Over the years I've been buying packs through sales but I don't always get to play them right away. You know how it is, play for a month like a goblin who doesn't need sunlight and then don't touch the game for a year. Problem is, everytime I do come back, it feels overwhelming and I'm sure I'm missing out on features. I'm thinking about disabling all the packs, playing base game for a while, and then enable packs as the need arise. Some packs obviously go with others, like Parenthood and the new one Get Growing Growing Together. Following release order would not work well, I'll probably need Seasons before Outdoor Retreat. Same for packs adding worlds, enabling them too fast would not leave enough time to explore them all. I'm thinking maybe make a couple of households per world, and they would each have a theme so I can use them to play each packs (big family, explorers, party goers, etc). I know about the Lepacy challenge but I'd prefer something with less rules. I found these (https://www.reddit.com/gallery/or5j3n) which are nice to quickly check what comes with what pack. Maybe I'm overthinking this (yes, yes you are) but I can't be the only one who's thought about this. What order would you go with? And if you did something similar let me know how it went!

"Ninoosim;d-1007781" wrote:You know how it is, play for a month like a goblin who doesn't need sunlight and then don't touch the game for a year. Problem is, everytime I do come back, it feels overwhelming and I'm sure I'm missing out on features. This describes me also! :o My solution to the overwhelm is generally to come up with elaborate plans and stories to try cover as much as possible. Though I figure it’s an impossibility now to have a single Sim/household/game do everything. Certainly not all at once/quickly.I didn’t even know we could disable and enable packs?!?

I totally get where you’re coming from with this! I tend not to disable packs I already have, but instead I plan out a household or something that will let me try out all the new features one pack at a time just to scope them out. For example making a werewolf family, or a photographer, or building a penthouse apartment.As for what order to play them in, I’d recommend you go with your favourites first! Whichever you’re most drawn to, depending on whether you like new build items, worlds, life states etc. Then when you start to get “Sims fatigue” again maybe enable another pack to keep things fresh.

"NRowe;c-18252377" wrote:I didn’t even know we could disable and enable packs?!?Here! It's really cool for when you need to build something and don't want to have all the clutter in the catalog!

I disable things when I'm working on pets or CC so that I don't have to worry about loading in all my mods whenever I need to restart the game a jillion times. My game launches from Steam, so I add this to the Properties launch options to disable everything but what I need (right now, this disables everything I own, packs, kits, stuff packs included) with the exception of Cats and Dogs and High School Years. -disablepacks:EP01,EP02,EP03,EP05,EP06,EP07,EP08,EP09,EP10,EP11,GP01,GP02,GP03,GP04,GP05,GP06,GP07,GP08,GP09,GP10,GP11,GP12,SP01,SP02,SP03,SP04,SP05,SP06,SP07,SP08,SP09,SP10,SP11,SP12,SP13,SP14,SP15,SP16,SP17,SP18,SP19,KP01,KP02,KP03,KP04,KP05,KP06,KP07

I think its lovely idea for new save adding packs in release order and playing them throughunfortunately for myself I am too attached to my current save to do it :lol:I'll just be overwhelmed :sweat_smile:but yeah if you can I think you should go for itcertainly makes things whole lot easierif you plan to play premades i'd also finish premades from each pack before moving to another packit would spare you from the chaos I have put myself in with these mismatch aged sims all going to highschool :lol:

Playing with a lot of packs is overwhelming

28 Replies

moppy14w
Seasoned Ace
3 years ago
"Ninoosim;d-1007781" wrote:
You know how it is, play for a month like a goblin who doesn't need sunlight and then don't touch the game for a year. Problem is, everytime I do come back, it feels overwhelming and I'm sure I'm missing out on features.

This describes me also! :o

My solution to the overwhelm is generally to come up with elaborate plans and stories to try cover as much as possible. Though I figure it’s an impossibility now to have a single Sim/household/game do everything. Certainly not all at once/quickly.
I didn’t even know we could disable and enable packs?!?
RySBI
Seasoned Ace
3 years ago
I totally get where you’re coming from with this! I tend not to disable packs I already have, but instead I plan out a household or something that will let me try out all the new features one pack at a time just to scope them out. For example making a werewolf family, or a photographer, or building a penthouse apartment.

As for what order to play them in, I’d recommend you go with your favourites first! Whichever you’re most drawn to, depending on whether you like new build items, worlds, life states etc. Then when you start to get “Sims fatigue” again maybe enable another pack to keep things fresh.
Ninoochat
Rising Scout
3 years ago
"NRowe;c-18252377" wrote:
I didn’t even know we could disable and enable packs?!?

Here! It's really cool for when you need to build something and don't want to have all the clutter in the catalog!
projectsimmy
3 years ago
I disable things when I'm working on pets or CC so that I don't have to worry about loading in all my mods whenever I need to restart the game a jillion times. My game launches from Steam, so I add this to the Properties launch options to disable everything but what I need (right now, this disables everything I own, packs, kits, stuff packs included) with the exception of Cats and Dogs and High School Years.

-disablepacks:EP01,EP02,EP03,EP05,EP06,EP07,EP08,EP09,EP10,EP11,GP01,GP02,GP03,GP04,GP05,GP06,GP07,GP08,GP09,GP10,GP11,GP12,SP01,SP02,SP03,SP04,SP05,SP06,SP07,SP08,SP09,SP10,SP11,SP12,SP13,SP14,SP15,SP16,SP17,SP18,SP19,KP01,KP02,KP03,KP04,KP05,KP06,KP07
Simmingal
Hero
3 years ago
I think its lovely idea for new save adding packs in release order and playing them through
unfortunately for myself I am too attached to my current save to do it :lol:

I'll just be overwhelmed :sweat_smile:
but yeah if you can I think you should go for it
certainly makes things whole lot easier

if you plan to play premades i'd also finish premades from each pack before moving to another pack
it would spare you from the chaos I have put myself in with these mismatch aged sims all going to highschool :lol:
Beatreject12
3 years ago
This is a fun idea for sure! I am also just too attached to my current save. I am not a builder so I download the "platonic ideal" for each lot (at least in my opinion) and overhaul all the townies across all worlds for my template save. It takes months to do, and I'm such a perfectionist that I typically completely redo the template once a year.

That being said, I do understand this and I also have quite a few features I've never even touched. I'm a realistic player, so this means a ton of things (werewolves, vampires, spellcasting, even the scientist career) just haven't been experienced by me. As for realistic features, I try and have my legacies children "Try out" a few things. In each generation, I try to plug in say, an extreme sports enthusiast, or a photographer, or someone that decides to live out in the desert or the woods.

Let us know how your experiment goes!
Babykittyjade
Seasoned Ace
3 years ago
This sounds to complicated lol. Rather than to do all that I think it's easier just to focus on one particular family and story at a time. Then rotate to a total different story and/or family when you feel the need.
I know how you feel. I still have not gotten the chance to fully experience highschool years or werewolves or all of jungle adventures and many other things because when I take my sim breaks so much is added lol. But rather than to over think it I pick a family, a storyline that incorporates a certain pack or feature and go with it. I wouldn't want to disable packs because even though I'm playing with infants and mainly growing Together stuff for example, I'm still using vampires, incorporating werewolves as rivals, using stuff from snowy escape, using get together features and clubs for my parties, using other worlds for retail lots or other types of lots to visit. Using social bunny from highschool. Currently using dumpsters and pollution from eco pack on my lot. I have a dog.
And so on. I feel like in a way I almost use a bit of everything and would hate to disable something and miss out.
CaptainMe120
3 years ago
Your first description is incredibly accurate ?
ck213
Legend
3 years ago
My game play has been truly weird with The Sims 4.
Progression has been so slow because of waiting for Toddlers and family game play, University, High School etc.

I am playing dozens of sims in rotation, mainly at the toddler stage, and not focusing on the CAS generated parents as much, so my main packs have been Parenthood, High School Years, Discover University, and now, Growing Together. I haven't really bothered with career packs like Get To Work, Get Famous, or Dream Home Decorator because I plan to focus on those after my sims graduate University.

If I were to start over and introduce packs over time, I think I would divide it up into phases.
The first phase would be to try to get core game play in combination with starting off with support for the Young Adult life stage's social and career needs.

The second stage would support family game play, and expand on careers further.

The final stage would be adding niche game play.
But yeah, this is overwhelming, so many packs, and I haven't even bothered with Kits. :p

Another way is to try to cut the amount of packs in half and just include the packs that make for a satisfying game.
That's going to involve some tough choices. :p
Ninoochat
Rising Scout
3 years ago
"Babykittyjade;c-18252391" wrote:
This sounds to complicated lol. I feel like in a way I almost use a bit of everything and would hate to disable something and miss out.

That's some nice insight and yeah, you're right. I do use a little bit of everything and it'd feel weird to not have a pet or weather.

"CK213;c-18252400" wrote:
If I were to start over and introduce packs over time, I think I would divide it up into phases.

furiously takes notes I just love to see how others do it :love: