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When are you okay with DLC interacting with other DLC?

I was thinking about Makin' Magic, and how the spells available included things like turning pets into human sims, and using an item from Superstar to power a fame spell. Back in sims 1 and 2, people were okay with packs interacting with elements of other packs, and sometimes actively supportive.

I'm not a fan of MFPS, because it felt like they held back content from C&D in order to fill out the pack without adding anything meaningful. But I'm thinking about magic, and how we won't see fame affecting spells, weather affecting spells, or anything of the sort because those would be one pack requiring another. So how much would you be okay with elements of one pack being specifically made to involve elements that came in another?

Comments

  • LaBlue0314LaBlue0314 Posts: 17,436 Member
    I'm not sure what you are asking, but if you are asking what I'm thinking, they have done this in Sims 3. In Sims 3 they came out with an expansion pack called Late Night, which had celebrities and Vampires. Then later they released another expansion packed called Supernatural, it too also had vampires. They did this so if a player didn't have Late Night they were still able to have vampires, but if you didn't have Late Night you did not have access to the Plasma Fruit, because it was not included with Supernatural. Then if you also had Seasons, and Supernatural you would then have something called a Weather Stone (looked like a totem pole), but you had to have the two packs for it to even show up. At first, I was curious about this item, but after checking it out, found it to be more of an eyesore than anything else.

    I feel that as long as it does not cut down on the quality or the enjoyment of the game, I have no issues with them adding aspects that would touch on the other packs in the game. And as long as it is not a requirement to have another pack for it to work properly, such as the whole Cats & Dogs EP and My First Pets Stuff pack fiasco. That I do not like one bit. With those two packs and the way they handled it looked like they were just trying to grab people's money. I actually waited till those two items came on sale, and only spent 27.48 US dollars, there was no way I was going to pay what the original cost was to those two.
  • CupidCupid Posts: 3,623 Member
    From the point of view of someone who has all or most of the packs it'd be great. From the point of view of someone who doesn't, they'll end up paying the same price for a pack with features they can't make use of. Still, for the betterment of the game in the long run, I think it's important for DLC to interact with each other.

    It'd be cool if the pricing of the packs became more dynamic based on what the player would be able to get out of it, but I don't see that happening.
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  • EnkiSchmidtEnkiSchmidt Posts: 5,334 Member
    For me it is okay when the buyers of the new dlc get as much out of it as if they would, had bought a normal dlc that isn't connected to another one. Ugh, strange sentence.
    For example Strangerville comes with weather anomalies iirc. As a non-Seasons user I do not experience those, but I still get very nice environmental effects, therefore I'm not envious of Seasons owners.
  • MadameLeeMadameLee Posts: 32,748 Member
    according to one of the Game changers if you have both IL and Seasons installed "Merfolks" can summon thunderstorms
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  • WildIrishBansheeWildIrishBanshee Posts: 2,104 Member
    It doesn't bother me - even MFP didn't bother me - I'd love to see them expand more expansions that way! The more the packs work together, the better I think.
  • QuillWriterQuillWriter Posts: 67 Member
    Honestly, I think the lack of significant interactions between packs is holding the Sims 4 back to a large degree. Letting the packs interact makes the game richer and gives the player more to do.

    As someone who has played since TS1, it boggles my mind that this is now seen as a negative thing. I was never bothered about other people using features I didn't have, just because they had packs I didn't. That was just a consequence of the buying decisions I made.
  • phantasmkissphantasmkiss Posts: 1,520 Member
    There's a fine line between the bonus feeling of content interacting and the cheated feeling of a pack that's entirely dependent on existing content. For a lot of people, MFPS felt like content cut directly from a pack that wasn't full enough on its own.

    If a pack is a mini-version of an expansion, it feels cheap.

    If a pack can stand on its own, but it acknowledges existing things, it's fun.
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  • KirbySkywalkerKirbySkywalker Posts: 511 Member
    edited June 2019
    I’ll be a bit upset if we never get packs that interact or are addons to Get Famous’ fame system. For example a singer career and bands.
  • DeKayDeKay Posts: 81,472 Member
    I think it will be okay as long as it's just one or two things. How they did it with TS1 is correct. My First Pet is a totally different case cuz you're buying the pack as an add on as it has too many things that need the Cats and Dogs features. But Makin Magic has other features as well and not catered to another specific EP.
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  • XxAirixXXxAirixX Posts: 2,567 Member
    Only if they add something new and expand the packs more (not just recolors). Like the pets one would of been better if they added birds among other animals. The hamsters look cute and like the new death, might eventually during the next sale just to help complete my collection (stuff packs, in general, are not my first priority). For people who don't have the required packs it isn't worth it and it would better just to make it's own pack really, not one that requires another as more people can make full use of the pack.
  • HermitgirlHermitgirl Posts: 8,825 Member
    I definitely want DLC to interact with other DLC. Like clubs... I'm always disappointed if there is a new activity that isn't added to the club system. I like that a new weather type will be added to the new pack coming out also. They should have made the radiators that came in the Vampire pack actually heat after the fact and still hoping they still will one day.
    As a simmer that has all the packs and plans on continuing to get them all of course I want to see this happen.
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  • whimreaperwhimreaper Posts: 361 Member
    I am perfectly fine with packs adding onto other packs WHEN it feels like an expansive element that is worth paying for and does not feel like it should have been included in the original pack. For example, turning pets into sims is okay with me because it makes no sense for Cats & Dogs to have introduced that element, but makes perfect sense in a magic pack. However, if it feels like content was withheld for the sake of money-making, that's where I have an issue. I would never be up for something like a Camping Stuff or Conspiracy Stuff pack because those would just seem like left out content from Outdoor Retreat and Strangerville.
  • izecsonizecson Posts: 2,875 Member
    You mean like seasons interacting with vampire dlc? that I love, but for new dlc required the old dlc, no i dont think so.
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  • MasonGamerMasonGamer Posts: 8,851 Member
    edited June 2019
    Packs should Absolutely build off other packs.

    Get Together = Creating groups and doing new activities together with with those packs, + More Icons.
    Seasons = More Holiday traditions and Icons, a new world with possible different seasonal effects.
    Strangerville: New creative Ways to Defeat bosses
    Jungle Adventure New ways to traverse Temples and Evade traps.

    Get to Work: With more Life States
    - New things for Scientists to Study, Gadgets to invent.
    - New Inflictions for Doctors to treat.
    - New Cases for Detectives to Solve.
    - New things for Retailers to Sell

    Parenthood: New ways on How to parent and discipline your supernatural powered spawns.
    Get Famous: Be Famous/Infamous for how you use your supernatural powers to warrant additional reactions.

    I forget what City Living was about. :D

    I'm Hoping Magic Users can cast transformation spells
    Human, PlantSim, Ghost, Frog, Fish (Base Game + Realm of Magic)
    Alien (Get to Work + Realm of Magic)
    Insect (Outdoor Retreat + Realm of Magic)
    Vampire Curse (Realm of Magic + Vampires)
    Mermaid Transformation (Island Living + Realm of Magic)
    (Controllable) Cat, Dog, Raccoon, Red Panda, Fox, Wolf (Realm of Magic + Cats and Dogs)

    Realm of Magic + Seasons = Weather Spells

    Future Packs
    Realm of Magic + Werewolves = Werewolf Transformation.
    University, New things to study

    I was hoping on Vampire Pets, if Vampires and Cats and Dogs, were a thing.
    I wanted to create an actual Blood Hound, and If we had Farming Vampire Pigs, and... omg I hope Pigman is a Spell in Realm of Magic. Like if a sim is a Glutton, a Slob, and Lazy, and a transformation spell went wrong... <3
    Post edited by MasonGamer on
    Realm of Magic:

    My Mood:

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  • NoTalentNoTalent Posts: 384 Member
    I feel like DLC should have some interaction with other DLCs, but it should not be a major thing that trumps everything else. A little gift for people that do own other packs. For example, when the magic pack comes out, I hope that I can use spells on pets, tame dolphins, or even cure vampires with magic.
  • katrinasforestkatrinasforest Posts: 1,002 Member
    edited June 2019
    There's a fine line between the bonus feeling of content interacting and the cheated feeling of a pack that's entirely dependent on existing content. For a lot of people, MFPS felt like content cut directly from a pack that wasn't full enough on its own.

    If a pack is a mini-version of an expansion, it feels cheap.

    If a pack can stand on its own, but it acknowledges existing things, it's fun.

    This.

    MFPS could have stood on its own if it added more to the game--not just rodents, but perhaps birds as well. It also could have added objects that were usable by both the small animals and cats or dogs, if you had them. (I would totally put my guinea pigs on a pet bed and let them run around on it. That would have been adorable.)

    I think it's great when the packs interact with each other. I'm always happy to see more of that. I especially loved when Seasons introduced more ways for vampires to be out during the day and how Get Famous uses all sorts of things from other packs to add fame to your Sim.
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  • Atreya33Atreya33 Posts: 4,408 Member
    I think the game would benefit from more interaction between packs. That being said, any pack should be enjoyable on it's own. Interactions should be a bonus.

    It is very sad to see how my first pet stuff turned this into a negative direction. MFPS came way too soon after pets, was advertised primarily as dlc for dlc and not seen as a pack of its own. Dividing the matching child bedroom furniture over two packs and many clothes being just recolors of existing clothes certainly didn't help.

    But there is definitely room for interaction. It has happened in the past.
    - in sims 2 the gipsy NPC from nightlife sold cures for all lifestates from all packs a player owned.
    - in sims 2 with pets and apartments (witches came with this EP) installed, witches could get a familiar.
    Even sims 4 already did a few attempts
    - all the options for clubs added with other packs.
    - the crystal helmet from get famous gives a special buff when used with one of the crystals from JA
    - mermaids are said to be able to call a thunderstorm

    In general I think there is still a lot of room for improvement when it comes to interaction between sims 4 packs. How about a few extra seasonal holiday traditions tied to other packs like pumpkin carving, using hot tubs or watch movies? Or a clothing line to be used indoors for people who own seasons. And the upcoming realm of magic would feel very disconnected from the game without any interaction with vampires.

    As long as these interactions are additional options to packs which feel complete on their own, I think they will be part of what makes a good game a great game.
  • CaityTrinaCaityTrina Posts: 555 Member
    edited June 2019
    Dlcs can interact with DLC but a previous dlcs features should not be half of the packs focus.

    Context MFPS has 62 items
    - 4 of them are just the same cage with a different rodent cause clutter is fun (so really 58 items, 1 with 4 varieties in catalogue)
    - 2 of the hairs are actually the same just one with an ombre
    - 5 items look purposefully split from c&d(the bookcase, cat lamp, cat chair, child's desk and art table match the c&d bed and dressers to a T, and cat stuff obviously would have fit it more)
    - The 6 human CAS clothes are retextured base game meshes
    - 25 of them is for cats/dogs (almost half), of which that furniture is only very simple modified meshes of stuff to c&d(which was already lacking, 2 pet beds in the pets expansion only?)

    The problem with mfps is that it was so soon to c&d, its box art could mislead kids into thinking cats or dogs come with it, the meshes are so lazily done, and it was full price when you may have half the content locked out from you.

    It felt like a deliberate marketing move to hold content back from c&d to keep riding that pet hype train a month or so later which was why it was so bad.

    A "Small pets pack" with 2-3 small pets (pets, rodents, birds? They've made the models already) and only a small handful of c&d items would have been better, the way seasons added a swimsuit for pets. It shouldn't be half a packs focus. Those clothes options and c&d specific items should have been patched imo.
    Post edited by CaityTrina on
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  • icmnfrshicmnfrsh Posts: 18,789 Member
    It's great when the pack interaction introduces additional content that makes sense with both of them, like the Superstar and Unleashed spells you mentioned. But these should never make up the bulk of a pack. A pack should be able to stand on its own, and these little things should be bonuses.

    MFPS is the dark side of this. Half of its content is only usable if you have another pack. Plus, there were lots of complaints before then that C&D could've used more pet furniture and other touches, so the pet stuff seemed like a way to cynically capitalize on this. A lot of the content is also lackluster, and some furniture items were clearly part of an existing set in C&D. Overall, it was very transparently cash grabby
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  • RouensimsRouensims Posts: 4,858 Member
    I love it when packs interact. I actually bought My First Pet Stuff when I didn't yet have Cats and Dogs, and I still thought MFPS was a lot of fun with all the little creatures.
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  • nerdfashionnerdfashion Posts: 5,947 Member
    Actually, according to some of the Game Changers videos, mermaids can summon storms if you have Seasons. So it has happened before without MFPS in ts4.
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  • BobisbaeBobisbae Posts: 246 Member
    I think all packs should integrate and have features that play off each other but, like some mentioned above, that shouldn't be the main selling point of the pack. MFPS comes to mind as a poorly executed version of this and I would not ever want that to be repeated in the future.
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