I voted for Seasons but honestly Get Together and City Living are my other two top votes. I tend to use elements of those packs the most without really thinking about them as separate packs, if that makes sense. I think Seasons adds a layer to the game overall that is just always needed but I feel like once you’ve got it installed you’re like okay and??? It’s so integral because it just should be in the base game. I hope you understand the nuance of what I mean here.
I do get what you mean. For me I describe it as atmosphere.
Do you feel like the club system would add the most for a player like me? I like setting my sims personality and then kinda letting them do their own thing, maybe nudging them in a certain direction as they go, if that makes sense. I feel like TS2 wants/fears was the best for that. Does the club system you think change individual behavior/thinking of a sim without your personal direction? Like is it more just X group likes eating apples so everyone will take up that same habit? Idk what im trying to say tho either lol
What options are available in the festival building?
Also, are they any mods you recommend with any of these systems?
I think the best the Club system can do is create a personality of hobbies and lifestyle basically. For example, one of my Sims joined a gardening and fishing club. It just helps to establish that these are two of her interests. It also helps her stay connected with others out there in the world. I think that’s what clubs help to do the most.
Each world has its own climate which affects how it experiences the seasons. A summer in Oasis Springs is not the same as a summer in Brindleton Bay. My sim lives in Oasis Springs and it’s summer and she’s basically been shut in her house all summer because of the heatwaves (by my choice for her to not go out on those days).
Oh thats interesting! In TS2 you can change what season each neighborhood gets but cannot change the intensity. Thank you for sharing!
The Sims has currently lost its identity. Bring it back for TS5
Way better option than bars. I have changed so many bars to night clubs.
What do you think makes the difference? I've downloaded nightclubs to the gallery without GT. My sims drink at the bar and dance, but what does the actual nightclub do differently?
No weird themed bar nights.. naturally those are modded out from my game. But in vanilla, those are my biggest peeves for bars. and a nightclub does not require that stupid TV Honestly.. do you go to a pub to watch cooking channel?
ETA: other than that they both work mostly the same. Plus you have DJ booths in nightclub with DJ
My love, my love, my fearless love, I will not say goodbye..
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
It's not nearly as easy as in the Sims 3 but it's kind of easy depending on what you do. Once I tried becoming a famous photographer which took a century but a famous actor is a lot easier. The perks though are the best part about the pack. You can make a celeb with a good reputation or just a super infamous celebrity everyone knows but hates.
I really like that about the celebrity system. So a famous person and infamous people too. That sounds really nice. Thanks for sharing!
The Sims has currently lost its identity. Bring it back for TS5
Each world has its own climate which affects how it experiences the seasons. A summer in Oasis Springs is not the same as a summer in Brindleton Bay. My sim lives in Oasis Springs and it’s summer and she’s basically been shut in her house all summer because of the heatwaves (by my choice for her to not go out on those days).
Oh thats interesting! In TS2 you can change what season each neighborhood gets but cannot change the intensity. Thank you for sharing!
Well you can decide which season to start in when you make a new save and you can determine how long the seasons are.
That is the limit of customization of the weather itself.
In my opinion, the game lack a lot of unpredictability and you know what's a remedy for that? Weather. It at least gives the feeling of something random happening even if it's a small and insignificant thing. This pack is an essential for me and I am similar to you in terms of what I think of this game. But you don't get to adjust the weather!
Btw. For DLC in general, personally I think Stuff packs are barely worth it. Maybe one or two and that's it. Game packs I like are Dine Out though it is very very buggy and parenthood though in my opinion it feels a bit too empty.
For expansion packs the only ones I would buy are the ones you are absolutely interested in. One that you like all the features and the execution so make sure you watch tons of reviews to know what's in the pack (cause EA descriptions tend to paint a false picture).
My second choice would be Get Famous if you're interested in that kind of gameplay because it is kind of well made and Get Together. All the others are not well executed nor very full imo so you'll have to really like the features to buy them.
If you are unsure if buying packs will make your opinion of the game better then set a certain amount of packs as a limit. For example buy three expansion packs and think, am I enjoying this right now or am I just craving more content because the game still feels empty? If the latter ends up being true then I say be aware not to fall into the trap of buying packs that you will end up never using cause you are bored of the game (which is a trap I fell into unfortunately).
Thank you! Ok no adjusting weather. Is every neighborhood's weather the same?
I do feel that way about stuff packs. I don't plan on buying those or kits. I heard Dine Out is very buggy but I haven't tried running my own restaurant because I'm annoyed about it's limits comparing it to TS2 Open for Business. I was happy to have a nice date out (though they kept playing musical chairs and getting distracted).
What else is satisfying about Seasons? I do like the atmosphere that it brings in TS2 & TS3, but I don't celebrate any major holidays so those features are not interesting to me. Would you say that is a big portion of TS4 Seasons pack, or is the fun mostly in just weather changes?
I do like celebrities and like the system in TS3 Nightlife. I did wish it was harder to become a celebrity in TS3. It wasn't easy necessarily, but I wish it would even more difficult to be a top star. Is it fairly easy in Get Famous?
What do you think is best executed in Get Together?
I also think what you said in bolded makes a lot of sense too. Thanks for that tip!
You're not forced to create major holidays. For example, one of my favorite 'holidays' is The Purge. On that day, sims air grievances, light fires, fight, and countdown to midnight. I also create a five day holiday in summer called summer vacation so the kids don't have to go to school.
I think the best the Club system can do is create a personality of hobbies and lifestyle basically. For example, one of my Sims joined a gardening and fishing club. It just helps to establish that these are two of her interests. It also helps her stay connected with others out there in the world. I think that’s what clubs help to do the most.
Ok so like adds context and activity to a person's actions. I think that does contribute to their personality. Like how Sims 2 Freetime added hobbies. And some sims were naturally good or worse at some activities. Thanks!
The Sims has currently lost its identity. Bring it back for TS5
Each world has its own climate which affects how it experiences the seasons. A summer in Oasis Springs is not the same as a summer in Brindleton Bay. My sim lives in Oasis Springs and it’s summer and she’s basically been shut in her house all summer because of the heatwaves (by my choice for her to not go out on those days).
Oh thats interesting! In TS2 you can change what season each neighborhood gets but cannot change the intensity. Thank you for sharing!
Well you can decide which season to start in when you make a new save and you can determine how long the seasons are.
That is the limit of customization of the weather itself.
Do you mean in TS2 or TS4?
So did you mean summer in Oasis Springs is longer than Bridleton Bay or more dangerously hot?
The Sims has currently lost its identity. Bring it back for TS5
I'd have to say get together. I like the club system. It's flexible with a ton of things you can do with it. You also get Windenburg which is nice and will be even nicer once they fix the stairs. (Pretty sad that I have to say that)
I belong to the minority there , as nice as the world is because it is big, I never liked it that much.
What don't you like about it?
Simply just not my thing.. I do like the community area, as I like tudor style buildings, Veronaville is my favorite hood in TS2. But the forest part is so dark with all the high trees. The island is nice.
I do not hate it, it looks good, just not my thing
Post edited by Ellupelluellu on
My love, my love, my fearless love, I will not say goodbye..
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
I'd have to say get together. I like the club system. It's flexible with a ton of things you can do with it. You also get Windenburg which is nice and will be even nicer once they fix the stairs. (Pretty sad that I have to say that)
What is the issue with stairs?
What's the most enjoyable about the club system (for example what are your clubs?)?
They're broken. There's an issue with the upper deck railing causing in invisible barrier. There's an entire thread on it and a way to fix it. Still it would be nice if the bug was fixed.
All kinds of clubs. Actors guilds, study groups, athletic clubs, after hours social clubs... that all I'm saying about that, the hang out at the beach all day and get smashed club... and a really bad sunburn. Some of mine may or may not require other mods but, we won't talk about that here.
Seasons is nice for the aesthetics. I really like how the season changes look, but that's pretty much all I like about it. Although, sims slipping and falling in mud puddles still makes me laugh. Shoveling snow I could really do without. My sims always seem to obsess over it and sims will still freeze to death from time to time.
Each world has its own climate which affects how it experiences the seasons. A summer in Oasis Springs is not the same as a summer in Brindleton Bay. My sim lives in Oasis Springs and it’s summer and she’s basically been shut in her house all summer because of the heatwaves (by my choice for her to not go out on those days).
Oh thats interesting! In TS2 you can change what season each neighborhood gets but cannot change the intensity. Thank you for sharing!
Well you can decide which season to start in when you make a new save and you can determine how long the seasons are.
That is the limit of customization of the weather itself.
Do you mean in TS2 or TS4?
So did you mean summer in Oasis Springs is longer than Bridleton Bay or more dangerously hot?
I meant in TS4. Summers in the desert as I’ve experienced them tend to have more heatwaves than in more temperate climates, for example. It rains more in some worlds than in others, etc. You can change the length of the seasons at any time in the game settings. There’s also a weather machine Sims can use to manipulate the weather but I never use it.
Seasons is my must have expansion aside from the weather making the game more realistic it has the calendar. I love having my sims celebrate holidays just like in real life.
Oh also, the festivals are all outside. You can't customize their location, as far as I know. But each time the festival comes around, it's already dressed up by the game. And I don't use mods.
Oh also, the festivals are all outside. You can't customize their location, as far as I know. But each time the festival comes around, it's already dressed up by the game. And I don't use mods.
That would need CL Or IL or SE.. to have any kind of festivals
My love, my love, my fearless love, I will not say goodbye..
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
Oh also, the festivals are all outside. You can't customize their location, as far as I know. But each time the festival comes around, it's already dressed up by the game. And I don't use mods.
That would need CL Or IL or SE.. to have any kind of festivals
Yes, I know. I mentioned CL to the OP in my post to them. That's why they brought it back up to me with their question about them.
Oh also, the festivals are all outside. You can't customize their location, as far as I know. But each time the festival comes around, it's already dressed up by the game. And I don't use mods.
That would need CL Or IL or SE.. to have any kind of festivals
Yes, I know. I mentioned CL to the OP in my post to them. That's why they brought it back up to me with their question about them.
I apologize, I did not mean to be nitpicking at all
My love, my love, my fearless love, I will not say goodbye..
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
A thing you might want to know about Get Together is that even though the club system is very flexible and customizable the AI is unfortunately flawed sometimes. You can basically choose which activities your club members are gonna be doing and which are not allowed.
The "banned" activities often tend to not have a lot of meaning because Sims will barely do them autonomously. So if you want actual consequences for a Sims' actions breaking the rules of the club, well there are often none because nobody breaks the rules unless you set it to like "Eating is banned" which Sims might break if hungry but anything else doesn't really do much.
The "recommended" activities on the other hand are like serious overkill, sometimes and I want to point out, sometimes and not always. For example. If you make a cooking club and you set the activity to cooking and eating food. Your Sims will not "cook together and then eat together" as one would do in a cooking club. Your Sims will just cook and eat at random all the time. So much so that they will even stop everything they are doing to do these "recommended" activities.
Sometimes sims in cooking clubs will even stop cooking a meal, just to start cooking a new meal, so you basically end up with your whole kitchen full of unfinished meals cause sims keep stop cooking to go cook more.
Other than that it's a fun system. Just be aware that the AI, depending on how you intend to play, might not be optimal.
Whenever I have club gatherings, I tend to make sure I control the activities. For example, with my Gardening and Fishing Club Sim, I will always make sure I select the members to Fish Together, for example. Luckily, fishing is one of those activities that Sims like doing on their own. But I understand what you're saying. The AI could be smarter about how the activities work.
Oh also, the festivals are all outside. You can't customize their location, as far as I know. But each time the festival comes around, it's already dressed up by the game. And I don't use mods.
That would need CL Or IL or SE.. to have any kind of festivals
Yes, I know. I mentioned CL to the OP in my post to them. That's why they brought it back up to me with their question about them.
I apologize, I did not mean to be nitpicking at all
Whenever I have club gatherings, I tend to make sure I control the activities. For example, with my Gardening and Fishing Club Sim, I will always make sure I select the members to Fish Together, for example. Luckily, fishing is one of those activities that Sims like doing on their own. But I understand what you're saying. The AI could be smarter about how the activities work.
Yes there are just certain activities that tend to go overkill like the cooking. Another one is the woohoo. Never make a woohoo club, for real. They will just not stop woohooing they starve themselves
Fishing works great because it's an interaction with an open end that involves chatting in the group. Similar interactions are video games, watching TV or any interaction with no beginning or end and with a lot of group talking. If an interaction has a beginning and an end then it can be a bit weird in the clubs.
Whenever I have club gatherings, I tend to make sure I control the activities. For example, with my Gardening and Fishing Club Sim, I will always make sure I select the members to Fish Together, for example. Luckily, fishing is one of those activities that Sims like doing on their own. But I understand what you're saying. The AI could be smarter about how the activities work.
Yes there are just certain activities that tend to go overkill like the cooking. Another one is the woohoo. Never make a woohoo club, for real. They will just not stop woohooing they starve themselves
Fishing works great because it's an interaction with an open end that involves chatting in the group. Similar interactions are video games, watching TV or any interaction with no beginning or end and with a lot of group talking. If an interaction has a beginning and an end then it can be a bit weird in the clubs.
You know what, that actually makes a lot of sense, and explains a lot.
I will always choose seasons if its just one expansion pack because I literally could not make myself play sims minus seasons at all
like i tried and it was very depressing first few years with no vampires and seasons and base game being the way it was and the barbie world simulator was just killing me inside
so i would either download about thousand gameplay mods to play with those
*cough* kill half the town
or get bored in like half hour and quit for next 6 months... or both
these days i can pretty much comfortably play couple hours daily without any mods or need to go kill off whole town
but i do also have almost all packs now and play mixing them up so after seasons it does get bit hard to tell what packs i use most aside from it
biggest thing i lack since i got my seasons and vampires is romance gameplay so i do be really hoping they give me some in 2021 cause hngh
it be lacking
Honestly cannot pick one. I really like some of the packs, like Seasons, or could mention a pack I would always buy even though it was my biggest disappointment, C & D, but all the EPs for me are more of a collaborative content experience. Not one stands alone as an essential for me that could sustain the game to keep me playing if the others disappeared. I can say I would have wanted A, B, and C from the EPs and have wanted and enjoyed the EPs and still have said that they could have come in whatever order and I would still have had the same feelings about 4.
I truly started having fun with 4 with the release of the Vampires GP. I genuinely appreciated GPs being a thing then and thought all the supernaturals, even when we had to wait, so long as they got a GP they would be amazing. Cut to RoM and I was sorely disappointed-- by my favorite supernatural in 2 and 3. I think they did vampires, toddlers, CAS, BB, and graphics better than the others. That's it.
I also think 4 shines in CAS and BB and lacks in live mode where I used to spend the majority of my time. My playstyle became twisted to enjoy what I could and now it isn't the "old reliable" game I can play when I don't want to play any other one.
Get Together was the first pack I got gifted. I was getting trolled after entering a giveaway and reached out to some mods about it. SimGuruDrake ended up gifting me it and I cried because it was the first Sims game I ever got from anyone. Seasons I picked because it was a game changer and I highly recommend it for any of the iterations to have that seasonal experience. Parenthood I would highly recommend too. If I had to pick a Stuff pack, it would be Tiny Living because the lot traits provide quite the fun experience. I really like Laundry day, kids, and toddler packs too.
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.” –Helen Keller
My essential pack is actually Vampires. Vampires for me was like the Toddler drop for family players. I love everything about that pack and there is amazing balance to the Vampires because they have to have a weakness for every few powers they get. They are probably one of the darkest features in TS4 (even though they got gimped from feeding on sleeping Sims) and the gorgeous, grungy Victorian aesthetic and gothy, edgy CAS just pushes it to perfection. Most other packs I would personally recommend are also GPs. I just get a ton of enjoyment out of them.
If I had to choose an EP though... I don't know, it's hard. I love Island Living because the world is just gorgeous and nice to "be there" and has a relaxing atmosphere and Mermaids, which I love a lot more than I expected to. But it feels small, so I'd recommend grabbing it on sale only, if you're not into the game in the first place. But it does have a few fun water activities. I like the more subtle features of the pack, though.
Get Together I like for the large world of Windenburg as well as the club system and a little more spice to night life. The club system is one of those features that can be overlooked and underestimated but you can actually set up some group behaviors with it and choose hangout locations so if you like to switch households, you'll actually see those Sims show up in the places you set, doing the club activities you chose (as long as the right requirements are met at the locale). Lots of creative things can be done with clubs and using townies or extra Sims to bring areas more to life. You can even set up rival clubs who like to fight and have them hang out at the same place for some drama, lol. They can also be used for family gatherings or senior clubs or age groups. It's pretty versatile.
City Living is actually pretty good too for the world itself and apartments, and I didn't like it when it first came out. I love the apartments, despite not being able to build or move them. And I believe a bunch of lot traits came with this pack. Lot traits can also mix things up a little by adding behaviors to locations or homes. They can add benefits or detriments, depending what you want. I think lot traits are a great additional feature.
Comments
I think the best the Club system can do is create a personality of hobbies and lifestyle basically. For example, one of my Sims joined a gardening and fishing club. It just helps to establish that these are two of her interests. It also helps her stay connected with others out there in the world. I think that’s what clubs help to do the most.
Oh thats interesting! In TS2 you can change what season each neighborhood gets but cannot change the intensity. Thank you for sharing!
Personality,depth,humor,consequences,lore,customization.
No weird themed bar nights.. naturally those are modded out from my game. But in vanilla, those are my biggest peeves for bars. and a nightclub does not require that stupid TV
ETA: other than that they both work mostly the same. Plus you have DJ booths in nightclub with DJ
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
I really like that about the celebrity system. So a famous person and infamous people too. That sounds really nice. Thanks for sharing!
Personality,depth,humor,consequences,lore,customization.
Well you can decide which season to start in when you make a new save and you can determine how long the seasons are.
That is the limit of customization of the weather itself.
You're not forced to create major holidays. For example, one of my favorite 'holidays' is The Purge. On that day, sims air grievances, light fires, fight, and countdown to midnight. I also create a five day holiday in summer called summer vacation so the kids don't have to go to school.
Ok so like adds context and activity to a person's actions. I think that does contribute to their personality. Like how Sims 2 Freetime added hobbies. And some sims were naturally good or worse at some activities. Thanks!
Personality,depth,humor,consequences,lore,customization.
Do you mean in TS2 or TS4?
So did you mean summer in Oasis Springs is longer than Bridleton Bay or more dangerously hot?
Personality,depth,humor,consequences,lore,customization.
That's a creative idea using the systems! Thanks!! You could make a lot of different things using the holiday system then.
Personality,depth,humor,consequences,lore,customization.
Simply just not my thing.. I do like the community area, as I like tudor style buildings, Veronaville is my favorite hood in TS2. But the forest part is so dark with all the high trees. The island is nice.
I do not hate it, it looks good, just not my thing
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
They're broken. There's an issue with the upper deck railing causing in invisible barrier. There's an entire thread on it and a way to fix it. Still it would be nice if the bug was fixed.
All kinds of clubs. Actors guilds, study groups, athletic clubs, after hours social clubs... that all I'm saying about that, the hang out at the beach all day and get smashed club... and a really bad sunburn. Some of mine may or may not require other mods but, we won't talk about that here.
Seasons is nice for the aesthetics. I really like how the season changes look, but that's pretty much all I like about it. Although, sims slipping and falling in mud puddles still makes me laugh. Shoveling snow I could really do without. My sims always seem to obsess over it and sims will still freeze to death from time to time.
I meant in TS4. Summers in the desert as I’ve experienced them tend to have more heatwaves than in more temperate climates, for example. It rains more in some worlds than in others, etc. You can change the length of the seasons at any time in the game settings. There’s also a weather machine Sims can use to manipulate the weather but I never use it.
That would need CL
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
Yes, I know. I mentioned CL to the OP in my post to them. That's why they brought it back up to me with their question about them.
I apologize, I did not mean to be nitpicking at all
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
Whenever I have club gatherings, I tend to make sure I control the activities. For example, with my Gardening and Fishing Club Sim, I will always make sure I select the members to Fish Together, for example. Luckily, fishing is one of those activities that Sims like doing on their own. But I understand what you're saying. The AI could be smarter about how the activities work.
No worries.
Yes there are just certain activities that tend to go overkill like the cooking. Another one is the woohoo. Never make a woohoo club, for real. They will just not stop woohooing they starve themselves
Fishing works great because it's an interaction with an open end that involves chatting in the group. Similar interactions are video games, watching TV or any interaction with no beginning or end and with a lot of group talking. If an interaction has a beginning and an end then it can be a bit weird in the clubs.
You know what, that actually makes a lot of sense, and explains a lot.
like i tried and it was very depressing first few years with no vampires and seasons and base game being the way it was and the barbie world simulator was just killing me inside
so i would either download about thousand gameplay mods to play with those
these days i can pretty much comfortably play couple hours daily without any mods or need to go kill off whole town
but i do also have almost all packs now and play mixing them up so after seasons it does get bit hard to tell what packs i use most aside from it
biggest thing i lack since i got my seasons and vampires is romance gameplay so i do be really hoping they give me some in 2021 cause hngh
it be lacking
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I truly started having fun with 4 with the release of the Vampires GP. I genuinely appreciated GPs being a thing then and thought all the supernaturals, even when we had to wait, so long as they got a GP they would be amazing. Cut to RoM and I was sorely disappointed-- by my favorite supernatural in 2 and 3. I think they did vampires, toddlers, CAS, BB, and graphics better than the others. That's it.
I also think 4 shines in CAS and BB and lacks in live mode where I used to spend the majority of my time. My playstyle became twisted to enjoy what I could and now it isn't the "old reliable" game I can play when I don't want to play any other one.
If I had to choose an EP though... I don't know, it's hard. I love Island Living because the world is just gorgeous and nice to "be there" and has a relaxing atmosphere and Mermaids, which I love a lot more than I expected to. But it feels small, so I'd recommend grabbing it on sale only, if you're not into the game in the first place. But it does have a few fun water activities. I like the more subtle features of the pack, though.
Get Together I like for the large world of Windenburg as well as the club system and a little more spice to night life. The club system is one of those features that can be overlooked and underestimated but you can actually set up some group behaviors with it and choose hangout locations so if you like to switch households, you'll actually see those Sims show up in the places you set, doing the club activities you chose (as long as the right requirements are met at the locale). Lots of creative things can be done with clubs and using townies or extra Sims to bring areas more to life. You can even set up rival clubs who like to fight and have them hang out at the same place for some drama, lol. They can also be used for family gatherings or senior clubs or age groups. It's pretty versatile.
City Living is actually pretty good too for the world itself and apartments, and I didn't like it when it first came out. I love the apartments, despite not being able to build or move them. And I believe a bunch of lot traits came with this pack. Lot traits can also mix things up a little by adding behaviors to locations or homes. They can add benefits or detriments, depending what you want. I think lot traits are a great additional feature.