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Lab Assistant
#126 Old 17th Jul 2019 at 1:47 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Mspigglypooh
They arent going to.... I would truly be surprised if they do... If anything they will be quite negative about this new simulation game


I don't think James would just dismiss it. I don't know, I think he gets kind of a bad rep, he isn't really a full blown YIB if you watch a lot of his content. He has a Sims 2 series that I've been watching (because I can't play TS2 at the moment) and he pretty much constantly complains that TS4 isn't what TS2.
If this game got some traction, and the maker posted some new gameplay vids - if James does comment on it, I really doubt it would be negative. Maybe at worst "Well I'm not sure this will ever be made," which is already what everyone here has been saying.

Just my two cents.

Deli is another story, I as well, can't really stand her.
I also wanted to say James wasn't harsh or anything, but he definitely didn't like the new design, so there you go.
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Mad Poster
#127 Old 17th Jul 2019 at 1:52 AM
I've seen a few of her videos, and she seems to like a lot of stuff other simmers dislike, almost as if she's afraid of saying she doesn't like it. One may almost think she's trying to positively advertise everything. Just because you went to graphic design school doesn't mean you're an expert. Even professional graphic designers are capable of making poor design choices. She said in that video she hadn't worked much as a graphic designer (if any) and it's the actual experience that counts.

Remember that some of these Simming Youtubers get some perks, like getting to try out the games before launch, and I think some of their enthusiasm may be somewhat false advertisements so as not to lose these perks. Not sure if she's one of them, but I think so.

James doesn't seem to be as afraid of voicing his real opinion, though he's also a little careful in the way he speaks about the TS4 content.
Mad Poster
#128 Old 17th Jul 2019 at 2:38 AM
Sorry guys but I can't help it.....this game is promising the world, but with these graphics I really couldn't care much less for it. Cool if it claims to have all the major features of every Sims game, plus expansions, plus extra innovations, but I'm not sure how much of an achievement that is when it looks like a mobile game. That's setting the bar pretty low and it's by no means a major technical achievement. Maybe I'm just really difficult but if a game doesn't impress me on a technical level, a sort of "how the fresh hell are they pushing this simulation and these graphics 60+ times per second on my hardware?" kind of deal, I find it very hard to be impressed.
The problem with me is that once something impresses me, I then expect *everything* that comes after it to exceed that standard.

There's a few games that have really pushed my standards up over the years: RollerCoaster Tycoon, for its amazingly efficient simulation. The Sims 2, for its attention to detail and high-end graphics years before the rest of the industry caught up. The Sims 3, for its sense of scale and unprecedented customization options, and Transport Fever for putting Cities Skylines in its place and simulating huge, graphically advanced worlds with a high degree of realism. The realism is a constant because to me, it indicates that the game is using everything the underlying technology can offer.

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( Join my dumb Discord server if you're into the whole procrastination thing. But like, maybe tomorrow. )
Theorist
#129 Old 17th Jul 2019 at 9:15 AM
Quote: Originally posted by parrot999
Also, no one seems to acknowledge this, but the simulation on the backend of a sims game is pretty intensive... The first game was isometric for a reason. The more complex a simulation, the more limited graphics can be without limiting system reqs too much... This is why shooters and the like usually have the most detailed graphics, because the simulation is usually pretty light. It's all about what is happening under the hood, and game development isn't magic.... Though anything is better than EA coding...


I think most people are aware how freaking labour intensive a Sims-style game is as far as the creation of the simulation and gameplay are concerned. And personally I'm not asking for high-end graphics. I'd be fine with an isometric game for example, but if the "Sims" in this game end up looking and moving like the animals in Equilinox (which I don't believe but let's take the worst case scenario) then all the curved walls and resizable windows in the world won't make me interested.

Avatar by MasterRed
Taking an extended break from Sims stuff. Might be around, might not.
Mad Poster
#130 Old 17th Jul 2019 at 10:15 AM Last edited by simmer22 : 17th Jul 2019 at 10:25 AM.
I do wonder if there will be patterns, and not just simple colored cell shading. It is a whole lot easier to just use single colored cell shading for everything because there is no need to worry about uvmapping and texturing. Could explain why they went for that style to begin with. If all pieces only have a single flat color with some shadows, it would be so much easier to stretch and pull elements around without getting distortions in the texture. Even adding in a color wheel would probably be a piece of cake if you have no patterns or UV maps to worry about. The 3D models are more important to get right though, because they wouldn't get proper shading if they lack detail.
Field Researcher
#131 Old 17th Jul 2019 at 10:51 AM
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
I do wonder if there will be patterns, and not just simple colored cell shading. It is a whole lot easier to just use single colored cell shading for everything because there is no need to worry about uvmapping and texturing. Could explain why they went for that style to begin with. If all pieces only have a single flat color with some shadows, it would be so much easier to stretch and pull elements around without getting distortions in the texture. Even adding in a color wheel would probably be a piece of cake if you have no patterns or UV maps to worry about. The 3D models are more important to get right though, because they wouldn't get proper shading if they lack detail.


The dev did say patterns etc was something he was looking to add. That makes me happy. But yeah I agree that the models are most important.
Instructor
#132 Old 17th Jul 2019 at 1:21 PM
I could see myself (having won a lottery of course) going to an architect and designing my new house with something like this.

"No, I would like my bay window to be a little bit deeper, my stairs a little to the right........" . If it doesn't succeed in its' Sim's game possibilities it might be a good tool for architects and customers to have fun with before getting to the actual architects' designs. Save a lot of disappointment on the customer's part! Isn't that somewhat on the lines Will Wright was thinking about before he changed to The Sims?
One horse disagreer of the Apocalypse
#133 Old 17th Jul 2019 at 2:11 PM
Well you can buy home design modellers for very reasonable prices, and there is even a free online one. They're very good for getting the idea of whether you'll be able to see your garden from the kitchen sink, or whether furniture will fit where you were thinking of putting it. Obviously the cheap ones are not all that photorealistic, but they're as good as the sims graphics lol

"You can do refraction by raymarching through the depth buffer" (c. Reddeyfish 2017)
Instructor
#134 Old 17th Jul 2019 at 3:17 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Inge Jones
Well you can buy home design modellers for very reasonable prices, and there is even a free online one. They're very good for getting the idea of whether you'll be able to see your garden from the kitchen sink, or whether furniture will fit where you were thinking of putting it. Obviously the cheap ones are not all that photorealistic, but they're as good as the sims graphics lol


Yes, but this one might be more fun. :D
Field Researcher
#135 Old 17th Jul 2019 at 5:46 PM
Can anyone answer what #madewithhunity means? I understand Unity is game engine used by lots of developers. But each time I see something about paralives game, I see the following hashtag. madewithhunity, with an h. Why is that? Is this game real for sure? I would love to try it, but looking through a lot of things over on twitter or where this little indie game is located (no real link to .com website, you have to follow other people's links, doesn't come up search engine as a real domain) you see the madewithhunity. And not Unity.
Mad Poster
#136 Old 17th Jul 2019 at 6:05 PM
It's really easy to misspell something every time and not notice it. Usually it's muscle memory. You're so used to typing one thing that another, similar string of letters suddenly becomes a very strange and confusing affair.

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( Join my dumb Discord server if you're into the whole procrastination thing. But like, maybe tomorrow. )
Mad Poster
#137 Old 17th Jul 2019 at 6:35 PM
Yeah tell that to Trump and his negative covfefe. I personally love my covfefe black, but some prefer it negative.

Because the earth is standing still, and the truth becomes a lie
A choice profound is bittersweet, no one hears Cassandra Goth cry

Theorist
#138 Old 17th Jul 2019 at 6:46 PM
I only became aware of this potential game after watching onlyabidoang's video on Youtube yesterday. I don't play Sims 4 much at all so I barely go in these forums (I play Sims 3 mainly). Anyhow, this looked interesting so I'll be keeping an eye on the progress. As for the debate about graphics vs. game play, I admit I like good graphic/realism but all the bells and whistles won't make up for a bad game. I am so old to remember being greatly amused by that lame-o "An elf enters a cave and what do you do? There is an axe near by." You know the written game no graphics, just a bunch of what do you do. If you choose to throw the axe such and such happens. We thought THAT was high tech at one point. :D

"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." Will Rogers
One horse disagreer of the Apocalypse
#139 Old 17th Jul 2019 at 6:47 PM
I think he meant kerfuffle but was using voice typing.

"You can do refraction by raymarching through the depth buffer" (c. Reddeyfish 2017)
Mad Poster
#140 Old 17th Jul 2019 at 7:12 PM
Simple games are the best. One of the most satisfying games I've ever had the pleasure of playing is King's Valley II on MSX. Games that are more complex should offer a challenge on different levels simultaneously.
King's Valley II's challenge is, collect the coins and find the exit without encountering any mummies. SimCity's challenge is, maximize your ratings in each category. The Sims' challenge is much further up Maslow's pyramid, not just for the Sims but for the player themselves. Successfully completing tasks helps keep needs up, which allows Sims to grow as people, which allows the player to improve Sims' lives in a variety of ways, which in turn challenges the player to design increasingly appealing living spaces. If a game can't offer a different challenge on each layer of its gameplay, it'll probably be very boring. Look at Cities Skylines, which is a sandbox game that doesn't manage to really put up any challenge other than "keep building stuff until you get bored".

What little I have seen of this game, suggests to me that it'll be another Cities Skylines. Most sandbox-style games are nowadays. If it's not an uphill battle, what else is there to do besides blindly building and buying?

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( Join my dumb Discord server if you're into the whole procrastination thing. But like, maybe tomorrow. )
Instructor
#141 Old 17th Jul 2019 at 9:18 PM
Quote: Originally posted by HCAC
I only became aware of this potential game after watching onlyabidoang's video on Youtube yesterday. I don't play Sims 4 much at all so I barely go in these forums (I play Sims 3 mainly). Anyhow, this looked interesting so I'll be keeping an eye on the progress. As for the debate about graphics vs. game play, I admit I like good graphic/realism but all the bells and whistles won't make up for a bad game. I am so old to remember being greatly amused by that lame-o "An elf enters a cave and what do you do? There is an axe near by." You know the written game no graphics, just a bunch of what do you do. If you choose to throw the axe such and such happens. We thought THAT was high tech at one point. :D


I loved those type of games at the time. I wonder what happened to those people who made them. Are they running companies now or servile programmers to EA and such.
One horse disagreer of the Apocalypse
#142 Old 23rd Jul 2019 at 12:08 PM
Well I actually think what she's saying makes sense. Watch with interest and hope, but don't invest money in it. If it was kickstarter then fine, but you never get money back off patreon if it all pours into a dead end.

"You can do refraction by raymarching through the depth buffer" (c. Reddeyfish 2017)
Lab Assistant
#143 Old 23rd Jul 2019 at 1:20 PM Last edited by TRobbins : 23rd Jul 2019 at 2:05 PM.
Quote: Originally posted by Gargoyle Cat

Sims is over 20 years old? I apparently must have slept for a couple of years because I thought TS1 was released in 2000. runs off to check
Nope, not crazy, it was released in 2000



The quote is that EA has been working on the life simulation for over 20 years. Which is in fact true. Sims didn't just appear out of the nether in the year 2000. To be honest though, I'm not sure those twenty years taught them anything except how to make more money by doing less work.
Mad Poster
#144 Old 23rd Jul 2019 at 1:24 PM
Come to think of it, from the building bits, it seems paralives already won with it. If it has everything or features that are more worth trading, there's a good reasons for builders to switch over to that game If they're not for live mode. Paralives has a good opportunity to steal building-type players.

P.S. Sorry for my bad english.
Mad Poster
#145 Old 23rd Jul 2019 at 2:07 PM
Quote: Originally posted by starryeyedSim
Can anyone answer what #madewithhunity means? I understand Unity is game engine used by lots of developers. But each time I see something about paralives game, I see the following hashtag. madewithhunity, with an h. Why is that? Is this game real for sure? I would love to try it, but looking through a lot of things over on twitter or where this little indie game is located (no real link to .com website, you have to follow other people's links, doesn't come up search engine as a real domain) you see the madewithhunity. And not Unity.

iTs ThE sAmE rEaSoN zOoMeRs tYpE lIkE tHis

Mad Poster
#146 Old 23rd Jul 2019 at 2:23 PM
Quote: Originally posted by jje1000
iTs ThE sAmE rEaSoN zOoMeRs tYpE lIkE tHis


If it was a thing, urban dictionary would already cover it. Probably just a misspelling and nothing more.

P.S. Sorry for my bad english.
Instructor
#147 Old 23rd Jul 2019 at 3:17 PM
From what I see of the demands on Twitter the poor developer is going to collapse with overwork shortly if he tries to do all what is expected of him. There's a long list of twitterers demanding he puts in their requirements. Paralives? I wonder if Paradox will like that if they have the same ideas for the Humble effort along the same lines perhaps?

It might be fun to play and I might buy it if he manages to get it off the ground but if not he could get snatched up by some large developer for his ideas.
Mad Poster
#148 Old 23rd Jul 2019 at 3:44 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Hamishmc
From what I see of the demands on Twitter the poor developer is going to collapse with overwork shortly if he tries to do all what is expected of him. There's a long list of twitterers demanding he puts in their requirements.

That's how it is in discord too If you haven't seen it. I'm not sure how Alex be able to keep up, because for me personally it's overly active and fast chat that you can't really stay on a specific topic before it jumping so quickly. I would have just started with a forum instead of bothering creating a channel.

Though I think I'll wait how this games will turn out before sharing my own ideas/feedback. We don't really know whole lot at a moment, so I'll wait to see a bit longer and/or bigger teaser that covers how the game actually plays out and operates. It's may be not par with TS, maybe it will, maybe it have more, or maybe it be something different and unique. I leave the developer to figure out the formula and give us basic components to what a life simulator needs. Later on, after finishing the product I'm sure more things by general consensus demands will be added.

P.S. Sorry for my bad english.
Instructor
#149 Old 25th Jul 2019 at 3:33 PM
Quote: Originally posted by TRobbins
The quote is that EA has been working on the life simulation for over 20 years. Which is in fact true. Sims didn't just appear out of the nether in the year 2000. To be honest though, I'm not sure those twenty years taught them anything except how to make more money by doing less work.


Don Hopkins started working on The Sims in 1997 so it shows how much work was put into it before that came out. His resume is on his 'Medium' page and also a lot of interesting stuff as well about Sims and Will Wright. Worth a look but nothing about any latest project unfortunately.
https://medium.com/@donhopkins
Mad Poster
#150 Old 25th Jul 2019 at 4:03 PM Last edited by AGuyCalledPi : 25th Jul 2019 at 4:16 PM.
One of the things I know about The Sims is that they had to pretty much reinvent the wheel. They didn't just have a bunch of guys figuring out how they wanted their software to work, they had a team that basically had to invent the mechanics of it from scratch.
And especially the theory and the research behind completely normal things within the game environment such as the hierarchy of Sim needs and the (for its time) highly advanced UX design of it, I think there's a full decade's worth of experimentation in there.
One of the things that The Sims does very well, that other video games were years off from even trying, was how seamlessly you could interact with the game world. The fact that you could receive information just from visual cues and from hovering over objects, and the fact that you could essentially play the entire game by left-clicking on objects within the game world itself, rather than some frustratingly complex user interface stuck to the bottom of the window, was pretty cool.

I like the article that's linked on the Medium page above me....about how something as simple as a pie menu was the absolute cutting edge of human-computer interaction 30 years ago. I think people nowadays underestimate how much user interfaces used to suck. My 1987 MSX2 wasn't even designed for mouse input, I think, so all the original software for it expects the user to be comfortable with a variety of hotkeys.

TS1, at its core, is pretty much older than home computing as we came to know it in the 90s. I'm pretty sure this version is from the tail end of development, considering some of the tech demos go back to 1991 (I think).
Anyone have a link to that initial design document, I think it was written by Will Wright himself, with a black-and-white rendering of a modern home on the cover?

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( Join my dumb Discord server if you're into the whole procrastination thing. But like, maybe tomorrow. )
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