The biggest problem with this game is that nothing matters.
You can't randomly die (except by old age and fire). The only way to die in this game is if you actively choose to kill your Sim. Vending machines only kill you after crushing you for the second time in a row. You only get electrocuted to death the same way. Death by flies? Gotta bond with the flies for them to kill you, you're not punished for living in filth.
Same goes for deaths. Oh, a sad moodlet. So what? The Sim doesn't remember them, once the moodlet fades, it's as if they never existed.
Same goes for breakups and divorces, which only happen if you choose to break up--it's insanely easy to max out a relationship in a day, and insanely difficult to make two Sims hate each other, unless you purposefully choose mean interactions, and why would you do that? There's no incentive to do so.
NAPs don't change the game in any meaningful way. Eco footprints don't matter--your Sim coughs occasionally, but that's it. Their needs, their lifespan? Unaffected.
Vampire break-ins? They only happen if Vlad's around to initiate them. He got culled in my game 2 years ago and I haven't seen a vampire since.
I absolutely agree we need more drama, and honestly I think including some scenarios that are out of the player's control is the way to do it. Bring back the randomness!
And if people wanna play their perfect, smiley dress-up-doll game, they can disable the option. This is a game, it's about time it challenged the players, like The Sims used to.