TS3 L&P

[DrNerd]

Those two TS3 SimSelves would be hard to identify as being avatars of actual people.  My first instinct was "albino rhesus macaque" and "Bodie from Locke & Key."

To be fair, we're talking about the avatars of some simmers whose actual appearances are unknown to us. It's quite possible that they really are that ugly, and most likely really are that fat.

For me, the "doughiness" in the facial features isn't about fatness.  The faces just don't move right.  To me, TS2 Sims look like cartoon versions of real people, so the fact that the faces don't always move naturally isn't a problem, because you don't expect cartoons to obey the laws of nature.  The TS3 Sims look more like someone tried to make a real person out of a cartoon, and that's where the weirdness comes in for me.  The faces are just real enough that the cartooniness doesn't work, but still too cartoony to be real, and the whole thing comes off as slightly creepy.

Aside from that, given the limitations of recreating yourself in Sim form, SimSelves often look LESS odd than the actual person, at least if you're creating a SimSelf keeping the possibility of breeding in the back of your mind.  So if those two TS3 SimSelves are somewhat idealized versions of themselves, I weep for their actual appearance.

[jolrei]

If you're playing multiple households in a rotation, I would imagine the best method would be to turn aging off, play all families but one for a specific length of time each, then turn aging on and play the final family for the same period. This doesn't prevent sims from doing things you don't want when not being played, but it does keep aging in sync without provoking rapid deaths.

Yes, I imagine that if/when we all start doing things with TS3, it will only be a matter of time before workarounds are found for a number of "annoyances".  The community time issue is likely one of the least troublesome, as you have noted.

[Mandapotpie]

I also gathered that aging on/off was all or nothing. But I am also sure I read at Parsimonious, that you can have multiples of the same neighborhood. Like parallel universes, so I guess I will just have 1 family in each that I care about.

[rufio]

And yes, I got the impression that turning off neighborhood aging was an all-or-nothing deal too. That is unacceptable, and if it does turn out that way, it's a dealbreaker for me.

It would make playing a MATY hood that had more than one playable household almost impossible, I would think.  All of MATY could conceivably age and die within one rotation.

On the other hand, it would increase the lulz of random events occurrences (i.e. after playing the Lorelei house for 5 sim days, and then moving on to the Jelenedra house, one discovers that Jelenedra has had 3 kids, Khan (her husband) has left her to move in with Tigerlilley, and the Charlatan has moved in, potentially causing a BFBVFS).

Yes - the one thing that is still making me consider acquiring TS3 is that if the AI is good enough there is a definite possibility for lulz.  In fact, I'd probably enjoy just creating a neighborhood full of sims with incompatible personality traits and just sitting back and watching them make drama, but it would probably not be lulzy for long enough to merit the time it takes to torrent, and I have little faith that the AI would actually be that good.  And, when you get down to it, the reason for all the hours I've put into TS2 is that I actually start to care about what happens to the sims and try to write a unique story for most of them.  If these sims are going to be doing their own thing when I'm not watching them, I doubt I'd really start to care about their lives that much.

[Solowren]

I'm just not even thinking of Sims 3 as a sequel to Sims 2. For me, it's better to think of it as a completely different game. I will keep playing TS2, of course, but I will ARR TS3 and play that as well. Keeping them separate in my mind keeps me from being pissed off about all the shit they're doing to TS3.

[Zazazu]

The Oversoul does not approve of this lack of control. Sims must believe they can make their own choices, but must be kept within bounds. If they are not being closely watched, who will smite Romance sims who can't keep it in their pants after marriage? Who will grilled cheese zombify them when they persist in pursuing everything with a skirt? How will sims know they are not to have more than the perfect number of four children if those who violate the sacred number are not punished immediately, to awake at dawn with all of their children taken away and a plate of roasted babyfat at the door?

This is unacceptable.

Then it's a good thing my modding skills are rank beginner, then, because all the ideas I have for mods would infuriate you. They're all about introducing spontaneous actions and events into sims lives to cause CHAOS. Because that would make playing the game more of a challenge.

Chaos is allowable. Chaos can be fun. However, if I'm not able to view things as they happen, punishment (and the occasional reward) cannot be doled out properly. I pretty much let my sims do what they want, but actions which go against the mores of their community are punished severely. It makes me giggle.

[Giggy]

I'm not even going to bother touching this game.

Suck-u-rom, gamebreaking glitches on end, crashes etc.

I don't want that on my computer.

[nekonoai]

It'll be interesting to have a matytown reset... (and even more interesting to have an awesomeland reset) for ts3.

[J. M. Pescado]

You know, looking over one of those L&P videos with the sims just fading in out of the cars REALLY reminds me of Societies, because that's exactly what happens in Societies, too. TS3 really *IS* Sims Societies.

[mitchellcjs]

I figured they were just finally putting out Simsville.

[Inge]

You'll probably find they borrowed bits from all sorts of their games as a shortcut.  Why reinvent the wheel?  I wish they borrowed the water from that sailing sim I had.

[talysman]

I figured they were just finally putting out Simsville.

Same here. Although I notice they did away with the idea of *all* buildings being rabbit holes, including the homes. Also, I don't remember if sims in Simsville were supposed to leave their lots or not. I only remember that there was a dog roaming from lot to lot.

I had a lot of hopes for Simsville, but it certainly sounded boring the way they described it. Kind of like Sims 3.

[Alex]

It did look interesting, but they said it seemed too boring. Maxis had the ingenuity to put it to rest before they made a mistake. EA only thinks "Oh unreleased game? We'll mix it with shit, slap The Sims label on it and sell it. Damn the consequences!"

I was pleased to hear of their $641m loss though. They had that one coming for a long time.

[MrMugg]

It did look interesting, but they said it seemed too boring. Maxis had the ingenuity to put it to rest before they made a mistake.

Sounds like you are describing "Spore", except they really did release it.  Or perhaps EA did and said "Damn the consequences!"

[FourCats]

I figured that EA games didn't think there would be consequences.

"Put a sims or simcity label on it and they will buy it.  It's not like we have thinking and discriminating customers or anything."

[MaryH]

"Put a sims or simcity label on it and they will buy it.  It's not like we have thinking and discriminating customers or anything."

Er, no they don't, and EA knows this very well. You oughta see Snooty Sims' forum-full of "ohmygodhowamIgonnasurvive 4 four monthz!" wailing all over the damned place about the delayed release of Sims 3.

I made the mistake of pointing out that if that was the worst thing that ever happened to one, they were lucky. Shouldn't have, because all the 12s' went apeshit saying "oh, no...you just don't unnerstand me...I'm a speshul snowflake with all kinds of speshul life events...waaaah!"

These are people who are going to be voting in a few years, if they aren't already. God help us all!

[Marhis]

Hey, EA Games listens to its players, and they will put in Sims3 the things they like the most. There will be triplets, in TS3, right? 

[Inge]

If anyone happens to have any imaginary Sims 3 packages lying around, this viewer http://www.simlogical.info/Sims3ToolsForum/index.php?topic=17.0 will help you see what is in them.   Also copes with Spore packages.

[Tingeling]

Found this gem of information on the games different options:
Alala Sims

It's actually quite extensive. But I still ask myself, why are there no pool diving boards? Is that such a hard thing to do? And apparently we can have sims with skin colors such as blue or pink, but they're pretty much good for nothing. No vampires, no aliens, nothing.

[Kyna]

Sims don't need stair to get in or out of the swimming poll.

So a method of killing sims that was available in TS1 & TS2 is gone for TS3

[toad]

Sims don't need stair to get in or out of the swimming poll.

So a method of killing sims that was available in TS1 & TS2 is gone for TS3

I am sure there will still be FIRE.

[Maygus]

Their 2009 fiscal year ends on March 31, and 2010 fiscal year starts April 1, 2009.

That is what the delay is for-their accounting. Any losses for the game would be put into next year's sheets. Doesn't mean really that they're going to improve anything. I think it's for the figures and making the stockholders happy.

It's more likely that they're trying to concentrate their losses in FY2009 with the hope that FY2010 will show a profit.  Basically, if you already know that you're going to be under water in a given fiscal year then it's to your advantage to take all your losses in that year and defer (potential) profits to the next year.  If it works out then you can tell investors "yes, we lost money in FY2009 but look how we bounced back in FY2010!"

TS3 will sell well, no doubt, because there are so many players who will buy any Sims game just to give it a try.  Whatever I may think of EA's technical and creative decisions, I have to admit that pushing out the release of TS3 was probably a good business decision.

[Lyra]

From AlalaSims.com:
This:

Pregnant Sims are like in The Sims 2, but the pregnancy lasts six days.

and this:

Traits of baby Sims are determined by their mother humor during the pregnancy. While we played a baby had difficulties to sleep and other problems, because his mother hadn't an easy pregnancy.

If pregnancy is anything like it is in the Sims 2, then it's a major do not want. I imagine me never getting Sims pregnant in 3 if it is.

[Maygus]

I wonder if there will be an in-game cheat object, like the tombstone in TS2, which allows a player to accelerate pregnancies.

[SaraMK]

I am sure there will still be FIRE.

No there won't be. Haven't you been paying attention? The sims are now smart and take care of their needs. They do not need to be babysat or rescued from their own stupidity. Therefore, locking them in a closet with nothing but a bbq is not going to work anymore. They'll probably whip an axe out of their butt and knock a hole in the wall to escape.