#wants and fears

[l-1-z-a]

Emergent Storytelling Techniques in The Sims - Matt Brown, GDC 2018

In this 2018 GDC session, Maxis EA's Matt Brown examines the various techniques employed across all four generations of The Sims to empower player-driven and emergent storytelling.

Table of Contents

Intro

1:40 Key Design Philosophies

3:40 Ai of the Sims

7:02 Self-evident Dependencies

8:09 Projection and Assumption

12:34 Ambiguity ( thought bubbles, speech )

16:01 Going 'too far'

17:16 On Randomness... ( urinals )

19:30 Yes and...

21:02 Autonomous Feedback Loops

24:51 Wants & Fears & Wishes

26:36 Story Trees

31:26 How Story Trees work

- 33:45 ...vs Player Expectations

35:58 Meta-Storytelling ( story progression; higher level )

39:51 Prototype Story Progression Tool

- 40:55 Bubba's life story

42:09 Inverse Autonomy ( populating the world )

43:19 N of M and Moving the Goalpost

47:13 Summary

48:54 Questions

This is a very informative presentation from Matt Brown. He was Technical Direction and Desing during the development of The Sims 2.

The presentation reveals how the systems of wants, fears and whims works in all games of the series. How the system of story progression and promotion in Sims 3 works. Shows the prototype system of story progression in Sims 3. This presentation have info about all main games in The Sims.

And a few other things to pay attention to:

1. Previously unseen screenshot of The Sims 2 Beta, or rather a screenshot from the alpha version of The Sims 2 v.0.14.0.765 on 23:30:

2. The answer to the question of why each part of the series is very different from each other. What process is responsible for this. On 53:35:

Hi. I've played all of The Sims and they all change a lot between each of the iterations and I'm curious what the process is from going the first Sim all the way to the newest Sim because there's a lot of changes between all of those.

And the answer of Matt Brown:

The first Sims was Will Wright makes games. I don't know if he still does, but the way he did make games was he made games that were fundamentally fascinating to him. They actually tended to be pretty geeky because he's pretty geeky.

The first Sims was really more of a psychological study originally. It turned out to be way more fun than that. Well, that's fun for some people. It's way bigger than that.

I used to joke that with Sims 2 our goal was don't screw it up. It's a little more colorful than that, but don't screw it up because we didn't know exactly why Sims 1 was successful. We just knew that it was crazy successful, so just don't mess it up.

With Sims 2, we didn't make that many changes. It was what I call a more, more, more design or 3M design. We mostly just took everything in Sims 1 and we added more to it. The wants and fears that I mentioned was the one big thing that we introduced there.

And then in Sims 3, it was slightly different because we hadn't screwed it up. We had a chance to screw it up, so we basically went all the way back down to the core motivations of players and the core systems and said what systems, what were they trying to achieve and could we achieve more or if the system wasn't really didn't have any purpose in the end we got rid of it.

Sims 4 was a little more complicated. Its development was pretty storied. It went through several different stages.

3. Some players think that wants and fears in Sims 2 are given to Sims at random. The developers of The Sims 2 discovered that some players thought so, and were little disappointed by this. And so the system of wants in The Sims 3 has become more clear. You can learn about this at 58:24. This is one more question:

Are there any game mechanics introduced that did not have the outcome you expected?

And the answer of Matt Brown:

That's a really good question. I'm trying to think. I'm absolutely certain there are. But I honestly don't know any right off the top of my head. Part of that is that a lot of the mechanics that we introduce...

No, I really can't think of anything off the top of my head. No, sorry.

I was going to say, a lot of the mechanics that we introduce, in and of themselves, this is going to sound maybe pretentious or dodgy, but in and of themselves, we don't necessarily expect a specific outcome from one system. We expect a lot of the times when we're designing systems, we design them to be interesting, to bounce off of each other. We just try to make sure that there's enough touch points between them that interesting stuff can happen.

Oh, I do have one, and it was a subtle thing. Sorry, it was back in this Wants and Fears. Maybe it's just a little cautionary tale. These Wants and Fears in the original version, they're very thoughtfully presented. If you do it right, your sims will sound like they're just paying attention. Oh my god. They get something. They're deep. There's a lot going on in there.

Somewhere along the line, what we did is every morning when the sim wakes up, they roll new Once and Fears. They reevaluate. Somewhere in there, we decided that the way we should do that so you didn't miss it was we should make them spin like slot machine wheels, which honestly made me really angry in the end. Not angry, but was because the effect it had was that players then saw them, and because they look like slot machines, a lot of players assumed they were random, which, given that we put all this effort into the system that made them extra not random and very intentional, was a little disappointing that some players thought that they were random just because of the way we ended up treating them in the UI.

Transcription (notes) of presentation:

На русском языке:

[butchfalin]

the funniest meltdown ive ever had was in college when i got so overstimulated that i could Not speak, including over text. one of my friends was trying to talk me through it but i was solely using emojis because they were easier than trying to come up with words so he started using primarily emojis as well just to make things feel balanced. this was not the Most effective strategy... until. he tried to ask me "you okay?" but the way he chose to do that was by sending "👉🏼👌🏼❓" and i was so shocked by suddenly being asked if i was dtf that i was like WHAT???? WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME?????????? and thus was verbal again

[hausmakes]

[lesbianfakir]

You’re placed in a room with an animal. The door is closed and you cannot leave. The animal is completely calm and has no intent of harming you. You are in no danger unless you provoke the animal in some way.

[genericpuff]

Tbh at this point you should just make your own webcomic app/website because it would probably be 100 times better than whatever going on with webtoon right now.

hahaha it wouldn't tho, sorry 💀

Here's the fundamental issue with webcomic platforms that a lot of people just don't realize (and why they're so difficult to run successfully):

Storage costs are incredibly expensive, it's why so many sites have limitations on file sizes / page sizes / etc. because all of those images and site info have to be stored somewhere, which costs $$$.

Maintenance costs are expensive and get more so as you grow, you need people who are capable of fixing bugs ASAP and managing the servers and site itself

Financially speaking, webcomics are in a state of high supply, low demand. Loads of artists are willing to create their passion projects, but getting people to read them and pay for them is a whole other issue. Demand is high in the general sense that once people get attached to a webtoon they'll demand more, but many people aren't actually willing to go looking for new stuff to read and depend more on what sites feed them (and what they already like). There are a lot of comics to go around and thus a lot of competition with a limited audience of people willing to actually pay for them.

Trying to build a new platform from the ground up is incredibly difficult and a majority of sites fail within their first year. Not only do you have to convince artists to take a chance on your platform, you have to convince readers to come. Readers won't come if there isn't work on the platform to read, but artists won't come if they don't think the site will be worth it due to low traffic numbers. This is why the artists with large followings who are willing to take chances on the smaller sites are crucial, but that's only if you can convince them to use the site in favor of (or alongside) whatever platform they're using already where the majority of their audience lies. For many creators it's just not worth the time, energy, or risk.

Even if you find short-term success, in the long-term there are always going to be profit margins to maintain. The more users you pull in, the more storage is used by incoming artists, the more you have to spend on storage and server maintenance costs, and that means either taking the risk at crowdfunding (ex. ComicFury) or having to resort to outsider investments (ex. Tapas). Look at SmackJeeves, it used to be a titan in the independent webcomic hosting community, until it folded over to a buyout by NHN and then was pretty much immediately shuttered due to NHN basically turning it into a manwha scanlation site and driving away its entire userbase. And if you don't get bought out and try your hand at crowdfunding, you may just wind up living on a lifeline that could cut out at any moment, like what happened to Inkblazers (fun fact, the death of Inkblazers was what kicked off the cultural shift in Tapas around 2015-16 when all of IB's users migrated over and brought their work with them which was more aimed towards the BL and romancee drama community, rather than the comedy / gag-a-day culture that Tapas had made itself known for... now you deadass can't tell Tapas apart from a lot of scanlation sites because it got bought out by Kakao and kept putting all of its eggs into the isekai/romance drama basket.)

Right now the mindset in which artists and readers are operating is that they're trying way, way too hard to find a "one size fits all" site. Readers want a place where they can find all their favorite webtoons without much effort, artists wants a place where they can post to an audience of thousands, and both sides want a community that will feel tight-knit. But the reality is that you can't really have all three of those things, not on one site. Something always winds up having to be sacrificed - if a site grows big enough, it'll have to start seeking more funding while also cutting costs which will result in features becoming paywall'd, intrusive ads, creators losing their freedom, and/or outsider support which often results in the platform losing its core identity and alienating its tight-knit community.

If I had to describe what I'm talking about in a "pick one" graphic, it would look something like this:

(*note: this is mostly based on my own observations from using all of these sites at some point or another, they're not necessarily entirely accurate to the statistical performance of each site, I can only glean so much from experience and traffic trackers LMAO that said I did ask some comic pals for input and they were very helpful in helping me adjust it with their own takes <3).

The homogenization of the Internet has really whipped people into submission for the "big sites" that offer "everything", but that's never been the Internet, it relies on being multi-faceted and offering different spaces for different purposes. And we're seeing that ideology falter through the enshittification of sites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. where users are at odds with the platforms because the platforms are gutting features in an attempt to satisfy shareholders whom without the platforms would not exist. Like, most of us aren't paying money to use social media sites / comic platform sites, so where else are they gonna make the necessary funds to keep these sites running? Selling ad space and locking features behind paywalls.

And this is especially true for a lot of budding sites that don't have the audience to support them via crowdfunding but also don't have the leverage to ask for investments - so unless they get really REALLY lucky in EITHER of those departments, they're gonna be operating at a loss, and even once they do achieve either of those things there are gonna be issues in the site's longevity, whether it be dying from lack of growing crowdfunding support or dying from shareholder meddling.

So what can we do?

We can learn how to take our independence back. We don't have to stop using these big platforms altogether as they do have things to offer in their own way, particularly their large audience sizes and dipping into other demographics that might not be reachable from certain sites - but we gotta learn that no single site is going to satisfy every wish we have and we have to be willing to learn the skills necessary to running our own spaces again. Pick up HTML/CSS, get to know other people who know HTML/CSS if you can't grasp it (it's me, I can't grasp it LOL), be willing to take a chance on those "smaller sites" and don't write them off entirely as spaces that can be beneficial to you just because they don't have large numbers or because they don't offer rewards programs. And if you have a really polished piece of work in your hands, look into agencies and publishing houses that specialize in indie comics / graphic novels, don't settle for the first Originals contract that gets sent your way.

For the last decade corporations have been convincing us that our worth is tied to the eyes we can bring to them. Instead of serving ourselves, we've begun serving the big guys, insisting that it has to be worth something eventually and that it'll "payoff" simply by the virtue of gambler's fallacy. Ask yourself what site is right for you and your work rather than asking yourself if your work is good enough for them. Most of us are broke trying to make it work on these sites anyways, may as well be broke and fulfilled by posting in places that actually suit us and our work if we can. Don't define your success by what sites like Webtoons are enforcing - that definition only benefits them, not you.

[doglikecadaver]

So like… do you guys think women want him… fish fear him???

-

-

[hyperfixating-ferret]

[chloesimaginationthings]

Abby isn't scared of any FNAF animatronic..

[ruporas]

kiss of the divine

[aiweirdness]

Source

Alt text source

[kreechur-croft]

Made some little freaks

[l-1-z-a]

The Sims 2 Designer Diary #8

Producer Jonathan Knight tells us about the game's new aspiration system, which makes your sims act more like real people.

By Gamespot Staff on June 15, 2004 at 11:47AM PDT

Without a doubt, The Sims 2 will be one of the biggest gaming events of the year when it is released in September. The sequel to one of the most successful games of all time, The Sims 2 is more than just a graphical upgrade of the original game. In addition to a gorgeous 3D graphics engine, Maxis is introducing entirely new features and capabilities into the game, including the ability to oversee multiple generations of a single sim family. While the designers have been improving the gameplay, they've also been careful to maintain the fun and simplicity of the original game. And as producer Jonathan Knight explains in the latest edition of our designer diaries, Maxis is going to introduce a new behavioral system that will allow your sims to act more lifelike than ever before. Now your sims will want more out of life, and it'll be up to you to either give it to them or not.

Wants & Fears

By Jonathan Knight Producer

You might not think that potty training the sims sounds like a real job, but in a strange way, that's exactly what our team has been up to for the last several months as we put the finishing touches on the new gameplay innovation in The Sims 2. With a new interface, a new simulator, and the same old Maxis humor, we've had a blast taking "that people game" to the next level. Here's a sneak peek into how we arrived at our revolutionary new game design.

It's been four years since bladder failure was all the rage. In the original The Sims, your sims had eight basic needs--bladder, hygiene, social, etc.--and your job as the player was to take care of these needs by clicking on toilets, showers, and other sims. Now, in The Sims 2, your sims have dreams--romance, family, knowledge, fortune, or popularity--which you, as the player, help them achieve over the course of their lifetimes. You choose the aspirational goals for your sims when you create them, and as you play, they reveal their wants and their fears. Satisfy their wants to help them lead happy, long, and successful lives. On the flip side, indulge in their fears to find out what stress can do to sims.

Great concept, right? But what does an aspiration look like in the game? Arguably, the most important thing any game can do is communicate the user interface in a clear, concise, and compelling manner. The original interface for The Sims did all of these things (you saw the word "needs" plus eight red/green bars, each with a word next to it, be it "hunger," "bladder," etc.). The Sims 2 interface needed to boil down the concept of lifetime aspirations, as well as retain the inherent Will Wright humor of the original "needs" panel. (There's just something funny about seeing the word "bladder" with a red/green bar next to it!) So our designers put together a mock-up that showed the words "wants" and "fears" with a series of colorful icons beneath each word. As a team, we fell in love with the new game panel. The challenge then became to deliver this feature within the parameters of this simplistic new design.

We needed a visualization of everything a sim could possibly want or fear. "How are we going to draw a picture of a near-death experience? How do we make 'I want to flirt with Sarah.' into an icon?" We had moved beyond the hundred-or-so memory images. We now needed to iconify--i.e., represent with little images in the wants and fears panel--everything a sim could possibly want or fear in a lifetime. This meant developing a visual language for anything that could happen in the game. And The Sims 2 is a big game! So we came up with a two-icon "grammar" for each want or fear, where the primary icon (say, two wedding rings) does most of the work, and a secondary icon serves as a "modifier," if needed. For example, if a sim wants to "get married," we just use the wedding rings. If a sim wants to "marry Sarah," we use a primary icon of Sarah's face with a secondary icon of wedding rings.

Sims Just Want to Have Fun

With the help of some extremely talented and detail-oriented artists, we were able to come up with a language of icons that allowed us to express, literally, thousands of wants and fears. My personal favorite is the icon for "woohoo"--that thing sims do when they play around underneath the covers and end up with a baby a few days later. (Wouldn't you like to know how many meetings and revisions it took to reach consensus on what that icon should look like...)

Electricity and water don't mix.

We also wanted to bring fun and dynamism to the aspiration game. We wanted players to be captivated by the mutating wants and fears of their sims. We brought some light-hearted slot-machine animation to the panel--coupled with classic sound and movement--around the achievement of a want or fear. Then we layered on interactivity so that clicking on your wants and fears became a strategic game in itself. (At any time, you can lock a want or fear, ensuring that it will always stay in the panel. This lets players strategize toward long-term wants they don't want to miss.)

Finally, the most important challenge was programming what actually shows up in this wants and fears panel. From the thousands of choices, how does the game know what a sim wants or fears at any given moment in life? To answer this question, we had to write a new simulator. And this is where the most exciting work on The Sims 2 has taken place. Here's how it basically works:

Above all else, a sim's wants or fears are consistent with the aspiration chosen for that sim. A family sim should want family things, like getting married, having babies, and teaching children. A fortune sim should want bonuses, promotions, and new electronics. A knowledge sim should want to build skills, see ghosts, meet aliens, and so forth. To keep things interesting, aspirations should eventually lead to extreme wants, like "Make out with 20 different sims." for a teen romance sim or "Have 15 kids." for the adult family sim. A big part of the game is figuring out how to pull off some of these seemingly impossible wants.

At the same time, we wanted each sim to feel unique. Each sim should want things outside of the normal aspirations--things that make them feel human and unpredictable. Some sims just want pizza! Furthermore, we knew that sims should want things based upon how you play them. If you tell your sim to flirt with Sarah, then your sim should subsequently want to kiss Sarah, and not just anyone. (Unless he's a romance sim, that is.)

And with all of that, we ultimately had to figure out why wants and fears matter? Well, they matter because every want achieved by a sim contributes to an aspiration score, which is the new red/green bar next to the wants and fears. And fears (or even failure to achieve wants) make that bar go down. When the score is in the red, sims worry a lot, become desperate, and eventually have nervous breakdowns. When the bar is in the green, sims are rewarded with new behavior and are treated differently by other sims. They also get access to a brand-new reward catalog that offers extreme objects--like the Elixir of Life, the Energizer, and the Money Tree--which make it easier for your sim to succeed. These rewards and failures are the cornerstone of the new gameplay, and they help set The Sims 2 apart from its predecessor. Strategically use these rewards, because they can backfire.

As we head down the homestretch of development on The Sims 2, it is clear that the new simulator, the new user interface, and the new rewards and failures all represent tremendous innovations over the original game while staying utterly true to Will Wright's vision. His vision was of a software toy that reduces human beings down to a few manageable concepts while maintaining a consistent sense of humor. It is fun and magical to anticipate what your sims want next, and it is extremely satisfying doing your best to give them what they want so that they live long, happy, and fulfilled lives. We hope you feel the same way when you play The Sims 2!

The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.

[talisidekick]

If a transgender person asks you to deadname and misgender them in front of certain people. Misgender them and deadname them in front of those people. It doesn't matter how icky or gross it may feel, it doesn't matter you'd rather be honest. It doesn't matter if there's more of you there. Certain people aren't safe, and honesty IS NOT the best policy when honesty could put them at serious risk. It doesn't matter if there's a crowd, because when there isn't shit goes down.

Be an ally, do what they ask. Understand that the trans person knows more about their situation than you do, and this includes who's safe and who's not. Some one can be "trans friendly" to other people, but not to people they know or specific people. Do as the trans person asks, yes it's uncomfortable, but it's 10 times worse if the person we don't trust finds out. 100 times worse if they have access to us when you're not around.

Respect trans peoples safety. Misgender and deadname when asked.

[antiomnia]

Leviathan, the master of the seas.

If you like this art, it's already available in my shop! There are prints, t-shirts, notebooks, bags, phone cases, pillows and more here.

Inspired by this.

[tiresomespaceplant]

thinks about martin blackwood for the 1892938th time

[knifearo]

being aromantic is like. hey btw you're going to live a life that is the culmination of most of society's worst nightmares. sorry lol ✌️ but then you turn around and take a really good hard look at it and it turns out that living in that nightmare is fucking awesome and you get to wake up every day and take that fear that other people have and laugh and hold it close until it's a great joy for you instead. and being happy is a radical act that you define instead of someone else. and you're sexy as fuck that's just a fact of life i don't make the rules on that one