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- [SCENARIO] Leave it Online? Make it Offline?
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- [SCENARIO] Leave it Online? Make it Offline?
Replies: 15 (Who?), Viewed: 1715 times.
#1
7th Jul 2014 at 2:11 PM
Posts: 366
[SCENARIO] Leave it Online? Make it Offline?
Pretend you are the person who made the final decision of the Online or Offline Component of the Sims 4.Your marketing representative is ready to announce the game for GamesCom 2013 in a few weeks time. However you realise that the reception of SimCity has been poor and are deciding whether to leave the game online and offline knowing that this decision will affect the whole game's production as a whole. Your original intention was for the game to have some sort of Multiplayer online components as well.
You can't rename, delay or cancel the game at this point in time.
What would you do?!
Would you make it online or offline?
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#2
7th Jul 2014 at 2:44 PM
Posts: 11,682
Thanks: 9680 in 11 Posts
Keep it online, and make sure my PR people made a thing about how this time they'd make absolutely sure to have enough servers at launch, and let people know there would be an offline mode "just like we added to SimCity" as well. Yes, neither online nor offline TS4 would have teens or below in it, so if there was a substantial enough market still waiting for the full game with toddlers etc, then they could have started on TS5 immediately after TS4 launch, which would have been March this year.
"You can do refraction by raymarching through the depth buffer" (c. Reddeyfish 2017)
"You can do refraction by raymarching through the depth buffer" (c. Reddeyfish 2017)
#3
7th Jul 2014 at 2:46 PM
Posts: 296
Offline, and get rid of the stupid 'one-time origin registration' bullshit. Completely offline with absolutely no requirement to ever connect to the internet to play the game, or a requirement to download origin.
why did i pick this username
why did i pick this username
Test Subject
#4
7th Jul 2014 at 2:59 PM
Posts: 22
There wasn't much of a choice after the SimCity catastrophe. If they had announced Sims 4 to be an always online title the reception would've been too much for them to handle.
#5
7th Jul 2014 at 3:07 PM
Posts: 1,124
Yeah, what Inge said. I'd keep it online, rush it out for as low a cost as possible, survive the poor sales, maybe spit in IGN's bucket for a good review or summin', and then get the hell to work on TS5.
“I MAY BE A HOGWARTS STUDENT" Hargirid paused angrily. "BUT I AM ALSO A SATANIST!”
Falco - The original Prombat
“I MAY BE A HOGWARTS STUDENT" Hargirid paused angrily. "BUT I AM ALSO A SATANIST!”
Falco - The original Prombat
#6
7th Jul 2014 at 3:47 PM
Posts: 1,419
Thanks: 10010 in 18 Posts
I wouldn't even call it The Sims 4, but The Sims Online 2.
Then to tide the players over, I would make more EPs for TS3.
1/8/2016: New avatar! Pre-censored for EA's approval.
3/19/2015: Teens are too close to YAs. EA needs to either shorten the teens, or add preteens and make YAs look older.
Then to tide the players over, I would make more EPs for TS3.
1/8/2016: New avatar! Pre-censored for EA's approval.
3/19/2015: Teens are too close to YAs. EA needs to either shorten the teens, or add preteens and make YAs look older.
#7
7th Jul 2014 at 3:57 PM
Posts: 18
Quote: Originally posted by DrChillgood
I wouldn't even call it The Sims 4, but The Sims Online 2. Then to tide the players over, I would make more EPs for TS3. |
Yeah, this would have made perfect sense. I think there was definitely a market for people who wanted a better version of The Sims Online. Maybe not AS MUCH as TS4, but at least wit TSO2 people would have known what to expect and maybe even gotten it just for the heck of it. Meanwhile, they should have immediately set to work at a completely new TS4, and maybe even recycle a few of the good things from the hypothetical TSO2 for a head start.
If they hadn't announced TS4 to begin with, I don't think people would just be going crazy demanding it... Hype TSO2 and add some really kick-ass, worthwhile TS3 EPs, that probably really would have tided everyone over for a few more years...
#8
7th Jul 2014 at 4:02 PM
Posts: 1,124
Hey, OP said we aren't allowed to rename it! (I totally agree with you guys though)
Off-topic, DrChillgood I love your signature. The social code in TS3 is pretty.. uh, interesting.
“I MAY BE A HOGWARTS STUDENT" Hargirid paused angrily. "BUT I AM ALSO A SATANIST!”
Falco - The original Prombat
Off-topic, DrChillgood I love your signature. The social code in TS3 is pretty.. uh, interesting.
“I MAY BE A HOGWARTS STUDENT" Hargirid paused angrily. "BUT I AM ALSO A SATANIST!”
Falco - The original Prombat
#9
7th Jul 2014 at 4:52 PM
Posts: 1,419
Thanks: 10010 in 18 Posts
Quote: Originally posted by TotallyJW
Hey, OP said we aren't allowed to rename it! (I totally agree with you guys though) Off-topic, DrChillgood I love your signature. The social code in TS3 is pretty.. uh, interesting. |
The whole "no renaming" thing made it more challenging, and at the same time made me understand EA's slap-dash job much more.
I was enraged upon watching my "A" Sim happily marching out of the house thanks to the stupidity of the Visitor Privileges System, I force-killed "B" with Master Controller.
Socializing.xml is the culprit. This XML contains the relationship types, thresholds, and visitor privilege levels. I just changed it to full privileges for anyone better than "Disliked" and lowered the Friend threshold (so that the Acquaintance Dead Zone is smaller). Didn't the Spice Girls once say that friendship lasts forever or something like that?
I have a few more things I want to do:
- Make the romantic relationship advancement socials not require the Hot STC ("irresistible" or "alluring" or something like that in-game) - so annoying to script up flirting only to have the Sim go full r***** and send the context back to "okay" or even "awkward".
- Make the Dull STC ("boring" in-game) not cause a relationship hit. Most people are polite enough to sit through a slightly dull conversation.
- Disable the "Lost A Friend" moodlet from "neglect". If you really were giving them the cold shoulder to get rid of them, you wouldn't cry over it when they call you out on it.
Socializing.xml is the culprit. This XML contains the relationship types, thresholds, and visitor privilege levels. I just changed it to full privileges for anyone better than "Disliked" and lowered the Friend threshold (so that the Acquaintance Dead Zone is smaller). Didn't the Spice Girls once say that friendship lasts forever or something like that?
I have a few more things I want to do:
- Make the romantic relationship advancement socials not require the Hot STC ("irresistible" or "alluring" or something like that in-game) - so annoying to script up flirting only to have the Sim go full r***** and send the context back to "okay" or even "awkward".
- Make the Dull STC ("boring" in-game) not cause a relationship hit. Most people are polite enough to sit through a slightly dull conversation.
- Disable the "Lost A Friend" moodlet from "neglect". If you really were giving them the cold shoulder to get rid of them, you wouldn't cry over it when they call you out on it.
1/8/2016: New avatar! Pre-censored for EA's approval.
3/19/2015: Teens are too close to YAs. EA needs to either shorten the teens, or add preteens and make YAs look older.
Forum Resident
#10
7th Jul 2014 at 5:31 PM
Posts: 652
Brilliant Question. I was shouting offline single player when the news first came out. But I had no idea that they would put out such a crippled game.
In hindsight, the best choice was online for those who want it, with a name change, something like "Sims Online Social"
Then as soon as they could, a proper offline game with all the features.
I called it wrong, and feel bad, because I think we created the Sims 4 problem.
In hindsight, the best choice was online for those who want it, with a name change, something like "Sims Online Social"
Then as soon as they could, a proper offline game with all the features.
I called it wrong, and feel bad, because I think we created the Sims 4 problem.
#11
7th Jul 2014 at 5:43 PM
Posts: 11,682
Thanks: 9680 in 11 Posts
I wonder if it's too late. Maybe they can make it online *optionally* in a patch/EP then get on with the next proper game.
"You can do refraction by raymarching through the depth buffer" (c. Reddeyfish 2017)
"You can do refraction by raymarching through the depth buffer" (c. Reddeyfish 2017)
#12
7th Jul 2014 at 6:55 PM
Posts: 768
Thanks: 8156 in 12 Posts
I'm EA, right?
Definitely keep it offline.
We know the game will be more or less a failure, but it will sell enough to pay the bills. We know that lots of kids will get the game for Xmas, whether they asked for it or not.
If I get interviewed by some business magazine in 2015 I can just talk about how the community did not react as positively to the tons of new content that were designed, that the deep complexity of the all new emotion AI was maybe asking too much from the targeted age group. I will point out that the all new-tech in-game online plonkable DLC will be a nice cash cow for quarters to come.
If the game is online and it fails I have to answer why EA is not capable of creating working online games, I will be reminded of the SimCity disaster. I will be asked why the company is not able to cater this fast growing, best selling, "buzzwordiest of all" market segment. And by the way, we knew any middle aged sex offender could just log on, disguise as a teen (with an animal hat), and woohoo with teen players' self sims. We never expected the international media to react so negatively about this. Honestly
Definitely keep it offline.
We know the game will be more or less a failure, but it will sell enough to pay the bills. We know that lots of kids will get the game for Xmas, whether they asked for it or not.
If I get interviewed by some business magazine in 2015 I can just talk about how the community did not react as positively to the tons of new content that were designed, that the deep complexity of the all new emotion AI was maybe asking too much from the targeted age group. I will point out that the all new-tech in-game online plonkable DLC will be a nice cash cow for quarters to come.
If the game is online and it fails I have to answer why EA is not capable of creating working online games, I will be reminded of the SimCity disaster. I will be asked why the company is not able to cater this fast growing, best selling, "buzzwordiest of all" market segment. And by the way, we knew any middle aged sex offender could just log on, disguise as a teen (with an animal hat), and woohoo with teen players' self sims. We never expected the international media to react so negatively about this. Honestly
Instructor
#13
7th Jul 2014 at 7:41 PM
Posts: 569
Online. They should have just stood by the game - if it was decent and they learned from previous mistakes it wouldn't have taken much to convince people prior to or post launch. I have always enjoyed the idea of an online version of The Sims where I can play alongside other players with ability to affect one another's stories. Of course, an offline component is always welcome.
#14
7th Jul 2014 at 7:45 PM
Posts: 1,124
Quote: Originally posted by andru
if it was decent |
“I MAY BE A HOGWARTS STUDENT" Hargirid paused angrily. "BUT I AM ALSO A SATANIST!”
Falco - The original Prombat
#15
7th Jul 2014 at 7:56 PM
Posts: 88
Quote: Originally posted by BubbelsDarling
Offline, and get rid of the stupid 'one-time origin registration' bullshit. Completely offline with absolutely no requirement to ever connect to the internet to play the game, or a requirement to download origin. |
#16
7th Jul 2014 at 7:58 PM
Posts: 10
you know what, right now, they can do whatever tha hell they want.
They should continue the shit-streak and make it always online. That's the only thing that could possibly make it worse.
They should continue the shit-streak and make it always online. That's the only thing that could possibly make it worse.
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