@invisiblgirl I think what I really want is to be able to click on the sim and tell him/her to go hunt for bugs rather than scrolling around the screen for them myself. I lose track of where I am on the map when I zoom in close enough to avoid the trees.
The one thing I don't like is the Campfire songs your sims can sing with the guitar. It is a great feature when it came out, but when City Living introduced the singing skill, it was never updated. Your Level 10 singing skill sim can sin magnificent songs but when they sing the campfire songs from that pack, their voice become ugly.
@invisiblgirl I think what I really want is to be able to click on the sim and tell him/her to go hunt for bugs rather than scrolling around the screen for them myself. I lose track of where I am on the map when I zoom in close enough to avoid the trees.
I kind of like finding them myself, but then, while I was waiting for them to put my toddlers back in the game, I played a lot of hidden object games. Regardless, it's a lot more difficult without the Sims 3 map.
The idea of camping is interesting, just think that more could have been done with it. Also, I really like the "secrets" of vacation worlds in both sims 2 and 3, but for outdoor retreat it is beyond meh. Perfect opportunity to implement the yeti again, and some task in order for him to be summoned, and then some special things that is given/learned from the yeti or what not.
The older the pack the less love it gets. I loved this pack when it first came out and all my sims went there on vacation. But with the lack of new destinations (besides the jungle) my sims started to go less and less. Also it bothers me that many of the same sims that live in my sims neighbourhood just all happen to be there at the same time. Also hiking would be much better in pairs , or a group . (It is not recommended to go out hiking alone) and for beginners it is downright stupid.
Outdoor retreat could have been more interesting if there was an element of quest, like finding clues to getting that opens up secret forrest where you can visit the yeti and befriend them.
If I could edit or add to OR, I'd want more exploring. I know we have "Find The Hermit" which is okay but kind of anticlimactic once found. Maybe have sims find a cave to explore and run into bears or group hikes or rock climbing.
I was the first GP so it was a learning GP but I think if they did that theme now, it would be so much more.
I love this pack! I'm not into RL camping stuff, but Granite Falls makes a very nice and tranquil contrast to the other worlds. The forest is very nice, and I did not adjust the buildings yet. I prefer going there to stay in a tent, just to make a bigger difference from my sims' everyday life. My sims normally stay just a few days, and mostly sims collecting berries etc will go. With Seasons this pack became 10 times more interesting because it's changing, and - you might get a dreadful vacation (which is reflecting RL pretty well). With clubs it's cool sending a group into the woods.
What I dislike? Hm, at times there seems to be too many ppl walking in those "wild" forests. Also the bears can be annoying, but I do accept them as a substitute for the miss wild animals. Although I love the silence in the woods, there could have been something more to do. I'm hoping for a hotel pack in the future, might turn the biggest lot into a small and primitive hotel
Yeah, I concur with what's been said here--I don't think there's anything wrong with the pack, as long as you appreciate it for what it is. If you like sending your sims camping and that kind of aesthetic, I say get it, you'll probably have a great time! Is it my FAVORITE pack, personally? No, but I'm not a big camping person. Still, I've had a lot of fun on vacations there with my sims in various stories regardless. The herbalism stuff is pretty cool, I love finding the the hermit, and it's nice sometimes just to "get away" for a while.
Here's the thing: first thing I do in every save is replace or make over all the lots, lol. I either simplify or jazz up the main camping ground, then add some combination of different rental lots I find from the gallery: a honeymoon cabin, a cheap one-room writer's retreat, a super expensive luxury vacation lodge, a family get-away rental with toddler stuff and a rec room, and then I'll replace the national park with some other public lot like someone else here mentioned--a spa, or a proper park, or maybe a "natural" museum with bugs to look at and stuff. Once I started doing that, I started loving Granite Falls a LOT more, lol. Cause I think the most frustrating thing was going on vacation, and getting to an "editable" (without cheats) home lot that frankly...sucked, as a build. But, if you don't mind downloading from the gallery (and there's a LOT of great GF themed stuff out there), or doing your own rebuilds or remodels, I'd say there's no reason you should hesitate to buy the pack. Just get ready to maybe be a lot more tempted by those weather resistant perks ;-P
I love Outdoor Retreat. I use so many of the items, even in community lots. Like someone else mentioned, I only have a couple lots that are rental lots there, but I also have a tent at the National Park my sims can use. One rental lot is a small house that can house a couple and two other people. It has a small kitchen, guitar, a couple of cozy seats a treadmill and game table, with a natural pool, fire pit, and horseshoes outside. The other rental is a lot I down loaded called ‘the fishing spot’ with a small kitchen and bathroom and bedroom, it looks like a lake on the outside with a boat ( it’s a pool). It also has tents and things outside (it’s more expensive that the other lot). I think it would be a good place for scout meetings if you get there during the right day and time of year (since seasons). I have a spa on one community lot, On another lot I have something that looks like a huge rock hill that I downloaded, I can’t remember what it originally was, but now on the inside it is a cafe in one room, with an ice cream machine. A second small room is a children’s play room with toys, and games. A third small room has a sofa, book shelf and 2 desks with computers. A fourth room has a foose ball table. And then there is a full bathroom or two. Outside is children’s play equipment, grill and picnic table and a small murky swimming pool, and I have it set to cafe, I think I also have a refrigerator inside, or an ice chest outside so children can eat if they are there by themselves. It’s a very functional lot. And I believe my third lot is an outdoor ice rink with a food stall and picnic table, and bathroom, at least that’s what it was during the last winter, I have changed the last lot several times. It would also be a good spot for a bar, lounge or nightclub, or restaurant. So, my Outdoor Retreat can be used for several different vacations now, leisure as well as nature. You might want to turn thunder storms off if you plan to spend a lot of time on outdoor activities.... lol..... last time my nature sim was there she was finishing her insect collection an got struck by lightning.... lol.
Comments
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/924539/features-that-needs-depth-and-ways-to-improve
I kind of like finding them myself, but then, while I was waiting for them to put my toddlers back in the game, I played a lot of hidden object games. Regardless, it's a lot more difficult without the Sims 3 map.
I was the first GP so it was a learning GP but I think if they did that theme now, it would be so much more.
What I dislike? Hm, at times there seems to be too many ppl walking in those "wild" forests. Also the bears can be annoying, but I do accept them as a substitute for the miss wild animals. Although I love the silence in the woods, there could have been something more to do. I'm hoping for a hotel pack in the future, might turn the biggest lot into a small and primitive hotel
Here's the thing: first thing I do in every save is replace or make over all the lots, lol. I either simplify or jazz up the main camping ground, then add some combination of different rental lots I find from the gallery: a honeymoon cabin, a cheap one-room writer's retreat, a super expensive luxury vacation lodge, a family get-away rental with toddler stuff and a rec room, and then I'll replace the national park with some other public lot like someone else here mentioned--a spa, or a proper park, or maybe a "natural" museum with bugs to look at and stuff. Once I started doing that, I started loving Granite Falls a LOT more, lol. Cause I think the most frustrating thing was going on vacation, and getting to an "editable" (without cheats) home lot that frankly...sucked, as a build. But, if you don't mind downloading from the gallery (and there's a LOT of great GF themed stuff out there), or doing your own rebuilds or remodels, I'd say there's no reason you should hesitate to buy the pack. Just get ready to maybe be a lot more tempted by those weather resistant perks ;-P
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