So I decided to do up a comparison of gameplay based features that are included in the Sims 2, Sims 3, and Sims 4 base games. If you have something to add, let me know. And no CASt is not a gameplay feature.
TS2:
CAS
Swimming pools and diving boards
Changing tables
Family dinners
Clothing Stores
Wedding arches
Aging
Closed neighbourhoods (closed hood with open lots)
Non playable ghosts
Wants and Fears
Multiple neighbourhoods
Private Schools
Hot tubs
Complex relationships
Taxis
Aspirations
Memories
Aliens
Piano
Custom neighbourhoods
Basements and Foundations
TS3:
Foundations
CASt and improved CAS
Gardening
Open world
Universal aging and story progression
Collecting
Rabbithole lots
Guitar
Fishing
Cars
Swimming pools
Skills
Taxis
One dimensional relationships (one bar)
Moodlets
Lifetime Wants
Wants
Playable ghosts
CAW and CAP
Opportunities
Traits
Young Adults
TS4:
Semi-open worlds (open neighbourhoods within a closed world)
Gardening
Cowplant
Voodoo Doll
Tablets
Bars
Multiple musical instruments (guitar, violin, piano)
Interactions that react to sim emotions
Family dinners
Wedding Arches
Fishing
Aging
Cars and possibly new modes of public transit
Multitasking and improved routing
Mentorship
Complex relationships (two bars)
Microphones (possible comedy acts and/or singers)
Skills
Aspirations
Whims
Memories (can attach emotions to memories)
Jukeboxes
Improved CAS
Emotional deaths
Improved Build mode for building
Traits
Opportunities and events
Different slang for each age group
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Comments
But you can say more advanced CAS in TS4.
We have story progression and universal aging in TS3.
And we have a closed neighbourhood with community lots in TS2, not sub-hoods (well at least I have never called them sub-hoods in TS2).
I put pianos beside musical instruments, but yeah I forgot the jukebox. So thanks cat.
Oh yeah subhoods didn't come until the first EP. I have the Sims Deluxe on my PC, so I keep forgetting that. I don't really consider CAS to be a gameplay feature. It's a creation tool, but not really something you use when you are actually playing the game, but I'll add it in before more people harp on me for it.
TS4: Different Sims have their own age related words/slang etc.
Assigning emotions to memories, emotional deaths, does this mean we might can have a Sim die of heartbreak if we assigned sad to a memory? Maybe not, but it's ok in stories I guess.
ETA:
TS2: Basements
First time ever, foundations!
Rich rewards in base, unlock new clothes, new stuff etc. These are different from opportunities. They are player based not Sim based.
We don't know for sure if these will be in TS4 as well and i hope so. It's a small thing and we shouldn't go backwards.
TS2, had to buy clothes. TS3, all clothes available. TS4, have to buy clothes but they have emotion attachments.
Umm... Woohoo being a skill in TS4.
Clothes don't have emotional attachment that information was confirmed to be false.
I thought they said some clothing did? Like higher priced ones affects their moods.
Lets make this a reality!