Family Fun pack at *GRASPS* $20.00!

[radiophonic]

mmmm whats spore. sounds like a game i could play .

Google it, it sounds awesome and I for one, can't wait.

www.spore.com lol

Although I'm sure you'd enjoy Will Wright's presentation more than the web site: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8372603330420559198&q=spore

[Onion Girl]

Well, according to exchange rate sites (which are probably wrong. ) $20 in British money is about £11.52/47 or...something around £11. Which is (if correct) £1 more than the Holiday Pack was. Which is strange they'd price it higher, as it doesn't seem to have anything more than ugly, ugly objects and some uglier outfits.

At least the Holiday Pack had some new characters and meals, and party themes. (Yes, I bought the Holiday Pack, though, it wasn't worth as much as I paid for it I don't think.)

[Jysudo]

Don't need there are new interactions this time round. I read all the stuff regarding the family pack and there are only normal objects.
So in that sense, holiday pack is actually worth while ( ducks rotten eggs).

[Onion Girl]

Well, if you compare it to the Family Fun Pack, which as far as I can tell only has new items and clothing (some of the themes of which I find slightly creepy, I mean, what family wears matcing outfits, you just know there's something wrong there if they do...) and it seems, only vaguely appeal to people who like sea themed objects and clothes.

If the Holiday Pack was $15, then $20 for this one is just bull, utter bull.

[holly]

ok spore looks very cool . atho proberly a littke complex for me . i like games i can just get and play , like the sims its almost impossible to screw up.

the holiday pack is on amazon for £8 if they do an offter for that and the family pack for like £15 or somthing i might get it then  but im not happy about it

[witch]

I don't even want it enough to find it and download it. 

[radiophonic]

Since when do your sim kids have time to play anyways?

Mine come home, do homework, eat, nap, skill, sleep. Weekends you say? No, you skill.
No, you cannot be a kid in my sim household and therefore you may not have the "fun pack" now go to your room and study up on cooking. Don't come out until you're at least level 8.

[Ephraim]

Hah, that's how I treat my Sim-kids too.    Besides skilling for future age groups, I have no use for them.  I used to just skip the age group entirely, but I figured I might as well spend that time skilling and cleaning.  Every household needs a little slave--er, child.

The pack doesn't interest me.  I don't see myself using the outfits and little crowns on a regular basis.

[Jysudo]

Since when do your sim kids have time to play anyways?

Mine come home, do homework, eat, nap, skill, sleep. Weekends you say? No, you skill.
No, you cannot be a kid in my sim household and therefore you may not have the "fun pack" now go to your room and study up on cooking. Don't come out until you're at least level 8.

My sims have never reach max skills because I am always having the kids jump on the bed, sing at that machine, play games. Those bums need to work harder then ...

[anelca]

i just let the child sims run amok. so long as they bugger off to school to let their parents woohoo other sims, drink and play poker, i don't care about the skilling and such like

[Jysudo]

Jeez, ur families are so unhealthy...too much gambling, sex and drink.

[Zeljka]

I can't believe anyone who downloads cc would even consider buying the Family Pack. What I've seen of it so far is so crappy that if I'd downloaded it, it would have ended up in the recycle bin instantly.

Perhaps if Maxis included a way for us to delete their items (even if it only the textures so they don't clog up the options) I would be more tempted to try their stupid boosters, but for now, I already have way too much ugly Maxis stuff in my game and I'm only at University...

My Sim kids spend a lot of time skilling too and while I occasionally use the 'chain training' to cheat them along, even those without talented parents get a day or two off to just be stupid. I can't imaging being bothered to dress them in costumes or crap just so they can play with a *gasp* newly shaped toybox... blech,

I was really hoping to see some new animations and options for toddlers and kids, but I guess I will continue to rely on CCcreators for that...

[Dark Trepie]

Heh.  I crack the whip on my younger sims when it comes to skilling too.

When they're toddlers, if they're not using the potty/drinking from a bottle/sleeping in a crib, then they're playing with the rabbit head.  Because Charisma is the one skill kids can't gain outside of career objects.  Body to a lesser extent, but I find swimming is a poor way to gain that skill.

When they become kids they go straight to the book case and start up on cooking/mechanical/cleaning.

When they become teens they usually at the least have five or six scholarships waiting for them.  And only after they get the other non-skill scholarships (dancing/pool/etc.) will I let them go outside and let them see the light of day.

They'll thank me later when they're in Uni and not broke.

[witch]

I'm just completely bored with skilling, when the toddlers hit child, I give them roughly 30% skill points, distributed to suit their personalities / stories. When sims become adult I give them about 75% skills and make them work for any extras they need to get to the top of the career tree. My sim children enjoy their childhood and build good relationships with their families.

I don't have time to sit and skill endless sims, I want to play the stories in my head. I do make them work for aspiration points, those things become part of the story. OFB is a bit irritating 'cos it has more endless skilling stuff. Then they're all skilled, then they die. Nah, too much like hard work. And the rabbit! I HATE the soundtrack - I always end up deleting the bloody rabbit, if I can keep the toddlers away long enough! 

Edit: Teens get 2-3 maxed skills and the rest a mixture of about 50%, again according to personality.

[ZiggyDoodle]

They'll thank me later when they're in Uni and not broke.

Right on Trepie.  Mine don't get off the hook in Uni, either - in their "spare" time they start earning talent badge on the crafting tables.

Come to think of it, I have a large private dorm filled with my YAs.  That place needs a salon chair. 

If the "makeovers" wind up looking like characters in the Star Wars bar scene, they'll easily fit in on campus.

[Jysudo]

Actually if you ask me, I think going to uni with $1500 only is more realistic. And it helps to pass the long hours in uni by getting ur sim to take on odd jobs like tutoring and such.
Going to uni with poor skills also helps to pass time by getting them to skill in uni.

Usually I just let them go into uni with 1-2 scholarships (for daily meals' expenses).

Maybe people complain that uni is boring because they send a highly skilled rich sim to school.

 

[witch]

Actually I tend to skimp on the teen romances, I often forget, so Uni is the time I try to get most of my sims partnered, my sims don't often break up after Uni, they usually have had a few boy or girl friends to try and have hopefully found a good match.

[Jysudo]

I try to give the young adults lots of sex, drink and skilling. Just like in RL before they settle down to one partner for life (some of them might cheat but that's stories for another day).

Witch, what's defined as a good match for you? Chemistry blots or good looks?

[J. M. Pescado]

I try to give the young adults lots of sex, drink and skilling. Just like in RL before they settle down to one partner for life (some of them might cheat but that's stories for another day).

The problem with that approach is that unlike with teen romances, anything you do in Uni sticks. You don't get a nice romance-reset on graduation, unlike with the standard teen age transition, so your sim will practically never snap out of it/get over it/etc.

So either you're going to be stuck with them until someone dies, or you'll have to break them up rather violently.

[Jysudo]

I prefer my teens to keep their loves too so I used TJ's hack for that. I mean its only realistic to remember ur loves especially those teen woo hoos.
So how violently did you break them up, JM? Run the unwanted lovers over with a tank?

And OT,
its amazing how those sims remember their first loves. The legacy heir had been dead for decades but the romance hubby is still fearful of falling out of love with the dead heir. How do you beat that? That fear has been consistently there. I was almost tempted to bring back the heir and have them fall out of love 

[witch]

Witch, what's defined as a good match for you? Chemistry blots or good looks?

I don't think I've ever had a sim couple with 3 bolts. Usually two bolts and a storyline fit, then maybe looks. There's always sim surgery after all! Sometimes the sims just make their own matches, I let them have those - you know, the sims that just seem to click together.

JM I don't mind that romance sticks after Uni, it's more like RL, even if they have to break up violently. Though that can be quite hard to engineer unless there's jealousy involved.

[anelca]

i'm beginning to think i don't take the game seriously enough

[radiophonic]

It's only a game, Anelca.

[Pegasys]

Like Jysudo, I send my teens to college with some skills and usually 1-3 scholarships, but I don't go for trying to max everything out ahead of time. Otherwise I feel like my Sim is racing through the game, and Permaplat a day or two after graduation doesn't appeal to me - even with OFB. Because then what's left? Primarily, children and businesses. Children are okay but I'm trying to enforce strict population control and thus not all Sims will have them. And likewise, not every Sim will have a business.

I actually found myself wanting to know what's in the next expansion pack. I have a charming, elderly permaplat Sim, highly skilled, well-established business, beautiful home - and I started thinking that wouldn't it be great if he could go on a vacation.... surely he's earned it...

Edited to add: I play all my Sims through to their grave, so having goals throughout the entire life of my Sim is very important in the way I play the game. I don't stop playing them when they turn Elder or delete them (even when I'm bored with them).

[mdrturner]

Just thought you might like to know that Family Fun is available for pre-order in the UK for £9.99 (plus £1.50 shipping).
Link:
http://shop.game.net/ViewProduct.aspx?cat=10404&mid=328485