Sims 3 CAS is looking better all the time

[strangetomato]

Have you seen this?

It seems you can at least make your own aliens in Sims 3, even if it lacks abduction (and I truly doubt they'd leave that out). Also, some of the sims that Parsimoniouskate makes at the end of this video shows how versatile the CAS will be. I think the faces really do look more like real people, but also more like cartoons (if that makes sense). She really "gives 'er" with the sliders at the end of this and you can see that Sims 3 sims don't all look alike as some have claimed. In fact, they have far more potential for variety. FAR more.

I think we're just seeing a case of Face One/Two syndrome in most of the sims from the early promotional videos. We see the same thing happening in Sims 2 packaging/promo videos. It's usually Face Two for almost every single sim, to avoid the "eww, UGLY SIM!" reaction that would surely follow if the sims were more unique. They want to appeal to the most people, and thus they make bland, vanilla sims (btw, I like both Face Two and vanilla flavourings - don't get me wrong). It makes sense.

I just wish we could make them unsymmetrical. That's what would truly make them look more realistic.

Anyway, I thought this was interesting. Sims 3 is looking better all the time to me. I know I won't miss loading screens, and I'll love being able to pick which shoes go with which outfit. It's these little things that make all the difference.

Comments

[dothesmustle.livejournal.com]

I'm definitely excited for it. The personality traits won me over.

I like the faces of sims two sims better than sims three sims, but it's an issue I can get easily get over with all the cool features sims three is promising us. I hope they made it easier to give a sim elf ears :D :D

I love that every sim is unique instead of the kind of sameness in personalities when it comes to sims in the sims two. After awhile you get bored of the angrysim/nicesim thing that goes in.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I honestly think most people are just used to the way Sims 2 sims look and are reluctant to change. They don't look that great to me. They have sharp edges. You can almost count the pixels at times. Their heads are too tall as a general rule. I'm fond of them too, just from being used to them, but they're really nothing to cling to, in my opinion.

Did you see her using a slider to make the ears come off from the head? :D It seems like we'll have control over the ear shape this time, rather than just the size. I'm super excited about that.

I agree. I've seen every variation in Sims 2, just about, and the traits system seems like it will offer us new variety. I look forward to it. If it was the same game, it would be boring. (In fact, it sort of bothers me to see so many animations reused.)

[dothesmustle.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think I'm just attached to the faces in the Sims 2, for some reason. I've been playing with them for too long, I guess :x

I did see the ears popping out. 8D I wonder if we'll be able to give sims dimples and butt chins and whatnot. I'd love butt chins.

I noticed a lot of animations were re-used, too. (The sneakysnake walk was the most noticeable. :P) As well as some of the little thought bubble pictures, but there are so much cool things added to the game that I don't really mind it.

I was watching some video and you can make TOFU-DOGS NOW.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Bum chins! :D Dimples! I really hope they include things like that.

Reused animations aren't the end of the world if they add lots of new ones. I want to see new things. LOTS of new things.

They have tofu dogs because one of the traits is vegan/vegetarian! I love that. I'll so be making myself a truly vegan Johnny.

[dothesmustle.livejournal.com]

BUTT DIMPLES. 8D

Oh man, I love the nevernaked trait. Wearing biker shorts in the shower. Makes me miss Arrested Development ever more. ;_;

I think the first sim I make is going to be a vegan, inappropriate, evil, artistic sim.

Alas, Johnny will have more than omelets to eat for breakfast! I hope they add more food choices.

[sadieg79.livejournal.com]

They have tofu dogs because one of the traits is vegan/vegetarian! I love that. I'll so be making myself a truly vegan Johnny.

Okay, I have a confession - I've ended up doing the same thing with my aliens as you have yours, at least with diet. I didn't deliberately pinch the idea, honest :*)

But anyway - I will too. I'm gonna have fun dishing out the traits to these guys ^_^

[madame-ugly.livejournal.com]

As a person with ears that flap out from her head, I was happy to see the ear thing. That's one thing I HATE about my self sim. I can't get her Dumbo ears right. (and I hear you *no pun intended* on the sharp edges--even with high end options fingers still look square-ish and the twisty wrist thing irritates the hell out of me)

But I'm still not foaming at the mouth for sims 3. I just can't stop wondering what kind of burden it will be to a computer and all that. Sims 2 can be such a bitch to get running well, what will a MORE complicated item need?

I'm ready for it to arrive so I can see other's play test so if I decide to eventually get it, I know what I'm in for.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

My ears are super tight to my head (and tiny - I get it from my father), so I'll be pushing the slider all the way in the other direction. Ear adjustments are something I've really wanted for CAS. It has a huge impact on the look of a face.

Everything seems more flexible in the new CAS. The limitations of Sims 2 CAS were immediately obvious and annoying the first time I played it. I've since gotten used to it and accepted it, but I've always wanted more.

I'm not exactly foaming either, but I do look forward to it. I do wonder if the way it's designed (without all the different hoods being separate from each other) might make it less of a resource hog than Sims 2. If it's well made, it should be able to do more with less. Graphics, now, will need better graphics cards, I'm sure.

I'm looking forward to seeing that too. I'm pretty sure I won't be one of them, but who knows. I might decide to jump right in.

[madame-ugly.livejournal.com]

Did you ever play sims 1? I ask because you mentioned you noticed the limitations in CAS immediately. But if you came from sims 1, it was night and day different (sims 1 is a lot like playing sims 2 on a console--no, even a console is more refined).

I haven't read up enough on sims 3 to even know exactly how it's going to work. My skeptic side is just staying back from all the EA sales pitches. The videos and screenshots always looks super wonderful but from experience the sims 3 base game is not going to have all the bells and whistles (they'll feed that to us slowly as EPs--in fact, the whole thing they showed on that video made me think "they'll sell that all as an EP/SP--won't be in the base game") and ads are just that, the best of the best to sell stuff. I'm more interested in testimonials from players, players who I know a bit from the LJ community and such.

[cindyanne1.livejournal.com]

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Hey, I've never intended to cling to Sims 2. I'm very much with you on this one.

[simgarooop.livejournal.com]

Whoa! That cat is scary! O_o

I can't join you at the dark side, though. According to "Canyourunit" site, my computer FAILS big time for the Sims 3 :( (and I'm talking about the minimal requirements).

[leskuh.livejournal.com]

*cries* I have a mac. ;____;

My sister is getting it though, so I'll at least get to try it out. She nearly had a fit when I told her that it was pushed back until summer. XD

[dothesmustle.livejournal.com]

The Sims 3 will be available for both Macs/PCs! 8)

[leskuh.livejournal.com]

Really? Lol, I'm behind. Guess I should look into it, eh?

[dothesmustle.livejournal.com]

Definitely! 8D 8D

[dothesmustle.livejournal.com]

Yup!

http://community.livejournal.com/simply_sims3/8107.html

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

DO IT.

I would. ^_^

[dothesmustle.livejournal.com]

http://www.cdwow.us/games/Windows/The-Sims-3/product/view/6275233

I'd preorder it here. LOOK AT THAT DEAL. *drools*

[sadieg79.livejournal.com]

Check here: http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/referrer/srtest - Sims 3 is on the list :D

[bowling-otaku.livejournal.com]

OH WOW, this site tells me my computer can't even run The Sims 2!!

I checked for Sims 2 Double Deluxe (which I don't have, but I figure is close enough since I have a handful of expansions):

"CPU Speed
Minimum: 1 GHz
You Have: 598.00 MHz Performance Rated at 897.00 MHz"

That certainly explains why I get lag sometimes... :/

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Seems like it will be coming out for Mac, if Doey is right. That's good news. You'll be doing better than you are with Sims 2, since they still haven't released FT for Mac.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yesh, for sure. You must be going through sims withdrawal by now. It'll be fun to start over with a whole new game.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Heheh. I meant yeah, not yesh, but I sort of like how yesh sounds. It's like I have a funny way of talking.

[sadieg79.livejournal.com]

Tell you what: I'll be spending far more time in Bodyshop than the actual game if they keep all this in. Maybe I can make a more accurate self-sim - complete with body shape :P - not to mention TS3 renditions of our fave Strangetownies ;)

I'm clinging to Sims 2 partly for Strangetown and partly my rainbow legacy these days - the second in particular I've grown really fond of. But if/when I get Sims 3 I'll have a play on that too - they're too different to toss one for the other. I might even try re-creating my rainbow family, or some of them at least ^_^

The big pull for me is also the traits system, as well as - if I hear right - being able to choose your LTW, rather than being randomly assigned one. I gather it won't be great for stories though, so us storytellers will need to keep Sims 2 in either case ;)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Choosing LTWs would be cool. I often do that now with InSIM, but I have to randomly roll it until I get what I want. It's a pain.

How do you figure it won't be great for stories? There's a new video up about their movie-making tools, so I figure stories with be the same. There's always screencapping too, so I don't see how storytelling will be limited. It will lack our current machinima options, but I'm sure those will eventually be created for Sims 3 too.

[sadieg79.livejournal.com]

Oh, really? Can't remember where I got that from, but it was something to do with the way walk-bys are handled, animation not as fluid, something about mods I think - although things might have changed on that front, I don't know. It's getting hard to keep up. It'd be cool if it was the same with Sims 3, although Sims 2 is enough of a memory hog, so I'll hold judgment on the shooting.

Oh! One thing I do need to find out, unless someone knows - how does it play with dual core CPUs? I know some editions of Sims 2 really don't like it - I've been saving often lately when I play, as it tends to crash intermittently with no good reason :-\

[meetme2theriver.livejournal.com]

Slightly unrelated, but Pescado's FFS Lot Debugger has the option of cycling through the LTWs, in addition to rolling them randomly, making it easier to find the one you want. :)

[simsinthecity.livejournal.com]

I'll probably be clinging to TS2 for a little while, whether I like it or not. I have a feeling that my computers will not meet the requirements, or be at the lower end.

Traits are something I'd look forward to. They're really going to be a boost to individualism in the Sims. Being able to decide the LTW of a Sim will also be good — it gives more control to the player, rather than having to just stick with what is given randomly. (I think they're called lifetime wishes in TS3. Same abbreviation, though)

I do also agree with you when you say that face 2 is boring. The advertisements are to the game as TV is to real life — "pretty" people always doing something exciting.

If anything I'd like multiple neighborhoods, but in a way that the Sims of one nhood could meet those of another, somehow.

I'm also worried about the state of custom content, after what I've heard about EA's relationship with people like TSR.

[simgarooop.livejournal.com]

I secretly want to play Sims 3 too, but my laptop won't run it! :( I need at least 3.0 Ghz in my processor, and I only have 2.

Therefore, I'm clinging to the Sims 2 for the time being. And that's why I've not looked for information or videos about the Sims 3, because I don't want to get excited for something I won't be able to play.

BUT...

I'm currently looking for prices for laptops in the US (much cheaper than down here) and if I'm able to find a cool one with a reasonable price (and I manage to sell my desktop), I'm getting a new one when I move to Austin in August. I just hope I'll have time to play the Sims 2 and/or 3 by then :D.

Nonetheless, I'll stick with the Sims 2 for story purposes. I want to explore and enjoy the Sims 3 as a game before embarking in the storytelling side. (And I'll wait to see what cool things they come up with, both from EAxis and the CC community).

[petalbrook.livejournal.com]

Like simsinthecity said, I'm waiting to see what's going to happen with CC & to see if EA is going to stay up TSR's ass.

[hathakleen.livejournal.com]

It really is the little things that do all the convincing for me: Separate shoes and hats, in-depth personalities, more than three basic body types, endless colour choices, and (my personal favourite) the ability to change voice pitch! The more I see, the more excited I get. I don't really know what's with everyone hating on TS3. As far as I'm concerned, I'm not giving up my Sims 2 just to be able to play something new. It's like a different game altogether. Just the fact that the Sims 3 sims look so different (and I know what you mean about being more realistic while being more cartoony) is a comfort; I certainly don't feel like abandoning the Sims 2.

[sadieg79.livejournal.com]

You can change the voice pitch? That's awesome! :D While I like the variety with Sims 2 adults to a degree, it's a pain that a) there's only 2, b) they get randomly assigned. I just hope voices for the other ages are better - the child voice leaves a ringing in the ears sometimes ¬_¬

Still, given what a download whore I've been with Sims 2, I'm also anxious to see what they do about CC. I'll definitely be keeping to Sims 2 with the storytelling, I'm just far too used to it and all the necessary mods :)

[akatonbo.livejournal.com]

I'm extremely interested in Sims 3 because of the traits, and the CAS is looking more interesting now too. Now if only I didn't want to smack EA upside the head. :P

Whatever other factors there might be, though, I doubt I'll use it in the same way as TS2 (just as I don't use TS2 in the same way I used TS1).