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Things That Would Have Made My First Pet Stuff Worth The Price
Gonedalf
Posts: 62 Member
Regardless of how well the pack does in sales, I think it's easily becoming the most controversial stuff pack released so far. I really waffled about buying it, because I'd love to have more pets and more stuff. In the end, I decided not to buy it for all of the reasons a lot of players have put more eloquently than I could, and I just decided that it's not worth it. But in deciding that this stuff pack isn't worth it, I've thought a lot about what would have made it worth it for me.
1. If the hamsters, bubalus, rats, and hedgehogs had different looking cages. They each get their own separate object, but all of the cages look exactly the same, and from what I've seen, the pets interact and act with it the same. If they'd at least made some aesthetic differences to the cages to differentiate the four pets, that would have made a big difference to me. Moreso than their secret lives and adventures. A hedgehog is not a hamster.
2. If the rat cage came with two rats. I'm fine with the hedgehog, hamster, and bubalus being alone, but rats need a buddy. I think having two in a cage with any of them would have made the objects much better, especially since they're big objects, but if that would have been way too difficult, I would have settled for them choosing a different animal than a rat. Another rodent that's more okay being alone. They could have just done a different kind of hamster, like a dwarf or something.
3. More Small Pet Stuff. I think it would have been a much better move not to have the Cats and Dogs stuff in this pack. Most of the objects and clothing for the cats and dogs looks pretty recycled anyway. I love a lot of the redesigns, which is why I was still tempted, but, the pack would have been more worth it to me if it leaned more heavily into the rodents premise. If they'd had more small pet related items instead of the stuff that required Cats and Dogs, I think it would have gone over a lot better. They could have given the content that requires Cats and Dogs as an update to the Cats and Dogs pack, and that would have generated a ton of positive PR instead of the negative that this pack got, and then I bet people would have been a lot more gungho about paying for the small pet pack that went more in depth with the small pets. Since most of that stuff was recolors or stuff that looked held back from Cats and Dogs, it probably wasn't as costly for them to make as the hamsters would have been, and I think the good PR would have been worth it. Plus, then the pack wouldn't have even required C&D to work.
4. If the Rabid Hamster Ghost Had Been Tweaked I love the rabid rodent disease. I love that the ghosts turn into rabid rodents. But...that you can so blatantly and obviously see the line for the mask around their neck ruins the effect for me, and was supremely disappointing. How hard would it have been to get rid of that line on the ghosts so that it looks like a rabid hamster, instead of a person in a hamster costume? If you're saying the ghost is forced to wear a hamster costume, that's fine, but...a hamster costume doesn't foam at the mouth. It's that little lack of attention to detail that really makes the pack come across as sloppy and rushed.
5. Hamster Ball. If they could make a roomba that goes room to room, why couldn't they make a hamster ball? I mean, even if the ball just ran around the perimeter of the cage, that would have been something. They have a rocket taking off out of the cage, but they couldn't give the hamster a ball? That's a huge part of the appeal of hamsters. Especially since it's one rodent per cage.
1. If the hamsters, bubalus, rats, and hedgehogs had different looking cages. They each get their own separate object, but all of the cages look exactly the same, and from what I've seen, the pets interact and act with it the same. If they'd at least made some aesthetic differences to the cages to differentiate the four pets, that would have made a big difference to me. Moreso than their secret lives and adventures. A hedgehog is not a hamster.
2. If the rat cage came with two rats. I'm fine with the hedgehog, hamster, and bubalus being alone, but rats need a buddy. I think having two in a cage with any of them would have made the objects much better, especially since they're big objects, but if that would have been way too difficult, I would have settled for them choosing a different animal than a rat. Another rodent that's more okay being alone. They could have just done a different kind of hamster, like a dwarf or something.
3. More Small Pet Stuff. I think it would have been a much better move not to have the Cats and Dogs stuff in this pack. Most of the objects and clothing for the cats and dogs looks pretty recycled anyway. I love a lot of the redesigns, which is why I was still tempted, but, the pack would have been more worth it to me if it leaned more heavily into the rodents premise. If they'd had more small pet related items instead of the stuff that required Cats and Dogs, I think it would have gone over a lot better. They could have given the content that requires Cats and Dogs as an update to the Cats and Dogs pack, and that would have generated a ton of positive PR instead of the negative that this pack got, and then I bet people would have been a lot more gungho about paying for the small pet pack that went more in depth with the small pets. Since most of that stuff was recolors or stuff that looked held back from Cats and Dogs, it probably wasn't as costly for them to make as the hamsters would have been, and I think the good PR would have been worth it. Plus, then the pack wouldn't have even required C&D to work.
4. If the Rabid Hamster Ghost Had Been Tweaked I love the rabid rodent disease. I love that the ghosts turn into rabid rodents. But...that you can so blatantly and obviously see the line for the mask around their neck ruins the effect for me, and was supremely disappointing. How hard would it have been to get rid of that line on the ghosts so that it looks like a rabid hamster, instead of a person in a hamster costume? If you're saying the ghost is forced to wear a hamster costume, that's fine, but...a hamster costume doesn't foam at the mouth. It's that little lack of attention to detail that really makes the pack come across as sloppy and rushed.
5. Hamster Ball. If they could make a roomba that goes room to room, why couldn't they make a hamster ball? I mean, even if the ball just ran around the perimeter of the cage, that would have been something. They have a rocket taking off out of the cage, but they couldn't give the hamster a ball? That's a huge part of the appeal of hamsters. Especially since it's one rodent per cage.
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Comments
Well perhaps a stuff pack is not the proper outlet for such content then.
how about this: no extra furniture or clothes (including pets clothes)
just stuff for the rodents
even if it's decoration.
I'm personally incredibly disappointed the rodents cannot travel through the tubes. They're just stickers??
Acutally, new suggestion: End all stuffpacks and make gamepacks and expansions only, then all the resources can be allocated to things that actually add to the game and can be fleshed-out properly.
and/or
2. More content for non-C&D owners, such that the C&D-based content feels like extras on top of the $10 selling price (although I still think C&D could use more objects and touches in itself)
Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
-A functional fish tank coffee table. What even is the point ?
-More CAS for children, if you're trying to pass it off as a kid stuff pack at least make it believable.
-Brand new buy mode items style so the pack has its own identity rather than "leftovers from c&d".
2. Two rodents in one cage, being able to have them reproduce and put their babies in other cages or sell them.
3. The interaction of playing with the rodent could've been a bit longer (of different altogether like the sim puts his/her hand in the cage and the rodent chases fingers = bad relationship results in a bite and the disease).
4. A few different cages (three maybe, also a smaller one to put on a table for example).
5. The possibility to find a rodent outside and keep it as a pet.
6. Letting rodents outside of the cage, for example in a mini pre-setup obstacle course to let them play in. Considering babies are glued to their beds and all of the animations I didn't expect to see this anyway but it would've been nice.
7. Instead of dumbing the rodents down with medicine so they won't leave their cage, maybe it could've been something to make rodents smarter and have the very intelligent ones take off in rockets (because lowering their IQ seems a bit mean and some might like regular rodents).
8. Fish becoming pets (having to feed them, clean their living spaces).
9. Nothing cats&dogs related.
8. ....
Too much for a stuff pack I know. I would've preferred a game pack with a lot more possibilities and "first pets" to be honest.
The same cages don't bother me too much as the three real animals do have the same kind of habits. Even though it irks me that hedgehogs are lumped in as rodents, Graham was spot-on in the stream when he said they behave similarly. They need an exercise wheel and like to crawl around in tunnels, so it makes sense! But if we were changing cages anyways, for hedgies the ramps would need some kind of cover IRL so they wouldn't fall~
But like I said...extra swatches would have been a dream! I'd love to have the white hedgie I've always wanted~ Oh and the hamster ball is an excellent idea too!
2. The SP should have included more pets. Why only add hamsters, rats, guinea pigs, and whatever else it was and then give them all basically the same cage? Why could they not include rabbits, ferrets, birds, various reptiles, etc... We had all of that in previous sims games, why not TS4? I'm not trying to play the same games over and over, but more types of pets and then having more objects related to those various pets would have filled the pack with all new content.
My biggest problem with this type of SP is that the bulk of the items are not actually new content, just recolors or items that should have been released with C&D. "My First Pet" implies totally new pet stuff for smaller pets. I have a ferret and he has tons of stuff, including a very large cage. I also have a beardie who also has a large terrarium. Bearded Dragons are some of the most popular reptiles in recent years and yet they aren't in the SP, when a lot of kids who prefer reptiles get a beardie or gecko as their first pet (among other less popular "starter" reptiles). I consider myself someone who likes to complete a collection, but I'm very serious about never buying another EP, GP or SP until we get our money's worth. We are being given shoddy packs that lack the completion of the old days when we could literally still enjoy playing them after months. I understand its a business, but if you want my money then I need the packs to be worth it.
Honestly, if this stuff pack had to exist, I think it wouldn't have been too bad if it was simply a C&D free pack or deluxe pack and not a "let's shoehorn the ham ham in there."
I think the rodents would have been awesome with other small pets in one full gp that truly focused on them and really would have given the feeling of a universal "My first pet" that isn't just a cat or a dog. This was honestly what I thought EA/Maxis was going to do. I get that they usually change their plan form their surveys, but I really wish they kept this one.
I would have been totally good with no costume and just the twitchy mouth effect too, and I was also disappointed you can't put your own fish in the fish tank coffee table. It wasn't as big a deal breaker as some of the other things, but it was disappointing. I would have loved more CAS for kids. Basically, I just totally agree.
Having the opportunity to have rodent babies would have been AWESOME. I love that idea. And the obstacle course object. That would have been so awesome too. I love all of these ideas.
Actually, there were a lot of GP ideas floating around in the idea corner thread. I even recall stating a few ideas myself.
Family Tree
Playing Mod & CC Free
And yet, we were all still ignored.
Thus why the sting burns even more from this pack for some of us....
My family has 6 parakeets and a cockatiel currently. Loved sharing the birds as a first pet experience to my kids. Had some parakeets in my younger years too as a first pet.
More pets items reskins.
Another type of small pet reskin. Just one, okay?
Taking longer to come out.