City Life vs. Get Together

"SimTrippy;15338538" wrote:
@halimali1980 Idk, I understand why you're so harsh on TS4 in a way because it definitely deserves some tough love, and there are a lot of things that still need to be fleshed out and improved, with family play probably being at the top of those unresolved issues. And yet, when I learned more about CL & knew I could get it a little cheaper, I decided to get it despite the limitations. It honestly does add more than you think. I like how we can reuse the club features and make them match with this EP - and they will, for that matter, match with every EP, that's what they told us anyway. It expands on base game content & previous EP content and that's something I actually really appreciate. Also, the "splitting" of content that looks like it would've fit together into one instead of two EPs, is something a lot of people (myself included) also say about TS3's showtime & LN. Some people even argued that all supernatural did was give us "supernatural ways" of doing things we were already able to do anyway (making potions, finding collectibles, etc.).

I think this is something that is a little inherent to the sims series itself. After all, its main monetary goal was always to release as much paid DLC as possible, and that DLC hasn't always been super fleshed out before either. But regardless of all that, I understand how much some people wanted to build apartments, and also why some believe that festivals add nothing new / rehash base game content. I guess in a way, yes, they do. But you're not paying only for those festivals - and I like the new way they make me do old things, also the jokster/prankster-drinking-game, the love guru, the curry challenge, the flea market, and that weird romance vibe are new in their own way even if a lot of the activities aren't.

You're also paying for a new world & apartments, basketball, graffiti, bubble blowers, singing, karaoke, gaming consoles, three new careers, 2 new traits, a new aspiration, a couple of new interactions, new difficulties, neighbors, and the whole game play that comes with the new lot traits. And yes, I like this game play a lot more than I thought I would. I actually believe CL adds a lot more depth than LGR said for example, but you do need to like something about TS4 to want to go into this world & explore that. Are there things I miss? Yes, bands playing together for example, or maybe occasionally some more venue types within the city. On the other hand, I haven't even filled Newcrest yet, haven't explored clubs as much as I'd like, haven't build any new cool venues in a long time, haven't played some traits at all, etc.

And actually, CL makes me want to finally do a lot of those things. It brings back some kind of value to TS4 (for me). If I hadn't tried CL, and I would be reading some of the threads where people comment on it (many of those people not actually owning or having played CL), I'd think it was the most terrible thing ever. But the thing is, it actually really isn't. It's fun, I enjoy it, and by consequence, I finally enjoy TS4. So perhaps it's too easy to keep zooming in on the type of activities you can do at the festivals, and instead worth focusing on the overall ways it can add to existing game play and why some people might enjoy it. I don't think anyone should buy it if they hate TS4, or if they really don't see anything good about it, but not everyone who likes it is a mindless fangirl/-boy. Some people gave it an honest shot, even though they too were scared because of the overall issues with TS4, and still .. ended up liking it. There's nothing wrong with that.

I am not harsh on Sims 4. I like the game and also believed in their promise of making it better and that it had potential. What I am harsh on is what they are doing to the game with these superficial and out of focus EPs.

I have supported the developers and forgave them on all their mistakes with the base game (under the excuse of it being rushed out) but what they are doing today proves that the Sims 4 was not rushed. Nope. All was planned to be that way. The limited budget was within their plan from the beginning. And the same limited budget, limited game play is continuing to haunt the game with the packs.

This way of making EPs is the worst in the history of Sims. EPs are bad, out of focus and very shallow which makes me angry and reconfirms that this game is not going any where. Now the latest confirmation that one single EP a year is the new norm does it all. People actually not taking that last interview seriously. If there will be only one EP a year then we are not getting the loved EPs every body want because how many EPs will be left? 2 or maximum 3.

I think the club features in Get Together was the only good merit in the 3 Sims 4 EPs because that is the only thing they did not attempt deeply before. As for the rest of the things the EPs are offering they are all inferior to the same features we had from the past iterations, be it retail system, active careers, festivals, apartments or restaurants. This makes like 90% of the big features from the EPs inferior to the past games.

Everything they will release for future will be as bad too.

The other horrible thing is that lack of customization they keep doing with the EPs. First they started it with Get Together where 2 or 3 lots cannot be changed. Now CL has all shells that cannot be placed any where, festivals cannot be done anywhere and also exclusive objects that do not work properly outside the new world like the food carts. This is just TOO BAD.

I will not support any of these awful decisions. All this limitation does not deserve $40. If today I give them $40 then tomorrow they will offer more severe limitations for the same $40. I would rather give the $40 to a poor man on the street than handing it the developers who still do not get what players want after the 4th installment of the game they been working on.