From what I see, Pets was the least liked EP for what it brought. It brought less than what Unleashed did; Pets and supplies for pets and that's it. No shows, no big 'exercise' equipment for Pets. Just pets and things they need. It was like Generations.

Hmm.. I see that, I see it. I think I may be personally leaning towards Appartment Life, but I see what you mean. I think I say AL only because I didn't get to dive into magic as much. Idk. The magic was no where near Makin Magic, though. Oh well. So far I'd rate Generations as the lowest on the TS3 scale, Pets being at the top. But as is with Ts2, it's hard for me to rate, haha

Pets was somewhat disliked in The Sims 2 for being so bland and adding nothing new from the previous pets EP, but it was still an EP with a major feature that added a lot to the game. It was much closer to being worth the money than Generations ever was. And Pets was $30 while Generations is $40.

For me, I'd probably say FreeTime was a lot more like Generations. Except it didn't suck quite as much as Generations.



Which is why it should be the new model for Stuff Packs.

The current Stuff Packs are worthless (I wouldn't buy them even if I had all of the money), and Generations sets the bar way too low for what an EP is.

I'd have to say I agree with you. I mean, all the little things. Pranks, Memories, Wedding Parties.. all little bits and pieces from Sims 2 EPs. I mean, hell, Generations doesn't even have a main key feature. Memories were standard in Sims 2. I mean, when you think of it, all other EPs have had a main feature, which Generations lacks to boast. I mean, even with Sims 3.

World Adventures: Vacation
Ambitions: Professions
Late Night: Clubbing
Generations: ....Different themes for every age?
Pets: Animals

I have to put my foot down in saying I'm not a hypocrite for saying I still like Generations. The key is that I like what it adds, but just don't like that it doesn't add very much. I think if they added a new neighborhood it would have been much better, but I guess it wouldn't have really mattered with the lack of features anyways.

Well, don't get me wrong - I certainly see value in many of the things that Generations added. For example, I wanted strollers. However, there just flat out wasn't enough to it. It bothers me how much of the fanbase thinks that Generations was amazing because it added objects that we wanted. I mean, sure, it did some of that... But one honestly can't think that EA just throwing a few objects in that fans wanted makes it a quality EP.

Honestly, just from the way Generations was advertised, I could tell it was "Here, we'll throw in these shiny objects (spiral stairs being one of them. Remember how it was in one of the if not the very first pictures that EA showed of the EP?) and the fanbase will eat it up regardless of the quality of the rest of the EP". Of course, EA had lots of back-up plans here with leaking Pets right alongside the Generations trailer, but I've been through that one many times. lol

I hate to be rude but it seems like much of the fanbase really did take that bait. They won't dare question the quality of it, because it added objects that they were requesting. Now when somebody says that Generations didn't add enough, they put up their argument "Well, EA finally listened to us! Geez... They can never please anybody". It's not that they can't please anybody, it's that an EP needs to be an EP, not a Stuff Pack littered with shiny objects to make certain fans look the other way.

...Sorry, that was a bit off-topic. And I don't mean to insult you Swatme101, obviously you can tell the EP wasn't all of that great. Being somebody who plays families so much, I can see the value in what it adds. Just, there's got to be more to it! University would have been great for Generations. It would have fit so perfectly with the theme.

But yeah, Generations would be a perfect level for a Stuff Pack to be at. But unfortunately, now EA knows they can get away with making Generations-quality content into full Expansion Packs.

But shouldn't we be talking about this Stuff Pack? I see the word "Suite" and I want to believe that it is music related, but that is so unlikely that I'm just grasping onto straws. LOL. That's the only Stuff Pack I would ever have to buy. A music Stuff Pack full of instruments. (which would also never happen )

No insult taken, and your right. I am pretty much taking the bait in saying I like the objects they added. Hmm, University WOULD have fit perfectly. I wonder what gives with that...

Sorry if this is late but i have to disagree with you on the AL magic thing. I understand what your saying about there being hardly any magic in AL, but i dont think it's exactly fair to say AL is one of the worst EP's because of it's lack in magic. Magic wasnt the main focal point of the EP it was more of a treat for people who were fans of MM. AL added a whole new sector to TS2. It added apartments which was a big step. They went pretty full out with it. (even if all the apartments were extremely ugly ). But i'd have to say that Free Time is much closer to Generations than pet's or AL. Thats all. ;)

Yeah, It's all opinion based, and I can agree with everyone's separate reasoning so far. Like I said, I lean towards AL because I never got to do magic, like at all, because it was more towards the hype of TS3. Maybe sometime i'll go back and try it more. But your right. At least in Freetime, however, there were new hobbies. Those were in FreeTime, right? Idk. I guess that does make it like generations, because Generations adds a small new set of features, pranks, but we had some of those in University!!!

I completely agree with this sentiment, especially seeing how EA released Hidden Springs for an extra $25 ($25!!!!!) so soon after Generations. Don't get me wrong -- I love what Generations added because families and children are my favorite things about the Sims games, not careers or vacations or building houses. But expansion packs have or are becoming stuff packs, and stuff packs contain less and less.

This Pets EP by far allready way outdoes the other two just by what I've seen so far. They definitly ramped it up for this EP.

The fact that they were far enough along with Pets back in the spring to have two different trailers for EP's leak at the same time is the smoking gun if you will that Pets was meant to be next before Generations and maybe Generations thereafter. However, I truely think Generations was a last minute throw together project because if you really analzye everything it offered, it was really a collection of things that went right into improving base gameplay to how the community wanted to tweak it (Especially with the custom aging sliding bars, sim hair etc) I feel like Generations was thrown together because they opted to take Sims 3 Pets further. I mean c'mon, that is alot of "natural" additions to the worlds itself with all those small animals, birds and so forth. Plus a totally renovated town. This EP adds alot.

I really aslo feel that the Sims 3 Series will imrpove now that Ron Hubble is at Second Life. Even the Sims 2 series became very commerical and money hungry towards the end of it's run. Remember when that idiot actually had the nerve to suggest that Sims would no longer have needs in the Sims 3? I think the entire simming communities heads came off their shoulders and did a 360. That would have meant the "Sims" would not longer be a simulation game. :/

I'm glad he's gone. Gives me hope that the next Sims series will be the most epic Simming expericence ever. Think Sims 2 complextiy and detail within the open world of the Sims 3. EP-IC. I just hope they don't kill the franchise off like they did Sim City. I like to believe "The Sims" is what killed off Sim City.

YAY! Master stuff pack is somehow announced

http://www.ea.com/1/product-eulas scroll down til sims 3 and you should find it

OH MY GOD! Awesome!

Overall I have found the Sims 3 stuff packs to be seriuosly underwhelming

I think stuff packs should add less than generations but more than what they are giving now.

Instead of new gameplay (if you qualify school proms, graduations, after school classes, and all the other new rabbit hole activities as "gameplay"), they should just add new interactable objects. Like an SP with the slip n' slide, bunk beds, and sandbox(assuming generations wasn't released, these would be new interaction objects), as well as new hairstyles and clothes would warrant the 20 dollars.
This way the people who want more new interactable objects would actually have incentive to get these packs. And it still wouldn't technically add the new gameplay( like seasons or ambitions).

I agree. I would prefer more interact-able objects over decorations because I can get different decorations for free from Custom Content sites.

BUT! I must say that nightgown is definitely something I would want!

I just feel like, with the internet, the idea of a stuff pack is outdated. It kinda was cool for Sims 2... But not really.