If you look at purely just TS2, TS3 and TS4 base games and what those offer, TS2 wins hands down for the most value for your buck. You got so much stuff with that base game. They've added onto TS4 over the years but it's still half what TS2 was. TS3 was the start of the down slide, still a lot more on offer at the base, but I think it's when they realized they could hold a lot more off and put it into packs and the store. That said though, they actually had a lot of things crammed into the packs to make it worth the $40 asking price. Now it's like they don't even try to put it in a pack. TS2 had simple things (that likely weren't so simple to make) but simple actions that made it more endearing too. Like opening a drawer to get a spoon when cooking. Going to the store and having a shopping basket with shopping appearing to be in it! TS4 everything just poofs in and out of our sims hands and they poof themselves off to work. Even TS2 had them getting in a car or helicopter even to go to work.
The big excuse for TS4 is smarter sims, but they're not so smart. TS2 sims acknowledged their children when they came home from school. The kids showed off report cards and played with each other. TS3 they did the same sorts of things but I think generations added a lot (probably because people complained they were shallow when compared to the TS2 children). My TS4 sims don't even look at each other anymore! At least my TS3 sims would wave or nod when they walked past someone in the family. So we have less intuitive sims. Less items per pack. Less game play. Same price.
I can find a lot of things I do like about this game, but I'll stick to buying my packs on sale, if even then, depending what's in them.
