Okay, now I'm curious. Why does Pets need a world? I wouldn't say no to one - in fact, a good world would help sell me on a Pets pack as someone who doesn't need pets in my game - but I don't see the need part?
EA CREATOR NETWORK MEMBER — Want to be notified of patches, new Broken Mods threads, and urgent Sims 4 news? Follow me at https://www.patreon.com/luthienrising.
Okay, now I'm curious. Why does Pets need a world? I wouldn't say no to one - in fact, a good world would help sell me on a Pets pack as someone who doesn't need pets in my game - but I don't see the need part?
It needs a world (a rural world) only if it includes farm animals IMO. I'd feel like the EP would be incomplete if there were only pets like dogs and cats, and city or suburbs as worlds.
That's an interesting question. I have enough lots at that point to put all my households, and still have plenty of lots left, so I don't need new worlds, but Windenburg and San Myshuno have both been really great and I'm extremely curious to see what they could achieve with other themes : rural, nordic, asian, etc
Vacation destinations are the only ones that truly need new worlds I think. Pets, University, Seasons don't need one, I could add the community lots to existing worlds so there's no need for a dedicated, heavily themed one.
Overall I think Windenburg and San Myshuno have a far more long lasting impact than Magnolia Promenade and Newcrest, but I'm enjoying Newcrest a lot because it's a basic world that I can use for whatever I want. I don't know how much work was needed to make Newcrest but I know I use it far more than I thought I would.
Granite Falls really did the job as a vacation destination. I think a couple more lots in the neighorbood that only has one would have made it perfect.
Okay, now I'm curious. Why does Pets need a world? I wouldn't say no to one - in fact, a good world would help sell me on a Pets pack as someone who doesn't need pets in my game - but I don't see the need part?
That depend if it's themed, like for example if they do a sort of farm pets pack then we kinda ''need'' a rural world or if the pack come with a lot of community lots for pets (pets park, petshop, equestrian center, etc...) a world to put them on would be kinda ''needed'', but if there's no specific theme and no community lots then no it's not ''needed''.
It depends....right now I could really do with another Newcrest (Newcrest was simular to Willow Creek so maybe a desert alternative?) I would like more worlds to add variety (I'm still struggling to fit commercial lots.
As for NEEDING it.....There's a few instances where a world is "needed."
Pets- Rural World
Superstar- LA/Hollywood world.
Supernatural- Spooky world (Moonlight Falls/Midnight Hollow style.)
Tropical world (I get that they might make it a destination world but Island Paradise EP showed how expansive a tropical EP could be.)
I'm still holding out on a way to expand on existing world's. Like create a neighbourhood tool. With that it would produce the pressure of adding more world's and give more freedom to the player. I would love to add an actual Bayou Swamp to Willow Creek, add another village Street in Windenburg and add a Las VEGAS strip to Oasis Springs.
This, this, this!!! We're on exactly the same page and you took the words right out of my mouth!
I also need more spaces for commercial lots. I love building (AND OWNING!!!) lots of different types of venues, and as much as I love San Myshuno, it feels like we got so many residential spaces, but not enough space to add all the shops; cafes; restaurants; bars; etc that I want to add myself. It would be ok if I could have multi-purpose lots and could double up. But anyway, I definitely have plenty of residential space for my simmies now, and I need more commercial zones.
Our lists of worlds we'd like to see is so similar! My list would also be:
Pets/Farming - a rural world, preferable nice and green with rolling hills. Like you drive out of Windenburg town and into the more farmy area.
Superstar - LA/Hollywood world: I'm thinking of where Michael lives in GTA 5, and the beach-front area.
Supernatural - Yes, exactly! Like a more spooky version of Moonlight Falls or Midnight Hollow. I'd like a Gothic/Victorian theme, maybe something a bit European. I loved the world in Makin' Magic too.
Game Packs:
Tropical Islands - with a deserted island for exploration, a rustic residential island for local tribes, and a glam resort island for tourists (space for pools, spas, and bars please!!!).
Casino Pack - A Vegas style world which feels like it might border Oasis Springs. More built up and city like. Something like a citified Lucky Palms.
Winter Alpine Resort - so this would be a resort world like Granite Falls but set in the mountains we can see in the background of Windenburg. So maybe a French/Swiss theme? I'd love some winter activities like snowboarding and skiing, and snowball fights and snowman building, etc. Then lovely log cabins to warm up in with mulled nectar! And maybe an in-ground version of the hot tub? Like a hot spring?
Where Seasons is concerned, I'd like weather to affect all worlds like TS3 weather did. And I'd place weather with a farming expansion, because I like how games like Stardew Valley are very season-focused, and I'd love an aspect of the farmer's calendar in the game. But I'd like destination game packs to add additional activities that could be used alongside weather. So sandcastle building in the tropical resort pack, or hammocks and lilos, etc.
Bayou Swamp for Willow Creek, I'd love this too! Maybe with a supernatural pack? Maybe the Gothic Victorian world would suit vamps, and the bayou would suit magic? I liked the bayou type vibe of the TS1 Pets expansion, with the gumbo seller and the accordion player, and the general worn style of the items. It had a lovely sentimental feel.
Okay, now I'm curious. Why does Pets need a world? I wouldn't say no to one - in fact, a good world would help sell me on a Pets pack as someone who doesn't need pets in my game - but I don't see the need part?
I would say that it needs big open spaces where it is interesting to take dogs for long strolls. Fields where you can play fetch. Woodland for cats to explore and practice stalking smaller animals.
We could have pets in all worlds, I could have a cat in an apartment (The gurus really need to add that!!!). But I feel that having a new environment would give the pack it's own personality and feel. Like the Old Town bayou area in TS1, I still remember that old woman who had all the cats! I'd love returning characters like her and Cornelia Goth. I imagine having an old world feel, with older generation sims, could give it a really nice sentimental feel. I like the idea of Sims moving away from the city and back to a rural community, maybe to settle down and start their own family. But maybe I'm just thinking of the plot of Marley and Me.
edit: to add that there could be story-lines such as 'Grandma dies and leaves you her house... and her 5 cats!'. Or 'You're a police officer and you get post-traumatic stress, you move to the country to recover with your faithful German shepherd who saved your life in the line of duty!'. Or 'A couple disillusioned with living in the city decide to move to the country, they want to settle down and start a family, but first they need to fix up the old house and get their pet grooming business up and running.'
The over-arching theme of City Living is 'Move to the City!'. I feel like the over-arching theme of Pets could be 'Go back to your roots!'. So having that feeling of nostalgia, or going back to where you came from, of discovering who your ancestors were, of sentimentality, of reconnecting, or finding yourself, of settling down, and of getting a dog or a cat to experience that with.
I'm hoping for generations (perhaps combined with seasons), and if done correctly I'd be perfectly fine if it didn't include a new world. However, I do think we need more worlds and I'd particularly like a country-themed/rural world so hopefully that comes with the inevitable pets expansion.
Okay, now I'm curious. Why does Pets need a world? I wouldn't say no to one - in fact, a good world would help sell me on a Pets pack as someone who doesn't need pets in my game - but I don't see the need part?
I agree. Especially if they aren't going to bring back horses, I don't see why Pets would need a new world. Cats/Dogs and smaller animals fit perfectly fine in the existing worlds.
I personally think a Tim Burtonish/spooky world would fit perfectly the style of sims 4. Also a gotham city would be great for the super hero theme ep that was mentioned in previous surveys, though I guess we won't be seeing a lot of urban worlds after San Myshuno (Not sure we'll get a super hero ep either).
I guess in the end I wouldn't mind not having a new world on a new ep as long as the gameplay is exciting enough, like a lot of you already said.
Oh my goodness....yes Yes yes to a Burtonesque world if we ever get Supernaturals. He's my hero.
As many people have already said, I am also in the same line of thinking it depends on the the theme and content of an EP, to if it requires a new world or not. Generations for example, wouldn't need one and would prefer them to concentrate their efforts into deep and meaningful gameplay.
Multi use lots, as someone previously suggested would be so awesome. This could free up a lot of lots if we were able to combine them.
Okay, now I'm curious. Why does Pets need a world? I wouldn't say no to one - in fact, a good world would help sell me on a Pets pack as someone who doesn't need pets in my game - but I don't see the need part?
I agree. Especially if they aren't going to bring back horses, I don't see why Pets would need a new world. Cats/Dogs and smaller animals fit perfectly fine in the existing worlds.
Yeah I think so too. I mean technically the Sims 4 doesn't have any real means of transportation anyways even carpools, so I don't see horses being done again. It will probably be domestic animals and farm animals tied to objects again. I don't really see a need for a new world for farms when there is Windenburg with the sheep in the background.
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.” –Helen Keller
So, with all 3 Expansions installed, we have 120+ lots available, which is a lot. Obviously, we want more. But for now, I think we're not struggling to fit families in unless you're playing with over 50 or so at once.
So for now, would you be annoyed if EP4's budget went solely on gameplay, rather than investing in a new world. Depending on the theme, obviously.
A Pet's EP would most likely continue the tradition of Countryside Living (literally The Sims Unleashed, The Sims 2 Pets (PC, Console and Handheld) and The Sims 3 Pets (PC, Console and Handheld) all have Country based towns.
A Celebrity EP would need a Hollywood type world. A Travel EP would need a world.
But some EP concepts don't. Seasons, Generations, Career/Hobby related etc. There's too many to mention.
So for now, would you rather all development was focused on a Gameplay based, rather than an EP offering experiences based on Location (which there's nothing wrong with, but not EVERY EP needs to be this way).
Obviously packs like Pets, NL/LN, IP, BV, WA are location based.
The reason I say this is because Get To Work was the only pack so far (EP wise) where the world took a backseat, and whether you like GTW or not, there was a lot of dev time put into Gameplay.
CL doesn't add any empty lots and I personally don't have enough empty lots. So yea to me it was a waste of time to focus on look rather than space and gameplay.
I personally would like a new world, it doesn't need to be fancy or anything, but something like Newcrest that will give people like me more empty lots, they could just reskin it a bit and that wouldn't be that much work.
But then it doesn't need to be added in an EP, it could be in patch or maybe GP.
Just because it doesn't add empty lots, doesn't mean you can't create your own. Empty lots seem awkward in The SIms 4, because you'd be exploring and then come across an empty patch of grass.
They might as well fill it and if you want to place your own, you can. I don't understand people who will only build on empty lots, and won't remove anything pre-existing. Empty Lots on a final game seems lazy. If City Living had shipped with Empty Lots, it would have felt cheap. Windenburg I think had 2, but that was in places that made sense.
Had there been an empty lot where the Cafe's were, for example, it would feel cheap.
I think you raise an interesting question. I love getting new worlds, especially when they are interesting and offer a new environment to play out my stories. I'd also welcome more space to build my own random things. However, I think the need of a world is subject to the theme of the expansion.
I think some themes would demand a new destination, especially if the pack has several new lot types which would need to be placed. A vacation based pack obviously needs a new world, where something like weather would have an effect on existing worlds and the time might be better spent there. But if, say, a pets expansion had several new venues (pet store; cat park; dog park; equestrian centre; vets; pet salon; etc) it would be better to have a new world that includes these things rather to have to squeeze them in ourselves.
Plus, they must have a team who specifically work on world building. So they need to utilise those skills. Perhaps if one expansion required a large detailed world, then it would be wise to focus on that and perhaps not do a world for another pack. Rather than have two worlds which are rushed and/or less detailed.
There are a lot of factors to consider, and it's hard to judge it without having more information. I don't think taking away time from the world builders would equal more gameplay, because those are very different skills sets. The question for me is 'should the world builders focus on making large detailed worlds, or creating smaller worlds for every pack'. And again, this is a slippery question because it would depend on just how essential the world would be to the theme. A pack focused on exploration would require a large interesting world, for example.
It's not so much about utilizing skills, more about budgets. One of the reasons Seasons probably didn't come with a world is because the budget went to the Weather etc.
Generations didn't come with a world either. There isn't any way to compare the many things plus weather that came with Seasons to Generations. So I'm not sure I buy the budget theory.
Generations also came with a bunch of new animations. Most expansions reuse existing and only animate when they have to. Generations added a lot of everyday gameplay, so they had no choice but to animate.
I wouldn't be happy for an EP to come with no new world. I like having the pre-mades and the new settings for stories. I also think it would be a massive excuse for them to just have a content heavy pack, with no depth, like a stuff pack. Would you have been happy to have Get Together, with clubs and objects/clothing, but no Windenburg and none of the families? Maybe for you that's a yes, but not for me.
There isn't an expansion pack I can think of where it wouldn't make sense to have a new world. I'm still running out of room in my worlds, and I like to put Sims in worlds that reflect their personality, so I really want more. I also ADORE the Sims 4 scenery, the worlds were one of the main reasons I bought the game, and I definitely want more of that in future.
I'm not so keen that with packs like Spa day and Dine out, we were given restaurants to place in our pre-existing worlds, there's no room for them! I feel like if something like Pets came with Pet shops or racetracks, I'd have nowhere to place them if not given a world, and I'd not be able to use the content.
Maybe, maybe Generations. Toddlers would be a massive gift to us all, and so I think that would override the need for a world. Otherwise things that don't require worlds, could probably be done as Game packs instead.
Get Together wasn't a gameplay heavy pack, so that makes sense we'd get a new world. City Living is the same.
But if we get a Hobby Pack, for example, I would much rather get twice the amount of gameplay, than half the gameplay and then a world. Because a world in a Hobby Pack isn't critical.
At first I thought that Seasons and Generations were the only packs that don't need new Towns as Seasons changes all Towns and Generations is meant to focus on refining life stages and add family focused gameplay. But after reading some of theses comments I think Seasons is the only EP that doesn't need a new Town. I mean Generations doesn't really need it unless Generations or it's pre-release patch adds Ts and preteens and then a new Town with premades would be a great way for players to start playing with the new life stages without having to wait for or force your sims to have kids or age up the kids you have now to preteens.
Overall though I am open to the idea of EPs adding new Hoods over full Towns. I liked how GTW added those career hoods and Magnolia Promenade because they didn't feel like they were separate but instead new areas of the base Towns. I don't really need a huge new world to explore but a hood that adds some new families and a new venue.
I think a Fame EP that adds a new hood for our sims to live in and career hoods would be great and instead of focusing a lot of effort on making the new hood and career hoods feel completely unique and different they could use assets from other towns to build them. This would mean they could build them faster and can use less assets on their construction and instead focus those assets on the actual gameplay.
For a pets EP I can see them adding 2 new regular hoods and one Career hood. One hood can look like it is part of Willow Creek with lots of foliage, open fields and a river. The second can be a part of Oasis Springs with a vast desert plain and ranches. The pet parks can be in both hoods and then the Career hood can be for the Vetinarian career. I don't think there needs to be a pet shop since if you have GTW you can make your own and who knows maybe they'll make minor pets sellable if you have GTW.
I don't know. I think I'm 50/50. I have been playing in Windenburg for most of the year that it's been out; and so grateful to have new scenery with San Myshuno. Waiting two years to get a new world, if EP 4 doesn't have one... I don't think I could handle that. The only way I think it'd be okay, for me, is if they released another free world. Or for Pete Sake release a World Creator, please, Ea.
I was on Twitter yesterday and saw some 'fan-made' Sims 4 worlds; and they look amazing. It looked so real like. But then again, like you said, we have 120 lots. I guess it's partially that for me, that I need more space, but honestly, it's the scenery. I need new surroundings to look at, to explore..
However, the other 50 is that I'd be totally fine with no new world; if the game-play was focused on and it added tons of stuff to do to keep me 'busy', that kept me interested and having fun. Giving me new ways to add rules to the challenges that I enjoy playing and also new ways to play the game entirely (like adding game-play to benefit say my legacy save, or my main family that I can't stop playing, etc) is always a huge plus.
I think for me, a lot of it depends on how long it takes to release EP4, and if we get any new worlds in the meantime. I won't expect anything for awhile, seeing as CL just came out, but I hope we won't have to wait a year for a new one. I loved Windenburg to bits, but I was so sick of playing in it by the time CL came out. I'd like to have an empty world in another area of the world, I think. You know how Newcrest looks like it'd be near Willow Creek? Kind of like that for Oasis Springs or Windenburg. Preferably Windenburg, but Oasis Springs is fine, too. I just like having the worlds look different. So if we got a new world patched in by the time EP4 came out, then depending on the theme, maybe. Generations would be fine without a new world, but for Supernatural, not so much.
Just a little bean whose only aspiration in life is becoming a magical girl.
@jackjack_k has also mentioned that we now have 120 lots (base towns & ep towns/hoods) which is actually a lot at least for me since I only like to have at most 2 of each lot type since having a gym or a cafe in each world sounds absurd. I also only play one household in each save as I'm not into rotational play so my families don't expand that quickly. However I do know that many players like to have a lot of commercial lots and residential lots for all the families they play so I can see how 120 isn't big enough but if we think about it and every EP adds a full town with 20-30 lots and ts4 has the same amount of EPs as ts3 which would mean we would have 8 more EPs which means we could get 160-240 more lots and combine that with the already 120 lots we have now we would have 280-360 lots. That to me sounds like more than anyone should need. I mean I know rotational players like to manage a lot of households but does one really need that many lots.
Now I don't actually believe we'll have as many EP's as ts3 since ts4 has GPs and some EP's could be broken down into GPs like Island Paradise, Supernaturals, & World Adventures. But I do believe we'll get around 7 or 8 EPs so that would mean 100-150 more lots. So 220-270 lots which actually doesn't sound that bad. Still a lot and more than I'll probably need but definitely not as insane as 360. I do feel like 220 is the ideal amount of lots at least for me so I would be open to some EPs not coming with full town and instead hoods or mini towns with 10-15 buildable lots.
@jackjack_k has also mentioned that we now have 120 lots (base towns & ep towns/hoods) which is actually a lot at least for me since I only like to have at most 2 of each lot type since having a gym or a cafe in each world sounds absurd. I also only play one household in each save as I'm not into rotational play so my families don't expand that quickly. However I do know that many players like to have a lot of commercial lots and residential lots for all the families they play so I can see how 120 isn't big enough but if we think about it and every EP adds a full town with 20-30 lots and ts4 has the same amount of EPs as ts3 which would mean we would have 8 more EPs which means we could get 160-240 more lots and combine that with the already 120 lots we have now we would have 280-360 lots. That to me sounds like more than anyone should need. I mean I know rotational players like to manage a lot of households but does one really need that many lots.
Now I don't actually believe we'll have as many EP's as ts3 since ts4 has GPs and some EP's could be broken down into GPs like Island Paradise, Supernaturals, & World Adventures. But I do believe we'll get around 7 or 8 EPs so that would mean 100-150 more lots. So 220-270 lots which actually doesn't sound that bad. Still a lot and more than I'll probably need but definitely not as insane as 360. I do feel like 220 is the ideal amount of lots at least for me so I would be open to some EPs not coming with full town and instead hoods or mini towns with 10-15 buildable lots.
At one EP a year there is no way we are going to get 7 or 8 EP's. 1 or 2 more is likely all we'll see.
@Yoko2112 is right. They have said there is not set release pattern for packs or a set run period. They'll continue either until they feel they have done all they can or until the plug gets pulled.
Comments
My Sims 3 blog, Back to the Sims 3
Vacation destinations are the only ones that truly need new worlds I think. Pets, University, Seasons don't need one, I could add the community lots to existing worlds so there's no need for a dedicated, heavily themed one.
Overall I think Windenburg and San Myshuno have a far more long lasting impact than Magnolia Promenade and Newcrest, but I'm enjoying Newcrest a lot because it's a basic world that I can use for whatever I want. I don't know how much work was needed to make Newcrest but I know I use it far more than I thought I would.
Granite Falls really did the job as a vacation destination. I think a couple more lots in the neighorbood that only has one would have made it perfect.
That depend if it's themed, like for example if they do a sort of farm pets pack then we kinda ''need'' a rural world or if the pack come with a lot of community lots for pets (pets park, petshop, equestrian center, etc...) a world to put them on would be kinda ''needed'', but if there's no specific theme and no community lots then no it's not ''needed''.
This, this, this!!! We're on exactly the same page and you took the words right out of my mouth!
I also need more spaces for commercial lots. I love building (AND OWNING!!!) lots of different types of venues, and as much as I love San Myshuno, it feels like we got so many residential spaces, but not enough space to add all the shops; cafes; restaurants; bars; etc that I want to add myself. It would be ok if I could have multi-purpose lots and could double up. But anyway, I definitely have plenty of residential space for my simmies now, and I need more commercial zones.
Our lists of worlds we'd like to see is so similar! My list would also be:
Pets/Farming - a rural world, preferable nice and green with rolling hills. Like you drive out of Windenburg town and into the more farmy area.
Superstar - LA/Hollywood world: I'm thinking of where Michael lives in GTA 5, and the beach-front area.
Supernatural - Yes, exactly! Like a more spooky version of Moonlight Falls or Midnight Hollow. I'd like a Gothic/Victorian theme, maybe something a bit European. I loved the world in Makin' Magic too.
Game Packs:
Tropical Islands - with a deserted island for exploration, a rustic residential island for local tribes, and a glam resort island for tourists (space for pools, spas, and bars please!!!).
Casino Pack - A Vegas style world which feels like it might border Oasis Springs. More built up and city like. Something like a citified Lucky Palms.
Winter Alpine Resort - so this would be a resort world like Granite Falls but set in the mountains we can see in the background of Windenburg. So maybe a French/Swiss theme? I'd love some winter activities like snowboarding and skiing, and snowball fights and snowman building, etc. Then lovely log cabins to warm up in with mulled nectar! And maybe an in-ground version of the hot tub? Like a hot spring?
Where Seasons is concerned, I'd like weather to affect all worlds like TS3 weather did. And I'd place weather with a farming expansion, because I like how games like Stardew Valley are very season-focused, and I'd love an aspect of the farmer's calendar in the game. But I'd like destination game packs to add additional activities that could be used alongside weather. So sandcastle building in the tropical resort pack, or hammocks and lilos, etc.
Bayou Swamp for Willow Creek, I'd love this too! Maybe with a supernatural pack? Maybe the Gothic Victorian world would suit vamps, and the bayou would suit magic? I liked the bayou type vibe of the TS1 Pets expansion, with the gumbo seller and the accordion player, and the general worn style of the items. It had a lovely sentimental feel.
I would say that it needs big open spaces where it is interesting to take dogs for long strolls. Fields where you can play fetch. Woodland for cats to explore and practice stalking smaller animals.
We could have pets in all worlds, I could have a cat in an apartment (The gurus really need to add that!!!). But I feel that having a new environment would give the pack it's own personality and feel. Like the Old Town bayou area in TS1, I still remember that old woman who had all the cats! I'd love returning characters like her and Cornelia Goth. I imagine having an old world feel, with older generation sims, could give it a really nice sentimental feel. I like the idea of Sims moving away from the city and back to a rural community, maybe to settle down and start their own family. But maybe I'm just thinking of the plot of Marley and Me.
edit: to add that there could be story-lines such as 'Grandma dies and leaves you her house... and her 5 cats!'. Or 'You're a police officer and you get post-traumatic stress, you move to the country to recover with your faithful German shepherd who saved your life in the line of duty!'. Or 'A couple disillusioned with living in the city decide to move to the country, they want to settle down and start a family, but first they need to fix up the old house and get their pet grooming business up and running.'
The over-arching theme of City Living is 'Move to the City!'. I feel like the over-arching theme of Pets could be 'Go back to your roots!'. So having that feeling of nostalgia, or going back to where you came from, of discovering who your ancestors were, of sentimentality, of reconnecting, or finding yourself, of settling down, and of getting a dog or a cat to experience that with.
It's hilarious after two years in we still have no significant depth to the game.
I agree. Especially if they aren't going to bring back horses, I don't see why Pets would need a new world. Cats/Dogs and smaller animals fit perfectly fine in the existing worlds.
As many people have already said, I am also in the same line of thinking it depends on the the theme and content of an EP, to if it requires a new world or not. Generations for example, wouldn't need one and would prefer them to concentrate their efforts into deep and meaningful gameplay.
Multi use lots, as someone previously suggested would be so awesome. This could free up a lot of lots if we were able to combine them.
Just because it doesn't add empty lots, doesn't mean you can't create your own. Empty lots seem awkward in The SIms 4, because you'd be exploring and then come across an empty patch of grass.
They might as well fill it and if you want to place your own, you can. I don't understand people who will only build on empty lots, and won't remove anything pre-existing. Empty Lots on a final game seems lazy. If City Living had shipped with Empty Lots, it would have felt cheap. Windenburg I think had 2, but that was in places that made sense.
Had there been an empty lot where the Cafe's were, for example, it would feel cheap.
Insta: https://instagram.com/jkarajs?igshid=oef2ymrand3g
Generations also came with a bunch of new animations. Most expansions reuse existing and only animate when they have to. Generations added a lot of everyday gameplay, so they had no choice but to animate.
Insta: https://instagram.com/jkarajs?igshid=oef2ymrand3g
Get Together wasn't a gameplay heavy pack, so that makes sense we'd get a new world. City Living is the same.
But if we get a Hobby Pack, for example, I would much rather get twice the amount of gameplay, than half the gameplay and then a world. Because a world in a Hobby Pack isn't critical.
Insta: https://instagram.com/jkarajs?igshid=oef2ymrand3g
Overall though I am open to the idea of EPs adding new Hoods over full Towns. I liked how GTW added those career hoods and Magnolia Promenade because they didn't feel like they were separate but instead new areas of the base Towns. I don't really need a huge new world to explore but a hood that adds some new families and a new venue.
I think a Fame EP that adds a new hood for our sims to live in and career hoods would be great and instead of focusing a lot of effort on making the new hood and career hoods feel completely unique and different they could use assets from other towns to build them. This would mean they could build them faster and can use less assets on their construction and instead focus those assets on the actual gameplay.
For a pets EP I can see them adding 2 new regular hoods and one Career hood. One hood can look like it is part of Willow Creek with lots of foliage, open fields and a river. The second can be a part of Oasis Springs with a vast desert plain and ranches. The pet parks can be in both hoods and then the Career hood can be for the Vetinarian career. I don't think there needs to be a pet shop since if you have GTW you can make your own and who knows maybe they'll make minor pets sellable if you have GTW.
I was on Twitter yesterday and saw some 'fan-made' Sims 4 worlds; and they look amazing. It looked so real like. But then again, like you said, we have 120 lots. I guess it's partially that for me, that I need more space, but honestly, it's the scenery. I need new surroundings to look at, to explore..
However, the other 50 is that I'd be totally fine with no new world; if the game-play was focused on and it added tons of stuff to do to keep me 'busy', that kept me interested and having fun. Giving me new ways to add rules to the challenges that I enjoy playing and also new ways to play the game entirely (like adding game-play to benefit say my legacy save, or my main family that I can't stop playing, etc) is always a huge plus.
Now I don't actually believe we'll have as many EP's as ts3 since ts4 has GPs and some EP's could be broken down into GPs like Island Paradise, Supernaturals, & World Adventures. But I do believe we'll get around 7 or 8 EPs so that would mean 100-150 more lots. So 220-270 lots which actually doesn't sound that bad. Still a lot and more than I'll probably need but definitely not as insane as 360. I do feel like 220 is the ideal amount of lots at least for me so I would be open to some EPs not coming with full town and instead hoods or mini towns with 10-15 buildable lots.
At one EP a year there is no way we are going to get 7 or 8 EP's. 1 or 2 more is likely all we'll see.