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DLC Features That Should be in the Base Game Next Time (either fully or partially)

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SimmerGeorgeSimmerGeorge Posts: 2,724 Member
edited September 2020 in The Sims 4 Game Feedback
Hey guys, so I wanted to make this list for a long time already and thought today might be the day. I just think in 2020 after 20 years of the Sims there are several things we should have in the base game already instead of it coming later in DLC. I will list DLC from the entire franchise and then name the things from that DLC I think should be in a base game by now.
I am basing my decisions on a statement a Guru once made (don't remember exactly) about DLC. He/She said that the content that comes with the base game is the crucial parts of life that are such a big part of it, that exist in almost everyone's life. The DLC on the other hand is meant to expand the game in a direction the player chooses.

The packs (ones marked as fully mean the whole DLC should be in the base game) :

- From Expasion Packs:

Sims 2:


- University: Plastic Surgery
- Nightlife: Drivable Cars, Fury, Turn-ons/offs
- Open for business: Some kind of makeover, especially a grooming (haircuts, barbers) option
- Free Time: Basketball hoops or some kind of sport, Nursery Rhymes
- Apartment Life: Some kind of Social Class system

Sims 3:

- Ambitions: Earthquakes or some kind of disaster, Bake Sales for Kids, Motorcycles, Firefighters
- Late Night: NPC hosted Parties, Zodiac Signs
- Generations: fully
- Seasons: Online Dating
- Showtime: Customizable Career Outfits

Sims 4:

- Get to Work: taking photos (was first exclusive), hospitals and births, illness
- Get Together: More Activities for friends (board games, darts etc.), dancefloor
- City Living: Politics career, Apartment buildings, Vegeterian trait, Singing
- Cats and Dogs: Color wheel
- Pets (Sims 2, 3, 4): Animals, some kind of minor animals should be in the base game, either lizards, bees, birds, insects, snakes, turtles, rodents
- Seasons (S2,S3,S4): Some kind of weather (not necessarily actual seasons), meaning some more cloudy or sunny days or even rain. Actual Seasons would be awesome too if possible. Giving Gifts, Swings
- Get Famous: Good and Bad Reputation, Scars in CAS
- Discover University: Education career, Bicycles, Personal storage chest, Roomates, Repoman, Facial piercings

- From Game Packs:

- Dine out: Restaurants or some kind of Dining (while owning one could come with the "Business Expansion")
- Parenthood: fully
- Strangerville: Military career, Laptops

- From Stuff Packs:

Sims 2:

- Celebration Stuff: More wedding gowns in base game

Sims 4:


- Movie Hangout Stuff: Movies
- Romantic Garden Stuff: More landscaping options in base game
- Fitness Stuff: Earbuds
- My First Pet Stuff: Either in base game as previously mentioned or part of Pets EP
- Tiny Living: Multi-object combinations (Bookcase with TV etc.)
- Nifty Knitting: Plopsy or some kind of way to sell owned/crafted objects either online or in a store (like the consignment store)

Comment below if you have additional ideas.
Where's my Sims 5 squad at?
Post edited by SimmerGeorge on

Comments

  • LoveMcQueen5683LoveMcQueen5683 Posts: 3,689 Member
    edited September 2020
    At the very least we need to have pets and seasons in the base game. This way pets can have new content in future expansions without people freaking out (MFPS) and that we don’t have to go years without weather and seasons in the game again.
    Post edited by LoveMcQueen5683 on
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  • ListentoToppDoggListentoToppDogg Posts: 2,103 Member
    I don't agree with everything here, but I agree with a lot of it. Seasons for sure should be in the base game if nothing else. It is insane having to wait years for something as natural and basic as seasons in a life simulator.
  • HolidayHoliday Posts: 681 Member
    I don't agree with everything here, but I agree with a lot of it. Seasons for sure should be in the base game if nothing else. It is insane having to wait years for something as natural and basic as seasons in a life simulator.

    We wish. If I recall, weather was meant to be part of The Sims 2 base game. Seasons is definitely one of the most requested and fan favourite features, so I can't see them ever adding it to a base game, they can always create enough content to make it an Expansion Pack.
  • CAPTAIN_NXR7CAPTAIN_NXR7 Posts: 4,451 Member
    edited September 2020
    I especially agree with seasons, generations and genetics.

    We’ve been getting so used to getting Seasons as an expansion pack since apparently it takes a long time to develop, but the weather is very much part of our daily lives and affects our mood in different ways. I do feel that development for this needs to be prioritized.
    Basic generational gameplay should also be there from the start. This means proper execution of all life stages, included at launch, from babies to ghosts. From the crib to the graveyard.
    Genetics wise, scars, skin blemishes and body hair should be an option. And transport too.

    The only problem is that specific themes such as Seasons or Generations are usually the most sought after EPs, which means they generate a huge amount of revenue and I’m not sure the company is willing to give up such an easy buck.
    On the other hand they’d be able to explore other kinds of gameplay we did not have in previous Sims titles.

    Unfortunately, selling popular themes as separate DLC does make more sense to a company. Of course it doesn’t necessarily make sense to the simmers, it never really has, but this is the world of capitalism. It’s not a world that is made to make sense to the consumer. It’s a world that only makes sense to the corporation.
  • SimmerGeorgeSimmerGeorge Posts: 2,724 Member
    I don't agree with everything here, but I agree with a lot of it. Seasons for sure should be in the base game if nothing else. It is insane having to wait years for something as natural and basic as seasons in a life simulator.

    @ListentoToppDogg Is there something specific you don't agree with? I would love to know. But yeah I realize I did overdo it a bit with this list.
    Where's my Sims 5 squad at?
  • SimmerGeorgeSimmerGeorge Posts: 2,724 Member
    edited September 2020
    Holiday wrote: »
    I don't agree with everything here, but I agree with a lot of it. Seasons for sure should be in the base game if nothing else. It is insane having to wait years for something as natural and basic as seasons in a life simulator.

    We wish. If I recall, weather was meant to be part of The Sims 2 base game. Seasons is definitely one of the most requested and fan favourite features, so I can't see them ever adding it to a base game, they can always create enough content to make it an Expansion Pack.

    @Holiday Yeah unfortunately the Seasons pack has become the "game-saving" pack. Once this pack is out people see the game with whole different eyes (me included) because it's just such a vital point of a life simulator that it changes everything.
    Because it's so vital I want it in the base game but judging by the past two games I don't know if they'll ever do it.

    Also I love the new Lady Gaga album! ;)
    Where's my Sims 5 squad at?
  • SimmerGeorgeSimmerGeorge Posts: 2,724 Member
    I especially agree with seasons, generations and genetics.

    The only problem is that specific themes such as Seasons or Generations are usually the most sought after EPs, which means they generate a huge amount of revenue and I’m not sure the company is willing to give up such an easy buck.
    On the other hand they’d be able to explore other kinds of gameplay we did not have in previous Sims titles.

    @CAPTAIN_NXR7 Lately a lot of Simmers have been complaining about how EA always does the same old packs and they don't get as hyped for them anymore (many of the packs like Seasons, University, Pets have been EPs in 3 or all 4 of the games). Also many people say they will refuse to move to the new base game since it's going to be empty, without weather etc.
    Even the Sims Team said several times that they would love to explore more ideas rather than just make the same old packs. They are always relieved to get the "big" packs out of the way so they can do fresh stuff.

    I really hope they grow out of this trend of making the same packs for every game. It has gotten old, Simmers are tired, the team is tired. But the money issue persists and big boss EA won't allow that. It could be a risk for them to give us those packs in the base game and then having to come up with pack ideas to replace them, that will sell as much. They could do it, I'm sure but Seasons, Pets etc are safe bets.
    Where's my Sims 5 squad at?
  • CynnaCynna Posts: 2,369 Member
    I only ask for three things:

    Seasons on day one
    Pets
    An attraction system

    We shouldn't need to pay extra for those basic elements of life in a life simulator.
    I3Ml5Om.jpg
  • bella_gothbella_goth Posts: 1,770 Member
    i agree with you! for being the 5th game i think they should already know the priorities on a life simulator which means to put in the base game all the basics of life, because that's what the base game is for. dlcs should be about making additional content like supernaturals or something.

    in sims 2 devs were already trying to fit seasons in the base game.
    it's been 15 years, if they keep making it an expansion pack it just screams greed.
  • CAPTAIN_NXR7CAPTAIN_NXR7 Posts: 4,451 Member
    I especially agree with seasons, generations and genetics.

    The only problem is that specific themes such as Seasons or Generations are usually the most sought after EPs, which means they generate a huge amount of revenue and I’m not sure the company is willing to give up such an easy buck.
    On the other hand they’d be able to explore other kinds of gameplay we did not have in previous Sims titles.

    @CAPTAIN_NXR7 Lately a lot of Simmers have been complaining about how EA always does the same old packs and they don't get as hyped for them anymore (many of the packs like Seasons, University, Pets have been EPs in 3 or all 4 of the games). Also many people say they will refuse to move to the new base game since it's going to be empty, without weather etc.
    Even the Sims Team said several times that they would love to explore more ideas rather than just make the same old packs. They are always relieved to get the "big" packs out of the way so they can do fresh stuff.

    I really hope they grow out of this trend of making the same packs for every game. It has gotten old, Simmers are tired, the team is tired. But the money issue persists and big boss EA won't allow that. It could be a risk for them to give us those packs in the base game and then having to come up with pack ideas to replace them, that will sell as much. They could do it, I'm sure but Seasons, Pets etc are safe bets.

    I believe the hype for these packs has always been there. At this stage it has become a tradition for simmers to beg for Seasons, University and Pets, even if they know these packs will be released eventually. A lot of folks are very impatient so I wonder how many simmers will really refuse to move on if something like seasons wasn’t included in a new title. They managed quite well in the past.

    I never agreed with weather not being part of BG, and indeed the company needs to grow out of this trend. I also understand that the Sims Team would be happy to do fresh stuff for a change, but in the end they’re only the ones working for EA. I do believe that the ongoing TS4 has been way more experimental with its themes, especially after all the big ones were released. This way they can gauge the interest of simmers and see what is and what isn’t popular. (And no, as much as I like The GP I doubt they’ll be planning another Star Wars 😂).

    I too believe that someone on the team will need to pitch an incredible idea in order to get EA on board if they want to replace the all favourites with something else that will generate the big bucks. It’s taking a huge chance, but I do hope it’s something they’ll consider. Although I’m afraid EA may think to themselves: If it ain’t broke, why fix it?
    Knock on wood.
  • LeCastelLeCastel Posts: 21 Member
    I really do hope The Sims 5 doesn't ship as yet another empty shell of a game. I get no excitement out of waiting for the same(ish) expansions again. It is incredibly backwards.
  • bella_gothbella_goth Posts: 1,770 Member
    edited September 2020
    EA may think to themselves: If it ain’t broke, why fix it?


    naa they never thought this way otherwise sims 4 would be the same as previous sims games and not this mess born from an "online scrapped idea".

    i understand that they have their best selling packs which are seasons, pets and university. all of these used to be packs because the technology back then was quite limiting and it kept progressing over the years. nowadays ea can afford to put these things on the base game and use the dlc slots to come up with something else completely new. anyways, i also doubt they will stop making dlcs for those things. but one can dream i guess
  • PlayerSinger2010PlayerSinger2010 Posts: 3,267 Member
    Aliens. I want them fully fleshed out in TS5 and for them to have a tree like celebs/spellcasters/vampires. Please, give me something to work with other than humans for the base game and don't make me wait 5 years for my favorite occults and play style (spellcaster/wizards).
  • CAPTAIN_NXR7CAPTAIN_NXR7 Posts: 4,451 Member
    bellagoth_ wrote: »
    naa they never thought this way otherwise sims 4 would be the same as previous sims games and not this mess born from an "online scrapped idea".
    I’d have to agree with that when it comes to BG. Something went backward. :D
    bellagoth_ wrote: »
    i understand that they have their best selling packs which are seasons, pets and university. all of these used to be packs because the technology back then was quite limiting and it kept progressing over the years. nowadays ea can afford to put these things on the base game and use the dlc slots to come up with something else completely new. anyways, i also doubt they will stop making dlcs for those things. but one can dream i guess
    Oh indeed they can certainly afford putting these things in basegame. Just as much as they can afford not to. Unfortunately.
    Time will tell and until then all we have is our little dreams...
  • bella_gothbella_goth Posts: 1,770 Member
    Oh indeed they can certainly afford putting these things in basegame. Just as much as they can afford not to. Unfortunately.

    this is the reason i think they won't. they know their fans will keep buying them cuz they're a "must" for basic gameplay, and i guess ea is like mr krabs. where there's opportunity to make money it will be used for sure
  • HolidayHoliday Posts: 681 Member
    Holiday wrote: »
    I don't agree with everything here, but I agree with a lot of it. Seasons for sure should be in the base game if nothing else. It is insane having to wait years for something as natural and basic as seasons in a life simulator.

    We wish. If I recall, weather was meant to be part of The Sims 2 base game. Seasons is definitely one of the most requested and fan favourite features, so I can't see them ever adding it to a base game, they can always create enough content to make it an Expansion Pack.

    @Holiday Yeah unfortunately the Seasons pack has become the "game-saving" pack. Once this pack is out people see the game with whole different eyes (me included) because it's just such a vital point of a life simulator that it changes everything.
    Because it's so vital I want it in the base game but judging by the past two games I don't know if they'll ever do it.

    Also I love the new Lady Gaga album! ;)

    @SimmerGeorge Seasons and Pets, definitely the two packs that everyone waits for. After three generations of Seasons and four generations of Pets expansions, if they are to make a The Sims 5, I do hope they switch it up a bit. At that point, the idea to have these things in separate expansions will have become stale, a total rehash, living in Groundhog Day... I guess we will see.

    Pop a 911 then pop another one x

  • jcp011c2jcp011c2 Posts: 10,859 Member
    Like many others have said, it's time to retire the EP idea of Season and Pets and put them in the base game. They are often two of the most anticipated content releases and I recognize they are cash cows, but this also means that the developers have two less spots to exercise their creativity. Putting them in the base game, at least the minimum themes of them, would allow the developers to expand on other ideas that have not been done before (although judging on some recent releases I'm not so sure that's a good thing. Frankly I've paid for pets 4 times and seasons 3 times and I'm not interested in doing so again.

    If not a full blown seasons with holidays and festivals and such, we at least need WEATHER. And of course the cloths for the weather. Not interesting in another base game where every day is a sunny day for the first 2-3 years.

    Additionally, with pets, they can expand on more exotic animals down the road, maybe open the way for more farming oriented animals, but we need to have dogs, cats and probably small caged animals from the get go. Horses too if possible, but since those were unique to Pets EP in Sims 3, I could give them a pass on that if they were included with the farming concept.

    Beyond that, I think Sims 3 got the ability for the player to choose colors right, it just gave us too much versatility for the game to handle between a fullblown color wheel and create a pattern. They could pare it down but I would really like to see them bring a color palette back for all objects - they could still have their presets but we the player could choose to recolor from any of the 16 (or 32 if they're ambitious but at LEAST 16), colors within that palette.

    There's other things I'd like to see but these are the big ones.
    It's kind of sad that I have to point out that anything I say is only just my opinion and may be a different one from someone else.
  • NationalPokedexNationalPokedex Posts: 829 Member
    I agree with Seasons for sure. And I really think that CAW is important because hypothetically, you could create a world and then define the seasons for that world. I know there are some people out there that don't actually like the weather/weather effects, and a CAW tool could potentially let you make a world that doesn't experience the weather. Anyways seasons definitely.

    And any system that provides personality depth which includes the attraction system and reputation. This kind of stuff is just..no matter if you play occult or realism or solo Sims or families, it's just important to have tools that flesh Sims out no matter the gameplay. To that point, occults and pets/animals should also be in the base game. Just put all life states/living beings in the base game of a life simulator, for goodness sake.

    To jump on what @jcp011c2 has said, if these things get added to the base game, that's one less thing that the EP/GP needs to create. Instead the game could continue to be expanded upon. For example, and I'm not saying this is the best idea, but if you had cats/dogs/small pets in the base game, later on you could have some sort of zoo or wild animal pack.
  • SimmerGeorgeSimmerGeorge Posts: 2,724 Member
    Pets and Seasons aside, which are the more difficult features to include, I think some of the other stuff I mentioned need to be in the game.

    My Sims can't watch a movie in the base game? Wth? This is such an easy thing to include and movies with family and friends are such an important activity in every day life. Why do I have to buy DLC for my sim to watch a movie?
    Where's my Sims 5 squad at?
  • logionlogion Posts: 4,712 Member
    edited September 2020
    I'm hoping that we could get basic versions of these features at least. Then they could expand them with DLC so they could find a way to please both their players and their shareholders.

    For example: Cars are included with Base Game, and then some packs could come with different cars. For example sport and luxury cars for a celebrity pack, or family cars for a family based pack.

    I hope that they will do that so we don't end up with boring expansions that have only one bar or a library because the base game is so limited.

  • CAPTAIN_NXR7CAPTAIN_NXR7 Posts: 4,451 Member
    edited September 2020
    My Sims can't watch a movie in the base game? Wth? This is such an easy thing to include and movies with family and friends are such an important activity in every day life. Why do I have to buy DLC for my sim to watch a movie?

    I agree that there should be a range of movies available to watch in basegame. Same as the tv workouts that came with Fitness Stuff.
    I wouldn’t mind if- just like radio stations- additional movies were added via DLC e.g. a vampire movie comes with a vampire pack, but there should be a variation of movie genres already living in the basegame TVs.

    You also mentioned multi object combinations that came with Tiny Living. I believe more objects should be modular in basegame, like the kitchen counters and cabinets, but including seating, tables, tv units, beds (they don’t have to be Murphy, just modular) so we can stack them into bunk beds, or even create double beds with different headboards and bedding. Premade combinations could be available in BB for folks who don’t necessarily want to combine their own furniture, but full customization is something that I feel needs to be featured in the next title.
    logion wrote: »
    For example: Cars are included with Base Game, and then some packs could come with different cars. For example sport and luxury cars for a celebrity pack, or family cars for a family based pack.

    That was done really well in TS3, although some cars should be fixer upper so sims can level up their handiness skill without constantly having to resort to a woodworking table or tinker at the sink. I’d rather have that than a rocket ship.

    I feel there could be more transport in general. First of all, the oceans need to be open. This really bugs me in TS4. Secondly, boats should be available in basegame. If fishing and swimming is a thing, boating should be a thing. I’d even argue that an option to build houseboats should be introduced as a BG feature too. It will also help to expand upon worlds and themes. A honeymoon EP could for example offer additional gameplay and BB items to build a casino, a hotel, or a cruise ship and give the option to visit or own them as resorts.
  • ListentoToppDoggListentoToppDogg Posts: 2,103 Member

    @ListentoToppDogg Is there something specific you don't agree with? I would love to know. But yeah I realize I did overdo it a bit with this list.

    @SimmerGeorge Well, personally I feel a few of those ideas on the list aren't what I'd call necessities. For example, the social class system, natural disasters, and even reputation. Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't be shocked to see those things left out of the BG, as I don't see them as being on par with things like seasons and cars.
  • Chicklet453681Chicklet453681 Posts: 2,431 Member
    I want CASt with patterns we can add and a colorwheel, I'm DONE with the limited swatches they provide. I have to use a TON of CC just to have things match! In TS3 I didn't use much CC because I could make it look the way I wanted. People that don't want it or think it's too overwhelming, too many choices ..... just use the premade swatches but that's not fair to a big portion of players who DO want those things back because a handful don't want it. That would be like me (a non-occult) player telling them they don't need to include occults in this iteration because I don't like them.

    It must have at bare minimal open neighborhoods! None of the lame loading screens to go see a neighbor. I was playing TS3 today and forgot how amazing it was, my girl just nonchalantly starts walking down the street and when I clicked to see where she was going, she had decided she needed to take a dip in the community pool. So yeah, that's what I want. I want at least everything that is in that neighborhood to be open and available without a loading screen. I don't care if a loading screen is required to go to a new world, but the one I'm living in needs to be open.

    I want some type of CAW ability so I can add/remove world decor. I also want blank worlds that I can fill up the way I want without those ugly fake buildings everywhere.

    Some type of weather needs to be in the base game too .... rain, cloudy days, snow.

    And, honestly I don't see them including pets in the BG. There are 125 different dogs and 49 different cats that came with the C&D pack. That's 174 different and unique meshes that would need to be created and then rigged for the animations. So yeah, don't ever see that happening. Too much time and money and they wouldn't be making it back if it was in the BG.
  • SimmerGeorgeSimmerGeorge Posts: 2,724 Member

    @ListentoToppDogg Is there something specific you don't agree with? I would love to know. But yeah I realize I did overdo it a bit with this list.

    @SimmerGeorge Well, personally I feel a few of those ideas on the list aren't what I'd call necessities. For example, the social class system, natural disasters, and even reputation. Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't be shocked to see those things left out of the BG, as I don't see them as being on par with things like seasons and cars.

    @ListentoToppDogg Yeah me neither, like I said I did overdo it a bit with the list but to be honest social classes, reputations etc. are such a big part of our lives. We all belong in some kind of social class that has it's pros and cons, same with reputation, how we behave affects the way people see us and that's just inevitable in every day life.

    I just included those things because I think they are vital and even though I know the Sims team would never do them in the BG I still think those are the kinds of fresh ideas that will make the game evolve and feel new again, not just an empty version of the previous one.
    Where's my Sims 5 squad at?
  • NationalPokedexNationalPokedex Posts: 829 Member
    Pets and Seasons aside, which are the more difficult features to include, I think some of the other stuff I mentioned need to be in the game.

    My Sims can't watch a movie in the base game? Wth? This is such an easy thing to include and movies with family and friends are such an important activity in every day life. Why do I have to buy DLC for my sim to watch a movie?

    Okay I see what you mean now. Yeah, I think nearly all of the TS4 Stuff Packs are a good example of things that should be in the Base Game. Backyard Stuff, Perfect Patio, and Romantic Garden stuff (which btw all sound like they should be in one pack together), Vintage Glamour and Luxury Party (especially which ever one came with Butlers), Toddler Stuff, Kids Room (especially considering how much these two life stages lack in general, it's annoying to have designated small packs for them that still don't add enough stuff for them). Cool Kitchen Stuff. I think the only ones that /maybe/ are okay not being BG is Spooky Stuff (or whatever it's called. Should have just been added with Seasons anyways...) and Bowling Night (which could have been in Get Together...). anyways. yeah, the fragmentation of the packs don't make sense and just adding their features/objects in Base Game just makes more sense to me.
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