Decisions...help, please?

@Alwe1507: it really depends on what you like. If you're in to occult lifestages then the Vampire pack might interest you; also, the Seasons pack is a good one to have. What I'd suggest doing is start up the game and when you get to the main screen click on the pack icons to read a description of each pack. You'll also be able to see what cas & build/buy items come with the pack. Another thing; if you can afford it, do a bundle by choosing one game pack, one expansion pack & one stuff pack. It'll save you some money.

What's your gameplay style like?
GT is a good start EP-wise, since clubs are very versatile and add a lot of activity to boring lots. Seasons, by far, is also a must-have for a majority since the introduction of the calendar and, well, seasons, gives the game more of a realistic feel versus the stagnant forever summer base game has. Cats & Dogs adds, well, cats and dogs--Another fun staple for realistic gameplay.

For family/legacy play, I would strongly suggest the GPs Parenthood and OR with Kids Room & Toddler SPs as optional--Parenthood allows more variance for children and teens, giving them more defining characteristics and more family-oriented play between parent and child with curfews, projects, and unique traits that could impact their autonomy. Outdoor Retreat gives you the option to go camping and have an either relaxing, or stressful vacation due to bears.

For single/super sim households, GTW & City Living EPs give more jobs and more gameplay for a workaholic, as well as Strangerville and Jungle Adventure GPs giving more of a single-player focused game with a pop-up adventure style kind of play that effects the current area. Selvadorada is a vacation world though, so that's one that you could definitely afford with the heaps of simoleons you'd get from working so much LOL.
I'd also like to add on the EPs Get Famous and Island Living, mostly since GF's actor/celebrity system works well for single player, since there's a lot of fun niches you can abuse of course LOL. Island Living has a conservatory career that also influences Sulani's environment.

If you like Occults, the Vampires GP introduces the vampire life state, the only state so far that has possibly exceeded everyone's expectations lol. GTW has aliens, who spawn under a human disguise; They can be relatively easy to figure out since they glow when they reach "level 2" emotions (ex: very happy, very sad, etc); They can transmute things, wipe memories, and empathize with others for moodlet changes. IL has mermaids, which are also quite tame as well; They can manipulate weather and drown sims via siren songs.
ROM has spellcasters--Now I would say spellcasters should be up there with vampires since they have several spells you can totally abuse for a single sim, but they're relatively new and the eyes are still bonked--But unsolved glitches aside, my personal playthrough for it was rather lackluster since I find it too easy to achieve maximum potential... But without the negativity, a lot of the spells under practical are very useful for a lazy sim who doesn't believe in owning a stove or doing dishes LOL.

Ahh I'm probably missing something else, but I basically wrote a novel in comment form so I'll stop now lmao

"Starfree;c-17288163" wrote:
@Alwe1507: it really depends on what you like. If you're in to occult lifestages then the Vampire pack might interest you; also, the Seasons pack is a good one to have. What I'd suggest doing is start up the game and when you get to the main screen click on the pack icons to read a description of each pack. You'll also be able to see what cas & build/buy items come with the pack. Another thing; if you can afford it, do a bundle by choosing one game pack, one expansion pack & one stuff pack. It'll save you some money.

Hi @Starfree

Thanks for the comment.

I would suggest from my experience with TS2 that I enjoy running businesses such as restaurants, clubs and bakeries etc. Also, with the hours put in on TS3 that I enjoy careers and "going to work" with my Sims. I've always enjoyed making a lot of money with Sims and purchasing expensive / exotic items.

So, how do Get to Work, Dine Out and Island Living manage those desires?

"Cement;c-17288177" wrote:
What's your gameplay style like?
GT is a good start EP-wise, since clubs are very versatile and add a lot of activity to boring lots. Seasons, by far, is also a must-have for a majority since the introduction of the calendar and, well, seasons, gives the game more of a realistic feel versus the stagnant forever summer base game has. Cats & Dogs adds, well, cats and dogs--Another fun staple for realistic gameplay.

For family/legacy play, I would strongly suggest the GPs Parenthood and OR with Kids Room & Toddler SPs as optional--Parenthood allows more variance for children and teens, giving them more defining characteristics and more family-oriented play between parent and child with curfews, projects, and unique traits that could impact their autonomy. Outdoor Retreat gives you the option to go camping and have an either relaxing, or stressful vacation due to bears.

For single/super sim households, GTW & City Living EPs give more jobs and more gameplay for a workaholic, as well as Strangerville and Jungle Adventure GPs giving more of a single-player focused game with a pop-up adventure style kind of play that effects the current area. Selvadorada is a vacation world though, so that's one that you could definitely afford with the heaps of simoleons you'd get from working so much LOL.
I'd also like to add on the EPs Get Famous and Island Living, mostly since GF's actor/celebrity system works well for single player, since there's a lot of fun niches you can abuse of course LOL. Island Living has a conservatory career that also influences Sulani's environment.

If you like Occults, the Vampires GP introduces the vampire life state, the only state so far that has possibly exceeded everyone's expectations lol. GTW has aliens, who spawn under a human disguise; They can be relatively easy to figure out since they glow when they reach "level 2" emotions (ex: very happy, very sad, etc); They can transmute things, wipe memories, and empathize with others for moodlet changes. IL has mermaids, which are also quite tame as well; They can manipulate weather and drown sims via siren songs.
ROM has spellcasters--Now I would say spellcasters should be up there with vampires since they have several spells you can totally abuse for a single sim, but they're relatively new and the eyes are still bonked--But unsolved glitches aside, my personal playthrough for it was rather lackluster since I find it too easy to achieve maximum potential... But without the negativity, a lot of the spells under practical are very useful for a lazy sim who doesn't believe in owning a stove or doing dishes LOL.

Ahh I'm probably missing something else, but I basically wrote a novel in comment form so I'll stop now lmao

@Cement

Wow! Where do I start!!

I think Seasons is a given. It was a fantastic expansion for TS2 and I imagine it has been vastly improved on 2 generations later. From what I've read, Get to Work and City Living are likely choices too.

I'm sorry, but your reply has given me so many more questions!! ?

What is a Single / Super Sim?

Cats & Dogs EP - what frustrated me in past iterations was that pets never slept whilst Sims did. I don't like fast forwarding while something is awake so how much of a nuisance will TS4 iteration cause me?

Without Parenthood GP - how bare bones is bringing up Sim kids? 3 packs all children related sounds like the base game might be lacking!

When you say that Strangerville, Jungle Adventure and Island Living affect the area, what do you mean exactly? I've read that Strangerville is that from TS2, is that true and does it have the old favourite families?

How similar is Get Famous to the Superstar EP of TSO?

Oh, haha, I'll answer them to the best of my ability ✌

A single/super sim is basically one sim that achieves "everything" really, like maxing out skills, careers, etc. Since the jobs split into two branches, my personal super sim does one branch while his clone basically does the other so I could have both lol

I think it depends on the pet's traits, really. My one jumpy dog wakes up for every little thing, but most of the households I play with pets generally have them sleeping around the same time, occasionally waking earlier to do their business or play with something. I have one cat that loved to wake up early to go into the bathroom and stare at the toilet (it was his favorite thing)
The only issue I had with C&D was having puppies/kittens, since they can't use stairs and many of my sims couldn't get the memo of picking up the tiny thing to place them somewhere else lol

It's pretty so-so, really. With children and nothing else to supplement their gameplay, it gets boring fast. They only have 4 aspirations, and take twice the amount of time to skill up for adult skills (dependent on the skill anyway, since some skills like photography don't need you to max creativity first). It gets repetitive and kind of draining. At least with Parenthood, it feels like you're doing something else than getting them to wake up, do homework, go to school and come back annoyed, rinse and repeat lol
School projects are fun, and as a ridiculous sim parent, I hoard all of my kids' school projects. Teenage mood swings and phases give both kids and teenagers something more to differentiate themselves from young adults aside from building character values.
I recommended Kids Room since it introduces Voidcritters, a pseudo-pokemon like card game where children can collect said characters with two versions of each card. They can battle them and trade them with others, plus the furniture and CAS options give them more of a pre-teen feel; So if you're the kind that likes to sort of dress the kids as they 'age,' Kids room is pretty great. I added in the Toddlers stuff pack as well since base game toddlers are definitely lacking in so many things. They have absolutely nothing lmao. That stuff pack has a toddler jungle gym as well as the laughable ball pit they can play in, so it gives them something to do really--As well as clothing options, of course.
GF and Seasons add a couple of extracurricular activities, those two being Scouting and Drama Club respectively, so picking those up without parenthood should give you some more gameplay with the younger stages if you wait on Parenthood. :)

By that, I mean the whole environment changes, like the sky and lighting, in Strangerville's case the more you delve into the mystery. You enter the unusual town with it appearing like a more orangey Oasis Springs, but as you discover more, the skies begin to dim and well, several townies begin doing weird, creepy things. It's rather nice--I'd say more but I'd ruin the mystery. One of my favorites for sure.
Island Living has an active volcano that only ever does anything when you do the conservatory career to progress it. Jungle Adventure doesn't actually affect the area, but it has several RNG outcomes to which temple you'll end up in, so it's kinda good if you want to burn time snagging treasures. (Also it's great if you're extremely broke, since authenticating artifacts really rakes in the dough)

I never got to play TSO, my first game was TS2--But if I compare it to TS3's fame system, I do like TS4's rendition of it better. The paparazzi can't see me in my high rise doing terrible things the way TS3's insane ones do, so I get some privacy LOL
As you climb the road to fame, you can get perks and quirks that change the way your famous sim functions. Some notable quirks I love include Stans, which are basically stalkers, and Vain Street, which makes your sim want to check themselves out in the mirror every so often.
If I compare it with what I can read on Superstar, you only get access to the Acting career in GF. Karaoke is introduced in TS4 via City Living, the Photography sets are in both GTW and expanded on in the Moschino SP, and the spa items are in Spa Day.

"Cement;c-17288230" wrote:
Oh, haha, I'll answer them to the best of my ability ✌

A single/super sim is basically one sim that achieves "everything" really, like maxing out skills, careers, etc. Since the jobs split into two branches, my personal super sim does one branch while his clone basically does the other so I could have both lol

I'm with you now ??

I'd suggest I'm not a Super Sim player but I do like mine to achieve the best they can at career / skill / hobby paths.

"Cement;c-17288230" wrote:
I think it depends on the pet's traits, really. My one jumpy dog wakes up for every little thing, but most of the households I play with pets generally have them sleeping around the same time, occasionally waking earlier to do their business or play with something. I have one cat that loved to wake up early to go into the bathroom and stare at the toilet (it was his favorite thing)
The only issue I had with C&D was having puppies/kittens, since they can't use stairs and many of my sims couldn't get the memo of picking up the tiny thing to place them somewhere else lol

This might sound an odd question but other than the actual inclusion of Dogs and Cats, does the expansion provide any other gameplay benefits? A decent neighbourhood or developer designed Sims perhaps?

"Cement;c-17288230" wrote:
It's pretty so-so, really. With children and nothing else to supplement their gameplay, it gets boring fast. They only have 4 aspirations, and take twice the amount of time to skill up for adult skills (dependent on the skill anyway, since some skills like photography don't need you to max creativity first). It gets repetitive and kind of draining. At least with Parenthood, it feels like you're doing something else than getting them to wake up, do homework, go to school and come back annoyed, rinse and repeat lol
School projects are fun, and as a ridiculous sim parent, I hoard all of my kids' school projects. Teenage mood swings and phases give both kids and teenagers something more to differentiate themselves from young adults aside from building character values.
I recommended Kids Room since it introduces Voidcritters, a pseudo-pokemon like card game where children can collect said characters with two versions of each card. They can battle them and trade them with others, plus the furniture and CAS options give them more of a pre-teen feel; So if you're the kind that likes to sort of dress the kids as they 'age,' Kids room is pretty great. I added in the Toddlers stuff pack as well since base game toddlers are definitely lacking in so many things. They have absolutely nothing lmao. That stuff pack has a toddler jungle gym as well as the laughable ball pit they can play in, so it gives them something to do really--As well as clothing options, of course.
GF and Seasons add a couple of extracurricular activities, those two being Scouting and Drama Club respectively, so picking those up without parenthood should give you some more gameplay with the younger stages if you wait on Parenthood. :)

To be honest, from your explanation of basic parenthood gameplay without the expansion, it does sound quite lacking. I think I shall add this GP to the list ??

"Cement;c-17288230" wrote:
By that, I mean the whole environment changes, like the sky and lighting, in Strangerville's case the more you delve into the mystery. You enter the unusual town with it appearing like a more orangey Oasis Springs, but as you discover more, the skies begin to dim and well, several townies begin doing weird, creepy things. It's rather nice--I'd say more but I'd ruin the mystery. One of my favorites for sure.
Island Living has an active volcano that only ever does anything when you do the conservatory career to progress it. Jungle Adventure doesn't actually affect the area, but it has several RNG outcomes to which temple you'll end up in, so it's kinda good if you want to burn time snagging treasures. (Also it's great if you're extremely broke, since authenticating artifacts really rakes in the dough)

That sounds pretty cool. I like the idea of a changing environment.

Does Strangerville reset or is it only one mystery played for one time only? Is it the player finding the mystery or a Sim?

Also, is it an actual neighbourhood your Sims can reside in?

"Alwe1507;c-17288261" wrote:

"Cement;c-17288230" wrote:
By that, I mean the whole environment changes, like the sky and lighting, in Strangerville's case the more you delve into the mystery. You enter the unusual town with it appearing like a more orangey Oasis Springs, but as you discover more, the skies begin to dim and well, several townies begin doing weird, creepy things. It's rather nice--I'd say more but I'd ruin the mystery. One of my favorites for sure.
Island Living has an active volcano that only ever does anything when you do the conservatory career to progress it. Jungle Adventure doesn't actually affect the area, but it has several RNG outcomes to which temple you'll end up in, so it's kinda good if you want to burn time snagging treasures. (Also it's great if you're extremely broke, since authenticating artifacts really rakes in the dough)

That sounds pretty cool. I like the idea of a changing environment.

Does Strangerville reset or is it only one mystery played for one time only? Is it the player finding the mystery or a Sim?

Also, is it an actual neighbourhood your Sims can reside in?

Jungle Adventures sounds a lot like a similar expansion for TS3. That had tomb exploration. Does it reset for the next Sim?