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Field Researcher
Original Poster
#1 Old 28th Jan 2018 at 3:47 PM Last edited by Liza : 4th Apr 2018 at 8:47 PM.
Classic Postmortem: How Maxis avoided sequel-itis on The Sims 2. Very interesting article about The Sims 2
Hello everybody!

I found this interesting article about development of The Sims 2.

https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/305424/Classic_Postmortem_How_Maxis_avoided_sequelitis_on_The_Sims_2.php

There is a lot of interesting information about the development of the game.
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Forum Resident
#2 Old 28th Jan 2018 at 4:25 PM
Bookmarking. It's by Lucy Bradshaw, who worked on Sims 2.

There's also a some very interesting advice from Ray Mazza who worked on Sims 3, but left before Sims 4 released. Designng Character Traits in The Sims 3 He explains some of the thinking behind the move away from the personality characteristics of Sims 2 (Manislowski) to the Trait system of Sims 3.
Mad Poster
#3 Old 28th Jan 2018 at 4:49 PM
Nice find. It is indeed an interesting article.
Field Researcher
#4 Old 29th Jan 2018 at 5:10 AM
Thanks, that was great to read!
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#5 Old 29th Jan 2018 at 8:41 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Diovanlestat
Bookmarking. It's by Lucy Bradshaw, who worked on Sims 2.

There's also a some very interesting advice from Ray Mazza who worked on Sims 3, but left before Sims 4 released. Designng Character Traits in The Sims 3 He explains some of the thinking behind the move away from the personality characteristics of Sims 2 (Manislowski) to the Trait system of Sims 3.


Manislowski? I read that personality characteristics in the Sims 2 are based on the teachings of Carl Jung. And what is taken from Manislowski?
Mad Poster
#6 Old 1st Feb 2018 at 7:56 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Liza
Hello everybody!

I found this interesting article about development of The Sims 2.

https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/305424/Classic_Postmortem_How_Maxis_avoided_sequelitis_on_The_Sims_2.php

There is a lot of interesting information about the development of the game. But the article says that the developers wanted to create animated trees for the game, but they did not do it because they "broke something in their system."


This article makes me sad somehow. Would a Sims 4 article be very different? Would EA even allow this much depth in a modern version of this piece?

Just musing.

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

RIP Sunni ... truly a ray of light.
Forum Resident
#7 Old 1st Feb 2018 at 9:55 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Liza
Manislowski? I read that personality characteristics in the Sims 2 are based on the teachings of Carl Jung. And what is taken from Manislowski?

Well it would have helped if I didn't always get Maslow and Manslowski mixed up ... Sorry it's Maslow's needs system that is usually referenced. A short interview here, http://www.berkeleyside.com/2011/10...-iosing-a-home/ A longer one in the The New Yorker , as examples. "Three works {Maslow, A Pattern Langue, Maps of the Mind} formulated a model with which to “score” the happiness of the people in his doll house"... But for Will Wright it's a case of “I don’t believe any one theory of human psychology is correct. The Sims just ended up being a mishmash of stuff that worked in the game.”

There's also a video, from Sims 4 development team, explaining the thinking about moving basic needs and moving into other things like self-realization and emotions - unfortunately can't find where I saw that at the moment. Wright has done a lot of lectures on the sims and programming over at GDC, (Games Developer Conference), but they over a hour long and suited to needs of programmers and developers. Jung, I've never heard a link with that, but it sounds interesting.
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#8 Old 12th Feb 2018 at 9:19 PM
Continuing the theme of "Development Sims 2" I found this article about what the developers were inspired to create the "Glamour Life Stuff". And I had several thoughts after reading it:

https://web.archive.org/web/2012020...e_secrets_2.php

It's interesting to read what the Sims 4 developers inspired, creating their own "glamour stuff".

Developers Sims 2 are real masters! They do not complain how difficult it was for them to create objects, animation, and many other things. Although I'm interested in reading stories about creating games.

Let now there is an adventure game pack, with a couple of new secrets, the most interesting secrets are here in Sims 2. I do not know how then the developers succeeded, but this game incite to investigate it. It's not like passing tombs in Sims 3, the game itself is a large tomb, with mysteries and riddles, from Bella Goth's mystery, to the history of game development.

P.S On the site is also a lot of interesting, but not everything opens.
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