I agree, the store updates take way too long. In my first family I was able to repair the floor right away, that was 5 days ago. Since then I have gotten no other repair supplies at all. Then today I had an earthquake event that destroyed the one repair I had managed to complete! So now I have sent half my kids to college and my parents are just about senior citizens and still I have been unable to complete a single repair because of the store taking forever.

The sleep issues are tough, my families are exhausted 80% of the time even though I give ample balanced food and shut the game down for them to sleep all night. I think an improvement in the way sleep refreshes the peeps is in order.

The ability to change the name of a new baby as soon as it is born.

A phone, so the peeps can take and make phone calls. Heck maybe we should be able to call a neighbor and put up a birdhouse in his yard and charge him 303.00 which would be a slight profit!

I agree that the store needs to be updated more frequently. I honestly feel it should update no less than once every 4 hours. And yes, there seems to be a definite problem with the tiredness issues, but Arthur has already stated in a different thread that he was going to look into that, so they are aware of it already.

An idea about the store items though. Maybe they didn't want us to be able to fix everything right away so that future generations wouldn't have this perfect house and it would give them things do to also, right? But if the first generation could fix everything and then over time those same things wear out again, wouldn't that be a happy compromise? Say you have managed to fix the hose in the backyard. Then, when it's time for the kids to take over the house, that original fix has worn out and now they will either have to fix it again or buy a new one to replace it.

That way we can actually fix things and feel good about being able to fix them, yet in the future there are still things to do.

I, too, would love to be able to send an email to my little peeps.

I've only played the hour trial (will be buying it sometime next week, I think) but I've been reading all the threads here.

Make the option of adopting always available. I heard one player say that even though the only child in the family was about seven, the parents still said it was too soon to have more. So I think it'd be nice for players to adopt kids even if the parents don't want any more - or if the parents are too old to have their own. Adoptees could range in age from baby to teen. Give the player a few characters to choose from.

Along those lines, up the number of kids. Allowing the family to have more when some kids move out would be a good way, but I wouldn't mind having a couple more bedrooms added so I could have them all in the house at once. And might as well make it a big number since it's just a game ... fifteen, maybe? ^_^

College emails should become more frequent, with events added. Like, you have the option of sending money if they want/need something. Or they come to visit for a few weeks. Or they send gifts/money. I also like the idea of writing back to the family.

It'd be nice to be able to choose the house at the beginning when you're adopting the character. Maybe give like ten options of houses.

Nursing mothers should be able to work. If not, then let the father carry the baby for a little while. Or, even better, give the option of putting the baby/toddler in a crib or playpen for a little while.

If one parent dies before the other, leave the option for a child to take over the house with the parent still in it. Similarly, if a child is still underage when a parent dies, have an older sibling take care of them. Have family reunions (or holiday and birthday parties) in the second generation where the old siblings come to visit for a little while.

I agree about better interaction with pets. And maybe they have different effects on the family. Calming, happiness, sadness if a pet passes away, etc..

And I also like the remarriage idea. If a player's adoptee becomes a widow they should be able to find a new spouse. You could also put the option of divorce. And maybe marrying someone who already has kids.

That's all I can think of right now. I'll probably be back with more. ^_^

Oh, also surprise pregnancies. My grandma had a "change of life" baby - my Uncle John was born one year after grandma went through menopause. So it is possible. Obviously having a dose of baby boost given to either parent would increase the chance of a baby past forty.

It could even be an event. Without even the whole "trying to make a baby thing." Just turn on the game and BOOM! "Surprised Pregnancy!"

Ooh, good idea, Jami.

Hmmm
Maybe an event where one of the brothers or sisters (or children, for that matter) just lost their house due to unpaid taxes, and moves back in with the family. They work, and and once the family reaches a certain amount, they can repay the taxes for their son/daughter/brother/sister, and they can leave the house again . Just a thought I'd throw in.

There is a reason I suggested it. In one family I have (Jami 3) they never would've had kids if the guy hadn't adopted one before he got married! I never could afford the baby boost shots and they reached 40 without a successful mating. So it would be nice to see a surprise pregnancy.

What?! I thought the game was programmed so that every family had to have at least one baby... unless they're counting the adopted one. Ah well, at least you didn't have a big decision about who got the house. lol.

Oh, just thought of another suggestion. About that event where the kid gets chosen to for a movie or sports career, can it be modified so the kid comes back after a little while (less than a year game-time) or maybe writes to the family frequently?

I really like the idea that after the kids have grown and left that when one of the parents dies, instead of that parent having to live alone and be lonely, you can pick a grown child to move back in but the parent just moves into the kids' old bedroom and continues to live in the house until they die. I hadn't had anyone die until just a few minutes ago and, unfortunately, not only was the remaining spouse really depressed, but her dislike was "solitude" so no matter what I tried, I couldn't get her happy again.

I finally decided to pick her firstborn to move back in, not knowing that the mom would be gone forever once I did, only to discover that now the mom no longer lives there. I thought the daughter could move in and live there with her mother. Oh well, at least the daughter started with lots more money than her parents had and a nicer house as well.

eta -- Lizzy, I like a lot of your ideas. I just wanted to say that I had a family whose only son had grown and left and then a little boy came to the door needing a home and I had them adopt him. He was 6 at the time. Then, a short while later a little girl came to the door needing a home too and I had them adopt her also. She was three. So the ages definitely do vary at least.

Thinking about it, it would be nice to e-mail the characters back. Especially when they whine about the lack of money but never stick to their work! Then you can fire back, "You'd have money if you'd work on your career rather then washing your hair every five minutes!"