I think they've freed many stuff packs and kits in past years to compesate the players who have bought the Base Game. They freed stuff packs and kits like: Romantic Garden, My First Pet, Backyard, Luxury Party, Desert Luxe, Blooming Rooms and Fashion Street.
I totally agree when you say that TS4 Base Game doesn't feel/work like previous The Sims' Base Game. I started playing TS2 for PS2 and had only played it until TS4 and i can't believe how an old cheap console game could have more consistency than a future PC game. And it gets worse when you compare it to previous versions.
