TS3 was to include weather.

[chann]

If you don't buy from the store don't buy from the store, but don't spoil the fun for everybody. For many simmers, the Sim Store is an invaluable service.

Then start a petition to keep the Store open! I guarantee that you will achieve your goal.

[funnykid]

You people have forgotten SIMs 2 base game so quickly.  Majority of the EPs were already in base game it is the expansions which activate them. 

Wrong assumption. The EPs included meshes and original colors. You could not do anything with the base game because meshes were missing. Not true that everything was already in a sack. My group have massively downloaded objects and meshes custom made by several of some dead sites. At every EP we were just confirming that custom contents that were put free for the users were just slightly made up and included in the EPs. So, they were not there, WE put them available, just that normal modders don't have immediate access to ass expensive tools/programs.
The EP that finally included a comprehensive bunch of alternatives to make objects available in game, was Appartment Life. Before this EP you could do nothing with the base game, first because it was too primitive and remained primitive throughout Seasons, BV and all previous crap. Finally as everything was already doggone, they released the pseudo EP Mansions &...
It included nothing that you could not find at MTS2. But it finally released all the coding so that people with a little patience could sew together all the EPs in one (I did, so any tard could do it).

Could you elaborate on this "sewing of the EP's" together?

[Georgette]

Oh, STFU and DIAF.

FAIL.

[ElviraGoth]

The EP that finally included a comprehensive bunch of alternatives to make objects available in game, was Appartment Life. Before this EP you could do nothing with the base game, first because it was too primitive and remained primitive throughout Seasons, BV and all previous crap. Finally as everything was already doggone, they released the pseudo EP Mansions &...
It included nothing that you could not find at MTS2. But it finally released all the coding so that people with a little patience could sew together all the EPs in one (I did, so any tard could do it).

I haven't been doing much programming for awhile and am just starting to get back into it.  How did you find out that the code was released and where did you get it from?  Or am I reading this wrong?  I've been searching for sims 2 source code.  Or perhaps you just mean that it can be edited better in something like SimPE?  Or do I need to get a disassembler?

I know this isn't TS3 related, but I figured a look at the TS2 code might help with something I've been working on.

[J. M. Pescado]

I'm more pissed that they got rid of NPC parties. There were supposed to be birthday parties and wedding receptions, as well as parties for babies and promotions.

Based on the behavior from what I've seen in PC parties, NPC parties would be a dreadful bore: People standing around doing absolutely nothing, with absolutely no volition at all. Because that's what parties in TS3 currently are. Sim-socializing in TS3 is far more dull-looking than it was in TS2: The socials are far less responsive, in that sims frequently stand there staring blankly trying to dock for FAR longer, and the pool of animations is both recycled and stripped, so there's absolutely nothing to see. It seems as if at present, TS3 is really not meant to be played at a level where you actually look at it.

[Mootilda]

Sim-socializing in TS2 is far more dull-looking than it was in TS2

I assume that you mean "Sim-socializing in TS3 is far more dull-looking than it was in TS2".  Anyway, this is one of my main problems with TS3... I enjoyed watching families in TS2, but I find TS3 really boring.

[J. M. Pescado]

I expect the problem will improve itself over the next few expansions, once they finish reselling all the old animations back to the Sheeple.

[nanacake]

Exactly my thoughts as well. The thought bubbles are lacking as well against TS2, where I loved to watch the bubbles to see what was going on. Now I can't tell what they're talking about, if it's even relevant.

[J. M. Pescado]

The bubbles are much downgraded. This is very apparent when you view Puddingland's bubbles compared to late Awesomeland bubbles: When a sim gossiped about another sim in TS2, you would see the faces, and the topic being gossiped about. In TS3, you just see one generic bubble that tells you nothing and may as well not exist as a result.

[Buzzler]

It seems as if at present, TS3 is really not meant to be played at a level where you actually look at it.

On the other hand it's not like the vanilla "macro simulation engine" is like christmas everyday, so looking at it from a distance, i.e. observing only the abstract events, is out of the question too. This leaves only one conclusion: The game isn't meant to be played at all.

[Drakron]

Depends on what you think "play" is supposed to be.

Its impossible to go beyond the abstract since creating scenario means full customization goes out the door, you stop having a Sim and having a Player Character and there is a reason to why that approach did not work so well in consoles (that were scenario driven).

A Sim cannot act as a human, its all smoke and mirrors and attempts at AI have lead us to wonderful things as "stand here and look at the pretty city wall for the next ingame 4 hours" element of Oblivion Radiant (more like Retarded) AI, Gothic II ended up achieving the same effect Oblivion was going (without the random conversations as its very important someone seeing a Mudcrab that are horrible creatures that should be avoided whatever they can about ... every single day) without such thing as the Retarded AI.

Also does things REALLY have to be spelled out on the computer screen? what is the point of seeing the faces and the topic being gossiped about when the actual impact is zero and its all window dressing? the bubbles should be feedback for the player.

TS3 right now is bare bones but its not as if they can spend 10 YEARS developing the game, as it stands its playable ... maybe not in TS2 base but more that TS1 base.

[Buzzler]

Its impossible to go beyond the abstract {...}

I'm not talking about going beyond the abstract; I'm talking about the abstract itself.

What I expect from a TS3 macro simulator is at least a plausible illusion of a developing social system. The vanilla game doesn't deliver anything in that area no matter how far you're willing and able to suspend your disbelief. I'm all for fleshing out algorithms with a bit of randomness, but vanilla TS3 is all randomness and there's not even an attempt to actually simulate anything.

Pescado has made a great effort to invent a social simulation for TS3. He wouldn't have to do that, if the devs had done their job.

[Billmonaghan]

Call me a sheep or whatever, but it doesn't bother me that there's a base game with plans to sell EPs with added functionality layered in later. It let's people whose system couldn't handle any more than the base game enjoy that, and everyone else can add the EPs they want until their systerms are overwhelmed. It also doesn't bother me that EAxis makes money selling this stuff. It's still among the best ROI in gaming ever.

And I kinda like that they don't crowd the game and each EP with bunches of objects I don't want. Everytime I'd open a hairstyle menu in Sims 2 and have to scroll past a dozen and a half helmets and other repeititive junk I'd be like, "Why don't they just sell this stuff separately, or at least make it easy for me to remove it?"

What does bug me is they eliminated the ability to play multiple households without coming here for Awesomemod to make the game "work right". Were those of us who played whole neighborhoods really such a small slice of the market that EAxis decided we just didn't matter? It's a lot like how they completely dumbed-down the SimCity series with SimCity Societies, which is more of a screensaver than a game.

But even being forced into the modding world worked out kinda good cuz I've learn a lot and the discussions on these forums are much more interesting than the official BBS, which seems to have actually been intentionally dumbed down from TS2 BBS.

[alttbm]

when it comes down to it TS3 is TS2 with a shiny new icon so expect little of EAxis

[tizerist]

The bubbles are much downgraded. This is very apparent when you view Puddingland's bubbles compared to late Awesomeland bubbles:

How does one see these improved bubbles? Is this only with Awesome story driver activated?

[Mootilda]

when it comes down to it TS3 is TS2 with a shiny new icon so expect little of EAxis

Oh, how I wish that were true.  I enjoy playing TS2.

[J. M. Pescado]

How does one see these improved bubbles? Is this only with Awesome story driver activated?

I think you've misunderstood my statement: I was comparing TS2 Bubbles to TS3 Bubbles. There is no improved bubbles.

[Clara M Johnson]

Someone else need to make a Sims game so EA have something to battle against!

Now they can do whatever they feel like... =(

I have been thinking about that for a long time.

I even have a idea of what the game would be like.

But I am not a game maker, and know no one who is ether.

But I know it would work, it would be even better then The Sims games.

And on the subject at hand, I am not surprise that EAixis would do this.

They even lied and said there would be ducks, and swans in the ponds.

Remember the thing at the top of the site when they had the thing where you could try out making a Sim friend?

In back ground, there was the park, and you could see swans swimming in the pond!

Where are the swans now? 

Problem is, that as long as most of the people fall for their lies, and they make all the Millions they were expecting they don't care about those of us who are not happy.

Look how they reat us when we ask for help from EA Tech department, most of the time they just send you a bunch of pre-made answers, which most of the time has nothing to do with your problem.

And if you complain, they will say their sorry, but then send you the same set of answers again, and if you do it again they tell you their sorry and make you jump through a bunch hoops, doing thing they tell you to do, which never works.

Then you talk about your problem on the forum, and then one of your fellow players whines up giving you the help you needed, and you finally fix your problem.

That has happened to me many times.

Now I don't even ask EA for help, I just post on the forums and see if anyone else maybe had the problem and fixed it them self, or got help somewhere/somehow.

Its like with EA, sense you already bought the game, they really don't care if your happy with it.

Sure if Millions of players started complaining and they didn't sale as many copies of their new EP as they were hoping for, then they might start listening to us.

But that wont happen, they know they will sale all if not more then what their expecting or wanting.

Because millions of people will buy it even though its too pricey, and their already having problems with the base game.

They will buy it thinking it might fix it, or make it better,( if their not having tech problems).

Its really sad how the respect for the consumer has just went out the window.

Oh some companies still show a little, but most don't show any, and EA is right on top of the later.

Its Capitalism at its worst, oh and no one call me a Comie please, I think both is wrong, but that all is another complaint on another site,LOl.

Good to see not everyone worship every thing EA or the Sim makers do.

On the BBS they would cut your throat if you were in their presence, if you said anything against the almighty EA or Maxis/ Sims makers, or Will Wright, or so it seems.

Its nice to have a place to complain about them at, even if EA will never hear, probably!

You guys who post all the stuff from the STORE, are my Internet Hero's, like your a bunch of Robin Hoods!

[Clara M Johnson]

Not to play devil's advocate or anything (although that is my job title where I work in RL  ), I don't think EA "cut" anything from the base game. They know damn well what EPs they plan to make and they merely "set up" as much stuff in the base game as possible to prepare for it. They're in it for the money and they'll get every cent they can. If anyone ever thought they were in it for the game or the players, they need their heads checked. Get real. If they cared about the game or the players, they would be listening to all the forums on all the sites and none of the mods would even be necessary.

I totally agree, with everything you just said.

I knew they were going to leave allot out of the base game, form the start, I even told people on the BBS that they were going keep the best stuff for the STORE.

And you can bet that the Hot tub and Piano will be in the Store too.

I hated that stupid Store the first time they told us about it, but even knew they were going to do that anyways.

I think the Sims 2 store was a trial, for the Sim 3 store, to see if people would fall for it, and they did, even though most of the stuff there was in stuff packs already.

I would be fine if they put everything in stuff packs, as long as they didn't have any more the $20 bucks.

But seeing as WA is $39.99, I doubt they would have it that way.

Talk about Greedy.

[Mootilda]

Pookysimslover, please stop double posting and learn to use paragraphs.  Your posts are quite annoying, with one sentence every two lines.  I just can't bring myself to read them, because of your style.

[uknortherner]

Because I am seriously fucking bored:

"I have been thinking about that for a long time and I even have a idea of what the game would be like. However, I am not a game maker, and know no one who is ether. But I know it would work and it would be even better then The Sims games.

On the subject at hand, I am not surprise that EAixis would do this. They even lied and said there would be ducks, and swans in the ponds. Remember the thing at the top of the site when they had the thing where you could try out making a Sim friend? In back ground, there was the park, and you could see swans swimming in the pond! Where are the swans now?

Problem is, that as long as most of the people fall for their lies, and they make all the millions they were expecting they don't care about those of us who are not happy. Look how they treat us when we ask for help from EA Tech department, most of the time they just send you a bunch of pre-made answers, which most of the time has nothing to do with your problem, and if you complain, they will say they're sorry, but then send you the same set of answers again, and if you do it again they tell you they're sorry and make you jump through a bunch hoops, doing thing they tell you to do, which never works.

Then you talk about your problem on the forum, and then one of your fellow players whines up giving you the help you needed, and you finally fix your problem. This has happened to me many times.

Now I don't even ask EA for help, I just post on the forums and see if anyone else maybe had the problem and fixed it them self, or got help somewhere/somehow. It's like with EA, they sense you already bought the game and they really don't care if you're happy with it.

Sure if millions of players started complaining and they didn't sell as many copies of their new EP as they were hoping for, then they might start listening to us. But that won't happen, they know they'll sell all if not more than what they're expecting or hoping, because millions of people will buy it even though its too pricey, and they're already having problems with the base game. They will buy it thinking it might fix it, or make it better (if they're not having tech problems). It's really sad how the respect for the consumer has just went out the window.

Oh some companies still show a little, but most don't show any, and EA is right at the top of the ladder. It's capitalism at its worst, oh and no one call me a commie please, I think both is wrong, but that all is another complaint on another site. Good to see that not everyone worships every thing that EA or Maxis do.

On the BBS they would cut your throat if you were in their presence, if you said anything against the almighty EA or Maxis/ Sims makers, or Will Wright, or so it seems. It's nice to have a place to complain about them at, even if EA will never hear, probably!

You guys who post all the stuff from the STORE, are my internet heroes, like you're a bunch of Robin Hoods!"


Now I'll finish off by saying: Lolwut?

[Dire Weasel]

Everyone is posting about how EA treats it's customers. I totally agree. But what about the employees? My father worked on Fight Night Round 2 & 3. Back then, around christmas i NEVER saw him, except for two days: Christmas and New Years Eve/Day. It sucked balls for them.

Sorry if this is too off topic.

[Sigmund]

Pookysimslover: That is one serious abuse of commas. There should be a reason for the comma to be there, and random insertions don't count.

But what about the employees? My father worked on Fight Night Round 2 & 3. Back then, around christmas i NEVER saw him, except for two days: Christmas and New Years Eve/Day. It sucked balls for them.

Not clear what you're saying here. You said that you never saw him around Christmas, but that you saw him on Christmas? Doesn't that count as being "around Christmas"?

[Mootilda]

Everyone is posting about how EA treats it's customers. I totally agree. But what about the employees? My father worked on Fight Night Round 2 & 3. Back then, around christmas i NEVER saw him, except for two days: Christmas and New Years Eve/Day. It sucked balls for them.

Unfortunately, this is pretty common in software development and very common in game development.  EA may be bad, but they aren't the only ones.

[Dire Weasel]

From my father's work experience, (along with his ex-coworkers), EA is one of the worst out there.