Future Sim Improvement Ideas

[MaryMarsh]

@ Crimson ... I like the idea of a shopping mall being an expansion pack (a big one). Something like Mall Ratz. In addition to the shoe and clothing stores, there might be a toy store, magic shop, and a furniture store. To make the expansion really worth while, the mall might also include a bowling alley and entertainment center (that included POOL TABLES). A few notable new careers might be included; for instance, Mall Manager (janitor > guard > clerk > assistant store manager > store manager > mall manager). Another career might include Pool Hustler, where players can play for money (as in guitar players playing for tips). Perhaps Professional Bowler is a possible career option as well. The bowling alley, entertainment center, and mall generally certainly would give our Sims additional places to go to meet and be with other Sims. Since mall venues are ostensibly under one roof, I'd expect no rabbit holes. As with TS2's Open For Business, I'd want to see shops that can be purchased and managed by my Sims. I think it would be a hoot to run a Phone kiosk, where at some of the modern phones (suggested in an earlier post) might be sold. If I were a savvy game marketeer, I'd be out selling the concept to companies like Verizon, Radio Shack, and other typical mall vendors who, for a nice fee, would benefit from endless unobtrusive advertising by allowing their trademarks to be used in game.

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Other thoughts on game improvement: I'm a long-time player of online MMORPGs, like WoW and Perfect World. While I understand The Sims franchises are not intended as role-playing games, I find that clicking GO TO to move my Sims about very disconcerting. I say this for three reasons: First the obvious, it's inconvenient. But the current navigation system also makes it difficult to truly appreciate the *open neighborhood* concept so highly touted by the game's developers. Moreover, I feel as though I'm missing my Sims' experience. By not being able to guide my Sims around more efficiently -- at eye level -- we're unable to really get into our Sims' heads and appreciate the game more first hand. Again, I quite understand The Sims is not an RPG, but I truly believe the developers are missing a huge opportunity in excluding a huge gaming population that wants more of an RP experience.

[danefaith]

I want a macro that lets you change a channel's texture without changing its color.

[Jowkoul]

Few things I miss and would love to have are Seasons and related activities, swimming in the ocean and other beach activities, and memories. I miss that the most, after my Sim goes through so many things it is kind of sad not to have a nice reminder of all major achievements and things that happen.

Memories!  Oh goodness, the memories... (of memories!)

I liked the memory tab too. It was like, if Alexander Goth (of Sims 2) hadn't got the memories of his mom, we wouldn't know that Bella Goth was alive. And, also, I liked when your sim got a memory of burnt food  The mix of moodlets and memories would be hilarious! Like, your sim got knocked off from the trampoline (or whatever it is) and he'll get a memory of that. So many things, only one EA...

[Margerita]

Count me in as another who really misses the memory tab.
It was interesting to see what events your sim had gone through literaly.
If it was one you raised from a baby it had all of those potty training memories and such if you did them

[Naga]

A bad thing of having memories in TS3 would be the very messy or unwanted memories caused by bugs and alike. I'm fine without the memories.

[samoht04]

I didn't really care much for Memories in Sims 2 and I don't really mind if they do or don't come back. I would only like it if you could wipe memories or clean them out at the Science Lab or something. 

[danefaith]

"Brain scrubbing?" Lol.

I wouldn't feel diminished by my Sims not having a perfect life.

[Figwit]

I missed the memories when I first started playing Sims 3 but I don't any more. It would have been different if the memories had meant anything to the sims in Sims 2 but they didn't seem to do anything except tell the player what they had been up to. I also believe they might have been the reason you couldn't move sims from one game to the next and I really love having that ability.

I know a lot of people would like pets and weather but neither of these appeals to me. I love my real life pets but my sims are my pets so I don't need others.    Other than that, I am happy with the way EA are taking this game. I guess, if really pushed, I would like some more vacation worlds to explore. I loved World Adventures with the tomb raiding and puzzle solving and some more exotic locations would be something I would snap up. Unfortunately, I don't think that will happen. 

[Margerita]

I always felt that the weather in the sims was fine, but with pets I hated those in both previous versions of the game. I will probably not be buying that expansion pack unless there really is something else that comes with it that I want.

[Naga]

Why did you hate pets?

[Leto85]

Oh, I loved both Pets expansions! For TS1 it was my fav exp, for TS2 my second best, as Open For Business feels more adult like to me (I mean adult in a grown up way, not sexual).

Those memories where very interesting, to see what your sims have done in their lifes. Especially in Dynasty saves it will really add something.
But... If you deside to let your sim lives for eternity those memories can make that sim' disk space goes really high really fast.

[Margerita]

Why did you hate pets?

Because of you can't control them and the fact that even training them to do even basic things like going to the bowl and eat is almost impossible. And don't even talk about the one who are sleepy yet refuses to go to bed and when they are starving and even near death due to lack of food and they sill are in their baskets and not even puting them right next to their food bowl convinses them to eat...
I just hate them!

[Naga]

In TS2, you could use boolprop testingcheatsenabled true to make the pets controllable. Every time I trained my pets in TS1 and TS2, they would obey and do what they were taught to do. Perhaps you were doing it wrong?

[Margerita]

In TS2, you could use boolprop testingcheatsenabled true to make the pets controllable. Every time I trained my pets in TS1 and TS2, they would obey and do what they were taught to do. Perhaps you were doing it wrong?

Actually I used a mod in TS2 to make them bearable but I shouldn't have to use either a cheat or a mod to make something that is at the very center of an expansion even begin to be tolerable.

[sydney511]

for TS2 my second best, as Open For Business feels more adult like to me (I mean adult in a grown up way, not sexual).

I LOVED that EP, Leto. I ADORED it. I actually think Ambitions was based off that, as in OFB you managed a business, and in Ambitions you control your sims at work.

Because of you can't control them and the fact that even training them to do even basic things like going to the bowl and eat is almost impossible. And don't even talk about the one who are sleepy yet refuses to go to bed and when they are starving and even near death due to lack of food and they sill are in their baskets and not even puting them right next to their food bowl convinses them to eat...
I just hate them!

I hated that too, but I adored pets. Like Leto, it was my second fave, but OFB wasn't my fave. It's actually BV. I seem to be the only one who really liked Bon Voyage, though. I loved all the new interactions in BV. Not necessarily the vacations, but I loved the fire dancing, Bigfoot (I found him annoying sometimes, but he looks pretty good as an elder!), tours, etc. It just amuses me more than what WA looks like. I was about to get it, but I took it off since it kept crashing. I didn't want it anymore, though, after that.

I loved Freetime, too. Finally, FINALLY we got more interactions with kids and children. The clothing for the kids were cute, too.

I just really hope they add Seasons, Pets, and something like Freetime. I would love that.