felix fae

[ugliifae]

(◕‿◕✿) introduction ;

˚°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･˚°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･˚°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

name : uglii / felix

blog type : personal variety - essentially just a place to yap

pronouns : they / he / xe

˚°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･˚°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･˚°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

˚°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･˚°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･˚°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

[ugliifae]

Day 5 of Attempting to Write Everyday

꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦

today will, sadly, be a shorter post than normal given that i am on my period and thus: dying lol

however, the issue at hand strikes a bit of inspiration in me, and it got me thinking about the unfair expectations of those with periods and the belief that we should be working to the same level consistently

꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦

over 50% of the population will have a period at some point in their life (give or take, that number is based on population counts). there really should be more equity based leniencies there when it comes to those that do struggle with their periods.

we are forced to work on what is essentially a man’s schedule. men’s cycle works on a 24 hour cycle with the ways their hormones fluctuate, for females (using that term based on sex, nothing else) that cycle is typically 28 days. for a lot of females, two weeks out of the month are incredibly limiting and debilitating. both mentally and physically.

yet we get NO assistance nor leniency for it? what a strange system

꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦

rant over, brain foggy, uglii tired lol

[ugliifae]

Day 4 of Attempting to Write Everyday:

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I’ve received a lot of positive response the last few days with regards to my Paralives posts: thank you! really motivating me to continuously put my voice out there because, like i mentioned previously, the community did seem to look down upon any constructive criticisms.

like i mentioned in a reply though, this sentiment is starting to change since the delay news - or at the very least, IT HAS TO.

it’s all well and good to create a beautiful game, as paralives and inzoi already have - but what creates a life sim?

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* stating immediately that these thoughts aren’t entirely original, but they are formulated by me and have an added layer of my perspective and opinion on top hehe.

* i have been SCOURING the internet for the past day to read everyone’s opinions on the delay, and it led to me thinking about how we CREATE a life sim that feels good to play and keeps people coming back

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1. Where It All Began: What Made The Sims So Successful?

We have to give credit where it’s due and thank the beauty that is Will Wright for his invention (well, mastery) of this genre. The Sims 1 as well as the Sims franchise in general has been IMMENSELY successful since it first launched - but hasn’t been given any real competition since. Why is that?

The Sims 1 launched with the basic understanding of what this genre is meant to be, something that other companies seem to forget along the way. Yes, life is beautiful and made of smaller details - but what are these aspects detailing if the core foundation of the gameplay is missing, or empty?

Yes, the sims 1 (and even 2&3) weren’t necessarily ‘pretty’, but they had the foundations set up correctly that made it incredibly rewarding to KEEP coming back to the game. This aspect is what other companies seem to fall short on: what turns your life sim from something engaging to something repetitive, and how do you find a balance between the two?

But like i said, these sims game without the intention of looking amazing, had a core gameplay loop that was difficult, engaging, and rewarding. You had to actively grind to make some money. You had to grind to get a promotion. You had to grind to get those relationships to where you wanted them to be. This difficulty and level of achievement is what keeps a player engaged and coming back to the game. These reasons are also why we see a lot more players continuously restarting in the sims 4: the gameplay is beautiful and has so many amazing features, but that level of difficulty isn’t necessarily there and has to be fostered carefully. After all, what’s the point of going back to a game where you have all the rewards when the restart button is right there?

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2. How Do You Create Meaningful Gameplay?

To answer this question, we need to boil down the mechanics of the games to their smallest parts.

So of course, a life sim follows the mundane everyday. There’s always an aspect of: wake up < eat < go to work < socialise < eat < go to sleep. all games can easily implement this, but how do you make it engaging?

The answer? difficulty and reward.

Not only do you need resistance in completing these goals (like, get a degree for a better job! have these skills to these levels before you can be promoted! do this set of tasks before you can be a better student! etc etc) but you also need a reason to do it.

What is the benefit of a better job if you don’t need the additional money? what else does it give you?

what is the benefit of having your acquaintance become a best friend? what else does it give you?

what is the benefit of moving onto the next generation? what else does it give you?

without these questions answered and properly rewarded, the game feels stagnant and noncommittal. that’s when it reigns true that a lot of the fun comes from starting over, and going through that initial struggle again. the sims 4, i feel, had issues with properly rewarding some of the core gameplay loops which is why people announce it as ‘not as fun’ as the other games in that title.

legacy players are what create these games - you should want to explore the game to its entirety and find the game fun at most life stages (in an ideal world, of course, this should be the aim of the developers anyways). if you can’t see a reason to play with a sim past young adulthood with a mother lode in the back pocket, why would you ever go back to it?

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3. How Do You Begin To Make a Successful LifeSim?

it’s very easy for me to relate this back to paralives with all the news coming out right now - but know that this isn’t just the fault of the paradevs. it’s why this genre seems to be unbeaten by the Sims right now and has been a key issue for all those that dare attempt to tackle this genre.

you need to start with the basics. fuck your pretty game. fuck your genetics. fuck your seven types of pizza. those DO NOT matter if you can’t walk from A-B.

game developers seem to be placing an emphasis on the aesthetics as of late, and it’s why we are seeing more and more failures within this genre.

in the early stages: we do not need graphic designers. we do not need artists. we do not need adoring fans.

what we do need? boring as fuck grey blocks and a definition of what the core gameplay is going to be. everything else CAN COME AFTER.

if you intend to SIMULATE LIFE, your focus can not be the aesthetics of it primarily. life is mundane and we are all masters of the mundane in this area, how do you personally intend to make this fun? how do you provide structure and routine without it feeling monotonous?

i’ve played ugly games and i’ve played beautiful games - of course the pretty ones are what initially attracted me to it, but it is NOT necessary. i feel this is what devs tend to misunderstand.

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

anyone can make a game, but not everyone understands game design no matter how many hours they play.

[kirabook]

As a patreon member and having seen the live gameplay last week, I can sorta see why they decided to push back the release, however disappointing.

The game functions. You can play it.

But there were a few things that kept popping up during the gameplay that no doubt would take players out of it. Most of it, in my opinion, involved routing.

The paras routed fine and could get to where they need to be, but they also sometimes clipped through objects, walls and the missing animations left it feeling maybe TOO unfinished. Townies also felt a little too... what's the word.... ghostly. They weren't ghosts, obviously, but they kinda popped in and out for no rhyme or reason IN camera view sometimes.

Paralives, in my opinion, is still in alpha. I would've been satisfied if they released it as it was. I didn't read others reactions to the gameplay, but I imagine feedback from everyone present pushed them to push the game back more. I was optimistic that the general perception in December would be positive with the understanding that it is an early access game.

But maybe the pressure from potential reception of early access goers was just too much of a risk. If they don't nail the first release, then they'd go into this early access period with less gamer confidence.

I can't imagine how crushed the team must be feeling right now. Here's hoping in the next 6 months, they'll have more time to polish things.

[ugliifae]

Day 2 of Attempting to Write Everyday:

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With the upcoming release of Paralives, i’ve had a lot on my mind given the communities response.

i’ve engaged in both incredibly positive (potentially overly so) & incredibly negative communities thus far to see the general consensus of players - my god, it is divided.

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on the one hand, i can absolutely agree with the games avid supporters. those who continuously inform the community of what we currently know, what the game will possess at the release of early access, and what’s yet to come.

the main issue i am seeing with regards to these supports is almost a state of toxic positivity and an inability to ingest any minor, albeit constructive, criticisms with regards to the games development.

i’ve seen a reoccurring statement appear recently which essentially boils down to infantilising the devs. players within this fan base continuously shutting down suggestions (no matter the kind) on behalf of the devs in an attempt to manage expectations, which is honestly rather off putting.

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this game is in early access for a reason. it is being released as is to ALLOW for criticisms to enhance the game. yes, not everything will be AVAILABLE upon early access release on december 8th, but shutting down minor fixes or potential future changes seems like a terrible idea to me.

not only this, the constant rhetoric coming from (mainly) sims players that are regurgitating the same talking points of ‘don’t buy paralives if you’re expecting the sims - it’ll suck initially!’ surely doesn’t HELP the team at all.

i understand the intention there, but god, it comes across as demeaning.

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on the other hand, those that have been critical of the Paralives development seem overly cautious, but are also raising valid concerns that seem to be shut down too much.

it is less than a month before the early access reveal and we are yet to see continuous gameplay footage. that, in and of itself, is incredibly disappointing and sadly has only has the effect of deterring players. even players like myself who are incredibly excited for the release and will 100% support the game on launch, has made me question if it’s worth it to get at all if it seems like the ‘simulation’ part of a life sim game potentially won’t be there.

and before you say it, no we haven’t seen gameplay. animation reels potentially created within the engine rather than the game DO NOT count and can not be substituted as trailer footage. all it does is raise, potentially untrue, expectations. it becomes disappointing for either party.

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all that to say, if you like what you see with regards to build mode and the paramaker (as i’m aware that a lot of simmers are happy to play solely build mode or cas mode) you should consider supporting the game upon early access! as long as you’re aware of the potential limitations of it, of course!

but at the same time, i can’t condemn anyone who is sceptical of the games progress thus far. the team, as well as the community, has done a poor job at marketing this game. (again, show us the gameplay! what the hell! & simmers PLEASE stop putting the game down for no reason)

whilst i have personal issues with the current games process (listed below if you’re curious!), i do think it has potential. for that potential to be installed, however, it does need monetary support. sadly, i think both groups alike have jeopardised that in differing ways.

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My (constructive) criticisms for Paralives are below!

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and before i begin, yes of course this game is early access. and yes of course all of these changes can’t be implemented in time for the release, nor am i expecting them to be.

personal clarification: i have no extended practise within the realm of game dev, but i do have experience with computer science and website development which is where a lot of my UI criticisms come from.

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1. PARAMAKER UI VISIBILITY ISSUES

With the recent releases of videos such as the Paramaker creation video as well as a video showcasing the build mode, i have MAJOR concerns with the UI for a variety of reasons.

Starting with the Paramaker, because i believe these changes could be most easily implemented:

The video i am going to be referencing is the video included above so id recommend watching that first!

The main, most easily addressable issue, is the background colour on the Paramaker items. The black background makes it IMPOSSIBLE to see the darker hair swatches, darker skin tones, and darker clothes/accessories.

As you can see above, the black t-shirt on the model faded into the background. whilst this might be okay with something as plain and simple as a t-shirt, items like, for example, a black woolen jumper will be lost to the background.

and there are two issues with regards to the hair category. whilst of course, the aforementioned problem resides with the hair swatches being invisible on the darker ones, there is also an issue of the black hair x black background.

for obvious reasons, this limits accessibility greatly. it is incredibly difficult to make out the shapes of the hairs HOWEVER it being on a black hair to begin with isn’t a great idea - this dark colour WILL ALWAYS somewhat mask hair texture, meaning it’ll be harder to decipher what your Para’s hair will actually be.

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Suggested Changes:

Changing the background from a darker colour to a lighter one. Potentially utilising a gradient like the Sims 4 does to allow for further inspection.

Changing the colour of the base hair model to a lighter one. Potentially an auburn or a blonde would read better overall.

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2. GENERAL PARAMAKER UI ISSUES

This, sadly, isn’t the only UI issue i have spotted - but the others are quite nitpicky so i’ll mention them here with regards to the paramaker.

As noted in the images above, there is not a level of consistency on any level with regards to the icons, both scaling and design wise.

On the top bar, there are tons of differing sizes, lineweights, complexities etc. not to mention the massive, ill fitting, checkmark and X buttons that do not fit there.

These top icons should, of course, be standardised. This same issue pertains to the ‘ages’ menu seen in the last screenshot. Also : readability. ALL of these icons are hard to decipher at first glance due to them being so thin. Making them thicker, and more simple would go A LONG way!

The aforementioned feedback pertains to the Paramaker clothing icons. Of course, they can be somewhat different given that they’re meant to be highlighted, but them having a border/‘sticker’ effect makes them stick out like a sore thumb in comparison to the rest of the icons.

This would potentially be okay if the lineweights between iconography matched up, but they don’t. The lineweights on these icons are much thicker compared to the last ones i’ve spoken about.

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Suggested Changes:

Simplifying the UI icons so they’re all more readable at a glance.

Making the lineweights & sizes more consistent, i’d recommend matching the thicker lines of the ‘CAS’ icons we currently have.

Creating a consistent branding. The sticker effect on the ‘CAS’ items really fits well with the Paralives branding! I think extending this on to the other icons, but maybe enhancing the ‘lesser’ icons with a drop shadow rather than a full background, would do wonders for making the whole UI more consistent.

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and a smaller nitpick, because i can only hope the team intends to change this, but these placeholder blender models for changing your parafolk are an EYESORE. Replacing them with parafolk images, like the ones that are used for the hair models, would be so much nicer!

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and the last of my Paramaker UI nitpicks, as stated previously, these icons should ALL be simplified. They are too small to showcase all of this detail.

Multiple underwear items isn’t necessary to showcase what the category is: simply a bra would do.

Multiple jewellery pieces isn’t necessary to showcase what the category is: a necklace would do.

There are a few instances of this within the Paramaker and i would urge the team to reconsider this aspect for accessibility reasons - it would be much easier to decipher if the icons were simpler :)

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3. PARALIVES BUILD MODE UI ISSUES

As mentioned before, the same issue plagues the build mode in paralives with the icons being incredibly differing. The top icons do not match the ‘feature’ icons for the same reasons listed above, so i won’t go through that again.

Referencing this video for this section:

HOWEVER, what i will mention is something related to the ‘feature’ icons.

as mentioned in the video above, these are the icons we are receiving for build mode with a similar ‘sticker’ view as the paramaker ones.

of course, i think these could be thickened just like the paramaker ones, but overall i feel this style works well for the game!

now, my issue lies in two main things: icon simplicity & alignment

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SIMPLICITY: i’m essentially repeating the same points i had earlier. these icons are WAY too detailed for this size and it makes them incredibly hard to read at a glance.

Suggested Changes:

Reworking these icons to be both thicker, as well as simplifying the contents. Example: bathroom being denoted as simply a toilet icon, rather than a toilet, plant, & sink. Example 2: Bedroom being denoted as simply a bed icon, rather than a bed, side table, and lamp.

Additionally, these icons have differing perspectives which removes from the cohesion. Example: the ‘bedroom’ icon utilises an elevational drawing whilst the ‘bathroom’ icon utilities a perspective drawing. Not only that, the sub categories have NO consistency with perspective. The bed icon is isometric, the wardrobe is elevational, the rug and plants are perspective. Pick one! I’d recommend sticking to either an elevational view OR an isometric view. Both would work well!

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ALIGNMENT: Whilst i understand that the team is intentionally creating a more scrapbooky looking UI, i think the misaligned icons within the build buy actually take from it. Not only do them being tilted at different angles make it hard to read, but it also appears rather messy.

Suggested Changes:

Not entirely my idea so i’ll give credit where credit is due, but i do think that aligning them fully and maybe making it so that it’s the selected icon/category that tilts would read so much nicer!

Mockup from @/tohellwithgoodintentions on discord below:

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An additional issue i found whilst looking for this very post is a glaring one that i am HOPING gets fixed ahead of early access

the UI is literally covering itself. This just should not be happening.

There are a LOT of icons on the top of the screen as is and i feel like condensing them into sub menus would make everything feel a lot more polished, as well as removing this issue.

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apparently there’s a ten image attachment limit on tumblr so i can’t continue showcasing some more of my ideas/feedback lol. in which case, ill end this part here and publish an additional section to this review tomorrow.

i do want to leave with the added note that none of this feedback is done with hatred in mind. i am not attempting to overly criticise or harass the devs, nor do i ever intend to.

the way i’m approaching these potential changes is through the eyes of accessibility - whilst something may seem minor overall, someone with poor eyesight could struggle to play this game in its current state!

all that being said, i am incredibly excited for the release date and i am awaiting even more news from the team.

i shall return tomorrow with a whole other list haha <3

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[parasplease]

I've read everything and I agree with so much in this post.

I'm glad i'm not alone in feeling like there is a lot of toxic positivity in the community. I remember scrolling through the comment section on a Paralives video and someone had posted a fair critique of the game. I decided to check out the replies and it felt like people were overeacting to this little critique. I also agree with UI critiques. I don't know what to add here since I just straight up agree with everything, especially the dark backgrounds behind black hair and the insconsitant icon lineweight. I hope the Paralives team somehow reads this post and takes these critiques into consideration.

At the end of the day we just want Paralives to be the best game it can be.

[ugliifae]

if it’s any consolation, i’ve heard a lot more people speaking out since the delay announcement!

whilst criticism is, of course, hard to hear, it is SO necessary for a game to be both functional and entertaining. it’s very easy to hone in on the ‘pretty’ parts of paralives, but if the game is only the pretty parts - it becomes a dollhouse simulator and nothing else.

i’m hoping these next few months give the team a chance to really smooth out these finer details as well as put an emphasis on QA testing!

[ugliifae]

Day 3 of Attempting to Write Everyday:

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

phew, today was a close one.

it’s currently 10pm and the only reason i remembered to write today is because i saw a notification, haha - thank you random liker!

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

so, i mentioned yesterday in my incredibly long post regarding the current state of paralives as well as the fanbase that i would be writing a second part to that today - but if you weren’t aware, Paralives has actually postponed its Early Access release to May 25th, 2026.

I’ll attach the dev post below:

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

in the aims of not kicking them whilst they’re down, i’ll hold off on posting that second layer of feedback for now.

overall, how am i feeling about it?

initially, i was kinda pissed off. yeah these things happen, but the fact that we were less than a month off from release, as well as the video specifying early access content being posted just two weeks ago, this kinda baffled me. this is WAY too late of an announcement, and i was incredibly surprised to see it at this stage.

however, i did decide to dig around a little bit and made a free trial for their patreon, as they had released a gameplay footage video alongside this announcement and Oh God. Devs, you made the right choice.

i would REALLY recommend watching it through if you’re in this same confused state as i was, because it genuinely felt like all the criticisms and scepticisms i had were finally revealed as true.

it suddenly made sense why they refused to show pure gameplay footage all this time, because god some of these issues are undeniable.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

however, it also got me wondering, why on EARTH did it take them so long to delay it when this was the state it’s in?

the answer? biased reviewers and playtesters, as well as the same overly positive fanbase i mentioned in my post yesterday.

Paralives devs: for the love of god, please invest in playtesters that are willing to criticise and help you make this game what it deserves to be. allow your patrons to give you that feedback and EMPHASISE that they can - they are there to help you.

in a field like this, you can’t be led by blind optimism, and i’m sorry but if i was a patron for the last seven years only to end up with this: it would be a smack in the face to have to wait SO LONG for gameplay footage. we, as consumers, have a right to understanding what we are supporting/potentially purchasing.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

all that being said, the devs made a ridiculously hard but humble decision today and i applaud them for it, but i do hope that there is a further level of transparency and professionalism going forward.

delays are normal in game development. no proof of content, faked gameplay footage (the footage we have seen on youtube clearly isn’t real, given the release stream we just saw with its hundreds of frame drops and buggy animations), and a severely delayed set of announcements are NOT normal however.

devs, i hope you use this time to make the progress you need, and i wish you the very best of luck.

[lazulian-devil]

This is absolutely a valid point. I left the Patreon a few months ago but even then all updates were very aesthatic and content focused. Like I am sure that the music, the art and the town are already gorgeous but Sims 2 is fun not because its pretty but because its ridiculous and packed with stuff.

Im really sad that the hype train made them sit in that kinda decision for a long time but I genuinely hope (and think) that in six months, we will have an Early Access.

However, if they were to delay again, I think the game will honestly fall apart. Announcing early and then delaying indefinetly is very Indie Titel and I dont know if the game could survive it?

[ugliifae]

completely understand this.

life sims are of course made of the little details, sims 2 in particular nailed a lot of these smaller aspects that keep it in the public eye to this day! HOWEVER, these details SHOULD only come after the basis of a life sim (ie. gameplay loops, functional systems etc) are in place - otherwise, what are you detailing?

the point above is why a game like inzoi essentially flopped in early access. yes it was beautiful. yes it had amazing attention to detail. but what is all of that when the zois can’t talk to each other properly? what is all of that when there’s not much to do when you leave your house?

i do hope there will be an early access (or at the very least, a demo) in six months, but given what we saw in the gameplay video - i genuinely don’t think it’s going to happen. a lot of these issues were things that should have been nailed out and resolved within the EARLY stages of development. the idea of them doing all that in six months? phew… good luck

[ugliifae]

Day 3 of Attempting to Write Everyday:

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

phew, today was a close one.

it’s currently 10pm and the only reason i remembered to write today is because i saw a notification, haha - thank you random liker!

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

so, i mentioned yesterday in my incredibly long post regarding the current state of paralives as well as the fanbase that i would be writing a second part to that today - but if you weren’t aware, Paralives has actually postponed its Early Access release to May 25th, 2026.

I’ll attach the dev post below:

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

in the aims of not kicking them whilst they’re down, i’ll hold off on posting that second layer of feedback for now.

overall, how am i feeling about it?

initially, i was kinda pissed off. yeah these things happen, but the fact that we were less than a month off from release, as well as the video specifying early access content being posted just two weeks ago, this kinda baffled me. this is WAY too late of an announcement, and i was incredibly surprised to see it at this stage.

however, i did decide to dig around a little bit and made a free trial for their patreon, as they had released a gameplay footage video alongside this announcement and Oh God. Devs, you made the right choice.

i would REALLY recommend watching it through if you’re in this same confused state as i was, because it genuinely felt like all the criticisms and scepticisms i had were finally revealed as true.

it suddenly made sense why they refused to show pure gameplay footage all this time, because god some of these issues are undeniable.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

however, it also got me wondering, why on EARTH did it take them so long to delay it when this was the state it’s in?

the answer? biased reviewers and playtesters, as well as the same overly positive fanbase i mentioned in my post yesterday.

Paralives devs: for the love of god, please invest in playtesters that are willing to criticise and help you make this game what it deserves to be. allow your patrons to give you that feedback and EMPHASISE that they can - they are there to help you.

in a field like this, you can’t be led by blind optimism, and i’m sorry but if i was a patron for the last seven years only to end up with this: it would be a smack in the face to have to wait SO LONG for gameplay footage. we, as consumers, have a right to understanding what we are supporting/potentially purchasing.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

all that being said, the devs made a ridiculously hard but humble decision today and i applaud them for it, but i do hope that there is a further level of transparency and professionalism going forward.

delays are normal in game development. no proof of content, faked gameplay footage (the footage we have seen on youtube clearly isn’t real, given the release stream we just saw with its hundreds of frame drops and buggy animations), and a severely delayed set of announcements are NOT normal however.

devs, i hope you use this time to make the progress you need, and i wish you the very best of luck.

[felixfae]

Catchup Post aka “Hello! I’m still alive!”

Hello everyone - obviously i’m not a bigger account or someone people necessarily follow for gameplay, but I have been missing as of late and i’m sorry!

When my like 15 gen legacy household completely corrupted, I can’t lie, it killed my appetite for the game a little bit.

Not only that, i feel i can’t return without addressing the elephant in the room - the EA buyout to PIF.

If you’ve been living under a rock, i’m envious of you. The news essentially equates to EA (probably) being sold to PIF, which is Saudia Arabia’s government investment fund.

There are lots of concerns as to whether the gameplay will change at the moment, but honestly i don’t think this will occur. EA is a massive company, the buyers are probably more interested in the sports titles that EA has, as well as the Sims essentially branding itself on diversity since the dawn of time. Not only would it be downright stupid for them to no longer support these minorities within their game financially bc a LOT of consumers would boycott it - but it would also be INCREDIBLY expensive to remove these features.

That being said, I don’t have concerns (as of right now) for potential gameplay changes. I am of the opinion that the sims will stay as is.

Where i DO have concerns, however, is this support coming from the Saudi Arabian Government. Regardless of where you stand on LGBT rights etc, i think we can all agree that people DO NOT deserve to be publicly executed for being queer, and sadly this is something their government supports. Not only this, we have seen numerous free speech abuses like reporters being murdered, as well as the hundreds (if not thousands) unjustified deaths of queer people - this is NOT something i can continue to support in any capacity.

i have attached some articles regarding the issue below and i hope that you take the time to read them! it’s important that we as consumers DO NOT continue to support a company that is firstly willing to be sold to such a corrupt government but also that we DO NOT support this government financially.

whilst i will, of course, continue to play my game and post occasional screenshots from it - i can not in good conscience ‘promote’ it like i used to. My characters are POC queer people and using them to advertise a company that would murder them if they were real sickens me to my stomach.

i hope you all join me for this next iteration of my gameplay - both by joining the campaign as well as moving onto bigger and better things.

i am, like most of the sims community, incredibly excited for the release of Paralives on Dec 8th and will 100% be supporting and playing it upon its release! If you’re stuck for games to play, i would recommend that one hehe :)

thank you to anyone who’s read this far. if you need me to further clarify something, please let me know.

but also, don’t leave a nasty comment for the sake of it. engage constructively with the conversation if you’d like to argue, thank you<3

Links below the cut:

Criminalisation of LGBT People in Saudi Arabia

Country profile of Saudi Arabia. LGBT people are Saudi Arabia criminalises same-sex sexual activity between men and between women. The gende

10 ways that Saudi Arabia violates human rights

As Saudi Arabia secures top footballers, takes over UK clubs and seeks to host the 2030 men's world cup, find out 10 ways the oil rich count

Jamal Khashoggi: All you need to know about Saudi journalist's death - BBC News

Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. Here's what we know.

A Saudi journalist tweeted against the government – and was executed for ‘high treason’

The death of Turki al-Jasser was the first high-profile killing of a journalist since the 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi

[ugliifae]

with the new release of the two creator kits, i feel it is important to remind you of the current political ventures that are surrounding EA rn.

if you are seeking to support creators, do so by donating directly to them or subscribing to their patreon - they do not deserve to be punished by the boycott or EAs actions as they had no idea of when these kits would be released, or the controversy they’d be shrouded in.

DO NOT purchase packs for a game company that is willing to sell themselves to a government that executes queer people and those willing to condemn the government.

DO NOT purchase packs for a broken game.

[felixfae]

Catchup Post aka “Hello! I’m still alive!”

Hello everyone - obviously i’m not a bigger account or someone people necessarily follow for gameplay, but I have been missing as of late and i’m sorry!

When my like 15 gen legacy household completely corrupted, I can’t lie, it killed my appetite for the game a little bit.

Not only that, i feel i can’t return without addressing the elephant in the room - the EA buyout to PIF.

If you’ve been living under a rock, i’m envious of you. The news essentially equates to EA (probably) being sold to PIF, which is Saudia Arabia’s government investment fund.

There are lots of concerns as to whether the gameplay will change at the moment, but honestly i don’t think this will occur. EA is a massive company, the buyers are probably more interested in the sports titles that EA has, as well as the Sims essentially branding itself on diversity since the dawn of time. Not only would it be downright stupid for them to no longer support these minorities within their game financially bc a LOT of consumers would boycott it - but it would also be INCREDIBLY expensive to remove these features.

That being said, I don’t have concerns (as of right now) for potential gameplay changes. I am of the opinion that the sims will stay as is.

Where i DO have concerns, however, is this support coming from the Saudi Arabian Government. Regardless of where you stand on LGBT rights etc, i think we can all agree that people DO NOT deserve to be publicly executed for being queer, and sadly this is something their government supports. Not only this, we have seen numerous free speech abuses like reporters being murdered, as well as the hundreds (if not thousands) unjustified deaths of queer people - this is NOT something i can continue to support in any capacity.

i have attached some articles regarding the issue below and i hope that you take the time to read them! it’s important that we as consumers DO NOT continue to support a company that is firstly willing to be sold to such a corrupt government but also that we DO NOT support this government financially.

whilst i will, of course, continue to play my game and post occasional screenshots from it - i can not in good conscience ‘promote’ it like i used to. My characters are POC queer people and using them to advertise a company that would murder them if they were real sickens me to my stomach.

i hope you all join me for this next iteration of my gameplay - both by joining the campaign as well as moving onto bigger and better things.

i am, like most of the sims community, incredibly excited for the release of Paralives on Dec 8th and will 100% be supporting and playing it upon its release! If you’re stuck for games to play, i would recommend that one hehe :)

thank you to anyone who’s read this far. if you need me to further clarify something, please let me know.

but also, don’t leave a nasty comment for the sake of it. engage constructively with the conversation if you’d like to argue, thank you<3

Links below the cut:

Criminalisation of LGBT People in Saudi Arabia

Country profile of Saudi Arabia. LGBT people are Saudi Arabia criminalises same-sex sexual activity between men and between women. The gende

10 ways that Saudi Arabia violates human rights

As Saudi Arabia secures top footballers, takes over UK clubs and seeks to host the 2030 men's world cup, find out 10 ways the oil rich count

Jamal Khashoggi: All you need to know about Saudi journalist's death - BBC News

Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. Here's what we know.

A Saudi journalist tweeted against the government – and was executed for ‘high treason’

The death of Turki al-Jasser was the first high-profile killing of a journalist since the 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi

[ugliifae]

with the new release of the two creator kits, i feel it is important to remind you of the current political ventures that are surrounding EA rn.

if you are seeking to support creators, do so by donating directly to them or subscribing to their patreon - they do not deserve to be punished by the boycott or EAs actions as they had no idea of when these kits would be released, or the controversy they’d be shrouded in.

DO NOT purchase packs for a game company that is willing to sell themselves to a government that executes queer people and those willing to condemn the government.

DO NOT purchase packs for a broken game.

[ugliifae]

Day 2 of Attempting to Write Everyday:

────୨ৎ────

With the upcoming release of Paralives, i’ve had a lot on my mind given the communities response.

i’ve engaged in both incredibly positive (potentially overly so) & incredibly negative communities thus far to see the general consensus of players - my god, it is divided.

────୨ৎ────

on the one hand, i can absolutely agree with the games avid supporters. those who continuously inform the community of what we currently know, what the game will possess at the release of early access, and what’s yet to come.

the main issue i am seeing with regards to these supports is almost a state of toxic positivity and an inability to ingest any minor, albeit constructive, criticisms with regards to the games development.

i’ve seen a reoccurring statement appear recently which essentially boils down to infantilising the devs. players within this fan base continuously shutting down suggestions (no matter the kind) on behalf of the devs in an attempt to manage expectations, which is honestly rather off putting.

────୨ৎ────

this game is in early access for a reason. it is being released as is to ALLOW for criticisms to enhance the game. yes, not everything will be AVAILABLE upon early access release on december 8th, but shutting down minor fixes or potential future changes seems like a terrible idea to me.

not only this, the constant rhetoric coming from (mainly) sims players that are regurgitating the same talking points of ‘don’t buy paralives if you’re expecting the sims - it’ll suck initially!’ surely doesn’t HELP the team at all.

i understand the intention there, but god, it comes across as demeaning.

────୨ৎ────

on the other hand, those that have been critical of the Paralives development seem overly cautious, but are also raising valid concerns that seem to be shut down too much.

it is less than a month before the early access reveal and we are yet to see continuous gameplay footage. that, in and of itself, is incredibly disappointing and sadly has only has the effect of deterring players. even players like myself who are incredibly excited for the release and will 100% support the game on launch, has made me question if it’s worth it to get at all if it seems like the ‘simulation’ part of a life sim game potentially won’t be there.

and before you say it, no we haven’t seen gameplay. animation reels potentially created within the engine rather than the game DO NOT count and can not be substituted as trailer footage. all it does is raise, potentially untrue, expectations. it becomes disappointing for either party.

────୨ৎ────

all that to say, if you like what you see with regards to build mode and the paramaker (as i’m aware that a lot of simmers are happy to play solely build mode or cas mode) you should consider supporting the game upon early access! as long as you’re aware of the potential limitations of it, of course!

but at the same time, i can’t condemn anyone who is sceptical of the games progress thus far. the team, as well as the community, has done a poor job at marketing this game. (again, show us the gameplay! what the hell! & simmers PLEASE stop putting the game down for no reason)

whilst i have personal issues with the current games process (listed below if you’re curious!), i do think it has potential. for that potential to be installed, however, it does need monetary support. sadly, i think both groups alike have jeopardised that in differing ways.

────୨ৎ────

My (constructive) criticisms for Paralives are below!

────୨ৎ────

and before i begin, yes of course this game is early access. and yes of course all of these changes can’t be implemented in time for the release, nor am i expecting them to be.

personal clarification: i have no extended practise within the realm of game dev, but i do have experience with computer science and website development which is where a lot of my UI criticisms come from.

────୨ৎ────

1. PARAMAKER UI VISIBILITY ISSUES

With the recent releases of videos such as the Paramaker creation video as well as a video showcasing the build mode, i have MAJOR concerns with the UI for a variety of reasons.

Starting with the Paramaker, because i believe these changes could be most easily implemented:

The video i am going to be referencing is the video included above so id recommend watching that first!

The main, most easily addressable issue, is the background colour on the Paramaker items. The black background makes it IMPOSSIBLE to see the darker hair swatches, darker skin tones, and darker clothes/accessories.

As you can see above, the black t-shirt on the model faded into the background. whilst this might be okay with something as plain and simple as a t-shirt, items like, for example, a black woolen jumper will be lost to the background.

and there are two issues with regards to the hair category. whilst of course, the aforementioned problem resides with the hair swatches being invisible on the darker ones, there is also an issue of the black hair x black background.

for obvious reasons, this limits accessibility greatly. it is incredibly difficult to make out the shapes of the hairs HOWEVER it being on a black hair to begin with isn’t a great idea - this dark colour WILL ALWAYS somewhat mask hair texture, meaning it’ll be harder to decipher what your Para’s hair will actually be.

────୨ৎ────

Suggested Changes:

Changing the background from a darker colour to a lighter one. Potentially utilising a gradient like the Sims 4 does to allow for further inspection.

Changing the colour of the base hair model to a lighter one. Potentially an auburn or a blonde would read better overall.

────୨ৎ────

2. GENERAL PARAMAKER UI ISSUES

This, sadly, isn’t the only UI issue i have spotted - but the others are quite nitpicky so i’ll mention them here with regards to the paramaker.

As noted in the images above, there is not a level of consistency on any level with regards to the icons, both scaling and design wise.

On the top bar, there are tons of differing sizes, lineweights, complexities etc. not to mention the massive, ill fitting, checkmark and X buttons that do not fit there.

These top icons should, of course, be standardised. This same issue pertains to the ‘ages’ menu seen in the last screenshot. Also : readability. ALL of these icons are hard to decipher at first glance due to them being so thin. Making them thicker, and more simple would go A LONG way!

The aforementioned feedback pertains to the Paramaker clothing icons. Of course, they can be somewhat different given that they’re meant to be highlighted, but them having a border/‘sticker’ effect makes them stick out like a sore thumb in comparison to the rest of the icons.

This would potentially be okay if the lineweights between iconography matched up, but they don’t. The lineweights on these icons are much thicker compared to the last ones i’ve spoken about.

────୨ৎ────

Suggested Changes:

Simplifying the UI icons so they’re all more readable at a glance.

Making the lineweights & sizes more consistent, i’d recommend matching the thicker lines of the ‘CAS’ icons we currently have.

Creating a consistent branding. The sticker effect on the ‘CAS’ items really fits well with the Paralives branding! I think extending this on to the other icons, but maybe enhancing the ‘lesser’ icons with a drop shadow rather than a full background, would do wonders for making the whole UI more consistent.

────୨ৎ────

and a smaller nitpick, because i can only hope the team intends to change this, but these placeholder blender models for changing your parafolk are an EYESORE. Replacing them with parafolk images, like the ones that are used for the hair models, would be so much nicer!

────୨ৎ────

and the last of my Paramaker UI nitpicks, as stated previously, these icons should ALL be simplified. They are too small to showcase all of this detail.

Multiple underwear items isn’t necessary to showcase what the category is: simply a bra would do.

Multiple jewellery pieces isn’t necessary to showcase what the category is: a necklace would do.

There are a few instances of this within the Paramaker and i would urge the team to reconsider this aspect for accessibility reasons - it would be much easier to decipher if the icons were simpler :)

────୨ৎ────

3. PARALIVES BUILD MODE UI ISSUES

As mentioned before, the same issue plagues the build mode in paralives with the icons being incredibly differing. The top icons do not match the ‘feature’ icons for the same reasons listed above, so i won’t go through that again.

Referencing this video for this section:

HOWEVER, what i will mention is something related to the ‘feature’ icons.

as mentioned in the video above, these are the icons we are receiving for build mode with a similar ‘sticker’ view as the paramaker ones.

of course, i think these could be thickened just like the paramaker ones, but overall i feel this style works well for the game!

now, my issue lies in two main things: icon simplicity & alignment

────୨ৎ────

SIMPLICITY: i’m essentially repeating the same points i had earlier. these icons are WAY too detailed for this size and it makes them incredibly hard to read at a glance.

Suggested Changes:

Reworking these icons to be both thicker, as well as simplifying the contents. Example: bathroom being denoted as simply a toilet icon, rather than a toilet, plant, & sink. Example 2: Bedroom being denoted as simply a bed icon, rather than a bed, side table, and lamp.

Additionally, these icons have differing perspectives which removes from the cohesion. Example: the ‘bedroom’ icon utilises an elevational drawing whilst the ‘bathroom’ icon utilities a perspective drawing. Not only that, the sub categories have NO consistency with perspective. The bed icon is isometric, the wardrobe is elevational, the rug and plants are perspective. Pick one! I’d recommend sticking to either an elevational view OR an isometric view. Both would work well!

────୨ৎ────

ALIGNMENT: Whilst i understand that the team is intentionally creating a more scrapbooky looking UI, i think the misaligned icons within the build buy actually take from it. Not only do them being tilted at different angles make it hard to read, but it also appears rather messy.

Suggested Changes:

Not entirely my idea so i’ll give credit where credit is due, but i do think that aligning them fully and maybe making it so that it’s the selected icon/category that tilts would read so much nicer!

Mockup from @/tohellwithgoodintentions on discord below:

────୨ৎ────

An additional issue i found whilst looking for this very post is a glaring one that i am HOPING gets fixed ahead of early access

the UI is literally covering itself. This just should not be happening.

There are a LOT of icons on the top of the screen as is and i feel like condensing them into sub menus would make everything feel a lot more polished, as well as removing this issue.

────୨ৎ────

apparently there’s a ten image attachment limit on tumblr so i can’t continue showcasing some more of my ideas/feedback lol. in which case, ill end this part here and publish an additional section to this review tomorrow.

i do want to leave with the added note that none of this feedback is done with hatred in mind. i am not attempting to overly criticise or harass the devs, nor do i ever intend to.

the way i’m approaching these potential changes is through the eyes of accessibility - whilst something may seem minor overall, someone with poor eyesight could struggle to play this game in its current state!

all that being said, i am incredibly excited for the release date and i am awaiting even more news from the team.

i shall return tomorrow with a whole other list haha <3

────୨ৎ────

[ugliifae]

Day 1 of a New Blog:

⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ᧔ෆ᧓ ꒱ ⏔⏔⏔

( ꩜ ᯅ ꩜;)  really, i have no motivations for starting this blog. the only reason i decided to push through and do it is because im hoping that writing daily and forcing myself to put my thoughts down will help me, in some way. what way am i hoping for, however? not sure lol

i haven’t been to university in a week, and honestly this entire semester has been a flop for me. i have a project due tomorrow that i haven’t even started and here i am, lying in bed typing this, rather than starting it

i would like to blame every other little thing in the world, but it eventually all falls on my and my lack of motivation towards my degree right now, which, granted, there are a lot of factors contributing to that.

⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ᧔ෆ᧓ ꒱ ⏔⏔⏔

‧˚꒰🐾୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ education as a tool is created to enhance future workers, and to prepare us for our intended future endeavours, but i honestly find this system quite lacking when it comes to disabled and neurodivergent people (and essentially every minority under the sun, but that’s a WHOLE OTHER conversation in and of itself).

being autistic, the environment is completely overwhelming and impossible to deal with. the days i do make it into class, i spend the next few days in a stupor at home - exhausted from the social nature of it all. essentially, i am left with about three spoons.

even with accommodations, i am still greatly unaccounted for in the system - even after continuous feedback and encouragement on my side attempting to better the environment.

all that being said, it makes me wonder, who on earth is university made for?

what is the other option for me and many others? to drop out and pursue a life of social isolation, never making it far enough unless i somehow become incredibly successful from home? is that really how im intended to live?

⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ᧔ෆ᧓ ꒱ ⏔⏔⏔

૮꒰◞ ˕ ◟ ྀི꒱ა higher support needs autistics deserve a place in education and frankly, we are not getting it.

i have bent over backwards in an attempt to do my part in regards to this. i have spent the hours trying to make it more accessible on a personal and academic level. i have written countless emails. i have borderline begged and pleaded for some accommodations and yet, i go unheard and under addressed.

even without the proper accommodations, i’m still expected societally to be ‘less autistic’. i am expected to be quiet and still. i am expected to mind my tone and words. i am expected to perform the same as my classmates, despite having a disability.

how on earth is this system assumed to be achievable for all?

⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ᧔ෆ᧓ ꒱ ⏔⏔⏔

₊˚⊹ᰔ all that being said, it is now time for me to yet again suck up my exhaustion and continue forward, because i have been taught that the world refuses to wait for me