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Forum Resident
#8576 Old 9th Jun 2019 at 5:56 PM
Quote: Originally posted by cows
as for the Moschino stuff. I am pretty bummed by this trend (with TS2 H&M and TS3 Diesel) of big fashion/corporate/whatever stuff packs

H&M was hit or miss for me in TS2, but at the very least with Diesel in TS3 it had some usable stuff that I used regularly. The jeans were some of the best released during its run and I still use them all the time. Moschino, on top of being an extremely niche brand, is going to be one of those packs that is going to have to have something else besides some of the ugliest CAS content released to even have a chance at people buying it. Hence the included career.

You have been chosen. They will come soon.
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Mad Poster
#8577 Old 9th Jun 2019 at 5:58 PM
Eh, can we discuss Moschino in SP thread? I didn't bumped it for nothing :0

P.S. Sorry for my bad english.
Field Researcher
#8578 Old 9th Jun 2019 at 9:36 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Chax
I agree. When I saw the leaked pictures, I thought it was a game pack. Then, we got the trailer... nice trailer... but STILL feels like a game pack ???

Basically, I don't get why Jungle Adventures was a GP and Island Living is an EP? Is it because it has a new playable occult life state? I know the community has been critical about this with other EP/GPs. Personally, I'm just confused about it.
Quote: Originally posted by QueenMercy
I think the conservationist career is new? That and the odd jobs that presumably build off the freelancer career.

oh, that's true. Is there any information if you need to be a conservationist to clean up the beaches? I think the younger players will like that feature especially, since they are so climate-conscious.
Quote: Originally posted by Jathom95
H&M was hit or miss for me in TS2, but at the very least with Diesel in TS3 it had some usable stuff that I used regularly. The jeans were some of the best released during its run and I still use them all the time. Moschino, on top of being an extremely niche brand, is going to be one of those packs that is going to have to have something else besides some of the ugliest CAS content released to even have a chance at people buying it. Hence the included career.

Indeed, I agree with the Diesel jeans - it sure filled a hole with lack of good ea jeans. I also really liked the seatings that came with it.
Quote: Originally posted by SneakyWingPhoenix
Eh, can we discuss Moschino in SP thread? I didn't bumped it for nothing :0

I'm sorry! I logged out and realised that we can only talk about EPs here, eep! x(
Mad Poster
#8579 Old 9th Jun 2019 at 10:44 PM
The difference between an expansion and game pack criteria is often, to be frank - unclear or confusing. Ironically, game packs are often meat-er while expansion packs may at times be "eh". Though if it helps, the pattern I spotted is that all expansion packs of TS4 offer reoccuring themes (island life, fame, pets etc.) while game packs just respin a particular game mechanic system (e.i. running a restaurant, parenting) or if it's vacationing than it's there (maybe due to featuring a single unlike in previois game), and just go with it.

Awful wording, yeah but I hope its insightful. Done it better previous time when such discussion was raised

P.S. Sorry for my bad english.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#8580 Old 9th Jun 2019 at 11:27 PM
Per EAxis:
Stuff Packs: Small amounts of themed content.
Game Packs: A focused addition to the game.
Expansion Packs: Broad, unfocused content.

With Island Living, fans will finally get the vacation pack they’ve dreamed of - as long as they also purchase Outdoor Retreat, Spa Day, and Jungle Adventure.

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Mad Poster
#8581 Old 9th Jun 2019 at 11:38 PM
I realized there's still yet be a return of oriental theme destination.

P.S. Sorry for my bad english.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#8582 Old 10th Jun 2019 at 12:18 AM
City Living was used to supplement the Asian theme. Instead of traditional, they went modern. That’s actually where the idea of the talking toilet came from. The fashion district was heavily inspired by Japan.

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Field Researcher
#8583 Old 10th Jun 2019 at 1:38 AM Last edited by grindingteeth : 10th Jun 2019 at 4:49 AM. Reason: happy is a strong word
Oh wow, I honestly thought (maybe hoped?) Sims 4 was trying to sneak off and die quietly in a bush somewhere.
It left some of its largest YouTubers to scrape the bottom of the barrel for content like paupers for weeks.

It looks okay but feels like a game pack somehow. It just lacks depth, kind of like that ocean water.

There isn't a wave in sight and yeah, I know, these details are hard to pull off in The Sims, but this is the 4th one, and since they are making this the only swimmable area (called that ages ago, not surprised, but disappointed they didn't prove me wrong) I want that ocean to feel real. Not even a little wave roll off in the distance? It looks funny to me, seeing jet skis with no waves.

It would be cool if they incorporated seasons, and on days with thunderstorms/ high winds the ocean was rough and (due to the likely limited swimming mechanic) unswimmable. But I doubt that'd happen.

Most of the features sound okay, and it looks pretty enough. It doesn't quite seem big enough for an expansion pack. I don't see enough cross over content to warrant that distinction. What I see is a mostly isolated gaming experience, limited to the new world. It's not really expanding anything.

Eh, I am happy that the tropical, beachy, swimmable world I've been griping about is finally on the way though.

Anyone hoping they will patch swimmable areas into old worlds, shouldn't hold their breath.
They haven't bothered to fix integration or consistency issues with any of the previous add-ons, they aren't going to start now.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#8584 Old 10th Jun 2019 at 2:18 AM
I’ve found it incredibly dumb for them to limit themselves to not doing more integration. Open For Business opened up so many gameplay opportunities for the game between all expansion packs, along with other items from previous packs popping up.

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Mad Poster
#8585 Old 10th Jun 2019 at 2:49 AM
Quote: Originally posted by matrix54
City Living was used to supplement the Asian theme. Instead of traditional, they went modern. That’s actually where the idea of the talking toilet came from. The fashion district was heavily inspired by Japan.


And thanks to that pack, almost every generated townie in my game has a Japanese name...regardless of their ethnicity -___-

The Receptacle still lives!
Forum Resident
#8586 Old 10th Jun 2019 at 3:51 AM
Quote: Originally posted by matrix54
Open For Business opened up so many gameplay opportunities for the game between all expansion packs, along with other items from previous packs popping up.

Honestly, no Sims game since TS2 has gotten integration between different features right. You had a real memory system, retail system, hobbies and enthusiasm, chemistry, etc. Not to mention all the other minor features in between packs. And yet they managed to make all of it work in harmony together in a way that felt extremely cohesive, like it had all been there from the beginning.

TS3 was really where they started to cut corners, but I cut it a lot of slack because of how ambitious it was for a Sims game and all of the new features it brought to the table. But even in TS3's case, when integration between packs couldn't necessarily happen, it wasn't expected disappointment. It might have been something like "oh, I would have really liked these things to work together", such as bands from Late Night and singers from Showtime. More often than not, other features made up for it.

TS4 didn't have an excuse to severely cut corners when it was released, shoddy online game resource management aka Olympus aside, and it most certainly doesn't now that they're supposedly commited to providing a better experience all the way around, like focusing completely on the 64 bit version. But until I see otherwise, I don't have any reason yet to believe that this won't be more same old same old. If they're really committed to providing a stellar experience for rest of TS4's run, then they need to really knock the rest of these releases out of the park, both in content and interactions. And it doesn't really bode well that the only one I'm mildly impressed with so far is Island Living, since we won't know anything about Realm of Magic for a while.

You have been chosen. They will come soon.
Instructor
#8587 Old 10th Jun 2019 at 4:16 AM
Quote: Originally posted by lil bag2
And thanks to that pack, almost every generated townie in my game has a Japanese name...regardless of their ethnicity -___-


Every. Single. Townie.
I never thought I would miss a name like "Goopy," but then Sims 4 showed me how wrong I was.

A fool and his money are soon parted. ~ Thomas Tusser
Forum Resident
#8588 Old 10th Jun 2019 at 4:27 AM
The funny thing for me was that when I bought TS4, it was way before City Living had even been released. One of my favorite families that I created happened to be Japanese. I still play with that family today, even looked up names from a list because I wanted to find something to suit each member of the family. Turns out I should have just waited until CL was released and EA would have done my job for me.

You have been chosen. They will come soon.
Forum Resident
#8589 Old 10th Jun 2019 at 4:51 AM Last edited by Jathom95 : 10th Jun 2019 at 5:03 AM.
On a side note, has anyone else noticed that besides the smaller worlds, EA is really beginning to sell gimmicks and one-off gameplay as something revolutionary for the Sims? But then, they keep dialing back the sandbox gameplay as well.

Take the conservationist route for example. EA is touting it as a major selling point for an expansion pack when you are literally just picking up trash on the beach. Why is that bad? Because resources are being devoted to flesh out things that don't need to be. This is the entire point of sandbox gameplay. You could literally have a deviant sim spill trash everywhere and have another sim clean it up and not have to devote entire resources to such minor gameplay.

Even the dolphin just seems "gimmicky" to me. Like, OK yeah you could probably argue that the sharks in IP in TS3 didn't do much more, maybe even less. But then it wasn't so starved for content as well. Anytime I see them trying to sell these things as major expansion gameplay, it just makes me wonder what we lost from the drawing table. In other words, what we had to "give up" to get it.

You have been chosen. They will come soon.
Instructor
#8590 Old 10th Jun 2019 at 7:47 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Jathom95
Even the dolphin just seems "gimmicky" to me.


That dolphin looks like it has a completely different art style. I wonder if it was outsourced to a different company to create?

A fool and his money are soon parted. ~ Thomas Tusser
Mad Poster
#8591 Old 10th Jun 2019 at 8:59 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Dixieland
That dolphin looks like it has a completely different art style. I wonder if it was outsourced to a different company to create?

It's subtle, but it caught my eye a bit. Sonething looked weird/off about it, but didn't really pay attention on it much.

P.S. Sorry for my bad english.
Instructor
#8592 Old 10th Jun 2019 at 9:00 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Chax
The dolphin doesn't look that good to me... They said "the designers (or whatever they're called) REALLY outdone themselves on that one"... I'm sorry but I don't see it.


Compare the dolphin to any of their other 6-polygon animals you can find in the world and yes, they've truly outdone themselves.
Mad Poster
#8593 Old 10th Jun 2019 at 9:13 AM
Credit where credit is due, but a dolphin is quite a big animal to spot. They may unfortunately repeat the low-polygon atrociosities with birds or rodents.

I however have to praise and applaud for giving seamless swimming/sailing open area. Pointless, but it's at least not FX.

P.S. Sorry for my bad english.
Instructor
#8594 Old 10th Jun 2019 at 10:39 AM
More random info courtesy of the interbutts:

Quote:
There are at least 14 lots and the volcanic neighbourhood is called Mua Pel’am
Description - Nature rules this island from the active volcano to the flowing waterfall and down into the depths of the secluded cave. This remote destination in the Sulani island chain is the place for exploring the beauty of nature.
-New lot traits include oceanic paradise and off the grid.
-There are new shutter doors and new couch.
-Mermaids can sleep in the water as well as call dolphins
-There is a shipwreck to explore
-There are three different types of dolphins including the Azure dolphin


Sounds like they decided to reuse one of the tossed ideas from Laundry day, and potentially there's a hidden lot with the shipwreck? Though I doubt it just cause that'd imply people found it quick and man lord knows this community is usually slow about finding secrets. If the different dolphins lack different functions but this is still being advertised as a big deal, then wtf.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#8595 Old 10th Jun 2019 at 12:58 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Jathom95
Honestly, no Sims game since TS2 has gotten integration between different features right. You had a real memory system, retail system, hobbies and enthusiasm, chemistry, etc. Not to mention all the other minor features in between packs. And yet they managed to make all of it work in harmony together in a way that felt extremely cohesive, like it had all been there from the beginning.


That’s because TS1 and TS2 focused on a single concept or two per pack and fleshed then out.

TS1’s concepts were just broad enough:

Livin’ Large: Wealth
House Party: Parties (Which became nightclubs with the next pack)
Hot Date: Dating
Unleashed: Pets & Town Expansion
Vacation: Vacations
Superstar: Fame
Makin’ Magic: Magic

These were refined and added to in TS2:

University: University
Nightlife: Dating & Nightlife
Open For Business: Entreprenuership
Pets: Pets
Seasons: Seasons
Bon Voyage: Vacations
Freetime: Hobbies
Apartment Life: Apartments

That’s all TS2 needed. I don’t feel like anything is missing, even with new additions to the game because even though some themes are missing (Fame), these are supplemented with other features (Reputation).

TS3 is when concepts were either reserved for the store, too specific, or too vague. It’s hard to nail down a specific concept for some of them because they wanted to do so much at one time. The quality shows.

World Adventures: Arcaeology & Traveling
Ambitions: Hobbies & Professions
Late Night: Clubbing, Fame, & Apartments/Penthouses
Generations: Family
Pets: Pets & Wild Animals
Showtime: Stage Performances
Supernatural: Supernatural
Seasons: Seasons
University Life: University
Island Paradise: Resort Management & Island Stuff
Into The Future: Time Travel

Some of these are pretty broad, honestly. It’s really hard to nail down a specific concept because even if most of the content fits the theme, you’ll get a features that’s far outside of the scope of that pack (like running a hotel in Island Paradise). All of these broad brush strokes makes it hard to quickly summarize the content. “Island Paradise” doesn’t summarize what the pack offers.

The Sims 4 is no better, and it’s not even done yet...

Get To Work: Careers & Owning A Retail Store
Get Together: I honestly don’t know what this is about. Social Groups?
City Living: City Living
Cats & Dogs: Cats & Dogs
Seasons: Seasons
Get Famous: Fame
Island Living: Island Stuff?

Outdoor Retreat: Camping
Spa Day: Spas
Dine Out: Resturants
Vampires: Vampires
Parenthood: Parenting
Jungle Adventure: Jungle Adventure
Strangerville: The Thing x The Happening

We’ve gone from getting to the point with our themes to the most vague concepts possible, just to release content piecemeal.

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Mad Poster
#8596 Old 10th Jun 2019 at 1:00 PM
Quote: Originally posted by matrix54
City Living was used to supplement the Asian theme. Instead of traditional, they went modern. That’s actually where the idea of the talking toilet came from. The fashion district was heavily inspired by Japan.


City Living had the Art District, which had an Middle Eastern/North African culture, and the Fashion District, which has an Asian/Tokyo culture- or at least that was the goal. The Spice District is mildly Indian, but mostly your 'multicultural diverse neighbourhood'.

The problem though is that the culture is all visual, so the cultures never really felt like they meant anything. Furthermore, San Myshuno tried to be everything at once, and ended up feeling like it was nowhere in a generic sort of way.

I hope this time that the Polynesian culture they're referencing is actually more than skin deep.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#8597 Old 10th Jun 2019 at 1:09 PM
We’ll have to see, honestly. I few special interactions, food, music, and some really good decor can change things for the better.

This is what City Living failed to do. You clearly have an inclusive neighborhood and no one acts appropriate to their culture, even superficially. It’s so whitewashed and it’s all Americanized. It’s like culture to out of touch people - what they are as Indian is just superficial: The Clothes, the food, the art. Never the culture or this history. Hell, there’s a single cultural music station so I don’t think they cared.

Bowing as a greeting, here, is important. Thank goodness for karaoke and the singing skill though! That’s so Japanese!

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Mad Poster
#8598 Old 10th Jun 2019 at 1:43 PM
Quote: Originally posted by matrix54
It’s so whitewashed and it’s all Americanized. It’s like culture to out of touch people - what they are as Indian is just superficial


Right down to game generating nothing but white townies with ethnic names. How's that for cultural

And no, I'm not letting that one go as long as the super Aryan next door neighbor is named Yumi Yamamoto

The Receptacle still lives!
Mad Poster
#8599 Old 10th Jun 2019 at 2:27 PM Last edited by HarVee : 10th Jun 2019 at 2:41 PM.
Quote: Originally posted by matrix54
We’ll have to see, honestly. I few special interactions, food, music, and some really good decor can change things for the better.

This is what City Living failed to do. You clearly have an inclusive neighborhood and no one acts appropriate to their culture, even superficially. It’s so whitewashed and it’s all Americanized. It’s like culture to out of touch people - what they are as Indian is just superficial: The Clothes, the food, the art. Never the culture or this history. Hell, there’s a single cultural music station so I don’t think they cared.

The Sims will never be more than an Americanized superficial representation.

It's made by a greedy american company. And American media and the 'American dream' sells better internationally. It's what all the poor countries look up to, while simultaneously hating. I mean just look at all that Hollywood green-screen drivel that gets recorded in 20 different languages.

But I am okay with it now. The Sims is a video game, and though a simulation, still a video game above all else. An American made video game. If one wants to experience culture, the best way to do that is to go to an actual place and/or be around people of culture, not seek it out in a video game that's made for shits and giggles.

Because the earth is standing still, and the truth becomes a lie
A choice profound is bittersweet, no one hears Cassandra Goth cry

Forum Resident
#8600 Old 10th Jun 2019 at 3:04 PM
Quote: Originally posted by HarVee
The Sims will never be more than an Americanized superficial representation.

It's kinda sad because it used to be an endearing trait. I mean, TS1 is directly modeled off of 50s style American motifs, right down to the buy/build music. And the hard work to keep your Sims alive in TS1 always represented to me the old American ideal that hard work will get you far in life, but you have to work for it.

TS4 has become the polar opposite of that, and instead highlights more or less modern American capitalism ideals. The ideal that you can have anything you want or be anything you want to... as long as you're young and able to stay in the spotlight. Notice how most of the content focuses around young adults. I think you get my point.

You have been chosen. They will come soon.
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