Is it worth it?

[Dino Martin]

I have been playing the sims 2 since it came out and am a huge fan. However i have never played the sims 3 and so i ask you fellow simmers. Should i buy the sims 3? This i think would be helpful for all those debating a purchase but feel like its to similiar to The sims 2

[Smashed Cat]

Well, Sims 3 is definitely better with at least one or two expansion or stuff packs, but the Sims 2 has similar EPs and SPs. I prefer the graphics so much more as well compared to Sims 2. It is also easier to find more mods and downloads for Sims 3 now, since it is up to date. To be honest, it's up to you. If you're a frugal person, I'd stick with Sims 2. If your computer is already laggy from your Sims 2, I'd just stick with what you have. But if you want to upgrade and enjoy the few interesting differences between the two, go for Sims 3. Or if you really don't care either way, I suggest a thrilling game of Eenie Meeny Miney Moe. Not really helpful, but it gives you more to think about than someone just replying "Go for Sims 3".

[Srikandi]

We have a pinned thread that will probably answer your questions: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=348342 Plenty of opinions to choose from!

As for whether it's worth it, unsurprisingly, you'll find that the people in this forum prefer TS3, while the people in the TS2 forum... prefer TS2 ;) Matter of taste, in other words. You just have to get the information and form your own opinion, in relation to your own personal preferences. Three EP-packed years after TS3's release though, you won't find too many people who are still on the fence ;)

[Dino Martin]

I find it easier putting together my opinion by using that of omani others

[kewpie]

You just missed the 4th of July Sale at Amazon. Sorry I didn't post it. It was just the base game for 9.99.

If you aren't sure if it's worth it, why not wait for a sale and get it cheap so you don't lose as much. Amazon has the digital downloads super cheap during holidays - my next guess is September during Labor Day.

[Will Galen]

Or you could just wait for Sims 4.

I've bought the Sims 1, 2, and 3, but I'm thinking of bypassing 4 and waiting for five because once EA finally gives us a complete game, they move on to the next number. So then you are playing another game that's not complete. The way I play I never go back and play old games, so it makes sense for me.

As for yourself, my advice is instead of asking people what you should do, decide for yourself. You know what you like and how you play, so research the game and look at a lot of pictures etc.

[Sunshine021]

It's up to you... but this probably isn't the right place to ask, as you're going to get several sets of very biased answers, usually going against The Sims 3 from a Sims 2 players point of view. I would read up more on the game on a neutral site like Wikipedia, watch videos of it on YouTube and form your own opinion from there. That's what I do when I'm deciding on whether I wanna buy another expansion pack or not.

The best thing you could possibly do is not anticipate it being a complete and utter re-hash of The Sims 2. A lot of people do that, and now they resent TS3 because of it. It's a sequel, not a direct copy.

Or you could just wait for Sims 4.

I've bought the Sims 1, 2, and 3, but I'm thinking of bypassing 4 and waiting for five because once EA finally gives us a complete game, they move on to the next number. So then you are playing another game that's not complete. The way I play I never go back and play old games, so it makes sense for me.

:blink: You're assuming they're even gonna go that far. Four's probably a given, but five??

[Dino Martin]

I think it's best hearing from sims 3 fans seeing why they are fans etc

[Artimis]

Well I am a big fan of sims 2 but am noy much of a fan of sims 3. It rather depends on what you want for your game, like sims 2 you can do allot with it but it is more complicated to do, cc is limited for some time periods, lack of poseboxs and animation.

[lisfyre]

Depends on a lot things. Are you a player for the most part? Do you need a gazillion mods for your game to work your way? Do you use a ton of CC? Are you just a builder? Are you a creator? Again, depends on what you want from your game.

In Sims 2, I liked playing and building equally so I had fun with that game. I only ever downloaded 3rd party CC and played or built. I never used mods in Sims 2.

In Sims 3, I find myself doing more playing than building although I've been starting to build a lot more lately - if RL doesn't get in the way. I don't play a modded game, just strictly Store and 3rd party CC and I find my game running well. About 5 - 7 min load time from start to lot (until I ran into 1.36 patch but I'm trying to see what can be done to fix that). So no complaints from this Sims 3 fan - overall. I do miss a lot of things I got used to in Sims 2 but I'm sure EA will come around and bring them into the game eventually. Things like weather, swimming in the ocean, diving boards, pool slides, etc., Of course on the other hand, if you're a CC whore like me, you just need to download meshes cause you can recolour everything in game and not have to grab a kajillion recolours of 1 item. The downside to that is, you will end up downloading more patterns and textures and that will be the bulk of your CC much more than the build/buy objects... or about the same ratio. I've got 13GB+ and counting worth of Store and 3rd party CC ... so far :)

[Phoeberg]

I think it really depends on you. I own both games and each game has its own pros and cons, so it depends what you enjoy most and what you want out of your game. Personally I do enjoy both, although I probably enjoy The Sims 2 fractionally more. It depends on what I'm in the mood to play. But if I hadn't bought The Sims 3 I'd always be wondering what the game would be like; in other words I guess you'll never know unless you try The Sims 3. At least the game isn't as expensive as it was when it first came out. If you try just the base game then you won't have lost that much, and if you enjoy it then you can always buy the expansion packs later. Only you can really decide!

[taizhu]

I think its a toss up. I played sims 1, 2 and 3 and enjoyed each for slightly different reasons. I really played TS1--didn't download a lot of content and really loved it.

I found that I really "needed" to download content for TS2. The EA clothes and hairs were not good. While I enjoyed what the EPs brought to the game, I rarely "played". I spent most of my time making machinima.

With TS3, I spend all my time "playing". I create legacy families and move them from world to world. I did not play like this in TS2. Now, I don't make machinima. First, I find the lighting and tools lacking compared with TS2. Also, I have problems with my video card with the TS3 when trying to film HD video.

Basically, once I tried the open neighborhoods and personality system, I found it impossible to return to TS2. I enjoy being part of a thriving sim community. Also, occasionally, the trait system delivers hilariously quirky sims that are funny on their own (other sims have boring personalities). Also, CAS is so much better with all the sliders, etc.

I find that I need less CC in TS3 than TS2. The only custom furniture I need is clutter and grungy stuff (since EA doesn't seem to believe in dirty people or dirty neighborhoods). EA has also become much better at clothes. So now I rarely download clothes anymore. My only gripe with TS3 is that it lacks many of the animations and objects that were in TS2--like the Japanese tea set, the OFB ticket machines, etc. Also, the Create-a-World system is a bit clunky. If you want to create a completely custom neighborhood, it is much more difficult in TS3.

Overall, I think TS3 is a better platform. It just feels more like a thriving environment. BUT, the game can sometimes feel boring because it lacks the variety of animations that we see in TS2. When this happens I switch to another game for a month or so, or wait for the next EP to come out.

Will you like TS3? Maybe. Maybe no. Some love it, some hate it. However, if you are asking if it is worth a try...of course it is.

[chreai]

I think what you need is a little comparison shopping! So here's my comparison between Sims 2 and Sims 3. The Sims 2 is a lot of fun and has a lot (more?) to offer in the way of EPs and some SPs. For instance, you have OFB, University, Seasons, and a whole SP full of holiday stuff, which I thought was awesome. I also enjoyed the Bon Voyage EP better than TS3's WA because you could pick from different hotels to stay in instead of having to go to a solitary base camp. I also liked that in TS2 you could go into the restaurants to eat instead of disappearing into a RH. And other little things, like when Sims got into their cars to go somewhere, you would actually see them pulling out of the driveway, instead of clicking a button on their car remote and the car appears out of thin air. :rolleyes:
On the other hand, TS3 has better graphics, an open world (no loading! yay! :up: ), story progression (i.e. when your Sims age up, so does everyone else in the neighborhood!), more life stages, better (read: improved) life states (no aliens tho :cry: ), and let's not forget the thing that totally sold me on the game--being able to customize your Sims with their own unique personalities! As I've stated before in other threads, if it were not for that particular feature (and partially for story progression), I would probably still be playing TS2. A lot of people are a bit dissatisfied with some of the EPs for TS3, but I find features in every single one that I end up enjoying when I thought I wouldn't. I wasn't really thrilled about Generations or Showtime, but bought them anyway mostly for the new stuff (because I am a greedy CC whore :lol:). But I found that I actually enjoyed all the new gameplay for kids and teens in Generations and the new careers in ST. As far as the other EPs, I love WA for its tomb exploration (and tomb creation!); Ambitions for its new careers (ghost hunting and firefighting are my absolute faves); Late Night for the clubs, bands and vamps; and Pets for the, well, pets! :lol: but mostly for the horses, unicorns, and collectable wildlife. There are a lot of other reasons why I like TS3, but to be honest, I wouldn't raise TS3 higher than TS2 in playability. I love TS2 just as equally as TS3, for different reasons. Anyway, hope my opinion helped somewhat and I wish you luck in whatever you decide! Cheers! :beer:

[Dino Martin]

i think it is time perhaps to move on to sims 3 when i get my new computer. I thank all of you for helping me sway towards sims 3 however since it will be a few weeks till i can get it please contiune posting as thanks to you lot im going to buy it but firstly some people are still on the fence and i find it interesting learning why its better than sims 2