What's your favorite part about The Sims 3?

"PalmArrow;c-18154400" wrote:
The open world, definitely. Not only the ability to go from one end of the world to another without loading screens but, even more importantly, the fact that life goes on on all lots at the same time, that while my sim is sleeping or reading a book I can move the camera to a community lot and observe what the sims there are doing.

To illustrate what I mean by life going on on all lots at the same time, here is something from my current game:

I noticed that, when school was finished, my teen didn't get on the school bus. Instead she remained on the school lot and started doing her homework. At the same time on the neighbouring lot, her dad who works in the political career walked out of his workplace. I cancelled his car pool and directed him to join his daughter.

https://i.imgur.com/ODHZ0xv.jpg

He played a game while she finished her homework (I actually wanted him to help her, but he has the Absent Minded treat so he forgot).

https://i.imgur.com/XciUdlK.jpg

After she finished, they went to play basketball in front of the school.

https://i.imgur.com/QMw8Jsz.jpg

Then they took a taxi home together.

https://i.imgur.com/bCnFI9I.jpg

This does not sound especially interesting: nothing dramatic happens, it's just a little slice of life event. But without open world it wouldn't be possible to view two sims on two different lots at the same time and to converge their stories together. (Also, the festival lot is visible in the background and there are sims there as well, living their own lives.)