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Instructor
#26 Old 20th Sep 2014 at 10:46 PM
I suspect the town size is so small because you can freely travel between towns whenever you like, so the town size is not so important as it was in TS3. In other words, their plan was to have an unlimited* number of tiny towns you can travel between, rather than being stuck in one large town.

That would be a great idea, possibly, if we could make our own towns. But still no word on that, so I think additional venue/town content will come in the form of a slow trickle of DLC.


*Realistically, it won't be "unlimited," but whatever, it's not specified yet.
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Lab Assistant
#27 Old 20th Sep 2014 at 10:46 PM
Quote: Originally posted by tangie0906
But the difference with TS4 is that you don't have to start over. Every "world" they add will be connected to every other world and your sims can travel in any 'hood in any world at any time.

I love the fact worlds are connected!

Che il sultano mantenga le tradizioni nella propria terra, ma non tenti di imporle ad altri regnanti.
That the sultan may keep his tradition in his own land, but not attempt to force them on other rulers.
(Vlad Țepeș)
Instructor
#28 Old 20th Sep 2014 at 10:47 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Gargoyle Cat
Maybe

I find it odd that they'd talk about TS4 for consoles when they've been tight-lipped over when and if it will be released for Mac.


I assume the combined audience of PS3/PS4/Xbox360/One/WiiU users is greater than the Mac audience(?)
Theorist
#29 Old 20th Sep 2014 at 11:08 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Glic2003
I assume the combined audience of PS3/PS4/Xbox360/One/WiiU users is greater than the Mac audience(?)


Considering I'm not sure what Ryan means by plays or playing well ( I read that as code for sells well, but that's just me) I'm not going to guess which audience they are going to try to drag into TS4 next.

Yet another mystery that will reveal itself at some point.
Field Researcher
#30 Old 20th Sep 2014 at 11:26 PM
That was the biggest failure. I could understand the lack of a non-open world but I feel like it's like no neighborhood, Idk TS3 is far better.

It feels more like a real world than TS4.

View all My Sims 4 Creations here https://kiarasimsfourmods.home.blog/

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Lab Assistant
#31 Old 21st Sep 2014 at 1:29 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Simify
It takes time to make worlds, you know.


Is this a serious remark? Because I hope not. They had how many years to develop this game? As it is they cut plenty of stuff that could have allowed for more time to give us more space. This is their job. This is not a Facebook game that we are playing for free and should just be happy with whatever they want to give us, this is money we are investing in their product, and we have a right to expect more than the sparse neighborhood they gave us. I had shell shock when I first opened the game and was like, "wait...this is it? This is all the real estate I have to work with?"

Thankfully my fiancé bought the cheapest version and not the $100 special edition that I wanted before I found out about no toddlers.

And I'm already running out of room in my hood. I can only play one hood/load game, because the Sims in the other hood/game I created disappear by the dozen right out of this magical little game every time I play for more than an hour.

The Test of Time Challenge BLOG
Sims 4 stories blog HERE
Scholar
#32 Old 21st Sep 2014 at 1:35 AM
They threw all ambition out of the window with TS4's worlds. Making everything as light as possible, chopping everything up in tiny pieces each with a tiny loading screen. So that each tiny bit runs very smoothly. The area around your house looks large and open, but with the other houses in your street not actually being loaded and locked behind a loading screen, the area is just one big empty area with a harvest node here and there.
Lab Assistant
#33 Old 21st Sep 2014 at 1:55 AM
I might be the odd one out on this... but I would really like TS4 to have native XInput support so I can play it on my Logitech F710 controller lazily from the comfort of my bed as I eat chips and binge on pizza.

Since carpal tunnel syndrome is such a bummer, I've jimmied a few workarounds that allow me to use the controller in DInput mode to control TS4 and Google Chrome. There's nothing like laziness to motivate you to create XML files.
Lab Assistant
#34 Old 21st Sep 2014 at 1:59 AM
The Worlds are actually not small at all. The definition of world has to be changed from the Sims 3 definition.

First, most of what I say is based on my opinion and observations while playing and may not be entirely correct, I think it's pretty close to the mark though due to comments made by the devs about the world system.

A World in Sims 4 is not the quite the same as a world in Sims 3.

In Sims 3, when you loaded a "World", you loaded up the entire "Playable" area. It was a large area/chunk and that area was fully covered with playable lots and routing.

In Sims 4, the term "World" gets a new definition. In Sims 4 when you go to the map, you are seeing a diagram of the "World". One world (Oasis Springs or Willow creek) is segmented into multiple neighborhoods/area's. The world map is really just a fast travel device. It's this new fast travel system that I believe in the long term will make things much better. The new fast travel system is here to stay and won't be changed or will be changed very little, but it opens up some interesting future options. In most ways, a Sims 4 "neighborhood" is basically the same as a Sims 3 "World"

Oasis Springs has 5 "Neighborhoods". When you load up one of these "Neighborhoods", you are in fact loading a large self contained area, almost the same size as a Sims 3 world. To see the actual size of a Sims 4 neighborhood, you really need to hit the tab key and actually fly around the map. If/when you do this you will see that there is a lot of open space in the neighborhood, and the portion of the neighborhood that is "currently" playable is really just a small portion of that area, and that the full area is surrounded by a painted backdrop.

From this point on I'm sort of guessing, but I think its fairly accurate.

The only difference between the playable part and the non-playable part is playable lots and routing. As Simify mentioned this area/chunk/neighborhood is also filled with fully modeled deco houses and other features.

This is what the devs have done to this point and why the game runs very smooth right now. Currently only a small portion of the neighborhood needs lot, sim and routing calculations done. So the system requirements are fairly low.

The devs have already stated that there is no hard coded limit to the system. A world(Map) can have more neighborhoods "attached" to it, simply because the "World" is just a fast travel map. A neighborhood can have more lots inside it, a larger portion can be made routable and most likely lot size can also be increased.

There is a catch though. Currently the world/travel system is coded to have a maximum of 20 sims visiting a playable area. This limit may or may not be adjustable. In any case the more area you make playable/routable, the more spread out sims will become and you will get to a point where you end up with something similar to Sims 3 where you have very few sims around. I think this new system will greatly lessen that though. Right now you could double the size of the playable area, have an extra 4 or 5 more playable lots in a neighborhood and still not have a drastic increase in processing power needed, and the area would still have lots of sims around.

There are other more technical things we will have to deal with if/when we are given the tools to make our own worlds. All of it having to do with the new travel/world system. There are teleport points scattered around the neighborhood that are used to send the sim to its destination. When you tell your sim to visit an off lot location (a loading screen location) they don't always simply vanish from the point they are standing. If they are some distance from a "teleport point" they will walk there first then vanish. I believe the routing is quite different as well. You can see this if you tell your sim to "Go Jogging". They follow a specific path around the playable area and I think the routing for this is different from the generic routing for sims to just freely wander around the playable/public space area.

As I said, this is all just my own opinion on it. Feel free to comment if you think i am not correct on some points. Keep in mind that there is definitely a lot more to the system then what I've described here.
Is Claeric
#35 Old 21st Sep 2014 at 2:07 AM
Quote: Originally posted by samd440
IAs it is they cut plenty of stuff that could have allowed for more time to give us more space. This is their job. This is not a Facebook game that we are playing for free and should just be happy with whatever they want to give us, this is money we are investing in their product, and we have a right to expect more than the sparse neighborhood they gave us.


A few problems.

1. Content is "cut" because there's no time for it. They don't have infinite time, cut content, and then go do something else. You're implying they just arbitrarily said "Okay let's not do this anymore" and should've responded to that choice with "Let's make more worlds in the free time we now have since we arbitrarily chose not to include something". That's not how it works. Things aren't included because of time constraints. Not including things doesn't give them more time.

2. Yes, it is their job. Making you 110% satisfied is not. If you aren't happy with the game, don't buy it.

3. Money you are investing in their product? You paid before the game came out? If you didn't pay before the game was complete, you did not invest a single cent in this game's development. Even if you did personally send them money, you are not owed absolute satisfaction.

4. You absolutely do not have a right to expect more than 52 lots. You were told well before release there would only be 26 lots, actually, and the additional 26 in Oasis Springs were a surprise close to release. You had plenty of time to learn about the game and decide if you considered that okay or not. You were not tricked. You were not mislead. You were not surprised. You had all the resources at hand to know just what you should expect. Choosing to ignore that does not count as deception. If you knew that stuff, were not okay with it, and still bought the game, that's YOUR problem, and you made a bad, stupid decision of your own free will. They don't owe it to you to live up to your ridiculous expectations that don't fall in line with information you ALREADY HAVE before buying the game! That's like going to taco bell, seeing the ingredients on a taco, buying it, and then being pissed off that it wasn't a hamburger. You knew damn well it wasn't a hamburger, and you have no right to complain that it isn't!

Lab Assistant
#36 Old 21st Sep 2014 at 3:21 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Simify
A few problems.

1. Content is "cut" because there's no time for it. They don't have infinite time, cut content, and then go do something else. You're implying they just arbitrarily said "Okay let's not do this anymore" and should've responded to that choice with "Let's make more worlds in the free time we now have since we arbitrarily chose not to include something". That's not how it works. Things aren't included because of time constraints. Not including things doesn't give them more time.

2. Yes, it is their job. Making you 110% satisfied is not. If you aren't happy with the game, don't buy it.

3. Money you are investing in their product? You paid before the game came out? If you didn't pay before the game was complete, you did not invest a single cent in this game's development. Even if you did personally send them money, you are not owed absolute satisfaction.

4. You absolutely do not have a right to expect more than 52 lots. You were told well before release there would only be 26 lots, actually, and the additional 26 in Oasis Springs were a surprise close to release. You had plenty of time to learn about the game and decide if you considered that okay or not. You were not tricked. You were not mislead. You were not surprised. You had all the resources at hand to know just what you should expect. Choosing to ignore that does not count as deception. If you knew that stuff, were not okay with it, and still bought the game, that's YOUR problem, and you made a bad, stupid decision of your own free will. They don't owe it to you to live up to your ridiculous expectations that don't fall in line with information you ALREADY HAVE before buying the game! That's like going to taco bell, seeing the ingredients on a taco, buying it, and then being pissed off that it wasn't a hamburger. You knew damn well it wasn't a hamburger, and you have no right to complain that it isn't!



Yeah, how dare I be so stupid to keep giving Sims games a chance, time after time!

It's because of stupid loyal fans like me, buying their games since the first one came out, that these games are even still being made. Because I KEEP buying their games.

And it's because of yes-people with attitudes like this one (plenty of them seem to work for EA, you should apply there) who want to pretend that EA can do no wrong and that they can't do any better than this (even though they have before) that stupid, loyal fans of this game will eventually stop buying these games, and there will be no more new ones for yes-people to defend, even though the developers decided to cut trees and sidewalks because the animation was just too much work.


The Test of Time Challenge BLOG
Sims 4 stories blog HERE
Forum Resident
#37 Old 21st Sep 2014 at 3:34 AM
Because they hate us, obviously
Instructor
#38 Old 21st Sep 2014 at 4:14 AM
We REALLY do need bigger neighborhoods, more lots, and a greater variety of worlds. EA had better deliver (and had better not make us pay and arm and a leg for them).
Test Subject
#39 Old 21st Sep 2014 at 5:53 AM
Quote: Originally posted by AliceSacco
I love the fact worlds are connected!


But they're really not... at least no more so then they were in Sims 3. The only difference is the loading screen is much quicker, but then the "worlds" in Sims 4 consist of a single buildable lot and some park space, so it better load fast.
is going to be a cat when she grows up.
retired moderator
#40 Old 21st Sep 2014 at 6:43 AM
You seem a bit tense, Simify. Time to take an angry poop?

Strangers in a Strange Land--The Shin Yi Legacy | last updated 3.7.2014
My Simblr | Is probably NSFW
Mad Poster
#41 Old 21st Sep 2014 at 7:04 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Simify
A few problems.

1. Content is "cut" because there's no time for it. They don't have infinite time, cut content, and then go do something else. You're implying they just arbitrarily said "Okay let's not do this anymore" and should've responded to that choice with "Let's make more worlds in the free time we now have since we arbitrarily chose not to include something". That's not how it works. Things aren't included because of time constraints. Not including things doesn't give them more time.

2. Yes, it is their job. Making you 110% satisfied is not. If you aren't happy with the game, don't buy it.

3. Money you are investing in their product? You paid before the game came out? If you didn't pay before the game was complete, you did not invest a single cent in this game's development. Even if you did personally send them money, you are not owed absolute satisfaction.

4. You absolutely do not have a right to expect more than 52 lots. You were told well before release there would only be 26 lots, actually, and the additional 26 in Oasis Springs were a surprise close to release. You had plenty of time to learn about the game and decide if you considered that okay or not. You were not tricked. You were not mislead. You were not surprised. You had all the resources at hand to know just what you should expect. Choosing to ignore that does not count as deception. If you knew that stuff, were not okay with it, and still bought the game, that's YOUR problem, and you made a bad, stupid decision of your own free will. They don't owe it to you to live up to your ridiculous expectations that don't fall in line with information you ALREADY HAVE before buying the game! That's like going to taco bell, seeing the ingredients on a taco, buying it, and then being pissed off that it wasn't a hamburger. You knew damn well it wasn't a hamburger, and you have no right to complain that it isn't!



I completely understand this sentiment. Honestly, I couldn't give a crap how many lots are in this game, or how or when we will get new neighbourhoods. Hell, we will probably be able to make our own soon, and that would be a perfect incentive to get that game. I love making things, and I like it when a game is simple enough that it doesn't munch up memory like a starving Pac Man. Besides, I have lots of other stuff to worry about. I'm a big fan of The Sims, but I also kinda like change. Sims 4, with all that was left out, is still an improvement over Sims 3 because with a semi-closed world, it's not as taxing on the memory or CPU. I like having a game that doesn't crash if I even smile wrong. Sims 3 is great, don't get me wrong, but it will often crash at the drop of a hat. Besides all that, the worlds are gorgeous and the babies are nice and convenient - no having to worry about them being kidnapped by NPCs, and if the parents are gone, the babies get teleported to daycare. That's a frikkin' dream come true for simmers! No having to hire unreliable nannies and the like just to keep the social workers at bay. They'll make some improvements, and I think toddlers will come back. EA isn't heartless.

But hey, I'm just in a mellow mood right now from playing my On The House Bejeweled 3 in Zen Mode. Haven't been this relaxed in awhile XD
Mad Poster
#42 Old 21st Sep 2014 at 7:16 AM
You lost me at:

Quote: Originally posted by Simify
The two worlds that exist in the game right now are significantly more detailed than Sunset Valley....


Please define "detail"
Lab Assistant
#43 Old 21st Sep 2014 at 7:19 AM
It's too plain and simple, and their are no options to increase the size or change the layout. I like Sims 3 best
Lab Assistant
#44 Old 21st Sep 2014 at 8:30 AM
I really hope they open up the worlds as well as add more of them. I would like to imagine the airports, and shopping districts and whatnot would be opened up in future expansion packs.
Mad Poster
#45 Old 21st Sep 2014 at 11:13 AM
They'll probably put those in future expansion packs. Seriously, don't worry, guys & gals. They're probably planning something fantastic right now.
Lab Assistant
#46 Old 21st Sep 2014 at 12:08 PM
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you check other forums around the net you would see that some people who have roughly 40+ hrs on a save are starting to run into problems of lag, increase load time, and some CTD.s. It's not everyone, but people are experiencing it. I only have one friend who actually didn't return the game and she is having buyers remorse right now. She is 60 hrs into a save and her load screens have gone from about 10 sec to around 1 min. She also had been having lag and her game crashes about every 45 min now. She has a couple recolors for cc and that is it. She even removed those and it makes no difference.

If people are starting to see these problems now with just a base game, what do you think it's going to be like down the road when there is much more DLC, CC, Mods, EP, and SP out? I know not everyone is having the problems my friend is having, but not everyone had those problems in TS 3 either. I have all EP and SP, lots of mods, CC, and DLC for sims 3 and my game doesn't crash and lags very little. I have a couple saves that are well over 130+ hrs on them and no problems. I guess time will tell just how stable this game is down the road and if all changes they made for the sake of stability was worth it.
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#47 Old 21st Sep 2014 at 12:12 PM
Well thankfully I got my copy for 30 euros, which is less than most of the TS3 expansions cost so I don't feel hard done buy - for what the game is, it's a great game. I just wish we had more freedom in placing lots and neighbourhoods, everything else is nearly perfect. Just give me a family tree, a few neighborhoods and I'll be content.
Lab Assistant
#48 Old 21st Sep 2014 at 12:58 PM
Quote: Originally posted by mmoblitz
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you check other forums around the net you would see that some people who have roughly 40+ hrs on a save are starting to run into problems of lag, increase load time, and some CTD.s. It's not everyone, but people are experiencing it. I only have one friend who actually didn't return the game and she is having buyers remorse right now. She is 60 hrs into a save and her load screens have gone from about 10 sec to around 1 min. She also had been having lag and her game crashes about every 45 min now. She has a couple recolors for cc and that is it. She even removed those and it makes no difference.

If people are starting to see these problems now with just a base game, what do you think it's going to be like down the road when there is much more DLC, CC, Mods, EP, and SP out? I know not everyone is having the problems my friend is having, but not everyone had those problems in TS 3 either. I have all EP and SP, lots of mods, CC, and DLC for sims 3 and my game doesn't crash and lags very little. I have a couple saves that are well over 130+ hrs on them and no problems. I guess time will tell just how stable this game is down the road and if all changes they made for the sake of stability was worth it.


Oh yeah. I'm roughly 90 hours in now and my lag is getting really bad. Plus the screen keeps freezing during gameplay. I wanted to return mine after two days but my fiancé bought me a physical copy (I wasn't going to buy it until/unless toddlers were added in) and you can't get a refund on that. And the gameplay is just getting worse. Not to mention the game eating your families once you start having kids. I'm a family player, and this game is not family player friendly. At all.

The Test of Time Challenge BLOG
Sims 4 stories blog HERE
Instructor
#49 Old 21st Sep 2014 at 3:23 PM
I thought it was reported you could reduce the loading times in TS4 by occasionally clearing out your caches..?

I don't have the game personally, so I can't confirm this.
Scholar
#50 Old 21st Sep 2014 at 3:35 PM

Heaven's Peak, my CAW WIP
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