How do you approach The Sims as a game?

I see the sims as a sandbox, you play it as you want, so

1. You play as long as you want for the given day

2. Usually I have all the pack installed and mods to change diffrent asspects of the game

3. I see pack in the same ways as I see mods. Buy the onces you want and intresses you.

4. The sims is a "forever" game. I will probably play it until I find an other game that does it "better". Better subjective and therefor I use mods. Nothing is perfect and everything can be improved.

1. I play The Sims obsessively when I play it. I play it in long sessions, days after one another and then there might be a time where I don't play at all.

2. I definitely don't use all content at once. I don't really think about what pack I'm using. At the moment, I use whatever system fits my story. That was very different with the Not So Berry challenge I attempted before which is very tailored towards using one pack at a time.

3. I think it's better to own the packs that appeal to you if there are things you don't want in your game or would bother you. I've always owned all packs for every installment in the franchise and I don't think that will ever change. I don't want to miss out on any features and there's nothing I'm bothered by or particularly dislike, so I just get everything.

4. I do see The Sims as a forever game. I still play Sims 2 and 3 alongside 4 so I think it holds up. I've even gone back to the original The Sims before and even that one holds up. I think all the games are gems in their own way.

1. It varies for me. Sometimes I play for an hour or less and other times I get really engrossed and play for several hours, especially if I am creating a sim or a build. Sometimes I even take breaks and don't play at all for weeks.

2. I have a main sim that I like to do everything with. When it doesn't fit with his character/story though, I sometimes start a new story to try new content, but usually I like to use packs together, in fact I love it when different packs are designed to work well together.

3. I personally like to collect packs, but then each one so far has added something to my gameplay. I don't see much point in buying a pack if there is absolutely nothing you like about it, but knowing me I will always find something, even if it's only small.

4. For me The Sims is all about storytelling and I prefer content that supports that. I don't necessarily expect to play everything over and over again e.g. aspirations, but for the most part I like gameplay to be open and versatile so that I can create different characters, worlds, and stories for as long as I like.

1. I usually play for 2 hours or more at a time so I go in knowing I will be playing for awhile. That's not to say that I won't go in to take a quick snapshot or if I have an idea burning in my head but only a short while to play I won't go in to get it started .. usually that's a CAS session though or a set up a home type of thing.

2. I use the content to fit my characters and stories so that could include overlap of many packs.. it just depends. On release of a pack I might try to play with it as is a little to get a feel for the items and gameplay but not always, as I might not like or might not be drawn too playing with the main theme(s) pack at the time of purchase but I want to use certain objects, skills, CAS, or new places. For example when I got the vampire pack my initial use was to make a Bates Motel and Psycho House in Forgotten Hollow. I didn't even try to play vampires for quite awhile. I made a Chuck Norris vampire killer long before making a vampire also. Sometimes it takes years for me to use or touch on all parts of a pack.

3. I want to own all the packs because I always find ways to utilize what is in each to expand my overall gameplay and stories. Always.

4. The sims is basically a forever game or as long as my computer will run it or it gets too dated for me to find it appealing anymore. I can't say I won't ever get tired of it of course. I haven't loaded in Sims 1 in many years and when I tried Sims 2 about a year ago it wasn't appealing anymore even though I loved that game back in the day.... but I certainly don't expect to get a clear cut and minimal amount of hours out of each pack. I'm still engaged with Sims 4 and by the time it wraps up I'll be ready to try out mods more regularly.. and that will expand it's longevity for me even more. I'll probably be playing it and switching up between it and any new successor that comes along for some time before Sims 4 becomes dated for me. I can't see it feeling dated for me for a very long time.

I play the Sims for as many hours as I'm enjoying myself. I don't sleep well and there has been times where I was just too sleepy to play. That was a short session. Normally, I can play for up to all day. I am 65 years old with very few responsibilities (all three children are grown and live on their own) and I no longer babysit for the one grandson. So, my time is my time.

I can't begin to tell you what item came from what pack, specifically. I use what I like, what suits the household and the style of the Sims that live there. I suppose there are some items I use more often than others. I do wish we would get a few more choices when it comes to kitchen cabinets, as I grow tired of using the same ones, just different colors. Most of what we have in that category, I simply don't like.

When it comes to which packs to own, I'm in the category of picking and choosing that which I like. Back when I was playing Sims2 (my introduction to gaming and this franchise) I was so enchanted I bought every EP, and SP offered. With Sims3, I was far more choosy. I bought all EPs, with the exception of Supernaturals, and was very glad EA split the aliens from that pack and placed them into Seasons, instead. I like aliens. I only purchased two, maybe three of the SPs, however. I just wasn't thrilled on the whole, but also wanted to spare my now defunct gaming rig. Sims3 is hard on a computer.

This go-around I haven't purchased vampires or RoM, and the My First Pet pack, either. Right now, I'm considering whether or not I want Eco Living. The whole 'save the dying planet thing' is a trigger for me. I just caught the tail end of the livestream. I saw that the Repo Man will make a return if your Sims fail to pay their overdue bills in that 48 hour window we have now. At the end the of the livestream, the Guru started a fire. I watched with delight when I saw FIREFIGHTERS race into the room and put out the flames! Yay! Plus, they made it clear we can turn off the eco footprint part of the gameplay. So, I have a great deal of thinking to do before the EP comes out. I'm back on the fence. Regarding the duration, it should be a forever thing. I don't play games where you have to 'win'. I prefer Sims because it's a sandbox game. There is no right or wrong way to play it's up to me. What bothered me the most about Eco Living was the 'change the way you play' thought about it. I don't wish to waste the game play time having my Sims run around doing certain things to clean the air, nor do I wish to bring politics into my game by having them vote on something else they may have to do as a neighborhood. I don't want to change how I play my game, thank you very much. :)

@GalacticGal Repomen and firefighters come with the base game, you don't have to buy Eco Lifestyle if you don't want any of it.

Pardon the weird title; I wasn’t sure how best to phrase it. I figured with all the talk about the new pack and what we come to expect out of this game, it would be a good time to ask about people’s expectations and what they feel about The Sims (4 or otherwise). But this is kind of a multiple question discussion so it’s too complex for a simple poll.

1. What kind of session do you feel like this game should have? Should it be a “1-2 hour burst” kinda game, a “long 4+ hour” session type, or the “pick it up, put it down” type?

I tend to play in bursts because there is so much to do it becomes overwhelming! Rather than play for 10hr straight I prefer to play little by little all throughout the day.


2. How do you use your content? Do you try to use every system from every pack all at once? Do you prefer to have individually tailored experiences/stories?

I tailor my own individual stories and I never use all the content at once. Till this day I still have not explored the jungles, played most of the active careers and many other things because I feel there is so much to do I just haven't gotten around to it.

3. Do you think it’s better to own ALL of the packs or just the ones that appeal to you? This one is big, because I feel like it’s what generates some of the more controversial opinions about the packs we get.

Owning all the packs is a big plus!!! Because even if it's a pack I'm not that interested in there is always something from that pack I can use! Bits and pieces of everything!


4. What kind of duration of play do you expect out of a The Sims game? Should it be a game you can play “forever”? Or do you only expect maybe a good 40-100 hours of play per pack you have installed?

That's what I love about the sims and why I don't mind spending endless money on it because the game to me is endless. Something you play forever as you keep coming up with new storylines and ways to play. I have not played playstation in atleast 4 years?because this is the only "endless" game for me. Never get bored of it. Though I do take breaks (because everybody needs some) I eventually go back to it and the possibilities keep rolling in.

1) Playing the sims is so engaging for me that I tend to play for very long periods (honestly, I'd play all day, every day, if I could get away with it :lol: ). So I typically don't start playing unless I have a lot of time on my hands. I'll go for several weeks without playing at all because I am too busy with real life to have good long play sessions. And then, when I have some time, I'll play solidly all weekend from the moment I get up until my husband tells my I have to go to bed. It's definitely not a "pick up and put down" game for me. It's a "be transported into another universe and stay there for days and days" game.

2) Once a pack is installed, everything in it is just an option I can use in my stories. What I use at any given moment depends on what story is going on in my head and what I want to have happen next. I don't think "now I'm going to play with Dine Out". I think "Jack wants to go out to dinner with Jill."

3) Why would I buy packs that don't appeal to me? That doesn't even make sense. I own most of the packs, but only because most of them appeal to me for one reason or another.

4) The Sims itself is a forever game for me as long as my computer can run it, and I still like playing it. However, any individual specific save I create I may or may not play for a long time. I'm always coming up with new story or character ideas and I frequently start new saves to try out those ideas. I have some saves I have played for years and am still playing, and others I played for a while and lost interest in. It completely depends on how fond I become of the individual sims I create for that specific save. We have to bond for the relationship to last.

1. I play about 2-3 hours game sessions, sometimes less if I don't have time for more. I have issues with my eyes, so I can't play too long sessions. My eyes get very strained and blurry and I have to stop even if I didn't want to, usually 3 hours is the most I can do.

2. I use all the content I need. Once I've installed a pack and it's in my game I don't even think about it as an individual pack, it's just Sims 4 for me and my Sims continue living the way they do and I will use everything that the game offers. I don't have any limits unless I play a challenge and the rules forbid me to use certain content.

3. It's always best to buy just the packs you like. When I started playing Sims 4 I didn't plan to buy them all, but I liked everything and because I don't use CC or mods I want to have as much CAS, BB and game play options as possible. I ended up buying all packs and it's not a big deal for me, because Sims 4 is my biggest hobby and I don't spend too much money on other things. I don't have any regrets.

4. Right now I feel like I want to play Sims 4 forever. I don't know how long it will actually be possible, but I hope at least 10 years.

Playing time varies with time available and interest in what's happening in game.

Content use, EA or CC, depends on setting/story type a particular gamesave is

Unlike TS2 where every pack is a genuine addition to the game, I have only those packs with content that is of interest

at my age nothing down here is 'forever', but I do view a game as a long term item unless it is so bad it gets deleted or is so old it won't run on amy of my machines.