Unlike the free-flowing gameplay of traditional the Sims, the Sims: The Sims: Bustin' Out is more of a linear game.
It has a clear beginning and a clear main objective.
Rather than an open-world sandbox, the Sims: The Sims: Bustin' Out is more like an RPG.
The same is also the Sims: The Sims: Urbz.
Although it's still far from being a true the Sims.
But in today's world, it would be no less devastating than a nuclear bomb.
Playing house in the virtual world—what a thrill for tough guys!
Now that the project direction has been determined, the first thing to do is naturally to brainstorm.
A Japan philosopher once said that humans have three major desires: the desire for food, lust, and the desire for sleep.
Lin Lixin wrote three words on the whiteboard with a serious expression, then casually crossed them out, "No, no, my knowledge is all mixed up."
"Cough cough."
According to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, humans have five levels of needs.
"It's like a pyramid, layer upon layer."
"The lower the level of demand, the more important and powerful it is."
Maslow believed that lower-level needs must be satisfied or partially satisfied before higher-level needs can emerge.
Lin Lixin paused for a moment. This seemingly mystical psychological theory was precisely the key to designing characters in the Sims series. "There's an old saying in the East, 'When people are well-fed and warm, they think of lust; when they are hungry and cold, they think of theft,' which is roughly the same idea."
He casually drew a six-layered pyramid structure on the whiteboard.
Then, the words "physiological needs" were filled in at the bottom layer.
Food, water, and sleep are the most basic needs for an individual to sustain life.
Will's eyes lit up as he listened; this was exactly what he had thought.
Based on this, we can already design two basic requirements for the character.
Hunger and stamina levels.
It's like the health and mana bars in traditional RPG games.
Similarly, according to the next level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, new needs can naturally emerge.
Lin Lixin filled in "safety needs" on the second level of needs, and then said, "In a game that simulates life and society, what are safety needs?"
This is actually easier to understand in older video games.
Safety is about keeping yourself away from danger and avoiding chaos.
But in modern society, monsters don't exist, and things that could potentially kill people don't exist, so where does this sense of security come from?
"Uh—like thieves and robbers?"
Will tentatively began to speak, trying to find a suitable explanation.
However, Lin Lixin shook his head.
"No, in video games, this design has a limited impact on players' sense of security."
" Will, you probably know better than anyone else what's most dangerous and frightening in modern society, don't you?"
Will was taken aback.
"I?"
This sudden question made him hesitate.
"How could I know—ah—you're right."
His eyes suddenly glazed over for a moment, then instantly brightened with understanding.
What are security requirements?
Occupational safety, occupational safety, and stable livelihood are all part of the overall safety requirement.
Nothing is more terrifying than unemployment.
Will suddenly shuddered.
Before being taken in by Lin Lixin, he was at an extremely dangerous juncture.
She has no job, no income, and her love life is extremely unstable.
With his meager savings, he simply couldn't continue developing SimCity.
If he is not careful, everything he has will quickly fall apart.
If Lin Lixin, that burly man, hadn't miraculously saved me back then...
Will's throat bobbed, and an indescribable emotion welled up inside him.
For a moment, my eyes welled up with tears.
I wouldn't say I was deeply moved; I was more terrified and cried.
That's fucking terrifying!
"That's right. The need for discipline and order is part of the need for safety, so profession can also be part of this need."
Lin Lixin nodded.
While this design may seem somewhat dogmatic and rigid, it is undeniably very precise.
Once the functionality reaches modern standards, they can naturally develop a true " The Sims ".
Like in the fourth generation, they can choose their own ambitions and determine their own character's personality.
Different personalities can produce drastically different mood boosts.
Ultimately, this is nothing more than a more refined version of the mechanism David used in LCP.
However, due to functional limitations, it is impossible to implement it perfectly.
As for now, using this demand theory to design a game is always a good idea.
"Next, the need for affection and belonging."
Lin Lixin continued to write down the requirements for the next layer.
This layer is much easier to understand compared to the more abstract security requirements mentioned earlier.
Friendship, love, family ties----
These can all be seen as part of this demand.
If placed in a video game----
"Due to limited functionality, we can only use relatively abstract numerical values such as favorability and 'social needs' to represent it."
Social relationships have always been an important part of the Sims series.
Even in the Sims: The Sims: Bustin' Out and the Sims: The Sims: Urbz, social interaction has become a major part of the gameplay.
You must constantly engage in deeper interactions with others to continuously advance the game's progress.
As for the main works, the forms of expression are even more varied and bizarre.
The chaotic social relationships there are beyond what the mere phrase "the entertainment circle is truly messy" can describe.
No matter who you are, even if you're Santa Claus or the Grim Reaper coming to collect souls, once you've successfully won me over, you'll have to stay and find me a partner.
This level of freedom is thanks to the "object-oriented" concept in modern programming languages.
In short, it would only be truly possible if both memory and processors were to be upgraded to the next generation.
Lin Lixin sighed helplessly.
Hardware bottleneck!
Like a dark cloud hanging overhead, every time they successfully overcome a new challenge, the hardware jumps out to continue its triumphant display.
No matter how much you push the performance limits, it will never be enough.
With better memory, he wanted to pursue even higher precision 3D.
With a 3D model featuring a higher polygon count, Lin Lixin also wanted better lighting.
Smoother skeletal animation, higher resolution----
The semiconductor industry and video games are truly a pair of star-crossed lovers.
Keep learning, there's no end to learning!
"In conclusion, the next requirement is to respect needs."
"I think this can be considered in conjunction with the highest level of self-actualization needs."
"And that will be the ultimate goal of our game."
"The underdog's rise to power."