HH4 Poll - Gas' degree of interference

What degree of control/interference should Gasbandit exert over the Sims in HH4?

  • Strictly a passive observer.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Mostly hands off, but fix obvious problems.

    Votes: 7 23.3%
  • Motivate and redirect sims to act more in line with their character.

    Votes: 13 43.3%
  • DANCE, PUPPETS, DANCE! YOU ARE GAS' PLAYTHINGS!

    Votes: 10 33.3%

  • Total voters
    30
  • Poll closed .

GasBandit

Staff member
Sims 4 is, of course, an impressively complex social interaction engine. But it's not perfect. In order to leave some "game" in there for the player, there's still some things sims just won't seem to do for themselves.

How active a role should I take to address these deficiencies?

Options would be:

1) Completely passive observer - no matter how many toilets clog or aspirations go ignored, I will only watch and document the failings of the AI. After all, hardship and adversity can be entertaining to watch, too, right?

2) Mostly-hands-off administrator/troublefixer - In Rimworld, I barely had to interfere with the individual pawns at all, outside of combat situations and structure planning/construction. Mostly it was sufficient to set policy and let people do their thing, though there were little exceptions that made me have to take an active role from time to time. In Sims 4, this would mean I'd only intervene for things that generally don't take care of themselves, like broken appliances.

3) Active motivator - However, HFA2, for example, required me to exert a great deal of control over the toon I was playing for that day, as without direction, he or she would literally stand around doing absolutely nothing - AI only controlled the characters whose day it was NOT. So, I had to step into the role of the character, and for the most part, I played the toon how I thought it would play itself, in context - generally only taking actions and making decisions that would be consistent with that character's behavior when I was not controlling it. Granted, I had to go a little above and beyond in a couple instances (cough STEINMAN). This option means that if I see a sim neglecting their aspirations, or something else that I think is a failing of the AI that contradicts the wants and established behaviors of a sim, I will take steps to get the sim back on track.

4) ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL (harbinger style) - This option means I will do whatever suits me, in the interests of making a more interesting story happen. I will make you flirt. I will make you fight. I will cause drama. YOU WILL BE MY PUPPETS. DANCE FOR MY AMUSEMENT! This was, more or less, what I had to do for Darkest Dungeon: Halforums edition - because there was really no "personality" to go with things other than name, class choice, and color scheme. Everything that happened was a direct result of my own choosing, not any consideration for that the characters would do.

So, my question is, what do you guys think should be my level of control in this?
 
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GasBandit

Staff member
Are you going to have whims on or off? How will you be spending our reward points? PROTIP: potions suck.
Yeah, I think it's obvious to anyone who looks that potions are a bad deal. Mostly I would intend to spend rewards in line with the aspirations of the individual sim.

I haven't decided on whims yet, but I'm leaning toward "off." Too much to keep track of for 80 people :p
 
2) Mostly-hands-off administrator/troublefixer - In Rimworld, I barely had to interfere with the individual pawns at all, outside of combat situations and structure planning/construction.
So is this the option to take if I want CeltZ to marry me again? :unibrow:

Asking for a friend.

Who is me.
 
Yeah, I think it's obvious to anyone who looks that potions are a bad deal. Mostly I would intend to spend rewards in line with the aspirations of the individual sim.

I haven't decided on whims yet, but I'm leaning toward "off." Too much to keep track of for 80 people :p
Just as an FYI, whims "off" just means they're not visible. You will still accidentally fulfill them from time to time, and earn aspiration points. I just checked my main sim, and I had about 3800 of them because I'd forgotten they existed between this latest playthrough and sims3
 

GasBandit

Staff member
Just as an FYI, whims "off" just means they're not visible. You will still accidentally fulfill them from time to time, and earn aspiration points. I just checked my main sim, and I had about 3800 of them because I'd forgotten they existed between this latest playthrough and sims3
Thanks, I did know that, but I appreciate tips and input as I've only been playing Sims 4 for about a week and am still "discovering" stuff as I go :D
 

GasBandit

Staff member
Edited the original post to reflect that it occurred to me, Option 4 is basically what I had to do for Darkest Dungeon: Halforums Edition.
 
3 and 4 can lead to the most amusing stories, but the handcuffing required of 1 and 2 can also lead to quality entertainment.

I voted 2, because to do otherwise would run counter to what I said in the prefs thread.

—Patrick
 
Carelessness will find no clemency in this place. Death waits for the slightest lapse in concentration.
No shit. These posts got me playing Sims again, and I invited Bella Goth over to my house.

While I was finishing up a phone app for my job, she grabbed a plate of Plasma Fruit Salad out of the fridge, sat at the table, and proceeded to burst into flame. Literally, WTF?
 
No shit. These posts got me playing Sims again, and I invited Bella Goth over to my house.

While I was finishing up a phone app for my job, she grabbed a plate of Plasma Fruit Salad out of the fridge, sat at the table, and proceeded to burst into flame. Literally, WTF?
Were either you or she a vampire?
 
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