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The Sims Online in a Nutshell

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 86 / 94
Date: December 23, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I was hoping for so much more from this game, but I found myself extremely disappointed. Before spending your money on it, here is what you can expect.

You will start out in a city with very little money, maybe enough to buy a lot and some walls. So, you will need to raise some cash. In order to raise any significant cash, you will need to build up a skill or two.

To build up a skill such as mechanical, your sim will sit down and read a book for hours. If you are lucky and find a large group also studying mechanical, it might only take 6 or 7 hours to maximize this skill. All the while you have the exciting pleasure of sitting in front of your screen watching your sim study. Occasionally you will get a chance to break up the monotony by having to make your sim use the bathroom, eat and sleep. Oh, you can also chat with other sims while your sim studies, but most of the other players have figured out how boring it is and go away from their keyboard (AFK) to do more interesting things like laundry or watch TV while their sim studies. Most likely you will be talking to yourself or maybe one other person.

Now that you have a skill, you can make some cash. This is done through group objects such as the code machine, pizza machine or maze. All of which are fun for maybe the first 10 or 20 times you play them. You can also use solo objects, such as the gnome workbench to raise cash. Essentially these work the same as studying, everyone goes AFK and you watch your sim do the same repetitive task for hours on end.

Now you have enough money to start building your home. However you have a 100-object limit on what you can buy. After you have reached that limit, which many have already done, you have essentially "completed" the game. You can then try to attract visitors to your property so that you can run around acting as their personal maid service, feeding them food, cleaning the toilet after they are done, making beds, etc. You have now hit the peak of excitement and entertainment in the game! Congratulations!

In my opinion, there is no inherent fun to this game. Most people who love the game will tell you that the fun of the game comes from what you put into it. I can find ways for a piece of string to be fun too, and I don't have to spend $50 to buy it and pay $10 a month to play with it.

The only hope for this game is that in the "future" additional content will be released to make the game more fun. (No exact or even estimated dates are provided by Maxis, it could be two weeks or two years) In my opinion, this is still a beta quality game that people are being charged to play while the bugs are worked out. It still may turn out to be good in the "future", but right now it is about as entertaining as watching laundry dry.

Also, if you purchase this game and find yourself upset with it, do not complain on the official Sims Online message boards. Anything other than praise and raves can now be considered a violation of the terms of service and your account can be revoked for it. Several threads expressing dissatisfaction have already been shut down and locked by Maxis administrators.

A Sham of a game

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 47 / 48
Date: December 22, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Being a Sims fan since Day One, I bought this game on the first day
it was released to the public just like how I did when all the expansions of the offline version came out.
I was aware of some of negativity surrounding The Sims Online but I dimissed it because I have always been satisfied with the Maxis/Electronic Arts products I have purchased.

After playing this game on an off for two days I have to say I am not only disappointed in the product but I feel like I have been ripped off.

This is *not* an actual game where Sims can stroll through neighborhoods and downtown areas and play with other players in an actual Sim World.

The game has a similar design to several online 3D Virtual World-Skin/avatar chat places I frequent.
And in some of those places for a nominal fee, you can actually buld your own world that people can explore.

This doesn't seem like an actual, legitimate MMORPG. Because in a true MMORPG, interacting with others is one aspect of the game
which you can particpate in at your discretion.

The foundation of a good gameplay comes first, then socializing and interactivity follows.

What the developers of the game did is create a chat room, and
then try and add psuedo, half- hearted content in order to promote
chatting.

A bunch of adults playing with musical instruments, kissing other sims and engaging in crass potty humor does not make a game.

There simply isn't enough gameplay in it for it being justified in being called an actual game and to con people into paying monthly to particpate in what is essentialy a giant chatroom is positively dishonorable.

Wouldn't pay a penny for the game!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 42 / 74
Date: December 19, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I am a Sims fan. My daughters and I have most of the expansion packs with the exception of Unleashed which just recently came out. That will be under the tree. What will never be a part of our collection is The Sims Online. It is a slap in the face to all loyal Sims players who waited patiently for Simville (cancelled)and bought all the other expansion packs. We have all dreamed of being able to play online with our Sims but not at the price Maxis is asking. It should have been an expansion pack with two options: the multiverse (the current version) and a free, limited multiplayer for up to 8 players like other PC games offer.

A terrible, terrible waste of time and money

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 22 / 23
Date: January 07, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This has been said many times before, but it's worth repeating: this is a glorified, expensive chatroom. If you're interested in doing mindless, tedious tasks to make nominal amounts of money and having countless people come up to you and ask "A/S/L?", then this game might be for you. If not, turn the computer off and interact with people in the real world. It seems to attract the worst aspects of the chatroom culture (mean-spiritedness, juvenile remarks about race and sexual identity, over-competitiveness) while having little of the creativity that can make the internet so great. There are relatively few items (even if your character could afford them) and less skins than I would have thought; I'm sure those will be provided in future, costly expansion packs. This game is not worth what you pay for the software, much less a monthly subscription fee. The concept of the game certainly has potential. Maybe Maxis will make improvements, but that's not going to happen on my dime...

DO NOT BREAK THE SEAL AND BUY THIS GAME UNLESS THE STORE HAS A GOOD RETURN POLICY ON OPENED SOFTWARE! THE BAD REVIEWS YOU READ HERE ARE ABSOLUTELY ACCURATE! DO NOT BUY THIS RIDICULOUSLY OVERPRICED GAME!

Did I mention that I don't like this game?

An extremely boring and uninspiring game

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 34 / 37
Date: February 20, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I purchased this game on December 20th and now I plan to unsubscribe
before the end of the month.

After two months of play I can honesly say this is nothing short of a glorified chat program, as many have stated. At first its fun but then it quickly becomes horribly tedious and repetitive. Keeping your Sims needs up is not exactly the most fun thing to do and theres little to do to keep you inspired to go on.

You can't walk around to explore. You can't even walk to visit your neighbor. Teleporting from house to house in the designated so called cities is not what I would call creating a "true world". Its more like visiting chatrooms. But now, saavy users have created programs that enable them to be away from the keyboard while their Sim builds up a skill so at times there are very few people to talk to.

And I've experienced teleportation in some of the 3D Virtual Chat sites on the Net so this is nothing new to me.

There are so many limits to this game that it has become creatively uninspiring so its no wonder alot of people have unsubscribed.
Its almost as if The game developers when developing this game forgot what made The Sims so much fun.

I know I can speak for alot of players by saying, I'm not interested in becoming the wealthiest or most popular player.

I just wanted to play the regular version of The Sims with my friends. Was that so difficult to create?

Its mildly ironic that just when I'm deciding to unsubscribe, that more content is introduced in the game but unfortunately its a little to late. This game has wore me out to the point where I don't care anymore.

Where's The Fun?

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 33 / 37
Date: January 09, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I am a huge fan of the offline version of this game, but I hate the fact that my character can't have an "identity" or career track in The Sims Online. I basically build up skill points and have to use random "job objects" to make money, but I can't give my character an identity like a thief, or a doctor, or a computer specialist, like I can in the offline versions. I want that kind of identity within this world.

And speaking of building up skill points...it takes FOREVER to get them, and there's nothing for you to do while your Sim sits there reading a book (to gain cooking or mechanical points) or talking into a mirror (to build up charisma points), or working out (to build up body points). You're left bored for extensive amounts of time while you build up these points and the fact that you can't SPEED UP TIME like you can in the offline version makes this game incredibly monotonous.

Save your money for something more entertaining.

Shallow and Pointless Chat Game

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 32 / 33
Date: January 25, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I invested in this game because I expected something just as fun, creative and challenging as the offline Sims. After over paying this game for a month, I can honestly say I regret not taking any of the negative reviews seriously.

I didn't pay money to just chat.

If I wanted to chat and meet people from all over the world,
I can do it for free on the various virtual 3D World Chat interfaces that are available on the net.

Since installing the game and going through countless patch updates, no new content has been added. Players get the same promise that more playable content will be added but so far not much has changed.

The game developers want us to build our own world but they have barely given us the tools to do so. Every place you visit is basically the same as there is no real economy. You are basically told to "make your own fun" or "interact and entertain other players" when you have questions.

I buy games to be entertained. I buy games for escapist fun.
I didn't expect to feel unchallenged, bored, and discouraged.

If you buy this game please be warned, there is alot of disgusting behavior going on. Everytime I played a female Sim, I was constantly hit on, my Sim was forcibly kissed and hugged and you are constantly invited to "play in the lovebed."
And I've witnessed players gang up on and insult players.

If you consider this type of gameplay fun, then get the game.

I plan to cancel my subscription.

Why pay for a product that is still in beta-like version?

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 29 / 32
Date: January 07, 2003
Author: Amazon User

As a test player for SIMS Online for over a month from pre-launch till being a paid player (today - post-launch), I am sorry to inform you that the game is far from bug-free and that you should hold off from buying the game for at least another few months.

During the pre-launch period, there were numerous bugs "crawling" everywhere.. from being booted off the game, to not being able to get home (enter your own lot that you own), to seeing ghostly objects in your own home (objects moving around by itself)....etc. The best part was that these were not one-off problems, but recurring and some would last for days to a week. For example, I was not able to get back into my lot for 5 days. Part of the game's objective is to either buy a lot or join someone's lot as a roommate. Next you furnish your lot or home with objects such as chairs, money making machines, rugs, toilets... etc. Unfortunately, the bugs that keep recurring in SIMS Online even till this very day (post-launch) is that your expensive objects would just disappear/vanish without trace and you would not get reimbursed with the money you spent on it.

During pre-launch days, many test players simply stopped playing all together even though it was free. There were so many bugs popping up and were never fixed even though bug reports were filed and so forth.

Fortunately (or unfortunately?) for the few of us "founders" who have been playing the game pre-launch, we were given the reassurance by Maxis, the company who produced SIMS that the bugs would be fixed and that we should stay on.

Alas, the scheduled launch date of December 17 arrived and Maxis went ahead and launched the product along with grand scale marketing despite having a defective product. Why? Christmas sales, of course!

Nothing has changed since December 17. The bugs continue to exist and new bugs continue to crop up. But, what's incredible is that Maxis is now charging! US$49.95 for the game and US$9.95 monthly charges to play. That comes out to US$120 annually US$50 one-off = total US$170.

You spend so much time fretting over the bugs, filing bug reports on SIMS online website because you lose objects you purchased for your lot/house, can't get into your lot (which you basically purchased your game to be able to do)...etc.. etc.... Finally, you wonder if you should be the one who's getting paid instead of the other way around.

Don't take me wrong, the game concept is good. Building a virtual community and being able to communicate live with other online users, creating your own avatar and role-play is indeed a unique concept. SIMS Online is a good gaming idea. Unfortunately, if you are looking for a good time, I suggest you wait a while before buying. Buying the game now is frankly a waste of time since the game is full of bugs still.

Before I forget to mention, the new players that have emerged in the game are predominately young people in their teens who receive the game as a Christmas gift. If you are up for chatting online with teens and people running around trying to pick you up and "kiss" you, this might be the game for you.

For parents out there, please note that there is quite a lot of adult content in SIMS Online version. You may want to keep a close eye on your kids while they play. Also, make sure you tell your kids never to give out their personal information when people ask them on SIMS online.

Feel free to leave me a message if you have any questions about the game... etc. I already purchased the game with the one-month free subscription pre-launch. It is highly unlikely that I will continue after the 1st month unless if something miraculous happens.

If you are interested in buying, leave me a message and I will let you know if there are improvements.

If not, I highly recommend you to either not buy or buy after at least 3 months!

It just doesn't make sense to pay for a product that is still in beta-mode.

Bad Game and even Worse Customer Service!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 28 / 30
Date: March 04, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Being a huge Sims fan, I bought The Sims Online expecting to have alot of fun in an online Sims environment with my friends.
After playing or rather, 'attempting' to play for the last 1 and half months, I cancelled my subscription even though I have well over a month left of free play.

This game is an incomplete mess. I feel as if I paid to beta test an unfinished product that as of now, is essentially more of a chatroom than an actual game. As previous stated, there is no free form environment to move around in. My Sim can't even walk through the neighborhood. The environment is set up where each city consists of little houses (more like 3D chatrooms)that you teleport to. And the majority of player residences are more like centers you go to either have your Sim learn a skill, and or make money. Players can also create discos, motels, and wedding chapels.

The gameplay consists of keeping your Sim happy, fufilling its needs, etc and trying to earn money to build a successful property.
In order to get anywhere in the game you have spend many hours a day and have many reliable roommates. While the majority of players I've encountered on the game have been polite and helpful, but there were also some players who were rude. I've also witnessed alot crude and obscene behavior so I can safely say that this game is definitely not for children.

The repetition is very very tiresome and theres just wasn't enough variety or content in the game to inspire me to continue on. And it was taking far too long for new content to be added to the game. I am not interested in paying monthly for a game where you have to follow a strict routine and do the same things over and over. And I can chat for free with my friends on the Net or by using one of the many instant messenger services.

On top of this, the customer service is absolutely horrible. The wait to cancel by phone lasts over an hour and the representatives
are rude and have the gall to ask if you're even playing the game right, as they try everything they can to convince you not to cancel before finally tempting you with free months to play. To treat paying customers this way is just wrong. Its going to be a long time before I purchases another EA game.

Disappointing, Boring, Time Consuming.. ugh!!!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 27 / 28
Date: December 26, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I can't tell you how disappointed I was with this game. The chat system is horrid and rather than being a nice place for social interaction, the game seems to revolve around who can get the highest skill (and it can take you literally HOURS to go from one level to the next) and make the most money... and if you don't have 16 hours a day to devote to the game.. well, you can just go ahead and assume that you will never get ahead.

Those who buy this game for the social interaction will be disappointed. Those who buy this game for their children should think twice - there is graphic language and actions. Those who buy this game for entertainment.. well, if you find staring at the screen for hours watching your sim do some boring task to slowly up a skill level that will help you make more money when you are doing other boring tasks then perhaps you might get something out of it.. but the one thing you won't have is a life!

In my opinion, this game is NOT worth the money for the initial purchase nor is it worth the additional monthly fee they charge you play it online. Your money would be better spent buying an expansion for your regular sims game.

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