I don't feel like it's a story progression substitute mostly because I'm not threatened by it or what I'm reading about it. I don't like story progression or at least certain big things happening like marriages, having babies, changing jobs ect for my played households especially.
I think it could help those that want story progression some.. but it just feels like something more dynamic is coming. I like the idea of the environment getting better or worse depending on what my sim does or doesn't do even though I'm pretty set against story progression being thrust on me normally.
I always feel like if I set a change in motion as the player I'm pretty aware of it and will need to be okay with the outcome. I'm not going to scream if I decide to not turn off the impact and then there is some impact that wasn't completely foreseen by me if that makes sense. I still kind of know what I'm getting by choosing to play with it... and if I hate it well it seems I will have the option to turn it off per save so bad on me if I use it in a save I don't want to be affected in a way I didn't like. I plan on using it in a new save at first or in one of my saves that it makes sense to use it in to me especially since I want to know what it's like for everything to get dirtier first.
I do hope true story progression comes to this game for those that want it, who knows I might even want it for a different way to play as long as I have the ability to turn it off per save also.
