TS4's approach of replicating real places means that making mostly American worlds creates an obviously American universe. It worked in TS3 bc TS3's worlds remained non-specific enough for me to not feel like they were real places. Sure, there were similarities, but there wasn't an overwhelming feeling of "we tried to make this look exactly like XY." They remained fictional, and were big enough with enough variety within themselves to not be boring. I actually think Strangerville is one of my favourite worlds bc it is entirely fictional.
TS4's worlds are small and highly detailed, thus:
1) creating highly specific environments that have a very tangible feeling and
2) forcing you to travel to other worlds for activities and lot types.
1) Worlds having such tangible feelings are great until you've played in them too many times. Then you move on to the next world, only for the same thing to happen until all the worlds annoy you, bc that tangible atmosphere is now a tangible feeling of claustrophobia and dread.
2) Let's suppose you only have the base game, you live in Oasis Springs and Willow Creek makes you want to scream. You want to go to the library, but OS doesn't have a library and there isn't any space left to place one. So, you are forced to travel to WC to use the library. The game relying on you to travel all the time means that you are exposed to multiple or all of the worlds at the same time in the same save. While I love being able to travel freely between worlds, being forced to do it leaves little difference between different saves - especially since story progression doesn't exist yet so the worlds remain static. I try to remain mostly within one world when I play for a more realistic experience, but it's basically impossible in tiny worlds if I don't want to stay in my house at all times (I don't bc that's boring).
