SimGuruGeorge has shared a couple of GIFs over on Twitter of a more ‘green’ looking Willow Creek. While he hasn’t gone in to detail as to what is different within the GIFs, you do have to admit that Willow Creek looks more beautiful than normal!
What a nice ‘green’ day in Willow Creek.#TheSims4ecoLifeStyle pic.twitter.com/5jvJTX8abQ
— SimGuruGeorge (@SimGuruGeorge) May 13, 2020
Another nice peaceful scene before bed. pic.twitter.com/yDRijs8CS5
— SimGuruGeorge (@SimGuruGeorge) May 13, 2020
I’m tired of all this utopian perfection. What happened to the Sims. Bring Will Wright back
You can let the worlds suffer if you want. They said that if you don’t take care of the pollution in an individual world it will get worse.
Nah it’s lost to the fuckers at EA. It’s no longer in Wright’s hands. We’re stuck with lacking content and weak ass packs
I don’t see how you are “stuck” with anything. Just don’t buy it. Easy.
”Just dont bye it”. While I agree, that if you dont like something you shouldnt give them money, most people buy TS4 because it has no competition. Also people love the franchise, even if they arent happy with how bad the game is.
Well I’m buying the stuff because I actually like the content.
John, I personally believe that if we don’t like the content as Simmers we have every right to express our displeasure. People who say if you don’t like it don’t buy it need to grow up. We all have a say. EA only knows how their content is being received if Simmers give feedback. So all those who say “If you don’t like it don’t buy it” should shut it if they are happy with the content and move along.
I think most people buy it because they enjoy the game. This franchise has completed games like TS3 and TS2 for people to go back to who don’t want to invest in TS4 and at cheaper rates (or just about free with TS2 when EA was giving out the entire game with expansions etc) so really if someone is that dissatisfied they do have options and it comes off as silly to invest time into a game you don’t enjoy.
Everyone can express displeasure about a pack or the sims in general and shouldn’t be “stopped” from expressing your opinion (not sure there is a way you actually could be stopped). However, if you constantly complain about the Sims 4 and the packs and are still buying them, it’s a bit counterintuitive, because unless you’re a game-changer your opinions will get lost in everyone else’s, but whether or not you buy something can’t be ignored. EA will respond to money losses if enough people don’t buy the Sims 4 packs. Possibly by stopping the franchise, but also likely by making changes since it isn’t an insignificant part of their profit.
I actually like the Sims 4, the build system is fun and intuitive in a way it’s never been before, and while the multitude of expansion, game, and stuff packs is definitely a cash grab – we are actually getting a lot more content both in build/buy, CAS, and gameplay. Yes, we lost the open world. But to me, that wasn’t super important, and I enjoy the open neighborhood areas in the Sims 4 because they feel more purposeful, not just an open area with collectibles. Also, the world designs are absolutely beautiful and detailed in a way they wouldn’t have been able to do with an open world without requiring their casual players to get better gaming systems. Which is smart because most of their players are casual.
From what I’ve seen, a lot of people’s complaints are along the lines of “it’s not the Sims 3 or 2”, which if that’s the problem they can just play those. Also, I’m always confused about the lack of gameplay comments, because there is so much more you can do in the Sims 4 than 3 in terms of Sim interactions and involvement in their work and personal lives. And there are packs they made actually good for the first time, such as Get Famous (none of the previous fame parks were any good honestly) and Discover University (while it is very difficult to get your sims through college with a full credit load, it’s really fun and very replayable). Also, this is the first time they have done things that are really different and unexpected, like Strangerville, Island Living, Get Together, and Get To Work (because the fully interactable careers with locations and the alien planet you can actually visit are really different from anything in earlier versions), and now with Eco Lifestyle and Knifty Knitting, it will be super interesting to see what they come up with. And these packs are by no means perfect, but neither were any of the packs in Sims 3, 2, or the original.
This is not to say that there haven’t been huge mistakes of packs (in my opinion based of the usability, replayability, and the number of items and gameplay options) – many of the stuff packs fall here – Luxury Party Stuff, Romantic Garden Stuff, Spooky Stuff, My First Pet Stuff, Cool Kitchen Stuff, and Fitness Stuff. Also, Perfect Patio Stuff and Backyard Stuff feature items and gameplay that would have normally been included in the base game or seasons, which is understandably frustrating. For game packs, Dine Out is too buggy to work, Realm of Magic is way too OP without mods, and Strangerville, while I loved playing the story for a few hours, it’s not really replayable. Cats and Dogs – while it has a positive consensus in the community, to me seemed like a huge cop-out, since the vet clinic is basically an extension of what exists in Get To Work, they seemed to take out stuff to be included in My First Pet Stuff, and the pets aren’t controllable – but significant partial code exists to control and read their information and needs (see the mod for controlling pets), so they basically sent us something incomplete and far inferior to all previous versions. I wouldn’t have been as disappointed if these choices seemed to be intentional choices for the benefit of the players or for the benefit of adhering to a theme or style of gameplay, as the world is beautiful and the cats and dogs are still fun to watch and have your sims interact with, even if having them be uncontrollable makes them feel like NPCs.
But there’s also been huge successes, beyond having a pack type, like University or Fame, finally, be good or trying something new and risky that only partially pans out. Whether these packs are your style of gameplay or not, Parenthood, Vampires, Tiny Living, Laundry Day, Movie Hangout, City Living, and Get Together are actually really well done, even if they’re different than what we might have expected.
What I’m trying to say is that if we want to continue buying the games, it helps to have perspective and be open-minded for changes that are made, instead of stopping ourselves from enjoying things because they are not the same as before or exactly what we wanted to get.
For me, the best example is Cats and Dogs, so I bought it on sale and after trying all aspects, I just use the ones I enjoy most, sometimes cats or dogs and the world, and frequently the build/buy items. Another good example is that I never used to play with families, but the changes to both children and toddlers, along with the additions of their stuff packs and parenthood, have made it much more interesting and enjoyable than I expected for a person who generally enjoys playing with one or two, usually adult, sims at most.
I’m not saying that I play them as much as the packs I love more, but if you’re buying the packs anyway it’s worthwhile to give them all a chance to be fun by keeping an open mind and giving all the features a shot, before discounting them.
If you really dislike them and are disappointed with them and want EA to make changes, it makes sense to choose not to buy them or even buy them on sale, if you just like them less but are not entirely disappointed, because that’s the clearest way we have to communicate with EA as individuals, beyond the surveys they send out, which rarely include questions about specific existing packs.
Lastly, I would like to note that I am aware that almost no one, if anyone, will read this exceptionally long reply, but I had fun writing it and it was a great way for me to encompass what I’ve been feeling and thinking about the growing dissent for the Sims franchise in the current Sims 4 era.
Lol don’t like it DON’T PLAY IT
Thank you
Will Wright only worked on Sims 1.
The sims have really taken a turn. Knitting?? Eco living? Wheres the werewolves and fun shit?? If I wanted to knit or pick up litter I would go outside and do it. Not watch a simulated character do it. Borrring. Def won’t buy the next two packs coming out.
I’m sorry but if you didn’t like Knitting you should have got more people to vote for something more “fun” it is a community voted stuff pack the Sims team didn’t pick it the community did, take it up with them.
If you don’t like people’s replies maybe you should get more people with your state of mind to reply.
Hopefully away from The Sims. Werewolves games exist. This is a life simulator. Knitting and Eco Living were literally fan-voted.
Not to sound rude, but people who ask for these things in sims instead of playing a werewolf game ask because they don’t want to play those games. Most werewolf games (at least all I’ve seen) are about violence, either kill the werewolf, or be a werewolf killing the town. Nothing at all like sims 2 or sims 3 (which had werewolves, this isn’t a new idea for the series) These people want to play a life sim just like you, they just want a touch of magic and fantasy to distract and make it more interesting than their day to day life.
No one is forcing people who don’t want supernatural packs to get them and no one is forcing supernatural players to get “boring” packs. Since the first sims game, EA has catered to both sides. I feel like the problem here is that neither side seems to understand where the other is coming from and resorts to attacking the other over packs they don’t like that no individual had control over.
“Since the first sims game, EA has catered to both sides”. Have they? The original The Sims only had a supernatural pack – which was, in fact, more of a Harry Potter homage, at the very end. The Sims 4 has had supernatural game packs already (Vampires, Strangerville, Realm of Magic) and supernatural elements thrown in (aliens, mermaids). Yet, we have to read “BORING” and “NO ONE WANTS THIS” every time. Worse, EA and devs “are lazy and uncreative”. Guess what? Knitting and Ecoliving were fan-voted. They are what we want. This types of pack always win polls and surveys. They are the best sellers. So, if you want to play a life simulator, don’t demand it’s more of a supernatural game because life-simulating is “boring”.
It seems like we’re getting more in sims 4 simply because they’re spreading it out across several packs instead of putting all the supernaturals into just one or two packs like they used to. Despite having twice as many packs focused around supernatural elements as we had before we don’t have half of what we used to have in terms of types of supernaturals.
It sucks to hear people insult a pack you’re looking forward to. I get it. It happens both ways from both sides. Though it’s annoying, I feel like it can be necessary because otherwise EA won’t get to hear both sides.
Arts and crafts was my second choice after the grim reaper pack and though I’m disappointed we won’t get to experience what that would have been like since it’s a completely new concept to the series, I’m not mad. I’ll still get knitting because sims need more hobbies and I love the concept. I wish they’d added more of their other ideas for arts and crafts in with it because a whole pack focused completely around one hobby feels a little small and under done, but honestly it’s EA, expecting multiple crafts in and arts and crafts pack is too high of an expectation I guess.
I can’t say I was a fan of eco living at first because initially I thought the idea sounded more like a game pack than an expansion pack, but seeing all the new hobbies like nectar making and candle making, I’m coming around. I obviously can’t speak for the whole community, but I don’t think most supernatural players hate the new packs just because they want supernatural packs. It’s more these packs feel like they contain less, especially to someone who doesn’t use that type of gameplay often.
Again, we aren’t asking for supernatural just because we prefer those types of games to a life simulator. We’re asking for it because the sims have given it to us before and most life simulators don’t give us the option to have fun with magic and monsters. (And let’s be honest, even ignoring the supernatural aspect, I’ve never seen another life simulator that works as good as the sims that we even could switch to to get away from EA’s greed) We don’t want to play a game focused on purely on supernaturals. We want a life sim with supernaturals which is honestly pretty different. I love legacy challenges and there aren’t really any other games I can find where I can play generation after generation of my family of witches/werewolves/mermaids. In my games the addition of supernaturals adds so much more to what the story would be without them.
The sims is a simulation game and in most part is concentrated on realism. If you want “strange stuff” there are many other games. Let’s not ruin this game with supernatural garbage that you can find easily. What is hard is to find a game that mat be used by story tellers which much more fun and interesting in my opinion.
Dude, there’s nothing wrong with someone having a different way to play a game. Everyone has their own tastes and playstyles. There isn’t any “certain way” to play the sims – the sims franchise is for everyone. What makes it great is that it can be both silly and serious, “fun” and “realistic” at the same time. At the end of the day, you’re both paying for a product, and you both get to complain. It’s okay to just want to have fun, if that’s what they wanna do.
Couldn’t you say the *exact* same about the comment you are defending, though?
And what about people who like to tell stories with “supernatural garbage”? Most games with a focus on that tend to be rpgs and other games focused on a set story line, without much of anything similar to what the sims offers. The sims series has always had things like vampires, werewolves, aliens, and witches. I respect that that isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and many people who enjoy supernatural gameplay can tend to be harsh towards realistic players, but no one is forcing people who enjoy realism to buy the packs that feature supernatural creatures and elements. We just feel as though EA is letting us down with lackluster packs recently and catering more towards one side of the fan base.
How? Last year alone you got Realm of Magic and Strangerville. Before that, Vampires. You get Game Packs solely based on supernatural. Family play only has *one pack*. You guys aren’t underserved. You are greedy and attack us and EA when you lose polls and surveys.
Then honestly, EA is letting us all down. I feel my side has been let down because many of the supernatural features that came with previous games gave us more for a cheaper price, (sims 3 which added every supernatural type in just one pack instead of stretching it across several) while I still am missing some of my favorites, like plantsims in sims 4, though I completely see where you’re coming from.
I don’t completely see how family play has only one pack? I guess parenthood is the only one that affects it directly, but I had always considered most of the expansion packs to play into that. Like being able to take your kids to the beach or go camping. Then the toddler stuff and kids room stuff stuff packs. (and my first pet stuff, but ew dlc for dlc)
For every supernatural pack, there are 3 or 4 realistic (or at least not supernatural??) packs that come out around the same time. That seems like a good ratio, since there’s not much more you can do with supernatural after you’ve got all the different sim types in, but it hurts sometimes to see something you’ve been looking forward to and asking for to be replaced by something like laundry day. (sorry to go on so long)
Hold tf up sir. You don’t have the right to call the people who want supernatural greedy when there are TWO packs dedicated to it. There are THIRTY TWO packs for the sims 4 and you are saying that two packs is too much. When 90% of the packs become supernatural themed come back and voice your opinion. Until then stfu, the “realistic” game play community has 30 packs dedicated to them and you still want more. The fact that you have the audacity to call the supernatural community greedy… I can’t with men like you.
All packs categorized in realistic and unrealistic groups:
19/34 Realistic
17/34 Unrealistic
In the words of Professor Trelawny “Broaden your minds!”
Family Play Packs Include:
Kids Room Stuff
Toddler Stuff
My First Pet Stuff – loads of kid stuff
Parenthood
Young Adult Life Packs include:
Discover Univerity – partly
City Living
Realistic Gameplay that is not exclusively YA or Family:
Dine Out
Spa Day
Outdoor Retreat
Laundry Day
Knifty Knitting
Movie Hangout
Bowling Night
Fitness Stuff
Backyard and Perfect Patio – kind of family-oriented though.
Cool Kitchen
Get to work – not the scientist career
Romantic Garden
Supernatural Packs include:
Vampires
Realm of Magic
Strangerville
Spooky Stuff – the paintings with moving eyes and the aesthetic totally fit here
Part of Island Living and Get to Work, but very much not the focus
Jungle Adventure – partly, since you can become a skeleton semi-permanently
Discover University – robots sort of fit here.
Unique and Interesting Gameplay Packs that are not Supernatural but not realistic for most people:
Get Famous
Eco Lifestyle
Island Living
Tiny Living Stuff
Jungle Adventure
Get to Work – the scientist career especially
Moschino Stuff
Vintage Glamour
Luxury Party
Romantic Garden – wishing well
Super natural isnt garbage you hoe
Some people don’t play supernatural or aren’t a fan of werewolves. You say you don’t want to watch stimulations of things that are boring but I would argue that watching sims eating, toileting and other things can be boring as well. Some people want realism and that includes normal things like knitting and laundry. Both community voted and shows, yet again, that people play differently and some want gameplay closer to real life.
Maybe dont play a life sim if you think simulating regular life is dumb?
The community voted on knitting, that wasn’t entirely EA.
In retrospect, they didn’t really offer anything more lucrative. It’s like wanting ice cream but being given a choice between onion stew and grilled fish.
I think the whole problem with TS4 (at least, in my opinion) is that they are trying WAY too hard to be realistic. This is a game that is supposed to be “reality” mixed in with “magic” or “surrealism” but they make everything way too realistic to a point where it becomes incredibly mundane and tedious. Not to mention almost all of the packs released feel like only half of the effort was made, while releasing other packs to complete previously released or upcoming packs. EA is really dropping the ball here with TS4. I don’t even know if I should be excited for TS5 if this is the route they decide to go with. Releasing beautiful landscape GIFs or photos is not helping win me over. Try again Maxis. I’d say make a better effort for the next pack, but it’s Nifty Knitting and that’s what the “community” apparently voted for so…
Finally someone says it! PREACH!
Custom content. That is all.
Some people cant get custom content
That’s what I was gonna say.
I agree so much with this. I’ve been playing the sims since the first one and as much as sims 4 obviously looks beautiful there’s so much that’s missing from the precious games that made it fun. I almost feel like we traded game mechanics and creativity for a better looking game that feels half assed. 🙁 I think if the sims 4 kept a lot of the fun things people loved about the previous games and added new content that people are asking for would have been great.
Tbh I’m kind of super worried for the sims 5 I heard (maybe rumours) that it’s going to be a online multiplayer game which… I kinda hate. The sims has always been a stand alone single player game and I think that’s exactly what makes it fun! If I wanted a multiplayer simulation game id go play multiplayer simulation games that already exist. But that’s just my opinion!
The Sims did have an online version a long, long time ago.
I kind of loved it
im not really into the idea of multiplayer sims either. I like being able to control everything in my world. We shall see I guess.
I don’t understand why some people think a game on such a poor engine and are scraps from a rejected mobile game would come out blazing from the gates. This game would’ve benefited from being held off but EA is a pro profit company and since the game could function it was pushed through. Plus they wanted to get people who had very old computers which worked against the game. TS5 has a better shot as a basegame because there is no mobile attempt and honestly it would sink it since there would be no logical reason after their decision with TS4 to pick a poor engine and make things harder for the gurus and customers. And yes the community overall wanted knitting as many enjoy realistic gameplay, gameplay that fits elders but also all ages and caters to historical players as well. And yeah some people are indeed still butthurt over the supernatural alternative even though that would fit a game pack because I highly doubt the people who voted for that would’ve been fine with just one of the gameplay options listed which is what would’ve happened since we were voting for a stuff pack.
Honestly with the sims 5 they should just say “screw you” to the people who have shitty computers and make the game suitable for more modern hardware. There is a big reason as to why the sims 4 is so lacking. Literally every game developer does that these days and they still make profit. I know it is rude, but you have shit hardware maybe buying a new game isn’t the smartest decision and you need to invest your money elsewhere.
I see no difference?
I like the way the new willow creek look. I hope they do stay realistic n not superficial. We do need cars and more controls options..
I posted a video in the sims community facebook team to show appreciation to the modders for making a cars mod.
Not only my post got deleted, but when I made another post asking them why they just deleted my post, they
BANNED me from the team. smh! We are not allowed to talk about how modders do a better job than EA?
There are plenty of active posts on the official forum discussing mods, mod lists and complaints about the game itself with or without mods. It’s likely there was another reason for your post being deleted including if it’s hijacking an old thread, there are links to anything considered inappropriate, etc.
Y’all know that eco lifestyle is literally what the community voted for in a previous survey? They’re literally making what we said we wanted. Cool your jets.
Thing is, as many other Simmers have mentioned before, we voted for that pack back in 2017. The Sims Team only started working on a pack revolving around that concept (meaning Eco Lifestyle) in 2019—meaning packs with a similar theme and similar content, like Laundry Day and Island Living, have already been released. So yeah, we DID vote for this pack once upon a time, but if given the same voting ability now, we probably would NOT have voted for a pack like this. Unique content aside, the entire theme of this expansion pack seems a tad recycled by many in the community now.
I get where everyone is coming from in terms of finding this pack a little too realistic and wanting some more strangeness, but I’m honestly glad they’re exploring a new pack rather than the same old ones. Hopefully there will be some a new supernatural creature. I miss the quirkiness of The Sims 1, with cake dancers and Drew Carey crashing house parties.
In defense of the “don’t like it don’t buy it” arguement, its actually quite valid.
People come onto a unofficial sims site (which I love and adore) and then say that they don’t like the direction the game is going.
The issue here is that why should the gurus read those comments? If people who don’t like it, don’t actually buy it, that sends a more obvious message to EA that people are unhappy with the content as purchases are lowered, or that’s just how i see it 🙂
y’all this comments section is giving me headache… why argue with each other? comment your thoughts and simply move on. what are you gonna accomplish by debating forum style? everyone seems so quick to attack and defend and make everything seem so personal. have problems? take it up with ea in a directed email or feedback response. no need to go rogue on fellow simmers! this comment is just meant to be a friendly reminder to be kind to one another… it’s just a game 🙂
lmao @ ppl calling the new expansion “recycled” ! anyone gonna acknowledge that you’re privileged enough to play video games stimulating a life better than your own when your life is desired by many in worse situations? i just think it’s funny cuz ea is out here using their platform and bringing awareness to a really important subject and yet our lazy asssses just play a game about fixing the environment while the real world falls apart! hilarious that y’all wanna complain about content.
Any idea on the clothing and piercing or tattoos we will get in this pack. I remember seeing an eyebrow and nostril, any other? As a person that LOVES body mods just as much The Sims i hope they are good at placement of them. Lol
Everyone’s arguing about realism Vs supernatural and I’m just here like… I like both lmao
I think this pack COULD be pretty good. The fact that it affects more than just the new world is promising, and I actually really like the theme, and it could make off-grid lots so much cooler! I feel like we know so little and lots of people aren’t really giving it a chance, complaining about not enough features before we even know all of the features, and I can understand why because half-assed packs have been a real problem for the price they’re set at.
I’ll probably end up buying eco living, but only if it goes on 50% off sale – I don’t think I’ve bought a single Sims pack at full price, they’re just not worth it for me as a poor student lol
The thing I think i miss the most about Sims 3, was the open world. I wouldn’t mind being patient for my interesting packs if there was an open world with cars and no loading screen. Sometimes, with all these packs, it takes so long to get through the loading screen.
I agree, I can’t stand this pack. Honestly it feels too close to politics. Please don’t EA… just don’t.
I agree, too political.
Too political???!! Bro our world is dying, if you don’t care about that maybe it’s time to get “political”
The world isn’t dying wtf…
Everyone complaining about the new packs coming out and “supernatural” vs “mundane really life”. What happened to the secret “worlds” you could discover. Is there really only 4?
I’m honestly so pissed off, people are getting mad cause they want supernatural stuff. This is supposed to be a simulator, people vote for this, especially during corona this is a good way of getting the idea of recycling into kids heads. If you want to play some supernatural bullshit then go elsewhere. People who actually like the game want something realistic. Not some crap about werewolves and violence. Again, this is a directed to teens. So get your 30 year old ass up and do some good in the world instead of complaining about sims4 putting in some envormental awareness.
…You do realize that the sims games have always had supernatural and weird elements to them right? People aren’t hoarding around and shouting at the developers of a purely realistic game to give them this stuff. Since the first sims game we’ve had aliens, expansion packs with witches and zombies. Every sims game has had some supernatural things. We like the game as much as you guys do. We don’t want violence (tho there are certainly mods for that, both realistic and supernatural) we want a life sim with a touch of magic like we’ve always had. Both sims 2 and sims 3 had werewolves without it being violent or otherwise unfit for teens.
I’d just be happy if my sim would start going to his acting gigs again.
I just wanted better babies that’s it. We gave ideas and they were ignored miserably.
At the end of the day there is no point arguing between simmers. As far as I see it we all have gotten screwed when it comes to gameplay and our different gameplay styles in this series. If you take previous iterations in the franchise there was a lot more for what you got. I just recently bought the sims 3 supernatural and I’m a family player, however I’m sometimes curious to play a family of witches or vampires or werewolves. There’s so much in that expansion pack I dont know where to start lol. I dont always feel that way with the sims 4. I feel like both supernatural players and family players a like got screwed over when comparing the depth of gameplay from previous games. There’s no use of us fighting each other. And that’s the biggest problem instead of giving contructive criticism to those who can actually make a change to the game. EA/Maxis.