Difficulty Level of Sims 4

[imayu94]

The chess one is so true. But I've found that the sims don't leave that often as far as my experience.

I also don't play with those in the park who are already playing. I start a conversation with a wandering sim and invite that person to play. That way, they seem to stay longer. I also cancel the mini-interaction (the small circles next to the conversation circle) so that my sims don't talk often and finish the game more quickly.

I've already achieved the "Whiz Kid" aspiration on a normal span, but it's such work, your kid will not enjoy his/her childhood. It needs constant attention, needs emotional boosting, and a skill room, where all the materials for leveling up are in one convenient place, with a bathroom just next door.

[Playalot]

I find the Social Butterfly by far the hardest. In fact if I never ever played the Social Butterfly aspiration ever again it would still be too soon!! With aging on it becomes very difficult to actually find enough children for that last milestone. Yuk, one horrid aspiration.   

[Stormi71]

I find the Social Butterfly by far the hardest. In fact if I never ever played the Social Butterfly aspiration ever again it would still be too soon!! With aging on it becomes very difficult to actually find enough children for that last milestone. Yuk, one horrid aspiration.   

I'm finding that problem, and I have aging off. It was easier with my teens as I made households with other kids specifically so they could have friends. Now they've been aged up, too, so my current child has slim pickings.

[markarch]

Some of them are really easy and some of them are really hard. But knowing how things work especially reading carlsims4guide, it isn't a problem anymore. I already finish all the aspiration in the skill category (mind, body, art) but none in the social one except love.

The kids aspiration from the easiest to the hardest for me is
Artistic Prodigy<Rambunctious Scamp<Whiz Kid<Social Butterfly
It's really hard to balance their school and their aspiration, well the whiz kid is not because he can just breeze to the homework.

I haven't said anything about carrier.
But seriously, of all these hard things, I enjoy doing it because it's so challenging.

[MissZoef]

In the beginning I was truggeling with all the requirements of daily life in the sims 4. Your job is definately more work, children have more things they need to do and then you have the aspirations. I find myself completing all the tasks for work and so on pretty easily now. It leaves less time to do other things though. I did find the whiz kid aspiration not that hard to be honest. Did that one for the immortal dynasty and it was pretty doable, even with my kid getting A's in class. The kid didn't have much else he could do though.

One thing I find difficult are keeping friends. Mainly because the relationships decay so quickly. I've never find it a fun job to keep friends in any sim game and this one isn't an exception. However I think making friends isn't hard at all (in general). Some sims can be a pain to befriend, but most you can befriend in a few hours.

Like the challenge in the sims 4. Sims 3 was pretty easy at times.

[imayu94]

One thing I find difficult are keeping friends. Mainly because the relationships decay so quickly.

This seems to be a trend in the difficulty. If there's something I do miss for children it's the "Do Homework With..." option for kids to help each other. The relationship boost of that in Sims 3 was good in terms of relationships. I think it would help significantly given the relationship decay in 4.

I do like the fact that Sims that you are close with basically come to visit you, every once in a while. Only after you ignore them for a few days will they stop. That way you kinda don't forget your friends. I wish there was a control on the door though. Like, if you were Best Friends in status, that sim can basically go in your home without 'Invite In'. Might be troublesome, but realistic.

[Whirligig]

I think it is more difficult, absolutely. The career requirements and the aspiration requirements all seem to add up and sometimes I don't think I know where/how to focus. Take childhood: sometimes I just don't know if I should work on the aspiration tasks (usually eventually amounting to max skill X) or the whole "level all skills up to four" for that A grade. I eventually reach a point where I haven't progressed in either objective, and the clock is ticking! I did manage to get one kid to an A, and I was pretty furious when I missed out on his Artistic Prodigy aspiration by one Creativity Skill Point. That was frustrating.

As someone mentioned, though, that could just be because I'm not used to it yet. I also need to reach a point where I can work out which satisfaction rewards are most useful - once I got those down pat in the Sims 2, it was much easier (I remember the day I discovered Smart Milk was a thing, and there was much rejoicing!). So yeah, I'm sure a lot of my woes are just me struggling to find my sea legs.

I think one reason in particular that I'm struggling to keep up friendships in the Sims 4 is the uselessness of a phone conversation in this game. It doesn't raise the relationship at all, I don't think - I don't think a call a day would even maintain a friendship. You actually have to meet with someone in person on a regular basis if you want to have any shred of hope of holding onto their friendship.

[Cheezey]

For me, the stumbling block on Whiz Kid is that A in school requiring 4 skills at level 4. Motor seems to level so slowly and wastes time that could be better used on mental skill. I did find that using the "ask for typing tips" speeds it up, as do the other skill related ones like "discuss fractions" or "tell make believe story," and in my earlier plays I didn't use those because I was always thinking "Stop socializing! You need to skill and your social is already high enough."  The first time I tried the aspiration, I found out I needed the A when I only had 2 school days left before aging up, so I was sunk. 

I also tend to hoard my aspiration points so the first thing they buy is the 4000 point reward that makes it so they don't need sleep, so that might hinder me somewhat. Maybe getting things like Steel Bladder or splurging on 400 point sleep replacement potions for children so they can get that extra trait is a better strategy.

[imayu94]

I did find that using the "ask for typing tips" speeds it up, as do the other skill related ones like "discuss fractions" or "tell make believe story," and in my earlier plays I didn't use those because I was always thinking "Stop socializing! You need to skill and your social is already high enough."

I find this information useful, I didn't realize the power of the small socializations. Mostly I just leave my kid to rot with the chemistry set or any other skill items with the corresponding emotion state. At least with that, they do get some social life. 

When it comes to the aspirations I look at the aspiration panel every now and then so that I know where I'm headed. For example, gaining a 10 in Logic in the Level 4 of an Aspiration takes work, and if I do have the time, I still level it up even if the current milestone only requires level 5. That way I can be prepared.

I think I find that the Sims 4 requires much planning since I always felt that time is off the essence. But then again, it might just be me being a control freak.

[Greenhat]

It keeps making me jump through hoops I don't want to jump through. For example, my athletic Sim keeps disrupting family life because she has to go to the gym or show off her muscles for an Aspiration. But I'm not willing to leave anyone home alone because I don't trust their judgment, so I have to make it this big all-family outing, which takes ridiculous schedule coordination (I have 7 Sims [2 are babies now], and some are Sims who work late at night, Sims with 9-to-5 jobs, schoolkids, Sims who work in the afternoon, Sims who don't work at all...). And then the whole thing only lasts 3 hours because Anna gets hungry.
Well, that was ranty. In short, having to leave the house and interact with people to complete Aspirations and career goals annoys me. But that's probably because I am antisocial and would probably not leave the house if I didn't have to go to school.

[_Annika_]

I know that feeling. I learnt to let go of complete control of all sims and just concentrate on one or two when I did an Immortal Dynasty. Freewill is fairly good - if you let it take care of the rest of your sims they do alright - just keep an eye on the colour of their mood, and buy an unbreakable toilet That said, hunger shouldn't really be a huge problem when you go out, as there are grills around that your sims can use. And if you don't want them making their own, they can take someone else's still - I haven't had a sim get embarrassed yet from taking food someone else cooked. And if you don't want them to eat food, get one of the kids to make a bunch of health potions, and they can drink those.

[Greenhat]

I know that feeling. I learnt to let go of complete control of all sims and just concentrate on one or two when I did an Immortal Dynasty. Freewill is fairly good - if you let it take care of the rest of your sims they do alright - just keep an eye on the colour of their mood, and buy an unbreakable toilet That said, hunger shouldn't really be a huge problem when you go out, as there are grills around that your sims can use. And if you don't want them making their own, they can take someone else's still - I haven't had a sim get embarrassed yet from taking food someone else cooked. And if you don't want them to eat food, get one of the kids to make a bunch of health potions, and they can drink those.

I tried using the grills. My Level 10 cook somehow burned everything. I miss edible fruit.

[dharmagoddess]

I'm finding it the opposite. Perhaps it's just more intuitive for me. I often got frustrated with Sims 3 and would stop playing because I felt like I wasn't making progress. With Sims 4 I feel like I'm always moving forward. In fact it's the most focused I've been playing Sims. In previous editions I'd get frustrated and start a new Sim.  Basically I never finished goals and such because I would get bored or frustrated with lack of progress. I played a lot of Sims 3, but I actually was never successful with finishing goals and such. With Sims 4 that's not the case, I've already achieved one aspiration for a Sim and started a second one. That motivates me to play more.

[imayu94]

There's plenty of reward systems I find when it comes to the aspirations. The milestones kind of keep you going. What's frustrating as of late is the low increases in job performances unless your sim is really in an ideal mood with max needs and complete daily tasks.

It's more difficult when you play in the normal mode this time. It takes a while, but you kinda want to push through with it. And I think that's great. I kind of cheer for my sims sometimes when I'm insane enough.

[fivine]

It s more difficult and focusing for sure.

My own proof is that i needed to slow time to not have to pause the game too many times.
First time i use that kind of mod (i played all the sims games a lot)