Will This Hurt Life by You??

[@SimmerErin]

Please Read :) (I know. it's long!) As always, this is a complex topic, and there isn't a right or wrong opinion. Here, I am discussing overall opinions I have seen- my focus is always going to be gameplay first! Interestingly, I liked some of the early development concepts for characters- and think some of them have a bit of charm the current models may not have (a bit less shading, a bit more softness to the face). As covered in my previous videos, art can be refined over time. I do think we can presume they want the same style for the reasons mentioned. Regardless, I still think this game has loads of potential and I'm hoping for immersive gameplay! Going forward, I will remain mostly focused on gameplay development. And ultimately? It's good that each simulation game looks different. LBY being targeted to an older audience is a plus!

[@sarahparrish7206]

This may be a hot take but for games like this I take graphics into account as much as gameplay features. There is a difference between a game like World of Warcraft, where the graphics have almost no impact on your enjoyment of the game, and the life simulation genre. I play games like the Sims largely to create an aesthetic and make something with visual appeal. The art style for a game where most of MY gameplay is aesthetic matters a lot. That being said, as a big fan of the Sims 3 I am still following Life by You and I'm excited to see where it goes. I just wanted to offer a bit of a dissenting opinion.

[@jaybee4288]

It’s not really a hot take. Graphics are hugely important to many gamers. People here seem to think LBY will compete for sims 4’s 40-50 million players. But there’s no way more than a few million will play a game this ugly and dated in 2023. It’s from a AAA studio and we are seeing some of the best looking games ever release this year, this would just look embarrassing in a reel next to final fantasy and Spider-Man. For a game to do well commercially it has to have good graphics.

[@SimmerErin]

I definitely see some sims 3 connections,which is probably what interests me most- and also of course how it's at the same time doing things sims 3 didn't

[@joyfulgirl91]

@@jaybee4288 their top selling game has sold 2million units. By what basis would you project their goals are 40million players? They will explode to death if they get 12 million players

[@vivalamew]

I'm just so happy they have an older audience in mind. They will probably prioritize depth over aesthetics. I'm trusting that everything will fall in to place since they are still early in developement. And since the game is going to be cc/mod friendly it will only get better from there.

[@SimmerErin]

that would certainly be my hope. It sounds like the traits and back story system have potential

[@SheBeast-OG]

Also, IMO people are being extremely generous with this idea that the game will look/be better once there’s mods. Considering a major criticism of Sims 4 is that it’s bad without mods. The base game should still be a stand alone good game, and that includes a well considered visual style.

[@elizabethb4168]

I was thinking the same thing!

[@jaybee4288]

Erin and the more negative parts of the sims community seem to hold EA to different standards to the other games. Probably because they get sponsored or something idk.. but on the one hand she will tell us how great it is LBY problems can be fixed by mods, days after making a video scaring anyone to download mods for sims 4 in case they get a virus (which they’re far more likely to get from a sketchier game like this one). If Sims 4 looked like this it would get eaten alive by the same people saying graphics aren’t important.

[@SimmerErin]

I say positive and negative things about sims. In fact, I get comments that are I am an EA shill as well. So, I mean, I figure that means I'm fairly moderate. But people choose to see others as they wish

[@SimmerErin]

and no, I don't get sponsored. that's quite a claim to make. I am a small channel, not even in the creator's network, and get no money. Imake videos because I enjoy them

[@SimmerErin]

and finally I never said it could be fixed by mods. So maybe listen before you type.

[@snoozebutton9996]

I'm in the same boat: Gameplay over Graphics. And they have improved the graphics compared to the first release Trailer. I like that they try to have an Art Style that let's Players create what they want with the given (and unexpectedly deep) Character Creation. Like making more Anime Style Characters if that's what you like or more realistic. And at least one Dev talked about polishing the Graphics when they talked about Hairstyles and he acknowleged that he still has loads of work to do, but the priority was making enough hairstyles for Early Access, so that not every character has the same hairstyle. What i loved, there were prices for Eyebrows and Clothing. This gives me hope, that we can make our own shops (not my idea but a cheap clothing store and an expensive boutique) and like getting your eyebrows done which then well costs money. I never understood Simmers that made their own world, like creating every plot and characters and such. For the first time, i get it now. I can't wait to do that in LBY after yesterdays video. Making a unique world, with shops, jobs and unique characters with wacky, funny and serious stories/dialogues.

[@SimmerErin]

indeed, they have indicated they plan to polish- and some features are quite exciting- for me, 8 traits and back stories is a huge plus

[@IzuAurora]

Although I'm not a huge fan of the artstyle currently, people really need to be able to look past that and see the game as it is when it's FINISHED. Right now it's still in development and even if the style doesn't change, they're still gonna polish everything to look neater and more coheisive. Also, mods are gonna be a huge addition for this game so who knows how far that could take the player in terms of appearance. Just look at even the sims 4, you can create hyper realistic alpha sims and super cartoony pixar looking sims. So there's so much potential still !!

[@Darkko.]

Exactly, I understand that art style is a matter of personal taste, and not everyone has to like it. But in terms of graphics, the game is not even in an early stage yet. I mean, I understand that in that stage of development, it's going to look a bit rough, and little by little they will refine it. Just take a look at the early videos of Paralives, and if you compare them with the latest ones, you can see a huge difference.

[@Cibbic]

You trying to make a point that Sims 4 also has that non realistic style which people are always complaining about, even with paralives style people complain about it too, so that doesn't help really.

[@SimmerErin]

for sure, I once showed an example of other games in early development vs the finished product, and it can change somewhat substantially, depending on what the devs decide

[@jaybee4288]

It’s not going to significantly improve. They have shown recent footage and it’s releasing shortly. Even if it gets better during early access, first impressions count. And honestly tweaks won’t really cut it, it looks very bad and outdated on launch and will require a full makeover. I think they should just scrap early access altogether and delay the game until it is better. But this is just a cashgrab. They will tell you the children is coming and the art will get better etc etc so that you will part with your money anyway. Sure though modders can probably make it look better but why is that fine for LBY but y’all complain about the sims? The game should look good and have all features on release, not sure why you all have such high standards for sims but are happy with LBY looking like trash. It’s made by an AAA studio, look at the other AAA games out this year - Zelda, Final Fantasy, Starfield. Does this look like it belongs on the shelf next to them? It looks worse than sims 3..

[@Darkko.]

​@@jaybee4288 "it looks very bad and outdated on launch and will require a full makeover" there is no launch date yet . Early acces is a PRE-launch date because obviously the game is unfinished and will need more time of development. Your comparison with Starfield, for example, doesn't make sense. Starfield is being developed by Bethesda with a team of over 500 developers because it is one of the biggest games in the history of video games with an exceptional budget. On the other hand, 'Life by you' is being made by Paradox Tectonic with a team of around 10 developers, which is typical for most games. So, it's really an unfair comparison. You're making too many unfounded assumptions, like stating that it won't improve anymore, without knowing anything. That's misleading the community.

[@Cibbic]

Starting to think Paralives made the style choice to avoid this. Its alot of work if not costy if you're to make things look realistic

[@SimmerErin]

paralives art style is less demand, performance wise. Also, the hand drawn style suits an indie game well, I think. I do adore it

[@mickeyg7219]

Differences, that's the key point. It's better that people don't try to see Paralives and Life by You a "replacement" to the Sims, but rather an option. You could play one or two of the three, or all of them for different experiences.

[@SimmerErin]

agreed! that is a healthier mentality

[@fransmith3255]

Exactly. All three of these games will have very different gameplay, and will probably elicit very different styles of gameplay from the player. Paradox make complex games that are non-linear and have may choices on how to get to a certain point. It will play very differently. There's no reason to believe Life By You will break this very good formula. Paralives will also be very different. Most of this negative, unknowledgeable stuff is from the Sims community, who mostly only know and play only one game, they judge all games by the tiny little bit of gaming knowledge they have, and they can't conceive of anything different to The Sims, and that's more of a hindrance to their understanding of other games than a help. Hopefully, they'll get there in the end.

[@jaybee4288]

But how’s it gonna kill the sims and hurt EA if y’all don’t leave the sims? 😂

[@joyfulgirl91]

@@jaybee4288 it’s not, that’s a silly thing to say that Erin has never said

[@joyfulgirl91]

@@fransmith3255 I think most Sims fans would quit the average paradox game without even opening all the menus. Meanwhile I can’t get enough of their tiny UI and staring at 2d maps for two hours at a time clicking nothing

[@alaskansims7755]

I am really happy for everyone who is excited for Life By You. I suppose I might try this game out once it has a full release. My main qualm with it so far is that it feels a little cold. Paralives and the Sims have so much character and personality, and it seems like Life By You doesn't have any specific characteristics that make it unique. Like, I don't know if I necessarily want an *entirely* blank slate in a video game. I enjoy the small quirks that make individual games unique, so I think this might not be the game for me. That's just my personal take on it, but to anyone who is excited about the game, that's totally valid too!

[@SimmerErin]

I totally get that! I think the features sound pretty great but right now it feels a bit cold to me too- perhaps as we haven't seen humor, or a warm character design, unique animations etc makes me think how very complex making such a game is

[@MissTrysh]

Life by you is directed at those of us who has been wanting a more realistic life sim game tbh. Im personally not a fan of the cartoony look of sims 4 and paralives but life by you looks just incredible to me and so detailed! Especially for their prototype previews

[@apparentlyawesome1]

I just have to say how amusing I find it that when Paralives was trying to lock down their art style before most gameplay the main complaint was that they weren't focusing on gameplay. Now with LbY are showing us gameplay and the main complaint is the art style lol. I think LbY's art style actually looks better than when they first announced. Gameplay is my main concern (I'm ready to hear about personalities) but I am glad that they've done some tweaking. But I also understand what they're saying about wanting the art style go be a canvas. In my experience it's rare when someone praises the way any sim in any of The Sims games look and actually have a modless, cc-less sim they show. They know their target audience 😂 I still think they can tweak it more but honestly it's not bad.

[@SimmerErin]

yeah, paralives did do it in a unusual way- it may be because they rely on supporters and felt that was the way to go?

[@Thatprrrr]

I thought it was going to be a game that focused more on how the player feels while playing rather than what they can do. It seems to take after many dollhouse games and games like IMVU where there's people who play for the aesthetics more than the actual gameplay because they're usually fine with using their imagination. But maybe that's just me, if a game is fun forget the graphics(some indie games), if a game can be stylized I'm styling (sims 4) nothings perfect

[@Xxsorafan]

The concept art of the models look amazing they need to translate that better in their game engine

[@SimmerErin]

yesss I honestly like the concept art quite a bit. If they could tweak it to in game that would be fantastic

[@TakumiJoyconBoyz]

I was honestly thinking the same thing. How can they take such a lovely illustration and turn it into such a terrible 3D model? The model looks like something you'd get for free from the Unity Asset Store.

[@marek3505]

Yes the concept art is great. I would love it if they looked more like that in game!

[@Ikwigsjoyful]

Well, in a way, I think a "no art style" style is still a distinct, recognizable style; it certainly looks very different when compared to Paralives or Sims 4. And I think the fact that they seem to be expecting players to take the game and customize it until it looks exactly as they wish (thanks to giving players access to the tools the developers use for modding, etc.) is actually a wonderful, if rather unexpected, direction to take. I do agree that it's not going to be for everyone; no game ever is. But I feel that once some creative players get their hands on it, and start modding it and making CC for it and then showing it off, more players will be drawn in by what it's capable of becoming, over what it looks like off the shelf. That's just my feeling anyway. Really my only complaint with Life By You so far, given what we've seen, has to do with animations rather than art style or direction: the animations are a bit stiff, which makes the characters movements and facial expressions look kind of clunky and awkward. I can see a lot of potential for making interesting, unique looking characters just from what they've shown us so far, but as far as visuals go, I think they need to fix and smooth out the animations to really help us players create characters that have distinctive personalities obvious from the looks on their faces. Basically, I think better expressions will go a long way to making the characters more unique and visually appealing. Everyone in this household who watched the stream is feeling pretty excited about Life By You. (There may have even been some fist pumping when heterochromia was mentioned! )

[@SimmerErin]

that it does.I admit it does remind me a lot of assets in the unity store- which I think is what feels vague or general... but oddly I found myself liking some of that early concept footage. It feels it bit less harsh in the lighting, softer edges and such animations I suppose are a tad stiff (I'm so bad at noticing but recall someone saying the same of paralives)- animations I imagine must be tricky Good! I'm glad you're feeling excited

[@williamwatson4354]

I played Sims since version 1 and purchased every pack for 1,2 and 3. When 4 came out, I hated it and it took me approx. 8 years to get into it. Life by you might not be the prettiest simulation game, but I'm more concern with playability and stability.

[@Ghastlyteaparty]

Same! Gameplay beats cosmetics every time.

[@SimmerErin]

good point! it takes a while to adapt to a style sometimes anyway stability will be a challenge- this is an ambitious game,and Ihope it's done well

[@leodriscoll2929]

The avatars look like a good base to me, and that is all that is needed. I am betting within the first few months there will be enough mods on all aspects to allow people to make about anything they want.

[@SimmerErin]

yes, I feel there is likely to be a robust modding community which isgreat! same time, I am a firm believer that a game should not rely on mods

[@glitchgoblin1338]

With how fleshed out this game is looking, I could care less about the "realistic" art style. I didn't like the Sims 4 art style at first but it grew on me. I'm sure once we get to play Life, we will all learn to love it. My only complaint is they look a bit like they lack emotion.

[@SimmerErin]

I too had the same experience w/ sims 4's style! I tend to be fine once I get used to something yeah- facial expressions?

[@glitchgoblin1338]

@@SimmerErin that's one thing that won me over with Sims 4, they're definitely very expressive

[@SheBeast-OG]

“Ummm we didn’t want our art to be TOO realistic, because it’s mature and um, other buzzwords to capture scorned sims players”

[@SimmerErin]

They did what many companies do, which is study 'pain points' as well as ways to distinguish themselves. and truly, they kind of have to

[@JayTohab]

I think my two main issues are the lighting, and the eyes. There's a ton that can be accomplished with low-fidelity graphics, and the characters don't look as bad as they did in The Sims 3. But the overabundance of bloom bleaches out a lot of the colors (a problem that also existed in Wind Waker HD), and the lack of animation in the eyes make the characters seem too doll-like. If these issues can be fixed easily with mods or in-game options, that's all well and good, but I also feel like these problems would be a simple fix for the dev team, and the game would look far better for it. But their prioritization of functionality is something players often preach, yet don't always appreciate when it's practiced, so nothing we've seen has dissuaded me from the game so far.

[@SimmerErin]

I agree, the lighting needs to be adjusted- seems a bit harsh?and the eyes are glossy. I actually really appreciate this comment, as it's specific and constructive~

[@Esmoure]

I agree with almost everything you talked about. I will likely play it in early access. But the characters look stiff, clay like models are ugly and it makes the characters look like they lack affect. I still want to play it.

[@SimmerErin]

stiff yes a bit,someone also said they look doll like I do think overall the features have a lot of potential

[@clos4824]

The overall game looks promising and the world is gorgeous, but some of the characters seem a little... lifeless. Also, some character's anatomies look a little off , for example some of them seem to have sagging butts or they move a bit weird. I know these might be petty complaints, but then again we have to play with these characters. I also understand that the game is still in development and the team has a lot to work on. I guess time will tell if improves or if that's going to be the art style.

[@SnazzyArcade]

They look..tired. Like how cutscenes looked like in the early 2000s

[@CandiRabbit]

@@SnazzyArcade YES EXACTLY THIS It looks so trapped in 2013. It feels like sandbox House Party to me.

[@CandiRabbit]

I don't think these are petty complaints. The base character mesh is so hard to mod afterwards for most games. Even with presets some anatomical things can't be changed, due to the characters skeleton. Its like they didn't take much input for the art direction at all. I'm concerned, since we may be stuck with it.

[@SnazzyArcade]

@@CandiRabbit I think they're treating it the same as avatars etc. in IMVU/Second Life. It just feels very soulless.

[@SimmerErin]

At this point, I don't see it as complaints. the team, to be fair, is asking for feedback, so I say, the more feedback that's constructive,the more likely it can shape the game. They are openly welcoming it, and most comments on this little video seem reasonable and constructive, imo

[@leonesiom]

Life by You does look polished and about ready to go 😀 I'm worried about the gameplay and hope that tasks don't get too redundant. I would like to move some of my Sims into these beach front properties if the game is ready for primetime. 😎

[@SimmerErin]

the beach area looks so interesting! I hope there will be some water and beach based activities

[@sheilalobert715]

@@SimmerErin If not, it sounds like tools exist for players to create them!

[@jenniferh2834]

I have been a Patreon supporter of Paralives since the very beginning and will support them until the game comes out. And I have always been a HUGE fan of the Sims - though their lack of ability to fix their problems is wearing my faith a little thin. However, I think each has their own artistic style and it is what makes them unique. I think Life by You has the same. It may not be the most polished, and it may not be for everyone, but I still think they deserve a chance to show us what they can do. I always appreciate how open minded you are with each new game, Simmer Erin, and I think the points you make are very valid. While it isn't as polished as the Sims or even Paralives when it comes to the art style I look forward to playing it and seeing what wonderful stories I can create! Thank you for another wonderful look into these games! 😀

[@SimmerErin]

thank you I appreciate that! And yeah at the end of the day each of these games will have pros and cons and attract some and not others. it is good tbh to see more variety

[@elenajimenez]

Agreed. Overall I hope they polish it a bit more, I don’t mind if it looks generic o devoid of any specific looks, as long as they make the humans a tad more elevated. But that’s just a request, I can change the looks with mods. I love the fact that the tone is mature, it will provide a different experience from Paralives which I’m also interested about.

[@SimmerErin]

I think a bit of polish and lighting adjustment could really make a big difference! not that it needs to be beautiful, just something maybe a tad more inviting

[@LivingDeadGalSims]

Loved this video, Erin! While I agree that gameplay is most important, I do feel like graphics for a life simulator are very critical. Like you said with Paralives and the Sims 4, they each have their own art style that gives them some charm. My biggest thing (for me personally) with Life By You is that, to me, the moody lighting and character designs are a bit off-putting because they feel..depressing? I don’t know how to eloquently explain it - but even as someone who uses Alpha cc in the Sims 4 to design realistic sims, this art style for life by you still doesn’t sit with me. I still want to try it out for the gameplay, but I hope that they don’t rely so heavily on mods and cc because that’s one of the major criticisms of TS4. I like to be able to connect with the characters, and graphics can play a big role in that - even for something really cutesy and cartoony like Animal Crossing.

[@SimmerErin]

I think the lighting could be softened a bit. I also think that the eyes- those key features- need a bit of life to them, and I understand I think what you're saying I agree about mods and cc. I think it's great tohave that option, and at the same time don't want a game to rely on it

[@Elwaves2925]

I commented under their video that every time they said "other life sims" we all knew who they were referring to. I respect them for not doing it directly though. I think they said the right things regarding the art style. While graphics are important, gameplay is always the most important thing in a game, as without it there is no game. I have issues with some of the graphics but there's plenty of time for that to change and if it doesn't, it won't stop me getting this. If all people see are the graphics and it stops them getting it, then that's on them not the game. This isn't the game for them in that case, which is also fine.

[@SimmerErin]

yeah, and really, it'd always be obvious, no matter. I think paradox tends to handle competition well, understanding pain points so to speak.

[@StoryGirl83]

Art style matters to me, but let’s be clear, it doesn’t have to be beautiful. I think what it has to be is not weird, so it might be avoiding that “uncanny valley” that you mentioned that is important to me. I don’t remember what that means, but I’ve heard that term a lot lately and I think the meaning is something along the lines of almost real, but something is off. I will play games in most art styles outside of the horror genre and anything that makes me think they were inspired by Picasso. I did avoid The Sims 3, partially for it’s artwork. I have played a little bit of the game and in game, the art (specifically the sims) are not as bad as the advertising leads me to believe, but I think it does push the boundary of almost real, but something is off. Since art style is important to me, I have been paying attention to the people in Life by You when I see ads and I was less concerned by the people in this one. Still not my favorite look, but they felt less off. The art style was more or less the same and yet, they seemed better, so that gives me more hope for the art style. There is a 0% chance I am getting this in early development and a very low chance I’ll get it on launch, but that’s a cost thing and more a me problem then a them problem. This video gave me more hope that I will want to get the game eventually.

[@SimmerErin]

I feel there is no specific definition really- or at least we interpret it different. Heck I have seen some call LBY uncalley valley as it is now A lot of these showed early concepts. And honestly, I liked some of the early concepts better than what we've seen in other trailers

[@StoryGirl83]

@@SimmerErin Hard to say what ai was looking at then. There was a specific image that caught my attention that made me think it looked better. Maybe it was just a different angle than I had noticed before.

[@TownieSimBuilds]

You made some great points here Erin. Working in the creative field in real-life, it's unheard of that you will hear an artist/designer/advertising agency build a brand with no definitive style or end-goal aesthetic in mind. Lack of visual cohesion and art direction (at least when working in a commercial/product-based space) is often times a big detriment. Speaking to LifebyYou, it may have been more of a careful PR to describe the art direction of the avatars as such, so that LifebyYou has flexibility to go more realistic or stylized depending upon the reception of the avatars upon early access. The Sims and Paralives already have their visual style and language locked down, but this is the one component LifeByYou is really struggling with.

[@SimmerErin]

Thank you. Yes.. It seems odd to me. I'm not an artist, but I am a writer, and even writers have a style. I definitely love the flexibility and customization,but I'd say that can still exist within a cohesive art style. After all, we see people mod sims to their liking, and sims has customization options- even if more limited than some would like at times. It does seem strange wording

[@iamsuzerain3987]

Appears to me that progress has been made in rendering the Agents/LBY's...those newer shots look better. Thanks Erin, best of luck in your home search!

[@SimmerErin]

it's a bit unclear, a lot of these shown are earlier concepts, to my understanding.

[@adrivoid5376]

I feel its important- And I really am glad, they are focusing on the game being playable. This needs to run on regular computers. And I am enjoying the current style and its good we are getting variety in the genre. Paralives, Life by You, and Sims (1-4) all have a place and something different theyll bring to players.

[@SimmerErin]

the required specs have been announced and are as follows: Minimum: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Windows 10 Processor: Intel Core i5-8600 / AMD Ryzen 5 2600 Memory: 16 GB RAM Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 4GB / AMD Radeon R9 380 4GB DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 25 GB available space Recommended: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Windows 10/11 Processor: Intel Core i5-10400F / AMD Ryzen 5 5600 Memory: 16 GB RAM Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB/AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 25 GB available space It's a bit heftier than sims in that regard

[@ScarletAmethyst]

I don't know why that's a problem because most games these days usually opt for realistic looking graphics which is expected for most games unless it opts to go for "cartoon" or anime-looking graphics like Mario or Pokémon, or most Indie games since they don't usually match AAA games anyway. Indeed, it's possible to recognize games by their graphics or interface, but this could be a problem for some games. For example, I have gotten used to RPG Maker's default graphics that I could immediately recognize if it's made in RPG Maker since a lot of new developers (in particular those making "bondage" and "giantess" games) often use default graphics and/or audio compared to something like Didnapper 2 and Lawmage Academy which try to be their own game. I believe The Sims and The Sims 2's graphics could be excused due to coming out in 2000 and 2004 respectively while The Sims 3 and Medieval did have more realistic looking Sims. The Sims FreePlay and The Sims Mobile (which was based on The Sims 4) were mobile games that launched in December 2011 and March 2018 respectively. Hogwarts Mystery similarity has characters look similar to The Sims 4 although that could be explained due to being on iOS and Android instead of Windows, PS4, and Xbox One.

[@SimmerErin]

for sure, it's certainly not just LBY that seems to lack a distinct style

[@writinggamer8059]

The reactions on Twitter really are telling to me. People pointing to other early access games saying "Look at how good this looked for base game," and "early access means ready with only needing polish," are both huge hints that people do not understand where this game is in development. If half of your life stages are not even playable, that means the game is in alpha, and they need to say that themselves. Because this early access is not like Dreamlight Valley, or Coral Island, or Baulder's Gate 3 when going into early access. I have a theory that a playable build only just happened very recently. It could even be right before the announcement in March. I feel like this game is so early that there will be times during early access where they say "All previous saves will now be unusable due to this update." My theory is that Project Rene announced in October 2022, with Lindsey saying that they were going to be offering early access to some people (probably the usual EA creators we know.) Paralives makes regular updates. My guess is the big shots at Paradox Tetonic said "We need to get ahead of this," and they decided to do this alpha stage early access offering the first 100,000 people to preorder a chance to be on the discord and be a voice to the development team. They wanted to get something out into the hands of the players now. Watching people say Paralives is a scam because they're only 5 years in. Even though Paradox is a big company, we don't know what budget or team size they've given to this studio. They might not be able to make it the 2 or 3 more years they need to get it into beta if there's pressure from the top with two other brand new life sims breathing down their necks. But in 2023 we have a mix here of gamers who either never play other games outside of the Sims, people who are in full blown "hate" mode for the Sims 24/7 and making it their personality, and then gamers who play lots of games and have done a lot of development which are more like paid beta testing. But how many have played games in alpha or even know what that is or what to look for? It's a choice to pay to play at this stage, and I don't blame anyone who doesn't want to pay, but also I think we're in for a wild ride. I'm waiting for when it launches and a huge number of people realize there's no babies, toddlers, or children even in the game at all. I'm also waiting for the storm of "I didn't know it was early access" even though it's clearly labeled. I see that a lot in early access games. They want to sell an unfinished game to a community with a very angry, vocal part of the community about being sold an unfinished game in 2014. They are brave, I'll give them that. It's hard to for me not to say the same thing over and over thanks to being neurodivergent. Because I'm with you, Erin. It's not pretty but the gameplay is what's important to me. And, I think it will get better with lighting and textures, and even the weird body proportions. But the overall style is what we're going to get. But as long as it's fun and the gameplay is good, that's all I really care about. It's going to be hard for me, though, to play another game people hate, because I think it's going to get tons of hate.

[@SimmerErin]

It's possible- I usually dismiss the paralives doing things for getting ahead of sims, but the wording of paradox is so spot on,I feel they are being deliberate. and yes, I do think this is still relatively early in development given we still have to get to the long early access period. Some good thoughts here

[@writinggamer8059]

@@SimmerErin I agree. Rod Humble making his quips during the reveal about cars and open world really made the community bubble with the "drama." But then expecting that same community to be okay with an early development game feels like they're putting the cart before the horse, so to speak.

[@joyfulgirl91]

I know I’m going to buy this when it’s finished, but there is no way I’m paying for early access. To me that’s a bad direction the industry has gone in, because in 2008 when I played a game in alpha the company PAID me for this LABOR. I can wait until it’s a full priced finished game

[@Simfyre]

I am excited for the possibilities that lie ahead in the life simulation genre from all these games because the most difference we can have between games then the less stale gameplay will be. I don't think I'll ever not be a Sims player, but these other two games sound really immersive and engaging... which Sims 4 has been lacking.

[@SimmerErin]

yes, I think we've been needing more options. my hope is that it inspires higher standards as a whole

[@pwcorgi2000]

Awesome Video. I guess what really makes me interested, is that Paradox has a much deeper and more open simulator attribute. Cities Skylines offered features that SimCity would never have done, and now Cities Skylines 2 is greatly improving upon that. I want Paradox to be the new simulator king.

[@SimmerErin]

Thank you!They also have a few others, including say crusader kings, which kind of combines strategy with simulation

[@catitude4]

I love the art style. For me it's so much better than sims. I like that it's not kiddish, silly pee walks, things like that. It reminds me of an updated version of sims 3. I can't wait for this.

[@onidaaitsubasa4177]

I kind of like the realistic art style, it makes it feel like an actual real city, my guess is they will offer the realistic style but with added style shaders which will change the look of the whole game, that way people will always find something they like.

[@TimeTheory2099]

Thanks Erin 😃👍 I'm more into game function than game fashion. As long as the game doesn't crash every few minutes, I'm Ok.

[@SimmerErin]

specs will be very important, and they are notably higher requirements than say sims 4- bit not crazy high

[@Bridenbrad]

Flexibility as a main focus for a game is totally fine, but at the end of the day every game needs some kind of identity, vibe, tone etc to help people identify it and attach to it. I worry that focusing too much on flexibility and customizability will leave people looking at the game and going “what are you trying to go for here? What’s the vibe? What’s the aesthetic?” And then you end up with a game that is all over the place in terms of its art and aesthetics and that can be jarring to have many different feels or aesthetics in one game.

[@SimmerErin]

It's definitely a balance and that's certainly a risk!

[@anekcm]

The problem is the art style is extremely generic, beginner level design. The shadows, hair, and body anatomy are off. Look at their extremely narrow shoulders and how they stand. Might be a good idea to take a Figure Drawing class at a local community college. 😅

[@SimmerErin]

I don't feel comfortable with the joke, but I do think that the shadows and lighting could be softened. I think the eyes and facial expressions being tweaked could make a difference as well

[@Anon1370]

I can't get past the short trex dinosaur arms

[@FireFlysNeverDie]

For me, graphics and gameplay are important. The looks do not have to be perfect, but they have to be better than this. The proportions of the characters look off to me and it feels unfinished overall.

[@SimmerErin]

how do you feel about some of the early concepts shown- it's odd, I liked them afair better than the in game characters

[@FireFlysNeverDie]

@@SimmerErin I noticed that too. I feel like they didn’t translate. I want to see where they take it, but I’m not setting my expectations high. Sadly, so far, I’m not as interested because of the art.

[@nikkicat254]

I'm one of those where both art style and gameplay is pretty much the same as far as importance, I currently use The Sims 4 more for being creative myself, by creating a lot of more unusual and more realistic I might add, Sims, and also even builds, so the art style to me is right at the top, along with gameplay! That being said when it comes to Paralives, I've seen them as possibly a new art style for me to work with someday, where I can still make realistic characters, but just in a different art style, more like realistic sketches of people, which will be a new challenge for me, which I look forward to! But yes I do want the gameplay to be good on all life simulation games, but to me it's not really a life simulation game if they " avatars " we are playing with looks like something from Pixar or Disney, with big heads and little bodies, like Disney's Dreamlight Valley, which some are calling a life simulation game, but then people call Animal Crossing that too, but neither to me are REAL life simulation! Even as goofy as The Sims games are, it's still more like a real life life simulation game, then those others! I won't even bother playing those types of games, at least not if what I am wanting is a life simulation, I mean games like the Grand Theft Auto games are more realistic, and is more of one then The Sims games for sure, especially with the way TS4 turned out to be, like with emotional deaths, where you could literally die of happiness! And of course them getting rid of anything remotely realistic, that's a bad thing, like burglars, for those silly emotional deaths! I frankly don't understand why so many people have a problem with the characters looking like real people, is it because it makes it harder for them to drown them in a pool or lock them in a room to let them starve? Because I can't see how any of them looking real, is a bad thing! I know a lot of people felt that way with TS3, because they felt they looked too real, which maybe in some ways they did, but if you take your time and work on a TS4 Sims, you can make them look just as real or more so! Now with some good CC, even more so, and I don't just mean with realistic skin, but even with just some added skin details CC, it can bring out more details in their face especially! I have spent hours on just one Sim, first molding their faces and bodies the way I want, then dressing them, usually in clothes that fit their personalities! But I don't most people don't spend a lot of time one creating their Sims, since most of what's on the Gallery is just mostly randomized Sims, that someone has mostly just changed clothes, hair and or makeup! But mine even without cc, the way I shape their faces, makes a big difference and makes them stand out! But it would be nice to play a game where I can do more, with what's already in the game, instead of having to rely on CC all the time! To me creating a good Sim or sometimes a house, is like doing art, so I like having the tools I need right off the bat, rather then having search for something to help me!

[@SimmerErin]

I think, in a short answer, is some people either get really used to something or may have fairly set preferences. So that may be why the reactions are strong

[@Tamaldo]

Another great video Erin! I'm also currently house-hunting and having zero luck. I live in the UK and our housing market is in shambles (expensive rents and unsympathetic landlords) Wishing you the best of luck in your search!

[@SimmerErin]

ooof yeah I guess it's just rough right now everywhere :( I get that! You want to get out of the increasingly raising rents- but the q is how! I hope you have some luck too! feel free to update me !

[@jmelovesGod]

I'm excited for the game to hit early access. Thats only two months away if they are still shooting for September

[@Stephen-Fox]

Likewise on not being put off by the art style (although thinking the models could use a bit more polish, but as you said, graphics can be refined over time, particularly when we're still... Three months out from early access, and then at least a year of early access). The 'generic realism' that it feels like the art style is going for might not do anything for me, but it doesn't put me off of games, either. Do we know what the core gameplay loop is going to look like given the timescale of the thing yet, because as someone who mainly does child/teen to ~40 when playing The Sims, that remains my primary concern. I can't do that - at least not in the same way - with LBY. What am I going to be doing instead of that, or how is that playstyle going to work with the timeskip and 2 days an hour default game speed oriented play of LBY? (This is likely worse for folk who do generational play since my play scale is about 30 years of in-game time, there's is at least a century)

[@SimmerErin]

I'm afraid I don't know exactly how life stages will function. we got a sneak peak of some things in the creator- and we know there will eventually be other stages- but yeah lots of unanswered questions yet

[@candyqueencandyqueen2689]

I'm not gonna judge it to harshly since it's still being developed. One thing I do think the team can work on is improving the facial expressions. I think the humans stoic look to them makes them feel kind of off. I would love to see Humans that smile, that get angryz are upset, etc instead of them just having this stoic face. They could be working on these improvements, but that's just my critique of what I have seen so far.

[@SimmerErin]

yeah, they could be abit more expressive- not sims 4 expressive but something in between ha

[@Phoenix-yz8op]

I have a very complicated relationship with Life by You, the flexibility and huge customization sounds really intriguing plus I'm still curious on how gameplay will be. However like someone else mentioned in the comments below, the game feels cold to me aswell. It just feels like there's something missing from this game and i'm not sure what it is. I know not having a distinctive art style definitely doesn't help and honestly in my opinion i feel like this game is trying to do way too much. Paralives is doing alot but i feel like they know their limits. I feel like this game is pulling itself in so many directions with being so customizable and being huge on gameplay too.I dont know if you are familiar with Cyberpunk2077 but thats what this game is giving me vibes wise trying to do so much. But i could be completely wrong and it could be a fantastic game, I'm very interested in how it will look in September when it starts early access.

[@SimmerErin]

yeah it feels the same for me. I think it has great potential and I'm def interested, but I don't feel a sense of warmth or emotional connection. I'm hoping some soft tweaks- and maybe some humor? lore? etc could help. Not that it should in any means be goofy, it can still be mature, but I think it's missing an essence of something I can't quite place

[@itscyberqueen13]

One day in the future ppl will be saying, "Wow, the art style looks like Life by You". That's just how ppl are. They compare it to what they have access to and right now we have The Sims and Paralives. Period. I personally don't mind how the game is looking. I care more about the AI. I also care about hundreds, millions, billions of animations. LOL ok all kidding aside, I really do care about the gameplay and the way the game runs, and I don't think I want another Sims 4 where budget was prioritized for making a world/sims look pretty and is empty/boring and has no AI/gameplay. PPl really should decide what they want more of and pick the game that gives them that. This being said, it's perfectly fine for ppl not to come over to Life by You and stay with EA for The Sims 4 and 5. Stay with what is pretty to you if that is important to you. I am someone who has been frustrated for over 9 years with this model, however, and therefore I am STILL interested in LBY. The fact that ppl are moding TS4 so heavily just to make it fun and look the way they want should be a sign that TS4 is not a perfect game (no game is). We are using reshade and gshade and adding skins and alpha hairs and alpha clothes and so on. So clearly, the "art style" can be modded to your own taste and it sounds like LBY is building a game DESIGNED with that in mind. I can't wait to get my hands on this game in September. Let's just hope the AI is out of this world! Like I said before, if I could merge SimCity and The Sims then I would have the best game ever! I just want my "HUMANS" to be intelligent and feel alive because they make decisions that make sense based on their traits and background. We have so much AI capabilities today and I hope LBY is using it! 🤩😍🤔

[@kaglet4963]

Agreed. On that note if they are sacrificing artstyle I hope they do have good reason for it that'll be revealed to us. If they don't have rich gameplay and simulation systems I'll be disappointed ngl. For example the reason I could forgive the aesthetics of the Sims 3 was because the gameplay in the world felt so alive and more than made up for the "ok" but not great graphics.

[@itscyberqueen13]

@@kaglet4963 Exactly. Agreed. Let's hope they give us a video on the AI and gameplay soon.

[@SimmerErin]

for sure- there's no such thing as a perfect game, and everyone will have to decide for themselves what is most important and which games best suit them

[@markabele8794]

If I were to buy another simulation game, it would be this one. I like the art style flexible game play and a more mature gameplay. Paralives looks nice but for some reason I'm not sold on it. And who know what'll happen with TS5. I don't find myself as excited for that one as I was for past Sims games.

[@SimmerErin]

paralives is the least certain- even though I oddly feel most interested in it ; it's hard to compare of course, but they don't have the backing and resources of AAA/AA games

[@KawaiiSoulB42]

it by Paradox which they do war more then a SIm game give them a bit of a credit. Baby has to walk before it can run

[@SimmerErin]

More,I do think they have at least a decent history of fairly robust base games,which is good

[@GeneSysFNLT]

I'm one of those TS players that downloads CC to change the style first thing, simply because I'm not fond of it. When it comes to games like these, devs can't please everyone, so I think their decision to create a foundation to make this a player's own is a neat approach. Chances are, even if they did go with a more stylistic approach, there will be players that mod the style out with CC anyway. I don't doubt that a modding community will form around this game anyway. It's only a matter of time. Since the devs also have the modding community in mind when making this game, I'm sure there will be a set of CC out there for everyone.

[@SimmerErin]

certainly. they can't please everyone no matter what. I agree cc could be helpful too, but I do stand firm that it's best when a game has a strong sense of self without cc too

[@marekkos3513]

they should add to the game color i contrast options , so every one could have its own art style ;].

[@elizabethb4168]

It mostly looks like a world building simulator to me honestly, cuz the people, the ones who lives we're actually supposed to be simulating, seem like an afterthought It's one thing to do a generic realistic style because you want realism, it's another to do it because you don't want any art style at all, it kind of feels like they didn't care about that aspect that much Cuz like, you can do a realistic art style and still have characters with charm and life to them, but the characters in Life by You look really uncanny and soulless to me I don't want to be mean, and I think a variety is a good thing, but this creative decision (or refusal to make one I guess) just really puts me off the game

[@SimmerErin]

I don't think you're mean (trust me I've seen mean)- I think you're offering your view and some fair critique

[@digitalbrinjen3245]

Gotta say, not a fan of the graphics in Life By You so far. Not a deal breaker, I have pre-ordered. Personally, I do like the graphics style and general quirky cartoon feel to Sims 4. I feel they packaged it all together incredibly well and do also think a distinctive base style is pretty essential to any game, even if it all can be easily modded. Guess time will tell, maybe once I start playing Life By You my view will change.

[@MagnusItland]

I don't really expect a game in September, I expect a toolbox and basic functionality. People are like "Ooh, the game will be out in September" but I don't think that is what Paradox intended. They want the modders to get their hand on it in September so they can do part of the work during the last year or two of development. I mean, why say no to hundreds of unpaid workers? Since there will be no console version, there is no motivation for Paradox to make more than a passable, solid base game and leave all the frills to the fans. If people really want cartoon characters, there will be a thousand cartoon characters by Christmas.

[@Lovlyb35]

I am so HAPPY 😊 Mature audience, This is giving and Im all for it!!! There is nothing wrong with having rabbit holes and art style, I dont think that it will hurt this game at all.

[@SimmerErin]

I do like that they arecatering to a diff audience- to clarify, there are no rabbit holes in this game

[@Zaralove1750]

It seems to me this game is going to rely on people using cc/mods and using other people's creations. I worry this game is just going to rely on people using cc/mods and not have a good base foundation.

[@SimmerErin]

I understand that fear, and it certainly is possible. However I do know that paradox has used similar wording for games like Crusader Kings and such that actually did end up having a strong base too I def agree a game should not rely on mods and cc; mods and cc should be extra, nice to havefeatures

[@shariking4392]

For me, gameplay is everything!

[@1aviv]

The great thing people might not know about these devs are that they are 100% backing mods. Graphics might not be best rn but the im sure the art style will be better either by the devs themselves or modders

[@Nahan_Boker94]

If you see the capability of the sims mods that can alter the sims lookd to be certain style. If life by you truly moddable completely even more thsn the sims mod can fix these. The important is the stability, fun and features that will make Sims/EA games pale in comparison. If the base game is good, stable and fun. Its already a win for me. But I also understood to make expectation not too high since this is their 1st game to be direct competitor with the sims. Initual release maybe have some issues here and there. Hoping this will be wake up call and make good products in life simulation genre.

[@Aussiegirl166]

I recall seeing in a video not sure if it was your video that there won’t be death??? For me that’s a big loss because that’s apart of life. The Sims did a good job in each game with deaths making them hilarious or sad. It adds excitement aswell when you are just doing something then you see the grim reaper or hear some music then scramble to find out what happened to one of your Sims.

[@themysticwarriorgal9465]

There will be death just no death by illness

[@SimmerErin]

they indicated no accidental deaths. It was a bit confusing, and I still need clarification about it

[@Aussiegirl166]

@@SimmerErin hopefully we find out more soon even if there is still deaths no accidental deaths is still disappointing for me and probably most players

[@bibipixels]

I'm excited but also skeptical about this game. Definitely won't be preordering it, I'll see what it's likr after launch and consider buying it. When it cimes to the art style (or lack of it thereof) to me it looks like sims 3 mixed with second life and it's not gonna age well. A more distinct, stylistic approach would have more longevity in my opinion. The gameplay MUST be good for this to he worth it tho, that's not even up for discussion.

[@SimmerErin]

Yeah I could see that; the world looks nice to me, the characters though feel a little unity store esque

[@kylaping4429]

I don't like the way the characters look in Life By You, but if the gameplay is really good and the game runs well, it's something I could overlook

[@SimmerErin]

same

[@yukifoxscales]

I see your point about having -an- art style. I suspect they want to encourage people to mod their games, but not everyone is going to wish a game that they have to do work on to make it pretty to them. Me, half the reason I've always liked sim games [and that genre] is customizing it myself. But I know I'm weird when it comes to creating anything, if I've the tools for it. Most people want something they can play out of the box, and while to me, this looks like fun, its in part just seeing a blandish canvas plus lots of built in modding tools, I wouldn't say it looks ready to play on the graphics front [mechanics-wise, it looks pretty amazing], but then I feel that way about Skyrim and its related games], and lots of people like it even without mods :D

[@SimmerErin]

yeah- mods and cc are great, but I definitely think a game shouldn't rely on modding too much. Modding is an extra feature, but it shouldn't be a requirement persay

[@joyfulgirl91]

For what it’s worth, modding paradox games is a lot less annoying than modding the sims. I’ve never had to pull out and update mods the way you have to do for TS4 every time they patch the game. I never use mods for the Sims because it’s too much of a chore, while my CK3 game can easily switch between being a WW1 or Game of Thrones game. It still won’t be for everyone, but I think some will be pleasantly surprised

[@yukifoxscales]

@@joyfulgirl91 Oh, I'm sure - I've made mods for the Sims since 2. I stopped updating my Sims 4 ones because it is such a chore every time they add new recipes. And I've played games with built in mods tools before too - and I'm looking forward to it with both Life by You and Paralives.

[@jorrdan.]

it’s interesting that they said they didn’t want to the characters to be too uncanny because that’s how I feel about them currently 😭. I feel like if the gameplay is good I could look past it for now but a lot of the characters seem to have weird anatomy that makes them look off, and it’s not consistent so it doesn’t feel like a purposeful art style to me

[@SimmerErin]

yeah I have seen some call them that. I think everyone has different definitions: for some it'sultra realism, for others, it may be something else

[@DustBunny08]

I'n my case It make me feel nostalgic. It feels like going back in time in The Sims history, but in an alternate reality. I still very much enjoy playing Sims 2 and 3, so Life By You made me excited. It feels like getting back to my older simming days, and it excites me that it gives me the older kind of Sims vibes!

[@Vtuber_Xantherous]

It's the hair. The hair that doesn't lie well and has pixel breakage. That's my biggest complaint with the art. I wish the skin seemed a bit more real in lighting. I still love everything else (outside character art) with this game.

[@marie-jeannekirby8764]

Life by You is a modder paradise! Customization IS the key! Like the title says this IS YOUR GAME, YOUR STYLE , YOUR pretty much EVERYTHING you wanted to be. L i f e b y Y o u!

[@Violetbunnyfish]

The characters really do need more charisma and charm. If they work on the people's appearance it will do a lot to get gamers more interested. It might end up being a fantastic game, though, and I'll definitely keep up with any news that comes out about it.

[@SimmerErin]

the gameplay has so much potential - Ihope they can add some charm so people will give it a chance

[@paluxyl.8682]

The main problem for me in this video was the length of the arm of many characters ... they are too short. I hope it's possible to change it in the character creator. I really hope that Life by You goes a different way than other life simulation games when it come to character personalities. I want to be able to create really extreme characters that can be evil , insane , oversexualized , hateful , boring , annoying , drink too much alcohol or that just start to attack others without a reason. On the other hand I want to be able to create characters who are too friendly and too helpful. Also , it would be great if charaters would recognize colors , shapes of other characters and objects. I want an IQ sytem , each character got a percentage of intelligence some are smart and can become a doctor or lawyer ... other got a so low IQ that they can't find a job. Unpopular opinion , but I want an advanced likes and dislikes system that goes so far that it would even hurt the feelings of some sensible players ... this feature should be optional that people who can't handle it can let it deactivated. A memory system (an extra script file or so for each character) with a long list of events that happend or what a character has done ... for example a character remembers that an other one attacked him hard that results that he hates him forever , or a charcter remembers that the partner has gained weight that could lead to lost of love interest. Mean animals would also be fun ... like a dog that bites everyone who enters the lot/house ... that could lead that all would be affraid of this particular dog. The Sims in the Sims games are just too friendly ... that makes it too hard or impossible to play different than most of the "normal" players , not sure but I got the feeling that Paralives goes the same way like the Sims with the too peaceful , too respectful and too friendly gameplay.

[@SimmerErin]

This may be good news for you: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pp_WpGCLjNWGbJo this explains how these proportions can be changed

[@paluxyl.8682]

@@SimmerErin Thanks , for the video link.

[@Klondike877]

To me there are a lot of factors, that make a great game. As a guy with tons of imagination, I find gameplay important, but I can do without also. Now two other factors are the graphics and how the game run, I dont like at all playing game with low or medium graphic, I pay big prices for ultimum experience, and I am a grown adult, done with those poor student days where I had to satisfy myself with low graphic for the sims 2 or 3. So if I cannot play with best graphic, thats a no. Another point, if the game is on ultimate graphics, and its lagging aka sims 3 at the time, I will last one day and be done with it... point this is the most important aspect for me, I cannot deal with lags... the only time I can deal with it, is if its very sporadics and I know the issue (sims 4) and can remediate to it fast in game, and that it comes back fast to a normal frame rate. Honestly, for the time sims 3 was extremely laggy, even with low graphic, and I did not have much DLC at all... The sims 4, on its 9 years with tons of DLC (I have them all) and little to no lags... I am not a defender of the sims 4, but people got to admit that at least, where this game lack in so many aspect from its predecessors, it does run smooth AF. Btw some tips for people dealing with lags in the sims 4 and dont know whats up, im not a game enginer but I have few tricks that works all the time to solves, lags, that being said, I do not own any cc (which can make your game laggy/ if you have a lot) and no mods either. Tips: 1. Click on menu ... Saves your game. If it does not fix the frame rate. 2. Clear notifications? (never worked for me, but I heard some people did that) 3. If it still does not work, you likely have simulation lags/notifications lags/buff lags, in which you can fix pausing your game and look at every household members, one at a time, zoom to them until you see the green notifications above their head releasing (green plus inlfuence from Eco lifestyle, character values from Parenthood, confidence from Growing together... etc...) Leave it some time on each sims to see wich one is cumulating them without properly ''letting it go''. It always work for me, and typically happens on big households, with numerous sims and several floor levels... it seems like when you are far away, like couple floors up or down from them, those notifications get lagged somehow. I dont think this issue is related to the lags we experience typically while enterring/exit BB, but this is how I do. Hope it help someone out there!

[@dannotc_graphics]

The only thing about the artstyle I don't like is the characters arms/torso ratio, and I haven't seen anyone talking about it. They have really small arms and it makes me wonder if there is an arm length slider to fix it. Other than that, I think it looks fine for what it's going for.

[@SimmerErin]

I have seen this a lot! I think you can adjust arm length as well as character height

[@Te3time]

What's worrying me is that they didn't actually address the fact that people are unhappy with the look of the game and basically only mentioned in the comments that they're working on improving what they have (and even the comments didn't specifically mention the character models just animations and "everything"). Personally I don't care about the overall artstyle I'm fine if it looks generic the problem is that the characters look bad!! Idk if you saw their twitter post about this video but in the comments someone put an amazing edit of what the characters should look like with better proportions/skin details/hair and it really highlighted how bad they look rn. I've seen early access games go from looking awful to looking beautiful before so I know for a fact that a ton CAN change during EA but obviously that'll only happen if the dev team wants to work on the graphics which atm it doesn't sound like they really are doing anything in that direction. So I'm actually glad ppl keep complaining about the look of the game cause that's how we (hopefully) get them to improve it. I don't agree with the ppl saying we should just let it go just because the game isn't even out yet like the dev team can't read players minds and if you don't speak up on what you want they would just assume it's fine the way it is.

[@SimmerErin]

OOH could you point me where to find that,please??

[@hillbillysimmer7120]

The town in this video is reminiscent of Cities: Skylines, especially the new version coming out in October.

[@SimmerErin]

for sure, I def see that connection

[@joyfulgirl91]

More life sims by smaller companies means they can be weird and opinionated. They don’t need to please even close to the same number of players as any EA game to be a success. Crusader Kings 3 has sold 2 million units since its release and that is the current top selling game by Paradox. I do hope it doesn’t look blurry and mushy in the animations when it’s finished, though.

[@SimmerErin]

for sure, success is relative too. They don't have to have as many players as sims to be considered a success

[@joyfulgirl91]

@@SimmerErin I was curious how many units of SimCity 2013 were sold, and the answer is 2 million. So something that is a smashing success for a midrange studio is a franchise killing flop for EA. Definitely not an apples to apples comparison in terms of goals.

[@pixiestyx]

I think I'd feel a lot better about the graphics if the proportions of the humans weren't so....weird?? For a game that's saying it wants to be more mature, the proportions make the characters look malformed and cartoony. I feel like that would take a lot of mods to fix. I also think it's a bit of a cop out to say "we know people are gonna mod the game to make it look how they want anyway, so we're just not going to focus much attention on making them have a unique look out of the box." I'd prefer to have a game I'd enjoy playing with OR without mods, but the way the humans look (more the proportions than the graphics, which I think is harder to fix) is really turning me off from playing the game.

[@kennyv47]

I think this game will be a succes and that they will keep improving everything :D

[@lanarenay7712]

Hope your house hunting gets better! It's always more fun when you're just looking for fun and not actually moving!😂 I know one thing I've seen over and over for about ten years is, "I wish there was a Sims and GTA mix game." Alpha simmers, I imagine, would very much like more realistic looking people. I like all three styles, though I had to growing into Maxis Match 'cause I've been an alpha simmer since TS2. I've seen people cartoonify Skyrim, so I'm so it can be done here!

[@lanarenay7712]

Also, has anyone seen the base characters for Second Life and IMVU, 'cause... They are NOT pretty.

[@SimmerErin]

thank you! I debate if I should give the house hunting a rest lol but I guess it's been interesting I used to be maxis mix! when I used cc anyway

[@listein6910]

I won't play this game if the character models stay this scary :) and I'm not ashamed to talk about it. it is important for me to have a beautiful face

[@SimmerErin]

could you provide constructive critique as to how they could improve

[@kgcat]

I like how it looks now, at least most of it. Art style is definitely important to me, but mods help a lot with that, so gameplay is really more important. Like with Tiny Life, it's early access & very basic right now, but still very fun for me because of the art style & the few mods that are out for it, but it's too hard for me to mod it myself so I am waiting for a gameplay update now. But I am glad it came out, I have like 30 games in my steam wishlist that are 'coming eventually' lol. it's good when they wait to come out, since updates always like to break mods, but what else am I supposed to play? Lol are there any other good ones out yet?

[@PrinceMitsuko]

Will be cool if life by you will have option of ai that can take photo of a person and make it as in game character

[@SimmerErin]

that's an interesting idea- you mean like AI generated characters based on photos? Has any game done this yet

[@PrinceMitsuko]

@@SimmerErin I remember game that did it years ago very poorly but right now it’s the best time to do it

[@thatminari]

It doesn’t look consistent, for example, why are the bushes and trees super detailed but the hair is clay ? And the lighting really bugs me, it feels way to shiny and for me the world looks a bit like a world from a car game

[@SimmerErin]

The world to me appears to be more polished and fully developed at this state than the characters. I think the lighting could be softened

[@chihuahuasrule1175]

Because I started playing games via a customizable world, I really like the notion of having a lack of a specific artstyle. I see it as a blank canvas designed so if we place anything inside, whether it be alpha or matching, it will blend into that world. I honestly don't like the restrictions of sims 4 and wish to customize that game to the extent that LBY seems to permit. I'm sure the community will offer free cc so people can customize their games as much as they want and will see through their own experience that having so much creative freedom might not be so bad. I know LBY can't cover all areas when creating a game, so I'm glad they've opted to focus on gameplay. We know sims 4 at this point is a shallow but pretty set piece, and I'm still ecstatic that LBY's game design diverts from that. We've already seen the amazing things our community has created and LBY will only encourage more from them.

[@SimmerErin]

I definitely think it has potential.LBY is an interesting game to follow because their approach is different. I'm keen to see autonomy of npcs, how everyone interacts with one another, things like that

[@MoonlightCanine]

Do you think Life By You will have pets or animals in the world?

[@SimmerErin]

excellent question. I see no signs of it yet, and they haven't mentioned it to my knowledge. I hope there are eventually ... it's also possible we get some at launch- and we aren't even into early access yet. or of course a dlc. I'll keep my eye out for any mention

[@lisag4588]

I have no problem admitting that the visuals make a difference to me. I think Sims 4 has a LOT of issues, but at least it is pretty. I never got behind the playdoh look of the Sims 3, it turned me off from the start and that added to other issues I had with gameplay made me stick with Sims 2. These 2 new games may have great gameplay when they are done, but they are going to need to have some visual appeal also to pull people in.

[@SimmerErin]

I started by dismissing it too much, so I've been trying to listen to how and why it's important. when we critique a game it's important to think in terms of larger strategies, appeals to a full player based

[@johnterpack3940]

My computer will love the customization. That means I won't need the 20,000 pieces of CC currently sitting in my mods folder. However, it's still not clear whether they'll get my money. I actually like the art style as is. I like the bigger worlds and more tweakability. The catch is gameplay. I don't play Sims to do laundry and make grilled cheese sandwiches. Sims is a vapid escape for me. So lots of witches, vampires, and some very wicked whims. I enjoy the slapstick, the bizarre choices they make. If the new competitors can't offer me options like that, I'm not going to be interested.

[@SimmerErin]

we'll def have to see how gameplay goes to me it reads it lot less whimsy or slapstick based than sims , but not sure

[@johnterpack3940]

@@SimmerErin That's definitely what I saw. Which doesn't give me much hope. Being "more mature" doesn't mean I want to act out a soap opera. I wouldn't mind a bit less Looney Tunes. But a full-on "serious" game? Nope.

[@toshiamiyumi2604]

This is clearly still in development.

[@SimmerErin]

see my pinned, yes

[@angeladela4769]

Am still excited to see what this becomes. I do prefer the graphic styles of Paralives over Life by You but maybe that's because I don't think I want a game to look so real... that's just my opinion. I don't know what'd real or not anymore IRL lol. The reason I didn't dive deeper into the Sims 3 was for me it felt darker and harder to see when I tried to build and building didn't feel as intuitive as I have come to expect from the Sims. I also wasn't a fan of the look of that version of the actual Sims. I stuck with Sims 2. Mind you I was probably on an older computer at that time and I never went past the base game on the Sims 3 so maybe it did get better over time. Life by You reminds me a bit of that, of Sims 3, so I would be curious to see how they finalize it. Also, good luck on the house hunting. I was also looking and now just give up. It's depressing out there and now with a good credit score you get penalized with a mortgage as well so I worked my butt of for no reason yet again since the world is backwards. I also can't find anything at all in livable move in mostly condition for under 300k like they are literally selling crack houses for 300k with interest rates that add like 200-300 a month to your mortgage payment. I feel defeated and not sure what I will do but I am also over this horrible co-op I feel trapped in. If I can offer any advice be wary of HOAs because they just can raise your monthly maintenance at will and also hit you with an assessment whenever they want! So you buy something still for 250-350k then get the privilege to pay an additional 300-1000 a month for maintenance (that nobody maintains anything!) and then get hit with a $1400 assessment as I just did now 2 years in a row! I regret this co-op but at the time it was all I could afford, I don't want to make that same mistake again. Hopefully where you are the market is a little better! :)

[@SimmerErin]

I'm cool with realism, but I feel it hasn't quite settled into whatit wants to be- does that make sense? I do feel paralives admittedly worked on their art first I do think it'll be more polished- even though I wasn't super into the way they answered the question. cc is great but a game should stand strong without it too

[@simssaves4980]

I care about gameplay and aesthetics, and right now with the graphics Life by You is showing, honestly I'm not really interested. Paralives looks nice so far though =)

[@SimmerErin]

paralives has a lovely art style and I love how it's evolved. Development wise is interesting.. I do need to keep in mind that paralives focused on art a lot--- and still has loads of core features to do.. paradox did the opp which I hate to say, prob makes more sense. however, paralives relies on early support,so I can see why they worked on graphics first

[@Angerin757]

I love how the world looks, but I'm not a big fan of the "humans". But on the bright side, they ALL look different and that's something EA couldn't get right. It also looks like there will be A LOT of body sliders. I rather have a in-depth game play, so I will be buying this.

[@SimmerErin]

I don't care for the name humans either lol yes! there will be, even height sliders too

[@tabby32720]

wonderful video friend 😍

[@SimmerErin]

Thank you 🤗

[@tabby32720]

@@SimmerErin yqw friend good luck on your books :)

[@SimmerErin]

@@tabby32720 thanks so much!!!

[@tabby32720]

@@SimmerErin yqw friend

[@BlackJar72]

This is like something I'd do -- that is, do something that makes sense and is a good idea in a lot of ways, but out of sync with what impresses most of the relevant community. I'm still waiting to see what the game play is like, though.

[@nelumboandrews6762]

If theres no set art style how will cc work? Ts4 already has 2 distinct generes of cc and there is 1 set style of sims and enviornments. They have already seemed to invest heavily in the assumption that modders and cc creators will flock to the gsme but if theres a million diffrent styles how can you be sure you can make something that people will use

[@SimmerErin]

yeah I feel the explanation didn't really work for me. A game can have a specific style and still offer that flexibility and customization

[@pouchika5672]

Personally the game play is compelling enough for me. I didn't like any of the sims art styles except maybe sims 3, but that is because the characters were less flat looking compare to the previous 2 and I'm not a fan of the cartoony sims 4. I like using mods and cc anyways. I just find the LBY lighting to be too saturated and the facial expressions and animation a bit dead. The art style would pnly be an issue for me for the games (sims,LBY and paralives) if they were unmodable.

[@occultpriestess]

Looks good ~ Thanks Erin!

[@SimmerErin]

You are so welcome!

[@james64468]

I am willing to give it a chance. Hopefully it lives up to my hopes and dreams. Maybe I am little to forgiving.

[@SimmerErin]

I don't think you're too forgiving, just willing to give something a try

[@nelumboandrews6762]

For every major question someone asks about this game the answer is 'everything' you will be able to do every option you just asked aboyt'. That sounds fun but simmers need to be wary and critical. So many big games have gone up in flames because of over promising nd underdelivering and it seems they have a captive audience with sims players. Not having an artstyle is kind of an absurd claim like name a game that doesnt have an art-style? you would be hard pressed to find a game with more than two. So a completly fluid art style is suspicious, a lot ot times things in gaming that havent been done before but would be super fun and creatuve arent done because a. They cant do it without blowing money uneccesarily or b. They arent marketable either one would be really bad for life by you and simmers. If LBY flops it might allow ea to doble down on bad practices because thats another game genere whey have complete ccontroll over the market

[@SimmerErin]

yeah.. don't get me wrong, I am interested in the bgameplay, but I don't think that answer made sense. You can be flexible and still have a style

[@NopWorks]

I fear that the game will turn out great only to be killed by artstyle, or rather, lack of distinct identity. Like, calling the characters "Humans"? Really? Sims & Paras are catchy & can help with promoting, branding, and overall just make it easier to discuss. Meanwhile, all "Humans" does is make me feel like an extraterrestrial alien. I also don't think going purely realistic right before falling into uncanny valley is good choice. It worked for many genres, like shooting games, but looking at the life sim community I don't think people in here would like it. It also doesn't help with creating a distinct identity: one glance and I know that it's from LBY. Maybe we'll see a shift in the sequel depending on community feedback throughout this first game. The first installment of Cities Skylines use semi-realistic style while incorporating some cartoonish goofiness. But they sensed that players prefer realistic style, so the sequel that's being released is going all-in in that direction.

[@SimmerErin]

Humans is kind of a bad name yeah...I think the core features of the game may be great, but I also feel the branding isn't really there right now

[@Danny_James]

I am willing to put graphics aside for the sake of good game play.. I still play the sims 2 and 3 so it will probably be an upgrade for me 😂 I am not a fan on the plastic looking hair though but I am happy to hear they have put a lot of emphasis on modding The world looks beautiful though it’s just the characters that look a bit unfinished to me but it’s still really early days and doubt it will look like this on its release

[@SimmerErin]

I still play both as well, and I grew up playing games with very lackluster graphics- wild how much graphics have evolved

[@Danny_James]

@@SimmerErin playing the sims 3 really because of the open world design which is why I do not play 4 so I can sacrifice graphics as I am sure you know the sims 3 runs so badly.. Very true graphics are amazing now!

[@mojohosavich]

Erin you have to believe in the mods. Mods always fix everything

[@SimmerErin]

ha always right

[@pattiy8240]

Their art style is my least favorite, comparing them (right now) with Sims and Paralives. Gameplay is key, however. As long as I can just play, and not constantly manage, I will probably enjoy. Good luck on house hunting!! 👍💕

[@SimmerErin]

my least fav art style as well, but also very interested in gameplay and I agree- I don't want micro-management. They did say npcs would have their own lives so that sounds promising Thanks, Patti!

[@stanpikaliri1621]

Everything should be equally good graphics and gameplay.

[@DapperPaperBag]

I think anyone who thinks there needs to be a change in art style has spent too much time listening to Maxis/EA. I would rather spend time downloading mods that fix the artstyle than download mods to fix the gameplay like I have to with the sims. The Sims Team better step up their game if they want to keep me as a loyal customer.

[@Annonymous5411]

I mean one of the main reasons I don't play minecraft is cause it's ugly to me. And I like building worlds. But I just can't with it. Roblox too.

[@SimmerErin]

everyone will have their red lines, their priorities etc, and so this is a reality