THREAD CLOSED

"catloverplayer;c-17146465" wrote:

"ThePinkBookGirl;d-962329" wrote:
Now that time has passed, for those of you who got the pack, how are you liking it?

I'm still in love with it. Best pack ever in my opinion.

That is high praise! As someone much more disappointed with the pack, what features from it make you love it the most over other packs?

"faith4jesus;c-17147919" wrote:
Well, I was planning to wait for my birthday when I had cash on hand (2wks away) but I broke down and bought it last night. I couldn't wait any longer. But, after an hour into it, I'm disappointed. There is hardly any new gameplay. The beach and stuff is very nice, I like being able to tan and such but this is a big disappointment! We can't even dive on our own. I was expecting something like Sims 3 where we could swim around underwater. I was thrilled to see the underwater camera but we can't even take our own photos! Honestly, for a second I was tempted to return the game! I'm not, but wow such a letdown. I haven't tried the mermaid yet but from what I read online there isn't much to that either, it's nothing the vampire where you can level up and do new stuff. This is just a huge letdown.

Don't get me wrong, I hate complaining like this. I've been a Sims fan since the 1980s when Sims City came out. I have played The Sims since The Sims 1. I have bought every single pack and game add on. My kids have grown up playing this game too. I'm a huge fan and a huge supporter. I even wrote an article about using the game for homeschooling lessons! I'm just really sad because it seems EA has given up on the game. It breaks my heart to say that too. I haven't even talked to my girls yet about how disappointed I am. I'm waiting for them to try the game out and hear their thoughts.

Complaining is exactly one of the uses of this forum! Scream your complaints from the rooftops! Scream your compliments as well. Us fans have to keep our favorite series in check. I especially believe this when I see how little was added to this "expansion pack"!

"Jordan061102;c-17147587" wrote:

"catloverplayer;c-17146940" wrote:

"CelSims;c-17146929" wrote:

"MorriSan;c-17146705" wrote:

"Jordan061102;c-17146683" wrote:

"MorriSan;c-17146656" wrote:
I love it. The details are fantastic and it adds a lot to my gameplay. The location and related objects are unique looking and fit, the Islanders are not interchangable with other regions' Sims. The new waterfront lots keep me occupied but most of the lots are challenging to build on.

The off the grid play is buggy but interesting and occupying, it makes me rediscover my Sim's daily grind and provides a challenge.

I haven't played mermaids or sought them out, but that's just me and my playstyle, I was never much into fantasy lifestyles. But there is still so much else to explore.

So yes, one week of lots of play and I'm nowhere near through!

On the negative side: the bugs are legion and more are creeping up. I would be over the moon and totally satisfied if they get rid of the glitches.

I don't think off the grid even comes with this ''EP'' *cough* I meant GP at an EPs price.

That's your opinion, I don't share it. I'm busy playing with all the new stuff. It fits my playstyle wonderfully and I think it is worth the price. Would I be happier of it was cheaper? Yes, of course who would complain about getting something for less money.

And the OTG feature is perfect for Sulani and was introduced ingame with a Sulani plot - a natural spot for it to lack electricity and running water. If not on a ravaged plot of land high up near a volcanoe, then where? I can picture it in the desert as well or as a feature of a modern paganism or a life choice or a poor sim but that does not cheapen the Sulani connection FOR ME. It was part of a free patch, yes, like the lounge chairs as a lot trait. So what? It still adds to my enjoyment.

Enjoyment that you would still have even if you did not own IL, as it is not a feature you paid for with IL. It's not an opinion that it isn't included with IL, it's simply fact. You don't have to own IL to have those features.

A lot of features are limited to Island Living

Dolphins

Swimming in the ocean though I think that's coming to other pack worlds very soon

The interactive waterfall

Kiss in Water Interaction

Mermaids

Shell Collecting

Frogs in water which you can spawn at the waterfall

Boats

Fishing from boats

Many new Tropical Fish and Sea Turtles.

Sharks and shark attack deaths.

Yeah, it really expands the game... And I'm not even sure we can actually ''catch'' turtles, those are just decorations.

Well technically by law they (Sea Turtles) are very protected and you can not even touch them to help them to water or go near the nest until they hatch - so EA will surely keep that in mind to make them like FX which sims really cannot interact with anyway. EA is not going to allow something in the game that would be illegal in real life.

The funny thing is that after playing and exploring Sulani a lot I'm using a lot of the other pack stuff in Sulani,

- the tent and cooler (from Outdoor Retreat) to stay a weekend off work on a beach and swim with the dolphins

and now my Astronaut Sim (Get to Work), living in a beach house, is building a spaceship and using the telescope. I've never really bothered with those before. She's been in space several times, crashed several times.......met a lot of pirates and now she's got abducted which has never happened to one of my Sims before.

She can recover her health and invite all her friends to the Spa (Spa Day) I've built on a beach.

I've always thought that this game is a bit of a jigsaw. :)

"Simburian;c-17148065" wrote:
The funny thing is that after playing and exploring Sulani a lot I'm using a lot of the other pack stuff in Sulani,

- the tent and cooler (from Outdoor Retreat) to stay a weekend off work on a beach and swim with the dolphins

and now my Astronaut Sim (Get to Work), living in a beach house, is building a spaceship and using the telescope. I've never really bothered with those before. She's been in space several times, crashed several times.......met a lot of pirates and now she's got abducted which has never happened to one of my Sims before.

She can recover her health and invite all her friends to the Spa (Spa Day) I've built on a beach.

I've always thought that this game is a bit of a jigsaw. :)

I've experienced this too. When certain things are added to the game, it encourages me use items/features that I wasn't using before and can change where packs fall on my favorite lists.

I didn't use Spa Day that much before, but I intend to build a spa in Sulani with a play area for the kids for my families that visit the beach for the day.
I have never used anything from Perfect Patio Stuff, but will when I build a home on the beach.

When Realm of Magic arrives, I will use Cats & Dogs a lot more because my Witches will have familiars (I very rarely use it now).
Depending on if (and how) they implement farming, I would also use Cats & Dogs more to have mousers and watch dogs for the livestock.

Some of the features EA has added in the past I have not liked, with island living they did it again to the point where I am reconsidering buying any future Sims titles - that includes the Sims 5 if / when they release it. I have Island Living but unless the next one is going to be university then I think this particular game is going to be shelved for the foreseeable future. It's just not a franchise for me anymore.

It's... OK. I'm not super blown away tbh.

"Writin_Reg;c-17148027" wrote:

"Jordan061102;c-17147587" wrote:

"catloverplayer;c-17146940" wrote:

"CelSims;c-17146929" wrote:

"MorriSan;c-17146705" wrote:

"Jordan061102;c-17146683" wrote:

"MorriSan;c-17146656" wrote:
I love it. The details are fantastic and it adds a lot to my gameplay. The location and related objects are unique looking and fit, the Islanders are not interchangable with other regions' Sims. The new waterfront lots keep me occupied but most of the lots are challenging to build on.

The off the grid play is buggy but interesting and occupying, it makes me rediscover my Sim's daily grind and provides a challenge.

I haven't played mermaids or sought them out, but that's just me and my playstyle, I was never much into fantasy lifestyles. But there is still so much else to explore.

So yes, one week of lots of play and I'm nowhere near through!

On the negative side: the bugs are legion and more are creeping up. I would be over the moon and totally satisfied if they get rid of the glitches.

I don't think off the grid even comes with this ''EP'' *cough* I meant GP at an EPs price.

That's your opinion, I don't share it. I'm busy playing with all the new stuff. It fits my playstyle wonderfully and I think it is worth the price. Would I be happier of it was cheaper? Yes, of course who would complain about getting something for less money.

And the OTG feature is perfect for Sulani and was introduced ingame with a Sulani plot - a natural spot for it to lack electricity and running water. If not on a ravaged plot of land high up near a volcanoe, then where? I can picture it in the desert as well or as a feature of a modern paganism or a life choice or a poor sim but that does not cheapen the Sulani connection FOR ME. It was part of a free patch, yes, like the lounge chairs as a lot trait. So what? It still adds to my enjoyment.

Enjoyment that you would still have even if you did not own IL, as it is not a feature you paid for with IL. It's not an opinion that it isn't included with IL, it's simply fact. You don't have to own IL to have those features.

A lot of features are limited to Island Living

Dolphins

Swimming in the ocean though I think that's coming to other pack worlds very soon

The interactive waterfall

Kiss in Water Interaction

Mermaids

Shell Collecting

Frogs in water which you can spawn at the waterfall

Boats

Fishing from boats

Many new Tropical Fish and Sea Turtles.

Sharks and shark attack deaths.

Yeah, it really expands the game... And I'm not even sure we can actually ''catch'' turtles, those are just decorations.

Well technically by law they (Sea Turtles) are very protected and you can not even touch them to help them to water or go near the nest until they hatch - so EA will surely keep that in mind to make them like FX which sims really cannot interact with anyway. EA is not going to allow something in the game that would be illegal in real life.

Then why not have a system that has consequences for sims that do it? Like getting arrested.

Sims also can graffiti with no consequence whatsoever. I’m pretty sure that’s illegal. It was in the sims 3. But yet sims can deface their world without fear of the law.

I wish people wouldn’t make excuses for poor gameplay!

"Netzspannung;c-17146671" wrote:
I don't regret buying it, because I really wanted an Island pack and I do like the content. But it seems less like an expansion. I know everyone is saying it feels like a game pack, but I disagree. What it plays like to me is one of those worlds you can buy on The Sims 3 Store. So to me a price tag of USD 30-35 would have been more appropriate, but I am fine with it. The world (+ocean swimming), CAS, BB and the new style of builds it allows are all I wanted out of an Island pack.

Actually, I sort of agree that it feels larger than a GP but not entirely as large as an EP and that it is indeed highly reminiscent of a world pack. Now, I bought it for around 35 so I'm alright with that, and also, I honestly very much enjoy IL. I've been having a real blast with it and I don't regret buying it at all.

That being said, I do wish that packs wouldn't always have to be as divisive as they are. But, I guess I've come to terms with the fact that most big-name publishers (with the exception of Sony) don't seem to allow their studios to go above and beyond - even if they have the budgets to do so. So, as sad as that is, I guess I've simply come to expect a certain amount of mediocrity from most of the big players, and especially from EA and Ubisoft. Both of these publishers make games that are ... in one word? Weightless. They often lack the depth you can find in games like Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War, The Last of Us, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, What Remains of Edith Finch, etc. They also ironically often lack actual character weight (thinking of you here, Assassin's Creed).

It doesn't mean that I cannot genuinely enjoy some of their games, even spend 100s to 1000s of hours playing them, but my expectations are simply not what I have for other companies. And although I have fun, that is frustrating to the extent that I know they have the budgets and the people and the skill to do more. To beat much smaller indie companies at their own game - but they don't, because they don't care, and because people - like myself - can enjoy what they put out anyway. Which is where the whole divisiveness comes from in the first place.

And with TS4? It's one of those titles that make the issues these companies have with putting out creative, innovative, inventive quality content over just making a profit, extremely obvious. Cause what they eventually decide to give us often depends on factors that have nothing to do with the customer or the game, making it hard for devs to consistently put out what they'd probably like to if given the means/time. That is why there can be such huge differences in quality from one pack to another, and why packs like these that are on the medium to lower end of that scale - as fun as they are to play with if you like the game for what it is - create so much turmoil and dissatisfaction. So yeah, even though I like it, it's hard not to think: why, EA, can't you just use all the money you have to make something that isn't just fun to play, but actually amazing? Because if you wanted to, you have people that could.

(Edited for clarity - tired :))

I'm enjoying the conservation career and cleaning up the island, and collecting all the new collectibles. I was delighted to see the little turtles yesterday after all my Sim's hard work paid off. (She got a happy little moodlet from seeing baby turtles, too.)