Life Stories Welcome Package?

[lindaetterlee]

Anyone have this to share?

[KatEnigma]

Not yet, but since all you need to do is register the game to get it, I should have mine in the next couple hours. Just waiting on UPS to fling my copy against the door. 

Okay, Even zipped, the Karaoke Machine is too big to attach, so if anyone wants the downloads, PM me your email address.

[wishy-washy]

So is life stories worth buying?

[MsMaria]

Good question. $40? That's pretty steep. Although it is on sale at Frye's for a mere $32.99.

[KellyQ]

Good question. $40? That's pretty steep. Although it is on sale at Frye's for a mere $32.99.

Yeah, I'd like to know that too. I had briefly considered buying it until I saw the retail price. Amazon is selling it for $36.99.

If I buy any of these standalone games, I'd be more interested (I think) in the Castaway edition but I would like to hear what people think of this first edition.

[Orikes]

Forgive my ignorance, but Life Stories is coming with some items that can be used in the regular game?

[miros]

Doesn't sound like it.  They're "giving" a kareoke machine as a purchase incentive.

[lindaetterlee]

I too would like to to try it before i buy it. I have checked on bit torrent but haven't found it yet. Also checked usenext still nothing viable.

[J. M. Pescado]

Well, someone who gets it can see if it is affected by SimPE: If so, it will be potentially susceptible to ripping. There's no apparent reason why it would be grossly different outside of deliberate obfuscation.

[KatEnigma]

Actually, the downloads aren't even purchase incentives this time, they're registration incentives.  Karaoke, drums, and that glowing colored block.

So far, it seems to me that LifeStories is what TS2 should have been in the first place. Kinda TS2 2.0.  I haven't gotten much into it, but I'm playing Riley's story right now. Although most of the items are identical to what we've gotten in TS2, there seems to be some new wallpaper, floors, and objects. I can't tell how many until I've gone to the FreePlay mode and/or unlocked everything. There are also some things missing at this point- not every chair, desk, bed, etc. that we got even in the base game is included, unless they all show up later. I love all the shortcut keys, and- a true miracle, when she invited someone over and they showed up, she automagically canceled out of the painting she was doing to greet him. 

At this point, the only cons, to me, are that the goals don't roll over fast enough- at first, it was one after another, but it's slowed WAY down now to what looks like 1 per day. And my Sim got the want to get a job before she unlocked the goal to get a job, so it didn't let her get a job as soon as I'd have liked- okay, it was only like a 3 Sim hour delay from when I tried, but it meant she couldn't go to work until the 3rd day I played her. I suspect there also may be a cap to how many relationship points you can earn, since she kept talking/flirting/hugging someone and HE was racking up points, but she didn't budge beyond a certain point. Whether that was a bug or "feature," I don't know. 

Is it worth $40? Hmmmm. If you liked the idea of basic gameplay of the console versions, but like me, hated the controls of it, then yes. I like having the goals to reach and things to unlock. If you're not into that, then you have to decide if new hotkeys and some different objects and things are worth $40 plus not having all the downloads and cheats (yet, at least.) I don't know if I'll buy the Pets one, and I suspect EP5 will be a remade Vacation, so I'm not sure about Castaways either. But it's early on in the game, yet.  For someone who doesn't have TS2, I'd probably suggest it OVER TS2, though. Especially since it comes with the basic features of NL and some things thrown in from all the EPs except maybe Pets. Heck, it even has the gamer career from Seasons.

[Simsbaby]

I just really want that one new TV that Riley can unlock.

[Orikes]

I don't know if I'll buy the Pets one, and I suspect EP5 will be a remade Vacation, so I'm not sure about Castaways either. But it's early on in the game, yet. 

Isn't Seasons EP 5? Do you mean EP 6 will be a redo on Vacation?

[KatEnigma]

I don't know if I'll buy the Pets one, and I suspect EP5 will be a remade Vacation, so I'm not sure about Castaways either. But it's early on in the game, yet.

Isn't Seasons EP 5? Do you mean EP 6 will be a redo on Vacation?

  Okay, I can't count so maybe no one should listen to me.  But yes, I suspect that the Fall EP will be a redo on Vacation.  They finally admitted a couple months ago that they plan the Fall EPs to be something familiar and then the Spring one something new, and there has been some concentration on vacation destinations in the last few surveys I saw (not counting the recent Pets Console one) And Castaways is supposed to come out next winter. *shrug* Like I said, just a guess, but there are reasons for it. 

[Assmitten]

And is that the end for Sims 2? I heard buzzbuzz awhile ago about Sims 3. Or I wonder if they're going to spin off into these storyline ones.

[SaraMK]

The latest on Sims 3 is at (in Spanish, translation by Google) http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.elmundo.es%2Fnavegante%2F2007%2F02%2F05%2Fjuegos%2F1170672407.html&langpair=es%7Cen&hl=en&safe=off&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools

It states that Sims 3 is a reality, but no planned release dates yet. It also says that there will be more EPs past Seasons.

[sintrinity]

I wasn't going to buy it - sounded like the consoles too much for me and they usually disappoint but....  I was bored waiting for seasons and so I dl'ed it from EALink.  I have to admit I am impressed with some of the features even though the "stories" are a bit tedious to get through. 

That I have noticed so far -
On the good side -

-It has a built-in Macrotastics that makes it soooo much easier to play - "G" greets guests, "H" makes them go find food, "K" makes them clean, etc.  Not nearly so much pointing and clicking. 

-The shrubs and flowers are "always perfect" (no more daily gardener and having to place them just right so they can be trimmed). 

-There seems to be a few new careers and items to check out.

-Whoever built the premade houses seems to have actually played the game before and they are set up reasonably well.

-They never did "What's this?"

On the bad side -

- The stories are obviously to teach newcomers the game and can't really be sped through just to unlock stuff and go to freeplay.  For example - relationships will get "froze" until a certain time that the next event happens regardless of what you do.

- Lots of stuff is missing (people who really get into decorating will be disappointed unless/until some cc comes out). 

I finished Riley's story and started Vincents but haven't really done freeplay to raise kids etc although I did have to go through one pregnancy (which took a lot of sim maintenance just like in Sims 2).  Overall, it looks like alot of the micromanagement/annoyances to keep the stupid sims alive is gone so you can focus more on making a story for them.  I am enjoying it but I really think I will tire of it fairly quickly.

[J. M. Pescado]

Has anyone tried doing a serious tire kick on it? Is there an objects.package, for instance?

[KatEnigma]

I did get a What's This, but only on one lot, and never when I added something new- just when I didn't have Riley busy enough when she went to the Boutique- she suddenly was obsessed with the flowers. 

I'm glad I'm not the only one wondering why they bothered to have a tutorial, when the stories just lead you through everything. I think there could have been some improvement there- at least in the console versions, it's a little more complex. *shrug* But it's okay. I'm up to Riley's pregnancy now, I haven't tried Vincent yet.

I was impressed by Riley's house, too. Usually the Maxis houses are impossible to live in, but these are okay. I do wish that they'd added a grill or something to more of the community lots, though.

I couldn't tire kick it if I tried, but it does have an objects.package

[SaraMK]

I don't have the game yet, but I got the bonus items.

The downloaded files (.SimsLSPack) can be unpacked using CleanInstaller (at which point they become plain ol' .package files), and can be opened in SimPE. Nothing about them is unusual or different that I can see. SimPE could display everything, including previewing the mesh with the texture on it.

I guess I could try and see if I can make them show up in the game.

[J. M. Pescado]

My guess is that it'd be a trivial OBJD flip. I'm not entirely keen on the hand-holding gameplay, though. It is obviously not for those of us who are awesome.

[dizzy]

From what I've read, LS is basically Sims 2 Lite, intended for people using older computers or laptops. Definitely not for people who are Awesome.

[KatEnigma]

My guess is that it'd be a trivial OBJD flip. I'm not entirely keen on the hand-holding gameplay, though. It is obviously not for those of us who are awesome.

They basically said that in the Podcast they released about it. Apparently, there are people out there who might want to play Sims but are "intimidated" by the open-endedness of it, so they put in a couple stories to give them something to follow.  I think it was a good idea, but as usual, the execution was weak. They type of gamer they are after doesn't want something they can basically "finish" in 2 days. That's also why they said there won't be an exchange and they're not encouraging CC- they will supply the additional downloads, no doubt by taking all the objects from TS2 they didn't already put into the game and doling them out over time.

Just like making it "laptop friendly" was a good idea, but as far as I can tell, the way they achieved that was by forcing the game down to what idiots with the average laptop or older computer should have been running at anyway- no more than 4 at a party and no larger than a 3x3 lot, and automatically in Windows mode.

It would be nice, though, if the hotkeys and improved AI would show up in Seasons or something.

[Ambular]

Pes, someone at MTS2 said they checked it out and the files look functionally almost identical to TS2 stuff and can be opened and ID'd with Clean Installer...

[J. M. Pescado]

From what I've read, LS is basically Sims 2 Lite, intended for people using older computers or laptops. Definitely not for people who are Awesome.

Light? If it's so LIGHT, why does it demand a bigger system than TS2 did?

Pes, someone at MTS2 said they checked it out and the files look functionally almost identical to TS2 stuff and can be opened and ID'd with Clean Installer...

Anything cool in the game that TS2 doesn't already have?

[Ambular]

Pes, someone at MTS2 said they checked it out and the files look functionally almost identical to TS2 stuff and can be opened and ID'd with Clean Installer...

Anything cool in the game that TS2 doesn't already have?

Just the registration incentives that I know of so far, but IIRC he (Numenor?  I think?) said the game *does* appear to be susceptible to modding and custom content, contrary to previous reports.