I actually love Sims 3 with it vast open world and freedom but I wish that EA/Maxis would give more time to the developers to make the gameplay more unique and engrossing like for example the children in Sims 3 are so bland because there aren't enough things for them to do in the game that made childhood fun in Sims 2 even the but that maybe because i'm too used to playing Sims 2 so I may be a little biased and I can't help but to feel that if this game spent more time in development then it wouldn't have as many performance problems that people are still experiencing even up to this day. I have more to say but I want hear your thoughts on this subject.

Gameplay mechanics that work.

What do you mean from that?

1. Genetics.
2. Attraction system.
3. OFB-style businesses.

1. Attraction mechanics
2. Sims 2 style slow dancing!!!!!!!!!!!

Only ever played the Sims 2 Pets on gamecube but I do miss the swings that just up the relationship super fast.

Cinematics, for sure..! I wish they had an option for them in TS3, I know they're not for everyone but I personally find them very charming :~)

- Flirt options, like "Goose"
- as said above, the TS2 style slow dancing & cinematics,
- the makeout on the couch
- the teenager kisses and hugs ( TS2's are so sweet )
- proper attraction system
- Fears
- turn on's and Off's
- A real Nanny
- real OFB
- proper family mealtimes where everyone sits and talks and don't just shovel in food like a front end loader.
- the ability to "serve" a platter of food
- get toddler bottles from the fridge and not from the Sims invisible ass pocket.
- Bathing toddlers & bathing babies in the sink.

And a lot more.

1) Unresiprocated attraction.
2) Date and party success meters, where you can see what your guests/partners want and how they assess the event any time.
3) Car animations.
4) OFB style venues. I know, it is not original, everyone says this, but OFB was really one of the best EPs for TS2, and we do miss its features in TS3.
5) The ability to attach sub-neignborhoods to the main world and to alter whatever you want in those neighborhoods (it is done partially by Traveler mod, but still less convenient than TS2 system).

- The 'hang out" interaction. That was such a fast way to build one sim's relationships while focusing on another sim.

- Chatting that lasts longer than 5 seconds. You know...like a conversation.

Relationship building in TS3 is such a chore. Even with autonomy on, you still have to dictate every single interaction. Otherwise the two sims just stand there staring at each other.

I didn't notice some of the mentioned because some mods helps like the moar interactions and set table/call to meal and children/toddlers mods and more others obv but I really want asymmetric relationships. If only :/

I think the make out and other romantic interactions were just toned down for some reason, they basically reuse a lot of sims 2 animations idk why they changed it to something less intense

Ooh, yes! And the PIP feature... it would be good if when you're focussed on a family on one side of the map, you could have a little image pop up to show you two sims fighting on the other side of the map!

Since the OFB style business has been mentioned, I'll add the Sims 2 crafting stations and their respective craftables. I want my OFB robotics, OFB toys (the evil versions and those that didn't made it in the Store), flowers, pottery, medicine, sewing, chocolate making (thank heavens for that functional mod) in this game as well.

Plus the in-game ability to make your own paintings from your own image files.

Edit: I forgot to post my point of these. Since TS3 has a collection mini-game, why not turn collectibles into something functional and transformative. Turn smelted metals into OFB style robots (the higher value or type yields to more sturdy robots and less likely to cause havoc, maybe you can just use Ambitions' scraps too or add it to the mix). Pick-up wild flowers from Seasons into more unique flower arrangements that isn't readily available on the stardard crafting mechanic. Maybe turn smelted metals and gems into a combination of complex decoratives, scultpures, or jewelry. Concoct medicine from herbs and harvestable with the aid of University's Science Research Station and/or Generations' Chemistry Set. Make candy and chocolates from the cocoa plant as well as other fruit, bean, and herb. I know that this mechanic is implemented in the game but it doesn't feel as immersive. I want to make collecting much more fulfilling. I want a feeling of industry. There's so much to make out of those collectibles.

WANTS AND FEARSSS OMG and the sims from 2. Im stuck in a cycle of "play 2, gets bored of it, play 3, gets bored of it" lol.

Man, TS2 had so much more character than TS3. And to think that TS3 has more character than TS4.

OFB

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The only thing I miss is the easier relationship building. I feel like in TS3, it takes FOREVER to become at least friends. Sure it takes a while in TS2, but I think Sims become friends much faster in 2, and building the relationships in 3 are such a chore, since you're stuck as acquaintances forever. :/

Apparently, going with the target Sim inside a rabbithole (eating out, watching movie, watching sports...) builds relationships fast. Idk if this is from a mod, but at least, this one works for me.

As for the original question, I'd say game optimization. TS3 is an unoptimized mess. It lags out after a couple of in-game weeks. TS2, as long as the neighborhood files are not corrupted, can be played almost forever. Even with all EPs and SPs installed.

In TS3 the ability to make friends and advance relationship scores quickly are trait, LTR, and especially Charisma skill related. With no Charisma skill, you're lucky if a sim's relationship score with others advances 1 point per positive interaction, 40 points are needed just to become friends, relationships will decay if not regularly fed, and it can take what seems like forever to learn another sim's traits by merely chatting. With a high enough Charisma skill (doesn't really have to be Level 10) and the skill challenges met, most of us find that if our sim sneezes in a crowded room full of strangers, everyone around them suddenly becomes their friends and there is no relationship decay. The skill advances easily enough, it's just getting up to Level 1 that takes some work. Perhaps read the first skill book or take a class? After a certain point, forming friendly relationships is too easy to even be considered a challenge.

The traits and Charisma levels of the other sim(s) would be factors as well. As would the more negative social traits and then the celebrity system can get in the way for those who keep it engaged. This is why non-blood related children and very young teens are difficult to socialize, especially those the player is not controlling and nurturing through their formative years. Most of them tend to have little to no Charisma skill yet.

I take it that TS2 was different in this regard?

Well, toddlers could learn charisma in Sims 2 (the talking bunny head).

Not sure what that is, but it sounds cute.

I think toddlers in TS3 can get a head start on charisma with the playpen and Play With Mirror on it. Or something like that. I believe the playpen skill head starts show up when the kid is older much like the toddler book skills do.

But of course not every player has that store item, not every household will have a playpen, and sims who are player- or game-created and plopped into or show up in a game in an older than toddler lifestage won't have had the early child development advantages. Now I have this image in my head of a Butler or some other older sim, maybe with the Childish trait, goofing off and playing in playpens themselves when they should be doing other things. I have enough trouble keeping some of them out of the kids' sandboxes.

little things, many mentioned already but also:

- reactions, there's a ton of humor there particulary in the kids' area
(those kids faces when theirs parents are kissing each other in theirs vicinity, precious!, or dance with a minor when the kid jumps on the feets of older sim, how the toddler is able to literally carpetting the pet on the floor with its terryfying cuteness and so on)
details like "surprise engagement", a lot of chained interactions (dance for example)

assymetric and divided between "long"/"short" relationships and "romantic"/"friendly" - lack of it is serious blow for S3 I'am able to understand the reasons but still - it's a serious design failure flattening the whole gameplay.

personally: I think there was a lot more heart put into the game design and mechanics than in the later installments.

Children in TS2 are indeed more thought out and in-depth but I don't feel TS3 children are bland at all. In some cases, TS3 children are better such as they can be left home alone or can go anywhere in the open neighborhood without adult supervision. It's nice that kids have more independence but it is true that they lack other crucial and meaningful gameplay. Nonetheless, there is still plenty of other things kids can do. For example:
-Use the costume chest and play pretend
-Play with kites
-Have a bake sale
-Have play dates
-Visit the parks and play on the playground
-Play tag, peek-a-boo with younger Sims, give hugs, give bottles
-Play and sleep in tree houses
-Have sleepovers
-Can visit friends or other family members on their own and sleep over if wanted
-Play basketball, soccer, baseball, football, frisbee
-Ride spring riders
-Use water slides, pool slides, pool lounger float
-Play in the sand and in the ocean, swim in the ocean, snorkel in the ocean, sunbathe on the beach
-Ice skate, roller skate, water balloon fight, snow ball fight, building snowmen, snow angels, igloos
-Fishing, go on boat rides
-Go on the carousel, roller coaster
-Bury their homework in the sandbox or other items
-Tell ghost stories
-Learn ballet, enroll in after school activities
-Sell lemonade

And there's so many more activities that children can do so I don't relate at all to children being bland. However, I do agree with I wish there was more to children in gameplay because I do miss and really loved those TS2 interactions. Some of my favorites are jump rope, jumping on the bed or sofa, miss mary mack, the excitement when a parent returns from work, the family kiss, etc.

As far as performance issues, it would be nice to receive a game that is well polished than rushed regardless of the wait, it would be worth it. (Thinking of Resident Evil 7 Not a Hero DLC and that's free.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0It01eYQqBM

Seeing how the developers and publisher handled TS3 was definitely not the best method for such a game with high standards. It is what it is. But when game companies do put things on halt so they can fix things before adding extra it is very commendable to me. It shows they care about their image, their product but it also shows they care about their supporters. Unfortunately, that's rare. The Sims future is all about money now it seems. Forget quality, it's all about quantity. Forget decent pricing with decent content, it's all about paying more money for the lack of content. Eh...whatever.




I didn't think unrequited love was possible in TS3 but I have experienced that with my Sims where one Sim was more in love than the other Sim. In fact, the other Sim had her eyes on the oldest brother. But how well do players actually pay attention to the AI in TS3? It can be subtle and sometimes not so subtle. There's also a difference between the AI and what the developers had programmed over top of that because there are quite a few examples of seeing these two things clash which can make gameplay inconsistent. Such as the attraction system can clash with the true feelings and motives of what the Sims' AI desires.

Date and party success meters? I love my sandbox and I really enjoy TS3 even more for getting away from that and allowing a lot more freedom to play with life than play like it's a console version of The Sims with tasks and goals, therefore scripted and no room for a true life simulator to emerge. While I do also enjoy the console versions I do have, that is what makes the PC version the ultimate Sims game because of that sandbox...or at least it was the best Sims version for me up until 2014. Though, TS2 of course, did have that as well like impressing the headmaster when trying to get your child into private school. Or going on a date. Basically, a mini-game but I just prefer the genre it is meant to be...Life Simulator.

Car animations would have been nice but I remember one of the SimGuru's saying the decision was based on having car animations or building a garage anywhere on the lot without serious routing issues. My biggest pet peeve is the disappearing and reappearing for way too many animations. TS and TS2 animations were always complete and went through the whole motion unlike TS3. It breaks the immersion and I really dislike that. This is why I've said in the past the quality started going downhill with TS3 but fortunately, not so much where it made the game no longer enjoyable. There are a lot of new and worthwhile features TS3 brought to the series so all the nuisances could be overlooked because the gameplay itself, for me, is extremely fun and keeps me not only interested but invested.

I've only played a little of OFB and what little I did play was some of the most intriguing and fun gameplay. It's very much in depth and yes I wish TS3 went that route and even better.

I agree that subhoods in TS3 would have been even better. (Also, just a general sidenote. Just because there are mods for this or that doesn't mean everyone wants to download a bunch of mods that sometimes end up slowing down their game, cause issues or may conflict with other mods. Mods are great but it can also be a hassle and it's better if the developer had the feature in the first place.)




Wants is basically Wishes in TS3. Fears in TS2 are weak. Scared to use a public restroom, pee self, etc. Though there are decent ones like divorce, death, etc. But that system reminds me a lot of the memory system in both TS2 and TS3, it's a great idea but is poorly executed with an over exaggeration of pointlessness. Oh hey, I just visited the pool for the first time. I'll always remember this. Seriously, this is a game that can take up quite a lot resources. We can skip the mundane and unimportant stuff.

What I simply meant is that the children in Sims 3 were just average to me.They lack the emotion that the Sims 2 children expressed and they have so potential to be more fleshed out characters and it's a shame that the child stage is just an average experience in the game because in my opinion childhood is supposed to be one the funnest years of your life irl at least. .

I would enjoy slow dancing (in the TS2 manner.)
Wouldn't mind being float-kissed, either :lovestruc

All the things @Pary said,
and @varpunen,
and overall, the stylistic touches that @elainenualla called "heart".