Quote: Originally posted by H.O.W
I'd like generations next and uni. I skimmed through the whole Toddler argument going on here and Toddlers are annoying but I feel lilke that's because they made them annoying.
I always feel like...give them traits y'know? Give them personality and give them stuff to do, kids too! This is a problem for many sims games, adult lifestages are the only ones that matter, lets open it up please?
Make Babies show their genetics. I at least want to know what color hair baby has, what color eyes baby has.
Give Toddlers specific traits like you would do pets.
Give Kids tons of stuff to do.
TS4 presents lots of opportunities. I'd like to see a in-depth education system so that your grades matter. It would be cool if there were three uni's your kid could go to. A kind of community college, a kind of popular college that most average people go, then the kind of Ivy-league school that your kid has to really work for to get into. It can be done, heck if you're going to have small worlds this is a great example of using them!
One thing I want to see ultimately is the elimination of rabbitholes. TS2 didn't really have them, TS3 went wild with them. GTW is big for me. I want to see how they handle these occupation buildings...
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I'm bored right now, and I just want to build off of this for what I dream of out of future expansions and how I'd like to see them be implemented (there's probably a 99.9% chance these ideas will never see the light of day).
WARNING: Potential Wall of Text below
Generations EP:
Focus: Obviously Family Life
Major Features: Toddlers (patched), Preteens (New Age Group!), After School/Extracurricular activities + groups, Skateboards (children-teen or preteen-teen), bicycles, football, basketball and soccer ball
New Venues: Preschool/Elementary School (Toddler-Child), Middle School (Preteen), and High School (Teens), Arcade Venue, Skatepark (not necessary as long as there's a ramp), Enhanced Public Park (with swings, teeter totter, slides, new jungle gyms), Children's Museum (basically touch everything museum, specifically catering to children), Ice Cream Parlor, Daycare, Senior Center
Basically, you'll care for your babies, and be able to build a proper nursery with all the new buy mode decorations. Then when they age up to toddlers it's a whole new world of stuff. Toddlers will need to accomplish four main skills to ensure a smooth and happy transition to a child. These skills are: Talking, Walking, Reading and Writing. Walking would be the same as it was in previous iterations, you just pour your heart out and hope they finish it, the others however, are tweaked a bit differently. No more, sitting around and just chatting with your little toddler and viola they talk, this time it requires a little bit more on both ends. As a toddler your parents will need to conversate with you for you to pick up on their words, however you won't be able to form sentences unless you do some talking on your end. There would be about 3 or 4 levels to the talking skill, and the higher you get the more constructed the sentences begin to seem, and the outcome is more like what was demanded. i.e. level 1 toddler asks dad for a bottle, dad does weird facial expression like "what?" and then toddler has to continue repeating it until papa finally understands, while a level 3 toddler would ask dad for the bottle, and dad would immediately grab a bottle and feed him. Possibly, the higher the talking skill the more expressions/emotions they begin to show, level 1 is just sad/happy, level 2 is sad/happy/angry/playful, level 3 is sad/happy/angry/bored/playful etc... Then there's the reading skill (this is mainly for school and faster learning), the reading skill would allow toddler to learn to talk faster (or the talk skill would allow them to read faster), and they would need to be able to read in order to write. Once they can read, write, talk, walk and are potty trained* they can apply to go into preschool which can give them a head start as a B student if they successfully complete preschool. Additionally toddlers would have the furniture necessary to live their toddler lives, so they'd have cribs, toddler beds, toyboxes, more toys, baby bath, rocker, stroller etc... Also children would be able to carry toddlers, and change their diapers. Also toddlers would have other skill building objects like the easy bake oven (which kids can use as well), a xylophone, tiny piano etc... Oh and they could include a tricycle for them to learn on. Children can also open lemonade stands to make some easy cash.
Now as a child, not much has changed, just new objects, clothing, hair the usual. You also get some new interactions, such as whoopie cushion pranks, and booby traps, hide and seek, and marco polo for the pool. Treehouses would return for children, as well as really awesome themed beds and bunk beds yet again! Children could also possibly skateboard, and they'd also have bicycles. Sleepovers would be a new party type for children-teen, and they'd be able to stay up late and get a "up past bed time" moodlet which gives an energy boost and new fridge interaction for "midnight snack" would appear under the quick eats. Also consoles would return (children-elders) and there would be VR headset, traditional console, and maybe something more high-tech looking. Playing dress up would be an option on the all new costume box and children would also be able to paint now! Children would attend elementary school and they would be able to take up ballet, basketball, flag football, or soccer or they can join the different groups at school like math club, chess club, artistic prodigies club etc... Elementary school children would also be required to complete a science fair project that can make or break their grades. Report cards would be mailed home every 4 sim days to show your child's progress, and if they aren't doing good then they'd have a good talking to by momma and poppa. If they're doing good then an interaction for a really awesome sunday supreme would appear on the all new ice cream machine! Also parks would now have slides, new intense jungle gyms, teeter totters, and other playground equipment.
As a preteen, your sim is pretty much going through puberty. They are no longer a child, and they are almost a teen. This is that growing stage, where they figure out who they think they want to be or what they can be. As a preteen you attend middle school, where you're exposed to lots of different things. There's cliques, you either join one or you don't. These cliques make you long-term and short term friends, unfortunately though, some cliques tend to get bullied more than others. Preteens are able to either be bullied or kinda rough up other preteens. Preteens love video games, they also get their first phone, and they start to explore the world of dating (slightly). Preteens are able to hangout with friends (chaperoned) at the arcade and have blast, they can also start to be "flirty" with other preteens and kiss cheeks, give hugs, to show affection. They can have like little relationships that don't really last longer than a day or two. Also a new thing that preteens are able to do is craft best friend bracelets (kind of like loombands, animalbands, or the like woven bands) and they have a kit, and it's actually a skill that they can practice and master. The better they get, the more value the band has and the more likely that preteen will keep the friend that they gave the band to. Preteens are able to play all the instruments in the game, skateboard, swing on the swings, go in the treehouses, and more. They can also pick up ballet, basketball, flag football, or soccer as an after school activity. And the school groups are more in-depth for them and require them to go out in the world and do something i.e. Chess Club needs to go a play 3 chess games at the park, or something like that. Also if they picked up an after school activity as child, they can continue it and will just continue to max out their skills. Preteens can also fish, garden, make quick snacks/simple stovetop recipes (ramen, grilled cheese, mac and cheese), and stuff like that. The clothing for preteens would be very trendy and range from grunge-modern. Preteens also change moods a lot faster than any other age group, so one second they could be happy, the next second they could be throwing tantrums all over the place. Preteens would be required to complete a mid-semester project for history class that requires them to research something on the web and make a poster. Preteens are also given an allowance for lunch, and leisure depending on whatever the player sets as the weekly allowance for that preteen. Preteens also have to look forward to the Plumbob Ball at the end of the semester which a school dance to celebrate finishing middle school. Preteens will also want to mainly talk to their preteen or teen siblings more so than any other age group, and gain influence from their teen siblings.
Teenagers, not much has changed just a bunch of new additions. Teens would be able to take driver's ed (assuming we have cars by then, if not whenever they add them) or the parents could teach the teen how to drive. After obtaining a license the teen is not able to drive alone without parental supervision until after 2-3 sim days. Teens are able to get jobs at the ice cream parlor. Teens can now do after school activities like cheerleading, football, or soccer. They can also join the art club, math club, key club (community service) and more. Again these groups would be more in depth and require daily goals to achieve depending upon the club. Teens can also run for student council in their school, where they will have daily chance cards to select the best solution to the problems the school face and to pass legislation. They'd be given a public opinion meter to see how well they're doing and how their actions are being received by the school and their peers. Teens attend high school, and with that, they have new activities such as prom, graduation, and the senior trip (the more expansions you have the more destinations you can select from). The prom introduces a new social activity for teens, however if your sim is in the art club or the student council they will be in charge of decorating and selecting a venue for prom. The prom would have every teen wearing their formal outfits and girls would mainly be in long dresses, and boys in tuxs. Before the prom, if you have TS4 GTW, your sims would take pictures to hang, and they would invite their friends over for group pictures and head to prom together The graduation would take place at the school, and they'd change into their robes and then head off to go and graduate (a notification will update you on how the ceremony is going and what your sim is thinking i.e. "Bob is nervous to walk across the stage" "Oh no they said Bob's last name wrong" "bob walks across the stage, trips falls, and dies of embarrassment," jk on that last one, but you see where I'm going). And then when they come home everyone would immediately queue to hug the graduated teen and say congrats and all that jazz. A new party type "graduation party" would also be made available. Additionally on the subject of parties, there would be a return of the teen party where the parents go away for a few days and the house is in the hands of the teen. As for the senior trip (this is just me being imaginative now) it's just a getaway for the teens before they graduate, they would go with their classmates to a destination that they select and vote on and just have fun. Teens also tend to fight more with their preteen siblings than any other age groups, but they can also give advice to preteens and show them the ropes. Teens would also be able to babysit babies-children
Just to clarify, for all after school activities for preteen-teen you don't have to do the goals, but if you do the faster you can level your way up to become the president of the club.
Young adults-adults, are young adults-adults as usual. Young adults can now run a daycare as a second way of income, and self-employment is made available again. Skateboards are also available for young adults-adults. Adults can have a midlife crisis. Also as parents they can plan a family game night which is basically a night dedicated to a good sit-down dinner, movies, and board games, all for the family.
Elders: Oh elders, they get their canes back, some can have wheelchairs, and they can also retire at the senior center where they can be sent to or live their on their own. If they are sent to the senior center their families can visit them and bring cookies and just have quality time. On sundays the Elders are allowed to leave the premises and go out on the town.
That's all for now because I'm getting stressed, been typing for over an hour now. In the next post I do (if I ever do, I'll do Seasons/University).
Sign in to Mod The Sims
4th Mar 2015 at 9:30 PM
) Mod" does a shit job (at best) to recapture Sims 2 play.
I would definitely like to see more activities for elders. Bingo, knitting, golfing and shuffleboard come to mind. Maybe some old-time dances and cocktail hours. Judging by the exploding STD rates in retirement communities, there's a lot of woohoo happening too.