Is it worth me investing money in the Sims 3 at this point?

[Elphiron]

Ok friends, I was late to the party on this one. Got the original Sims years after it came out, same with the Sims 2, and I only got the Sims 3 a month ago. I'm wondering whether I should bother to invest in the stuff packs, the expansion packs, the store, now since, let's face it, the Sims 4 is on the horizon. (Admittedly, it's so far off we can't see it yet)

I hear so much bad stuff about the expansions, and I'm feeling rather deflated after being sent out of the Sims 2 forum with a flea in my ear. Ok, it wasn't that bad, just a handful of disagrees, but I'm beginning to feel like I've wasted my money.

I know I should follow my own opinions, but I can't help being put off when I hear so much vitriol against the Sims 3, and that's not even just from this site. I start to think "Oh, maybe this game isn't actually fun after all".
I know other threads cover this issue, but after reading through the official opinions thread, I just feel like I need some enthusiasm about the game.

I suppose I'm wondering whether anyone else shares my despondency for this game or are you all stronger people than me and not easily swayed by the general consensus? *Gloomy Eeyore face*

[hannahmh87]

How have YOU enjoyed the Sims 3? Forget everyone elses opinion have you enjoyed what you've seen? Do you want more? Is there an EP or SP that you may be interested in.

Personally I have sims 1, 2, & 3 with most of the EP & SP. I enjoyed all of them in different ways and tend to ignore what the masses say and judge what I think or feel.

[ViviSims2]

In my opinion, stuff packs and the store are a waste of money. I recommend you check out the IGN reviews for the expansion packs before you buy them to see if they fit your tastes.

[ButchSims]

I have all kinds of fun with the Sims 3. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but for every person who says they hate a particular pack, there is someone who really enjoys it. Try the base game, maybe with some CC, to see if you really want to invest in it. Play around, see if it fits your gaming needs, and go from there. There is plenty of vitriol about the Sims 3, but there is also plenty of praise for it as well.

[ViolettaVie]

If Sims 3 is fun for you then that is all that matters.

[Orilon]

What you have to keep in mind is except in a few rare cases everyone on the Sims 2 portion of the board hates Sims 3 and will say nothing but negative things about it.

Is there any of the EPs that interest you? That's what matters, not what someone else's opinion is of it.


I personally only have World Adventures and Ambitions because those were the only EPs that interested me. Does World Adventures have a crap load of glitches? Yes, but it also has a lot of fun stuff as well.

[piggypeach]

I HATE hearing what people have to say about a game or something before I've fully made up my mind. For instance, if I like a new song, I won't ask my friend's opinion until I decided mine, because I am incredibly easy to sway. About the Sims 3, I really like the game and I am sort of pissed at the people criticizing it because of various things that didn't bother me at all. But the thing is, they didn't change my mind because I didn't hear about the forums on this site until months after I began playing sims. I formed my own opinion about it and it makes me feel good.

If you liked the sims 3 base game, you will love the expansion packs. If not, they won't really be that great. Make up your mind first, look at other people's opinions later.

[Elphiron]

Thank you all so much! I agree, 'haters gonna hate' :) I'm loving the Sims 3, and I shouldn't let other peoples' opinions change that. There are a few expansion packs that I'm really intrigued about, and I'll definitely look into them, thanks again!

[mickeymouse254]

I dont have any stuff packs except the Katy Perry one, none have really interested me and besides a few for sims 2, they seemed sparse and a waste of money. The expansions are pretty hit and miss for me. I'd suggest getting LN, Pets, and Showtime, they all seem to expand the game more. But its your opinion, read up on what exp and the stuff packs are and see if you're interested

[dem83]

If you are a mac user, now is a great time to pick up some of the expansion packs. Macgametree has them on sale at least 50% off for digital download.

[Simsdestroyer]

It's a great game, you do have some issues, but I like pretty much all the expansions, and I own them. The base game is okay, but if you're into modification and downloading CC from the community, then you may want to invest in the expansions. EA doesn't make this a great game, the creativity from the community is what makes it an awesome game!!!

[lisfyre]

First and foremost - if you are enjoying the game, then it's the ONLY opinion that counts. As far as buying more EP's and SP's, do the research. Read the reviews and see what interests you about that particular pack. Will it work in your playstyle? I always read up on each EP and SP. And I pick and choose which one will compliment and enhance my game. To date, I have all EP''s up to GENerations. Pets, SHT wasn't bought because for my gamestyle, I didn't feel it had value added. I am also going to pass on SuperNatural. I am looking forward to EP8 which I hope (from all the leaks) will be seasons/weather. As for SP's, the only one that interests me at this point is OLS and possibly SP8 Sims 3 Seaside (again according to the latest leak).

Don't forget one REALLY important fact: The Sims 3 plays differently for everyone. My husband plays his game strictly vanilla - as in BG + EP's up to PETS. He has no Store or 3rd Party CC or hacks/mods. He's never had any problems at all no crashes, no lag, nothing. I play with 13 GB of Store and 3rd Party CC + a No-CD Mod from Twallan and I experience some lagginess (due to my CC tonnage probably). I've never had a crash or an Error 12, Error 16... and all the other stuff that people have talked about. So... yes it's the same game but everyone has a different experience with it. Bottom line - it's your ultimate decision whether to buy or not to buy.

[cameranutz2]

If you just got the game a month ago, and only playing the base game, then it's hard for you to really know what you can do. You'll get the basics but the EPs will expand your gameplay much more, just like the other 2 games.

DO NOT try to compare it to S1 or S2...it isn't the same game and wasn't meant to be. Yes there are some things that you may not particularly like, but, if overall if you like the way it looks and what you can do then just enjoy it and don't worry about what others say.

S4 is a ways away, and more EPs/SPs are yet to come in S3. Look around read about what they offer and if ya can grab one that interests you and see how it goes. Most can be found at a decent price if ya keep your eyes peeled.

As for the store, don't waste your money. A few items may be enjoyable but for the most part, meh, don't need it, just EAs way of taking more of your money.

I didnt expect I would like S3 because I had been a hardcore player of S2. But honestly, I cant say I'll ever play S2 again.

[VerDeTerre]

Are you sure Sims 4 is on the horizon? Personally, the base game of Sims 3 by itself isn't altogether too engaging. You would probably want an expansion or two. If you aren't in a hurry, wait for a sale or a used copy. You might want to do some research into which expansions would add the most to your game play. I've found the reviews by the Lazy Game Reviewer on You Tube very helpful. Here are some links:

World Adventures: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_20qqAci8rg
Pets: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02eN2a85Q9U
Ambitions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uyIXahNs08
Late Night:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWjTWl0oNLk
Generations:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Awwne_NpJQ
Showtime:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjD6MIbmGc8

He's done some for the stuff packs, too. Just google "Lazy Game Reviews Sims 3"

[Sgloomi]

Another thing to bear in mind is that - for all the horror stories about patching, tales of EA Hate, etc - the current game with the latest patch is actually pretty stable and playable.

Sure, they haven't fixed a bunch of stuff, but they've had the time to get a bunch of things rigtht and fixed a lot, you can Patch Without Fear and there are any number of mods for the rest. Also bear in mind that you simply can't expect the game to work right on a machine with the specs that were given when it first came out. Almost every problem I had, personally, playing the game with all of the Expansions, went away when I got a relatively cheap current-issue computer (bottom of the range iMac running Boot Camp) instead of the seven-year-old machine I was trying to play it on.

[Issie]

From personal experience I would try one expansion. Although I'm not a big fan of the Sims 3, it is fun to play casually now and then.

I wouldn't of invested in more than 1-2 expansion packs had I known the game was so buggy/lag ridden.

I would get one of the expansions that interest me the most and go from there.

Goodluck :)

[birdyfly]

You can also watch some LPs of the game as well. My personal favorite LPer is AndrewArcade(Headbutt Arcade).

Let's Play The Sims 3 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ_8RFRJNts&list=PLBE04DCA59CB268A5&index=1&feature=plpp_video)
Let's Play The Sims 3: World Adventures (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHMOBG_UF-U&list=PL3F5D8040E6F43039&index=1&feature=plpp_video)
Let's Play The Sims 3: Ambitions (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2raV3cS0AZU&list=PL9E993B075CC7FCF9&index=1&feature=plpp_video)
Let's Play The Sims 3: Late Night (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmXw-xvoGro&list=PL73A35E23A6B33E7A&index=1&feature=plpp_video)


Another LPer that has gotten popular is TheQuxxn.
Let's Play Sims 3: World Adventures (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxYASxyCFg4&list=PL751BCED19B76FAE2&index=1&feature=plpp_video) -- Ongoing
Let's Play Sims 3: Generations (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqsqL75OxVI&list=PLE646DF99D623BEE0&index=1&feature=plpp_video)
Let's Play Sims 3: Pets (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8Leu69DYUw&list=PL81013DFA1E956A21&index=1&feature=plpp_video)
Let's Play Sims 3: Showtime (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuMNvXqPso0&list=PL7C2ED98EF1380336&index=1&feature=plpp_video)

There are other Sims 3 lps out there, but these are my personal favorites. Both Lpers go over the content of each expansion pack and show off all the features. :bunny:

[MrUntuckable]

I recommend you check out the IGN reviews for the expansion packs before you buy them to see if they fit your tastes. Yes, this is true to some degree, but in my opinion, every expansion pack to date has some type of feature that has convinced me to purchase it.

I absolutely dislike World Adventures, but the store registers and mods to increase it's functionality made it an instant buy for me. I really didn't like Showtime either, but the entertainment objects and other fun interactions it adds made me want to buy it as well.

[J. M. Pescado]

now since, let's face it, the Sims 4 is on the horizon. (Admittedly, it's so far off we can't see it yet)This is a contradiction. By definition, the horizon IS the maximum distance you can see. If it's so far off that you can't see it, then it is NOT, in fact, on the horizon. Also, Sims 4 doesn't exist. I would say that it's nothing more than lies and propaganda, but there isn't any lies or propaganda, either! It just plain DOESN'T EXIST. It's not even fictional!

[Elphiron]

This is a contradiction. By definition, the horizon IS the maximum distance you can see. If it's so far off that you can't see it, then it is NOT, in fact, on the horizon. Also, Sims 4 doesn't exist. I would say that it's nothing more than lies and propaganda, but there isn't any lies or propaganda, either! It just plain DOESN'T EXIST. It's not even fictional!

Aha! Nice one. Yes that little comment was added in as an after thought because I haven't really heard anything about the Sims 4.
Sims 2 was released in 2004, the Sims 3 in 2009. The original Sims was 1999 or so? Anyway that'd make it roughly 4/5 years apart so I'm assuming the Sims 4 will be made in the next couple of years, possibly. :)

[Inge Jones]

Remember that what makes TS3 a bit different from previous Sims games, is you don't *need* the EPs to be compatible with most custom content. As long as you patch your basegame, you will have most of the more fundamental new game engine features. The EPs are just to add extra quests, challenges and objects - eg new careers, new things to explore and collect to increase your sims' range of skills etc. If you are not playing the game "to win" as such, then you won't become out of step with other players or anything like that, if you don't buy any EP whose core theme isn't of particular interest to you. So if you're not interested in foreign travel, don't buy WA. The only thing you won't have in your game if you don't buy WA is foreign travel for your sims and the ability to reminisce about foreign travel or gloat over collectcions of foreign artefacts.

[Artimis]

When I brought sims 3 back 2009 to replace sims 2 as it was and still is being problematic. Sims 3 looked awesome from the trailers and i brought soon after it came out and strangely enough the original box smells of vinalla esscsence. I thought it was ok but not specktalctor until I noticed the graphic issues when I had it on my laptop. Then I brought world adventures for the tomb raiding and egypt!! I have an interset on angient eygpt and that game suked and sweared that I would never buy another expanison pack for sims again.

I broke it when I brought late night for the vampires and I hated the vampires. I am going to buy supernatural and write a review on it when I get it or make a youtude account and do a video review.

Sims 3 only works if you have a high grade pc or else it will be problematic.

In total I spent on the sims 3: £91.01 or even more.

I own:
2x the original sims 3, my old one broke
1x world adventures
1x late night

Unless supernatural is specail and makes me chanage my mind on sims 3 and it is not worth the price for these games unless you want it then get them at the cheapst price possible.

[joandsarah77]

I'm sure most of us over on the Sims 2 board didn't mean to send you off with a flea in your ear; you asked and they told you what they have experienced. I just got WA and Show Time and I've been wanting to enjoy it, but with a singer who can't do any of her scheduled gigs who half the time I can't click on, with the game freezing on me even after I removed the little cc I have, deleted cache files, reduced graphics and done resetsim * on a few times now, as well as simply jerky play it's hard to find the fun in it when it's being so frustrating. Reality is a lot of us have bugs with our games which EA isn't fixing. If I played with only base game it would probably play a lot smoother but I don't want to play only with base game, darn it I want all my EP's to play and play smoothly.

If you find Sims 3 works great for you as you get more EP's then great. I really wish mine would.

[Artimis]

I am still a member on the sims 2 board as I play sims 2 more than sims 3. I love sims 2!

[aGOLDENbox]

I would want until a greater majority of the expansion packs are cheaper but I personally enjoy TS3 and its expansion packs.

[TheSimaniac]

If you talk to people on a TS2 forum about the quality of TS3 then you're probably going to get a fairly negative response, since regulars on a TS2 forum are much more likely to prefer it to TS3. Before I get misinterpreted I think I should make it clear that I don't mean to say that their opinions are invalidated by this. I'm saying that it's inevitable that you'll hear criticisms of TS3 if you enter a community who probably prefer another game in the series, so you shouldn't base your idea of what the general consensus is from the opinions of a specific community. The fact that people criticised it in itself shouldn't dissuade you from spending time on the game (although you should still pay attention to the reasons for the opinions, of course). You said you have the game, though. How have you been finding it? Whether other people enjoy it shouldn't be too important to whether or not you do.

Take a look at the expansion packs and see if any take your fancy. Most of them add quite a large amount of content to the game, I'd be surprised if there's not even one that would significantly improve your enjoyment of it. I'd never recommend buying them simply for the sake of it, but the answer to your question is a fairly simple one: It's worth spending money on the expansions if you think you want to play them enough to justify the purchase.

As for TS4, I don't think that's too big an issue. It's still a few years off (at least), and as your time in TS2 forums should tell you it's not at all unusual to still be enjoying a game long after a sequel has been released.

[zigersimmer]

Knowing what I know now, if I were just starting TS3, the EPs I would buy are WA, AMB, and GEN. The SPs I might buy would be High-End Loft and Outdoor Living, but it would be a better bargain to buy a few furniture sets from the store, preferably when they are on sale or the daily dealio. I would not buy anything else, except Seasons if it becomes real.
Remember that what makes TS3 a bit different from previous Sims games, is you don't *need* the EPs to be compatible with most custom content. As long as you patch your basegame, you will have most of the more fundamental new game engine features. The EPs are just to add extra quests, challenges and objects - eg new careers, new things to explore and collect to increase your sims' range of skills etc. If you are not playing the game "to win" as such, then you won't become out of step with other players or anything like that, if you don't buy any EP whose core theme isn't of particular interest to you. So if you're not interested in foreign travel, don't buy WA. The only thing you won't have in your game if you don't buy WA is foreign travel for your sims and the ability to reminisce about foreign travel or gloat over collectcions of foreign artefacts.
If you don't have WA, you won't have Sim Fu. Gotta have Sim Fu. Just gotta have it.

[NAJ P. Jackson]

If you're unsure what expansion/stuff packs to invest then I recommend watching LGR's reviews on each EP and SP in youtube. His snarky reviews always entertains me to a point that I rewatch it over and over for the lulz. Seriously I think this guys the best reviewer out there.

The Sims 3 LGR Reviews (http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+sims+3+review+lgr&oq=The+sims+3+review+&aq=1&aqi=g9&aql=&gs_l=youtube.1.1.0l9.51.7004.0.8834.11.8.0.3.3.0.195.1074.0j8.8.0...0.0.sx_Y-Jyq9WA)

[hannahmh87]

If you talk to people on a TS2 forum about the quality of TS3 then you're probably going to get a fairly negative response, since regulars on a TS2 forum are much more likely to prefer it to TS3.

To add to this, they are also very protective of their game. I've lurked on the official Sims 2 BBS and any mention of the Sims 3 gets shot down in flames and it turns into a Sims 3 bashing thread.

The Sims 2 vs. the Sims 3 can be a very touchy subject and you will not always get an unbiased opinion. The trick is to read between the lines.

[SqueegeeThatsMe]

The only expansion pack I've really had trouble with was World Adventures. It slowed my game down a lot, very laggy. The rest have been great. I don't buy stuff packs, custom content is usually of just as good quality, if not better.

[Volvenom]

If you're late because you can't afford it? To save for Sims4, you might just as well save for an apartment.

Don't worry about bugs. You never know when they appear, and you can't really plan for it to happen ... se be happy :) Find your thing.

If you're unsure what expansion/stuff packs to invest then I recommend watching LGR's reviews on each EP and SP in youtube. His snarky reviews always entertains me to a point that I rewatch it over and over for the lulz. Seriously I think this guys the best reviewer out there.

The Sims 3 LGR Reviews (http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+sims+3+review+lgr&oq=The+sims+3+review+&aq=1&aqi=g9&aql=&gs_l=youtube.1.1.0l9.51.7004.0.8834.11.8.0.3.3.0.195.1074.0j8.8.0...0.0.sx_Y-Jyq9WA)

Great guy :)

[Elphiron]

I heard some people talking about LGR on here a while ago so I looked him up and watched one, then proceeded to watch all of his Sims 3 reviews one after the other. They are actually brilliant. The Katy Perry stuff pack one, I actually rounded up my entire family to watch it because it was so amusing- it had them all chuckling despite the fact that they have practically no idea what the sims is about or anything!

I'm still lurking around Amazon waiting for some random price drops that happen occasionally... Generations, Pets and Late Night are the ones I'm most intrigued about right now, I think.