Should it be more than just a Jobseeking Tool or Games Console?
I am an adult. I have been for 20 years. Call me old, but I know how useful a computer is. I know it is for games. Why else am I a staff member on this site? I also know it is for other uses and when I am not playing “The Sims”, I am using it for other purposes.
I use a computer also to learn. In "The Sims", only children can use it to study. They can either go to the bookcase or to the computer to study and try and improve their grades. Adults can go to the bookcase to learn about Cooking and Mechanical Knowledge. If I want to learn about anything, I do not go to my bookcase. Personally, it would take me ages to find anything near to what I want. Also, I do not have a set of written encyclopaedias. I either put my Encarta into my drive or I log onto the net, hit a search engine, key in the subject and as the French would say "et voila" when I get a list to the answers that I want. To be honest, I have learnt more in recent years from the Internet than I have from printed text.
So, a PC can be used to learn things. How can this apply to Adult Sims?
In my supply of CDs, I do have several culinary CDs including video clips on how to do it. Yes, I have learnt from them. So, why can’t the Sims who we know and love improve their cooking skills from a computer?
Also, even though I do not have any, I have seen interactive CDs on car maintenance, bodily workings and anything else that could be categorised as mechanical knowledge. After all, anatomy is only bodily mechanics. So, the same that was above applies. Why cannot our Sims improve their mechanical knowledge from their computer?
Is that all a computer that I want a computer to do?
No, I’m not done yet.
The first object in “The Sims” for improving your Logic was a chess set. Correct me if I’m wrong but the first Artificial Intelligences were in chess programs. You will see your Sim playing on his own on the ยง750 chess set whereas I think he would improve his Logic Skill more quickly if he had an opponent. If there is not a human opponent, then why not try a skilled computer opponent? The AI of Deep Blue managed to beat a Grandmaster. Think how an AI like that could help a Sim.
So, am I done now?
Sorry, still more to cover.
I can’t think of anything directly that a computer can help the other skills of Creativity & Charisma but then there are ways of increasing Needs that a PC can help with.
I don’t get out much. I don’t use the telephone much, although ET is telling me to keep in touch. The majority of my telephone bill is used up from my PC when I access the Internet. I find out what is going on in the Real World (yes, there is one), I find out what is going on in the World of the Sims and my other interests but above all, I keep in touch with my friends. Either through email or ICQ, my social needs are improved. Maxis have helped with the new features for the telephone, so why not have a similar one for using the PC? Assuming a Sim Household has a telephone and a PC, why not let them use their computer to help them improve their social need too?
Is there anything else I can think of using a computer to improve?
Perhaps just a little bit more ...
I suppose I could say playing certain games like “Quake” improves your eye/hand coordination. Actually, it is now documented fact. Other games can make you think more logically and use established patterns of thought process. I suppose Use Toilet, Flush Toilet, Have Shower, Brush Teeth, Clean Up, Serve Breakfast is one of them. Pity we can’t put a macro put in for individual Sims into the game at the moment, but that might be asking too much for now.
When it comes to Needs, I can say that I do not think that your standard PC will improve your Room Rating. If anything when it comes to the state of computer design, beige or computer-grey are hardly likely to add anything to your appreciation of your room, unless you happen to be Bill Gates.
I think I’m done but ...
If Maxis can improve the use of the telephone, it would be nice to see them do the same to the humble computer that could sit in the corner of many Sim Households. I say it “could sit” as once a Sim has got a job, it can often be sold off. Some people spend their spare time tinkering with cars. I spend my spare time tinkering with computers. You cannot yet have any Sims tinkering with cars yet. Various sites can let you download cars as objects, but they don’t serve much use apart from being an expense sat in someone’s drive. Come to think of it, that is the same as many cars in people’s driveways come to think of it. They can sit in their drive being useless. My computer is part of my family.
I would like to know the views of others on this. Please feel free to reply.
Dag dag.
I use a computer also to learn. In "The Sims", only children can use it to study. They can either go to the bookcase or to the computer to study and try and improve their grades. Adults can go to the bookcase to learn about Cooking and Mechanical Knowledge. If I want to learn about anything, I do not go to my bookcase. Personally, it would take me ages to find anything near to what I want. Also, I do not have a set of written encyclopaedias. I either put my Encarta into my drive or I log onto the net, hit a search engine, key in the subject and as the French would say "et voila" when I get a list to the answers that I want. To be honest, I have learnt more in recent years from the Internet than I have from printed text.
So, a PC can be used to learn things. How can this apply to Adult Sims?
In my supply of CDs, I do have several culinary CDs including video clips on how to do it. Yes, I have learnt from them. So, why can’t the Sims who we know and love improve their cooking skills from a computer?
Also, even though I do not have any, I have seen interactive CDs on car maintenance, bodily workings and anything else that could be categorised as mechanical knowledge. After all, anatomy is only bodily mechanics. So, the same that was above applies. Why cannot our Sims improve their mechanical knowledge from their computer?
Is that all a computer that I want a computer to do?
No, I’m not done yet.
The first object in “The Sims” for improving your Logic was a chess set. Correct me if I’m wrong but the first Artificial Intelligences were in chess programs. You will see your Sim playing on his own on the ยง750 chess set whereas I think he would improve his Logic Skill more quickly if he had an opponent. If there is not a human opponent, then why not try a skilled computer opponent? The AI of Deep Blue managed to beat a Grandmaster. Think how an AI like that could help a Sim.
So, am I done now?
Sorry, still more to cover.
I can’t think of anything directly that a computer can help the other skills of Creativity & Charisma but then there are ways of increasing Needs that a PC can help with.
I don’t get out much. I don’t use the telephone much, although ET is telling me to keep in touch. The majority of my telephone bill is used up from my PC when I access the Internet. I find out what is going on in the Real World (yes, there is one), I find out what is going on in the World of the Sims and my other interests but above all, I keep in touch with my friends. Either through email or ICQ, my social needs are improved. Maxis have helped with the new features for the telephone, so why not have a similar one for using the PC? Assuming a Sim Household has a telephone and a PC, why not let them use their computer to help them improve their social need too?
Is there anything else I can think of using a computer to improve?
Perhaps just a little bit more ...
I suppose I could say playing certain games like “Quake” improves your eye/hand coordination. Actually, it is now documented fact. Other games can make you think more logically and use established patterns of thought process. I suppose Use Toilet, Flush Toilet, Have Shower, Brush Teeth, Clean Up, Serve Breakfast is one of them. Pity we can’t put a macro put in for individual Sims into the game at the moment, but that might be asking too much for now.
When it comes to Needs, I can say that I do not think that your standard PC will improve your Room Rating. If anything when it comes to the state of computer design, beige or computer-grey are hardly likely to add anything to your appreciation of your room, unless you happen to be Bill Gates.
I think I’m done but ...
If Maxis can improve the use of the telephone, it would be nice to see them do the same to the humble computer that could sit in the corner of many Sim Households. I say it “could sit” as once a Sim has got a job, it can often be sold off. Some people spend their spare time tinkering with cars. I spend my spare time tinkering with computers. You cannot yet have any Sims tinkering with cars yet. Various sites can let you download cars as objects, but they don’t serve much use apart from being an expense sat in someone’s drive. Come to think of it, that is the same as many cars in people’s driveways come to think of it. They can sit in their drive being useless. My computer is part of my family.
I would like to know the views of others on this. Please feel free to reply.
Dag dag.
Written at 00:20 on Sunday 5 November 2000 by
Andy.
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