Mine is actually probably a bit of both. In my legacy save, I simply try out some of the new features as I get new packs, though I have a family who tests them in new saves. When I got JtB, which was the first game pack I got, I used the youngest daughter of my first sim family to test it out. Each subsequent heir is doing one of the aspirations that come with that pack: Jade - Resistance; Ahsoka - Smuggler; Qi’ra (who is married to Kylo Ren) - First Order. I’m thinking the next heir will check out the IL pack because I haven’t done too much with that.
One of the cousins, who I liked the look of, tested out City Living. Two of Shanna’s grandchildren tested out other packs, either through trials or straight play. Bellamy tested Eco Living and Darcy is currently testing University (and also did the GF trial). One of Bellamy’s children - Rylee - currently testing out Cottage Living, and one of Darcy’s kids - most likely Story - will test out RoM.
It depends. If the pack has a lot of new gameplay I like to learn how to play with all the new things and I either start with new Sim(s) or just play with existing household, but concentrate on the new pack. Sometimes I'm not interested to start anything new and I just continue playing my saves normally and use the new pack features whenever I want to.
I incorporate it into my game. Sometimes I start a new game, if I really just want to test it, because I already it doesn't fit in my current game, but most of the time I discover them slowly and put things on my game what to-do next list. So snowy escape has been out for a while now, but my sims has never been on the top of Mount Komorebi. But one day they will
Whenever a pack is announced I always have a plan of what I want to do with so when it is released I immediately jump on it amd explore all the new features. Thinking about it though I could profit from exploring the new features slowly. I might try this with the wedding pack.
I have one save, three main families and some background sims whom I play sometimes, so usually I slowly incorporate the new pack into my play and already have some sim that is suitable to try some of the new things.
For example with CoL I first looked at the premades and decided which ones I wanted to save and keep around longer and which ones I'd let age and eventually go away. Then I went to play with one of my main families that lives in Sulani and gave them chickens and tried the simple living challenge. I played them quite some time. Then I played a different main family and explored the Henford-on-Bagley neighbourhoods with a child sim that likes camping, but after some time I somehow ended up to explore the Chalet Gardens in Windenburg and got into Bernard and Mimsy's story (I hadn't explored it so carefully before and had a lot of fun, my child sim was camping in Mimsy's garden and spent a lot of time with them. There was also an accident in which vampire Wolfgang Munch died! It was awful, but also very fun when the child sim and her grandma (both spellcasters and mediums) managed to get Wolfgang's ghost back to his boyfriend and their haunted mansion ). Then I went to age up one toddler and gave him the new animal enthusiast trait and ended up giving simple living challenge to that family as well. So it all just happens very gradually
@Amapola76, part of the reason you don't agree is because though I specified "gameplay" you are including a lot of things that aren't actually "gameplay" in your analysis. Things like CAW, adding lots wherever you want, Color Wheel, etc. aren't "gameplay" though they certainly can be considered as enhancing gameplay. Your view of "shallower" is why I made the side bar regarding "quantity over quality."
Sims 3, in particular, has far less "gameplay" in a single game, in my opinion, because, they designed it such that you only have access to one world and the vacation destinations within a single game. I'm aware that there's a mod to remove that restriction, but mods aren't part of the discussion.
Well, yes, if we did a side-by-side comparison of gameplay elements, we'd be here all day. I mentioned things that I consider integral to gameplay, not just enhancing. And yes, obviously that's, "my view." Everything that every single one of us posts here just "our view." That's what forums are, a place to express our personal opinions.
That being said, I do agree that the ability to move between worlds is perhaps the single greatest contribution to the game that has come from TS4, and the biggest drawback to TS3 (aside from the lag, obviously).
Depends on pack. Usually blend in with existing gameplay, but Cottage Living has been the exception. That has been my virtual ticket to Heathrow and the countryside beyond.
Same, Cottage Living has been almost the only pack that I have played through extensively instead of just incorporating elements into my existing gameplay. Well, and Strangerville, but that wasn't because I was excited about the content, it was because I wanted to get the story out of the way as quickly as possible so I could just use the neighborhood for normal purposes.
When Cottage Living came out my first reaction was this will so tie with Get Together & finally give me room for my historical sims to move into.
When Strangerville came out, I thought why wasn't this in Get To Work. Also, when Journey to Batuu came out, I thought yeah more sifi to go with my Get To Work & Strangerville.
I usually buy packs because I'm bored of my existing gameplay.. Whenever I buy a new pack the first thing I do is move my sims into the new world, give them a makeover with the new items and play exclusively with the new pack. I'm not personally interested in packs that just enhance existing gameplay, if they don't give me completely new things to do I skip them
I've never started a new save for a new pack, never even played with more than one save until very recently. However, I do usually create new families in preparation for new packs, sometimes waaaay before those packs are even announced (not because I can see the future, but because I hope/believe that some things will come eventually).
For example, Lara Croft and her mansion were among the first things I created back when I started playing TS4 in 2017, patiently waiting in the library for a reason to get involved. When Jungle Adventure was announced one year later, I moved Lady Croft into my world and played with her for weeks before the pack came out so that when it did, she had all the skills and everything required for a successful expedition to Selvadorada. Still, I also played other, unrelated households before and after the release.
Sometimes I just go into an existing household and involve one member in the activities of a new pack while everybody else keeps going about their daily lives as usual, or explore several packs at the same time. I got Paranormal Stuff shortly after Snowy Escape, so I moved my Winchester brothers into a haunted house in Mt. Komorebi, and while Dean was trying out the new ghost hunter career, Sam would explore the slopes and hiking trails. Later Castiel moved in, too, and became a small-time farmer and passionate jam maker.
Speaking of Cottage Living, that is arguably the one pack that I played until completion in a rather short time. Not because I was rushing through it intentionally, but because I really wanted an evil chicken and tried everything I could think of to get my hands on both the recipe and the ingredients for a midnight treat. By the time I finally got it, I had plenty of experience with the regular farm animals, new recipes, oversized crops, lot challenges, errands, and the Finchwick Fair.
I tend to use all the new stuff to redecorate and enhance existing builds and give the Sims a fashion overhaul. Starting new games when you have all the packs is a bit onerous these days. Too much work and I've got lots of existing Saves to use.
Once the pack has been out for a while and the bugs have been nuked with mods or Maxis fixes, I purchase the pack then incorporate it into my existing saves. The only pack I haven't delved into very much is Snowy Escapes, and that one is over a year old now. Cottage Living has taken over much of my gaming time since it was released. I just can't seem to get enough of the new animals. I have two different saves devoted to that pack. Like Simburian, I have many different saves to choose from, and because I basically started those from scratch with totally new venues, home, Sims and backstories, it's just too much work to create a new save every time a new pack comes along.
Depending on how far I've gotten into the 'current' save, I may start the family anew to better incorporate the new pack. I discovered that it's much harder to instill the Values, for instance, that Parenthood gives when the kids are already Teens, (unless you use MCCC to cheat them up). Otherwise, I just take what the pack offers. With Snowy Escape, I was finally able to have my Global Superstar take his family on a really nice, exciting vacation. His identical twin daughters were having some issues, a crack in the twinness, so to speak, so Erik took this time to talk to each one, individually, to see where things could be patched up in their relationship.
I've tried starting new saves for new packs in the past, but it's never worked out for me
So I just incorporate it into existing gameplay. However if the pack comes with a new world, I will take one of my existing households there either right away, or the morning/afternoon of the next Sim day depending on the in game time.
I get around to them. Someday. There's a ton of stuff I still haven't explored, and I'm okay with that. I do make a test save when a new pack comes out (if I buy it right away) to test for bugs and whatnot and I may explore a bit of the new pack then. Usually whatever really interested me about the pack so that I understand it for my regular save. The rest will happen when it happens.
I always incorporate. I only play with one legacy family, so I usually plan to have them explore the new pack. Each generation looks a little different and focuses on a new aspect of gameplay. With additions such as Cottage Living or Snowy Escape I wait until the next generation of my legacy comes along and then when they age into a young adult I'll move them into the new world/area/etc. and have them interact with all the new features and in that way I'll 'progress' to a different stage in the story.
If it fits my story plot or otherwise I'll buy it right away, if it doesn't its worthless and I don't. try to prioritize key elements, Spellcasters, Vampires, some day werewolves are key elements of my story. Like I just bought Island living, only for mermen, and because the Pacific Islander culture, fits one of my families. I don't intend on playing with Sulani.
I guess I'm an 'Other'. Sometimes I'll dive in with new sims and check out the basics, at which point I'd then incorporate what I know in one or another of my game universes. I did a quick deep dive into HOB, for instance. Or I'll just use the features as I come to them, as with Island Living and Get Famous - I've not played in those worlds and have barely scratched the surface. I don't pay that much attention to what I'm using in terms of features unless I'm moving to or visiting a different world.
This is how I approach it in live mode. However the first thing I do with any pack that comes with the world is go into bb mode and go on a building or renovating spree as I like either my own builds or the lots that come with new packs that I renovate for my liking. As for cas I look at it when I need to go into cas mode.
Edit- just realised there was an other option
I try my best to incorporate it into my current save (I have made Dina, Nina, and Don teens and get rid of families I don’t like and it takes forever for me to get my game the way I like it)
So once a new pack is out I will integrate it into my save best I can
Pack's that I struggle to incorporate into my gameplay are the packs that I don't tend to like very much. I have "played" packs in the past, but I've learned overtime that "playing" a pack is not what I'm interested in.
I'm about 50/50. Figures as I am also a middle child. I think Strangerville was the only pack I played on its own at the onset. Even Cottage Living I used my regular saved sim and continued on their story.
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One of the cousins, who I liked the look of, tested out City Living. Two of Shanna’s grandchildren tested out other packs, either through trials or straight play. Bellamy tested Eco Living and Darcy is currently testing University (and also did the GF trial). One of Bellamy’s children - Rylee - currently testing out Cottage Living, and one of Darcy’s kids - most likely Story - will test out RoM.
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For example with CoL I first looked at the premades and decided which ones I wanted to save and keep around longer and which ones I'd let age and eventually go away. Then I went to play with one of my main families that lives in Sulani and gave them chickens and tried the simple living challenge. I played them quite some time. Then I played a different main family and explored the Henford-on-Bagley neighbourhoods with a child sim that likes camping, but after some time I somehow ended up to explore the Chalet Gardens in Windenburg and got into Bernard and Mimsy's story (I hadn't explored it so carefully before and had a lot of fun, my child sim was camping in Mimsy's garden and spent a lot of time with them. There was also an accident in which vampire Wolfgang Munch died! It was awful, but also very fun when the child sim and her grandma (both spellcasters and mediums) managed to get Wolfgang's ghost back to his boyfriend and their haunted mansion
Well, yes, if we did a side-by-side comparison of gameplay elements, we'd be here all day. I mentioned things that I consider integral to gameplay, not just enhancing. And yes, obviously that's, "my view." Everything that every single one of us posts here just "our view." That's what forums are, a place to express our personal opinions.
That being said, I do agree that the ability to move between worlds is perhaps the single greatest contribution to the game that has come from TS4, and the biggest drawback to TS3 (aside from the lag, obviously).
Same, Cottage Living has been almost the only pack that I have played through extensively instead of just incorporating elements into my existing gameplay. Well, and Strangerville, but that wasn't because I was excited about the content, it was because I wanted to get the story out of the way as quickly as possible so I could just use the neighborhood for normal purposes.
When Strangerville came out, I thought why wasn't this in Get To Work. Also, when Journey to Batuu came out, I thought yeah more sifi to go with my Get To Work & Strangerville.
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For example, Lara Croft and her mansion were among the first things I created back when I started playing TS4 in 2017, patiently waiting in the library for a reason to get involved. When Jungle Adventure was announced one year later, I moved Lady Croft into my world and played with her for weeks before the pack came out so that when it did, she had all the skills and everything required for a successful expedition to Selvadorada. Still, I also played other, unrelated households before and after the release.
Sometimes I just go into an existing household and involve one member in the activities of a new pack while everybody else keeps going about their daily lives as usual, or explore several packs at the same time. I got Paranormal Stuff shortly after Snowy Escape, so I moved my Winchester brothers into a haunted house in Mt. Komorebi, and while Dean was trying out the new ghost hunter career, Sam would explore the slopes and hiking trails. Later Castiel moved in, too, and became a small-time farmer and passionate jam maker.
Speaking of Cottage Living, that is arguably the one pack that I played until completion in a rather short time. Not because I was rushing through it intentionally, but because I really wanted an evil chicken and tried everything I could think of to get my hands on both the recipe and the ingredients for a midnight treat. By the time I finally got it, I had plenty of experience with the regular farm animals, new recipes, oversized crops, lot challenges, errands, and the Finchwick Fair.
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I don't use MCCC.
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So I just incorporate it into existing gameplay. However if the pack comes with a new world, I will take one of my existing households there either right away, or the morning/afternoon of the next Sim day depending on the in game time.
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Edit- just realised there was an other option
So once a new pack is out I will integrate it into my save best I can
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