From what I can see, the discussion here is at least more well thought out and civil than the debates on YouTube.

I remember one commenter on a video for the game's trailer. They were trying (fruitlessly) to convince people how immoral the game was, talking about how there were gay couples and negative traits such as kleptomania, but no house of worship or even the ability to pray. They went on to claim that if there was some form of religion, it would improve the game's sales. (You know, ignoring how it's only been one of the highest selling computer games since the first title.)
I tried to reason with them, explaining as many here have how such a move would actually be detrimental to it's sales.

I basically told this person that the only conceivable reason I could see the addition of religion improving sales is the same reason why games like Grand Theft Auto are so popular: all of the controversy would generate a whirlwind of attention--negative attention, but attention nevertheless.
And that works for GTA. I'm pretty sure they wear their "bad, crude, gritty, game-your-mama-warned-you-about" badge with pride and honor, because it really is that kind of a game. That's just not the case with The Sims, and I'm pretty sure EA doesn't want that kind of mark.

...

So far, I've yet to hear back from them.
Any thoughts from you guys?

If that's the case, then I'll retract my statement.

Even with object-only interactions, EA could still give the object a high attraction. The only way that could work is if EA were to make the object non-autonomous and prevent unplayed sims from buying it if story mode progression is turned on.

That's not really saying much. Most YouTube debaters seem to be this type of person, at best.

Why is it a logical fallacy to assume that a Sunday school teacher would not find religion offensive? Please elaborate.

Under no circumstances is anyone to elaborate in this thread on a topic that has nothing to do with including religion in the Sims. There's an off-topic discussion forum. There's a debate forum. There's private messaging and social chat. Take this off-topic discussion off this thread or I will turn the internet around and no-one gets any ice cream.

I can't believe I just now noticed this post.
-messes up your Hall of Fame-

And back on-topic:

Maybe I'm just plain blind, but I'm not seeing where Adamxx posted any such thing.

Hasn't anyone noticed that people like to debate things that are in the sims or not in the sims more than they like playing the game? What a wasted thread. Politics and Religion is the last thing I want in my games that are supposed to entertain me. If you want something in your game to simulate religion I'm sure that someone somewhere can come up with it for you. Just take a peek at sexysims2 and see what they have over there. Probably not content 3/4 of the sims population wants in the game but for those that do, it's there. Leave the controversial content to modders and leave EA out of it.

Religion in the Sims, just wouldn't work out and all you need to do is view this thread as well as the other thread about Religion in the Sims.

EA chooses to leave Religion out of the game because its easier that way, I mean its certainly far less complicated.

Summed up, All I can say is...thank goodness for modding.

I think in order for religion to be put into the game it must be player created and non-autonomous. Perhaps if EA allowed us to paint with a broader brush we could bring some elements of religion into a game.

I would love to see the end of rabbit holes and bring back player-created community lots. There is your house of worship. Sims could also have affinity for particular buildings that they visit. Some sims will like talking about the stadium or the pub and some will like the holy building, depending on where you send your sim to hang out.

I would also love to see a tool to do player scripted actions and behaviors. And sims would get a bonus for following the sequence cocurrently. Could be anything from the stand up, sit down, kneel, sit down, stand up, walk in single file line business of a catholic church or a dance routine or praying towards mecca or whatever have you.

Also, a new type of crafting bench. Let the player create the craftable. Give them a few types of 3d shapes such as sphere, cube, cone, cylinder, pyramid. Scale, rotate and place them together to get the shape of your craftable. There is your holy objects, or just a bunch of clutter.

Sims can write books, let them make movies too. And then perhaps your sim could craft objects that were movie or book tie-ins like action figures or crosses.

This is just my hopes for the future direction of the sims franchise which could allow for the simulated practice of religion or billions of other things.

And personally I think Religion is a more interesting part of life on the macroscopic scale, such as its wide-ranging effects on a civilization but on such a detailed level as a personal or sims level it is much harder to translate because even I can't truly express what's in my heart or brain about something so massively limitless. To cram an iota of comprehension of the metaphysical realm into myself is hard enough. Into my computer? Impossible.

Thanks for reading all that. I hope it made sense. :D

I think like many people have stated this is just a game. Adding religon would possibly cause EA to be shot down and burned....>.> (srry for that got carried away) Anyways I think we all have our own choices to make and if EA ever made religon part of the game then where would our choice for religon whether it is yes or no go? I am not trying to say anyone is wrong or anything I am just trying to say that religon should be optional and should be depicted in such a way that the majority of people will not be offended.
Oh sure I know for a fact some people would be offended, but they have the choice to not purchase the game but if they really want it, then again there should be a choice for religion in the game or not.
Or then again they could not add it at all and people could make CC for the game so people still have that choice.
So those are my thoughts at the moment I hope it kinda helped or not helped or was just food for thought.

-Babynerd_16 :P

P.S. I forgot to mention that if religon was part of the game and caused my sims to have consquences for all the scandals and murders and other oddball stuff like that i would........ O.o be very sad...... >_< I would EA and tell them they made me very disappointed in them.

Anyways have fun simming

I don't think the game needs religion, however...

There would be a benefit, from my perspective, and that is in finding something to establish certain couples to be more compatible than others.

What EAxis could have done-- though I don't blame them for dodging the issue-- would have been to allow players to create a religion, or more than one, if they chose. The player would name the religions if he/she chose to create them at all, and all houses of worship would look like the generic ones they have in the SimCity series.

So, non-believers could choose not to create religions or to create only satirical ones; strong believers in one specific religion could make that the only religion in the game, and have all "Good" sims join it; people like me who'd like it as a compatibility factor could create a few fictional (or maybe real) religions; etc..

However, religion is the most heated topic that exists. EAxis even dodged politics, which is heated but less so, despite that one can be a politician in the game-- and politics would be more useful, as they could simply have a scale from Far Left to Far Right where every Sim's politics are (yes, I recognize that's an extreme simplification of political views) and have that affect political contributions and relationship compatibility.

It would have no other effect, and it would be no better or worse in the game to have one ideology than another, except that you'd like people of similar ideology a little better and politically contribute only to Sims of similar ideology.

EAxis felt that even that was not wise, so I understand why they ducked religion.

Why would they need religion? We're their gods. ^_^

I've always imagined that "Simism" is the religion of all my sims, lol!

I don't think my Sims need religion as it relates to faith, prayer and worship.

However, when marrying two characters recently, I did think it would be nice to have someone preside over the wedding. Oh well.

We, the players, already have the hand of god that moves things in real time... and with them worshiping us and us being able to smite non-worshipers.. this is sounding like the game Black and White :D

"What's that? You got pregnant in the two minutes that I wasn't playing you? *smite* You don't like your job? *smite*"

The only reason I'd want a church was to hold weddings and funerals. I don't really care if it was a church, it could be called 'worship hall' for all I care. And occasionally I'd be funny to see sims pray to the player. I'd be like, "Lol. that's me. KABOOM. *thundercrack* now you're dead." But that's just me.

So does that mean that Buddy Christ is out? LOL Damn I wish I knew how to make stuff. Someone make me a Buddy Christ Statue

The people who would throw a hissy fit would probably be either those who are extremely dogmatic (atheists or religious), or the people who are heavily into customizing their towns. Your characterization of atheists is unfair.

I'm an atheist, and I've already made two mosques, a church, and Buddhist temple for my towns. My objection to a llama god would only be that it gets in the way of the flavor of the towns I'm trying to create. A generic, optional "worship" rabbithole object (small so it could be concealed) would just be the best from a customization angle.

I know why EA would want to avoid the issue. But I'm holding out hope that a modder will create a small, room-sized rabbithole (or maybe door-shaped) that I can put inside of my various religious buildings so that I can make some of my sims religious.

This is exactly why it shouldn't be in the game. You would have to cater for every religion, otherwise EA would find themselves being accused of all kinds of inequalities, racism etc.

If you want to put religion into the game yourself by making sure your sims only behave in certain ways and downloading the custom content required to build your chosen place of worship (I did this in sims 2), then that is fine and your own choice, but the game should not come with religion. That is the only way to ensure no one gets offended.

personally, im pretty happy that my sims only religion is me. (;

*cackles madly and punishes her sims for their "sins"*

theres religion irl. the sims, for me, is an escape from that, among several other things i disagree with. if the sims introduced religion to their game, itd just be that much less satisfying to play, for me. less engrossing.

and whats wrong with people if they think the game has to change for there to be religion in their storytelling?
isnt the STORYTELLER in charge of that?
theres no law, sim or otherwise, telling you that you CANT put religion in your story. get imaginative. put it in your own game. youre still free to do that, you know.

its just more trouble than its worth. and call me pig headed, but i would think that if someones religion satisfied them IRL, the fact that a game lacks it wouldnt bother them all that much. /:

In Sims 1 & 2, there was magick...witchcraft...and just in case anyone is unaware, spellcrafting (creating & casting a spell) is a form of prayer. Albeit that the caster is not "praying" to "God", but rather to the Universe or "the Elements" in order to achieve their goal. While a witch is not required to be religious, many who honor the gods and goddesses ARE EXTREMELY religious. And while they like it or not, spellcrafting is a form of prayer. Call a rose a rose because the defination of a prayer is asking "a source" for help. Witches ask the Universe (and sometimes gods & goddesses) and Christians (and other religions) ask "God".

My point here is that The Sims have been practicing religion for quite some time and they are unaware of it. (Just like the courthouse in Carson City, Nevada that displays that beautiful star over its door each year...that 5 pointed star within a circle is called a pentacle which represents earth, air, fire, water and spirit...oh yeah, it is the symbol for Wicca...lol)

Did somebody seriously dig this thread out again?

Come ON you guys...

It ain't done 'til it's over-done?

I'm sure plenty of people didn't get the chance to chime in on it earlier. Better to dig this one up than start a new one, I think.

I can fix it.

YOU are the Sim's religion. They aren't very active about it, but they look to you when they are in need, and even ocassionaly realize your presence and surprise you by looking in your direction. When they are desperate they ask for your help and usually recieve.

:D

Now see, that just makes me feel really uncomfortable. I have seen them look at the camera in that way, and I can imagine them saying, "Are you happy now?"

Nah, I won't be my Sim's god. I'll direct them to do what I want them to do, but to me it's like playing with dolls. I'm not their god, but merely the puppet master.

it was an expansion pack. the base game didnt come with it. which would be fine for me in the case of religion.that way people could take it or leave it.