The Aging of TS4, Are You Still Playing Older Packs?
This is basically questions for those who bought into all EPs, GPs, SPs, Kits, etc.
Are you still really playing the game in it's entirety?
For instance if you have all or almost everything for TS4 how has the game aged in your opinion? By that I mean, are you still playing 'Play Features' from all the previous packs? Break it down. Set aside CAS, Build/Buy Assets/Worlds are you still really playing older packs or do you barely play any of those anymore?
Examples:
Are you still making Sims run a business in most saves?
Are you still making Sims in every or several households get a pet?
Are you still taking your Sims to the big park in Willow Creek? (basegame) Or did you bulldoze that years ago?
Are you still making Sims get a fame career? Especially the actor career and not just freelance fame in other careers, etc.?
Are you still sending Sims to Strangerville and playing the scenario? Again?
Are you still making Sims get jobs in the Science career? Are you still playing aliens? Meeting, marrying, playing as an alien? Still visiting the world and or using a rocket ship with this pack and or even still using it from the base game aspirations? Or have you decided it's old news?
Are you still playing a Doctor or Detective?
Are you still playing Vampires? Meeting, marrying, playing as a vampire or filling towns with townie vamps?
Do you still make a Sim run a vet office?
Are you still visiting OR as vacation world with many different Sims?
Are you still making Sims woohoo in bushes? :p (gameplay feature)
Are you still making Sims play with the Critter thing for kids?
Do you still play with the backyard splash thingy or do most Sims not like that in the backyard anymore?
Do you still have those formal parties you paid for in the extra DLC back when the game was new? (Forgot that party pack name, lol)
Do you still play Eco Living and all those NAPS? Or still make Sims forget modern life and live off the grid?
Are you still making your Sims knit their fingers off?
Do your Sims still live in all the apartment types in the CL EP? Or did those bugs and rats and other type lot trait things finally get old?
Do you still make your Sims attend most festivals in CL?
Do you still make Sims go on dates when another Sim calls your Sim?
Are you still making Sims attend the Raves in WB?
Are you still making Sims be mermaids or mere people?
Do you still make Sims do all the things in the island pack? Or just visit from time to time and play another way?
Are you still making Sims visit the Japan mountains in the snowy pack? Do you still make a Sim climb?
Are you still making Sims learn magic?
There are over forty packs I would be here all day, but you get the point. Are you still using on a daily routine all the packs' features and or have you long since or from time to time forgotten all the older packs and don't have time or interest in most of the older content anymore?
You don't have to answer the points but it would be interesting to see how well TS4's 'gameplay' is aging.
I think I really use actions and items from all packs BUT there are two important things I haven't done yet: - I never built the big robot because I was always too lazy to develop the robotic skill and collect all these materials. - I never went on the mountain excursion because there is definitively not enough time for the climbing skill on normal lifespan.
Reading this post made me realize I don't play with any of those features you mentioned anymore and some, for example playing as a vampire, a veterinarian, or a business owner, I've not done at all. The only career I've consistently returned to over and over is the writer career; every other career I've played only once. I have places to rent in every town/world and my Sims do go on vacation but rarely ever visit Granite Falls anymore.
I stopped buying packs after Snowy Escape; I sent Sims skiing a couple of times and hiking once but became bored with it. I've been considering buying Cottage Living but not for the gameplay features, only for the land to build on.
The one thing I did do and enjoy the heck out of was Strangerville; not sure why I enjoyed it so much, perhaps because its quirkiness reminded me of Sims 2 and 3. I only played it through one time though but my Sims often live there because the world is so pretty.
So to sum it up, I'm not playing the game in its entirety and it hasn't aged well for me. I just recently started playing again after about a year long hiatus. Might not be the game's fault and could be entirely on me but it just doesn't "do" it for me anymore.
I don't really play my games on a pack by pack basis, but rather sprinkle things throughout and incorporate specific gameplay elements as they come and when it seems fit, depending on the storyline I'm playing out. If I'm playing a Sim who is super into saving the environment and conservation, I'll have them do the Eco Lifestyle and Island Living activities, but I typically play in Sulani more for the beaches and island events. If my sims need extra money because I decided to make them work for it rather than using motherlode, I might have them work odd jobs or level up their art/knitting skills to sell their creations on Plopsy.
Occult gameplay is my main playstyle however, so I definitely get a lot of use out of Vampires and Realm of Magic. I have at least one spellcaster and one vampire (usually multiple of both) in every save. My spellcasters typically practice magic and learn new spells a few times a (Sims) day. And quite a few of my sims have made friends with one or both of the Vatores. Caleb even offered to turn one who he become very good friends with, which I thought was adorable. (taking the phrase "friends forever" to a whole other level)
One of my current favorite couples is actually a vampire and spellcaster couple and I just love them together.
I have played with the Veterinarian career a couple of times, but if doesn't fit my Sims' story, then they just own pets. (I'd say about half the Sims I create are pet owners.) And I especially love giving them to spellcasters and binding them as a familiar.
I don't think about the age of the packs. I use all gameplay items/mechanics that fit my storyline, regardless of the pack's age.
And some packs I knew that I would never, EVER use it's feature, such as University, Fame, and Running a Business because those things do not interest me.
That's like saying because children came with the base game, do we no longer play with kids since they've been in the game from the beginning. Not all of my households have kids (or want them) ..... same with pets, some households have pets, some do not because it's either too much bother because I'm busy with other things than to have to take care of a needy pet, or it doesn't fit my story.
Am I still playing? Well...both yes, and no. The Sims4 have become an old game for me, everything feels pretty much the same so I'm mostly just starting up the game to check out new content or just to relax. My favorite part of the sims4 is CAS, so I still create sims from time to time.
So no, I'm not playing features from older packs, not the same way that i used to play them anyway.
My save that I tend to play is an old, old save where there is at least one household that has maxed everything from a pack, so that's why I'm having a hard time creating a new household to do the same thing. I often end up creating or using a "hero" sim or sims that will explore and do everything in the pack. And they are all living in this save, I have mods that removes a lot of the annoying parts of the game (no rats in the apartments in City Living for example which you mentioned) so it's very relaxing to just boot up that save and play it to relax.
Another thing, which I also think is important to mention that I have also trouble with getting the game to remember relationships between all these sims because of relationship culling (which is the game cleaning old relationships to reduce loading times). So even if I start playing an old household for fun and try to get them to be friends with the old sims that they used to be friends with, they have sometimes forgotten who they are in a week. I have considered disabling relationship culling but I'm not sure I will have the patience then to deal with the very long loading times that I will end up with instead.
I could start a new save or try and play different households but it's difficult when you have played the game for so long. Personally, I think that there is nothing wrong at all with being tired with the game now, and there is no point in trying to play the game like I used to. I had fun times with the sims4 and I probably still will have with some new packs from time to time. It's not the end.
Putting the answers to your questions in spoilers so I will not take up the whole page:
Are you still making Sims run a business in most saves? No, I used to, back in 2015, I have tried recreating new businesses now, I would like a robotics shop which sells those cool glasses for example but it takes forever to just craft a single item with robotics. I tried to start a new restaurant too but it also became too tedious and repetitive. So I just tend to visit restaurants.
Are you still making Sims in every or several households get a pet? Sort of, more than I used to, thanks to mods and patches pets are nowhere near as annoying to take care of now compared to how they used to be back in 2017.
Are you still taking your Sims to the big park in Willow Creek? (basegame) Or did you bulldoze that years ago? Both basegame parks are still there in my save (with some changes). I have a hard time adding new stuff to the parks though, why would public parks have stuff like crafting tables or other things that Maxis have added over the years?
Are you still making Sims get a fame career? Especially the actor career and not just freelance fame in other careers, etc.? No, I played Get Famous with three celebrities, the pre-made sims Kayla, Venessa and Dustin and they all got to the top of the actor career. I played some other sims too but the actor career takes too long for me now so I haven't done a lot with them.
Are you still sending Sims to Strangerville and playing the scenario? Again? No, I only played through the Strangerville scenario once, with several households though, I deliberately failed with some sims so that one would end up winning. It was Jess Sigworth who won in the end.
Are you still making Sims get jobs in the Science career? Are you still playing aliens? Meeting, marrying, playing as an alien? Still visiting the world and or using a rocket ship with this pack and or even still using it from the base game aspirations? Or have you decided it's old news? No I have not played Get To Work in ages, the best thing I got going for with that pack is maxing everything in the scientist career and updating their workplace with every new thing from every new pack. And I have not done that for a long time so that plan is probably gone.
Are you still playing a Doctor or Detective? No I didn't like the doctor career at all, the sims who work in the hospital are not helping at all so I never got to level 10 in that one, I did get detective to level 10 and there is no way that I will do those repetitive things all over again.
Are you still playing Vampires? Meeting, marrying, playing as a vampire or filling towns with townie vamps? No, I'm not an occult player, I played with Vampires a lot when it was released (back in...2017) and in the end in the story that I played the Vampires who lived in that world either decided to turn themselves into human, or become old, powerful vampires. So I still have some old and strong vampires left in my save but I'm not playing them.
Do you still make a Sim run a vet office? ehh... no. I never thought that was very fun to play.
Are you still visiting OR as vacation world with many different Sims? Not any longer, but I visited Selvadorada for quite a while until 2020 I think.
Are you still making Sims woohoo in bushes? :p (gameplay feature) Not any more no, but there was plenty of that back in 2015 (wow, that was a long time ago) when Get Together was released.
Are you still making Sims play with the Critter thing for kids? No, I place it sometimes in rooms but I don't actually use the thing.
Do you still play with the backyard splash thingy or do most Sims not like that in the backyard anymore? Yes, during summer. I have a lot which is a beach party lot which I like to visit.
Do you still have those formal parties you paid for in the extra DLC back when the game was new? (Forgot that party pack name, lol) I do, and I didn't understand for like several years that they were something unique that I paid for. And I also never host those parties.
Do you still play Eco Living and all those NAPS? Or still make Sims forget modern life and live off the grid? I like to craft in Eco Living sometimes on the community crafting lots and I like to make all worlds green. NAPS are all disabled, I disliked pretty much almost all of them. I used off-the grid for rags to riches once and I liked it, but I don't have lots that use it now.
Are you still making your Sims knit their fingers off? No, only when I am playing elders I tend to knit. And I don't play elders often.
Do your Sims still live in all the apartment types in the CL EP? Or did those bugs and rats and other type lot trait things finally get old? Yes, they all do. I removed all the rats with cheats (the remove object cheat) so all apartments are really nice and I like to still visit San Myshuno and play with my sims in their apartments from time to time.
Do you still make your Sims attend most festivals in CL? Sometimes, but they become very repetitive if you always accept the invites to them that you get over the phone for every household that you play. So I try to not visit them too often. I like the Spice Festival a lot.
Do you still make Sims go on dates when another Sim calls your Sim? No. I don't really play a lot with households any more so I don't really care about going on dates and such, I like to have them go to the restaurant or the spa though.
Are you still making Sims attend the Raves in WB? No that doesn't happen very much anymore.
Are you still making Sims be mermaids or mere people? No, I have one mermaid that I sometimes play and that's about it. She is a slob and likes to fart a lot. And I like to play her, what, why are you looking at me like that? Do you still make Sims do all the things in the island pack? Or just visit from time to time and play another way? No, I don't to a lot of things in the island living pack, diving which is just a rabbit hole becomes boring but I do sometimes play some Sulani sims and go fishing or go to the beach, or I visit the beach with some other households.
Are you still making Sims visit the Japan mountains in the snowy pack? Do you still make a Sim climb? No, I got bored with Snowy Escape pretty fast sadly, so I don't visit that world often.
Are you still making Sims learn magic? No, I would like to because I have some spellcasters that are becoming pretty good at magic but I get so bored so quickly when I am trying to play them.
I would like to finish that I am still playing Dream Home Decorator with Patina Wainscot (the girl from the trailer) still from time to time, the fact that you can do so many different gigs depending on your households and lots that you have in the worlds are offering me a lot of variety.
That's all, folks. If you read this far, thank you.
When I do play, yes. I haven't played in a while... Perfect storm, honestly. New job; no new content aimed at me; so many other new game and DLC releases (my catch up/play next pile is growing larger by the second). I have all the DLC by the way.
Most saves? No. I still make businesses, but I made more than I played them because I wanted my Sims to live and work in the same business and that doesn't really work. Less so with the large families I play.
Several, yes. I took a spell that I just stopped, C&D is currently my most disappointing pack so lots of feelings there, but the families with regular pets still get there regular pets. Plus I am constantly using the small pets, etc.
Never cared much about the parks. Launch included. I need a reason to do that. Used to be garden hybridization and boredom. Neither matter much now.
So I nearly constantly play with fame, more than I expected to, but the actor career is a coin flip. I pretty regularly make Sims aspiring to fame through it, but I usually never let them fully achieve. It is more about the start there for me.
Strangerville, yes. I love that world. I also think the possessed people were very creative. However, I only play through the story with specific Sims. Not everyone is up to beat the Mother Plant.
I wasn't super in love with the scientist careers or aliens originally. Aliens really could use some buffing, quite frankly, so they're more fun. Otherwise, a lot of active careers tend to be more trouble than they are worth in my opinion. I do still like the doctor career, though.
Vampires all the time. It was my favorite thing about 4 uncontested for so long. Still my favorite occult of 4. Probably my most fulfilled Sims. I have gotten my money's worth with this pack and then some.
Yes. Had a lot more fun with that after Cottage Living. The thought of a country vet is a fun concept for me, properly integrated or not.
Many, no. I still kind of hate vacations in 4. I occasionally drag my Sims out to the hermit and bug catching, but not a lot.
Yes? If it is convenient/necessarily. Usually, no.
Yes! I love those things and all the little additions over the packs. Wish we had more.
Sometimes. They were pretty obsessive with it at times and I have already had problems with freezing to death from swimming in local waters. They don't need more.
Sort of? I have, but I was never big on the official parties. I do informal ones more so.
Off the grid is a special favorite, but I do still use a lot of Eco generally. NAPS do depend on the game, though.
Never did. Specific Sims only.
Yes. Probably my favorite suffering start. I pile on the misery for stuff like that.
Yes and no. 50/50. I tend to go at least once per family, but not all all the time.
Never! Never have, never will. I have had enough issues with those, if I ever date it will be on my time.
Occasionally. Haven't got an offer in forever.
Occults are my thing, so the answer is generally yes there.
Never made them do everything, but I love Sulani and play a lot there with beach specific stuff.
Yes. Not always, but it is my favorite place to marry on the summit. Plus it makes sense for some of my explorer Sims to be climbers.
Yes, again, with occults.
Absolutely all, no. If I hated it before, I still hate it now. I am an everything and the kitchen sink type player so I mix and match a lot of DLC content. I doubt I could ever go back to just a few packs. However, there definitely is some stuff I do not use even if I use a lot.
I've never played Sims 4 for only what's in their trailers. I've however played & will continue to play my Aliens, Bonehilda, Ghosts, Mermaids, Spellcasters & Vampires. I've always played around the occult traits to have my sims be a mixed of the occults which I call my Hybrids. I've always played & continue to play my Britechester, Brindleton Bay, Batuu, Del Sol Valley, Evergreen Harbor, Forgotten Hollow, Forgotten Ghotto, Glimmerbrook, Granite Falls, Henford, Mt. K, San Mychino City, Sylan Glade, Sulani Island, Sixam & Selvadora. I've always chosen to change most of my worlds to look more like the timeline I'm playing them in. I've always playing & continue to play the following careers for my sims that are Art Critic, Astronaut, Barista, Criminal, Detective, Doctor, Engineer Mechanics, Gardener, Lifeguard, Military, Musican, Painting, Paranormal, Politican Activist, Secret Agent, Scientist, Stylist, Vet & Writer. I've always specified certain careers to certain household. I've always played & continue to play my cats & dogs to some of my households. I've made some cats look like the Chestire cat from Alice in Wonderland, a kitten that looks like the tiny lizard from Tangled, a cat that looks like a raccoon from Pocahontas, & dogs that look like wolves. I've always played & continue to play some of the festivals & parties. I get alot of my sims to meet their soulmates there. I've always played & continue to play the Mt. K's skiing, snowboarding, toboganing & mountain climbing.
I now have made 6 different timeline Game Saves from Prehistoric to Futuristic. I have some Fairytale households, Superhero households, Supervillain households, SciFi households, Historical households, Fantasy households, Gothic households, Scary households, Weird households, Wild households, Holiday households & some Basic households.
And no it so not aging. However, I do feel that my Sims 3 is aging.
Are you still making Sims run a business in most saves? Never have, in any generation of The Sims.
Are you still making Sims in every or several households get a pet? Yes
Are you still taking your Sims to the big park in Willow Creek? (basegame) Or did you bulldoze that years ago? Sometimes
Are you still making Sims get a fame career? Especially the actor career and not just freelance fame in other careers, etc.? Yes
Are you still sending Sims to Strangerville and playing the scenario? Again? No. I've never played the storyline and have a mod to turn it off.
Are you still making Sims get jobs in the Science career? Are you still playing aliens? Meeting, marrying, playing as an alien? Still visiting the world and or using a rocket ship with this pack and or even still using it from the base game aspirations? Or have you decided it's old news? Yes to all of the above. I am an occult player above all else.
Are you still playing a Doctor or Detective? Yes
Are you still playing Vampires? Meeting, marrying, playing as a vampire or filling towns with townie vamps? Yep!
Do you still make a Sim run a vet office? Never did
Are you still visiting OR as vacation world with many different Sims? Yes
Are you still making Sims woohoo in bushes? :p (gameplay feature) Nah, never did.
Are you still making Sims play with the Critter thing for kids? Yes
Do you still play with the backyard splash thingy or do most Sims not like that in the backyard anymore? Sometimes
Do you still have those formal parties you paid for in the extra DLC back when the game was new? (Forgot that party pack name, lol) No
Do you still play Eco Living and all those NAPS? Or still make Sims forget modern life and live off the grid? Sometimes. Never use off the grid.
Are you still making your Sims knit their fingers off? Eh. Sometimes.
Do your Sims still live in all the apartment types in the CL EP? Or did those bugs and rats and other type lot trait things finally get old? Apartments yes, but I don't use the lot traits.
Do you still make your Sims attend most festivals in CL? Yes
Do you still make Sims go on dates when another Sim calls your Sim? Dates? No. Outings, yes.
Are you still making Sims attend the Raves in WB? I don't get calls for those anymore, so no.
Are you still making Sims be mermaids or mere people? Of course!
Do you still make Sims do all the things in the island pack? Or just visit from time to time and play another way? Yep!
Are you still making Sims visit the Japan mountains in the snowy pack? Do you still make a Sim climb? Yes
Still playing Sims 4, though I also play a modded Sims 3. The Sims 4 toddlers and Sims 4 vampires are my favorite, and I have a hard time going back to Sims 1/Sims 2 at times because of Sims 4 and Sims 3 (with mods).
With Sims 4 (and Sims 3), I am still exploring all of the packs.
However, my most used packs so far (for gameplay, not just decorative B/B and CAS):
-Island Living, for the mermaids/merfolk!! I gotta have my merfolk. ??♂️??♀️ And the other water/beach/island activities, of course.
-Parenthood: for the values gameplay and bagging lunches, and parenting skills
-Toddlers: but, of course. They are very cute and independent/adaptable.
-Realm of Magic: spellcasters!
-Vampires: for the vampires, of course
-Get Together: Clubs system!
-Discover University: Working from home Education job
-Outdoor Retreat: vacation for family
-Dine Out: dining out, duh
-Spa Day: well, for spa and wellness of course
-Get to Work: retail businesses! (I missed Sims 2’s business pack.)
Knitty: knitting projects to sell/put on plopsy or create for sims or animals, etc
-Seasons: seasonal gameplay and holidays!
Get Famous: careers and fame stuff
I think I use a bit of everything for many packs.
The only packs I rarely touch upon were Eco Living (but my sister plays it), Strangerville, Cats & Dogs (but my sister plays it) and Tiny Living (but my sister plays it). ?
I know you’re specific about players who have all packs, which I don’t. I do have all the packs I want, at this point though. But I have to somewhat challenge the assumption that owning and playing all the game elements from all the packs is the only way to get value from the game. I don’t play packs. I play stories with my sims and purchase the packs that contain game elements that I want in my stories. As a result, there are packs I don’t have or want, and there are game elements in the packs I do have that I never use. For instance, I don’t play families, so I don’t own packs that emphasize that, or use those elements in the packs I do own. I don’t play retail or careers, but I can still use other gameplay elements from those packs. I view TS4 as one big overall game, not a collection of packs to be played individually. All of my packs, regardless of age, contribute to my stories, or I wouldn’t have bought them. Gameplay hasn’t aged out for me, at all.
About The Sims 4 General Discussion
Join lively discussions, share tips, and exchange experiences on Sims 4 Expansion Packs, Game Packs, Stuff Packs & Kits.33,827 PostsLatest Activity: 8 hours ago
