Patch is out for FFS

[MaxoidTom]

Are you still upset about that?  I made a simple comment about piracy and it got a little blown out of proportion.  Whether or not the shopping packs are worth the money is up to you all to decide (and it seems your decision has been made).  I apologize for contributing to the flame war and will try not to get pulled into such things again.  It's just very tough seeing people bash the thing you spent many many late nights working to create.  Again, my apologies.

Isn't that a bit of a stretch there? "Many late nights"? By my information, shopping packs contain little more than a few skin recolors and objects, all of which are essentially remeshes of existing code. A scan of the objects file reveals there isn't actually all that much new, less than a dozen actual codes, the rest simply objects. Maybe a *FEW* late nights. I'd say "many" is an exaggeration, unless MAYBE you work for the art team. But then again, what the hell else would you do on a late night, anyway? You say this like it's a cost, as opposed to something you'd do simply from being bored out of your skulls on a late night. And if it's tough seeing people bash the thing you've worked on, I'd say you definitely need to start thinking of a new career: The only commentary of any value is the bashing. That's why "Thanks This Is Great" is officially discouraged here.

I meant many late nights, in general, for all the EPs/SPs, because of the quick schedule and what not.  You may or may not understand, or choose to understand, but that is your prerogative.  I didn't actually work on FFP, as I've moved onto another project (feel free to bash me here as well).  I also didn't work on the object code that you all play with and modify, but on the game engine itself.

[J. M. Pescado]

I meant many late nights, in general, for all the EPs/SPs, because of the quick schedule and what not.  You may or may not understand, or choose to understand, but that is your prerogative.  I didn't actually work on FFP, as I've moved onto another project (feel free to bash me here as well).  I also didn't work on the object code that you all play with and modify, but on the game engine itself.

Ah, yes, the ongoing "whiny EA employees" saga. You ought to pass along my "rent-a-hobo" suggestion to the suits. It would do wonders for morale. There's just nothing quite like the inspiring image of a homeless man begging for liquor money and rooting through dumpsters for food scraps to remind people how good they have it.

[Pegasys]

So, for what's it worth (and I did submit a tech report about this as well), here's my bug/feature I would really like to have fixed.  Pre-OFB, the lot boundaries were across the street, so when building our lots, we could move around the mailbox and trashcan and all the furniture out to the road if we needed to while renovating the lot.  OFB seems to have changed the boundaries so that now the sidewalk is the limit.  In one of the chats, one of the Maxoids seemed surprised by this and said s/he would look into this, but it wasn't addressed in the patch.  Can you please look into this and perhaps address this issue?  Thanks.

BlueSoup, did you know there's a fix by Windkeeper on MTS2 for this? I believe it's called OFBlockedtilesfix.

[MutantBunny]

Are you still upset about that?  I made a simple comment about piracy and it got a little blown out of proportion.  Whether or not the shopping packs are worth the money is up to you all to decide (and it seems your decision has been made).  I apologize for contributing to the flame war and will try not to get pulled into such things again.  It's just very tough seeing people bash the thing you spent many many late nights working to create.  Again, my apologies.

Upset over arguing with you?? Oh hell no. Upset over suffering consequences at MTS2 and S2C I shouldn't be made to suffer? A bit, yes. And our 'argument' was a bit more than as you state here "a simple comment that got out of hand". But whatever. I don't want to argue again. BTW, I never considered it a 'flame' Did you?? Were you flaming me in any way? if so I missed it. And I didn't flame you either--Maxis as a whole  maybe....yes, ok. I have formed the opinion that as a goup, a whole, Maxis lacks big time. I hate to see it because I loved the sims. And I would again, but Maxis, as a whole, is screwing them up. JM, Numenor, Inge, SimPE crew, hundreds of names to type out continue to fix the Sims and make them still fun. Having to deal with bugs, glitches, and screwups that require hard work and start overs and patience while the great modders in this community 'fix' what Maxis broke with every EP is way way old.

Gotta love JM and his standing right up and voicing what he did above. Hats off, big bow.

If Maxis would... what get more funding to hire more talented coders? take their time? beta test? all the above? fill in the blank? And put out a GOOD EP they'd have us all over again. Don't see it happening.... Another big step in the right direction: Make it ADULT rated as it should be to rake in the bucks

I, for one, am glad to see you coming out of hiding. Hopefully, you can take the heat and hang in here. Threads DO get heated as they tend to do for a good give and take on any subject. Makes for good reading and educated choice making.

[Stitches]

I can understand being unhappy about severly bugged games, as this pack seemed to be. On the other hand, the developers were very prompt about addressing many of the issues. Whining about the issue seems rather pointless at this point. What hasn't been said a million times over? BlueSoup has the right attitude. She politely explained her problem and asked for a solution.

I can't abide the people that complain about the pack even existing. These packs make perfect sense to me. People that want the extra stuff can get it. Those that don't want the objects, don't have to worry about it. It's not like an EP, where you'll miss out on new gameplay features if you don't buy it. I approve of this system. I wish they had done it earlier. Imagine if they had put the tacky "retro" stuff from Uni into a pack rather than the EP! Now I can look forward to the next EP, knowing that it won't have a horrible nautical theme in it because, no, I don't like the nautical stuff so I did NOT buy this pack.

[BlueSoup]

Yes, I know there's a fix, and I have it, but I want a Maxis fix. 

[Jarsie]

Maxoid Tom,

I want you to know that the main reason *I* didn't buy this pack is because of the lack of content. I also understand it adds some of the interactions that are available in other expansion packs, and I have to say, that I really don't think that was such a great idea.

The reason for that is, that if people want those interactions, they should buy the expansion packs that have them. Those of us who already have all of the EP's already have all the interactions, so why should we have to pay extra to get the same thing twice?

I would have bought FFS in a heartbeat if it had had more *quality* objects, including EP specific items such as new cars for NightLife, and even some new meshes such as baby strollers and bunk beds. That would have been worth the $20 or so that EA/Maxis charged for the booster pack.

But, with me being able to pay that much to download *quality* custom content from sites such as The Well Dressed Sims and The Sims Resource, why should I pay Maxis for very little content, most of which I would never even bother to download from my favorite sites?

I honestly hope that the next booster pack, if Maxis decides to make any more, doesn't contain any of the options already available in other packs, and does contain more quality content, such as bunk beds, strollers, and stuff we can't normally get for the game unless we download it from a CC site. I think I am pretty safe in saying that Maxis has the potential to compete with even the most popular CC sites and give them a run for their money. I know that there are Simmers who would rather pay top dollar to get all of their content from Maxis because they are afraid of downloading from fan websites.

So, if you guys decide to do another booster pack, I hope you'll make some more sophisticated and more realistic items (such as Ikea-like furniture), of the type which discriminating adults such as myself normally have to go to Custom Content websites to download for free. I would guarantee you I would buy a booster pack with 125 items if it was mainly objects that people have been asking for in the Suggest an Idea forum. I'd even buy a working washer and dryer! Now *THAT'S* dedication for ya!

Oh yes, one more thing: I don't suppose you could add an option where we could delete Maxis made clothing we don't want in our games and would never use? All those animal customs in OFB come to mind. I'll never use them, and see no reason why they should take up so much space in my CAS clothing bin.

[syberspunk]

Wow. I'm really perplexed here. I just have to say... I actually agree with everything that jarsie has said above. Go figure.

I just want to reiterate the key ideas of having quality objects, that are as bug-free as possible, and in greater quantity, that would actually make it worth $20 bucks, which is about half as much as a full-EP.

The worst thing about FFS is the pricing, the quantity, AND the poor quality of the content that was offered. It's like asking us to bend over and take it, repeatedly, by everyone that worked on the damned thing. And for most other people, I'm sure they don't like or appreciate that.

In all seriousness, I also have to agree with Blue. I also thought there was a great exchange during/after the NL release. And it was nice to see that many issues were addressed by the patches. It was nice to see an OFB patch released as well, a lot sooner than previous patches had been released. And although it's also nice that there was a patch for FFS, it seems that, out of all the products released, many people find it unsettling that a patch would even be required for a shopping pack. As much as MaxoidTom is expressing the 'hurt feelings' for lack of a better description, that Maxians may be upset about consumers expressing their disastisfaction... what about the consumers 'hurt feelings' or at least the feelings of disappointment, being taken for granted, or worse being played for suckers as 'early adopters' who buy into the pre-ordering or 'loyalty' to a franchise. Now many of us may make fun of those 'sheep' and what not... but it also seems unfair, at least in my not so humble opinion, that because of them EA/Maxis (or whomever is responsible) would seemingly take advantage of this and try to milk us for all our money.

Personally, that is the overwhelming sentiment that I feel people are most upset about. Regardless of whether it is true or not, it feels like greed, as cliched as that may sound, is the motivation rather than pride and customer satisfaction. Feel free to point and laugh (at me), but I still like to believe that there are many gaming companies out there who make games for the sake of making great, entertaining, enjoyable, challenging games that make consumers feel like they get their money's worth rather than simply capitalizing on a guaranteed-to-seel franchise. *shrugs* If this keeps up, I may have to take my kicky bag, and my bag full o' simoleons and go home.

Ste

[ElfPuddle]

Ok I succumbed.   It has been sitting here for 3 weeks and I dutifully backed up my game and gave in to the temptation to see for myself.  Nothing changed. (crosses fingers and clings to the wood trim on the desk for dear life)

And how's it going? Any fiery balls?

[Myth]

My two cents specifically related to the FFS is I received it as an Easter gift.  I installed it after the patch came out but since have not played at all because I am terrified of the game stopping issues that I am hearing of.

The OFB bugs about did me in and they did stop me from playing for a while and slowly I started getting back in the game as the patch and other mods fixes came out.  But the disappointment in FFS from before it was ever released to now has been so disheartening that it has spoiled the game for me entirely now.  I just uninstalled it.

I also understand that the franchise is just that, a franchise.  But it won't remain a franchise without customer loyalty.

[Ellatrue]

Jarsie:  IKEA?

* Ellatrue stabs self in the eye

IKEA is a blight on this Earth! Just because you have been sucked into thinking furniture that is soulless and evil looks good doesn't mean the rest of us have to buy into it!

That having been said, I like most of the maxis furniture, and I was amused by the retro stuff that came with uni... I liked the mission-style furniture that came with OFB, we have a lot of things like that in our home. The only reason you see so much modern-type furniture on CC sites is because they are low poly and easy to create.  This is what I meant by all the bashing that happens on the site: just because you don't like the style of something doesn't neccessarily make it crap, and I think it's unfair to bash the company if you don't like kiddie stuff. I also think if you happened to see content like the ninja/ ape/ princess clothing on a CC site, you'd be really impressed by it, because it is a departure from the sort of thing you can find everywhere else.

I think it is legitimate to complain about bugs, feeling burned because more/ fewer objects should be in the expansion pack, etc (I'm still kind of upset about the magnolia tree). Saying you would prefer a different style is okay, but just because they haven't done a modern/ trendy theme yet doesn't make everything else bad. I personally felt that the stuff in the FFP was not enough to convince me to buy it, because even though I thought some of the items were cute, what I really want from Maxis is new animations, etc. And it was irritating to see a separate pack for kiddie stuff when they seemed to be building on that theme for OFB, only being sold for 20 bucks... if you think about it, the content/dollar ratio is a lot lower.

[kacidama]

Ok I succumbed.   It has been sitting here for 3 weeks and I dutifully backed up my game and gave in to the temptation to see for myself.  Nothing changed. (crosses fingers and clings to the wood trim on the desk for dear life)

And how's it going? Any fiery balls?

I've tested at least one family in all the 'hoods and so far no probs. 
I can say that the problem with the dressers not working isn't to do with the FFP because it happened in my game before I installed it.

[Jarsie]

Ella-true, I said Ikea-like because it's the only brand name furniture I could come up with off the top of my head. The point I was trying to make to Maxoid Tom is that Maxis is capable of coming up with better stuff that would appeal to a wide range of people. As for me being impressed by ape and princess costumes if they were available at a CC site, just because they're different, nah. I regularly cruise CC sites, and believe me, I've learned not to download anything that I don't intend to use...and I have no use for an ape or a princess costume.

You're welcome to worship at he altar of Maxis all you want, but let's face it...the company screwed the pooch on this one. They're trying to sell to a younger less sophisticated customer, when it's the older more sophisticated customer that has not only the simoleans, but the inclination to buy the stuff...*if* they feel it's worth the money. Maybe, just maybe...this will teach them to pay attention to the customer base that has the most bucks....or maybe not.

[J. M. Pescado]

Yes, selling things to kids is a waste of time. They don't have income or money, and thus do not make reliable customers.

[Giggy]

ah fuck FFS. too glitchy. why did you buy it in the first place anyway. its such a useless hack! needs 1 feature for me to get but if I was given FFS I would of snap the disk in half and burn it in the nearest kiln

[jsalemi]

Ok I succumbed.   It has been sitting here for 3 weeks and I dutifully backed up my game and gave in to the temptation to see for myself.  Nothing changed. (crosses fingers and clings to the wood trim on the desk for dear life)

And how's it going? Any fiery balls?

I've had it on my secondary test system (ie, my laptop) for a while now, and have played my entire Pleasantview neighborhood & university, and no problems that I've seen.  I still haven't installed it in my primary game on my desktop, though, because I don't think it really adds anything I want.

[KellyQ]

Yes, selling things to kids is a waste of time. They don't have income or money, and thus do not make reliable customers.

Actually I have read where 10 to 15 year olds are prime targets for advertising (in general, not just vidoe games) and marketing because while they don't have money of their *own*, mommy and daddy are more then willing to fork out the dough to make junior shutup happy. This makes them one of the highest economic consumer groups out there, so you can see why this type of thing would be geared towards teens and pre-teens instead of you know, a 38 year old woman, like me.
However, when my 12 year old daughter and I recently looked at the FFP at our local Walmart, she took one look at it and said, "They're running out of ideas, aren't they?" lol.

[J. M. Pescado]

Actually I have read where 10 to 15 year olds are prime targets for advertising (in general, not just vidoe games) and marketing because while they don't have money of their *own*, mommy and daddy are more then willing to fork out the dough to make junior shutup happy. This makes them one of the highest economic consumer groups out there, so you can see why this type of thing would be geared towards teens and pre-teens instead of you know, a 38 year old woman, like me.
However, when my 12 year old daughter and I recently looked at the FFP at our local Walmart, she took one look at it and said, "They're running out of ideas, aren't they?" lol.

That works right up until they try to buy another one, and parents look at it and say, "Didn't we just buy you one of those?". Certainly it is pointless to attempt to pursue any kind of brand loyalty with them because they have no money to spend on it. Besides, the typical player for TS2 isn't 12, anyway.

[KellyQ]

Besides, the typical player for TS2 isn't 12, anyway.

Really? I couldn't tell that by reading the BBS.

[jrd]

Age, not intellectual age.

Americans are basically retarded, so they come across as 12-year olds to the civilized world.

[MyFireElf]

Americans are basically retarded, so they come across as 12-year olds to the civilized world.

Well, it's nice to know that ignorance and bigotry aren't limited to the states, in any case. 

[Onion Girl]

Age, not intellectual age.

Americans are basically retarded, so they come across as 12-year olds to the civilized world.

Not all Americans are dumd. (I'm not American, btw. ) I know several that are quite smart.

On the subject that Maxis seems to be selling their to kids, I think it's true, as KellyQ said, while they may not have their own money, if their family is well off, mummy and daddy are usually happy to fork out the money for games, clothes and well, anything really. So it would make sense that Maxis sells to young teens and pre-teens.

[KellyQ]

Well put, MyFireElf; I was kind of left speechless in the face of such a nasty and uncalledfor comment.

[RainbowTigress]

This isn't the first time he's made a stereotypical comment such as this.  I'm an American, and I'd like to think that I appear to have a little more intelligence than a 12 year old. 

Thank you, MyFireElf, Onion Girl, and KellyQ.  Well said.

[ElfPuddle]

On behalf of all Americans, I'm offended. some of us are really quite intelligent!
On behalf of all those who aren't intelligent, I'm offended. Take a moment, Jordi, to actually look up the word "retarded" and then THINK BEFORE POSTING! While you're at it, look up the words "rude" and "stereotype" as well as the phrases "uncalled for" and "stuff it."