someone explain The Sims to me

[Lou]

My understanding is that The Sims is a MMORPG, and well, that's about everything I know about it. I read a wiki article and it all still sounds too abstract for me to have a clear picture of what the game is about. I was particularly intrigued by an article I read about a kid who set up a cyber brothel in The Sims world and made a lot of money running it. How could you do such thing? Does the game provide you with options to build all these predefined shops and business premises, or do you build them from scratch? If someone can hook me up with a Sims FAQ for newbies or take the time to explain this to me I would be most grateful

 

[Absinthe]

Erm... there was pretty much a failed MMO to take The Sims online, but I'm not too sure how that works.

The gist of The Sims though is that you essentially control the life of a digital person in their day to day activites. You create your sim (or sim family), buy or build them a house, stick 'em in there, and basically control them. They have their own personalities and wants (extended upon in Sims 2) so if you leave them alone they'll often do stuff by themselves, as well as screw everything up most likely.
You make them cook a meal, go to the bathroom, get a job, clean up, invite people over, make friends with other sims (pre-made or user-made), throw parties, make money, get a bigger house, buy bigger shit, fulfill your sim's needs, make a family, whatever. In Sims 2 they have an aging process where your sim eventually dies, so I guess in that case you'd want some children to leave behind your legacy.

A lot of people are turned off by it, saying it's too bogged down in micromanagement and the concept is boring. Despite that, it is still one of the most successful video game franchises to have been made. I myself enjoy it very much. You should give it a shot before dismissing it if this sounds too... I dunno. "Lame".

 

[Lou]

Erm... there was pretty much a failed MMO to take The Sims online, but I'm not too sure how that works.

The gist of The Sims though is that you essentially control the life of a digital person in their day to day activites. You create your sim (or sim family), buy or build them a house, stick 'em in there, and basically control them. They have their own personalities and wants (extended upon in Sims 2) so if you leave them alone they'll often do stuff by themselves, as well as screw everything up most likely.
You make them cook a meal, go to the bathroom, get a job, clean up, invite people over, make friends with other sims (pre-made or user-made), throw parties, make money, get a bigger house, buy bigger shit, fulfill your sim's needs, make a family, whatever. In Sims 2 they have an aging process where your sim eventually dies, so I guess in that case you'd want some children to leave behind your legacy.

A lot of people are turned off by it, saying it's too bogged down in micromanagement and the concept is boring. Despite that, it is still one of the most successful video game franchises to have been made. I myself enjoy it very much. You should give it a shot before dismissing it if this sounds too... I dunno. "Lame".

Could you for example, enter a restaurant where other sims are 'eating' and start shooting everyone? Can you destroy other person's private property, etc?

 

[Teta_Bonita]

Could you for example, enter a restaurant where other sims are 'eating' and start shooting everyone? Can you destroy other person's private property, etc?

Nope, no violence outside of 1 on 1 fights with cartoony dust coulds.

 

[Steven]

It's a dollhouse for your PC where you can design the house.

 

[Jintor]

It's a virtual person simulator?

More or less...

You can make a person, and control their every (pre-programmed) move. You can buy a house, get them a job, furnish the house, get them a family... so on, so forth.

It's fairly addictive, too.

 

[StardogChampion]

Basically you just direct a character around. They have attributes like hunger, thirst etc, that you have to fulfill.

I'm not sure what the MMORPG was about, but I think it was just a glorified chat program.

 

[$kelet0r]

like thesteven so aptly said, its a dollhouse game

 

[MiccyNarc]

Welcome to....a long time ago.

 

[$kelet0r]

Welcome to....a long time ago.

Announcer: ... FDR is in the White House. An ice cream cone costs a nickel, and a hot new tune by Benny Goodman is hitting the charts. The year is 1939.
[Benny Goodman's hot new tune plays]
Homer: Nineteen ... 1939! Oh, my God, I've gone back in time! I've got to warn everybody about Hitler -- and get to the ice cream store!
[Lenny and Carl walk into Homer's work area]
Lenny: Hey, Homer, what's all the hubbub?
Carl: Let me guess. You travel back in time again?
Homer: Shut up. You haven't even been born yet.

:dork:
<3

 

[Alig]

I've played the original Sims and Sims2 and to put it quite simple, they're fun for about a week then they become tedious and a complete waste of time, yet its one of the best selling PC games. :|

 

[$kelet0r]

its one of the best selling PC games.

why?
Children and Women

 

[VictimOfScience]

Could you for example, enter a restaurant where other sims are 'eating' and start shooting everyone? Can you destroy other person's private property, etc?

Hahaha! Nope, that's what Postal 1 was for! :sniper:

 

[Laivasse]

I think you've got a mistaken impression of what the game is about, Lou. It is a god sim. Ever play one? You don't play as a character directly, but rather watch over the in game characters, direct them in their actions, monitor their environment, etc.

Myself, I gave up pretty early into The Sims 2. I can't keep up with all the crappy little things you're meant to keep track of. It's a mega stressful game for me. I remember being in a panic and directing some guy to clean the toilet for the 50th time because the bathroom was a cesspit, and just looking at myself and thinking "...what am I doing?"

I also caused a girl to experience nirvana, collapse from exhaustion and then starve to death on the bathroom floor within minutes of first playing.

 

[Anthraxxx]

tamigotchi with better graphics..... imo... tamigotchi was better...

 

[Lou]

I think you've got a mistaken impression of what the game is about, Lou. It is a god sim. Ever play one? You don't play as a character directly, but rather watch over the in game characters, direct them in their actions, monitor their environment, etc.

Is it like Roller Coaster Tycoon except that instead of building a theme park you direct the lives of the members of your Sims family?

Someone explain the brothel part. Perhaps it was another MMORPG and not the Sims. I heard that in some MMORPGs (Everquest, Warcraft, perhaps?) some players form 'mafias' and force newbies to give them money in exchange of protection. Sounds weird. I have no clue how such games work.

 

[Absinthe]

There is no sinister element to the Sims franchise. It is, in every sense, family friendly.

 

[Jintor]

Incorrect. The Sims Online was populated by hardcore griefers in the dying stages of the game, forming Shadow Governments and Mafias, due to a screwey game mechanic - the ability to 'rate' people. Griefers would form groups and, if someone offended them, or they hated someone, or they just didn't like someone, would get everybody in the Shadow Government to rate them badly. I think this denies access to certain game options or something.

 

[Lucid]

someone explain The Sims to me

Not-so-intelligent people simulator / life simulator.

There is no sinister element to the Sims franchise. It is, in every sense, family friendly.

Until you download some of the skins, atleast. / look at fanmade screenshots of the game. :x *shudders*

 

[Absinthe]

Incorrect. The Sims Online was populated by hardcore griefers in the dying stages of the game, forming Shadow Governments and Mafias, due to a screwey game mechanic - the ability to 'rate' people. Griefers would form groups and, if someone offended them, or they hated someone, or they just didn't like someone, would get everybody in the Shadow Government to rate them badly. I think this denies access to certain game options or something.

Fair play, but I was speaking in terms of actual in-game mechanics as opposed to exploiting.

 

[Glirk Dient]

The game is only fun if you play a serial killer. Invite people over to your house then bring them into a room, move your guy out the delete the door and lock them in there. They can't escape and end up dying. Do it over again, preferably to your bro/sisters characters.

 

[Freemanator89]

Could you for example, enter a restaurant where other sims are 'eating' and start shooting everyone? Can you destroy other person's private property, etc?

****ing jihad, go back to your own country and bomb your own restaurants. :frown:

 

[Revisedsoul]

http://www.ea.com/official/thesims/thesimsonline/us/nai/index.jsp
its still around

my friend play it, and she still calls me an idiot for waisting my money on mmorpgs

 

[Eejit]

I also caused a girl to experience nirvana, collapse from exhaustion and then starve to death on the bathroom floor within minutes of first playing.

Jesus, she must have been pretty disturbed and malnurished to act like that just because you started playing a game. What did your family say?

 

[Sulkdodds]

I think you have a key misconception of The Sims:

It is not multiplayer. It is singleplayer. There is only you, alone in a sterile world that operates by certain rules and entertains and interests until, eventually, years later, the whole thing becomes transparent, and you/god becomes bored and shuts the world down...forever.

The Sims Online is entirely different, and is also shite.

 

[JNightshade]

I never really got into the sims. I've played it plenty at friends' houses, but it never hooked me. Animal Crossing, on the other hand...

 

[Beerdude26]

I also caused a girl to experience nirvana, collapse from exhaustion and then starve to death on the bathroom floor within minutes of first playing.

Woah. Impressive.

 

[Absinthe]

Who woulda thunk that the one of the most popular franchises was hated with such animosity.

Methinks you're all just a bunch of tossers trying to cement your balls into place.

 

[spookymooky]

As a big fan of Simcity, Simtower, etc. I was really excited when I heard about it, and got it for Christmas.

However, one day in a flash of inspiration, I realized that the game was utterly poinless an unfulfilling. My sim had high quality items to get him in a good mood so he would make money, so he could afford better stuff, so he could be in a better mood....ad nausium.

 

[Lucid]

People who say that The Sims sucks obviously have never played the game.
Or it's just not their cup of tea... Or it's because they get the impression that it was made for the female market in mind.

Imo, It's an excellent game to just sit down and chill at your computer with...

Honestly though, I've never been the biggest fan of the game up until The Sims 2. It looked better, played better, and was better.

Hell, I ended up uninstalling the game just because it was sucking the time away... I'd tell myself, Alrighty... just going to play for a few minutes... and 4 hours later, I'm still playing.

/end rant

 

[kupocake]

Every part of my desperately wanted to like the original game, but alas... it's as dull as watching a Channel 4 afternoon documentary about "the Joy of paint drying" on a black and white Television. Philosophically, the popularity of the sims is about either one of two things:

1) People who love their life enjoy replicating the experience in their game, like some complex Escher painting. People who don't enjoy their day to day life want something they can escape to, and shooting things in the face is more enjoyable than coming home from work and playing a game about making sure you get to work on time.
2) People who don't have a life enjoy it because it gives them a chance to live one, doing all the things that they could actually be doing right now in a safe, controlled environment where you can just press the reset button.

 

[Absinthe]

Or maybe they just find it fun.

Just a thought.

 

[15357]

I found the sims fun, but it got old after some months. Its extremely boring now even after a few months.

 

[Sulkdodds]

I love it and it's too damn addictive. D:

 

[Jintor]

I agree with Sulkdodds. Juggling a growing family and keeping them all happy and learning and profitable while resisting the temptation to make out with the maid and all the while luring unsuspecting sims to the Cow Plant is amazing fun, but it's a large time-sink.