Back from a 4 year hiatus and totally overwhelmed. Could use some advice

PsychYourMind08 · August 2018

So I haven't posted around here in years and went from in-the-know to totally in-the-dark.
Admittedly, I wasn't a fan of TS4 and was awaiting the next installment to hop back in the Sims/the community but I'm missing playing in real time. I do love my open world TS3...but after 4 years I am considering giving Sims 4 a spin since there are now some EPs and game/stuff packs to add some meat to the game.

My questions for you guys are as follows:

What EPs/SPs/GPs would you recommend? I'm getting City Living and Spooky Stuff as they are always my go-to's with Sims games. Seasons I'll get eventually as well. How are the other packs?

And are game packs really worth it? I'm not used to these, I understand they're like small EPs? There are so many packs, looking at the store is overwhelming especially as I'm used to getting all of my paid-for content exclusively from the EPs.

I'm one for custom content and mods, any huge players or creators for TS4 content I should know about?

Also any tips on a new TS4 player transitioning from 3 would help loads.
(I feel like an old person asking a teenager how to use a tablet as I write this post, ugh)

ETA: forgot to add - do they still put cute little Easter eggs and storylines in the game?

Thanks an advance!

MemoriiValentine · August 2018

If you like families, I suggest parenthood. Get together was an awesome pack as well. You can have clubs and a new world . Cats and dogs are fun but can be heavy on the pc . But it comes with an amazing world along with furry friends .

For a long time , the game pack developers team have been a favorite of the community . With each game pack feeling like you get so much for your money. Vampires are well fleshed out and have a skill tree . Different from the past iterations .

As a family player , I would pick up parenthood right up . As well as laundry day .

If you like playing single sims then get together would be awesome with city living. If you like ambitions from sims 3 then I suggest get to work. It has its bugs but it is a fun aspect. You could watch lazy game reviews for the packs as I think he gives a fair evaluation of each of them .

Similar to nraas for sims 3,you'll want mc command center for sims 4

icmnfrsh · August 2018

You should also get Get Together. It's actually better than I initially thought. It's a mixed bag of activities like FreeTime, and the club system is very versatile. You can do so much with it. Not to mention Windenburg is beautiful and comes with several new lots. Cats and Dogs is also a personal favorite of mine (although it's missing a few touches I would've liked), but its reception among players is mixed. If you like pets that much, you can get it, although I recommend watching some reviews first to see if you're part of the "love it" camp. I also think Brindleton Bay is nice, and it's quite spacious.

I also highly recommend the game packs. They're not as substantial as EPs, but they narrowly focus on a single theme, and they do it really well. I really love the Parenthood pack. That, combined with the toddlers update, really enhanced my game as a family player. If family play isn't your thing, there are also other options like owning/eating at a restaurant, vampires with lots of customization options, and spa items. You also have two separate vacation destinations with Outdoor Retreat and Jungle Adventures, although personally I'm still waiting for a beach vacation and hotels.

Stuff packs are a hit or miss. I only bought a handful of them at full price. The others are more meh and I got them discounted or in bundles, because I don't think they're worth $10 to me, no matter how cheap that is. It also depends on what you like, so you can look up what each one offers and go from there.

simgirl1010 · August 2018

My advice would be to just buy and familiarize yourself with the base game first to be sure it's something you can enjoy. Not everyone does.

The base game and some of the other packs are 50% off through August 28 so that should give you enough time to decide if you want to invest in additional packs.

https://www.origin.com/usa/en-us/store/deals/simssale?utm_campaign=TS4_HD_US_GAM_SRCH_GGL_BRAND-MB-EN&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_term=+sims +sale

AlbaWaterhouse · August 2018

Get Together is a must in my opinion. The world is gorgeous and the club system is game changing.
Also, welcome back!

Edit to add: If you like playing with a families, you should definitely get Parenthood.

PsychYourMind08 · August 2018

Thank you all for the advice! Glad to be back.

I'm going to look into Parenthood and Pets a bit later. I'm more into single sim play but eventually like turning to family style. Definately going to look more into game packs though since they seem to be quite popular.

And @simgirl1010 thanks for ththe heads up on the sales, that helps me loads since I'm starting from 0!

pinneduphair · August 2018

I switched from TS3 to TS4 just last year, and the first pack I chose was Dine Out, which is still my favorite of the Game Packs. (I don't own Parenthood, Vampires, or Jungle Adventures yet, though) I think the GPs in general are pretty well-liked, aside from maybe Outdoor Retreat.

Vintage Glamour is my favorite SP. It adds butlers, as well as the vanity table and globe bar. I also really enjoy the 1920s/30s style clothing, so if that kind of thing interests you, I would definitely recommend it.

ami123 · August 2018

I only started playing TS4 about a month or so ago now (used to play TS3 a few years ago and had most of the EPs). So far, I've bought Parenthood and am currently downloading Cats and Dogs. I went for these two packs in particular because I love family play - from what I've seen so far Parenthood really improves the child life stage but there's still more of it to discover I think. I'm still researching what packs I want to get next.
Now is definitely a good time to get some now though as the majority of EPs are 50% off on Origin.

bshag4lv · August 2018

Hi and welcome back!

Like others have said, the game packs are new to Sims 4 and I personally prefer them over eps and sps. Not everyone goes for Granite Falls and the Outdoor Retreat pack, but I love the herbalism skill and it really comes in handy with the Jungle pack, which is one of my favorites. The vampires are the best of any in the series...no more hanging around the fringes, and they come with their own special neighborhood, small but deadly.

Like someone said, LGR has really good reviews and I recommend watching a couple of those to get good idea what they will be like.

Good luck and Happy Simming!

SiliClone · August 2018

I'm also more oriented for the game pack than for the EPs, if you like supernaturals, Vampires is the best game pack for the sims 4 in my opinion, Jungle adventure is fun too.

irishfino · August 2018

i have all the expacs, and i quite enjoy them. it really just depends on what you want out of your game.

get to work adds three new jobs where you can go to work with your sim and control what they do for a better day with better pay. or a really crappy day with barely any pay. get together has a fun group mechanic. cats and dogs is fun, but it doesn't include any of the small pets like sims 3 pets did, you have to buy "my first pet stuff" for those if you want them. cats and dogs also introduces the veterinarian retail business. unfortunately, it doesn't count as your sim having a job, so if your sim is ambitious, they will get an "unemployed" demote every once in a while. it's the same issue with get to work introducing retail business and the dine out gamepack seems to have the same mechanic, but with a restaurant. seasons is interesting, it added a few fun concepts like holidays and making your own holidays.

Hermitgirl · August 2018

Shop the sales is my main advise and get some of the EP's and GP's that interest you sooner rather than later. If you do play with single sim households it's a good call to put Parenthood and related packs lower on the want list along with Pets. Otherwise go with preferences.

So_Money · August 2018

Have a good, hard think about Cats & Dogs. On the surface it looks great, but it introduces a bunch of annoying aspects to the game.

At this point it's only worth it to me for the world it comes with.

SimChessack · August 2018

So_Money wrote: »

Have a good, hard think about Cats & Dogs. On the surface it looks great, but it introduces a bunch of annoying aspects to the game.

At this point it's only worth it to me for the world it comes with.

I am afraid I will have to second this.

And I came back to Sims 4 after abandoning it the year it launched, almost entirely because of two things: Cats and Dogs, and Toddlers.

It turns out, both of them are bugged beyond belief, but of the two, I think Cats and Dogs is far buggier and introduces a great many annoying issues into the game. Just yesterday I had a cat who ate a full bowl of food to empty, and then stood at the bowl whining. When I asked it "what's wrong?" the game told me I needed to feed it. So If filled the bowl again. The cat then proceeded to stand there whining, apparently unable to find the food dish right in front of her. I "called her to eat" and she ate. Finally, she shut up about the food but... this kind of thing is quite aggravating.

There are a great many other bugs that come along with pets. Aspiration to train out bad behavior, and when you do, it doesn't "count." Cats that get stuck on the counters or tables and can't get off. Your Sims stopping what you ordered them to do to "pet dog." And let's not forget about the queue filling up with 20 or 30 "pet dog - pet dog - pet dog - pet dog - pet dog - pet dog - pet dog - pet dog - pet dog!" interactions.

Bleh. Too many bugs. I actually regret buying the pack at this point. And I normally love pets in a Sims game.

dreamprisoner · August 2018

The best EP by far is Seasons.

Get Together has my favourite world, Windenburg, which has a really European vibe to it, but it's not that useful otherwise. It has disco dancing too, but to be honest, the dancing isn't much better than the base-game stuff.

Gamepacks are totally worth it, and often times better than EPs.

If you like dark-themed stuff and don't mind supernaturals too much, Vampires is absolutely the best choice. It's got some of the best spooky 'stuff' in the game, and vampires are done pretty darn well too. They're not very obnoxious if you choose to ignore them.

Jungle adventure also has some really great spooky looking stuff, and lovely scenery.

Parenthood is great for making family life more... eventful. So if you're intending on playing families a lot, I'd recommend that one too.

Stuff packs... aren't really so worth it.

I'd probably only recommend vintage Glamour, it has some objects with game-play like the butler, the globe, the dressing table. And really nice clothing as well.

Spooky stuff I regret buying. The decorations are way too obvious and childish, and the clothes are basically all costumes like witch and zombie. Not really anything that's usable unless you're at a Halloween party. Vampire stuff is much better if you're looking for that sort of thing.

Onto custom content - I can't tell you if there are any major creators, because I usually just fish all over and grab what I can.
But there are three main types of CC that people subscribe to: Maxis Match (Fits the look of the game), Alpha (More realistic CC), and Clayfied (Alpha hair that's been turned maxis match, it looks like a mix of the two.)

The sims resource is great for Alpha. Maxis match and clayfied you might have to do some of your own searching for through google and pinterest.

There 'are' Easter-eggs and little things that add story-line... but they're few and far between compared with previous iterations.

Gruffman · August 2018

At this point, I would say to get what type of things you like and look at videos before you buy. For me personally, I love spa day. I love the whole theme of it, I love the yoga, the massage tables. It is just a nice pack. The vampires are the best in the sims series, if you like them. Outdoor retreat is alright, its not my favorite. The camping is nice, the vacation world is beautiful ... but I seldom send my sims camping since they can't hike together and all of the furniture/build items are blocky. Parenthood is a solid pack, but I find it somewhat grindy. It adds a whole new level for children/toddlers.

For the EP's, I am on the Get Together bandwagon. It is a must have, it should be in every sims game going forward. I like Get to Work for the aliens ... I like the overall look of them in this version and at times I like following my sim to work, but that does get old. Seasons ...weather, for me that is a must have.

Stuff packs ... oh boy. I have something positive to say about each and every one, except cool kitchen. That one just should be skipped. I tend to use things from Movie Hangout a lot more than I ever thought I would. Toddler/Kid room stuff is perfect for those that like family style.

MC_Command center is a must have mod. That would be my big suggestion.

SheriSim57 · August 2018

I don’t have Seasons yet, or some of the later stuff packs and game packs as I just got back into the sims with a new gaming laptop after a year and a half of not playing. The graphics look so good now. I think my favorite pack was Expansion was Get to Work, it gave us the retail system (which is not as good as the sims 2) and 3 jobs that absolutely kept me busy until Get Together. If is so cute seeing the Doctor that I raised to a high level delivering my sims babies in the hospital, the downfall to that pack is the 3 career lots can only be accessed by the worker, and there is only one small world with 4 lots. But, it you like aliens they came with it, along with a one lot alien world which you can’t access without things made as a scientist.....and it is nothing to write back home about .... lol. But I did love the 3 active careers. Get together had a huge nice world, a club system (which I use sometimes). It also came with a few fun activities like foosball, darts, and a 4 person gaming machine. Right now Get to work, Get Together, and Cats and Dgs are on sale for half price. Cats and dogs came with a veterinary system I haven’t explored yet, but it has a nice world. Since those are on sale for half price I would recommend those first. As far as game packs I have outdoor retreat, spa day and, dine out. I like them all but my favorite is out door retreat, it comes with a beautiful 6 lot vacation world, and an herbalism system. I love the tents and ice chests, which you can put in your inventory.. spa day has no new world, but has meditation, yoga, a massage table and sauna. Dine out is just that....a Restaurant system which you can own and use to eat out, but your chef can’t be the owner and chef. I heard parenthood was a great pack.... it will be my next game pack, I heard it came with a system where parents can teach their children a responsibility system, and it has a lot of projects for children to work on. Jungle Adventure is another vacation spot, and you can practice archeology, I don’t have it yet, Vampires seems to be a favorite to many. Each stuff pack has it’s own special item or two. It is just up to what you like, a hot tub, a buffet table, an ice cream maker etc. I happen to like all the ones I have. I still nave a few of the last ones to purchase. I probably use Rmsntic garden the least, but if you like to landscape you might like it.
Good luck choosing!

kirivian · August 2018

As if you need someone else's two cents, but here goes. I agree with the majority - the game packs offer overall more bang for the buck than the SPs or even the EP's, I own them all and I play with them all pretty liberally, but my top recommends would be:

For EP's - Get Together and Seasons because the club system offered in Get Together redefined the way I play my games top up and Windenberg is gorgeous, large and versatile in how it's separated into quarters. Seasons although still pretty buggy, offers a way to really connect your households in terms of when and where things are happening (esp if you play rotationally), and I like that one day doesn't just roll into the next anymore, there are things you can and cannot do on any given day depending on the season and the weather. It also offers holidays and events complete with a calendar which now allows you plan ahead for things like weddings and birthdays and a way to create your own holidays and events - so yeah, it's pretty cool.

For GP's - Vampires and Jungle Adventures. All of the GP's offer a lot for the record, but for me these two stand out because in the case of Vampires, they add vampires (

), but seriously Maxis did add dimensions to playing this race that separates them from the other races in a significant enough way to make the roleplay dynamic. I don't play Aliens or Ghosts because although they are different life states, eventually they are just like any other sim with a few added interactions in the case of aliens or removed interactions in the case of Ghosts, but Vampires have their own developmental stages, power and weakness trees and even needs and aspirations. They are well fleshed out. In the case of Jungle Adventures, firstly the scenery is gorgeous - best world in the game IMO, but that aside, I think that the game is better with a vacation world and this one is preferable to me over Granite Falls because it has it's own culture and music style and foods - It's very well rounded and feels more complete and offers more gameplay than Granite Falls and of course now that Seasons has been introduced, the majority of interesting things you can do in Granite Falls (If you have seasons) can only be done in one (maybe two) seasons because Granite Falls freezes over so camping activities become more limited (herbs don't grow, fishing holes freeze over etc.). Selvadorado is available all year long without limiting any activities native to the jungle.

SP's - Since they don't add any real gameplay outside of a couple of objects that can be interacted with, I have no real recommend for one over another. This would be by taste I would think. If the objects in the pack are more your style, or you really can't live without the laundry machine - that kind of thing. Six of one half a dozen of the other (although the only pack I regret buying is the My First Pet pack and I do own every pack).

PsychYourMind08 · August 2018

Thank you all again so much for your replies! I'm trying to take them all into account. Luckily I get paid next week so I'm going to start then.

but I have my eyes on a few of the packs.
I'm glad I got more insight on the GPs, I was thinking on passing them but I see they are quite popular!

mctsimmer · August 2018

Vampires works well with spooky game. Parenthood and Get Together are good together for family play. You can keep tabs on grandkids and have sleepovers.

x4m1r4 · August 2018

Hi there..it seems like we are on the same boat.. I started playing TS4 this year, after many years of hiatus (work and study related). I enjoy TS1 and TS2...But not so much on TS3 (although I really like the open world concept) - perhaps, I just don't have enough time to play with it, maybe..

Here is the list of packs that I bought for the time being (which I could only comment on)..And how I view it for my gameplay for the time being... I enjoy playing single Sims too..and started to play family and hopefully for many generations....FYI, I don't play with Mods/CC..it is just my preference..But there are lots of amazing mods and cc out there..like MCCC

EP
Seasons - it is one of the must have pack for any Sims series. It didn't come with a new world, but it does affect every world and our game play. I really like gardening in the Sims...and with this pack, it's added realism to my plants, because we can harvest certain plants according to the seasons..and if you want to get rich faster with your garden, look for dragon fruits! The calendar system and festivals are indeed brilliant... you can even plan any event in advance..for now, i play with 28 days rotation for each season... - highly recommended

Get together - as everyone said, the club system is very interesting, however, it's max up to 8 Sims only. Sometimes, I used it for my family club - to gather family members for some 'sort of' event/gathering or my politician Sim who wants people to vote for him/her. It comes with a beautiful world indeed. But it can be so annoying when other clubs are inviting you to join them, because each Sim can only join 3 clubs (the max).. And there's ghosts as well..that comes with interesting stories behind.. - highly recommended

Cats & dogs - i like this pack just because there's cats and dogs, and of course the world that comes with it. There's an island with a lighthouse that you can explore with your pets..and a pet graveyard that full with mystery and pet ghosts.. if you like pets, there's animal aspiration that allows you to talk to pets..and you can be a vet by owning a clinic - highly recommended

Get to Work - the active careers are fun! especially the Scientist career.. you can create stuffs and use a wormhole to visit the alien's world. the world, is not so much..but if you like retails, or self employed job...it's kinda interesting.. - okay

City living - living high up with sometimes, noisy neighbours and festival/events are the 'charming' traits for this pack..the event/festival is kinda repetitive...not so much drama, but it is fun for the first time...it comes with a new world as well - okay

GP
Vampires - this GP is really cool, if you like supernatural..it comes with a relatively small world, but the vampires really nail it.. I like how it works..If you're into spooky thing.. it is a must have pack..to add realism to your game play - highly recommended

Parenthood - this is an excellent pack if you enjoy playing family. it builds a character for your Sims and it last for the entire Sims life..and it helps in Sims relationships with the other Sims.. - highly recommended

Jungle adventure - it is fun to explore the new world...but i have explored enough - the temple and secret places...but, it is one of interesting worlds if you need some vacation...good to play without any cheats...else, it can be too easy to play... - okay

Outdoor retreat - it's a 'cute' vacation world...and you can add a new different skill if you happened to meet Hermit at her/his secret hiding place... - okay

Spa day - it's adding a new experience and skill - like spa, yoga and such... there's nothing more than that...I bought this before the Dine out because I want the contents in the Spa Day GP.. - okay

SP
Vintage glamour - I like this pack because of the vanity table and the butler! (because my rich Sims are so lazy

) it is interesting to have if you are playing for generations...and the content is beautiful and elegant.. - okay

Backyard - I bought this because of a fence.. and of course the backyard content - it's good if you enjoy family gathering or organising events... - okay

Laundry day - my recent purchase because I want to do my laundry, although i hate it IRL.. - okay

My next purchase will be toddler, kids room, and romantic garden...again, just because I want the contents..

And for the players that I knew about from the YouTube...

There's Sim supply, Lazy game reviews (LGR), Deligracy, Clare Siobhan, LilSimsie, Devon bumpkin, Simproved, Pixelade, and many mores..but they are among the YouTubers and players/builders that i look at... I could miss some...there are so many amazing creators and players out there...

There's promo for the time being or else, you can bundle up some packs.. Enjoy Simming!

monkeypants1 · August 2018

I thought I'd just chime in about mods and cc.

As others have mentioned, MC Command Center is a pretty popular mod. I don't use it because I play rotationally, but if you want story progression with your unplayed families, it's pretty great. Littlemssam has a bunch of nice quality of life mods that can really help with the game and of course it's usually worth poking around at Mod the Sims to see if they've got mods you'd like. Zerbu has a bunch of really popular mods that can let your sim go to work or school if you have the Get Together expansion.

As far as CC goes, most CC creators have moved to tumblr, and the best place to get started is Lana's CC Finds (make sure you sort by Sims 4 CC, you don't want to get Sims 3 files in there by accident). I don't know if you like Alpha or intend to go with Maxis Match, but if you go the Maxis Match route, let me know and I can point you to some pretty great cc out there.

LadyKyn · August 2018

Aye, welcome back~

Definitely depends on what you'll be into. I've enjoyed City Living from the clothing, food stalls, new recipes, culture to new semi-active careers as well. Think the only thing I was disappointed in is that apartments are just restricted to San Mynshuno other than that I do like having my sims live there.

Gamepacks are pretty great and focus on the theme they're given. Vampires is pretty well praised. The gothic century furniture to victorian like clothing with some mixes of modern clothing is definitely a must. Forgotten Hollow is a small neighborhood, but aesthetic wise it's a great place for more darker and spooky surroundings. Spa Day has been a favorite of mine since I use a lot of build/buy items from it and there's a lot of nice athletic gear to choose from plus sims being able to do yoga and meditate if you don't want them always getting beefy on a exercise machine.

With Expansions I find Get Together and Seasons to be really great additions.

The UI Mod and MCC mod are just must haves to make things handy.

LittleMsSam is a great mod creator to look at who has a lot of mods form small fixes to extra additions.

SACRIFICAL is also a well known modder who's know for the Road to Fame mod. Basically like a celebrity mod, which is pretty big and he's always adding onto it and adding other features. Never seen a mod this big with so much put into it.

No need to transition from Sims 3 if you still like playing it I still play older games myself. Though I found it hard to go back to playing older games, especially 3 with how multitasking works in Sims 4. Never knew how much I need sims to be able to sit, eat and talk and even watch tv at the same time without interrupting animations. It's just amazing.

DeKay · August 2018

Game Packs are actually the most worth it packs out of the three.

If you really want to get your money's worth, I'd say Jungle Adventure has a ton of stuff that will keep you occupied for days.

Parenthood adds some nice new traits to spice your sims' personalities a bit.

I don't really have any tips for a TS3 simmer transitioning to TS4 since I didn't play TS3. But I think the only big difference is the thin UI in TS4. You just have to get used to shortcuts to open and close the different tabs (needs, jobs, etc). Of course, you can also just leave the tab open if you like.

I just prefer to open it to the needs tab.

Play around with multi tasking and also autofill needs!

AquaGamer1212 · August 2018

I personally would start with seasons as it adds a lot of gameplay. Weather, a calendar, and new seasonal activities such as skating and becoming a floral arranger(?).

GalacticGal · August 2018

This may sound odd to you, but I think I actually prefer the Game Packs. Parenthood is my all-time favorite, so far as I love playing families, the more children, the better. This gives the player a chance to help mold their Sim children into the Sims they hope them to be one day. You get to help shape their values. The toddlers, which I understand many loathed in past iterations, are the best life-stage in this game, as they are more fully developed. Instead of a mere three skills to work on (in precious little time, as in Sims2) we have several areas to help them 'grow'.

I will also recommend the MCCC mod, if you like mods. This game has its limits, as all games do, but this mod helps to give the player back a little more control.

I hope you enjoy playing in the now, again. Best of luck and happy Simming!

The Sims Forums

Back from a 4 year hiatus and totally overwhelmed. Could use some advice

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