Living a fulfilling life with Life Goals and Requests!

fantastic idea with the board!! maybee in the future a para could have a community rating go up or down depending on things such as these, or being a good or bad neighbor??

I really like this! I hope there will be options for all ages of Para. Like task do-able by kids, pre-teens and teens.

Lo dels taulers d'anuncis em sembla una idea estupenda per coneixer gent, com petites misions

Okay, more on the actual post, I do like the idea of these quests, it will give our Paras something else to do with their free time. And it's good we can just go look for some on the board, instead of getting phone calls from strangers or something, which can become annoying when it happens too much, like it does with a certain other game with similar things!

I just watched that short little video on your site, where a teen boy and a elderly woman is standing outside, and it shows the boy order from his phone ( which he could only order flowers, which to me made no sense, if he could order that, shouldn't he be able to order a pizza too? ) but though the elderly woman can order lots of stuff, she can ONLY order by calling, which makes again no sense. From what others are saying teens can't really order much of anything apparently, but can do it without talking on the phone, as can every age after, except elderly, which again makes no sense. Some in the comments from a YouTube channel showing the clip, said it made sense, because elderly people have trouble seeing or have arthritis, so they might prefer to talk on the phone, rather then texting, but that isn't EVERY elderly person. I really don't want for my Para to become elderly and basically lose the RIGHT to order something with their phones, without talking on the phone, it again makes no sense. I also don't like that teens can ONLY order flowers by phone, but can't order say a pizza, like on what planet? I thought this game was going to be more realistic then The Sims, not even less then them. I mean as an older person myself, in my 50s, I don't really like that the Sims makes all elderly people be the same, like hunched over, having back problems, making weird sounds all the time, and their bodies being so out of shape. Since there are plenty elderly people I know who are as fit as they were when they were at least in the 30s, when they were very fit. But to assume that it would be normal for elderly Paras to not want to use text for anything all of a sudden, is to me just as bad, and it also makes me figure that they will also probably be all in the same shape too as in The Sims. Sure in the video its hard to tell whether she is hunched over like in the Sims, but it does make me wonder. I just think we should have a choice on whether we want them to be that way or not. But I also think the teens should be able to order more then flowers, I mean if anything, flowers is the thing they would be less likely to even ever order. Though I figure its so they can give them to a girlfriend or their mom or something, but they should be able to order at least a pizza, I mean they do that all the time in real life, so why not in a life simulation game? I have to say I am very disappointed in this, and I am sure I wont be the only one. Sure since most will be more into playing with the teens, they wont care so much about the limitations on the elderly Paras, but they will be with the teens, I am, I don't like either one!

I love the idea of the request board so that your para can engage with other townies. But quick question, would there be like a specific time frame to complete the quest, like a couple of days or something like that or like we can do it whenever we want? And also, I think it would be a fun idea if once or twice a week, the para's would be sent a newsletter which can discuss townies getting married, moving houses, divorces, etc. And in the newsletter, there could be a place where townies ask for help to complete a task/quest or job hiring. So that there will be more places to get a job or fulfil a quest. Or just some random pictures and gibberish and a section where you can fulfil a quest or seek job hiring.

I love the addition of a request board! It feels like a great way to interact with others and build a community. I would also love to see more built-in opportunities like that for interacting with other paras. It makes the gameplay so much more interesting than just making it up myself.

It's a bit too bad that the patreon will close as soon as the game releases. It would've been a nice way to financiate the free packs while keeping on showing us how games like this are made, which is super interesting ! Still I'm super excited about this release ✨️❤️

are kids going to have life goals?

Oh my goodness, I LOVE the quest board idea! Especially if it boosts relationship points. AAAAHHH.

I love how you guys are leaning a bit more to an rpg like gaming aspect with Town Requests, I hope in future development that if you complete a request you gain relationship points with the townies who asked for the request(or maybe an ability to mod it into the game/system). I'm kinda into the whole life goals concept, but I hope you make the UI more appealing by using icons.

I'm so glad we're actually getting a system like "Townie Request" it fits the vibe of the game so well, i wonder if you'll have to speak with the Para offering the quest to complete it, tho? i remember awhile ago when wants were showcased to patreons (For the first time, perhaps) and alot of the comments were suggesting a system like "Lifetime Goals" even me! so, it's great to see it made it to the game! one little critique i have is that the regular wants are maybe not placed well in the UI i feel like it takes up alot more of the screen then it could/should, ik the UI is probably on the largest setting but still, i think it could be move or adjusted :) this is unrelated but i was wondering if that "dust effect" was still in the game? (i feel like i haven't seen it recently)

I’m so excited for requests 😭🙏🏾 I love a little task to drive me forward in a game! I’m excited to hear more about relationship development/building a family, etc! So far these systems look awesome! I cannot wait to dive in!

sorry to be that person are the para requests on the boards timed? i’m very new to a popular game called stardew valley and it has a similar board with requests and they’re always timed which is a bit stressful for me for some weird reason. i’d be fine with a mix but i’ve learned that those specific kind of time constraints are a no go for me in my life sims; it’s what makes a big difference between games like stardew and the sims for me. everything looks so well thought and executed guys! SO SO EXCITED TO PLAY!!

Will there be negative consequences (mood hits for example) for not completing Life Goals for a while? On one hand, you could have an aspiring pianist life goal and have debuffs from not engaging in it could encourage players to make time for practice or to save for a piano. On the other hand, you could get a life goal incompatible with the life style you want your Para to have - like a homesteader in a tiny cabin wanting to live in an expensive mansion - and taking debuffs from ignoring that would annoy players. Also, if a player chooses to ignore one of the Life Goals should there be a way to hide it so it doesn't clutter up the UI? Maybe mark them as "inactive".

2 more months guys 😄 Im so excited. I know i will cry on 8th of december. First cuz of joy to finally play the game and second cuz this weekly routine (since 3 years) of the patreon posts comes to an end. 🥲😁

I've been waiting for this post! I love letting my characters live their lives (mostly) how they see fit, so I'm super excited there's multiple different ways for Paras to influence player choices.

Thank you Jérémie! This is really cool. 🙂 Quick one: can you have more than one Life Goal at once? I.e. A gym one and one about starting a family?

I haven’t received an email about the naming of a character or pet and I have been a supporter since 2022. How can I reach out to you guys?

First of all it's nice to read that so far everything seems to go along well. I'm really intrigued by the life goal system you just introduced. In the beginning it kinda reminded me of the Sims 4 with the subgoals which get pretty repetitive because it's more like a tutorial to get to know the game instead of a individual goal for individual character's.(sry for the comparison to sims because paralives has a different approach to the life sim genre but there is no other game to compare it to that I've played so far). So I hope we will learn a little bit more about it since I'm sure you did put a lot of thought into it and generally introduce features in a completely different way compared to what we know from the Sims. I hoped that goals and also the request board will not get too repetitive over time (of courses paralives will be released in early access I have that in mind so maybe it could also expand futher development of the game). It's still surreal that the the game will be released in December which will be soon and the excitement for paralives grows with every new post. Take care 👍

The billboard idea is so adorable and innovative! It brings the world to life and makes the game a little more interactive! I wish time would go faster!

I'm really interested in choosing life aspirations during the gameplay in live mode instead in PAM!! Sounds pretty flexible and potentially unpredictable, which is highly better than a fixed to-do list for a lifetime. Can wait for this game to be launched!!

Can our paras teach other paras how to play piano? It's a dream of mine

I loved the build video yesterday😭 can't wait!!!

A stupid question, I know, but... when you say life goals will be moddable, it means I can sit down and add my own goal and subgoals of my own creation? Let's say I come up with an (intentionally absurd) goal "become a banana master", what do I need to "do" with the mod system to make it work in game? There's a mod UI where I type "goal=become a banana master" and then "if subgoal1 = eat 5 bananas and subgoal2 = talk about bananas to 5 different people and subgoal3 = read about bananas are complete then goal is complete"? But how does the game "understand" concepts that maybe the devs haven't introduced in game (like bananas for example)? Do I also have to create Together cards for my goal? And so on with many other goal2, goal3 as many as our imagination can conceive? I don't know if I have explained it properly, but basically are we able to create every goal/life path we can think of or do we have some constraints or some things that the game is unable to "understand"? Also I'd like to know if the UI of the mod system will be translated since the first day of Early Access

I like the request board! No notes that haven’t already been covered by previous comments! I am wary about the Life Goals system. An issue I had with TS4 compared to TS2 was the TS4 aspiration system was a linear checklist of things you had to do to complete the ultimate “goal.” This worked as a tutorial, encouraging players to explore the gameplay features in each new pack, and even worked as a storyline sequence in Strangerville. However, once a player completed that checklist it didn’t feel very replayable, all sims would just follow the exact same path each time. Compare this to the Lifetime Wants of the Sims 2. Lifetime Wants were a single goal that is designed to take a very long time (perhaps a lifetime) and a lot of effort to achieve. The way to reach that goal is not specifically outlined, leaving room for interpretation and different possible methods for achieving it. Upon completing it, sims get platinum aspiration for the rest of their life, and some sims never achieve those goals in time. Sims 2 makes up for the lack of structure of those goals with the wants system. While sims can definitely roll simple wants that can be achieved quickly like juggle, talk to a friend, eat pancakes, they also get “power wants” that are bigger things like a want to have their first kiss, get married, have a baby, have multiple lovers, break up with their spouse, get abducted by aliens, see the ghost of someone they hate, etc. Bigger things that aren’t necessarily linear or structured in how to achieve them, leaving it up to the player’s interpretation to choose whether or not to lock in and fulfill or ignore those things. It helps suggest a shape for the story but also leaves room for interpretation. That type of system has tons of replay-ability. I worry that a linear Life Goals Checklist could be unintentionally limiting. Just something to consider while you’re making it.

I love that the team’s focus has always been to lean into the organic growth that feels missing in some other dollhouse simulations. Goals that relate to the para instead of being imposed on the para makes it feel more like they’re living instead of just being told what to do. The board requests are also an awesome way to interact with the NPCs!! It could be interesting to eventually have a feature where you can post your own requests and offer rewards which may or may not be accepted by NPCs. But maybe that’s a job for modders 👀

Ok wow. First, I love how the Life Goals aren't chosen in PAM. And we actually have to play the game to get them offered to us. Very good gameplay incentive. Second, I am very excited about the Townie Requests. I actually had hoped there would be something akin to a Town Hall or City Hall and this is perfect. I can't wait to play around with this feature and see the different requests from different Paras each day. I'm loving the gameplay tidbits we're getting as we inch closer and closer to the ea release day! Thanks again Jérémie

Ok I've left too many comments lol but you guys so far have laid so many ground features to expand upon and flesh out, it's really exciting to think about how full of things the game will be in the future!

The board is a really nice idea! It reminds me of the hangouts in the supermarkets in my city. These are not just requests but also offers: - offer babysitting - selling old furniture - ad for a knitting group nearby - offshout exchange Etc. This would be nice. Like a give and take to meet new people and make it more "alive". And on market places and squares are tiny huts I which you can bring stuff you don't need anymore and of course you can grab a free something of your choice. That would be nice for the Game. And an action could be to clean and sort the stuff and the reward could be a "gem" in form a book which helps you to fulfill a quest faster (increasing skill), or a funny furniture or a pullover or whatever.

Wow! I love that the gameplay can be directed by the requests, but we can lso ignore then all together:) I hope we see some more life goals in the future!

🫨 omg, YES!! Love the in-depth progression of the Life Goals and I LOVEEEE how the Request Board will allow us to interact with the town & our community! Anything that gives us cool stuff to do gets an A in my book. Thanks for sharing! 💞🌇

Thus is awesome! I love the progression system and that they can pave their own paths which might involve changing their goals or abandoning one. It might be cool to have some consequences for failing a life goal, or some that are timed and add another layer of challenge. Very excited to play with this!

Is it possible to change your paras personality once you've already gone down one route? Like if you've maxed out a ton of stuff, made them serious, but maybe in ur story something happens and they change..can u easily switch their trait?

Are the museum and request board stardew valley inspired?

I love that the goals are something that occurs during gameplay! Makes it really feel like the character is choosing it rather than the player, and I love that. Will a Para be able to have multiple life goals they work on at the same time? For example, they want to improve their fitness AND have children?

This looks really exciting! I especially love the request board - it feels like a neat way to build a sense of community and encourage you to meet new NPCs. I think it might be cool if the request board also includes "offers" from local NPC. So for example maybe an NPC is offering some guitar lessons - they cost a bit of money, but your guitar skills increase faster. Or another NPC might be offering tutoring for teens - again it costs money but it could automatically boost their school grades if they are low. Perhaps in the future there could be an NPC that offers to take your dog for a walk! I've no idea how feasible any of these ideas are but it could be fun!

This looks really cool so far. I was wondering, you've said that the life goals paras will be offered will depend on their traits....but what about requests? Will parafolk make requests based on their personalities/careers/skills? Like for example a para with high cooking skill (or being in a culinary career) being more likely to request the player to bring them ingredients?

Hello! I've been following your game for the past three years. ☺️I have some personal thoughts about the long-term effects of short-term emotions on paras. For example, a para who often goes to bed feeling frustrated and with unmet needs may eventually come to see their life as full of misfortune and pain. As time goes by, it will also become harder for them to learn any skills. On the other hand, a para who always gets their needs fulfilled by the end of the day will ultimately feel that their life is a happy one. I think this could make paras feel more like real, living people! Sorry if my English isn't very good—I hope I didn’t misunderstand anything in your article.❤️

The Town Request board is so cool and useful, gives our Paras a sense of community which I appreciate.

Yaaay more ways to socialize with ither paras! I love it! Will we get some connection with those paras we will help? Like, they will get "helper" connection(?) on their relationship list attached to our para?

What a great update, love both new mechanics! 😍 Just makes me even more curious about the systems you’re creating, therefore some questions: 1. Is there a total amount of life goals that you can have completed? Also, do we receive rewards or special opportunities/ interactions for completing goals? Like in the example pictured, what would becoming a “gym newbie” add to the para, other than progressing her skills by putting in the work in progressing it. 2. Love the request system! I’ve seen something similar in Coral Island and I’m so happy that you’ll have it, would we expect one new request a day, or more to choose from? Will we get some intel on the purpose of the request once we fulfill it - like what did Paul want the mushrooms for? 3. The team has shared that on EA we should expect around 50 building lots, could you share an rough estimation on how many townies we will have from EA? I’m just so curious about who we’ll have to meet on this new town!

Wow this request feature is rich gameplay. I love this and the fact it’s optional too 😻 amazing! The goals aren’t one dimensional and relates to moods. Such a fresh take!

these mechanics are so exciting, thank you for sharing! which life stages are both Requests and Live Goals available to? some of course only make sense for adults, but others i could see starting in childhood or for teens. hope you all have a great weekend!

Really like the requests feature, I imagine myself doing a Kiki's Delivery Service type of gameplay, lol. Great work, as always!! I know that this is something you guys have been working on, but I would really enjoy, if its possible in the future, calling a UX/UI Designer to work on the UI of the game, right now I feel that the UI is disjointed a little bit, but nothing that need to be worked urgently... Idk if the wording was rude, but I did not intended it to be. Soo excited for Dec 8th!! Can't wait

What games are you guys inspired most for gameplay mechanics? It looks cool, thanks for sharing! ❤️

This is so cool!!!

Listen, I've been following y'all since early 2020, but you still manage to surprise. Between the different levels, perks, traits, wants, goals, museum, community center, and townie requests, there seems to be a great foundation for character progression. Great stuff!

These systems excite me so much. Lifetime goals excite me so much because they can really offer up a chance for parafolk to feel unique to each other. Love hearing that personality will play a role and we'll get them through gameplay!! I'm excited to learn more in the future and to see just how many we'll have to choose from! I also really like that they'll cover different aspects of their lives. So for more family orientated or romance orientated parafolk we'll have options for them. And paras who aspire to have wealth and luxury will be included. The request board is another great idea. It's always nice to have extra ways to build relationships with people or earn some money.

I’m blanking on it but were fears planned for the initial release of the game? For instance a Para who is active my fear not exercising for more than x amount of time

I know it's still going to be a while but I'm already going to miss the weekly updates 🥲 Thank you for showing the quest feature, Jérémie! I especially love the request boards. Do you have plans for bigger, multi-part townie requests or are these going to be just one-off tasks?

Sounds good. I like the town requests board because I am the one getting to it so it doesn't come out of nowhere. Life goal discovery makes sense, and I hope it won't have a guaranteed timing and hopefully it could also be a little unpredictable sometimes.

Love the idea of a request board! We have so much to do in the live mode already, I can't wait to see more :D

This is awesome I absolutely love everything about this game 😍💕just make me more and more excited to play

Loving the new mechanics!

Awesome can't wait counting down the days

Oh amazing!! I love the implementation of the requests! That’s so cute and fresh for a simulation game. So can’t wait 🤗 Thankyou Jérémie and team!! 💗

Cooooooooooolllll