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How Do You Prefer to Play The Sims- Vanilla/Mods/CC?

halihali Posts: 66 Member
A part of The Sims, as a series’, charm is that the player has a variety of ways to customize the game to his/her liking.

I was inspired to create this poll because I thought Stormy_Winter's now closed Vanilla/ Mods? thread was a missed opportunity for polling and others might be interested to know how other players like to play the game/s as well. My hope is that this thread can prove to be a helpful source of information, and not just satisfy a bit of curiosity. So--

How do you prefer to play The Sims?
  • Just as Maxis/EA releases it--no additions--‘vanilla’?
  • With mods to supplement the game?
  • With custom--oftentimes, fan created--content that’s designed using existing officially published assets? (CC)
  • Or do you enjoy making use of both mods and CC?

If you can spare the time, please share why you enjoy playing the game/s as you do.
All reads/votes/shares are appreciated, thank you!
*If you have pointers on how to make this thread more meaningful/relevant/engaging, I'd appreciate any suggestions (I'm new to participating in the forums and this is the first discussion I've started). Thanks!
Post edited by hali on

How Do You Prefer to Play The Sims- Vanilla/Mods/CC? 294 votes

Vanilla
36%
IdontrcalllunasysimsTWSimGamer82JueJuedzidziak86MonaSolstraalerileyandjacobSimburianSusanaLeoteelemmeleJustMe123cornflake88g01denswanxtianxCinebarGageabarracuda1574DarkLady2788Amj1995Lee12321 106 votes
Mods
16%
EvvieSimmersketchesCamkatIsb917amchristianBloosmooKementariJessabeansfruitsbasket101ApparentlyAwesomeairotciv54ldmarkoMinorKeyesTeeSeamtvsims2011simoneHarukotyanmadronatreeAdria22bixters 49 votes
CC
6%
candy8KlthfMagdaleenabryanovensIcy_LavaFelicity1169OnverserChadSims2StarrxfireOldeseadoggecalipossHearts4uCatsRuleLady_BallorapopstarsleyBeliJinkxNushkaafternoonbaboonSimbastien 20 votes
Mods & CC
40%
CK213Jderrick094catmom1987Bluefairy286Sara1010PGalacticGalsunhair2008NighteyesRflong7PseudonymsRavwyndAllearsSimpatsyannkeekee53haneulCynnaAnmirlaMariefoxprice83simgirl1010Paigeisin5 119 votes

Comments

  • halihali Posts: 66 Member
    edited August 2019
    Vanilla
    Someone else was kind enough to find and download CC hairstyles for me back when I was introduced to TS2. Since then, though, I’ve played TS3 and 4 only as they've been published--vanilla.

    I’m stunned when I see how clever, creative, diligent and thoughtful CC creators and modders are; so much of their work enhances The Sims gaming experience; and what little I’ve seen is astounding. But I’ve been keeping my games vanilla because The Sims games have enough issues on their own without me--the least technical person--fiddling around with a folder of stuff that needs to be kept up-to-date.

    And, while there are mods and CC out there which truly fill in some gaps, and/or fix some known issues or troublesome or lacking points of interest in the game/s--with regards to TS4--I’m waiting, with hope, for TS4 team to tackle core issues and bugs officially (e.g. in depth personality for the sims by implementing a likes/wants/fears/dislikes, etc system into the game). (I'd love to play TS3 again, but I lost the disk in a move and don't remember where I wrote the product code.)
    Post edited by hali on
  • SpecialKHSpecialKH Posts: 36 Member
    Vanilla
    Same, @hali
    I used to enjoy using cc a LOT but then there would be game updates and suddenly interactive bits didn't work, etc. And it became so annoying to have to replace all of the counters, showers, beds, etc when they stopped working. I could still use clutter/plants/wall decor that is cc I suppose but my PC only has 1T and runs slow when internet and sims are both running so I don't want to risk it. Plus I like to share to the gallery and make a lot of no cc stuff. Still waiting on a Maxis fav but it's hard to meet all of the criteria!
    I'm GND968 in the Gallery.
  • nerdfashionnerdfashion Posts: 5,947 Member
    Mods
    I use just a few mods by littlemssam, MC Command Center, and UI Cheats Extension.
    funny-gifs20.gif

  • halihali Posts: 66 Member
    edited August 2019
    Vanilla
    @SpecialKH - Thanks so much for sharing your experiences and voting! Great point regarding wishing to easily provide fuss-free content when sharing to the gallery; and, also, for mentioning a crucial point for remaining eligible for Maxis Faves consideration by keeping CC-free. Very best of luck to you, btw n__n! Hope you make it! Also, same - if I ignored the very bad idea of me fiddling with the mods folder whenever an update is necessary, my non-gaming computer does only have so much space, unfortunately.

    @nerdfashion - deaderpool's MC Command Center is a powerful tool for addressing issues in game, many times even before TS4 team will seek to address the issues. When the game wraps, if TS4 still hasn't addressed some issues deaderpool's mod can help to address, it's the one mod I would most likely consider adding to my game. Re: UI Cheats Extension- once saw a Game Changer accidentally kill a test sim (i.e it instantly died of starvation when she clicked on the hunger bar to fill the sim's need) whilst recommending the mod to viewers. So, whilst I love the idea of that mod, I can't help but worry that would 100% be me--accidental sim killer--all because I wanted to take a shortcut quickly. Would be pretty neat if the dev team allowed players a limited access version of the dev version of the game, specifically for UI cheats, via game options :]. Thanks for voting & commenting!
  • CrownSimsCrownSims Posts: 470 Member
    edited August 2019
    Mods & CC
    I don't mean to sound dramatic, but the game would be unplayable for me without mods & cc. They keep the game interesting and not repetitive. Some also add things that should've been in the game to begin with.

    (Not to mention, the Sims 4 has a lack of content for minority sims (they're getting better tho), but being a black simmer myself, I was disappointed with the absence of hair/skins/makeup/clothing for underrepresented groups. Custom content really helped me w/ that issue.)

    With custom content, I can actually create diverse sims such as:
    vitiligo sims
    sims with heterochromia
    hijabi sims
    albino sims
    dark-skinned sims

    -things that seemed to have been overlooked by EA.
  • BloosmooBloosmoo Posts: 754 Member
    Mods
    I always used to play Vanilla but then MCCC worked it's way into my game to let me change bad townie choices there and then. Then the Omp shelf was added while I was building and that was it. I tried the Slice of Life mod but got stressed out by my child sims getting bullied, I can't cope with that. I couldn't cope with little bruised sims appearing in CAS though the grazed one with the plaster on it was quite cute for Tomboy sims, mainly because they'd look like they'd been roughhousing rather than beaten senseless. The better schools mod though, Oh I love that one! I went on a bit of a mod spree after that, tried the WW mod not realizing what it did and okay it made me laugh but feel kind of uncomfortable too ( out in three minutes!) So I've enjoyed playing around with them, but now the update is out, I've thrown all the mods out ready to start building again....so the omp shelf will be going back in. I never leave this in any of my builds because I think with the new debug items and the moo cheat my options are well open anyway. CC tried it and found it more trouble than it was worth, it slowed my game down, it made my sims look a little too real, I had the uncanny valley panic attack and threw it all out again. Is there anything honestly worse than your sim vanishing in CAS? All of the CC hair in the world didn't prepare me for that. There are some really talented CC makers out there and I've thoroughly enjoyed playing around with it, but I shall stick with my two little mods (and possibly better schools) and call it a day.
  • cody6268cody6268 Posts: 642 Member
    Mods & CC
    I use a mixture of both, but try to limit it to those I can't absolutely do without. For mods, I always try to have MCCC (game is unplayable without) and the UI Cheats Extension. As for CC, it does result in better looking Sims for sure (especially those that make Sims look less of a caricature); but can get out of hand if I've got a lot of custom Sims using a lot of CC.

    At one point, I had an insane amount of CCs that had been bundled with some households I'd downloaded. Despite the upload dates being recent at the time I'd downloaded them, a lot of the CC was broken at the start. It slowed the game down (especially on loading) quite a bit, a lot of it I was quite sure would all do the same despite being different, it cramped the CAS menu (the eye menu was unusable due to a ridiculous amount of colors, most of which were identical), and resulted in some really weird townies. Ended up deleting most of the CC, only reinstalling it for the two or three custom Sims that had been added to existing households.

    The good thing about the Tray Importer and Sims4Studio is that it helps to easily find what doesn't work, and what I don't like the looks of before I even start the game--that way I can eliminate the broken and unwanted CC more easily.
  • Cupcakes4lifeCupcakes4life Posts: 28 Member
    Mods & CC
    I love the family and realistic aspect of the sims so I'm a hardcore mod user, I love the slice of life mod especially, I don't even know if I could play the base game any more! Once I went cc, I couldn't go back and I started playing with cc in 2018. Before that I was all vanilla with the game dlc. Now I can't live without it!
  • VailsVails Posts: 50 Member
    Mods & CC
    CC. I'm a guy with very wazy hair, and EA lacks hair types that aren't kinky or straight. Plus, a lot of the clothes in TS1-TS3 is very dated because of when they came out.

    Mods. Because there's some aspects of the vanilla game that frustrate me to no end.
    6h978o3aneec.png
  • drakharisdrakharis Posts: 1,478 Member
    Mods & CC
    Until Sims 4 I would always play vanilla. Gameplay was interesting enough where I didn't feel like I needed mods and CC. It's only been since Sims 4 that I play with mods and CC. I still play the other games in the franchise with 0 mods and CC. I will use cheats in those games though, I don't know if cheats truly count as "vanilla"
    Playtesting - not just tabletop games and card games any more. Really that should have been playtested in Beta and not [img]just with accounting and marketing but actual players. https://i.imgur.com/t48COW6.jpg[/img]
  • SiggDiggitSiggDiggit Posts: 143 Member
    Vanilla
    I picked vanilla but I fibbed a tiny bit because I use MCCC. I still feel like a vanilla player though because I only use it to have story progression.
    2f8164094dfe843e371b34f5333b4dff1d96e006.jpg
  • ej_4_simsej_4_sims Posts: 30 Member
    Mods & CC
    mods and cc really make the sims 4 wayyyyy much better
  • Vivi_WillowTreeVivi_WillowTree Posts: 451 Member
    Mods
    A bit of a grey area here. I switch back and forth from vanilla to using a few mods to make the game how I want it. Just depends on how lazy I am to update them.
  • Javi182Javi182 Posts: 63 Member
    Vanilla
    Vanilla because I like to share my builds and I don't want to overuse mods, even though they can vastly improve a build.
  • HestiaHestia Posts: 1,997 Member
    edited February 2020
    Vanilla
    The Sims (2000): Vanilla.

    The Sims 2: Mods to fix bugs.

    The Sims 3: Mods to fix bugs.

    The Sims 4: Mods to enhance gameplay.
    Post edited by Hestia on
    wB2Zykl.jpg
  • NindigoNindigo Posts: 2,764 Member
    Vanilla
    Vanilla. I sometimes try out both mods and CC - it entertains me for a little while, but I always go back to preferring vanilla. I find that I'm sensitive to mismatching styles. It's also a total bother to me to have to deal with errors every time there is a patch and/or new content.


    Origin ID: Nindigo79

    A smile is the prettiest thing you can wear
    Time enjoyed is never time wasted

  • NorthDakotaGamerNorthDakotaGamer Posts: 2,559 Member
    I use maxis match recolors, so it is close to vanilla. Also the only mod I use is MCCC.
  • BridgetKVBridgetKV Posts: 200 Member
    Mods & CC
    I spend the first year or so of a sim games life playing only vanilla, and then I install mods and cc when I feel like I’ve experienced enough of the vanilla game or get bored with it.
  • SERVERFRASERVERFRA Posts: 7,108 Member
    Vanilla
    I don't use even basic mods or cc because it buggers my Sims 4 games.
  • king_of_simcity7king_of_simcity7 Posts: 25,102 Member
    For gameplay in TS3 I don't use mods accept for emergencies but I use some mods for story telling and shortcuts (I teleport Sims in those cases)

    It is only the past few months I have started to lean towards CC due to running out of hairstyles to use for Sims
    Simbourne
    screenshot_original.jpg
  • simgirl1010simgirl1010 Posts: 35,704 Member
    Mods & CC
    CC for The Sims. Mods and CC for S2 and S3. Mostly genetic CC. So many wonderful content creators. Holy Simoly, Cashcraft, Buggybooz, Living Dead Girl, Shakeshaft, Simcredible, and so many more. So far 1 mod for S4.
  • CamkatCamkat Posts: 2,329 Member
    Mods
    I would prefer to be vanilla but sometimes I have to use mods to just make the game do what they should have had it doing in the first place. If there's currently nothing I'm having an issue with, then I will vanilla. (That's rare these days). Basically I only use them to fix the game until they do it.
    Origin ID: Peapod79
  • NushnushganayNushnushganay Posts: 9,418 Member
    Mods & CC
    I voted mods and cc even though I barely use any CC, mostly game-changing mods. But I can't fathom going back to vanilla ever, having tasted the freedom and additional realism mods offer (and unrealism...superheroes/villains, emotions that last and have consequences, personal choices having actual consequences, plus for storytelling ya gotta use mods)

    CC for me is a waste except for specific needs like a slightly less extreme/dated Caleb hairdo that's still quitessentially Caleb, and things like dilated pupils, bloodshot eyes, signs of injury, and yeah...I might get some decent jeans for my guys because the basegame ones are either badly out of date, or rob a man of his dignity.

    I would also go get some CC for a certain style of leather cap I love, maybe some handstitched leather shoes. OK I guess I'll become a CC lover if those items exist.

    Curtains are another awful issue in basegame. Almost none of them strike me as tasteful, and/or the ones I want won't fit the windows I have, so it's either hideous ones or none, in which case I opt for none because I hate having the view occluded anyway. Fusty heavy draperies blocking the view to the outdoors make me feel claustrophobic. The vampire pack curtains are the ugliest things I think I've ever laid eyes on.
    Racism is EVERYONE's fight #BLM #StopAsianHate
    Let's make Liberty and Justice For All a reality.

    xicwqMCm.jpg
  • SimAlexandriaSimAlexandria Posts: 4,845 Member
    Vanilla
    Vanilla and Mods I guess haha. I have one save I like to stay vanilla and one I prefer to have MCCC and a few other mods.

    I don't like CC though.
  • damageincracingdamageincracing Posts: 275 Member
    Up until the Sims 4, the only CC I used was things like hair styles/colors or random clothing. Then 4 came out and that all changed. The only way to make that joke playable is with mods and third party content. I hope for THEIR sake EA has listened to us Simmers' frustrations with that mess, and will make Sims 5 better than 3, and not the joke 4 is. Doubtful, but one can hope...
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