I can’t remember the exact date that I began playing The SIMS, but I am pretty sure it was during the winter storm of 2002. My husband and I loved Making Magic. SIMS 2 blew my mind – I actually started buying the games and expansion packs long before I had a computer to run them. I kept playing it until my best friend convinced me to try out SIMS 4, around June 2022.
I have the complete SIMS 3, and the open world was interesting, but it never really drew me away from SIMS 2.
The first character I played in SIMS 4 was in Forgotten Hollow, and I actually had a great time. Also, Werewolves and High School Years came out shortly thereafter. It was a great time to be introduced to the new SIMS game. I was pretty hooked. I have barely opened my SIMS 2 since, and I was a diehard SIMS 2 player for over 15 years.
Who am I as a SIMS player?
There seem to be somewhat divisions in SIMS players. Creators, Builders, Players (Legacy or God-Mode). I am a chaos player – I have created for previous games, but not for SIMS 4. I love downloads and mods, but I haven’t added a ton of stuff to SIMS 4, unlike my never-ending custom content for SIMS 2. I feel like I am still learning with the build mode – and tend to concentrate on what I need to be able to play. I don’t really have the attention span for huge legacies, and tend to start new games often, so I guess that leaves me as a God-Mode player. (I do miss not being able to kill off SIMS by removing the pool ladder *sigh*) I guess that is pretty accurate – SIMS playing, for me, is immersive stress relief.
But do I Neeeeeed it?
I am a completionist. The day that my husband found Buffy the Vampire Slayer CCG cards at Walmart, I sent him back to get as many packs as he could so that I could have the whole set. (I also have X-Files, Hercules, Xena and other CCGs that were popular in the early 2000s.) I will eventually own every expansion, every game pack, every stuff pack, and every kit. So, maybe talking about what I don’t have at this point is actually a good indication of my game play.
STEAM had a holiday sale this year for Christmas (runs through January 4, 2024). So, I spent a little of my hard-earned money to pick up some more items that I didn’t have. I HAD to get Sims 4 For Rent – the mechanics of that are a dream for me as a SIMS player. I had to have it. I didn’t have Island Living and Snowy Escape; I’m not a big ‘vacation’ player, though these are both very pretty worlds. These were also purchased (60% off FTW \o/). I also picked up a few other packs and kits. (Romantic Garden Stuff was free!)
Here’s what I don’t currently have:
I will probably buy Vintage Glamour and Get Famous during the next big sale (this summer?). I tend to pick up kits when I have a few extra dollars to spend. I know Horse Ranch and Nifty Knitting are hugely popular, but I don’t know that they are a priority right now.
What are your favorites and must have packs or kits for The SIMS 4? Or are you still hanging out in the history section with SIMS 2 or SIMS 3?