Should I buy OFB?

[Magicmoon]

I don't have much of an interest in home businesses so I passed on OFB. But I also know that other major benefits often come with an EP. I know there were several benefits of owning UNI even if you never actually use the college.

So what are the best and worse aspects of OFB?

Since all the mods are being made OFB compatible, what are the chances that none of the new hacks for the next exansion will work for me if I skip putting OFB in the game? In other words, should I buy it JUST because mods for future EPs won't work without it?

I appreciate your opinions. Thanks.

[sanmonroe]

*COUCH COUGH HACK TORRENT HACK*****

Excuse me. Something in my throat.

[holly]

what is jm said , get ofb dont pay for it

[Nec]

Agreed

[Ancient Sim]

I should probably have done that coughing thing (did that with TS1 to try it out, but then I bought it because the cough ones were the American version - same would apply to TS2, I suppose) because I have to admit I don't really like OFB, but I'd be concerned that without it the game wouldn't work properly when further expansions came out.  It's OK, but it's just too much messing about for me and it's so repetitive and monotonous.  Definitely on a par with Houseparty for yawn value.  But that's just me, I know there are some who like it.  I still have fingers left over after counting them, though.

BRING BACK MAKIN' MAGIC.

[Xuriel]

Well, unlike University and Nightlife, OFB doesn't really have that much extra perks not related to the main theme, basically everything in OFB is geared towards businesses, so if you're not interested in that aspect you'll just get a lot of ugly clothing and accesories, mostly hideous decorations, some new hairstyles and various annoyances that will require several of the hacks available here in order not to lose your mind.  I also found it to be more demanding on my computer which was on the low end of the original system requirements.

I can't comment on the hacks issue, I only use hacks from this site and there's always been great availability of files for people without the latest expansion pack. My suggestion would be to wait, maybe there won't be any need to get it after all.

[Paperbladder]

OFB's comparable to Nightlife in terms of gameplay.  Most of the things added are related to running businesses, so if you're really not interested in running businesses with at least 1 or 2 of your sims you should pass.  Unlike the other expansions, it's 1 CD so you feel cheated in paying $35 for it.

BitTorrent is your friend.

[Magicmoon]

Thank you everyone for your help. It is greatly appreciated.

And for those of you with sore throats, I know how it is to be caught in a Bit of TORRENTial rain.

[jrd]

Leaving aside piracy for a while,

getting FFS (and patching it!) is basically upgrading your codebase to OFB, you just won't have businesses available. But you will have the majority of the same code and thus can use all new Pescado mods.

[anyeone]

Confucious say, admitting to intellectual property theft (or breaking any other law for that matter) on a public message board is rather... unwise.

If you're going to do it, that's your decision, but what if someone reading this works in an industry where they would be obligated to report it?

[Magicmoon]

Thanks Jordi, that's something I definately didn't know. What about this new system though where I see the city owning the houses, having a city hall, etc. Is that important to game play? Or is that something that FFS puts in for you?

[Magicmoon]

Confucious say, admitting to intellectual property theft (or breaking any other law for that matter) on a public message board is rather... unwise.

If you're going to do it, that's your decision, but what if someone reading this works in an industry where they would be obligated to report it?

This is not something that I have decided to do. In fact my question was "buy". However, I refuse to be rude to those who have offered their help in another way. Each person should make up their own mind and I find no problem with those who offer such advice. That is what free speech is all about. As far as anyone who wishes to report such posts to "authorities", I believe that all such "authorities" are aware of these programs and should they wish to close them down would be better off doing so from the sites that offer such service rather than spying on private citizens and worrying about what they may say on the message boards.

[kutto]

Thanks Jordi, that's something I definately didn't know. What about this new system though where I see the city owning the houses, having a city hall, etc. Is that important to game play? Or is that something that FFS puts in for you?

That is a system made up by JadeEliott. You need nightlife (for familyfunds cheat) or Pescado's money order in order to do it. Basically, you have to do all that by yourself. The game isn't smart enough to do all that.

[Magicmoon]

Oh, I saw all these pictures where when someone clicks on a house it said something like "owned by city, rent $24,550" and I think a sale price also. I figured that would have to be something hard-wired into the game somewhere along the line. As I have up to nightlife I thought it was added with OFB or maybe FFS- although I thought that the FFS EP was just items, not game changes.

As far as that system, I thought that was kind of like something I made for myself. I use Moniques computer to give them a loan when they need a larger house. Then they spend the next few years paying it off just like we do in real life. I try to never let my sims have a free ride and I like the fact that they are charged interest on their loan.

[BlueSoup]

There is a system with OFB that will tell you how much the house is worth in the build mode.

[Magicmoon]

There is a system with OFB that will tell you how much the house is worth in the build mode.

Well, now that is something usable. I always hated it when trying to build a starter home having to leave the screen, check the price, go back in, delete some stuff, lather rinse repeat until I got the home under $20k. Only thing I never understood with that system though. If the house was currently running $20,500 and I went in and deleted a $500 item, then checked the price I would find that the new price was now $20,250 or some such number. I never understood why the value didn't decrease in the same amount as the stuff deleted.

[anyeone]

Confucious say, admitting to intellectual property theft (or breaking any other law for that matter) on a public message board is rather... unwise.

If you're going to do it, that's your decision, but what if someone reading this works in an industry where they would be obligated to report it?

This is not something that I have decided to do. In fact my question was "buy". However, I refuse to be rude to those who have offered their help in another way. Each person should make up their own mind and I find no problem with those who offer such advice. That is what free speech is all about. As far as anyone who wishes to report such posts to "authorities", I believe that all such "authorities" are aware of these programs and should they wish to close them down would be better off doing so from the sites that offer such service rather than spying on private citizens and worrying about what they may say on the message boards.

Umm... this has nothing to do with free speech, and I wasn't talking to you.  I was talking to the people who in this thread admitted to having committed intellectual property theft.

Would you post on a message board that you'd killed your neighbor?  Raped someone?  Those are far more serious crimes, sure, but IP theft is still a crime and to publicly admit to doing it is just plain stupid.  Sure, they have the right to say it - free speech and all.  But free speech does not protect you from the repercussions of your words.  Admitting to a crime can get you prosecuted.  To believe otherwise is foolishness.

[Magicmoon]

Point taken. But I didn't see anyone admitting to anything.

[liegenschonheit]

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirates life for me!

I like OFB, not just for the businesses (which I like, but you've already said you aren't interested in), but for all the objects that make building even normal community lots better. Also, for those that like building and furnishing community lots, OFB makes it so that you can use basically the same catalogue and almost all the items from residential mode, which makes the whole process much less of a chore, I think. Little perks like being able to put your food in the decrachill and not have it go bad before you eat it is nice too.

On an unrelated note, I thought I wasn't going to want to play businesses at all before I got the ep. Once I installed it, I realized that it makes a nice break in the monotony of regular sim-life. I don't have every sim start a business, but just one or two, then switch around.

I guess in the end I agree with what others are saying. Paying $35 for something you aren't really interested in probably isnt the best investment. If you are interested in 'aquiring' it, then you can go that route, or just wait till the next EP and get this one when the price has gone down a bit. As far as hacks go, from what I've seen, when the new EPs come out, the makers usually update the most complete version of the hack, so you might find yourself losing some good ones without OFB. Also, you might find yourself missing out on some things later on if you don't have all the interactions the new EP added, but that is just speculation.

[sanmonroe]

Point taken. But I didn't see anyone admitting to anything.

I killed my neighboor. Then I raped them. I then used their interweb connection to steal Metallica albums!!!

[Magicmoon]

Metallica? How could you. For shame.

[sanmonroe]

Well I wanted to have a trifecta of bad things.

Murder- Bad
Necrophiliac rape - Bad
Stealing stuff- Bad.

But stealing stuff wasn't quite up there. Then I realized that I could make it bad by downloading shitty music!

[Jysudo]

Point taken. But I didn't see anyone admitting to anything.

I killed my neighboor. Then I raped them. I then used their interweb connection to steal Metallica albums!!!

Nice one sammonroe. I just know you will rape them only when they are truly dead. It's not you if its not 

And anyeone,

Why do you care if anyone got prosecuted over their words? I don't think they appreciate your concern anyway.

[LynnMar]

I never did get OFB either and I was wondering the same thing,  will I have any problems using hacks when the next ep comes out if I don't get OFB?

I'm not sure if the answer was a yes or a no, as the thread kept going off in so many different directions.   

OFB is the first ex-pack that I never purchased,  I had all the sims1, even the goofy ones, like vacation.