Disability in the Sims: Fun and helpful

[fairy14]

So, I have been thinking that Sims has been pretty inclusive from the start. Allowing Sims to have relationships with other Sims no matter the gender and nowadays even poly relationships. It normalises it and makes people safe and comfortable.

I wish one could chose to have diabled Sims as well to give them the same normalicy same sex relationships receive. Of course, there would have to be conversations with those, who have diabilities to add it in properly, but it could both increase awareness of the challenges and show the immense creativity and resilience disabled people often display. Something that is way too often overlooked in real life.

Due to a study a friend of mine is doing for her master degree I know how intelligence is often overlooked once one has any physical disability at all. For example impaired vision or the person requiring a wheelchair. I mean the study is still ongoing but so far it appear that even genius level of intelligence is often completely ignored or suppressed by the people around them insisting they cannot do something or they might fail if they try.

Also personally have a childhood friend who was acknowledged as a genius as a child and yet was suppressed so much by her caregivers (out of worry not that that helped her much) that she now cannot even order food in a restaurant anymore without suffering an anxiety attack due to having been told one time to many what she cannot do instead of what she can do. Gosh, she could do SO much as a child already. So far ahead of her peers that people underestimating her and crushing her self-confidence like that is both tragic and horrifying.

Anyway, think it would be fun game play too. Adding guide dogs of all kinds and experiencing the world from the view of those, who grow up with the requirement to be creative to compensate their disability. Also, hearing aids can do so much nowadays. Know an old man, who regularly uses it as a phone, which is ridiculously cool.

White cans are incredibly entertaining too. Many people jump out of the way of a white cane as if it was a train speeding towards them. Hilarious in crowdad areas. Sometimes frustrating too, but mostly funny.

Would allow a completely new kind of gameplay. I mean, I, for example, have reduced vision yet above average intelligence. (Seriously had to check that to be allowed to do a higher education. Another tragic but also kinda funny thing if ones humor is dark enough and is able to laugh about the ridiculousness of society.) Anyhow, so I cannot read my own sticky notes anymore, so I made tactile ones out of magnets, which is lots of fun. Also could not use uni script (since all pictures lol), so assembled it myself and made up ridiculous songs and sang them under the shower to learn. Listened to lots of children songs about complex topics too. (One would be surprised how many good ones there are that are amazing to keep you in the mood and motivated and also help you grasp the basics before you deep dive for more.)

Another entertaining thing about being handicaped is that if your humor is right you do not need a tv anymore. People act so strange around you sometimes and you yourself get in the weirdest situations that when you can laugh about that you are your own mood boost.

Like a blind friend of mine accidentally walked on the road instead of the side walk in the snow and a policeman tried to help her. get home He showed her his badge and she let her linger at it for a while before asking honestly: "How do I know that is real and you are not wearing a costume? My mom always told me not to get into cars with strangers." The policeman was so perplexed he did not know what to say for a while before bursting out laughing and agreeing to simply show her where the side walk was and walk her home by foot if she wanted.

Or when I walked out of my apartment one morning to find a hole had been made by people doing something with the cables right in front of the front porch. I stood there for minutes walking along the hole trying to find a way around it only for one of those responsible for changing the cables to run over screaming for me "not to go further there is a hole!" after I have already been there for over five minutes. Turns out they only put on barrickades towards the road and forgot that informing people that actually lived in the apartment complex might be smart :-D

Or the one time I asked someone for directions and they explained them to my guide dog fully expecting him to understand. XD

Point being: Think playing Sims with disabilities would be lots of fun and something completely new and good for helping people with disabilities to be seen without being looked down on on top of that.

Anyone else thought about that or agreed? I mean I have heard rumors of mods allowing wheelchairs and stuff, but never saw one myself.

[fairy14]

Originally posted by Devs:

Originally posted by fairy14:

How about a Sim being able to play a song perfectly after hearing once if both the musical skill and the listening skill is high enough? Absolute hearing I think it is called. Would be cool!

Hell, yeah! Others are very skilled in math, programming, and other stuff. Still others are outright geniuses.

One grows by overcoming challenges as they say. Since we have a lot of those, a lot of opportunity to grow there. Therefore, more potential to become great if one chooses to persevere. :-)

The best part about it is that failing is ok. If you fall, then you fall. Then you stand back up, brush off your hurt pride, straighten your spine and go at it again. Be it for simple tasks others take for granted like navigating a room on your own or more challenging aspects of life like compensating that your university materials are not adapted at all and you now need to research everything on your own since your professor refuses to go even one step in your direction out of fear of "giving you an advantage".

I spent eight weeks working utnil late afternoon/evening, taking care of my pet and then learning until midnight only to wake up early to go to work again. Then worked until late afternoon/evening again. Rinse and repeat. Just to compensate for materials that were not usable for me. I could have given up. I think many without a disability would have. Instead I took a deep breath and went at it every single day. Made up songs about the material. Listened to audiobooks about the topics. Researched.

In the end that makes me better at my job than many others. Not due to me having been given any benefit due to my disability, was actually further hindered as stated above, but due to the resilience I gained through the struggles my disability thorws at me daily.

I am not weaker due to my disability, I am stronger. I took the challenges and horrors that come with such conditions and instead of breaking, I determinedly improved myself. Continue to do so every day.

THAT is what I want to see in the Sims. That is what I want to show, what I want to game to teach, to make people feel and understand. <3

[Devs]

Originally posted by fairy14:

Originally posted by Devs:

Hell, yeah! Others are very skilled in math, programming, and other stuff. Still others are outright geniuses.

One grows by overcoming challenges as they say. Since we have a lot of those, a lot of opportunity to grow there. Therefore, more potential to become great if one chooses to persevere. :-)

The best part about it is that failing is ok. If you fall, then you fall. Then you stand back up, brush off your hurt pride, straighten your spine and go at it again. Be it for simple tasks others take for granted like navigating a room on your own or more challenging aspects of life like compensating that your university materials are not adapted at all and you now need to research everything on your own since your professor refuses to go even one step in your direction out of fear of "giving you an advantage".

I spent eight weeks working utnil late afternoon/evening, taking care of my pet and then learning until midnight only to wake up early to go to work again. Then worked until late afternoon/evening again. Rinse and repeat. Just to compensate for materials that were not usable for me. I could have given up. I think many without a disability would have. Instead I took a deep breath and went at it every single day. Made up songs about the material. Listened to audiobooks about the topics. Researched.

In the end that makes me better at my job than many others. Not due to me having been given any benefit due to my disability, was actually further hindered as stated above, but due to the resilience I gained through the struggles my disability thorws at me daily.

I am not weaker due to my disability, I am stronger. I took the challenges and horrors that come with such conditions and instead of breaking, I determinedly improved myself. Continue to do so every day.

THAT is what I want to see in the Sims. That is what I want to show, what I want to game to teach, to make people feel and understand. <3

What was that about Heath Ledger saying that damaged people are dangerous because they can make Hell feel like home? It was an intense thing he said, but he nailed it. We have to fight for literally everything, and once we do, we can say we are a LOT tougher than those who never had those issues.

[fairy14]

Originally posted by Devs:

Originally posted by fairy14:

One grows by overcoming challenges as they say. Since we have a lot of those, a lot of opportunity to grow there. Therefore, more potential to become great if one chooses to persevere. :-)

The best part about it is that failing is ok. If you fall, then you fall. Then you stand back up, brush off your hurt pride, straighten your spine and go at it again. Be it for simple tasks others take for granted like navigating a room on your own or more challenging aspects of life like compensating that your university materials are not adapted at all and you now need to research everything on your own since your professor refuses to go even one step in your direction out of fear of "giving you an advantage".

I spent eight weeks working utnil late afternoon/evening, taking care of my pet and then learning until midnight only to wake up early to go to work again. Then worked until late afternoon/evening again. Rinse and repeat. Just to compensate for materials that were not usable for me. I could have given up. I think many without a disability would have. Instead I took a deep breath and went at it every single day. Made up songs about the material. Listened to audiobooks about the topics. Researched.

In the end that makes me better at my job than many others. Not due to me having been given any benefit due to my disability, was actually further hindered as stated above, but due to the resilience I gained through the struggles my disability thorws at me daily.

I am not weaker due to my disability, I am stronger. I took the challenges and horrors that come with such conditions and instead of breaking, I determinedly improved myself. Continue to do so every day.

THAT is what I want to see in the Sims. That is what I want to show, what I want to game to teach, to make people feel and understand. <3

What was that about Heath Ledger saying that damaged people are dangerous because they can make Hell feel like home? It was an intense thing he said, but he nailed it. We have to fight for literally everything, and once we do, we can say we are a LOT tougher than those who never had those issues.

Haha, right you are. Though I prefer to use it to give people cozy warmth instead of hell fire. Personal preference that though. <3

Is good that we are all different though. All kinds of lights are appreciated and needed and all of them can light a path in the Sims. Wherever that leads we shall see, but I am very curious to see how all kinds of Sims overcome their challenges in amazing and inspiring ways. Like we do in reality as well. :-)

[fairy14]

I have been thinking about mute Sims a lot lately. I mean someone said there are mods with language skills already out there, but how complex do you think adding sign language would be? How much effort?

On the one hand I would LOVE to see it in the healthcare expansion pack. On the other, I want it to be done properly and if it needs its own future pack to be done so, than I would certainly prefer that. Mute Sims deserve the respect of being implemented in a careful and sensible manner. Including speech therapy and everything.

Which is why I am a bit torn here between wanting it in the healthcare expansion pack or asking for it to be added in a later expansion pack to give it the proper space it deserves. Of course then maybe with occupational therapy as well.

Little fun fact on the side: Did you guys know that dogs can be VERY useful in that regard? When someone is unable to open their fist for example after he had a stroke and then a dog nudges their hand, it automatically opens. That is why they use dogs in therapy—by placing a treat in the person's hand, the dog nudges it, prompting the hand to open. Watching that is amazing. Is like a wholesome magic trick and it always leads to the individual finally able to open their fist smiling. So heartwarming! Would love to see that in the Sims. <3

[fairy14]

Alrighty, just talked to a game developer. Apparently the easiest and most convenient appraoch for sign language in the Sims would be a widget in the corner with the hand signs when sign language is used. Keeping it simple with US and EU standard sign language. I mean if it truly pays off they can still add a more refined system later on. If they see the content is well-loved. Still leaves the question of whether or not to include it in the healthcare expansion pack or a later expansion pack, but we know for sure now that it IS possible.

Ideally I would go for the following physical, visible disabilities in the healthcare expansion packs:

Auditory impairment:
- Stage 1: Needs hearing aids occassionally.
- Stage 2: Needs hearing aids all the time and subtitles on TV.
- Stage 3: Deaf. Sim can still interact if he can lip read though.

Mobility impairments:
- Stage 1: Needs crutches occassionally
- Stage 2: Needs crutches permanently. Stairs become a huge challenge.
- Stage 3: Needs wheelchair. Wheelchair ramp.

Visual impairment:
- Stage 1: Needs glasses to read
- Stage 2: Needs glasses permanently. Magnifiers for certain tasks and in-between creative solutions.
- Stage 3: Blind. Audiobook instead of normal book. Playing computer games together instead of alone.

Issues with speaking:
- Stage 1: Trouble pronouncing certain words
- Stage 2: Massive issues with pronunciation. Uses sign language when tired.
- Stage 3: Mute needs sign language.

Though as you can see here the last category would need the most effort, considering the speech patterns would needed to be altered for them. So voice acting. Then the sign language, which could be added as a widget in the corner like described earlier. Also speech therapy.

So, the conclusion I come to considering the extent of effort it takes to properly implement it, is it would be smarter to push for it in a future expansion pack. Or if this expansion pack becomes a cash cow for EA, then maybe a huge upgrade later on. Though aiming for a future expansion pack including that properly, would be the wiser option in my opinion. Just to make sure it is added in a way that is both respectful and reflecting reality, even if in a simpler form, for those who face such challenges daily. <3

Do you guys agree? Open to hear oyur opinion. Is just the conclusion I came to based on the provided facts. :-)

[elklady1]

I love how well thought out and presented this is. You did cover all of this in a great way. Talking to a developer was fantastic! I am happy you had that opportunity! I would accept and happily play the game when they get smart enough to do all this. by putting it in our games.
I know people who are proud of their abilities with their handicaps, other just are sad and hate it. However, being able to play with a Sim who overcomes all and is productive. How exciting for me and you!
This Is a representation of Real Life and the Real challenges we all face each day. It warms my heart so to be able to grow and have my Sim become successful at whatever I decide their next task is. This is all a Big YES from me.

[Andy Mil]

No dude this only make the game look bad. Why? why you want that depression stuff in real life to this game?

[fairy14]

Originally posted by Andy Mil:

No dude this only make the game look bad. Why? why you want that depression stuff in real life to this game?

Because it means a lot to many different people. To those who are disabled and just want to play as themselves without the constant judgment. To those who have relatives or friends with disabilites, who want to understand them better. And, of course, to those who just want to see all the small victories they manage dailfy finally acknowledged. To name just a few. There are countless more out there, who appreciate this for all kinds of reasons. It is truly amazing how different yet similar humans are. How they come together for something they believe in. Gotta love that! <3

If it is not for you, that is fine. Disability should be easy to deactivate in the options. Just deactivate it or do not buy the healthcare expansion pack when it comes out. Yet there are many others out there, who feel enpowered by seeing themselves properly represented. Thank you for leaving us our freedom of choice as we leave you yours. :-)

[fairy14]

Originally posted by elklady1:

I love how well thought out and presented this is. You did cover all of this in a great way. Talking to a developer was fantastic! I am happy you had that opportunity! I would accept and happily play the game when they get smart enough to do all this. by putting it in our games.
I know people who are proud of their abilities with their handicaps, other just are sad and hate it. However, being able to play with a Sim who overcomes all and is productive. How exciting for me and you!
This Is a representation of Real Life and the Real challenges we all face each day. It warms my heart so to be able to grow and have my Sim become successful at whatever I decide their next task is. This is all a Big YES from me.

Your enthusiasm is so wonderful to behold. You truly are a ray of sunshine. Thanks for being part of the discussion. You are appreciated!

I am glad the healthcare expansion pack resonates with you so well. :-)

Do you perhaps have some suggestions of your own? Always open to new perspectives, after all. Something in particular you would like to see? Or is it just the general gist of it that you like?

Do you think the disabilities I suggested for the healthcare expansion pack and the stages fit? Do you think they are a good representation?

[Devs]

Originally posted by Andy Mil:

No dude this only make the game look bad. Why? why you want that depression stuff in real life to this game?

Because they already have the gloomy trait, so it wouldn't seem out of place anyway...?

[sunnyfox]

Originally posted by Andy Mil:

No dude this only make the game look bad. Why? why you want that depression stuff in real life to this game?

pal, this is wanted. this is needed, even! everyone has different playstyles, and this will add a lot for a lot of people! plus, it isn't always depressing. some people, GASP, want to see themselves in their games.

[sunnyfox]

Originally posted by fairy14:

Alrighty, just talked to a game developer. Apparently the easiest and most convenient appraoch for sign language in the Sims would be a widget in the corner with the hand signs when sign language is used. Keeping it simple with US and EU standard sign language. I mean if it truly pays off they can still add a more refined system later on. If they see the content is well-loved. Still leaves the question of whether or not to include it in the healthcare expansion pack or a later expansion pack, but we know for sure now that it IS possible.

Ideally I would go for the following physical, visible disabilities in the healthcare expansion packs:

Auditory impairment:
- Stage 1: Needs hearing aids occassionally.
- Stage 2: Needs hearing aids all the time and subtitles on TV.
- Stage 3: Deaf. Sim can still interact if he can lip read though.

Mobility impairments:
- Stage 1: Needs crutches occassionally
- Stage 2: Needs crutches permanently. Stairs become a huge challenge.
- Stage 3: Needs wheelchair. Wheelchair ramp.

Visual impairment:
- Stage 1: Needs glasses to read
- Stage 2: Needs glasses permanently. Magnifiers for certain tasks and in-between creative solutions.
- Stage 3: Blind. Audiobook instead of normal book. Playing computer games together instead of alone.

Issues with speaking:
- Stage 1: Trouble pronouncing certain words
- Stage 2: Massive issues with pronunciation. Uses sign language when tired.
- Stage 3: Mute needs sign language.

Though as you can see here the last category would need the most effort, considering the speech patterns would needed to be altered for them. So voice acting. Then the sign language, which could be added as a widget in the corner like described earlier. Also speech therapy.

So, the conclusion I come to considering the extent of effort it takes to properly implement it, is it would be smarter to push for it in a future expansion pack. Or if this expansion pack becomes a cash cow for EA, then maybe a huge upgrade later on. Though aiming for a future expansion pack including that properly, would be the wiser option in my opinion. Just to make sure it is added in a way that is both respectful and reflecting reality, even if in a simpler form, for those who face such challenges daily. <3

Do you guys agree? Open to hear oyur opinion. Is just the conclusion I came to based on the provided facts. :-)

this is so good! very well thought out! i would love to see invisible disabilities too, but i get that is probably harder. my little neurodivergent heart can dream, though :]

[sunnyfox]

oh, btw, the game New Day, which is made by like... one person, seems to have mute/deaf characters in it, and wheelchairs are coming up, i think? i just got it but haven't played yet.

and this is a free, indie game, in early access! whats ea's excuse?

[Devs]

Originally posted by sunnyfox:

oh, btw, the game New Day, which is made by like... one person, seems to have mute/deaf characters in it, and wheelchairs are coming up, i think? i just got it but haven't played yet.

and this is a free, indie game, in early access! whats ea's excuse?

Never heard of it before. I'll check it out.

[fairy14]

Now that I have spent a bit of time with the definitions of minorities, I am quite fascinated and horrified. While disabled people might not be a minority in the numerical sense, we are in the social and political one. We are considered a minority not because of our numbers, but because we are treated as less than others despite being equals.

Huh, that is absoultly unacceptable. I mean I experience the results daily, but to read that it is a systemic issue to this degree...

Well, now I am even more determined to make the healthcare expansion pack happen with you guys. Obviously the little wins and strength that comes with overcoming daily challenges desperately needs to be shown to the world. Showing how a Sim with a disability can enhance gameplay and make it more fun, is quite a lovely way to do so in my humble opinion.

Also, I want twin Sims, who both have disabilities of different kinds and counter each others limitations effectively so effectively that they are the dream team of the century. I want them to succeed and be great together. Holding hands with their able bodied sister, who adds her own skills to the mix. Hehe, maybe make them triplets instead. Would be the cutest triplets ever and the most wholesome ones too. <3