Both City Living and Island Living made my game unplayable. I like being able to play multiple neighborhoods at once, but it's causing some issues. These EPs spawn asian/pacific islander names for every townie and NPC, no matter which neighborhood you're in. And Island Living spawned townies who wear beach clothes, again no matter which neighborhood it is. It wouldn't bother me except it's literally every single townie, and all the NPCs. I tried to fix it with a mod but it didn't work, and my laptop can't handle mods anyway. It's a shame bc I thought Sulani was one of the prettiest neighborhoods, and I liked the singing skill and politician career that came with City Living. They might not irritate someone who moves their family to San Myshuno or Sulani either. The families I'm playing live in Willow Creek and Brindleton Bay. Willow Creek is based in Louisiana, Brindleton Bay is somewhere in New England. Last time I checked those places don't have 80% asian/islander demographics.. Having all the residents of a city in Asia/an Island all travel to the same place my sim is in Louisiana, even walking by their house, when they don't have any family or friends there is pretty odd too. To be fair, it also annoys me that sims seem to travel too easily to/from Oasis Springs as well. While playing the Calientes I noticed sims from all neighborhoods walk around that tiny neighborhood, traveling from Louisiana or New England to go walk around in the desert. Not just occasionally, they walk past their house multiple times a day. I wish they would fix this.
The development team missed several opportunities with this expansion pack... the first one being how apartments function. The fact that we cannot create our own apartments was the #1 downfall for me... the next is the fact that we can't even visit the apartment right next door without enduring a loading screen (even 'Sims 2: Apartment Life' allowed us to do this).
I'm also highly disappointed with how they implemented the singing skill. The lack of a singer career is extremely disappointing. This should've been the pack that brought back celebrities... not 'Get Famous'. Or, they should've at least held off on the singing skill until 'Get Famous'.
Also, while this is very minor, the exclusion of elevators (except for in pent houses) doesn't make sense... I mean, why can't we just have access to them on all lots and venues? Sims 2 gave us elevators in 'Open For Business'... and we were even allowed to place them on our home lots! This honestly just seems like laziness on their part.
Another thing that really bothers me is the keyboard... when I first saw the trailers for 'City Living', I was very happy to see the return of an electronic keyboard for our Sims to play music on (the keyboard is my favorite instrument in real life)... however, the lack of it sounding like anything outside of some kind of science fiction movie was disappointing. I didn't like the keyboard in Sims 2 for this same reason. They should at least give us the option for what the keyboard sounds like when you play it.
I'm also disappointed that 'basketball' didn't become its own skill... not even a 5 level one. While this is (again) very trivial and not a huge deal breaker, I would honestly like to see different athletic abilities become their own skills at this point in the Sims franchise, as opposed to them all just contributing to an overall fitness skill. I don't even care if it's a major skill or minor one (like only 5 levels). It would be more interesting.
Also, finally, the political career was quite underwhelming... I think they missed a really big opportunity to make it much more detailed than it actually was... for example, it would've been interesting if you could choose to be part of a specific political party (obviously, they wouldn't use real life ones... but they could've included like 'The Llama Party' and 'Gnome Party'... stuff like that). Also, when you communicate with other Sims while in the political career, they have automatic reactions to your stances that you have no control over... one time I had my Sim speak with his wife about political views... and she completely had a disgusted regard for his. Like, seriously? lol I think this would've been a nice detail to add.
Sorry about the rant... I just really feel like, of all the packs they've released, "City Living" seems to be the one that missed the most opportunities.
Absolutely Island Living. By far. There's just no gameplay. Its a good looking world and that's it. So freaking shallow (heh). Take trash from the sand. Be a powerless mermaid. See a useless volcano. Talk to a useless Dolphin. Meh.
I like all the other EP's and Get Together is my favorite. The club system is amazing, Windenburg is definitely the best world we have (It's the biggest and most diverse, it has an old town, a modern town, a countryside area and an Island). The CAS and BB items are killers and there are some great features like Cafe's, Nightclubs, DJ booth, Photography skill. I mean, it's just the most solid pack imho.
Get together is my favorite expansion pack too, i can't understand those who dislike it. The game feels very empty without it, it adds so much gameplay, interactions and beautiful lots.
It adds a European inspired world(the biggest one in the whole game), a beautiful castle with a haunted maze, cafes, clubs, darts, bonfires, lots of places to hangout and things for your sims to do outside of their home, that's the point of it.
Get Together. I found it didn't really add too many new features except for clubs, and I find that sims just use the computer if there is on one the lot during a club meeting even when that is not an activity. I don't mind some of the more minor features it added, but it is my least favourite out of all of the packs, my order from best to worst is:
Seasons
Island Living
Cats and Dogs
City Living
Get to Work
Get Famous
Get Together
Apart from using the build/buy for my houses as I prefer the European/medieval style I don’t really use the pack. I find I have make a conscious effort to use the club system. Also even though I love the build/buy stuff and the medieval look I don’t really use windenburg as a world that often. I get much better use out of the other expansion packs I own.
> @AllieSootie said: > Get Together. I found it didn't really add too many new features except for clubs, and I find that sims just use the computer if there is on one the lot during a club meeting even when that is not an activity. I don't mind some of the more minor features it added, but it is my least favourite out of all of the packs, my order from best to worst is: > > Seasons > Island Living > Cats and Dogs > City Living > Get to Work > Get Famous > Get Together
Get Together seems cool the first couple of days, then you forget it exists like SPA Day. Even though I use some of the stuff in build mode, play around with some premades, and Windenburg being a beutiful world, the whole club idea that was advertised turned out to be a disappointment in my opinion.
The closest I could get was City Living - and through no fault of it's own - but because I cannot have it's apts in other worlds so at most I resent that fact - because what it does offer is good and I enjoy a lot about it including it's Sims and festivals - but I still resent only having apts in the City as I don't care to play Cities with my own Sims. Still it is not enough reason for me to make it a worse ep as it delivers everything it says it does - technically.
So my answer is none of the above do I consider a worse game - not when I have a lot of fun with all these packs even if I sort of resent something like not being able to build apts in other worlds. I also resent Get Famous world for not offering more lots - still - even though I now have fun playing what it does offer. I guess I look at all the eps more as giving me my cups all half full instead of half empty. They are all fun to play to me in the end and to me that is what matters.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....
It was between Get to Work and Island Living for me. Though I picked Island Living, as Get to Work is at least attempting to add new gameplay, despite the bugs and being repetitive and such, it was trying a brand new thing of active careers. Island Living just has no new gameplay really. Aside from the career, which is just another work from home reskin, and mermaids don't really have anything either, just sims with tails when in the water (not even a new bassinet or urn, the only occult without one - even aliens got them). I've not played with it lots, but aside from the world, idk what it really adds to the game at all. GTW at least tries (and kinda fails in some ways), whereas IL doesn't even try.
I'll probably be crucified for this, but I vote Cats and Dogs. I don't think it's a bad pack per se, it's just that pets don't interest me gamewise, so it's my least favourite expansion pack thus far.
The pets are whatever. I find I rarely add them to a family as there are too many issues. Can't go on walks properly, can't scold for poor behaviour properly, the family thinks they need to buy more pet supplies despite the fact the pet has been dead forever, all the pets in the neighbourhood are constantly sick. I could have done without this pack. I love Seasons though. I couldn't imagine playing without the change in weather. It adds so much to the game.
I just do not use this. I motherlode my Sims 99% of the time and don't use the go-with-them careers. The BB items are all very institutionalized and bland. Not a single memorable CAS item. I don't get the enjoyment out of it as I do all the others.
It seems like some of the problems GTW had from the beginning have yet to be fixed. Retail turned out to be more of a time waster than something that made game play enjoyable. Magnolia Promenade has four total lots, and only one is empty. I think I still use a few things from this EP, but I'm not so sure now. The careers that came with it never interested me. This might be the one EP I regret buying.
"That person who helps others simply because it should or must be done, and because it is the right thing to do, is indeed without a doubt, a real superhero." - Stan Lee
Its just so boring. There's diddly squat to do. They did mermaids dirty by not making them interesting or given them their own area. Yeah its pretty, but pretty things to look at doesnt equal gameplay. Im honestly glad I held off on buying on release, as well as got it for free! Its not worth the price tag. Like, they couldve removed one feature from it and it would qualify as a GP. Im hopeful that we get a resort pack, so that I can turn Sulani into a tourist trap.
Comments
I'm also highly disappointed with how they implemented the singing skill. The lack of a singer career is extremely disappointing. This should've been the pack that brought back celebrities... not 'Get Famous'. Or, they should've at least held off on the singing skill until 'Get Famous'.
Also, while this is very minor, the exclusion of elevators (except for in pent houses) doesn't make sense... I mean, why can't we just have access to them on all lots and venues? Sims 2 gave us elevators in 'Open For Business'... and we were even allowed to place them on our home lots! This honestly just seems like laziness on their part.
Another thing that really bothers me is the keyboard... when I first saw the trailers for 'City Living', I was very happy to see the return of an electronic keyboard for our Sims to play music on (the keyboard is my favorite instrument in real life)... however, the lack of it sounding like anything outside of some kind of science fiction movie was disappointing. I didn't like the keyboard in Sims 2 for this same reason. They should at least give us the option for what the keyboard sounds like when you play it.
I'm also disappointed that 'basketball' didn't become its own skill... not even a 5 level one. While this is (again) very trivial and not a huge deal breaker, I would honestly like to see different athletic abilities become their own skills at this point in the Sims franchise, as opposed to them all just contributing to an overall fitness skill. I don't even care if it's a major skill or minor one (like only 5 levels). It would be more interesting.
Also, finally, the political career was quite underwhelming... I think they missed a really big opportunity to make it much more detailed than it actually was... for example, it would've been interesting if you could choose to be part of a specific political party (obviously, they wouldn't use real life ones... but they could've included like 'The Llama Party' and 'Gnome Party'... stuff like that). Also, when you communicate with other Sims while in the political career, they have automatic reactions to your stances that you have no control over... one time I had my Sim speak with his wife about political views... and she completely had a disgusted regard for his. Like, seriously? lol I think this would've been a nice detail to add.
Sorry about the rant... I just really feel like, of all the packs they've released, "City Living" seems to be the one that missed the most opportunities.
Sims 1: Hot Date
Sims 2: Seasons
Sims 2: Happy Holiday Stuff
Sims 3: Seasons
Sims 3: 70's, 80's, & 90's Stuff
Sims 4: Seasons
Sims 4: Paranormal Stuff
Sims 4: Strangerville Game Pack
i regret buying it, i wish i could get a refund
Get together is my favorite expansion pack too, i can't understand those who dislike it. The game feels very empty without it, it adds so much gameplay, interactions and beautiful lots.
It adds a European inspired world(the biggest one in the whole game), a beautiful castle with a haunted maze, cafes, clubs, darts, bonfires, lots of places to hangout and things for your sims to do outside of their home, that's the point of it.
Seasons
Island Living
Cats and Dogs
City Living
Get to Work
Get Famous
Get Together
> Get Together. I found it didn't really add too many new features except for clubs, and I find that sims just use the computer if there is on one the lot during a club meeting even when that is not an activity. I don't mind some of the more minor features it added, but it is my least favourite out of all of the packs, my order from best to worst is:
>
> Seasons
> Island Living
> Cats and Dogs
> City Living
> Get to Work
> Get Famous
> Get Together
Finally some Island Living appreciation!
I disliked the concept and the world, so for the first time in my sims life I did not buy an EP.
for more take a look at my showcase:
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/918679/emere-osiazul-showcase-new-steampunk-karaoke#latest
I like a lot about them all so I can't pick one.
The closest I could get was City Living - and through no fault of it's own - but because I cannot have it's apts in other worlds so at most I resent that fact - because what it does offer is good and I enjoy a lot about it including it's Sims and festivals - but I still resent only having apts in the City as I don't care to play Cities with my own Sims. Still it is not enough reason for me to make it a worse ep as it delivers everything it says it does - technically.
So my answer is none of the above do I consider a worse game - not when I have a lot of fun with all these packs even if I sort of resent something like not being able to build apts in other worlds. I also resent Get Famous world for not offering more lots - still - even though I now have fun playing what it does offer. I guess I look at all the eps more as giving me my cups all half full instead of half empty. They are all fun to play to me in the end and to me that is what matters.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....
That's it