No. We still have rabbit hole diving. We still have shallow festivals. We still lack hotels and house boats. We still have that poorly-done conservation gimmick, which STILL didn't get the promised cheat to undo it. The world is still dull and shallow.
It's more useful now, since I can have a proper rental instead of using my imagination. But the core issues haven't been fixed.
All of these things you mentioned are some of the reasons Sims 3 ran like a dog. The so-called house boats were the reason that the lot was broken. Modders had to constantly produce fixes and remake the worlds. That was the issue with Sims 3. The so-called features were mostly in the descriptions, there were epic fails if you actually tried to use most of them. The best thing about Sims 4 is that it runs without issues and crashing all of the time. Every now and then something pops up, but nothing like Sims 3.
That is what people do not understand. If there was any sort of mandate from EA to the Maxis team, it would have been, "Make sure the 🐸🐸🐸🐸 thing works." Sims 3 had so many issues that customers were complaining to consumer sites about the game.
Sulani is my most FAVORITE neighborhood as I have lived by/near the beach my entire life. I love creating Island Homes and watching my Sims perform the Fire Dance and make friends w/the dolphins. I have "Native" sims who were born in Sulani and they all have Hawaiian names including their pets. None of my sims work so they travel to the other neighborhoods to sample the other types of weather, culture and people. Now that we can have rentals in all of the neighborhoods, I will probably leave Sulani as purely residential. I only have 2 lots left for my sim families to inhabit.
I'm looking forward to having vacation rentals in Komorebi as I've always wanted my sims to have Mountain Home Retreats. I will probably have vacation rentals in San Myshuno too. The other neighborhoods are pretty boring and I don't have very many sims living in them.
I love Island Living, and Sulani is the perfect place to go on a vacation.
"That person who helps others simply because it should or must be done, and because it is the right thing to do, is indeed without a doubt, a real superhero." - Stan Lee
I have a fondness for IL. I know some people find it boring, but the tribal elements, island, off the grid and fishing upgrades it gave us, gave me one my most fun saves where I play a large tribal family completely off the grid. It's honestly one my favorite saves and I should actually play it again because the beetle farming stuff from EL means they can now have the occasional self-produced electricity.
Even without that, my sims live there often. I love the world, I love the mermaids and I really always sort of liked the pack. In summer, I'd send other sims there for day trips, can't wait to now send them there for week-long summer trips. IL just gives me lots of storytelling ideas, always has.
And the fact that the entire sim world doesn't spawn there is something it does a lot better than SE.
I only bought Island living a month ago and I was already in love with it. Especially for me, a person that hasn't travelled anywhere coastal in many years I love it even just for the aesthetics :) I made a few native Sulani families which I absolutely adore and I found myself using most of the CAS and build content from the pack which I rarely do. And I am really exited over the fact that Sulani can now become a vacation destination. Not that majority of my vampire sims could enjoy the stunning daylight, but I think even the nightstroll on the beach could be a nice change for them. XD Personally, I love Island living EP, my only wish would be for more cultural activites related to Sulani world.
Right now I am looking forward to give all the Sulani lots a makeover. I want to create at least two rentable houses (cheap and more fancy like), redo the beaches and create a tropical spa for vacationers to use.
While I don't really use the rental lots except in the vacation only worlds (I even changed the ones in Mt. Komorebi to residential, because that's just the sort of thing I do), it's nice to have that option. With or without them though, I still love IL.
I never thought that Island Living should be a game pack. Mermaids were a huge let down for me though.
I haven't yet played with mermaids, but I saw some mods that could help with getting a more interesting mermaid experience. I am not really interested in occult sims beside vampires and ghosts, but since I want to pupulate Sulani with my own sims and play rotationally I will have a mermaid, so I hope the mods will help.
That was the issue with Sims 3. The so-called features were mostly in the descriptions, there were epic fails if you actually tried to use most of them. The best thing about Sims 4 is that it runs without issues and crashing all of the time. Every now and then something pops up, but nothing like Sims 3.
I mean, a few of these things do mess up, Sims 3 isn't the most stable. But a lot of the features do function well. Meanwhile, the Sims 4 is growing more and more unstable, and still lacks a ton of crucial content. Maybe house boats deserved to be cut for the sake of stability. But there has to be some sort of compromise. The Sims 4 makes too many sacrifices for little returns.
That is what people do not understand. If there was any sort of mandate from EA to the Maxis team, it would have been, "Make sure the 🎃🎃🎃🎃 thing works." Sims 3 had so many issues that customers were complaining to consumer sites about the game.
If only they had that mandate lol. Sims 4 is a mess.
The Sims 4 hasn't introduced a new musical instrument since 2017
Sadly I don't see maxis updating Island Living in a free update and adding more activities that are missing however that Brazil Beach or the Greek Islands that was mentioned in those surveys if we get them might add a lot of the missing features island living didn't get. Heck I'd be glad to get hammocks.
Rentals alone wouldn't change my mind about the EP not having underwater swimming and rabbit holes. I like the rental feature, sure, but it doesn't make or break any pack for me.
I had one generic lot on Sulani that I used as a "rental" so now at least that can be official. But I have so many Sims already living in the area; pirates, mermaids, sirens, Naga and the Voodoo Loa, so it's not like I don't get good use out of it anyway, lol.
No. IP was my favourite TS3 pack, and I had high hopes for its TS4 version. Since launch day I've yearned for it. The feature I was most excited for was scuba diving. TS4's art style is perfect for it - instead of purely realistic diving spots, more fantasy spots would fit in perfectly and transport us to a whole new underwater world.
TS4 "scuba diving" is a rabbit hole. Punch to the face.
I don't like the theme of the world, having wanted a Tiki theme. Sulani is beautiful, but when I heard it was Polynesian, all I could think was "Moana is popular so they want to make money by attracting its fans." There's a Tiki bar in the game and JA explored Mayan temples and artifacts. IL could have been so much more interesting imo if it had a hidden Tiki temple, maps and mysteries rather than one of the core selling points of the pack being glorified ghosts and "fun facts," and it would have expanded the game better by forming coherence with existing DLC.
I don't expect IL to be an exact replica of IP, but seriously. Who thought that resorts should not come with this pack. In an EP so utterly devoid of gameplay, resorts would have made it worthwhile. I am 99% sure that they didn't add it bc they thought they'd make more money if they sold it seperately. I am disgusted. It is not simply a step down from IP, it is a disgrace. All the gameplay is tied to the world, but even then there is barely any. My only motivation for sending sims here on vacation is for the beach. There is nothing else to explore.
At least if there was a hidden Tiki temple I could send my sims adventuring. If there were resorts, I could run my dream resort, not simply build a rental lot and visit it. If there were shell jewelry and crafts as well as more beach-y collectables, I could run a cute, airy beach hut shop with GTW. If there was proper scuba diving, I could spend real-life hours simply being enchanted by the beauty and mystery of the ocean - I love it dearly but am too terrified to scuba dive in real life. Taking underwater pics myself would also open up a lot of creative possibilities, as well as integrate with the marine biology career.
If there were some nice activities like games (Gnubb set; how low can you go), more hobbies (taxidermy of fish, Spongebob Squarepants shop style; crafting jewelry from shells and pearls) and less empty careers (lifeguard not being a rabbit hole), this pack would actually be useful even when not playing in Sulani.
If ALL WORLDS had swimmable water, we would 1) be able to enjoy swimming more overall, 2) have more use for floaties and boats and 3) have more use for mermaids. If IL included the ability to turn swimming pools into custom aquariums via a special water paint ("fish habitat water") and the ability to stock fish into them, 1) a wealth of creative possibilities would be opened (ex. shark tank villain lair) and 2) mermaids would make more sense outside of Sulani, having a secret habitat they can feel home in no matter where they live. Mermaids could have gotten more special recipes to make them feel unique. Take inspiration from movies like Barbie Mermadia: kelp kebabs, seaweed sandwiches, coral cupcakes, sand dollar cookies etc. Crafts with shells and starfish could have doubled as a way to unlock more mermaid bras. Mermaids could have gotten more interactions with fish in bowls and aquariums.
I could seriously talk forever about features that could have made IL better, but it's useless bc I don't see the devs updating it - at least not to add substantial improvements. I do want this pack eventually, purely so I can rebuild it to better fit the aesthetic I wanted, but I'm waiting for it to be 75% off. I refuse to pay more for it.
So, rental lots: I'm happy we got them, and I will use them in IL. However, they do not improve IL for me at all, since the EP itself infuriates me with its (to use a euphemism) lacklusterness.
As much as I loved the mermaid aspects (even tho they are lacking) I didn’t really play with that world as much because it didn’t go well with my gameplay story. Now that we have rentals that gives me a chance to go on summer vacations & so forth. It’s a beautiful world & im glad I’m able to use it. I just wish there was more activities to do. Hopefully in the future we get a underwater world/pack
I know there is a lot of people that complain that Island Living should have been a Gamepack rather then an Expansion but now that we can place rentals there and take a vacation in Sulani does this change your minds? I was already in love with this pack and now that I can have rentals there that made me even more excited.
I usually just play mermaids in Sulani to help with their hydration. I don't normally play or build there. With rental options in build mode, I would probably turn most of the slots into rentals so that sims can go on holiday there.
Playtesting - not just tabletop games and card games any more. Really that should have been playtested in Beta and not [img]just with accounting and marketing but actual players. https://i.imgur.com/t48COW6.jpg[/img]
I still wish there was a setting that allowed us to indicate how far we want worlds to reside from one another. Like if a Sim wants to go from Windenburg to Sulani, in my game, I’d want them to pay $1000 airfare. Or Willowcreek to whatever that GTW shed is, like $12 cab ride or walk.
No. IP was my favourite TS3 pack, and I had high hopes for its TS4 version. Since launch day I've yearned for it. The feature I was most excited for was scuba diving. TS4's art style is perfect for it - instead of purely realistic diving spots, more fantasy spots would fit in perfectly and transport us to a whole new underwater world.
TS4 "scuba diving" is a rabbit hole. Punch to the face.
I don't like the theme of the world, having wanted a Tiki theme. Sulani is beautiful, but when I heard it was Polynesian, all I could think was "Moana is popular so they want to make money by attracting its fans." There's a Tiki bar in the game and JA explored Mayan temples and artifacts. IL could have been so much more interesting imo if it had a hidden Tiki temple, maps and mysteries rather than one of the core selling points of the pack being glorified ghosts and "fun facts," and it would have expanded the game better by forming coherence with existing DLC.
I don't expect IL to be an exact replica of IP, but seriously. Who thought that resorts should not come with this pack. In an EP so utterly devoid of gameplay, resorts would have made it worthwhile. I am 99% sure that they didn't add it bc they thought they'd make more money if they sold it seperately. I am disgusted. It is not simply a step down from IP, it is a disgrace. All the gameplay is tied to the world, but even then there is barely any. My only motivation for sending sims here on vacation is for the beach. There is nothing else to explore.
At least if there was a hidden Tiki temple I could send my sims adventuring. If there were resorts, I could run my dream resort, not simply build a rental lot and visit it. If there were shell jewelry and crafts as well as more beach-y collectables, I could run a cute, airy beach hut shop with GTW. If there was proper scuba diving, I could spend real-life hours simply being enchanted by the beauty and mystery of the ocean - I love it dearly but am too terrified to scuba dive in real life. Taking underwater pics myself would also open up a lot of creative possibilities, as well as integrate with the marine biology career.
If there were some nice activities like games (Gnubb set; how low can you go), more hobbies (taxidermy of fish, Spongebob Squarepants shop style; crafting jewelry from shells and pearls) and less empty careers (lifeguard not being a rabbit hole), this pack would actually be useful even when not playing in Sulani.
If ALL WORLDS had swimmable water, we would 1) be able to enjoy swimming more overall, 2) have more use for floaties and boats and 3) have more use for mermaids. If IL included the ability to turn swimming pools into custom aquariums via a special water paint ("fish habitat water") and the ability to stock fish into them, 1) a wealth of creative possibilities would be opened (ex. shark tank villain lair) and 2) mermaids would make more sense outside of Sulani, having a secret habitat they can feel home in no matter where they live. Mermaids could have gotten more special recipes to make them feel unique. Take inspiration from movies like Barbie Mermadia: kelp kebabs, seaweed sandwiches, coral cupcakes, sand dollar cookies etc. Crafts with shells and starfish could have doubled as a way to unlock more mermaid bras. Mermaids could have gotten more interactions with fish in bowls and aquariums.
I could seriously talk forever about features that could have made IL better, but it's useless bc I don't see the devs updating it - at least not to add substantial improvements. I do want this pack eventually, purely so I can rebuild it to better fit the aesthetic I wanted, but I'm waiting for it to be 75% off. I refuse to pay more for it.
So, rental lots: I'm happy we got them, and I will use them in IL. However, they do not improve IL for me at all, since the EP itself infuriates me with its (to use a euphemism) lacklusterness.
I agree, for a pack that had such high demand it's a major disappointment that for me personally IL falls near to the bottom of the ranking. The CAS, Build Buy and scenery looks stunning but the pack lacks much beyond face value. It's a huge shame that Island Paradise somehow surpasses Island Living in most ways.
One of it's biggest flaws which is now apprent is that they put a focus on Conservation....something that could have really fleshed Eco Lifestyle (which also falls flat with the non interactive litter). If they knew that somewhere in the pipeline that Eco Lifestyle was coming why didn't they think to organise their EP themes a little better?
Another major failing of this is the careers. Two big features in this pack is the stunning island of Sulani to explore and the friendly locals. Why then make three rabbit hole, part time carreers which don't allow you to explore both aspects? The fisherman career should have utilised the freelancer feature and the Lifeguard career should have been an active career. That could have really made this pack something and it could even use existing assets!
I'm going to be a little contrary....I really feel that a resort/hotel pack needs to be more versatile (B&B in Brindleton Bay, Snow Resort in Mt Komorebi etc) so with that I would like it to have it's own GP. I feel that if resorts were added to IL then it would be another watered down feature like retail which Sims 4 should be nipping in the bud!
I was never really trippin off not being able to vacation in Sulani. Supposedly the new patch will fix one of my biggest issues I have with the world, which is when Sims randomly pop up and walk through your house.
Comments
All of these things you mentioned are some of the reasons Sims 3 ran like a dog. The so-called house boats were the reason that the lot was broken. Modders had to constantly produce fixes and remake the worlds. That was the issue with Sims 3. The so-called features were mostly in the descriptions, there were epic fails if you actually tried to use most of them. The best thing about Sims 4 is that it runs without issues and crashing all of the time. Every now and then something pops up, but nothing like Sims 3.
That is what people do not understand. If there was any sort of mandate from EA to the Maxis team, it would have been, "Make sure the 🐸🐸🐸🐸 thing works." Sims 3 had so many issues that customers were complaining to consumer sites about the game.
I'm looking forward to having vacation rentals in Komorebi as I've always wanted my sims to have Mountain Home Retreats. I will probably have vacation rentals in San Myshuno too. The other neighborhoods are pretty boring and I don't have very many sims living in them.
INFJ -A/-T
Even without that, my sims live there often. I love the world, I love the mermaids and I really always sort of liked the pack. In summer, I'd send other sims there for day trips, can't wait to now send them there for week-long summer trips. IL just gives me lots of storytelling ideas, always has.
And the fact that the entire sim world doesn't spawn there is something it does a lot better than SE.
Right now I am looking forward to give all the Sulani lots a makeover. I want to create at least two rentable houses (cheap and more fancy like), redo the beaches and create a tropical spa for vacationers to use.
My gameplay blog - kindred sims
umm...snowy escape is a EP, or did you mean SE should be a GP too?
I haven't yet played with mermaids, but I saw some mods that could help with getting a more interesting mermaid experience. I am not really interested in occult sims beside vampires and ghosts, but since I want to pupulate Sulani with my own sims and play rotationally I will have a mermaid, so I hope the mods will help.
My gameplay blog - kindred sims
You only realize how powerful they are when you want to live off the grid and don't have enough sunlight to produce energy 🙈
If only they had that mandate lol. Sims 4 is a mess.
The Sims 4 hasn't introduced a new musical instrument since 2017
Snowy Escape is an Expansion.
Having the option to place rentals is a nice addition to the game. Yet, it was never an issue for me.
I had one generic lot on Sulani that I used as a "rental" so now at least that can be official. But I have so many Sims already living in the area; pirates, mermaids, sirens, Naga and the Voodoo Loa, so it's not like I don't get good use out of it anyway, lol.
TS4 "scuba diving" is a rabbit hole. Punch to the face.
I don't like the theme of the world, having wanted a Tiki theme. Sulani is beautiful, but when I heard it was Polynesian, all I could think was "Moana is popular so they want to make money by attracting its fans." There's a Tiki bar in the game and JA explored Mayan temples and artifacts. IL could have been so much more interesting imo if it had a hidden Tiki temple, maps and mysteries rather than one of the core selling points of the pack being glorified ghosts and "fun facts," and it would have expanded the game better by forming coherence with existing DLC.
I don't expect IL to be an exact replica of IP, but seriously. Who thought that resorts should not come with this pack. In an EP so utterly devoid of gameplay, resorts would have made it worthwhile. I am 99% sure that they didn't add it bc they thought they'd make more money if they sold it seperately. I am disgusted. It is not simply a step down from IP, it is a disgrace. All the gameplay is tied to the world, but even then there is barely any. My only motivation for sending sims here on vacation is for the beach. There is nothing else to explore.
At least if there was a hidden Tiki temple I could send my sims adventuring. If there were resorts, I could run my dream resort, not simply build a rental lot and visit it. If there were shell jewelry and crafts as well as more beach-y collectables, I could run a cute, airy beach hut shop with GTW. If there was proper scuba diving, I could spend real-life hours simply being enchanted by the beauty and mystery of the ocean - I love it dearly but am too terrified to scuba dive in real life. Taking underwater pics myself would also open up a lot of creative possibilities, as well as integrate with the marine biology career.
If there were some nice activities like games (Gnubb set; how low can you go), more hobbies (taxidermy of fish, Spongebob Squarepants shop style; crafting jewelry from shells and pearls) and less empty careers (lifeguard not being a rabbit hole), this pack would actually be useful even when not playing in Sulani.
If ALL WORLDS had swimmable water, we would 1) be able to enjoy swimming more overall, 2) have more use for floaties and boats and 3) have more use for mermaids. If IL included the ability to turn swimming pools into custom aquariums via a special water paint ("fish habitat water") and the ability to stock fish into them, 1) a wealth of creative possibilities would be opened (ex. shark tank villain lair) and 2) mermaids would make more sense outside of Sulani, having a secret habitat they can feel home in no matter where they live.
Mermaids could have gotten more special recipes to make them feel unique. Take inspiration from movies like Barbie Mermadia: kelp kebabs, seaweed sandwiches, coral cupcakes, sand dollar cookies etc. Crafts with shells and starfish could have doubled as a way to unlock more mermaid bras. Mermaids could have gotten more interactions with fish in bowls and aquariums.
I could seriously talk forever about features that could have made IL better, but it's useless bc I don't see the devs updating it - at least not to add substantial improvements. I do want this pack eventually, purely so I can rebuild it to better fit the aesthetic I wanted, but I'm waiting for it to be 75% off. I refuse to pay more for it.
So, rental lots: I'm happy we got them, and I will use them in IL. However, they do not improve IL for me at all, since the EP itself infuriates me with its (to use a euphemism) lacklusterness.
Pirates!! http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/906481/pirate-gp-smuggling-dueling-live-on-ship-or-build-own-and-more#latest
I usually just play mermaids in Sulani to help with their hydration. I don't normally play or build there. With rental options in build mode, I would probably turn most of the slots into rentals so that sims can go on holiday there.
I agree, for a pack that had such high demand it's a major disappointment that for me personally IL falls near to the bottom of the ranking. The CAS, Build Buy and scenery looks stunning but the pack lacks much beyond face value. It's a huge shame that Island Paradise somehow surpasses Island Living in most ways.
One of it's biggest flaws which is now apprent is that they put a focus on Conservation....something that could have really fleshed Eco Lifestyle (which also falls flat with the non interactive litter). If they knew that somewhere in the pipeline that Eco Lifestyle was coming why didn't they think to organise their EP themes a little better?
Another major failing of this is the careers. Two big features in this pack is the stunning island of Sulani to explore and the friendly locals. Why then make three rabbit hole, part time carreers which don't allow you to explore both aspects? The fisherman career should have utilised the freelancer feature and the Lifeguard career should have been an active career. That could have really made this pack something and it could even use existing assets!
I'm going to be a little contrary....I really feel that a resort/hotel pack needs to be more versatile (B&B in Brindleton Bay, Snow Resort in Mt Komorebi etc) so with that I would like it to have it's own GP. I feel that if resorts were added to IL then it would be another watered down feature like retail which Sims 4 should be nipping in the bud!