I don't mind them putting things in the base game for free. I paid for my stuff and got my moneys worth from it. Maybe some people can't afford to buy a pack and appreciate getting a hairstyle, clothes, etc. for free.
I agree with most of the other people posting.
I don't mind when they add items from DLC to the base game, but in this situation it seems cheap and tacky.
Taking a item from an old pack and making it free for the sake of "diversity" seems questionable. Especially, like many other users have said, when they could have just made a new asset instead of just reusing an old one.
It's a very low effort and cheap way to add diversity
Now this, I don’t like or understand. Why would you patch cas items in for free that a lot of people have already paid for? Just create new hairstyles.
I don't get the decisions being taken at the moment. They're like "we're listening we're listening!" and then spend their development time on random things that haven't really been asked for (spa day update instead of dine out, 500 furniture kits when many have complained about the game turning into a build sim, scenarios and a new way of adding items) instead of what people are asking for (babies, cars, content actually working, occults, generations, etc), and actively continue making paid content free when they know people aren't happy with it happening
Because they took my money. No I don't lose the use of it, but I had to pay to get it. If it had been free, I would have kept my money. I'm not sure why you don't see the issue with that? It's like if I stood in line and paid to see a movie, and all the people in line behind me get in free. Why did I pay? I should be given credit or something to replace it. And if you've read my postings in the past, I am a supporter of DLC. I buy most of the DLC. This makes me consider not doing that anymore.
I'm sorry to jump in, but I don't find that analogy quite accurate. It would be like, if you went to a movie while it was new in theaters and paid full price, then two years later they released the first 10 minutes of it for free. But then again, many movies do eventually become available to watch in their entirety for free anyway so it's not like this is a new practice. Things age and devalue all the time. Same with games. You could probably get a lot of Sims 4 stuff for free from here on if you're willing to wait another couple of years without spending any more on the game. But then you risk just getting some pieces here and there and not necessarily the things you want. I mean, I paid full price for most of Sims 2's EPs and then the Ultimate Edition went up on Origin for free while Sims 3 was out. Was it a waste to buy it? Hell no. I wanted it, I bought it and played with it and it added to my game experience at the time.
@LiELF said it best 👏👏👏👏👏 exactly my thoughts but I didn't know how to express it as well.
It would never even work for me to wait. I don't every use that hair. Never have. Or some other things they made free. But I use many other things in the pack. I just don't see how a few free items here and there years down the line is doing me or my money any harm?
I paid to have fun (right now) with a complete pack. And I'm having it 🥳🥳🥳
Actually I'm about to get treated out to olive garden today (my favorite Italian restaurant) guess how much we will spend? On one single meal that will last less than a few hours 👀
But all of the sim packs I paid full price for since release guess what? I'm still playing it. Still stretching that 40 dollars from 2015. And still enjoying it. I literally consider the sims the best well spent hobby money in the world. No other game I ever played kept me playing and getting my moneys worth for YEARS. If I'm not gonna complain about a 50 dollar 20min meal that's considered a luxury, I'm certainly not going to complain about a few free items for others to have fun with.
I am not happy that I paid hundreds of dollars for this game with ( ALL) the packs, and they just keep giving away stuff from them, I just think that if they are going to keep doing that then they need to give Us some or all of our money back, & for those of Us who did pay for the packs that these items are in that they are giving away to everyone, they need to make up new items for those of us who already have the ones they are giving away for free. only the player's who have not already bought this content think it is new, when in fact it is not new to those of Us who paid for it, I am tired that EA keep's remaking the same stuff for base game but nothing new for the rest of us who already have those items is my point, I want New stuff not stuff that i already got, plain and simple. , I am also upset that before the livestream they teased bout new stuff ( spooky stuff ) , when in fact there was none pfft.
I'm thinking of closing my wallet in the near future, if they keep this politics of making paid content for free because of identy politics. They aren't generous with items in these packs in general, they put just the minimum of items in it, before it looked too bad for them. Now pulling out some items out of it, makes me think that the high price (1€= 1$) these packs aren't worth to buy anymore. I'm not rich, beside living in rich country. Don't get me wrong I'm very fine with new black representation items in base game, but it shouldn't be pulled from already paid content, it should be create extra.
I see your point. One clarification though - Representative hair styles isn't identity politics; it's an identity.
I think to me the bigger issues is IF you were someone who wanted diversity you most likely already paid for this content. So who are the really giving it to? People who didn't care enough to buy the content in the first place? This neither makes more diverse content nor rewards the players whose purchases support them. It is also literally the lazy way to add something to the game. It takes no effort and adds nothing I didn't already have as an option. So no, no cookies for this effort.
I like the idea of this but feel it is backwards in some places.
I'd prefer gameplay be more often pushed to base game such that packs are designed with the expectation that given aspects of gameplay are present. But CAS and Build items should remain in the packs.
It looks like they're going the other way around with this though.
I don't use Discord because it doesn't support multiple accounts and I don't need folks at work wondering what I'm doing even on my own time. Until Discord catches up with every single other voice / video conferencing system, I limit where I use it:
I don't mind paid content going to the base game as long as future refreshes replace what they make free. Remember, they added new items to Spa Day with the refresh, and as a console player, I have noticed new content getting added to the game that wasn't there before. This could be the start of something very good.
Personally, I want a refresh for Island Living. There is so much untapped potential. They could move the cultural content to the base game to remove the pay wall and add a ton of new content to replace it.
Between the complete and total absence of underwater lots and the rabbit holes that could be developed into something more, I think they could do so much more with that pack.
I wouldn't be surprised if they released the Strangerville and Nifty Knitting locks to for basegame as well. How about making new hairs instead ? We currently have only one braided afro hairstyle in the basegame. Also how about making the kids braided ponytail available for adults as well like they did for the puffs ?
I don't get the decisions being taken at the moment. They're like "we're listening we're listening!" and then spend their development time on random things that haven't really been asked for (spa day update instead of dine out, 500 furniture kits when many have complained about the game turning into a build sim, scenarios and a new way of adding items) instead of what people are asking for (babies, cars, content actually working, occults, generations, etc), and actively continue making paid content free when they know people aren't happy with it happening
Because they took my money. No I don't lose the use of it, but I had to pay to get it. If it had been free, I would have kept my money. I'm not sure why you don't see the issue with that? It's like if I stood in line and paid to see a movie, and all the people in line behind me get in free. Why did I pay? I should be given credit or something to replace it. And if you've read my postings in the past, I am a supporter of DLC. I buy most of the DLC. This makes me consider not doing that anymore.
I'm sorry to jump in, but I don't find that analogy quite accurate.
Whether you like my analogy or not, the fact remains that I have been a fairly vocal supporter of DLC on this forum. I also back that up with my money. If they are going to start giving away stuff that I paid for, I will stop buying DLC. I support game development. That's not what this is.
I don't have a huge problem with small items being added to BG from packs (a CAS or BB item), but I don't think they should add things from stuff packs as they are already fairly limited.
I also don't think it matters how old the pack is. For example I only purchased Spooky Stuff a little while ago, I'd be annoyed if something from that pack was added to BG now.
New hairstyles and clothing have been added to BG recently, so they can do it. Also (I think it's already been mentioned in this thread) those who want more representative CAS but already own Toddler Stuff have not gotten more representative content.
I don't really mind as long as it's one thing once and a while. I understand why the hair is being released due to representation. The hot tub didn't bother me at all since we didn't get the exact same hot tub, so I really didn't understand why that was so irritating. I keep thinking I'll get that pack eventually, because I don't much like the huge topper on the free hot tub. I'd rather have the other one.
I don't really mind as long as it's one thing once and a while. I understand why the hair is being released due to representation. The hot tub didn't bother me at all since we didn't get the exact same hot tub, so I really didn't understand why that was so irritating. I keep thinking I'll get that pack eventually, because I don't much like the huge topper on the free hot tub. I'd rather have the other one.
It is irritating to me because I would never would have bought the pack in the current state. I buy packs to add new gameplay options to my game. If I had known 100% of the gameplay, 100% of my reason to get the pack, would get added to the base game, I would have simply waited. Now the pack is nothing but a reskin of a base game object, definitely not worth the price.
When you decide to get the pack now, you know up front you only get new looks for base game objects. It is up to you if that is worth the price. But I bought the pack when it offered one special object on top of that. It feels as if they tricked me into buying something that I would not buy under current circumstances.
I don't really mind as long as it's one thing once and a while. I understand why the hair is being released due to representation. The hot tub didn't bother me at all since we didn't get the exact same hot tub, so I really didn't understand why that was so irritating. I keep thinking I'll get that pack eventually, because I don't much like the huge topper on the free hot tub. I'd rather have the other one.
It is irritating to me because I would never would have bought the pack in the current state. I buy packs to add new gameplay options to my game. If I had known 100% of the gameplay, 100% of my reason to get the pack, would get added to the base game, I would have simply waited. Now the pack is nothing but a reskin of a base game object, definitely not worth the price.
When you decide to get the pack now, you know up front you only get new looks for base game objects. It is up to you if that is worth the price. But I bought the pack when it offered one special object on top of that. It feels as if they tricked me into buying something that I would not buy under current circumstances.
@Atreya33 Thank you for the explanation, now I get what you mean and I understand your annoyance. But I still prefer the hot tub that came in the pack, and one of these days I may get it.
I had forgotten that Stuff packs were marketed with "hero" objects that add gameplay and are the big plus to the pack. I wasn't thinking of getting in a hot tub as adding gameplay. For me, adding gameplay means a new career or something like that. (shrug) I just buy packs if it looks like it has things I'd use. This may explain why I have relatively few Stuff packs.
In a way, this makes me feel as if I have wasted money buying the packs. I know its a few things, but still, come on. Drop the price of the packs down a little bit, eh? I already feel as if you pay too much money for the packs based on the limited amount of things you get, especially with the stuff kits.
Comments
I don't mind when they add items from DLC to the base game, but in this situation it seems cheap and tacky.
Taking a item from an old pack and making it free for the sake of "diversity" seems questionable. Especially, like many other users have said, when they could have just made a new asset instead of just reusing an old one.
It's a very low effort and cheap way to add diversity
I'm sorry to jump in, but I don't find that analogy quite accurate. It would be like, if you went to a movie while it was new in theaters and paid full price, then two years later they released the first 10 minutes of it for free. But then again, many movies do eventually become available to watch in their entirety for free anyway so it's not like this is a new practice. Things age and devalue all the time. Same with games. You could probably get a lot of Sims 4 stuff for free from here on if you're willing to wait another couple of years without spending any more on the game. But then you risk just getting some pieces here and there and not necessarily the things you want. I mean, I paid full price for most of Sims 2's EPs and then the Ultimate Edition went up on Origin for free while Sims 3 was out. Was it a waste to buy it? Hell no. I wanted it, I bought it and played with it and it added to my game experience at the time.
It would never even work for me to wait. I don't every use that hair. Never have. Or some other things they made free. But I use many other things in the pack. I just don't see how a few free items here and there years down the line is doing me or my money any harm?
I paid to have fun (right now) with a complete pack. And I'm having it 🥳🥳🥳
But all of the sim packs I paid full price for since release guess what? I'm still playing it. Still stretching that 40 dollars from 2015. And still enjoying it. I literally consider the sims the best well spent hobby money in the world. No other game I ever played kept me playing and getting my moneys worth for YEARS. If I'm not gonna complain about a 50 dollar 20min meal that's considered a luxury, I'm certainly not going to complain about a few free items for others to have fun with.
I see your point. One clarification though - Representative hair styles isn't identity politics; it's an identity.
I'd prefer gameplay be more often pushed to base game such that packs are designed with the expectation that given aspects of gameplay are present. But CAS and Build items should remain in the packs.
It looks like they're going the other way around with this though.
Between the complete and total absence of underwater lots and the rabbit holes that could be developed into something more, I think they could do so much more with that pack.
Whether you like my analogy or not, the fact remains that I have been a fairly vocal supporter of DLC on this forum. I also back that up with my money. If they are going to start giving away stuff that I paid for, I will stop buying DLC. I support game development. That's not what this is.
Really
I pay dlc for its gameplay
I also don't think it matters how old the pack is. For example I only purchased Spooky Stuff a little while ago, I'd be annoyed if something from that pack was added to BG now.
New hairstyles and clothing have been added to BG recently, so they can do it. Also (I think it's already been mentioned in this thread) those who want more representative CAS but already own Toddler Stuff have not gotten more representative content.
It is irritating to me because I would never would have bought the pack in the current state. I buy packs to add new gameplay options to my game. If I had known 100% of the gameplay, 100% of my reason to get the pack, would get added to the base game, I would have simply waited. Now the pack is nothing but a reskin of a base game object, definitely not worth the price.
When you decide to get the pack now, you know up front you only get new looks for base game objects. It is up to you if that is worth the price. But I bought the pack when it offered one special object on top of that. It feels as if they tricked me into buying something that I would not buy under current circumstances.
@Atreya33 Thank you for the explanation, now I get what you mean and I understand your annoyance. But I still prefer the hot tub that came in the pack, and one of these days I may get it.
I had forgotten that Stuff packs were marketed with "hero" objects that add gameplay and are the big plus to the pack. I wasn't thinking of getting in a hot tub as adding gameplay. For me, adding gameplay means a new career or something like that. (shrug) I just buy packs if it looks like it has things I'd use. This may explain why I have relatively few Stuff packs.