I don't agree there is nothing lacking... because I still want lots of stuff for this game. Witches, University and dare I hope for Farming is topping my list. I do agree that it is the best Sims game yet for me.. although no game is perfect. I'm sure there is much lacking for players with other preferences and game play styles but for many reasons that I can detail and have detailed in many posts it fits my play style so well there is no topping this game for me or going back to the prior ones for more than a quick peek in. I did start going in to look at Sims 2 recently but mostly just long enough to rebuild the characters from that game that I loved into this game that I love.
I can visualize more stories than I did in past sims games, and much more easily. I have many more tools at my disposal for quickly setting my households, builds, worlds and stories faster and to my satisfaction so I'm ready to go in and actually play my sims quickly. I spent so much time setting up in the past I wonder if part of my brain looked at the whole process as game play or even time spent engaging in the game(s).
The game is more beautiful to me, moves in a very fluid manner, and sounds better than any games in the past.
I've found that with this game I actually enjoy it more without mods and cc .. I might be really different there. I have less issues with the game that way and I just like focusing on how the devs created it really. I do enjoy trying out mods but my gameplay ends up being about the mod at that point (and that's okay sometimes for grins or something different .. just not optimum for me).
I just recently had my computer go belly up. Got my upgraded one a few hours ago. I've been without Sims for a full week and it's downloading now.. It's basically the first entertainment I'm putting back in my computer. I put in Origin, and Discord to connect with friends and now this game. I've missed my game so much. I had to try make due with an old console Sims game and could not get into it. Playing that again solidified my stance that I hope they never ever go back to harsh needs or anything else you have to always be on top of continuously. I hope they continue to work on giving us game play that isn't so invasive that I can't tell the stories I want too. As options sure but.. not as standard ever again. My sims had no time to do anything but work, and fill needs then try to find time to skill.. Uggh. Dictated gameplay or failure. Storytelling was so limited. I know in later games it wasn't as bad, but for me it was still at the forefront of gameplay at that time, with mods it could even be okay but I don't like being dependent on mods.
Hopefully my save games will work when I get it running again but if not I know I'll be happily playing soon.
I could not care less about nostalgia at this moment ... it doesn't make me want to actually keep playing the older games. There are some good, funny memories though...