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Eco Lifestyle Expansion Trial
RubyxAngel
Posts: 333 Member
Hi, has anyone tried the trial for the Eco Lifestyle Expansion? if so what did you think of it?
I have only one day left on my trial, I still find it confusing what I'm suppose to do with this expansion, I am aware you can change the environment by adding or removing items like solar panels, there is a few activities like candle making, fizz pop making but it feels very similar and repetitive. Changing the environment or neighbourhood plans also feel repetitive and doesn't add much to the gameplay. Unless I am missing a big part of the gameplay? Let me know what you thought of it and if there is anything big I am missing in the gameplay that I could do before the trial ends?
I have only one day left on my trial, I still find it confusing what I'm suppose to do with this expansion, I am aware you can change the environment by adding or removing items like solar panels, there is a few activities like candle making, fizz pop making but it feels very similar and repetitive. Changing the environment or neighbourhood plans also feel repetitive and doesn't add much to the gameplay. Unless I am missing a big part of the gameplay? Let me know what you thought of it and if there is anything big I am missing in the gameplay that I could do before the trial ends?
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Comments
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/17979012#Comment_17979012
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/17979205#Comment_17979205
Thank you, what did you think to the game?
https://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/expansionpacks/ecolifestyle/
I don't think many of the features in this pack can be explored in a weekend. There's a learning curve for EL
Thanks I have already looked at that guide, just wanted to share thoughts with others, I feel like I have tried everything (although not completed) the guide has mentioned for this expansion pack, the gameplay feels greatly limited and repetitive in comparison to expansions like City living, Country Living that added a lot of gameplay.
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/17980257#Comment_17980257
My thoughts are in the thread, but I like Eco more than I ever expected to. I think it compliments other packs very well and I like playing off the grid so it really compliments that. I also think it pairs well with urban worlds and if you want to have community additions. For example, I really like community spaces and I always think San Myshuno in particular is begging for one.
However, as much as I think it adds, it is still very possible it may not be to your taste.
It's interesting to hear what you think, maybe it's just me that feels this way, I read on that forum that if you make an area 'industrial' that's not in evergreen harbour, no rubbish appears still, which is a shame as it would of added an atmosphere to some of the city areas.
What like about other expansions is that they are good stand alone games, rather than better when paired with other games to compliment each other e.g. Seasons, Outdoor Living, Get To Work
When I think back to when I had taken on what now seems like the monumental task of hand making everything in Newcrest (which was between the GTW and Vampires releases), I can honestly say I would have loved to have had these community aspects to play with because I was more focused on building that world rather than specifically one family. I'm probably not explaining it that well, but whatever the case if it isn't for you it just isn't.
I thought Seasons was a really good on it's own, although of course works well with other packs, I Just don't feel the same with this game although it's good you do (and many others) However I do want to embrace it, which is why it's great to hear other people's opinions, I will keep playing the rest of the day!
Like I've never played eco directly as a stand alone pack just using random items it came with. I never even used NAP or changed the environment. But as an apocalyptic roll playing story teller, this has become one of my most used packs. For the worlds I made apocalyptic I cheated the environment to max pollution and it really sets the vibe especially to have yellow skies, acid rain and sims coughing.. I often use the dumpster for sleep and survival because all kinda goodies are in there.
Though I don't think they show often enough the flies and roaches are a nice addition for that kinda thing.
I use the bug farm for bio fuel since they are living off the grid in an abandoned lot. (Grubs are good snacks too😆) my sims do a lot to maintain things living off the grid without cheats and using farm animals for survival. So that definitely keeps em busy. The MEAT WALL! Love the meat wall that came with eco. I don't play careers so I just download them from the gallery and it really fits the vibe too. I set up tents and camp (from out door retreat) and the simple living lot (from the cottage pack) makes them have to go out and hunt for their own food ingredients. They have no choice but to make candles for light and make their own furniture. All while trying to balance the drama of life, love and relationships. Seriously never a dull moment.
So you see, the packs all work together to form the story YOU want to play through. If I just jumped into eco lifestyle, used an nap and used some items that'd be pretty uneventful....
Now I'm actually doing a cyber punk kinda play through and storyline. So I haven't used the eco stuff as much. I've been using a lot from the uni pack. Or at least the robotics stuff.
That's really cool to hear how you use the items from this pack, I will have to try that storyline!
When I said stand alone, I just meant the other expansions have a bigger gameplay element then this pack which becomes repetitive in my opinion (I have tried out all the items and activities you can do in Eco, not just used NAP etc) it seems like I am the only one that thinks this which is okay as this only encourages me to keep playing. I have played the Sims for 20 years, I own majority of the packs so I understand expansions, this is just how I felt when I played the trial, although I understand it is an unpopular opinion. Thanks for inspiring to play zombie sims, I play similar games like this myself, imagination is a big part in enjoying the Sims.
The first NAP that came into being for Grims Quarry where my sims live is Juiced Community but I haven’t noticed any change in behaviour. The second was Free Love, and haven’t seen anything for that so far either.
I like the BB and CAS stuff though, and I’ll probably eventually get the pack just for them, especially if I play the Country Living challenge I’m creating. Haven’t really been impressed with the rest of it but then, four days isn’t a lot of time to try something.
Sim Legacy Site
Brindleton Family Tree
Star Wars Family Tree
Candle making is nice, but gets repetitive.
My sims made a lot of money selling candles, juice, and baked goods in yard sales. Didn't try to sell other EL items yet.
I like using the energy and water conservation items.
I love the vertical garden objects.
I don't care for all the dumpster diving, but they did find this computer in the trash--just needed repairing.
Not sure about the insect farm, but the crickets are kind of cute.
And I like the build/buy mode objects. I used several items to furnish my sims' home.
I agree, I have had the pack since it came out and spent a lot of time setting up lots. It is one of those packs hard to explore in a weekend, and is more useful if you have several worlds. Some people enjoy making San Myshuno ( City Living ) polluted. I have one neighborhood in Evergreen harbor I have set up to be polluted. If you have seasons you can have things like acid rain. Dumpster diving is fun and I have dumpsters on a lot of lots. To get the most trash there are a couple lot traits to help. This is a pack where it pays off to watch some let’s plays and read different articles or watch video’s about the pack.
I actually spent many many hours playing this trial, I even made San Myshuno spice district polluted. This was a let down as I did use the 'dumpster' lot trait but no rubbish piled up at all over many sim days. I don't really notice the 'acid rain' it looks like normal rain to me that is slightly green if you focus on it but wasn't that noticeable (or at least for me) I ended up having to use the 'gallery' to add trash to the lot. I found the footprint very quickly increases back to 'normal' from 'industrial' so I would have to keep changing the setting very often. It's a shame as I like the idea of making a sim district more urban and rougher areas.
I watched a lot of Lets Plays and read articles, did a lot of research about this pack including reaching out on here as I didn't want to miss anything. I do appreciate the sims giving us this trial though very kind of them
The last bit I was able to do today was get a fabricator.
I made a houndstooth rug for the shower and tub--shrunk it a little from its original size.
I also harvested biofuel from the crickets, but I didn't buy a generator yet.
A can of cricket biofuel.
I was having this problem too despite the client initially accepting the piece and giving my Sim money. It still came up as showing not completed which was really frustrating. Eventually I just moved her into the Civil Designer career. At first I wasn't too keen on Eco Living, but after playing it more I do think it's growing on me and may be the next EP that I buy, despite wanting City Living for ages.
City living comes with a lot more then Eco Living (from my experience of playing them both using this trial) with City Living you get Festivals and markets which I never get tried of, mixed cultures, tourists, apartments, lots of cultural foods and food stands, fashion district, art district, Karaoke bars, Politicians, basketball, bubble blowers the list goes on! People seem to be extremely positive about Eco Living, but I find the other expansions included a lot more for the gameplay.
Gameplay mechanics: NAPs, eco footprint, off-the-grid lot trait, can modify utility consumption through gameplay, can learn fizzing and fabrication recipes through conversations, recycling and Recycle Disciple trait. I assume Eco includes the apartment mechanic from City since it has apartment lots, but I bought them at the same time so can't confirm. The apartment neighbors in Evergreen Harbor do all the same things as apartment neighbors in San Myshuno in my game.
Gameplay objects/skills: candle making, fabrication, juice fizzing, dumpster diving (are you sure you checked out the actual dumpster object, not just the garbage that appears as background in neighborhood?), insect farm that can be used with cooking and gardening and appliance upgrades
Career gameplay: presenting blueprints, meat wall, various social interactions
Community spaces that can take any of four forms based on what you do in gameplay, and each of those forms has its own gameplay (starter form, farmers market, maker space, community garden)
I'm honestly so torn between the two. It will be Christmas before I can get my hands on another EP. Also played on the City Living trial back in May (?) when it became available. But due to being busy at around that time I don't feel like I got the full benefits of it. I was saving up to buy City Living though for my milestone birthday but then Cottage Living came out and got that instead at full price as a treat to myself haha.
The 3 days we've had to play Eco Living has helped and I've managed to use them up but still feel as though there's a lot to discover about the pack. Although I'm leaning towards more City Living for my next one and will probably buy Eco Living as my next after that.
- My favourite feature of this pack is changing the carbon footprint as it gives you the ability to change the setting of a neighbour which is clever. However this rapidly changes to 'neutral' setting extremely quickly making it very hard to have a neighbourhood stay 'green' or 'industrial'. Also rubbish only appears in 'Evergreen Harbour' and not the other neighbourhoods.
- I also really liked that you can change the behaviour of the neighbourhood, it again adds atmosphere and makes a location different to another. However I found issues with this, for example I like the 'rough housing' trait and added this to San Myshuno spice market area, which is great but found that there were way too many 'fights' so the DJ and bartender would have stop what they were doing every 2 minutes to 'witness a fight' which makes me not want to use this trait. It's a shame as it's cool to have a rough area of town with pollution.
- I felt like the pollution could be a bit more detailed e.g. I didn't even notice the acid rain until it was pointed out to me. I was excited to witness it but then notice its just slightly green. It would have been better to have the sim react to it e.g. acid rain buff, umbrella getting destroyed from it, risk of burns from the rain etc Because of this it again doesn't really alter the game that much as it's very similar to rain.
- Bugs, candle making, fizz drink machine - they don't add much to the game still as the interactions are very limited, the results don't change the game much after, you get very similar results so it feels repetitive. They just could have expanded a bit more with animations and outcomes that affect the story. I even find that the Beehive which came with Seasons expansion, does a lot more e.g. you can send bee's to other sims, collect honey, take care of them in a lot more detail, build a relationship with them, wear a bee suit etc
Thanks EA for giving me a chance to try the game
I bought the pack in a bundle maybe a couple of months after the release and still haven't fully explored it. I really want to properly try the off-the-grid gameplay someday
I did like the outfits/hair and bb stuff, especially the hexagonal floor tiles - I am waiting for cottage living to go half price and then I want that pack next but this is a close second, not so much for the game play but for the world and the items that come with it. I hope EA does more trials as I have really enjoyed this one
So here are my concerns. I don't want to constantly micro-manage environments. I don't want to play Eco Lifestyle with every household. So even if I turn off NAPs right away in all my saves, will I still need to go into every single neighborhood in all those worlds and repeal any NAP that is already in place? And does that mean I have to make a sim active in each neighborhood to do that? I've searched the forums and still don't have a clear understanding of how to manage NAPs in my separate saves. Players seem to have different experiences.