The Sims 3 buzz/gossip/rumours

[Tenshii~Akari]

Beaten to it.  :laugh:

Thanks for the info, Pierre.  And a definite thanks to Diana for translating it.    Too bad it seems like the same thing we already know.  :icon9:  Still waiting for something new to surface.  :happy8:

[Pierre]

your welcome and if i see new info or screenshot i will post

[BeosBoxBoy]

I was told by a guy I know at EA UK that the custom meshes -- if they decide to allow them -- will be made entirely with EA provided software (like 2nd Life) and be hosted only on the Exchange (like 2nd Life) - with EA's hall-monitors of American morality deciding what is and is not acceptable - so don't be expecting any of the sort of things you have grown accustomed to getting from Warlokk, Marvine, and myself.  Again - this is all in the "if they decide to allow it" stage.

Frankly, I have looked at all the information here and on the sites linked, and I genuinely think that TS2 offers greater flexibility and more diversity of shapes.  Perhaps TS3 will handle some shapes better, but the other aspects of the game they are adding really don't reflect anything I want.  In fact, from where I sit, they have categorically ruined the game with this gross over-head of moronic personality traits.

Considering that it may very well be impossible to create a tool like SimPE for TS3, where does that leave us? I don't want to play a game that allows me to only react to things, I want a very pro-active and determined control of every aspect of the environment; from what I see, TS3 strips away much of the control we currently enjoy - demonstrating that EA has not listened to us or watched how we play the game.

Sure, they can add "features" galore, but as we saw with TS2, many of those features came with gross and wide-spread defects and seriously undermined the enjoyment of the game for millions of players.  So many in fact that the mods and hacks are considered by most players outside the BBS as "all that makes the game worth playing" or "all that makes the game playable".

I don't like the people who make decisions at EA, and frankly, I can see their hands all over TS3.  I have the utmost confidence in my friend at EA UK, and he said without a moment's hesitation, most of us will hate TS3. In their effort to make the game "fresh" they are moving farther from the core of play most of us long-time players like.  TS3 promises to be a game that some people will enjoy, but my mate said us long-time players will be sorely disappointed.

[Tenshii~Akari]

That seals it then.  TS2 reigns supreme in my book if all that stuff happens.  I wouldn't be able to deal with jumping to that point, especially since I've just begun to step up into new levels of custom content creation with the current game.    It's sort of like you're in a race and only taking five steps back and a half-step forward to get to the goal... which doesn't make any sense to me.  :dontknow:

Basically, it's going to end up sort of a semi-flop with us, just like Sim City Societies was to all of the other long-time players of the Sim City series...  the "brains" of EA are seriously wired incorrectly.  Heck, it's been that way since they bought out Maxis in the first place... and even before then from what I've heard from some.  :roll:

[veggiespork]

Yuck. I don't like these new-fangled ideas. TS3 doesn't sound like a game for me at the moment.

[pandoraprincess80]

I dunno... I read somewhere (I think it may have been in this thread), that you'd be able to play the game as if it were a tv show (The Sopranos and Desperate Housewives were mentioned). I, for one, am getting pretty tired of micromanaging my Sims' eating, sleeping, peeing needs. I've always kinda wanted to sit back and watch as if it were a tv show... a soap opera of sorts. Sounds like most of you don't like that idea, and that's fine. Remember, we've still got a year to go though before it's actually released. That's ALOT of time in development... a lot can change between now and then Although I'm really kinda hoping the ability to play in the aforementioned manner doesn't

P.S.- One thing I've seen that I DON'T like is the way the Sims in "Sims 3" look. Seems their faces are too round or something.... can't put my finger on it, but they have some characteristic that makes them all look too similar.

[Spookylicious]

The only reason I play the Sims is highly due to the custom content and mods/hacks and  without it the game would not be a bit worth playing,I am really getting tired of EA. I feel it's are money and they should put what we want in the game.I will wait and see the reviews before I even think about buying it.The only reason why The Sims is a huge success is due to all the custom content why would we want to play with there ugly Sims,clothes and hair styles...

[Aralie]

P.S.- One thing I've seen that I DON'T like is the way the Sims in "Sims 3" look. Seems their faces are too round or something.... can't put my finger on it, but they have some characteristic that makes them all look too similar.

I noticed that too. I really don't like the way the sims look. I like the whole "freedom to go anywhere" thing and the way the buildings look, that actually put me in a state of awe for a few moments. They look so realistic from the screenies. I probably won't get the Sims 3, though. The main reason is because my computer won't be able to handle it. I'm lucky it can handle the Sims 2, plus all the ep's, and the loads of CC I have. Even though we have at least a year (knowing EAxis), I don't think I'll have a new computer by then. Second reason, I'll miss all the sweet custom stuff. I already know I'll go crazy if I have to go back to Maxis genetics, which don't look like they've improved much in TS3. Ick.
Obviously, we don't know what making CC in the Sims 3 will entail. I also know nothing about making CC so don't quote anything I have to say about it. But, someone said there most likely won't be a program like SimPE, so that kind of complicates things, right?

"I was told by a guy I know at EA UK that the custom meshes -- if they decide to allow them -- will be made entirely with EA provided software (like 2nd Life) and be hosted only on the Exchange (like 2nd Life) - with EA's hall-monitors of American morality deciding what is and is not acceptable - so don't be expecting any of the sort of things you have grown accustomed to getting from Warlokk, Marvine, and myself. Again - this is all in the "if they decide to allow it" stage."

Beosboxboy, I assume you're only talking about the custom body meshes not being allowed? Or will we not be able to do custom objects and clothing meshes either? Again, I know nothing about this kind of thing. I just recently figured out how to recolor clothing, and not very well, might I add. I'm completely clueless to anything beyond that.

**Done rambling...for now**

[fatimatillah]

EA Games S-U-C-K sucks (Is the word "suck" allowed?)! They first make "The Sims" and all its stuff packs. We enjoy it. Then, they release "The Sims 2" and all its stuff packs. They don't make it as realistic as possible. I get "addicted" to it and I buy most of the stuff packs, and there maybe be new releases. Then, after all the money I spend / spent on buying "The Sims 2" and its stuff packs, they are gonna release "The Sims 3" without that much time in between with all the releases of "The Sims 2" expansion packs?!?! That's just wrong! (Plus the faces in "The Sims 4" look really creepy and I think that it'll be much more difficult to make celebrity look-alikes because its gonna be more complicated) And they make "The Sims 2" not that realistic/good so that they can upgrade/improve their next release, "The Sims 3", and suck our wallets dry?!?! And think about this: If you want to play with "The Sims 3", you'll have to buy a new PC/laptop or at least upgrade your PC/laptop (my PC is already an equivalent of Pentium 4 plus a lot of upgrades but still, "The Sims 2" is kinda slow in my PC)! I mean, "The Sims 2" already has high requirements and its not even that detailed. I think if I run "The Sims 3" on my PC, it'll explode! I really need to talk to someone about this (I mean a person from InSIMenator.net, who has a very high knowledge of this situation, not an EA website/EA employee/EA person!!! (I know that my opinion on this is kind of redundant of what others are saying. I really wanna discuss this with someone who has high knowledge of the situation and maybe, do something about it.) WOW, my post is long!

[pandoraprincess80]

Also, I noticed that in The Sims 3, what they call "fat Sims" are really nothing more than simply "plump" Sims. Still not particularly realistic. Also, what about dimples? I'd like to have Sims w/ dimples... and see them have children w/ dimples However, I'm sure that's not at the top of the "details to add" priority list

And I saw someone somewhere mention (I forgot where), that these characteristics we will have to choose from... well... let's face it, they will suck. I couldn't agree more! It's like the Grilled Cheese Aspiration... what's up with that?! I NEVER use that one.

And here's an idea off the top of my head... I think that Sims should be BORN with an innate tendency toward either hetero or homosexuality, just like they're born male or female, and the game determines which. Having said that, I think you should be able to change it if it's not innately what you prefer for that particular Sim. It would keep things interesting

[ktggoodnight]

reading Beos up there- i am one of very few people who have no CC meshes for different body shapes. However the fact that i am not given the option if i change my mind.. sucks.............

cause i was really hoping the sims 3 would finally be able to give me different body shapes without having to crucify myself to get each shape new clothes. However... it seems all i have is a "fat slider" - why couldnt they have done it for each body part? ( i hear there might be the possibility of spepearting legs from arms but thats about it- and when i see it i will believe it) its just absolute scandal that we cant have the full diversity of Beos. Marvine, Warlokk etc beutiful creations, we see these types whether on TV/ real life- but we are not allowed them for our own pixelated worlds??

urgh i feel like i am being nannied by the government- how dare they tell me what i will get offended by! - if you dont like it then dont get the mesh or whatever!

freedom of choice ! even an 8 yr old can understand that!

[BeosBoxBoy]

aralie3209 - from what I have been told by multiple sources inside EA, the way we do custom content currently will not be allowed in TS3, they all suggested that every new mesh would be made with a sort of EA proprietary software that does little more than morph existing game shapes (like the earliest stages of TS2 CC meshes for bodies).  My sources said, based on R&D meeting discussions, this would most likely apply to all meshing. The meetings also covering how the files would be hosted, if they were even allowed to be made, and the higher-ups want it all on the exchange.

The one source I trust most for reliable information has been silenced in recent weeks, my guess is out of fear for his position.  I still talk with him, but he says he is "not at liberty to discuss this matter" - which is new for this person. To me, this sounds like a legal formula rather than the natural sort "I just can't talk about it" most folks might say. So, from my chair, this looks like a gag order in effect, which leads me to wonder "what does EA have to hide about custom content?"

I full well understand at this stage we are dealing with smoke and mirrors and marketing hype. I am mindful of TS2 as shipped doesn't even allow any means to recolour base game objects, that it requires CEP (a custom mod made by Numenor) and SimPE (a custom software made by divers hands in the Sims community) to make simple recolours of base game objects.  EA never provided us with anything but a means to recolour walls, floors, their craptastic body and hair meshes, skin tones, eye colours, facial items like eyebrows and makeup, and glasses.

EA didn't think we needed anything else. So in truth, there's really nothing new in this sort of policy my contacts are telling me.  EA didn't want CC -- as we have always understood the term -- in TS2, now they are simply making damned sure there isn't any in TS3.

In a flat comparison between The Sims and The Sims 2, all we have really gained with TS2 is a 3D fast render engine.  The rest of the game has lost as much as it has gained.  By extension, TS3 will only follow the same trend we see in all EA games, tighter control by EA and less ability to mod, effectively killing the CC producing community and opening up more avenues of direct sales marketing to the consumer through mirco-purchases.

I have been saying this was the shape of the future for 2 years, no one seems to have heard me. There have been too many people still willing to believe EA, a giant international software corporation with thousands of share-holders demanding ever higher profits, likes us and is our friend.

ktggoodnight - you have a sane and sound position on freedom of choice. I go through cycles where I play the game with only Maxis-made content, then I go on downloading splurges. In truth, many of the Maxis objects are pretty well made and offer a lot of versatility.  With good recolours, you may not ever need to download a custom mesh object.  I honestly don't care if my Sims sit on simple colour squares and rectangles so long as the Sims themselves look great and moderately like real people. Sure, it's nice that a chair looks like a chair and a bed looks like a bed, but that's not really so much my thing.

It's about the choice to have move if you want it, and increasingly, EA doesn't care about our wants for this game. For some folks, it will be the imposed morality of no pregnant teens, for others it will be the loss of custom objects, for others it will be he loss of mods and hacks, in the end, everything I am hating about TS2 and TS3 comes down to a loss of choice.

pandoraprincess80 - I would venture to say that one could very easily play TS2 as episodes of one's favourite TV programmes, so I don't see the gain here. I want to create my own stories, not re-perform another's, so the attraction is pretty low for me and the body of Sims film makers and story-tellers. Why do you even have to micromanage the wants/needs of a Sim? There are abundant hacks and cheats to make this a non-issue.

[Spookylicious]

fatimatillah as of right now EA has not released the computer requirements for The Sims 3,and we probably won't really know until it's near it's release date.

[PegasusDiana]

Your link isn't working for me.

[Pierre]

your link is defctive for me as well