Topic: The Sims 3 (Read 3668 times)

Bongo Bill · « **on:** June 05, 2009, 01:03:49 AM »

So. The Sims 3: great, great stuff.

Büge · « **Reply #1 on:** June 05, 2009, 04:59:40 AM »

There's a third one already?

Detonator · « **Reply #2 on:** June 05, 2009, 05:29:47 AM »

Shit, it's only been five years! Who do they think they are, pumping out sequels like that!

Beat Bandit · « **Reply #3 on:** June 05, 2009, 08:34:53 AM »

I wish beyond all wishes to play it, but the pirating community seems much less concerned about getting Securom off of this game, sticking with straight rips from the retail copies over modded and cracked versions.

So, Bongo, is it worth comp-u-rape?

Bongo Bill · « **Reply #4 on:** June 05, 2009, 08:37:00 AM »

Only the Internet version has Securom. Assuming EA's FAQ section is accurate, the retail version is gloriously DRM-free. Well, it asks for a serial number, of course. It might, like Fallout 3, have something on the disc to prevent you from making a copy, but it leaves no harmful residue*. And I can't imagine why you'd want to buy a game through EA's crappy online store anyway.

* Well... during the installation it does ask you if you want to install EA Download Manager in order to get patches for the game. However, a quick trip to msconfig to remove it from the startup list is all you need to keep that thing under control.

Brentai · « **Reply #5 on:** June 05, 2009, 12:14:09 PM »

Quote from: Bongo Bill on June 05, 2009, 08:37:00 AM

Only the Internet version has Securom. Assuming EA's FAQ section is accurate, the retail version is gloriously DRM-free.

I think the confusion is over the fact that Sims 3 somehow went completely un-pimped until release. You'd expect EA to do, like, Dojo updates for a year for a thing like that.

Or maybe they did and I didn't care. But I was fairly surprised to first hear of its existence when YouTube announced its launch.

Detonator · « **Reply #6 on:** June 06, 2009, 07:57:55 AM »

The Sims 3 being DRM-free was announced months ago, but I've been paying more attention to the game pre-release than most.

I'm not sure if this means anything, but my legitimate copy of Spore installed on my computer did nothing to stop me from pirating the Sims 3. I deleted it and got a legit copy now that it's actually out. EA is trying to sweeten the pot by giving you an extra town and free goodies in the online store if you have a legit copy.

Fredward · « **Reply #7 on:** June 07, 2009, 10:12:20 AM »

First impressions of Sims 3. They turned it into more of a 'game' than a 'toy', by making it possible only to play one family at a time and by changing the time mechanic such that the rest of the neighbourhood ages as you play one household. What's more, there's no magic age-decreaser like in Sims 2 (as far as I can tell) -- everyone gets old and dies. Occasionally in public places. One of my Sims was taking a visit to the library, and another patron spontaneously kicked the bucket. And, rather than the last two games, where a dead sim would fall over and turn into a gravestone\urn, now they don't even touch the floor. Rather, one second they're alive, the next they're a ghost. The Grim Reaper makes an appearance (I'm not sure if you can save people from death in this one, though), and whoosh, they're gone.

All this combines to make the game sort of a chilling experience. Gone are the nutty contraptions of Sims 2; The Sims 3 is more sober and realistic all around. The life goals are somewhat more difficult to obtain, but the mini-goals (called wishes) are generally quite easy, but have suitably small rewards. The result is such you'll probably never obtain your life goals, sidetracked by work or family.

This isn't an indictment of the game, though. It's actually quite good, and a large improvement over Sims 2 (especially when it comes to customization). I recommend it!

Ted Belmont · « **Reply #8 on:** June 07, 2009, 10:35:10 AM »

Quote from: Fredward on June 07, 2009, 10:12:20 AM

The result is such you'll probably never obtain your life goals, sidetracked by work or family.

Just like real life!

Bongo Bill · « **Reply #9 on:** June 07, 2009, 12:01:37 PM »

That's why there's options in the menu to prolong sims' lifespans (the shortest one is probably too short to accomplish anything of note; the longest seems sufficient to do literally everything), disable progression in the neighborhood, and disable aging altogether.

However, if there is an ability to reduce age, I have not yet seen it.

Detonator · « **Reply #10 on:** June 07, 2009, 12:18:55 PM »

I can see the reasoning behind the "all or nothing" approach. Since your neighbors didn't age in The Sims 2, it made sense to let you also be immortal if you chose. Now that everyone in town ages with you, staying young while everyone around you whithered and died would be kind of disturbing*. I imagine some interesting stories could be based around that, but I don't see it as a necessity when you can just turn aging off altogether.

*if they did include this option, it should require keeping a portrait of yourself hidden in the attic

Fredward · « **Reply #11 on:** June 07, 2009, 02:31:02 PM »

Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention the lifespan-changing option. Default is about 100 Simdays, shortest is 25, longest is something like 1000. I've been playing the default, and I must admit it feels a bit rushed.

Mr. Wonka · « **Reply #12 on:** June 07, 2009, 03:07:56 PM »

I'm not really much of a fan of the Sims series, but I can't help but love this game!

I think the reason I never got into the first sims, was the blatant limitation it had. You could do alot at the house, but not much around it.

The only issue I have with the game is the annoyingly long working times.
Apart from the weekends, and possibly the odd day off you get when you have a career level higher than 3, you don't get much time after work to do anything, because it takes a long time to restore your sim to a capable state, (they get tired, hungry, and dirty way too easily, for a videogame...).

I'd like an opportunity to really explore the town itself and go to the park, or the graveyard, before I'm in middle age...

That being said, the game is very addictive, as the game can now be played differently, with moderate success.

Bongo Bill · « **Reply #13 on:** June 07, 2009, 03:24:09 PM »

Save up your Lifetime Happiness Points for the reward that lets you skip work without any penalty.

Fredward · « **Reply #14 on:** June 07, 2009, 06:26:28 PM »

Quote from: Bongo Bill on June 07, 2009, 12:01:37 PM

However, if there is an ability to reduce age, I have not yet seen it.

Found it! Life fruit. I think you might get it from being good at gardening, because it spontaneously appeared in my inventory. Plus, you can plant it to get more!

Detonator · « **Reply #15 on:** June 07, 2009, 07:13:30 PM »

My character got some seeds for Death Flowers...

Detonator · « **Reply #16 on:** June 07, 2009, 09:56:28 PM »

Death flowers should be blooming any day now...

I haven't had much of a problem with work taking up all my time. I took the lifetime reward that lets you slack off at work with no penalty, so I get home with full fun and social meters. I'm pretty far up the science career and only work 18 hours a week. It seems the amount of time you work per week goes down as you advance.

Unfortunately, I'm only 4 days away from old age. Those life fruits would be handy, but I don't know how to get them (I don't even know where the death flower seeds came from).

Fredward · « **Reply #17 on:** June 09, 2009, 10:06:29 PM »

So, you can have children out of wedlock in this game.

My third generation sim now has kids all over town.

TA · « **Reply #18 on:** June 10, 2009, 11:05:01 AM »

A story of a broken home.

Zaratustra · « **Reply #19 on:** June 10, 2009, 11:44:19 AM »

Quote from: Fredward on June 07, 2009, 10:12:20 AM

The result is such you'll probably never obtain your life goals, sidetracked by work or family.

Just like real life then

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Author Topic: The Sims 3 (Read 3668 times)