Over the years, I've used a few mods. Mainly MCC. I've stopped using some but I still have MCC. For some reason, it just makes the game much better. As for other CC? I've used a lot, but I've been thinking of uninstalling some "realistic" mods and use maxi match CC.
I don't use CC so much, though I do use it. I tend to combine it with the Maxis stuff unless its a specific outfit like a wedding dress or a special occasion gown. I also don't use them on every sim. I download and use things for a reason and for specific sims. Now, mods I use all the time and refuse to play without them. Without mods I wouldn't play TS4 at all because the vanilla game puts me to sleep, literally I've fallen asleep before I started using mods. I enjoy small mods (like LittleMsSam's auto thermostat), the Explore Mod so my sims can actually go somewhere without me having to go if I'm controlling a particular sim or sims, and larger mods like MCCC (and others that cannot be mentioned) that help make the game feel more alive.
There's a sense of shame about using CC I've noticed for a few people. I have no shame. I've been using CC since the original and eventually added mods into the mix.
My tip to those new to all of this is to keep things organized. Know what you have. It makes updating mods and removing things much easier. Over time you will make a habit of it.
I feel the same way. The moment I learned what CC was during the TS1 days, I was hooked. The only time I play without CC and mods is during a fresh install, like someone else said, to test the waters, stabilize the game, etc. It's been that way for me from TS1 to TS4, and my mods folder seems to get larger and larger with every new iteration.
That folder is...yeahhh, huge. Surprised me a little when I checked it just now. I definitely need a new round of culling old/unused items. I could not and would not play without CC and mods. Tried it, not for me. Hair, clothes, build objects, skins, unlocked game objects, fantasy costumes, tats, terrains, walls, pool water colors, custom fences, my own recolors (I mean, my Japanese restaurant NEEDS chef station bins filled with Asian-styled foods, right? ), just...everything. And some essential mods. I love the customization of it all.
Even when there is a mix of realistic CC and Maxis content, it doesn't bother me. It's eclectic in a weird way, kind of abstract. I don't want it to be 100% all or nothing. That's what I love about the customization aspect of CC: my game won't look like the next person's game. It's really my own gnarly "vision", so to speak.
Like SimplyJen mentioned, if you use CC, definitely keep it organized. I use roughly the same system I used with TS2 and TS3, keeping everything in named and dated folders organized by type, creator, date, etc. It reeeeeally helps when you need to pinpoint a problem.
As far as there being a sense of shame in using it, I feel that there are a good number of CC/mod addicts who simply don't post here on the official forum. They're in other forums and on other sites talking about it, sharing pictures, exchanging ideas.
"If you don't talk to your cat about catnip... who will?"
"Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes."
Comments
My heart pains for you
I feel the same way. The moment I learned what CC was during the TS1 days, I was hooked. The only time I play without CC and mods is during a fresh install, like someone else said, to test the waters, stabilize the game, etc. It's been that way for me from TS1 to TS4, and my mods folder seems to get larger and larger with every new iteration.
That folder is...yeahhh, huge. Surprised me a little when I checked it just now. I definitely need a new round of culling old/unused items. I could not and would not play without CC and mods. Tried it, not for me. Hair, clothes, build objects, skins, unlocked game objects, fantasy costumes, tats, terrains, walls, pool water colors, custom fences, my own recolors (I mean, my Japanese restaurant NEEDS chef station bins filled with Asian-styled foods, right?
Even when there is a mix of realistic CC and Maxis content, it doesn't bother me. It's eclectic in a weird way, kind of abstract. I don't want it to be 100% all or nothing. That's what I love about the customization aspect of CC: my game won't look like the next person's game. It's really my own gnarly "vision", so to speak.
Like SimplyJen mentioned, if you use CC, definitely keep it organized. I use roughly the same system I used with TS2 and TS3, keeping everything in named and dated folders organized by type, creator, date, etc. It reeeeeally helps when you need to pinpoint a problem.
As far as there being a sense of shame in using it, I feel that there are a good number of CC/mod addicts who simply don't post here on the official forum. They're in other forums and on other sites talking about it, sharing pictures, exchanging ideas.
"If you don't talk to your cat about catnip... who will?"
"Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes."