What if They Expanded the Expansion Packs?

ApparentlyAwesome

Some of us have raised issue with what is most likely fact that if we want things we may already have for Sims 3, 2, or even 1 (i.e. Pets, Seasons, University) that we'll have to rebuy certain expansion packs.

Some of us have also taken issue that in the past when we rebuy these expansion packs, there seems to be either nothing new and exciting or in some opinions, nothing that shouldn't have been in the base game.

So what if they expanded the expansion packs? Would we happily (or at least less begrudgingly) buy it then?

A few examples:

University EP. What if they made it a school EP in general and they gave us options to add lots like a Daycare/Preschool, an Elementary School, a Middle School, and a High School? It could be a combination of University/School and Generations. When we send our young adult Sims to University, we could have a choice between two rivaling universities both located in the same world (depending on how neighborhoods are set up) Both could have pep rallies, meet for home and away games for different sports games.

Pets EP. Why not mix it with a Farming EP? Give players the option to turn off the different kinds of animals and other features that would come with it because some players may not want certain animals or other features in their game. Besides dogs, cats, and horses they could add goats, cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, rabbits, piggle puffs, lol. They could expand on gardening and give us more fruits and vegetables to grow. They could add cow tipping, ATVs, dirt bikes.

I could see an Open For Business/Ambitions like EP mixing well with a Theme Park EP. I'm not saying they should be together, but assuming cash registers aren't in the base game, along with something like the consignment stores they could add that and maybe a carnival could come around the neighborhood each seasons (which is why I can also see Season's mixing well with a Theme Park EP).

People with start up businesses could have their own booths to introduce townies to their product and sell whatever at the carnival. If there was ever a Theme Park EP an amusement park could be a vacation destination and in regular neighborhoods we have seasonal festivals and carnivals or fairs.

I was trying to think of how if Supernatural was expanded by Superheroes/Villains how powers would be chosen. Of course have an option to turn off occults, superheroes, and villains but should we be able to choose powers like traits? Or choose powers based on a element (water, wind, etc...) Maybe learn powers like skills?


I'm not saying they should implement those exactly, but what if they did offer us more with the EP's? What are your ideas?

Edited to add all my ideas to one post which I could not do from my phone

Tinkerball

As one of those people that voiced the want for previous EP themes (ie. weather, university, OFB, etc.), but balked at having to purchase the same EPs for the 4th time, I have to say this is a fabulous idea. I would be much more willing to purchase EPs with the recurring themes if they were expanded in ways similar to your ideas (or even with your ideas, I like them very much). Kudos to you! I hope that the powers that be are reading.

Callum9432

These are some good ideas, though I don't mind rebuying EPs; they are always different, the returning features are usually improved and new features are added. It's never just a complete copy. Some remakes are also only loosely based on a past EP.

ETA: the themes that get remade tend to be essential themes, but there's too many of them for them all to be put in the Base Game.

AxelTaylor01

Honestly I love the sound of this! But it probably won't happen. Things like chickens, and cows and stuff they sell on the store for an astronomical mark up.

Tinkerball

Callum9432 wrote:

These are some good ideas, though I don't mind rebuying EPs; they are always different, the returning features are usually improved and new features are added. It's never just a complete copy. Some remakes are also only loosely based on a past EP.

ETA: the themes that get remade tend to be essential themes, but there's too many of them for them all to be put in the Base Game.

I know that usually there are some updates (I can't agree that they are all improvements ) on returning EP themes, but it still stings every time I look at my collection of games and think about buying some of those themes AGAIN. I mean, I've been playing since TS1. I also agree that there are too many ones that seem essential to put into the base game. I wouldn't mind buying some of them again if some others (and not just the ones I love) were included in the base game. Then I wouldn't worry about starting over. As it stands, I have yet to see that happening. If I'm going to pay all over again, it would be refreshing to see something like the OP has suggested. Otherwise, it just feels a little stale.

Meechiey2Xrated

I love this idea I just hope the expansion pack dont be really expensive

InannaWintermoon

they need to 1. add more to the base game to start off no more 2 hairstyles and some clothing give us more to play with, 2. add more to EP... SP just feels like a rip off and should basically be in the EP to begin with if not in the base game itself. 8) Yeah got annoyed with all those stuff packs that cost X amount and didnt have a whole lot to them... either add more tp the EP or just add it to the base game.

ApparentlyAwesome

AxelTaylor01 wrote:

Honestly I love the sound of this! But it probably won't happen. Things like chickens, and cows and stuff they sell on the store for an astronomical mark up.

It probably won't happen but we can dream, lol, and I can totally see them doing something like that.

I just want to see something new. It was part of the reason I was hoping for Pets and Season in the base game with options to turn them off if players wanted. That could've probably freed up space for new EP's, and then I just took some of the ideas I liked and added to them.

I could see an Open For Business/Ambitions like EP mixing well with a Theme Park EP. I'm not saying they should be together, but assuming cash registers aren't in the base game, along with something like the consignment stores they could add that and maybe a carnival could come around the neighborhood each seasons (which is why I can also see Season's mixing well with a Theme Park EP).

People with start up businesses could have their own booths to introduce townies to their product and sell whatever at the carnival. If there was ever a Theme Park EP an amusement park could be a vacation destination and in regular neighborhoods we have seasonal festivals and carnivals or fairs.



Again, not saying put that exactly in place, but give us something new and something more (especially if it's going to cost more and I hope it doesn't) And always make the stuff optional so we players can cut off the things we don't really want.

sparko

I would love this so much, but EA seem to be adding less and less content to their EPS every release!

InannaWintermoon

yeah they make lame stuff packs now which really should be in the EP... >.< The stuff packs dont have much meat on the bones.....

ApparentlyAwesome

InannaWintermoon wrote:

they need to 1. add more to the base game to start off no more 2 hairstyles and some clothing give us more to play with, 2. add more to EP... SP just feels like a rip off and should basically be in the EP to begin with if not in the base game itself. 8) Yeah got annoyed with all those stuff packs that cost X amount and didnt have a whole lot to them... either add more tp the EP or just add it to the base game.

I read this and I was thinking back and I have to admit, some of the SP's do seem like they could've and probably should've been in EP's or the base game.

Something about Outdoor Living and Town Life always felt sort of... I don't know why, but they always felt similar to me. And I'm looking at the cases for them right now. Nothing's blatantly similar, at least from what I can tell, but I'm now wondering why both weren't just simply added to the base game...

InannaWintermoon

that was my feeling when i ended up getting alot of the SP. I wondered ok why is this not in the base game or in an EP? Most of the seperate sp left me scratching my head.

TRachet

Expansion of the expansions?! I like where this is going. :P

sparko wrote:

I would love this so much, but EA seem to be adding less and less content to their EPS every release!

Less and less?! :shock:

Ever since they slapped the Maxis logo on the box, we've been getting the best stuff out of the whole series.

ApparentlyAwesome

I was trying to think of how if Supernatural was expanded by Superheroes/Villains how powers would be chosen. Of course have an option to turn off occults, superheroes, and villains but should we be able to choose powers like traits? Or choose powers based on a element (water, wind, etc...) Maybe learn powers like skills?

Damienf519

ApparentlyAwesome,

Its a nice idea, the biggest problem through with combining expansion packs and making them add more stuff to the game, is that it will make them take more time to make. If they add other stuff and don't take other stuff out, than they're going to have to take more time to make each expansion pack.

In other words if you're going to have more elaborate expansion packs its going to take more time to make them, and they're be fewer of them, and they may even cost more money. I think that most of the Sims 3 expansions were fine, except they did over do it with certain things like bars, in my opinion, but that's for another thread.

acee313

Actually, I have posted the same topic on this forums way, way before. I called them Extension Packs, which is an expansion to expansions, like a Stuff pack for EP's. But people thought it would be too costly, I mean, for us. And EA would then be able to even put less on expansions since they can have an expansion for it.
Like, for example, the base game lacks proper education system, and expansion comes with better education system with a university, then the expansion for this expansion will bring additional school systems, like grad school or culinary school.
I like the idea of this, of course, I would actually propose this to people if I don't. I mean, for one, I think they can take their time in fully developing a theme we want, say the above education theme.
But like people said, the company might take this as an opportunity to milk the game even more.

I'm not really indifferent, but more inclined to wanting this.

ApparentlyAwesome

acee313 wrote:

I like the idea of this, of course, I would actually propose this to people if I don't. I mean, for one, I think they can take their time in fully developing a theme we want, say the above education theme.
But like people said, the company might take this as an opportunity to milk the game even more.

I'm not really indifferent, but more inclined to wanting this.

See, I'm the same way on this. I personally don't mind them taking more time on expansions, even the base game itself if it means a better game for us, but I know some people out there might. I want them to take all the time they need to be more creative and make sure expansions work better with the base game and with each other.

Damienf519

acee313 wrote:

Actually, I have posted the same topic on this forums way, way before. I called them Extension Packs, which is an expansion to expansions, like a Stuff pack for EP's. But people thought it would be too costly, I mean, for us. And EA would then be able to even put less on expansions since they can have an expansion for it.
Like, for example, the base game lacks proper education system, and expansion comes with better education system with a university, then the expansion for this expansion will bring additional school systems, like grad school or culinary school.
I like the idea of this, of course, I would actually propose this to people if I don't. I mean, for one, I think they can take their time in fully developing a theme we want, say the above education theme.
But like people said, the company might take this as an opportunity to milk the game even more.

I'm not really indifferent, but more inclined to wanting this.

Acee313,

It also wouldn't exactly be profitable for EA, since the only people who could use the expansions for the expansion packs would be people who already own the right expansion pack and the base game. If EA was going to do that, they might as well release a lot more smaller expansion packs instead. I don't want them to go too much for quantity over quality, so I think it would be a bad idea.

enkeli63

In some ways, I like your idea. I can't agree on some of the examples, but I understand you were using those to help illustrate your idea.

It would definitely be lovely to see them expand on our all-time favourite EPs so that it isn't just like buying the same EP all over again. I do feel they did that with Seasons for Sims 3 because they added the festivals and holidays, and the other features of the original EP for Sims 2 actually ended up in the base game for Sims 3.

It is possible that some of the features from Sims 3 EPs will be part of the Base Game for Sims 4, so we'll have to wait and see what all is in the base game before we can look at what needs to be added in the EPs.

On the issue of University, I did like (and prefer) in Sims 2 there were 3 universities and you could make a custom one, but you could only attach one university to your town. I much prefer your idea of having 2 universities connected to your town, and the students would be able to choose which one they go to. It would lead to some interesting stories too, with friends or sweethearts being separated while they attend different schools, school rivalries, etc. It would be fun if the schools had sports teams, and teen students could be scouted by the different schools. In fact, I would prefer if there was more gameplay around earning scholarships. I'd really like if it wasn't just take a test, get a scholarship. If sims had to write an essay, audition, or be scouted before receiving a scholarship, I think it would be more fun preparing the teens for their post-secondary education 8)

While I am not particularly interested in either, I do feel a Pets + Farming combined EP makes sense. I was surprised by the horses in Sims 3 and never expected they would introduce them. I actually enjoyed them (not the wild horses though, and would've preferred an option to turn off unicorns). Now that they have added horses with an EP, I don't see why they don't go all the way and bring out farming for the players who want it. I might not be interested in that myself, but I am always interested in the other content any EP introduces (new objects, CAS assets, and interactions).

I like your idea and I hope they're listening!