Island Living is a good “Expansion Pack”

"AlbaWaterhouse;c-17135830" wrote:

"jackjack_k;d-961830" wrote:


I feel like EA are leaving the specific experiences to Game Packs, but Expansions are designed to make the base game richer and they’re trying to make content that’s only used if you play that Expansions (eg like how Get To Work is useless if you don’t want to play with Active Careers).

Get Together and onwards, all the EPs seem to be designed to expand the base game experience.

The Game Packs all seem very specific except for Parenthood.

I feel like that’s why there’s such a 50/50 about why people prefer Game Packs or Expansions.

Expansion Packs will appeal to people who want a richer base game experience.
Game Packs will appeal to people who almost want a game within a game, or offer content that sits outside how you would normally play.

I hope this makes sense but I feel like I finally understand after the stark contrast from Strangerville to Island Living, I can see what they want the packs to do.

What do you guys think?

That is exactly the criticism about this EP, that it does not enrich/expand the base game and that it is very specific.

I disagree. This pack very much changes my game play where as Sims IP just added activity to the sims that already existed. This game makes me feel I am in a new place not formerly on the Sims map - a new culture with an ancient history and a different way of life. So it very much expands my game play with a whole different community and sims that live very different than other sims in the game. I enjoy the differences very much and my expanded game play by not playing in these islands like I play in rest of my sims worlds. Like I am not the least bit interested in my other sims needing this place as a vacation spot seeing they do not really belong here and to turn it into a resort or vacation spot wipes out it's design and beautiful differences.

So yes - my game play has been way further expanded by this EP than any other ep outside of Vamps. Vamps expanded my gameplay too as they were different sims of a different culture as well. I try not to have all my sims like all the other sims and this pack does that well. I guess it depends on how one looks at their game. It's in the eye of the beholder - and not the game as the game provides what is needed to make it different than the rest but if players play it the same as all the rest or try to - then they will see it as lacking in my view - when it is not at all.