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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 3rd Apr 2017 at 7:02 PM
Default The Sims 5 ideas
Hello,

first of all, I don't know if I am in the right place, but I didn't know where I was suppose to post this...

I am a huge The Sims fan and I have played it since day one. I still play 2 and 3 on a regular basis, but I have to admit, that I don't even own Sims 4. Unfortunatelly 4 has changed a lot and left out a few features I am very fond of, which is why I just don't feel like buying this game.
But I am really excited for Sims 5. I know – it will probably take a few years until EA will release another Sims game, but maybe we could talk a bit about what we would like to be included in the series of The Sims. And perhaps we could even get EA's attention if enough people liked an idea. I know, it's very unlikly – but let's have some fun, shall we?

The most important feature for me is an open neighborhood. I cannot stand being stuck on one lot and other families' life not progressing - though I think you should definitely be able to turn this progression off, as well. The neighborhoods should be like the medium sized map in Sims 3 and have distant terrain to make it look bigger.
Moreover the main neighborhood should be like a downtown where you can only rent (or buy if you have enough money) aparments and other families should live in the same building, as well. I know this has always been an expansion to the base game, so I would suggest to leave a bit space in this neighborhood to add a few features later. Maybe bars, real skyscrapers and such could be added in a later expansion or in a mini expansion pack.
Since all of this sounds a bit boring, I would like to suggest to also add a sub-neighborhood. I loved adding sub-neighborhoods in Sims 2 to expand your main neighborhood! This one could be like a suburb of said downtown. That way, the game can be more realistic and also satisfy more people at once. Moreover you will be able to enjoy advantages of new expansion packs in your already existing neighborhoods because you can add new neighborhoods as a sub-neighborhood instead of creating a new one and starting all over again.

The next think I would like to have is a mixture between CAS 3 and 4. I love the idea of personalizing your sims as much as possible, so hopefully there will be even more options to personalize them in a few years. Perhaps it will be possible to let hair grow as well, maybe shave your beard every other day and so on. It should also be possible to customize hair and eye colors again. Personally, I think only natural colors should be available and customizable to keep it realistic. However dyeing your sims‘ hair should be possible and maybe it could fade after a few days, as well. This way it would be easier to include genetics again. I really missed this in Sims 3 and I don’t know i fit is included in 4, but I want it to be as simple as it was in Sims 2 and as it is in real life – dominant and recessive genes passed on to new generations. Moreover „unrealistic“ hair and eye color and facial features could be added (genetic wise) with an expansion pack (like Supernatural, colorful hair looked great on fairies in my opinion). If it is possible, I would also love to see sims with different heights.
Last but not least – and not really connected to CAS – sims should have a realistic life span. Adjusting the life span in Sims 3 by yourself was great. I used to set it to „long“ and since a pregnancy took about 3 days, 3 days represented 1 year in my game.

Next I would like to talk about the buy mode. First of all I would like to customize the color of furniture. I also think it would be pretty amazing if you could choose the size of a piece of furniture. I can still remember how annoying it was, when I had a huge family but couldn’t fit them at one table or on a couch. So you should be able to decide how many chairs should fit at a table – hopefully this is understandable because I don’t know how to explain this properly (like a table that fits on one field/sqaure or on two, three, four etc.). Since I haven’t played Sims 4 yet, I don’t know what furniture looks like or how sims interact with it, but I think I have read, that sims can use furniture „logically“ – like they are no longer stuck because there is a plate infront of the door or the cannot watch television because the couch isn’t placed right infront o fit etc.

The next point on my agenda is the build mode. Again, I don’t know how much it has changed in Sims 4, but what I think is always missing is a great basement. I know it is possible to build basements by removing a part of the foundation or by using the basement tool, but it never really looks realisitc: the foundation is either to thick or the basement is completly seperated from the house. Moreover I think it would be nice to build round walls, though you would need to get round furniture as well for this.

Another thing I want to address is graphics. Since The Sims is suppose to be a life simulation I want it to look as realistic as possible and I think that Sims 4, at least the view of the city looks a bit too „cartoonish“ (I’m not quite sure, if this is the best word to describe it, but I hope you get what I mean).
Finally I would like to talk about The Sims being online. Personally, I don’t think this would work well. I want a neighborhood that doesn’t crash (often) and that is always available – especially when I am offline. If you want to play The Sims online, I think there should be a different game fort hat (like The Sims Medieval).

This is all I can think of for know. Maybe we can collect our ideas and summarize the most popular ones and start a petition in hopes that EA will see and most importantly consider this.
Please quote the ideas you liked, so I can see which ideas are the most popular ones. And please keep your suggestions as realistic as possible (nothing like „I want everything to be already included in the main game and never pay for an expansion pack ever again), we all know how The Sims work and that won’t change!


Bye

Caity92
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Mad Poster
#2 Old 3rd Apr 2017 at 7:36 PM
sigh ................
Mad Poster
#3 Old 3rd Apr 2017 at 8:39 PM
The base game should definitely feature apartments and rentals (like trailers). People don't buy houses like they used to, nor can you get a starter one for $20,000 anymore.

They should also overhaul the career system in preparation a university style expansion pack. Saving careers the generally have degrees attached to them for university (which would require an education, like an education career, medicine, law, etc), and find alternative careers don't require education. That, or add a branch for those with degrees.

Lastly, I'd like expansion packs to feature gameplay elements that involve everyday life, not just that specific expansion, and for the game to have more business types to run. I'm still hopeful for proper nightclub/bar/lounge management.

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Mad Poster
#4 Old 3rd Apr 2017 at 8:44 PM Last edited by gazania : 4th Apr 2017 at 9:28 AM.
I was going to highlight one post from this thread, but I can't pick just one. So:

http://www.modthesims.info/showthre...ighlight=Sims+5

The question at this point is IF there is going to be a Sims 5.

The good news is there is a possibility we might be hearing bits and pieces about it sometime next year if this game does exist.. While I don't have the best of proof as to how early we heard about Sims 3, I do offer this article dated March 2008; a little more than a year before Sims 3 came out:

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/the-sims-3-preview

But again, way too many "ifs" to even speculate at this point.

Thanks to ALL free-site creators, admins and mods.

RIP Sunni ... truly a ray of light.
Smeg Head
#5 Old 29th Apr 2017 at 10:20 AM
Sims 5 already in production, according to the account in linked article? A return to Open World (TS3 style) via a virtual reality engine in development, supposedly.

https://www.thebitbag.com/the-sims-...me-in-vr/232668


"Become a government informer. Betray your family and friends. Fabulous prizes to be won!" Red Dwarf - Back to Reality.

Find all my TS4 mods and lots here: Main Website - simsasylum.com My Section - coolspear's Mods & Lots
Theorist
#6 Old 29th Apr 2017 at 10:50 AM
Quote: Originally posted by coolspear1
Sims 5 already in production, according to the account in linked article? A return to Open World (TS3 style) via a virtual reality engine in development, supposedly.

https://www.thebitbag.com/the-sims-...me-in-vr/232668



Haha, VR would be the one thing they could do to make Sims 5 even worse than Sims , the controls would be atrocious.

As to the topic, maybe there should be like a sticky thread for ideas for Sims 5? One of these threads seems to crop up every fortnight or so...
Virtual gardener
staff: administrator
#7 Old 29th Apr 2017 at 11:25 AM
Oh I really hope EA won't go with the idea of a 'VR compatible Sims game'. Imagine what that would be like? Either a creepy experience, people rather living with their 'sims family' instead OR killing off random sims, turning the game into GTA or something. Geez imagine what Woohoo would be like in first person?! We'd be having an entirely different game. Unless they'd go with the 'I Kissed my gf! Is my gf pregnant now?' So... VR sounds, to me, like a pretty horrible idea.

Regarding the sticky thread question though, I guess if the thread had a lot of TS5 suggestions, it would make sense to turn it into a sticky thread I guess, but we're not even sure if it's ACTUALLY in development and the thread seems to be filled with rumors anyways ^- ~. So I guess, maybe in the future! But right now it doesn't really seem like a great idea for now. ^-^
Scholar
#8 Old 29th Apr 2017 at 1:16 PM
Actually, there would be just exactly one suggestion I'd give EA. All the rest just follow from it. Namely:

Dear EA, cut it out with the fucking gimmicks. Think more like a long con.

Gimmicks like making emotions (which, by the way, existed in TS3 already: remember those "Rose thinks Mina is hillarious" in conversations?) front, centre, and over the top so my sim can take an angry dump, don't have staying power. They're cool for a couple of hours tops. That also goes for gimmicks like shanghaing my sims into playing angry plantsims, or like reifying a pun like dying of embarrassment, etc. The lulz happen at most exactly once. At most.

Basically, for the love of Bast's six tits (what? she's a cat) tone it the fuck down. It's supposed to be a life simulation, not some game like Leisure Suit Larry where a quick giggle at the next visual pun or similar gimmick is the whole game.

And if you have to ask what's wrong with making it more like Leisure Suit Larry, lemme put it in a language that hopefully you can understand: nobody ever sold a dozen expansions to Leisure Suit Larry. Because nobody ever played it for such a length of time to cover even making the first expansion. Cheap one-off gimmicks are just that: one-off.

Focus on the staying power, not on whatever gimmicks you can squeeze in a "crazier stories" or "epic wood" trailer. Because it cuts down the staying power even more if not only it's just a couple of gimmicks, but I've seen them already in the trailer.
Lab Assistant
#9 Old 29th Apr 2017 at 1:29 PM
What's wrong with Origin?
Scholar
#10 Old 29th Apr 2017 at 1:34 PM
I wouldn't even mind it being perfect, but it ain't even that. It's at best uncanny valley, or Stepford Wives kind of perfect. It just trips suspension of disbelief.

And I'll just give you a simple example: my sim can go through a whole emotional roulette by just walking around the house. "I'm sad because mom just died." "Ooh, now I'm inspired because I saw a fucking mounted fish, I want to paint something." "Oops, I'm sad again." "Oooh, now I'm playful, I want to tell jokes." "Nope, I'm in another hallway, I'm sad again." "Yay, I changed into the party clothes, I want to tell jokes again." Etc.

And if you were thinking "so just don't turn those auras on", nowadays even that doesn't work any more, because aliens, vampires and such, are mobile aura emitters. My sim can go through an emotional roulette by just having a meal at a restaurant.

There is nothing perfect about that. It doesn't feel like it's a perfect world, just because my sim can go through whatever emotion each room needs. It just breaks suspension of disbelief, because real people don't act anything like that. You don't instantly forget that your grandma just died of brain cancer just because the room is nicely decorated and has a mounted fish above the stove.
Virtual gardener
staff: administrator
#11 Old 29th Apr 2017 at 1:40 PM
Origin itself is not too bad, I mean you'll get the required updates. However, as a TS3 player myself, it's like this toxic thing to stay away from because of a certain update. But Besides the ts3, I think it's not a bad platform to download stuff on. I rather use good ol' steam myself though. Might be due to it being less limited in buying the games you wanna buy.

So I guess it might be more of a preference ^- ~
Test Subject
#12 Old 29th Apr 2017 at 3:29 PM
Quote: Originally posted by matrix54
The base game should definitely feature apartments and rentals (like trailers). People don't buy houses like they used to, nor can you get a starter one for $20,000 anymore.

I always view it as a $20k down-payment, and their bills are partly mortgage payments. So starter homes would actually cost like $80k, which is reasonably accurate for a suburban American area, which is what the game locations are usually based on. It's very rare to buy a house completely with cash.
Test Subject
#13 Old 29th Apr 2017 at 3:35 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Gargoyle Cat
When I buy something, I want to own it, not 'borrow' it. If TS1 were sold through Origin, it would no longer be playable as EA would have shut down the servers a long time ago.


TS1 doesn't have online access, though, so it doesn't need servers. It's just a matter of hosting a file available for download. There would be no reason for them to disable your access at any point.
Mad Poster
#14 Old 29th Apr 2017 at 4:08 PM
Quote: Originally posted by puppypaint
TS1 doesn't have online access, though, so it doesn't need servers. It's just a matter of hosting a file available for download. There would be no reason for them to disable your access at any point.
I *think* she's saying that you can't depend on the service that provides the game to always be there. Businesses close, for example.
Scholar
#15 Old 29th Apr 2017 at 5:55 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Gargoyle Cat
If this was directed at me, I guess I need to put my use of the word 'perfect' into context. [...]


While that does clarify it better, it seems to me like we're largely in agreement anyway. I won't argue with everything you wrote there. All I was saying is that EA's attempts to make it a "perfect" world, have not even made it perfect or even better, they just made it harder to suspend disbelief. Which I think we can agree upon, since from what I understand, you don't seem to really relate to EA's "perfect" world either.
Scholar
#16 Old 29th Apr 2017 at 7:33 PM
Look, I don't know what a perfect world would be, but it would have to at least be better. Since, you know, perfect is the superlative of better. And all I'm saying is that EA's uninspired gimmicks make it worse, not better. I.e., whatever the heck a perfect world would be, EA's gimmicks are a step in the exact opposite direction.
Lab Assistant
#17 Old 30th Apr 2017 at 2:59 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Gargoyle Cat
When I buy something, I want to own it, not 'borrow' it. If TS1 were sold through Origin, it would no longer be playable as EA would have shut down the servers a long time ago.


I'm not following. Why would you need servers to play The Sims? I have The Sims 2 on Origin and it's DRM free.

Quote: Originally posted by Gargoyle Cat
My personal rule as it were doesn't only apply to EA by the way. It applies to all gaming companies which is why I don't play games. If I want to play, I stick with the sims disks I've bought. I'm not tethered to EA or Origin in any way as I bought all my disks before 2012 or whatever the dumb cut off point was.


Yeah that makes sense, but like you said, it's digital distributors in general, not just Origin. I'm wondering what makes Origin worse than Steam or Uplay.
Forum Resident
#18 Old 1st May 2017 at 12:11 AM
I kind of like the cartoony look. I never liked the way the sim models looked in the Sims 3, and I appreciated the Sims 4's diversion to a look reminiscent of The Sims 2. Maybe I'm in the minority with this, but I feel like photorealistic sims would just creep me out.

The simmer formerly known as Averex
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Mad Poster
#19 Old 1st May 2017 at 11:11 AM
Quote: Originally posted by puppypaint
I always view it as a $20k down-payment, and their bills are partly mortgage payments. So starter homes would actually cost like $80k, which is reasonably accurate for a suburban American area, which is what the game locations are usually based on. It's very rare to buy a house completely with cash.


It was always buying the house outright since Sims pay for the cost of the lot, the building materials, and furnishings if they choose. If you delete everything but the building, bills will be painfully low, which wouldn't even cover property tax. I think bills are based around what's on the house, simulating plumbing and electric. Maybe cable as well. That's why when you miss a bill payment your items are reposessed or you power/water is shut off, but you still keep the properly since you own it outright. If it was just a down payment (which Sims would be laying for forever), missing bills would result in eviction.

If it was a down payment on a 20k house, Sims would likely only pay around 2-4k to move in. Sure, we can pretend it's a down payment, but the game and it's mechanics tell us otherwise.

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Lab Assistant
#20 Old 3rd May 2017 at 5:29 AM
My ideal Sims 5 feature: it exists.
Theorist
#21 Old 3rd May 2017 at 6:42 PM
TS5 devs should try making the game with the idea that Sims fans are human beings, and consider that VR may accomplish puking and neck fatigue more than anything else.
Scholar
#22 Old 3rd May 2017 at 9:59 PM
I like to think about a sims 5 "in theory" but its peoples' mods that have made every sim game playable for me. So my only wish would really be make a stable game worth its price with framework and structure that people can easily mod.
Top Secret Researcher
#23 Old 4th May 2017 at 12:58 PM
Well you are talking about sims 4 which is stable and has a structure that can be easily modded... but it's not worth the price, not at all.
Scholar
#24 Old 4th May 2017 at 4:40 PM
Quote: Originally posted by mixa97sr
Well you are talking about sims 4 which is stable and has a structure that can be easily modded... but it's not worth the price, not at all.


With easily modded I also meant the developers not rewriting code that breaks mods every update but I guess that's just to be expected.
Scholar
#25 Old 9th May 2017 at 12:13 AM Last edited by aeval99 : 9th May 2017 at 12:28 AM.
I think the most important thing EA can do is to admit that they can't reinvent the wheel and just own it. Rather than make Sims 5, make Sims Classic or Sims Reloaded or Sims-this-is-the-shit-you-asked-for and just go with what worked in the past.

EA should send the dev team home with copies of the series (plus expansions) and have them play them for a few weeks to refresh their memories. Then, the team should sit down and take a really long look at the history of the series and see what worked, what didn't, and what was a great idea that failed in execution/wasn't possible with the tech available at the time. Next, send round some surveys asking the fans which things were the best/worst about each iteration of the Sims and which expansions they liked the most.

Now, plan out which 9 expansions you are going to release and make/choose/adapt an engine that will do everything you need it to do from beginning to end.


So pick 4 or 5 strengths that you really want to push, one thing that was a good idea but needs to be reworked, and lose/avoid the things people complained about the most. And don't go too far in either direction. For example, people loved CASt but it slowed down the game too much...so compromise and have a 64 shade colour wheel and a half dozen textures. People loved the open world but it was too laggy, so have large map consisting of pods/cells/whatchamadoozits comprised of 6 to 8 lots that can be traversed openly but a loading screen is needed to travel between pods.

And for the love of fucking puppies, KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING BEFORE YOU START!!!

Everyone will want the same expansions over and over again, so just plan them from the beginning and make them work together!

Here are 11 ideas...pick 9!



And keep up the game packs. I like them!
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