Defiantly the open world exploration ^^ Customization, Memories, Seasons, Swimming in the ocean, Boats , Pranks, Prom, Options of jobs and family gameplay
Play for five hours straight or more without getting bored.Or start up a game at 6 AM then suddenly realize it is dark outside and now dinner time and you got so involved in your game that you skipped breakfast and lunch.
I have to play in windowed mode or I could get lost in my TS2 open world game on TS3's game engine which is only possible because of the Mods I use.I'm starting new towns and gradually building up the popualtions in the town as I play the stories of my settlers.I get empty community lots most of the time though it's caused by the size of my town's population in my case.I'll get busier lots when the population gets bigger and there's more inactives running around.
For me, its the ability to micro-manage gameplay & the oh-so-detailed building/customization options in TS3 that keeps me coming back. Not to be overlooked, the potential that the emergent gamplay offers means that I rarely have the same sims or storytelling experience twice and that's a big bonus to me! After years of off & on playing I've yet to discover everything. And as others have said the open world is simply marvelous. Graphics do matter but they aren't terribly high on my important factors list.
I like how you can load the whole city at once. Then you can see what's going on, and see where your sims are going. I tried the free trial of Sims 4 but I didn't like how the game kept reloading every time my sims changed venue. You can't load the whole city and I've heard that means Sims 4 doesn't have story progression. That's a deal breaker for me, because it's interesting to see how my sims change over time.
Everyone has pretty much listed the best reasons - so on top of all of those reasons... when I get tired or bored with whatever world EA has given me, I can go play in someone else's vision. I can be shipwrecked on a tiny island, I can be in a high density downtown environment, I can be in a world designed for a challenge or legacy, I can be on another planet... there is no end to the different worlds I can visit. With TS4 - I get whatever backdrop they decided to use.
I can't comment on the Sims 4 as the closed world, the cartoon-y appearance and migraine inducing over saturation of everything put me off (but not half as much as the bugs never fixed in TS3 and the lack of transparency by the gurus/developer and store content that should have been in with EPs...no integrity, no interest from me). Having said all that I adore TS3, I have never played with just the base game but WA tempted me to try TS3 and omg how I love it, I love owning a vacation home and treating the three destinations as a proper vacation once they have achieved their visa levels. Everyone else has already covered why TS3 rocks my socks, open world, story progression, customisation beyond my wildest TS2 dreams, it was such a huge step forward and TS4 seems like a cavernous dive backwards to me at least.
I'll comment on this thread again, since the news of pets in sims 4 took "pets" off the list. What can we do in Sims 3 that we can't do in Sims 4?
Sims can ride horses across the whole map.
Sims 3 Pets had the ability where we could find wild animals and collect them as pets, whereas in Sims 4, you're restricted to just Cats...and Dogs... OW...just thinking about TS4: Cats and Dogs made me hit my head on the table and nearly knock myself out.
After all, where else but in Sims 3 can one be plumming brain-dead and get yourself a Malayan Krait as a pet and not suffer the consequences of being envenomed...and DIE.
Or in WA, you can get yourself a Ophiophagus Hannah and not have to deal with the consequences of being envenomed and DIE..." Isn't it FUN?
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~
@Nikkei_Simmer I forgot about the small pets! A little more limited than the standard pets in sims 3, so they should have fit right in 4. Wonder why the left them out?
The small pets were just a little extra something fun.
@Nikkei_Simmer I forgot about the small pets! A little more limited than the standard pets in sims 3, so they should have fit right in 4. Wonder why the left them out?
The small pets were just a little extra something fun.
well they haven't said there aren't going to be small pets people think there isn't going to be any
I like that I can build anywhere or add a lot anywhere
I like that my teens look like teens
Best of all I can delete schools, as with sims 4 I have to watch the clock
I like that I can play without the same back drop.
I like that when my sims paint they have a pallet, sims 4 seems silly without it.
Sims 3 is a little more challenging when it comes to collecting, sims 4 you can get rich fast.
Also Gardening looks more real in sims 3. they actually do something.
Love so many worlds made by so many simmers. Not just a few EA worlds.
Love that I can color anything the way I want.
but I will give credit to sims 4 for building houses is much easier.
I love the cars, bikes, into the future space ships.
House Boats, dive lots and swimming in the ocean.
When a sims fights in sims 3, sometimes it takes a long time to make up.
Open worlds, you can go anywhere.
can have roads or no roads in CAW
the list goes on.
I just love Sims 3
Everyone pretty much have said all that I would say. Just play both, so when you get tired of one, then you have the other to go to. Or, if you're like me, play one for a bit, then go play the other. lol You can enjoy both games.
I've been playing sims 4 a lot. But I was thinking of trying sims 3 again, but I only have the base game. Oh, and generations and a bunch of worlds from clicking on ads.
But every time I start the sims 3, I find the graphics muted (compared to the cartoony version of sims 4 - which I'm used to) and leave. So I was hoping you could all change my mind.
So please tell me, what can be done in the base game from Sims 3 that I can't do in Sims 4? There are so many amazing sims 3 fans! I feel I'm missing something. Thanks
<Did not read former comment so sorry if I'm repeating something>
Do community stuff! that's the main difference in my opinion.
Build community lots, and many of them, and just see how different sims (not neccesarily youe actives) spend their time there.
Take your sims to travel across town, meet the neigbours, take them to swim...
Switch between houses and see how the story evolves from different angles.
@KevinL5275 - that might be a custom career that I download when I get my desktop back up and working (to game specs). Right now, I'm just trying to stumble along on this poor ol' 2.2GHz.
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~
For me I enjoy the sims 3 better, though I do wish I had features like dining out and the doctor career in sims 3.But the open worlds make up for that, I feel I can play more freely in the sims 3.Sims 4 I feel kind of restricted, like even at parties having to meet goals.And the community lots aren't much, I end up staying in my sim's house all day.
Sims 3 I can tweak the game to add more fun, such as going to a mountainy lot and camping out.Throwing sleepovers with the kids etc.
Even if the game doesn't have the feature needed, its easy to kind of manipulate what I want.
I don't think the Sims 3 graphics are too bad.I like both game's graphics.
I know the OP...stated base game only...but that pretty much invalidates everything as TS3 came more complete (with the exception of diving boards) in base game than TS4 and the majority of their EPs combined.
But anyways:
Where else in the Sims franchise can you do this: '
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~
Comments
Sims can ride horses across the whole map.
After all, where else but in Sims 3 can one be plumming brain-dead and get yourself a Malayan Krait as a pet and not suffer the consequences of being envenomed...and DIE.
Or in WA, you can get yourself a Ophiophagus Hannah and not have to deal with the consequences of being envenomed and DIE..." Isn't it FUN?
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~
The small pets were just a little extra something fun.
well they haven't said there aren't going to be small pets people think there isn't going to be any
The great part of TS4: Cats and Dogs, is the extra career option of becoming a vetrinarian. YAY. thrilled...yawn.
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~
@Nikkei_Simmer That's one thing that should have came with sims 3 pets, a veterinarian career.
I would suggest playing both S3 and 4, see what you like better.
I like that my teens look like teens
Best of all I can delete schools, as with sims 4 I have to watch the clock
I like that I can play without the same back drop.
I like that when my sims paint they have a pallet, sims 4 seems silly without it.
Sims 3 is a little more challenging when it comes to collecting, sims 4 you can get rich fast.
Also Gardening looks more real in sims 3. they actually do something.
Love so many worlds made by so many simmers. Not just a few EA worlds.
Love that I can color anything the way I want.
but I will give credit to sims 4 for building houses is much easier.
I love the cars, bikes, into the future space ships.
House Boats, dive lots and swimming in the ocean.
When a sims fights in sims 3, sometimes it takes a long time to make up.
Open worlds, you can go anywhere.
can have roads or no roads in CAW
the list goes on.
I just love Sims 3
<Did not read former comment so sorry if I'm repeating something>
Do community stuff! that's the main difference in my opinion.
Build community lots, and many of them, and just see how different sims (not neccesarily youe actives) spend their time there.
Take your sims to travel across town, meet the neigbours, take them to swim...
Switch between houses and see how the story evolves from different angles.
You *can* have a veterinarian career, from here:
https://missyhissysjobcentre.wordpress.com/2013/05/24/veterinary-career/
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~
Sims 3 I can tweak the game to add more fun, such as going to a mountainy lot and camping out.Throwing sleepovers with the kids etc.
Even if the game doesn't have the feature needed, its easy to kind of manipulate what I want.
I don't think the Sims 3 graphics are too bad.I like both game's graphics.
https://graceymanorsims3.tumblr.com/
But anyways:
Where else in the Sims franchise can you do this: '
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~