General Sims Thread

So, I know there's a couple of Sims fans over here, and since I've become addicted to the Sims 4 yesterday, I wanted us to talk about what we like about the series, share stories, and even screenshots! (though I can't post mine yet, I'll get to them tonight when I get home).

Overall, I think 3 is the best in the series and the Sims 4 feels a bit like a step backwards with the world no longer being open and there being no toddler life stage. That said, the added emotion system truly makes the sims feel alive and the multitasking really makes social gatherings feel like sims are actually interacting with each other. It's awesome.

So I recently started this game where there's this guy who's in the science career (careers are awesome, by the way). I made him kind of look like a stereotypical nerd with glasses. a beard, and a chubby, hamster-like face. I also gave him a sister and parents and moved them out, but they still live in town, which is cool. They meet up often as they're all family sims. So it really makes this playthrough feel that much more personal. But recently his mom died (another flaw this game has when compared to the Sims 3 - I was not informed of this death in anyway, I accidentally found out when I couldn't invite her to a party, not to mention there aren't any graveyards or funeral parties, so you can't really give your sims a proper send-off), and there was this weird moment when he invited his sister and dad over. So my sim was making breakfast while his wife was entertaining the guests on the porch, and all of a sudden his dad starts flirting with his wife. Of course, she immediately turns him down and both of their moods are awkward, and the sister is just looking at them with her mouth agape. I still wonder why he was in a flirtatious mood right after his wife died - was he just grieving so much and this was his coping mechanism, or was it more like "Yay freedom"?

So anyway, my sims have a baby now and I am having so much fun in spite of the game's shortcomings. And how about your sim stories? ;)

I can never bring myself to play cruelly. Whenever I play, I play to the absolute best, and basically make my Sims never know hunger or pain. I don't like seeing my Sims perish, so I tend to turn ageing off.

My more recent playthroughs have focused on one family, and I was brave and turned on ageing. I made a Sim, Eve Abberley. She lived a good life as a mechanic/electrician. With the self-employment careers mod, her job was to fix other people's machinery, being paid over time. She met her love interest, Gareth, and then married and had children - Faris and Michael. When Faris becomes a young adult, I assume direct control of that character, moving them out and letting Eve/Gareth run on auto-pilot.

Faris heads off to University and I take her down science path. She's a real whiz-kid. She meets Cedrick at University, and after graduating and working in the medical profession, have a child called Jason. Cedrick works as a busker/musician, and given the flexible working hours assumes primary care of the household while Faris works at the hospital. As Jason grows up, he receives an imaginary friend doll, who eventually becomes real. As they both grow up towards their teenage years, feelings emerge, Jason and his friend (who's name eludes me) start going out.

Now, if my old laptop didn't break the motherboard, I would have continued with Jason's path. He was set up to be an athletically-minded Sim.

I did briefly flirt with a homeless playthrough, starting with no home, no money and no skills. It is much tougher than you'd think, especially seeing how I started with a new city that I've never used before, so I didn't know all the good spots.

You should try a random challenge one day. I did that a lot and it was actually very rewarding as it made me try things I would never normally do with my sims. Make one sim, completely randomize their looks (you can adjust hairstyle, makeup, clothes, etc.) and then randomize their traits. Try to only do things according to their traits, wishes, and basic needs, and see how it plays out! (also, to make sure they mutliply, try for baby whenever they want to woo-hoo)

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Originally Posted by Fynn

You should try a random challenge one day. I did that a lot and it was actually very rewarding as it made me try things I would never normally do with my sims. Make one sim, completely randomize their looks (you can adjust hairstyle, makeup, clothes, etc.) and then randomize their traits. Try to only do things according to their traits, wishes, and basic needs, and see how it plays out! (also, to make sure they mutliply, try for baby whenever they want to woo-hoo)

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The Abberley playthrough was technically a 'legacy challenge', where you had to get to 10 generations of a family, which isn't really a challenge and more of a lesson in patience. I got to the third generation (with Jason), before my computer broke down on me.

I might try other challenges, if possible.

I gotta look around if they have any interesting challenges for the Sims 4.

I also adore the clubs they added in the Get Together expansion. You can literally make anything you want. You can have a group of people that will just meet up to smurf in public places - and they will do it without knowing each other enough, because you set it as a rewarded club activity. Or you could establish a gang of old people who devote their free time to attack any and all teenagers they see. Really, the possibilities are endless :p

I still am pained that they removed toddlers, and also removed Create-A-Style. With CAS, you could make one armchair go a long way by recolouring it however you wanted. Now we're back to pre-set colour choices. That's... annoying.

It's still nowhere near as bad as it was in the Sims 2, because you get a very decent amount of choice for patterns anyway. I mean, of course it's nowhere near the level 3 offered, but you get used to it pretty quick. And I'm pretty sure they'll add toddlers in a Generations-like expansion. I honestly miss the open world the most and I don't think there's any way they can implement it without completely overhauling the game engine. this sucks because it was really the greatest revolution 3 introduced. that said, everything is always very populated wherever you go because of that - visit any club, shop, or park, and there'll be plenty of people to meet there.

Because of this I have both installed. The two games offer very different playstyles and both have awesome things that the other does not. Let's hope the Sims 5 will have a super populated open world with toddlers and emotions, and create-a-style :p

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Originally Posted by Fynn

It's still nowhere near as bad as it was in the Sims 2, because you get a very decent amount of choice for patterns anyway. I mean, of course it's nowhere near the level 3 offered, but you get used to it pretty quick. And I'm pretty sure they'll add toddlers in a Generations-like expansion. I honestly miss the open world the most and I don't think there's any way they can implement it without completely overhauling the game engine. this sucks because it was really the greatest revolution 3 introduced. that said, everything is always very populated wherever you go because of that - visit any club, shop, or park, and there'll be plenty of people to meet there.

Because of this I have both installed. The two games offer very different playstyles and both have awesome things that the other does not. Let's hope the Sims 5 will have a super populated open world with toddlers and emotions, and create-a-style :p

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Sims 4 just seems like a step back when it could have been a step forward. There are positives. The emotion and multi-tasking system seems interesting. But Sims 4 looks bad because Sims 3 exists.

And the art style is strange as well. They've gone for a more cartoonish look for the Sims 4, whereas I preferred the more realistic look of Sims 3.

The art style is actually pretty phenomenal. I liked the Sims 3's, but the sims in 4 are just so much more expressive and distinct.

Really, when you play it, it's more like a step sideways than a step backwards. It's about as great as 3, just in different ways, which is a shame because the games have been steadily improving - 2 was mind-boggling compared to 1, same with 3 compared to 2 (though some people disagreed). 4 would have been a huge jaw-dropping revolution had it come after 2, but it did not. But while I'll agree that 3 is the best of the series, I still think 4 is definitely worthwhile. I was pretty skeptical myself and I did not intend to buy it until Seasons come out, but I got it for Christmas, and I am honestly loving it much more than expected. There's still a lot of heart in the game and it's great for different reasons than 3. It's just not as big a revolution as it could have been.

So I recommend you at least give it a shot ;) There's really a lot to love.

I may try it when it gets a few decent expansions under the belt. But I'm not promising much. They'll need to add in a few things to get my interest.

One big advantage 4 has over 3 is the lack of rabbitholes. If you have the Get to Work expansion installed, you can choose to have a baby at a hospital and you can navigate around the hospital just like any normal place. It's kind of funny how they always surgically remove the baby. It's not even a c-section - they literally use the same thing they use for complex surgeries. And the animation shows the nurses accidentally pulling other organs sometimes. It's crazy.

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Originally Posted by Fynn

One big advantage 4 has over 3 is the lack of rabbitholes. If you have the Get to Work expansion installed, you can choose to have a baby at a hospital and you can navigate around the hospital just like any normal place. It's kind of funny how they always surgically remove the baby. It's not even a c-section - they literally use the same thing they use for complex surgeries. And the animation shows the nurses accidentally pulling other organs sometimes. It's crazy.

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Rabbitholes were a nuisance, but at least there were no loading times. It feels disconnected that each location is separated by a time window while it loads.

Still, Sims 4 lets me make all my sims super cute! :love:

Just wait until I provide photographic evidence!

(also, i think I may have a thing for red converse shoes)

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Originally Posted by Fynn

Still, Sims 4 lets me make all my sims super cute! :love:

Just wait until I provide photographic evidence!

(also, i think I may have a thing for red converse shoes)

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I do like playing dress-up. My favourite thing in Create-A-Sim is to pick their wardrobe. Which is why I'm pissed that Create-A-Style was removed.

I loved choosing traits as well, and writing a short biography. Pretty much the only thing I didn't like was the facial design, as I always struggle with that.

It's great in 4. And you also get to really adjust the body.

But yeah. All my cute siiiims~~ :kaoclove: I even got good with make-up recently!

I never used make-up. I wouldn't have a clue what to do with it.

I've a hankering to play Sims now. Great.

You should!

I've also been playing the Sims Free Play on my phone. It's good, but definitely a very different type of game.

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Originally Posted by Fynn

I've also been playing the Sims Free Play on my phone.

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:stare:

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Originally Posted by Formalhaut

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Originally Posted by Fynn

I've also been playing the Sims Free Play on my phone.

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:stare:

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What?

The Sims Free Play? You might as well be a heathen.

Why? It's entertaining and it has a lot of features. It's great for a mobile app that you just turn on once every couple of hours for a few minutes

I'm mostly joking, but I can't imagine playing Free Play. I'd be too busy thinking about the full PC version. Even the console versions seem staid in comparison. The mods are the best things. They really improved Sims 3 for me.

Not in this case. Free Play is a completely different game, as it's more of a town-managing sim with quests and everything. It really doesn't try to be like the PC games, unlike the console entries.

And I've never really used any mods anyway ;)

You don't use mods? The mods are the best thing? New clothes, gameplay improvements, some stunningly designed houses (I always take too long, I prefer modifying an existing structure).

Nope. I go with the vanilla game +expansions. Mods are too big of a hassle for me. I get the most enjoyment of making my own stories and using my own imagination. I don't need so much stuff, part of which will crash my game. I like it all tested, cohesive, and concise. So no, they are certainly not the best thing in my eyes.

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Originally Posted by Formalhaut

I can never bring myself to play cruelly. Whenever I play, I play to the absolute best, and basically make my Sims never know hunger or pain. I don't like seeing my Sims perish, so I tend to turn ageing off.

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Everything about this. I don't understand people who let their sims drown like sociopaths just for the trouts & giggles ? They've got to be doing their best, staying healthy and staying alive and having cute children and grandchildren !

:jess:

I mostly agree. Though sometimes they act like braindead idiots and seriously consider if killing them in a fire wouldn't be an act of mercy.

I love the sims. I haven't officially bought 4 yet but Origin let me do a 48 hour thing where I played it for 21 hrs o.o

I have 3 though.

I usually end up spending too much time on my houses and not enough on my sims. Sims 4 though I did actually spend a lot of time on my sims.... too much. I didn't do anything that weekend. It was christmas weekend too.

I kind of have the opposite problem. Being a perfectionist, I need a great looking house. Being very lousy in the planning department means that I can't build anything that doesn't look like a processed turd. Therefore I spend little to no time in build mode, and all the time in CAS and live mode.

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Originally Posted by Fynn

I kind of have the opposite problem. Being a perfectionist, I need a great looking house. Being very lousy in the planning department means that I can't build anything that doesn't look like a processed turd. Therefore I spend little to no time in build mode, and all the time in CAS and live mode.

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There are some fantastic user created houses just waiting for you to download, Fynn.

Yah that's awesome too! I downloaded some user made places too like a club and a gym, I put them across my street hahaha.

I know! I kinda wanna download a bunch of user-created stuff to fill up Newcrest, which is a completely empty town, but they often use stuff packs and game packs that I don't have yet. So that'll have to wait :monster: Although stuff packs come out like once a month now, so that could be difficult :p

You'd be surprised how many base game compatible houses and community lots there are, actually. Many designers pride themselves on using only the items included in the base game.

I know, but I don't know how to filter stuff by packs in the Gallery <.<

Ask someone!

Okay, Formy HOW DO YOU FILTER THEE GALLERY IN THE SIMS 4?

Yes, ask the person who hasn't played Sims 4.

http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/disc...gallery-filter

http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/fo...?topic=22709.0


Hope this helps!

You said ask someone :p

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Originally Posted by Fynn

You said ask someone :p

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I hope the links help, anyway.

So Fynn, how many expansion packs have been created for The Sims 4, now? 2-3?

There's two expansion packs - Get to Work and Get Together.

Get to Work is kind of like Ambitions, in that you get three careers that you get control of and they're super awesome. You also get a photography skill and the means to run your own business, like a shop.

Get Together is all about hanging out with friends, but like I said, it's much better than any previous expansions similar to it thanks to the addition of clubs which offer a fantastic degree of freedom in their customization.

Overall, while the base game is lacking compared to that of TS3, the expansions are really pretty phenomenal, adding so much more to the game than the ones in 2 or 3.

'Get' is the theme, I've noticed. 'Get to Work' sounds somewhat pointed, though!

Get to Work sounds like a hodgepodge of Ambitions (which was a great expansion), Open for Business from TS2 and a smidge of World Adventures with the photography skill. Is there self-employment? I loved being a self-employed writer/musician/workout trainer.

I don't think so. But those careers are there and there is some work at home involved.

And the added careers are actually much better implemented than in Ambitions, with the detective combining investigating out in town and desk work. And discussing stuff with coworkers is always fun - there's an option of discussing office romances, for example.

And yeah, I wonder if the get thing will stick. Get Hairy for Pets, anyone? :p

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Originally Posted by Fynn

I don't think so. But those careers are there and there is some work at home involved.

And the added careers are actually much better implemented than in Ambitions, with the detective combining investigating out in town and desk work. And discussing stuff with coworkers is always fun - there's an option of discussing office romances, for example.

And yeah, I wonder if the get thing will stick. Get Hairy for Pets, anyone? :p

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I remember investigations working pretty well in Ambitions, too.

But the crime stuff is really cool this time around. You even get to interrogate witnesses at the police stations, like, slamming your fists on the table and everything. And then you get to put convicts behind bars right there at the station :p

I'm actually really hopeful for the future. The base game may be lacking, but damn if they aren't loading the expansion packs to the brim with content!

Origin is doing a monthly subscription thing currently where for 4.99 a month you get a bunch of access to older games. It has Sims 3, the Late Night Expansion Pack, and High-End Loft Stuff. (It also has all the deadspaces, dragon ages, and battlefields. btw)

if anyone wanted to try sims and a few xpacs who haven't bought them

This is not the topic for that, Forms, and you're lucky Shauna's too busy attending Sam's wedding :p

I'll try Dragon Age someday. I actually have Origins as Origin (lol) offered it to me free once. So yay. But overall I'm now playing Dragon Quest VI as my main game and I'll switch to Pillars of Eternity once I'm done with it.

That is, I'll be back to playing that regularly once Im tired of Sims 4 :p

Screenshot time!

So this is Noah, my first sim.

http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/...6_21-55-08.png

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http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/...6_21-10-16.png

As you can see, he's a cutie-patootie.

http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/...6_16-35-22.png

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Poor thing. Exhausted from all the partying.

And here's Jonah, my new sim. I just noticed I have no photos of him in his normal attire. I'll try to fix that later. Here he's striking a pose because he got confident from doing two push-ups or something.

http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/...6_16-26-58.png

Here he is getting married and stuff.

http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/...6_19-44-10.png

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And this is his sister Julie, grinning at the bar as her brother is getting hitched. This is actually a very unflattering angle for her - she's normally much cuter.

http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/...6_19-44-45.png

Wow, the art style is definitely more cartoonish.

Well, yeah, that was the point :exdee:

Also, this was by complete accident, but the Asian dude ended up marrying an Asian girl, and the ginger dude married a gigner. Not that I don't like this arrangement, but it kind of takes away that feeling of "oooh I wonder what hair/eye color the kid will get!"

Honey, if it ain't orange, your momma got some explainin to do

I love the facial expression now. They make the game sooo much more entertaining.

I might get used to the aesthetic... maybe. I prefer the more realistic looks of the Sims 3.

I re installed my sims 3 I own then modded some better hair into it and then decided, what the heck, I'll do the 4.99 thing and get the "Starter pack" stuff so late night and stuff.

I normally never buy the packs because it blows my mind how expensive they are for such few things. I haven't ever played an xpac of sims 3.

Wow. Late night is fun! I'm going to try to become a vampire!

The packs for 3 were all AMAZING! Well, maybe aside from Showtime, but otherwise, they are definitely worth the money. Which is a lot, but it's not as noticeable if you don't buy them all at once. My favorites were Seasons, Pets, Island Paradise and Supernatural. Amazing packs :D


I'll try to post some more screenshots tonight as quite a lot has happened in Jonah's life in the last couple of days!

Yeah, the packs do actually add quite a lot of content. Even Showtime puts in a decent showing, even if it is the weaker of the packs.

My favourites are Seasons, University Life, World Adventures, Ambitions and probably Generations.

Seasons is just seasons. Plus tons of new entertainment options for the outdoors, too.

University Life is great for playing as a young adult and get into that spirit of things. Plus Table Tennis! Woo!

World Adventures has surprising amounts of playability with three worlds to explore. I've never fully explored them all.

Ambitions is great because it adds new professions, self-employment and generally tunes up everyday living.

Finally, Generations adds many family orientated additions, which I love, because family.


I'm going to have to reinstall all The Sims stuff again, aren't I? Curses, why did my laptop have to break!

Yup!

Or you can try 4 instead! :p

Yeah you can do the 48 hr trial of Game Time with Origin if you want to try 4 out! I tried it out but couldn't justify spending the $60 for hte actual game yet so i'm waiting for it to go on sale.

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Originally Posted by Fynn

Yup!

Or you can try 4 instead! :p

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NEVER.

Actually, I'm going to get Sims 4. I'll bite the bullet and see how it compares. Honestly the main thing I dislike is the lack of Create-A-Style, but I'm willing to forgive the lack of open worldliness, as long as story progression is still a thing.

I'll report back how I fare. I still need to get the game first.

My sim on sims 3 got to level 5 celebrity status and married another level 5 celebrity. :smug: I moved in from an apartment to his giant home.

Dude was outdated.

BUMP/double post

Sims 4 is 60% off on Origin this week. So I caved and bought the deluxe version and The xpac, Get to Work.

Only played a little last night but they changed a bit of it. Or at least from when I played the demo. You can now put feminine clothes on a male and vice versa, that's neat that they did that.

I made a purple haired doctor haha. With Get to Work I get to actually go to work with her and make her do things. It extends the gameplay a lot. I'm not just waiting for her to come home now. I will show you my lovely galaxy legging wearing doctor hipster tonight!

See, I was watching the COPA semifinales. Argentina was wrecking the USA. I was frustrated and ragequit it and decided to go spend money instead. This is why I don't watch sports too often and limit it just to Soccer. hahahaha

I only ever played the console version. I got one girl knocked up just by kissing and then, and then, the baby kept crying at night. I tried to get my Sims up in time to tend to it, but they take forever getting up and bitch and moan so a social service worker came out of nowhere and took the baby away. WAY A GO BEING A BUTT, SIMS!

When I got sick of the burglar breaking into my house I just installed an alarm system right outside by the entrance so that bastard couldn't even get in the house. MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I also made plenty of Sims piss their pants, get set on fire, and turn into ghosts and stuff. It was hilarious.

Her hair looks pink in this lighting/night but it's a lilac in the sun. Here's my Doctor Sim! Her name is Lena

Attachment 68411

Ugh I wish I had a good computer for the Sims 4

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Originally Posted by Pumpkin

Ugh I wish I had a good computer for the Sims 4

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Make Sharky buy you one. Just find a moving chair and look at him like this until he caves:

http://67.media.tumblr.com/993c991d7...bjM1s2djns.gif

I have this Agent Peacock sim that has gorgeous hair, frilly sleeves and platform boots but I haven't taken any pictures of him yet so I can't show you guys ><

I made her a doctor and she has a few friends and stuff and I picture it to be Grey's Anatomy like... except her work is nothing like that, sadly. She actually has to work when she goes there :/