What do you think of Island Living?
State why you chose your answer in the comments.
Forum Discussion
Breadth is not the same as depth, and more objects or activities are not necessarily better. You can't just compare the catalogues or activities, especially when not everything in TS3 was well executed. On the weekend, I was playing TS3 Island Paradise because all the gameplay videos of Island Living were making me nostalgic. While it was and still is beautiful (especially the dive lots, you are right about that), there are certain problematic aspects that I had forgotten. Steering a houseboat myself caused some lag, and I also had issues with some NPCs steering their houseboats and getting stuck, which caused even more lag in the whole game (and I was playing with Twallan's mods installed). And I had completely forgotten that resorts required rabbit holes to run (it came back to me what a disappointment that was at the time. Some commentators seem to like to gloss over them). I had my sim try a jet ski as well, and the animation stuttered and stopped completely at one point.
I haven't played IL yet, so this is a bit premature, but some aspects seem better and more immersive to me too, just as Beardedgeek wrote. First, the mermaids are definitely more unique, developed and powerful than in TS3 with their strong swimming styles, siren song abilities, new vocalizations and ability to befriend sea animals like the dolphin. Lots of options for gameplay there which wouldn't have been possible in TS3. As well, nothing like the dolphin appeared in TS3. Second, I also feel like this is a very community-based pack, so in IL you also have new parties and dishes to reflect the culture -- a lot of new dishes, both fish-based and ethnic, and a new communal event (on top of the various festivals, including a fire festival) called Extra Food where your neighbours will bring you extra food. Build-Buy are definitely superior in TS4; the objects in TS3 were tropical but otherwise not that unique. CAS is better too -- definitely more island-based and well-designed.
In TS4 you can build over water and dive off the deck; there are lovely thatched roofs and carved pillars, fences, stairs etc. Cool new lot traits, including a free Off-the-grid trait open up new possibilities and aspects of gameplay. Swimming and fishing are being revamped for the whole game, with lots of new fish and different swimming styles (including at last a front crawl). There is a detailed semi-active conservation career which involves cleaning up the island and pleasing the elemental spirits, also very different from anything in TS3. Finally the beauty of the islands themselves, with a live volcano, waterfalls, monsoon weather/ tropical storms, and the new sea life animations (dolphins and sea turtles, shoaling fish, tiny swimming frogs, crawling crabs on the beach, jellyfish, flying seagulls, brown shorebirds and wild chickens) seem more immersive. Isla Paradiso was not even my favourite Beach world as it was kinda generic (I preferred Sunlit Tides and it was much less laggy; however, even there it was jarring to see the school bus show up).
Oh, and there are now tan lines, which will make for the best executed tanning ever. To me, this seems like a lot of new features. Very different from IP but not substantially less. Whether or not it is to your taste, it definitely has more gameplay in it than you typically find in a GP -- that is one criticism I definitely do not understand.
I haven't played IL yet, so this is a bit premature, but some aspects seem better and more immersive to me too, just as Beardedgeek wrote. First, the mermaids are definitely more unique, developed and powerful than in TS3 with their strong swimming styles, siren song abilities, new vocalizations and ability to befriend sea animals like the dolphin. Lots of options for gameplay there which wouldn't have been possible in TS3. As well, nothing like the dolphin appeared in TS3. Second, I also feel like this is a very community-based pack, so in IL you also have new parties and dishes to reflect the culture -- a lot of new dishes, both fish-based and ethnic, and a new communal event (on top of the various festivals, including a fire festival) called Extra Food where your neighbours will bring you extra food. Build-Buy are definitely superior in TS4; the objects in TS3 were tropical but otherwise not that unique. CAS is better too -- definitely more island-based and well-designed.
In TS4 you can build over water and dive off the deck; there are lovely thatched roofs and carved pillars, fences, stairs etc. Cool new lot traits, including a free Off-the-grid trait open up new possibilities and aspects of gameplay. Swimming and fishing are being revamped for the whole game, with lots of new fish and different swimming styles (including at last a front crawl). There is a detailed semi-active conservation career which involves cleaning up the island and pleasing the elemental spirits, also very different from anything in TS3. Finally the beauty of the islands themselves, with a live volcano, waterfalls, monsoon weather/ tropical storms, and the new sea life animations (dolphins and sea turtles, shoaling fish, tiny swimming frogs, crawling crabs on the beach, jellyfish, flying seagulls, brown shorebirds and wild chickens) seem more immersive. Isla Paradiso was not even my favourite Beach world as it was kinda generic (I preferred Sunlit Tides and it was much less laggy; however, even there it was jarring to see the school bus show up).
Oh, and there are now tan lines, which will make for the best executed tanning ever. To me, this seems like a lot of new features. Very different from IP but not substantially less. Whether or not it is to your taste, it definitely has more gameplay in it than you typically find in a GP -- that is one criticism I definitely do not understand.
