Which Sims Game Has the Toughest Economy?

[@ofanichan]

Cant believe im sitting here watching math

[@Ada_Sims]

I am so sorry

[@ofanichan]

@@Ada_Sims A saturday well spent!

[@Schnort]

I come home from my two math classes, and in order to procrastinate on my math homework, I watch a video on math.

[@TheGamingSyndrom]

​@@Schnortits good because it doesnt make you feel as guilty

[@Schnort]

@TheGamingSyndrom I ended up getting stressed out and not watching the video because of the mentions of Statistics, a class I hated viciously

[@emilwandel]

the most unrealistic thing is finding a job after one application. and getting promoted so often and getting a bonus for promotion. I get bonus work.

[@hermitabby]

Thats one thing I would wish is that it would be a bit more difficult over all. Like finding a job maybe apply, and go to an interview. And then get denied and go hunting again.

[@coscorrodrift]

Can't really say about the promotions. My Sims get promoted so quickly but they do have great moods, can't say the same about me lol

[@Vainglory14]

The frequency of reward in sim games is a major part of their subconscious appeal, same for all role playing games. It's an escape to a world where you're directly rewarded for your effort.

[@TheGamingSyndrom]

​@@Vainglory14yeah, a "I get treated like shit by society" simulator would just be boring...since you could just go outside

[@Zack_Wester]

@@Vainglory14 Plus the sims presume that there is a massive worker shortage. like the Sims 3 Sunset Valley(starter world in sims 3) Military is I think like 3 people. so it feels like the sims runs and keeps running in a setting where there is a constant shortage of workers. I heard someone say that sims 1-4 economy is based on 1970ish timeline (in rose tinted glasses maybe). whit stuff like one application and you had the job. requirements for most jobs been completed High school matching courses just meant a earlier promotion, you can learn on the job. this might also explain why there is no medical bills as that was paid by work back then not by the worker and the medical insurance was also a lot lower.

[@hollyhartwick3832]

One thing a lot of people aren't aware of is that Sims 4 bills also account for storage. The crops stored in your fridge, the flowers stored in your Flower Arranging Table, the collectables stored in chests and boxes, and even portable items in your Sim's inventory. It calculates bills based on everything you own. If you have the 15K violin in your pockets, it counts toward your bills. This is all added into property taxes.

[@Ada_Sims]

Thank you for adding this! Something I should have known and mentioned, I imagine you have to keep that in mind if you generate your income through any of the self-employment type of routes like farming or painting

[@hollyhartwick3832]

@@Ada_Sims - Definitely. Your bills can skyrocket quickly as your fridge fills up. Cooking and Flower Arranging can benefit from reduced costs from Gardening, but storing the supplies raises bills. A bit of a two-edged sword.

[@sedarue123]

This is also handy to know when you’re carrying a bunch of expensive products or a vault. If you have a million in a vault, you can expect high bills. A method I found is if you have expensive small items that can go into a player inventory, buy a portable storage box and put it in there, then the storage box in your inventory. The game doesn’t see the expensive items, only the box and that cuts down on bills.

[@hollyhartwick3832]

@@sedarue123 - Now that they've fixed the heirloom box, that might be a good avenue for that technique. Even if you place it in-world, it takes up very little space and can be placed on surfaces.

[@jungtothehuimang]

I did not know that at all but that explains why my houses are always stupid expensive even though they are usually quite small because I put like every activity item on every lot. Damn.

[@dingdongbells3314]

As a kid, I distinctly remember showing my parents the sims 1 (with a fake family on a fake lot that wasn't covered in ash piles and urns) and them saying "Your sim makes 200 dollars IN A DAY at their job? Wow, that's a ton! But wait, FORTY DOLLARS FOR A SINGLE PIZZA!? What the heck is with this economy!?" 2001 times were wild, bruh

[@graciatiranda]

Simoleons are not Dollars, they are Malaysian ringgit

[@syifarz1]

You pretty much just described australia 😂😂

[@awkokayli4959]

l😊

[@w花b]

​@@syifarz140$ a pizza? Did you put kangaroo meat on It or something?

[@ElJebetequa]

@@syifarz1 lmao literally norway too

[@dinealone0]

girl you got me DEAD “CEOs… upper management, lower management, and then the people who do all the work.” LMFAO

[@mikeg5238]

That’s literally how the world and jobs work lmfao what’s so funny about it

[@alissaaluiso217]

@@mikeg5238booooooooo 🍅

[@EpicWinNoob]

@@mikeg5238 and depressing

[@indiestripper5374]

@@mikeg5238 that's how capitalism works. A system where the workers control the means of production could lead to the people who actually do the work reaping the reward

[@cate01a]

@@mikeg5238the people who do the work are treated worst, compared to the people who do jack, who get treated fantastic. its a backwards and unfair system

[@Tissaisme]

My first sim lived on his couch, had no lights or windows, and every day when he got home from work he’d cry because he had no fun, so I’d buy him a basket ball hoop, let him play until he was less miserable, then sold it so he could afford food. Then lather, rinse repeat. So pretty accurate to today’s standards 😅

[@smoothsashimi7048]

Selling a game console was hood BANKRUPTCY😭😭 I remember our wii got sold and i cried for a month

[@jabrony9742]

@@smoothsashimi7048you know shits real when it’s actually sold and not pawned

[@uglybetty8747]

Wut in the -- 💀😭🤣🤣🤣

[@LivelyPaint]

The Sims 4 suffering from low wages and high cost of living is hilariously real

[@janehuskmann1914]

I'd have my Sims have multiple hustles, assuming I can Dandori them into a good mood via multitasking. Of course, gardening definitely helps, but some DLC's help to take the edge off (Seasons has a decoration box exploit; Eco Lifestyle has cheap options that double as bill discount items, as well as eco-friendly generators & some roof options to help green up your gameplay and/or create electricity or water; Realm of Magic has being a spellcaster have no inherent drawbacks compared to being a muggle, but you can use Repairio for to repair your stuff).

[@ecstaticryan4369]

I personally think the sims 2 is the hardest to climb the economic ladder. Their needs go down much faster than the sims 3 and 4 and your sims will straight up refuse to do anything if their needs aren’t taken care of. That and you actually have to buy groceries and clothes unlike the newer sims games.

[@Camsimsy2k]

I AGREEEE

[@ozancanaltun7078]

S2 has much better pays compared to S1 once you climb the career ladder. And its bill calculation is much more forgiving for buying expensive items. Buy a 1k bed in sims1, thats a 30 extra you pay for every 3 days. Same bed will only increase your weekly bill by 6 in S2

[@Smulenify]

I'd say Sims 1 is the hardest. It's brutal, very limited in extra income opportunities and motives decay is so harsh it's hard to get a promotion. I feel each game gets easier and easier money wise. By Sims 4 money is not really an issue and you don't even need to have an actual job (it's probably easier not to have one) as most activities can earn you money somehow. Though I think it gets a bit easier when you've played the game more. Especially for Sims 4 there are a lot of money making methods that beginners don't know about.

[@mrningbrd]

sims 2 has the little career pop ups tho and i've gotten some big payouts from them, one family got $20k the other day, and another has gotten $50k before, so if u get lucky, money is wayyyy easier (to the point where i have to create taxes for them to get some of the money out of the way)

[@jungtothehuimang]

God I still have nightmares terrors over my sims 2 sims being too hungry or too tired to do any activities, but also refusing to sleep or eat. Also my sims 2 sims seemed to constantly pee their pants and refuse to shower. Bunch of cranky stinky whiners.

[@visttia]

I'm really surprised, because I always found sims 4 too easy and that's why I got bored quickly. It's just way too easy to progress in the career, once you get used to this game. The only thing I really enjoy is the university in sims 4 because it's really challenging. Also, just a sidenote, I really hate that you can see the neighbourhoods from other packs even if you don't have them. That's such a dirty tactic to make people buy the packs :/

[@Ada_Sims]

Ah, the neighborhoods thing! "Here's what you don't have." Very rude. I know the in-game advertising of DLC is just their model now with Sims 4 free-to-play, but I think - especially for minors - you should at least have to consent to being advertised to while you're playing a game (and still be able to play if you opt out).

[@JanJan4Infinity]

This statement couldn’t be anymore true for my gameplay now. I have a lovely sim couple with an infant child. The husband is in the medical field and already at level 7 and makes BANK! The wife used to be in the writing career and after having an infant and being in school for culinary, I decided to have her quit since the husband already makes enough for the household to survive off of. Plus she has more time for school and the child.

[@MyScorpion42]

They've been doing the "greyed out dlc" thing since Sims 1, I used to only have Sims 1 Double Deluxe and look longingly at the vacation and downtown buttons, wondering what they entailed. Well to be fair, for Sims 1 and 2 they didn't do a lot of patches outside of the expansions, so if you got them sequentially you wouldn't notice. I think with Sims 3 they started releasing patches that implemented features into the core game, I don't know if that also resulted in a bunch of grey buttons everywhere.

[@susannebaum219]

Sims 3 is also very pushy with its stupid shop, but yes! I hate these effed up tactics so much.

[@cordeliaface]

I was surprised, too. I'm not much of a builder (I go through very rare building phases for Sims), and I tend to move the family multiple times (pre-kids, and either mid or post-toddlers, depending on how many kids the family is going to have). I've always found Sims 3 the toughest to save up enough to move elsewhere, and felt like Sims 4 was relatively easy when it came to making money. I think part of this is how in Sims 4, the Sims can eat *and* watch TV at the same time. As such, their moods are easier to manage, making raises and career progression easier.

[@davidkonevky7372]

I personally prefer sims 3 since it's economically challenging enough but also there's also a bunch of things you can spend your money on even when you get rich. Mainly real estate and expensive items like cars

[@loveaffect]

Cars , you can own a resort or a few resorts , you can start multiple businesses , you can partner with rabbit hole businesses and own them , you can have multiple houses , you can go on vacation with world adventures and decide to purchase a home there as well .

[@Papaya16]

Yeah money seems pretty irrelevant in the sims 4 past the point of owning a house. The most you will ever need after you have the house you want in the sims is mayyybe $15 grand

[@ejfiewfeuihefwiuwe]

Sims 3 bills seem unrealistic though Sims 3 bills are insanely low for some reason

[@KatrinaNajera]

In my opinion, thats gotta be the biggest drawback of the TS4. Once your sim gets really rich theres nothing to really spend it on. No school tuition, fancy cars, expensive vacations, real estate, (For Rent was good, but not what I had in mind).

[@JFairy189]

It's interesting how the wage and cost of living mirrors the progress across the first three games. You can practically see the inflation in the Sims universe from TS3 (canonically the oldest) to TS2 (set 25 years after TS1).

[@annelieseharrison9027]

I don't think sims 4 is more economically challenging since there are other ways to make money besides having a career. I find it really easy to make money in the sims 4 if you dont take the career route or do a combination of career and make money with other means like painting, selling books etc.

[@Ada_Sims]

For sure - it's hard to compare any of the games back to Sims 1 because they have so many more options. It's also hard to isolate the economic challenge from the other factors like motive decay. I do eventually want to try rags to riches type of gameplay across all four without limiting income to traditional jobs. In that scenario, I'm pretty sure 1 would be the toughest.

[@RosesTeaAndASD]

​@Ada_Sims I've spent over A MONTH on a Rags2riches challenge in Sims1 trying to build a fancy two story house and I'm still not there.

[@Ada_Sims]

@@RosesTeaAndASD 🤣okay so maybe I don't want to do that . . .

[@Kardinaalilintu]

​@@Ada_Sims for rags to riches gameplay, sims 2 is actually pretty great. I tend to start on an empty lot with 0 simeleon and go from there. Easy route is to dig treasure and maybe work, but if you want to go with something more punishing, skip the terasure and instead try to earn enough money for an easel via working, fishing and freestyling. Working as barista or such could also bring in some money.

[@sushidied]

I think that sims 4 is easier than sims 3, because it runs more smootly and has multitasking and that leads to doing tasks outside of work faster and keeps the sim happier, wich results in faster leveling the carrier!

[@bonnieinlove]

The socioeconomist in me had been hoping someone would make a Sims video like this for ages, thank you sm 😭❤

[@Ash-eu5pf]

And boy is it informative and entertaining

[@UnknownName5050]

Unfortunately it was made by a leftist economist, so she may as well be screaming incoherently.

[@alexdh2001]

im very surprised the sims 4 came out as the most challenging. its the sims game i've played the most and i have the easiest time getting out of the beginning poverty stage over the sims 3 or 2. maybe it's due to how much money you get from promotion bonuses and selling career rewards, plus getting gifts in the mail when your kids age up and stuff. it feels like the game throws money at you

[@Seydrey]

yeah I think it's quite easy to get money from outside of your career like gifts, collectibles, fishing and gardening

[@staticpulse5]

Not to mention there isn't a "You need X amount of friends for promotions where you constantly loose one of those mid work :D" It's just easier to get promoted in TS 4 then in TS2. Never played TS3 so can't speak of the promotion system there.

[@Zulliekins]

There's also not much you can do with the money you earn: you can't buy cars, more properties, etc. So the money you don't use when paying bills just naturally goes into savings until you have too much to ever worry about money and it gets boring.

[@MiniMackeroni]

Career-wise (On lower career levels), Sims 4 is tougher. But it quickly outpaces the other games once you factor in how easy it is to climb the corporate ladder as well as the sheer amount of income you can get from other things. Well, actually I think Sims 3 might be the king of "Find stuff on the ground that sells for 1500 simoleons", but Sims 4 is up there.

[@incognitoburrito6020]

​@@MiniMackeroni I can't compare it to Sims 4, but in Sims 3 you do usually have to take fairly specific routes to find random, high selling rocks and stuff. It doesn't really happen naturally unless you go down a path that involves it (witch transmutation, training a dog or cat's hunting skill, summoning meteors, etc).

[@luckyjupiter9745]

This video is so well made! Hope the algorithm picks this up and a lot of people see it :)

[@Ada_Sims]

Thank you! That sounds terrifying!

[@voxexsulis9022]

@@Ada_Simswe’re here, hello.

[@Ada_Sims]

😱@@voxexsulis9022

[@Aphelia.]

Yes the algorithm brought me here hello

[@Warui88]

The algorithm brought me. :D

[@mamaof3kids4keets28]

Sims 4 is really too easy to make money, even just doing careers. The daily task is just a suggestion, as you can very easily get promoted without doing it. By just selecting the "socialize with co-workers" option while at work, you can easily get the promotion. They made it even easier by getting rid of the "ideal mood" requirement that the game used to suggest for the Sim to have at work, when the game first came out. I can get from level 1 to level 3 in about 7 working days. I do know that sims 4 has become a micromanagement simulator instead of the life sim it is marketed to be.

[@Ada_Sims]

"micromanagement simulator" - yes! That was what I was feeling. Also on the tasks - I wish there was more thought behind it. Like not every single day and not the same thing every time.

[@indedgames4359]

That is by designe. The Devs talk abput Player control since its launch and thats the direction the sims is going .

[@nothingmancer1607]

Omg youre right they got rid of the ideal mood mechanic!!! I didn't even noticed since I mostly play ts3. Apparently it was when Get Famous was released. Why they would do that?

[@jungtothehuimang]

I honestly love how technical this is. This is the kind of thing I think about but wouldn't ever try to figure out myself.

[@aineheckenshrek]

I think I learned more from this 40-minute video about The Sims than I ever did in the American Public School System thank you

[@UnknownName5050]

They’re definitely competing for most misinformation.

[@goolgepl2112]

To be fair, the American Public School System doesn't teach much about the Sims in the first place

[@Josh-vc2ul]

Also, our public school system has always been about maintaining and perpetuating social inequality and it does this well. If we stopped allowing property taxes to make some schools rich and some schools poor, and instead funded all schools equally with zero exceptions, schools could be a social equalizer instead. But that was never their purpose.

[@ChrisPyre]

I’d love to see a comparison to the US data at the time of release or perhaps at the peak of each generations life span. Sims 1 came out in 2000. That was such a different landscape financiallyZ

[@CharlieSimmer27]

idk if it's my autism but this is the most interesting video i think i've EVER watched, and i'm not exaggerating! this is so up my alley it's wild how well youtube knows me to recommend this. i can't imagine how long researching this took, and the visuals were so engaging the whole time i wish i could take a whole sims class from you. if you're not a teacher of some kind i think you'd be amazing at it, i'd also love hearing you do an audiobook! this is gonna be a video i come back to over and over, either for nice background noise while i play sims or to help me fall asleep

[@Aphelia.]

Exactly this ^^ Thank you for putting my thoughts into words

[@w花b]

I mean you don't have to be autistic to get interested in some niche topics. Maybe that's the case for you. Maybe we're all autistic to some degree and the video scratched an itch we never knew existed?

[@AntiAnte]

@@w花b not how autism works

[@maggielareau7428]

This is an awesome video! In The Sims 3 Ambitions, there's a feature similar to your concept of a "Craigslist" section of buy mode. If you send your Sims to the junkyard lot, they can find a rotating selection of random, damaged buy mode items (toilets, sinks, cribs) that they can salvage for free and then repair (though I think this requires handiness skill). Additionally, the billing rate in TS3 is 1.3% of your total furnished lot value, which you can see in the upper left corner of the screen when you're in build or buy mode!

[@coscorrodrift]

oooh that def is familiar , there was also stuff like "gears" or "junk" that you could use for weird inventions and contraptions IIRC, that was a great expansion, I loved it

[@Tevi_L7151]

I don't know, when I found furniture in those junkyards, I was always offered to replace it for a certain amount and not to restore it. It seems only the restoration ritual spell could repair household appliances, but it takes a long time to gain that spell skill level

[@scallopbunny]

Great video! One tip about food - in all games but TS1, you can save your leftovers so a family-size meal will feed 4 people 2x and cuts down on the prep time. I've always found TS1 to be the toughest to get rich in mostly due to the lack of ways to make money outside of a career and the difficulty in satisfying needs, building skills, and friendships with no days off. It's much harder to get to the top of a career in TS1, where in TS4 I can often get a promotion every time or every other time I go to work because skill and need gain is so much easier.

[@norrbb]

Really amazing and detailed video. Super facinating. Im glad the Sims 4 is the most economically challenging, atleast at the lower levels. For me personally that makes it more fun. The clothing buying feature in the sims 2 seems so great though, wish we got that back.

[@Ada_Sims]

With the clothes shopping, I imagine (if they wanted to) EA could probably create that just as an option now with a lot trait in the Sims 4? I use the "No fridge shopping" mod in TS3 but I think the "Simple Living" lot trait accomplishes the same thing. Obviously wouldn't be the same as fully planning for that as a piece of gameplay from the outset but just a thought.

[@saganathasme]

And grocery shopping. Please??? Simple living is great and so is the stand in country living, but working grocery stores should be a real thing. Really I'd be all over an EP that created several commercial places for your sims to visit. Groceries, laundromats, maybe theaters that are not rabbit holes, restaurants that aren't the ones your sims own (and hire Carl to fix Dine Out), etc.

[@ErgoDog]

Sims 4 suuucks

[@speedosam5221]

​@@Ada_Simslet me smash

[@j_c_93]

Agreed. I love the challenge. The most fun part of the Sims to me is when you're just starting out and you're seriously struggling. Honestly, once I progress enough that I'm able to move on to an extremely nice house and basically afford whatever I want, it gets boring to me and my only motivation is that I can start playing as my characters' children when they grow up lol

[@MotherGapshin12]

Imagine if Sims 5 had realistic amount of income inequality, your little family gets to live in a van or a run-down trailer home while trying to survive late stage capitalism and hopefully reach upper-middle class status 🥰 (It's a joke guys 😐)

[@Fimpurities]

Fuck no 😭😭

[@cokecanred]

Imagine making a cutesy aesthetic out of genuine poverty…

[@MiotaLee]

I mean, the original sims game was really a commentary on capitalism and the love of material things. so it would be nice to acknowledge its roots

[@itsdefinitelymebel]

lovely! i’d love to run away from my reality by exactly recreating it inside a cute little computer 🥺

[@justadudewholikestotalk]

@@itsdefinitelymebellmao

[@T3hXinro]

This is a video with effort worthy of Game Theory. Super well executed, great research, well edited. Damn, you deserve more subscribers!

[@Ficlover13]

I ate this up. Omg I loved it. I loved the concept and I loved the work you put into it. I'm a fan from now on.

[@Ada_Sims]

Thank you so much!

[@Marcieajk]

I definitely thought the og Sims would have the toughest economy, but in hindsight, I think it's just because I had the hardest time keeping my sims in a good enough mood to even want to go to work daily lol. Edit: 27:00 Oh good, it's not just me 😅

[@NotMalcolm]

honestly this is amazing! idk what even is economy also i fell off the bed when she said “and then everyone doing the work” 😭

[@hannahhughes4146]

a lot of times i get bored during videos like these, but this was absolutely beautiful. ur voice is so satisfying and clicky to listen to. idk if it’s bc i’m so blasted rn or what but this was awesome. i also LOVE math. perfect

[@Ada_Sims]

😂Did not expect the math to be a welcome aspect of this video for anyone. Thanks for watching!

[@mariafyodorovna8362]

The Sims 4 bills seem very realistic here in Germany (including what you pay to the healtcare system etc.). If you own a business, say a cafe, taxation is even higher.

[@ignacyniedzwiedzki-k.1532]

I suppose the Section 3: Sims vs. Reality should be comparisons to the years when the games were released. It would take longer but it would be better if we are comparing to reality!

[@fandbzgt100]

I became a millionaire in The Sims 4 by just selling fruit. So I feel like The Sims 4 is the easiest when you resort to other means, like gardening in particular is ridiculously overpowered. Also another thing that's great in Sims 3, you have much more things to spend your money on.

[@desimarsh1743]

Awesome video. I sometimes wondered about the economy in the Sims, but never took the time to actually look into it myself, so this was super interesting. And I agree with your wishes for the next iteration, especially with bringing back clothes shopping and keeping the consignment shop and flea market. It's the little things like that that I enjoy in the Sims.

[@Ada_Sims]

Thank you! I had forgotten about the clothes thing - the charming details like that in Sims 2 made it worth the trouble to get it to run on my current laptop. When it comes to the next gen, I really hope EA is listening to players. But who knows what they're cooking up?

[@staticradio724]

I was surprised by this, I would have sworn 1 would be the toughest. I remembered struggling the most financially in that game over the others. Also, totally unrelated, but it was so cute at 29:13 when the little girl waved to her father as she walked past him. So many little details like that in Sims 2 missing from Sims 4 that makes the sims feel alive.

[@palyername]

I loved this video! also really made me think about how much the sims 4 encourages having a side hustle which, while a decent way to encourage players to diversify their gameplay, does not have the greatest implications

[@OneAmancham]

This was an incredibly in-depth video essay that made me realize quite a few things of why I never really warmed up to the sims 4. Thank you for all the work you put into this. I am really curious what the next video topic will be. Great job. :)

[@supernovaitup]

I love how in every game, Brendon's Dad looks more or less spot-on, but every other character varies wildly from game to game. Especially Josie.

[@batsandbabydolls]

This video was so interesting! Thanks for making it! The data was really thorough and well thought out and you had a lot of interesting things to say. I wonder if the lower overall costs and wages in TS3 compared to TS1 and TS2 were intentional since it's supposed to be a prequel in the timeline. Either way, it definitely seems like the value of a simoleon feels more consistent across the first three games when compared to TS4. (I love your idea about unions. Sims SHOULD unionize but I can't imagine corporate signing off on an idea like that! lmao) I think that adding various difficulty settings in a future iteration of The Sims would really improve how the game plays but honestly, it doesn't feel like the decision makers on the current Sims Team are really in tune with what players want. Idk if you've been following Life By You, but it seems like letting players customize stuff like that is something they're thinking about a lot. I think adjusting the value of the in-game currency is even one of the options they specifically mentioned. So I'm really looking forward to seeing how that game turns out.

[@Ada_Sims]

"but I can't imagine corporate signing off on an idea like that!" - 🤣 Yeah, I'm in my own little fantasy world with the unions suggestion. I guess my real dream would be for some entity other than EA to have control of the Sims intellectual property. I haven't been following Life By You but I do want to check out other life simulation games at this point so thanks for the suggestion!

[@batsandbabydolls]

@@Ada_Sims You should definitely check it out! They've been posting videos about the development here on KZbin. The studio developing it is led by Rod Humble, who you might know for his work on TS2 and TS3 (or at least as the NPC in TS2 who gives you a free computer with The Sims 3 installed on it lol) and he seems really in touch with why people play life simulators and what they want from them so I'm really optimistic that it'll be good. It feels a lot like an upgraded TS3 to me from what I've seen so far. They put a lot of emphasis on its open world and how heavily customizable the game is.

[@SIMulatedSara]

Yes, unions! But EA could never.....

[@kellowstone]

13:47 I'm so shocked right now god damn it! I've played this game my entire life and I ALWAYS end up seeing tiny details I haven't seen before. The way refrigerator mist covers the glass upon opening?? These details make The Sims 2 the best game ever I swear.

[@erin6853]

This was such a fun experiment, and I love how it actually showed logical results that reflect the real world, I think it shows the development team actually did some work to balance the in game economy (even in Sims 4), rather than just chucking random numbers in there. For the career aspect, Sims 4 seems to be is a good reflection of the times, Sims and People both trying to make more from their side hussles because companies are making us work longer for less. 10/10, and your deadpan delivery just perfects it.

[@parkouremaster]

Ngl i would really appreciate if the sims had more realism on economy, like weekly having like ups and down on economy, more or less salary, certain objects varied their price, taxes varied, etc

[@syrupmancer]

Sims analyses like this are so interesting, i don't ever think about the economy in these games but it shines a light on a lot of the different mechanics and what i like/don't like in some titles. + Surprised and amused to see a Home Movies reference in the wild

[@friendlyporkchop]

i'm guessing a lot of us ended up here thanks to the youtube algorithm recommending this video. and for once youtube hit the nail on the head because this is Exactly the kind of content i love. i've talked my friends (very few of whom play the sims and none of whom play it as obsessively as i do) ears off about the economics in each game and how i'd love to break down the cost of living but have never had the time (also i'm not very good at math) the results surprised me because i have always found the sims 4 to be extremely easy in terms of making money and usually get bored because my sims just have massive amounts of cash on hand after not working for very long. i think this must have to do with all the ways to make money outside a regular career and the slow motive decay leading to better moods and faster career advancement. but i'm not surprised that the sims 2 is the most realistic because that was one way that the sims 2 really excelled overall. god i love the sims 2 on a different note, your channel is pretty new and yet you have some seriously high quality content that displays your talent. i've honestly been thinking about starting my own sims youtube channel for ages, but haven't for various reasons (read: excuses). idk your channel has just made me think like... hey maybe i could do that too. so thanks :)

[@Ada_Sims]

You absolutely could do that and I hope you do!

[@JakAttack12345]

33:30 Jesus Christ, you just absolutely skewered EA like a dying fish. And you absolutely should, I appreciate it being just outright said. Making a product for mass market appeal by diluting any possible meaning you can glean from a piece of art, filtering the remains through unserious cartoon antics, and then shrugging your shoulders at any possible negative meaning is something that companies like EA coast by on constantly, and it's worth really analyzing. I really liked the video, it was a well done analysis as well as a fun question about how accurately it portrays life.

[@Ada_Sims]

I thought that bit might be a little too harsh, but I think my voice is so dull that it sorta flew by for most viewers. I didn't want to denigrate the individuals that actually work on the game at all - I imagine it's pretty stressful to constantly churn out shiny new DLC on EA's timeline. But I figure they would also probably prefer to work on a project that was directed with care, respect, and a real vision. So that's how I justified leaving that criticism in to myself. On the off chance that anyone who works on TS4 in a non-directorial role saw this video, I really hope they did not feel personally attacked. But anyway, thanks for watching this thing!

[@Oneasianpersuasion]

Also, it is crazy how much this video relates to our current economy 😮

[@Astrovizi1]

I usually think people make fatal errors in their reasoning or math during videos like these and that makes me lose interest, but you did a genuinely fantastic job of comparing 4 very different game economies (then going the extra mile to reality) and made it entertaining. Also, those are some great ideas at the end. Would love to see the next generation of The Sims include them. Subscribing :)

[@joshow926]

You put a lot of time and effort into this, and it turned out to be quite interesting and well articulated. I only played Sims 3 briefly (console) and own Sims 4 (PC), but it's always cool seeing gameplay from 1 and 2 and learning about the different features, as well as how similar/different each version is. The economic aspect isn't something I've thought of much, but it grabbed my attention enough for me to watch the whole thing. Nice! 👍

[@Parrot5884]

For me, the difficulty order goes from 4-2, easiest to hardest, simply because of the diminished consequences of a bad environment and poor mood on your sims and success and well being with each successive game. I've got families in TS4 that perpetually live in some type of squalor, and they're still able to be financially successful, achieve their aspirations, and generally be okay. Even good, a lot of the time! It's easy to push through a bad moodlet or turn it around. In one save, I'm playing the 100 baby challenge, and they all live in tents and almost exclusively eat cereal from those cooler boxes. But the kids are still A students, and matriarch still brings home a few thousand simoleons a day. There's even enough saved that she can slack off when another baby comes along - it's enough to build a house. It's so easy to keep TS4 sims happy, and when they're not happy, it basically doesn't matter (unless they're mortified or in some other lethal mood). In the sims 3, on the other hand...I tried the 100 baby challenge once and couldn't get the kids in good enough moods for them to improve their grades so I could age them up. Monetising painting and writing was like, really hard, too. The kids were sleeping in ACTUAL beds and were struggling more than their tent-dwelling TS4 counterparts. The matriarch was unable to paint fairly frequently because of poor mood, and their furniture made them all miserable. The dishwashers were too loud, the beds were too uncomfortable, the food wasn't high quality enough. Ugh! It happens in TS4, but I can turn it around relatively easily, and they still get on with things. In TS3, there are actual consequences to my sims' environments and actions in TS3 that don't really exist in TS4. And TS2...oh lord. I found it difficult to move up in my sims' careers, and they were blocked off from so many opportunities. In TS3, I can send my kid to private boarding school as long as I have at least 1k simoleons lying around. In TS4, where they go to school doesn't even matter. In TS2, my dual-income household could barely impress the headmaster enough to get him to consider accepting their son. My sim went into bloody aspiration failure because of it! My sims were also often in poor moods, and it would seriously hinder their job performance and grades, which led to more poor mood. In TS4, as mentioned earlier, the kids that ate cereal from coolers still ended up becoming straight A students. I just can't do that in TS2 without already having decent money or cheating. When I upgraded to a decent fridge in TS4, it felt more like a status symbol than something that actually moved my sims forward. In TS2, appliance upgrades changed their bloody lives! While TS4 has the toughest economy, it has the lowest impact of all the other games, and that makes it almost irrelevant in my experience. Even my poor TS4 sims are doing better than some of my middle-class TS3 and 2 sims.

[@Mizuru007]

This is, no exaggeration, one of my favorite videos I've ever watched about The Sims. And I've been playing since 2000. This was *amazing*, I hope that you continue to make more videos in the future!

[@Myne1001]

I honestly wish the budget window from the Sims 1 was in later games. Just a really neat feature understanding your Sims' finances rather than just hoping number go up.

[@PandaBaeYT]

Absolutely loved this video. You think about this stuff in the sims but never really see it through. So satisfying to watch.

[@renesilva9705]

I love how you made this interesting while maintaining a textbook academic paper structure

[@limeparticle]

I always found Sims 3 super easy in terms of money, but I went heavy on the collectibles in my gameplay, so that probably has an impact as I relied less on wages. The Sims 4 bills are very confusing to me still lol 😂

[@ViceCityExtra]

I always find bills to be too low in sims 3 and this shows that. Its one of my pet peeves so I always end up using mods that increase percentage.

[@miracle9445]

Loved the video. I do have DO and I can say a 3 course meal for a family of 3 had totaled to be about 204 simoleans

[@Ada_Sims]

Oh dang! That would have changed things. Good to know, thank you!

[@peng1luver259]

15:42 there's a random opportunity to get a free nanny in the Sims 4 but they are prone to starting fires and occupy a bed while working

[@JeyVGaming]

There's a very easy exploit in TS4, where if someone wins the lottery then you can just befriend them and make them move to your household and take their funds. Once done, you can just get rid of them. Not sure if that works in TS3.

[@lamptrent]

I think this sometimes works in real life too, haven't tried it but I'll keep you updated

[@dr.finnegan3949]

That’s might be the biggest flaw in the almost perfect experience that is The Sims 3. It’s simply too easy to advance in careers; to earn money is incredibly unrealistically easy…the bills are far too cheap; you don’t have to be rich to live in a wealthy/luxury home.

[@tATuCentral]

Absolutely loved this video. It’s always been something I’ve been curious about, but waaay too lazy to actually crunch the numbers between the games. Also, I loved your side commentary on the “wonders” of our ultra capitalistic economy 😂

[@llouie4999]

Really enjoyed your video and all your suggestions! I remember playing with Sims 1 we simply tried doing a "no cheats" family (2 adults, 2 kids) and realizing how many weird things we had to do to make ends meet. Fortunately there was no weather so everyone's beds were outside. We used restroom bathroom stalls from Hot Date. They only had the barest dwelling inside (stove, couch, TV) for one of the adult sims to build friendships. Thank you!!

[@nemo2772]

this entire video is so thought out and thorough and im hyperfixating on the sims rn (for like ten years) so i am sat. actively listening harder than i ever have. beautiful.

[@fruitylaura]

So I did the figures for Germany: 1. Income Inequality For disclosure I used 2021 data, because I didn’t get any newer data concerning the 1% threshold. Median individual income was 44.074€ and the top 1% threshold for a single person was 86.280€, which makes a ratio of 2 to 1. That means that the income inequality in all of the Sims games is at least double of that, but Sims 1 and 2 are the closest, I guess. I couldn’t believe the German figures myself, but I’ve checked and re-checked like 4x and it’s apparently true. Interestingly enough in 2018 the median income was 22.712€ and the 1% threshold was about 150.000€, which was a ratio of 6.6 to 1, which would make the Sims 3 ratio the most realistic for Germany. I have no clue what happened as to why the figures are so drastically different 3 years apart. 2. Housing So we don’t have median home price data. We only have data for the average cost per m2 of a house. Which is 2.803€ per m2. I found out that the average German house has 140 m2, which makes an average home price of 392.420€. Comparing it to the median individual income of 44.407€ in 2023 it makes a ratio of 8.8 to 1, which also makes all the Sims games super unrealistic, but as in the video, it has to go to Sims 3. 3. Daily Cost of Life So I only found the average household income for the year 2021, which was 59.748€. Now utility cost is again per m2. On average German households live in 73,4 m2. The utility price in 2022 (couldn’t find data for both 2021 and 2023) was 6,40€/m2 per month, which makes 469,76€ a month, which makes 5.637,12€ a year. That means 9,4% of income goes to utilities, which makes Sims 3 the closest. Mind you in 2019 it was 4,5% which would make Sims 2 the most accurate. Fuck covid and fuck war. 4. Food For a single person household in 2023 it’s 2.808€ per year, with the median individual income of 44.407€ it means 6,3% goes to food, which makes Sims 3 the most accurate. 5. Childcare The average cost of childcare in 2021 was 870,25€ a year. With the average household income in 2021 it makes it 1,5% that goes to childcare. The Sims games are bonkers with the costs omg, but it was to go to the lowest, which is Sims 2. 6. Entertainment The annual entertainment expenses for 2021 were 3.060€. With the 59.748€ average annual household income it makes 5,1% for entertainment, making Sims 1 the most accurate. So for Germany Sims 3 is the most accurate.

[@NoxTuk]

I'm such a math nerd that I loved this video. Always wondered how the economy in these games would compare to the real deal, but never actually bothered to do the math... so yeah, thank you for posting this. It's a great video!

[@janehuskmann1914]

Fast simoleons? Don't hit it with a hammer, just rummage through the attic decorations box & sell the items you dig out to cover about half your utilities for the week. Also, roofing can really help you out, such as by producing some water. Some tiles, doors, & windows likewise provide tax breaks, as well as a greener eco footprint that contribute to cleaner air.

[@Gropylol]

From Sims 4 game mechanics to class conciousness REAL fast, I love it.

[@Arek.Arkadiusz]

08:42 I believe a more accurate way to compare would be to buy the same size lots in each game or to check the price per square. If you have completely different lot sizes, you're not really comaring apples to apples.

[@anzen8492]

this is so interesting! thank you for making this, i've always thought about the labor and wages aspect in the sims gameplay ever since i switched from sims 2 to sims 4. it was more difficult to pay bills on time in the sims 4, however in the sims 2 it was almost too easy to get promoted and have a living wage

[@TheMya1988]

I really loved the intuitiveness of this video. Although I do have one aspect that I feel the need to point out, Sims for needs the Get to Work pack to even have the medical career. Considering what your subjective opinions of what you would like to see in the next installment of the Sims series, I have noticed many of these aspects (and overall choices), are being highlighted in another upcoming Life Simulator, Life by You. I have to agree with your foreseeing that The Sims will be the most challenging in a rags to riches challenge. It is likely impossible to do if you were to make this a base game only challenge, considering you would be unable to leave your lot until work begins (usually the following day). Also, be a little careful when giving personality points, too many neat points might result in your sim autonomously tossing the newspaper into the garbage, prior to getting a job. I have done different rags to riches in Sims 1-3, but with Sims 4's ease of emotional manipulation, I find nothing challenging, therefore, I chose not to try any challenges. Anyone who has also completed challenges in Sims 1-3, who has also completed challenges in Sims 4, I would be interested to know how you would compare them. Rags to riches gardening (plus fishing): Sims 3 was by far the easiest, as there was zero cost for seeds/harvestables (can be collected throughout the neighborhood), as well as, zero costs for fertilizer (you can fish anywhere for free, and use the free harvestables you have collected). You can literally sleep/nap on any community lot that has a bench/couch, can shower at any gym (along with other areas). You can skill up anywhere in nearly any area of necessity (libraries, parks, firehouses [if Ambitions is installed], etc.). Unlike Sims 2, the challenge is easier without Seasons installed. The Sims difficulty level necessitates several EPs (as plots and seeds are impossible without any simoleans to purchase), as well as, have to keep motives up to garden. I have failed this challenge often in The Sims, but it can be accomplished, nonetheless. Many of the Rags to Riches are easiest in Sims 3, although Sims 2 wins working at owned businesses (sure, it is far easier to own more and earn more), but with rags to riches, Sims 3's start up costs are far greater. Sims 2 allows businesses on a residential lot, and can be started with just a lemonade stand (or if combined with the gardening/fishing challenge), you merely need just a register (if you want to have any peace, you will also need an open/closed sign). Sims 2 also fairs better with most career advancing challenges (unless using the community time mod), because you can go to community lots building up aspiration prior to work (networking with others for quick pay raises/promotions/needed skills/entertainment and skill building items/etc.), easily leaving for work in platinum, as you return the same time you left (in time to catch the carpool). That leads me to my favorite rags to riches challenge: Socializing/Networking/Mooching (I cannot find a way to do this in The Sims, if anyone knows how, without cheating, please let me know). I thought gaining celebrity status in Sims 3, plus mooching off anyone and everyone would make this challenge easier, but with rumors and mooching sometimes conflicting, it is extremely challenging. However, Sims 2 has so many avenues: Dating (dream dates will drop off gifts ranging from flower bouquets to profitable electronics), Outings (Scored or Casual, both not only lead to a plethora of profitable gifts, but also draw attention to other sims requesting you join other outings), Networking (this can happen anywhere and everywhere, and as aforementioned, can lead to a lot of profitable items, plus the bonus of a good reputation, whereby you will get offers for outings, friendships, blind dates, as well). Hence Sims 2 was not only easier to succeed at this challenge, but so much more fun. Just being friendly and romantic does pay off in Sims World. 😂 Now, as for the dating aspect, you can be a serial romancer (but that has its downsides if you get caught cheating), or be hopelessly devoted to just one sim (no worries about getting caught), or you can just make sure you are a smooth talker to mend all fences (fury in Sims 2 is a bitch, but I love it)❣

[@HonestlyBenjamin]

I don't really play the sims as much as I used to but I saw this video in my recommended and it really appealed to me as I had often thought about how Sims 4 felt really easy to me while Sims 1 and Sims 2 felt a lot harder, and so it was really exciting to see someone do an objective analysis of this and make it into such a great video

[@Kristyle187]

16:45 Uhhhh did I just spot a quick lil’ Juno Birch reference there?! 👏👏 Okay, you’re my hero… unlike Kristen Singles, that lobster thermidor-snatching WENCH!

[@TubeCody]

I absolutely love this video. I’m a Sims 1 player and it is so interesting to see the comparisons between all 4 games. You worked so hard on it, with all the research and stuff. So cool!!

[@Abby_Liu]

for everyone who loves this for numbers reasons I'd highly recommend any Austin's unemployment surveys. this gave such unemployment survey vibes lol. gosh I'm so hyped for the final aggregated data for each game.

[@irissupercoolsy]

With the sims 3 you could just go horse racing and you would get €10 000 every time. You could also do this everyday. And it wasn't super difficult to level up your horse.

[@Pollicina_db]

23:54 love the Juno Birch reference, a true queen 🙌 P.s you also like zelda botw, thats a major plus❤

[@harrietdrums]

As a Sims fan and a data analyst this was the perfect intersection of my interests

[@gaybroccoli97]

I knew I loved this video as soon as you said "CEOs… upper management, lower management, and then the people who do all the work" you are so so right queen

[@nervosims]

this is so in depth! i havent finished watching yet but the amount of detail put into the calculations and graphics is amazing!

[@GeargianoXG]

For some reason KZbin decided to send me down the Sims rabbit hole today and I ended up here. But this is a really great and thorough video. What surprised me though was the bills in The Sims 4 being so high. I remember feeling like they were incredibly insignificant 😅 Edit: That's probably because I usually start out with a single Sims, so I have more time to focus on the carrier.

[@stiles9635]

Awesome video! I know you did this video with the vanilla games, but there's the SimRealist mod "SNB bills" that adds a breakdown for utilities, phone lines, Internet, etc. plus property taxes to the Sims 4. I wonder how much this would skew the data you already have.

[@SemaAvalith]

the "thoughts on gameplay" part at the end seemed a bit irrelevant at first but I realized it's nice to listen to some thoughts about all the data you gathered and the conclusion you've made impact how players might play and enjoy the game

[@dasanidreamer]

i loved this analysis and i love it even more for using Home Movies' Small family for use of comparison

[@suzannea6540]

Getting simolians in sims 4 is easy. The easiest and laziest way that is not a cheat is to buy a small presant pile. Each day get a persant and sneak a presant. Just make sure no one else pranks the pile. Some of the presants are expensive when sold. There are not many sink holes to waste money without gaining it back through selling the item. The only ways I can thinkn of are bar drinks, making food and letting it spoil, and taking a vacation. Even withavacation, you can come back richer than you left with the jungle adventure. Being able to buy clothes again like in sims two would be awesome. It would work so well with a rags to riches story. I feel like I'm cheating when I go to put nicer clothes on my sims, as they get wealither. One of the main expenses in life is clothes and shoes.

[@intelligentfly]

Such an amazing video and you really do an amazing job of highlighting all the shortcomings in The Sims 4 very objectively. I often hear so many simmers say how bad the latest installment is, but they rarely offer any solid examples of why that is. You did such a great job of highlighting the issues, line by line and for me, it was so informative! Again, amazing job and I’m really looking forward to more videos from you. Just subbed! ❤❤❤

[@Ada_Sims]

Thank you! But more importantly, I just checked out your channel and watched the Brady Bunch house build and omg I am floored. Perfection

[@intelligentfly]

@@Ada_Sims lol 😂 oh thank you! 😊 I so appreciate you doing that!!

[@sirwilczek1813]

tl;dr Sims 2 is the GOAT my childhood nostalgia isn't lying to me Now I have to find all 9000 discs of its expansions

[@burntfox]

This was so interesting! Watching these types of Sims video are always strange because I absolutely ADORE the Sims 4, so every time I watch a Sims related video I have to brace myself for the hate. Surprisingly, your video didn't fit into that, which was a relief. On the topic of finance, I have never had a problem with going broke! So it's interesting that it was such a problem in your experiences, so I guess it really does depend on the packs you have, as I don't have Eco Lifestyle. (I also don't utilise paint goblins)

[@Ada_Sims]

Wow, I am out of touch. I just saw the painting thing once in a StephOSims video, so I had to google "paint goblins" (thought it might be a build mode feature). Sick stuff! Glad this didn't come off as hate. I love the series, I just want the best for it. Thanks for watching!

[@mikhailico]

This, for real! I love, love, love, LOVE the Sims 4, so I get kind of scared on how simmers include the game in comparison to older games since it's easy to hate on the fourth installment or jump on the bandwagon. But this video really got me into the details on the game such as how many a household can make and turn that into living weekly.

[@ErenMortel]

This video is sooo comprehensive. I know nothing about budgeting and money but you made it seem easy to understand.

[@Stephen-Fox]

Definitely interesting to see this comparison between titles. One dimension I'd be interested to see if anyone were to do a followup video is how the various games compared to reality at the time they released rather than today, because some of the factors have changed over time, which might change things for the realism factor in a couple of areas. (Along with similar analysis on other games in the genre, particularly when Life By You and Paralives release, though obviously those would make the direct 1:1 comparison for buildings trickier)

[@simmernat]

This was such a great video and I haven't seen anything like it that was as well thought out! I'm certainly biased because Sims 4 is my favorite, but I think there's actually subtle pressure to make players think about making income outside of traditionally capitalist ways. There's no barriers to becoming self-employed and everyone has unlimited access to natural resources and selling them. You can also look at Neighborhood Action Plans as a way that community organization can impact you economically as well as incentivizing building community ties. Also the safety net of free childcare, even if it isn't necessarily as nice as what you can choose to pay for.

[@zoevandekieft1174]

This was absolutely brilliant and scratched an itch I didn't know I had until now. Thanks for making this!

[@JacobKinsley]

Honestly the most unrealistic part of the Sims series is making money from selling the results of your Sim's hobbies. In reality that just doesn't happen, you either do things for your own satisfaction, or for having the final product. At least in America and the UK if you tried getting money off your personal hobbies, you'd find it's just not that simple. You need to produce something unique or just something at a much higher quality than anyone else. The handyman skill is the only 'hobby' in that game that's balanced in reality: if you can find some broken device somehow, and buy the parts online, you may just be able to make a bit of a profit if you really know what you're doing, but it's not a very sustainable source of income, and it's not the main reason you'd learn those skills in the first place. I'd love if more skills were balanced that way. They start our draining needs and giving negative moodlets, but eventually become a source of positive moodlets, boosting fun, and something for Sims to bond over. Edit: I just got to the point in the video where you talked about the craigslist section of buy mode and that's such a good idea. Maybe an expansion idea could be an advanced 'spare parts' mechanic that let's you systematically replace your low quality items with high quality ones, or take apart your old items and use them to repair the new ones. And if they really wanted to go deep with it, it could be how they integrate create-a-style into live Mode.

[@StoryGirl83]

That was fascinating. I appreciate all the hard work (and play) you put into that.

[@PrincessCharmless]

You have such a calm and clear voice, I could listen to you talking for hours. Plus this video was interesting and it shows how much effort you put into it. You just got a new subscriber!

[@felicitates]

This video was amazing, the amount of time and dedication you put into it shows! Thanks so much for sharing your finding with us!

[@JacobKinsley]

I love the idea you had about dedicating time and pay for customising your Sim's work day. Sometimes I want my Sim to be a janitor at a diner for story or challenge reasons, and to have my Sim get raises, work overtime, more paid vacations and get less needs drained in a work day would be really useful. I honestly wouldn't mind it being a rabbit hole because it gives these vibes of a partner or roommate going to work, but coming home quite happy with these fun and interesting stories to tell, and of course some bad days.

[@andrevalente1358]

Amazing video! You made economics easy for us that don't know basic math 😂 I was just wondering if we should consider that the lifespan of a Sim is usually much shorter then ours. I think that could make an impact bc most of our Sims don't live/work time enought to earn the annual income values, right?

[@SomeoneBeginingWithI]

22:21 bills in the sims 4 aren't just for utilities, a lot of it is "lot taxes" which I think of as both taxes like council tax and the mortgage type payment towards living in the house. The sims 4 "lot taxes" seem to function as a wealth tax. For a comparison to real life I would want to include how much an average household spends on rent/morgage, bills, and taxes which are paid anually proportional to income or property (but not taxes included in the cost of purchases).

[@Vaitiolovelvollisuus]

This is genuinely one of the most interesting and informative videos I´ve seen in a while. Is there a way to support you and your work? Must be wild to suddenly have a video blow up like this.

[@nachoyacho]

i always wondered why i struggled to keep a family a float in sims 4 😭

[@madelynnk9727]

Please please analyze the cost of college in each of the games! Maybe the benefits too

[@Ada_Sims]

Oof I imagine that one might be pretty sad to compare to real life. But I love this idea, thank you!

[@periwinkleadidas]

you killed this video! i loved how in depth you were about everything, and even explaining your methodology for this. incredible work