Strange Tomato (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
strangetomato) wrote2014-06-25 12:12 pm
strangetomato) wrote2014-06-25 12:12 pm
Entry tags:
Discussion: TS4 Conversation Post
Inspired by the disjointed conversation of Tumblr (and worry about annoying people with lost of text posts while attempting to have one, and so on...), I'd like to try to have a conversation here. What are you excited for in TS4 from what we've seen so far? The return of rotational gameplay? The breastfeeding option? The awesome cat vest?! Are you worried about the sim count and lot limit? Do you love or hate the style? Or are you over it all already? Let's hear it! :)
I'm not around as often as I used to be, so please talk amongst yourselves here as much as you like! I do get windows of time to participate (usually with a sleeping, teething baby worn on me in a carrier, or when my toddler wants to watch "the YouTubes"), so I will jump in whenever I can.
Also, hi! It's been a while. :) I miss this.
I'm not around as often as I used to be, so please talk amongst yourselves here as much as you like! I do get windows of time to participate (usually with a sleeping, teething baby worn on me in a carrier, or when my toddler wants to watch "the YouTubes"), so I will jump in whenever I can.
Also, hi! It's been a while. :) I miss this.
no subject
"Okay, I'll warn you upfront that this is going to be long. I almost feel as though I should refine these ideas a little further and turn this into an actual essay (to be sent it to the game developers, perhaps?), but for now this is what I have on first pass.
Ideally, I would like to see a combination of the two ideas, but given a choice between the personality points + aspiration system and the traits system, I would go with the system in TS2 and work on making it more complex. I think it is already more complex and nuanced than the trait system, even in its TS2 form, and could be something truly remarkable if developed even further. I feel that traits should be something that are added to a sim in addition to that system and not as a replacement for it.
The five point personality system represents a continuum that every person can be placed somewhere on. Most real life systems of analyzing a personality use something similar. Currently in TS2, you only see major differences in three quadrants of the personality scale (from 0-3, 4-6, and 7-10), with some special behaviours for the extreme ends of the scale. If every single point on the scale came with specific behaviours, the system would become much more complex and interesting. Also, adding more personality categories would also result in added complexity. (I personally like the temperament trait system, which includes activity level, regularity/rythmicity, initial reaction, adaptability, intensity, mood, distractibility, persistence and sensitivity, and would love to see some elements of that system factored in.)
Aspiration is also a very interesting way to categorize sims, as I think most people can also be grouped according to their overarching values and life goals. I think this system needs improvement. Some, like Romance and Pleasure, are somewhat too specific and need to be broadened or refined, and Grilled Cheese is more of a precursor to a trait (and originally added as joke, so this makes sense), so it should be removed from that system and possibly turned into a trait as it should be. I think it would make sense to add a sort of altruistic aspiration or one relating to morality. All of these aspiration categories could have both positive and negative outcomes, depending on how the sim approaches it.
Those two systems combined, even as they exist in TS2, is already a very complex system. Add to that the interests (though these could have more relevance than conversation topics), hobbies, and turn ons/offs, and I think you have something that goes well beyond a system of five traits per sim.
For me, traits make more sense as an additional character detail, to be added after the big picture personality is determined. If they are the only thing that defines the sim, you can end up with a character with very extreme and often stereotyped behaviours, but with no detail at all to reflect aspects of personality that all of us share. Depending on which traits you select, you can have a very shallowly defined character, and this leads to some very specific traits being much less useful in that system and probably aren't used very often by many players. For example, how often does anyone use "never nude" after trying it out once as a novelty?
Traits seem to reflect mostly specific quirks and/or talents that people exhibit. Sometimes these may be a direct result of the person's personality (and could be determined that way more effectively), but other times not. I think that being able to select whether a sim is a "good kisser" or a "green thumb" is less important to me than deciding the fine tuning of how their mind works (personality), and the key values that drive the direction of their lives (aspiration). I could simply use my imagination for traits quite easily and be fine with that. It's fun to have those behaviours and animations included in the game, but I feel that should be included as a cherry on top and not replace the other system."
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
It makes me concerned with what will come in the future. One of the things I am all about with TS2 is the open world feel of just roaming and exploring and my horses. I love my animal babies and the horses was an awesome addition for me. I fear that with all the backpedaling we're seeing, that they'll nix that, too.
I'm just so deeply 'meh' with all this. They give me something I'm excited about then yank two things I LIKED about TS3 away, left and right.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
I'm trying my best not to take it too personally, but when you're a stay at home parent to a baby and a toddler (and before long, two toddlers), it's hard not to feel a little put off by having your day to day life experience completely left out of a life simulator. It's just a game, I know, but way to make me feel like my story doesn't matter at all, EA!
no subject