Forever Free Packs for Everyone

HayleyH1018  edit:  Intern_Waffle_64 

I have to say I do agree with you regarding the "mentality" of improvment, making life better for everyone.  Not sure I can fathom a capitalist organization feeling the same way about the products they are selling for profit! 

Of course, you will not see that in Sims 4 as Sims 4 has no cars anyway and Sims fight in this game as well so that is being a little hypercritical to say the least and there is no open world anyway. I been a Sims player from the beginning in the early 2000's and it was a fun one up until the Sims 4 which for was a disappointment. InZoi was not created to kill the Sims series only to give choice as both can co-exist. Now the only thing I see what InZoi is doing that EA/Maxis had not done was offer features not offered in the base game in the Sims series and not sold in later packs. Both programs have different goals and there were other programs that were created and did not make it, but many knew this was coming and wanted to happen to have a choice as many did not like road EA/Maxis has chosen and this is part of evolution.

Not necessarily a minus but may be the realism the characters display if a mod breaks through that display risqué behaviors that supposed to be hidden, risqué behavior in Sims 4 would be child play compared to InZoi game play. Sims game is parodic by nature and InZoi can be too and it can be serious but what I am seeing InZoi is the possibilities that can be made in the game more than Sims if the InZoi devs stay focused. Mods that causes risqué behavior in InZoi would be banned anyway.

I brought all my packs, but I feel differently about it as it is called the breaks if EA/Maxis does release free packs. Just like they made the base game free as I had paid for mine so what is the difference? The way I look at it Times change and how they handle sales going forward is their business and again that is the breaks.

For the record I own everything From Sims 1 to 4 plus all Sims 3 Store items with exception of 1 Sims 4 Kit. The clothing is literally unusable. I support this because I see the bigger picture. This is how I would implement this if I were EA. 

If I were to suggest which packs SHOULD be free at this point (considering its continuance and the lack of plans to have a Sims 5) so as to benefit most Simmers and Game Play overall I would say these and in this order. (You are never going to make everyone happy so you shouldn't try this is a list to please most, not all) 

1. Seasons 
2. Spooky Stuff as a complement to Seasons and the already free Happy Holiday Pack
3. Cats & Dogs
4. My First Pet Stuff - Because by rights it should have been in Cats & Dogs 
5. Get To Work 
6. Dining Out - as a compliment to Get to Work and IF the bugs are ironed out 
7. University Life - For the YA life stage AND to make sure all current and future careers have classes compatible with them. 
8. Outdoor Living - then there wont be an excuse not to add a few items now and then to improve it. Herbalism could give ROM added value not to mention GTW.   
9. Laundry Day - Its such a basic chore and should have been Base Game in my opinion. Add Laundromat as Lot Assignment 
10. Paranormal Stuff - to better work with Life & Death and set the stage for the return of the Fortune Teller. Could make some better cross pack compatibility with Seasons & Spooky Stuff pack too. Come to think of it Realm of Magic also  
11. Cool Kitchen Stuff - Only to get the Ice Cream and then use that to make a cool old-fashioned Soda Fountain & Ice Creamery with appropriate Lot Assignment, Menu items and uniforms 
12. Special Mention - My Wedding Stories IF they fixed the bugs and brought back the idea of dogs as ring bearers. If not then forget about it.  

My thinking is that once you have these main components already free and in everybody's game then they have little excuse for not having better cross-pack compatibility. Also think of all the money making potential there is to be made in improvement packs like Game Packs even Kits when the base concepts are in every base game. Not to mention all the added value to the rest of the packs that would be for sale. 

• The Compensation for having these packs as free when you purchased them previously is the fact that EA now has an incentive to improve and expand upon older concepts. Did you like the Spa Day refresh? This is just that but on a grander scale and for everyone. 
• More Lot assignments specifically in the areas of
  • Bar Types
  • Entertainment Venues
  • Parks
  • Private Professional Offices
  • Retail
  • Restaurant Genres 
• More NPC animals and appropriate to various areas. That don't have to be a dog or cat variant or tied to an object and can have its own vocalizations, movement, and behaviors 
  • Wolves - Which arguably would be a dog variant 
  • Deer
  • Raccoons 
  • Skunks - That behaves just like in Sims 1 and sprays Sims & Pets who mess with it.  Gives a reason for lots of Tomato Juice (Although this is not effective IRL) 
  • Fix the Foxes to their own category
  • Incentive to add New/Edit Old  Breeds to fit past packs like Cottage Living or Life & Death  
  • Incentive to add new coat textures/colors to fit previously unmade breeds  
• New types of Weather can be in any pack appropriate or added to the base game 
  • Dust Devils 
  • Dust Storms 
  • Eclipsing Fog as an Update for Vampires (Sims 3 Supernatural Origin) 
  • Fog
  • Hail
  • Reviving Sprinkle if we get a Fairy Pack
  • Sandstorms 
• New Holidays & Traditions can be added in any pack or even as updates to ones we already have 
• New Businesses with all the props to make them good 
  • Grocery Stores
  • Farmers Markets
  • Perfumery
  • Florist Shop
  • Solicitors/Attorney  Office 
• Might fix the whole Vampires going to class and dying thing in University Life 
• New Costumes for the Spooky Day parties maybe some for pets 
• With Baking basically now Base Game the entire Recipe List can be overhauled to make more sense and be easier to find things. All future obvious baked items will be found under Baking not trying to look between the three categories of cooking find a specific thing. Another thing is the canned stuff can work better with all the recipes 
• Gourmet Cooking would be also improved with more difficult items to make being placed there and the Baked goods being switched out to easier to find things. 
• Additional Nectar flavors and canning recipes due to the berries you can get in Outdoor Living now being able to be used in other things than  just Herbalism
• Nifty Knitting could now add pet sweaters 
• Some of the clothing from packs that certainly look like it should be cold weather clothing can be sorted into the cold weather clothing 
• Pets can experience heat and cold more effectively 
• New Pet Breeds in new packs 
• If we get Firefighters they can can have Dalmatian partners 
• New Pet Items to fit new themes and areas 
• Luxury Pet Store & Grooming Game Pack 
  • All new Items Beds, Houses, Doggie Pool 
  • New Clothing 
  • Collars, Bows & Bow Ties with new designs & Holiday/Seasonal Themes 
  • Going to the Groomers
  • Dog Walker Hire-able NPC 
• The New Burglars can effect businesses 
• Kits could include Specialty restaurants or you could make it a Game Pack & have it all
  • Specific Restaurant Lot Assignments for example Sushi Bar 
  • New Recipes
  • Uniforms
  • Ambiance Music Speakers
  • Decor items  & Build/Buy
  • Appliance Necessary for the Restaurant (Examples)
    • Sushi Counter (Snow Escape Improvement) 
    • Hibachi Stove (Think of how much better Snowy Escape would be with this little Item)
    • Commercial Oven
    • Tandoori Oven
    • Brick Pizza Oven 
    • Deep Fat Fryer 
• New Kit Ideas could be items for new Retail Types 
  • Lot Assignment - Example Florist Shop
  • Entrance Door with Decals Appropriate for the business type and Front Windows
  • Signage & Door Mat 
  • Display Shelving & Vitrines 
  • Refrigerated Case in this instance 
  • Shop Register
  • 2 to 3 Uniform Choices  
• Ice Bar Kit 
  • Lot Assignment 
  • Cold on the inside 
  • Need to wear Outerwear to stay inside 
  • Everything made of Ice 
  • New Specialty drinks 
  • Special Outerwear Bartender & Bouncer Outfits 
• When & IF they Introduce Hotels think of all the improvements that would come with that 
  • Hotel Restaurants & Bars 
  • Great Room Service with a better customizable menu to better reflect the zone its in  
  • Amenties for Pets 
  • Zone Appropriate Uniforms and Decor
  • Zone Appropriate Amenities 
  • Haunted Hotels 
• If Pet Birds are introduced then certainly the Cats would be interested
• Pets will become Skittish like they did during the Full Moon in Sims 3 
• I think it might be great to get a Humidity Update to Seasons for certain climates. 
  • Jungle Adventures & Island Living - Should be Hot & Humid
  • Desert Zones should be Hot & Dry 
• I like the idea that for places like Amusement Parks/Water Parks  stormy weather can cause a closure 
• Having Cats & Dogs free might inspire EA to make Veterinarian a Medical Career and have branches not just a skill in an ownable clinic and let it work together PLUS have University Courses and Degree. 

I have just about every pack they ever made (all versions of the game) with exception of one horrid kit. The men's clothing was unusable. I could care less if they made a few packs free and updated to everyone's game because I see the bigger picture. If some of the EPs, GPs & SPs are in everyone's game then there is little excuse for them to not have better cross-pack compatibility and that is a net benefit for everyone. When everyone has the pack then all those packs are basically Base Game. When everything is essentially Base Game then you could introduce a Dessert Area, say Egypt it could have these things for example 

• Heat 
• Sandstorms
• Camels 
• New dog breeds specific to the  area 
• Egyptology - with a compatible history class at University 
• Holiday traditions specific to the area 
• Egyptian/Middle Eastern  Restaurants with appropriate uniforms for the area 
• Mummy Costumes for Spooky Stuff 

I understand your post as far I see it EA/Maxis at this point cannot fix the game for there is too many packs now and every time they fix some bugs more bugs come in and for me that is where the problem is. Instead of properly fixing the game after each addition they add more bugs with new packs. They try to fix them, but it is a little too late and if Rene does come out you can say goodbye to any bugs getting fixed and I am done with that as most got fooled when Sims 4 came out and I learned my lesson. But I like what you posted.

Project Rene isn't going to be Sims 5 they have stated that quite firmly. It looks like a god awful MMO with far more paid DLC than any iteration we've ever seen and the potential to be forced to interact with people that we'd rather not. I say this as a person who not only plays an MMO (Warcraft) but who wrote a lengthy manifesto on what I'd like to see in a Sims 5 game.  My perfect Sims 5 | EA Forums - 1921603. The future doesn't look too bright and I can tell you I won't be playing World of Simscraft. I play games to get away from others for the most part and not have to deal with the world. So…we essentially have a few choices 1. We can accept this game flaws and all and either to continue to play or stop altogether. 2. Suggest and debate ways that this game can be improved, report bugs and hope for the best 3. Wait for Sims the MMO to start up and deal with every griefer on the planet 4. Whine and complain but essentially do nothing constructive.  I'm a number 2 gal. The funny thing is I think they do kinda listen…sometimes. 

I don't see it as a "I had to suffer so everyone else should too" mentality. I see it in a "this DLCs were created by people and as long as the game isn't abandonware, royalties should still be given for the work put into it." Then personally, I never saw the experience I had playing with the older packs being bad. The base game alone was good. The expansion packs, also good. Maybe that was because back then bugs weren't so bad and the game was truly playable. 

As it goes, EPs, I remain iffy on making free - make them cheaper by 50-60%? Sure. Game Packs, I'm not sure on whether cheaper or free. Packs with less content and less work put into them? Make those free. You'll have laundry, vacuums, hot tubs, popcorn machines, icecream machines, movies, rock climbing, butlers and so forth  for free then. Make all the Stuff Packs and Kits free... but minus the ones that were completely created by CC creators or had a CC creator play an exceptional part in producing the items. 

For certain things "missing" in the Base Game, I'd be more for a compromise. Give the Base Game actual seasons plus some extra decor that isn't provided via the free holiday pack or spooky stuff, but let the Seasons EP keep its own perks like the new plants, flower arranging, scouts, Father Winter, the Flower Bunny, holidays and the like. 
Give the Base Game the jobs you can play via Get To Work, but have them be the usual rabbit hole like most jobs. You are still able to get the rewards that come with levelling up on the job. Maybe make the retail system Base Game. The pack meanwhile keeps the active jobs aspect, the worlds you go to world the jobs, Sixam, the collectibles, the aliens and the chances of being kidnapped by them.
Cats & Dogs... that is a toughie. Probably bring the ability to have cats and dogs in the game with the most basic of items they need: like the regular food bowls, the two most standard litter boxes, the lower end vacuum and only collars and sweaters. No paint customization in create a pet. You can take your pets to the vet via  a rabbit hole. Cats & Dogs the EP, meanwhile... put all the stuff in My First Pets Stuff in it. Get the perk of being able to customize your pet with the color wheel and design tool. Have all the silly costumes in it. Give the some of the pet items a mesh refresh - beds that are not flat, cat trees that have an actual base that is not flat and gets hidden under rugs. It keeps the Veterinary career.

I think forever free packs should be

2 expansion packs -> seasons, cats and dogs

2 game packs -> dine out, get to work

4 stuff packs -> cool kitchen, bowling night, backyard, spooky

4 kits -> throwback fit, industrial loft, blooming rooms, carnaval streetwear