Why do the townies in the "Far East" NOT look Asian?

[Corylea]

I took my sims on vacation to what the game describes as the Far East.  The decor is all Asian, and we have tea ceremonies, tai chi, zen gardens, and so on.  Clearly, we're supposed to be in Asia.*

Then we have the people who inhabit the place, who seem to be the usual assortment of townies (not the SAME townies, but the usual variety of types).  There are just not this many blondes and redheads in Asia!  It looks really weird to see all these blonde, blue-eyed people running around in kimonos.  If Maxis was going to make an Asian locale, WHY didn't they make some Asian people to go with it?

I've been using Christianlov's hacked clothes rack to bring the townies in and at least give them straight black hair.  But there are still an awful lot of blue-eyed Asians and African-skinned Asians running around.  I find that it really undermines the whole feel of the Asian locale!


*What's in the version of this EP that's being sold in Asia?  Did EA make a different third locale for them, or are they being sold a vacation at home?

[fytj]

a) It looks more Japanese to me. And NO Chinese and Japanese is NOT the same thing.
b) Well, we don't now why the people from EA Games did that. But I agree; it is annoying.

[Corylea]

a) It looks more Japanese to me. And NO Chinese and Japanese is NOT the same thing.

It seems really rude to me to assume that your fellow members of Insimenator so stupid that we don't know that China and Japan are different countries.  

I've never been to either one, myself, so my knowledge of Asian culture comes mostly from Boston's Chinatown -- not exactly the best possible source. :-)

[J-Star]

It's a hodgepodge of Asian culture.  For example, Tai Chi and Majong are Chinese while Zen and the tea ceremony are Japanese... not that EA would ever know the difference.  Therefore I can't say I'm particularly surprised that the so-called locals look no different from any other townies in Sims 2.

I'm also from the Boston area though I've never spent any significant amount of time in its Chinatown.

[Sam the T-man]

Note to self: as soon as SimPE is updated and one is in possession of BV, go extracting all the Eastern townies, make them over and Sim-surgerise them all

[jaccirocker]

I was weirded out by the same thing. I mean at least be consistent. BTW how do you get to the yoga and ta chi. I have been trying to get to do those. I had a thought is it like the hula dance and you just have to catch them doing it. If so what a good lot to do that?

[vpyroman2]

Please note that EA Maxis made this game, they put the content in, and EA Maxis uses the same group of people to make all The Sims 2 content. Do not attack EA as the publisher, the one who distributes funds and require milestones for the developer.

For Hula dancing, where ever there is a speaker, someone will eventually dance. Yoga was always available as an option before Bon Voyage, Tai Chi is randomly done in East Asian lots, and your Sims will Tai Chi more than they pillow fight, which is greater than they play hackey sack in Open For Buisness

[ancienthighway]

Please note that EA Maxis made this game, they put the content in, and EA Maxis uses the same group of people to make all The Sims 2 content. Do not attack EA as the publisher, the one who distributes funds and require milestones for the developer.

But it is the person that controls the purse strings that puts unreasonable demands on the development team.  The purse says, this is what I want.  DT says it takes X amount of time.  The purse says, that's too much you have Y time.  DT says, I can do it in Y, but I can't do everything.  What do you want left out.  Purse says I want it all.  BTW, budget was just cut.  Get rid of non-essential people.  DT says, sorry testers, you're cut by 75%.  Designers, you're cut by 50%.  Developers you get one more body so we can meet the deadline.

As a Developer, System Designer and later as a Test Manager, I've had many discussions with Project Managers and Clients on this very scenario.  Bottom line is the purse gets what he wants.  The client weighs the pros and cons, and eventually makes the decision.  The decision usually falls on the side of sales and profits.  It's not unusual for salaried members of the development team to work 80 or 100 hours a week to meet deadlines.  But someone on the client side decided a new EP every 3 months and won't change that criteria.

[DecoraChroi]

^^Also what he said.

I think game developers in general somtimes bomb rush through things a little bit too quick for the green. For those like me really look at the visual aspects and details, especially if you fork over the mula. They were going for a concept which involved asian influences, yet Maxis has a trademark for always filling half a glass. Not only did they try to show some cultural influences on the concept but they failed on one of the important things they feel we wont notice. Also, if they put enough time and half the effort into BV, at least they could have did somthing important with the town fuglies.

[ancienthighway]

Going right along with the Asian looking sims that are missing, where are the Polynesians?  And then there's the rough, scruffy looking lumberjacks, those people are all too clean cut in the mountains!

How the sims in these 3 vacation 'hoods look doesn't bother me as much as knowing that when townies and dormies are created in game, they could easily come up wearing ninja, charlatan, or hiking clothes.  Jordi's made some great hiders for everything before BV, but this one will be difficult.   You want those clothes in vacation spots, but not in the other neighborhoods.

All the way around, simmers who are particular about the consistencies of appearances of townies and NPCs will have much more work ahead of them to ensure that consistency remains.

[Corylea]

Please note that EA Maxis made this game, they put the content in, and EA Maxis uses the same group of people to make all The Sims 2 content. Do not attack EA as the publisher, the one who distributes funds and require milestones for the developer.

I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that's naive.  Maxis does not get to do things the way THEY want; they get to do things the way the people with the money want.

[fytj]

Isn't that exactly what he/she said wth the purse thing?

[Corylea]

Isn't that exactly what he/she said wth the purse thing?

That's why this is a response to Vpyroman2, not to AncientHighway.  See the quote?  I'm agreeing with AncientHighway.

[lewisb40]

Thank you Ancient for the insight on your work and what your co-workers go thru.  I have been naive about the development side of this game. I do not really play for realism, because I took things "for granted" this is the way the game should go.  I agree, it would be nice if the game was realistic with the facial construction of each vacation area, but I thought that would be impossible to accomplish.  See, I am one of the dense ones to the computer world. Heck, I just learned how to use the Bold, Italic, Underline, clicks here. I love to read comments, such as ancienthighway's, I gain enlightenment.

[kimmyfrmtx]

I thought those people were fellow tourists, which would explain why they don't look like they belong there.