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Elder Parafolks: Screenshots and Creative Process

*grabs the mic*🎙 Hellooooooo everyone!

For this first week of the spooky month I, Sonia, will be your host to showcase our newest character texture: 🎊 elder skin!🎊

I gathered a lot of references of seniors from various ethnicities and ages to be able to create this skin texture. I was amazed to see the huge differences in how people age based on environment, ethnicity or genetics! That really made us think about how we can offer such uniqueness in the game.


Elder Face Texture

As I said before, there’s a huge range and variety of wrinkles and it would be a shame to miss on that! So to help you create your perfect senior, we decided to let you decide what wrinkles you want. For now we only have a few wrinkles available, but worry not, there will be more options down the line.

Here are a three of the variations you can select:

Parafolk with no additional wrinkles


Parafolk with different additional wrinkles


You’ll have a few options for various facial areas such as forehead, cheeks, mouth, eyes….And you can combine them!

Wrinkles selection in the paramaker and Parafolk with additional wrinkles


Elder Body Texture

Here are some screenshots of our elder body textures:

Here is our nameless Parafolk wearing the latest elder skin texture


This is the base you’ll be working with when you want to create an elder Parafolk, but wait, there’s more!


Additional Textures

You can also choose to add skin details such as brown spots or cellulite.

Parafolk with brown spots texture


Parafolk with cellulite texture. This texture could also be applied on younger characters.


Hair Recoloration

This other feature, which was shown previously, can be used to custom your elder even more to create white roots on the hair.

Advanced hair color selection in the Paramaker. Hairs will automatically turn white when growing old but then, players will be able to customize the color.


Keep in mind that the game is still a work in progress, more textures will be added and existing ones may change or be improved. We’re hoping that all these features will spark your creativity and help you to create lovely seniors for your stories ✨

On this note, I wish you all a good weekend!

Sonia signing off *drops the mic*🎤

Edit - May 18, 2023: This post is now public, feel free to share it!

Comments

Plus chest and cleavage wrinkles and thinning and receding hairline.

Keith Conlon

Consider that at times but not neccessarily always what you are talking about is due to application of Anti-aging cosmetics and other anti aging beauty regimen products and Anti-aging cosmetic surgery. However not everyone views looking younger is more beautiful than actually allowing to visually grow older and age. There are those especially those among the Pro-aging movement that actually view allowing themselves to visually grow older and age is just as beautiful as when they were in their youth. Just different point of views ways of seeing things and personal situations in that arena/area.

Keith Conlon

I have made some recent comments that relates to this

Keith Conlon

Basically sims games don't get great (however many greats) grandparents living to see their great (however many greats) grandchildren. Once again the Sims franchise computer games and video games traditional style and structure to life stages and aging.

Keith Conlon

I am bringing it up because of Most living generations ever https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-living-generations-(ever)/?fb_comment_id=653356121442491_744011452376957 How many generations of a family can possibly be alive at the same time? https://www.quora.com/How-many-generations-of-a-family-can-possibly-be-alive-at-the-same-time Because it seems to me that the traditional sims franchise style of life stages just doesn't work with multiple generations living at the same time since usually with the traditional Sims franchise life stages mechanic the most generations that can be recognized in being able to live at the same time even relating to each other in multigenerational family trees are the basically three generations the the grandparents the parents(grandparents children) and the children(parents children and grandparents grandchildren) it can't seem to recognize countless generations before the grandparents and countless generations after the children/grandchildren. Which understandably completely hacks/screws up the whole point and structure to multigenerational family tree and any attempts to do multigenerational stories like the Sims 3 generations legacy.

Keith Conlon

Will there be like for gradual aging even visual gradual aging process sub life stages within traditional life stages in order to portray https://www.rxlist.com/age_by_decade/definition.htm DEFINITION OF AGE BY DECADE Medical Editor: Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD HOME AGE_BY_DECADE Age by decade: A term designating someone's age by decade. For example, a septuagenarian refers to someone in his or her seventies (age 70 to 79). The prefix in such terms is always from the Latin. For example, the Latin septuageni = seventy. Denarian: Someone age 10 to 19. Vicenarian: Someone in his or her twenties. Tricenarian: Someone in his or her thirties. Quadragenarian: Someone in his or her forties. Quinquagenarian: Someone in his or her fifties. Sexagenarian: Someone in his or her sixties. Septuagenarian: Someone in his or her seventies. Octogenarian: Someone in his or her eighties. Nonagenarian: Someone in his or her nineties. Centenarian: Someone 100 or more. Supercentenarian: Someone 110 years old or more (no upper limit). The terms denarian, vicenarian, tricenarian, and quadragenarian are not in common usage. The term supercentenarian was coined in 1991. Within Paralives I was asking because of apparently the now public updates on Toddlers children, teens and Elders and other life stages. Since honestly the all of the life stages could use considerable amount of sub life stages breaking up. Medical Definition of Age by decade You sent https://www.patreon.com/posts/73002725 Elder Parafolks: Screenshots and Creative Process | Alex Massé on Patreon You sent And/or could there be official Paralives mod combining the gist of sims 3 gradual aging mods https://modthesims.info/d/490536/grow.html https://modthesims.info/d/517293/age.html and sims 4 age spots/sun spots mod https://modthesims.info/d/607604/automatic-sunburns-v10a-flerb-update.html with Because of Dynamic Wrinkles transitioning into Static Wrinkles and other aging over time skin and overall body details. The following imagesseems would be the valid possible end result depending upon various individuals factors. https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/wrinkles https://www.reallusion.com/character-creator/dynamic-wrinkle.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quyF-8LbLtc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAd-IotnMiI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-TfQDk_cao https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfUoL4ANFSc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jehy9WsZnGs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_5WzqMpFw4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbOxmCAmUEs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_O1K870_MU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSzutmTg-T4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cikkcp3rmVc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cikkcp3rmVc (edited) Grow

Keith Conlon

i hope we will have an option to also create good-looking elders with "classic-beautiful" bodies so that there are so many people 50+ years who looks just stunning

Noveternal

I love the progress you made, Sonia.

SketalDaz

Speaking as an almost-elder, there need to be more lines around the mouth. The representations here look more middle-aged, than elder. We also have jowls. Gravity is not our friend (except for the whole keeping us on the planet thing). Everything works its way downward. Outer eye canthus turns downward, outer edge of the eyebrow turns downward, eyelids become heavy and hooded, mouth corners turn downward, with lots of little pucker lines surrounding the lips, with crease lines extending from the edges of the mouth to the chin, double chins form with wattle-y skin beneath. Growing older is not for the weak, nor for the vain!

Maiden Minnesota

This makes me so happy ♥♥♥

Anabelle

could elders use canes? please and get back pain or not if they had a healthy lifestyle when they were younger.

Cinderelabaiana

I really like how you will be able to add how many wrinkles you want!

Ricardé

Would being elderly create a skill cap slash loss of skill on skills maybe besides the mastered ones and maybe unlock a special timeless variation of the skill?

Picasso

Will there be any efforts to represent disabled people in this game?

snart

I agree that especially the first one looks like a 20 year old with a senior mask on

Lauren

Omg the cellulite detail is something I didn’t know I needed in this game!!!! How cool!!

Rachel Hayes

Fascinating. Love this progress update, the elders actually look like elders and I love it! Would love to know if the wrinkles gradually appear (or even have an opacity slider?) or if they have just the plain versions shown above (which are amazing!) Happy October <3

Alex Robitaille

Sure, gradual aging is obviously more difficult than standard everyone-ages-the-same-and-looks-the-same-at-old-age, but surely not more difficult than variable heights (less difficult I would think because they don't have to adapt the animation for it in everything the Para does). There's a reason why neither of these has really been done prior to now. That's certainly why The Sims 4 didn't do it - they don't do 'QOL features', only bare minimum to sell their product. But the team is also talking about grow bursts, instead of gradual aging too. I'm actually kind of hoping, best scenario, for aging bursts in at all ages except perhaps babies and toddlers, because that period is such a fast growth period in terms of development change that (at least at The Sims time speed) you'd probably actually almost be able to see that development in gradual aging. Although that might make it even more difficult to make because the changes are so dramatic and so fast. I'd be very happy with short bursts of growth, perhaps every couple years or something for teens and every 5 years for adults, and babies and toddlers just more frequently. So if they're implementing growth bursts with procedural animation, variable aging might also be quite implementable - it's just aesthetics, but it's aesthetics that would influence gameplay. Height variation won't influence gameplay at all. Anyway, they are already implementing aging. My addition essentially was really simply to make the Para aging variable speed, and related to gameplay, so that Paras age differently. As for heights, heights are purely decorative, whereas aging speed would influence gameplay, and how people manage their Paras - longer life with more regular exercise/uglier elders (so to speak) with more sun exposure/wrinkles with bad eating. And it mimics life, so it would aid stories that people tell too. I want to have different Paras like drunken bums etc, as well as successful Paras - I want all sorts of Paras. Height aesthetics are neither here nor there for me - they're just decoration, and a hell of a lot of work just for that little bit of decoration. Given the choice, I'd prefer variable aging responding to gameplay before height difference aesthetics. Albeit, aesthetics that a lot of people want.

Fran Smith

this is looking incredible! will we also be seeing aging details like sagging eyelids and jaws?

emryspaperart

Jesus Christ ahahaha I was just sharing my humble opinion and I still stand by it. I feel like all those little details like some have more wrinkles because of their behaviour are so specific and I just don't see them adding much to gameplay. Of course I would never want them to cut out things, I want them to release something complete and that they are proud of. But I do think you explain gradual aging has it is something very easy, which the team expressed in the past it is not.

John PT

This makes me so happy to represent my stretch marks and momma belly! I love all the progress! <3

Jessica Hughes

Ooo this opens even more options for the future. Anti aging cosmetics and surgeries maybe?

Jenifer

I love how realistic this is. All the wrinkles and creases older skin actually has rather than some “beautification”. I have one suggestion in the hair color selection, maybe instead of just color 1, 2 and 3 it should say sth like roots, mids and tips

Maxx

Yes, I do know it's a small team. I'm well aware of that. I've been following this game from when it was only Alex and it's first days on Patreon. This IS gameplay I'm asking for, and gameplay DEPTH I'm asking for. Not some ridiculously frivolously piece of graphics (like growing hair and nails) that some people are asking for, that would be difficult and time-wasting with little gameplay attached. The above would also be tied into the variable ages Paras can reach, so that they age differently and at different rates/speeds - that is gameplay variability that also has consequences. Paralives are wanting to add depth to the game, particularly to personality and social interactions, unlike that other game that is so bad because they removed all character depth and variation from it's most recent iteration. This would add significantly to gameplay to have something like this implemented, because it would directly impact gameplay decisions for the Paras' future years and add to the stories that people can create. They are already using procedural animation for height and other things. Variable speeds of aging might work very well with the small-bursts aging that is a current consideration on the table together with gradual aging. It might not be much more of a stretch to use it similarly to make the aging timing of people more variable, instead of the old 'everyone-has-grey-hair-and-a-cane-from-60-years-old-and-dies-at-85' thing. Old age death happens anywhere between 70 and 100. In my view, aging variation is just as, if not more important, than height variation. Actually, MORE important in terms of gameplay - height variation has no real gameplay affectation beyond what it looks like. But aging rates based on gameplay does! Would you cut out height variation because it'll take time, but doesn't impact gamplay (only people's personal stories), though? A lot of people want it. Everything they add will delay release, and I agree that adding frivolous stuff that doesn't add to gameplay would be a waste of time before release, but if they do it well and add things that contain depth, particularly if it would be difficult to add them later in hindsight (as I suspect this would be), it will be worth waiting for. I would not have them cut out worthwhile things just to satisfy an earlier release for impatient people, and I think most people on this forum are of the same view. Throughout the creation of this game people have constantly been telling them, "Don't rush!" And do remember, some ideas are also things that might be considerable for after EA release or after full release.

Fran Smith

I love the exploration of facial aging based on ethnicity, can’t wait to see how this progresses. I would say one thing though, the forehead wrinkles look very harsh would we be able to turn down opacity on these ? Not all elderly are severely aged

Luther Duncan

Yes, thank you for showing a diversity of wrinkles! The cellulite is a great touch. Love that it would be available for younger paras

trubluIs

I think it's important to remember that it's a small team and specific details like those would not only take a lot of time to be made thus delaying the release but also take away that time from other things that could be worked on such as gameplay.

John PT

it would be awesome to have all these textures available for most ages to create parafolk, who look older, but may not actually be an elder yet!

Samya Brooks

the cellulite 😍🥰

Tori Logiudice

Nope, melanocyte, which produces the hair colour and delivers it to the follicle (the root), slows down delivering it, so the root becomes gray and grows into a gray hair from there

Domon0310

And please! Make gravity have it's course on bodyparts :) (like boobs, ass, thighs) etc :) smile wrinkles

Kiiiwiii

Exactly! Would make all the difference with them looking different!

Kiiiwiii

I see what you mean. This para is definitely giving off baby face.

breah

The face still looks quite youthful. It's giving me baby face with lines.The stomach looks great! The back looks super fit and like a younger para. Maybe a droppy butt or sag in the breast would create a more realistic look or maybe this para has been active and healthy all their life lol idk.

breah

I love the body wrinkles but is it just me ordoes the art style make their faces look kinda youthful?

Stermatical

Being able to change the intensity of the wrinkles would be peak customization, especially when your household has several elders of different ethnicities or just with different progress/age within the same life stage!

V

Am i an idiot? I swear hair greys from tips to roots and not the other way around. Now that i'm getting my first grey hairs i can really see how the color gets suckt into my head again. It's only when you have an unnatural color, that you get 'rooting' just like you would at any age as one can see in many google pics.

Egozentricus

I love that they actually look like they're old, it's not just an adult with an extra wrinkle on there forehead.

Daphne Taylor

The cellulite looks really great - so real! And I really like the neck area - it really looks like an older person's neck, where age often first starts to show. I know this is only a start for old people, but I'm wondering... will wrinkles and age marks happen procedurally? I really want my very old people (80+) to grow into proper wrinkles and marks and look truly old (not like they've had botox), and hopefully to each look a little different from each other. And I want them to look really old when they are really old (the model pictures above look more like 50 or 60 at most to me) - I want my 80 - 100 year olds to look that age, with perhaps canes, and then walkers, at late life. Some old people's faces almost resemble the classic look of an uncovered brain with regards to wrinkles, if you understand what I mean. I really like wrinkles on old people - it makes them look.. kind, wise, distinguished. They say that wrinkles are the train tracks of what life has thrown at someone. Could their wrinkles differ either randomly, or somehow depending upon what has happened in their life? Just to make them all a little different. And with the body shapes and bent over and cane thing, could that also be a little random or dependent upon what they've done in their lives? For example, if they've spent most of their lives outside in the sun then we could expect more skin markings, if they've been fit and healthy and remain so for their age, they could walk more upright and require a cane or walker much later in life? If they've eaten more healthy food we could expect fewer wrinkles perhaps and a little later in life? This would help to differentiate people and give us game goals for playing individuals. Eg, a Para who has spent too much time in the local bar drinking juice could end up with wrinkles quite early. The gardener who has worked outside all his life could have spots and marks very early in life, and wrinkle a little prematurely, but because he's fit, not require a cane until much later. The office worker who has been inside most of their lives, but not eaten well, might have almost no marks and spots, but more wrinkles and because he's unfit and lazy, and requires a cane much more prematurely. The model who has eaten well and looked after her skin might have few wrinkles and spots right up to late old age - if she's exercised well all her life, she might grow to be a quite dignified looking lady not requiring a cane until late in life. This would add so much dimension to the game, watching people age differently for those of us who want to see varieties of people in a society, it would aid those people who love the storytelling aspect, and it would add some gameplay strategy for those who want it to make their paras age well. And yet, for those who like control, they could also control the outcome for their Paras to a large degree. I'm thinking that this would look absolutely marvelous with Paralive's beautiful hand-drawn graphics! I don't know how possible this is, but I would LOVE this! Is it possible?

Fran Smith

Good feedback, thank you!

Alex Massé

Thank you! More visible veins could be a nice detail for elders! We are not planning to add dementia or alzheimer's at the moment

Alex Massé

Thank you very much for the feedback!

Alex Massé

True, thanks for the feedback!

Alex Massé

We are looking into some adaptations to see what we can do

Alex Massé

Could be nice!

Alex Massé

Thank you 🙏🏼❤️it looks great

עדן כהן

Thank you, Mike. You put in words what I thought as well. This slowly becoming grey is so charming and reminds me of "gangs" of grannies who sit in a hair dresser shop and chit-chat to kill time because their hair is not done yet.

Liesel Strick

This is so amazing! The attention to detail is just astounding. The only thing I would say is I think the jaw line almost looks too sharply defined? I think when ppl start to age the skin sags slightly there, particularly under the chin. But all in all just amazing!

Ryn

The actual F, this is impressive asf, thank you for your hard work and service to the society

sofst

This is absolutely amazing! It all looks so good and I’m loving seeing all the options for wrinkles and cellulite and what not! Is it possible to have these things added to them as they slowly get older? It would be really cool to have a para (once they reach a certain age) slowly begin to start getting gray hair and wrinkles and have that progressively get added to so they get more gray and wrinkly as they get older! Maybe a checkbox in CAP that would be an option to stop them from getting gray hair and wrinkles so that you could still let them die their hair or pretend they had Botox 😅

It'sMike64

I fell off my chair when I read "we decided to let you decide what wrinkles you want". This is amazing ! I feel like the skin details like the cellulite would also be nice for other lifestages, but I truly appreciate that specific work is going into treating elders as their own entity, and not an unavoidable by-product of younger Paras (*cough* That Other Game™ 4 *cough*). I can't wait to see where things are going from this point on. Also I'm really curious how weight factors into this. We haven't really seen a truly fat body in Paralives, and obviously aging intersects very specifically with wrinkles (fat people have on average fewer of them on the face, but also bodies sag differently). A fat elder Para would not have this neck, for instance.

ladyteruki

Cellulite fam let's gooooo!!! This is so nice and detailed!

Adriana Takáčová

This is great! Will we be able to alter the intensity off the wrinkles, etc? And will there be stuff like. "varicose veins" for the elderly? Excuse the word. I had to translate from my own language so not sure if it's completely right or not. And will dementia/alzheimers be a thing or will that be too "sad" for the gameplay? Like a hereditary disease.

Kiiiwiii

I LOVE IT!! GOOD LUCK!

Daniel Asraf

Maybe age spots could be of different sizes and transparency, because their current design kinda resembles body moles

Domon0310

Love that there are different options that can be combined to have some variety in the looks of elderly paras. Will we be able to adjust the intensity of the color of the wrinkles, like with a blush? Some lines, like those on the forehead, seem a bit severe to me. And perhaps it's because of the prominent blush, but in the facial image with all the wrinkles combined they kinda start to look like a mask. By adjusting the color intensity/shading it might look more natural and fit every para regardless of their skin color. The body details are great, too! Would love some bigger brown spots as well, since older white people generally get larger brownspots the more they age. The current size are not uncommon for teens and up. It would also be really neat if the cellulite would be applicable to the stomach are for paras whose abdomen skin has stretched quite a bit. Having seen what the team has in store for the elderly so far, gives me great confidence in the options we'll get for their animations, clothing and lifestyles. Thanks for the great work!

Zedef

This is so awesome!!!! I love the realism being put behind this and the focus on making something that isn't just aesthetically beautiful

IAmALeaf

This is sooooo cool!!! Senior paras are getting a lot of love from the team, amazing job as always!! 😍😍😍

Stefanía Torrealba D

I don’t get the lines on the lower back of the female. I’ve never seen lines like that on a person before.

Erika

I really like this. It allows us to age gracefully. As a new senior myself, a lot of us are health conscious and work out regularly. Will we be able to do that without being near to death exhausted?

Jen Giresi

Yes!!! This is the details that I love and wanted. I really love that my paras can grow old with white hair gradually instead of all at once. Maybe there can be a reaction when the para sees their first white hair.

Maxayn Henderson

Wow! You guys amaze me every time!! Great job😍👏

Anouk Spiegelenberg

cellulite! I love it wow

Giammarco Victor Venturi

Awesome job! Absolutely love itttt

Riccardo

I love it!!! You guys are doing an amazing job!!!💖💖💖

Sara Fluttershylover

This looks great!! Awesome job guys!

Sarah Rodrigues

Oh woah, this looks great

Sabrius

This is phenomenal!! It makes these elders come to life! Wonderful job!

Jennifer Huber

If the game came out today in its current state I would still buy it. This is amazing

Tee W

I love this!!! Thank you for the cellulite detail especially!

Lotti

Incredible detail. 🥰 I can't wait for this game! Well be able to make such unique looking people. I'm so curious how different heights interact with objects 🤔

I kinda forGoT

This looks amazing! I love the way the roots look and the different skin details are exciting!

Everbough

I love it 😭😭

Alicia

Thank you so much for not 'stereotyping' seniors and allowing the player to have creative control of how we want our seniors to look!! Other game creators could learn from the the standard you guys are establishing! Please follow this standard when it comes to the animations as well, since not all seniors are hunched over and grab their backs when they walk or always acting tired. I know some Seniors more active and full of life than some young adults. Great work and I'm looking forward to the Para seniors I'll be able to have in my Paralives gameplay and storylines! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! 💞

tey711

This is awesome! The texture looks really good so far—especially the cellulite. Just a suggestion, though: don’t forget about wrinkles on the hands, forehead, and drooping skin under the chin! I know it’s still a work in progress, but this post got me super excited as elders are almost entirely neglected in life simulation games.

Bespectacled_Beans

Omg, it looks so incredible! What a great attention to detail and customisation options! I wonder if Para's body or face would change as they become an elder, e.g. white people's lips become thinner when they age

Domon0310

ooh, looks great! i hope there will be options to adjust the intensity/opacity of these textures for a more subtle or gradual appearance, so middle-aged paras wouldn't have to be either perfectly smooth-faced or completely creased up. (those undereye bag wrinkles would also suit us sleep-deprived younger folks as well!)

frenchifries

Love love love love love this

Kieran Wade

this is amazing i love it so very much

Amber

MIND. BLOWN!!!!!!

Zahlea

Amazing per usual

Thekla

I LOVE THE ADDITION OF CELLULITE❤️😭 it's such a normal thing but rarely seen in this context, makes me really happy

maria_yah

this is incredibly awesome the amount of care put into elders. in other games I could never accurately recreate older people because of everyone's wrinkle patterns being so different. thank you for all your hard work!

Kasia

This is great! But "wearing the skin" is a worrying phrase 😆

Mauro Fantin

There is so much diversity in skin textures I love it the parafolk will be so customizable 😁

Sherydyth Gilchrist

This is so good!

Catchy Virus

Already exceeding my expectations 😍

stars above

Loving this!!!

Amanda Shafer

Another paralives W

Eliza Haruvari


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