After buying RoM, I find the gameplay of both pretty satisfying. The magic realm is also breathtaking. My only disappointment was with build and buy, because the new items are too few, even if gorgeous.
But personally, I still prefer vampires. I think the tragedy of their undeath and the need to kill evens out the perks of being one. There’s a sadness to their existence, just like there’s a sadness to ours.
I do love the scholarly aura many witches possess though, as I really enjoy academic lifestyle and the thrill and reward of study and discovery. I’m having a blast with my spellcaster!
> @To7m said:
> (Quote)
>
> After having to walk to the sink though. My magical sim can cast from afar.
>
> Honestly, these excuses are weak. Yes we have aspiration points, but you’ll run out eventually if you don’t cheat. You can only earn so many. I can cast scruberoo countless times.... from down the street or I can teleport. And yes vampire have mist form but unless you’re a vampire... that ain’t helping you anytime soon. You’d even have to learn the wellness skill, then meditate, then teleport...
>
> Like, yeah, magic is cheating in a way. That’s kinda the point of it. So carry on cleaning your sinks by hand, while we wave our wands from the beach in Sulani 🤷🏼♂️
>
> Coconut drinks anyone?
>
> —T
You do realize Vampires have superior teleportation right?
Bat Form > Broom as the Spellcaster tends to go outside first before they get on the room, the Vampire however will become a Bat from anywhere plus the animation is shorter so they get their quicker.
Mist Form > Teleport as the animation I feel is shorter as well therefor they get their quicker.
Vampiric Super Speed is also very useful, especially when you want to reorganize things, sometimes it is quicker to run from point A to Point B then use any form of teleportation, also yeah a Vampire will usually almost always beat a Spellcaster in a fight.
Not to mention that vampires can do all 3 of those while holding a toddler. Casters teleport can't.
Big whoop. Set a caster to always teleport and they do it with them too. And pets. And books, cups, dishes... it’s literslly the same power with a different animation and name.
Listen to what you’re comparing. An *immortal* lifestate that does not need to go to the toilet to a *human* sim with magic. Of course vampires are going to be ‘better’ in that respect that is the perk of being a vampire. Casters are different, I prefer them as I like my sims to age and die as I get bored of the same one after too long, I don’t have to mess around getting sim rays, meditation, cleaning... any of that, I can just learn a spell. Your vampire still needs to rank to level 5, most of the spells a caster need to do those things are below max level 🤷🏼♂️
Vampires have to have a perk to go out in the day lol my caster doesn’t. Your vampire will live forever regardless, my caster has a choice. Vampires have what? 6 or 7 active powers? Some of them require 3 points to even have an affect. My caster has 15 potions and 20 odd spells. If we really want to start comparing I know who will win, for me. Vampires are cool, I like them and use them regularly, but casters do more without having to get a job or learn anything but a spell or potion. And once they have the distance casting they don’t even have to walk anywhere.
Big whoop. Set a caster to always teleport and they do it with them too. And pets. And books, cups, dishes... it’s literslly the same power with a different animation and name.
Listen to what you’re comparing. An *immortal* lifestate that does not need to go to the toilet to a *human* sim with magic. Of course vampires are going to be ‘better’ in that respect that is the perk of being a vampire. Casters are different, I prefer them as I like my sims to age and die as I get bored of the same one after too long, I don’t have to mess around getting sim rays, meditation, cleaning... any of that, I can just learn a spell. Your vampire still needs to rank to level 5, most of the spells a caster need to do those things are below max level 🤷🏼♂️
Vampires have to have a perk to go out in the day lol my caster doesn’t. Your vampire will live forever regardless, my caster has a choice. Vampires have what? 6 or 7 active powers? Some of them require 3 points to even have an affect. My caster has 15 potions and 20 odd spells. If we really want to start comparing I know who will win, for me. Vampires are cool, I like them and use them regularly, but casters do more without having to get a job or learn anything but a spell or potion. And once they have the distance casting they don’t even have to walk anywhere.
—T
Thinking my one witch was bugged I went and tested every one of my spellcasters that had a cat or toddler. With or without having always teleport enabled not a single one of them will teleport while holding a pet or toddler. Are ALL six casters that I tested bugged?
As for the rest, spellcasters are basically scientist humans that learnt to put all the technology into a stick. None of their perks or abilities need more than one point to buy, I can only assume they need things more.. simple.
I wouldn't want my casters to be immortal either when their option is old age forever.
I have to say though that a vampire and caster couple is everything I could have hoped for.
Big whoop. Set a caster to always teleport and they do it with them too. And pets. And books, cups, dishes... it’s literslly the same power with a different animation and name.
Listen to what you’re comparing. An *immortal* lifestate that does not need to go to the toilet to a *human* sim with magic. Of course vampires are going to be ‘better’ in that respect that is the perk of being a vampire. Casters are different, I prefer them as I like my sims to age and die as I get bored of the same one after too long, I don’t have to mess around getting sim rays, meditation, cleaning... any of that, I can just learn a spell. Your vampire still needs to rank to level 5, most of the spells a caster need to do those things are below max level 🤷🏼♂️
Vampires have to have a perk to go out in the day lol my caster doesn’t. Your vampire will live forever regardless, my caster has a choice. Vampires have what? 6 or 7 active powers? Some of them require 3 points to even have an affect. My caster has 15 potions and 20 odd spells. If we really want to start comparing I know who will win, for me. Vampires are cool, I like them and use them regularly, but casters do more without having to get a job or learn anything but a spell or potion. And once they have the distance casting they don’t even have to walk anywhere.
—T
24 spells btw And sun immunity is like a rank 4 Vampire ability which is pretty high...
Occultism in Sims is family-friendly and should not be watered down to cater to realism players
@CelSims I agree with the vampire and spell caster couple being everything I could have hoped for, too! My spell caster is married to a vampire, and with their powers combined, they make a fun little powerhouse duo. The two occult life states seem to mesh really well, and I enjoy their easy going synergy.
> @To7m said:
> (Quote)
>
> After having to walk to the sink though. My magical sim can cast from afar.
>
> Honestly, these excuses are weak. Yes we have aspiration points, but you’ll run out eventually if you don’t cheat. You can only earn so many. I can cast scruberoo countless times.... from down the street or I can teleport. And yes vampire have mist form but unless you’re a vampire... that ain’t helping you anytime soon. You’d even have to learn the wellness skill, then meditate, then teleport...
>
> Like, yeah, magic is cheating in a way. That’s kinda the point of it. So carry on cleaning your sinks by hand, while we wave our wands from the beach in Sulani 🤷🏼♂️
>
> Coconut drinks anyone?
>
> —T
You do realize Vampires have superior teleportation right?
Bat Form > Broom as the Spellcaster tends to go outside first before they get on the room, the Vampire however will become a Bat from anywhere plus the animation is shorter so they get their quicker.
Mist Form > Teleport as the animation I feel is shorter as well therefor they get their quicker.
Vampiric Super Speed is also very useful, especially when you want to reorganize things, sometimes it is quicker to run from point A to Point B then use any form of teleportation, also yeah a Vampire will usually almost always beat a Spellcaster in a fight.
Not to mention that vampires can do all 3 of those while holding a toddler. Casters teleport can't.
Big whoop. Set a caster to always teleport and they do it with them too. And pets. And books, cups, dishes... it’s literslly the same power with a different animation and name.
Listen to what you’re comparing. An *immortal* lifestate that does not need to go to the toilet to a *human* sim with magic. Of course vampires are going to be ‘better’ in that respect that is the perk of being a vampire. Casters are different, I prefer them as I like my sims to age and die as I get bored of the same one after too long, I don’t have to mess around getting sim rays, meditation, cleaning... any of that, I can just learn a spell. Your vampire still needs to rank to level 5, most of the spells a caster need to do those things are below max level 🤷🏼♂️
Vampires have to have a perk to go out in the day lol my caster doesn’t. Your vampire will live forever regardless, my caster has a choice. Vampires have what? 6 or 7 active powers? Some of them require 3 points to even have an affect. My caster has 15 potions and 20 odd spells. If we really want to start comparing I know who will win, for me. Vampires are cool, I like them and use them regularly, but casters do more without having to get a job or learn anything but a spell or potion. And once they have the distance casting they don’t even have to walk anywhere.
—T
Actually the Spellcaster has 24 spells in total however the Spellcaster has Despario and Deliriate and we count them as separate spells so why should I not consider the 14 different powers of Emotional Influence that exist in the Vampires arsenal as all being separate spells? add that together with all their other abilities and Vampires actually have almost as many powers as the Spellcaster does and for the majority of them the Vampire has the better version.
As I like to say Greater Power comes at a Greater Price.
I think they didn't put as much effort into the gameplay in this pack. To level up in spellcasting, you just spam the same grindy things over and over again. With vampires, you first got bit, had to wait 3 days, then went through a few days where your thirst need was CRAZY, you got a cute tutorial where Vlad kept creepin' on you for days, and all the while learning from the vampire that turned you and having a special "Master" and "Offspring" relationship with them.
For spellcasters, just talk to any sage, doesn't matter which one 'cuz there's no special relationship or anything like you could have with Vlad, just a quick discussion, and watch them pop a magic bubble to learn from them. Not to mention the quest to become a spellcaster takes maybe 2 minutes if you're playing on single speed. Then to gain spellcaster experience and learn new spells, just repeat the practice magic interaction. Maybe change it up by having your sim stir a cauldron for a couple hours instead, and finding plenty of potion ingredients is really easy at the nearby shops, not to mention it doesn't cost much ingredients to make potions in the first place. It's the same interaction over and over and over again.
With vampires, there was more incentive to train with your teacher. They would show you how to use powers, and teach you how to fight as a vampire. You also gained experience by eating other sims by force, using new powers on targets, and it integrated well with everyday activities. Studying vampire lore unlocked recipes, and you had to harvest and grow plants, then master the mixology skill to be able to cure yourself if you wanted to.
And with witches in Sims 3, you first just had to play with magic, then you learned how to conjure apples and turn seeds into another type of collectable that would be useful to your alchemy. You had to search the world for rare seeds, or spend hours trying to convert a fish into a rare special seed. And even then, you didn't know what plant it would be when it grew up. You had to grow and collect your own potion ingredients, or send a dog or werewolf out to hunt gems for you, and the amount of ingredients you could buy from the elixer store was a lot more limited than the Caster's Alley shops.
If you studied hard, you would then be able to turn a sim into a toad-sim, not a random unmovable object, but that sim would go about their day all green with a frog head. You could raise zombies to life or turn a living sim into a zombie. Or dedicate your life to healing the zombies other witches created. If you wanted to cure all your needs with magic you had to practice your magic for a long time, and you didn't have to use the same play with magic interaction to do so. Casting your spells normally would raise your hidden magic skill. You could just be trying to convert a seed into something you need for alchemy and unlock zombification in the process. You're also more limited on how many spells you can cast before you have to rest and restore your mana.
Also, Sims 3 had a fortune telling career. And if you bought the extra fortune telling crystal ball from the sims 3 store and installed it, then it would raise your hidden magic skill as you used it. Your sim wasn't just doing magic for the sake of learning magic. You could be a healer, an evil witch, a fortune teller, or a fortune telling scammer. And that fortune career required you to meet with your clients outside of the rabbit hole work hours too and read their fortunes to them on your own time.
Spellcasters in the Sims 4 is too easy and too grindy, and there's not a lot to do. They spent more effort making a pretty voidy world thing and cut back on in-depth gameplay that actually integrates into everyday life. It makes me really upset too because I've been waiting SO LONG for new occults since vampires, and mermaids are just downgraded aliens and spellcasters were done so dirty.
I think they didn't put as much effort into the gameplay in this pack. To level up in spellcasting, you just spam the same grindy things over and over again. With vampires, you first got bit, had to wait 3 days, then went through a few days where your thirst need was CRAZY, you got a cute tutorial where Vlad kept creepin' on you for days, and all the while learning from the vampire that turned you and having a special "Master" and "Offspring" relationship with them.
For spellcasters, just talk to any sage, doesn't matter which one 'cuz there's no special relationship or anything like you could have with Vlad, just a quick discussion, and watch them pop a magic bubble to learn from them. Not to mention the quest to become a spellcaster takes maybe 2 minutes if you're playing on single speed. Then to gain spellcaster experience and learn new spells, just repeat the practice magic interaction. Maybe change it up by having your sim stir a cauldron for a couple hours instead, and finding plenty of potion ingredients is really easy at the nearby shops, not to mention it doesn't cost much ingredients to make potions in the first place. It's the same interaction over and over and over again.
With vampires, there was more incentive to train with your teacher. They would show you how to use powers, and teach you how to fight as a vampire. You also gained experience by eating other sims by force, using new powers on targets, and it integrated well with everyday activities. Studying vampire lore unlocked recipes, and you had to harvest and grow plants, then master the mixology skill to be able to cure yourself if you wanted to.
And with witches in Sims 3, you first just had to play with magic, then you learned how to conjure apples and turn seeds into another type of collectable that would be useful to your alchemy. You had to search the world for rare seeds, or spend hours trying to convert a fish into a rare special seed. And even then, you didn't know what plant it would be when it grew up. You had to grow and collect your own potion ingredients, or send a dog or werewolf out to hunt gems for you, and the amount of ingredients you could buy from the elixer store was a lot more limited than the Caster's Alley shops.
If you studied hard, you would then be able to turn a sim into a toad-sim, not a random unmovable object, but that sim would go about their day all green with a frog head. You could raise zombies to life or turn a living sim into a zombie. Or dedicate your life to healing the zombies other witches created. If you wanted to cure all your needs with magic you had to practice your magic for a long time, and you didn't have to use the same play with magic interaction to do so. Casting your spells normally would raise your hidden magic skill. You could just be trying to convert a seed into something you need for alchemy and unlock zombification in the process. You're also more limited on how many spells you can cast before you have to rest and restore your mana.
Also, Sims 3 had a fortune telling career. And if you bought the extra fortune telling crystal ball from the sims 3 store and installed it, then it would raise your hidden magic skill as you used it. Your sim wasn't just doing magic for the sake of learning magic. You could be a healer, an evil witch, a fortune teller, or a fortune telling scammer. And that fortune career required you to meet with your clients outside of the rabbit hole work hours too and read their fortunes to them on your own time.
Spellcasters in the Sims 4 is too easy and too grindy, and there's not a lot to do. They spent more effort making a pretty voidy world thing and cut back on in-depth gameplay that actually integrates into everyday life. It makes me really upset too because I've been waiting SO LONG for new occults since vampires, and mermaids are just downgraded aliens and spellcasters were done so dirty.
Agreed, there is also something to be said that vampires was a truly ground breaking pack in the sims franchise. This iteration of sims 4 has many critics but I think the majority agree that vampires is really the exception. It was a very innovative approach and really felt inspired at the time, the CAS, the BB, the perk tree, the weakness, the world (mostly) were all good. The pack itself is extremely cohesive and everything just works together really well.
Realm of Magic is roughly the same quality as Vampires and contains the same amount of content. For me personally it just didn't have the same shock and awe that vampires had. I feel like it is a less cohesive as a pack too but again also a personal opinion. I think part of the disconnect with me is the fact that the magic realm is separated from the overall game world and that spellcaster NPCs don't interact with the world differently than normal sims outside of the magic realm. Outside of the magic realm a spellcaster is almost like an island to the player, which is to say the only one using magic is YOU. Vampires still frequently use their abilities in public (mainly movement or drinking plasma) and even still have invasions.
Again though I agree with your point on the sages. It doesn't really have the same impact as Vlad and the Vatore's.
Specs: i9-9900k, SLI 2080ti MSI SeaHawk EK X, 32g 3000hz Corsair RAM, 2TB M.2 Samsung SSD, EVGA 1600W. Custom loop done by myself with dual 560mm radiators.
Personally i love the gameplay of ROM a whole lot more than vampires. I have always been update after buying vampires since i never play it and i ALWAYS get bit by Vlad no matter how much garlic i hang up! ROM has alot of gameplay that i just absolutely love - and magic spells making it easier to live?! YES PLEASE!
@Sheepiling I kinda disagree I feel RoM had a better system then Vampires. Vampires powers are exclusive tied to their skill tree but mages tree is just for in game bonuses and not where their powers come from.
Occultism in Sims is family-friendly and should not be watered down to cater to realism players
I like the quality of Vampires more. Even the Vampires' after-release bugs were not so buggy as the ROM's ones. But I still prefer spellcasters over vampires. It would be really difficult to create magic-users which I wouldn't like
Vampires!! Their skill-tree is much more interesting with more fun things to do. With casters it's too easy to learn all the magic there is to know, and with vampires it's more work so it feels more rewarding to accomplish power as a vampire. Also with casters it's way too easy to become one. Sure, vampires can be equally "easy", but there is no "meet the vampire sire" headquarters to turn themselves, no, they must weasel their way into the lives of some vamp they meet and find out if that vamp is powerful enough to turn them, which is such an important part of the storytelling aspects that simmers(who actually play for game-play and not just building) can enjoy.
Personal love of vampires aside, I think the vampire pack in general was just done a lot better. I like that vampire skills are limited so one vampire cannot possess all of the skills, it makes it more interesting and a bit of a challenge. Magic is fun, but I can see it becoming too overpowered and boring after a while, perhaps they should have also added magical weaknesses/quirks?
So which do you prefer? Out of two 'Occult exclusive' game packs which do you prefer? And by Prefer I mean actual gameplay!! Not I bought this for decorations and have a preference over one's BM then the other... No I'm legitimately asking which Lifestate you prefer. EDIT: Also not counting glitches RoM just came out and dlc or mmo updates always tend to be buggy first week
If I had to choose between the two - magic seems more interesting. Vampires have always stereotypically been evil beings and that's not really my thing.
Idk, since ROM is just recently released there are more people who seems biased since the caster is a new thing in Sims 4 imo, though for me, The Vampire is always picked my interest in any game/movie except where it acts like zombie.
We pit the two most powerful occult Sims against each other! I love this question and even though I picked spellcaster by a small margin, I actually love them both.
I picked Spellcasters because I love how their powers relieve the drudgery of a Sims' existence. I love being able to concentrate on career goals without worrying about all the needs and repairs that spring up (I like contrasting spellcasters with my Sims who have to juggle all of this). I also love how both Glimmerbrook and the magic realm look and how the magic realm is it's own bubble of weather and culture and a safe space for spellcasters to gather and magic.
While the progression can be spammed to quickly ramp up there are other options. I can attenuate training and study and take my spellcaster through a process of mentorship and study that feels more organic and fun.
Slight disappointments are the gorgeous but empty greenhouse sitting in the corner of the magic realm, it would be an awesome place for magical plants and a Madame Sprout like herbalist character. I also wish there were livable lots in the magic area and even stores...maybe all clustered in the retail area.
I do also really love the vampires and the thoughtful balancing that goes through their skill tree. I like the sense of hierarchy in their structure and the way that Vlad contacts a new vampire initiate. Forgotten Hollow is gorgeously creepy and walking through that park or fishing in the middle of the night give me the exact chills that I want. I think the storytelling around Vlad's character in the builds is also really good, giving a sense of a vast unknown history. Also the brooding vampire social interactions are lots of fun.
Drawbacks (and generally true in the Sims 4) I want more lots to play with in the Hollow, more vampire specific commerce. I want Sims to be creeped out more when a vampire is seen feeding and hissing or is pursuing them through the fog of Forgotten Hollow (also startled more by spellcaster magic).
These are two great packs, not flawless, but both have enhanced my game in lots of cool ways.
I didn't like the approach of the "casters" this iteration. I want witches, wizards. Give me Salem, voodoo rituals, medieval folklore. Want it high fantasy? Give them proper costumes, turn them otherworldy beings, appoint fairy godmothers, some Merlin NPC to teach and make tricks.
Even on the Harry Potter spectrum, they could've made a small school or whatever world to attend, learn it all then end, a wizard certificate.
But whatever be the approach, go all in. And geez, that nonsensical art style. They seemed afraid of the their own theme, to even call them by its name. Vampires took a proper deep dive, unafraid, and I admire that so much.
I refuse to answer this...it's like asking me what I like more "cake or icecream"...
No, just NO!
especially if I don't take CAS and BB into consideration...I can't choose...
for gameplay only, to me they are pretty equal, I guess it depends on how you play.
Spellcasters have more things to collect (like spells, potions, wands, brooms)
Vampires have perks that can actually change the way to play them/their personality, providing a way to make each vampire more unique
They both have sweet ways to mess with other sims
I've always liked spellcasters/witches/wizards/whatever over vampires. Shows (more specifically TVD & True Blood), games, you name it.. If it has both vampires & witches coexisting, I'll prefer witches more. And that applies to TS4 too, regardless of the fact that EA did them wrong.
If you ask me, I think they're more fun to play as than vampires, but that could just be me being biased.
Do you like games that involve strategy? Do you like solving a mystery?
I didn't like the approach of the "casters" this iteration. I want witches, wizards. Give me Salem, voodoo rituals, medieval folklore. Want it high fantasy? Give them proper costumes, turn them otherworldy beings, appoint fairy godmothers, some Merlin NPC to teach and make tricks.
Even on the Harry Potter spectrum, they could've made a small school or whatever world to attend, learn it all then end, a wizard certificate.
But whatever be the approach, go all in. And geez, that nonsensical art style. They seemed afraid of the their own theme, to even call them by its name. Vampires took a proper deep dive, unafraid, and I admire that so much.
Agree.
In general, in life (in fiction, whatever lol), if I HAVE to choose, I do prefer witches over vampires.
But out of these two Sims 4 packs, gameplay-wise, I prefer the vampires one.
The spells and the potions seemed a little lacksluster to me.
Familiars I never even use.
I just feel like... nothing happens with spellcasters.
Vampires overall seems to have a bit more of an impact and a bit more of a challenge.
I do love CAS and BB for both, and both their worlds and their animations.
I've had a lot more fun with spellcasters than with vampires. I haven't played a vampire for a very long time! I feel there is much more the casters can do, and lots for them to learn.
Comments
But personally, I still prefer vampires. I think the tragedy of their undeath and the need to kill evens out the perks of being one. There’s a sadness to their existence, just like there’s a sadness to ours.
I do love the scholarly aura many witches possess though, as I really enjoy academic lifestyle and the thrill and reward of study and discovery. I’m having a blast with my spellcaster!
Big whoop. Set a caster to always teleport and they do it with them too. And pets. And books, cups, dishes... it’s literslly the same power with a different animation and name.
Listen to what you’re comparing. An *immortal* lifestate that does not need to go to the toilet to a *human* sim with magic. Of course vampires are going to be ‘better’ in that respect that is the perk of being a vampire. Casters are different, I prefer them as I like my sims to age and die as I get bored of the same one after too long, I don’t have to mess around getting sim rays, meditation, cleaning... any of that, I can just learn a spell. Your vampire still needs to rank to level 5, most of the spells a caster need to do those things are below max level 🤷🏼♂️
Vampires have to have a perk to go out in the day lol my caster doesn’t. Your vampire will live forever regardless, my caster has a choice. Vampires have what? 6 or 7 active powers? Some of them require 3 points to even have an affect. My caster has 15 potions and 20 odd spells. If we really want to start comparing I know who will win, for me. Vampires are cool, I like them and use them regularly, but casters do more without having to get a job or learn anything but a spell or potion. And once they have the distance casting they don’t even have to walk anywhere.
—T
Thinking my one witch was bugged I went and tested every one of my spellcasters that had a cat or toddler. With or without having always teleport enabled not a single one of them will teleport while holding a pet or toddler. Are ALL six casters that I tested bugged?
As for the rest, spellcasters are basically scientist humans that learnt to put all the technology into a stick. None of their perks or abilities need more than one point to buy, I can only assume they need things more.. simple.
I wouldn't want my casters to be immortal either when their option is old age forever.
I have to say though that a vampire and caster couple is everything I could have hoped for.
24 spells btw And sun immunity is like a rank 4 Vampire ability which is pretty high...
Actually the Spellcaster has 24 spells in total however the Spellcaster has Despario and Deliriate and we count them as separate spells so why should I not consider the 14 different powers of Emotional Influence that exist in the Vampires arsenal as all being separate spells? add that together with all their other abilities and Vampires actually have almost as many powers as the Spellcaster does and for the majority of them the Vampire has the better version.
As I like to say Greater Power comes at a Greater Price.
For spellcasters, just talk to any sage, doesn't matter which one 'cuz there's no special relationship or anything like you could have with Vlad, just a quick discussion, and watch them pop a magic bubble to learn from them. Not to mention the quest to become a spellcaster takes maybe 2 minutes if you're playing on single speed. Then to gain spellcaster experience and learn new spells, just repeat the practice magic interaction. Maybe change it up by having your sim stir a cauldron for a couple hours instead, and finding plenty of potion ingredients is really easy at the nearby shops, not to mention it doesn't cost much ingredients to make potions in the first place. It's the same interaction over and over and over again.
With vampires, there was more incentive to train with your teacher. They would show you how to use powers, and teach you how to fight as a vampire. You also gained experience by eating other sims by force, using new powers on targets, and it integrated well with everyday activities. Studying vampire lore unlocked recipes, and you had to harvest and grow plants, then master the mixology skill to be able to cure yourself if you wanted to.
And with witches in Sims 3, you first just had to play with magic, then you learned how to conjure apples and turn seeds into another type of collectable that would be useful to your alchemy. You had to search the world for rare seeds, or spend hours trying to convert a fish into a rare special seed. And even then, you didn't know what plant it would be when it grew up. You had to grow and collect your own potion ingredients, or send a dog or werewolf out to hunt gems for you, and the amount of ingredients you could buy from the elixer store was a lot more limited than the Caster's Alley shops.
If you studied hard, you would then be able to turn a sim into a toad-sim, not a random unmovable object, but that sim would go about their day all green with a frog head. You could raise zombies to life or turn a living sim into a zombie. Or dedicate your life to healing the zombies other witches created. If you wanted to cure all your needs with magic you had to practice your magic for a long time, and you didn't have to use the same play with magic interaction to do so. Casting your spells normally would raise your hidden magic skill. You could just be trying to convert a seed into something you need for alchemy and unlock zombification in the process. You're also more limited on how many spells you can cast before you have to rest and restore your mana.
Also, Sims 3 had a fortune telling career. And if you bought the extra fortune telling crystal ball from the sims 3 store and installed it, then it would raise your hidden magic skill as you used it. Your sim wasn't just doing magic for the sake of learning magic. You could be a healer, an evil witch, a fortune teller, or a fortune telling scammer. And that fortune career required you to meet with your clients outside of the rabbit hole work hours too and read their fortunes to them on your own time.
Spellcasters in the Sims 4 is too easy and too grindy, and there's not a lot to do. They spent more effort making a pretty voidy world thing and cut back on in-depth gameplay that actually integrates into everyday life. It makes me really upset too because I've been waiting SO LONG for new occults since vampires, and mermaids are just downgraded aliens and spellcasters were done so dirty.
Agreed, there is also something to be said that vampires was a truly ground breaking pack in the sims franchise. This iteration of sims 4 has many critics but I think the majority agree that vampires is really the exception. It was a very innovative approach and really felt inspired at the time, the CAS, the BB, the perk tree, the weakness, the world (mostly) were all good. The pack itself is extremely cohesive and everything just works together really well.
Realm of Magic is roughly the same quality as Vampires and contains the same amount of content. For me personally it just didn't have the same shock and awe that vampires had. I feel like it is a less cohesive as a pack too but again also a personal opinion. I think part of the disconnect with me is the fact that the magic realm is separated from the overall game world and that spellcaster NPCs don't interact with the world differently than normal sims outside of the magic realm. Outside of the magic realm a spellcaster is almost like an island to the player, which is to say the only one using magic is YOU. Vampires still frequently use their abilities in public (mainly movement or drinking plasma) and even still have invasions.
Again though I agree with your point on the sages. It doesn't really have the same impact as Vlad and the Vatore's.
Same.
Also Vladislaus is my favorite premade ever
If I had to choose between the two - magic seems more interesting. Vampires have always stereotypically been evil beings and that's not really my thing.
I picked Spellcasters because I love how their powers relieve the drudgery of a Sims' existence. I love being able to concentrate on career goals without worrying about all the needs and repairs that spring up (I like contrasting spellcasters with my Sims who have to juggle all of this). I also love how both Glimmerbrook and the magic realm look and how the magic realm is it's own bubble of weather and culture and a safe space for spellcasters to gather and magic.
While the progression can be spammed to quickly ramp up there are other options. I can attenuate training and study and take my spellcaster through a process of mentorship and study that feels more organic and fun.
Slight disappointments are the gorgeous but empty greenhouse sitting in the corner of the magic realm, it would be an awesome place for magical plants and a Madame Sprout like herbalist character. I also wish there were livable lots in the magic area and even stores...maybe all clustered in the retail area.
I do also really love the vampires and the thoughtful balancing that goes through their skill tree. I like the sense of hierarchy in their structure and the way that Vlad contacts a new vampire initiate. Forgotten Hollow is gorgeously creepy and walking through that park or fishing in the middle of the night give me the exact chills that I want. I think the storytelling around Vlad's character in the builds is also really good, giving a sense of a vast unknown history. Also the brooding vampire social interactions are lots of fun.
Drawbacks (and generally true in the Sims 4) I want more lots to play with in the Hollow, more vampire specific commerce. I want Sims to be creeped out more when a vampire is seen feeding and hissing or is pursuing them through the fog of Forgotten Hollow (also startled more by spellcaster magic).
These are two great packs, not flawless, but both have enhanced my game in lots of cool ways.
I have never found vampires remotely attractive, and I neither have nor plan to get the Vampires Game Pack.
If we ever get werewolves, my favorite may change.
Even on the Harry Potter spectrum, they could've made a small school or whatever world to attend, learn it all then end, a wizard certificate.
But whatever be the approach, go all in. And geez, that nonsensical art style. They seemed afraid of the their own theme, to even call them by its name. Vampires took a proper deep dive, unafraid, and I admire that so much.
Legacy Photomode
No, just NO!
especially if I don't take CAS and BB into consideration...I can't choose...
for gameplay only, to me they are pretty equal, I guess it depends on how you play.
Spellcasters have more things to collect (like spells, potions, wands, brooms)
Vampires have perks that can actually change the way to play them/their personality, providing a way to make each vampire more unique
They both have sweet ways to mess with other sims
If you ask me, I think they're more fun to play as than vampires, but that could just be me being biased.
Agree.
In general, in life (in fiction, whatever lol), if I HAVE to choose, I do prefer witches over vampires.
But out of these two Sims 4 packs, gameplay-wise, I prefer the vampires one.
The spells and the potions seemed a little lacksluster to me.
Familiars I never even use.
I just feel like... nothing happens with spellcasters.
Vampires overall seems to have a bit more of an impact and a bit more of a challenge.
I do love CAS and BB for both, and both their worlds and their animations.