With three household members playing and all five game slots used. I have noticed that when I load the game to play, it Defaults to loading the last players family. This isn't necessarily a problem ,however has caused a scare (loaded VF in the A.M. before my first cup of coffee to find all my children gone and no husband...lol)a few times before realizing I needed to exit that players family by going back to the menu screen and selecting my game. Based on this experience my suggestion is that when the game loads, it loads by default to the Main menu screen, thereby forcing you to pick your own family for play.

I don't know if I'm doing this right or not, but here goes. I think some of us may have been a bit critical of this game at first, but it gets better as the game progresses. However, I'd still like to see either a VF 2 or an update to this the first Virtual Families. I think some interaction between the fam. members would take Virtual Families from being a good game to a great one. That's really the only thing lacking...Oh yes, there's also that issue of the cat. I sure wish it could be selected, named, and moved and that the peeps could recognize it's existence. I think too, that the kids ought to have to feed and water it as one of their chores. In fact, thinking on that, I think it would be nice if the game allowed for chores to be assigned to each kid and that they had to be trained in them like the parents do on their jobs. I'm aware that they can collect things, sell collectibles on line, and do various jobs around the house such as cleaning a dirty spot on the floor and picking things up, but it would be really nice to be able to assign chores to them. These things would really put this game over the top.
Thanks for listening to my ideas,
Lewanda

Sorry! I forgot to tell you how much I love the cute things the kids do and especially their giggles and sqeals of delight. I notice they do this most when playing in dirt or marking on the walls. LOL! I also love the way the pass away in this game. It's so much nicer than the decomposing skeleton's in the other games. I'm truly enjoying training my virtual family.

Also there's one more thing I'd like in the game is if they could choose between several houses, since most people, like myself :), have several families going on at one time. This might would make the game too large...I don't know. I am a programmer but don't write games.

Big hugs!

That's a great suggestion. I've had the same thought!

I think it would be helpful to see the characters Status in the Details page. Also would like to see how much longer till the mother is done nursing.

Example: Loaded game this morning to check on my two seperate households in the game. However My son was the last one to play , so when it loaded , his game opened without giving me opportunity to load mine. Immediately a notification pops up in game announcing someone had gotten a promotion, followed by a notification he was being fined x amount of dollars per weed for x number of weeds. Once those things were done being announced it was then and only then I was able to click on menu, so that i could load one of my families. My son thus has missed the fact his person got a promotion , thus is also unaware of the "weed" penalty. Furthermore when I'm done playing and I exit the game , Whomever loads it next to play will then get notifications on my families events, before they are able to load their own family. So those announcements won't be seen by me!

I would also like to see the nursing time displayed.

I would also like to see the family be able to buy land so one of their children could build a house and live in the same game. They could perhaps have a farm or a store (there is already a farming mechanism). There could be so much potential for more "stuff" for all the peeps to do. There is also a building skill so the child could build his/her own house....or maybe add an addition to the original one. That would be excellent!!

Deb

My greatest wish for Virtual Villagers 4:
Please don't make the peeps as slow as they are in the other villager games. I tried playing VV2 again after playing VF, and the peeps were so very slow that I had to close out the game.

~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~
WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IN Virtual Families 2:
-Please fix the 'hang up' on exit problem so many of us are experiencing.

-Please don't have the peeps walk and act as though they're 80-90 yrs old at 50-65. People are just not that decrepid at that age. I'd like to be able to enjoy the elderly peeps. Most people say they can't wait for them to die after the kids all leave, and that just isn't right.

-Several houses to choose from would make having more than one game going so much nicer. It would even be nicer if you could have several families in one game (Your adoptee and a couple of neighboring peeps that you also teach and look out for.)

-A flower or veggie garden that the peeps plant and care for themselves would be really nice, and/or something like an animated backyard pond.

-The last version made it really difficult to make babies, and multiples are almost impossible. I reinstalled version .04 and had triplets on the first try. Please make VF 2 so it's not so difficult to have a family. The kids are what makes the game fun.

-Have the kids play more games where they laugh such as the tag game in VV2. As a fact I'd love it if you brought that back in the next VF.

-Recognition of other family members when they pass them...Right now they walk right through each other, and have no idea that they're not the only one in the game other than on certain occasions: when making baby, tickling, giggle party, etc.

-Make it to where there is somehow some kind of real contact between family members that have left with real recognition of who the person is they're emailing/phoning. We'd like to see something more than the emails calling mom and dad by their first names.

-Make it so that a kid can move back in after the parents have been left alone and are aged, and please make it so that the parents can stay with the new family and help with kids and household chores (Though they should be allowed to retire from their careers). It's not right that the parents have to die before we can start a new generation. We also want our peeps to live longer, more productive lives after retirement.

-A beauty parlor where the ladies can get a new hairdo would be great.

-Let them keep their old clothes in their bedroom closet and be able to wear them again. That way they could buy all the clothes that they really like and change out more often.

I agree 100 percent Lewanda. the game definatly needs more possibilities

I agree too.

But with the beauty parlor and neighbors it seems to me that Virtual Neighborhood or Virtual Town would be better. So then you can care for a small town with multiple families.

Or like how some people want to be able to connect the VVs with the internet so it could be multiplayer, with trading. These small towns/neighborhoods could be an actully multiplayer game, we connect to the internet and we all get a family to take care of and have our family interact with the other players' families.

Alot of these suggestions are great. I love Lewanda's suggestions, and the suggestion of the nursing timer being displayed. But some of the suggestions are SO 'Sims'ish. I wont play the sims. i dont care for the game. the way VF is right now (like Lewanda said) its a very good game. But there are a few things that could bring it over the top. The peeps NEED to interact with one another. Its just unnatural to me. How can a nursing mother carry around a baby for 2 years and then have no interaction with it after that...Just weird! Anyway. It is a GOOD game. and i love playing. There are just a few more things i would like added!

1.chat with the little people.
2.take care of pets
3.all seasons
4.more kinds of weather(forget the ice storm!!!)
5.more kind of pets.(bunnys,chinise dwarf hamsters,mice,etc.)
6.lower career room upgrade prices.
7.more likely to have twins or triplets.

Virtual neighborhood sounds nice, but I'd like to be able to play without having to be connected to someone else.

One thing I forgot to mention that I'd like in the next VF is more options for pets. I'd also like to be able to choose to have more than one pet and have the family interact with them.

Thanks LDW for making the games. They are so enjoyable and a great way to relax. And thanks for allowing our input!
Big hugs!!!

i agree with Lewanda 100 % with the idea of several houses because the same old house gets boring

The kids should have wetting accidents where you have to buy them a new outfit immediately. If you don't have enough money, they get more and more unhappy, then blue, then depressed. Once they get the outfit, voila! Elated again.

yes i have also loaded the game and found myself to be playing my sisters file

I'm thoroughly enjoying VF and am anxiously awaiting word on an upgrade or a 2.
I agree with an option of buying up in homes.
It would be fun/cute to have the baby crawling and being picked up to put in a high chair and/or crib. A little more cooing by the baby. Toys that can be selected and bought. (Of course in real life, children do tend to argue over toys.
A little larger kitchen table that would seat at least 6.
Lower prices to buy things or increase starting wages.
More selection of items to buy in the store or for the home. (I decided I won't let my peeps have pinball machine since that's almost all they then want to do. lol

Thank you

Yes! Finally found the developer thread for vf2 suggestions. allright, down to buisness; i really like lewandas suggestions alot.he/she basicly said what i wanted to say for me:
Yes i would love that. , i also like the idea of having a choice of not having to be connected with someone elses computer to have a virtual neighborhood. and not just that, but a virtual city would also be nice, and a car. like u could get in the car and go to the doctors.

Dang! beat me to it again. yes i would totally love more than one pet and having the family members(and the families "owner" (or in other words, the one whos playing the game)) to interact with the pets.

another thing i agree with. yes the only way i am able to support ldw in helping make their games is by giving suggestions for new games. and also, all these things are nice, but like everything, there has to be alot of people putting alot of effort into making all those things come to pass, so just a few tips(even though u may already know them, but their just for newbies and for people who lack at least a little bit of common sense(like me for instance)) due to fullfilling everybodies(or alot of peoples) suggestions, the release date of the final product will be longer. and also, i wish i could help, I would LOVE to help ldw with their games, but, due to my age being 13, i do not fullfill the requirements to work and have an 'official' job, according to the law, but i love ldw and all their games, and i really want to help more than just giving suggestions for ldws games when i get older.
oh and one more thing, i support my previous vv4 suggestions for vf2 when i say a 3d environment would be nice. (but u c, then again comes more work put into making the game, and the longer it will be untill the finished product comes out.
I LOVE ldw and VF. (with most companies, the sequals to the games sometimes suck, or are not as good as the first one, but with ldw, it is the opposite; They just keep getting BETTER!) anyway, thanks again. if u have any problems or find any errors with my post, plz just om me and i will NOT be offended if moderators moderate my post as long as they do not distort the original meanings, purposes, or intentions that my unedited post shows. thanks!
xilodragon1

I too would love more interaction between the peeps. When a child is looking for Mommy or Daddy, they walk right by them and don't see them. I have been a Foster Parent in real life and hugs and cuddling is very important in the formative years for children. We don't have any of that.

Also, a Divorce button would be nice! Some of the spouses I've chosen are some of the laziest "slobs" in the world. My peep will be working their hind-ends off and will reach master and the lazy, arrogant spouse will be at a Level 3.

Also, I'm almost 60 and believe me I do not walk like I am my great-grandmother. It makes the game just totally boring after the kids are gone.

When a parent dies, it would be great if the kids could come home or a kid could come home from college and be with the remaining parent until their demise.

I lost a 5 generation game because of the inability to get my couple to have a baby. I tried everything, closing out of the game, logging back in 3-4 times a day everyday. I bought the baby boost as a last resort, perfumes, gave them mangoes, candies, "green" hand, they still didn't want a baby undoubtedly because they would do-their-do and just walk of nonchalantly as if "Oh, well, that's over with!" attitude. 5 generations, all the upgrades and $300,000 because a couple "refused" to have a baby, heartbreaking!

I have two cats and they love petting, etc. The cats could go out in the yard and watch the birds (never let the birds get caught of course, kinda like the gopher), climb a tree, purr, sit next to the peeps. Have the peeps feed them.

Maybe other members of the family could help out with the baby instead of Mommy always carrying it around.

My peeps beg me for a vacation, but they never leave the house.

Be able to upgrade for a lower price and upgrade all the rooms, not just the kitchen, office and workshop. That bathroom really needs some refurbishing as well as it sounds like they need a new washer!

The kids to have friends over for sleepovers, neighbors for cookouts. Especially the nosy neighbor that seems to be a voyeur as he is always watching our peeps house and yard.

As they've mentioned above, be able to keep the clothes we buy them and change clothes more often. Be able to change the hairstyles.

I don't know what type of programming it would take to add some of the ideas to the game or come out with a new game with the additions, but I can't think of anything else right now. Thanks for allowing me to throw in my ideas.

I think It's be nice to have the option to save up to purchase a new house and then move! That'd be fun! Plus maybe a larger upgrade store. Like have maybe a new couch set.

Might be good to also show what kinds or groceries are getting low so you can buy certain things your peeps like and eat the most.

Maybe also have different kinds of pets. Say something exotic like a pet iguana or a pet bird in a cage. It could become a kind of chore to feed the bird or if a parrot teach it to talk. hehe! So much can be done for sure.

I also would love different weather. Right now there can be an earthquake and then you have to start with repairs. Maybe a few other things like power outages or hail storms.

I love this game. Nice clean fun I can let my nieces and nephews watch with out worrying their might be something scarey or inappropriate.

anyway thanks for a very addictive and fun game!

Some of my suggestions are pretty similar to Lewanda's, but here it goes:

- Some occasions can be really disturbing. Suppose you have triplets that have all gone to college when you launch the game and both the parents are promoted, that's five occasions you have to say OK to before you can get anything done. Then one of the parents go "Send e-mail to player", and you are interrupted AGAIN. These "occasion messages" could be made a lot less disrupting, or you could get to choose when to read them.

- I think the family should buy the house, and take a loan with periodic mortgage. Also tax the house based on its value, more upgrades = more tax.

- I loved Lewanda's suggestion about a garden, something more to do for the player or even a side business/chance to make extra cash for the family.

- Absolutely get rid of the interest part of the family's income, it makes the game so uninteresting. Yes I know something is needed to make the choice between saving and spending harder, but that's the wrong way to go. suppose you've saved up $400,000 that means that you are guaranteed $40,000 and that it's unimportant whether your peeps together make $30 or $1380, especially when there's really nothing to DO with the money later in the game. I'd like to see a stock portfolio though, where you can choose to set aside part of the family's money and invest it in stock that they can either win or loose on. It doesn't have to be complicsted, make a low-risk and high-risk portfolio to choose from, not a million different stocks to choose from.

- Lewanda suggested a beauty parlor, my suggestion is pretty close. I'd like to see a home version of "girls'/boys' night out" with spa-treatment for the ladies and whatever guys do for them. A way to spend money anytime in the game, and a way to boost happiness when needed

---

And besides this, a whole new game like VF, only the family runs a farm.

I love platonica's farm idea, especially if they can interact with the animals.

Well What about if there is like 5 houses and each generation you make repairs on your current house the house is perfect and then you buy another one and so on ...........

Here are my ideas:

1: There should be fraternal twins and triplets(different genders/different looks). I have a friend(of whom I'm really close to) that is a fraternal twin.

2: There should be a school. If not a school, than maybe a tutor; at the least report cards. I mean, what's all the studying for, anyways?

3: The kids should come back after college. Well, at least some should. And the parent that didn't die(if there is one) shouldn't be forcefully kicked out. And I think some of the peeps should get e-mails from their family.

4: Whoever said anything about sleepovers, I agree. Wouldn't it be cool if you could interact with another family? And I also agree with the snow idea, a.k.a., seasons. It would be fun.

5: Not telling you this was my idea, but my little bro. said he wanted to see actual pregnancy . I don't care too much for that idea, but I can't speak for the rest of you.

6: If only you could make new rare ones and move the current ones down a bit(hint, hint).

7: Make enough food for everyone at the table next time, please! It frightens me to see someone eating abseloutely nothing.

8: I think there should be an actions like "fighting" or "breaking up a fight" or "taking sides". It would be funny to watch the boys crowd behind dad and girls behind mom.

I have a few suggestions;

1. Have items they interact with. Like a phone, or a garden.

2. Add the stock market or a sie business for more money.

3. Be able to take a test for the 18 yr olds, then pick a college they got o according to the test "he 18 yr old" takes. This would mean YOU as the player of the game will take the test for the 18 yr old. Depending on the score, the 18 yr old, or YOU get to pick the college they attend.

4. BE able to influence how the kids grow up. MEaning, if they are on the PC alot, or outside..so on...then that will infulence what they like or their jobs.

5. I love the idea of saving up to buy a house. Have different types of houses, with different layouts.

6. Offer more items like clothing, and house items.
Maybe a new fridge, or oven..or even more house upgrades like more rooms or a bigger kitchen.

7. If you add the buisness, have an option of off site, or at home. If at home they can either pay for the site or pay for more room in the house.

8. More jobs.

9. Be able to pick a job for your person.

10. Be able to design your own patterns for things. Maybe be able to move furniture around.

PLEASE becarefull though! Some of these tread with the border of that OTHER game like this...

WOW.

I've been thinking that for a while, too!

I agree, but how about having to reach certain goals too unlock hair colors and styles. For example:
Cocoa is in gen 1. Cocoa has blonde hair and the Guiding Hand wants her to have blue hair. But first the family had to reach 6 children. They have 5 and it is time to try for another.
If that wrked you would unlock blue hair dye in the shop. Same with hair styles.

I would also like the tag game here, even though I don't play VV2.

Maybe connecting online would be resricted to player names you know.

I would like more interaction with the peeps and pets. Say clubs could come to the garden and the peeps could be members. Or the pet could get an illness and the owner would take it to the vet.

Maybe the kids could go to school, because why on earth do they do homework.
And yes I would like to chat to our peeps if possible.

Now all of these are only suggestions, but I would like them in the game.
See you!

I'd like to see each slot have its own images folder. That way the look of the house and surrounds could be different for each family. User-created mods could also be applied to just one game or more as the player desires.

what a good idea, Arnie!!
I'd like it in the VV games too!

Arnie, this is one of the best suggestions I've seen yet. And laurence I'd like that too.

Would be cool for Plant tycoon too. I run a few different games for PT and having a couple of the different nurseries would be nice.

For Virtual Families I'd like to see more house upgrades available also more of an assortment in the store.

I have $40,000. banked and other than buying the same old store items what do you do with it?

Arthur, if you ever make a VF2 would you PLEASE consider giving us the half-time option for our little families like we have in the villagers games? I'd like to see my families live a bit longer. Thanks again for taking our suggestions into consideration.

Here are my suggestions...

1. Bill paying - give the family the options of paying the Electric, Gas, Cable, Phone, Rent, Car Note, Car Insurance, Music Lessons, Dance Lessons,Eating out or making a meal.. ect ect like a real family. There are only so many upgrades and stuff from the store that we can buy.

2. Grandparents - the people in VF die too young.

3. Checking the Mailbox outside of the gate.

4. Interaction between family members - hugs, kisses, talking, playing ect ect..

5. Neighbors

6. An Option to buy a new home

7. Ability to switch out meals.. they eat the same meals over and over

8. Someone suggested a Virtual City, that would be a good idea... also Virtual Beauty shop and Virtual Barber Shop or Virtual Spa.

9. A secret room inside the house. The players have to find clues that will unlock the door to the secret room.

10. A changing room, where the little people can go at night and switch into sleeping gear.

11. Swing set for the VF kids, then they can upgrade to a play area with swings, slides, merry-go-round, monkey bars..

12. Change of seasons! We get rain occasionally, but Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall would be nice. Snow in the Winter, Lot's of sunshine in the Summer, Rain in the Spring, and Falling Leaves in the Fall(with a tree in the yard).

13. With the changing seasons would be a change in activities..Winter(snowboarding, shoveling snow, ice skating, making snow men, wearing Winter gear). Summer(swimming, going to the beach, mowing the grass, BBQing, wearing Summer Gear)ect ect..

14. Holidays - Christmas, Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving

15. The ability to purchase new furniture.

That's all I can think of for now..

Michelle



Oops one more suggestion for a new VF game. Virtual Family Farm!
They can plant, grow, and pick crops, milk the cows, feed the chickens, gather eggs, fleece sheep, ride horses, make repairs to the farm house, buy upgrades(animals, farming equipment, furniture, bigger farm house & land), go swimming in the pond, bail hay. They can also purchase a churn to make butter and cream to sell, or spin wool from the sheep into yarn to make cloth and sell it. A trip to the farmers market would be nice also.

You mean like how Animal Crossing made their city in the one for the Wii?

Something like that would be so neat!

Hmm... I guess I could throw in a few suggestions

1. When you buy an outfit, it goes into the 'closet' in the parents room. If you click on the closet, it shows all the clothes you have. (I don't like having to be like 'oh, I love this, but I like what shes already wearing. PASS')

2. There are different things to cook. You open the fridge and it shows everything you have (like carrots, peas, potatos...) and then you put them in the pot to make your own meals!

3. There should be cars. Maybe bikes, too. Then people could go to the park, buy things..

4. You should be able to pay for 'hair dye' that shows up ocassionally in the store. (But you keep the same hair style you already have.)

5. The descriptions should sy things like how tall they are, and what size shoe they wear.

6. Careers should be based on personality. Like, if they like reading, they should have an office job. If they liked playing in the woodshop, the should have a job in there. If their personality doesn't fit, they are assigned jobs randomly.

7. More things to buy in the shops. Its boring to havce the same old things there all the time- especially for those few who are generations in and who have bought everything there.

That's just a few, I will post a few more later. Thanks for taking time out to make the game not only a better place for others, but also a better place for me

And speaking of clothing, wouldn't it be nice to have a variety to choose from? Say make the "store" larger and have one panel for clothes. Once you're up in the big money, clothes are about the only thing you can buy that will use up some of your cash!

No kidding! Or be able to buy outfits and keep them, like a closet. My problem would be that it would be filled with Lyssaria's dress!

VF allows for five families... yet when you return to the game after being away, it opens to the last family visit. Wouln't it be better to pick the family firt when the game opens? Just my opinion

I agree. However, I've seen similar suggestions made in the forums for all the Virtual Villagers games and Plant Tycoon; they were probably also made for Fish Tycoon but I can't recall seeing them.

I can't remember seeing any reply by LDW giving a reason why this does not happen, but I assume that it's not so simple to carry out as it seems. LDW definitely listen to the opinions of users, so if it were fairly easy to implement I'd have thought that we'd have seen this feature before now.

I LOVE the suggestions that Lewanda made. My favorites are having the remaining husband/wife live on with the family in a blended family mode. I also like the idea of being able to add on to the house, a nursing bar to see how long the mom has left to go, keeping their old clothes and having a garden. A few of my own suggestions:

- Different skin colors - all different shades
- Being able to pan in and out to view the whole house (I think one of the VVs had this, or maybe all of them, as a Map button) it really bugs me that I can't do this here.


I do LOVE the game though. My favorite is picking out who gets to inherit the house, and then choosing a good partner for them!

The skin tone issue has been discussed in detail here. (While it was originally intended for Virtual Villagers, it is also applicable to Virtual Families.)

I love the idea for half-time and also 2xtime - some days if I am sick or at home doing nothing for some reason I could play all day and let my computer go at 2X. The other ideas above are all great! What about painting the house? I know you can do that with mods, but it could be something you save for inside the game and have the people do. You could also have them extend the deck, plant flowers, etc - all the home improvements that we ourselves make to our own homes. (OK I am biased towards planting flowers!)

Between what the game developers are (no doubt) thinking up and all of the things the game players have suggested, Last Day of Work has enough material to create at least as many installments of Virtual Families games as it has of Virtual Villagers games. Folks at LDW: truly, you have hit on some good and original ideas for games (think of all the games that have popped up mimicing Virtual Villagers and know that the sincerest form of flattery is imitation). My two cents: don't change too much of the dynamics which identify a game as being an LDW creation... however, having a choice in the lay-out and/or decor truly does allow for a more immersive game-playing experience. Whatever you come up with next, I'm sure it will be worth hours upon hours of fun. On that note: what is taking you folks so long with VV4!?!?! Hurry up already!

I totally agree! Would also be nice to pick clothes from their closets and be able to paint the rooms and buy new furniture and rugs for bath, and other parts of the house. Being able to chose your house or fix up the parents house would be amazing....just expand the game! Love your ideas Thank you Victoria

I would like more upgrades for all the rooms and more things to buy. I have millions of dollars even after I buy food, clothing, movies, candies, etc. The game needs more upgrades.

Hello, First, thanks for creating VF! I'm enjoying my second generation in the house. It would be nice if the siblings would come to visit. Or other little friends come over for a sleep-over.

I have enjoyed many fun scences when an agitated parent is dealing with an urgent problem, such as an electrical fire, and can't make up his mind what to do. He's bouncing around and you can tell he's frantic and his mind is racing and his poor body can't keep up with his changing decisiouns. That is just genious. well done!

I'm using the game on my iPod Touch, and the store has not refreshed some of it's supplies in the "varied Items" since the last purchase, "20" virutal years ago with the first generation. Which means I cannot buy some repair kits to make minor house repairs.

Also, I'd like to see (or have the freedom to modify myself) and move furniture around, have more than one waste basket (no normal person picks up only one wrapper and ignores another as they walk to the trash can).

And I too would love to have pets in the family. I'd love to have one of the kids/dog/cat snuggle with another human (parent or child) at bedtime, or on the sofa. My cat really liked to sit on my computer monitor, and clean her paws, or swish the screen wih her tail. You GOTTA put that in the game! It's not a cat if it ignores the computer!

In the iPod app, there are times when what they do is not what the screen says they are doing. For example, it will say a child is washing its hair as it runs out of the house, or is playing with toys in the bedroom.


All in all, I find this an enjyable and very creative game.

Thank you for your work on behalf of this game.