Which aspect of TS2 do you think would be most improved by a TS3-style open world?

[Sims2Playerfan]

Hello Simmers,
Now if you are reading this, you either play Sims 2 or look at the board, and you saw the title and came to answer or for some other reason. You probably know that TS3 has an open world and TS2 does not. So, my question is, of all the aspects of The Sims 2 and its various EPs, which do you think would be most improved by the ability to freely walk around the neighborhood and visit other lots like in TS3.

Note that this is purely theoretical; I know that various aspects of gameplay are affected by the open world, etc, but if TS2 had an open world minus all the quirks/bugs/nothing to do on lots but still retained everything that made TS2 fun, even if it were realistically not possible.

I would either choose University or Vacations. I believe that the ability to walk from a dorm to the campus center would really open up Uni and make it feel more like distinct gameplay rather than a normal adult sim with the pie menu option to streak, as it would be easier to, say, visit the library for a study day and connect with your fellow class. However, the ability to walk from one neighboring beach to the next or go to the top of a mountain and go sightseeing and watch what your sims do on tours (the beginning of rabbitholes!)would also greatly improve the fun of sightseeing-oriented vacations.

And another related question, which aspect would be least affected by an open neighborhood.

For me, I would say that open neighborhoods wouldn't really affect weather/seasons. While it may be cool to see a neighborhood covered in snow and sims fainting during a heat wave, it would be mostly visual and wouldn't add much to gameplay besides what Seasons already added.

Also, this thread has nothing to do with TS3, and it is not a "what EP would you like to see for TS3" thread, it just compares a feature which happens to be in TS3 to TS2.

[Peni Griffin]

None of it. I walk from lot to lot by pointing to the lot I want with my mouse and clicking, and my University sims already play differently from normal adults in a lot of ways - they can gain skills on community lots, they have a lot less time pressure, they're in no danger of getting pregnant, and they live in fluid households of agemates-only with a high turnover rate. This is all very different from how my main hood lots work.

[VerDeTerre]

I think it would be cool to follow my Sims as they walk to their shop next door instead of watching a loading screen. It would be more fun if the daughter could run home for her favorite toy or to get a peanut butter sandwich and not have to close the shop. I know it has nothing to do with the open hood, but I would also enjoy having more recipes and the ability to get recipes by exchanging them with neighbors or picking them up on the food network.

[StardustX]

University.
It would be cool to walk from dorm to dorm and such. It would feel more like a campus as well, just being able to see it all. The way it is, it's just a lot full of sims you can't play as that always leave messes, hog the computer and never take showers. :P

[Orilon]

After having to wait 3 Sim Hours or more for my Sims 3 Sim to bike from one lot to another in China (World Adventures EP), I say none. Everyone complains about loading screens, but they take less time than waiting Sim hours for your Sim to get from one lot to the next. Plus the fact that Sims tend to get stuck getting from one lot to another in an open world.

I prefer the way they did Vacations in Sims 2, as opposed to the Adventures in Sims 3.

[vhanster]

None, really. While I don't mind having my Sims being able to visit others, instead of asking them over, I don't think I'd like seeing my Sims (the ones I'm not controlling) run amok and screw themselves the way they do in TS3.

[haricots]

University. Streaking from Town Hall to dorm. Wow.

[Saturnfly]

If TS2 was open world, at least for me, my computer would probably explode. T_T

I definitely would not like it if the open world also included story progression. In fact, I kind of like having a tight leash on my sims, I mean they do what they want most of the time, but if I don't watch them and cancel several actions (using the hot tub during a lightening storm for example), then most of my sims would probably be dead or have burnt their houses to the ground.

[Simsica]

To answer the title question, or my own variant of it: I'd like to see open world in TS2 only for cosmetic reasons. Sometimes, when I stare at the hood screen long enough, I'm bothered by the level of detail of objects and houses.
That's only sometimes, however, and rarely - let's say once or twice a year.

[MsScribble]

The shopping districts - it would be fun to see my sims walk to and from shops, cafes, library's etc, and Uni. I mean, ANYTHING that passes the time in Uni would be good, lol.

[M.M.A.A.]

I think it would be great to have an open world at a certain radius of the town itself, not the whole twon, so for example, sims can be SEEN walking to a nearby lot, while there would be a loading screen for far away lots, also an option to set the size of this radius in question, and/or an option for turning open world: on or off. Why? Because not every computer everyone owns here is capable of having an open world.

[maxon]

The open neighbourhood of TS3 was one of the things I liked best about it. For me, the open neighbourhood really adds a sense of place and character. I think it would enhance any part of my TS2 game. I would have played TS3 for this reason (and the better graphics) but the actual game is so bland and the story progression and genetics issues absolutely killed it for me.

[Tempscire]

First thought: beaches. I don't care so much about the thought of Sims freely wandering across all the lots of a vacation town, but the way beaches and in particular beach lots are configured, they're so...inorganic. You have this stretch of land and still water, then there's a (visible!) seam, and then you have sand and waves and prettiness, then it's back to stillness.

Second thought: Similar to Simsica, I just think it would be nice if lots in the immediate vicinity of the active one were of higher resolution. Sigh. But that's not the kind of thing that necessarily requires an open hood to achieve, either, I suppose.

I also agree that university campuses would be improved by being open.

Ohh, although...something that would be affected, but I'm not sure if it'd be a good or bad thing overall: an open world in TS2 would mean the special vacation lots, hobby club lots, and witch lots could not really just exist in the ether/be tucked away in a hidden corner of the map for Sims to show up at magically. On the one hand, yay. On the other hand, you'd have visible lots that most Sims could see but magically be unable to visit in the case of hobby lots. On the other other hand, an open world would mean you could have a witch doctor and Bigfoot NOT living right on a well-maintained road with convenient payphone nearby (and the witch lots could actually be that much less mundane).

Least affected aspects... heh heh. Jobs and school? :)

[Sims2Playerfan]

Well, when I asked the question, I didn't mean it as in TS3 style gameplay with Story Progression and the other lame features like routing issues, but as in a theoretical "perfect open world," with all the gameplay of Sims 2 retained but with the ability to seamlessly walk between lots. (again, theoretical, not possible) I think that the idea of only a few lots around it being high-resolution would be ideal. Personally, I agree it would be mostly cosmetic for most things. I don't play TS3 anymore, couldn't stand EA's marketing strategies, but whenever I see pictures of the open worlds in Sims 3, especially those made by players, I think "Wow, what if neighborhood view looked like THAT in The Sims 2?"

[LordOrochimaru]

Nothing. It's the non-loading massive world of Sims 3 that really would kill my computer, sadly.

That said, if I could handle it; I'd love it to be as open as 3.

[Saturnfly]

Sims 3 beaches are more pretty, I like the way they curve, but you can still do more with TS2 beaches. Sit and watch the waves, build sandcastles, sunbathe, swim in the water, and now you can even surf thanks to awesome modders. I usually puts lots of neighbourhood deco around beach lots to make them look more natural and to hide the seamlines.

[Simonut]

I have one perfect word for this question ZEROoooooooooooooooooo. :blink:

[Ynouva]

I play The Sims 3 and I absolutely love the open neighborhood -- it's basically the reason why I keep playing. There's just so many possibilities going on and around you. While your Sim is going around interviewing Sims for her her newsletter, her boyfriend could be screwing some other tramp she didn't know. Little junior could be goofing off in town, throwing eggs at other Sims' houses while Ma is busy cooking a casserole at home. On a single day so many other things could happen like Simfests in Starlight Shores and clubbing hotspots in Bridgeport. Seriously it never gets old.

But I admit that I love The Sims 2 in terms of gameplay more. I also like the realistic genetics and the pretty Sims. If The Sims 2 had the open world concept MAN that would be so awesome! I can only imaging how great it will be.

[el_flel]

I think it would improve the liklihood of my sims visiting (a) multiple community lots in one outing; and (b) visiting community lots for necessity rather than fun.

(a) When my sims go on dates or outings I tend to just send them to one place because, although my game doesn't take too long to load, I'm impatient and can't be bothered to keep switching locations. If TS2 were an open NH game then I would make sims go to different places, i.e. go see a movie, then go for dinner, then to a bar.

(b) I don't have a grocery store in my NH because there is no need for one. When my sims need groceries it is much easier and quicker to have them order a delivery instead of go to a shop. However, if TS2 were open then I could have them pick up groceries on their way home from work as I do in TS3.