Thoughts on Strangerville?

"Tenchi2a;c-16979374" wrote:
To put it bluntly, EA is doing what they have done in most of their other game.
They are slowly reducing the content of games/packs trying to sell us less product for the same price.
Pets vs Cat & Dogs, Late Night vs City living, World Adventures vs Jungle Adventure .
Then using some gimmick to try an convince us that its worth it.
They have done it with Star wars, most of their sports games ,etc.
If this does even halfway decent, I expect them to make this a regular thing.
And have an ever decreasing amount of content in pack down the road.
Now just to be clear, I will be the first to say that some of the thing that where cut (Open world, color wheels, etc) where good for the game as they fixed a lot of lag problems, allow the game to work on lower level computers.

In answer to the why do they have to bring back things from the past game.
If you are going to make a reboot/next entree (2/3/4) then you need to improve upon what came before.
The biggest issues with Sims 4 has been that from the start it has either been missing items or backtracked to lesser version of what has come before.
This is in no way an improvement so, why does Sims 4 exist.
Well the answer is: To make money by having everyone buy the same stuff over again.
And if they can do it for less and with less work they will.

I agree we are getting less for more. Like you say let’s vs cats and dogs. Get to work vs ambitions. I don’t see how that be can argued. The game is being sliced and diced for more money. (Who ever thought we would have to pay for laundry or for bowling separately)

Played the story-line yesterday and loved it! It was kind of a nice change from how I usually play.

"fullspiral;c-16979404" wrote:
Disagree. Sims 3 was the foray in to making as much money as possible while offering as little as possible.

100% Disagree. The Sims 4 splits content that was previously included in expansioo packs or the base game and sells it as stuff packs or game packs:

STUFF PACKS:

• Luxury Party added a buffet table. It's a base game object in TS2 and 3.
  
• Perfect Patio added hot tubs. It's a base game object in TS2 and it was reintroduced in TS3 Late Night EP.
  
• Cool Kitchen added an ice cream machine. A machine was included with TS3 Seasons (and there's a different one you can buy at TS3 Store).
  
• Spooky Stuff added pumpkin carvin. It was included in TS3 Seasons.
  
• Romantic Garden added a wishing well. It was included in TS2 Seasons; and a big fountain, which was included in TS2 University and TS3 base game.
  
• Backyard Stuff added a slip 'n slide. It was part of TS3 Generations EP.
  
• Vintage Glamour added vanity tables and a butler. Vanity Tables were included in TS2 University; and butlers in TS2 Apartment Life and TS3 Late Night.
  
• Bowling Night added bowling lanes. This object was included in TS2 Nightlife and TS3 University Life.
  
• Laundry Day added laundry equipment. It was included in TS3 Ambitions (except the washtub).
  
• My First Pet added rodents. Rodents were part of TS2 and 3 Pets.
  

GAME PACKS:

• Outdoor Retreat added campfires, horseshoe pits and tents. Campfires were included in TS2 Bon Voyage and TS3 base game (fire pits). Horseshoe pits appear in TS3 Seasons, and tents in TS2 Bon Voyage and TS3 World Adventures.
  
• Spa Day added spa facilities. Spas were included with TS2 Bon Voyage (massage table, thermal waters, sauna).
  
• Dine Out added restaurants and restaurant management, features included in TS2 Nightlife and TS2 Open for Business respectively.
  
• Vampires added vampires, which were part of TS2 Nightlife and TS3 Late Night/Supernatural. This is a case in which they radically expanded the gameplay of vampires. Kudos to them. It's the exception, not the rule.
  
• StrangerVille added laptops, included in TS3 base game; lava lamps, included in TS2 Base Game and TS3 Generations; and a training dummy, which was included in World Adventures.
  

NOTE: This isn't an opinion. It's a facts. Most features introduced with Game Packs and Stuff Packs in TS4 were included with EPs in previous versions. Only a few of them have been expanded to justify asking for an extra $10/20. The only SPs which offer completely new gameplay elements are Kids Room and Toddler Stuff.

Also, I wanted to add something else on my previous comment, but I completely forgot. I know that this was more of a "test" pack for The Sims 4, but it'd be awesome if the Sims team could implement more story branches in the future. I mean, it'd be best if the end result of the mystery changed from time to time. Just an idea, that's all. I really like the pack and hope to see more in the future.

"gothprincess4ever;c-16979475" wrote:
Also, I wanted to add something else on my previous comment, but I completely forgot. I know that this was more of a "test" pack for The Sims 4, but it'd be awesome if the Sims team could implement more story branches in the future. I mean, it'd be best if the end result of the mystery changed from time to time. Just an idea, that's all. I really like the pack and hope to see more in the future.

The problem, again, is that if the main feature of the pack is a short story, and it still has a good amount of CAS / Build stuff, it means we who are not interested in the story have to get it anyway.

I would prefer a new category: $4.99 story packs, that just adds a story to a world, so I don't have to pay $20 for build items. Or maybe better, ALSO sell the "stuff" on the side as a non story non world pack with only CAS and Build items for 4.99.

"Tenchi2a;c-16979435" wrote:

"fullspiral;c-16979404" wrote:

"Tenchi2a;c-16979374" wrote:
To put it bluntly, EA is doing what they have done in most of their other game.
They are slowly reducing the content of games/packs trying to sell us less product for the same price.
Pets vs Cat & Dogs, Late Night vs City living, World Adventures vs Jungle Adventure .
Then using some gimmick to try an convince us that its worth it.
They have done it with Star wars, most of their sports games ,etc.
If this does even halfway decent, I expect them to make this a regular thing.
And have an ever decreasing amount of content in pack down the road.
Now just to be clear, I will be the first to say that some of the thing that where cut (Open world, color wheels, etc) where good for the game as they fixed a lot of lag problems, allow the game to work on lower level computers.

In answer to the why do they have to bring back things from the past game.
If you are going to make a reboot/next entree (2/3/4) then you need to improve upon what came before.
The biggest issues with Sims 4 has been that from the start it has either been missing items or backtracked to lesser version of what has come before.
This is in no way an improvement so, why does Sims 4 exist.
Well the answer is: To make money by having everyone buy the same stuff over again.
And if they can do it for less and with less work they will.

Disagree. Sims 3 was the foray in to making as much money as possible while offering as little as possible.

It is your right to disagree with my point, the truth is I don't disagree that Sims 3 was a money making factory (stuff pack :( ).
But what you fail to address is while Sims 3 did this it also offered twice the content for the money per expansion/pack then Sims 4 has ever had. And Sims 4 was missing key items that have been in each entry of the Sim (2,3,4) since they where introduced.
Sim 4 has also tried to reduce the content of a expansion/pack then try to sell the missing items as a separate pack (My First Pet Stuff).

I don't think it offered twice the content. In fact, every pack I purchased and installed, I felt ripped off and wondered when it was going to get better. In fact, it was my wake up call to being a more discerning buyer and that I don't need everything. I just need what I want, and Sims 3 never gave it.

I'm sorry. I don't agree that sims 3 offered anything for MY play style. and it sure didn't offer anything close to what 2 did.

"Beardedgeek;c-16979541" wrote:
I would prefer a new category: $4.99 story packs, that just adds a story to a world, so I don't have to pay $20 for build items. Or maybe better, ALSO sell the "stuff" on the side as a non story non world pack with only CAS and Build items for 4.99.

It's weird that we are in the age of MICROtransactions but The Sims Team still sells these big packs. What if I just want SOME elements of that pack? I think the idea of The Sims 2 Store was great. For those who don't know, you could buy individual objects from EPs and SPs on The Sims 2 Store. If you didn't have Bon Voyage, for example, but you wanted to have a massage table, you could buy one for a couple of dollars. It's important to keep prices reasonable though, that was the undoing of both TS2 and TS3 Store.

"Naus;c-16979461" wrote:

"fullspiral;c-16979404" wrote:
Disagree. Sims 3 was the foray in to making as much money as possible while offering as little as possible.

100% Disagree. The Sims 4 splits content that was previously included in expansioo packs or the base game and sells it as stuff packs or game packs:

STUFF PACKS:

• Luxury Party added a buffet table. It's a base game object in TS2 and 3.
  
• Perfect Patio added hot tubs. It's a base game object in TS2 and it was reintroduced in TS3 Late Night EP.
  
• Cool Kitchen added an ice cream machine. A machine was included with TS3 Seasons (and there's a different one you can buy at TS3 Store).
  
• Spooky Stuff added pumpkin carvin. It was included in TS3 Seasons.
  
• Romantic Garden added a wishing well. It was included in TS2 Seasons; and a big fountain, which was included in TS2 University and TS3 base game.
  
• Backyard Stuff added a slip 'n slide. It was part of TS3 Generations EP.
  
• Vintage Glamour added vanity tables and a butler. Vanity Tables were included in TS2 University; and butlers in TS2 Apartment Life and TS3 Late Night.
  
• Bowling Night added bowling lanes. This object was included in TS2 Nightlife and TS3 University Life.
  
• Laundry Day added laundry equipment. It was included in TS3 Ambitions (except the washtub).
  
• My First Pet added rodents. Rodents were part of TS2 and 3 Pets.
  

GAME PACKS:

• Outdoor Retreat added campfires, horseshoe pits and tents. Campfires were included in TS2 Bon Voyage and TS3 base game (fire pits). Horseshoe pits appear in TS3 Seasons, and tents in TS2 Bon Voyage and TS3 World Adventures.
  
• Spa Day added spa facilities. Spas were included with TS2 Bon Voyage (massage table, thermal waters, sauna).
  
• Dine Out added restaurants and restaurant management, features included in TS2 Nightlife and TS2 Open for Business respectively.
  
• Vampires added vampires, which were part of TS2 Nightlife and TS3 Late Night/Supernatural. This is a case in which they radically expanded the gameplay of vampires. Kudos to them. It's the exception, not the rule.
  
• StrangerVille added laptops, included in TS3 base game; lava lamps, included in TS2 Base Game and TS3 Generations; and a training dummy, which was included in World Adventures.
  

NOTE: This isn't an opinion. It's a facts. Most features introduced with Game Packs and Stuff Packs in TS4 were included with EPs in previous versions. Only a few of them have been expanded to justify asking for an extra $10/20. The only SPs which offer completely new gameplay elements are Kids Room and Toddler Stuff.

Maybe you could make a list of any gameplay the sims 3 stuff packs offered for $20?

I don't have any issues with the way this pack was talked about by the devs before release. They gave very good info about what to expect from the pack.

I regret buying the cats and dogs pack because I paid for a world I can never play in. I don't like seeing animals suffer even if they're only pixels. I wish the devs made that part of the pack clear. They gave the impression that your sim's pets would suffer if you didn't take care of them. They did not mention that you would see every stray and pets owned by sims you're not playing suffer and that you couldn't do anything about it but watch. If that bugged you like it does me, the world becomes unplayable.

That being said, I really like this pack and I'm glad they made it. I don't think it's what the sims will become though.

"fullspiral;c-16979558" wrote:
Maybe you could make a list of any gameplay the sims 3 stuff packs offered for $20?

Stuff Packs for The Sims 3 didn't offer NEW gameplay (only High End Loft Stuff did), which is a good thing. If I'm not interested in buying Perfect Patio, why should I be forced to do it if I want to have a hot tub my game? To this day, the only way to get a hot tub in The Sims 4 is to buy that pack. Stuff Packs are 100% skippable in The Sims 2 and 3, since they don't hold gameplay items hostage like The Sims 4 packs do.

Stuff Pack were designed to have stuff: Build/Buy objects and CAS elements. Now they've added gameplay elements that were previously part of the base game or an expansion pack and they are EXCLUSIVE to that Stuff Pack (the exception would be Kids Room and Toddler Stuff).