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canelacaliente
Seasoned Ace
11 hours ago

Sims 4 Discover University Review

These are my own opinions about the Discover University expansion pack. I think it's the best expansion pack with university play that's ever been released for the game.  My overall opinion is that you should only purchase the pack if you can deal with the bugs and it's on sale. There are so many bugs with this pack that make it hard to give a good rating. If there weren't so many bugs, I'd say purchase it right away.

The Good

  • A Sim can go to university young adult and older.
  • There are swimming spots in the world.
  • Very cross-pack compatible with the skill classes, electives, research topics, and majors. I believe all skills and careers are covered and this has been consistently updated.
  • Sims can take a break from university and continue when they want between terms.
  • Sims don't have to leave home to go to university. They can live in any world. They aren't required to move to a special university world.
  • There are two universities to choose from (The Sims 3 only had 1).
  • Sims can take out student loans for classes.
  • The build mode style is similar to the Ikea style they've been doing for a while. There is also a sophisticated style. The items will mesh well with the items of other packs.
  • I like the away actions where you can tell your Sim what to do. The rabbithole experience with the away actions is better than watching them in class.
  • Sims can have roommates off-campus even if they aren't going to university. This is a feature I use a lot, especially for broke Sims starting out in the world.
  • The pack has a similar feature to the bar nights feature in Get Together. The different student organizations will meet at the bar on different nights from 8pm to 12am. The downside is students of the organization aren't given cheaper drinks.
    • Monday: Bot Savants
    • Tuesday: Art Society
    • Wednesday: Foxbury Spirit Squad
    • Thursday: Debate Guild
    • Friday: Brainiacs
    • Saturday: Britechester Spirit Corps (10 pm to 2 am)
    • Sunday: Foxbury Spirit Squad (6 pm to 10 pm)
  • Some people might say the pack is shallow but compared to other packs it comes with a lot of gameplay:
    • 2 new level 10 skills (robotics, research & debate)
    • 3 new full-time careers (education, law, engineering)
    • 2 special part-time careers (E-Sports Competitor, Soccer Team Player)
    • 1 new life state (servo)
    • 1 new crafting table (robotics)
    • 1 aspiration (academic)
    • 2 new lot types (university housing, commons)
    • 2 new lot traits (study spot, university hangout)
    • 1 new party type (keg party)
  • The pack doesn't feel overwhelming with social activities. There are a lot of social things to do
    • 6 student organizations to join (3 per university) plus the secret society
    • 4 University Commons events
    • Live in a dorm with up to 9 others
    • Plus, all the other regular social things you can do in the game. You don't have to be stuck in a special university world, so you aren't limited.
  • Sims can work while studying at university.
  • Sims can choose how many courses they want to complete per term. They just need to finish 12.
  • Sims can earn multiple degrees.
  • There are no empty lots in the world. I know builders like empty lots. It can take me 1 hour to build a lot but 30 seconds to demolish one. I don't like empty lots in a world. The world is small and empty lots make the worlds seem even smaller.
  • You can remove the study housing lots and build any lots you want in their place.

The Bad

This is where I focus on features that I feel are lacking or might be underdeveloped.

  • There are events at the Commons on each university outside of the student organizations but there is no sign or notification letting the player know until the even happens. EA could have put a pop-up at the kiosk letting players know about the event. These are the events:
    • Monday: Cram for the Exam 10 pm
    • Wednesday: E-Sports Play With the Pros 2 pm (Foxbury Only)
    • Thursday: Evening Tea & Poetry Reading 8 pm (Britechester Only)
    • Saturday: University Mixer Night 8 pm
  • The game mechanics are really confusing for players. The lessons don't give a lot of information about university life and the information from the kiosk isn't that good. The tutorial should be improved to include information on building custom university housing, how grades work, or a lesson on robots and servos.
  • Bikes are a nuisance on the Foxbury campus. The routing is terrible. There are ramps for the Sim to get around the campus, but the Sim will ride the bike to the stairs and then walk down the stairs.
  • Servos are not cross-pack compatible with Seasons (holidays & seasonal activities). They will be required to do things or do things autonomously they shouldn't be allowed to do.
  • The world is small. It only comes with 3 neighborhoods. When you want to have custom dorms, it feels even smaller.
  • There aren't a lot of dig spots around the world.  This is a problem because you need 
  • Going to university can get repetitive if you focus mostly on studying.
  • You can't select your own NPC roommates in a dorm without having the Get Together expansion pack.
  • The util bots are worthless in pack. It's easier and less expensive to hire a maid, gardener, and repairman. There are a few bugs with the bots that also reduce their utility. It's also tedious to build one that lasts and can work correctly. They have 10 levels of upgrades each. If you have Seasons installed, the pack will ruin your bots.
  • You can't ask a friend who is an NPC to join a club with you. If you go to a club meeting with an NPC, they won't participate in the meeting.

The Ugly

This is where I list all the bugs I experienced. If you have the pack and you experience any of these bugs, please give them a thumbs up. If you don't have the pack and any of these bugs will make the game unplayable for you, don't buy the pack.

Tips & Tricks

  • Add the study spot lot trait to your home lot. This will help your Sims complete their homework faster.
  • Complete homework with a friend while listening to music. This will increase both the social and the fun needs.
  • Boost your grade by visiting office hours, studying, becoming friends with your professor, 
  • Get the research and debate skill up to level 6 because you can finish your homework, presentations, and term papers about 40% faster.
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