Is outdoor retreat worth it?
I like to have a least one of my sims collect, fish and cook new things. Without telling me specifics please, does outdoor living provide "new" things in these areas. New harestables? Trying to decid...
Forum Discussion
@RonneeSimmer
If I had to choose just one pack I would get Seasons. Given the description of your favorite gameplay aspects, I think you would enjoy it also. (My second choice would probably be Get to Work, which you have, as I enjoy selling food and produce in Lice Cold Freezers in retail stores, plus other aspects of that pack).
I also love the plants and gardening aspects of the game. I have sims who are millionaires simply due the volume and quality of their gardens. It's one of my favorite aspects of the game, and certain skill and collection tasks and goals are enhanced by this pack. I look at it more as a huge 'gameplay upgrade' more than as adding features. I recently took all packs out of my game for a base-game building task and was surprised how much the personality of my playtime and worlds was affected. 'Seasons' adds a realism, enhancement, and challenges to all worlds.
Seasons will add the gardening career, which offers the Florist and Botanist careers. Snowfalls are gorgeous, and you get lightening and blizzards (which can be disabled), rain (and humorous 'puddle' interactions - see below), heat waves, autumn/falling leaves, and freezing issues to battle sometimes. I am from Michigan, so it feels way more realistic to me.
Note: I wouldn't avoid adding packs because of bugs that can arise. Many of the bugs will be things that you may not even be playing in your game, and will be fixed by patches/updates (which usually come out monthly). It's an annoyance, but it's a bit akin to not having children because they introduce more colds into your household. The gains are wonderful, and the hassles are mostly temporary annoyances.
https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/pc/store/mac-pc-download-addon-the-sims-4-seasons
SheriGR ☕ – I don’t work for EA.
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Gardening is a blast! I actually never considered getting Seasons because I didn't like how my plants went dormant past of the year in Sims 3. But knowing the careers that seasons offer makes me want to try it now. We have these flowers but nothing to do with them except sell them. I'd love to make arrangements. That sounds so cool. I will most likely turn off all the weather effects. At least until I let my couple have kids.
@SheriGR"Seasons will add the gardening career, which offers the Florist and Botanist careers. Snowfalls are gorgeous, and you get lightening and blizzards (which can be disabled), rain (and humorous 'puddle' interactions - see below), heat waves, autumn/falling leaves, and freezing issues to battle sometimes. I am from Michigan, so it feels way more realistic to me."
@RonneeSimmer, we are glad you replied back! 🙂
Like @SheriGR , if you shelter your plants they don't go dormant! So don't let that stop you from getting Seasons if you feel you will like other aspects to the game. In addition to what Sheri stated, you can also have water balloon fights, play in the mud or rain, lounge in the kiddie pool, play in the sprinklers, and more. Lightning will sometimes leave a crystal, metal or element that you Sim can collect to be sure to see if a lightning strike leaves anything behind. You can also give yourself abilities with Aspiration points so your Sim is cold or heat proof, water proof, and even give them the Storm Chaser trait so they enjoy storms instead of being stressed by them . There is also a Weather Machine that allows you to change the weather!
And with the beehive, make sure you stock up on honey... Even poor quality honey will help fill hunger, and more importantly if you are about to die from being too cold or too hot, honey will save you! 🙌 Bees have other good interactions as well. And of course they will sting you if you aren't wearing the beekeeper suit.
You can also make your own Holidays, and erase existing ones. Some holidays are minor like Skill Day, but others are major like Harvest Day.And you get a ton of new flowers in Seasons!
Well you do have a lot of information to think about! Please update us when you make a decison, and hopefully there will be a good sale for you as well! 🤞🥳@RonneeSimmer @PugLove888 Oh, I forgot about Patchy the scarecrow also! You can place him in the yard and befriend him. Then he will come to life at certain times and tend the garden and hangout as a friend. I have had him clear dishes, paint paintings on my easel that I sold, and change baby diapers! You also get additional harvestibles. Anyway, sorry to add another note, but PugLove knows I'm just a bit obsessed with adding Patchy, also, to help with my gardens. (Plus the sprinklers are an amazing help IF you upgrade them to be unbreakable and no puddles.)
@RonneeSimmerand @SheriGR , I can't believe we both forgot about Patchy in Seasons! 🤭😃 Sheri almost always places him in her gardens! ❤️ He also has seeds in his pockets , sometimes a less common seed, so be sure to check those when the option is presented!😉
- @PugLove888 and @SheriGR, I set my seasons for the full 28 days. I'll either plant my winter crops on the last day of fall or I'll start them in a greenhouse and transfer them out to my garden in Build Mode. This way I can harvest outside plants even in winter. I keep several types of catnip right next to the house because somehow that is still considered to be sheltered? Sure, my Sim freezes her bum off tending the plants but kitties need their catnip fix ;-D
I love making custom holidays and giving them goofy Sims names, like Simsdependance Day, Tricksy Treat Day, and Bunnynip Day (sort of like catnip but for bunnies). For some reason I keep seeing Santa hanging around the vet's office in Brindleton Bay... I guess he must have pets at the Sims north pole xD
Anyhow, thanks so much for the info on the other packs! I have a much better idea now on what to get next.@RandomBuzziness, yes, I've noticed that some plants right up against the house are considered sheltered! I've had some die that were up against the house because I thought the rain had watered them since they were outside and not under a porch. 🤭 After that I make sure to check plants planted in this way so I don't miss watering them! 😃
I love your named Holidays! ❤️ I love especially the name Simsdependance Day! 🥳 I've named my equivalent "Kaboom Day" and always make sure to hit the festivals that come with the City Living EP so I have a supply of fireworks! 🙌Santa must love animals since he hangs out with reindeer! 😇
Have fun choosing your next packs! 🥳Edit to add: I love the weather effects like you mentioned in your other post! My favorite is how the snow will sparkle in the light! ❤️
