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Field Researcher
Original Poster
#1 Old 2nd Mar 2014 at 3:55 PM
Default Am I the only one...
...that thinks the Sims 4 looks really cartoony? From the images I've seen it kind of looks like a smartphone game >.<

My Simblr: Here
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The Great AntiJen
retired moderator
#2 Old 2nd Mar 2014 at 4:11 PM
Not sure where you got the idea you were the only one: lots of people have been moaning about just that all over these boards. Personally, I don't have an opinion either way though I get where some are coming from if they really like making sims more than anything else.

I no longer come over to MTS very often but if you would like to ask me a question then you can find me on tumblr or my own site tflc. TFLC has an archive of all my CC downloads.
I'm here on tumblr and my site, tflc
One horse disagreer of the Apocalypse
#3 Old 2nd Mar 2014 at 5:11 PM
EA think it looks really cartoony too. Apparently that's by design.

"You can do refraction by raymarching through the depth buffer" (c. Reddeyfish 2017)
Field Researcher
#4 Old 2nd Mar 2014 at 5:40 PM
Even EA has stated they've gone for a "cartoony" or "stylized" approach. Its supposed to look that way, so no your not the only one who thinks it looks cartoony, considering it was meant to look that way in the first place.

❤"Don't cry because its over, smile because it happened"❤"It's okay for you to disagree with me I can't force you to be right"❤"I don't care what anybody says, sleep is my BFF"❤
Scholar
#5 Old 2nd Mar 2014 at 7:02 PM
"This looks crap, like a giant step back from the great advancement you made last time."
"Uh, yeah... uh... totally on purpose!"

C-A
Forum Resident
#6 Old 2nd Mar 2014 at 7:16 PM
Cartoony games generally look less outdated a few years down the road than ones that aim for realism, so I can kind of see why they'd be going for that effect. Maybe they're planning a really long expansion cycle or something.

But yeah, it's generally acknowledged by everyone that TS4 looks very cartoony.
Lab Assistant
#7 Old 2nd Mar 2014 at 8:13 PM
It's suppose to be cartoony. I think it matches the quirky humor and silliness that the sims is famous for. I like it a lot. The facial structures of the sims are much more realistic, but they have this "sim-like" look to them, and the environment is so lush and detailed. Of course, gameplay is more important, so hopefully it isn't barren and half-assed like the sims 3's turned out to be.
Theorist
#8 Old 3rd Mar 2014 at 12:06 AM
Test Subject
#9 Old 4th Mar 2014 at 4:37 PM
Default Sims 4 Graphics are Horrible )):
I too am super disappointed with the graphics. I won't be switching from Sims 3 and Sims Medieval to Sims 4. How can you play with such graphic realism, almost to the point of Uncanny Valley, and then regress to....GAH
Screenshots
Forum Resident
#10 Old 4th Mar 2014 at 8:55 PM Last edited by parrot999 : 5th Mar 2014 at 2:36 PM.
First of all, I think the aesthetics of The Sims 3 are complete and utter crap as is... The Sims look like mutated supermodels with overly inflated faces... personally, I like that they are going stylized, because I'd rather have simple but nice aesthetics, than a game made to look realistic because "ohmugerd graffix!". I'm with Megido 100% on this one... going for realism frequently dates games faster (as does emphasis on pop-culture), so I'd rather have a nicely detailed cartoony game with good gameplay, than The Sims: Scarily Realistic Graphics Edition.

Also, and I know I'll get lots of hate for this, but every time I try to play The Sims 3, I end up having an existential crisis of some sort, because alot of the game tries to be too realistic... leaves me feeling very, "what's the point"ish. I NEVER get that playing 1 or 2. Just 3...
Lab Assistant
#11 Old 4th Mar 2014 at 10:57 PM
Honestly, The Sims has always looked cartoony, now it's just cartoony in a different way. I quite like the graphics, there are much worse things to worry about when it comes to TS4.
Scholar
#12 Old 5th Mar 2014 at 2:32 AM
For me the Sims 3 attempts at realism regarding the look of the sims was a total failure. All of the sims regardless of what they looked like had a collection of exagerrated features that don't actually apply to everyone or even most people. I think the stylization that they are offering with Sims 4 will be cute, fun and way more enjoyable. I'm not interested in my sims game imitating reality. I want play something that has some sense of reality, but feels disconnected. A cartoony or stylized game will do just that.

Check out my simblr https://www.tumblr.com/blog/tbssimblr

Click the link, you know you want to. ;)
Forum Resident
#13 Old 5th Mar 2014 at 4:51 AM Last edited by parrot999 : 5th Mar 2014 at 5:11 AM.
I decided to make an image to show how much more quickly graphics that attempt realism age in comparison with those that don't:



Most people would say the left side looks better, and I agree, but when these games first came out, a lot of people would say the right side looks better... So, this is why I refuse to buy into the idea that more realistic graphics = better aesthetics.
Ultimately, it comes down to the way the human brain works... If something looks like it's trying to be realistic, but you're used to better renditions, your mind thinks it looks bad, because it's seen better, and has a goal (real life) to make the comparison.. However, if something doesn't try to look realistic, and goes for a cartoony or stylized look, it tends to look visually nicer for much longer, because our brains on a certain level don't even know how whatever is rendered would be interpretted in real life, so there is no basis for comparison, and all your brain has to go by are little things like texture resolution... So, rather than having a game where everything looks visually off, you have a game where the textures, (and in 3D, meshes) look off... The results are that the visuals stay fresh for much longer...

You may think a game like GTA V looks beautiful now, but look at it in 10-20 years, and tell me what you think...
Lab Assistant
#14 Old 5th Mar 2014 at 9:48 AM
I honestly can't understand this thing about "realism!" in a series in which you get covered in soot when you burn, you see your skeleton when you get electrocuted, when you die the Grim Reaper comes and chats with your relatives, you shake the forniture when you have sex, you fight in a cloud of dust with hands sticking out, you can build a robot servant, and you can befriend fairies, cowplants and vampires.
Instructor
#15 Old 5th Mar 2014 at 1:26 PM
Quote: Originally posted by parrot999
You may think a game like GTA V looks beautiful now, but look at it in 10-20 years, and tell me what you think...


But WHY should we be considering how TS4 will look in ten years, while EA by that time will have released 2 or even more new installments? It's now that matters, and if we go for a shitty art style, it's still gonna look shitty in 10 years anyway...
Mad Poster
#16 Old 5th Mar 2014 at 2:16 PM
I don't think the problem is not that we're not getting realistic graphics, but that it looks like instead of taking things a small step up they instead seem to be taking it down, and make it less realistic than it ever was. I still have hopes the hair won't be stylized like it seems to be at the moment, because the way it is now almost looks worse than TS1.

There are ways to make graphics seem a notch better than TS2/3 without it being too demanding for our computers. The fact that they're also ditching CASt is not an improvement, either. If you make things better in one game, you should not make it worse or take it away in favor for worse options in the sequel.

As for the body sculpting, it might actually be a good thing, and maybe a step up from the sliders - as long as the tools are not too limiting, that is. The set limits have always been EA's biggest fault when it comes to game making.
Forum Resident
#17 Old 5th Mar 2014 at 2:28 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Monsoon
But WHY should we be considering how TS4 will look in ten years, while EA by that time will have released 2 or even more new installments? It's now that matters, and if we go for a shitty art style, it's still gonna look shitty in 10 years anyway...


This is a very consumerist mindset... TBH, I'm only buying 4 if it's REALLY good. There's a point where you just need to give it a rest... If the game is really good, It'll likely be my last. If not, I'll stick with 2. I don't want to have given a million dollars to EA for Sims stuff by the time I die....

Also, the art style being shitty is 100% subjective, and I completely disagree with it.
Instructor
#18 Old 5th Mar 2014 at 2:37 PM
Quote: Originally posted by parrot999
This is a very consumerist mindset...


Might be, but leaving aside the pure graphics/art style, I doubt people will be so attatched to TS4, as it brings nothing besides the emotions .

Quote: Originally posted by parrot999
TBH, I'm only buying 4 if it's REALLY good. There's a point where you just need to give it a rest... If the game is really good, It'll likely be my last. If not, I'll stick with 2. I don't want to have given a million dollars to EA for Sims stuff by the time I die....


I feel you here, as I am not even considering moving to TS4, unless it surprises me in some way.
Forum Resident
#19 Old 5th Mar 2014 at 2:42 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Monsoon
Might be, but leaving aside the pure graphics/art style, I doubt people will be so attatched to TS4, as it brings nothing besides the emotions .


That's assuming they've shown us everything new right from the announcement. I highly doubt that, as besides being an incredibly bad marketing tactic, there are probably features being added now that weren't in when they announced it...

When The Sims 2 was announced, first thing we learned was Legacy play, with 3, it was the open world... How can we assume we know everything about 4 when most of our info comes from an announcement info dump?
Inventor
#20 Old 5th Mar 2014 at 3:38 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Lord Vetinari
I honestly can't understand this thing about "realism!" in a series in which you get covered in soot when you burn, you see your skeleton when you get electrocuted, when you die the Grim Reaper comes and chats with your relatives, you shake the forniture when you have sex, you fight in a cloud of dust with hands sticking out, you can build a robot servant, and you can befriend fairies, cowplants and vampires.

Doesnt everyone shake the furniture they're on when they have sex? And building a robot servant is fully possible but not as simple as TS3 portrays it, I just feel like whining.
One Minute Ninja'd
#21 Old 5th Mar 2014 at 4:59 PM
Quote: Originally posted by StupidFlanders
Doesnt everyone shake the furniture they're on when they have sex?


Well, the granite altar to sex I have in the basement stays pretty immobile.
Inventor
#22 Old 5th Mar 2014 at 5:09 PM
Then you're not doing it right
Lab Assistant
#23 Old 6th Mar 2014 at 6:05 PM
Quote: Originally posted by StupidFlanders
Doesnt everyone shake the furniture they're on when they have sex?


I knew someone would say that.
Test Subject
#24 Old 7th Mar 2014 at 6:45 PM
Quote: Originally posted by writerjordan
I too am super disappointed with the graphics. I won't be switching from Sims 3 and Sims Medieval to Sims 4. How can you play with such graphic realism, almost to the point of Uncanny Valley, and then regress to....GAH


Because hitting the uncanny Valley is worse than having a distinct art style. I find the Sims4 designs thus far look the most coherent and concise from a purely artistic point of view. Of course, there is taste but based on the objective criteria available it is well done amd am improvement.
Test Subject
#25 Old 8th Mar 2014 at 1:08 AM
I think that after maybe a month or two, when all the good custom content gets either converted or new content gets made, ''realism'' won't matter that much because well, the content makes your sims look more realistic imo.
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