Just curious! Do men and women play Sims 3 differently?

[moonshadow]

Up close and personal. I have some vision just not enough to drive.

[Leto85]

Up close and personal. I have some vision just not enough to drive.

That's a good point of view in my opinion.

[moonshadow]

True. 

EDIT: That's why I see the game as an escape. Because my sims can do the stuff I can't do.

[Veldmuisie]

Hey now, what is with the dollhouse comments.  The game has cars.  I played with cars as a kid.  And buildings too, who did not enjoy their hand-me-down Legos or Tinkertoys?  Honestly, if there was a "Randomize Clothing and Hair that is Fairly Reasonable" button, I would not spend any time dressing them.   Okay maybe a little time.  A lot less time!

[Hosfac]

Hey now, what is with the dollhouse comments.  The game has cars.  I played with cars as a kid.  And buildings too, who did not enjoy their hand-me-down Legos or Tinkertoys?

Barbie has a sports car, an RV and a "dream house."

What is the big hang up with the thought of playing with dolls?  If you've ever played with an action figure, you've played with a doll.  Don't get me wrong:  I don't agree with the comparison 100%, but geeze, you have to at least admit to the similarities.

[moonshadow]

I can see the similarities as I used to play with dolls, I just don't agree with the   comparison.

[Metropolis Man]

I can see the similarities as I used to play with dolls, I just don't agree with the   comparison.

So, just out of curiosity, when you say you play Sims to "escape" are you referring to escaping into the realities of your Sims — i.e. becoming/identifying with your Sims, or are you using escape as to mean you're simply escaping the real life realities that we all face and are simply looking for a fun diversion?

[moonshadow]

In a way both.

[Metropolis Man]

In a way both.

Well, if it's a simple diversion, I agree with you about the game being something different for you than a virtual dollhouse. But, if you enjoy becoming the characters and identifying with them in some way — hey, that's exactly what kids do in their imaginative play, right?

[moonshadow]

Right, I like having my sims drive around cause that's something I can't do or have children.

But hey life deals a hard hand sometimes just got to live through it.

[PrincessBean]

I'm a female, started out playing with families. Nowadays I usually play a single sim until I can't resist the temptation to make a family, play that for a while and then I get bored because I can't bear to have them die or change without me controlling every single aspect of their lives... To begin with I played very straightforward, easy families but then I realised how much of the game content I was missing out on and changed my whole style, so to speak. Now I usually play one sim in different takes on the game, changing her traits around except for one - she's a loner, and I loooove her for it. So I suppose it's only natural that with a game as complex and multifaceted as the Sims you will experience changes in how you play from time to time?

One thing I find interesting though, is that I have little interest in male sims. I just find them incredibly boring, unless they have strong characters and don't look at all generic. I've been wondering if this is because I'm a girl and consequently identify better with female sims, but really I think it has to do with how you can personify female sims a bit more - they have more clothes, hairstyles etc, and maybe the game emphasises certain traits that are more feminine? I don't know, what do you guys think about this?

Either way, I definitely don't feel like I'm playing a virtual dollhouse when I'm simming. I certainly wouldn't be getting up to all the crazy things you can do in Sims if I was. xD

[Saltypaws]

I have already stated that I like playing with large families, to me it is so much more interesting to have little ones running around and then move the first kids out and see what they do with their lives not under your control.  I have to admit, I have some sims that finished their LTW without me.  Also, if you think about it, I played with a doll house when I was young, you have a house, you rearrange the furniture and you move your dolls around and dress them and pretend feed them.  So, the way I see it, the sims are no different, except it is more modern and technical of course.  I think I would agree that it is, to some extent, a virtual dollhouse and there is nothing wrong with that in itself.  I know when I settle in to play, I really get into playing and am totally oblivious to things around me.  I have had my daughter be talking away and I am not even paying attention.  She doesn't even bother me now, lol.  So many people play the game differently, so who is to say there is a right or wrong way, because there isn't, there is only one way and that is your way.  Just from being on here for so long and talking with older members and moderators, you pretty much know how they each play and everyone has their own style, which that is what was intended with this game.  No matter what, I love playing and if you play a certain way, then you stick with it, because if it makes you happy, then do it.  Happy simming.

[DeNile]

I'm female and I play families, sort of like how PrincessBean plays. I'll start out one of two ways: with a single female sim, or with a couple. If I start with a single sim, I play for a week and make friends, find a romantic interest and move them in, then they get engaged, married, have kids. Or they don't get married and have kids. If I play with a couple they usually start out either married or dating and slowly work their way into financial security, and then they have kids.

A funny thing keeps happening though, if I move Cycl0n3 Sw0rd in before he's married to my Sim, he always rolls romantic wishes, get this, not for me or any other female Sim like Blair, but for his boss Conner Frio! But hey, love's love, right? Who am I to judge?

[moonshadow]

You know I'm glad I found this site. So way off topic.

[Katluvr]

I'm a married woman with no children but lots of dogs and cats.  If there were an option for pets my sims would have lots of them.  As it is I like to start out with a YA female sim (my females always turn out better looking than my males and I enjoying dressing them up - I also think I relate to them better) and hook her up with a male townie either for love or money (or preferably both) and let them start a small (2 kids max) family.  Although nooboos are cute, they are a pain to take care of (probably why I don't have any kids in real life) and they don't start to get interesting until they are toddlers.

I tend to play my sims along the lines of my values.  Premarital WooHoo is fine but babies wait until after marriage, and preferably after financial security/career success.  For the current writing challenge [edited —Metro].

I haven't been able to bring myself to roll an evil or mean-spirited sim yet, although my dynasty founder is a kleptomaniac.  I've had a lot of fun with this trait but I keep having to justify to myself why he is not a bad person.    I don't know if I'll ever actually be able to kill a sim on purpose.  In one of my first games I kept talking to a vampire Tiara Evangelista until she died from hunger.  I was horrified and felt so guilty afterwards.  

My sims seem to spend a lot of time trying to get wealth, fame and amazing homes.  With all our animals, nothing could be farther from my real life.  I love to build and decorate, although I'm not so good at either one.  None of my sims are much like me, although I may create a Sim-self.  I think her traits will be neurotic, bookworm, computer whiz, genius, and couch potato.  She'll probably end up playing TS3 all the time!