In my opinion, if they want multiplayer and microtransactions, that's what FreePlay is for. And those two things were why I abandoned it as soon as I could afford TS3 2-3 years ago (this was before TS4 was getting heavy discounts almost monthly).
One, to work properly, the engine would have to be stripped down. That's the main problem with TS4 as it sits. They thought it was a good idea with Sim City (5), and tried to make TS4 the same way. SC5 failed miserably, with lots of negative reception from multiple outlets, and last-minute, the online features were quickly abandoned.
And, uh, secondly, why mix real life and a simulation of life? Just seems weird to me. If you want that, there's Second Life.
