Saw a tweet from Graham referring to a ‘brain numbing’ treat you can give to hamsters to make them “normal” (so they won’t shoot into space on a rocket ship...). Sounds a lot like a lobotomy, kind of messed up for a hamster.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought this! What a messed up name. It actually feels like it doesn't want you to use that. ("How DARE you numb the mind of an animal? It's a hamster! It's supposed to shoot up into space!")
Weird.
Yeah they went a disturbing direction with that. I think the whole ‘hamster going on vacation and sending post cards’ idea is really childish, and dumb.
Let me just turn my hamster into a vegetable so they don’t blast off to space. The ideas they have for these packs sound like they are gathered from children. Of course that’s who they are basically making this game for.
So a hamster if we dont numb it will go to space? On the whole pack thing. Ithink sims 4 just lacks packs, and content in general. Iwill say iteration is not famly base at all. You can say the last stufg packs has been about family play.But the last game pack is more about adventuring.Cats and dogs csn be about family, but its mostly about pets. Lot people own pets, and simgles has pets. The other last two expansions were more adult base especially city living.Why I sympathise with people single families. IT s not like families only being cater too. The expansion packs just need to be broader and mske sure thete is something for everyone
By default I assume yes. Would have made way more sense to have hamsters be normal by default, and have a treat that works as some sort of brain booster to then enable the rocket ship stuff. Of course then all of the hard work they put into that would go unused, so they have to make players jump through hoops to avoid it.
Hey Simmers, I’ve just been catching up on the thread. A big thank you for all who have shared their feedback on the pack. Please continue to do so, there are some great posts to be found with excellent critiques. Just a reminder, let’s look to keep posts constructive when relaying feedback whether that be negative or positive. Share your thoughts on the SP. What would you have liked to have seen in the SP? How you would have liked it to go? What are your critiques, thoughts and feelings on the content? Please let us know.
I do want to also acknowledge this too. There have been a lot of pointed comments targeting Guru's multiple times throughout this thread and it really isn't ok. I can see from the posts in here that many are feeling disappointed and it’s ok to share that here. Please note however, that once the discussion becomes focused on people rather than content it's no longer an appropriate discussion to have as per the rules in place. If the rules continue to be broken, the thread will be closed, and users moderated for how they've conducted themselves and the conversation. We encourage your feedback, but we do not support the targeting of others; members and staff alike. So, with that please do aim to keep critiques to the content.
I have merged some threads with this one. The same points were being discussed so to limit duplicate threads they've been merged.
But will you really listen us? I really don't think.
@LiELF is it okay that I posted your comment on Twitter? I really want EA and the Simguru's to read it. People can't really write good arguments like thaton Twitter, where we do have direct contact with EA and the Simguru's, on the contrary to the Forums. I should have asked before, but if you don't want it there I am happy to delete it.
Hey Simmers, I’ve just been catching up on the thread. A big thank you for all who have shared their feedback on the pack. Please continue to do so, there are some great posts to be found with excellent critiques. Just a reminder, let’s look to keep posts constructive when relaying feedback whether that be negative or positive. Share your thoughts on the SP. What would you have liked to have seen in the SP? How you would have liked it to go? What are your critiques, thoughts and feelings on the content? Please let us know.
I do want to also acknowledge this too. There have been a lot of pointed comments targeting Guru's multiple times throughout this thread and it really isn't ok. I can see from the posts in here that many are feeling disappointed and it’s ok to share that here. Please note however, that once the discussion becomes focused on people rather than content it's no longer an appropriate discussion to have as per the rules in place. If the rules continue to be broken, the thread will be closed, and users moderated for how they've conducted themselves and the conversation. We encourage your feedback, but we do not support the targeting of others; members and staff alike. So, with that please do aim to keep critiques to the content.
I have merged some threads with this one. The same points were being discussed so to limit duplicate threads they've been merged.
But will you really listen us? I really don't think.
They'll listen but taking action is a whole other question.
I think other simmers need to understand though that this uproar isn't about them. I can understand that hearing things like "buying this is aiding EA to destroy the entire franchise" must sound like a blatant personal insult, but our discontent isn't aimed at you. Look, I'd rather no one bought this, yes, that's true. I'd love it if EA would realize that there are boundaries they just can't cross. But I won't hate you for buying it, I won't come into picture threads to spoil your fun, I won't ever say you're a problem. I can understand how annoying those things are to hear.
People are upset because industry giants like EA & Ubisoft, who have the manpower, the talent, the money and the time to produce amazing content, keep falling short compared to teams with few members and kickstarter-funded budgets. It's frustrating to us, because we want the sims to be good and for the most part TS4 has become a much improved product. So this feels painful. It's painful to know that despite having all those resources at their disposal, here they are, trying to milk us for every last dime. And I can't let them do that. This isn't about a personal vendetta against the company or other simmrs, this isn't political. It's very personal to us, too. It's hard to love something that's under the control of a company that is far more interested in money than quality...
Now, on to the constructive side of things, @EA_Lanna I almost think there's only few things you guys could possibly do to set the mood right:
a) you could say alright this has clearly gotten people very upset, so to those who own C&D, we'll patch in pet clothes/beds etc. (basically, the stuff that definitely should've been in C&D to begin with) & we'll delay the pack & add other things into it that are usable by everyone. You probably won't do that.
b) you patch it in for everyone. You probably won't do that.
c) and this is not ideal but I still think it's the best chance you've got and perhaps the most feasible idea of them all (even if I still don't see it happening): you allow people to buy separate parts of this pack ... so say the hamster for 3, the pet clothes for 3 and the stuff for 3. Would I be happy about paying for it at all? No. But then people could decide to not give you any money for things that should've been in our games already or things they can't use anyway.
You know .. I feel sorry for the SP team, I kinda do. Cause I'm sure it's not really their fault that they were forced to partake in this awful business decision. And when I look at the hamster thingy and the disease, I can see they tried to make the best of it. But I think it's very sad that this company's ethics would rather have their teams try and "make the best of what they're allowed to do" instead of giving us "the best they are capable of". And I'm sure, they're capable of amazing things....
People you need to relax! Getting this ate up must drain any enjoyment you had for the game.
It doesn't drain up all of it, but yes, I find it so blatantly shameless and disappointing, that I'm having a hard time enjoying my game - and I've been enjoying it very much since DO, CL, tods & vamps. So yes ... I'm really happy others don't feel this way about it, because lots of things about this pack look fun and fit my playstyle. But I am me and you are you, and to me, this is very, very disappointing. Don't let that ruin your happiness though, just try to accept our feelings about it too.
People you need to relax! Getting this ate up must drain any enjoyment you had for the game.
It doesn't drain up all of it, but yes, I find it so blatantly shameless and disappointing, that I'm having a hard time enjoying my game - and I've been enjoying it very much since DO, CL, tods & vamps. So yes ... I'm really happy others don't feel this way about it, because lots of things about this pack look fun and fit my playstyle. But I am me and you are you, and to me, this is very, very disappointing. Don't let that ruin your happiness though, just try to accept our feelings about it too.
Your feelings don't ruin my enjoyment, because like you say we have separate opinions and minds and I respect yours.
If you were enjoying your game, why can't you continue enjoying it with the packs you have? Is it because you would like to play with small pets too, but feel they should have come in C&D? And then that makes you feel irritated when you play? Just trying to understand.
Also, I'm actually looking forward to owning a rodent that will apparently have a far more interesting nightlife than me. LOL Can't wait to see what little trinkets I get from the furry little imps and what shenanigans they dive into at night while my sim is resting.
Edit: I think it's important to note that Graham said there is a perfectly normal hamster that will do nothing but realistic hamster things for simmers who prefer that sort of thing. No exciting space travel, no awesome adventures of any Hobbit Hamster kind, just... eating... sleeping... pooping...
I think it's a nice touch that they are trying to address multiple play styles and provide simmers with options. Nicely thought out, Sims Team!
"Something nobody has asked me, but seems worth mentioning... rodent's secret lives... things like sending you postcards from their travels, launching rockets, etc... that's all optional. You can just have a normal rodent pet that doesn't do those things if that's what you want." ~SimGuruGraham
If you're adressing the discussion above, I believe it's more about naming - a brain numbing treat. If they really wanted to do this that way, it'd be better the other way around, in my opinion. A normal hamster is the basic, but you can give him the super brain treat, or something like that. It could even have better story behid it: You bought that special treat that suppose to make your pet super smart, how exciting! But it acts like usual, still running in his little wheel. Well, you better place a complain tomorrow morning, now it's time to bed. Wait... WAS IS A ROCKET LAUNCHING?
Also, I'm actually looking forward to owning a rodent that will apparently have a far more interesting nightlife than me. LOL Can't wait to see what little trinkets I get from the furry little imps and what shenanigans they dive into at night while my sim is resting.
Edit: I think it's important to note that Graham said there is a perfectly normal hamster that will do nothing but realistic hamster things for simmers who prefer that sort of thing. No exciting space travel, no awesome adventures of any Hobbit Hamster kind, just... eating... sleeping... pooping...
I think it's a nice touch that they are trying to address multiple play styles and provide simmers with options. Nicely thought out, Sims Team!
"Something nobody has asked me, but seems worth mentioning... rodent's secret lives... things like sending you postcards from their travels, launching rockets, etc... that's all optional. You can just have a normal rodent pet that doesn't do those things if that's what you want." ~SimGuruGraham
If you're adressing the discussion above, I believe it's more about naming - a brain numbing treat. If they really wanted to do this that way, it'd be better the other way around, in my opinion. A normal hamster is the basic, but you can give him the super brain treat, or something like that. It could even have better story behid it: You bought that special treat that suppose to make your pet super smart, how exciting! But it acts like usual, still running in his little wheel. Well, you better place a complain tomorrow morning, now it's time to bed. Wait... WAS IS A ROCKET LAUNCHING?
Yes! Or if they really want to showcase the rodent superpowers, have a pop up that says "the store where you bought this from has been feeding Remy the Rat a super treat! He may be extra excitable until it wears off. If you'd like to encourage his behaviour, buy more super treats from the computer".
Bam, problem solved, no need for a weird, evil, brain numbing scenario.
Lift up your head, princess. If not, the crown falls.
Saw a tweet from Graham referring to a ‘brain numbing’ treat you can give to hamsters to make them “normal” (so they won’t shoot into space on a rocket ship...). Sounds a lot like a lobotomy, kind of messed up for a hamster.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought this! What a messed up name. It actually feels like it doesn't want you to use that. ("How DARE you numb the mind of an animal? It's a hamster! It's supposed to shoot up into space!")
Weird.
Dare I say, weirder stories LoL {EA_Lanna: Hashtag removed}. Dog houses are cruel (cuz blaming a piece of wood is simple than the owner), but feeding them numbing medicine? Nah.
People you need to relax! Getting this ate up must drain any enjoyment you had for the game.
It doesn't drain up all of it, but yes, I find it so blatantly shameless and disappointing, that I'm having a hard time enjoying my game - and I've been enjoying it very much since DO, CL, tods & vamps. So yes ... I'm really happy others don't feel this way about it, because lots of things about this pack look fun and fit my playstyle. But I am me and you are you, and to me, this is very, very disappointing. Don't let that ruin your happiness though, just try to accept our feelings about it too.
Your feelings don't ruin my enjoyment, because like you say we have separate opinions and minds and I respect yours.
If you were enjoying your game, why can't you continue enjoying it with the packs you have? Is it because you would like to play with small pets too, but feel they should have come in C&D? And then that makes you feel irritated when you play? Just trying to understand.
I think telling people they need to relax and not to get worked up sounds like you don't respect others opinions.
Keeping the topic on the pack and ethics around the release of the pack is probably for the best, as we've been told repeatedly by the mods.
People you need to relax! Getting this ate up must drain any enjoyment you had for the game.
It doesn't drain up all of it, but yes, I find it so blatantly shameless and disappointing, that I'm having a hard time enjoying my game - and I've been enjoying it very much since DO, CL, tods & vamps. So yes ... I'm really happy others don't feel this way about it, because lots of things about this pack look fun and fit my playstyle. But I am me and you are you, and to me, this is very, very disappointing. Don't let that ruin your happiness though, just try to accept our feelings about it too.
Your feelings don't ruin my enjoyment, because like you say we have separate opinions and minds and I respect yours.
If you were enjoying your game, why can't you continue enjoying it with the packs you have? Is it because you would like to play with small pets too, but feel they should have come in C&D? And then that makes you feel irritated when you play? Just trying to understand.
I think its because you misunderstand why people are upset, again.
We get that the packs you have.. you can play, cause you like them and ignore this pack and all that.
However, a lot of people are concerned what this means for FUTURE PACKS that will come in the future.
That is what is upsetting.
So now should we expect this kinda DLC to a DLC behavior, and quality? If we don't like it now?
A lot of simmers have in their own way, seen the sims franchise falling and becoming less than it has, and this is just another red flag, warning sign, that this is possibly the end to something they loved dearly.
People are looking at stuff at a different perspective, is all.
Some people will just say forget this pack and be happy with their stuff now, and that's fine.
Some will buy this pack and keep buying, that's fine.
Some people are trying to let it be known they don't like what this is, and don't want to see it in the future. That's fine too.
People you need to relax! Getting this ate up must drain any enjoyment you had for the game.
We have a right to be upset and mocking us is insulting. What do you expect? To see this calamity and then go about our merry way like this wasn't being pulled? I LOVE this franchise and because of the fact that I love it, it really ticks me off that this has been pulled. So sorry, not sorry. I'm getting no enjoyment about this situation at all.
"Bada su the gorn bada su the brawn bada bady oda aba donk donk donk gerbits gerbits vo gerbits".
People you need to relax! Getting this ate up must drain any enjoyment you had for the game.
Yes, good solution. Let's all nod and say "okay" by pretending to developers/ea we don't mind for this overprice pack, next thing you know - we'll be joyed paying for a parrot-esque stuff pack that is a whopping 50$.
Some people are trying to let it be known they don't like what this is, and don't want to see it in the future. That's fine too.
@Simanite it's hard to put into words but It think @SeraphicPink here said it as well as I could express it right now.
I don't like the concept, I don't want to flesh out expensive EPs (that are only 20,- cheaper than the base game) with SPs. I like SPs, GPs and EPs but I want each to cover a topic as completely as possible. I feel C&D could have given us more items, and maybe, if the items in this pack felt qualitatively different from the ones in C&D (like pet beds with bolsters, a pet store venue type perhaps, or furniture that doesn't simply look like a slightly recolored and retextured copy), I would be looking forward to this pack. Cause yeah, I'd like small pets, but I cannot believe they locked them inside this EP Stuff Pack... That apart from the cage has nothing I don't already own, only recolored versions of it. It's something I never want them to do again in the future.
@LiELF is it okay that I posted your comment on Twitter? I really want EA and the Simguru's to read it. People can't really write good arguments like thaton Twitter, where we do have direct contact with EA and the Simguru's, on the contrary to the Forums. I should have asked before, but if you don't want it there I am happy to delete it.
@LiELF is it okay that I posted your comment on Twitter? I really want EA and the Simguru's to read it. People can't really write good arguments like thaton Twitter, where we do have direct contact with EA and the Simguru's, on the contrary to the Forums. I should have asked before, but if you don't want it there I am happy to delete it.
People you need to relax! Getting this ate up must drain any enjoyment you had for the game.
It doesn't drain up all of it, but yes, I find it so blatantly shameless and disappointing, that I'm having a hard time enjoying my game - and I've been enjoying it very much since DO, CL, tods & vamps. So yes ... I'm really happy others don't feel this way about it, because lots of things about this pack look fun and fit my playstyle. But I am me and you are you, and to me, this is very, very disappointing. Don't let that ruin your happiness though, just try to accept our feelings about it too.
Your feelings don't ruin my enjoyment, because like you say we have separate opinions and minds and I respect yours.
If you were enjoying your game, why can't you continue enjoying it with the packs you have? Is it because you would like to play with small pets too, but feel they should have come in C&D? And then that makes you feel irritated when you play? Just trying to understand.
I'm glad your enjoyment isn't ruined with all of this backlash and I truly hope you will enjoy this pack if you purchase it. In fact, I don't mind if people buy this pack even though it makes me fear for the future of this series. Everyone should do what they feel good about and if they enjoy this new pack I'd say good for them!
The reason why this new release doesn't sit well with me personally is because this is a strong indicator of the route EA wants to take with the upcoming releases. This series that I love so much is being used against me and my wallet. If they do more packs like this the series ends here for me because I won't buy anything anymore. This would leave me with a game that has potential but doesn't live up to it (I will probably return to TS2). TS4 is straying away from all of the greatness the series once had and it is heartbreaking. So yes, this new release is putting salt in the wound which makes me feel a lot more negative when I play it. Of course it has always been about the money for EA, if I had a company I'd want to cash in on everything as well. But in the past they gave us a lot of great content with every release. Now we basically pay 10 euros for a hamster with a spaceship and a new aquarium + an EP with the title Cats&Dogs that barely has any dog beds.
@LiELF is it okay that I posted your comment on Twitter? I really want EA and the Simguru's to read it. People can't really write good arguments like thaton Twitter, where we do have direct contact with EA and the Simguru's, on the contrary to the Forums. I should have asked before, but if you don't want it there I am happy to delete it.
That's great, thank you! I really don't use Twitter that much, so getting the word out is much appreciated.
Thank you for sharing this @NickSims, I'm glad our @LiELF has been able to express so well what many of us didn't know how to put into words.
Gosh, you guys, I'm touched that my post resonated with so many people. Really. Love you all, hope we can get this sorted out and everyone can go on loving and enjoying their Sims game in peace.
@LiesSim Thanks for answering, also. I respect and understand your viewpoint.
I guess for me I'm likening this SP to store content in TS3, so I'm not very shocked. They always released sets that had clothes, build buy and premium content (such as the greenhouse just before Seasons, wave station just before IP and seeing stars set just before Showtime) the same week as an EP came out with a similar theme, which would clearly have fitted in with said EP. And these sets offered way less stuff than a TS4 SP, and were double the price. I believed the Gurus when they said they weren't stripped from an EP but were made to compliment them by the Store team, and I believe the same being said about this SP because the SP team is separate to the EP team.
Now I do believe that the high-ups at the company choose to release the content this way to get more money, because that's their goal. But I don't believe the devs and Gurus did it to be malicious, because they aren't in charge or marketing or release schedules.
In an ideal world I wish each EP was fully fleshed out and contained all the relevant content, but for me Cats and Dogs was the only EP that was well done and actually worth the asking price. Plus I've actually got more enjoyment from many SPs than I have from most of the earlier EPs, so I don't mind paying the £10 when I know I'll use it.
I can understand why people don't on principle though.
Edit to add, most of the stuff in the Store wasn't as important as small pets, I know. Although I'd say the greenhouse was up there. And the baby stuff was a lot later than Generations, but would have fitted.
@LiELF is it okay that I posted your comment on Twitter? I really want EA and the Simguru's to read it. People can't really write good arguments like thaton Twitter, where we do have direct contact with EA and the Simguru's, on the contrary to the Forums. I should have asked before, but if you don't want it there I am happy to delete it.
That's great, thank you! I really don't use Twitter that much, so getting the word out is much appreciated.
Thank you for sharing this @NickSims, I'm glad our @LiELF has been able to express so well what many of us didn't know how to put into words.
Gosh, you guys, I'm touched that my post resonated with so many people. Really. Love you all, hope we can get this sorted out and everyone can go on loving and enjoying their Sims game in peace.
It's a very nice post, and the tone makes it very easy to read. Not that I'm against emotional writing, but sometimes I find it jarring to read through aggression.
Comments
By default I assume yes. Would have made way more sense to have hamsters be normal by default, and have a treat that works as some sort of brain booster to then enable the rocket ship stuff. Of course then all of the hard work they put into that would go unused, so they have to make players jump through hoops to avoid it.
But will you really listen us? I really don't think.
YouTube: https://goo.gl/PK7vxR | The Gallery: https://goo.gl/a5DZAK
Twitter: https://goo.gl/QzQVUK | Origin-ID: SimmerNickYT
They'll listen but taking action is a whole other question.
Seeking a Cure for PSC
From Lifehack.org - 20 Things About Highly Creative People
Simblr
People are upset because industry giants like EA & Ubisoft, who have the manpower, the talent, the money and the time to produce amazing content, keep falling short compared to teams with few members and kickstarter-funded budgets. It's frustrating to us, because we want the sims to be good and for the most part TS4 has become a much improved product. So this feels painful. It's painful to know that despite having all those resources at their disposal, here they are, trying to milk us for every last dime. And I can't let them do that. This isn't about a personal vendetta against the company or other simmrs, this isn't political. It's very personal to us, too. It's hard to love something that's under the control of a company that is far more interested in money than quality...
Now, on to the constructive side of things, @EA_Lanna I almost think there's only few things you guys could possibly do to set the mood right:
a) you could say alright this has clearly gotten people very upset, so to those who own C&D, we'll patch in pet clothes/beds etc. (basically, the stuff that definitely should've been in C&D to begin with) & we'll delay the pack & add other things into it that are usable by everyone. You probably won't do that.
b) you patch it in for everyone. You probably won't do that.
c) and this is not ideal but I still think it's the best chance you've got and perhaps the most feasible idea of them all (even if I still don't see it happening): you allow people to buy separate parts of this pack ... so say the hamster for 3, the pet clothes for 3 and the stuff for 3. Would I be happy about paying for it at all? No. But then people could decide to not give you any money for things that should've been in our games already or things they can't use anyway.
You know .. I feel sorry for the SP team, I kinda do. Cause I'm sure it's not really their fault that they were forced to partake in this awful business decision. And when I look at the hamster thingy and the disease, I can see they tried to make the best of it. But I think it's very sad that this company's ethics would rather have their teams try and "make the best of what they're allowed to do" instead of giving us "the best they are capable of". And I'm sure, they're capable of amazing things....
It doesn't drain up all of it, but yes, I find it so blatantly shameless and disappointing, that I'm having a hard time enjoying my game - and I've been enjoying it very much since DO, CL, tods & vamps. So yes ... I'm really happy others don't feel this way about it, because lots of things about this pack look fun and fit my playstyle. But I am me and you are you, and to me, this is very, very disappointing.
Your feelings don't ruin my enjoyment, because like you say we have separate opinions and minds and I respect yours.
If you were enjoying your game, why can't you continue enjoying it with the packs you have? Is it because you would like to play with small pets too, but feel they should have come in C&D? And then that makes you feel irritated when you play? Just trying to understand.
If you're adressing the discussion above, I believe it's more about naming - a brain numbing treat. If they really wanted to do this that way, it'd be better the other way around, in my opinion. A normal hamster is the basic, but you can give him the super brain treat, or something like that. It could even have better story behid it: You bought that special treat that suppose to make your pet super smart, how exciting! But it acts like usual, still running in his little wheel. Well, you better place a complain tomorrow morning, now it's time to bed. Wait... WAS IS A ROCKET LAUNCHING?
Yes! Or if they really want to showcase the rodent superpowers, have a pop up that says "the store where you bought this from has been feeding Remy the Rat a super treat! He may be extra excitable until it wears off. If you'd like to encourage his behaviour, buy more super treats from the computer".
Bam, problem solved, no need for a weird, evil, brain numbing scenario.
Dare I say, weirder stories LoL {EA_Lanna: Hashtag removed}. Dog houses are cruel (cuz blaming a piece of wood is simple than the owner), but feeding them numbing medicine? Nah.
I think telling people they need to relax and not to get worked up sounds like you don't respect others opinions.
Keeping the topic on the pack and ethics around the release of the pack is probably for the best, as we've been told repeatedly by the mods.
I think its because you misunderstand why people are upset, again.
We get that the packs you have.. you can play, cause you like them and ignore this pack and all that.
However, a lot of people are concerned what this means for FUTURE PACKS that will come in the future.
That is what is upsetting.
So now should we expect this kinda DLC to a DLC behavior, and quality? If we don't like it now?
A lot of simmers have in their own way, seen the sims franchise falling and becoming less than it has, and this is just another red flag, warning sign, that this is possibly the end to something they loved dearly.
People are looking at stuff at a different perspective, is all.
Some people will just say forget this pack and be happy with their stuff now, and that's fine.
Some will buy this pack and keep buying, that's fine.
Some people are trying to let it be known they don't like what this is, and don't want to see it in the future. That's fine too.
Origin: SeraphicPink
We have a right to be upset and mocking us is insulting. What do you expect? To see this calamity and then go about our merry way like this wasn't being pulled? I LOVE this franchise and because of the fact that I love it, it really ticks me off that this has been pulled. So sorry, not sorry. I'm getting no enjoyment about this situation at all.
Yes, good solution. Let's all nod and say "okay" by pretending to developers/ea we don't mind for this overprice pack, next thing you know - we'll be joyed paying for a parrot-esque stuff pack that is a whopping 50$.
@Simanite it's hard to put into words but It think @SeraphicPink here said it as well as I could express it right now.
I don't like the concept, I don't want to flesh out expensive EPs (that are only 20,- cheaper than the base game) with SPs. I like SPs, GPs and EPs but I want each to cover a topic as completely as possible. I feel C&D could have given us more items, and maybe, if the items in this pack felt qualitatively different from the ones in C&D (like pet beds with bolsters, a pet store venue type perhaps, or furniture that doesn't simply look like a slightly recolored and retextured copy), I would be looking forward to this pack. Cause yeah, I'd like small pets, but I cannot believe they locked them inside this EP Stuff Pack... That apart from the cage has nothing I don't already own, only recolored versions of it. It's something I never want them to do again in the future.
That's great, thank you! I really don't use Twitter that much, so getting the word out is much appreciated.
Thank you for sharing this @NickSims, I'm glad our @LiELF has been able to express so well what many of us didn't know how to put into words.
I'm glad your enjoyment isn't ruined with all of this backlash and I truly hope you will enjoy this pack if you purchase it. In fact, I don't mind if people buy this pack even though it makes me fear for the future of this series. Everyone should do what they feel good about and if they enjoy this new pack I'd say good for them!
The reason why this new release doesn't sit well with me personally is because this is a strong indicator of the route EA wants to take with the upcoming releases. This series that I love so much is being used against me and my wallet. If they do more packs like this the series ends here for me because I won't buy anything anymore. This would leave me with a game that has potential but doesn't live up to it (I will probably return to TS2). TS4 is straying away from all of the greatness the series once had and it is heartbreaking. So yes, this new release is putting salt in the wound which makes me feel a lot more negative when I play it. Of course it has always been about the money for EA, if I had a company I'd want to cash in on everything as well. But in the past they gave us a lot of great content with every release. Now we basically pay 10 euros for a hamster with a spaceship and a new aquarium + an EP with the title Cats&Dogs that barely has any dog beds.
Gosh, you guys, I'm touched that my post resonated with so many people. Really. Love you all, hope we can get this sorted out and everyone can go on loving and enjoying their Sims game in peace.
That stream tomorrow is going to be such a mess, especially if they don't address people's concerns beforehand.
Edited: So many typos. Gah.
I guess for me I'm likening this SP to store content in TS3, so I'm not very shocked. They always released sets that had clothes, build buy and premium content (such as the greenhouse just before Seasons, wave station just before IP and seeing stars set just before Showtime) the same week as an EP came out with a similar theme, which would clearly have fitted in with said EP. And these sets offered way less stuff than a TS4 SP, and were double the price. I believed the Gurus when they said they weren't stripped from an EP but were made to compliment them by the Store team, and I believe the same being said about this SP because the SP team is separate to the EP team.
Now I do believe that the high-ups at the company choose to release the content this way to get more money, because that's their goal. But I don't believe the devs and Gurus did it to be malicious, because they aren't in charge or marketing or release schedules.
In an ideal world I wish each EP was fully fleshed out and contained all the relevant content, but for me Cats and Dogs was the only EP that was well done and actually worth the asking price. Plus I've actually got more enjoyment from many SPs than I have from most of the earlier EPs, so I don't mind paying the £10 when I know I'll use it.
I can understand why people don't on principle though.
Edit to add, most of the stuff in the Store wasn't as important as small pets, I know. Although I'd say the greenhouse was up there. And the baby stuff was a lot later than Generations, but would have fitted.
It's a very nice post, and the tone makes it very easy to read. Not that I'm against emotional writing, but sometimes I find it jarring to read through aggression.