Forum:Alternate universe

This issue was discussed in Forum:Organization for TS4 timeline and a resolution was hinted at. However, the issue of the Alternate Universe of The Sims 4 is probably something that should be delved into deeper. To that end, I'd like for us to come up with some guidelines to help us work around this issue in the continuity.

Specific issues with the alternate universe include, for starters, what it should be called. Referring to the TS4-established timeline as an "alternate universe" stays true to the "official" terminology used by the SimGurus (source here). However, that leaves the issue of what to call the timeline from the first three games; the "prime universe" or the "regular universe?" I personally don't feel that referring to one universe as the main/regular/prime universe and the other as an alternate universe really does justice to the second universe. If we accept that Maxis/EA/The Sims Studio, as creators of the timeline, are ultimately the ones which determine what is legitimately part of the timeline and what isn't, then to say that the TS4 universe is an alternate one is to suggest that the TS4 universe is less legitimate than the main universe. I personally think it's best to avoid the idea of a main universe and an alternate universe, and instead find a way to differentiate between the two without making one superior to the other.

There are a number of logistical issues due to the new universe. Think of one example - the Caliente family. Presently we have Caliente Family which, as of the time that this is being published, is written from a TS2-centric ("prime universe") perspective, in which Nighat Caliente is the mother of the twins. In The Sims 4, a new Sim, Katrina Caliente, is introduced as their mother. In this case, would we create a new section on the family page for the TS4 universe, with a new infobox, a new description of the family, a new family tree and everything else. There's also the matter of the family's navbox, which is also TS2-centric. Would we have two navboxes for two universes? Would it be better to split the family page up between universes, just as we are (likely) splitting Sim pages between game generations? Would a "Caliente family/Universe A" and "Caliente family/Universe B" setup be better than having them both on the same page?

There are a lot of places on the wiki that explain, either briefly or in great detail, the complex timeline established in the first three games. The chief example of this is Timeline of The Sims series which, again, does not go into any detail about the TS4 timeline. Would it be best to rename that page to something which reflects its status as the timeline of the first three games, or should the new timeline be included as well?

I know I've presented a lot of problems here, but ultimately it's something we'll have to figure out. I feel like a lot of us who edit regularly are holding our breath, waiting for the problem to be solved before we move forward with making major edits to a lot of these pages. We are aware that a lot of our information is out-of-date due to timeline changes, but it's hard to justify making lots of edits to lots of pages if we haven't yet decided how the information will be organized. So, what I am suggesting is that we figure out some of these core issues and write a structured guideline, much like the Manual of Style, to help us keep organized.

--  LostInRiverview talk ~ blog 00:56, September 5, 2014 (UTC)