By that I don't mean that there isn't some good stuff; I like some of the objects, like being able to go to college, etc. But holy craptrap it's just one annoyance after another. It's like it's designed that way purposely.
Living in the dorms was the worse; sims throwing food everywhere, playing instruments, turning up music, inviting over random townies, just throwing a pile of trash on the floor for no reason. They'd rarely approach my sim, but the second he tried to study, BAM, pester pester pester. Add some items so the place feels like a real college dorm, and instantly regretted it. Play ping pong, play ping pong, play ping pong. Shut off that autonomy. Do keg stand, do keg stand, do keg stand, shut that down. Study soccer strategy, study soccer strategy, study soccer strategy. Throw sim off building (if only I could...an expansion with nothing but new and glorious ways to kill your sims when they're being annoying would probably outsell all the previous ones combined).
Things got better when I redesigned Darkwing House and moved over there, but it was basically just on a smaller scale. Still had Jaques Villareal hanging out 50% of the time just because he was a roommate's random friend. And the fact that even in a small house grills and stoves aren't allowed is just plain stupid.
Then there's soccer. Managed to make it to the top level, but in 4 weeks of playing was injured about 50% of the time. A little bit excessive. And always exhausted, always filthy. If you're going to go through all that there should be better payback, like adoring fans or something. Anything.
Even the little interactions seem keyed to failure. Tap the keg, fail, get a bad moodlet. Try and do a keg stand, fail, get a bad moodlet. It took me 6 times at one point to get a keg tapped, and this as an engineering student who'd already tapped about ten other kegs. And yeah, I've seen some people get dropped doing keg stands irl, but not 60% of the time. This kind of stuff isn't nearly as whacky and funny as Maxis seems to think it is, especially in excess.
I even got a bad moodlet for eating too many quick meals (and who's fault is that?). Fine; sorta realistic. Went over to the commons, but it was 9:30am, and it said dinner wasn't until 5 o'clock. Really?!? So I decided to go to a real park and grill. And when the the travel option opened up, it had one of my roommates highlighted to go with me, which I clicked off. So what does he do? Shows up anyway, in a group. Second time in a row he just comes along whether I want him to or not. Can't I just play my game without having things crammed down my throat? I guess after five years I should know the answer to that.
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(can’t comment on the rest - don’t have the pack - but it sounds like them overdoing basically fine ideas yet again)
Now, see, you just summed it up best in regards to all of their game packs with the phrase "overdoing basically fine ideas". Yessssss!!! It's like I don't want to complain when they add something great that everyone asked for but then they always go overboard with some aspect of the game. Also, whereas when my regular non-university career Sims complete their job, but not all the work, they still tend to get promoted.
However, thus far, it doesn't seem to be the case for Uni Sim Students. I don't want to use a cheat, but I'll see how long a term takes for Sims to complete without using one!
I'm happy to say that, for the most part I quite enjoyed it and it kept me really busy which was a welcome thing. Having said that, I totally understand some of the points you've made as I experienced them too.
I spent only one term in a dorm before starting a new save because I didn't realize that you have no choice but to sell your house if your household is only one Sim. The week my Sim spent in the dorm was wild to say the least. It's as if dorms are completely devoid of any kind of logic or law and Sims just do the most random things at the most random times. In the end, I was glad that I went against the idea of a dorm and just went to my classes from home instead.
Then there's the pestering, oh how I feel your pain regarding this one lol. The best place for my Sim to study was at home which is kinda boring. I liked having my Sim study in either the commons or the library so that they could eat or do something fun immediately after since I'm all about the convenience. My Sim could not get through one meal, complete homework or a term paper in peace because there would always be a stranger that would not leave my Sim alone. I could understand it if my Sim knew half of these other Sims but they don't. I always keep autonomy off for everything, but not even that could spare me.
The kegs also got a bit annoying in the end. I didn't have much issue tapping them but trying to do the keg stand would more often than not fail miserably. I was also expecting Sims to all gather round when someone attempts to do a keg stand and cheer them on or something, but no one seems interested so it doesn't make it a great party addition.
Here's hoping that they will tweak a few of these things in the next patch update!
BOLD HIGHLIGHT...uuuugggh! Why the heck make us suffer for MAKING US have to abid from YOUR rules Sims Team/
Sims with high mixology skills have better luck tapping kegs. I believe the keg stands are a hidden skill, the more you do them the better you get.
The answer to this was posted in this thread by kalaksed:
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/968974/abandoned-food-in-the-dorm-discover-university/p1
This is basically the function of hidden traits assigned to npc roommates. In the thread kalaksed shows how these can be removed or changed.
As for the rest of it 🤷🏼♀️ It’s pretty relatable to actual dorm life IMO.
The endless dumping of random trash in the same spot (always just outside the bathroom) I can relate to. My sim’s Mom visited the dorm every day. I don’t recognise my roommates annoying my sim. I found the opposite- they ignored my sim but would invite themselves along on my sims outings.
The constant plates of lobster Thermidor being brought over though? No just no. If it was lobster it was cake or cookies. My room mates threw “parties” at 9am that consisted of violin players and cookies and hanging out in the bathroom. My dorm mates ignored the keg. I agree the constant moodlet from eating ready meals is annoying but my sim had plenty of lobster to eat cause apparently that’s the food of students at Foxbury. What drove me crazy was my sim refusing to do her homework at her own desk. In fact none of the students did their homework in their rooms. To me dorms are very unrealistic. From no kitchen (not normal for me in real life dorms, to my sims “wild” 9am parties and constant music practice, it felt like university for children.
I lived in uni dorms for 4 years, and the garbage, random food left out to rot (on the counter or in the fridge), 'parties' consisting of neighbours sitting in the hallway with a guitar (or another instrument) and talking about random stuff until 1am, and talking to whoever is sitting in the common room or kitchen was pretty much what I experienced in uni.
Fun times, but I'm glad I have my own fridge in my own place now.
In Sims 3 the dorm is much like you describe. Buzzing, busy, noisy (often three radios are turned on, people playing video games, the tv set), spoiled food on plates everywhere, dirty laundry on the floor, beds left unmade (!), people having (group) conversations, quite often an argument. But it makes sense. The plates are left there by sims (so in the beginning there are none, it piles up later in the week), laundry only piles up when they change clothes, the conversations (the arguments) are trait based, which means it’s always the same ones fighting, the radios are actually turned on by sims, not the game.
The way I read it, this is not comparable to the situation in Sims 4.
I got into TS3 very late, and I unfortunately I didn’t get the university pack (had lots of fun with pets though!).
From what understand, some of your typical dorm things are happening in TS4, but it’s getting to a point that’s extreme and unrealistic?
In my opinion there is a big difference between the two. My sims 3 dorms feel more like a dorm. My dorm mates may be messy but it makes sense. No one brings back lobster or cake but there’s no need. Yes there is mess which Is realistic but it makes sense. Like you say when you move in the dorm is clean.
I kind of feel like dorm mates in the sims 4 being messy is just for the sake of it rather than realism. Like the constant bringing of cake, cookies and food is a really over used feature from day two of dorm life. My sims dance, they watch tv, one plays the violin. They rarely talk to each other let alone my sim and they have no idea of personal space- why use your own desk when you can go across the hall and use someone else’s? I’ve said it elsewhere but to me dorms just lack that feeling of dorm life that sims 2+3 captured so well. But I think it’s because the sims personalities is so lacking. My sim has two evil roommates, but despite living in close quarters until graduation they behaved the exact same way as all the other sims and watched tv all the time. Living in close quarters you would expect roommates to get on your nerves especially if there are personality clashes but this doesn’t exist naturally in the sims 4 which is a base game problem but I think spilled over into discover university making dorms quite dull. To me the students don’t act like students just regular sims and when you get visiting sims there’s no difference. Also why do the parents visit every day? Just why?!
Whereas in my sims 2 dorm my sim hates one of her roommates. They autonomously fight if they are in the same space and I have to manage her interactions. The atmosphere is so much more realistic to me. I can actually feel like a broke college student. It’s hard to play that story in sims 4 when you are living in a massive dorm with plates of lobster everywhere. Sims do their homework but they also do other activities. Very rarely do you see them just sitting watching tv and eating.
You need to successfully tap 12 times (or fail 48 times) to never fail again, afaik
Happy Simming, I do hope you'll enjoy other aspects of the pack, maybe have one of your Sims attend uni off-campus? Good luck!
They are ALWAYS needing to go the bathroom waddling to it, always stinky and always uncomfortable and grumpy
They take care of their own needs. In the winter though they will complain of being cold because there’s no thermostat. You have to cheat and add one. I haven’t had any dying because of that but I saw on Twitter Some people said that was the case for them.
My sim is a celebrity with the Star Treatment perk so I just hired a scheduled maid for free to keep the filth down to a minimum.
> Then there's soccer. Managed to make it to the top level, but in 4 weeks of playing was injured about 50% of the time. A little bit excessive. And always exhausted, always filthy. If you're going to go through all that there should be better payback, like adoring fans or something. Anything.
Same here! My sim wasn't relying on the scholarship for it but I just wanted her to be active. I just always teleported her from the soccer field to the dorms so she can clean off and sleep quickly. I also lowered her classes to 2 per semester because otherwise she'd be in the worst mood. I heard about the UI mod which can help if you want to increase specific stats.
Also can we talk about how 🐸🐸🐸🐸 annoying the bikes are?! It'd take my sim 20 minutes to take it out of her inventory, 10 minutes to get on. Then, it'd take her 10 minutes to get off and 20 minutes to put it back in her inventory. I'd have to plan her going everywhere an hour in advance so she's not late to classes. I got annoyed so I just sold her bike and teleported her everywhere. Now, she (graduated) lives in a house with her boyfriend who is still in college and he has it so much easier lucky him.