With the recent announcement that The Sims Team will be focusing on improving existing content in the game, I started thinking about which Sims 4 packs need the most attention in this regard. All signs point to Spa Day being the first pack on their list to improve and Spa Day could definitely use some updating… but what other packs still feel rather lackluster after all these years?
Here’s my top 5 list of some older Sims 4 packs that, in my opinion, need a refresh the most.
Dine Out
Dine Out has been a broken mess since the day it came out and up until now, The Sims Team showed little interest in ever revisiting it or patching up some of the oversights and bugs it introduced. It’s so bad that I refuse to even manage a restaurant at all anymore and that’s the meat of the pack. The only reason I’ll still visit as a customer is thanks to mods that fix all the problems with food not being served in a timely manner and Sims not staying seated where they’re supposed to.
If this game pack were to be updated, I’d want The Sims Team to revisit the management side of things and adjust the cost vs. profit ratio. I don’t want managing a restaurant to become laughably easy but there is no reason why a five star restaurant with every single restaurant perk, the highest quality ingredients, great atmosphere, and highly trained staff should be losing money after every shift. The meal prices just aren’t enough to cover the costs of ingredients and staff. I would also want them to speed up the cooking time for ordered meals and tweak where and when Sims sit down so I don’t need mods to do those things for me when eating out as a customer.
Outdoor Retreat
Outdoor Retreat was the very first game pack released for The Sims 4 so I can forgive it for being a bit bare bones. They were still exploring the concept of game packs back then and trying to figure out what kind of content this type of DLC would entail. That said, since we are refreshing old packs and it’s been many years since Outdoor Retreat was released, it’s time to update this one.
I love Granite Falls and I love going camping with my Sims. Hanging out by the fire, sleeping under the stars, crafting herbal remedies, and collecting insects are all fun things to do… but that’s all there is to do in Granite Falls. The pack could use some new outdoorsy activities, like nature hikes, guided tours, and maybe even some more survivalist gameplay with a central focus on the hermit in the woods. Outside of befriending the hermit for the aspiration, the hermit doesn’t serve much of a purpose. It’d be nice if the hermit could become some sort of survivalist mentor to your Sims for a bigger challenge.
Get To Work
Get To Work is a very underappreciated expansion; however, that doesn’t mean it couldn’t use a few improvements. While I love the new active careers and running a retail business, there are still a few oversights that bother me about Get To Work to this very day.
If we have a new illness system and a hospital lot and a doctor career, why can’t our Sims go see the doctor when they’re sick?! If we have a police station with jail cells, equipment for booking criminals, and a detective career, why does crime not happen anywhere outside of the career?! These seem like very strange oversights for an expansion with such a large focus on medicine and law enforcement. Why not take the careers and expand them into our Sims’ everyday lives? I’d also like a small neighbourhood added to Magnolia Promenade with all the career lots visible, just to make it easier to access them for creative purposes.
And while I’m pretty happy with the retail side of things, new features like being able to properly live at your business and customers sitting down to eat when they purchase food items at a business would be very welcomed additions to this expansion.
Parenthood
I. Love. Parenthood. So. Much. It is, to this day, one of the best game packs released for The Sims 4.
However, as a family player, I always want more content for families. I love what was added in Parenthood. I just want more of it, especially for teenagers. Mood swings, groundings, school projects, and diaries that must be hidden from nosy siblings are all fantastic additions to the teen life stage but they share a lot of these features with children, so it doesn’t really make teens stand out as teens.
Teens have a lot of memorable life moments, like prom, learning to drive, getting their first romantic partner and even their first WooHoo (or Messing Around as it’s nicknamed in the game for teens). It would be nice if prom and school dances could be implemented. While I can live without cars, maybe embellish things like getting a first kiss, partner, and WooHoo for teens a little more to make it seem like a bigger deal to them than it would be to an adult who’s already experienced those things before.
Or… dare I say it? Maybe even update the babies. #FreeTheBabies
Get Together
Apart from the objectively amazing world of Windenburg, Get Together is easily my least favourite expansion. Why? Well there isn’t much to it. It adds clubs, DJing, dancing, cafes, and walk-in closets. That’s mostly the entire pack. Our Sims could already dance and drink coffee before this expansion came out, it’s just been beefed up a bit with this expansion and that’s… fine, but Get Together is still a very empty expansion pack. It was empty back then and it’s even emptier now in comparison with more recent packs.
Get Together’s greatest strength is the highly versatile and fully customizable club feature but even that has slowly become neglected over the years. Adding new activities for club gatherings that are integrated with new packs seems to be more and more of a last minute thought as time goes by. Once your Sims have purchased every club reward for their club, all those unused club points just pile up with no way to spend or use them for anything.
This expansion could be vastly improved just by adding more club activities and giving us a way to continue to use our club points for rewards after purchasing all the club perks. New rewards or an exchange system where we could trade in our club points for simoleons or other valuables would add longevity to the clubs. Dancing also deserved to be a full 10-level skill with a lot more dance move animations. I understand the reasoning behind making Dancing a 5 level skill and DJing a 10 level skill; DJing has less complicated animations than dancing and is therefore easier to make. Still, I’m sure most players agree that it’s a lot more fun to watch our Sims dance than it is to watch them press buttons and bob their head at a DJ booth.
What packs would you pick to be refreshed and why? Let us know in the comments or come chat with us on social media!
I hope they fix the last bug that it came with the last update ’cause it’s so upsetting, male sims walking in a feminine style and for those who have celebrities, is just the same when the walk in their celeb style or strike a pose.
Change their style manually. Besides, maybe those sims are gay or extra metro
It’s a bug and it has nothing to do with their normal walk style or sexuality. The walk feminine style is on male sims and male celebrities even when you change that or turn off the fame walk!
The fame walk is annoying in essence of it being slow. But I don’t see it as feminine, though I understand why you would. I see it more as a confident well accomplished with some what superiority with a level of humble celeb walking. He/she conquered life and what it had to offer and is at the top. Either way, you can either select the sim or right click cheat (I don’t remember which) and just turn off the “celebrity walk” and then they will walk back to the one you originally selected.
The bug actually change that way of walking just in male sims, doing celeb male sims walking like female celebrities.
I have just one male “celeb” in my household and when I turn on the “celebrity walk” it starts to walk as a female celeb walk, because there are two different styles of fame walk, male and female but now with this bug, for both genres are just female.
Sounds like a personal problem. I don’t have that issue.
It’s not a personal problem, this is the bug listed here: https://answers.ea.com/t5/Bug-Reports/OPEN-Male-sims-walk-jog-with-feminine-style/td-p/10528006/page/2
Thank you, I hope they fix that.
As I said, sounds like a personal problem. If it annoys me then I’ll turn it off. Second, I haven’t encountered that problem. Probably because I been working so much that I missed the update and dodged the bullet
I as I said and also is listed in the link that P-laudy shared, it can’t turned off in some cases, my case definitely and that is annoying. If I want my sims walking normal or my celebs sims (especially male) walking like a male celeb sim, that is just not going to work, and it’s a failure.
Once again, personal problem. Not everyone has this problem.
I change it but male sims still walking with the female style especially celebrities, so it’s a bug. And it has nothing to do with their sexuality ’cause all sims are sexually fluid unless you had a mod to manage their preferences which I don’t, so those sims can’t be gay or “extra metro” because the game is very limited on that to now have those kind of walking style
they are not gay or extra metro – they messed up the walking styles
I get it. I’m the only one not suffering from this issue and everyone else is!
Get Famous needs beach lots!
I agree with everything you said, but I would like to add a few things that I would like to see. But first, I have to ask myself why they are going to refresh Spa Day, of all things. What is there to improve?
Then I come to ‘Dine Out’: I would like them to add the option that allows us to decide who works in our restaurant, whether it’s townies, friends, or ideally our restaurant can be a family business like it was possible in TS2.
For ‘Get Together’ I would like to see an age grading for dancing. It looks pretty stupid when an old granny suddenly starts dancing a lively club dance. I thought this was better solved in TS3 with the ‘club dance category’ on the radios, which would then simply be blocked for elders. And while I’m at it… A situation lock for that hip club dance in relation to stage performances in ‘Get Famous’. I always throw my hands up in horror when I see my Simsin in her Wild West costume with floor length skirt start break dancing. Square and/or line dancing would be more appropriate.
Back to ‘Get Together’, I would wish for the world that they would rework the water (like actually every world that has at least a lake). Summers are nice on the Baltic and North Sea too, with temperatures where you can splash in the sea. And I would so love to make the island a tourist island, where they could sail across the sea or swim in it. Find it rather strange that it is possible in the river of Britechester, but not in the sea. Yes, I know, the possibility only exists since Island Living and University came after. All the more reason to revise it, no?
I too was like what is there to improve in Spa Day. Then after the Live Stream, I was like oh yeah, a free lance career that is more self directed and NAILS. Allowing children to participate in wellness activities and toddlers getting masks and nails done! Yaaaaasssss
Yes, NOW I know that too. 15 days ago I could not imagine what could be changed. I had not thought about finger and toenails. I am happy about it myself. Whereby I am still of the opinion that in other packs more obvious things should be revised.
They need to fix eco lifestyle too. The eco footprint thing doesnt work at all. And thats what the whole pack is about….
First of all I would just like them to stop focusing on Sims 4 and make Sims 5. Sims 4 is great I love it I really do but it’s been out forever and we’re ready for Sims 5. If I had to pick a pack that needed fixing it would be all of them honestly. I really hate that each expansions perks and neat little oddities are stuck in that expansion’s town. Why can’t we have stray pets everywhere? Actually why can’t we have pets everywhere? Why can’t the Goths have a dog? Why can’t there be stray Beach cats? Vampires trying to get us everywhere? Why can’t there be dumpsters to dive through everywhere? Make the expansions global. It drives me crazy and yes pets is my biggest pet peeve, that I have to add these things to each lot when they should be available everywhere. I’m sure it has something to do with the fact that not everybody gets those packs but it’s really frustrating
Who friggin’ cares if the game is out forever? And also if you hate the game and all of its expansions why you bought it in the first place? What do you mean that it’s out forever? It isn’t your desicion that EA stops making the Sims 4. That’s on EA and MAXIS themselves. Go ahead and tell them that if you really want them to stop making the game. I am not angry; I just want to clarify some things. Don’t be offended.
Just a whole other collection to purchase, but I’ll do it lol I enjoy 4 and just deal with whatever I don’t like, I don’t let it bother or frustrate me, then it isn’t fun anymore. It’s a game, it’s meant to be fun.
I don’t want strays everywhere because they are sick in Brindleton Bay. But you can put lot traits on your commercial lots and you’ll see the strays. In City Living people are always bringing their pets to the 2 high end Karaoke Clubs.
In Island Living they need to update the chickens and shore birds to make them interactive. I have seen wild chickens in Hawaii, but I don’t think there are tons of stray cats. Not native to the islands. But honestly, I do like that you visit a world and enjoy the uniqueness. NYC is New York, San Francisco has it’s own Vibe, Hong Kong is Hong Kong. People visit those places for their vibes and uniqueness. I like that we have that in the Sims worlds too.
When it comes to these pack changes, with regard to Outdoor Retreat, I honestly hope at the very least we get a telescope & that scouts is moved from Seasons into Outdoor Retreat.
Get Together could easily get more of the modular pieces but more on allowing us to make better walk in closets on top of improving clubs and dancing. Like add as a crosspack feature special dances themes dependant on different worlds that unless the sim is a native, requires skill to learn it(better skill makes it quicker to learn). maybe add in Ballet for sims to learn from as young as child..
Parenthood could easily make use of some of the items we’ve gained since it arrived, namely a new couple of toddler beds, bunk beds and family projects that work similar to school projects but it doesn’t affect schoolwork and improves family relations and parenting skills of the parents.
Get to work, oh boy where do I start. I could go on how both Detective & Doctor Careers really need a heavy overall and better set of rewards and feel to it or I could go on how the world is still the smallest of the EPs, could easily get a 2nd neighbourhood where its basically a sixam colony in that world, bringing with it a lot challenge that increases the chance of alien upduction and Aliens/Scientists having a chance to randomly show up. I could even go on to say that the retail system could get a bit of an overhaul with a special to be able to actually have like an apartment to either live in or rent out for extra cash. As well as, being a pack that brings in a sci-fi lifestate, it could get a new toddler bed and bunk bed settup.
I’d also put Realm of magic, Alchemy was most certainly better in Sims 3, so I’d change it to work like in 3. Sure the Purveyor of Potions Aspiration would need to have minor tweaks, but it’d allow Alchemy to be inclusive of all occults like it was in sims 3 the best. Like adding in potions that turns a sim into an occult lifestate either permanently or temp and vice versa. Also allow for Vampire sims to improve their sun/garlic resistance with potions or have merfolk not need to hydrate as often.
For expansion packs definitely island living. Mermaids need a system like vampires (and so could aliens from GTW) so you have to work for your abilities of the occults including the kelps. Also for GP, ROM one thing that needs to change is how easy it is to become a spell caster with that search because it’s on one lot instead of on multiple areas in other worlds or at least in Glimmerbrooke. It should feel like a bit of a reward and not just a very easy task. .
For expansion packs definitely island living. Mermaids need a system like vampires (and so could aliens from GTW) so you have to work for your abilities of the occults including the kelps. Also for GP, ROM one thing that needs to change is how easy it is to become a spell caster with that search because it’s on one lot instead of on multiple areas in other worlds or at least in Glimmerbrooke. It should feel like a bit of a reward and not just a very easy task. .
I think EA should rather link among packs. They should have special/extra functions if we have 2 or more specific packs.
Get to Work should get a massive retail overhaul and better aliens. Get Famous either needs apartments or a whole new neighbourhood. Island Living could use a skill tree for mermaids.
While they’re at it, they should also enable ocean swimming in all old worlds, turn Granite Falls and Selvadorada into livable worlds and add matching bunk beds to old packs like Discover University and Tiny Living.
I don’t want Granite Falls and Selvadorada as livable worlds, but making their waters swimmable would help. OR needs a major overhaul. Add rock climbing, nature trails, bird watching, and I agree with them above the survivalist features with engaging the Hermit more. Also make the Hermit life state start as an Adult instead of an Elder so they live longer. I also agree with you on the matching bunkbeds. That is a simple and easy fix.
Island Living also needs its own Aspiration, besides the beach one, like one similar to the Vampire and magic ones, same for Get to Work and Aliens
I agree with all of what you say, but the thing that drives me even more insane, is the fact that we still cannot make real apartment buildings, or even apartments outside of San Myshuno and possibly University dorms. I mean it was the very last pack in sims 3 and tecnically should have been in basegame 4 along with pools, toddlers and many other things we had to wait for once again! They have failed us over and over again and I honestly don’t see things changing with sims 5, don’t even get me started on the object babies! My hopes are leaning more towards Paralives these days, and I can easily see it being number one in the next few years. As for sims 4, they seriously need to do something big because they are killing this franchise if they think a few fixes are going to save this sinking ship.
TnT_Terry
There are quite a lot of things I miss in the sims 4 game. I understand the concept that if the developers wanted to give us everything we had in sims 2 and 3, they could have stuck to those two games. They wanted to give us a better game, with fewer bugs. They might have succeeded in that, BUT they lacked completely in giving us a game with substance. There are very few things our sims can do together. I really miss the ability to “jam” with other sims. Yes, the option is in the pie menu, but is nothing different than ordinarily playing an instrument. That is frustrating…. I expected so much more.
Why can’t kids jump on the couch or a bed? They love to do that in real life. They have very few games they can play together with kids their age. Again, there is an option to “play make believe” which if I remember correctly was an option we had in sims 3. Give them a chest to dress up and make the play real.
I would to have more options in the conversations pie menu. If a parent ask about a school day, surely there will be a follow up conversation. It is awful to have the whim to be friendly with your child but you have so little to talk about. Even the sim’s partner. Why should you have a whim to get to himher better, if you have built a family together? Why can they not discuss with one another the moods of a teen going through a phase, or a toddler misbehaving. It should not be difficult at all for them to build this into an ordinary update. after playing the sims for so many years, it is quite boring not to have meaningful conversations .
But, I am quite fond of the sims 4, and do hope that the refreshment they promise us will not disappoint.
Fix the job one’s where you run a restaurant or a pet vet. Polish up the glitches where people do leave after they finish their food. Maybe have the option to **kick customers out**. And maybe a cheat where you can instantly improve your workers job skills.
Another idea is being a landlord and charging rent to roommate’s. Might be ideal for running college dorms or apartments.
Last but not least, maybe have the option for a specific sim to be mayor….or maybe have the option for a created sim to be mayor.
Have divorces where one member gets most alimony or a sim having to pay child support. Maybe throw in shared custody if possible (of course have the option to turn off this setting).
Most of these ideas I was throwing out for if they made a Sims 5.
What I would love more than a refresh right now would be for a lot of the decorative stuff to have a function than to look nice like what they did with the stacks of books because there are still objects that look like bookshelves but aren’t for some reason as well as other decorative stuff that looks like it should have a gameplay function but it doesn’t.
I feel like other players than just me would like it if they did and plus it could help add more stuff to some of the DLCs.
Get to Work you completely forgot to mention the Aliens. They need to be enhanced, bring back some of the features from TS3 like how they eat and recharge. Also there should be a lot on Sixam where you could visit an Alien house. The party for the Scientist at level 10 the décor is whack, it should be alien décor not flea market finds. Also all the drinks and foods should be alien, especially using the ingredients from alien plants. The music should be alien music not music you find on the Sims world. And the alien flowers should be integrated with Seasons so you can make floral arrangements with them.
Even if the aliens from Sixam are from another planet than the aliens in TS3 & TS2 then at least let them be unique and have unique abilities beyond the simple abilities they have in TS4. Heck they introduced an entire SW game pack with aliens and had the opportunity to really build up aliens but instead they made them all costumes. SMH
Seasons they should add the life form PlantSims with features from TS2 & TS3 and built upon TS2 how they can reproduce by shaking a new plantsim out of their head. And TS3 how they looked, went to ground, how Scientists can make a forbidden fruit or male PlantSims can plant a seed with a regular Sim. They should look like a PlantSim and not like a green sim. If not in Seasons, then Cottage Living was another opportunity to introduce the full life state of PlantSims.
ToadSims – Cottage Living was the appropriate pack to introduce ToadSims especially with the new interactive pond features. You can grow extra large plants and oh BTW you can do xyz to the ponds and it could convert frogs/toads on a log into ToadSims. Maybe the fertilizer from the oversized plants runs off into the ponds and creates ToadSims.