Now something needs to be done about optimization.
In The Sims 3, players had access to an open world, but in the new life simulation game The Sims 4, the developers took a different approach to world building. Now lots load separately — players are faced with loading screens.
The developers explained this as an effort to ensure decent performance in The Sims 4. For years, fans assumed that getting rid of loading screens between houses was technically impossible. However, everything changed recently thanks to a modder going by the handle Sergei Kot (@frooot_simmer). He posted a teaser for the Open Neighborhood mod:
We’ve been lied to… and it’s been going on for 12 years. I’m not kidding — here is Open Neighborhood. The Sims 4 developers, how are you guys doing?
In the featured video, you can see a character moving around the world of The Sims 4 and peeking into various houses. The modder managed to merge several lots within a single “neighborhood” (district). However, another issue arose: the game’s performance deteriorated noticeably because of this.
Image source: Maxis, Electronic Arts
Sergei Kot has not yet announced a release date for the Open Neighborhood mod for The Sims 4. It remains unknown whether his project will be compatible with other mods and existing save files.