Which Game Pack Should I Get?

It's really a toss up between the other three options then, depending on your personal preferences. If you're big on family play then Parenthood would be the best choice. Otherwise, OR vs JA is really just a matter of which theme appeals to you the most.

If you don't want to play with Vampires, don't get Vampires because there will be Vamp townies creeping around.

Personally, I think Vampires and Parenthood are the best made packs out of all the packs (including EPs). Parenthood (and the newest version of toddlers) turned me into a family player. The way they changed the skills and the options that Parenthood adds made me really appreciate the younger life stages.
And I really love Vampire toddlers. ;)

As far as build/buy, your style would determine if you were interested in a more rustic outdoorsy look or a Southwestern look. OR and JA are going to give you more in build/buy, but may limit universal gameplay.

@Anmirla Thanks for your input! It helps to see the pros/cons of each.

"whimreaper;c-16822470" wrote:
@Anmirla Thanks for your input! It helps to see the pros/cons of each.

You're welcome. I'm a little biased for Vampires and Parenthood, but can definitely appreciate items in the other packs. JA is more of a single save pack for me. I would probably use OR more if we had Witches because I think I would have them studying herbalism and they would need to go to Granite Falls to collect the plants. These vacations are not cheap! :D

I don't know if you realized this, but if you scroll down to the bottom of each page for the packs on the store page, there will be little pics of each item.
OR: https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/pc/store/mac-pc-download-addon-the-sims-4-outdoor-retreat
JA: https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/pc/store/mac-pc-download-addon-the-sims-4-jungle-adventure
Parenthood: https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/pc/store/mac-pc-download-addon-the-sims-4-parenthood

I felt like Parenthood was an easy pick because of the realistic gameplay, but definitely consider the vacation packs if you would rather have your sim travel somewhere than focus on raising a family.

I would say that Parenthood has the best gameplay. Kids get school projects and sims get new traits that depend on how they're raised. Playing any family with kids it's very easy to get use of this pack. My favourite items from the build mode are the night lamps.

The best single item in all these packs is the tent from Outdoor Retreat. You can take it and go camping in any world you like. The build mode perhaps doesn't look very exciting, but I personally like visiting Granite Falls every now and then, especially with seasons.

The best way to get rich is to hunt treasures in Jungle Adventure. Overall though I think exploring the temples is just an okay experience. Still the world looks more exotic than Granite Falls and the build mode has some plants which I like.

I wouldn't get Vampires just for build/CAS if the theme doesn't interest you otherwise. I do love Vampires myself and some players who usually prefer realistic gameplay have ended up liking them, BUT the vampires will break into your house and drink from your sims, so it's not a good choice if you think that will bother you.

@luimistelija Thanks for the breakdown! It definitely helps to consider that Granite Falls works well with seasons.

"MaggieMarley;c-16823765" wrote:
Oh sorry, you said you won’t play vampires. In that case, parenthood.

Ditto. I had to choose vampires, but then I love vampires and it is my favourite pack. Parenthood is a close second and I use it in virtually all my builds.

If you're more of a realism player, Parenthood is the way to go out of the four, though Outdoor Retreat would be a close second for those family vacations. Parenthood adds a lot more depth to playing families, plus I do like cheating some of the Parenthood traits onto the existing premades that I don't plan on actively playing. I also love the furniture style -- very homey and fun. I think it would go well with Seasons since so much of that pack revolves around home-based activities (holidays and events).

But then again you kinda need to send your sims off on vacation or adventure/vacation. :)

@BlkBarbiegal I completely agree, which is why I'm so torn! I love the aesthetic of Selvadorada, but I don't know how well the items would go with the other build/buy items.