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Is Sims DLC Necessary?

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  • Umbreon12Umbreon12 Posts: 877 Member
    DLC is not necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
    I put DLC is not necessary for my game, because it usually depends on what platform I am playing on. I answered the question from the Sims 4 perspective, and that some DLC for Sims 2 is no longer supported. I own pretty much everything for Sims 4 on my console, which doesn't allow DLC, so with my packs, I have to work around that. If I wanted to create an Elsa, I have to use what is available to me with what I own. Most sites also don't support DLC for the Sims 2, and so once again I am using what I have. So, in that perspective, DLC is not necessary for me to play the game.
    However, for Sims 3, which supports DLC, and owning the base Sims 4 game on my PC, I have quite a bit of DLC. I usually download DLC if I want more hairsyles, or a specific character in my game.
  • OnverserOnverser Posts: 3,364 Member
    DLC is necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
    The base games only really allow you to play happy families in American suburbia, so if that's your play style then I guess you wouldn't need packs, but for me I definitely need more or the game just isn't fun
  • ncisGibbs02ncisGibbs02 Posts: 2,018 Member
    DLC is necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
    Yes I think DLC is important. As long as it’s adding new things that the core game doesn’t have.
    The problem with TS4 is there are many packs. I’ve only bought what I think will compliment my gameplay. Sometimes it’s hard to get that right.

    Eco Lifestyle was frustrating as it wasn’t about saving Evergreen Harbour so I’m more cautious with trailers now.
    The more I see of Cottage Living I know that’ll be good so waiting was right.
    Now alternating between Sims 2,3 and 4! 😊☕️🌞
  • KatAnubisKatAnubis Posts: 3,241 Member
    DLC is necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
    DLCs are necessary for me so that I can pick and choose what features I want to have in my game without having to resort to mods. I almost wish that they would divide things up more. For instance, I only have Vampires because I wanted the buy/build and CAS. I wish that I could have gotten them without the Vampires themselves.
  • SimburianSimburian Posts: 6,906 Member
    DLC is necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
    I play Vanilla so I have bought everything but the Dust buster kit. I'm finding now that there is much more inter-linking between all the packs with them all installed and more commands to use. That's why I get a bit annoyed at the new packs only trailed with the base game even with Game-changers, before they come out.

    If mods are still there when the game is over and done I'll try some then,
  • ChadSims2ChadSims2 Posts: 5,090 Member
    DLC is necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
    Sims 1 and 2 I would of enjoyed without dlc had they never came out with any expansions. Now Sims 4 dlc is a must but it still does not fix much but the game really is not playable without some of it.
    Sims 4 went from "You Rule" to "One of the stories we want you to tell"
  • ncisGibbs02ncisGibbs02 Posts: 2,018 Member
    DLC is necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
    KatAnubis wrote: »
    DLCs are necessary for me so that I can pick and choose what features I want to have in my game without having to resort to mods. I almost wish that they would divide things up more. For instance, I only have Vampires because I wanted the buy/build and CAS. I wish that I could have gotten them without the Vampires themselves.
    Yeah it’s difficult when furniture you like is tied to a pack. I recently bought Snowy Escapes but I really liked the hairstyles and furniture so I waited until it was in a sale.

    Now alternating between Sims 2,3 and 4! 😊☕️🌞
  • eternalrainneternalrainn Posts: 373 Member
    DLC is necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
    I actually did have fun with just the sims 4 base game for several months before I bought my first sims 4 DLC. So I think it's totally playable that way. But, in general, for me a lot of the fun of the sims is having tons and tons of options for stories, settings, activities, and characters. I own most of the packs from Sims 4, and I use content from all of them in various types of contexts.

    Sims 3, I got the base game bundled with the supernatural pack. So I never played it as base game alone. It was the supernatural pack that made me interested in the sims games in the first place.

    Kind of how I feel about it. I could play with base game only, but now that I've already been exposed to having vampires, spellcasters, new worlds, and tons of build/buy it would be hard to go back. I was playing the base game for almost a year before I bought City Living and once you buy your first DLC it's hard not to keep adding to the game. I only buy packs I actually play with though, and on sales.

  • FroilFroil Posts: 102 Member
    DLC is necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
    The problem with Sims games, especially Sims 4, is that the base games can be so barebones, empty, lacking. Yes expansions are fancy shiny newfangled thingamajigs, but, especially Sims 4, it breathes new life in to the game (despite them being, yet again, barebones, empty and lacking). If you have a great imagination you can do fine with the base game alone.
  • KelvinKelvin Posts: 6,899 Member
    DLC is necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
    I hate to admit this but EA really has become an expert at exploiting the shortcoming of The Sims, which requires a handful of add-on contents to make it fun again and again (and again).

    The result of this? Base game becoming more and more frustratingly boring lacking in-depth gameplay.
    chicken-run-ginger-i-just-decided-i-dont-care-idc-gif-20619284.gif
    ._.
  • SimSpockSimSpock Posts: 273 Member
    edited August 2021
    DLC is not necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
    The way the question is framed, the only possible answer is "yes", because the base game (TS2, TS3, and TS4) is so terribly limited compared to whatever was in the previous iteration. Thus, it's "necessary" because the entire game is designed for it to be necessary. However, the proper answer is that it shouldn't be necessary. It should be cool, and expand opportunities in an already fleshed out game sufficiently that we want to purchase it. That's the way most DLC work in most (definitely not all) other games. DLC should never be necessary.
  • Ray_TraceRay_Trace Posts: 509 Member
    DLC is necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
    I get the best experience if I have all DLC so I say yeah.

    HOWEVER it shouldn't be priced as it is. 800+ dollars for all expansions I'd say is horrific.
    A1hnP0t.png
  • Calico45Calico45 Posts: 2,038 Member
    DLC is necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
    SimSpock wrote: »
    The way the question is framed, the only possible answer is "yes", because the base game (TS2, TS3, and TS4) is so terribly limited compared to whatever was in the previous iteration. Thus, it's "necessary" because the entire game is designed for it to be necessary. However, the proper answer is that it shouldn't be necessary. It should be cool, and expand opportunities in an already fleshed out game sufficiently that we want to purchase it. That's the way most DLC work in most (definitely not all) other games. DLC should never be necessary.

    That is why I feel this is an interesting conversation to have because DLC is always presented as being optional, whether or not that is really the case. Oftentimes I hear the Sims DLC spoken about as optional, and technically yes we have the ability not to purchase it, but it seems most people feel this is not truly the case. However, since it is still a subjective measure of what is optional and what is not (plus again, the willful purchase it is behind) it is not so simple.

    I generally agree with you. A good base game and a good DLC has a general feeling of optional, extra fun. Or should. However, I cannot imagine Sims 2 starting with all 1's pack content plus the base upgrades. Same with on up the ladder. I do not know a way right off the bat that a base game could compare, regardless of how poor Sims 4 is as a base game, beyond this. Plus, as you mentioned, the Sims is not the only game built on a DLC riddled model. I play more than one like this and they have the same problem, often getting criticized for not having enough in the base game. Most try to address this with substantial base game updates along with each DLC released, but theoretically 4 tries to do that, too, no?

    So, yeah, I think it is a good conversation to have. Is it necessary? How and why? Should it be? I think they are all pretty linked. I am not sure how the Sims could cut itself from this DLC model. Even a subscription can have expansions, like WOW. (I really do not want a subscription game for a number of reasons I do not need to clutter this thread with.)

    Since you say it shouldn't be necessary, what would a Sims game with unnecessary DLC look like?
  • ncisGibbs02ncisGibbs02 Posts: 2,018 Member
    DLC is necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
    Calico45 wrote: »
    SimSpock wrote: »
    The way the question is framed, the only possible answer is "yes", because the base game (TS2, TS3, and TS4) is so terribly limited compared to whatever was in the previous iteration. Thus, it's "necessary" because the entire game is designed for it to be necessary. However, the proper answer is that it shouldn't be necessary. It should be cool, and expand opportunities in an already fleshed out game sufficiently that we want to purchase it. That's the way most DLC work in most (definitely not all) other games. DLC should never be necessary.

    That is why I feel this is an interesting conversation to have because DLC is always presented as being optional, whether or not that is really the case. Oftentimes I hear the Sims DLC spoken about as optional, and technically yes we have the ability not to purchase it, but it seems most people feel this is not truly the case. However, since it is still a subjective measure of what is optional and what is not (plus again, the willful purchase it is behind) it is not so simple.

    I generally agree with you. A good base game and a good DLC has a general feeling of optional, extra fun. Or should. However, I cannot imagine Sims 2 starting with all 1's pack content plus the base upgrades. Same with on up the ladder. I do not know a way right off the bat that a base game could compare, regardless of how poor Sims 4 is as a base game, beyond this. Plus, as you mentioned, the Sims is not the only game built on a DLC riddled model. I play more than one like this and they have the same problem, often getting criticized for not having enough in the base game. Most try to address this with substantial base game updates along with each DLC released, but theoretically 4 tries to do that, too, no?

    So, yeah, I think it is a good conversation to have. Is it necessary? How and why? Should it be? I think they are all pretty linked. I am not sure how the Sims could cut itself from this DLC model. Even a subscription can have expansions, like WOW. (I really do not want a subscription game for a number of reasons I do not need to clutter this thread with.)

    Since you say it shouldn't be necessary, what would a Sims game with unnecessary DLC look like?

    I agree that base games alone would be difficult.

    Sims 2 DLC add cars, universities, fishing, weather, hobby clubs and other life states. Plus there’s the buy and build stuff unique to each pack.

    Sims 3 at least added cars, fishing and gardening to the base game but still you need at some DLC for nightclubs, hot tubs, life states, weather, vacations, universities etc.

    Sims 4 base game launched without pools! Adding random stuff like giant cupcake machines. A massive telescope and microscope which is hard to fit on small lots.
    So you definitely need DLC to have something useful.

    I don’t like base game free stuff included in the patches as you can’t choose whether you want them or not.
    I’ve not even see the Mexican stuff. 👀 🤷🏼‍♂️

    Now alternating between Sims 2,3 and 4! 😊☕️🌞
  • Chicklet453681Chicklet453681 Posts: 2,431 Member
    DLC is necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
    See this is where they get you ... Technically the basegame runs and works as intended. But, it's also boring and doesn't contain what is essentially part of everyday life for most people in a life simulation game.
    • Need some different weather in your world? That'll be $20-$40 more
    • Does your Sim want a higher paying job? You need to go to university for that. That'll be another $20-$40
    • Oh you'd like to have animal companions complete your family? Just give us another $20-$40 and it's all yours.

    Those 3 items right there, that should be included in a basegame (but never has been) and would make the basegame feel more "complete". Those are basic items that most people encounter every day. A life simulation game should also include those things in their basic basegame.

    They don't need to be super in-depth for the basegame, just something basic that represents life:

    Basic rain, snow, cloudy, or sunny days should be included in the base game. More severe weather (blizzards, thunderstorms, hail, etc) and weather activities, such as raking leaves, playing in puddles, shoveling snow, snowball fights, etc could be expanded later on in DLC.

    Cats and Dogs are typical pets people have and should be included in the basegame. They could be expanded to include smaller animals and more pet activities, skills, and pet objects for them in later DLC.

    Basic higher education should be included in the basegame. It doesn't need to be this in-depth system where you follow your sim to university and live there, join in clubs, have protests, have keg parties, etc, but even just a rabbit hole type of school, where you get pop-up notifications of how your sim is doing. Then they could expand it with more degree types and all of the normal DLC stuff that people crave to
    have.

    So yeah, in my opinion DLC is necessary if you want to represent "life".
  • Plumb0b_ClairePlumb0b_Claire Posts: 63 Member
    DLC is necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
    I feel to a degree, yes, it is necessary for me. I've always loved and appreciated weather changes and having pets. So those are necessities for me to enjoy the game. :)
    Here's my response to what I think will add depth to the basegame in the Sims 411 - Forum Feedback!
    https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/17959481#Comment_17959481
  • Calico45Calico45 Posts: 2,038 Member
    DLC is necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
    @Chicklet453681 That is interesting to think about, an incredibly scaled down version for base game only. Hm. I do like the idea, but I do see some problems arising-- specifically how much is enough.

    Say the Sims 4 devs argue now that they: 1) do include sunny weather, 2) included small pet frogs, and 3) included primary schooling and that should meet those basic requirements to be expanded upon. 4 was lacking in many areas at launch, but it did similar in these three aspects in every game as we have both acknowledged.

    I will not defend lacking the most basic of weather such as an occasional cloudy day, but I will say for university that some people really do not go. We also have no representation of trade schools, which actually could and probably should be the base game alternative.

    As for pets, I never see us getting them base game solely because of CAP. CAP has to encompass so much, even if it is to be expanded later. Plus all the extra modeling. So I genuinely believe pets will ever really be base game.
  • SimSpockSimSpock Posts: 273 Member
    edited August 2021
    DLC is not necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
    Calico45 wrote: »
    SimSpock wrote: »
    The way the question is framed, the only possible answer is "yes", because the base game (TS2, TS3, and TS4) is so terribly limited compared to whatever was in the previous iteration. Thus, it's "necessary" because the entire game is designed for it to be necessary. However, the proper answer is that it shouldn't be necessary. It should be cool, and expand opportunities in an already fleshed out game sufficiently that we want to purchase it. That's the way most DLC work in most (definitely not all) other games. DLC should never be necessary.

    That is why I feel this is an interesting conversation to have because DLC is always presented as being optional, whether or not that is really the case. Oftentimes I hear the Sims DLC spoken about as optional, and technically yes we have the ability not to purchase it, but it seems most people feel this is not truly the case. However, since it is still a subjective measure of what is optional and what is not (plus again, the willful purchase it is behind) it is not so simple.

    I generally agree with you. A good base game and a good DLC has a general feeling of optional, extra fun. Or should. However, I cannot imagine Sims 2 starting with all 1's pack content plus the base upgrades. Same with on up the ladder. I do not know a way right off the bat that a base game could compare, regardless of how poor Sims 4 is as a base game, beyond this. Plus, as you mentioned, the Sims is not the only game built on a DLC riddled model. I play more than one like this and they have the same problem, often getting criticized for not having enough in the base game. Most try to address this with substantial base game updates along with each DLC released, but theoretically 4 tries to do that, too, no?

    So, yeah, I think it is a good conversation to have. Is it necessary? How and why? Should it be? I think they are all pretty linked. I am not sure how the Sims could cut itself from this DLC model. Even a subscription can have expansions, like WOW. (I really do not want a subscription game for a number of reasons I do not need to clutter this thread with.)

    Since you say it shouldn't be necessary, what would a Sims game with unnecessary DLC look like?

    Ah, now I see why you were asking. In that case, I should have voted "yes".

    What should it look like, before any DLC? I'd say that it should look like the core finished product from TS2 and TS3. If we're talking about TS5, then I'd say the core finished product from TS4 as well, whatever that turns out to be. When I say core finished product, I mean the activities, interactions, objects, and overall gameplay opportunities that most people do on a regular basis in the game. Family gameplay through all life stages, carrying on for multiple generations. All of the popular professions; late night activities; athletics including swimming and diving; seasons (that work properly); pets and animals; transportation; world progression system that doesn't require a mod to work properly (or in the case of TS4, require a mod just to have it at all); et cetera. In other words, a fully fleshed out life simulator. DLC should stuff that expands on the scope of those activities, not stuff that adds in those basic activities when they were missing originally.
  • LeGardePourpreLeGardePourpre Posts: 15,175 Member
    edited August 2021
    DLC is necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
    DLC is inevitable because there is always something to add to the game.

    Is it necessary to release a pack every month ?

    No, they could also merge EP, GP, SP and kit into one big annual DLC like the MMO RPG.

  • DoloresGreyDoloresGrey Posts: 3,490 Member
    edited August 2021
    DLC is not necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
    I had a lot of fun playing The Sims 1 only base game and I also had a lot of fun playing TS3 only basegame. Eventually I got some expansions for TS3 but only like 4, I think. I still had a lot of fun. I never played TS2.
    In case of TS4, when it came out, I did have fun for a while. I eventually got back to The Sims 3 for a long time. Even now when the basegame has been updated a lot I still can't see myself playing the game without any DLC. It's lacking a lot. Just my opinion.
    -probably just playing Phasmophobia :p
  • WaytoomanyUIDsWaytoomanyUIDs Posts: 844 Member
    edited August 2021
    Depends on the game. Sims 1 2 and IMO 3 you don't need DLC to have fun because there is quite a lot of depth to the games. Sims 4 by contrast is so shallow that the base game gets boring very quickly and you need DLC to add extra stuff to do and mods to add depth. 2 and 3 need mods as well, but because they are badly broken without them, not to add depth.
    Origin/Gallery ID: WaytoomanyUIDs
  • plantghostplantghost Posts: 25 Member
    DLC is necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
    I love the concept of DLC (although not particularly the iteration we've seen with The Sims 4) because the opportunity to add more gameplay into a game after release really extends the life of the game in my opinion. And we know that companies (not just EA lol, not bashing them) will not just continuously add content into the game for free because they have to pay their artists and developers etc to produce that content. I feel like realistically the two options are either release a game with a bunch of DLC that comes later or keep releasing new titles more frequently, and I like the first option better for my gameplay. But also, I have recklessly thrown my dollars at this franchise for more years than I care to admit so I'm admittedly pretty biased on that lol
  • JustKeepSimming2JustKeepSimming2 Posts: 31 Member
    DLC is necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
    I really think that the DLC in the game is absolutely needed. It adds so much to the gameplay and it makes it easier instead of looking for the best CC and mods. Some of it is definitely a waste of money but I don't imagine my game without some of the packs. For example, in my opinion TS4 did Seasons really well. Obviously it is just personal preference but that is just my take on it.
  • AngelEb95AngelEb95 Posts: 1,538 Member
    edited September 2021
    DLC is necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
    Yess. I need both DLC and Mods.
    attack-on-titan-attack-on-titan-s4.gif
  • ThriorThrior Posts: 612 Member
    edited September 2021
    DLC is necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
    I'm very picky over DLC and basically only get those which cater to my interests. Therefore I do think they are necessary for me to really enjoy the game. E.g. Seasons is a must, something any "life simulator" should have IMO. I also really want my vampires and other ways to spice up the core gameplay. They can also be important for mods since the first gameplay mods I download tend to be vampire related, mostly stuff that results in, ahem, "feeding accidents". Any vacation type of packs (i.e. ones that are focused on specific location) I tend to skip. I also don't care about building focused packs because I'm in it for the gameplay and the sims themselves.

    The importance of DLC had some differences between Sims tittles though. TS2 basegame was a very fresh experience because of being such a huge improvement over TS1 (for which I never got any DLC) and thus it kept me entertained for a loooong time. Eventually, I did get Seasons and then some other Eps. TS3 I got bundled with Late Night and, coupled with the new open world system, it was another rich experience from the start and kept me entertained for a long while but, again, I ended up buying Seasons... and then some other stuff. With TS4... I grew bored of the base game in just one day. Since there happened to be a sale, I went and got some DLC: Seasons (surprise!), Vampires and Parenthood. During later sales I got some more stuff relevant to my interests. Because TS4 lacked a "new hook", it's the one TS tittle in particular that really needed DLC in order for me to enjoy it.
    I guess some could say "well played EA" since they certainly got me to buy DLC fast :|. Oh well, got the base game for free and the DLC from a sale so I have no regrets.
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