Is it weird that I feel like I'm Wasting Packs?

"jamiehood;d-935687" wrote:
So, I have a lot of packs in the Sims 4. But I feel like most of them are wasted, as I don't use some of the features very often. Some examples: I almost never go to the Spa from Spa day, or vacation in Outdoor Retreat. When festivals are in town, I go for a brief bit, but leave. I really want to make better use of these packs, but I feel like I'm wasting them. What should I do?

I have not used all the options from all the packs myself, I do not see it as wasted because the way EA/Maxis designed the packs each pack has an option that some may choose to use and eventually they may use others when the time comes. Everybody has a different playstyle that may require what packs are to be used and there is no clear cut way to tell you how to not to waste them.

"jamiehood;d-935687" wrote:
So, I have a lot of packs in the Sims 4. But I feel like most of them are wasted, as I don't use some of the features very often. Some examples: I almost never go to the Spa from Spa day, or vacation in Outdoor Retreat. When festivals are in town, I go for a brief bit, but leave. I really want to make better use of these packs, but I feel like I'm wasting them. What should I do?

I am the same, but it's intentional in my case.
I am waiting for my favorite packs to arrive. (Seasons/University/Witches) I don't want to burn out on current content before I feel the game has the game play I really need.

I call this Non-existent Expansion Pack Syndrome.
Otherwise known as N.E.P.S.
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/892841/n-e-p-s-another-simmer-mind-state-n-e-p-s-alleviated-pg-6/p1

I am playing this game extremely slow. I was playing immortal young adults when the game launched.
When we got to toddlers and Parenthood I aged them all down to toddlers and gave them parents. Now I am focusing on Parenthood while I rotationally play all my sims. I dabble with any new packs that come out, but I don't explore them for all their secrets. I just sample mainly for something new to do before I set it aside.

I plan to lock aging when all my Sims are teens and then I will find something else to do and just play then once in a while I wait for University.
Jungle adventure is next and I am sending my orphanage of child sims out for a cultural education in Selvadorada. Since they are kids, they won't delve deep into the jungle. I will have them return after University to see a little bit of the world before settling down in careers and families.

I do have one family that might explore deep in the jungle. One of my YAs had a back story that her parents died when she was young and she had to survive on her own as a teen. I think I will play this out with Jungle Adventure.

So, I don't feel like I am wasting them.
I am just saving them for later. :)

I feel the same, OP. It is like I buy the packs just to try it out for the first month and that's it. For some packs, I still use the build and buy mode stuff so it's not too bad. But there are others that I don't even touch. :confounded:

I do this all the time I fall into habits, use this bed use this and that with it and go to the next room I need to remind myself to use other things, but for me it's okay. It's nice to have those items for different things like there are things I haven't done yet but I'll get to when I feel like it. Maybe try some challenges that focus on certain packs to make yourself use other things more.

I tend to get absorbed with the type of characters I'm playing so sometimes I don't use other packs fully because it doesn't fit the sim type or what they would be interested in. Like I got the kids and toddler packs as they came out and was kicking myself about it later because I didn't play with them enough to use them or even think the packs were any good. Toddlers came out over a year ago and I'm just now playing with them with any regularity... so now I'm using the packs more fully. I'm usually up to year behind if not more.. no clue why. I did the same thing with scientists and aliens. I'm doing the same thing with vampires.. even though I use much of the stuff that came in that pack and make use of the vampires in my worlds sometimes I don't actually play them. I don't worry about it I'll get around to them eventually.
I understand the "NEPS" though. I have a family that I want to be influenced by Witchcraft.. the new curses and stuff coming might work or it might not in that packs place I'm not sure yet. So although I play that family now and then the meat and potatoes of their story isn't there to flesh them out yet. I am very much looking forward to this new pack though because I have a use for lots of elements in that pack right now.

For the OP .. I don't know what you like but maybe make a character that would enjoy going to the spa. They can be a friend of your main characters if for some reason the spa life isn't appealing to you. Or have a rich family put in the chairs and massage tables in their homes and call out for a massage service. Just incorporate it in a way that blends in your game. Or just enjoy the aspects of it that you do. Why stress?
I almost always send a sim to OR alone but just recently found out it's pretty fun with a pet... well a dog precisely. I enjoyed walking them and collecting insects along the way. You might be surprised how much you enjoy it when it fits how you like to play. Maybe also wait for packs to go on sale. I wish I could take that advise.

Honestly, as long as I'm using at least ONE feature or piece of content from a pack, I feel better about owning it. For example, I don't particularly care for the Outdoor Retreat game pack... and I rarely go camping. However, I still often use some of the objects (such as the horseshoe game) and some of the clothes.

I can kind of understand how you feel though. It feels like a waste sometimes when I have a pack and don't use anything from it at all... which is why I try my best to at least use something from each pack... even if it's such a minor feature or piece of content.

Always happen a lot in previous games for me where I'll use some features for a bit and probably won't as much or at all again. (Didn't go on a lot of trips like at all with Sims 2 Bon Voyage.)

I use a lot of items from Spa Day and Outdoor retreat, but most features I don't use. I use the tent quite a lot with some sims living off the land or just building from scratch so they live in a tent same with the use of the cooler. Use a lot of the build/buy mode from Spa Day too, so even if I'm not using that more 'main' feature of a pack I still use the items from it so it's not really a waste.

Usually doing other stuff in the game to not worry what pack I'm not using. :)

If you want a break from your normal gameplay, you could try this challenge:

http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/926793/packs-legacy-challenge/p1

I’m the same way which is why I haven’t bought a lot of the packs for sims 4. I bought every pack for sims 3 and I never used half the features. It felt like wasted money for me. So this time I’m only buying packs I know I’ll play. I’d play jungle adventure a few times and then I get bored and wouldn’t ever do it again because that’s how I played world adventures. So to me that’s not worth the 20 dollars. I currently only own GT, CL, parenthood, and a couple stuff packs. I just bought CL too after months of debating whether I would use its features and whether I wanted it. It was in sale this weekend so I decided to try it and I love it so far. I’m a family player but I also really breaking away from that. I also have a lower end laptop so I don’t buy everything for that reason as well. My computer can’t handle it.
I haven’t bought other packs though mainly because I know I’d use the features a couple times and get bored. The club system in GT is never boring and I use it in every game. I like CL so far because it adds features I can use in all my saves whether they live in the city or not. I like festivals and the flee market is really cool. Parenthood is just an incredible add on for family players. The stuff packs I own are laundry day, toddler stuff and kids room stuff all that come with objects I’ll constantly use.
In sims 3 when I felt like this though I’d mix it up and try a feature I hadn’t used in a while. I know exactly how you feel. It’s almost so many features it’s overwhelming.

I have the same issue and I know that's why I stopped playing for over a month but I'm really wanting to break out of my comfort zone and start using more. I feel that will help me enjoy the game again. One time I created a town and each household was made for a specific pack.