No Toddlers and No Pools in TS4 Base Game

[Jenna]

So, here's an interesting tidbit for you: the TS4 base game isn't going to include toddlers or pools. I spotted this originally on Kotaku, and the full article is here.

The removal of both strikes me as a strange design choice, considering both have been staples of the franchise for years. It also makes me fear they're going to be pushing absurd amounts of DLC for this game.

[AxelVal]

I'm one of those players who likes going from birth through death so the no toddlers makes me cringe.  It's a life simulation but they're leaving out a really crucial life stage 

I was so excited about this game for so long but it just feels...incomplete.  Like, they know it's not ready but they want to keep their deadline.  Makes me sad.

[Hannnah]

I originally didn't really like the look of the Sims 4 and probably wouldn't have bought it, but now this? this would be the reason that has put me off it completely. I was looking forward to seeing the cute babies and then seeing what they would look like older but now that dream has been crushed. And yes I know they will probably release them on a later date but still, no toddlers? yeah the pools i'm fine with and I could wait a little but this is just ridiculous and I bet you this will turn off a lot of customers from buying this game. I was already disappointed about the Sims 3 with its crappy laggy graphics and I only got it for Christmas last year because of all of the bad reviews but I got it anyway and all of the reviews were right. We are basically going back to Sims 1. We are suppose to be jumping forward in things but now we are just going backwards. And now one thing is for sure, I will not be waiting my money on this game! I will just stick with Sims 2

[Charley]

I cancelled my preorder after this news , because the toddlers were my one of favourite lifestages. I can't understand why they have got rid of them - but I believe its due to the fact that they are behind schedule and this game was supposed to be out in January that they are just leaving it out so it can be released. I hope they don't expect peple to buy an EP just to get the toddler lifestage. If and when toddlers are released I would buy the game if its just a patch to include the lifestage and not having to shell more money out on a EP when it should have been included in the base game

[Theraven]

We're also getting teens of the same height as adults, so EA is basically being lazy by default this time.

I do wonder what they're really spending their funding on. Wouldn't be surprised if the commercial bit gets most of the money, and the actual game developers barely get enough to get by with. One word: EMOTIONS!!!11!!!!1!

(which we had more or less in TS2, so what's the big deal, really? I don't want my sims to run around being furious half the sim day. I'd rather see emotional toddlers then over-emotional adult sims, but that's me...)

[Hannnah]

I so agree with this. The teens will be the same height as adults..... really? now they are just being lazy arses, now I just want to tell them to get there lazy arses up and make me some toddlers, pools and TEENS! that are not the same bloody height as the adults! Do they see people like me walking around the same height as their mother? no they do not! They are just bloody lazy arses. GET OFF YOUR LAZY ARSES EA AND MAKE ME SOME BLOODY TODDLERS! (Sorry about my language there , its the way I express myself and I use bloody alot in real life to express things )

[mhahse57]

If this is still the plan of the developers to not have toddlers or pools for the break out of the game, I think it is OK--for the first few months.  I have a feeling the game is going to have a ton of new tricks for game play.  I pre-ordered, so will be chasing CC here as soon as it arrives.  First on my agenda:  a sim modder like the Insimenator, etc. natural skins and nude patches.  I have always considered my simmies as my children, and I must admit: the game has always fed my "god complex"  LOL! 

I dearly hope the game is mod friendly.  I love creating lots, and re-colors to share.  Happy Simming, folks!

[Rosebud1773]

Pools I could live without...for awhile anyway. Toddlers, that's another story all together. Life simulator, birth to death, yeah, toddlers are a must. It's not that hard to put together a toddler mesh and it's not that hard to animate it. If they really want to be that lazy, why not rip the meshes and animations from TS2. After all, TS4 is looking like a true sequel to that game. To be honest, I was hoping to see simulated growth in this game. I guess they took the cheaper way out.

I also have a big problem with teens being the same height as adults. Hopefully some wonderful modder will get hold of the source codes and remesh the teens since EA is obviously too lazy to do it right the first time around.

The CAS demo is interesting, but it's lacking in detail ability. The "stretch/pull" limits are too limited. So far I've been unable to stretch any area of the face far enough to create some of the more distinguished celebrities. I'm sure someone will rework the hidden sliders a little better soon enough though.

Not too thrilled with create-a-style being omitted, but the color picker isn't so bad. It could prove useful if it can support more than just a few recolors. I am somewhat looking forward to seeing the kinds of CC (clothing/objects) the new game might be able to support. Maybe a better default skintone would help the overall look of the sims themselves.

[mhahse57]

I agree:  Teens need to be smaller.  This looks like it will make determining who my simmies choose with whom to "chat" or "flirt" more tricky.  It would be pretty lame for my teen sim to start coming on to some adult; it would not be because I wanted them to do so.

[Starsky]

Wow.  No pools, no toddlers AND teens are the same size as adults?  I was looking forward to this, but now I'm not so sure.  I might just stick to Sims2.

[Cindra]

I got it yesterday. It's really not that bad. I am not fond of the new way of building tho. I love how sims can multi-task now. Remember it is just base game. A few expansions will certainly spice things up a bit. Happy Simming!

[candesco]

I got it yesterday. It's really not that bad. I am not fond of the new way of building tho. I love how sims can multi-task now. Remember it is just base game. A few expansions will certainly spice things up a bit. Happy Simming!

Oh sure,as well as a dozens of dlc's, most day one.
It's a basegame yes and then some things aren't there, but this is quite ridiculous. Toddlers should be there, as it is a lifestage. I remember the slogan back on the box of the basegame of ts2. "they are born, they go death. everything between it you decide".
We got spoiled with the sims 3 basegame, as it had already cars, pools, etc. It was more complete that the ts2 basegame.
And now they decide to strip the basegame for ts4. But in return you got double drm. Origin activation stuff plus sony dadc drm.

[Jacque]

I just bought the Premium Edition of SIMS4 as well as Get To Work. No pools and kids means...Back to the store for me. I refuse to buy something that they are changing solely to reap even more profits from. No way I'm buying a Kids & Pool expansion. If they aren't in the base game I don't want it. I had already stopped buying at SIMS3 and didn't like the dark shadow on the face when in create SIM nor having to rebuild another entire collection [as I have all of SIMS2] After my disappointment in SIMS3 I told myself they would have to come up with something better for me to buy in again. I hoped SIMS4 was it as I love the create options, but the no toddlers or pools; I don't get it especially when Get To Work had Doctor as a skill and you deliver babies. WTH?

[HobbesED]

Pools became available as a free download a couple of months after TS4's release. So they are in the game now if you update online after you install.