First of all, I just want to say that the Sims team really works hard on the game, and they really try to cover the tastes of every Simmer with their expansions. Of course we are all going to have our favorites, and we all look for something different in every expansion pack. Here is what
I look for in my Sims DLC. Feel free to share what you look for in expansion packs, and, as always, be friendly!
So, here's why "Get Together" is, in my opinion, not up to par with most other Sims expansions for my own personal Simming style.
- There is not a new life state. One of the things that I always look forward to in expansion packs is the new life states that they always come with because they give unique qualities to some of my Sims. Well, as most of you know, this is the first expansion pack since The Sims 1 that did not include a new life state. Maybe it's because it wouldn't really fit in, or maybe the Sims team does not want repeat itself over and over with the same creatures, but I still was bummed about the exclusion. I was hoping that at least with the exclusion of a new life state that we could get a new career or something, but unfortunately, that was not the case.
- Nothing "new" was added in terms of something different. Yes, clubs were added, and I do admit that they are fun, but personally, I was fine with the regular community lots that already felt like bars in the base game. Sure, the dance skill was implemented, but I'm fine with how Sims dance in the base game. Of course, the group feature was really unique and different, but I can just settle with calling my Sims' friends to my lot. And video games, well, all I need is a computer for that. . . I don't need giant gaming systems that take up half of a room. You see what I am getting at here?
- A lot of what it adds is not something I'd use frequently. Don't get me wrong. I think that Get Together does offer a lot of cool stuff if you like that kind of thing. But some features of the game either get old really fast or are only for really specific gameplay. The lot with the hedge maze? It's fun the first time. . . but then what? The deejay turntable? I can see only certain Sims using that, and besides, there is only so much you can do with that.
- Storytelling really doesn't change. Expanding on what I said before, if I were to the club feature for one of my Sims, the stories that I tell with my game would not be significantly different if I were to just go to lots with some of my Sim's friends. There are some fun objects such as the WooHoo bush and closet, but those items are so insignificant to the overall picture.
I don't want to be negative with everything, though. Some of my favorite features on "Get Together" are the awesome world it comes with, the hilarity that comes with creating club rules, the clothing and furniture, the fact that clubs are always packed, and the text messaging addition. In all honesty, though, "Get Together" might just be my least expansion pack in Sims games 2-4. But that's bound to happen with an expansion pack, right? Nonetheless, I still do get some use out of it, and I would hate to delete it from my game. I hate to say it, but I am kind of an expansion hoarder, and I just like having as much content in my game as possible, even if I only rarely use its features.
I don't want to put this game down because I know that so many people like this expansion, and I am clearly not the target audience for it. The Sims team is always trying to think of something new, and this was definitely a different take on the expansion packs that we are used to. The Sims 4 is still my favorite Sims game (well, it's my favorite video game EVER), and this expansion does not ruin that. I can't want to see what the Sims team has next in store, because I am sure it will be fantastic for a certain target audience!
Oh, and feel free to debate with me on my points of why I don't like "Get Together" too much. Discussions can really make me realize something new or even change my mind! And once again, tell me what
you look for in expansion packs! I always like to read about all sorts of different gameplay styles!
Thanks for reading! Sul sul!
-TheBentleyNinja AKA WildSafari8
Comments
The biggest issue is, when EA focus a pack around a "tool" (which is the Club tool), it actually takes a lot to implement it, so the "Tool" ends up needing content from other packs, in order for it to benefit.
Contrary to popular belief, when Open For Business came out, there were threads of people who found it boring. There were heaps of people that had no interest running a retail store, which basically means if you have no interest in that, there was nothing in the pack for you.
Get Together is similar. If you have little interest in the Club system, the pack is going to fee boring to you. But at least unlike OFB, there are benefits to buying the packs (e.g. Improved Bars and Nightclubs, Cafe's, Windenburg, Build/Buy, CAS etc.)
With OFB, all the CAS was retail focused. Build/Buy was mostly retail focused. Etc.
Now, on top of all that, the tool in OFB required a lot of behind the scenes work, as did the Club system. So packs like OFB and Get Together, feel empty by themselves. They really come to life, when they use content from other packs.
In OFB, you can only run a Retail Store or Bakery. That's it. However, use content from outside of OFB, and you can run Supermakerts, Cafe's, Restaurants etc. OFB is the tool, the rest of the packs are it's assets.
And I believe the same thing about GT. It's a WIP until the game ends.
Insta: https://instagram.com/jkarajs?igshid=oef2ymrand3g
Not all the expansion packs should have a checklist of standard features.
It is what it is to serve the purpose it was created for. I like to play sims in groups, so this was really needed for the way I play.
Also the base game came with a bit of Night Life, so I doubt we will get a Night Life expansion. We will get the rest of it in other expansions:
Get Together, Dining Out, and probably Find Love.
-The comedy area of my favorite club is active now with a group of sims who like to hangout and show their comedic chops.
Also, other sims grab food from the nearby buffet and walk over to comedy area despite other tables nearby.
-I like making dating couples and giving them a hangout.
When I am playing my other sims I can see them out on a date keeping their love relationships high.
-My art sims hangout at the museum and fill the place with their paintings.
My klepto cat sim raids it at night so they don't run out of wall space.
-This area used to be absolutely dead. I am so happy that my sims use it now when getting drinks as a group.
-My favorite sims show up at my favorite lots.
If it weren't for Get Together, seeing my cat girls on the dance floor would probably be a very rare thing.
-It should have future applications when used with comping game packs and expansion packs.
I used the wishing well and the club rules in my deadly reality show.
-When my sims show up for movie night, I have a little more control over behaviors
I see Get Together as the Hot Date of the Sims 4. Hot Date was the first expansion pack that made Sims get out of their homes and do something different in game, it added a Downtown. Then they added a Vacation destination, the Old Town, Studio Town and Magic Town. It was the first pack to really make the game even more fun than it already was.
Get Together may not be the best thing they've released, but it's an important tool for TS4. I'm also not the biggest fan of it, I love Windenburg but I don't always use the club system or DJ/Dance skills. I hope Metropolis/City Life is the best one yet.
But what about TS1 Hot date , Vacation, Unleashed?
@WildSafari8
I was playing it to test out the concept and making up the rules as I played.
What happened can be found here:
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/14630492/#Comment_14630492
TS1 only had a couple of alternate life states but GT is the first time in 19 EPs over 15 years that a different life state wasn't included.
the player would choose an own name of the trait, an own icon & what the sim has to do & shouldn't do as the definition of the trait
sims defined that way would have been way more interesting,
but nope
they had to include the group feature into an EP & seemingly not even Rachel Franklin knew what she was presenting to the audience, they not even know when they have gold in their hands, all spilled & misrepresented as a party pack, i wonder how plum they think all simmers are
GT is not a fleshed out EP, it is smaller than any of TS3's EPs but it is the nearest thing to a simulation in TS4
everything else is either dress up, RPG or casual gaming
Cafe's are pretty much bars, there isn't anything really unique about them. Bars and clubs were 'upgraded' which IMO does not make something 'new'.
The pack adds tons of random objects that offer some new gameplay, but not nearly enough to be marketed as a key feature.
Lastly the pack relied on its world as a key feature. I find this absolutely ridiculous. Just looked through all of my Sims 3 cases, and not a single one mentions their new world let alone uses it as a focal point. That right there is the first sign that the pack is light on actual content - when they would rather show off some sculpted terrain than the new gameplay your pack is supposed to provide.
I understand why some enjoy the pack, but imo it did not come out at the right time, nor did it come with an acceptable amount of new content and gameplay.
It's a nice system, but come on, it doesn't makes a pack.
The fact that we already had nightlife stuff in the base game and Get Together merely improves what was already there makes it seem even more hollow.
Overall the expansion barely adds anything new to the game, yet it still seems like a great expansion compared to Get To Work...
Nope.
Open For Business, Ambitions, Free Time and a few other packs include NPC's. Which are not Life States. While we didn't get a Life State with GT, we did get the Tragic Clown patched in later.
Insta: https://instagram.com/jkarajs?igshid=oef2ymrand3g
Open for business came with servos, ambitions came with sim bots, and free time came with Genies AND zombies.
Servos ARE life states. They are completely playable and have different motives and characteristics. I can understand free time if it didnt come with zombies. Yes university life came with them first but it still added a life state even if you didnt have them already.
Tragic clown is not a life state, at least in sims 4. In sims 3 they were temporary ones.
Get Together also had to be one of the first expansion packs because the way they did the group system you have to configure how each interaction behave with club rules individually, I imagine if they released Get Together as one of the last EPs retroactively configuring every single interaction would've been really time consuming.
Which is a pro and a con, because it does feel kind of empty right now without many activities to do.
EA ID: staravia81
🐸🐸🐸🐸.
OFB let's you have retail, bakeries, restaurants and grocery stores.
If you don't remember correctly maybe you should look it up.
The whole list of life states.
http://sims.wikia.com/wiki/Life_state
The packs you mentioned.
http://sims.wikia.com/wiki/The_Sims_2:_Open_for_Business
Open for Business introduces a new life state to the game: the Servo.
http://sims.wikia.com/wiki/The_Sims_3:_Ambitions
New creature: SimBot
http://sims.wikia.com/wiki/The_Sims_2:_FreeTime
New Life State: Genie
As far as the tragic clown.......from the same wiki.
Unlike in previous games, the Tragic Clown is not an independent character, but rather a special role that a sim is generated to fill (similar to mixologists in nightclubs and gardeners community gardens).