The Sims 4 Discussion - Share your Opinion on TS4 and Gameplay Features

[AnnDruvez]

I think the subscription more likely refers to the option EA was talking about a few months ago.  There was something in a survey about paying a fee for access to game content or early access to game content.   Personally I'd have to learn more about it.

 My questions would be
A monthly fee?
A yearly subscription?
What would it actually cover?
Would it be digital content equal to a store download or more like an EP?
If it were like an EP would it also be released on disc in stores?

I'd have a lot of questions.


EA also posted about Simpoints in their FAQ.    http://www.thesims.com/faq    They would not be supported by TS4.  I read one  EA article and it seems it would revert to an actual money transaction as some of the world purchases are now.

There is also the possibility of my first conclusion, since it's in the Gallery: subscribe to the people that build your favorite houses/sims/rooms so that you can see what they come up with next. (i.e. Like you subscribe to someone on Facebook or Twitter.)

[Twinmum]

There is also the possibility of my first conclusion, since it's in the Gallery: subscribe to the people that build your favorite houses/sims/rooms so that you can see what they come up with next. (i.e. Like you subscribe to someone on Facebook or Twitter.)

I'm leaning toward this too. In the demo, we can filter things by chosing all, maxis or following. In the version they show, the word subscriptions where following is on the demo.

[Bri]

I've been a big fan of the Sims series, but lately...well, I admit I've been on the fence...

Something that may be a tipping point for me:
If one looks at the video Dellena linked to, at roughly 13:25, when they boot up the gallery, you can see a screen which says:

The Sims 4 Premium
Save On New Packs With Early Access And Exclusive Items
Become a Premium member to get early access to 3 new packs, with exclusive items.  Your Sims can throw a spooky costume party, camp in the great outdoors, and toast to the new year in style

I'm used to features not being put in, or added at a later state.  I'm even used to the whole DLC model (like in the Sims 3 Store).  I even get the marketing behind the 'Limited Edition' for expansions.  I'm not a big fan of it, but I get it.  I even put up with how bad TS3 can run with the Expansion packs, or how little they patch anymore.

However, the above...*shakes head*  I'm sorry. This doesn't sit well with me at the moment.   I realize we don't really know what the Sims 4 Premium program will be like, what, if any costs, but to act as a beta-tester, and perhaps pay for it?  (For those who may not know, Early Access allows you to play games before they are released, but most times they are still in an unfinished state).

 
 

[Cheezey]

Bri, I share your feelings of iffiness on the subscription thing.

I was not terribly impressed with their game play video, especially knowing it was the same one they showed at E3.  While it was new to many of us, I wondered why they didn't show us anything newer now that it's already so many weeks later.

The party goal window threw me, and made me think that if a party is like playing an Ambitions career, then what else in that game is going to force you into goal oriented game play?  To me that is not what I want out of a Sims game.  Later, Graham said in a tweet that it's optional, so hopefully that will be the case with all those sorts of things.  Graham also mentioned that they did stuff specifically to speed up the death by laughter for the video, so for those who are worried about that, it is not supposed to be as fast and easy to have happen when you're playing.

I wish I knew the stats of the computers the gurus were using, because if they're high end, to me, the loading screens they showed were not short.  I have a pretty good setup, and I was thinking, "wow, I hope my computer runs it faster than theirs."  I noticed how much they made a point of talking and trying to distract you through them, but I counted seconds and was getting well over 20 and closer to 30 seconds.  It doesn't seem like much, but if you switch lots often, that's going to add up, and I imagine when you get more expansions and content installed, that will make it longer, too.  Granted, it's not the 3 or so minutes it takes my computer to load my Sims 3 game, but at least that's just once, or when switching from a WA or Uni destination to the home world.  I never played Sims 2, so I'm not at all used to loading screens being frequent.  Perhaps I will just have to break my habit of spying on what the whole world is up to when I'm playing Sims 4.

I will say that seeing they put Nancy Landgraab in the game made me smile.  I'm fond of the Sims 3 Landgraabs. 

The gallery seems user friendly in game, and I know from the demo it's pretty user friendly there as well.  I am still concerned about how easy it will be for bad CC to get into your game once people are modding and uploading lots and sims all over the place, like how it attaches to sims on uploaded lots and spreads through the exchange.  If a "doll" type corruption happened, how fast could it spread through a system like TS4's?  Will there be a fail safe to prevent it from affecting you or getting CC you don't want? 

[Carl]

This is speculation, really, I don't imagine them giving early access to Expansions, but rather store content only. I would pay for the subscription, but only because it would benefit me to have early access to some content and be able to have writing out on day 0, and it would also help people decide if it's content they really want.. but I think they should do that for fansite/youtube channel owners who have some level of traffic anyway, because we could assist with quality control. That is something that would benefit everyone, to have fans who have all expansions and a lot of downloadable content installed to find bugs that exist when versions are combined. We seem to run into problems that make me think that in the past they haven't done enough real-world testing, as in 100s of items worth of dlc and all EPs/SPs installed.. I imagine a lot of the EPs are nearly bug-free if you play with only the base game and that one expansion installed.

However, as a gamer it's not something I like. It makes me groan at the idea when the franchise is already expecting you to fork out hundreds to enjoy just the Expansions.

However, it seems to me that this is geared toward people who already pay for more than just expansions - some have spent hundreds or thousands at the Sims Store, and this could save them some money in the long-run. So long as DLC packs stay about the same price, it may be worth paying for subscriptions if you are one of those players. On the bright side, the rest of us will get to see those people's opinions on store content before we buy it.. as far as whether they're disappointed or not. Just gotta trust the source. If I get early content, I'll be sure to avoid acting like a fanboy, telling you to rush and buy it, and try to give you an objective view on what is added to the game. I try to avoid marketing language for the most part, anyway.

[AnnDruvez]

(snip) We seem to run into problems that make me think that in the past they haven't done enough real-world testing, as in 100s of items worth of dlc and all EPs/SPs installed.. I imagine a lot of the EPs are nearly bug-free if you play with only the base game and that one expansion installed.

(snip)

However, it seems to me that this is geared toward people who already pay for more than just expansions - some have spent hundreds or thousands at the Sims Store, and this could save them some money in the long-run. (snip) If I get early content, I'll be sure to avoid acting like a fanboy, telling you to rush and buy it, and try to give you an objective view on what is added to the game. I try to avoid marketing language for the most part, anyway.

Having almost all the Sims 3 expansions/stuff packs on my computer, I agree on the likelihood that they test with only the base game and the one expansion. My loading screens.... Well, even when I'm inattentive, it's a rare thing for me to get past that initial loading screen with less than 600 points from the mini-game.

Depending on the cost of subscription, it might be worth it to me. I have a heck of a lot of store content for 3, already. And, just to let you know, we really do appreciate the reviews of the packs and the DLC that you do. It's saved me a few dollars here and there.

[Dellena]

Having played the demo for a while, I'm almost certain the "Subscriptions" you see on the Community Gallery pane in the gameplay walkthrough is other players you're subscribing to to follow what they make.  Right now it's Following on the demo. 

I could see the potential for sharing our origin names so people can follow what we post to the gallery.  This way, they will know it's a source they can trust.  Btw, I'm shetcogle on Origin.  For anyone who has the demo and would like to see what I've been uploading.  I'd love to see others as well.

[KhaineGB]

Well...

Just pre-ordered the digital version of the Premium Edition...

My bank account officially hates me.

[Barbara917]

This is speculation, really, I don't imagine them giving early access to Expansions, but rather store content only.
...

It seems to me that 99% of what I have been reading on the Internet about the game is speculation. I have had a lot of trouble discerning what is actually true and what is just rabid speculation. That screen image of the beta walkthrough recently released referring to premium service has added one more thing to the long list of things people are speculating about with no actual confirmation of what it actually is - an actual feature that EA plans to go with or a test balloon in some demo software to see how a possible feature might work.

I frankly am undisturbed about premium services. If enough consumers buy into it and decide it is a good value the consumers are happy and the company makes some money to re-invest in the game. If consumers decide it is not something they want they won't buy it and it will disappear really fast.

The only way to know if I would want it is more information. I like the idea of saving money on bundles rather than going a-la-carte. The disadvantage I see is having my game bloated down with a lot of content I will never use.

[Twinmum]

Did anyone notice the vampire playing chess against Graham in the park? Although I don't often play with different life states, it's cool to see that they are included.

If you haven't seen the thread for information, there are NO vampires in the base game. http://www.carls-sims-3-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=15902.new;topicseen#new

[AnnDruvez]

If you haven't seen the thread for information, there are NO vampires in the base game. http://www.carls-sims-3-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=15902.new;topicseen#new

Pity.... I like vampires. I also like the various spellcasters they've had over the years. (Sims, Sims 2, Sims 3) Wonder how they'll make them this time?

[Dellena]

Hashtag(s) is also a good idea.  Maybe a special CPS4G hashtag (Carl and Pam's Sims 4 Guide).  So we can search for content by people who use these forums.  We can still have the guildelines for uploads like we have here.  If you've made something that doesn't follow the guildlines, simply don't give it the hashtag.

[RunAmokSims]

This is the reason I was going in the direction of a premium membership for EA content.  EA already has a membership for Battlefield 4.

http://www.battlefield.com/battlefield-4/premium

It would have to be a little different because at this point The Sims isn't an on line game but it also talks about early access for EPs and exclusive options.

If you go on to the subscribe page

http://www.battlefield.com/battlefield-4/buy

it shows, I'm assuming, a one time fee of 49.99 (before the sale price)

[Jessywoo]

I only got to watch the gameplay demo yesterday and it just made me even more unsure. I've only ever played Sims 3 so I'm not used to load screens between every lot. The way they've been talking about them I expected them to be no more than a few seconds, maybe ten seconds at the most. But they were getting up to half a minute if you counted. If you have many Sims on different lots that's going to add up fast. I also think - and I hope this doesn't sound too negative - that the emotions system could frustrate me very quickly. It seems too extreme to me. Obviously this was beta and things will probably be changed, but I'm not sure I'd want to spend a couple of sim hours making an angry sim happy again just so they can interact at all. That's just my two cents anyway - and I did love the look of the lots, especially that gorgeous park.

[Lisa46]

The game player trailer made me actually want the sims 4, but no way an I willing to pay $50 for it. I'll wait till a sale happens, and just play sims 3 until then.