Regarding today's patch (22.04.26)'s load screen...

[zerohasleftchat]

I would like to bring this to the attention of the design team for the game launch menu screen regarding the patch update that went live today.

I get it's a joke. I've been playing sims since the original game launched, it's got a history of fun and quirky behavior, typically regulated in items, descriptions, or patch notes.

But this isn't patch notes, an item I can avoid in-game, etc. This is my game load screen. I can't escape it easily without taking extra steps on my end to find a UI simplifying mod or something, assuming they're working after the patch.

As a person with a severe mental disorder that involves paranoia, this is NOT A GOOD joke. I've already confirmed that it doesn't go away with re-launching the game. In fact, the pop up doesn't even go away, so I have to mentally acknowledge this every time I launch the game. Please. Please. PLEASE push an update to remove this. The fact that the more I view this screen, the worse it makes me feel, is very telling. I've shared it with other players who haven't updated yet as well as people who do not play The Sims... it's not landing well anywhere.

[jpkarlsen]

@zerohasleftchat 

Please post a screenshot of that popup you mention. And please tell what it is you see as a joke.

[Strangelovekraft]

The new loading screen is full of images of a female sim staring with very wide eyes,  and the screen has texts like "Ring ring. What's up?!" and "You are not the victim of a hacker, it's just me"... This is extremely unplesant. 

[zerohasleftchat]

I call it a joke, because I realize the execution is intentional and meant to be thematic but also meant to derive an emotion and I can only hope it's meant to be humor and not distress. And I am letting developers understand that this is extremely distressing for a lot of their userbase. I would refer back to the time they changed the loading background colors, plumbob, etc., and users reported that it was causing issues, if I recall, regarding migraines or something. I felt comfortable posting this concern because of that precedent.

[zerohasleftchat]

To be more specific, the popup goes away IF I click it to do so. But it does NOT go away from subsequent RELAUNCHES. Which, once again, draws more attention to the whole issue. The effect of which I can understand and appreciate from a distance, but NOT as a victim of stalking and with my previously stated disorder.

[Strangelovekraft]

The language is also kinda even creepier in my language, instead of "you have not been hacked" it says "you are not the victim of a hacker", which kinda implies you might be the victim of someone else still... 

[xochiquetzl_xkvn]

I have to say, I DESPISE that stupid "RING RING" screen as it is because it represents something I find PROFOUNDLY ANNOYING about the Sims. Namely, that if your Sim has a friend your Sim's friend hounds you day and night to be social. Every time I see that I'm like, "I should really silence my phone and move off the grid." 

PLEASE for the love of all you consider holy SAVE US from the horrible RING RING girl!

[Slytherclaw72]

Yeah. I love the new layout but I absolutely hate that Sim staring at me all over the place like some kind of creepy stalker (I have killed and deleted sims in game for acting that way towards my sims). Do. Not. Want. 

[jpkarlsen]

@zerohasleftchat 

You may have this issue: Please see this thread: https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-PC/CURRENT-ISSUE-Anti-Virus-blocking-User-Folder-Screensh...

The main screen changes frequently so you probably will not have to look at this beautiful girl for long. Besides it takes 2 seconds to click the button you want. So hopefully you can live with the image of her in the meantime.

BTW. Girls tend to be bright-eyed and if you are lucky they will send you a big smile. Anyway you are welcome to raise anything that is a concern for you. 

[zerohasleftchat]

I have loaded this game over 20 times since it updated. I take behavioral notes regarding how a program interacts, especially around updates, especially if it's touched by mods at all at any point. I do not have an active antivirus running. Not even Windows Defender. I delete every sort of cache between every load. I have repaired game. I do all the usual song and dance.

She is in every. single. load. It's not a matter of clicking a button and two seconds, that is not the point of the issue I am raising, it is just the lagniappe.

Also, I do not need the inclusion of that BTW, at all. It's not relevant to this topic. And I am, in fact, raising a concern, that other people are also raising, on Twitter, in this thread, etc.