I heard that canning products cannot be spread on bread/toast etc. Where do you use the jams made? Only eating out of jar?
I only just started canning in the game, but you can make other recipes with it. If you use the simple living challenge then you get the ingredients list next to meals and you can see which require cheese or milk or preserves. There are more types of preserves than normal...stuff like meat substitute, mayonnaise, custard. You can also eat them straight out of the jar, pack them in a picnic basket, gift them, and sell them.
How detailed is the simple living? Do i have to grow or purchase everything? (If yes this is good for me, I like the survival aspect)
Yes. You can have a decent sized garden and sustain mostly on it. The food and produce have timers on them so they do spoil. It's not like buying a ton of stuff to last because it will spoil by next week. I have found it is a delicate balance between knowing when to store and when to sell. I actually really love this trait and I'm glad there is a need for groceries again. Another thing that you will have to beware of with your garden is foxes. I was protecting the chickens and didn't notice the fox was stealing all of my bell peppers.
Does simple living and farming make your game significantly difficult? (Please say yes, its too easy)
Yes and no. The game is still too easy for normal play, but it will help amp up your difficulty if you take on too many garden plots and too many animals. Throw in a set of twins and everybody's in the red. The cows and llamas are very time consuming. In one of my houses I have 3 cows and 2 chicken coops with 16 total. The cows take up about half the day just cleaning the shed, feeding them, and cleaning them. I don't understand how the cows get so dirty by sleeping in a clean shed, but those buggers sometimes need to be cleaned twice a day.
Can you make a farm to table restaurant with these features? How about a home grocery store/outlet?
I don't know if the restaurant will work with the produce. I've never played as an owner. But it is possible to make a grocery store. I have had a grocery store in the game since GTW made it possible. There I sell fully cooked meals, every type of fish, flower, every type of fruits and veggies, cakes, baked goods, with a cafe. And now I just add in the new preserves and harvestables.
I heard gardening the large produce is different from regular gardening. In what ways?
There's not much difference other than the different combinations of fertilizers you can use and the size of the veggies.
Those who play survival games, crafting games, or farm management, how does CL compare? Is it enjoyable?
This is not that type of game. You'd be imagining most of it. You can definitely challenge yourself by using multiple lot challenges, but overall, it's not that hard or complicated. The only thing that makes it hard is taking on more than your sims can handle and that's like everything in life.
Also, how necessary are the npcs tasking? This is the least appealing for me.
No idea. I've only done half of one.
