Eurogamer have posted a preview of The Sims 3, due out later this year (apparently).
EA/Maxis are making some substantial changes to the formula this time around. Where The Sims 2 was a buffed up version of the original, they're taking 3 in a somewhat new direction.
Gone is the incessant micromanagement that requires you to queue up bathroom visits every ten actions. Gone are the deadly mood bars that have you desperately trying to keep your Sim alive, well, happy and still doing stuff you want them to do. Gone is the closed box that is your one little house in a facade of a neighbourhood.
Now, they're pulling the focus higher and wider, connecting the world together so that all the Sims in the world persist and you can track them across the extended world that is their town. They can go for a run, go to work, visit friends, and all of this is connected through a flick of the mouse wheel.
Character generation is now more about choosing traits than an arbitrary set of bars to drag left-right and the interface and customisation for that has been buffed up.
Speaking of customisation, a lot more modding power has been included into the engine, even for mod-newbies such as me where textiles and colours are easily available to re-skin clothes, couches... whatever.
And that's not all. Go read the preview to find out the rest.
EA/Maxis are making some substantial changes to the formula this time around. Where The Sims 2 was a buffed up version of the original, they're taking 3 in a somewhat new direction.
Gone is the incessant micromanagement that requires you to queue up bathroom visits every ten actions. Gone are the deadly mood bars that have you desperately trying to keep your Sim alive, well, happy and still doing stuff you want them to do. Gone is the closed box that is your one little house in a facade of a neighbourhood.
Now, they're pulling the focus higher and wider, connecting the world together so that all the Sims in the world persist and you can track them across the extended world that is their town. They can go for a run, go to work, visit friends, and all of this is connected through a flick of the mouse wheel.
Character generation is now more about choosing traits than an arbitrary set of bars to drag left-right and the interface and customisation for that has been buffed up.
Speaking of customisation, a lot more modding power has been included into the engine, even for mod-newbies such as me where textiles and colours are easily available to re-skin clothes, couches... whatever.
And that's not all. Go read the preview to find out the rest.
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