Summary
The Sims 5is probably a few years away from being released, especially when the lack of news about it is considered alongside the fact thatThe Sims 4is still receiving new content, such as therecentLovestruckexpansion. However, that hasn’t stopped someplayers from creating wish lists for features they want to see as part ofThe Sims 5base game. This is a particularly important topic, becauseThe Sims 4was released without certain features that left a feeling that motivation for money resulted in features being put in expansions instead of the base game.
Since the base game tends to be released alone, or with a single expansion, the features it includes might be the most important factor that decides how well it’ll sell. This will likely be particularly true forThe Sims 5, because thecombined cost of content forThe Sims 4is so high, switching to a new base game with far less content won’t be too appealing. As such,The Sims 5desperately needs to include more featuresthan any base game that came before it in the franchise.
One Major Thing Could Hold Back The Sims 5 & It Has Nothing To Do With DLC
After a decade, The Sims 5 is finally on the horizon, but it could have a major problem on its hands that (surprisingly) has nothing to do with DLC.
10Neighborhoods Need To Allow For More Freedom
Allotment Should Not Be Limited
This is a feature that’s severely lacking inThe Sims 4, but was a highlight ofThe Sims 2.The Sims 2allows for houses and lots to be placed in neighborhoods, and with a lot of freedom. However,The Sims 4severely limits the number of lots that a neighborhood has, preventing the level of customization that used to be available in previous versions.
Neighborhoods shouldn’t have a limitation on lots.
When it comes to neighborhoods,The Sims 5needs to look atThe Sims 2for inspiration instead. Neighborhoods shouldn’t have a limitation on lots, andit should be possible to place new empty lots and households to create a vibrant location that feels alive. It’s a shame to be unable to fill a neighborhood with houses from the Gallery, and it’s an issue that can be fixed when moving on toThe Sims 5.
9Pre-Made Families Should Have Backstories
Romeo And Juliet Type Stories Are Super Fun
Prior toThe Sims 4, each neighborhood had at least a few families with an entire backstory.The Sims 2included aRomeo and Juliettype storywith two of its pre-made families, but the most popular recurring family is likely the Goths. These stories and the lore of the neighborhoods made it fun to play a pre-made family instead of only focusing on custom families.
How To Go On a Romantic Date In The Sims 4: Lovestruck (All Activities)
To set up a Romantic Date in The Sims 4: Lovestruck, players must select several activities to do with their partner and achieve social goals.
Story has never been a big part ofThe Sims, especially since the series acts as a virtual dollhouse that allows for stories to be created by the player. However, it was fun to have those pre-made families,even if it was for the purpose of watching them from the sidelines with custom families, or getting involved in their issues and ruining the plot with custom Sims. Like the entry before, this feature makes the neighborhood feel more alive, which is desperately lacking inThe Sims 4.
8Weather Should Be In The Base Game
Seasons Packs Could Expand Those Possibilities
Traditionally, weather is added toThe Simsthrough an expansion pack based around seasons. However,weather is such an integral part of daily lifethat it needs to be included in the base game. This isn’t to say that there can’t be an expansion pack for seasons, but weather shouldn’t be one of the features included – and therefore limited – by it.
Including vacation themes like skiing or going to beaches in the summer.
Instead of being in a seasonal-themed expansion,weather being in the base game ofThe Sims 5adds to elements like fears that Sims have, and some activities they can do, such as gardening or making snow angels. However, a seasons pack can then expand on those elements and focus on the activities that come with various seasons, possibly including vacation themes like skiing or going to beaches in the summer. There’s still potential for expansions, even if their traditional features are included in the base game instead of limited to additional content.
7The Sims Memory System Needs To Return
Making Sims More Alive And Realistic
Right now, Sims feel overall lifeless inThe Sims 4, and the memory system in previous games helped make their virtual nature a bit more realistic. Essentially,Sims would remember large events, such as deaths, weddings, and births, that would affect their moods at random; for instane, they would mourn for the dead from time to time. The old fear system could also be influenced by these events, especially when it came to deaths.
Thesememories would then become topics of conversations, and they could affect interests as well. It was a fun system to have included in previous games. With its absence inThe Sims 4, the lives of the Sims seem a bit more dull and meaningless, since they live on after big events as if nothing’s changed, and it’s almost sad to watch.
6There Should Be More Traits That Are Meaningful
Emotion System’s Felt Like A Downgrade
InThe Sims 2andThe Sims 3,traits had a greater impact on how Sims behaved, and they could pose challenges depending on those traits and what the Sim’s goals and needs were like at any given moment. Additionally,The Sims 3had more slots for traits. Now,The Sims 4makes traits rather meaningless, especially with the emotion system’s ability to essentially override them.
To accomplish this, it either needs to get rid of the emotion system, or to overhaul it so that it isn’t able to make traits useless.
The Sims 5not only needs more traits, butit needs to make them more meaningful, similar toThe Sims 3. To accomplish this, it either needs to get rid of the emotion system, or to overhaul it so that it isn’t able to make traits useless. This could also help with complaints thatThe Sims 4is too easy by providing similar challenges to living with some traits that were found inThe Sims 3.
5Pets Should Be Included
And Not Being Limited To An Expansion
Just like weather,pets shouldn’t be limited to an expansioninThe Sims 5. That doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be an expansion that adds more content revolving around pets, but like the weather, pets are a big part of life for many people. Even just having cats and dogs in the base game, then having more options – including exotic choices – for pets added later.
Sims 4: Lovestruck - Every New WooHoo Spot & New Deaths
The Sims 4’s latest expansion pack, “Lovestruck,” not only has more places for Sims to Woohoo, but also, surprisingly, some new death animations.
An expansion could includeactive careers like a pet groomer and veterinarian, or even an option for Sims to open their own animal shelter or pet supplies store. There are plenty of ways for the core feature of having pets to be part of the base game forThe Sims 5, but maintain the potential for expansions that focus on improving and adding to those features. Otherwise, it feels empty to have a life simulator that doesn’t have certain parts of life included.
4Crime And Consequences Should Return
Robbers Are Almost Non-Existent in The Sims 4
Back inThe Sims, it felt like a Sim’s house was always being broken into by robbers and having items stolen. Even inThe Sims 2,it was necessary to have an alarm system by doors, because there was still the chance that a robber would slip in. Now, that’s fairly non-existent inThe Sims 4, which is another element that makes it much easier than previous games.
The Sims 5can not only bring back random crime, but it can expand on it and the Criminal Career track at the same time, including the possibility of jail time. This also means that the kleptomaniac trait can be brought back, which is a great way to impact relationships, since Sims wouldn’t be happy if other Sims steal from them. As a result of these mechanics being added back in,an active career type for crime could be more interestingto implement.
3The Sims 5 Needs Random Events
It Is Surprisingly Hard To Die In The Sims 4
A big issue withThe Sims 4that’s noticeable to players who spent time in the previous games is that it’s too easy. Part of the reason it’s easy is that nothing really happens. At times,it feels difficult for Sims to die, and the most common cause of death inThe Sims 4is simply old age, assuming that aging is enabled.
In previous games, it felt difficult to keep Sims alive rather than kill them, andThe Sims 5could benefit from adding more challengesto keep players engaged. Former common causes of death in the franchise included fires, starvation, and random accidents. Now, Sims can be part of a house fire multiple times, and then have no consequences aside from needing a shower and having their needs lowered, along with Uncomfortable set as their emotion.
2Restore The Fear And Want System
This Would Also Help To make The Game Not So Easy
WhileThe Sims 4has whims,The Sims 2andThe Sims 3had fears and wants instead, which would then affect the Sim’s aspiration level, aspiration points, and influence. The points gained through aspiration could then be used to purchase items, such as the iconic Simoleon Tree inThe Sims 2. In comparison, the whim system gives points that are used for potions that restore needs to full, or traits like reducing the rate at which needs decay.
The Sims 4: 18 Highest Paying Careers
In order to make the most Simoleons and to live as lavishly as possible, players should take advantage of the best-paying careers in The Sims 4.
In the end, the whims make it too easy to accumulate points. Then,the rewards take away even more elements that could be challenging, especially since the needs are already easily managed inThe Sims 4, and potions can make them almost meaningless.The Sims 5needs to look more towards the fears and wants for inspiration than the whim system.
1The Sims 5 Needs More Personality
Previous Systems Were Old But Gold
The lack of personality among Sims inThe Sims 4might be one of the biggest complaints, and it’s something that should be rectified inThe Sims 5.In the past, Sims would have personality traits– which could be based on a zodiac system to make quick decisions instead of assigning points manually – that are added to make them more neat instead of messy, nicer or meaner, and so on. Without this, Sims feel rather bland inThe Sims 4.
In some ways, this entry includes elements like fears, wants, and traits. However, the personality system was its own feature, and it impacted Sim’s needs based on their environment. It would also work well with the emotion system inThe Sims 4if the developers want to keep that, sincemean Sims could make nice Sims angry, and neat Sims could be upset in messy environments. There’s a lot of potential in revisiting old systems and reworking them forThe Sims 5.
The Sims 5is unlikely to be released soon, and its release date could still be years away. However, there’s no shortage of debate when it comes to what should be included, especially when comparingThe Sims 4to older games in the franchise. While these features make money when they’re part of expansions, it makes more sense to include them in the base game ofThe Sims 5, and it could convince players to switch.
