Well, those five "traits" are not optional as far as I got it. They can either develop in a negative, positive or neutral way. I really hope that ignoring your kids makes them fall in the negative category by default and you don't have to trigger it, it makes family play more important.

I've defended this game a lot on the board and gotten many disagrees, so I have paid attention. I wish I didn't feel that way about TS4, but I do. Traits seem to matter very little other than certain animations (which, while cute, do not really change gameplay) or increase/decrease the likelihood of certain moods. I haven't seen them influence autonomous actions very much, like they did in TS3. My TS4 Sims all act the same regardless of their traits.

I agree with what you said about the daredevil trait. TS3 isn't perfect by any means.

I think that this game pack is a step in the right direction, but in the end I think TS4's game engine is just missing too much to ever make the gameplay feel meaningful to me.

To give an example I've been playing the Pancake family because I turned them into vampires, and I don't want them to expire in the sunlight, and on top of that they are expecting a child. Traits tend to create subtle differences but they definitely show. Like how Eliza is obsessed with cleaning and Bob seems to be propelled by farts and is almost always depressed and anti-social. Eliza gets tense and always wants to buy stuff. A lot of the trait system requires player intervention to make it rich and use of the imagination, but that has been the case with all the sims games, as far as I can remember

Edit: I tend to brush off disagrees myself, especially when they don't get an explanation with them. They are like points on Whose Line is it Anyway, they don't matter

The daredevil trait could have been used for a lot of content post launch. I don't think Daredevil rolled any wants to do anything all that dangerous (beyond the base game), which it could have.

Did they even have anything special in regards to Tomb Raiding or Scuba Diving?

Odds are pretty good that I will get this, even though I am not totally sure why as really do not play this game much at all, but I will probably wait to see Clint's review first as I tend to agree with his assessments.

I figured it was a princess bride reference. The quote being "Life is pain, Princess. Anyone who tells you different is selling something."

parenthood gamepack > sims 3 generations

It has better integrated mechanics that might prove useful for better gameplay, but I don't think it has as much content as Generations have.

The collective agrees on one thing: We'll wait and see.

You either get a positive trait, a negative trait, or no trait at all. So it's possible to come away with five additional traits, no additional traits or any combination inbetween.
From looking at a screenshot showing off the Character Values panel it would appear you have to get a Value to almost be full at either end of the scale before you will end up with the trait.

Another clip has been released that shows off some of the new build mode items:


I like them. They look more like things you'd find in a typical middle class household.

I agree! I really, really like that there's some very regular, modest, mundane looking items here. Will be nice for a feeling of realism....
hopefully they give us enough swatches that aren't akin to a radioactive Blues Clues episode though.
The extreme colour mish-mash in [edit:] most of these clips make me feel mildly nauseated. Other than that... looking forward to it.

Just went back, the colours/swatches in this one are way more mellowed.

I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this pack. I like the new activities and clothes and things, but I'm damn sick of game packs and spending money on them...

Wait, let's not go there yet.

Lets not get crazy. This is gonna have to be one hell of a game pack to top my favorite expansion from TS3

don't need to they aren't even trying to make anything original anymore. just rehash OLD expansions/ideas. it's generations with depression thrown in

I love LGR's reviews, too. But chances are that he won't like it even if it is good, he never has been much of a family player so I don't think he knows what enriches a not YA-focused gameplay. Although I guess he'll like the over all style of the objects.

No matter how he feels about the packs, he's always good at showing what it's about, the content and features, and how they work (or don't work). When I see his reviews I always take into consideration what kind of player he is - also he does aswell.

I think LGR also recognizes his play style isn't necessarily the same play style as everybody else. He's very good at remaining fairly impartial and showing every aspect of the games.

He really liked Generations for TS3, so I can see him liking this one (assuming that the pack fully accomplishes everything it says it's supposed to do)

I think he will. He's part of the "I want to mimic real life" portion of the community.

The Sims team sure do love their mason jar lamps.

Edit: Oh, the game is kind of a life simulator now. I like that children can go through phases.

Edit Edit: So, this is the life simulator expansion pack? About time. This is all so precious.

The only thing I didn't like about the stream (which isn't actually part of the new game pack) was that small moment when the mom saw her children fighting and she got angry, but that angerness vanished not a second later and was overwritten by a happy buff, then back to anger, then uncomfortable and finishing again at happy (all in the span of about 2 or so seconds). Just really shows how terrible the "emotions" system truly is. (keep in mind this was the main feature they advertised with TS4)
The game pack is neat though, should improve the life simulation experience quite a bit.
(also the Gurus' ear-rape laughing almost gave me an aneurysm)

I have found that LGR usually gives better reviews for Game Packs over EPs.

Probably because the Game Packs are usually better than the Expansion Packs. Three years in and we still haven't had an expansion that I'd call good. The closest for me is Get Together but even that's just "...eh"

What about kids/teens who are living without parents? What about the ORPHANS!