Patch is out for FFS

[neriana]

EA is a company with absolutely zero ethical standards. But frankly, until people stop buying their crap, nothing will change.

How do you know what kind of ethical standards EA has? Do you know what the current conditions are there, and what internal conditions they're working with or against? Have you worked there (or for any large company, for that matter) ?

Because of evidence I have read, journalistic and otherwise. I have every right to draw conclusions from that evidence. And I have worked for large companies before, for a matter of fact.

Denigrating an entire nation is so completely different than denigrating the ethical practices of one certain company, it's off the charts weird to compare the two. Denigrating a company is like denigrating the current government of a nation, if you want something to compare. And I'm perfectly happy to do that too when it's warranted.

[Stitches]

I wouldn't say that EA is unethical just because it doesn't have the ethics that you think it should. Please cite your "evidence."

[Ellatrue]

Seriously guys, the fact that the game is buggy is no excuse for the level of venom here. Lately, I have actually felt it is getting to be no better than the BBS-

OMG MAXIS teh SUXX0rS111!

I honestly don't know of any gaming company that doesn't screw up and have to put out a patch for everything they release after a short time. To a certain extent I have actually come to suspect it is done to prevent piracy.  But whatever you feel about that, or the level of quality you want to see in their EP's, none of it changes the fact that it's still a great game. Slamming the company while you continue to buy their stuff, play the game, and obsess about it in an online forum is incredibly juvenile. No one is twisting your arm to make you buy the EP's. I don't like EA, or the business model, but I don't insult the programmers- which is essentially what you are doing when you just categorically say "this sucks, and everything they make sucks". Obviously it is good enough for anyone who is so into the game that they actually post online about it. I mean, I am a disgruntled customer as well, I am annoyed that something so huge as the lot sticking and vampire death bugs could possibly happen,  but the way some of you guys act about it is- dare I say it? RETARDO. Just remember that one owes you a fucking computer game, and check your attitude at the door.

[RabidAngel]

Um, Can I ask a question here? *ducks the flying spears*
I would like to uninstall FFStuff...I just don't like anything that it comes with (so boring)..
I don't know if my neighborhoods will be playable if I revert back to OFB by installing the FFSpack. Does anyone know if it would be harmful to do this?
I was thinking of updating it, but I haven't used a single thing that came with it.  It seems like a waste of space now, and I'd like it to go far away without too much trouble 
Many thanks for any suggestions.

[J. M. Pescado]

Seriously guys, the fact that the game is buggy is no excuse for the level of venom here. Lately, I have actually felt it is getting to be no better than the BBS-

It's not even the bugs. The truth is that gamers are fairly tolerant of bugs themselves, and are often quite forgiving about the matter. The real problem is the attitude. It's not even the bugs. The truth is that gamers are fairly tolerant of bugs themselves, and are often quite forgiving about the matter. The real problem is the attitude: This is what sets EA apart: Their atrocious attitude in which they REFUSE TO ACTUALLY FIX THEM. Notice there are issues that have gone completely unfixed despite the fact that they are clearly known to them. Why are they still unfixed? There are a number of possible answers to that one, and none of them are good.

I honestly don't know of any gaming company that doesn't screw up and have to put out a patch for everything they release after a short time. To a certain extent I have actually come to suspect it is done to prevent piracy.  But whatever you feel about that, or the level of quality you want to see in their EP's, none of it changes the fact that it's still a great game. Slamming the company while you continue to buy their stuff, play the game, and obsess about it in an online forum is incredibly juvenile. No one is twisting your arm to make you buy the EP's. I don't like EA, or the business model, but I don't insult the programmers- which is essentially what you are doing when you just categorically say "this sucks, and everything they make sucks". Obviously it is good enough for anyone who is so into the game that they actually post online about it. I mean, I am a disgruntled customer as well, I am annoyed that something so huge as the lot sticking and vampire death bugs could possibly happen,  but the way some of you guys act about it is- dare I say it? RETARDO. Just remember that one owes you a fucking computer game, and check your attitude at the door.

Negative opinions are the only useful ones. Positive opinions are useless. They serve no purpose, since they do not offer a course of action.

And yes, they *DO* twist your arms to make you buy the EPs. Notice that the practice of bundling patches for the previous expansion into the next one continues. That practice ALONE should be enough to make people angry.

[Myth]

Late to the party but still worthy of comments.

OMG MAXIS teh SUXX0rS111!

Wow, there was netspeak.  We missed netspeak?  Where?  Oh.  I see it know, it was in your post Ellatrue. 

I mean, I am a disgruntled customer as well, I am annoyed that something so huge as the lot sticking and vampire death bugs could possibly happen,  but the way some of you guys act about it is- dare I say it? RETARDO.

Being a disgruntled consumer and passively not voicing your complaint so that the manufacturer thinks that what they make is gold and therefore continues to produce a substandard product is more RETARDO to me.  Making blanketed comments involving a group of people who voice there opinions is RETARDO to me.

check your attitude at the door.

Not heeding your own advice... priceless. 

[Ellatrue]

That's not what I meant, Myth. There are legitimate complaints, but I feel like it has been really getting out of hand. It isn't fair to the developers to just say "Maxis sucks" unilaterally, just because their objects, for example, aren't what you would have made yourself- which frankly, has been the tone of what seems like half of the threads here lately. There are a lot of people who like to go around on gaming forums, including this one, and just slam EVERYTHING about a game- even though, if they thought about it, they would realize that there are real people who put a lot of time into developing them, they do lurk sometimes, and stuff like that can be insulting and/or hurtful. This thread may not be the best example, but I really am tired of the general feeling of entitlement a lot of gamers seem to have about these things (and not just the sims community). I mean, comments like, "the hats are ugly, nautical themes suck, pets are a bad idea and even though the majority of players seem to want them, company X sucks and my opinion should dictate what the company makes next" seem really unfair to me.

I am not thrilled about pets, but I understand that it is a company that responds to customer demand- and I just have to accept that my taste is not the same.

[Paperbladder]

I know Maxis had the "New Expansion Fixes Old Problems" thing with TS1, but I hadn't noticed it in TS2.  Heck, Makin' Magic was made to be the most stable out there so it would sell more than 5 copies.  Maybe I hadn't noticed this practice in TS2 because everything is already fixed by J.M. a month or two after the game was released.

EA won't listen to their customer complaints until they lose their "sheepish" fanbase.  To keep said people "sheepish", they release Patches to make it seem like they're trying to do something.  If they didn't cater to the sheepish, then they wouldn't release these patches.  The Last Patch released for TS1 was Unleashed, and two expansions came after that one.  TS2 had all its versions patched.

Though, this is all just a summary of what you already know probably.

[MutantBunny]

Saying things like "the hats are ugly" "nautical themes suck" "pets are a bad idea" "Maxis sucks" are ppls opinions as are things like "I want to cuddle with Maxis" "I love Maxis" "I want Petz" "coders work hard." And they are entitled to their opinons. Period. Way past time to get used to it....

[Brynne]

Age, not intellectual age.

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

WHOA. I've been "on break" so excuse me for bringing this back up. Mindset of a 12-year-old, right there.

[J. M. Pescado]

Saying things like "the hats are ugly" "nautical themes suck" "pets are a bad idea" "Maxis sucks" are ppls opinions as are things like "I want to cuddle with Maxis" "I love Maxis" "I want Petz" "coders work hard." And they are entitled to their opinons. Period. Way past time to get used to it....

How about some hard facts, like "Maxis put the NL patches in OFB and the OFB patches in FFP"? There's a legitimate gripe right there, that they're forcing you to pay for this thing (which is full of hideous things that you may not actually want) to get some bugs fixed for the things you *DO* want and already have. It's an ongoing, highly shady Maxian business practice.

About the only company with practices even more shady might be Microsloth, but did we really expect much from Microsloth?

[Sleepycat]

heh...looks like I haven't missed much around here 

I got the family fun pack thing when it came out, haven't installed it yet (haven't been playing) but I will (+patch) because I want the new beds and stuff. I happen to like some of the Maxis stuff (shocking isn't it)

I would have perfered that the FF stuff was in OFB instead of separate but I realize that Maxis wanted to make everyone happy (and make more money of course, EA loves money - what company dosen't?) but of course that isn't possible 

Now instead of (some) people bitching about the Maxis content that they are stuck with having in their games, they are bitching about the extra packs (which is stuff that most of them don't even want) and (some) people that do like some of the maxis stuff get to bitch about having to pay extra for stuff that should have been in the game(EP) to begin with...

I can't help but wonder why some of you even bother playing TS2 when all you do is bitch about it and maxis/ea

[MutantBunny]

LOL. Yes, add those things too JM.

I happen to agree whole heartedly with your opinion JM. What I really wanted to do/say was to be in SimWorld for a bit and slap the 'young naive dummies' to the great Beyond Stupidity. But, there's no way to do that and there's no way to make a horse drink the water. We tell 'em and we 'fact' them to death and they STILL insist on being stupid, making stupid statements. I get sick of arguing with the dummies. What can I say?

[Mike]

I can't help but wonder why some of you even bother playing TS2 when all you do is bitch about it and maxis/ea

I wonder the same thing. It gets rather annoying how people bash Maxis but still continues to play the Sims 2. You make the biggest hate statement by not buying their product, not posting a useless hate thread.

[Ness]

As for the patches and fixes in TS1 expansion packs.  Superstar had major bugs and Makin Magic also had major bugs - neither of these were patched or fixed.  It came down to the community to make the fixes.

Always has, and probably always will.

[ElfPuddle]

You make the biggest hate statement by not buying their product, not posting a useless hate thread.

I'm reminded of all those who bought Dixie Chicks CDs for the sole purpose of bulldozing them. The Chicks still got the money, so what exactly was the point?

[Onion Girl]

You make the biggest hate statement by not buying their product, not posting a useless hate thread.

I'm reminded of all those who bought Dixie Chicks CDs for the sole purpose of bulldozing them. The Chicks still got the money, so what exactly was the point?

That's just sad, in both senses of the word. Why waste your money on something you know you won't like?

I don't hate Maxis; after all they did give us the game we all know and love, while I do agree their marketing tactics can be quite tacky, and yes we do have a right to complain, saying you hate the company but still buying their products is quite stupid.

[Ellatrue]

no, "I don't like nautical themes" is an opinion. "X sucks" is an insult.

[syberspunk]

no, "I don't like nautical themes" is an opinion. "X sucks" is an insult.

But see, in my opinion, the nautical theme of FFS sucks. It's quite possible to form an opinion that also serves to insult. Nothing wrong with that. While not the most constructive of criticisms, it is criticism nonetheless, and should be acknowledged. If a lot of your consumers think your product 'sucks' in their opinion, that should count for something. If you choose to ignore them, you'll most likely find that you have a lot less customers than before. Except when it comes to this game, because apparently the sheep seem to know how to multiply, even if they can't think for themselves, read, or type properly.

Ste

[Ellatrue]

I dunno, I think the majority of their customers don't go to the BBS, or any other sims site, at all.

[syberspunk]

I dunno, I think the majority of their customers don't go to the BBS, or any other sims site, at all.

Even so, it stands to reason that the 'majority' that EA 'hears' from or gets 'feedback' from (even if that isn't necessarily 'good' feedback, and by good, I mean useful, and not simply full of 'praise') is mostly the BBS and any body who actually goes online to fill out those surveys. Yes, a lot of people who go to  sites other than the BBS are morely likely to be more informed, but I think it's quite reasonable to say that the majority of people who manage to fill out these surveys first, to the point that they get filled up, are probably people who hang out on the BBS all the time. They are most likely to see that a new survey is out. I never go there, and I pretty much rely on posts/threads like these to find out about the surveys. I'm hoping to be one of the few people that might actually give what I consider is much needed constructive criticism.

I figure... the people here tend to be a lot more informed and are more likely to be independent thinkers who can form their own opinions. I like to think people who actually use mods to fix their game are already one step ahead so to speak, at least with respect to the bleating sheep who naysay hax, calling them the works of the devil and the root of all evil that ruins your game and your computer.

The thing is, in this day and age, if you have the game, you have to have a computer to play it. And if you have a computer, you probably have access to the internet. I would tend to think that the majority of the people who play the sims probably do go online at least, and probably do go to sims sites. I might agree with you in that they may not even necessarily go to boards or post at all. I'm not saying that the BBS is at all representative of the simming population as a whole, and if it is, then that's pretty sad and disconcerting. Regardless, I think that people should be allowed to express their opinion in whatever manner they are capable of, whether it be positive Or negative. Albeit, you're just more likely to be taken seriously if you expressed it in a somewhat civilized, reasonably intelligent manner than simply saying something 'sucks.' Alternatively, it is sometimes appropriate and sufficient to be succint as saying 'I don't like such and such because it sucks.' It's pretty straight forward and to the point.

Anyways, I think it's just plain easy to boil everything down and take your anger and frustration out on a general disembodied group. When you can't specifically find someone to blame, you kind of just make a blanket statement because you have to hold someone responsible. Regardless of whoever's fault it is, I just want things to be done better next time around, and I'd rather complain about it now, than have whoevers in charge sit around on their asses, all complacent like and maintaining the status quo. Things should change, and for the better, and if you don't complain, if you don't bother to voice your opinion, who are we to blame but ourselves for things remaining the same, or worse, going downhill.

Ste

[ChibyMethos]

I bought FFS and I've had zero problems with it. Maybe I just got lucky

[BlueSoup]

I haven't had any problems with it either.

*shrug*

[MsMaria]

Me either.
*Gives unopened FFS box the evil eye

[sgestner]

That's just sad, in both senses of the word. Why waste your money on something you know you won't like?

I don't hate Maxis; after all they did give us the game we all know and love, while I do agree their marketing tactics can be quite tacky, and yes we do have a right to complain, saying you hate the company but still buying their products is quite stupid.

I agree...

I don't post much mainly because it seems that so many people dwell on the negatives and feed off of the hate and anger of others...but I would just like to interject that with or without the fixes (cheats) that modders have created for the majority of us, playing the game as is was never a real issue for me.  I never had a lot of problems, and the few that I did have I could probably have lived with...

...but one thing I think we need to remember is that Maxoids are people too.  They get hurt when something that they have worked on gets crapped on, just like all modders and creators when the same things happen to them.  How many truly gifted and creative people have quit because of all the bitching and whining about stuff...and asking "can you change this" or "why doesn't it do that" kinda crap.

I know that it takes a lot time and patience to do what maxoids and creators/modders do...I have problems using html coding to create web pages...and that's simple stuff for most 'puter geeks.  I realize how difficult and time consuming programing can be...

Puhleeze...just have a little consideration for people, even the maxoids, maybe imagine walking in their shoes for a step or two.