Gameplay needs some serious makeover

[renatanesio]

I've recently commented on The Sims 4 latest stuff pack, Nifty Knitting, about how I'm so very disappointed at how EA keeps ignoring the fact that the life simulation game feels pretty lifeless and apparently many people agree with me. 

We are so very grateful for how the game looks. Graphics are great and run okay on old computers. But the simulation part lacks on so many things. Especially when it comes to social aspects.

I've already said it I'll keep saying it: social interactions feel shallow, relationships are terribly meaningless, actions have few to no consequences, sims have a very shot-lived memory. 

I feel everything my sims do is stored in a table and it refreshes too quickly, deleting every single recent event. Shouldn't memories be important and affect sims' lives?

We need gameplay depth. Relevant social interactions and meaningful relationships. Memories, tied-to-aspirations whims. Hard decision making. Scarring interactions. Life challenging events. And I'm not talking about expensive bills. 

Sims 4 gets boring too fast and it's basically because we have a lot of pretty stuff to build, but the living part lacks so much character.

I wish this rant would reach someone important, but it probably won't. So at least could someone don't take this personal and honestly tell me why EA doesn't focus on this? Is it because it'd be too expensive to refurbish the entire game mechanics? Or do you think players don't care about it? Or maybe it's too late and it'll be considered in Sims 5?

I truly love this game and all the effort to keep it interesting and rentable, but the version 4 is the most lifeless so far. 

[OrigAccountSUX]

They need to add some kind of long term memory system to fix a few issues like leaving stuff they removed from inventory to play with or use behind. 

[PugLove888]

@renatanesio, I think that it would be too hard (or maybe impossible) to do an overhaul to the extent you are talking about.  They might add some smaller mechanics to the game in the future, but it won't be on that scale. I remember the Developers talking about the game when it came out and they really wanted to focus on Moods/emotions.  While I like the emotions, I think that the fact most Sims are likely to fell any of these emotions makes them all feel more alike than they had planned. I do think they would consider more in-depth socials if and when they make Sims 5. 

The game you described sounds to me a lot like TS2!!!!   That was by far my favorite version of the Sims, as the gameplay had great depth!  It had pretty much everything you mentioned!  There were not only the equivalent of whims (in TS2 they were called Wants), but there were also Fears which if that fear was realized in the game it would have great effect on that Sim and sometimes put them in a tailspin. And the Wants and Fears were closely tied to Aspiration and personality.  For example, if a Family Sim didn't have children, or if the children were taken away because of neglect, that Sim would end up cradling a sack of flour like it was a baby!  Fortune Sims would panhandle if they weren't making money in the game.  Each Aspiration type had its own failure behavior unique to that Aspiration.  (They might not have been called Aspirations then, but they were the equivalent.).  Some of the Fears were small, but some were big, and both Wants and Fears would reset (like how a slot machine rolls) upon waking up each day, and whenever some event happened like going on a date. So there was always an element of surprise as to what the exact Wants and Fears would be. 
And I loved the memory system in that game as well! 
I could go on about TS2, but I think you can understand how in depth the gameplay was!  

That said, I do love TS4!   I actually love it far more than TS3, which left me feeling empty after TS2.  This is probably how you feel about TS4, though.  But TS3 also suffered because it was laggy at best and unplayable at worst. 

I do hope and think it possible that TS5 will go a different route than TS4.  Some say that it might be either an online game or have online features.  I don't mind the option to play online with others, as long as it isn't a requirement!