Re: A question for the Mods: Will Sims 4 get a new life stage?
by sydwilgirl23Original Post
Here’s how Sims 4 Aging should be
(Baby is not pictured here but it is a part of Sims 4 aging)
Toddler (1-4)
Child (5-10)
Preteen (11-15)
Teen (16-19)
Young Adult (18-35)
Adult (35-50)
Middle-Aged Adult (50-65)
Elder (65+)
@cbfhy334, I don't mind new life stages (even though they are not necessary). The problem I have is how you suggest they be broken down. 15-19 as a teen?!? 
By strict definition, a teen is 13-19 years old, although technically, the word "teen" comes from the word "ten" but since in English the terms for 11 and 12 don't have the word "teen" as a suffix at the end they are not included. So, in reality, "teens" means "tens" : someone in their 10s as opposed to their 20's, 50's, etc. which would mean 10 -19 years old. But most people consider a pre-teen to be 10-12 years old. Maybe some might consider 8 & 9 years old in the pre-teen category, but that is really stretching it. The problem is that children are changing a lot almost every day, but it just isn't practical for a game like the Sims to keep up perfectly with every little growth spurt or other change of this nature. We would end up with seven and ten life stages just to cover birth to (young)adulthood! 
:eahigh_file:
(you also listed a teen to be 16-19 but a young adult to be starting at age 18. This is impossible! That would make an 18 year old both a teen and a young adult! 
)
As for "middle-aged", we already have that life-stage … it is just called "adult" in the game. Young adult is about 20- 35 years, and adult is 36-55 or maybe 60, with elder or senior being anything being over than that. I don't see a need for a new life stage between adult and elder in the game. It would only be for looks and I don't think EA is going to go through the trouble of creating new skins or meshes or whatever just for aesthetics.
If you want your adult Sim to look a bit older but not elderly, then you can add a few wrinkles (just like you can add freckles or braces or acne). 
I totally agree with the issue of teen height, though!!! It is ridiculous the way they have it now! 
But the solution is not to add another life stage for several reasons:
1). This does not solve the problem that many people don't reach their full height until they are 17 or 18 anyway, so teens shouldn't have been made to be adult height in the first place!
2.) The whole reason EA made teens to have the same height as adults is because they wouldn't have to make new meshes for all the clothing items. By creating a pre-teen just for the reason of correcting the height of a teen, would be to have EA go ahead and make all those meshes anyway, therefore making the entire reason for the teens being the same height as adults just an exercise in postponing the inevitable. I seriously doubt they would do this! Besides, most people who want a pre-teen life stage wants to add more than just a height between child and teen. They want the game to reflect what a pre-teen goes through to be reflected in the game! 
I love new gameplay, so I would be on board for this; however, all the things that make being a pre-teen different than a child or a teen are centered around the issue of "first times" like a first pimple, a first crush, growing body hair (which we don't even have in the game to begin with so we can't have our first shave), and for girls their first menstrual cycle (which I don't want in the game !!!!) and other "firsts" which I will not mention!!! I don't think EA would make these part of the game since some of these are embarrassing and gross at best, and controversial at worst! But after these "firsts" have all taken place, the pre-teen now is really exactly like a teen. Prior to these "firsts" the pre-teen is just like a child. The fact remains that without the "my first ____(fill in the blank)" , pre-teen gameplay is really just a Sim who sometimes acts like a child and sometimes acts like a teen! So for EA to go through all this trouble, they are going to have to find something unique for pre-teens to do that other life stages can't or don't do. If they find this I will be very excited! But they would need to keep controversial subjects out of the equation. The problem is that most people suggest activities for pre-teens to be exactly just like those of teens, just with a height difference! So we are back to the height issue once again! (EA, I really wish you had just made teens a bit shorter than adults!!! ) 
Finally, the problem with adding more life stages is that there will always be someone who wants yet another one (or two or three) life stages. Where will it end? A life stage for every year? I know you aren't suggesting that 
, but the problem is that someone will!
Finally, I love the pictures you have given! 
They do represent a more fluid growth pattern for a Sim and a more realistic one! I just don't see EA making all those meshes to accommodate something unless there is unique gameplay involved. 
However, if they do have plans for that, it might be if they ever make a Sims 5! So there is something to be hopeful about!
Happy Simming! 
