I Said This At TownHall...

[imported_Calina.Rhiannon]

... but I'll say it again here.
I would suggest to EA that if they feel "iffy" about testing the online-gaming waters, perhaps they should enable in The Sims 3 an option similar to Blizzard's Battle.net.


Example:
-Taking your single-player character, or family, from their home to an online "downtown".

-The online portion could include places like nightclubs, parks, shopping centers, jobs, universities, etc.

-The offline portion could be their "neighborhood", their home and the homes of the other families that they created.


Of coarse, there would be a "no-online" feature, where you could choose to never connect to "The Sims 3 Online" at all. Also, there would still be the option to create your OWN downtown area, and you could choose to allow it to be "online" *or* for your single-player use.

I'm sure that this has already been thought of, but Pari seemed to think it was a really great idea, which leads me to believe no one has suggested this before.

Any comments?

 

[Guest]

for the one millionth time...
TS3 isnt going to be online.
The only online part of that game will be the same as TS2 is now.
You will be able to upload and download content to the www.thesims3 website.

 

[imported_Dali Dalinza]

<blockquote><hr>

for the one millionth time...
TS3 isnt going to be online.
The only online part of that game will be the same as TS2 is now.
You will be able to upload and download content to the www.thesims3 website.

[/ QUOTE ]

At this point in time TS3 isn't going to be online.

Is it forbidden to conceive of a way for it to be?

I say, if you have an idea, go for it. Doesn't hurt to put the idea out there. I don't understand the need to quash ideas just because "that isn't the way it is."

Interesting idea, Calina. Good luck.

 

[jafo1972]

<blockquote><hr>

for the one millionth time...
TS3 isnt going to be online.
The only online part of that game will be the same as TS2 is now.
You will be able to upload and download content to the www.thesims3 website.

[/ QUOTE ]

They didn't say it would be online, they made a suggestion to the Devs about a way they could make a limited content online addition to Sims3. EA doesn't seem to be dedicated to keeping online games going but this could be a way to do it without dedicating the massive resources to the online environment.

I, for one, like this idea. And since there is still plenty of time between now and the end of Sims3 I hope they at least give it some serious thought.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

I, for one, like this idea. And since there is still plenty of time between now and the end of Sims3 I hope they at least give it some serious thought.

[/ QUOTE ]I never figured out why "Online" wasn't an expansion pack for Sims 2. It was a logical extension of the concept - and

Working on the principle of many of the p2p file sharing networks, you only need a server to log in to where it tracks what properties are available and online at any given time, all the data relevant to the house can be 'streamed' up from there to your computer as necessary.

 

[imported_DutchAmerica]

If Sims ever goes online again, I hope TPTB have learned a valuable lesson from the first one.

First off...the online version of the game can not be so vastly different from the offline one. Did we ever have to work 'that hard' for simoleans off line? Did we ever have to skill 'that much' to get and keep skills?

It was a huge mistake to have the online version driven mainly my economy and skilling. Too much weight given on one end of the game and nearly nothing given on the 'entertainment end' through the entertainment/game/offbeat categories.

Online sims should have been weighted more heavily to begin with community building. Like WoW, accounts should have been tied into a community board to encourage players to participate in 'off-game' discussions.

Online Sims gave too much away free also...with all the moaning and groaning...$9.99 was dirt cheap to play this game and in many ways it doomed the game to financial hades.

Why were name changes free? and moving sims free? Like other online games, EA should have charged a fee to do those services. EA also allowed the outside sales of EA owned property such as trees/simoleans, ect. Other games have made it a bannable offense to participate in those types of activities.

Once a year update with a new module that would require participants to pay an extra premium to gain the priviledge of using that area.

Then in game money drains.....why was it free to create neighborhoods? one money drain would have been to 'buy the deed' to a specific neighorhood name. What about families? Similar to WoW, players could purchase a 'Family name' and have people join. These 2 items alone would have kept things a bit more tidy and would have provided a money drain.

What about reward driven tasks?

There are so many things that would have enhanced TSO that were never considered.

Then again what about the lack of advertising...corporate sponsorship with product placement. Ford motor is allowing the use of fords in S2? A module allowing the use of cars as lot portals could have been added and ford could have paid for the product placement. Starbucks? Grocery Stores? even Hotel chains might have been included. (get this...Hotel 6 keeps the light on for you. A promo could have offered guest at the hotel a special 'trading card' that had a trial TSO membership code. Using the special card would not only give the person a free trial but they would receive a special "Hotel 6" light. **a collectible**) I always said we needed more collectibles and ways to get them.

What about the performers that lined up to cut tracks for the simlish songs in S2? Why not have requested that they do a guest appearance in game? Or maybe even give them a special sim to encourage their participation in the game?

There are so many 'coulda-woulda-shoulda's'!

*sighs* oh well....

 

[imported_Calina.Rhiannon]

<blockquote><hr>

for the one millionth time...
TS3 isnt going to be online.
The only online part of that game will be the same as TS2 is now.
You will be able to upload and download content to the www.thesims3 website.

[/ QUOTE ]

i apologize for my over-enthusiastic hope of salvaging some shred of what was with what could be.

i can no longer be called a 'cheerleader', i assume, since there's nothing left to cheer for or about, but i'm still shoot for a tiny bit of optimism... even if it is just born of an overactive imagination.

forgive me my mud-flung rose-colored glasses.



edit to add: and a big huge not-so-cold THANK YOU to those who didn't feel the urge to further bash my hopes.

 

[acetyp]

Hey Dutch America...

I agree with you, but don't think you realize it, I was in middle of starting alot of great things here in EA..

I had a pet park to bring your pets to... A Fashion Show every Thursday Night!!!
Susie had Pizza tournaments every Tuesday Night... I was even starting an Advertising Agency, a Lot with signs on it to learn about homes for sale, contests, events, etc. They dropped the ball just when we were getting started... it's a shame they didnt put a little more money into the advertising part, instead of letting free players into the game.

But the devs had a time limit...and I think they did an awesome job with the changes in custom content...I enjoyed making sculptures and chairs, except this only affected fun to a handful of players who knew how to make them. My feelings are they should have added more interations, objects for players to have fun with, maybe even have a lot on resident where people could go build for free.. just for fun purposes...then it gets wiped for next player. hmmm I should have gone on these blogs a long time ago with these ideas lol

 

[imported_DutchAmerica]

Well, I'm just speaking of how TSO should have been approached concerning Online play.

They banked too much on the popularity of the regular game but make it a bit to difficult and they didn't take advantage of the game's popularity to get the advertisement out into the public that could have made TSO a huge hit.

Before I invest a lot of time or money into another EA online game, I want to see that they've learned and are willing to put some effort into it.

Can you imagine how much money TSO could have brought in if EA had offered up little 'object updates' for $15 - $20 like they do for S2? There were so many ways TSO could have been a tidy little bundle for EA.

Just total mismanagement. I think a few people need to be big time fired for letting TSO flop so badly.

 

[Terra Pin]

I've often wished that Sims2 had an online component to it so I could invite other friends that play it into MY space to share. Neverwinter Nights has that capability doesn't it? To have small/limited player run servers.... if we could do that with neighbourhoods, that would be very cool.

Madra/Mairi

 

[Guest]

i do online racing also and they have that option where i can race offline or i can go racing online so yes i see what you mean... it could be really simple for them too add that feature into the game.... i really do not think it would take too much time too add it into the game asa they do know what they are doing too do something on those lines already with this game..

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

... but I'll say it again here.
I would suggest to EA that if they feel "iffy" about testing the online-gaming waters, perhaps they should enable in The Sims 3 an option similar to Blizzard's Battle.net.


Example:
-Taking your single-player character, or family, from their home to an online "downtown".

-The online portion could include places like nightclubs, parks, shopping centers, jobs, universities, etc.

-The offline portion could be their "neighborhood", their home and the homes of the other families that they created.


Of coarse, there would be a "no-online" feature, where you could choose to never connect to "The Sims 3 Online" at all. Also, there would still be the option to create your OWN downtown area, and you could choose to allow it to be "online" *or* for your single-player use.

I'm sure that this has already been thought of, but Pari seemed to think it was a really great idea, which leads me to believe no one has suggested this before.

Any comments?

[/ QUOTE ]
I sincerely doubt EA would go for it, but I think it's a very good idea. Off-line play mixed with on-line socialization. [thumbsup]

 

[Inge Jones]

I like the idea too! Yes just community lots to take our own simmies to, and meet other people's simmies. Great idea!

 

[imported_Dali Dalinza]

Great post, Dutch.

Now that the 90-day-notice caused the hottest place to freeze over, I agree with you.

Your list of woulda-coulda-shouldas is spot on. Fixing the economy was the last thing that should have been on the list. The old saying is that a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down. We needed the sugar FIRST, not the bitter pill. There is a reason "rosebud" is the most beloved word among Sims players. Most people play to enjoy their sim life, not to struggle as hard, or harder, than they do in rl. And, I agree with your list of missed opportunities. Sigh.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

Great post, Dutch.

Now that the 90-day-notice caused the hottest place to freeze over, I agree with you.

Your list of woulda-coulda-shouldas is spot on. Fixing the economy was the last thing that should have been on the list. The old saying is that a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down. We needed the sugar FIRST, not the bitter pill. There is a reason "rosebud" is the most beloved word among Sims players. Most people play to enjoy their sim life, not to struggle as hard, or harder, than they do in rl. And, I agree with your list of missed opportunities. Sigh.

[/ QUOTE ]

I like the word "motherlode" better in offline.. much more lucrative.

 

[Inge Jones]

I've had some further ideas on this. Once your sim or sim family has befriended other sims on an online community lot, they can really email each other using their home computers, which keeps their relationship level up. The player can dictate the email, so it can be used to arrange future meet-ups.

Because the normal Neighbor ID can't be used (as there would be loads of sims with the same IDs) each participating sim has a unique online ID, and sims from other "worlds" (ie other people's games!) appear in a seperate panel from your local sims.

 

[Guest]

A lot of new games have this feature. You can choose if you want to play alone or connect to the net and play with others.

The community lot idea is good.

In offline sims you can also go downtown, and "invite someone home".

I would like that feature. It's a lot of fun to have roommates or have people come home to your house and play together, get married, have children together. I'd love to do that with my RL friends.

I suppose it can be controversial too, if little kids go downtown and get married to some perv off the net that comes home with them... But in that case the parents could make sure the game is not set up for online.

 

[Guest]

I think it's a great idea - but how do we get the ear of the developers of Sims3?