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 decide if I'll buy it during the black Friday sale.I'm also thinking of buying Island living. Same question though. Without specifics are there new collectables, fish, harvestables, recipes? Is the game with it overall?Even with possible deals with black Friday is still a lot of money to spend on a game that has really let me down so much. Were these games worth the money to you or did they let you down?

@RonneeSimmer, while people can give you a truthful opinion, keep in mind that when asking these types of questions, every answer is an opinion no matter how truthful the person giving their opinion may be. 🤨 I honestly think mint chocolate chip ice-cream is far better than strawberry ice-cream, but my friend honestly disagrees with me. It is the same with the Sims!Nobody can tell you what packs you will definitely like. 😉 Your best bet is to ask someone who really knows you who plays the Sims 4... but not all of us have someone like that. 😞The best strangers can do is to mention what they like and dislike about certain packs, or to mention what seems to be the general consensus. For example, most people's favorite pack (based on what they write on sites like these, and fan sites as well) is Seasons. There will be some people who hate Seasons, but most love it because it fits into gameplay no matter what your playing style is! While Outdoor Retreat is fun, it can't be used nearly as often as a pack like Seasons. You don't have to send your Sims anywhere to enjoy Seasons because Seasons just exist in the game! So a person is more likely to actually use Seasons, making it worth the money! That said, there are people who don't like dealing with bad weather , or who don't enjoy the holidays that come with the pack (even though you can make your own!)Outdoor Retreat was one of the first packs for TS4, and in some ways they were just figuring out how this game would work out. It does have new vegetation, quite a lot of it! But that vegetation will only be found in Granite falls, unless you plant it on your Sims' lots. The vegetation can be used to make salves to treat bug bites or bad odor, or other things, as well as for pranks. This is done through the Herbalism skill. I do like using features of this pack along with the Spa Day pack as they can work nicely together. However, neither of these are my favorite packs. (Cats and Dogs is my favorite pack, but you can probably tell that by my screenname!) 😃Island Living is a beautiful pack, and many like it for Build/Buy Mode items. This is a good pack if you mainly like to build homes and venues for your Sims! But this is not a vacation pack! If you expect to rent a cabana for your Sims, you will be disappointed. This is a place to live. If you want vacation destination packs, either choose Outdoor Retreat or Jungle Adventure! I prefer the gameplay with Jungle Adventure over that of Outdoor Retreat, but I do like Outdoor Retreat better for families! While you can bring toddlers and children to Jungle Adventure, it is more difficult to use the gameplay features when children are present as ancient tombs and a harsh jungles are not the best locations for youngsters! But it is great for teens or older! Every pack will have bugs. This will happen no matter which pack you get.☹️ They are working on the bugs, but there are a lot, and it takes time. 😞 It might seem like they aren't working on them, but there is a long process they have to go through. Many reported bugs end up not being actual bugs and that has to be sorted out. Bugs have to be able to be replicable by EA and often it isn't clear why a person reporting a bug is having a problem. This process is slowed down if people who use Mods and Custom Content (CC) don't test their problems to see if Mods/CC is causing the problems in the first place! 😠😞 If they weren't fixing bugs they wouldn't not have just released a patch in which a lot of them were fixed! Unfortunately, sometimes when you fix one thing, another thing breaks. (This is rather like going to the doctor! 😃) It is a long process, but they are working on it! And yes, I honestly can say I have every pack (from the Original The Sims, TS2, TS3, and TS4) and I've never regretted a pack (even though TS3 tried my patience the most! 😞 The Stuff Packs for TS3 were twice as expensive as they are for TS4 and add that to the fact that TS3 was pretty much unplayable by halfway through its reign! 😬 😢 ) Still, I did honestly enjoy something out of every pack! 🥳 I realize I am rare on this view. But I can almost always find something to enjoy. With TS4 there are many ways to get the most out of your game. I like to tell stories. Others like to only achieve goals. Others like to primarily build. I also love to crate Sims and households, and I also love to experiment,. Others like to explore mods. Also, for people who like to mostly play families, they might try to play with Single Sims, or partiers! People who like to explore the Single life might change things up from time to time and play a large multi-generational family! 😉And then there are the challenges! I can't even beging to name them all, but some popular ones are the "100 Baby Challenge" the "Rags to Riches Challenge", the "Apocalypse Challenge" , and the "Off the Grid Challenge". I am a fan of Doctor Who ❤️❤️ and am thinking of doing the "Doctor Who Challenge" sometime after Christmas! 🤓🙌I'm sorry I'm long-winded, but I am very passionate about the Sims! 😳 🥳Anyway, since you are having problems with your computer, I would wait and tend to that before getting any pack! Adding packs will only make your computer run worse! 😢 When you get your comptuer fixed or get a new one, then you can take all the information you have gathered and make the best decision for yourself! 😇🙌

@RonneeSimmer - Both @MapleSimmer & @PugLove888 have given you great overviews of these two packs. I can only provide a bit more specific info about Island Living as I don't have any direct experience with Outdoor Retreat. I am like you, I like to have at least one of my sims concentrate on collecting and gardening. I usually have a different one concentrate on cooking & mixology, since there are specific traits that can help them become focused for the collecting or inspired for the cooking. To be honest, I didn't think I was going to like Island Living at all. I was not super excited about making a mermaid and in real life, I find beaches and water sports boring. So, I was pleasantly surprised that there was so much involved with this expansion pack and I'm still exploring some of the features. I'm also thinking of buying Island living. Same question though. Without specifics are there new collectables, fish, harvestables, recipes? Is the game with it overall? New collectibles: Seashells and Treasures. No specifics, but one of the seashells has a secret "power" 🙂 There are also a bunch of new underwater photos to collect, but they're not listed in the collections panel. I wish they were listed, because I'm not sure I've gotten them all. But they are really pretty and add decor bonuses to rooms when you display them. New fish: Lots of new fish!!! Also, new ways & types of fishing. There are shallow, medium and deep water fish; you can also fish by setting traps, with or without bait; spear fishing from a deep ocean buoy; or fish from the boats that come with the pack. There is also a new mechanic with mermaids called "Aquatic Lure" that results in a fishing sign looking all sparkly. If you see a fishing spot where the sign is sparkly, it means that a mermaid has cast this ability, and any sims fishing there will fish as though their skill level is 2 levels higher & catch rates are improved. You don't have to play a mermaid in order to see this - mermaids I don't know have apparently cast this ability on a few of the fishing spots around the islands. Some of the new fish are endangered species, and you will get a popup asking if you're going to abide by the law and throw the fish back, or take it anyway. The fish will count towards your collection regardless of your choice, but you will get different moodlets depending on your choices and maybe even take some hits to relationships if you decide to poach a fish in front of other people. New Harvestables: Yes, but not a lot. I had hoped for more, honestly, but the 3 they added make sense for tropical islands. They are all uncommon plants, but wild plants are readily found all over the place for harvesting or grafting purposes. One of the new plants has several uses for making a new drink, giving different moodlets by drinking it, and there's even a new party associated with the drink. New Recipes: New food item Coconut Cake is added to the level 3 cooking list; New drink item Lotta Cocolatte is added to the level 6 mixology list. There are several new food items you can purchase from food stands, but I don't think you can learn to make them. The other new recipes are tied to specific items added to build/buy. There is a kava bowl, which you can use to make the kava drink (no minimum level, but your sim will get better quality drinks the more they use it), and a barbecue pit where you can make a huge amount of 3 new barbecue recipes. Is the game worth it overall? Oh, geez, there's really no way to say if you think it will be worth it to you. I can only say that I never buy anything unless it's on sale (I'm waiting for those deep discounts on Black Friday, too!). Like I said earlier, I was surprised how much there was to explore - there are so many more features, some are little things, some are more in-depth. I personally like the gameplay feature of cleaning up the islands and the focus on conservation. A bit disappointed that scuba diving and snorkeling are not interactive - a sim will go into a rabbit hole and return with something from scuba diving; snorkeling is just watching them swim around with a snorkel mask on. Dolphins are fun and different traits and mermaids can have more unique relationships with them. After I've explored all of the choices with them, it's kind of boring for me, but that's because I'm not a storyteller kind of player. I'm much more goal-oriented and although I feel the dolphins and interactions are well-done and adorable, once I've become a friend or soulmate with one, I've met my goal. The two new traits - Child of the Islands and Child of the Ocean - have unique and interesting mechanics with them. I was surprised and then happy to see that the Child of the Ocean sim gets joy from releasing fish from traps and swimming around, but is not a happy camper if you intend to decorate your house with mounted fish or make him/her a fisherman 🙂 I enjoy and use the Child of the Islands ability to summon the elementals and ask for judgement. Just keep in mind that they're expecting you to do things to help the islands, so cleaning up litter from the beaches or any of the other environmental things will have them look favorably upon you. New lot traits - I really enjoy Island Spirits lot trait. It's easy to get addicted to this one. Don't confuse with the Elementals from the Child of the Islands trait, Island Spirits are ghost-like figures that appear on the lot nearly every morning and if you choose to "interact" with the spirit they grant you some awesome moodlets that last from 12 - 48 hours. Like, super awesome! You can get a moodlet that fills your energy bar or food bar for a couple of days, or your skill learning is enhanced, or other "gifts" like that. I'm a little addicted to it now. The Volcanic Lot trait can be fun or just annoying, depending on what you like to do. It will give you another way to get your collectibles, though. Then, the two new careers have some great features, and the only careers that award a trait if you reach the highest level. There was an annoying bug that prevented you from getting a raise at level 10, but they fixed that one with the last patch, so that made my Islanders very happy. I've already written way too much about this lol, but there are many more features to IL. Like I said, I didn't think I'd like it, and turned out I did. It is a livable world with a whole different community feel, weather and it is really beautiful. Since it's not a vacation spot, but a place where you can live and work, I felt it was better for me than OR, but your views and goals might be different. I hope this helped!

@RonneeSimmer Further to @PugLove888 's comment, the best pack for you really depends on what you like to do in your game. 🙂I use elements from Outdoor Retreat in my day to day game play, not just as a vacation destination, though I agree it's a great place for a family vacation, and I also like it for a honeymoon destination, especially if I edit the vacation rentals there (which you can either do from world view or with the bb.enablefreebuild cheat if your sim is already vacationing there). It comes with a few reward traits, one of which I use all the time, 'Incredibly Friendly' which makes it very easy to make friends, and I also use the cloud and star gaze interaction to get my sims' inspired (you don't even have to complete it, so I find it one of the easier ways for sims to get inspired, and if they do it with someone else it builds their social and friendship, on their own it gives them fun). The other items I use a lot from OR is the tent, portable shower and cooler (a cooler also comes with Toddler Stuff pack), they are great for Rags to Riches and I know of a few challenges that specifically use things from OR (I like doing challenges so this is a plus for me, but may not be for you 🙂 ). Also, if you have the other vacation pack, Jungle Adventures, or if you ever get it, OR works very well with JA. I use the tent, shower and cooler when exploring, and the insect repellent you make with the herbalism skill also works for the bugs that attack in JA. I do enjoy Island Living, the world is beautiful and I enjoyed restoring Mua Pel'am to it's former glory, but I'm not sure how often I will do that. Though I personally prefer my sims to live in worlds with milder climates, so from that perspective Sulani is a good fit for me since I have Seasons installed. I also really like the build/buy/CAS items. Mermaids aren't an occult I will use very much.As @PugLove888 also mentioned, both packs come with new harvestables and fish, as well as other collectibles (bugs with OR and seashells/treasures with IL), though I also agree that it's best not to get any more packs until you have any issues with your computer sorted out. Best regards,Jennifer

@RonneeSimmer, @MapleSimmer , @RandomBuzziness , I agree with what @BlackjackWidow said about Island Living. I enjoy the pack and it is very relaxing to play (well, maybe not the volcanic lot, but the rest of it is 😃). I just was thinking that @RonneeSimmer was thinking of choosing between the two because they might have wanted a Vacation destination. A lot of people assume Island Living is a vacation destination and then are confused when they buy it. I just wanted to make it clear that it wasn't a vacation pack, but in the process I think I made the pack sound like a bad pack. 🤭 I quite enjoy it, and have not finished exploring all it has to offer! I also love this pack because fishing, looking for seashells, cleaning up the beach, and building sandcastles are something that children and elders can do as well! 🙌 It isn't always the case that a pack has gameplay for all the ages present in the game! Toddlers also enjoy digging in the sand and making sand castles! ❤️ And there are several part time jobs that come with this pack as well as the full time Conservationist career. And if you like Mermaids, they are absolutely gorgeous! 🥳

@RonneeSimmer I do like Outdoor Retreat, mostly because it fits well with my style of playing. My Sim lives in an old rustic cabin (in Brindleton Bay, the world that came with the Cats & Dogs EP) and many of the Buy/Build items I used for the cabin are from Outdoor Retreat. These items would work well in any world if that's the look you are going for. I built another pretty cool cabin in Oasis Springs. I also use quite a few of the CAS outfits, hiking boots, etc., for my Sim for the same reason, I like the outdoor look. The world that Outdoor Retreat comes with, Granite Falls, is quite pretty and no spoilers but yeah there are lots of new collectibles, fish, cooking recipes, etc. It makes a fun place for family vacations or for just a single Sim wanting to spend some time alone with nature. You can choose to stay in a cabin or rough it in a tent. To me, it was definitely worth it, but I'd also wait 'til you can find it on sale.I really, REALLY want to get Island Living but the bug list still looks too long for my comfort. I'm going to wait a little while longer in the hope that they clean things up by Christmas. I have enough bugs as it is!

Is outdoor retreat worth it? | EA Forums

51 Replies

RandomBuzziness
Seasoned Ace
6 years ago
@PugLove888 Thanks so much! Yeah I agree, it is a nice range of packs and I am very pleased with each and every one of them! I would not hesitate to recommend any of them to others.

So yeah, Outdoor Retreat is awesome and the more I learn about it, the more I love it! My latest experiment is a rustic fisherman's shack in Brindleton Bay. It's 100% off-the-grid and created mostly with Build/Buy items from Outdoor Retreat. It would be for Sims who want to get out of their regular house for just a day or two and have a nice relaxing time with nature, but would rather not rough it in a tent. It would also be a nice base camp for a winter fishing trip as I don't believe that the water freezes over in Brindleton Bay.

I can't wait to start a project like this on Sulani after I get Island Living. This is going to be so much fun!
PugLove888
Hero (Retired)
6 years ago
@RandomBuzziness, your Brindleton Bay rustic fishing shack sounds fun! 🥳 It certainly would have beautiful scenery! ❤️ You will have to tell us how your Sulani one works out when you are finished building it! 😉
Did you ever find the Hermit's House (as well at the Hermit) in Outdoor Retreat?🤔
RandomBuzziness
Seasoned Ace
6 years ago
@PugLove888Happy Thanksgiving! Yes, one of my Sims finished the Outdoor Enthusiast aspiration so she spent quite a lot of time in the Hermit's part of the forest. There was a particular collectible I REALLY wanted, as far as I know you could only find it in one place, and the Hermit had the only bathroom in the area xD
SPOILER ALERT: For anyone who hasn't played Outdoor Retreat and does not want any spoilers, don't read below!
Spoiler
It was the Lionfish
finelinetracksix
Rising Traveler
6 years ago
@RandomBuzziness Love you too!
PugLove888
Hero (Retired)
6 years ago
@RandomBuzziness, I hope you had a great Thanksgiving! ❤️
I'm glad you found the Hermit and the Hermit Shack! 🙌 Some people don't even realize this is in the pack! 😢
I once had a family of 3 camp out on the Hermit's property -- they had a tent, but that meant 4 people had to share the toilet and shower! Had one of my Sims make it up to the Hermit by upgrading the toillet, sinks, and shower. 😇 I figured it was the only way I could repay her hospitality! (Everytime I have found the Hermit, it has been a woman, but I want to say that I've heard some people have a man as the Hermit in their games.)
I'm happy you got your collectable from this area! 🙌
SheriGR
Hero
6 years ago
@PugLove888 That's funny... I never knew the hermit could vary. I figured it was like Santa - one person. Mine was a man. 🙂
PugLove888
Hero (Retired)
6 years ago
@SheriGR, thanks for confirming that !😃 I had heard that some people's Hermit was a man, but had never seen it! 🤨 Mine has always been a woman so far.
RandomBuzziness
Seasoned Ace
6 years ago
@PugLove888I did have a very nice Thanksgiving :D Thanks!

The hermit in my outdoor enthusiast save was male. I would occasionally see him walking around or fishing but he was almost never at home so I did not feel too bad about using his bathroom ;-D

@SheriGR My Sim happened to meet Santa (Father Winter) at the vet's office one day in Brindleton Bay. He later invited my Sim to join him for tea at the Romance Festival. BAD SANTA! True story! xD
PugLove888
Hero (Retired)
6 years ago
@RandomBuzziness, that's funny about your Santa at the Romance Festival! 😃 As long as he isn't married , he's allowed to find romance at the festival! 😇
@RandomBuzziness and @SheriGR , Ah yes, another male Hermit! I need to see if I can get a male for a Hermit in a new save game! 💡 The female Hermit in the picture befriended the entire family! ❤️
SheriGR
Hero
6 years ago
@RandomBuzziness So funny about Santa at the Romance Festival! I had him live with my main household for quite a while (he's actually still in that save in their home, I believe). I was a bit freaked out the first time I saw him skipping around the house. I had never played an adult with the childish trait! Lol! (I built them a a retail store that sold Christmas items and baked goods, and he lives in the apartment there... but when not playing that store he comes to their home and has a room there also. He is really nice, loves the computer, and has mad handiness skills! (Which makes sense, of course.) So... if you need all your stuff upgraded move Santa in with you for a while and have him upgrade for you. You'll probably want to keep him since he's a nice & friendly guy! 🙌
@PugLove888 Was one of your sims staying with the Hermit pursuing the Herbalist career and needing to be besties with the Hermit to get his recipe? That was my goal. It seemed lie a bit of a 'not too smooth' process, but I managed. Seasons definitely made that all more challenging, since the plants you collect have certain seasons. (Especially when juggling a large household, which I almost always am). I didn't upgrade or mess with his stuff or camp out in the yard, and had another sim I was bringing back and forth some of the time while one stayed there. That did get tricky since there is only one (double) bed. Anyway, it was a good challenge, but I haven't gone back to do it with another sim so far. 🙂

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Is outdoor retreat worth it?

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