Yea! EA took back all the kits! They're gone! Just like my $5!

YIKES! What is going on?

Did they give back the money?

Of course not! First rule of Acquisition.

It appears to be ok for me this morning. Maybe it's sorted for you too now? If not check your home page and personal details as once it was that that needed sorting out for me.

Deju Vu?

Also, it’s always interesting how Morocco gets the pick out of all the Middle Eastern/North African cultures out there ever since TS2. I wonder if it’s essentially the politically-safe pick that’s also ‘aesthetic-enough’ for Western eyes.

I also wonder if they’ll do another three-kit release once they release more info coming up?

I still can't believe they're milking this. People make better quality CC sets for FREE!

Moroccan inspired designs have existed as far back as the Sims 2 base game. Moroccan architecture is pretty easy to blend into other architectural styles and a lot of mileage can be gotten out of many of the pieces that aren't inherently Moroccan (like columns and arches). Many items can easily blend in with a Spanish Colonial style home. The issue is finding a place to use it all. We've never had a Moroccan town.

Compare that to this store set. What can I do with this outside of this exact set?

Dunno why, but the cover arts gives me Lucky Palms vibes.

*Deep sighs to reminiscene* Does anyone else remembers the days, where we didn't have to worry about a specific feature being drop of their tables, for a possible premium, because there was never a thought of it arising controverst? Nowadays, we get a certain representative (*cough* bald gay dude) of the company, that exploits ppl with gambling, tell teens that virtual slot machines are uncool and so passive you'll die of boredom watching the virtual people's money (simoleons) put on stake in exchange for more or nothing. I digress

But yeah, in terms of items - Monte Vista for some reason deja vu.

The only way I would buy this "Moroccan" kit is if someone creates very very close sim resemblances of Boggy and Bergman and therefore I can play my own version of Casablanca. (I'd have a different outcome, tho.)

If you waiting on next announcement to find what it includes, its already obvious. You only have to look and see what you don't have, this is the 2nd kit to revolve around objects, and last one only including 13 objects (15 if you count the 2 floors)

I could spot 12 of the expected Objects

Here what you get:

1. A New Fountain
2. A Pot Plant
3. Another Pot Plant
4. A Living Chair
5 A Sofa
6 A Floorlight
7 A Walllight
8 a Coffee table
9 A Door
10 A Window
11 A Deco Teapot
12 An Endtable
13. ??

It's sounds basically like Perfect Patio Stuff all over again, minus the Hottub and CAS stuff.

I think 1.) Having a grid-based, repeating modularity (not relying on unique elements that blend into each other), 2.) Concentrated decorations (tiling & detail is contained in each module), and 3.) Being domestically iconic yet Spanish-adjacent is what sets the Maghrebi styles ahead of others.

As a contrasting example, I find that Art Nouveau rarely works in the Sims, simply due to the fact that it often possesses eccletic elements that flow into each other, and are often not necessarily aligned to grids. So unless you're willing to place a lot of things off-level and off-grid, and use the scaling tool in TS4, the average casual player ends up with something that *has* Art Nouveau elements, but still doesn't feel 'Art Nouveau'.



Unfortunately it looks like that set has stencils baked onto the texture (requiring a mod to remove them), but otherwise with a bit of CaST, the general forms could work well as a mid-mod 60s-era set.

I'm running a Victorian game right now - some of the Moroccan stuff would fit in with that quite well. It's a flexible design style.

Art Nouveau has NEVER worked in this game. I’m 100% unsure why they chose to add it in again. Sure, it’s fun to look at but they make it so hard to use. Even the default builds leave so much more to be desired. That’s not of any fault to EAxis: Every other architectural style in TS4 looks the part, even when poorly executed. The assets provided simply don’t lend themselves to the style. They should have gone Gothic. It’s easier to interpret in the engine.



And it’s still overly niche.

I think this is a fundamental issue with Art Nouveau in the Sims series- the Sims build mode works through modulation & repeating elements locked onto defined levels, while Art Nouveau is full of bespoke, freeflowing elements that are usually not modular, but which combine/interlock into a more sculptural form.

While there are some forms of Art Noveau that might work better (i.e. the cast iron versions, which do have that modularity), they usually still have lots of ornementation, and are integrated into more typical stone builds- something like this isn't easy to make:



And despite some good work, most TS4 houses still end up looking like Victorians with Art Nouveau elements:

Part of that is due to EAxis not giving themselves the tools to built Art Nouveau home. It would be best saved for a the addition of some additional build doors, which can purposefully serve the style:

- Staircase Prefabs (L, U, W, T, Curved, Grand, and/or Spiral)
- Multistory Windows
- Curved (Convex or Concave) Walls

These are missing, and Art Nouveau bulls looks obscure without them and it would make them harder to be considered Victorian.

Mr. No dog houses officier ofc.

My point was a joke, of how ironic that he tweeted that said content would raise a T rating and deems would not be cool (much like talking toilets heehee) for younger generations, when he's a mouth of a company that's all about targetting toddler games to entice and encourage gambling addiction of the players. Not really salty, bug just thought of throwing thus punchlkne

Not only that- the series really needs more unthemed architectural building blocks that can be added to facades to help break up their form, the ability to detach walls & ceilings from pre-set levels like foundations, and even a move from a 1-meter building grid to a 0.5-meter one.

At the moment, the game still really prioritizes most spaces being functional, and this results in a rather coarse architectural language which results in many builds still feeling boxy.

That being said, friezes, half-walls, pilasters, free window & object placement, and customizable roofs were definitely a big improvement over TS3, but there's still room for more freedom.

I would love actual columns, and not fence posts columns. The game, even as it is, is capable of much more than it's giving us. Honestly, just the ability to actively select when I add siding to end ended of a wall would be perfect. There's so much that could even just be basic decorative pieces would be amazing.

Ngl, those sets want to me to jump back to TS3 Yeah, I'm still dreaming to invest in a new computer for Simming my favorite Sim games.

I do like the new items. Glad they added this little kit. Would be nice if they added a Yemenite kit to add on. So colorful. And there are several Yemenite steps that are added to traditional dances. (The Yemenite Hop is my favorite, I think.) Maxis can add a lot of flavor to the game with just a few items. I love the new kits. I hope to see more of them in the future. (edit Forgot to mention that I love using Moroccan and traditional Spanish architecture to my desert homes. Alhambra is an amazing structure. I would love to see a town based on Medieval Jerusalem. Their medical care was so amazing that several Jewish doctors traveled to Europe and advised the nobility. I read about it years ago. Although Saladin's palace would be amazing, I think a little later time period would work better. Why do we need a Moroccan world when there are so many other choices. :D

Welp. City living wants it's content back.



Objects?:

Like how Gigi's Neck Of The Woods said:

"Instead of calling them kits, why not call them what they are - LEFTOVERS"

I was wrong, there are 24 items (26 if you include the extra lamps).