What I love about the Sims is that they can just be themselves. When I design a Sim, I mold the face so nothing is really strange about it (tbh I'm face blind irl so I just try to make them normal looking, which may or may not be anyone else's idea of normal, I can't remember real faces.) Anyway, to find my starting face, I randomize, then tweak for detail, then I adjust the skin tone to kind whatever brings out the best in the face, without regard to race, I've had Sims of all colors, even blue. Next, I fix the hair, might use the skin tone sliders a bit more if they're available, then clothe them.
The Sims, to me, are a world apart. They don't notice race or sexual orientation as a point of discussion or criticism - there is no racism in the sims, and no homophobia. Which is how I feel it should be in reality. I love that my Sims can follow their dreams wherever they lead, they all start out with the same opportunities, and what they choose to make of them is up to them.
I did enjoy the various travel and cultural aspects in 3. I liked making well rounded Sims who were well versed in other cultures. There are also cultural subsets with the addition of Supernatural, with the faerie dome and houses, "hangouts" for supernaturals, and sims being gossiped about for "woohoo with an occult." I enjoyed incorporating all these communities, and having them both celebrate their differences and overcome the difficulties. Hey, at least utopia exists somewhere. :)
