The Sims 3 - Showtime EP06

[Seabody]

I've heard a rumor that Sims 4 is going to be focused on Social Aspects, and, with The Sims Social as a possible tester for the response of a fan-base to Facebook type features (one could argue that TSS tested the waters for Social Aspects), it was simply inevitable. What with the rise in popularity of Facebook and all. (According to Alexa, Facebook is the number 1 ranked site in the world, ahead of Google and Wikipedia.)

[KJSinclair]

I agree that it was inevitable that the Sims was eventually going to go in this direction. People seem to want TS2 with more bells and whistles, but I would much rather see something new with a little imagination and end up hating it that paying new money for old concepts.

I just hope that if TS4 does go in the social direction more fully, that it remains respectful to the legion of casual solo players that earned this franchise the following that it does today.

I also agree that it was going to be hard to follow Generations and Pets and I am not surprised that there is some skepticism regarding the new features, I am sure that no one will be disappointed in the end though.

I too have been looking forward to seasons but there are aspects of this particular EP that I have been waiting for almost as long as I was waiting for a educator career lol.

KJ

[Esther1981]

Generations was awesome! Pets was, well I'm sure for those without graphical issues it's awesome too, but for me it's just ok. After I get a new GC and see it the way it's meant to be though, I'm sure I'll change my mind. Social networking for me is fine, but it should be on social websites and kept out of the sims. But, that's just my opinion. After I fell in love with sims, I love each and every EP and SP they put out so I'm positive this one will be the same.

[RunAmokSims]

To tell you the truth guys, neither Generations or Pets knocked my socks off. I sort of knew I wouldn't get a lot out of Generations because I'm not a big family player. I thought Pets might but after playing it for a while it just seems like taking care of the cats and dogs is just another chore, like doing their laundry. The horses are a bit better because they seem a little more independent.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I got both of them because they have new objects in them, hairstyles and clothes but I think content is a bit light. That's why I'm not expecting a lot from Showtime. I'm hoping I'll be surprised. I'd just like new things in the game. 

At this point I'm looking forward to the cow plant more than the new EP.  I'm just not a person who likes doing the same thing over again and after a few times through an interaction it gets very been there, done that for me. 

[MomOfMany]

I liked Pets and Generations but I think I like Ambitions the best and World Adventures! They added a whole different type of game play in my opinion rather than just expanding what is there already! I don't know that I really explained that right?

I think Sims Social was probably meant to test the waters but I also think the way people respond to the social aspect of Showtime will determine how they incorporate the social aspect into the Sims 4. The Sims Social is totally different from the Sims games in my opinion so I think that Showtime will have the most influence on the social aspect of the game from here on out.

But I think that if they want to add that much of a social aspect to the game they should just do like they did with Medieval and make it a complete different game with it's own expansions and what not so that those of us that like it the way it is can still have it this way. Or at least make it optional which I know they are planning to do with Showtime but in future expansions as well as with Sims 4 if that is in fact the intent.

[MoonsAreBlue]

@ MomOfMany

That is exactly how I feel. They should have created a new sims-ish game instead of tacking this onto the sims, a completely solo game.

[Leto85]

• Sims won't be imported with content you don't have (so, if you don't have the clothing or the traits in your game that the other person has, you won't see it -- the trait or clothing will be changed to something you DO have)
  
• all the social stuff is optional and you can turn it off

Hm, I wonder how this will work with paterns. Like when I have a sim with a logo on his shirt (and I have) I am wondering how this will turn out. I assume he will be transportable, but that means that the simport program should be capable of seeing the difference between why some people don't have certain stuff, being it expansion pack related, patterns, or yes, even cc. Though I personally don't mind about the last thing.

[xFezIsAFreakx]

Hm, I wonder how this will work with paterns. Like when I have a sim with a logo on his shirt (and I have) I am wondering how this will turn out. I assume he will be transportable, but that means that the simport program should be capable of seeing the difference between why some people don't have certain stuff, being it expansion pack related, patterns, or yes, even cc. Though I personally don't mind about the last thing.

It has been said that if you don't own something the other player owns, it will be replaced with something that you do own.

I honestly don't think the social aspect of this EP, or even on the future Sims 4, is going to be so 'social' that it won't respect people's privacy. Wouldn't EA get a whole lot of criticism if they dared to go in that sort of direction without having limits and the option to not be social at all? I'm sure EA are aware that some people just want to play the game for the sake of playing the game, and not to connect with friends. I doubt they are ever going to take that away from anyone. I reckon EA are only introducing this social aspect because, like everyone says, Facebook and other social networking sorts of things are on the rise with the new generation and I'll admit even I, a member of that generation, will probably opt out of this a lot of the time, but I know a whole lot of people that won't and that will in fact adore this new feature. EA are just keeping up with the times and this was inevitable, like a lot of people have said.

A lot of people are sighing in dismay at how disappointed they are that the sixth EP is not Seasons, but we have to remember that there are four more EPs due to come out in the next couple of years, and Seasons could be any one of them.

I also think that if they added the singing, magic and acrobats to LN as well as the current new skills and careers, it would kind of seem far too much. I still stand in seeing LN as a 'night life, clubbing' sort of expansion pack and Showtime being a sort of entertainment-based theatrical arts EP.

This EP seems to be dividing people, especially on the official forums, down the middle, opinion wise, but really I don't think we can be 'disappointed' at an EP we haven't experienced yet. Those of us who are annoyed at EA and think this EP sounds like a let down might well grow to love it!

[CreativeCrayola]

I've heard a rumor that Sims 4 is going to be focused on Social Aspects, and, with The Sims Social as a possible tester for the response of a fan-base to Facebook type features (one could argue that TSS tested the waters for Social Aspects), it was simply inevitable. What with the rise in popularity of Facebook and all. (According to Alexa, Facebook is the number 1 ranked site in the world, ahead of Google and Wikipedia.)

If TS4 is like this, I probably won't play it. I never played TS1 or TS2, but I absolutly love TS3, and I love how it is.

To me, Showtime looks great, especcilly the acrobatics 

[Leto85]

It has been said that if you don't own something the other player owns, it will be replaced with something that you do own.

I honestly don't think the social aspect of this EP, or even on the future Sims 4, is going to be so 'social' that it won't respect people's privacy. Wouldn't EA get a whole lot of criticism if they dared to go in that sort of direction without having limits and the option to not be social at all? I'm sure EA are aware that some people just want to play the game for the sake of playing the game, and not to connect with friends. I doubt they are ever going to take that away from anyone. I reckon EA are only introducing this social aspect because, like everyone says, Facebook and other social networking sorts of things are on the rise with the new generation and I'll admit even I, a member of that generation, will probably opt out of this a lot of the time, but I know a whole lot of people that won't and that will in fact adore this new feature. EA are just keeping up with the times and this was inevitable, like a lot of people have said.

A lot of people are sighing in dismay at how disappointed they are that the sixth EP is not Seasons, but we have to remember that there are four more EPs due to come out in the next couple of years, and Seasons could be any one of them.

I also think that if they added the singing, magic and acrobats to LN as well as the current new skills and careers, it would kind of seem far too much. I still stand in seeing LN as a 'night life, clubbing' sort of expansion pack and Showtime being a sort of entertainment-based theatrical arts EP.

This EP seems to be dividing people, especially on the official forums, down the middle, opinion wise, but really I don't think we can be 'disappointed' at an EP we haven't experienced yet. Those of us who are annoyed at EA and think this EP sounds like a let down might well grow to love it!

I agreed with everything you've said. I also assume EA will make this kind of communication save. Therefore I think the communication will be stricked either by the game asking your for the permission of a sim from someone else is allowed to do this or that and you either accept or denied it, rather than really talking to each other.
Because you have gamers, and you have gamers. And some of them could like to actually bully other kids. That could really ruin the fun for a lot of gamers. And ofcourse EA has forseen this so I am quite sure they will come up with some handy tool to deal with it.
If it will be the option I've stated I don't know yet of course, but I'm looking forward to their solution.

[xFezIsAFreakx]

I agreed with everything you've said. I also assume EA will make this kind of communication save. Therefore I think the communication will be stricked either by the game asking your for the permission of a sim from someone else is allowed to do this or that and you either accept or denied it, rather than really talking to each other.
Because you have gamers, and you have gamers. And some of them could like to actually bully other kids. That could really ruin the fun for a lot of gamers. And ofcourse EA has forseen this so I am quite sure they will come up with some handy tool to deal with it.
If it will be the option I've stated I don't know yet of course, but I'm looking forward to their solution.

Yes, I'm pretty sure you'll need permission from the other gamer to have your sim imported into their game. I haven't thought very much about how the messaging system will work, but I reckon it'll just be something along the lines of having other sims as your 'friends' and then messaging them that way in-game, but it could be anything.

[Twinmum]

However they do the social thing, I know one thing though. I will not be adding random members from the official site as friends just to send my Sims places. When I first started using Facebook, I played a lot of the games there and you needed friends to advance in the games so I kept adding all these people who also played as my friends. Before long I had a friend list that was so long and only a handful of people I actually knew. I soon got sick of it and stopped playing the games and purged my friend list of all the unknowns.
They say that in Sims, having your Sim visit another to preform will unlock certain things and I can live with that. Having no friends (and by that I mean people I interact with outside of the computer) that play Sims 3 I will turn to friends here from the forum to fulfill that aspect of the game. That is of course if anyone will have me  At least I feel I know you guys.

Norma

[Leto85]

Yes, I'm pretty sure you'll need permission from the other gamer to have your sim imported into their game. I haven't thought very much about how the messaging system will work, but I reckon it'll just be something along the lines of having other sims as your 'friends' and then messaging them that way in-game, but it could be anything.

Oh yes, of course you need to get permission from someone. I assume it will at least work like that.
But whatever the outcome of it, feel free to hount my town Fez, when we've got the game.

Edit: Same for you Twinmum. Had to edit this post for it, as we've both posted our previous around the same time.

[xFezIsAFreakx]

Oh yes, anyone can feel free to put me and my sims on their friends' list, too.

[folcon]

I'm curious about the achievements aspect of Show Time.  Do you think you might be able to unlock certain items by completing them?  It seems like an aspect that would be linked to your EA account to keep track of them, so it would make sense that certain achievements might unlock certain (hopefully free) dlc from the store.