I feel that it depends how long you want to play the game for.
I played the game a lot when it was released for maybe...two years, the game felt fresh and new for me and I had a lot of ideas, I created all sorts of families and built different houses and we did not have a lot of DLC back then.
But these days I mostly play the game a lot when a new DLC is released or if I find an interesting mod.
And I don't think this is unusual... I'm pretty sure EA knows this, this is why we keep getting DLC at regular intervals because people return to play the game when something new is released.
DLC is not necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
I have most of the DLC, but I find I haven't been using it much lately. I've gotten into creating lots and have been forcing myself to use only base game content. It's quite a satisfying challenge. I figure once I finally get bored of the base game content, I can re-visit past builds and update them with new content. Now, if you're playing in Live mode, then I can see the benefit of DLC keeping the game fresh beyond it's typical lifespan.
I think DLC is one of the keys to customization. I’m not a completist, so I only get the packs that enhance my play style. For example, I’m not a builder or family player, so I tend to pass on packs that emphasize those elements. My games are character driven, so CAS packs and added gameplay would definitely get more of my attention. I look for interesting worlds and situations for the characters I’ve imagined in my head, and my choice of DLC reflects that. The great thing is, we all play The Sims; but every player’s game is truly unique to them.
Even as much as I think the base game in two was incredible by itself, I would still not have enjoyed it as much as I did without some of the expansion packs, namely seasons, nightlife, pets and bonvoyage.
I at least need some type of occult content added to my game. At the very least, with Sims 2 I need Night Life and Apartment Life for vampires and witches, I need Sims 3 Supernatural, and I didn't event consider buying Sims 4 until the Vampires game pack came out (also them releasing toddlers at that time is all the push I needed).
So yea, even though older Sims titles have had more in the base game than Sims 4, I still wouldn't buy a single base game without at least 1 occult EP to go with it.
DLC is not necessary for my game, mods or no mods.
For Sims 1, I did not download any extra content for that series. I had everything I wanted from the expansion packs.
For Sims 2, I downloaded the College Adjuster (I forgot where I got it from) which I still use today. I use it to change when the final exam for my Young Adult Sims will happen. I do not like Sims having finals between 11 PM and 7 AM. I will move a final to 8 AM the next morning. I also have 7 extra neighborhoods in my game from Mod The Sims (Arbor Falls, Bitville, Four Corners, Garden Heights, Mesa Flats, Riverside, and Sedona).
I did not need DLC for Sims 3 because I barely played it.
And I do not think I will download anything for Sims 4 once I get the rest of the packs I do now own and finally the Kits I want. I hardly play this game as well. I am still learning and playing features of Sims 2 I had not discovered when this game was released 17 years ago (I have the Ultimate Collection in my Origin account right now).
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I played the game a lot when it was released for maybe...two years, the game felt fresh and new for me and I had a lot of ideas, I created all sorts of families and built different houses and we did not have a lot of DLC back then.
But these days I mostly play the game a lot when a new DLC is released or if I find an interesting mod.
And I don't think this is unusual... I'm pretty sure EA knows this, this is why we keep getting DLC at regular intervals because people return to play the game when something new is released.
Tales From The Myst
The Blue Moon Jukebox
So yea, even though older Sims titles have had more in the base game than Sims 4, I still wouldn't buy a single base game without at least 1 occult EP to go with it.
For Sims 2, I downloaded the College Adjuster (I forgot where I got it from) which I still use today. I use it to change when the final exam for my Young Adult Sims will happen. I do not like Sims having finals between 11 PM and 7 AM. I will move a final to 8 AM the next morning. I also have 7 extra neighborhoods in my game from Mod The Sims (Arbor Falls, Bitville, Four Corners, Garden Heights, Mesa Flats, Riverside, and Sedona).
I did not need DLC for Sims 3 because I barely played it.
And I do not think I will download anything for Sims 4 once I get the rest of the packs I do now own and finally the Kits I want. I hardly play this game as well. I am still learning and playing features of Sims 2 I had not discovered when this game was released 17 years ago (I have the Ultimate Collection in my Origin account right now).