So, after this lovely comment, by SimGuruGraham, which I attached bellow:

I thought we could discuss which features should've been cut out, in order to make the game "better" (because it seems we can't have it all, so...)

I'll start...
We know that there are no Seasons in this base game, as we could expect. We never had seasons in a base game before, and none of us is pissed about it (I think). We KNOW it is a feature better implemented in an EP, due to it's complexity (I believe).
BUT... We also know that plants are sensitive to the seasons, don't we? Weather influences greatly the quality of the crops.
Sooooo...
I think the current gardening system (which looks FABULOUS, by the way, with genetics and so on), which I guess it was not easy to implement, should be put on hold in their portfolios, and be cut out of the base game. I believe that gardening should be included in the same Seasons EP, because they are two very related things.

I'd happily trade this gardening stuff (and by the way, all the collectibles kind-of-stuff) out of the game, in order to keep, at least, toddlers (because I think, given that TS is a life simulator game, no toddlers is a shot in the foot).
Of course, I'd not mind pools too. But I guess we'd have to cut another feature. What's your take on this?

we don't even know enough features that are actually still confirmed to be in the game to speculate which to cut to get what we want.

Um... No. When I'm paying $70 for a base-game, a feature like Seasons/Weather BETTER be there. I don't care how complex it is... It's the base-game, they don't have to add every little detail now. In reality, Seasons/Weather is just as natural as the day/night cycle and aging. To not include it at this point is just greedy. And of course, they'll make us (well not me, as I'm done with this series) wait three to four years for the Seasons EP, which is even more ridiculous.

You use "we" and "know" way too sparingly. So I AM pissed, and I know plenty of others are as well.

Seasons/Weather is a base-game level feature.

I'm fine with no seasons/weather. Yes, it's a fairly basic part of life... but it's also quite content-heavy a thing to create for the game: getting snow, rain, lighting, hail, etc. working all correctly graphically, making reactions and moodlets and whatever with the sims to react to them, weather-specific clothing, textures for all the plants as they change colours with the seasons, objects that make sense for each of the seasons, seasonal activities and buffs/moodlets/etc... And it's also usually quite graphics-heavy compared to the base game, so useful for simmers to be able to opt out of putting their low-end graphics through snow and hail and other weather effects if they don't want them.

I'd -like- seasons as part of the base game, but when it's clear what we're getting is as barebones as they could make it, I'm not too fussed that it can't rain in my game while they're raining on my parade.


Thing's I'd be fine without? Adjustable wall height without cheats. Adjustable foundations without cheats. (I'm fine with entering cheats for build mode to do more advanced things.) The ability to move an entire structure from one place on the lot to another. Fountains. Rocketships. Astronauts. Luchador masks. Animated trams and steamboats that are non-interactible. The "make a parent" feature in CAS. The in-game Gallery feature. The random name generator in CAS. Left and right handedness for sims. Visiting other worlds. Scripted "weirder stories"

I want a lot of those features and think they're cool (not the Luchador masks or the push for "stories" without actual story progression, the hell with that nonsense), but not when we are sacrificing so much more than pools and toddlers to get those things.

Emotions....................................

It may be a basic feature, but it is actually comprised of many smaller features.
And, given that they have, like, 4~5 years to develop a Sims game, I guess it is fair enough that they can't implement weather in a good and complete way in the base game.
We'd have two "choices" here, either they take more time developing the game, or they release the game "in time" (meaning, the standard 4~5 years) and we don't get those features.
I'd agree that it should be one of the first EPs (and not one of the last), though.

I agree with you when you say that seasons are such a natural part of life as aging and day-night, but lets remember that for each Sims iteration they re-write (I think, don't they?) the whole game, they make a new engine, they're compelled to make better animations, graphics and so on, and let's remember that Seasons is BIG. You can't compare Seasons with day-night cycle, because the first requires much more graphics, sprites, animations, reactions, interactions, objects, sounds, and so on.

So, I guess it is really not possible to make that happen in 4 or 5 years, smoothly and without bugs...

Also, I made this thread in light of what SimGuruGraham said (and also, the other SimGurus, about time management).
Since they had not the time to develop a full game (at least, that's what I'm compelled to believe), I kinda wanted to figure out what's the community's opinion about which features SHOULD be in game, and superfluous features they've been throwing at our faces and should've been cut out to give us the former features.

Sorry for any english mistakes...

The build mode, although innovative and intuitive, is really stifling and restrictive. For example, having adjustable foundations is cool but not at the expense that the builder must have it across the whole structure and not allow for variable building styles on the same lot. The creative ability to use the assets has been shut down. Great for novices but not for those that has honed their building abilities over all the series.

To gain some ease for those complaining the game was too hard in other series has come at the expense that find some of the tools useful, but also has cut out the ones that can take those tools one step further and present something that the developers had never thought can be done. I don't see that happening in Sims 4, I don't even see if the building cheats can enhance the game for more advanced players.

I hope the ones they are catering to can carry the series because this is not looking promising to players like me. Piece-meal regular base game features for future propping of the EPs is rather distasteful too. I am not only looking at pools and toddlers, basic building and game play has been clipped. I feel like the executives is waiting for the outcry and give the to release that feature in an EP. Disgusting.

none cuz the game is small enough already.

those fking textures....you cant distinguish whats wood, plastic, lawn... ewww. This game is all wrong.

But they "didn't had the time and the money."

I want to cut EA from the game.

The gardening system is great but defiantly something I could have waited until weather and a season add on. Planting without weather does not make sense to me anyway.
OR the "weirder stories" concept took a lot of time, I am sure. Cut it out.
OR death by emotions. Laughing to death? Seriously`

The game would be empty nevertheless. But not as empty as it is now, where a whole life stage is missing that was part of the game ever since The Sims started to age.

The strange masks and the cupcake machine. And... sorry but those emotions just look silly the way they showed them, so them too.

Emotions, because of course. Silly fluff like luchadores, space rockets, cupcake machines, deco trams, that sci fi football in space thing, and so on. I don't know how much I'm buying the "but they only take 1 day to make" excuse. If the game wasn't missing so many core features I wouldn't mind the fluff at all, but as it stands now it just seem like a slap in the face.
Bros. Hell, I'm willing to part with traits in general, in exchange for Sims 2 personalities. Traits are a nice idea in theory, but at least in Sims 3 they were too gamey and superficial, and frankly didn't change much at all.

I would have cut every small feature including young adults (they always came later anyway) to gain the toddler life stage to the base game.

If it's one "feature" per feature, then luchador masks for toddlers and death by laughter for pools.

E.A. is not a feature, it is a detriment.

Most of the hair being bike helmets and hats?

Those stupid animal hats, yeah.

They are stupid but it irks me that everyone is shytting on them constantly when they're a special edition item. The regular edition wont have them so people wouldnt have to really worry about them taking up space

At least i still think thats the case right

I actually found it quite interesting that people would ditch emotions in favor of toddlers and pools (I'm not mad at you, I agree with you all)
Just sayin', I hope some SimGuru passes by and reads this...

Cut the Young Adult life stage.

Cut out Weird Stories, or at least make them an Option, since not everyone wants to play Weird Stories in a Life Simulator.
Better yet, make it a regular game and make "Weird Ass Stories" an EP.

Cut out Death through Emotions.

Cut out dumb accessories that look weird, like luchador masks (only helpful if I were to, like, re-create La Mariposa from Dead or Alive), "hair" that's basically just a hat or helmet. Who the hell runs around like that all the time? Hat maybe, helmet, no. Unless they add a feature of having seizure-prone children, then it'd make sense.

C-A

It's not emotions that's the problem, but rather the way E.A. is going about it.

Of course, I meant TS4's emotions.
All sims from previous iterations were emotional, to some extent. I'd never give up that

When I think "emotions" I think of human psychology. Not this "crying from violins" bullshit.

I completely agree with you! The moment I saw that trailer I knew emotions were gonna be an overblown mess.

If EA "cut" the CEO, the marketing folks, the excess FX folks and some of the SimGurus, we'd probably get an actual Sims game.