I think I haven't played enough most of the GPs, if any of them, to form a final opinion. Not until now did I realise I got 6 of them since January and haven't had enough time to fully explore them, because I have had a limited amount of time to play and have mainly focused on exploring EPs Perhaps I could also blame my playstyle since I tend to try a bit this and a bit that and then do something else.
At the moment my list is something like this...
Strangerville - I really enjoyed playing the story with two teen boys. I love the quirkiness and I have some vague plans for the town. I think it's going to turn out great.
Outdoor Retreat - I bought it mainly for the tents and star/cloudgazing and I use the tents A LOT. I really enjoy camping. I haven't played in Granite Falls that much yet (I have probably had 3 vacations there), but just today I downloaded new cottages from the gallery and I feel like it is going to be such a nice vacation world. I look forward to taking my sims there.
Jungle Adventure - It's fun to explore the jungle and temples. I bought JA with OR because I wanted to be able to camp in the jungle and I really like it. I should play JA more and explore the Selvadoradian culture and archeology. I still haven't explored the jungle completely either, because I want to save it and enjoy the thrill of finding new things later on.
Vampires - I have played one vampire and I have enjoyed it, especially breaking in celebrities' homes for a little supper and amusement. It is an inspiring pack and just waiting for the time I get to properly play it. Oh I also have an ongoing storyline of The Renegades and how they started to investigate vampires, but it is on hold at the moment.
Spa Day - I wanted it for the saunas, bath soaks and yoga. Granite Falls really needed some saunas. I haven't played SD that much, but I have downloaded some cool spas from the gallery and it looks promising.
Parenthood - I have only played it a bit. I'm still not sure what I think about this pack and the phases and character values, but some of the new interactions are so great, for example arguing and shouting forbidden words.
Realm of Magic - I have played it and I have had fun, but I still feel like it could be so much better and it makes me a bit sad. There are things I like in this pack and I haven't still tried all the spells. I just like the other GPs more.
Dine Out - I just bought it. I look forward to playing it, even if it is the least interesting GP for me. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.
Vampires - I like the perk and weakness system, the animations, the little lore details and the freshness, how different it feels to play a vampire from the other sims, including other occults. I wish there were more to do in Forgotten Hollow and a slayer career.
Strangerville - It was just fun and different. There's a few more details I wish it featured, but I feel it was just right for a GP.
Jumgle Adventure - Also fun and different, even if it gets a little repetitive just trying to acces that secluded off island, which I hoped would bring something really special with how hard it was to get there lol. I like the puzzles, wish we had more things like that but even more puzzle-y. And the chance cards and how skill level affect your choices. I like my sims being randomly attacked by nature.
Parenthood - It feels lacking to me, but I love the interactions and the traits and the advice/school pop-ups.
Outdoor Retreat / Spa Day / Dine Out - I send my sims to all three pretty regularly, so I couldn't imagine playing without them anymore.
RoM - I don't like the perk system and found the spells and potions disappointing. And the familiars. And the beautiful, but useless greenhouse. And the beautiful, but dead shopping area.
1.Parenthood I really like the BB objects. The gameplay could be better and more in depth, but it helps a little with what is missing when playing large family households. I got really annoyed when they nerfed the emotional deaths.
2.Spa Day BB objects are amazing. Yoga! I really like the wellness skill. I'd like it better if the active trait was updated to reflect with the wellness skill. Sims still get tense if they work out using the mat, I don't think this should be the case.
3.Dine Out This made dates a lot better. Going out with more than two sims is a bit challenging especially if they aren't in the same household.
The rest of the packs I won't use or rarely use so it's really hard to rate them.
4.Jungle Adventure It was fun when it was released, but became repetitive quickly. Replayability is difficult with this pack because it feels like a one play through and done pack. The artifacts be sent through the mail makes the archeologist skill way to easy to access. It does however mesh well with the outdoor retreat pack. The tents and coolers are essential.
5.Strangerville Same thing with JA it the replayability is difficult especially with this scripted story. Defeat the mother plant and your done with the pack.
6.Outdoor Retreat This is good for finding collectables, plants, fish, and the secret hermit sim. Since I could really care less about any of that I don't play with the pack. I tried to use it as a family vacation, but all the other sims from other households leave immediately or right before dark like they are hanging out at normal residential lots.
7.Realm of Magic Spellcasters could have been done better, more depth to them, children and toddlers should have been included. With those two life states excluded I will never have a desire to play this pack which is a bummer because I really like playing magical beings in other games. I am glad that they have their own realm though.
8.Vampires When this was released I loved the pack. I was annoyed that they didn't have their own world, but I let that go because the pack itself was really solid and the gameplay was fun. I had an evil vampire that could drain sims lives (they can't do that anymore), and a good vampire that was her good friend and secretly mortal enemy. She would restore sims lives that her "friend" would kill for sport. Since they took that away and the heavily nerfed break ins. This pack has lost all of it's charm. EAxis ripped players off by stripping out and dimming down the gameplay.
I love all the game packs, it's hard to rank them.
My favorites are Vampires and Jungle Adventure.
Then Strangerville, Parenthood and Realm of Magic.
I also love and use the rest of them (Dine Out, Outdoor Retreat and Spa Day) all the time.
I think my primary mode of ranking is going to be how often I use the pack as it's difficult to decide on content alone which is my favorite.
1.StrangerVille- Okay so when making the list I started from the bottom and worked my way up as it was easier to pick out packs I didn't like first. I guess unsurprisingly my favorite ended up being Strangerville. I just really love the world, BB, and music in this pack. The paranoid trait and military career are great additions as well. The story is a little tedious (okay a lot tedious) but I prefer keeping the town weird so I don't solve it usually.
2.Parenthood- I find this pack essential for family gameplay, I never play with toddlers or babies because I find them stressful and annoying, but I do like having families with children and teens and this pack actually gives you stuff to do with them compared to the base game which basically has nothing.
3.Vampires- The vampires are really fleshed out and I enjoy playing them a lot. Forgotten Hollow is a very nice looking world, I wish it were bigger by a lot or two...
4.Spa Day- I thought this pack would be really boring but I actually use the yoga and wellness skills in almost every save file and family. The CAS is a good addition to the active category. Never really used the spa venue though.
5. Realm of Magic- I cannot begin to describe how much I was looking forward to this pack and how disappointed I was in it. Spellcasters/witches are my favorite life state in past games and given how good I thought Vampires was I thought they would also be amazing. Unfortunately, I found the spells really lacking and too cheaty. Learning spells is also really repetitive. I do use the CAS a lot though.
6.Outdoor Retreat- This and Jungle Adventure are ranked pretty equal for me. I use a lot of the items but have only sent my sims on vacation to each world once. Outdoor is only slightly higher for me because I like the camping theme.
7. Jungle Adventure- I use a lot of the items from this pack and I think the world is beautiful but again for whatever reason, I just never play with it. I think I sent my sims on vacation there once so I really need to send my sims on an adventure before I rank it higher...
8. Dine Out- I just bought this pack as it was basically free during the recent sale by bundling it with Eco-living. I didn't get a chance to use a restaurant yet so maybe it would change my opinion after playing one but as of right now I don't have much interest in any of the items.
Not sure why only game packs are being mentioned as in the original post she mentioned an expansion pack as well- Island Living.
Since everyone is only doing game packs I will as well. First fave is Parenthood, second is Spa Day mostly for the buy and build (I use it a lot)and a bit of the game play- like fertility massages lol ... it ends there, the rest are pretty boring.
When I first got Vampires it was good for a couple of weeks then it was pretty boring. Realm of Magic and Strangerville were boring from the start. I think the most boring though is Jungle Adventure. That pack is really only good for the build and buy items, the game play is the most boring out of all packs not just game packs.
I am very curious to see what the next, "never done before" game pack will be and hope its a lot better then what they have been coming up with.
For me 1. Parenthood. I love generational play and this really adds a lot to making the kids more fun and interesting.
2. Jungle Adventure. I like taking my Sims on vacation and doing the archeology.
3. Outdoor Retreat. Again, I like taking my Sims on Vacation.
I have the others merely for the buy/build and clothes. And I wish I could turn off the "vampire" characters in Vampires. I'm not into "supernatural" at all. I mostly play with skill building for all my Sims and the others (except for ROM) don't have much there.
Honestly I love almost every Sims 4 pack there has been. I just find a lot of enjoyment out of the stuff they are making packs of and I love the gameplay it adds to my game. That said, I like all game packs and there's not a single one I dislike, so ranking them was pretty difficult for me.
StrangerVille ~ Funny story, this used to be at the bottom of my list when it first came out and I didn't want to give it a chance because I don't like Stranger Things and wasn't too thrilled about a pop-culture themed pack. But once I started playing, it's really great and I absolutely love the world! One of my favorites. I'm also very much into conspiracies and I love that you can read about them and the paranoid trait and bugging people is also really fun. There's more to it than I first thought. Jungle Adventure ~ I just have a soft spot for this pack. I love the archaelogy skill as it is something that greatly interests me in real life and they made the world so beautiful. I find myself using a lot of the b/b in regular non-jungle homes also. Parenthood ~ There's not a single thing I can find to complain about with this pack and I am not a family player. I just absolutely love the depth it goes into with a Sims personality, and being able to talk about anxieties, etc. Lots of awesome b/b and CAS too. Spa Day ~ I love going to the spa and relaxing and taking spa-like baths at home. Dine Out ~ Super glitchy, and hate the fact that it takes like a full Sims day to eat a meal in a restaurant. I just LOVE everything else about it thought. The new foods are interesting, the ability to have your own restaurant is cool, and I love the cute animations when Sims eat next to each other. Vampires ~ I only love this for b/b. I use the extravagant wallpapers in every house I make. Forgotten Hollow is also a dream town for me as a horror fanatic, but I have no use for the vampires and I don't play as them either. Realm of Magic ~ Glimmerbrook and the magical world are really cute, but I don't play as anything supernatural pretty much ever so I don't use it a lot. Though some of the b/b is great for "humans". Outdoor Retreat ~ I can just never find what I need to start the Herbalism skill so I never progress further than a 1. That's really my only complaint about it. I like the world and some of the moodlets that come from walking around the forest. B/b is lackluster.
1. Jungle Adventure - the best Game Pack in my opinion and one of the better packs overall. The world is stunning, I think even prettier and more interesting than Sulani. I completely fell in love with hanging plants. Builds items are very useful, nice wallpapers, the best fridge and oven in the game, cool cabinets and a nice fireplace. Gameplay is very fun, changing temple, possible disease, pitfalls, just amazing. And of course jungle vibe. I love visiting Selvadorada randomly to dance in the bar to their music. 2. Vampires - I can say I just really like vampires (I love you Vlad) and this is my favorite occult anyway, but the pack is well done, vampires are very detailed. Great build items for builds other than regular suburban houses. The world has some nice things like statues or bats, but unfortunately it's a bit small so it comes in second place. 3. Realm of Magic - wizards have very useful spells and potions, especially cleaning and burning spells. Obiously, worlds, Glimmerbrook is "transitional" so I won't be bothered here, but the magic world is great, the street gave me a Harry Potter vibe and I was very excited. Also that you can have your own familiar. It is a pity that it is impossible to enter the greenhouse. It is in third place because I use it less than the Vampires, but I think they could be equal. 4. StrangerVille - the world is beautiful! I love the crashed plane flight and the hidden bunker, I also like the caravan styled house. I am glad that this is a world with a slightly different atmosphere than others, I like the new colors and styles. Some of the build items are useful, I haven't been into CAS for too long to remember, but I don't think they're the worst. History ... Well, the plan was great. I really like the idea of plague, weird sims, army and so on, but I don't like that when we first enter the city they are practically telling us who started the plague, which makes the story so obvious and there is no surprise at the end. Besides, hardly anyone plays a story more than twice. 5. Spa day - well, there is no world in it, but items CAS / Build are beautiful. I love those bright floors and walls. I use this pack a lot because I like to play one sim who is a rich star or something, so having your own spa at home is great.
I don't have Parenthood, Dine out and Outdoor Retreat, but I read and watch a lot of reviews about it, so I'd say: 1. Outdoor Retreat - it's always nice to have another new world, and I've heard there's a secret with a hermit. I think the tents and stuff in this pack would be useful for my weird gameplays (zombie apocalypse survival for example) and the world would be useful for star's holidays, I'd build a villa there. New or improved collections are always nice too. :) 2. Dine out - I know there is no world there but I think it would be nice to have your my restaurant (as long as it's not a buggy) and customize the menu and staff. I like the build items, there are lots of great decorations, I also like wallpapers and sofas. I think it's a pretty useful pack. 3. Parenthood - yes I know most of you are probably shocked because a lot of people consider this one of the best packs. I understand, but I don't play with the family. I almost always abandon save as soon as a baby is born, and I have never played long enough for my child to age naturally into a teenager. I'm actually in the middle of save where I'm trying to play like "normal" person and it's not that bad only because I have a lot of mods (kidnapping, serial killers) and cc, so gameplay is not that boring. I usually get nervous and bored at the toddlers stage. I prefer weird gameplay like vampires, creating a graveyard, being a superstar and stuff. I don't like CAS at all. I don't think I would use a single thing of it. As for the build items, I like the oven, lamps and flowers.
Not sure why only game packs are being mentioned as in the original post she mentioned an expansion pack as well- Island Living.
?? Island living was not mentioned in the post anywhere (the edit of the post was just me putting dine out higher) Maybe you saw my signature instead I guess
This is my ranking: (based on how much I use the packs!)
1. Realm of Magic
I'm just a sucker for magic in this franchise so any kind of magic-themed pack would be my favorite. I think RoM had great potential that it didn't really live up to. I really wish they had made it into an EP (more detail, more challenge, more animations, etc) but I'm happy with it either way. 2. Strangerville
The thing I look for the most in a pack is atmosphere and this pack delivers just that. I really like Strangerville as a world and how specific it is - I just wish there was a toggle in the game settings to turn the mystery all the way off, lol. 3. Parenthood
I like how this pack truly expands the game and fleshes it out a bit more. My favorite thing about it is how it gave teens more personality. It's just a nice addition to the game overall and works well with Seasons to round out family gameplay. 4. Jungle Adventure
I love the Build/Buy and CAS but I never visit Selvadorada. I'm sure I will use it one day. 5. Dine Out
The concept was great and much needed, but the bugs bother me too much to use it. 6. Outdoor Retreat
I enjoy visiting Granite Falls from time to time and I like having it in my game. However the build/buy is a bit too chunky for my taste and I hope a future Alpine pack expands on this kind of cabin-style decor. 7. Spa Day
I never use this one and I tend to forget it's in my game, but I like the wellness skill and doing yoga. 8. Journey to Batuu
Didn't buy it. I really like Star Wars but I don't like how it's taking up a GP slot while the game is missing so many basic things.
Dine out and Parenthood are at the top because I'm always sending my sims to go eat with family and friends. Even my aliens and Vampires have their own restaurant.
Then, I enjoy Vampires, Strangerville, Spa Day, RoM, and the other game packs because I use a lot or everything from these packs.
Outdoor Retreat is my least favorite. Nice looking vacation spot, and I use the build/buy items all the time but I admit I'm comparing game play activities to sims2 camping. Log rolling and tug of war with mud. Just recently I've downloaded some lots for Granite falls in hopes that it will make vacationing there fun.
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1. Parenthood - I think?? I honestly don't remember what the game was like without it. I do like the parenting skill though, so if that was introduced by Parenthood it's #1.
2. Strangerville - ok so I was actually pretty disappointed in SV. but I love the world?? and I love what it COULD have been.
3. Vampires - I feel like aside from the world being tiny and lackluster, they did at least flesh out the vampire lore pretty well. I don't play vampires often but when I did I liked the system they made.
4. Spa Day - I like the yoga?? I have yet to use an actual spa
5. Dine Out - only low because I haven't really taken advantage of it. I made a restaurant once, but got over it quickly. Will further investigate.
Don't have RoM. Have not really used Jungle Adventure yet.
Outdoor Retreat is last regardless. Could've been cool. Isn't. There's like...nothing to do. I was really excited about this one but felt like...oh cool it's a world where...my sims can walk through trees...? I was looking forward to doing a cute family vacation there, and then everyone was bored and uncomfortable the entire time. There's only so many times they can read the Wilderness Digest I guess. I do make good use of the tents though. So +1 for the tents.
1, 2 - Vampires, Realm of Magic - Putting these together because my explanation for why I like them is basically the same! I adore occults - my favourite pack from TS1 was Makin' Magic. Both have a very different but really cool aesthetic, spellcasters and vampires are definitely the best-developed occults, and they introduced three of my four favourite premades of all time! (The Vatores and Morgyn, of course!)
3. Jungle Adventure - Going on an adventure! Really fun, quite different, exploring is fun, Selvadorada is beautiful, and the BB items are some of my favourites in the entire series!
4. Strangerville - A controversial-ish choice, but I really enjoyed having a storyline to play out! Also, Strangerville as a world is beautiful, I love the desert colours (and it reminds me of Arizona, where I did a semester abroad!). The BB and CAS is also this fantastic mix of neo-Victorian and grungy conspiracy theorist, and it's just a really fun combo.
5. Spa Day - Somehow I've ended up making nearly all my Sims take up yoga, haha. It also has some really beautiful items!
6. Outdoor Retreat - Adore the bugs (my main is an entomologist!) and the herbalism skill, and I really enjoyed just exploring the woods. Granite Falls is very pretty. Aesthetically, it leans a bit too close to 'lumberjack' for my tastes, but there are items I definitely use from it.
7. Parenthood - This is invaluable for family players, but I don't... really do family play, so it's a bit wasted on me! I do love a lot of the items, though, especially the counters and cabinets.
8. Dine Out - Visiting restaurants is okay, if sometimes buggy. Running a restaurant is a hot mess. It does have some decent items, though.
Looks like Vampires is definitely the most popular, on average, and Parenthood ranges wildly from top to bottom depending on whether you do a lot of family play!
1.Vampires-love the character customization and the storytelling potential.
2.Realm of Magic-great atmosphere,supportive characters(the sages) and powers.
3.Strangerville-love the blend of weird,grungy bb and the small town vibe.
4-Jungle adventure-best quest gameplay so far.
I don't own Jungle Adventure, Outdoor Retreat, or Journey to Batuu so I won't be including any of those in my list.
1. Vampires:
I had the most fun with vampires and still do. It's not too easy, not too hard, and not super repetitive since you can make a completely different vampire earn their XP completely differently and get completely different powers really easily.
2. Realm of Magic
Has all the elements I love from Vampires but is a little bit too easy and a little more repetitive.
3. Strangerville
I love the world, and the double-braids are one of my most used hairstyles of all time. I've played through the story several times and enjoyed it thoroughly. I put it into third because the gameplay is a little repetitive and I'm not a fan of the military career.
4. Parenthood
I don't play with families super often, but when I do it makes my gameplay a lot more fun. It's only fourth because I don't really use it.
5. Dine Out
Super buggy, but I do enjoy what it has and going on dates to restaurants.
6. Spa Day
Again, I do love what I use, but other than Yoga I never bother with Spa Day at all.
Comments
At the moment my list is something like this...
Strangerville - It was just fun and different. There's a few more details I wish it featured, but I feel it was just right for a GP.
Jumgle Adventure - Also fun and different, even if it gets a little repetitive just trying to acces that secluded off island, which I hoped would bring something really special with how hard it was to get there lol. I like the puzzles, wish we had more things like that but even more puzzle-y. And the chance cards and how skill level affect your choices. I like my sims being randomly attacked by nature.
Parenthood - It feels lacking to me, but I love the interactions and the traits and the advice/school pop-ups.
Outdoor Retreat / Spa Day / Dine Out - I send my sims to all three pretty regularly, so I couldn't imagine playing without them anymore.
RoM - I don't like the perk system and found the spells and potions disappointing. And the familiars. And the beautiful, but useless greenhouse. And the beautiful, but dead shopping area.
1b. Everything else.
2.Spa Day BB objects are amazing. Yoga! I really like the wellness skill. I'd like it better if the active trait was updated to reflect with the wellness skill. Sims still get tense if they work out using the mat, I don't think this should be the case.
3.Dine Out This made dates a lot better. Going out with more than two sims is a bit challenging especially if they aren't in the same household.
The rest of the packs I won't use or rarely use so it's really hard to rate them.
4.Jungle Adventure It was fun when it was released, but became repetitive quickly. Replayability is difficult with this pack because it feels like a one play through and done pack. The artifacts be sent through the mail makes the archeologist skill way to easy to access. It does however mesh well with the outdoor retreat pack. The tents and coolers are essential.
5.Strangerville Same thing with JA it the replayability is difficult especially with this scripted story. Defeat the mother plant and your done with the pack.
6.Outdoor Retreat This is good for finding collectables, plants, fish, and the secret hermit sim. Since I could really care less about any of that I don't play with the pack. I tried to use it as a family vacation, but all the other sims from other households leave immediately or right before dark like they are hanging out at normal residential lots.
7.Realm of Magic Spellcasters could have been done better, more depth to them, children and toddlers should have been included. With those two life states excluded I will never have a desire to play this pack which is a bummer because I really like playing magical beings in other games. I am glad that they have their own realm though.
8.Vampires When this was released I loved the pack. I was annoyed that they didn't have their own world, but I let that go because the pack itself was really solid and the gameplay was fun. I had an evil vampire that could drain sims lives (they can't do that anymore), and a good vampire that was her good friend and secretly mortal enemy. She would restore sims lives that her "friend" would kill for sport. Since they took that away and the heavily nerfed break ins. This pack has lost all of it's charm. EAxis ripped players off by stripping out and dimming down the gameplay.
My favorites are Vampires and Jungle Adventure.
Then Strangerville, Parenthood and Realm of Magic.
I also love and use the rest of them (Dine Out, Outdoor Retreat and Spa Day) all the time.
1.StrangerVille- Okay so when making the list I started from the bottom and worked my way up as it was easier to pick out packs I didn't like first. I guess unsurprisingly my favorite ended up being Strangerville. I just really love the world, BB, and music in this pack. The paranoid trait and military career are great additions as well. The story is a little tedious (okay a lot tedious) but I prefer keeping the town weird so I don't solve it usually.
2.Parenthood- I find this pack essential for family gameplay, I never play with toddlers or babies because I find them stressful and annoying, but I do like having families with children and teens and this pack actually gives you stuff to do with them compared to the base game which basically has nothing.
3.Vampires- The vampires are really fleshed out and I enjoy playing them a lot. Forgotten Hollow is a very nice looking world, I wish it were bigger by a lot or two...
4.Spa Day- I thought this pack would be really boring but I actually use the yoga and wellness skills in almost every save file and family. The CAS is a good addition to the active category. Never really used the spa venue though.
5. Realm of Magic- I cannot begin to describe how much I was looking forward to this pack and how disappointed I was in it. Spellcasters/witches are my favorite life state in past games and given how good I thought Vampires was I thought they would also be amazing. Unfortunately, I found the spells really lacking and too cheaty. Learning spells is also really repetitive. I do use the CAS a lot though.
6.Outdoor Retreat- This and Jungle Adventure are ranked pretty equal for me. I use a lot of the items but have only sent my sims on vacation to each world once. Outdoor is only slightly higher for me because I like the camping theme.
7. Jungle Adventure- I use a lot of the items from this pack and I think the world is beautiful but again for whatever reason, I just never play with it. I think I sent my sims on vacation there once so I really need to send my sims on an adventure before I rank it higher...
8. Dine Out- I just bought this pack as it was basically free during the recent sale by bundling it with Eco-living. I didn't get a chance to use a restaurant yet so maybe it would change my opinion after playing one but as of right now I don't have much interest in any of the items.
Since everyone is only doing game packs I will as well. First fave is Parenthood, second is Spa Day mostly for the buy and build (I use it a lot)and a bit of the game play- like fertility massages lol ... it ends there, the rest are pretty boring.
When I first got Vampires it was good for a couple of weeks then it was pretty boring. Realm of Magic and Strangerville were boring from the start. I think the most boring though is Jungle Adventure. That pack is really only good for the build and buy items, the game play is the most boring out of all packs not just game packs.
I am very curious to see what the next, "never done before" game pack will be and hope its a lot better then what they have been coming up with.
2. Jungle Adventure. I like taking my Sims on vacation and doing the archeology.
3. Outdoor Retreat. Again, I like taking my Sims on Vacation.
I have the others merely for the buy/build and clothes. And I wish I could turn off the "vampire" characters in Vampires. I'm not into "supernatural" at all. I mostly play with skill building for all my Sims and the others (except for ROM) don't have much there.
StrangerVille ~ Funny story, this used to be at the bottom of my list when it first came out and I didn't want to give it a chance because I don't like Stranger Things and wasn't too thrilled about a pop-culture themed pack. But once I started playing, it's really great and I absolutely love the world! One of my favorites. I'm also very much into conspiracies and I love that you can read about them and the paranoid trait and bugging people is also really fun. There's more to it than I first thought.
Jungle Adventure ~ I just have a soft spot for this pack. I love the archaelogy skill as it is something that greatly interests me in real life and they made the world so beautiful. I find myself using a lot of the b/b in regular non-jungle homes also.
Parenthood ~ There's not a single thing I can find to complain about with this pack and I am not a family player. I just absolutely love the depth it goes into with a Sims personality, and being able to talk about anxieties, etc. Lots of awesome b/b and CAS too.
Spa Day ~ I love going to the spa and relaxing and taking spa-like baths at home.
Dine Out ~ Super glitchy, and hate the fact that it takes like a full Sims day to eat a meal in a restaurant. I just LOVE everything else about it thought. The new foods are interesting, the ability to have your own restaurant is cool, and I love the cute animations when Sims eat next to each other.
Vampires ~ I only love this for b/b. I use the extravagant wallpapers in every house I make. Forgotten Hollow is also a dream town for me as a horror fanatic, but I have no use for the vampires and I don't play as them either.
Realm of Magic ~ Glimmerbrook and the magical world are really cute, but I don't play as anything supernatural pretty much ever so I don't use it a lot. Though some of the b/b is great for "humans".
Outdoor Retreat ~ I can just never find what I need to start the Herbalism skill so I never progress further than a 1. That's really my only complaint about it. I like the world and some of the moodlets that come from walking around the forest. B/b is lackluster.
2. Vampires - I can say I just really like vampires (I love you Vlad) and this is my favorite occult anyway, but the pack is well done, vampires are very detailed. Great build items for builds other than regular suburban houses. The world has some nice things like statues or bats, but unfortunately it's a bit small so it comes in second place.
3. Realm of Magic - wizards have very useful spells and potions, especially cleaning and burning spells. Obiously, worlds, Glimmerbrook is "transitional" so I won't be bothered here, but the magic world is great, the street gave me a Harry Potter vibe and I was very excited. Also that you can have your own familiar. It is a pity that it is impossible to enter the greenhouse. It is in third place because I use it less than the Vampires, but I think they could be equal.
4. StrangerVille - the world is beautiful! I love the crashed plane flight and the hidden bunker, I also like the caravan styled house. I am glad that this is a world with a slightly different atmosphere than others, I like the new colors and styles. Some of the build items are useful, I haven't been into CAS for too long to remember, but I don't think they're the worst. History ... Well, the plan was great. I really like the idea of plague, weird sims, army and so on, but I don't like that when we first enter the city they are practically telling us who started the plague, which makes the story so obvious and there is no surprise at the end. Besides, hardly anyone plays a story more than twice.
5. Spa day - well, there is no world in it, but items CAS / Build are beautiful. I love those bright floors and walls. I use this pack a lot because I like to play one sim who is a rich star or something, so having your own spa at home is great.
I don't have Parenthood, Dine out and Outdoor Retreat, but I read and watch a lot of reviews about it, so I'd say:
1. Outdoor Retreat - it's always nice to have another new world, and I've heard there's a secret with a hermit. I think the tents and stuff in this pack would be useful for my weird gameplays (zombie apocalypse survival for example) and the world would be useful for star's holidays, I'd build a villa there. New or improved collections are always nice too. :)
2. Dine out - I know there is no world there but I think it would be nice to have your my restaurant (as long as it's not a buggy) and customize the menu and staff. I like the build items, there are lots of great decorations, I also like wallpapers and sofas. I think it's a pretty useful pack.
3. Parenthood - yes I know most of you are probably shocked because a lot of people consider this one of the best packs. I understand, but I don't play with the family. I almost always abandon save as soon as a baby is born, and I have never played long enough for my child to age naturally into a teenager. I'm actually in the middle of save where I'm trying to play like "normal" person and it's not that bad only because I have a lot of mods (kidnapping, serial killers) and cc, so gameplay is not that boring. I usually get nervous and bored at the toddlers stage. I prefer weird gameplay like vampires, creating a graveyard, being a superstar and stuff. I don't like CAS at all. I don't think I would use a single thing of it. As for the build items, I like the oven, lamps and flowers.
?? Island living was not mentioned in the post anywhere (the edit of the post was just me putting dine out higher) Maybe you saw my signature instead I guess
1. Realm of Magic
I'm just a sucker for magic in this franchise so any kind of magic-themed pack would be my favorite. I think RoM had great potential that it didn't really live up to. I really wish they had made it into an EP (more detail, more challenge, more animations, etc) but I'm happy with it either way.
2. Strangerville
The thing I look for the most in a pack is atmosphere and this pack delivers just that. I really like Strangerville as a world and how specific it is - I just wish there was a toggle in the game settings to turn the mystery all the way off, lol.
3. Parenthood
I like how this pack truly expands the game and fleshes it out a bit more. My favorite thing about it is how it gave teens more personality. It's just a nice addition to the game overall and works well with Seasons to round out family gameplay.
4. Jungle Adventure
I love the Build/Buy and CAS but I never visit Selvadorada. I'm sure I will use it one day.
5. Dine Out
The concept was great and much needed, but the bugs bother me too much to use it.
6. Outdoor Retreat
I enjoy visiting Granite Falls from time to time and I like having it in my game. However the build/buy is a bit too chunky for my taste and I hope a future Alpine pack expands on this kind of cabin-style decor.
7. Spa Day
I never use this one and I tend to forget it's in my game, but I like the wellness skill and doing yoga.
8. Journey to Batuu
Didn't buy it. I really like Star Wars but I don't like how it's taking up a GP slot while the game is missing so many basic things.
Dine out and Parenthood are at the top because I'm always sending my sims to go eat with family and friends. Even my aliens and Vampires have their own restaurant.
Then, I enjoy Vampires, Strangerville, Spa Day, RoM, and the other game packs because I use a lot or everything from these packs.
Outdoor Retreat is my least favorite. Nice looking vacation spot, and I use the build/buy items all the time but I admit I'm comparing game play activities to sims2 camping. Log rolling and tug of war with mud. Just recently I've downloaded some lots for Granite falls in hopes that it will make vacationing there fun.
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2. Strangerville - ok so I was actually pretty disappointed in SV. but I love the world?? and I love what it COULD have been.
3. Vampires - I feel like aside from the world being tiny and lackluster, they did at least flesh out the vampire lore pretty well. I don't play vampires often but when I did I liked the system they made.
4. Spa Day - I like the yoga?? I have yet to use an actual spa
5. Dine Out - only low because I haven't really taken advantage of it. I made a restaurant once, but got over it quickly. Will further investigate.
Don't have RoM. Have not really used Jungle Adventure yet.
Outdoor Retreat is last regardless. Could've been cool. Isn't. There's like...nothing to do. I was really excited about this one but felt like...oh cool it's a world where...my sims can walk through trees...? I was looking forward to doing a cute family vacation there, and then everyone was bored and uncomfortable the entire time. There's only so many times they can read the Wilderness Digest I guess. I do make good use of the tents though. So +1 for the tents.
1. Parenthood
2. Dine out
3. Strangerville
Of the ones I don’t own I’d rank them as follows by appeal
4. Realm Of Magic
5. Vampires
6. Spa Day
7. Jungle adventure
8. Outdoor retreat
3. Jungle Adventure - Going on an adventure! Really fun, quite different, exploring is fun, Selvadorada is beautiful, and the BB items are some of my favourites in the entire series!
4. Strangerville - A controversial-ish choice, but I really enjoyed having a storyline to play out! Also, Strangerville as a world is beautiful, I love the desert colours (and it reminds me of Arizona, where I did a semester abroad!). The BB and CAS is also this fantastic mix of neo-Victorian and grungy conspiracy theorist, and it's just a really fun combo.
5. Spa Day - Somehow I've ended up making nearly all my Sims take up yoga, haha. It also has some really beautiful items!
6. Outdoor Retreat - Adore the bugs (my main is an entomologist!) and the herbalism skill, and I really enjoyed just exploring the woods. Granite Falls is very pretty. Aesthetically, it leans a bit too close to 'lumberjack' for my tastes, but there are items I definitely use from it.
7. Parenthood - This is invaluable for family players, but I don't... really do family play, so it's a bit wasted on me! I do love a lot of the items, though, especially the counters and cabinets.
8. Dine Out - Visiting restaurants is okay, if sometimes buggy. Running a restaurant is a hot mess. It does have some decent items, though.
Looks like Vampires is definitely the most popular, on average, and Parenthood ranges wildly from top to bottom depending on whether you do a lot of family play!
2 Dine Out-I enjoy taking sims out to eat
3 Outdoor Retreat-The items are perfect for rags to riches
2. Parenthood
3. Outdoor Retreat
4. Strangerville
5. Dine Out
6. Realm of Magic
7. Spa Day
8. Star Wars
9. Vampires
2.Realm of Magic-great atmosphere,supportive characters(the sages) and powers.
3.Strangerville-love the blend of weird,grungy bb and the small town vibe.
4-Jungle adventure-best quest gameplay so far.
2. Vampires
3. Jungle Adventure
4. Realm of Magic
5. Dine Out
6. Spa Day
7. Outdoor Retreat
8. Strangerville
Parenthood
Jungle/Spa Day
Outdoor
RoM/Dine Out
Stranger/Batuu
So my current list goes something like this:
1. Vampires
2. Realm of Magic, Jungle Adventure, Journey to Batuu.
3. StrangerVille
4. Outdoor Retreat
5. Dine Out, Spa Day
6. Parenthood
My answer is subject to change, but the top three are most likely to remain there.
2. Jungle Adventure
3. Spa Day
4. Strangerville & Journey to Batuu
1. Vampires:
I had the most fun with vampires and still do. It's not too easy, not too hard, and not super repetitive since you can make a completely different vampire earn their XP completely differently and get completely different powers really easily.
2. Realm of Magic
Has all the elements I love from Vampires but is a little bit too easy and a little more repetitive.
3. Strangerville
I love the world, and the double-braids are one of my most used hairstyles of all time. I've played through the story several times and enjoyed it thoroughly. I put it into third because the gameplay is a little repetitive and I'm not a fan of the military career.
4. Parenthood
I don't play with families super often, but when I do it makes my gameplay a lot more fun. It's only fourth because I don't really use it.
5. Dine Out
Super buggy, but I do enjoy what it has and going on dates to restaurants.
6. Spa Day
Again, I do love what I use, but other than Yoga I never bother with Spa Day at all.