The Sims 4

[TheGodBen]

I do find the complaints about lacking content a little odd. The Sims is built on expansion packs. We've had 5 years of expansions with Sims 3. That's where we got a lot of the content, not the base game. We just don't remember 5 years ago nearly as well as we think we do.

I only had one expansion for Sims 3 (Ambitions), so I have a decent idea of what the vanilla game looked like, and Sims 4 still looks like a significant step backwards in content. It's true that vanilla 2 and 3 were also lacking when compared to their predecessors + expansions, but vanilla Sims 4 seems to have the least amount of content at launch in the series, except possibly for the very first game. Emotions and multitasking just aren't exciting enough features to me to justify the loss of everything else.

 

[Kemaiku]

^Exactly, Sims 2 and 3 had major features that changed the gameplay drastically over the previous one and had a large enough amount of content to play a basic version of the game alone.

Sims 4 cuts a lot out, strips features down, steps down to the Sims 2 in some ways and has the least launch content. People expected a lot more to be shipped with it, not less than previous games.

And given the current DLC trends in other game series, it's not surprising that some people were very worried that the Sims 4 DLC/expansion would be different to the others, costing more and giving less.

Usually, we don't have to wait for the first EP/SP to make it playable. That's not a good start.

 

[SPCTRE]

Well, Sim City (2013) was a good sign of things to come. The Sims 4 sits squarely in that lineage, content- and scope-wise.

Without the backlash last year, Sims 4 would have likely been an always-online experience.

 

[Gryffindorian]

I'm really liking this game. Not since TS2 have I created so many sims and families, though I've made only one house from scratch. As mentioned, I like the inclusion of ghosts and Star Wars costumes, not to mention mods/patches I've added to the game. The cow plant is a fun household pet in the absence of animal pets (which I'm sure will be included in upcoming expansion packs).

Kotaku recently posted an article on *ahem* nudity patches. I'd dare not post the link because it contains NSFW stuff. Feel free to Google it yourself.

 

[Smellincoffee]

I'm still playing The Sims 2. I do HAVE the third game, but I've never just gotten lost in it the way I did with the original Sims and its sequel.

 

[Kemaiku]

I've gone back to the Sims 2 myself lately. Played 3 the other day and remembered why I disliked it so thoroughly.

 

[AliciaD496]

Hey, sorry to dredge up an old thread but I had something Sims 4 related I wanted to post about.

Anyone else who plays Sims looking forward to the new Get to Work expansion pack?

It seems like a mix of two old expansion packs, Open for Business from Sims 2 and Ambitions from Sims 3. It opens up a few career options that were obviously missing from the base game of Sims 4 (I wondered why there was no medical career option when there always had been before). It looks like it allows you to actually follow and direct your sim at the work place for at least three new careers as well as open up new businesses in a limited fashion (people are complaining because you can have a bakery/deli and sell premade foods but not have customers sit and dine).

I've been playing Sims 4 again a little after putting it away for a while (now that they've released it on Mac it's easier for me). While I enjoy the new graphics and interactions (social interactions and stacking of actions like sitting on the couch, eating dinner and watching TV at the same time are more realistic than they used to be) but it's definitely limited due to still being just the base game. When they've finally added more bells and whistles (more careers, aspirations, traits, lots and neighborhoods) I think it'll be a fun game.

 

[Gryffindorian]

Alicia, since this is the first expansion of TS4, I will definitely get it. I'm interested in exploring the different careers in the game, while actually focusing on the workplace setting.

I bought all of the Sims 2 expansions and thought Open For Business had an interesting dynamic. I remember making "home stores" out of a couple of my residential lots. Then all I had to do was flip the door sign: We're Open.

I was never really happy with Sims 3 in general. I only got three expansions for the game: Late Night, Pets, and University Life, along with a couple of Stuff packs.

 

[Gryffindorian]

I didn't even realize the expansion came out on March 31, so I missed Target's sale price during the first week.

But more to the point, I'm having second thoughts now about buying Get to Work. From what I've seen in the previews, the expansion feels a lot like TS2's Open for Business, and therein lies the problem. As I said earlier, I liked OFB when I played it, but I also feel this GTW expansion hasn't much to offer in terms of new game dynamics. You build and customize your shop or work environment. You get all the equipment and supplies to provide goods or services to your customers. You hire and manage your staff, but what else is there? It's a rehashed idea with a "been there, done that" feel that's become so typical of The Sims franchise. I had fun with TS2's University expansion pack, but after buying and playing TS3 University Life, I simply didn't find it very interesting anymore. It lacked the initial spark of the original.

If Electronic Arts continues with this trend of recycling old ideas, then this could be the end of The Sims for me. I've enjoyed this sandbox series for over a decade, but I'm starting to feel like a kid who has outgrown his Power Rangers T- shirts.