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Field Researcher
#51 Old 6th Mar 2017 at 2:50 PM
An easy way to make it not a rip off is to make the actual game not just a "base" game, but a game game.

The Sim competitor should truly focus on life. Weather should already be a thing. Basic pets like cats and dogs should already exist. Cars and traveling should be a default. Whoever decides to be a Sims competitor should offer a true "life" experience from the getgo.

Or, maybe the Sims competitor can pull back a little from the extreme intricacy involved with The Sims where you're not just controlling one family, but a group of them as you choose within whatever neighborhood you like. (imagine it like tabbing from household to house hold or zooming out to a wider view to see all the households at once) That might involve a more independent AI (Sims will fulfill their needs almost no matter what unless you go out of your way to stop them)

- Drop classic Sims stuff like the Grim Reaper (replace with actual Coroner and a funeral)
- Make more mundane jobs and see them work on a macro level (Mailmen have a post office. Add trashmen. Don't make people micromanage at the jobs, macro that stuff)
- Replace simmlish with nothing but mumbles and grunts (now that I think about it, that could be hilarious)
- Don't focus on making the animations look too life like, take a tip from animated moves or something else to expression emotion and movement
- Change how life works, get rid of precise age ranges and make it based purely on numbers.
- Calculate actual years, make birthdays actually annual, make up holidays they celebrate each year.
- Add a little bit of town management (like building schools/hang out spots. Would be cool to build commercial and residential lots and see them being built by actual sims very quickly once you're done). Make it a true "dollhouse sitcom"

A dollhouse sim is what I'm getting at I guess, a macro "The Sims" and a micro "City Skylines". Something right between that mixes the best of macro and micro. I think just a few things like that can set it far apart from the Sims. Since DLC and expansions are a normal part of life these days, maybe they shouldn't focus concepts that should exist base game (pets and weather), but large packs of content focused on different decades with new towns and 'sitcoms' to play out. A pack for "I Love Lucy". A pack for "Sex in the City" or "Friends" (not actually those, just their era)

Just spewing out some stuff. Please tear my ideas apart
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Instructor
#52 Old 7th Mar 2017 at 4:45 AM
the future: sold to paradox otherwise it's finished as long as greedy EA are in charge...

Mirror floors, sexy mirror silhouettes, adult DVD, legend of zelda items and more ALL FREE AT: XTRA SIMS!
Lab Assistant
#53 Old 7th Mar 2017 at 7:11 AM
Quote: Originally posted by XtraSim
the future: sold to paradox otherwise it's finished as long as greedy EA are in charge...


Paradox have stated they aren't interested in life simulators.

This will sound weird but umm... what if Criterion took charge of The Sims? Or at least co-developed, focusing on the technical aspects. Even without their lead people they are still freaking geniuses when it comes to programming. At the very least they could lend TSS their Chameleon engine and optimize whatever mess Sims 5 turns out to be.
Mad Poster
#54 Old 7th Mar 2017 at 9:05 AM Last edited by gazania : 7th Mar 2017 at 8:11 PM.
@matrix54 ... I actually liked Sims Social ... as a FB app, though. I remember how I and so many others clamored for EA to offer a sort of Sims 1-esque game, and we were so delighted to see this!

But Sims Social, I believe, offers what could happen in a Sims 5.

At first, it was so new and shiny, and in its early week, was a really strong performer. I remember looking at the app figures and being quite impressed with the DAU numbers (Daily Average Users). Even Zynga tried putting out a competitor. And yes, while there were glitches, EA customer service was pretty good then. It took a while for them to resolve a problem I had with my game, but they did it. I found the game so much fun to to play that I didn't play Sims 2 for long periods, and that's saying something on my part!

Soon, though, EA got over-ambitious or sloppy or both. The last six months of Sims Social were sad. This was a quest-driven game, and it became harder and harder to finish without having to pay real cash. Encouraging players to shell out real money to finish quests is not unusual for social media apps. But there is a difference between a quest being challenging to finish and impossible to finish without using real funds. Also, Sims Social started to get mega-glitchy, and now-alleged customer service was wretched. The end was pretty obvious. (I have seen similar problems with Sims Free Play, but that still seems to be around .. so far. I dropped it after a year.) Please excuse the lazy research, but ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sims_Social

EA has gone into interactive forays before with Sims games, including Sims Online and the tour feature of Showtime. However, it seems to have struggled with this aspect, with the possible exception of Free Play. I don't know the numbers on that game. If an online component seems forced in any way, Sims players are going to fall by the wayside. So my advice to EA, for the two cents it's worth. would be to tread very, very carefully when it comes to online involvement. It's not impossible to manage. Animal Crossing did a pretty good job with this. But I fear that EA will go down the same path it has gone.

If there is a Sims 5, I see two paths:

1. Either EA will take the sloppy route and lose still more players or
2. EA will wise up and deliver something that will wow us.

The second option might be too optimistic on my part.

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

RIP Sunni ... truly a ray of light.
Mad Poster
#55 Old 7th Mar 2017 at 12:45 PM
EA will have officially lost the second Bethesda or Rock Star decide they want in on that life simulator money. They better hold on tight to this little monopoly they got going, just like they do for their sports games XD

The Receptacle still lives!
Mad Poster
#56 Old 7th Mar 2017 at 1:11 PM
Actually, GTA has always dabbled with several simulatoresque mechanics over the years. I wouldn't be surprised if Rockstar decides to move forward with that direction: away from violence, and towards everyday life.

That's not really Rockstar's thing, but they have certainly taken steps in that direction.

->> Check Out Checkout: Journey To Employee Of The Month! <<-

~ Just a click a day is nothing short of helpful! ~
Mad Poster
#57 Old 7th Mar 2017 at 1:55 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Anarchy Blues
This will sound weird but umm... what if Criterion took charge of The Sims?

Only if we still get the slow motion car crashes.

insert signature here
( Join my dumb Discord server if you're into the whole procrastination thing. But like, maybe tomorrow. )
Instructor
#58 Old 7th Mar 2017 at 2:46 PM
Quote: Originally posted by gazania

If there is a Sims 5, I see two paths:

1. Either EA will take the sloppy route and lose still more players or
2. EA will wise up and deliver something that will wow us.

The second option might be too optimistic on my part.

no way will they choose option 2! this is what they do to all their franchises run them into the ground.

Mirror floors, sexy mirror silhouettes, adult DVD, legend of zelda items and more ALL FREE AT: XTRA SIMS!
Mad Poster
#59 Old 7th Mar 2017 at 8:30 PM Last edited by gazania : 9th Mar 2017 at 4:32 PM.
There have been life simulators in the past. I have often cited "The Movies" as coming pretty close. (https://www.amazon.com/Movies-PC/dp/B00026D13A?th=1), though that's a more selective slice of life game. If it wasn't for my actors quitting every five minutes, no matter what I tried to please them, I might be playing less of The Sims series by now. This game also had the quirky, funny moments that some of us Sims players crave. My movies stank, but it was fun watching my film efforts, even if I doubted and still doubt that I'd be getting a call from Steven Spielberg soon.

Admittedly, the graphics look chunky as anything, but this DID come out more than 11 years ago. (Yeah ... I'm being lazy again with Wikipedia .. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Movies. Also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDneuF_cznY .) My point is this can happen. One way a developer could get around this would be to not be a Sims clone, but take a specialized route like The Movies. However, EA might get on the developer's case anyway.

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

RIP Sunni ... truly a ray of light.
Mad Poster
#60 Old 7th Mar 2017 at 9:39 PM
I love The Movies and still play it from time to time. It's always reminded me of TS2. The movies themselves were terrible as hell but the rest of the game, which is what matters, is pretty great.
And why do you say the graphics are chunky? I find it pretty easy on the eyes still. Not a bad-looking game at all. I have less difficulty appreciating these graphics than TS4's, to be honest.

The best movie I ever made was about an extraterrestrial race of humans with afros boarding and taking over a space warship and using it to travel back in time to commit a massacre in a Wild West town, while completely unrelated scenes of an unnamed heroine driving around frantically in a sports car occasionally happen. And this song played through all of it for some reason.

But the best part is of course the in-game radio. That just made the game.

insert signature here
( Join my dumb Discord server if you're into the whole procrastination thing. But like, maybe tomorrow. )
Mad Poster
#61 Old 7th Mar 2017 at 10:23 PM
That sounds kinda fun. Will it play on windows 7?
Top Secret Researcher
#62 Old 7th Mar 2017 at 10:30 PM
The animations of that game are so good... and so close to Sims 2.
dodgy builder
#63 Old 7th Mar 2017 at 11:59 PM
Quote: Originally posted by daisylee
I think this is a bit harsh. I don't know about you, but I have worked in corporate America. If you want to keep your job you do what you are told to do and like it. It is all about time and $ now. Everything is tied to budgets. You can have talent up the yingyang and it does not matter if you are told to do X and get it done in X amount of time. And as we have seen, to save $ corporations are letting go more experienced people to hire people with less experience that they can pay less. You do what your boss tells you to do, whether it is good or bad. Companies always say they want quality, but in practice/actuality want rapid production. Employees learn to adjust to the expectations. Employees who care finally say WTH if that is what they want that is what they will get. I have seen it over and over and over.

I do not blame the workers. I blame management and the reality of business and profit in today's world. It is all about $$$$$ and nothing else.


It's really sad as an employer trying to do a good job. It's not being appreciated, because they have these jobs that needs to be done, and the attitude that they are more important.
Mad Poster
#64 Old 8th Mar 2017 at 12:50 AM
That Movies post really makes me want to have a proper superstar pack again. With acting/directing, solo & group music/producer, and fashion/modeling.

The direction/music producer/and fashion careers could add some cool new careers and mechanics to the game, especially with Trends, which would lend itself to a new kind of fame. A sim would see their fashions & styles trending and see different colors and/or garments fall in and out of fashion. Music would lead to common genres, and generated music would follow a common theme. Directing would leave to Sims watching certain movies more commonly, which would force them to exhibit certain behavior for a period of time, like the romantically inclined, more aggressive, more scared, etc. along with seeing directed films on screen.

->> Check Out Checkout: Journey To Employee Of The Month! <<-

~ Just a click a day is nothing short of helpful! ~
Lab Assistant
#65 Old 8th Mar 2017 at 8:34 AM Last edited by Anarchy Blues : 8th Mar 2017 at 6:38 PM.
Quote: Originally posted by GrijzePilion
Only if we still get the slow motion car crashes.


I'm serious. Criterion knows game engines, and they've proven in the past that they are perfectly capable of making the jump from racing to a completely different genre, with games like BLACK and... no that's about it actually.

But yeah. They aren't strangers to making quality games, even if they don't always appeal to everyone. Hell the very first PC port they ever made is one of the best period.
Mad Poster
#66 Old 8th Mar 2017 at 7:06 PM
Quote: Originally posted by daisylee
That sounds kinda fun. Will it play on windows 7?

Yeah. It plays on my Win7 machine. Haven't tried it on Win10 yet but I think it would also work.

insert signature here
( Join my dumb Discord server if you're into the whole procrastination thing. But like, maybe tomorrow. )
Mad Poster
#67 Old 8th Mar 2017 at 7:57 PM
Quote: Originally posted by kirabook
An easy way to make it not a rip off is to make the actual game not just a "base" game, but a game game.

The Sim competitor should truly focus on life. Weather should already be a thing. Basic pets like cats and dogs should already exist. Cars and traveling should be a default. Whoever decides to be a Sims competitor should offer a true "life" experience from the getgo.

Or, maybe the Sims competitor can pull back a little from the extreme intricacy involved with The Sims where you're not just controlling one family, but a group of them as you choose within whatever neighborhood you like. (imagine it like tabbing from household to house hold or zooming out to a wider view to see all the households at once) That might involve a more independent AI (Sims will fulfill their needs almost no matter what unless you go out of your way to stop them)

- Drop classic Sims stuff like the Grim Reaper (replace with actual Coroner and a funeral)
- Make more mundane jobs and see them work on a macro level (Mailmen have a post office. Add trashmen. Don't make people micromanage at the jobs, macro that stuff)
- Replace simmlish with nothing but mumbles and grunts (now that I think about it, that could be hilarious)
- Don't focus on making the animations look too life like, take a tip from animated moves or something else to expression emotion and movement
- Change how life works, get rid of precise age ranges and make it based purely on numbers.
- Calculate actual years, make birthdays actually annual, make up holidays they celebrate each year.
- Add a little bit of town management (like building schools/hang out spots. Would be cool to build commercial and residential lots and see them being built by actual sims very quickly once you're done). Make it a true "dollhouse sitcom"

A dollhouse sim is what I'm getting at I guess, a macro "The Sims" and a micro "City Skylines". Something right between that mixes the best of macro and micro. I think just a few things like that can set it far apart from the Sims. Since DLC and expansions are a normal part of life these days, maybe they shouldn't focus concepts that should exist base game (pets and weather), but large packs of content focused on different decades with new towns and 'sitcoms' to play out. A pack for "I Love Lucy". A pack for "Sex in the City" or "Friends" (not actually those, just their era)

Just spewing out some stuff. Please tear my ideas apart


I like all of them, except for the underline part. Individual people can interpet ages with lifestages differently with looks, behaviour and such... It would kind destroy imagination in some form :/
Mad Poster
#68 Old 8th Mar 2017 at 8:14 PM
Quote: Originally posted by GrijzePilion
Yeah. It plays on my Win7 machine. Haven't tried it on Win10 yet but I think it would also work.


Just got a copy on ebay. Thanks for the information folks!
Mad Poster
#69 Old 9th Mar 2017 at 4:41 PM Last edited by gazania : 3rd Apr 2017 at 8:49 PM.
I think it's telling that there is a group on Steam who is fervently imploring Steam to get the game back there again. It apparently was on Steam some time ago.

https://steamcommunity.com/app/7900

Also, I agree with the comments below. This game is ripe for GOG, though Microsoft does not appear to be the least bit interested:

https://www.gog.com/wishlist/games/...ionhead_studios

If it ever comes back on Steam at a really cheap price (I got rid of it some time ago), I might try the game again to see if I could get my actors to stop leaving. If the same problem happens, though, I know I can always play in Sandbox.

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

RIP Sunni ... truly a ray of light.
Mad Poster
#70 Old 10th Mar 2017 at 4:33 PM
Quote: Originally posted by gazania
see if I could get my actors to stop leaving. If the same problem happens, though, I know I can always play in Sandbox.

Didn't know that was a thing...I've never played anything other than Sandbox.

Here's the action movie I talked about, by the way. Warning: It doesn't make any sense whatsoever. But there's explosions in it, so who cares?

Sorry for the terrible quality, I don't have the original video file and downloaded it off Facebook. Took less than 15 seconds to upload on YouTube.
And you know what, actually, these characters kinda look like a mix between TS2's Sims and TS3's. The character creator was a bit more in-depth than TS2's anyway. But not by much.

insert signature here
( Join my dumb Discord server if you're into the whole procrastination thing. But like, maybe tomorrow. )
Top Secret Researcher
#71 Old 10th Mar 2017 at 6:10 PM
That was actually entertaining

- score: 10/10 realy built up the tension and was synced with imagery
- cast: 9/10 was troughly interesting and diverse
- story: 8/10 story falls short beehind other great aspects of the movie, feels a bit rushed and underdeveloped. Setting needed a bit more building
- camera work: 10/10 the director outdid herself with all the camera angles and positions that defined the movie
- overall experience: 11/10 LASSERS and EXPLOSIONS saved this one
Mad Poster
#72 Old 10th Mar 2017 at 6:24 PM
I look forward to getting my copy.
Mad Poster
#73 Old 10th Mar 2017 at 7:34 PM
Quote: Originally posted by mixa97sr
That was actually entertaining

- score: 10/10 realy built up the tension and was synced with imagery
- cast: 9/10 was troughly interesting and diverse
- story: 8/10 story falls short beehind other great aspects of the movie, feels a bit rushed and underdeveloped. Setting needed a bit more building
- camera work: 10/10 the director outdid herself with all the camera angles and positions that defined the movie
- overall experience: 11/10 LASSERS and EXPLOSIONS saved this one

Few small comments;

- The story was completely improvised.
- So were the main characters.
- And the soundtrack.
- There's numerous inconsistencies in character roles and outfits.
- People got injured in all of the stunts you saw.
- It took 11 years to shoot.
- Some of the laser guns make bullety gun sounds.

But on the plus side, at least there aren't any shell phones or accidental lesbians this time.

insert signature here
( Join my dumb Discord server if you're into the whole procrastination thing. But like, maybe tomorrow. )
Test Subject
#74 Old 16th Mar 2017 at 9:59 PM
I completely agree with you. I would love to be able to make a sim from not only the present, but the past and future as well.
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