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Née whiterider
retired moderator
Original Poster
#1 Old 6th May 2013 at 9:33 PM
Default The Sims 4 Officially Announced!
As quite a few of you may have already noticed, EA has officially announced that The Sims 4 will be released next year! I'm far too lazy to decode the simlish message, but I'm sure if you all mosey on over to the Sims discussion forums, you'll find plenty of people who aren't.


Yes, yes, we'll tell you what MTS plans to do in relation to TS4 in a bit. Keep yer knickers on.

What I lack in decorum, I make up for with an absence of tact.
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Test Subject
#2 Old 6th May 2013 at 10:25 PM
So soon?
Lab Assistant
#3 Old 6th May 2013 at 10:50 PM
That's my thought as well, Phink. This seems far too quick for it to be any real improvement over TS3.

We can't all be ninjas but it doesn't take much to be a pirate.
Field Researcher
#4 Old 6th May 2013 at 11:14 PM
The Sims 2 was released four years after The Sims. The Sims 3 was released five years following 2. 4 will be released five years after 3's launch (and I anticipate a delay or two).

Aside from the typical lifespan of a Sims iteration, TS3 is showing its age; I more than welcome a clean slate.
Field Researcher
#5 Old 7th May 2013 at 12:17 AM
I never thought they addressed the gaps from 2 to 3, so 4 better show some improvements.


Saving harsh criticism for later

I really cant wait to see though.

ClicknPsycho
Mad Poster
#6 Old 7th May 2013 at 1:13 AM
I am so stoked, because I worried they'd force it online.

But when I read the announcement on the blog saying it would be an offline experience, I was relieved.

I don't mind my games showing their age, I welcome it. I get to study it and see where I could I improve.

(I like making my own games. However, they don't get past the pitch bible phase.)

Personal Quote: "I like my men like my sodas: tall boys." (Zevia has both 12 and 16 oz options)

(P.S. I'm about 5' (150cm) in height and easily scared)
Banned
#7 Old 7th May 2013 at 3:22 AM
I hope they will allow again the MODs and CC for this new game(The Sims™ 4) :D
Field Researcher
#8 Old 7th May 2013 at 9:08 AM
Who cares if they allow it, that ever stop you before? Nope.
Field Researcher
#9 Old 7th May 2013 at 1:18 PM
Speaking of mods, I wonder if they're also consulting with people like Twallan (who's already said he will NOT be modding for TS4) and Pescado? That would be useful too, I think.
Née whiterider
retired moderator
Original Poster
#10 Old 7th May 2013 at 1:26 PM
Pescado wouldn't talk to EA if he was paid.

What I lack in decorum, I make up for with an absence of tact.
Banned
#11 Old 7th May 2013 at 3:26 PM
I just hope they make a way for things to be converted, and that Peter and Inge (what happened to Wes speaking of) are willing to make tools to help with this.
One horse disagreer of the Apocalypse
#12 Old 7th May 2013 at 4:00 PM
We're planning to at least give it a go. But I have a tolerance threshold for obfuscation and effort

"You can do refraction by raymarching through the depth buffer" (c. Reddeyfish 2017)
Lab Assistant
#13 Old 7th May 2013 at 4:43 PM
I guess it has been longer than I thought since TS3 came out. Huh.
I may give TS4 a try if it looks like some good improvements over TS3 but I'll have to wait and see how it looks. Other than the dreaded burrito babies I can't really think of anything off the top of my head that really needs changing.

We can't all be ninjas but it doesn't take much to be a pirate.
Site Helper
#14 Old 7th May 2013 at 5:14 PM
I doubt they will -make- a way to convert things. I would expect it to be more like Sims 2 with Sims 3, including leaving it to modders to figure the conversions out.

I can think of a lot of things that really could use a change. But I don't know if they are going to be able to actually change them, and I don't know if they would change them even if they are able. (It would really be wonderful if a sim would autonomously work on filling a promised want with what is at hand. (For example, sim who wants to go fishing before 6 AM and is woken up at 4 AM and sent to the fishing spot should not autonomously start playing chess.) And it would be really nice if a new EP takes advantage of aspects of other EPs without being broken if they aren't installed. It would also be nice if they acknowledge from the beginning that there will be a Pets EP, and have content set up so that it will be easy to add pets without breaking too much third party CC that is cloned from base game stuff.

And, TBH, I don't expect any of that.

I am Ghost. My husband is sidneydoj. I post, he downloads, and I wanted to keep my post count.
Group for Avatar Makers* Funny Stories *2017 Yearbook
Mad Poster
#15 Old 7th May 2013 at 6:45 PM
The description of TS4 in the announcement just sounds to me like the announcement for TS3. When TS3 was launched didn't they claim the game was going to be on a much more personal level with our Sims who were going to be so much more unique and expressive? Then we ended up with traits and moodlets for our "unique" Sims and CAS sliders that they kept shouting about (Asian slider) never made it into the final game.

My deviantART, MTS Yearbook Origin ID = Alistu
Test Subject
#16 Old 7th May 2013 at 8:01 PM
I think it's time our sims grow up again... though I'll reserve a more firm opinion until we have more info. May try to learn some coding languages in the meantime.
Inventor
#17 Old 7th May 2013 at 8:10 PM
Yeah! Let's buy the Sims 4 and all Sims 4 EPs and just throw away Sims 3 and all Sims 3 EPs which cost us a fortune...

I'll stick to Sim 3 for a while longer than I did with Sims 2. I'd only change my mind if Sims 4 was going to be better in terms of creating lots, sims and custom content. It can not only be the graphics that EA is going to improve with the Sims 4, can it? Yes, they can. We all know what we can expect from them (which is not much - at least when it comes to base game content).

Oh well, let's see what the future brings to us...
Lab Assistant
#18 Old 7th May 2013 at 8:47 PM
Hey, you guys all realize they probably come to the MTS forums just to see what we're saying? We're probably the most dedicated part of their fanbase, after all.
So let's tell EA exactly what we do and don't want to see in TS4. I mean, yeah, we're pretty much doing that already. But be reeeeally clear about what you do and don't want to see.

Hey, EA! We want better routing, better story progression (Twallan said he's not modding for TS4, and I will go straight back to TS3 if the story progression still sucks), and better in-game content. Look at what CC is popular. More stuff like that, please.
And maybe make babies/toddlers a bit more interesting. They don't do anything, right now I'm only resisting the urge to age them up automatically because I'm trying to follow legacy rules. Even children don't have many interactions.
Keep the Goth family, too. Let's find out what really did happen to Bella, because I'm convinced the Altos are the aliens who kidnapped her.
I'm willing to keep the graphics the same. They really aren't bad at all in TS3, I think, and most people are running the game on low-quality graphics anyway to prevent lag.
Make it take less time to do basic things like bathe, cook, and eat.

The Indiesine Legacy : featuring helpful tips, the best free CC, and elvish warrior princesses.
Test Subject
#19 Old 7th May 2013 at 9:15 PM
Quote: Originally posted by indiesine
Hey, you guys all realize they probably come to the MTS forums just to see what we're saying? We're probably the most dedicated part of their fanbase, after all.


I so hope you're right about that...


Quote: Originally posted by indiesine
Hey, EA! We want better routing, better story progression (Twallan said he's not modding for TS4, and I will go straight back to TS3 if the story progression still sucks), and better in-game content. Look at what CC is popular. More stuff like that, please.
And maybe make babies/toddlers a bit more interesting. They don't do anything, right now I'm only resisting the urge to age them up automatically because I'm trying to follow legacy rules. Even children don't have many interactions.
Keep the Goth family, too. Let's find out what really did happen to Bella, because I'm convinced the Altos are the aliens who kidnapped her.
I'm willing to keep the graphics the same. They really aren't bad at all in TS3, I think, and most people are running the game on low-quality graphics anyway to prevent lag.
Make it take less time to do basic things like bathe, cook, and eat.



Apart from the Goth family (never liked them^^), a "hell yes!" to that. I'd also love it if they included a bit more than just "basic" content in the base game. I mean, I get the whole idea of the expansions (both financially and regarding content), but still, we are so used to having pets around and changing weather, it would be a really nice gesture to at least include that in the base game of Sims 4, and not wait a whopping five expansions to give us Pets, and release something like Showtime and Supernatural (though I didn't mind that as much) before Seasons. Seriously, what the hell, EA?
Apart from the gameplay aspects, I sooo wish for more building options, like modular stairs that are, in fact, modular, and don't only work for porches and whole floors, and nothing in-between. More space in the neighbourhoods for lots (and more lot sizes) would also be very nice. (Also, I think it's rather sloppy to have almost no counter-height windows in the game and have pretty much all windows clip with the counters AND the curtains, but that might be just me.) Make the roofs look better (especially on diagonal walls) and put a few more objects in both the base game and each expansion, and I might just switch to Sims 4 before you announce Sims 5...
Banned
#20 Old 7th May 2013 at 10:07 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Inge Jones
obfuscation


Impressive vocabulary!
Mad Poster
#21 Old 7th May 2013 at 10:25 PM
Am I imagining things or have I since read that we are supposed to be able to sculpt the world terrain in-game? I've got it in my mind that somewhere has said along the lines that "if you don't like the hill blocking out the morning Sun, resculpt the land and move it over."

My deviantART, MTS Yearbook Origin ID = Alistu
Test Subject
#22 Old 7th May 2013 at 10:31 PM Last edited by whiterider : 7th May 2013 at 10:51 PM. Reason: Merged posts: 4135797, 4135793, 4135785
Quote: Originally posted by Jaguwar
Speaking of mods, I wonder if they're also consulting with people like Twallan (who's already said he will NOT be modding for TS4) and Pescado? That would be useful too, I think.


Wait, what?! Twallan's not modding for TS4? o.O

Quote: Originally posted by Menaceman44
The description of TS4 in the announcement just sounds to me like the announcement for TS3. When TS3 was launched didn't they claim the game was going to be on a much more personal level with our Sims who were going to be so much more unique and expressive? Then we ended up with traits and moodlets for our "unique" Sims and CAS sliders that they kept shouting about (Asian slider) never made it into the final game.


In my game, my Sims(Sherlock Holmes and John Watson) won't do anything without being told to by- guess who? That's right, me. And I've got them set to full Free Will, and Story Progression is on. I really hope they decide to improve AI in TS4...

Quote: Originally posted by BR_FL
The Sims 2 was released four years after The Sims. The Sims 3 was released five years following 2. 4 will be released five years after 3's launch (and I anticipate a delay or two).

Aside from the typical lifespan of a Sims iteration, TS3 is showing its age; I more than welcome a clean slate.


I still play TS2, and I still like it better than TS3. Not much, but it's definitely good in terms of gameplay and a modding community...

[EDIT] Sorry for the triple-posting, admins...
Field Researcher
#23 Old 7th May 2013 at 11:12 PM
Sorry to say to those people who wanted to use this thread as a sounding board for feedback that EA might take to heart: all of TS4's design decisions will be made through focus groups and research studies, as EA have done for every product in the past (q.v., research surveys to ask if there is interest in University and Island Paradise) -- and since in my perception the majority of the fanbase is teenagers and homemakers rather than computer professionals, very few of them are concerned about moddability and most of them are more than happy to buy whatever additional content EA gives them because they wouldn't have anything otherwise. Take a good objective step back and ask yourself why anyone would be willing to fork over substantial amounts of money to The Sims Store given the quantity and quality of third-party content out there, and you'll see why very few people are willing to invest the effort needed to find stuff on their own: they want a streamlined content-delivery interface and are even willing to pay for it. Don't forget to factor in the completionism syndrome that allows companies to get away with expansions and DLC even though consumers hate it, because otherwise they wouldn't have the entire product they purchased/must continue to purchase. =)

Sadly, there won't be anyone dedicated to looking at the social media, including web forums, because that's not how businesses work. They're catching up, but it's more for ensuring internal trade secrets aren't distributed and for attempting to can employees for conflicts of interest than it is to legitimately focus on consumer feedback. Research studies excluded, the only real consumer feedback they see goes through their support system, where signal-to-noise is extremely low, and even then it would almost certainly have to pass through at least three tiers of customer service agents before it reaches anyone with a say on development.

I'll tentatively go out on a limb and say that The Sims 4 will probably even be half decent. But overall, I think it'll follow The Sims Store model heavily, and I wouldn't be surprised if they actually reduced the amount of content and increased microtransactions so that your entire Buy catalog, aside from one or two basic items in each category, must be purchased. I anticipate that The Exchange will however see a much more prominent role and that EA will focus on removing the "package" divide and concentrate on an integrated user-content model, so that end users will either be able to buy third-party content directly through the Exchange with EA taking a cut, or that they will at least be able to have a more direct way of gaining access to and installing third party content vetted within EA's centralised location. The requirement of an authorised Origin account would be a given before any content could be downloaded, although in all likelihood they'll allow offline play after you've downloaded the content you require.

In short, technical realities will mean that The Sims 4 will be exactly one thing: whatever Maxis can convince EA to allow. Anything not borne in mind in terms of maximising profit or appealing to mainstream opinion will likely be pushed away. Don't forget that cross-platform realities will also mean that the interface will have to be usable on gaming consoles as well.

EA could do an amazing thing and prove me wrong right here, but we all know they're not going to do that. ;-)
Test Subject
#24 Old 8th May 2013 at 4:54 AM
If EA didn't alienate themselves from Valve, Sims 4 could utilize the Steam Workshop for mods.

Oh but that's just fantasy thinking there. Can you imagine?
Test Subject
#25 Old 8th May 2013 at 10:51 AM
Quote: Originally posted by darkshader15
I hope they will allow again the MODs and CC for this new game(The Sims™ 4) :D


They seem to be community-driven this time given what they said. So that MUST be available..
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