What is the appeal of The Sims?

[DrSpike]

Edit: I edited this out of guilt after seeing LotM's unfailingly polite remark.

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by lord of the mark


doc is an experienced game player, and someone whos thought seriously (as well as facetiously) about games. His comments here contribute lots of information, and hes also unfailingly polite, and livens the place up with humor as well.

[EternalSpark]

Douchery at its finest.

How so? If someone badmouths a Something, ask them how well they've done at Something. You won't see me criticizing something that has done so well as The Sims.

I'd like to point out that I'm not saying "If it sells it is good". There's been a few games that did well that I didn't like. But you don't see me talking about 'em - most of the games I dislike didn't become strong franchises.

Id love to see someone competing against Wright directly in the genre, but this franchises strength, and the continued weakness of the PC platform (could a competitor emerge on console?), has limited that.

Nothing has prevented any company from competing against Wright and his gaming philosophies. I would argue that the strength of the Sims franchise (and the philosophies that spawned from it) is core reason why you're not seeing a lot of others 'competing against Wright in the genre'. You can't argue with success.

Are there any films you have an opinion of?

I like some, I don't like others. You won't see me complaining about movies I don't like, though. Not my place to.

[Wiglaf]

How so? If someone badmouths a Something, ask them how well they've done at Something. You won't see me criticizing something that has done so well as The Sims.

So you cannot criticize a movie unless you've made a better one.

Can't critque a game unless you've created a Halo killer.

Spike's point is that the game is popular among people who don't like challenge and like dolls. I say the game itself sucks. Neither of us denied that people buy it.

Go take this logic and shove it up the ass, I am out of time for this sillyness.

[EternalSpark]

So you cannot criticize a movie unless you've made a better one.
Can't critque a game unless you've created a Halo killer.

Pretty much. You know the old line about Those That Can and Those That Can't.

Spike's point is that the game is popular among people who don't like challenge and like dolls.

What's your favorite game? You name it, it's a game that can have zero challenge and controls dolls.

Go take this logic and shove it up the ass,

I question how shoving things into my rectum would solve anything, other than recreate the experience diehard gamers currently have to experience.

[Wiglaf]

---
So you cannot criticize a movie unless you've made a better one.
Can't critque a game unless you've created a Halo killer.
-----
Pretty much. You know the old line about Those That Can and Those That Can't.

So no one can criticize films, movies, airplane crashes, baseball games, etc if they cannot make a blockbuster, fly a plane, or play professional baseball themselves. You demonstrate the intelligence of a monkey, scat, go back to your owner and his bananas.

I question how shoving things into my rectum would solve anything,

I think the sooner you get over your retarded logic the better off the world will be

[DaShi]

I say that the Sims rocks!

[El_Cid]

Originally posted by DaShi
I say that the Sims rocks!

Sssssh!! be carefull or verily will thy be smiten by Sims Wrath

.....unless you say your a girl.

[lord of the mark]

[QUOTE] Originally posted by EternalSpark

How so? If someone badmouths a Something, ask them how well they've done at Something. You won't see me criticizing something that has done so well as The Sims.

Thats insane. Did Pauline Kael ever make a successful movie? Did John Ruskin have a successful career as an artist or architect?

Artistic creation, and criticism are fundamentally different skills. If we lacked all the criticism done by folks who werent successful at creation in the medium in which they were critics, we'd all be poorer for it.

Nothing has prevented any company from competing against Wright and his gaming philosophies. I would argue that the strength of the Sims franchise (and the philosophies that spawned from it) is core reason why you're not seeing a lot of others 'competing against Wright in the genre'. You can't argue with success.

I was speaking of the Personality sim genre in particular, more than the game as toy philosophy in general. I think the latter HAS inspired others, for example Roller Coaster Tycoon, and in many ways some of the Paradox titles. And of course flight sims have done that (perhaps without benefit of a conscious philosophy) for some time.

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by EternalSpark
I like some, I don't like others. You won't see me complaining about movies I don't like, though. Not my place to.

Well that's up to you - strange though that you see it is your place to criticise someone expressing an opinion about a game on a gaming forum.

If we all went around just sending hugs and kisses at games we enjoy this place (and all forums actually) would be pretty boring.

[lord of the mark]

though I must say, even Pauline Kael wouldnt have criticized say, "When Harry met Sally" cause it wasnt like "Lawrence of Arabia"

It would really help if folks criticizing the Sims would go into greater depth about what they would like in either A. A personality/life sim or B. A software toy. Otherwise it tends to come off that some folks just dont like A, or B, or both, and THAT gets kinda boring.

To criticize a critique: Wiggy thinks the Sims is too easy, but seems to like SimCity. Yet ISTM that pretty much the same criticism could be leveled at SC (well at least SC2000, the version I have) Once you get the hang of zoning in direct response to demand, making some fairly simple power plant choices, and not doing anything stupid, its pretty trivial to make money, and after that you can pretty much do anything you want, given enough time. The difficult settings make the opening harder, but still, once your over the hump, it plays out the same.

[Wiglaf]

Simcity 4, 3, 2000, etc are a lot harder than The Sims and the road to success/nice city is not simply "Get a job and go to carpool."

[DaShi]

What's success in Simcity?

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Wiglaf
Simcity 4, 3, 2000, etc are a lot harder than The Sims and the road to success/nice city is not simply "Get a job and go to carpool."

zone for whatever the demand table shows, dont make the zones too big, keep everything within what, 3 squares of a road, build hydro plants if you can, coal otherwise (And put them on the map edge. and not too close to the city) Generally build what the sims ask for.

Hell ive hardly played it all for years (my first PC game, doncha know) and I can still remember all that.

[Wiglaf]

Simcity 4 is actually really difficult compared to the sims. If you'd play it you'd know that.