Larian Studios Forums General Chat RPG Chat Is Sims 2 an RPG?

From a Gamespot review.
"Taken together, the aspiration system and career system provide some much directed, goal-oriented gameplay, surprisingly reminiscent of a challenging role-playing game, of all things."

I have never played the game myself. I wonder since you are designing a custom character who will interact in a virtual world, would it be accurate to call it an RPG? What makes it not an RPG?

HARD question.

I've only played the first two expansions of the first game (there was ridiciuslly many expansions to the first game...), and I don't really know, to be honest. Maybe the key difference is that you don't really controll your charactre(s). You tell them what to do, but you can't talk with them, and if you don't tell them what to do, they will start doing stuff themselves. So it's not really you who plays the role as your character, you just gives him/her orders.

Übereil

Yes, The Sims is absolutely an RPG. You control a party of PCs that you design yourself. You develop them to bigger and greater things (assuming that's what you want) while coping with the rules of life. Interaction with NPCs is essential in progressing through the game. The only difference between The Sims and other RPGs is that there is no stroy line. You can only make your own story (and save photos of it for your photo album)! If you like RPGs because you like building things or people, then you will like The Sims.

I would consider The Sims a Simulation.

Have not played Sims 2 yet, though.

I would agree to the preview post that the Sims is indeed a simulation and not an RPG. You may stretch the definition of RPG to possibly argue a case for it being included in that category, but it is certainly not like any other RPG out there.

In the original post, your quote says it is reminiscent of a challenging role playing game not that it is one to which I agree.

What's a simulation?

Übereil

With saying simulation, I think they mean that it is more like in the category of rollercoaster tycoon, sim city, etc. But this time you don't organise a theme park or a city, but a family's life, wether it is a single guy, or a whole family.

Your sim has some stats, like strength, and then some stat to do speeches. But these stats are only required to get a better job and thus a better payment <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

I think the main thing is still to just buy better stuff and improve your house, like in other simulation games.

But it's still a good game, lot's of people enjoy it, looking at the selling of the game.

OK. And those stuff weren't very good, and you had too few points...

And after a while you got kind of bored trying to study to get a better job in order to get a new telly...

Übereil

As opposed to beating up more orcs to gain another level and wear the shiny armour? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

I will agree that the Sims is a simulation game. The difference between RPGS is that the Sims are based in the consuming need of people. You know, we work hard, we make money and we buy things to make our life better. There are no surprises in the game actually. You buy certain things and the interaction with the NPCs (btw you do not understand what they are saying to you), serves only one purpose : to have more friends, or get married and have children. There is a basic story line -as HandEfoood pointed out- but it is very poor IMHO. On the other hand, RPGs are based in the need we have to be "heroes just for one day" (D. Bowie knew what he was talking about <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />). You know, be strong, fight the evil, save the world improve combat arts, and belong to a different race than human.
Do not get me wrong here. The Sims is a really amusing game but it needs more elements in order to be consider as an RPG. I have played both Sims and Sims 2 and I have to admit that the Sims 2 is a very well made game. Still it does not have the "magic feeling" that RPGs have. This is my opinion only.

Then again, in some games you're not a "heroe just for one day", you're DA ONE! Fallout for example: there YOU have been chosen to leave the enclave, go find a whaterchip and save the day. It's not like you're the local farmer who finds a whaterchip, you're chosen to do it. Arcanum is another one (here you are a god reborn).
I feel RPG's sepaks to a different need than the Sims. I the Sims you build a family, gets a new job etc. and all the other stuff you do in real life (in it's whay really interesting, but you do it every day anywhay). In an RPG though, you are a Hero, not a normal guy who's worrying for how he's supposed to pay his bills, for once you get to be the guy who's supposed to go to Death mountain to kill the ultimate god of Evil and save the world (AND your whife, who btw looks a LOT better that the one standing in the kichen trying to make you a decent dinner, but unfortunantley failing...).

Übereil

Simulation has a few definitions but perhaps this is the one I had in mind.

Simulation: Reproduction or representation, as of a potential situation or in experimental testing.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

The Sims is simulating real life something of which I get a heavy dose of every day and does not need simulating for me.

Got that right... But on the other hand, I like building stuff, and in lack of any real tecnical talents, this is the only opportunity I get...

Übereil

Hi,
You are my hero. After numerous tryings it finally worked.(putting the picture on I mean) Thank you so much! Do you like it? My hair has the same colour for now because I dyed it red. But I'm still a blond girl.
]http://www.larian.com/ubbthreads/images/avatars/Hero2.jpg[/afbeelding]
I tought you were German, but then I noticed you are from Sweden. The land where Elfs and Trolls live! I feel very connected with the world of Elfs.
Here in Belgium we have the same tradition with the Advents-calender. I have one hanging in my house for my baby-boy. I would love to know more about Swedisch X-mas and other holidays. Maybe you can send me a picture from Sweden? If you like I can give you my E-mailadress, I can send you a picture to from Belgium.
I have played The Sims also but it's not the same like DD. There is almost never action in the game (except when someone dies) and you get easily bored with it. I c u later!

Übereil <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />, I agree with you that in Sims, they kinda live their own life, we only correct it.

Sims simulate, RPGs roleplay. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />


I beleive that there will be games that are RPGs taking place in our time, but still roleplaying game has some conflict and a goal to solve it.

Simulation? Ummm <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" /> repetitiveness is what can I say to describe it. But, my friend's daughter, she is around 10, likes the game and says that all girls in her class have the game and just love it, it's a must have thingie. That's what she says. (So, this is a target audience for the game imo)

I played first Sims, got bored after several days of taking my sim to work, home, WC, eating, learning etc.
I killed him <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin1.gif" alt="" /> and was very happy with that. Only thing still worries me. Is it true - after you kill your sim and start another sim/family in the same house, the ghost of your old sim will sometimes appear in the night and freak you new sims out??? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />

So when most people create their first family, their goal is to build a giant house and have a level 10 career. Other's make goal's to be a specific person, or to have a specific house (gothic mansion, techno-house, hunter's lodge, ...) Other's have the goal of getting married. The difference between this and Divinity is you get to decide the goal.


I think the target audience is everyone. And given that it's the highest selling game of all time, they haven't done a too bad job at it. The 20 year old male FPS/RTS addicts I went to school with loved it too.


You see. You created your own roleplaying goal and succeeded! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />


If there is a grave stone or an urn, the ghost of whoever's contained within may rise at night. In the first Sims, play the Goth house for a while to see it.

I knew someone will pop up arguing to this. Hande, glad to see you again <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" /> Ok and where is conflict? Yeah, you will say, sim needs to eat, sim needs maid to clean washes, sim needs to raise his commute level, where is conflict? Where are monsters eating people and poisoning lands?
And these goals? Honestly these are small aims not a ultimate goal, like save the world from bad monster Mojo Dojo <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />


I donno what to say. Agreed that this is a best selling game to date. Agreed that it is champion in making addons. But still can't say how. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> I need to learn to know youngsters better <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/puppyeyes.gif" alt="" />

Yeah, if I could kill his neighbours, all his colleagues, maid, friends, driver, dog from the neighbourhood, policemen - I would have been playing till now <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devil.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin1.gif" alt="" />


Funny, and is it true that all Sims become scared to death of this ghost? This can't be true. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ROFL.gif" alt="" /> Is the ghost bloody and beheaded wearing rags and equipped with a giant axe? Sorry just dreamin <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

The Goth house? What expansion was THAT in? Never got further than Houseparty...

Anywhay, once my whife got ELECTRIFIED when trying to fix our TV, and died (maybe tryig to fix the TV myself wasn't such a good idea...). Then the Grim reaper turned up to take her away, and since I didn't whant tht to happen I tried to block the way between them, by building extra walls. Since I couldn't close the wall (for some strange reason...) I tried to block the last space by buying a cheap chest of drawers, but he (the Grim reaper) SOLD it without my premission! The [nocando] <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/memad.gif" alt="" />!!! (Oh, and he took my whife away so I had to restart the whole goddamn thing, but that was less important. HE SOLD MY CHEAP CHEST OF DRAWERS <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/memad.gif" alt="" />!!!)

Übereil

The Goth house comes with the original game. It's the one on the right.

Hehe... I like the Grim Reaper. If there's someone else home, you can play a game with Death to try and win their soul back.

You need Mechanical skill to fix things safely. By that same token, you need Cooking skill to use a stove or fireplace safely.

No need to say that MY Goth house was really... Gothic <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
I found a site called SIMSILVANIA and I downloaded many many gothic objects and skins... It was a paradise for my Sims <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />