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Stubborn Sims 3 Player Seeking Advice
AyriaM
Posts: 223 Member
I don't know why I'm so reluctant to move on! 
Hi everyone - I have the base game, but of course it NEEDS something. So which packs have you found ESSENTIAL for enjoyment in game? Which ones can you not live without? I don't have the budget for all, but I also feel maybe I'm not giving this a good try. THANKS! 
Hi everyone - I have the base game, but of course it NEEDS something. So which packs have you found ESSENTIAL for enjoyment in game? Which ones can you not live without? I don't have the budget for all, but I also feel maybe I'm not giving this a good try. THANKS! 1
Comments
Seasons
Get Together
Snowy Escape
Spooky
Paranormal
Vampire
Realm of Magic
Seasons: it just adds another dimension to the game with all the different weather situations and theres holidays. Its probably also one of the most used items for when I build as well
Parenthood: Its better for gameplay than building but it also helps add some dimension to sims and their personalities and interactions with younger family members
Cats&Dogs: because I love animals and want like 10 dogs lol
I love the world Island Living comes with, it might be my second favorite pack after seasons, Jungle adventure is also nice for building items and another aesthetic world.
I have more packs than this but these are the ones I would probably recommend the most
Challenges: Builder's Wanted!!!
I did watch some vids and Strangerville does look fun, but they present it as a vacation-type pack...on the list but might have to wait fufufu
Strangerville is actually not a vacation pack, its a livable world. It is kind of a small livable world though, with only two venues and a curio shop. Three venues if you count the secret lab.
That's with a playstyle of large families with tons of kids (6-7 tots is ideal haha!) livin in Sulani and doing loads of family activities like building sandcastles and stuff.
First, I'll say that I love Game Packs a lot more than the EPs. I feel that GPs have more depth and focus and tend to really represent their themes well. The drawback, however, is that the themes are less broad than EPs and much more specific, but what they do, they do wonderfully.
My favorite packs are:
Vampires (GP) because I love Vampires in general and they are so extremely interesting to play. It's very flexible so you can make different types of Vampires, even ones who are more humane and ask permission to feed and are "vegetarians" so to speak, by drinking non-human plasma. You can also make a Nosferatu style monstrous Vampire if you wish, who drinks deeply from whomever they want and runs rampant. The powers and weaknesses are so incredibly well done and bring a beautiful balance to the game. I've even seen realistic players turn to the "dark side" and enjoy playing with Vampires and incorporating them into legacies and family play. They are the best in the series and the Victorian drab CAS and build/buy is darkly beautiful as well. This pack is perfection for what it is.
Realm of Magic (GP) because magic. This pack does magic with a new flavor, expanding from just Witches to Spellcasters and offering four paths of magic types (Untamed, Practical, Mischief and Potions) so that you can, again, choose the type of Caster you want to play. You can limit to one or two paths, take them all, or pick and choose spells from any category as you earn/find them. I've used this system to create old fashioned Witches, Voodoo Priestesses, Glam Witches, Warlocks, Street Mages, and anything else I can think of. The pack comes with two small worlds, one is livable, the other is visited from the first through a portal and is a very fantastical magical, celestial realm where you can shop or practice magic or shmooze with other Spellcasters. The build/buy is absolutely gorgeous and colorful with stained glass art deco and curvy swoops. The CAS is sort of a mash of modern gothic/street Caster/simple witchy combinations. It's awesome.
Jungle Adventure (GP) because it's like bringing an Indiana Jones theme to The Sims with the archaeology skill. It's got a vacation world with the most beautiful environments that make it one of my top favorite worlds ever. It has a great cultural feel to it too, so if you just want to vacation there and mingle with the residents, you can learn new dances, new recipes and get info on their culture. If you explore the jungle, there are hidden areas that have to be discovered and you can't do it all in one trip. The jungle is dangerous with all kinds of bugs and bat attacks and stuff, and adds some lovely challenges to the game. You have the option to prepare beforehand. Once you find the hidden temple, you can explore it and there are traps but there's also treasure. There's five layouts so your visit will randomize one of them. And also....magical artifacts and skeletons!! The build/buy has some treasures with a South American and jungle vibe and stone structures and the CAS covers both culture and explorer fashions.
Journey to Batuu (GP) because I love Star Wars. This pack is the most unpopular on the forums but it's actually a very full pack and quite entertaining. It doesn't intrude on regular gameplay because it takes place far, far away. Your Sims can visit, but they can stay as long as they want, it's not the same as normal vacation worlds. The pack does limit you in certain ways, which is a shame, but it's for the purpose of playing out its theme, so once you get the hang of it, it's very immersive. It plays like if the new Star Wars Disney park was a real Star Wars destination. I've seen some people use it as an actual Disney park to send their Sims there for an immersive visit (much like we do in real life) and it does include toys and lightsabers that are great for Geek Sims. The gameplay consists of joining one of three factions (sometimes two if you choose the Scoundrels) and carrying out "missions" for them, which influences the world and how NPCs treat you. The build/buy is quirky and somewhat Steampunky as well as spacey with some desert life and Apocalypse mixed in. The CAS is very unique with new Alien heads and markings and some gorgeous muted colors and layered designs that work for all kinds of themes like desert, cult, religious, Apocalypse, and even some daily wear with probably an equal amount of designs for males as well as females, which is rare. The CAS is one of my absolute favorites.
StrangerVille (GP) because it's weird. Yes, it has a linear story, but this pack is so unusual and unravels a mystery as the town gets even weirder, it's just pure entertainment. The world is a really gorgeous, South-Western U.S. style with some Frontier mixed in (also reflected in the CAS styles) and the build/buy has an odd mix of Frontier-Victorian and fringe science. It also has a Martial Arts skill. This pack is unique and should be appreciated as such. I believe it was inspired by the show Stranger Things. I love the show and love the pack. But be aware, it's different from most Sims content.
Paranormal (SP) because it's probably the meatiest SP ever made and it actually brings some challenging gameplay. Ghosts, seances, hauntings, terror...what's not to like? You have the option of having your Sim live in a haunted house and try to maintain, and if it gets to be too much and you want to change it back to normal, you can. There's also a Paranormal Investigator career. The build/buy is very "parlor psychic" with a bit of Moroccan and New Orleans. The outfits are quite boho/modern 🐸🐸🐸🐸/Wiccanish. It's magnificent.
Island Living (EP) for the gorgeous Island world and the awesome Mermaids. This is probably my current favorite EP. There is some hidden gameplay in that pack as well that just makes me keep returning to it. I was never interested in Mermaids before this pack came out, but I absolutely love creating them and playing with them. There's something about the environment on the Sulani world that makes me want to be there all the time. It also has a volcano and a lot trait that adds effects from it. The sea can be dangerous at times and the natives are friendly and lively. And while there's not a whole lot of ocean activities, the features that it does include make me very happy. The build/buy is very airy and islandy and colorful and the CAS is absolutely wonderful with more beachy and Polynesian fashions. More swimsuits! This pack is lovely.
City Living (EP) because city life! I initially didn't like this pack but it has grown on me as I have found myself playing in the city and using the apartments all the time. I think the city life is done so well and is quite immersive. It's a crying shame that apartments are limited to this fairly large world (except for a couple in the Eco Lifestyle pack) because I have so much fun with them. Some have static lot traits that can't be changed, but sometimes they add challenges or benefits that are nice. The festivals are kind of meh, they give you something to do and there's a variety of them, but there's not a whole lot to them. I don't like the forced outfit changes for NPCs but festivals do add a lot of liveliness to the world. There's also Karaoke, more lot traits and the bubble blower in this pack, which I use a lot. There's other stuff, I just don't remember, lol. The CAS is give or take, which some really colorful items with loud designs and some worldly cultural pieces. Get it for the city life at half off.
Cats and Dogs (EP) because fuzzy faces! I love, LOVE the cats in this pack. I also love, LOVE the world in this pack, which has a very New England ocean front vibe with a Wharf and island with a pet cemetery. It's wonderful. The pets are only cats and dogs, and they are not controllable and you cannot see their needs, so be wary of that. But they are designed to behave quite realistically and you can direct them through your Sim. It's a new way of featuring pets and it can take some getting used to but I think they are truly the best and most believable pets yet. The cats jump up on counters and refrigerators (and other things) so you might have to discipline them, the dogs need to be trained but are so joyful and adorable and the CAS to create them includes a color wheel and variety of patterns and breeds. Creating pets is as easy or artistic as you want it to be and there's a randomizer and genetics cross-breeder. There's also some fun outfits for your pets. The new Veterinarian playable career comes with the pack, but be warned that this means that cats and dogs get sick... a lot. And the strays in Brindleton Bay end up being quite depressing because of this. I would recommend a mod to prevent sick pets outside of playing the career. It's extremely disruptive which is such a shame because when it first released, this was my favorite EP.
Get To Work (EP) for the Aliens and Science career. This pack seemed like it wasn't much when it first came out, but it has grown on me a lot. If you want Aliens in your game, and to be able to create them in CAS, this pack is for you. I love them and they have a secret world (very small) that you can visit from using the rocket ship or getting to the top of the Science career. The Aliens also have a disguise that they can wear so they blend into Sim society, which is a nice little feature. This pack has three major playable careers; Scientist, Doctor, and Detective. They're all kind of fun but Scientist is my favorite because of the inventions and experiments. Playing these careers gives you a set of goals for the day to accomplish in order to progress but you don't have to follow them. You do need to progress to unlock interactive features and objects of the careers, so it's best to do them. This pack also has a Retail system for setting up shops. The build/buy and CAS is pretty much what you'd expect, mostly career and profession related with many unlockables. It's a decent pack.
I could also recommend more Stuff Packs, but they are fairly simple and direct with what they have, so I'll just say that my other favorites are Spooky Stuff (for Halloween and autumn fun), Romantic Garden (for stone garden structures and statues and the nefarious Wishing Well that allows Sims to make wishes and get granted or cursed), and Vintage Glamour (because it has a nice, retro-glam fashion style and comes with the Butler).
Phew! That was a lot to share, lol. Good luck and I hope you enjoy your packs!
Origin ID: simaddict1990