TLDR: looking for well thought out opinions on some of the more recent packs.This question is aimed at people who own some of the packs already because I want to hear your thoughts on why or why not you would recommend it.I'm a long time sims player and I like to reward myself with a pack or two every once in a while (usually when I accomplish something really difficult) so I've amassed several of the packs. It's time for a reward so I'm trying to figure out what I want. I haven't really been paying attention to the new releases so I'm not sure what to try next before the Black Friday sale. So please help by telling me your faves.My playstyle revolves around building and rotational play. I have a few worlds where I've almost rebuilt everything in the save file and created complex multigenerational family trees. I am in my cottagecore era so lately my sims usually find themselves running a farm or a bakery. I like family play but I also like more interesting and adventurous stuff. When I look at packs, I look at gameplay and BB items because I could not care less about CAS. I am that person that will get sims off the gallery or randomize them.My favorite packs have been Cottage Living (obviously), Romantic Garden, Get Together, Jungle Adventure, and the two plant kits (bc I am a shameless plant mom irl so all my sims have to be as well). My biggest regrets are Snowy Escape, Vampires, and Dream Home Decorator. While some of the BB stuff is great, the gameplay falls flat for me personally and I don't use them a lot. I am definitely going to get the Castle Kit but I would like to try out one or two of these packs:Horse Ranch: the nectar brewing system seems cool but also horses and goats would complete my farm dreams. But I had similar thoughts about Snowy Escape and I regret getting that pack.Life and Death: It's new so I know there's a lot of hype but beyond the hype, is it something that's worthwhile having in your game long term?Bust the Dust: I love the idea of dust bunnies and more chores for my sims but is it still buggy? I know when it came out it was massively bugged.Moschino Stuff: I've avoided it because I know it's focused on CAS but everyone on youtube raves about the photography aspect being great for family gameplay. Is this true or is it just youtuber nonsense?For Rent: I don't know if I'm super thrilled with the BB and I missed the hype when it came out but I did hear the rental system was bugged. As someone who does build a lot of townhouses and apartment buildings, I think this would be great but is the gameplay actually playable? And how is the world?Book Nook: I currently use cc for wall to wall, floor to ceiling bookshelves that are in a different style and love them but I'm concerned about the glitching. Do these slot together the way the shelving in Dream Home Decorator does? Because those get randomly deleted all the time so it's really annoying.Lovestruck: I know nothing about this pack but I've used the SimDa Dating mod before and disliked it so I don't think I'd like this pack but I am curious to hear about your opinions on it, specifically anything that surprised you.Crystal Creations: I'm not super into CAS and when I am in CAS I definitely don't utilize any of the jewelry but I like the idea of making jewelry and running a jewelry shop using GTW. BB also looks amazing. What I want to know more about is the crystal gameplay.Things I would love to hear your opinions on: Gameplay: tell me what you loved, what you hated, what you're mildly annoyed at, etc. Did anything get boring for you? Did something surprise you?Build/Buy: What items from the packs do you use the most? Which ones do you use the least? Do the items fit well with any other TS4 content?World: if the pack comes with the world, how satisfied are you with it? Is fun to explore? What kinds of things are there to interact with? What are your favorite lots to build on? Are there any special collectibles?Lot type: if there is a new lot type, what do you think about it? Do you use it in your normal gameplay or is it something you use rarely?Bugs: Are there any bugs in the pack that I should worry about? I know the team eventually fixes most of the bugs but until then, I'd prefer to put off purchasing something that's extremely buggy (like with Wedding Stories).Playstyle: tell me your playstyle and how the pack works with your playstyle. Do you find yourself using it a lot or not at all?

Horse Ranch is great if you like to play cottage core. There's nectar making, horses, goats, it completes the experience from Cottage Living, both in terms of gameplay and in the BB catalogue. World is lovely.Life and Death is ok if you like to play with ghosts and enjoy funerals and let your sims die. Apart from a very few build items it has no cottage core elements which is quite a feat if you ask me considering their inspiration for the world, and the world comes with autumn season only, so it's not much use for gardening or if you enjoy different seasons in your game. Tarot cards are nice but too little gameplay from them. The family portrait is also nice. The CAS and BB catalogues have mostly dark swatches so not very versatile.Bust the Dust is not buggy, but you'll probably grow tired soon of the constant need to vacuum the dust and bunnies, especially if you like to play big households in big houses. Works great with the Cats and Dogs robot vacuum, so that's a plus, most of my sims use that.Moschino Stuff CAS is an after thought, nobody buys the pack for the CAS, it's like 6 items of clothing and that's it. It does expand on photography which is great skill for everyday use, vacations, family occasions and what not. For Rent world is lovely despite the lack of tigers, and the rental system is still busted so I have yet to try it out in my game. Love the electric kettle and instant pot and the marble and hopscotch games. Book Nook has only one or two little shelves that slot together like the Home Decorator shelves, the rest of the book cases are like regular bookcases so no disappearing acts from them. Lovestruck comes with lots of new kissing interactions. Love the picnic blanket and the chocolates and the cuddle in bed interaction. The world is lovely too.Crystal Creations has a nice new crafting skill for your sims and some nice new jewelry. You can grow crystals in a crystal tree so you can include that with the gardening activities. Even if your sims won't wear the jewelry, you can sell it on a sales table or gift it and charge the crystals under moonlight for extra powers.

Horse Ranch would be a good fit. There are a couple of large lots that would give you room for the llamas and cows, and the world has much to explore. My only warning is that your horse will require a fair amount of attention.Life and Death is definitely worthwhile long-range. Funerals, wills, and bucket lists now seem essential for family play, and there is a good-sized lot in one of the neighborhoods, so you would have room for the animals. Plus every cottage needs a resident crow. If you play rotationally, you could pass heirlooms and even traits to other families in your game.

I wouldn‘t recomment Bust the Dust because the constant blinging of the clean floors and the sniffing around is really annoying. I turned it off in my game. The dust bunnies are cute, but I lost interest very quick. What I can recomment is Horse Ranch. I love playing with horses and making nektar. I think you get a lot for your money. I also love the world. It is nice riding around in it. I also like the bb. It is a nice style. I don‘t experience any mayor bugs from Horse Ranch. I also like Live and Death. It is something new. It is totally different from what I usually play but I like it. I enjoy playing the new careers, especially the active one. I like playing with ghosts. The overhaul is really good. I just got a child from Grim. I really like the bb in this pack. I enjoy building houses with it.

I suggest for rent because rentals

The only two I own from your list are Horse Ranch and Crystal Creations.Horse Ranch: This comes with an extensive BB collection that is a mix of rustic farmhouse items and some distinctly wild west-themed pieces. The rustic items blend well with a variety of other collections: Cottage Living, Outdoor Retreat, Base game Farmhouse, Base Game French Country. If you like cottagecore, I think you would really enjoy building with these assets.I don't think the game play is an expansion pack's worth of content. On the other hand, I bought it on sale for $25 and don't regret a penny of it. It depends on how much of a discount you get. I would divide the game play into two themes: Ranch and Nectary. The Ranch game play is about taking care of mini-goats, mini-sheep and horses on a ranch. You need a property that's properly equipped with plenty of space in the neighborhood for horses to ride around. I do not recommend setting up a ranch in a suburban house in WIllow Creek for example. All of the neighborhoods in Chestnut Ridge are suitable, as well as several neighborhoods from other packs (Cottage Living, Get Together, Werewolves). Goats and Sheep are cute and low maintenance. Training horses is another story. It's basically a career. If you train up the horse in different skills, you can enter it in different competitions. I've enjoyed running horse ranches, but it's not something you can dabble in. A sim either has ranching-farming as a big part of their life, or they have nothing to do with it. Speaking of farming, goats can eat the weeds away from plants. Running a Nectary does not require as much space, but you still have a fairly bulky nectar-making barrel that your sim dances in to crush the fruit. It also helps to have a cellar under the house so that your nectar can age. I enjoy running a nectary too. It's very hard to improve the nectar-making skill if you don't get into an energized moodlet, so be warned. It also fits in with an old-world vibe. Crystal Creations: Very limited BB collection. It's just one room, a study/jewelry studio. Nice stuff. It blends well with assets from Realm of Magic, Paranormal, Cozy Bistro and Cottage Living. I wouldn't buy this just for building, though. I absolutely love the game play. It's especially good in combination with either Nifty Knitting or Get to Work. You can make good money as a Plopsy jeweler, or enjoy running a cozy little jewelry boutique. This is my personal preference. I love the arts and crafts game play. I also like handing down home-made jewelry as a family heirloom . . . unofficially, I mean. I don't own Life and Death yet. Just like storing herbs and veggies in the fridge, you can store metals and crystals in the jeweler's table. You can charge jewelry in the moonlight so that wearing it gives your sim special buffs/abilities. Different crystals give different benefits.

Forum Discussion

EnchantedOatmeal

Seasoned Veteran

9 months ago

Looking to purchase some packs, need some reccommendations

TLDR: looking for well thought out opinions on some of the more recent packs.

This question is aimed at people who own some of the packs already because I want to hear your thoughts on why or why not you would recommend it.

I'm a long time sims player and I like to reward myself with a pack or two every once in a while (usually when I accomplish something really difficult) so I've amassed several of the packs. It's time for a reward so I'm trying to figure out what I want. I haven't really been paying attention to the new releases so I'm not sure what to try next before the Black Friday sale. So please help by telling me your faves.

My playstyle revolves around building and rotational play. I have a few worlds where I've almost rebuilt everything in the save file and created complex multigenerational family trees. I am in my cottagecore era so lately my sims usually find themselves running a farm or a bakery. I like family play but I also like more interesting and adventurous stuff. When I look at packs, I look at gameplay and BB items because I could not care less about CAS. I am that person that will get sims off the gallery or randomize them.

My favorite packs have been Cottage Living (obviously), Romantic Garden, Get Together, Jungle Adventure, and the two plant kits (bc I am a shameless plant mom irl so all my sims have to be as well). My biggest regrets are Snowy Escape, Vampires, and Dream Home Decorator. While some of the BB stuff is great, the gameplay falls flat for me personally and I don't use them a lot.

I am definitely going to get the Castle Kit but I would like to try out one or two of these packs:

Horse Ranch: the nectar brewing system seems cool but also horses and goats would complete my farm dreams. But I had similar thoughts about Snowy Escape and I regret getting that pack.
Life and Death: It's new so I know there's a lot of hype but beyond the hype, is it something that's worthwhile having in your game long term?
Bust the Dust: I love the idea of dust bunnies and more chores for my sims but is it still buggy? I know when it came out it was massively bugged.
Moschino Stuff: I've avoided it because I know it's focused on CAS but everyone on youtube raves about the photography aspect being great for family gameplay. Is this true or is it just youtuber nonsense?
For Rent: I don't know if I'm super thrilled with the BB and I missed the hype when it came out but I did hear the rental system was bugged. As someone who does build a lot of townhouses and apartment buildings, I think this would be great but is the gameplay actually playable? And how is the world?
Book Nook: I currently use cc for wall to wall, floor to ceiling bookshelves that are in a different style and love them but I'm concerned about the glitching. Do these slot together the way the shelving in Dream Home Decorator does? Because those get randomly deleted all the time so it's really annoying.
Lovestruck: I know nothing about this pack but I've used the SimDa Dating mod before and disliked it so I don't think I'd like this pack but I am curious to hear about your opinions on it, specifically anything that surprised you.
Crystal Creations: I'm not super into CAS and when I am in CAS I definitely don't utilize any of the jewelry but I like the idea of making jewelry and running a jewelry shop using GTW. BB also looks amazing. What I want to know more about is the crystal gameplay.

Things I would love to hear your opinions on:

Gameplay: tell me what you loved, what you hated, what you're mildly annoyed at, etc. Did anything get boring for you? Did something surprise you?
Build/Buy: What items from the packs do you use the most? Which ones do you use the least? Do the items fit well with any other TS4 content?
World: if the pack comes with the world, how satisfied are you with it? Is fun to explore? What kinds of things are there to interact with? What are your favorite lots to build on? Are there any special collectibles?
Lot type: if there is a new lot type, what do you think about it? Do you use it in your normal gameplay or is it something you use rarely?
Bugs: Are there any bugs in the pack that I should worry about? I know the team eventually fixes most of the bugs but until then, I'd prefer to put off purchasing something that's extremely buggy (like with Wedding Stories).
Playstyle: tell me your playstyle and how the pack works with your playstyle. Do you find yourself using it a lot or not at all?

13 Replies

atreya33
Legend
9 months ago
Horse Ranch: great pack, definitely if you enjoy Cottage living. The horses, mini goats and mini sheep go very well with the cottage living animals. You can even use wool of the sheep and milk from the goats if you have both packs. The world is pretty but has a totally different vibe from cottage living. There are some gorgeous views in the upper neighborhood. There's a cave to explore and the town has a shop that even sells sugar and flour which you need with the simple living lot trait. A lot of the build items go well with older, more historical kind of builds. I like the kitchen and to my surprise even the beds a lot. Nectar making is also fun and at a higher level you can use many kinds of fruit. If it reminds you of how you felt about snowy escape you should know there is one big difference. Snowy escape is very much tied to the world. Cottage living allows horses, sheep and nectar in any world.
Life and Death: I haven't had a lot of time to play the pack but it looks like one of the better ones in recent years. The world is gorgeous but has no snow in winter, unlike real Romania on which it is suppposed to be based off. There is a lot of attention to details in every neighborhood with a crypte in every neighborhood and other items like haunted houses you can enter, a wishing well, a giant face rock, a bell tower. After empty worlds like toomarang and San Seqouia this really feels like a stp up. I think funerals, wills and heirlooms offer a lot for people who like generational gameplay and legacies. The castle kit goes very well with the build items from this pack.
Bust the dust: I thought I would use it a lot but I have the system turned off most of the time. I don't like that there is no off the grid way to get rid of dust. And outside of the dust system en vacuums there is literally nothing in this pack. Now if you really like to play with realistic challenges like laundry and simple living, you might like it. But even then I would suggest to get all the other stuff you are interested first.
Mochino Stuff: I like this pack despite greatly disliking overpriced branded clothing. To me this is a photography pack, not a fashion pack. I ignore the CAS and don't use it. The photography part of it works very well. I use the tripod whenever I want to create photo's with poses. It also comes with an option to switch poses while you are in CAS. It's very useful. And has a fantastic window for building.
For Rent: I own the pack but have not yet played with rentals because I have heard stories about save corruption. The world is beautiful and there are nice items both in build/buy and in CAS. The kettles unfortunately keep disappearing during gameplay.
Book nook kit: I personally really like this kit. The bookshelves snap together and I have not yet noticed them disappearing, unlike the glitchy dream home decorator modular furniture. I like that each wood swatch has 2 or 3 versions with different colored books. It makes them look less repetitive. The couches in this kit are also very nice.
Lovestruck: don't own it
Crystal creations: the furniture in this pack looks amazing and goes very well with paranormal stuff and realm of magic. The crafted furniture unfortunately game me lots of lastexception errors so I am not using that feature at the moment.
Frn0731
Seasoned Ace
9 months ago
From what you wrote , it sounds like you would like' horse ranch.' The play is fun if you like ranch style living and horses and country stuff and the world is beautiful. You can check out the build buy on the pack to see for your self.
I would avoid 'for rent' unless it's dirt cheap. I am very dissapointed with the game play as it means constantly going into loading zones. I have a very fast computer but loading times just seem to take you out of the game and ruins the whole experience. In my opinion it is lazy programming and not worth it. There is nothing to do in the town and it is not lively considering it is supposed to be a city. The build buy you can check out yourself to see if you think it's worth it.
'Moshino' is great if you like to take pictures of your sims.
I just bought 'lovestruck' and haven't really checked it out yet, but I like chaos in my game and it is fun so far. I like the bb and you can check that out on the website to see if it fits your build style.
I don't own the others.
Miataplay
Legend
9 months ago
I'm definitely getting Batuu and Eco Lifestyle when the Holiday sales start! I need something different from Life and Death. I played that EP in previous sims games already and I'm not interested in ghost right now. They are pretty though...colors...🤗

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