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world renowned whogivesafuckologist
retired moderator
Original Poster
#1 Old 7th Feb 2008 at 1:01 AM
Default Castaway Likes, Dislikes, Gushing, and Gripes...
I'm currently on chapter 19 of Jessica's story in Castaway and overall, I freaking LOVE this game! It's so much like TS2 in some ways and yet so different. Most stuff I really like but some things are kind of annoying...

Stuff I Like:
  • The overall story. It's kind of... juvenile, and simple, I guess, but it's still pretty fun. I really like having sort of directed gameplay, even if the gameplay is -incredibly- easy and the tips on the goals tell you everything you need to do. The only challenge there is at all really is the singing stones. It's also pretty long so there's a lot to do.
  • The objects. Tons of new primitive/tribal items and they're all very well made and really cute. Also, lots of plants which are really neat looking.
  • The walls, floors, and ground cover. Same as above - excellent quality.
  • The overall look and feel - Swamps are swampy, settlements are settlementy, beaches are beachy, ruins are ruinated... It really looks quite nice and there's some decent variation between areas despite it overall being very tropical and islandy.
  • The sound effects - the sounds of the singing stones, the shell phone, the sound when you gain a skill point, the stone-scraping noise when you pick up an urn or statue... I rarely notice sounds in games but these are really well done.
  • The music - Fun and bouncy but not too repetitive.
  • The graphics - nice soft flickers from firelight and lamps which look quite different than most light cast in TS2. Also, the reflectivity and ripples in the water.
  • The clothes - You'll recognize them from base game clothes, only ripped and torn and dirtied. Very cute interpretations and I love that they're the same as the original game's stuff, only castawayified. And the native clothes are -gorgeous- though I don't like that all of them have the same white body paint. I'd like some non-painted versions, and variations in design.
  • The animals - the orangutans, hyenas, and the leopard are all really cute, and I have a pet orangutan! Yay!
  • The animations - Climbing a tree, making funny faces at orangutans, limbo, stabbing your foot and yowling while spear fishing... everything is really nice and smooth and amusing.
  • The ability to be able to hit a keyboard key to tell my sim to go do something to fulfill that motive. So nice!
  • Performance - Even though I have it installed on an external USB drive, it loads fast, runs nicely, and even switching lots is pretty quick... mostly... (see below)
  • The Map - Lets you jump instantly from lot to lot without having to walk there via portals... so cool!
  • Basic custom content works - After creating a Downloads folder (took me forever as I didn't realize the silly thing was under My Docs\Electronic Arts rather than My Docs\EA Games like TS2) I popped in my default replacements and it all works fine. Jessica looks so much prettier with my skin and eyes, some nice default eyebrows, and Alkaloid's retextured hair.

Stuff I Don't Like:
  • No cameraman mode! It's impossible to get closeups in live mode in some areas, and you can't do cameraman mode to use Print Screen to take bigger pics.
  • Weird terrain - Though it looks really nice, all the lots have lots of steep terrain and ponds and multi-level houses linked with modular stairs over the water's edge, so manuvering the camera for a closer look is -really- difficult. While it's not a big deal during most play, during the bit where you're courting villagers it really sucks because you can't tell whether they're cute or not before you start hitting on them. :P
  • No fishing skill - As far as I can tell, unless it's a hidden skill, sims don't gain skill in fishing. I still stab myself in the foot all the time.
  • No skilling on community lots - Unless you're at home, you don't gain skill points for stuff you do out. This is -really- annoying as there's really no reason for it and you're out so often on other lots (many of which have leaf piles or hammocks or beds you can sleep in), it's irritating to have to go home (and go the pretty far distance to get to the actual house on each of the lots) just to gain a couple points in something. Not that you really -need- the skill points for anything but your job, but... just doesn't really make much sense that it's done this way.
  • Jobs... huh? I guess it's a fairly easy way to gain food and resources every day but I just don't get the point. You have to choose a job to continue the story, so why not just do occasional chance cards without having to have your sim wander off-lot for several hours and just give us a couple more ways to gain resources and food? Also, the hours are in exact times and you have no exact time meter.
  • Constant orangutan neediness - OMG I just gave you a banana two minutes ago, and there's a tree right over there you can get your own!
  • Buying stuff from the catalog - I know, it's the way the game works, but I'd prefer in story mode having to go to a shop in the village to buy new things. You still have to do it for clothes, why not for objects too?
  • No castaway type hair - So your clothes are all ripped to shreds and filthy... but your hair still looks freshly-shampooed? Not one new hairstyle!
  • A bit too easy - The tips tell you -everything- you need to do (which is sometimes helpful when it's not obvious, and sometimes too much info) and while there is a difficulty slider, it doesn't seem to -do- anything.
  • Only one way to play - There really aren't any points where you make choices in the game, besides who to date (and I don't think that really makes much difference). Being able to make some minor choices that wouldn't effect the ending but would change a few things about how you get here would have been nice.
  • Performance - During rain I get -huge- lag (just like with Seasons) - also near the waterfall in the lagoon. Which is even more annoying when my performance is -otherwise- so nice... I just have to sit and wait for rainstorms to end.
  • General weirdness - Sometimes during conversations where I'm getting the popup dialogs, my sim will be interacting in someone in a -completely- inappropriate way... like being tickled by someone she's arguing with, or throwing up her hands in disgust at being told she's getting a gift.

I think the fun stuff definitely outweighs the few gripes I have... I hadn't played any of the Stories series games but this one looked fun enough to try and I'm not at all disappointed.

If you've played Castaway, share your likes and dislikes here!

my simblr (sometimes nsfw)

“Dude, suckin’ at something is the first step to being sorta good at something.”
Panquecas, panquecas e mais panquecas.
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Alchemist
#2 Old 7th Feb 2008 at 1:16 AM
Well...my likes are pretty much the ones you've mentioned as well. I simply adored the surroundings, I think Maxis did a really good job at building good looking, realistic lots.
The story is great while it lasts, very cliche but that makes it fun as well. Not challenging much except the singing stones until you figure out what you're supposed to do, but very entertaining. I also liked the fact that they gave the other sims back stories etc, they aren't just templates straight out of CAS as I had expected.

What I don't like is the fact that once you're done with the story, it all pretty much ends. Unless you're a very new TS2 player, you'll find the free play mode so very easy it becomes boring fast/ Sims don't have fears, only wants, and very few things to do compared to a game with 6 EPs attached to it. They also don't have interests, so conversations mostly go well all the time.

Also, you don't get a time/age meter, so you have no idea how old your sim is.

You cannot build new lots, just change the existing ones.

Apart from a no cameraman mode, you also can't change the settings of the quality of your screenshots; they all turn out small and blurry. ugh

I was a little annoyed by the fact that Jessica and David's stories are the same thing and when you finish one there is no real point in doing the second.

If wishes were fishes we'd all cast nets
Alchemist
#3 Old 7th Feb 2008 at 1:20 AM
Haven't played yet but I'm looking forward to it, after all the good things I've been hearing!
Thanks for the review!
Scholar
#4 Old 7th Feb 2008 at 1:25 AM
I don't have this yet, but the review was very thorough so thank you for that. I love the Sims, but the Sims AND strategy? WANT! About the picture taking thing: Babbel caught some good screecaps here:

http://forums.sims2community.com/sh...32&page=1&pp=25

Maybe theres a different way to go about doing it in this game?

*EDIT*

Oopsie! I just realized those weren't taken in CM mode.. sucks.
Scholar
#5 Old 7th Feb 2008 at 11:31 PM
As for cameraman mode... Nobody seems to have discovered this as all the screen caps show the sim control panel.

Press F10

It gets rid of the control panel It's not quite like pressing TAB in Sims2 as you can't control the camera to the same extent, but it gets rid of the control panel. I'm going to try to put in gunmod's cameras next, see it they work.

I'm not that far into it (Jessica just finished her second day and is about to go exploring for the first time) but so far I really quite like it. As HP said, the water reflections are incredible and the whole surroundings just have a great tropical feel to them. It looks great and it's kind of fun even if the story is a bit simple. And the tattered clothing and nativewear are great. Pity about the same body overlay tattoo. Would have been nice to have different ones. And the facial masks are really great.

What I have found that works: replacement skins, replacement eyes, replacement eyebrows. You can put in custom clothing, hair, makeup and eyebrows, too. Glasses don't work. I put in HP's glasses (the trendy ones and some other ones, also hers) and none of them showed up in the game. So my guess would be no custom jewelry. I have not tried putting in custom beards yet.

Edit 1: As for the hints making it too easy - when you go into the options menu (F5 or whatever) there is a question mark icon in there. If it's yellow, hints are on. If it's just plain blue (click on it) hints are off and all you get is the goal but no hint on how to complete it. I think people complained about detailed hints making Pet Stories too easy so they put in this feature to turn hints on and off...

Edit 2: And now I have a gripe. My goal got stuck! It's been a couple of sim days, the sim has done what she was supposed to do (bind the raft with rope) and... that's it. I now cannot click on the raft, there are no interactions. She's just hanging around the original beach, studying skills and interacting with the orangutan while I sit here twiddling my thumbs. Anyone know if there's been a fix for stuck goals mentioned somewhere? I don't mind starting again because I'm only in chapter 6 or so, but the stuck goal is really pi**ing me off

My newest downloads are on Simified.
Older downloads and stuff that didn't get transferred to Simified are on my Livejournal.
Say NO to ugly square shadows in TS3! Grab the fix today!
Lab Assistant
#6 Old 8th Feb 2008 at 7:38 AM
I had a stuck goal when I was playing, what I did to "reset" was leave the beach lot and and then come back. It fixed it and said that I had fullfilled the goal (I would be more specific, but my game got stuck farther along in the story than you are now, and I don't want to spoil it!)
Lab Assistant
#7 Old 8th Feb 2008 at 8:31 AM
I love it too! So different yet so much like the sims and the water is stunning. And Jessica is funny
There are things I dislike but I think EA/Maxis did a great job.
#8 Old 8th Feb 2008 at 8:44 AM
i've been stuck too. after befriending the famous 4 villagers. the bad thing is the portal can't be clicked. so i can't go anywhere. i tried quitting the game and then restarting it but it didn't work. i might have to re install to be able to play again
#9 Old 8th Feb 2008 at 3:10 PM
I dislike the fact that SO many people constantly show up at my house. They treat it like it's a commercial area! People my sim doesn't even know shows up, starts eating fruit and leaving the skins on the ground to rot, playing with any fun objects I have outside. I had to lock the doors because they'll help themselves to food while my sim is at work. Seriously, it's way too much. At the end of the night, I have to "Say Goodbye To Everyone" and at least 5 people leave. :wtf2: It's nice to think that people apparently love my home but enough is enough.
Top Secret Researcher
#10 Old 8th Feb 2008 at 3:56 PM
Things that I like -

Too much to count right now.

Things that annoy me -

The fact that both David's and Jessica's stories are the same.

Inaccuracies in the plot. For example, the Chief and his daughter are not actually related! Neither is his wife married to him. Silly mistakes...

I would like to clear up the little matter of my sanity as it has come into question. I am not in any way, shape, or form, sane. Insane? Hell yes!

People keep calling me 'evil.' I must be doing something right.

SilentPsycho - The Official MTS2 Psycho
Scholar
#11 Old 10th Feb 2008 at 8:34 PM
Quote: Originally posted by SilentPsycho
Inaccuracies in the plot. For example, the Chief and his daughter are not actually related! Neither is his wife married to him. Silly mistakes...


How could you tell?

I like-
Objects
Clothing

I dislike-
Fuglyness of the characters

Does anyone know how I can get the objects and clothing into the Sims2?
Top Secret Researcher
#12 Old 10th Feb 2008 at 9:30 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Black_Barook!
How could you tell?


After you complete the Story mode, you can play Free Mode on that island, and the Chief, his 'wife', and the girl are one of the pre-made families. I just loaded up their lot and looked at their family tree.

I would like to clear up the little matter of my sanity as it has come into question. I am not in any way, shape, or form, sane. Insane? Hell yes!

People keep calling me 'evil.' I must be doing something right.

SilentPsycho - The Official MTS2 Psycho
Scholar
#13 Old 15th Feb 2008 at 12:47 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Black_Barook!
I like-
Objects
Clothing

I dislike-
Fuglyness of the characters

Does anyone know how I can get the objects and clothing into the Sims2?
I put in default Louis skins and the characters now look good Throw in your favourite default skin and the fugliness might at least partially disappear.

To get the items go ye to www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf and search for "salvaged stories crap". Not everything is in the first post (walls and floors I found by going backwards from the last page and scrolling through all the posts, slowing down when I noticed file download links but the items are in the first post).

My newest downloads are on Simified.
Older downloads and stuff that didn't get transferred to Simified are on my Livejournal.
Say NO to ugly square shadows in TS3! Grab the fix today!
Field Researcher
#14 Old 17th Feb 2008 at 6:55 PM
Things I like are pretty much the same as HP has said, things I don't like are the same too.

The difficulty setting doesn't do much to make anything more difficult.... just makes you take longer getting things done. As far as I can tell all it does is change the rate of motive decay, so you have to do normal Sim stuff like eating/peeing/sleeping more often.


Both of the stories are the same so far, finished Jessica and am now playing the guy.

The social bunny WTF? I guess you could say that bunnies dropping from the sky when you are lonely is weird in the first place but really should they be on an island?

Overall I love it, it's a nice change from Sims 2, this is the first story series that looked interesting to me.
Test Subject
#15 Old 23rd Jun 2008 at 7:32 PM
Biggest gripes:
1. No create-a-lot in Free Play mode.
2. You have to right click to drift camera.

"Words are my weapons. Violence is something I'm not very good at." - John Lydon
Mad Poster
#16 Old 17th Feb 2009 at 5:53 AM
i dont like the fact that you cant adopt the cat(jaguar) and i don't like the monkey...even made a thread about it. I also didn't like the fact that you had to improve relationship with your newly wed because he had almost 0 passion towards you.
Field Researcher
#17 Old 19th Feb 2009 at 8:46 AM
Quote: Originally posted by deezel15
i've been stuck too. after befriending the famous 4 villagers. the bad thing is the portal can't be clicked. so i can't go anywhere. i tried quitting the game and then restarting it but it didn't work. i might have to re install to be able to play again


Deezel, After the 4th befriending, you have to wait for the little girl to come, and tell you that her father wants to talk to you. You have to follow her, and after you talk to the Shaman, the portals will be opened. Eat coffee beans for energy.

Usually, when you don't see a goal in the panel, and you are out of your home - you won't be able to click on the portals. I tried it with the orangutans, after I took the idol. About 1 minute I couldn't click on any portal - only when I got some message ("better to go"), and the goal appeared in the panel.
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