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  stilljustme2 Posts: 25,082 Member

  June 2019 edited June 2019

  It's not as simple as looking at the number of items compared to the price of the pack. You've got the "under the hood" stuff, the programming that makes aliens possible in GTW and clubs in GT and mermaids in IL, or the ability to customize a menu and send your Sims out to eat in DO, or even in an SP like Movie Hangout the movies and popcorn popper. That programming takes people, and labor is a large part of Cost of Goods Sold (dragging out my Cost Accounting from 30+ years ago). Just because they're not using actual materials like metal and wood and fabric to make a sofa doesn't mean it's free.

  Check out my Gallery! Origin ID: justme22
  Fun must be always -- Tomas Hertl (San Jose Sharks hockey player)

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  Techbilt Posts: 258 Member

  June 2019

  @stilljustme2 I only use the game to build or make pretty sims, the live mode just doesn't keep me engaged enough to play it which is why I didn't include any of the gameplay mechanics. But I do think its interesting to see where the trade-offs might have been like in seasons, for example, they sacrificed items to give us the calendar and the ability to create our own holidays.

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  BluebellFlora Posts: 7,110 Member

  June 2019

  I'm a builder too and don't care much for gameplay but it's a bit unfair to say they sacrificed items to add functionality to the game. People who actually play would say they sacrificed functionality to give us more items in some packs

  

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  Techbilt Posts: 258 Member

  June 2019 edited June 2019

  Sure its a two sided coin and I'm presenting it from my side of the coin someone who play in live mode is welcome to bring their side of the coin, but I just find it interesting that the community as a whole tends to say that Seasons in the best expansion back (from builders to story tellers) and I just find it interesting that its got the least items out of any expansion pack but still has such great replay value and is so loved by the community.

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  BluebellFlora Posts: 7,110 Member

  June 2019

  Seasons adds weather which affects every player and adds functionality which is pretty much forced on us all - builders, live mode players, Sim makers. No other pack does that, you can choose which aspects you want to incorporate into your builds/Sims/gameplay. I'm with you in that I look at objects too rather than functionality, it would be interesting if someone did the equivalent comparison but for additional gameplay, interactions, functionality.

  

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  Techbilt Posts: 258 Member

  June 2019

  I'm really hoping someone does, I'm not skilled/smart enough to figure out how to do it on my own.

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  tadeoalonso2 Posts: 35 Member

  June 2019

  In the sims 1 and 2 we would get 100 new build/buy items but at least 20 had new gameplay interactions, now we get 400 but 395 of those are just wall decals, chairs and plants

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  g01denswan Posts: 1,028 Member

  June 2019

  The price we pay for an EP, GP or SP is not only for the objects. We're also paying for their other expenses associated with running a business, such as rent, insurance, furniture, computers, software licenses, marketing, etc.
  
  Also, some items take more time for them to create than others so you can't just take the price and divide by the number of objects. For base game objects, they can just remesh, retexture and reuse the same interactions/animations, but new interactive objects require new programming and animations that take a big chunk of the pack's budget.
  
  You also need to consider that not all new game play such as running a business in GTW, setting restaurant menus in DO, and creating holidays in SN are objects. These systems take time to program and take up a part of the pack's budget.

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  nerdfashion Posts: 5,947 Member

  June 2019

  City Living has 3 careers I though...?

  
  
  

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  Sindocat Posts: 5,622 Member

  June 2019

  Interesting.
  
  On this scale, Island Living, the second highest rated EP on the CPI (cost per item) index, clocks in between Spa Day and Parenthood - the two Game Packs I have so far, and a good deal less expensive than Perfect Patio, which was my first and so far only Stuff Pack, gifted to me.
  
  I consider all of those money well spent, so on the basis of this scale, Island Living looks like a very good deal at its retail price. I was already leaning toward this as my first EP, and this is encouraging. Yes, I am reading all about the perceived shortcomings and bugs, as well. Even so.
  

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  ClarionOfJoy Posts: 1,945 Member

  July 2019

  Sindocat wrote: »

  Interesting.
  
  On this scale, Island Living, the second highest rated EP on the CPI (cost per item) index, clocks in between Spa Day and Parenthood - the two Game Packs I have so far, and a good deal less expensive than Perfect Patio, which was my first and so far only Stuff Pack, gifted to me.
  
  I consider all of those money well spent, so on the basis of this scale, Island Living looks like a very good deal at its retail price. I was already leaning toward this as my first EP, and this is encouraging. Yes, I am reading all about the perceived shortcomings and bugs, as well. Even so.

  
  I don't think the Island Living pack is a good deal just based off this simple calculation. If anything, the charts just confirms that the pack didn't have as much content as most of the others but it's still being sold at the EP price. One would have to add a weighted value multiplier for each item based on added gameplay and features/interactions to give a better idea of each item's value.
  
  For example, there are 4 careers listed - I only remember three (what's the fourth?), but the diving and lifeguard careers are rabbitholes, while the conservationist career is active. I would give a higher weighted value multiplier to the active career over the rabbit hole careers.
  
  I think it's better to read a lot of player feedback, what they like and didn't like, what has been added different from previous iterations, what has been omitted, as well as trying it out on trial or from a friend before considering buying the pack.
  
  I'm glad I didn't pre-order it. When all the news came out about what they omitted and that it was suppose to be GP but packaged it as an EP with the EP price (GREEDY!), the new content or features weren't enough for me to want to buy it.
  

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  TomasGrizzly Posts: 736 Member

  July 2019

  Techbilt wrote: »

  this doesn't include any gameplay mechanics
  
  All items in CAS are weighed the same, interactive items are weighed the same as decorative items.

  These two things are a major factor, though. Gameplay mechanics are the major selling points, for one thing.
  And interactive/uninteractive items make a major difference. Look at Cats&Dogs, there are tons of pawprint decals and similar clutter that is completely passive but pushes the number of items up a lot. I can imagine GTW and Get Famous have a lot of decorations as well. Seasons have lower item count but the weather is likely one of the most complex mechanics. Parenthood has a lot of mechanics in the character values and the events related to it. Etc.
  

  I like fantasy and a bit of Sci-Fi. Want to know what I'm reading?
  I also like wandering the hills.

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  Francl27 Posts: 761 Member

  July 2019

  And half of them are useless because their stats suck.

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