are doing it. :o You know 95% of us all get frustrated by watching someone else play and our hands itch to reach out and click the 'right' thing and or move the camera over to something else because we don't like their play style nor do we think they are doing it right. lol You know we are all that way, so how frustrating is it going to be on the most of us who can't even stand to watch others play when we know we won't be able to say' yeah, but...you should do this that way or this way etc.' We will lose patience and rage quit and you know it.
Annoying townies. How many of us have been busy with a Sim no matter if we needed to skill for something and or were working on a different thing in game or relationship or whatever, only to be interrupted by another Sim and we kept cancelling the other Sim from bothering us at that moment. Well, how does that work in multiplayer when a player has their Sim keep requesting to be talked to, and or noticed or helped or whatever. You know we are going to lose patience with a real person this time, and instead of locking up an annoying Sim in single player this time we have to take a breath and remember that annoying Sim is another person. Again most of us aren't going to like that. Then little cliques will form that talk about so and so having an annoying Sim and how to avoid them. Is that nice? No, and why multi player is a fast way to cliques that allinate others who could be a child in reality. So, some nice players will have to actually change how they play their own Sims to put up with other people's Sims and actions so they don't fear hurting someone else's feelings. Is that Simming? No.
Cliques, envy, strife, backbiting and gossip. Is that what we want the Sim Commuity to become. It goes on enough as it is already and has for years and years. Just imagine the cliques of a multiplayer Sim game.
Do any who want a multi player (what I saw here is a mere handful of less than ten) want to play a game where they give up their own choices about their own Sims? Just so they can say they play a multi player game? I don't think they will want that money spent on all that just to remove more and more choices they had in older games. Taken from the God of their Worlds in 1,2 and 3 to not so much a god of the world anymore in TS4 but at the mercy of Maxis building TS4 to please themselves rather than the consumer, to no control at all in a multi player.
Maxis, your Simmers don't like you having control (game mechanics and your choices of content) and they sure don't like other players getting control.
Sim friends: How many Simmers have said they didn't like 1 and 2 required your Sim to have so many friends before they could get a promotion? How do any of us think this works in a multiplayer? On steriods, that's how. It's my impression this would be overkill in a mult player because of what else would there be to make a gamer level up? other than microtransactions? Needing Sim friends who would be other players. Ten friends to get that promotion....means you spend a lot of your time smoozing strangers or your own friends, and or being able to complete a tasks. Is that perfect Sim world we want? I don't think so. It's annoying sometimes in single player games, a Sim your Sim might not even have met calls your Sim up and waste time talking on phone just so you can build a relationship (for job) of a Sim you didn't want your Sim to become friends with to start with. It changes your story doesn't it? Yes, it does. When you might have only wanted a few good friends for your Sim and related to a particular story in your head.
Custom Content, I'm sure this time Maxis has a plan to have other popular Simmers create content for you then sell it to you and Maxis boast and brag to buy their stuff. (Much like the favoritism of the galary) So, a few become the gods of the DLC and you wind up giving other players money for things you need. When in the past cc has always been a gift out of the abudance of sharing of good people's hearts..other than TSR who monetized, which btw was always against EA T.O.S. I guess it no longer matters since so many make a good amount on youtube, tumblr etc.
Mods will be out since it would change how a server world would work. Don't like that Sim always rubbing their belly thinking about food? Too bad it's a thing and no way to get rid of it. lol I know many in TS2 hated the idles of the FT pack it was one of the first things to get rid of in that pack. Thank you Pescado.
Need a bigger home in multiplayer..why? you won't be able to play more than one Sim. Probably not a family player to be found.
It's 3:00 A.M you can't sleep, so you load a multiplayer, there is a task you and someone need to finish, so you think you can work on that...no they aren't logged on and won't be for several days. So, one you either quit that task and give up, and or join forces with another...back stabbing your 'friend'. Or you just go ahead and lose the reward you needed by just abandoning the tasks. Only to come back and see your 'friend' is back and upset with you for quitting and now they can't get the reward, either. It's Paradise , right? Oh, the joy.
Let's say it's just for skill building and or a reward to play in a server world but some minor single player game...think about TS4 and what it still doesn't contain in interactions, actions and personality. It would be even less in a multiplayer that is linear, and quest driven.