Slight sims disappointment

[Freeman3030]

Hi all,
I know Ts4 has been out for a while now, but I've only just got round to buying it. I've loved all of the sims and TS3 really was the best with the open world layout. Since getting TS4 I've actuLly been quite dissapponted. I'm ok with only having 4 or 5 lots and having a loading screen to go to another area etc. but I can't believe that with regards to clothes and household items, you. An only have them in a few preset colours! Am I missing something or is this just not possible on TS4? It just seems like they've taken away the colour wheel, taken away the open world... And nothing really appears to be an awful lot different. I've read a little bit  about modding, but I dot know whether it's something I can attempt to do? If t is possible to get a colour wheel and change the colours of things it would be great!
I bought the get to work expansion pack as I loved TS2 open for business! But I just feel a bit cheated if I'm honest! Does everyone else feel the same?

[Metropolis Man]

I do not feel cheated - I try and look at Sims 3 vs Sims 4 as each standing on their own. Just like another game I adore - Diablo. I try and not and get into the mindset of...oh, Diablo II was soooo much better than Diablo III. But, I'm with you on the open world. I would not be surprised if they bring it back for Sims 5. But, that's a long wait hehe.

[grimsoul]

When I first started playing The Sims 4 I felt about the same way and found myself going back to The Sims 3 until like Metropolis Man said I stopped trying to compare it to The Sims 3 and look at it as it's own game I found I really like it and I don't go back to The Sims 3 very often anymore. And when I do I get aggravated with the lag I have with it and sims getting stuck in certain areas and before long I'm back in The Sims 4 again having a good time.
About the only thing I still would like from Sims 3 is the color wheel for matching items in a room when building, that still gets frustrating. The open world was nice but the lag I had to go with it wasn't. I love having a lag free game even with all settings on high. So I'm not sure I would want to go back to a completely open world. Maybe a compromise and instead of an open world maybe have open neighborhoods.

[Freeman3030]

Yeah you are right, I should try and look at them as separate games. It's just so difficult to as I really enjoyed the colour wheel! It was a major improvement compared to TS2. I do however love that it's lag free. I just wish I'd looked into to before I'd purchased it because if I'd known, I'm fairly certain I wouldn't have bought it. I kind of expect things to always improve, but hey ho! There's nothing I can do about it now given the choice, I think I'd put up with a laugh game and gain the colour wheel! But that's just my opinion! Happy simming

[MrsFlynn]

Depending on how long you've had the game, you may be able to get your money back for the purchase. Click the link below for more details.

Great Game Guarantee
https://www.origin.com/en-us/great-game-guarantee

MrsFlynn

[_Annika_]

As it is part of the same franchise I think that we should have been able to expect it to be an improvement on the older games. I played it for a month or two, 'finished' all of the content, and then was done with it. Even with expansions I can't see myself playing any more in the near future. I honestly prefer The Sims 3, bugs and all.

[RandyH]

I have all of the expansions and "Stuff" released to date and with each one I go and play it a little bit but I just get bored with The Sims 4. It's a different game, for sure. Unless I am building something or playing through some scenario they've written into it, I don't stick around for more than an hour. But it has definitely gotten me more interested in The Sims 3 again. I am finding so many aspects to the Sims 3, its various expansions and mods that I never played with before. Sims 3 is a true sandbox with Openworld and awesome tools so it never gets boring. I'm not sure if I'll continue spending on The Sims 4 until I hear that they've actually filled in all the missing pieces.

By the way, I never had serious lag issues (for long) with Sims 3. Like many gamers, I would upgrade hardware and modify things to accommodate the game - because the game was worth it. Some of the worlds had serious errors in them that caused trouble (like Isla Paradiso) but there are fixes out there. Seems like EA, above all else,  wanted the new version to run on 10-year-old, low-spec, poorly configured laptops at high-graphics setting and they lopped off all the features necessary to make it so. What a step backwards...

[MarianT]

Seems like EA, above all else,  wanted the new version to run on 10-year-old, low-spec, poorly configured laptops at high-graphics setting and they lopped off all the features necessary to make it so. What a step backwards...

Guys, try to keep this discussion civil. Statements like the above are not only an exaggeration, but are also somewhat insulting to those of us who did experience lags and crashes on our less-than-10-year-old computers. I'm happy that people who aren't pleased with TS4 are finding a new interest in TS3, but I'm also happy for the people who do enjoy TS4.

[Zanriel]

Yeah, it's not a PC spec thing, Sims 3 just hitches and stutters. I have it installed to an SSD on a PC with an i7-3770k, Geforce 980 GTX, and 24GB of RAM (not that it matters, it's a 32-bit exe) and it still hitches and stutters. It does it with 200+ FPS and everything cranked up. CPU usage is less than 10% so it's not a CPU thing.

The only way I've gotten it to run stable without glitching out or corrupting my savegames is installing Overwatch to do all the internal housekeeping.

Still though, content wise, Sims 3 is nearly infinite. Seriously, you could play it for thousands of hours and still not see everything there is to see with all the expansions, it's mind blowing. I go back and forth between both. They both have their pros and cons. I'm not sorry I bought Sims 4, and I think from a technical standpoint it will make a better platform. Everyone has their essential checklist of expansion features from previous entries that they can't live without. For me it's supernatural/magic, dating/attraction, and sci-fi stuff (aliens, robots, etc.). From Sims 1-3, those games always got way better once those things were added.

[Gheez]

I think that we all feel this way if we directly compare - especially if there was something you particularly loved about the previous version - it was just the same transitioning from The Sims 2 to The Sims 3.

I think the trick is to persevere and find new things to love about the latest versions.

It also really helps if you read forum posts where posters are positive and enthusiatic about their game.  It helps make you see things that you may have missed and their enthusiasm is catching and can help you to find new enjoyment in your game.

[Janna]

I had a post all ready to send and then the electricity went out, LOL  so I will try again.

I think the problem in comparing sims 3 to sims 4 is that players are trying to compare apple to oranges; and as my psych instructor stated, there are no such thing as orples. 

To accurately compare the two games, you have to look at just the vanilla games, the base games; not include any of the expansion packs.  You can't state how much better sims 3 is with World Adventure, Pets, Supernatural, Seasons or any other expansion packs.  The extra things such as store worlds and stuff that could be purchased to add to the games also are a factor that needs to be eliminated when comparing the two games.  Sims 4 is new and doesn't have all of those expansion packs yet.
I bought sims 3 after several expansions packs (bought after Pets had been released and before Supernatural was available) and some of the store worlds had come out, so there was a lot for me to chose from and have the fun stuff that many didn't have at the start of the game.   That will make it hard for me to compare, as I bought my sims 3 with WA and Riverview, along with Pets. 

I know that there are one or two expansion packs and some other stuff, but if you want to compare them, match up just the base games. 
 
I'm a little concerned as I like the open world aspect of sims 3, of how we can chose to interact with other sims if we want to or not.  Yet it can be good that the sims are more independent.  Pluses and minuses are in both games. 
I am still reading about sims 4 and if I can get a new computer that can run the game, and allow me to also play the sims 3 games, I will buy sims 4.  I am going to give it the benefit of the doubt and go with that over time there will be more changes, additions, expansion packs, store worlds and stuff such that will add to the enjoyment of the game. 
I can't state either way yet, of course, as I don't have the game, but I do plan to try and think as if I have only the base game of sims 3 to compare sims 4 to.  If I couldn't go to China to get the books, gems and metals to have some ready money, collect them to buy a nicer home.  If I didn't have Seasons to have the wild flowers to pick for money and all kind of opportunities to earn points to get rewards.
So, I am going to try to compare apple to apples, oranges to oranges and remember that there is no such fruit, at least yet, called orples.

[experience]

The OP is the main reason why I haven't taken the chance and bought The Sims 4. CAS looks like so much fun. The colours and art style are vibrant and I can't help but feel that the overall look is nothing but charming. With that said, some things have me on the fence. The lack of toddlers, the return of the crib, and create a style has gone out the window.

There was a huge step from sims 1 to 2 regarding both graphics and gameplay. The open world in 3 changed a lot to the gameplay when graphics stayed relatively the same. When it comes down to 4, while it may look like a lot has changed, nothing really has. If anything, we've taken a few steps back, some larger than others, and one of the reasons why I don't feel the need to go and buy it.

While I think the Sims 4 took some really good strides, I also think it took some really bad ones too. It almost seems that the series is in a transitioning period and I'll just need to be patient to see what happens next.