Sims Medieval gameplay

[modfanatic]

I didn't think anyone else knew about this, so take a look. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY4p0H6rSqE) More videos can be found from there.

[jerin8]

That is awesome. I want that game now and before I had zero interest in it!

[Shoosh Malooka]

It gave me the impression that the quests are not very open because they lead you through each step. If this is true then I can understand why simmers here at MTS don't seem very interested in it. If they only completed the quest and showed us several ways for the wizardess to kill the witch ( direct spell, mind control a peasant, make the witch sad so that she suicides, frame the witch to execution, have here meet an accident ) and have it so that the witch is thinking one step ahead of you, that you must psyche her out, THEN I would be drooling. For now, I feel I need to see more quest substance and less fashion options.

[aeval99]

I'm still pretty"meh" about the Sims Medieval, but I really really hope that a lot of those objects make it to the store.

[James009]

Wow. This game looks pretty good. It seems like EA is really putting a lot of effort into it and, hopefully, it'll pay off. I'm looking forward to playing it.

I just hope we can customize our kingdoms A LOT. I also hope they implement all of the current Sims 3 technology into the Medieval game (ie. updates, patches, sliders, ect). Medieval had also better support modding as well or better then Sims 3 to really be successful.

[Lily__XD]

It looks like a good game, I like the aspect where you can build your kingdom up ect. but for me it's just too far a cry from actual SIMMING. What happens if I don't want my sim to be a King but want him to live in some grotty little hut in the middle of a medieval village and have 14 children? What if I don't want his meals to be made for him by a servant, but want him to try and scrape a living selling bell peppers he grows by the "privvie" in his backyard? What if I want them to be a Lord and Lady of a Manor? Basically, wouldn't it be nice to have your sims go through everyday life in Medieval times?

[James009]

It looks like a good game, I like the aspect where you can build your kingdom up ect. but for me it's just too far a cry from actual SIMMING. What happens if I don't want my sim to be a King but want him to live in some grotty little hut in the middle of a medieval village and have 14 children? What if I don't want his meals to be made for him by a servant, but want him to try and scrape a living selling bell peppers he grows by the "privvie" in his backyard? What if I want them to be a Lord and Lady of a Manor? Basically, wouldn't it be nice to have your sims go through everyday life in Medieval times?
I agree. I'm hoping there is more customization and gameplay options then what we've been seeing. Unfortunately, the way they have buildings "cut out" I don't think that is going to be the case and is why they've done it this way. Maybe they'll have a debug mode or a worldbuilder though... or an expension... that we'd have to pay for... :(

Also, if I want to take a break from the questing can I just play as a sim for a while and do whatever? I hope the gameplay gives a lot of choice, options, and freedom, that's all I'm asking.

[Srikandi]

Well, from what I understand, you don't have to be King. You DO have to play as a "hero", but there is a variety of types to choose from, including village-dwellers like Doctor and so on. And you can have several at once (up to four, I think it was?) and switch between em.

However, I think everybody should be clear that despite the branding, it is NOT a Sims game, and you will NOT have the same kind of freedom. The kingdom upgrades are one manifestation of that: no build mode. Choose your upgrade and it is plopped down at a predetermined location. THe most you can do is interior decoration.

As far as I'm concerned, this game will have to stand on its own two feet. It's not a Sims game, and it's not an RPG, and it's not a strategy simulation a la Civ or Empire, even though it has elements of all of em. It's something new. Hopefully it turns out to be fun, but I don't think it's gonna be possible to know that without playing it.

[modfanatic]

^It is actually a Sims game, why do you think that the second word in the title is "Sims"? Plus how do you know that there's no build mode?

[Fyrefly555]

In the videos so far, buildings look a lot like those shell buildings we got in Late Night. I won't be hoping for a build mode in Medieval. On the official Sims 3 site, they explained that if you create a Knight, so you'll have the Knights' Tower that will be added to the castle, and if you have a Witch, well, you'll have a witch lab.
When your Kingdom will expand, you'll have the possibility to add a village, a market and I don't remember what other things, and I guess those also will be pre-made "community lots".
I may be wrong though, just wait & see. Plus, I'm more interested by the next expansion pack for my Sims 3 game, I'm not such a huge fan of those EA's Spin-Off. :p

[el_flel]

^It is actually a Sims game, why do you think that the second word in the title is "Sims"? Plus how do you know that there's no build mode?I think what Srikandi was talking about is that it isn't a traditional Sims game. It will bear as much resemblance to it as MySims does and hence people shouldn't go thinking it will be TS3 but set in medieval times. As for build mode, IIRC there was an article or press release when the game was announced stating that there would be none because it's not a traditional Sims game.

[brillo_pad]

LMAO @ that old guy wearing the plumbob! :rofl:

[Srikandi]

In the videos so far, buildings look a lot like those shell buildings we got in Late Night. I won't be hoping for a build mode in Medieval.

Yeah, there's been quite a lot of press on this so far. I read a lot of articles when it was first released, and they all agree -- no build mode. The best you can do is unlock pre-built buildings, as shown in the vid the OP linked.

And what I meant by saying "it's not a Sims game" is that, even though it's branded with "Sims", the gameplay is not going to resemble the (main) Sims series much at all. Like MySims, as mentioned above, or like the relationship between SimCity and SimCity Societies. Branding with "Sims" sells games, but don't let it fool you into thinking you're gonna have a similar play experience.

Specifically, the gameplay is focused on preset "heroes", and while apparently you can switch among up to four of them (I think it was four), it will not be the case that all the sims in your kingdom will be playable. No playing some random peasant.

Which doesn't mean it won't be fun. Just not in the same way as the Sims 1, 2 or 3 ;)

[LadyAngua]

I could forgive the lack of a proper build mode if they would only allow traditional sandbox style play as well, even the Sims Stories series still allowed you to play legacies and grow old and die.

[Kestie Freehawk]

I think that I felt the same way at the end of Castaway Stories, but it is great for laptops and kids. Laptops typicaly have a lesser video card and kids need more closed play.
I like the idea that there is something fun for non Sim players to introduce play. When I got Sims 2 after Castaway I loved it and jumped right in, but I had also gotten a new computer that was capable of all the graphics. I am also the reason that Nvidia 6100 and 7100 are not recomended for the games because mine hung and the fog effect just wouldn't end. My Via card was fine with the fog at the Waterfall because it would not display but my new card hung. Life Stories was the best for my Laptop and still is fun.

I can play all the Sims 2 games on the Nvidia system so it was a great introduction to have a light game that played easily on my Laptop. I obviously bought a new computer and all The Sims 2 because of Castaway.

[HystericalParoxysm]

I loved Castaway too - I played it on my same computer I played TS2 and all the EPs (that were out at the time) and it was lovely, especially the water effects. But it wasn't the same as TS2 at all - the story mode and adventurey aspects of it were quite fun and enjoyable, but when it got to the end of the story and you have the "open play" part, I didn't bother for more than 10 minutes. It was such a cut-down version of the gameplay I was used to, I didn't see the point whatsoever.

So I agree with Sri - it may have "sims" in the name, but folks are expecting the same kind of gameplay they've gotten with TS1/TS2/TS3, I think they'll be quite disappointed. But if they play it as the game intends, without those expectations, it might be good fun, as Castaway was.

[Miko09]

This kind of reminds me of the Urbz franchise that crashed and burned during the sims 2 heyday. I dont know why EA feels the need to deviate from the formula so much.

I guess I can still give it a try though. I just hope that this sims medieval project isnt the reason late night was so glitchy. It makes me scared for future expansions packs

[el_flel]

I quite liked the Urbz, had it on the Gamecube.

Agreed with those talking about the use of the brand Sims meaning that some people will expect it to be The Sims we play. It is more of a brand now than a game title. Wasn't there even a Sim Animals game?

[HystericalParoxysm]

Sim Animals is super fun. I have it on DS and I love it. But it's not "sims" really. You can plant trees, move animals around, and try to influence them coming to your, um... field? park? thing? But it's certainly nothing like playing The Sims.

Remember, "sims" is based on the word "simulation" so really, any simulation-type game could have the "sims" name on it (when released by EA, they own the term).

[rian90]

I like the ides that there is fomething fun for non Sim players to introduce play. When I got Sims 2 after Castaway I loved it and jumped right in, but I had also gotten a new computer that was capable of all the graphics.

I would agree if I were not so disappointed that EA cannot give us all the great medieval models and animations/skills/traits for our regular Sims 3 game. I think many of us who enjoy playing medieval were disappointed. EA seems to be purposely keeping out a lot of the things that would make it possible to play a non-modern game. They have horses in one of the console games but have not yet given them to us. My guess is they want to stimulate Sims Medieval Sales. If they give us some of the stuff, I will buy Sims Medieval for my kids just to reward EA...otherwise, I will ignore the game. :)

[tizerist]

For once I wish they had taken the easy route. Cut out all electronics, replace the washine machine with a local river, and bang - you're nearly there.
To waste development time by basing everything around missions that 90% of us don't want just shows that they are as much out of touch as modern day politicians.

[piffany]

I quite liked the Urbz, had it on the Gamecube.

Agreed with those talking about the use of the brand Sims meaning that some people will expect it to be The Sims we play. It is more of a brand now than a game title. Wasn't there even a Sim Animals game?

The Urbz had the best music and fashion sense!

[undeadsparrow]

does anyone know when this is out to the public? :)

[HystericalParoxysm]

Early next year - January or February, IIRC.

[undeadsparrow]

Early next year - January or February, IIRC.

Oh! Thanks :D

[Srikandi]

To waste development time by basing everything around missions that 90% of us don't want just shows that they are as much out of touch as modern day politicians.

If by "us", you're referring to "people who ONLY like Sims gameplay and don't enjoy any other types of games" -- they aren't trying to sell the game to "us". They're trying to reach a different audience. They already have "us" over a barrel with EPs ;)

I would like to point out, though, that lots of Sims players actually DO enjoy other types of games. Though I will say Sims is the only game I've played where there's a cultural norm in the community which says it's the only game you SHOULD like... Sims players taken as a group seem to see themselves as exceptional to gamer culture more generally, relative to other game communities, where members tend to see themselves as "gamers" first and as players of Game X second, and pride themselves on the breadth of their knowledge of the game industry.

Sims players ARE like other gamers, though, in that a large and vocal segment of them is completely opposed to any kind of change or innovation ;) That's a totally general feature that you'll find in the forums for any successful franchise.

does anyone know when this is out to the public? :)

The end of March (3/24) is the date I've been seeing around. Most sources say "March", but a few sites have been more specific, e.g. http://www.simprograms.com/17151/possible-release-date-for-the-sims-medieval-aka-realm-32411/ .

And of course it could "slip" till later (please let's not have any of the "OMG how could a game developer CHANGE a RELEASE DATE?! Unheard of!" stuff that we got when Sims 3 slipped ;) ).

I'd say that based on what we know now, March 24 would be the EARLIEST possible date, and depending on how development goes... not to mention all the factors having to do with marketing and quarterly finanical reporting and so on... it could ship any time after that.

[Marie.M]

Oh my, its so pretty! The interface.. Its not blue! The buildings seem a bit cartoony, but the landscape and clothes are quite pretty. I hope some of it is reproduced for the sims 3.
But this has helped solidify my utter lack of interest in buying the game. Maybe in a year or so when its been out for a while and cheap.

[msp_teen]

I think I might actually buy it when it comes out now!

[olomaya]

I may be tempted to buy this for my laptop to have something to do when I'm at my mom's house and bored out of my mind, hah. But I'm not that into medieval themes or magic. However, I'm impressed with the work they put into the gameplay and I LOVE the idea of a fatal flaw. I wish that was something they would implement in TS3, though probably either as an option for those who want to make the game more challenging or maybe a penalty (like the extra fear slot for flunking out of college in TS2: Uni).

And why can we have drunkards in Medieval but not in the TS3 series?! I cry foul!

[ticklish]

Gamestop has the release date of march 1st. The person i talked said that is when they plan too be able too sell the game

[gabrielorie]

Something about this reminds me of the adventures in WA,i loved those so i'll definately get this :)

[Srikandi]

Gamestop has the release date of march 1st. The person i talked said that is when they plan too be able too sell the game

Gamestop is notorious for completely fabricated release dates ;)

Basically, if they don't have a firm date from the developer, they just make something up for their ship lists. And there's no way a gamestop employee can tell the real dates from the fake ones.

[kiwi_tea]

I don't think I could possibly be more bored by the linear-sounding quest in description beside the picture (http://www.ea.com/the-sims-medieval/images/the-knight-kills-the-witch-quest). My low expectations for this pack just got that much lower.

I think these developers have forgotten the secret ingredient that made The Sims such a break out success: Handing over an uncomfortable (for the developers) amount of creative control to the players. Yes. It's a risk. And ur doin it rong.

[Spiritbw]

Gamestop is notorious for completely fabricated release dates ;)

Basically, if they don't have a firm date from the developer, they just make something up for their ship lists. And there's no way a gamestop employee can tell the real dates from the fake ones.

Well, in the video they do have a March 2011 as the release date so I think we can safely say that they are within 30 days of the actual release date. ;)

As to the game itself, a great deal of it reminds me more of The Guild 2 than anyhting. Same sort of thing where there are prebuilt buildings and you concentrate on building your family fortunes. You develop the skills of your family members, politic with the other families and try in general to keep them alive and moving up in the world. If anything this looks closer to what the Guild was trying to be.

A good game in itself but really has about as much to do with the Sims as we know it as Simcity Societies did with the rest of the Simcity franchise. To be honest, the biggest link I can see between the Sims and this game is that they seem to use the same engine underneith it all. Characters look similar, actions look similar, but ...

Just me or is Will getting disconnected form a lot of the franchises he helped build?

[rian90]

I really don't think this is anything at all like Guild 2. If it were, I would jump all over it! Guild 2 is a simulation game. You control a family and the goal is to create a dynasty. Your character marries, has children, who grow, take on jobs and apprenticeships and then when the main character dies, you choose one of them to become your main character. This is more like a traditional Sims (simulation) game. Yes, there are battles with rival houses and thieves and politics, but the main goal is to make your dynasty grow through the generations.

The Sims Medieval does not have any dynasty play at all. Your sim might marry and even have children, but the children never grow. When your sim dies or finishes all the quests, the game ends. You can't switch to play an adult child, continue to build your dynasty and your family, fight with rival dynasties who are also growing, and while it does have politics, you must choose one type of career and continue on with it until the end of the game. And yes, there is an END game in Sims Medieval. Its much more like a single player role play game with predefined quests and an actual end. It is not a sandbox like Sims 1, 2, or 3 or like Morrowind or Oblivion..although one may argue that Oblivion has an end game.

I love Guild 2 but this Sims Medieval barely interests me. My kids might like it though since they love the My Sims games. But really, its more like the My Sims than like Guild 2 or The Sims. I am sure it will have its players but once they play through every quest and profession, the game will languish in the drawer with the My Sims games. :)

[mangaroo]

I like the look of it. Admittedly, I'm basing my like on renderings rather than actual gameplay images (wheee! I'm influenced by advertising). The reduced gameplay is not really a detriment for me because, while I like the look of TS3, I get so frustrated by its gameplay. So I see Sims Medieval in very much the same light as Castaway -- a game to be enjoyed for its restricted gameplay, and then immediately abandoned.

With that understanding: EA, I am not willing to part with $50 for the experience. That's the price you put on a sandbox I can play in forever. If you're only going to entertain me for two weeks, slash your MSRP.

[HystericalParoxysm]

I got about 8 hours of gameplay total out of Castaway. I think I've played free casual games more than that...

[saeda]

This game looks like a Sims and Fable lovechild. I'm pretty sure that's the market they are going for, the crowd that enjoyed Fable, and not Sims 1, 2, 3-only players.

I will buy this because I bought Fable II and III when they were new. The restricted gameplay is something I'm used to from games like the aforementioned Fable and RTS games like Settlers and 1701.

[J. M. Pescado]

I got about 8 hours of gameplay total out of Castaway. I think I've played free casual games more than that...I dunno. The gameplay in Castaways was meh at best, but there were some quality moments between me and mah shovel.

[venusdemilosimmer]

Still on the fence about this one. On the one hand, I'm a sucker for costume stuff; on the other, they've taken a lot of the creative control away from the player and are playing this out as a straight game to appeal to the 'gamers.' Right now I think I'll pass on it until the price goes down. Not worth $50.

[rian90]

Best thing would be if we can snag some of the items from the game. ;)

[Spiritbw]

Best thing would be if we can snag some of the items from the game. ;)

Took the words out of my mouth. I was just wondering if the files for the CAS in this would work if plugged into the regular Sims.

[WooHoo31]

I'm personally not very interested in the game. I mean, I think EA should be more focused on making better expansion packs for TS3 or working on bugs and glitches and stuff, instead of making a whole new game of the Sims franchise when there's current stuff in need to be worked on. I suppose they're just making a whole new game because they'll make more money that way...

[suzetter]

I like the look of it. Admittedly, I'm basing my like on renderings rather than actual gameplay images (wheee! I'm influenced by advertising). The reduced gameplay is not really a detriment for me because, while I like the look of TS3, I get so frustrated by its gameplay. So I see Sims Medieval in very much the same light as Castaway -- a game to be enjoyed for its restricted gameplay, and then immediately abandoned.

With that understanding: EA, I am not willing to part with $50 for the experience. That's the price you put on a sandbox I can play in forever. If you're only going to entertain me for two weeks, slash your MSRP.

Agreed. The price is too high for a game that concludes so quickly. Probably on sale for $20 in the EA store by Summer. Did anyone notice how cheap the TS3 games were during their Black Friday sale? I think even LN could be had for like 1/2 price. Wished I'd held off buying it till then.

Edit: Just watched the Epic Trailer which looks good http://www.ea.com/the-sims-medieval/videos/epic-trailer .

So there's 10 possible hero characters each tied to a profession and each porfession tied to a building. You get the characters when you buiild up kingdom enough to add their building ( ie Blacksmith with Blacksmith shop). Ho-hum.

Didn't notice any kids in the trailer so if they're there they probably don't do anything. Building is limited. And as there are extra outfits and furnishings with the limited edition set --I wonder if EA will be selling the clothes and objects for this game in their Store? If so, will the merchandise cross-over?

Medieval SIms appears even better looking than TS3 and the Medieval Sims also appear to be engaged in more interesting activities. Damn!

I wonder if we don't get some things in TS3 because they are being used as selling points for Sims Medieval. Hmmm.

Since both games are based on the same game engine--I'm wondering if animations and objects from one game would work with the other? If a player owned both games --could some of the animations and game play be transfered/combined? And if its possible, would it be illegal if you owned both games?

[ElektroGuy]

I didn't think anyone else knew about this, so take a look. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY4p0H6rSqE) More videos can be found from there.

*ElektoGuy's endless shrieking can be heard from Earth to galaxies far, far away....*

I watched the first minute and a half of that video and made it go away. I'm sick with disgust. Someone tell me a clever vid editor whipped up a silly, toe curling parody of Sims doing really cheesy crap.

If what little I saw that unfolded before my eyes was actually a preview of what's to come, I weep for the S3 franchise, and it just confirms my belief that EA wants to convert WoW fanatics into SimCrackheads.

Sims 3 isn't medieval. It should stay far away from that game genre. If I wanted to play a real RPG set in the dark age, I'd play Demon's Souls or Dragon Age (the former really gets it right, the latter kinda does, but it's somewhat too WoWish). Medieval Sims will be repugnant cheesefests.

I love me some cheese. S3 has that cheesy charm to it, which I can really appreciate. It's apparent Vampires were implemented into S3 because of the whole Sparklylight book and film craze. But going medieval is EA taking a long distance leap in the wrong direction. It's a big set back. It's a completely retarded one, too.

Penthouses, HDTVs, savvy modern designing, high tech laundry machines, clubbing and groupies, traveling to exotic locations around the world in a jet with my celebrity friends...that's what EA should stick to and continue to build upon and deepen. I can tolerate the occasional mummy, vampire, genius inventor messing around with dimensional time traveling, ghostbusting (that's real cheese, although I enjoy). Umm, flinging fireballs, living in primitive cottages and the like...that stuff has no business in the Sims world.

Yeah, it'll sell like plasma juice I'm predicting, I won't be buying into that crap.

[ani_]

Sims 3 isn't medieval. It should stay far away from that game genre. If the medievel theme wouldn't be so popular among Sims players, EA would never have bothered to do this game. Having the Sims set in medievel times doesn't contredict the Sim idea at all.

I do agree with you that the sims is not an RPG and it shouldn't try being one.

[jje1000]

Technically, the Sims can be transposed into any historical timeframe and do nicely. The fact is, though, is that if you tamper with the original formula, you will end up with a terrible abortion of a game.

[ElektroGuy]

If the medievel theme wouldn't be so popular among Sims players, EA would never have bothered to do this game. Having the Sims set in medievel times doesn't contredict the Sim idea at all.

I do agree with you that the sims is not an RPG and it shouldn't try being one.

Themes are fine, for designing a lot, posessions like clothes and furniture. But developing a world set in the dark ages with peasants, wizards, barbarians, kingdoms and some evil, magical figure mastermind who lives on a black rock at the top of a tower lusting for world domination isn't Sims (it'll all be stinky Sim cheese, too). EA is inconsiderately destroying Sims history and its unique mythology fans have followed through the years and have come to love and cherish.

The Sims world is mainly based on modernism. There are modern families living modern lives doing modern stuff, and mostly communicating in a modern, civilized way in modern towns and cities based on modern technologies. Yeah, there've been some zany, way-out-there-in-left-field scifi and fantastical stuffs mildly thrown into the design, and some of it is campy and charming in its own way. But Sims have Zodiac signs and should have the capability to read about a silly prediction some Sim wrote for them in a newspaper...not gazing at crystal balls to see visions and prophecies and the like. My Sim would buy a crystal ball but only for decoration because he has a logical and modern brain. That's a Sim for you, and to me, should respectably remain. What EA has done isn't cool, and I'd be more than happy if I had an opportunity to work my way up to the top of EA's skyscraper filled with the that's-business-to-increase-profit-margin attitudes, kicking alot of ass along the way...Kill Bill style.

[caninegoddess]

Right now, I am very much on the fence. I think the game looks absolutely GORGEOUS, but it seems quite limited in terms of actual Sims gameplay.

I did some poking around, and it seems as though Sims can have children, but the children will not age past the age of Child. Nor can Sims die of old age, IIRC.

And I think, though the game intrigues me quite a bit, that I'll likely skip it over. I like classic Sims gameplay, with aging children and generations and whatnot, so if EA would blend the two (Medieval EP anyone?) I would likely get it. But right now, it's a (admittedly wishy-washy) no from me.

[jcalispupo01]

I love the concept of the game, I've always wanted to see the Sims in the medieval times. But I wish it wasn't a standalone game, I was wishing for it to be an EP, something like WA, where you...idk...let's say you can create a huge time machine (or the one in ambitions) and you click to go back in time and then it loads a medieval neighborhood. IMHO that would have been really cool. Oh well, at least I know (or hope) people are going to take things from the sims medieval and put them in the Sims 3. :king:

[Miss Harlequin]

I'm actually looking forward to this! I've always enjoyed games like Settlers and CivCity, so it'll kind of be like combining these two genres! I'm really hoping that they'll allow simmers to make custom content.

Yes, I'm worried that it'll turn out crappy, but it should be okay to entertain me for a while even if it isn't that good.

[Tempscire]

I like classic Sims gameplay, with aging children and generations and whatnot, so if EA would blend the two (Medieval EP anyone?) I would likely get it.
Haha, technically unaging adults and eternal children is classic Sims gameplay a la Sims 1.

The real deviation here is the controlled story without a real sandbox option. Didn't The Sims 2 Stories games let you play around freely after you completed the story? Or am I mistaken?

[hotaru801]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY4p0H6rSqE&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4R0wI2ratE&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjTdKOkUsvw&feature=channel

These are links to a run through of the Alpha version of the Sims Medieval. If it isn't buggy, it would have great potential.

[Aeschere]

I'm looking forward to it, I think I'll buy it. To me it looks like a combination of The Sims 2 & 3, Sim City, and Spore. :)

[Six_by_Nine]

I'm not the only one that's not looking forward to this, right? To me, it just seems to be exactly like The Sims 3, only without The Sims, if you know what I mean. The fatal flaw thing is interesting, but two traits? And there's only two motives? (Part 1, you can see on the HUD that there's only Hunger and Energy.) In my opinion, EA is ruining the Sims series by trying to please everyone at once. Which sounds all nice and dandy, but remember the Sonic series? Sega tried to appease fans of violent games with Shadow the Hedgehog (the game)...FAIL. They then tried to make a unique racing game, like the SSX series. Sonic Riders come out and...FAIL. A game with more realism, with the 2006 Sonic the Hedgehog..EPIC FAIL.

I'm not saying The Sims 3 is that bad, but, without mods...Well, we know how well vanilla Sims 3 is like, right? We are in a modding community. :P

I'm not alone on this thought, right? Please, agree or disagree with this post accordingly.

[SoCalSimz]

I just hope that they have a team paying as much attention to TS3 expansions as they have devoted to TS:M.

[Six_by_Nine]

I just hope that they have a team paying as much attention to TS3 expansions as they have devoted to TS:M.
*stifles laughter* Attention to TS3?
http://media.kotaku.com.au/wp//2010/10/phoenix-wright-objection.jpg
The hideous Sims in Twinbrook (mainly the Bayless family), the green hair syndrome, the uselessness of some traits (other than Never Nude, as it is an in-joke), pudding face syndrome, frequent non-mod related glitches and crashes (remember the vanilla 1.0 "Clean Out Bad Food" interaction with refridgerators?), non-city like feel of Bridgeport (okay, that's minor, but we were all hoping for more, right?), crowded elevators in Bridgeport, lack of band gigs, impossible life time wishes, terrible AI ("My baby's hungry, I should feed him. Hey, look, a trampoline.")...I could probably think of two or three more, but I believe I've made my point. EA does not spend a lot of time on The Sims franchise. Maybe because they're busy with other projects, or maybe because they (correctly...) believe it will sell regardless of quality just because it's a popular series. Either way...I WANT MAXIS BACK. :cry:

[TheLB]

I'm an RPG player at heart, so this is definitely piquing my interest. I think what is going to turn a lot of Sims players off is the fact that it is an RPG, not a simulation, so it's a lot more linear.

[rian90]

I just hope that they have a team paying as much attention to TS3 expansions as they have devoted to TS:M.

Yeah, this worries me. If they can make money off people buying up a short playability, one shot type game, then why put money into more Sims 3 packs? I mean they can probably shoot out a bunch of Sims Medieval type games, especially now that they have the engine down, rather than try to create EPs. People tend to buy these little games, play them for a few months and toss them aside. Then they buy the next one, rinse and repeat. At $50 a shot, that is a lot of money! The EPs are probably more work and usually cost less.

And with The Sims, we have a large Sims 2 community still which brings no money to EA.

[hotaru801]

I'm an RPG player at heart, so this is definitely piquing my interest. I think what is going to turn a lot of Sims players off is the fact that it is an RPG, not a simulation, so it's a lot more linear.

I agree... I am more of an RPG player as well so the concept behind TSM got me to go preorder it today at Game Stop... But I personally feel that a lot of the community is more in love with the simulation aspect that the sims franchise has introduced... Not this idea of role play...

Could I see this being a turn off for many players? Yes. Could I see it piquing the interest of others? Yes. I think this will be a you do or you don't game. But all I really know is March 22, I'm playing TSM... And if it sucks I will be very disappointed...

Crossing my fingers that it doesn't require patches and that it is not as buggy as a pit of roaches in an unoccupied sugar factory.

[Aeschere]

Well, The Sims Medieval is a spin-off of The Sims. I don't think it's fair to compare it to The Sims 3 because the gameplay is designed to be different. Luckily The Sims Medieval is a new base game, so there will likely be expansions to it over time. I just hope they don't abandon projects to better The Sims 3.

[hotaru801]

Well, The Sims Medieval is a spin-off of The Sims. I don't think it's fair to compare it to The Sims 3 because the gameplay is designed to be different. Luckily The Sims Medieval is a new base game, so there will likely be expansions to it over time. I just hope they don't abandon projects to better The Sims 3.

I actually think it is gonna be more like Life Stories... At least that is what I am hoping for...

[SoCalSimz]

Looks like I will be living in TS2 perpetually then.

Six - I wish I could both agree with and love your comment, because it is the sad truth.

[aerogurl87]

I was hoping this game would be more like The Sims and just set in a medieval period with a more structured heiarchy system with lords, dukes, kings, princes, etc. Since it's not I won't be buying it. But after some people mentioned the Guild 2 on here, I'm thinking of gifting myself with it soon. :)

[Tempscire]

Well, The Sims Medieval is a spin-off of The Sims. I don't think it's fair to compare it to The Sims 3 because the gameplay is designed to be different.
Why not? EA is banking on grabbing The Sims players by releasing this as The Sims Medieval. They invite the comparison themselves.
Six - I wish I could both agree with and love your comment, because it is the sad truth.
You can select more than one reaction, actually. You can even simultaneously agree and disagree with a post.

[saeda]

Why not? EA is banking on grabbing The Sims players by releasing this as The Sims Medieval. They invite the comparison themselves.

Why not? Mostly because it'll do little good and make little sense. The game is a spin off, it's not the same mechanics or anything. It's absurd to judge an apple with the criteria of an orange.

Same franchise, different kind of game, different audience intended.

[Aeschere]

Exactly, I mean, there have been watered down versions of The Sims in console games over time, usually employing a 'story mode' or some other gimmicky feature. The Sims Medieval sort of follows in that path except you as the player create the story, where in The Sims main series games you just do whatever you want.

[rian90]

Why not? Mostly because it'll do little good and make little sense. The game is a spin off, it's not the same mechanics or anything. It's absurd to judge an apple with the criteria of an orange.

Same franchise, different kind of game, different audience intended.

I strongly disagree. EA is sending me tons of emails about Sims Medieval, but they don't about other EA games. They are targeting the vast Sims audiences and not others. They know that at least half of us will buy this game without knowing that its very different than the Sims games. The Sims Stories games gave you a sandbox version you could play if you wished and after the stories part of the game. Sims Medieval does not. The only similarity between the two games are the engine used. But you can bet that there will be plenty of complaints from people who finish the game and find out they can't continue with their main character's children and they can't build a dynasty for generations and they can't build their own castles and houses and villages.

But EA will have their money so they really don't mind if they mislead people. In the meantime, they give us very little period costumes and items for Sims 3 because they want all those medieval world lovers to buy their new game.

[Cupcaked]

I'm still not 100% sure if I want to buy this yet. I'm thinking it might be the kind of thing I'd ask for as a gift rather then going out of my way to buy a copy of my own. It looks like it could be fun though, but not something I'd be able to see myself wanting to play for a long time like I do with the sims.

[Six_by_Nine]

What is it?Sims' hair have a greenish hue to them. It's easier to see if they're blond.

[Tempscire]

Why not? Mostly because it'll do little good and make little sense. The game is a spin off, it's not the same mechanics or anything. It's absurd to judge an apple with the criteria of an orange.

Same franchise, different kind of game, different audience intended.
Except they're taking the apple, painting it orange, and selling it amidst citrus vendors.

As I and others have pointed out, they're branding this as a Sims game (which has certain connotations attached to it) and, for the time being anyway, marketing it to existing Sims players (who will be interested because it is a Sims-branded game). Unlike other, stranger, iterations of the game, like My Sims or The Urbz, which were stylistically distinct, TSM is shown with TS3-style Sims being predominant, which further evokes the main games and the expectations it generates.

[Aeschere]

Tempscire, I understand your point but it's The Sims Medieval, not The Sims 3 Medieval.
The Sims 3 has a lot of features that came from The Sims 2, but we don't go calling it The Sims 2 Part Two. As for Sims' looks, that's just the direction they've decided to keep on. The Sims 3 console games Sims' look like The Sims 3 PC game's Sims.

Everyone else, I think it's a combined factor that it's a base-PC game and how popular medieval-themed content is to the players, to why it's being marketed as so. It's just a spin-off of the main games except it's starting it's own chain of expansions, geared to a different style of play. What it comes to is that, if you don't like it, don't buy it. People still play The Sims 2 because of features they dislike in The Sims 3, but you don't see them complaining about EA advertising it.

[TheLB]

To put it simply: The sims 3 is a simulation. The sims medieval is an rpg. It's a completely different genre of game. The reason The Sims: is tagged on the front is because
A) They want to market it to people who already play the sims (and are hoping that people will buy it thinking it's just an expansion pack or w/e)
B) The UI is (mostly) the same
C) The foundation is the same, with the ability to create your main character, and interact with others blah de blah.

Imagine your sim is stuck in a WA location forever, except now instead of Visas you have levels, and character classes, and attack skills, etc.

[Tempscire]

Tempscire, I understand your point
I'm not sure you do, because:

but it's The Sims Medieval, not The Sims 3 Medieval.
The Sims 3 has a lot of features that came from The Sims 2, but we don't go calling it The Sims 2 Part Two. As for Sims' looks, that's just the direction they've decided to keep on. The Sims 3 console games Sims' look like The Sims 3 PC game's Sims.
Yes, it's its own standalone game. It's still derived from the TS3 engine and resembles it graphically (the box cover even has the shiny-TS3-plumbob). Plus it's being branded as a Sims game when it lacks most of the major feature of any Sims game most people would think of immediately when hearing the word...customizability, freedom of play, in-game construction, generations (has become an important aspect of a people simulator).

It's more like an RPG. And that's fine. But my whole point has been: they are deliberately insinuating it's a sim-type game when all the information so far suggests RPG, and when they brand it as The Sims Anything, they are inviting comparisons and raising expectations in relation to The Sims Everything Else. If they wanted to hedge their bets on this, it could have been SiMedieval or SimKingdom or something, in the style of SimCity or SimTower. They didn't. It's The Sims Medieval. They're relying on it the main series to help it along. [See also: everything TheLB said more succinctly just before this post]

People still play The Sims 2 because of features they dislike in The Sims 3, but you don't see them complaining about EA advertising it.
Actually, the ones hanging around the TS2 BBS do, because they don't like having TS3 advertised at them when they already know about it and can't or won't trade in TS2. But that's also besides the point, which is that it's not a matter of them advertising it, it's how they're marketing it (there's a subtle difference), which again, is in an implied relation to the established TS3 and its forebears. It's not a simulation game.

[saeda]

I strongly disagree. EA is sending me tons of emails about Sims Medieval, but they don't about other EA games.
I am pretty sure when I bought my Sims 3 game that I did not ask to be on additional mailing lists, though I may be mistaken since it was so long ago. Anyway, I receive e-mails from EA about non-Sims games all the time.

They are targeting the vast Sims audiences and not others.
Not others? Do you think the media coverage EA is getting for this game is only being read by Sims players? EA sent out a press release so that the gaming masses would hear about the game. They would not use a press release solely to get the attention of current customers. GamePro (http://www.gamepro.com/article/previews/216157/the-sims-medieval-preview/), 1UP (http://www.1up.com/news/announces-sims-medieval), and IGN (http://pc.ign.com/articles/111/1113688p1.html) are just a few examples of the general gaming sites covering Sims Medieval news. Note that all the articles specifically state that this is a spin-off game, not The Sims 3, and not a straight up simulation game.

They know that at least half of us will buy this game without knowing that its very different than the Sims games.
Buyer beware. It is not EA's fault that you can't do two seconds of research before buying this game. What was the first thing I did upon hearing the name Sims Medieval? I Googled it to see if it was different from the Sims 3, and the first site I found confirmed that yes, it's different.

But EA will have their money so they really don't mind if they mislead people. In the meantime, they give us very little period costumes and items for Sims 3 because they want all those medieval world lovers to buy their new game.
This is like saying that Blizzard refused to put more futuristic items into WoW because Starcraft II just came out. They're totally different games. Sims 3 is set in modern times. The only time the medieval thing makes sense is with the time machine, and they gave us outfits with that.

Except they're taking the apple, painting it orange, and selling it amidst citrus vendors.
They are selling a game to gamers. If you end up disliking it because it doesn't fit the simulation genre perfectly, then it's your own fault for not researching what it was first. It would be like saying Fable mislead you to think it was an RPG instead of an action RPG.

As I and others have pointed out, they're branding this as a Sims game (which has certain connotations attached to it)
EA is choosing to broaden the Sims brand by adding console versions of the games and now Sims Medieval. This is no different from Nintendo making Mario platformer, fighting, and racing games. They are not misleading customers, they are building their brand into something more complex.

TSM is shown with TS3-style Sims being predominant, which further evokes the main games and the expectations it generates.
This again means nothing except that the person buying it has to do a little research. Silent Hill is known as a survival horror game and yet they released a Silent Hill arcade game which was a rail shooter. Silent Hill Homecoming was also markedly different from the first game since it was very action-based. They all used similar art styles for different game styles.

It should also be pointed out that it has the same art style because it uses the same game engine. This saves money, tons of time, and allows resources to be spent on more important creative aspects of the game.

[Virtual Fantasim]

Ah, I am a little disappointed in the descriptions of The Sims Medieval. No customization of buildings (just interiors), and more importantly, only heroes, a few at a time, are playable. And no generations! If they add an expansion allowing further generations, I might buy it. As it stands, not what I was hoping for.
At least there's the creativity of the Sims community to rely on, for medieval simming.

[RoseCity]

I'm thinking about getting SM - I don't mind that you can't build, etc and I like how it looks. There are so many things to do in Sims 3 - I don't get around to doing half of them as it is. But I've never played any PC games (or console games for that matter) before Sims 3 - well, millennia ago, I played things like DungeonMaster, Sundog, SimCity and SimEarth, so I'm a not very discerning, inexperienced gamer.

[SoCalSimz]

I'm thinking about getting SM - I don't mind that you can't build, etc and I like how it looks. There are so many things to do in Sims 3 - I don't get around to doing half of them as it is. But I've never played any PC games (or console games for that matter) before Sims 3 - well, millennia ago, I played things like DungeonMaster, Sundog, SimCity and SimEarth, so I'm a not very discerning, inexperienced gamer.

God I miss the old SimCity franchise. SimTown, SimPark, YootTower (cause I was not a fan of SimTower). My how the years and gaming industry have changed.

[baratron]

Imagine your sim is stuck in a WA location forever, except now instead of Visas you have levels, and character classes, and attack skills, etc.
That actually sounds quite fun to me.

To be honest, when I first played World Adventures, I wondered why it was marketed as a Sims game. Since it is really quite different from previous Sims PC games: with the emphasis on sims going on holiday alone and having adventures. You can take a couple away, but the worlds aren't set up for a romantic vacation, or even for dual exploration of tombs. (I honestly thought that some of the tombs would require the whole family to be present, so that sims could activate multiple switches at the same time). Each "adventure" from the board is intended for one sim to complete, and even if two sims complete the tomb together, only the one who was given the adventure gets the visa points.

I've got used to it now, and the worlds have their uses within normal Sims 3 gameplay: for example, since real time is suspended, to allow a newly-moved in sim to gain skills quickly. Also for relic collecting to make money, and to obtain the additional fruits and fish, which can make some of the LTWs easier. However, I can see how many people who've been playing The Sims since the very first game could have felt let down/weirded out by it, as it seems so much more like one of the Sims console games than any of the previous PC games.

So I think your analysis of what Sims Medieval will be like is very valuable. Are you the kind of player who likes WA adventures over and over with different sims from different families, or do you just use the extra items and Build Mode options? If you're the former, then you'll probably enjoy it. If the latter, probably not.

[hotaru801]

That actually sounds quite fun to me.

To be honest, when I first played World Adventures, I wondered why it was marketed as a Sims game. Since it is really quite different from previous Sims PC games: with the emphasis on sims going on holiday alone and having adventures.


Yeah I was wondering about that too. I was really excited about WA and I loved the puzzles but they aren't meant for families (It becomes far too complicated when you could just use one person). And it would have made a better "Life Story" type game. It could have been made more indepth with more drama... And perhaps a bolder rolling down a narrow hallway or two...

[so_freakin_glam]

i just hope they dont abandon sims 3 all together for this

[Annette19]

I think the game sounds interesting. I was wondering about it being called a new base game. Do the Eaxians think we can't tell the difference between a stand alone stories game or an expansion pack?
Anway I just went and ordered it and the price makes me think it may be a real base game, one that will get stuff packs and ep's. It was $AU99 for the Limited Edition, which is what TS3 was. We pay too much for games in Australia! I'm sure the stories games were less than that, but I could be wrong as I bought Castaway on sale. (And have yet to play it.)
I ordered the Limited Edition as I want the extra stuff, but the other edition on offer was a Collectors Edition for about $5 more. The sales guy did not know what was in it so I stuck with the Limited. It may be that there will be a cheaper ordinary version around, but EB games did not have it listed.
Anyway, it will be interesting to see if it turns out to be a real base game or just a stories game.

[Robodl95]

@ Saeda, I disagree with almost everything you said -_-
A grownup or "hardcore" simmer would have the insight to google stuff, unfortunately The Sims is played by many kids in the 8-12 age range and a lot of that is *kid goes to store, sees game with sim title, reads back of box, MOM I WANT THIS!*, it's sort of like how they constantly showed "singers" in LN preview pics. Your average 11 year old doesn't do a whole lot of research outside of the official site, and remember how many people were confused about whether BB was a vacation destination or not due to it's wording? Also since when is TS3 set in modern times? You can play it in whatever time period you want to....

The only thing I'm looking forward to out of TSM is the medieval game content that we'll get out of it.

[tizerist]

since when is TS3 set in modern times? You can play it in whatever time period you want to....

Not really. Everyone has a mobile phone and sims use cars and taxis autonomously, among other things.

[RylandHomes]

Reading through this whole post after going to countless sites that appeared on google when I researched the game after going to the sims 3 official site and seeing the banner this morning, I'd have to say I too have mixed feelings about purchasing this game.

I think many of us are upset, and for good reason. My guess is, during the making of AL, they got sidetracked with the making of TSM, which would give a reasonable explanation for all the problems AL has.

EA is trying to make it big, but I don't think that they see the way they are going about it is wrong. With all the gaming platforms out there, each one has a Sims game, and more than just TS3. What they are trying to do is please every style of gamer, and make the big bucks while half-assing their work.
For the Wii, you have MySims, MySims Kingdom, MySims Racing, MySims Agents, and MySims Sky Heroes. Each a different style of play, yet, in my opinion (don't bite me), a poor attempt to mirror the Mario franchise.
Then you have SimAnimals. A cute game to care for an animal or whatever, I didn't bother wasting my time playing it.
Then you have their foundation, the base of the whole pyramid; The Sims 1. This game was incredible, and captivating. People would get on in the morning, look at the clock and see that it was already nightfall, and they didn't even realize. Kids fought over who was going to play on the computer because of this wonderful game. Then, they made it better with The Sims 2. That got better with the release of the its expansion packs.
Finally, EA decided to make the game look better. Thus, The Sims 3 came out. Unfortunately though, many issues weren't fixed with TS2 before the release of TS3. EA got lazy. Instead of taking the time and putting in the effort to make a great game, they only saw one goal in mind, and that was the money.

My point here is, they tried to do too many things at one time. They got too big, too fast, and now they can't handle it all. Thus the countless bugs, glitches, and other problems with what should be their prized possession, The Sims 3. These little games and little side projects they've got going on should have came after they perfected their first born. Mario started with one game, it was successful, perfected and complete. Then they went on to their second game, perfected it, then so on and so on. The Sims franchise is, like I said, doing too many things at one time, too fast.

This new, stand alone game is just another project to be tampered with for years to get its bugs exterminated, while at the same time taking the creators time away from fixing the issues with The Sims 3. If you ask me, EA is putting too much on their plate.

Now, graphically, I'd say the game doesn't look all that bad. The same classic CAS, yet a more cartoony feel. What TSM is trying to accomplish is please everyone, and that's nice and all, but not what they need to be doing. The buildings exteriors look like WOW, and the interiors look like The Sims, yet play like Super Smash Brothers (the way the camera is set). From the videos, the camera movement seams very limited, and I don't like the "doll house" like interior game play.

As for the game play itself, it seams to be an RPG mixed with Simulation, and mixed with crap. So, you make a "Kingdom", get some "Heroes", then do some quests?? :faceslap:
If you ask me, if something is labeled "SIMS", then it should be "SIMS". And I know people will shoot at me for saying that, but by that I meant, why name something "The Sims Medieval" and lead people on when you could easily name it "SiMedieval" and then call it a base game. "The Sims Medieval"... When I first heard that, I thought immediately of an expansion pack for TS3, packed with a bunch of medieval stuff. When I clicked to see its site, I went from "SWEET! A :new: EP!" to.. "Ahh MAN! :( LAME!!"

We already have quests with WA, and quest like opportunities without WA. Why not put these new classes as a new EP? The sward fighting could easily be added as a sport into TS3. Magic could be easily added along with its quests and level up system. Blacksmiths, Priests, Spy's, Physicians, and Merchants could all easily have been added with no problems.
EA clearly saw that we wanted medieval sims, and so they delivered. But why not make it an EP? We (and by "we" I mean players that agree with me here) like to play a sim, give it a family, build it a home, let it die and continue it on through its generations. Take our sims on trips, build them 100% freely how we want to, give it the jobs we want, etc....

EA, you should have just wrapped this all into an EP, cutting out the "Kingdom" part and calling it, The Sims 3:Renaissance. Give us, the Sims 3 players the Virtue Flaw, and save yourself the money, and headache of making a whole new game.

But, what's done is done. There is nothing we can do about it. EA was stupid enough to make this game, and instead of complaining about it, I might as well look forward to all my fellow simmers getting to work on taking all the clothing, objects, patterns, animations, hairs, magic spells along with the rune system (I thought that was cool), the virtue flaw, and the other cool looking things about TSM and uploading them here for us to add to our beloved game, The Sims 3.

After writing this, I no longer have mixed feelings about buying TSM. I am going to buy it, but only to see for myself if it was worth getting all worked up about. Who knows? I might even like it. Does that mean I'm going to go pre-order it right now? Not no, but hell no. I'm not about to pay $50 for something I know I'm not going to play every day. An endless game is worth that much, not something that I'll get a kick out of every other month when I roll my blunt and get high, tripping on how amazing it would be to live in the old days.

I play the sims for more than the fun of it. When I'm feeling bummed out about my living situation, I just light up and create my life how I want it to be. That always makes me feel better.

With that understanding: EA, I am not willing to part with $50 for the experience. That's the price you put on a sandbox I can play in forever. If you're only going to entertain me for two weeks, slash your MSRP.
Exactly. :beer:

EDIT: Totally just realized I said "AL" when I meant "LN". :rolleyes:

[putowtin]

always been a medieval fan so this is already preordered xx

[LoonehWannabe]

Huh. I think I'll read reviews and get some info before buying it. March is a time when I have to study for finals anyway, so I shouldn't waste my time with a new game that might not be that great.

[Koreos]

I find it funny that the game is being released at about the same time as the new HBO's TV show 'Game of Thrones'. Which will become the next trend after Vampires - Medieval stuff.

[jcalispupo01]

The fact that this is not an EP really turned me off. But there's nothing to worry about, we already have medieval content available, including swords and shields. I wouldn't doubt that the Sims 3 community will take a lot of content out of TSM to TS3. After all, even though TSM is a "standalone" game, it resembles a very similar engine that TS3 uses. Knowing that I'm hoping It won't be too hard to crack up content from one game to the other.

EDIT: http://www.gamespot.com/pc/sim/thesimsmedieval/news.html?sid=6297455&mode=previews <------this, I just found it and within it found this phrase and I quote:

"...It will also have a beginning, a middle, and an end--a point at which your game session ends and you're given a score based on how well you and your kingdom fared..."

Most probably I won't be buying it, but I won't say It won't be fun, at least for the time it lasts. :jest: The Sims franchise charm is that it doesn't have an end point, it is endless hours of simming!

[prettiammie2005]

I really like the idea of this game, but right now I'm getting really nervous about the whole "ending" part. Since when does a sims game "end"? It's supposed to keep going! I don't want to get all attached to my sims only to have them yanked away from me by completing every quest! At the very least I hope after they give you the score you'll be allowed to keep playing your sims and your kingdom!

And oh my goodness, all this negative feedback about sims that don't age! Have we all forgotten our roots in the original Sims game? They never aged, and their children remained children forever. I'll be the first one to admit the perpetual children were irritating but I loved my sims who stayed the same and never grew old and died. :( It's sad when my sims die!

Even after the quests are over, hopefully there will be some reason to continue your kingdom... why not just to watch what kind of antics your heroes can get up to in their everyday lives?

Keeping my fingers crossed that the game doesn't "end". That would be the only thing that would keep me from buying this game. I don't mind getting a score after I'm done all the quests. I DO mind having my gameplay taken away from me.

[Srikandi]

It will not be a "Sims game", in the sense of TS1, 2, and 3. If the only kind of games you like are Sims games, you will not like it.

I wouldn't worry about the labeling. That's just branding. The Sims is co-branded with SimCity, but that doesn't make them similar games.

As for converting objects... likely possible... but converting animations and interactions and AI and scripting is another matter, so while you might get a nice table or throne, I wouldn't assume you'd get swordfighting or spellcasting or usable stocks into TS3 from this. At least not easily or quickly. And all the completely new and different gameplay stuff, like flaws? Not likely, ever... mods can make new instances of existing gameplay systems (sometimes... easier in some cases, like careers, than others, like traits), but porting a completely unsupported gameplay system from a different game... is not something we've ever seen in a Sims mod.

To me, a more interesting question is: to what extent will TSM be moddable in its own right? ;)

[Laisanae]

Well, it's maybe just me... but I really don't get what are others complaining about. So they're doing it for the money? And? What? What did you expect?
Okay, we know that the Sims 3 could easily get the Buggiest Game in the Universe award... but I guess making a game isn't so easy. Talking, that's easy.

I got pissed off with my game too, many times, but this whining about "EA is evil! It is the money-hungered bloody-handed spawn of Satan!" is just pointless... if you would have a big company, with it's golden egg laying bird you would be money-oriented to. This is the big damned circle of life. I guess no one here is a saint, so don't lie to yourself by saying: Hell noooooo!


And for Medieval... I think it's going to be interesting. No aging, and maybe not endless gameplay? Fine for me.
I bet if it would be the total perfect copy of the Sims game with already have, just in medieval outfit, that's what would the complaining be about.

[jcalispupo01]

@Srikandi Don't throw the towel on that yet! The Sims 3 and The Sims Medieval although labeled as "different" games, are pretty much the same in terms of engine, with the only difference of gameplay. I wouldn't be surprised with anything they do in the modding community. As for the ending, as far as the review goes, and i quote "your game session ENDS" which means your game is over :( . I too wish it would give you that option, but at this point I would say there's less than 15% of chances of that happening.

@Laisanae Yes, no one is a saint, but being a big company and with the experience EA has, is not likely we would expect such buggy releases. About The Sims Medieval, of course is different! Why do you think is a standalone game? Yet its potential is very limited but we will see how well it does when it's released.

[J. M. Pescado]

As for converting objects... likely possible...Object conversion is trivial and will almost certainly happen: Objects can be converted even from totally unrelated games. There's a lot of people with the qualifications needed to salvage or reproduce meshes and textures, so it should be fairly simple. We saw this happen in Stories.

but converting animations and interactions and AI and scripting is another matter, so while you might get a nice table or throne, I wouldn't assume you'd get swordfighting or spellcasting or usable stocks into TS3 from this.Given the similarities of the engine involved, this is probably more possible than not. See: Stories To Real Game conversions.

At least not easily or quickly.If it's possible at all, it'll happen relatively easily and quickly. That's my verdict on the matter. Ripping Castaways goodies only took a day.

And all the completely new and different gameplay stuff, like flaws? Not likely, ever...Not gonna happen, yeah. Gameplay mechanics don't translate.

but porting a completely unsupported gameplay system from a different game... is not something we've ever seen in a Sims mod.That's because it would make about as much sense as porting PacMan game mechanics into Sims. Technically, it could be DONE. We COULD fill the streets of the game with little pellets your sim can pick up and enraged ghosts that kill them on contact for them to avoid...but WHY?

To me, a more interesting question is: to what extent will TSM be moddable in its own right? ;)Given similarities of engine? Assuming any obfuscation attempts can be countered, probably about the same as TS3 itself. The Stories TS2 games were entirely moddable, for instance. It's just that no one really bothered because, well, they were knockoff one-shots that were pale imitations of the real game. Since so much of the game's structure in TS3 is handled within scriptcore, if you're willing to throw compatibility with future expansions and patches completely out the window, creating an entirely new game as a mod, which this essentially is, is entirely possible.

[jcalispupo01]

A mod to somehow link the sims medieval with ts3 would be epic, and its probability of ever existing are nearly...ZERO! However, flaws are nothing special besides the fact that you have to overcome them, we already have flaws in ts3 traits such as coward, evil, etc. We already have a mod for magic so I wonder if wizardry can be translated to ts3 from TSM. A mod to inject TSM aspects such as carrier pigeons instead of cell phones, and well, the fact that there are no horses (BIGGEST FAIL EVER!) would leave the transportation as a problem.

Main thing is, it is a standalone game, so even though a lot of us might want it as an EP, it won't likely happen, not even with mods will we be able to link TSM that much to TS3. But hey! What do you know, we might end up with duels and wizard towers in TS3! If you like the game, it's ok, everybody has its opinions, I just don't like spin-off sims games. Now I am more intrigued about what EPs will come for TS3 next, excluding Pets and Seasons, I'm more curious about new ones never seen before.

[Laisanae]

@Laisanae Yes, no one is a saint, but being a big company and with the experience EA has, is not likely we would expect such buggy releases. About The Sims Medieval, of course is different! Why do you think is a standalone game? Yet its potential is very limited but we will see how well it does when it's released.

Sure, but if they mess up the game, we really can't do anything about it.

I know it's a different game... it's not an EP. :)
Yes, we will see how it goes. Let's hope the bests.

[jcalispupo01]

Sure, but if they mess up the game, we really can't do anything about it.

I know it's a different game... it's not an EP. :)
Yes, we will see how it goes. Let's hope the bests.

Well one thing I love about our community is how they constantly come up with ways to make The Sims better. For instance, Story Progression mods, magic mods, etc. The thing about The Sims is that no matter how many people you see around complaining about it, they all have it, they all buy it anyways(except those who really abstain from buying it which are the minority), and since the beginnings we have learned how to live with and/or work around bugs.

Am I excited about TSM? Yes, because I have high expectations about all that we will be able to take out of it to put in TS3. :beer:

[Tempscire]

I bet if it would be the total perfect copy of the Sims game with already have, just in medieval outfit, that's what would the complaining be about.
That's what some people would be complaining about. Others would be thrilled. Same as now, but at least they'd be staying true to the most recent Sim concepts.

(And who would really complain about aging being included? Maybe some people don't mind the lack thereof, but actively disliking it...? At least when there is aging, you can just ignore it, kill Sims off, turn aging off, whatever. You don't have those myriad options when it's just not there at all.)

[Srikandi]

Given the similarities of the engine involved, this is probably more possible than not. See: Stories To Real Game conversions.

If it's possible at all, it'll happen relatively easily and quickly. That's my verdict on the matter. Ripping Castaways goodies only took a day.

Yeah, but unless they're just for decor or machinima, you have to give a Sim a REASON to pick up a sword and wave it... and some consequences. For spellcasting, you have to make the spell DO something. And so on. New activities need to integrate with the AI, traits, motives, wishes and everything else.

Moddable, sure, but not a simple port. That was what I had in mind.

I am looking forward to adult applications of the stocks and the doctor's table, btw :)

[LoonehWannabe]

Hi, I found a list of traits that just might be in the game.

http://sims.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Fatal_Flaws

Interesting, huh?

EDIT: I'm pretty sure that almost all of them have been comfirmed.

[hotaru801]

Hi, I found a list of traits that just might be in the game.

http://sims.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Fatal_Flaws

Interesting, huh?

EDIT: I'm pretty sure that almost all of them have been comfirmed.

I see myself making many cruel sims being as I don't feel that is a flaw... :cool:

[jay_envy]

I love that alcoholism flaw. I wish they had that as a trait on TS3, then I could really make my Lindsay Lohan sim as close to perfect as possible.

[Laisanae]

I love that alcoholism flaw. I wish they had that as a trait on TS3, then I could really make my Lindsay Lohan sim as close to perfect as possible.

Don't forget about the drugs.

[TheLB]

Hi, I found a list of traits that just might be in the game.

http://sims.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Fatal_Flaws

Interesting, huh?

EDIT: I'm pretty sure that almost all of them have been comfirmed.Thank you for sharing this! Hmm, right now I'm thinking bloodthirsty would be nice...Being a shiny hero was just never how I rolled. Less black and white for me, please.

We COULD fill the streets of the game with little pellets your sim can pick up and enraged ghosts that kill them on contact for them to avoid...but WHY? I don't know about you, but that sounds like pretty good times to me.

[jay_envy]

Don't forget about the drugs.

Hah! I can see it now - "Would you like to designate your new community lot as a: Big Park, Hangout or Drug Den?"

[Laisanae]

Hah! I can see it now - "Would you like to designate your new community lot as a: Big Park, Hangout or Drug Den?"


Ooor rehab clinic...?

[SoCalSimz]

Ooor rehab clinic...?
Oh! OH! they could have Charlie Sheen cameo like they did with pop icons back in Superstar!!!