Eco Lifestyle Expansion Trial

Hey everyone, thank you for your insides and tips for playing this expansion pack! I spent a lot of hours, research and even used cheats when I needed to so I could explore every detail of this game, here are my thoughts on the trial:

- My favourite feature of this pack is changing the carbon footprint as it gives you the ability to change the setting of a neighbour which is clever. However this rapidly changes to 'neutral' setting extremely quickly making it very hard to have a neighbourhood stay 'green' or 'industrial'. Also rubbish only appears in 'Evergreen Harbour' and not the other neighbourhoods.

- I also really liked that you can change the behaviour of the neighbourhood, it again adds atmosphere and makes a location different to another. However I found issues with this, for example I like the 'rough housing' trait and added this to San Myshuno spice market area, which is great but found that there were way too many 'fights' so the DJ and bartender would have stop what they were doing every 2 minutes to 'witness a fight' which makes me not want to use this trait. It's a shame as it's cool to have a rough area of town with pollution.

- I felt like the pollution could be a bit more detailed e.g. I didn't even notice the acid rain until it was pointed out to me. I was excited to witness it but then notice its just slightly green. It would have been better to have the sim react to it e.g. acid rain buff, umbrella getting destroyed from it, risk of burns from the rain etc Because of this it again doesn't really alter the game that much as it's very similar to rain.

- Bugs, candle making, fizz drink machine - they don't add much to the game still as the interactions are very limited, the results don't change the game much after, you get very similar results so it feels repetitive. They just could have expanded a bit more with animations and outcomes that affect the story. I even find that the Beehive which came with Seasons expansion, does a lot more e.g. you can send bee's to other sims, collect honey, take care of them in a lot more detail, build a relationship with them, wear a bee suit etc

Thanks EA for giving me a chance to try the game :)

Aww I'm a bit disappointed to hear that acid rain doesn't do anything. I still haven't tried it and kinda thought it would burn or something :frowning:

I bought the pack in a bundle maybe a couple of months after the release and still haven't fully explored it. I really want to properly try the off-the-grid gameplay someday :blush: And get the meat wall! I think EL is a nice pack, it's not my favourite, but there are things that I use (in CAS and BB) and find nice (the random phone calls, dumpster and insect farms). I haven't been very excited about the eco traits, though I have to say I haven't explored them much, yet, either. I think I could use the maker and freegan traits.

it annoyed me at the beginning because of the piles of rubbish, but after getting the hang of cheating the NAP's they disappeared and two of the districts were green, the one with all the white stone was neutral - despite using the same NAP's and green building materials/solar panels/wind thingies, I couldn't get it to go green! :) I ended up enjoying it - I still dont know where to find the bits to recycle to put in the fabricator or whatever it was, it was very confusing - I did make candles but didn't get round to juicing. I tried dumpster diving but there was never anything in them to dive for :smile:

I did like the outfits/hair and bb stuff, especially the hexagonal floor tiles - I am waiting for cottage living to go half price and then I want that pack next but this is a close second, not so much for the game play but for the world and the items that come with it. I hope EA does more trials as I have really enjoyed this one

Well, I might get EL on sale. But even after the trial, I'm still not sure how to work NAPs in other worlds. For the trial, I turned off NAPs in Evergreen Harbor immediately, but noticed there were already votes on the Grims Quarry board. Later I got a notice that a NAP had passed. I don't know if it really would have taken effect because I just cheated it away (instant repeal). I didn't think to check the other two EH neighborhoods I wasn't living in though. And I didn't open up any of my other world saves while doing this trial.

So here are my concerns. I don't want to constantly micro-manage environments. I don't want to play Eco Lifestyle with every household. So even if I turn off NAPs right away in all my saves, will I still need to go into every single neighborhood in all those worlds and repeal any NAP that is already in place? And does that mean I have to make a sim active in each neighborhood to do that? I've searched the forums and still don't have a clear understanding of how to manage NAPs in my separate saves. Players seem to have different experiences.

@foxybilly the bits and pieces come either from trash cans that people have thrown trash into, or by recycling items in your personal or household inventory at the recycler. There is a recycler at one of the starter community spaces, and they can be purchased in build/buy as well. For the dumpsters, you have to wait for around 30 game-minutes for the dumpsters to generate trash to rummage/dive through.

@lanlyn I understand that for some reason, when voting is turned off, the notifications still appear even though the NAP has not actually been enacted. I always play with voting on so can't confirm.

I did go ahead and buy Eco Lifestyle when Steam had it on sale recently, 50% off. I loaded up my trial household and have continued playing, testing things out. I also installed a few mods as I noticed some things I wanted toned down. So far, I'm enjoying the expansion, haven't noticed any big issues.

Eco career: Civil Designer. We did have a glitch when choosing a promotion branch later, but I think I resolved it.
https://bn1303files.storage.live.com/y4mjb74yWE6KL1mpJUy3vdopOTQxxkDR_ekltiVJbeznQTaNWPVYMtmzeyZd7qlT77c1BIU6AQGNbUBTOZCn5sYR8R9TNq7-ZRFCOyKSMD6A2U0V_XSDbl6GjfGunGM9vDvXoHBvr2Ub5jRs8rCDc0y92GsD5VuKxwEUoRQriSmOkDmkO5nHv6E1Sq1yx4XITLS?width=1920&height=1080&cropmode=none
My couple had been working hard, so I took them out bowling with a couple of friends.
https://bn1303files.storage.live.com/y4meB67H6iQ4l0b7F4nhmd4XnRqT3X9Lr1OQaeI3TFarseC-lbc2WDQ_61wFgoTW_H4M_aopTlGaPys0OMO-MAgoob0_9D8YjGWusW0IPzLJeeUiqnHj_pW82aRQFfJBuhyaVAHaBspxQgmi6WeAFxxEmV8M1eg1cj6cm95LwddjwJUst46XYY8-Q8CSMKaKUHd?width=1920&height=1080&cropmode=none
I rearranged the large bedroom upstairs and added a second bathroom.
https://bn1303files.storage.live.com/y4mLPXePyPADF5HWXBj1gW1u4zfM3YA8j90yLkmIIpGKXwkgZg6BKIBJXj0ap4DJsMwHB7FOCz1gJZN3CO3I7cbELVs1JRvhVa6rWZz_eZMLODFGKPf2kSuLpGX7pTdd2Z6XuKfluAtTLRB3wvAwzxiYPwjN5JnJ6PUTU8VmcuPFA7zhaYWKNejKRPj2RejUJKL?width=1920&height=1080&cropmode=none
Dumpster Romance.
https://bn1303files.storage.live.com/y4m0YfNvIRuVtDu8Y2JmOG1dygfLMfqh7WiNAjsPdumOi9VPQbKppEmzF5YZ2Vi_pt-5aLCSJaQQxwOt5pYQvzx4nEdlGDWUElU5Lz8qJsEQBzmQK35GAiW2QiMcwaha-BUYU01WgYSPOggchicIPrIcySVoDeIUUVP7fAHPqm5Qn1TcAIc8dPcSFY7A9QTaEuf?width=1920&height=1080&cropmode=none
The new gardener bot. I named him Gardy.
https://bn1303files.storage.live.com/y4mJBBQ0tr4k8SM0wMgw_Cx21HosxcMoN0dRLqJv5TXcvXfhdMDHoqTqvjAt-3Z3WDIC-uWqJbEXUI18qPXnFRsKGUlnTmGLTWsbHR6qabLCTl4DEOH5SQ8aAi2WBAox3vIefMMwM31WqnxqAcTnVOeOVV-z2LihjGJjm23td4fiM5C14cgAByhguZXRISvm7fP?width=1920&height=1080&cropmode=none
Gardy must keep fruits and veggies fresh in the fridge.
https://bn1303files.storage.live.com/y4mTjD6dvXTCqGEtMc67fmTKnrZuCmL-D1mHTWMMFPXb1tlNCbMWffaTvLda93g9SogOHSbfIeJ0AsVBv8iQGXmPljbxQOZZ9gLC-vN1OJtgSdLdqlun4uiLOC302PCpRX7cYXw3VSCmAsSzkg2iZ9TYH9gg5AXxQ2qdvfeT-SMCdWACgfR3uXluE8jmWJxdhZ3?width=1920&height=1080&cropmode=none
We voted for a Maker Space on the community lot. I added a few things. In the kitchen: fridge, stove, bar counter.
https://bn1303files.storage.live.com/y4mhzXAxR3rkpe7fVQaJ0vY-q0LRgjT8A6Z2MUmuthhftpAOMmD40D0A_Dr55AzDRCRj6VR3tZYYF75JzWiXq8dn3mgR8ALxXGZJ95033yau9GF5ks_Emq-r9WUqfcibEGql0s_USW3dlZwneNOmFzm0sb53HB8NxjA7JMdwX_0w8vzttRMisE73XTwiJP8GSp1?width=1920&height=1080&cropmode=none
Dining table, flower arranging work bench, music speakers.
https://bn1303files.storage.live.com/y4mY46XWT6DRNRQ5--uJBZzaHS35JBj26yGL6PUhKznyc6L-zurZVqdX09mL7CIsZ-T_uqJVmtzJikPEyEZJmZ9U1grhT_qe52xJ4XNccpKcd1MBqlp9z1x-S_OWvRy-zKqPwIJDf-DdYEGZqN0LBgKE8I2UgzAepnH-RvTxUF0KLUDiBKs9zyPik8qwHUgVYFo?width=1920&height=1080&cropmode=none
Two more easels, chess table, couches, showers.
https://bn1303files.storage.live.com/y4mF8szZkOv-uX8tLOmXpczhcCgqMk2MrH05NL3JpS67NyKK2jpbOlo-dBS6sii8yVGALN0WiFxoOKb2NYpWqWEv9s_RoYxsut2HTHTHGCEHPLpQKWR5tb7fYOgJ2CwLX3UiurSoJt5g-CywfzGSAK5P3If9vjMLF8Ud5mrcjzF1z3ISRLzJaHIoLjo49_kaf_B?width=1920&height=1080&cropmode=none
A problem with the fabricator. Showering didn't help.
https://bn1303files.storage.live.com/y4mo5BQk1x7fmTPEJEnmXUr1EZh4DnVVUYLokSwWAr537TeYESPOMV5mS5_R_PBeLflM5xBtfB5et_wiDz1ietRWbOEJIRoTbDx9tKDIzyZrItt2wmcCKUDGzNxvOV4z6ac0t8ezV0l61w3r5zXBctt6cXVRRnGj4MaAMzGG1apRqnwNIwFfj5z03vBhnETCtPJ?width=1920&height=1080&cropmode=none
Our market stand makes as much money as the careers.
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@RubyxAngel I completed a rotation that exclusively focused on Eco-Living, and here are the links to my posts. They might help.

Meet Aiden Sol. He's a Merman and a Master Maker in Port Promise.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51452352550_1eb3dff591_b.jpg

As a Master Maker, he can give sims recipes on the Fabricator. He gave my sim Arihi a Recipe Autonomously while I wasn't playing either of their households. I got the Notification because they were marked as played households. I play Rotation.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51537737883_72deb7affb_h.jpg

This is where I wrote most of my story for Aiden. Basically, he got in a lot of fights with the Fabricator, but I noticed that it happened less often when he was in a better mood. He bonded with flies, tried to squish roaches, and he had a visit from someone with ill intentions. Eco Lifestyle has a unique prank phone calls with actual consequences, and I had a lot of visits from the Port Promise residents. These visits weren't your average neighborhood welcome. Instead, there are sims with unique traits that will show up. Bess and her Husband are the Entrepreneurs, Knox is an Eco Master, and Tinker is a Master Maker. You can add these traits without mods using cheats.

As for the person that showed up, he's one of my Darkfin Sims, and he's in the Criminal Career. The Sims that ask about Vinny seem to be tied to crime.

As for him being in his merform when the Fabricator acted up. I used the cheats Traits.Equip_Trait Trait_OccultMermaid_Mermaidform and Traits.Remove_Trait Trait_OccultMermaid_MermaidForm to change his form. I use these cheats so often to control the form my merfolk use that I wish their was a toggle for them. I mostly use the cheat to change their form when they are laying down or other situations that wouldn't normally change their form. I've also been able to experiment with other interactions I think would be awesome in Underwater Lots between merfolk. Some interactions work better than others, but that's a topic for an Island Living thread.

https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/17974288/#Comment_17974288

Bess's Husband, Jules, supposedly scams the Port Promise Residents with his ideas on Fashion. The couple does have an interesting spin with their walking animations. Anyways, Aiden prefers the Merman fashion. He had Outfits for Eco Living and Merman Occult Attire. I used the "Try on Outfits" with the Dresser he made and this is what he chose to wear.

The thing that makes Bess and Jules so Notorious is how they scam people with their business plans. It's worth noting that you can get fizzing recipes from Bess.

https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/17976514/#Comment_17976514

This is what I did with my Build playing Eco Lifestyle. I didn't create much of a story because of some bugs that took time for the game to work through. The biggest bugs are tied into NAPs that change the World of Port Evergreen. The Port Promise Neighborhood is one of the most affected.

I did include a temporary solution that works on the PS4. A similar solution might be possible with other consoles and the computer.

https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/17976361/#Comment_17976361

Here is the bug I encountered in Port Promise. Screenshots are in the link, but essentially, the game changes the scenery after enacting two NAPs. It takes two sim weeks for the game to load all the changes to the World, but I found that most of the bugs seem to resolve themselves after the NAPs are enacted. Consequently, It takes around 28 sim Days for the world to become stable for gameplay. The pyramids flicker more as you move faster through the world. The Pyramids appear where the world gets changed by the NAPs, so some of the Pyramids immediately get removed after a NAP is enacted. Port Promise has the most significant changes and bugs the most.

https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/17973465/#Comment_17973465

Basically, this is how I felt about the Gameplay right after I finished the Rotation. I own the pack and play on the Console, so everything I share is without mods because the PS4 is not compatible with them.

https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/17976124/#Comment_17976124

I own the pack, so I'll probably revisit it whenever I play Aiden's rotation again.

From what I understand, there are more features to the game than what I got to. You can grow a meat wall with vertical grow beds and you can fabricate a device that instantly changes the Eco Footprint. Aiden is a Freelance Crafter, and I noticed that certain gigs are impossible to complete. If you place items in world, the gigs should be possible to complete. Here are a few Screenshots.

If you "Send to Client" via the computer under the "Freelancer" option you will get paid for sending the item, but you don't get any credit for it. Essentially, you get paid for your work, it won't count toward your career tasks, and you spend bits and pieces that don't get refunded. If you are low on bits and pieces, this can be a problem for completing the last freelancer task.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51599752129_b098f2ddc0_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51599096326_0093b80c35_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51599751994_b5120ea35e_b.jpg

The Client will send a notification after it's sent via the computer, but this notification is deceptive.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51599096126_fc002a51e0_b.jpg

But you will get paid.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51599096081_f340b585b4_b.jpg

It just doesn't count toward your career, and this is the real problem. You lose career progress as a result of this bug. The bug is extremely exploitable because you can send the client dozens of what they are looking for through the computer and make money for each item sent, and because it doesn't count toward the career task, it's essentially an endless source of free money as long as you have bits and pieces and the gig is active.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51599096051_f6f3f3801e_b.jpg

If you select an item in world that has the gear symbol, you can also "Send to Client"

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51599096031_a0d9132e2c_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51598270302_ff5c16de2f_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51599990875_b0957d1b65_b.jpg

The item disappears, you get credit for the task, and you receive the same notification from the computer.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51599780129_490f8cc7cb_c.jpg

Because I was playing a challenge for myself, I did not intentionally exploit the bug, but I'm stubborn and identified it when I got bad responses from the client after the gigs expired.

Rugs do not have an interaction in world, so those gigs will always fail. Part of me expected there to be at least a color preference since you can buy dyes to fabricate with, but it doesn't really matter what an item looks like, its color, or the emotional aura if it's a candle.

Has anyone turned a park into a community space.
I am considering putting the pack back for mainly this reason. I really liked the community spaces, but detested NAPS.
There are also a few other features I want back, like furniture making and shipping container wallpapers and doors.

The other feature of the pack I will just have to work to eliminate or minimize.

As far as converting my parks to community spaces, I want an activity space for all the districts in the town and I will create clubs that represent each district and have those sims hang out at my community space/park. This will allow my neighborhoods to feel more like neighborhoods representing the people who actually live there.

So, in the case of Willow Creek, there will be the:
-Pedula View Society
-Court Yard Lane Society
-Foundry Cove Society.

Etc. or however many clubs the game allows to be assigned as hangouts. Hopefully five.

@CK213 I've had up to three clubs hang out at one lot. They would show up every time I visited the lot.