Tell me: Is it worth it?

itsElisey · November 2016

I haven't bought the Sims 4. I played the trial when it first came out, hated it, and never made the purchase. I have been pretty happy and comfortable with my Sims 3.

However, that time of year is approaching - Black Friday. The game will go on sale on EA and I am considering making the purchase now that there are a few expansions. But please, can you give me a run-down of pros and cons? Has it gotten better? Are there more features and better game play? What do you love about it? What do you hate about it?

Rukola_Schaaf · November 2016

if you're happy with TS3, then let it be with TS4

you get at best 1/4 options & gameplay in a nicer wrap, that's all
i wish i could go back in time & omit the experience of TS4 alltogether
if you're curious about TS4, hold out till its development is closed & the prices extremely low
meantime not even half the price is low enough for what you get
there are only 3 EPs so far & all 3 are quite empty & shallow
you get lots of deco only stuff & you have to put up with mods for the very basics of gameplay
it sounds crazy, but it's unfortunately true

CharKittyBoo · November 2016

I like ts4, but it's still missing a lot. I wouldn't say the game is complete even with the expansion packs we have so far. I personally think Get to Work is the worst EP, and would have been much better suited as a GP. And City Living is my favorite EP. I'm still waiting for pets, toddlers, and seasons though.

If you're really interested in gameplay I'd watch a couple different Let's Plays–find someone who's playing style is most similar to yours. If you're more of a builder than check out some builds.

I was stalking ts4 for months before actually getting it. I wish I was more into ts3 because it has so much more to offer.

Piperbird · November 2016

If you like to build, then, yes, TS4's build mode is completely fantastic.

If you like anything else, stick with TS3.

You cannot complete both branches of a career. Multi-tasking seems nice on the surface, but it is counter intuitive, and leads to leaving a lot of bowls on the front lawn you can never retrieve, or eating meals on the toilet. Traits mean nothing, all Sims act the same and get the same whims, even if they are the opposite of the traits you gave your Sim. There is a loading screen to get anywhere, and when you get there, the exact same 10 Sims from where you just left will show up at the new location. The game culls Sims at random, so don't bother with meaningful friendships, they will be gone soon, anyway. There are two year old glitches that have not been repaired or even addressed. Sims have no reaction to terrible things they see, and seem to have no memories of them. Emotions flip so rapidly you can't even make sense of them, and the emotion traits and objects are so overpowering they just overwrite absolutely everything that goes on.

I keep seeing people say the game will get better with more expansions, but this is just basic game play. You can add apartments, or festivals, or pets or seasons or toddlers, or whatever, but if they never address these basic issues, the game will always be poor.

But, hey, it's great if you like to build.

nanashi-sims · November 2016

itsElisey wrote: »

I haven't bought the Sims 4. I played the trial when it first came out, hated it, and never made the purchase. I have been pretty happy and comfortable with my Sims 3.

However, that time of year is approaching - Black Friday. The game will go on sale on EA and I am considering making the purchase now that there are a few expansions. But please, can you give me a run-down of pros and cons? Has it gotten better? Are there more features and better game play? What do you love about it? What do you hate about it?

Not worth it. TS4 isn't worth $3.99/pack if you're happy with TS3. You'll be giving up all your current gameplay, customisation, and open world for what..?! Limited gameplay, limited customisation, prefabricated worlds, dumber sims?! Ugh.

Wait until they make TS4 into an actual Sims game, or create TS5 and give TS4 away for free

I stopped at GTW, the first EP. It added annoyances to my game--like alien invasion which requires manually deleting all of your townies. Not enough features in that pack to make the deal-breaking annoyances worth it. Waste of money.

At the end of the day, if you have money burning a hole in your pocket, then it's probably better to order a pizza on Black Friday and play TS3 all night long.

CK213 · November 2016

The game has improved over the years, but it still has a number of issues holding it back despite some really great features.
I would snap it all up if there is another 50% off sale. I did get that for a GP and a couple of stuff packs and was happy with my purchase.
It was like buying a couple of stuff packs and getting a game pack for free. I wish I could have done that with all of it.

I have been recently testing out how little traits matter in this game.
People have often said that this game is too happy and there is very little drama. A big portion of that has to do with traits conflicts mainly determine what other traits a sim cannot have, like past sims games. However, those trait conflicts do not happen much between the sims themselves. You have to make drama happen in this game. That takes some of the fun out of it.

I just tried this out in TS3 for sims with conflicting traits and the drama just poured out of them.
It has given me new respect for TS3.

I am mainly playing this game because I really like its sims.
I also get a kick out of modifying the game's art style to what I wish it was.
That's not a good reason, but I enjoy it.

I also like playing sims games and seeing how they evolve over time.
This game could become really great for me if EA does certain things.
There is no guarantee that will happen, so it's making me a little OCD about this series.

lejoninna · November 2016

my advice: Don't do it! I can not go back to sims3 after playing sims4 (the smoothness and it's pretty, which is like the only good thing about it...). If you're still enjoying sims3, then hold on to it for dear life!!

itsElisey · November 2016

Does anyone think that there will be a Sims 5?

Gabe_oz · November 2016

Instead of telling you to base your purchase off my personal opinion, I'll say this: Look up the updates the game has had since you last played. Compile a lift of pros and cons and weigh the options, if the pros outweigh the cons, then consider buying it, if not, continue on with 3.

nickibitsward · November 2016

Piperbird wrote: »

If you like to build, then, yes, TS4's build mode is completely fantastic.

If you like anything else, stick with TS3.

You cannot complete both branches of a career. Multi-tasking seems nice on the surface, but it is counter intuitive, and leads to leaving a lot of bowls on the front lawn you can never retrieve, or eating meals on the toilet. Traits mean nothing, all Sims act the same and get the same whims, even if they are the opposite of the traits you gave your Sim. There is a loading screen to get anywhere, and when you get there, the exact same 10 Sims from where you just left will show up at the new location. The game culls Sims at random, so don't bother with meaningful friendships, they will be gone soon, anyway. There are two year old glitches that have not been repaired or even addressed. Sims have no reaction to terrible things they see, and seem to have no memories of them. Emotions flip so rapidly you can't even make sense of them, and the emotion traits and objects are so overpowering they just overwrite absolutely everything that goes on.

I keep seeing people say the game will get better with more expansions, but this is just basic game play. You can add apartments, or festivals, or pets or seasons or toddlers, or whatever, but if they never address these basic issues, the game will always be poor.

But, hey, it's great if you like to build.

I love to build but I wouldn't recommend Sims 4 on that alone, trying to build in Sims 4 left me very frustrated. I hate the camera angles and the lack of terrain tools, no Create-a-Style, etc.

nanashi-sims · November 2016

Gabe_oz wrote: »

Instead of telling you to base your purchase off my personal opinion, I'll say this: Look up the updates the game has had since you last played. Compile a lift of pros and cons and weigh the options, if the pros outweigh the cons, then consider buying it, if not, continue on with 3.

That would be fair if EA was honest in its marketing. Smarter Sims (lie). You rule (lie). They focus on features that seem amazing but unless you buy the game you don't realise that the features have a enjoyment lifespan of one game play iteration. There is just no way to prepare a player for TS4 outside of hanging a sign above the "Add to Cart" button which says: Abandon hope all ye who click here.

If the user clicks and buys and loves TS4, then good for them, but without that warning, it just seems like a bum deal. TS4 is nothing but a scam for players who love TS2 and TS3 and expect more of the same awesomeness.

Piperbird · November 2016

nickibitsward wrote: »

Piperbird wrote: »

If you like to build, then, yes, TS4's build mode is completely fantastic.

If you like anything else, stick with TS3.

You cannot complete both branches of a career. Multi-tasking seems nice on the surface, but it is counter intuitive, and leads to leaving a lot of bowls on the front lawn you can never retrieve, or eating meals on the toilet. Traits mean nothing, all Sims act the same and get the same whims, even if they are the opposite of the traits you gave your Sim. There is a loading screen to get anywhere, and when you get there, the exact same 10 Sims from where you just left will show up at the new location. The game culls Sims at random, so don't bother with meaningful friendships, they will be gone soon, anyway. There are two year old glitches that have not been repaired or even addressed. Sims have no reaction to terrible things they see, and seem to have no memories of them. Emotions flip so rapidly you can't even make sense of them, and the emotion traits and objects are so overpowering they just overwrite absolutely everything that goes on.

I keep seeing people say the game will get better with more expansions, but this is just basic game play. You can add apartments, or festivals, or pets or seasons or toddlers, or whatever, but if they never address these basic issues, the game will always be poor.

But, hey, it's great if you like to build.

I love to build but I wouldn't recommend Sims 4 on that alone, trying to build in Sims 4 left me very frustrated. I hate the camera angles and the lack of terrain tools, no Create-a-Style, etc.

I love that we can move rooms, and stack stairs, but the roofing is nuts. It can be really hard to match windows and doors, and the colors available for furniture is really awful.

I'm not really sure actually why I like to build. o_O

itsElisey · November 2016

It bothers me that content cannot be customized by color and things like that. That was an amazing addition to Sims 3. Honestly, if they'd just add a height scale to Sims 3, the game would have everything that I really want.

snurfles · November 2016

I played Sims 4 yesterday for the first time in a month, in the hopes that the last couple of updates added more gameplay. Not really. It's enjoyable for me for a few hours and then I get bored and go back to Sims 3. We were promised the Sims would not only be smarter and more intuitive, we were also promised that their experiences and memories would affect their lives as they grew older. It was one of the reasons I was willing to give it a chance, even knowing that there were loading screens (ugh) and no Create-A-Style. Well, that was all a lie and EA has basically turned it into a child's game. No drama, no unexpected death, no reaction to cheating, and I could go on. If you didn't like the free trial, I don't know that you'll like it any better now. What I DO like about the game is Create-A-Sim, and unlike some others I really enjoy Get to Work. But to be fair, it's the only EP I have so I'm not the best judge of EPs. If you are happy with Sims 3, I would say keeping enjoying it. I certainly do.

MorriSan · November 2016

positive:

It's all personal opinion but what Sims4 excells at is the animation of the sims themselves.
No more sitting around like little robots. Eating looks much more like real life action (and I think I saw my sim slouching while eating when he was half asleep instead of sitting properly), walking the same. I don't use the more fancy walking styles but I'm very happy with how my Sim moves. They interact with furniture that is appropriate to the shape of the furniture and not just to the square the furniture occupies. It took some getting used to when building! I always built a double stair because my Sims in 3 would block each other and make me crazy and kitchens for big families had to be extra spacious or the dratted no path found would appear all the time. Another example: , if you want to use a double bed in a niche (three walls surrounding it, curtain in front), you can do it. Sims are more intelligent that way. They still wont crawl over each other so it will be single use only but well...

The pool options are great and things are added constantly, some with buy add-ons, some are patched in. Different pool edges, bubble makers, water color, seeroses that can be placed into ordinary pools- I don't remember which of those belong to which EP and GP but I use them constantly.

Sims3 didn't have the option to resize objects. It is a cheat, yes, but something that is easy and has so much potential. bigger plants, bigger trees, curtains.... the wall space is more flexible too, you can arrange pics and other stuff on the walls without them looking like soldiers on a parade.

No lags, more intelligent camera. I don't know if you own Monte Vista? If you do, you know what I'm talking about.

Negative:

Lots are flat. no hills, no half sunken basements- that's a pity but I something I can tolerate.

No create a style. Big issue for me.

I loved the way Sims learned cooking recipes in 3, it was easier to keep track of who learned what and it felt more natural to learn them that way. I once played a save where the explorer husband bought the exotic recipes abroad for his partner and I had a lot of fun with their interactions.

Related, the chest and filing system for objects was better in 3. I always used one chest for produce, one for relics, a bookcase for cooking, one for leisure reading and another one for everything else. I really wish they would bring that back.

There's more for both lists but this is what came to my mind.

musteni · November 2016

I generally think it's great idea to buy when there's a sale, but based on your post maybe you will not enjoy it that much. Even with the additions, the things you hated will likely still be there (you could elaborate why you hated it?). I have liked the game very much since first the first try, also I never really played TS3, so it could be that I'm not the best person to give advice here. I play TS4 trying to make use of what it has and making the best use of that for my purposes. I also like to experiment what kind of playstyle or story setting is most enjoyable to play, so if something doesn't work I'm okay with taking a different approach.

aaronjc123 · November 2016

I'm not sure asking on here is likely to be beneficial - obviously people who don't like it will say it's not worth it. You probably won't get a fair or unbiased opinion because people by nature are not fair or unbiased.

Personally, I bought the game for a reduced price because I didn't want to pay $50 for a video game and I'm enjoying myself - I've been playing The Sims for 12 or 13 years, had all packs for TS2 and most for TS3, and experiencing the previous iterations hasn't made me hate this one. Before I bought TS4 back in February I actually went out of my way to find negative opinions of TS4 because I was really reluctant to buy it and wanted confirmation that not buying it was a good decision, but I'm happy I did and I don't play TS3 that much now.

But if you didn't like the trial and are happy with TS3 then I see no reason to buy TS4.

Terra · November 2016

Tell us what you didn't like about the trial and it'll be a lot easier to give you advice. I personally think Sims 4 has improved a lot since base game and that Get Together and City Living are great packs. However, the game still has lots of issues and I could never play it unmodded. If you're open to using mods though I'd recommend Sims 4 with MC Command to fix culling and other related issues.

simgirl1010 · November 2016

If you hated it then you'll probably hate it now.

PrincessrozeeS · November 2016

itsElisey wrote: »

I haven't bought the Sims 4. I played the trial when it first came out, hated it, and never made the purchase. I have been pretty happy and comfortable with my Sims 3.

However, that time of year is approaching - Black Friday. The game will go on sale on EA and I am considering making the purchase now that there are a few expansions. But please, can you give me a run-down of pros and cons? Has it gotten better? Are there more features and better game play? What do you love about it? What do you hate about it?

I recently got back to playing the Sims 4 a few months back to see what had improved. The games is a lot better with updates with the base game although I am finding it a little boring with so many of the same things coming up time and time again. But I am having fun playing through the pre-made families to see what the game has to offer

There are issues with the game as I have found, glitches and problems which make me frustrated.

I have bought some EP's and GP's to the game which I haven't installed yet as I have been playing with the base game to see how it plays. When I played the base game over 2 years ago I was not impressed but with the the updates and patches it seems more inline with the previous Sims 1, 2 and 3 base games. One can expect a base game to give the basics. I have found over the years that EP's with the Sims 1, 2 and 3 have made the gameplay better and easier as it goes on.

The Sims 4 base game I think is very challenging, basic and can be quite boring at times. They want you to buy the updates to make the game better. I feel the Sims 4 is a lot better than it was 2 years ago but I cant help thinking back to the Sims 1, 2 and 3, especially the Sims 2 because to me the gameplay was a whole lot of fun in the Sims 2

They had a chance to improve on so many things in previous games and I feel that financial restrictions has lead to a leaner workforce who probably have not been with the Sims since the beginning. Maybe I am wrong but one thing I know is that changes are not always for the best, and when companies make changes they often break the bond.

My philosophy if it isn't broke don't fix it. At my senior stage of life I see so many companies going out of existence because they know best and don't listen to their consumers

MidnightAura · November 2016

As others have said what aspects did you dislike with the trial?

For me personally, I have a love- hate relationship with the sims 4. There are days when I love it and will (for want of a better word) binge on it. Then I will go back to the sims 1-3.

I think the game has improved but it's a totally different experience if you are used to (and really enjoy) The Sims 3.

The sims themselves look more cartoony which you may or you may not like coming from TS3. The worlds are pretty but I have to admit I think the sims 3 worlds are stunning looking and are nicer than 4.

In terms of gameplay.. the sims 4 has improved. It's no sims 3 but to be fair the sims 3 is a complete game. There isn't as much to do though in the sims 4. Sad but true.

I would recommend you use mods for the sims 4. Mainly MC command as otherwise your town will die out and you will be going to nightclubs filled with ghosts.

I do like create a sim, build mode and I do like some aspects of the game don't get me wrong.

KrayzieStryker · November 2016

I don't know by now you should know the pros and cons about S4, its lacking in comparsion to its predecessors but if you can see this as a Sim 1 Reboot you can still enjoy it. Well i did get most of the EPs and other content packs with a discount and i got them with lower expactation and so i can enjoy it. But true is i still enjoy S3 more even though i just recently lost my almost 1 month savegame which made me mad about S3 again and got me buying City Living EP. But right now i reinstall my S3 Game again to play today.

NZsimm3r · November 2016

If it is cheap and you think you'll get your money's worth from hours played compared to price paid... sure. It is amusing and interesting to explore a new game. Same advice I'd give about any game. I certainly wouldn't recommend purchasing it at full price as the base game is severely lacking in game play features.

jaxie086 · November 2016

Sims 4 is the same gameplay as when it first released only with different facades *ahem* I mean "packs."

rosepuckett · November 2016

I liked sims 2 and 3 with 4 being okay. I have all expansion packs of all 3 games and the 1st sims as well with 2 and 3 being my most favorite. I do keep hoping with sims 4 for seasons and with the expansion packs to get better, was a little disappointed with the new city living to my understanding you cannot add your own made apartments is that correct?? Such is life I switch from 2 to 3 and 4 and sometimes Riley's story!!
Happy Simming!!

inmyeye · November 2016

itsElisey wrote: »

Does anyone think that there will be a Sims 5?

No one addressed your question. Look here: http://www.gamenguide.com/articles/70186/20161118/the-sims-4-city-living-dlc-release-date-news-update-the-sims-5-launch-reportedly-depends-on-expansion-pack-fans-disappointed.htm

By the way...IMHO No. It's not worth it. Seriously, one of the most boring games I've ever played.

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Tell me: Is it worth it?

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