1. DEFINITELY FreeTime of course, i just got it today, so i could be a little partial...but i just love that my sims now have stuff to do beyond just skill points, which can get tiresome. I also love the best friends relationship status, and the fact that toddlers can interact, i've been waiting for that one for a while, lol.

2. Seasons. I've had it so long that i can't remember which interactions came specifically with it...but i do like the season specific benefits, especially fall.

3. the rest of them kindof mingle together...but i like the Young Adult age group from University. and i like the cats from Pets. unfortunately, i'm not too fond of OfB and Nightlife. it just takes so long to load community lots! If i even use OfB it's for home businesses, or restaurants, for some reason i like running restaurants and will sacrifice the time to load. *shrug*

My first choice would have to be seasons for sure, i love that my sims can grow their own food, or fish for their own food.

Second would have to bee free time. It gets a little annoying with all of the phone calls I get when one of my sims gains interest in a hobby, but other than that i love the new objects especially the custom car kit, so much cheaper than a normal car, and my sims made it themselves!

I think that my top favourites would be Seasons, Free Time, Bon Voyage and Nightlife. In that order. :3

1. University.
Don't have this EP, so I can't really say anything about it. But the whole spending ages on Uni thing sounds rather boring to me... even though the Cowplant is awesome, and so are the instruments. Young Adult stage... ehh. Sims lives last too long for me already.

2. Nightlife.
Yay, yay, triple yay! I've always liked this EP very much. It adds a lot of cool things, especially chemistry and dates etc. Being a hopeless romantic, I love that this was added. Vampires are also awesome, and cars, I suppose. I'm not a big car freak and never use them, but whatever. 8D Apart from these features, I can't exactly remember if anything else was added to NL. Compared to other EPs it does pale a bit, I think. Oh, the gypsy! It's always funny to see what kind of blind date she gives you...

3. Open For Business.
When I just got this EP I adored it. I thought it added a lot to the game. I spent ages making businesses... but eventually never got far. When I just reinstalled my game I decided to leave this EP out completely. Since I never did anything with businesses anymore. I did like Servos though.

4. Pets.
This one was a bit meh... it didn't add much apart from Pets... 4 pets or something... jeez Maxis, even TS1 had more pets than that! It was also very buggy. The pets were very adorable though! I couldn't stop cooing at them (yes I'm a loony ._.). But I was very disappointed that there weren't any pet shows... and that the cats couldn't catch mice. >: Never installed this EP again either.

5. Seasons.
Whee! I LOVE this EP. In my opinion, it's still the best one ever. Weather is just such a huge mood-setter, it changes the whole game experience for me. It also came with one of the best furniture sets so far, the country one. Growing your own crops and fishing is awesome as well. I liked that a lot in TS1, so in TS2 too. Luckily, growing them is a lot easier in this pack. No evil bunnies or moles!

6. Bon Voyage.
Don't have this one myself due to the age of my computer, but did install it on my sister's. At first I was very skeptical about this one... "Eew, vacation..." But then I remembered how often I actually went to the old Vacation Island in TS1 and told myself to shut up. Bon Voyage is actually a lot of fun! I love the new Asian theme, and how it will take a while before you've collected all those vacation mementos. Everything is funny. The Unsavatory Charlatan, Pirate Captain Edward Dregg (I'm still trying to learn to sing the Pirate Chanty IRL!)... It's a great EP really.

7. Free Time.
Got this one very recently, and I must say that I love it... at first I wanted it because I saw some cute pictures of the clothes and objects, and concluded that they all looked great. The secondary aspiration thing and new turn ons/offs were very cool. And the Hobbies actually kept me busy for ages! I just wish there were more Hobbies... Will definitely have to reinstall this one as soon as I get off my lazy butt and find it.

I don't have any Stuff Packs, but I'm intending to get H&M stuff after falling in love with the clothes. Need to get my greedy little hands on those. They actually look great for once.

So... from coolest to 'lamest'!

Seasons - Free Time - Bon Voyage - Nightlife - Open For Business - Pets - University.

I have all of the expansions, but only three are installed. My computer sucks at life and lags if I have too many in. The ones I have in right now are my "can't-live-without" ones; NL, OFB, Seasons. I don't have all the stuff packs, just Family Fun and H&M, I think. Family Fun isn't installed because it hates my computer, but H&M is in.

I liked Uni a lot and I always had it in, but I rarely sent people to college, because well... it just takes too damn long to put them through it. I have no patience. I had to take out one of my expansions, so that was one of the ones to go. Pets was nice, I love all the animals and the interactions are adorable. Also, I really like the furniture and all that came with it. Again, lagged my game up too much, so I took it out. I liked Bon Voyage, but the loading time for me was INSANE. I sent my sims on vacation once and it took an HOUR to load the vacation spot. I couldn't deal with it, so it got taken out. I got Free Time for my birthday and I actually loved it, A LOT. It was working fine, but then it decided to bitch at me and lag, sooo... I took that out too.

I've been thinking about re-installing Pets or Free Time, but if it starts to lag again and I have to take it out, I'll lose all my families AGAIN.

*sigh* Anyways...

My favorite EP is hands down the traveling show ep. I love the carnivals and traveling freakshows with fortunetellers tents and gypsy wagons. Plus they finally got actual magic and spells and potions into the game with that one. Yeah thats my favorite for sure...
Oh wait that doesn't exist yet does it? Damn it...
Well of the ones that are not part of my vivid imagination In order of best to worst I would have to rate the current EP's that I own thusly:
1. Nightlife-dating and the vampires and cars just really are great elements.
2. seasons-the ability to plant gardens and fish and other outdoor activities is really cool. Plus they got weather in finally which is wonderful.
3. pets- I am obsessed with cute furry critturs and love that my sims can have them too.
4. bon voyage-the vacation thing is prtty neat. I have enjoyed t and some of the other added elements a great deal.
5 open for business- I have a few businesses but I have to say that for the most part I use very little of this ep but I like the concept which puts it above uni at least.
6. University-I just can't seem to get into this EP. It is a huge time suck that is not nearly as much fun as the other parts ofthe game. I find myself getting bored when I try to play my uni lots more than during any other aspect of game play.

I have yet to purchase Freetime but I do plan on picking it up eventually.

So far I only have Nightlife, Seasons, and University, but I think my most favorite would have to be Nightlife. My sims always have somewhere to go if im bored with them and the vampires are awesome. Im getting Open For Business soon though and i'm SO excited :clap: hopefully i'll enjoy this EP

Open for business is so much fun! Want your Sims to have lots of money without using cheats? Set aside a spare room and start a home business! No fuss involved.

Open for Business is a great expansion pack.

It adds the cheesecake option, the ability to own your home business doing anything from selling robots to selling televisions and it's great for fortune sims who have wants such as "earn 5,000 simoleons" because OFB includes a thing where it adds up all your pay then transferrs it into completing that want.

I love the idea of having a home business, and I cant wait to make a servo. I dont like how they look in-game so i'm already searching for some good default replacements.

Home businesses are awesome. In about 7 Sim days, my Sim started a home business, ran it until it got to Rank 10, and then moved out, effectively selling her business. Her home cost her less than $20,000 - when she moved out, she had over $200,000 to her name. All she did was sell televisions and other electronical stuff for a week. xD

Good thread idea, HP.

Seasons is in the lead, and yay says I. I voted Freetime as well. I guess I like these packs because they don't add annoying special neughborhoods that you never go to (like vacation spots for Bon Voyage and a business district for Open For Business), but it implements the new features into everyday gameplay in your sims' own home - like hobbies and seasonal shifts.

Wow! When I first started playing the sims it was so hard for them to make money (when I only had nightlife) but now with University and Open for business my sims will have TOO much money I dont want all of my sims to be rich lol maybe i'll have to stop sending them to college and see if they can run a business on their own

I think that Seasons is pretty pointless to me because i just set my neighborhoods to summer anyway. My fave is either Pets or Freetime.

Ok

Nightlife I have never played the sims 2 WITHOUT nightlife, so I don't even know what it would be like! Downtown and etc. seem necessary to me.

University for me, being a uni student myself (too old for this game? :D) loved University. Getting my sims to go through my current stage of life is pretty cool. Teen > Adult is only realistic for people who don't go to college, so it really added a wonderful touch to the game for me. I get sims who I think are dumb/too poor to not go and they go straight into the world of work (although the financial and intelligence aspects of college are unrealistically missed).

Seasons has been the coolest EP since Uni, again, it adds a necessary addition to the game.

OFB comes next in the list, it's real cool opening businesses and running them, but frankly I could live without it. - And as have people have mentioned, it is too damn easy! It is so easy to build a business then move out and sell it for loads of money.

Pets frankly sucks. Is unrealistic. Unnecessary.

So I vote Uni.

IDK which sims2 game to get...

I mean i really like bussiness i think its kewl that you can make a store, but freetime looks kewl to because singing band and etc but bonvoyage you can go on vacation!?!??1


which one should i get!?

~tiki

I only have Nightlife and Seasons. I used my friend's Pets CD to install it onto my computer and played it for a while, but the lag was TERRIBLE. One sim minute took about 5 seconds IRL. Since too many EPs lag up my computer like heck, I only have 2, but I have to say that both EPs are marvelous.
I love dates and the gypsy--they're so fun! I also liked the new chemistry and turn-on features, they added a whole new aspect to the game. As for Seasons, well...what's not to love about it? All of the seasons are so beautiful, and I love the winter penguin

Why do you think it's unrealistic?

Pets is my least favorite, and ugh it's really hard to choose a favorite because I love the rest of them so much! I would have to say Nightlife.

My favourite EP's would def. be Nightlife and Seasons and my favourite SP is GL.
My least fav EP is OFB and least fav SP is FF.

1.Seasons Loads of new useful features,nice new furniture,fishing,gardening,skill building in the fall,relationship building in the summer,weather looks and sounds very nice, thunderstorms are my favorite,
and last but not least the penguin!

Downsides: Temperature bar, constant outwear chaning in and out of, no fishies so i have to enter in the code,gardening and fishing sometimes seems like a chore

2.University Yes, university actually is my second favorite, and this is why: friends, univeristy is a wonderful time to make freinds and skill building(and possibly a spouse) not to mention the useful new objects/interactions like kicky bag and the new musical instruments, plus the bubble blower which is a wonderful thing for party's

Downsides:long and boring

Night Life Nightlife is good because of the cars..even though they are practically useless, it adds a nice touch of realism, the dates are good for memory filling and not to mention free stuff.The Clubs are fun and being able to have an in-home bowling ally is sweet

Downsides:community lots lag me alot

Open For Business I also like this one because of the new items and being able to run a business at home, a bakery i find is very fun, and my next dream is to run a car dealership/realestate office I wonder how mush I could make.
Downsides:needs seem to deplete faster and I have never actually had succsesful business

Pets Buggy,boring,horrible new items, animals ruining your homes;Im happy with a fish tank

Stuff packs

Holiday Stuff: poop

Glamour Life: its okay,wont waste my money on stuff packs anymore

Of the ones I have, from top to...less top. I really love them all!!

1. Seasons—No extra loading to experience the EP, I LOVE the snow and the fall lighting especially, wallpapering pools, Plantsims (best monsters yet!!)
2. Bon Voyage—Beachlots are (OMG!!) what I've been needing for years. I also love the quest for vacation mementos.
3. Nightlife—Vampires, dating, cars...I especially love the Photo Booth and slow dancing!!
4. Pets—I love the stuff this EP comes with!! It's my fave and I haven't yet managed to build a house without Pets wallpapers. And the pets themselves are adorable!!
5. Uni—It's nice to be able to choose when teens can grow up...and college gameplay is fun.

But I do love them all. Just because something isn't my number-one fave doesn't mean it's bad.

The only EP I have is Nightlife, but I love it! I love dating, vampires, and the cars!

I got Seasons before, but it didn't work well on my computer. The walls were flashing red. -_- I had to return it to the store.

My favorite expansion packs are seasons because its just wonderful and whats not to love? My other favorite is Open For Business, I know many people don't agree, but I just love it and have had multiple successful businesses. My favorite business is my community garage sale, its a good way of cheating without actually cheating haha.

My least favorite I guess is pets, even though I love the space set for little boys. I just don't really play with pets much.

I didn't like most of the stuff packs except Kitchen & Bath Stuff and Glamour Life. FF Stuff sucked. It was a hugeee disappointment. I haven't gotten Ikea or H&M Stuff packs but I heard those were some of the better Stuff packs.

I hope I have not posted here. Oh well, if I have, this will be a more complete post than what my earlier one would have been.

I have not played Bon Voyage, so it will not be in this list. I'm still wondering whether I should buy it... (or ask my parents to buy me it for Christmas or something.)

I'd put them in this order:

1. Seasons. This Expansion pack is VERY well done. I have not seen more realistic snow fall in any game before, and the fact that the snow accumulates on all objects is so cool also. I can not play The Sims 2 without Seasons, Seasons is a must have EP in my opinion... But that's probably because I personally hate sunny weather. I've been waiting for this EP forever (even for The Sims 1, which I had an falling snow object.)

My only complaint is Spring.. and the complaint about it is, it's way too much like summer. The trees don't even bud. It would have been nice if the trees budded, but it's a minor complaint. I don't play the warmer seasons much anyways. XD

2. Nightlife. People like to say it's too similar to Hot Date for The Sims 1, but I think that is ridiculous. Nightlife added drivable CARS something practically everybody had been wanting for the longest time. Not only do they look cool, they also added a system where you can choose the lot you want to go to without spending an hour loading up the whole neighborhood. That is why I love the expansion, cars. I don't use the dating system too much, I'm no good with things like that, but I believe Nightlife also added some other things related to relationships? I forget... It's been a long time since I played The Sims 2 with Nightlife alone.

3. University. I primarily like it so much because it's make Legacy generations where your family sim has the life want of having six kids bearable. I had played without it for a while, and it was absolutely unbearable. (I'm impatient.) I also like the university characters (like the mascots). That's probably just me, but they make the game funny sometimes.

4. Open For Business. I have not used it much, but it is a nice Expansion Pack, I believe. The whole business thing is pretty neat... but it's also somewhat complicated and hard to do with a first generation Sim without cheating. That is why I haven't used it so much.

5. Free Time. I really do not find this expansion pack too useful. I wanted a wind instrument! T_T That aside, it's nice to have something other than a guitar for once. Plus they brought back the basketball hoop. The whole enthusiasm feature is kind of pointless though. Yay, new lots... But nothing really that great about them from what I've seen. I have only had this expansion pack for less than a month though.

EDIT: I forgot one awesome thing it added, which I have to give it credit for: Aging other Sims you know. That is a great addition.

6. Pets. Ugh. The pets are cute, but this EP is just really the bottom of the barrel. All it is is pets. This made me mad because I believe Maxis at one point said they wouldn't make an expansion pack EXACTLY like the original, and Pets is, if anything, worse than Unleashed. The only new feature is Werewolfs, of which I haven't even used them.

Idk Why more people picked Seasons. I mean of course it's great. But I just got Free time and I'm loving it. I guess it really it is a matter of opinion. Seasons is great too! Actually. I love them all! :D

My most favourite, would be the free time.
With free time the Sim gets fun with hir or her life, instead of endless work with not so much fun or quality of life gained.

My least favourite is definitely nightlife, allthough it must be meant for partying all night but actually, its all the antifun. Sim wont get any more better qualities on its person by going to town or having fun etc.

The best
1. The free time
2. Seasons (for it's nice variation to simlife)
3. Pets (I love dogs, that enough)
4. Bon Voyage ( nice stuff in this expansion)
5. University (the new exiting life in university)
6. Open Business (for workcaholics)
7. Nightlife (vampires, might be fun)

I dont have any of the stuff pack's because I think they are too expencive for what they bring to the game

I decided to spam this thread because in my original list, I didn't have BV yet.

I hated vacation in sims 1 - and was susspissious about this one - but I'm actually likeing BV. I don't take my sims on vacations alot, in this hood I'v gone on one or two vacations, staying three days is too much, so I stay for less, usually one night is enough. Its best in small doses.

Mostly I love the other things that came with the pack, like walking to lots, the tea set, camping, digging for treasure and things like that. So even thou I don't use the main function of the ep that much, it's a good ep.

1. University.
I had this EP as soon as it came out, but I ended up not installing it upon my 'return' to the sims last October. I never sent my sims to Uni because I thought it was a waste of time and plus this had no other redeeming features except for zombies but you can get them in other EPs now anyway.

2. Nightlife.
Nightlife is by far one of the best EPs, and my second favorite. Ive always had a vampire obsession (Twilight, Anne Rice, Buffy, you name it I love it) and nearly died when I heard they were coming in this one. Cars were very great too and Downtown was extreameley well put-together. Turn ons and turn offs added a whole new world of gameplay as did Pleasure and Grilled Cheese.

3. Open For Business.
At first when I got this I loved it. Now it is just okay, I think. I hardly ever play businesses and when I do i end up forgetting about them altogether and just getting normal careers. Home businesses are a pretty cool feature, I must admit.

4. Pets.
I can see why everyone seems to hate Pets so much, but the thing is, it's, well... Pets. Not Unleashed, not Animals, but pets. It added cats and dogs to the game and did so very well. I am an animal lover and though I was indifferent at first I now cannot see myself playing the sims without this EP.

5. Seasons.
My favorite EP. I don't even know where to start. Simply a masterpiece IMHO, and I may go as far as to say that it is the best game ever made with the word "sims" tacked onto it. The seasons are totally gorgeous and actually add atmosphere to the game and a crapload of fun and realism. The country themed furniture and architecture is beautiful and the best of its kind made by Maxis by far. Riverblossom Hills has the best pre-made sims and best Maxis made houses. Plantsims are cute and fun to play with. The careers are well done and I use them quite often. Farming was incorperated very well and I use farms alot as well. Skating rinks are cool and so are ice rinks.This game definatly set the standard for the sims 3 EPs in the future.

6. Bon Voyage.
Ehh, I sent my sims on vacation a few times and got some cute looking family pcitures but that's about it. it was the same case with me for vacation from TS1. I can't really see myself going on one again. Bigfoot is a funny addition to my custom neighborhood, and I love the new turn ons and turn offs + jewlery.Not one of the worst EPs at all even if I dont like it too much. EAxis did admittidly do a pretty good job on it.

7. Free Time.
I got this a few weeks ago, and I say its the third best one. Hobbies make sims seem like they have lives outside of romance, drama and peeing/eating/sleeping. They are fun and a good diversion from my normally dramatic and soap opera worthy playstyle. I love BFF's because it is more realistic than having a billion different best friends and gives a feeling of being closer. Desiderita Valley had entertaining sims and decent houses. Also, secondary aspirations make my sims seem alot more well-rounded.

8. Apartment Life
I got this a couple of days ago, and it is definatly one of the better ones. Witches/Wizards are truly what made this game. They are the best creatures in any EP, and I am pretty much in love with them. This EP would be mediocre at best and boring at worst without them. Cielings are secondly what made the game. I've always wondered why i found it hard to be totally involved in my sims lives, to play the sims for more than an hour at a time, and after getting this EP I realized it was because, oddly enough, there weren't any ceilings. Now there is a huge depth of realism and I feel like I am actually in the game sometimes. Dorky I know but you have to experience it to get the feel of what I am saying. Apartments were alrite, I just use them for sims who I no longer really care about.

From best to worst:

1. Apartment Life: Added a very necessary realism to the game. I always played with my families in apartment/condo buildings anyway, but this finally lets me seperate. It has a lot of cool new feautures and interactions that were always missing.
2. Freetime: It actually gives your sims a personality so they're not all the same.
3. Seasons: I like having weather. Gardening is pretty fun too and plant sim babies are so cute.
4. Bon Voyage: They did an amazing job on the beach setting. I love that you can swim in the ocean.
5. Open for Business: I actually really like running businesses. I probably played this EP more than any other.
6. Nightlife: Hot Date was one of my favorites for sims 1. I like downtown.
7. Pets: Pets are a lot of work in the game and I wish you could have more of a bond with the animal, but it ends up being more work than it's worth.
8. University: I've never had a sim complete College. I only keep it installed for some of the content...but I might uninstall it because most of it (like rugs) has been included in later EPs.

for Stuff Packs:
1. IKEA: I don't download nearly as much custom furniture anymore because the quality in this pack is so good.
2. Teen: It has some really cute stuff for decorating teen and kid's rooms.
3. Kitchen & Bath: Again, has some really cute stuff for decorating. Good quality.
4. Celebration: When I actually do hold weddings, it comes in handy.
5. H&M: deffinately has some content I couldn't do without. Esspecially for stores.
6. Family Stuff: I like the mermaid dresses and kid furniture.
7. Glamour: It wasn't really what I thought it would be, but the artwork is nice.
8. Holiday: I never decorate for holidays, but I love the fireworks.

I actually use all the stuff packs regularly.

I liked Free Time for some features that seemed to come up, but I was actually really annoyed by how much it bugged me about every little thing i was doing. I like to run thru the whole life of a sim, which means that by the end of adulthood free time had made it so I was interested in everything.

Why isn't apartment life on the poll? Or it isn't an EP.. ??confused.

Destinita apartment life is a ep, the poll just needs to be updated.

Oh kaay thanks then XD

Free time, definitely my favourite.

The introduction of hobbies gives my sims something else to work on. I love all the new interactions and stuff, especially the nature ones.

I'd have to say Seasons is my favorite EP, the ability to walk to places was a wonderful change and the seasons and new interactions that came with it, like snowball fights and building snowmen. A grade A EP in my opinion with AL and OFB being a close second. Then FT, Nightlife Uni, BV, and Pets. I know people really like FT but I find it a bit naggy, though the crafting puts it in 4th on my list. Pets is my all time LEAST favorite. I was sorely disappointed in that EP. The most annoying thing is the animals you greet once want to come in and tear up your furnishings, which is stupid. Who just lets strange pets into their home? I'm still debating whether I should just uninstall it since besides the pets there's really nothing much that came with that EP.

Could this poll be reset and updated to include apartment life, please? Since that is the last EP we can get a correct vote going.

Thanks

What is your most favourite/least favourite expansion pack, and why?

My favorite would have to Season. I love watching the atmoisphere change when the seasons roll around. And plus it brought an element I loved the most from Sim 1 and an element I always anted in Sims 1. I loved doing gardening in Sims 1, but I absolutely ahted the fact it came with those annoying pets. And I always wished two things in the Sims 1. A: Sims would age and die so I could stop commiting pool murders, and B: weather. I just wanted my sims to ahve a rainy day every once and awhile.

That said, my least favorite is Pets. I can not explain how much the pets from Sims 1 left me with a bad taste.(ha ha) They're like little annoying, money grubbing boobs that run around and tear up stuff. My sims lived are pretty full and they just never had time to dedicate what they needed to make the pets act properly. B/c time my sims hit the door they get dinner ready, family time, skill building, me time, and then bed. And the pets wer ejust not able to fit in. In fact the only succesful pet family I ever had was a celebrity sim who had amassed a huge fortune and had nothing to do all dya except train her and foll with him. Other than that...it was disaster.

If you could rank how much you like each expansion or stuff pack in order, what would your order be?
1.Seasons
2.Nightlife
3.Open For Business
4.Bon Voyage
5.University
6.Freetime
707070545.Pets :/

I have to agree with the majority and say that Seasons is my favorite EP. Everything, from new career rewards to the weather thingies and the new objects, was just awesome. I was SO please when I got it. My least favorite has to be University, since I've never really played that one. Tried playing a couple of college-Sims but it wasn't fun at all. I was kinda disappointed.

So, to rank my three favs...

1. Seasons
2. Open for Business
3. Nightlife

I only have up to seasons, so I don't know about the other EP's

I've always wanted pets, but now after reading about EPS like open for business and nightlife and then about pets... it seems like there's a lot less on pets... so somone whos played them, tell me =|


I've actually ordered University and nightlife , just waiting for them to arrive...

edit: also how long is a season on... seasons

A 'season' is 4 or 5 sim days (Cant remember exactly), but they can run into another season. e.g when it's spring you may still be getting heavy snow that ocurred in winter.

I'd say Seasons top the list, namely because of their country set which I adore to death. Second to that would be Freetime because of all those hobbies, and lastly University.

I had a complete reinstall recently and didn't really miss the rest of the EPs except for the three above.

I'm going through in order now, just ordered OFB.
edit:
My opinions on te two I have
University: Well... it does drag going through uni takes a long time... I love the new items though, the new instrument are just necssesary\

Nightlife: This ones very fun, makes community lots much better.

By the way, which stuff pack should I get, IKEA or Teen Style Stuff?
My favorite packs in order are:
1.Free Time - The hobbies, lifetime aspiration meter and rewards, new careers, npc aging, and a host of new items place this EP as king.
2.Seasons - Whether adds a new level of reality to the simulator. The outerwear looks good, the country theme is top noch, the gardening is immensely fun, the bonuses from each season are game changing, and I love the snow.
3.Apartment Life - The magic is fun and the random but necessary addition of spiral staircases, ceilings, and playgrounds really works.
4.Night Life - The dates are fun and the items are good; plus chemistry is a very nice addition.
5.Open for Business - Businesses are fun, and item crafting is very cool. Night Life only wins due to the fact that downtown is far superior to Bluewater Village.
6.Bon Voyage - Vacations are fun, but too laggy. Still, I would recommend buying it.
7.University - The new items are nice, but the actual university was so boring that I never got past sophomore year.

I could have sworn I posted in here before...

But evidently I didn't! So here goes:

1. Pets: I love this EP! I would probably have uninstalled the sims by now without pets. My pets are a huge part of my life and my sims lives too! I wasn't too keen on the breeds that came with it, but enjoy making my own anyway. I agree that more pets would have been nice, but i'm grateful for the adorable ones we have already!

2. Seasons: This adds so much realism! I love the snow and the weather effects are nice. I also love the feature to apply different hairstyles for different outfits. I also like the fishing and gradening. I don't think I could ever uninstall this one either.

3. Apartment Life: I LOVE the playground equipment! The witches are okay and the aprtments can be fun when they aren't busy lagging but the playground equipment really sold the EP for me. I also love all the new interactions and animations. I also love the goofy, mismatched suits & ties.

4. Free Time: As much as I hate all the irritating alerts about how my sims have gained/lost enthusiasm and the random intrusions from various strangers to invite my sims to secret lots, this is a really nice EP. The hobbies give the sims much more individuality and the toddler drawing table is adorable! I also really liked the clothes, especially the teen ones.

5. Open For Business: My sims very rarely have businesses anymore, simply because it's too much effort, but I love the robots and kites from the craft benches! Along with the sprinkler for that matter.

6. Nightlife: I only ever buy my sims cars if they are late for work/school and vampires are usually too much trouble for me to bother with, but the dance sphere is hilarious and I really like some of the downtown lots.

7. Bon Voyage: My sims rarely go on holiday because the resorts are too laggy, but I love the hammocks and beaches. I love that sims can swin in the sea and build sandcastles.

8. University: Getting sims through uni is sooo dull X.X The only reason I don't uninstall this EP is because I love the pillow fights >.>

Stuff Packs:

1. H&M: The clothes are amazing! I have very few downloaded outfits simply because I have most of the clothes I need just from this stuff pack!

2. Kitchen & Bath: I really like the walls/floor and the fridges come in awesome colours XD I also love the little ducky on the side of one of the baths and I use the male hair that came with it all of the time.

3. Celebration Stuff: I love the new tuxedos and the new wedding arches and it's nice to have a bit more choice with birthday cakes, however all the items are so cheap that my sims are always disgusted with them XD

4. Teen Style: Some of the clothes were nice and some of the furniture was nice, pretty average really XD

5. Family Fun: I LOVE the fishy wall decorations and use them in almost all of my bathrooms and some of the kids Pj's are cute, but I don't really use any of the other items...

6. Ikea: Some really nice items, but I don't often find a place to use them.

7. Glamour Life: I liked some of the new suits, that's about it really :/

So yea, that's my two cents XD I don't know if it's any interest to anyone, but it killed some time!

LOL.
Wow. Alot of people love season. x3
I love freetime the best, it's so much funner.
I do like all the eps though, but my cousin hates season so much,
she gave me her ep.

BEST TO WORST:
1.FREE TIME
I loved this expansion pack, and was shocked to find people get a lot of bugs with it. I must be very lucky, because I rarely get bugs! I love the furniture for girlies and jocks!
2.NIGHTLIFE
I don't actually own this eppy, but I have played it with my friend at her house. It was very good, and pleasure aspiration and the furniture was pretty good, but it majorly changed what I thought it had it, which had upset me. Still well worth 30 dollars! I plan on buying that soon!
3.BON VOYAGE
This was better then I thought it was, as a sims 1 veteran I thought it was the same as Sims 1 Vacation. WHICH WAS REALLY BORING!! But I was wrong! I watched my sims vacations pass by, hoping it would never end. Could use some Minor editing, though.
4.SEASONS
I Really do like this. It is a major help with the actual game. The only thing is, the furniture is too old fashioned. I wish it had more Modern Stuff.
THE OTHERS:
im too lazy to think of other reviews. Its really hard to explain why I didn't really like the others.

Well Open for Business is my least favourite from the first three, I just don't really use any of the stuff =|

Okay, which should I get next.

University, Bon Voyage, Freetime, or Apartment Life?

miclab312 - Plenty of people have already listed their faves in order in this thread. Why not just read back?

In chronological order:

University
Good: New interactions; instruments; new careers; toga parties; the cowplant!
Bad: Zombies are boring to play; college takes too long without hacks.

Nightlife
Good: Cars! Dating! Vampires! The music.
Bad: Outings seem kind of pointless (and the prizes are ridiculous: who goes out and buys you a couple-thousand-dollar DJ booth just because they had a good time downtown with you?)

OFB
Good: Crafting, servos (although they're kind of ugly,) businesses; later EPs tie into its features nicely.
Bad: Businesses can be really fiddly to run. It doesn't add much beyond the businesses, servos, and craftables.

Pets
Good: Pets.
Bad: That's all there is to it; I agree with Chandi, there's definitely a bias towards dogs. Sometimes it feels like the pets don't actually have all that much to do. Also, I had major installation issues that didn't crop up with the others- I ended up having to reinstall OFB in the process! Basically, while it's nice having cats and dogs around, I just ended up missing Unleashed.

Seasons
Good: Weather and seasons at last, growable food, leftovers, fishing, the cute country set. Once again, later EPs make use of its features nicely.
Bad: Plantsims are way too easy to take care of, thus not so fun to play.

Bon Voyage
Good: Am I the only one who liked the original Vacation? Yeah, I like this for about the same reasons. The Far East objects are nice, and beach lots are great.
Bad: SecuROM, very buggy release (endless NPCs!)

Freetime
Good: More stuff for kids to do, more ways to build certain skills, the hobbies and new careers. So, more for your Sims to do, overall.
Bad: SecuROM, no playable supernatural Sim

Apartment Life
Good: Apartments turned out to be more fun to play than I honestly expected. Once again, there's new options for Sim kids, and the new outfits aren't bad (especially with HP's Female Modesty mod.)
Bad: SecuROM, witches and magic are lackluster compared to Makin' Magic, the return of the "endless NPCs" bug at first

I don't touch the stuff packs.

I guess my personal ranking would be something like Seasons > Nightlife > Freetime > Apartment Life=BV > Uni=OFB > Pets. Yes, there's a couple ties there, so what?

Based on this thread I have just purchased Seasons and Freetime (I already had Nightlife). I do so hope they're as good as people are saying.

well now out of University, Nightlife, Open for Business, pets and seasons,
I would say Pets and seasons are the best

My order would be
Pets-Seasons (these two both make first place, they add some great stuff)
Nightlife (This one's very fun, makes communty lots actuall worth using)
University ( the instruments are just must have... some awesoem items added to the buy list, some good new CAS stuff aswell, and while going through college can be boring it's awesome having six aspirations and two locks)
Open for business- (I don't regret buying but I just don't use the features much)

My picks would be Nightlife, Pets, Seasons, and Apartment Life.

I've got them all because I'm a completest but to be perfectly honest I have never once in all my Sims playing time sent a Sim to University, never opened a home business, and very rarely go on vacation. I think they were great editions to the game but personally I just don't use them. Pretty much the only time my Sims get out is when they go to work.

#1 Bon Voyage-- Theres just nothing I DONT love about this expansion pack. I guess I am just a vacation guy, but everything seemed so....relaxing. I mean the beaches are beautiful, the momentos give you somethin to work form far east adds some culture to the game, camping is fun too.

#2 tie between Open for Business and Apartment Life
I really love both of em, they are really fun. OFB was my favorite for a looong time.

#3 Seasons
This gave a very nice atmosphere that wasnt there before, with weather and seasons.

#4 Nightlife
Dating system is awsome, so are the cars of course

#5 Pets
Although it is low on my list, I would never unistall it, the game doesnt seem complete to me without it. I cant imagine making my family without my cat Muffy :lovestruc

#6 University
Takes too long and when I dont send them to college, they get the bad "never wnet to college" memory. Also no way to send adult sims to college. I still like it though

I have yet to play freetime....

My favorite is Seasons, because of the amount of thought that went into the EP from the creators, like different color palettes for each season (especially the red and orange tones for autumn) and the weather! I also really enjoyed the farming crops but I don't really like the Plant Sims...

#2 - Bon Voyage. I love being able to send my Sims off to exotic locations and having them learn new things. Also I loved Vacations in Sims 1 so it's not a surprise I liked this one.

#3 Open for Business. I always wanted to be able to make my Sims run a cafe or a store in Sims 1 so this was a great addition for me.

#4 University. For a first EP, this was pretty good. Added lots of new things and features, and although uni gets a bit slow without hacks, I liked the level of detail that went into creating an "authentic" uni, along with the Greek Houses and the secret societies.

#5 Nightlife. This was fun at first but I then lost interest in this EP for some reason :S Cars are really good and I also like the addition of the "attraction" meter.

#6 Pets. I was never a big fan of pets in Sims 1 and I wasn't a huge fan of them here. The strays come and mess up my yard all the time! The pets are cute, but I feel like Maxis is more dog-friendly. Also, they're kinda boring.

I don't have Free Time or Apartment Life (waiting for the Mac versions...)

Can anyone tell me if it's worth spending £20 on Celebration Stuff and Glamour Life?
There the only games I don't own (I havn't got M&G but i've been trying to - no where has it in stock- so i'm not counting that as i'm deff getting it)
Anyway - yeah are them two worth getting? I never have big weddings unless i'm doing it for photoshots -or the couple have lots of family and friends - but are the clothes and hairs worth £10?
Anddddd is glamour life worth getting? Are there nice clothes and hair included? are there any unqiue objects that aren't already in the games (i don't use object CC)?
Thanks for any help guys

Heya, Charley, I'm not overly thrilled with Celebration Stuff, either with items or outfits. I like Glamour Life. It added nice hairstyles, clothing, and some really neat furnishings, decorations, and lights. I'd say if you're concerned about saving money, skip CS and go with GL.

My favorite EP's from most favorite to least favorite are:

1.) Seasons I like almost everything this EP brought to the game, from the weather effects, to the seasonal bonuses to activities, to fishing and gardening, two activities I enjoy actually doing myself. I'm very glad they fixed the hot tubs so that people didn't spontaneously combust after spending just a few minutes soaking. I do get marginally irritated with how often my Sims want to notice and react to the fact that it's raining or it's snowing, although the kids' reactions to snow amuse me. Leftovers? Teh awesome!!

2.) Freetime At first I was a little on the fence about this one. It won me over very quickly with secondary aspirations, all of the new craft tables/stations, and even the model train set. I loathed the introduction music, though, like a calliope from hell while waiting for the game to load.

3.) Nightlife This added so many new ways to socialize, and of course chemistry, which I absolutely adore. I'm not so wild about the vampires. I actually find them very boring to play and their vocalizations like the hissing and the "blah" somewhat annoying. Cars. Did I say cars?

4.) Bon Voyage Maybe it's still entertaining to me because it's still fairly new to me. I haven't had it all that long, but I really enjoy the vacation spots. I like letting my Sims explore, and the beach sounds are so relaxing it's like listening to a little meditation tape. The ghost pirate captain's sea chanty amuses me to no end. I LOVE the ninja's teleportation ability. It makes getting around on large lots a snap.

5.) University Secret societies, hacking grades, cow plants, and the ability to call Grimmie and rez dead Sims. I love them all. I wish it didn't take so long for students to get through the semesters, though. That does get dull and redundant. I liked the new career options that came with this EP and the fact that graduates get extra want slots.

6.) Tied at the bottom for me are Open for Business and Pets. Maybe it's just me, but I find owning a successful business in OFB without bleeding simloeans out the wazoo nearly impossible. It seems equally bad owning one on the home lot versus one on a community lot. The craftable objects leave a lot to be desired, particularly the robots, which break down and cause chaos way too often to be worth the time and effort it takes for a sim to learn to make them. The outfits and hats/hair that came with this EP are absolutely hideous.

The birds and womrats in Pets are eating machines. The only useful thing about the birds is that they provide a way for anyone who is a child or older to earn charisma points while having fun increase. It annoys me when visitors leave the cage open, and the birds fly randomly around the lot. I've had lots of glitch issues with the womrats, and they also sometimes take a ridiculously long time just to feed.

Stray dogs really annoy me, killing flowers, chewing up objects, chasing people all over the place, barking at all hours at my sims' doors, knocking over garbage cans and rolling in filth, digging big holes in the yard and just generally making horrible pests of themselves. The interactions with pets are very limited and eventually redundant. They have no personality to them, really. Their only advantage is that you can send them to work to make money and be rid of their annoyances from your lot for a few hours.

I didn't include Apartment Life in my list simply because I haven't had the EP long enough to give an educated opinion of it. I love the idea of it, and I hope having my sims living in apartments is as fun as it seems like it will be.

I bought the stuff packs, just because I like that sort of thing. My favorite stuff packs are H&M Fashion Stuff and Glamour Life. I love the funky clothes in H&M. It doesn't bother me that it's basically an advertisement. I don't run out and buy clothes just because I like them on my sims.

If I had to take an EP off my computer, it'd be Pets. It slowed my game down a ton, didn't add much of worth to game play, and just gave me and my sims annoyances to have to drive out of the yard every time one comes in. I'm a huge animal lover, and I have pets. Sim pets are nothing remotely like the real deal, and I don't feel they enrich my sims' lives much at all.

#1 Apartment life. I love it. The objects are great and considerate. One of the things that annoyed me most in game was that a 3-seater couch looked awkward with the best TV's, because they were only two tile. But Apartment life fixed it! There is great space saving objects and great styles. The interactions are brilliant!
#2 Nightlife. I find that I would be very bored if I had to get rid of this one. The cars a great, and designing houses is much more fun with garages! The new items are fun. The NPC's are very entertaining (Crumplebottom, anyone?) and I love the idea of chemistry. All in all, a very entertaining EP.
#3 Free time. I love all the bonus aspirations and the things you can do with Aspiration points. The new objects are brilliant. The things you can do when you have high hobby enthusiasm is really cool. The clothes are really nice too. The option to watch movies are great. The toddler table is a life saver!
#4 Seasons. I love weather in my game. I love the pool slides. It's essential for farm/country type homes. I enjoy this in my collection very much. The hairs are very nice!
#5 Bon Voyage. The beach lots are pretty, and I love the new things your sims can do! Telaportation, gestures, sea chanties, massages it's great! Sure for a great time!
#6 University. I love all the careers. They're great. I also love the hairs. The instruments are a big favourite of mine (even though they can be annoying!) but apart from that, this EP does nothing for me. I never even send my teens to college.
NOT so lucky LAST: Open for business. I never use it. EVER. The only good thing is the new deserts. The hairs and clothes make me wanna SPEW! In fact, I hate this EP. Tying with OFB is pets. Blargh. Annoying, and I never use it. Waste of money. The only good thing about the one I got was the free pawprint mouse for my PC. Then again, I lost that.

I only own Free Time, Apartment Life, Seasons, and Nightlife, so I can't really make an unbiased opinion. But, as far as my EPs go, here's the list:

1. Seasons : The weather and decor are the best part of this game. I love the option to set hair for any outfit, and I love the gardening option. My favorite of the four I own.
2. Nightlife : Cars, dating, and good clothes. Great EP to start with.
3. Free Time : Honestly, I only bought it for the dance option (my life is dance, so I thought I should put it into my Sims lives too ), and I was disappointed in the lack of good technique for the Sim who maximized interest in Music and Dance. But, it is still a great EP and I enjoyed all the items that came with it, along with the outfits.
4. Apartment Life : The only major problem I have with AL is the lack of child and toddler clothing. I wish there were more objects too. Still an excellent EP and definitely worth the money.

It's finally happened. I got AL, and my load time is insane. I need more memory for my computer, I guess, but the easier option is picking an EP to uninstall -- and that's SO hard! I like them all.

*sigh*

Well, let me start by thinking which ones I have to have:

1. Nightlife - I have to have this.
2. Seasons - Must have weather!
3. Uni - Unlike most, I like Uni! And the extra slots are very nice
4. AL - God, I am addicted to apartments. I love having multiple families together!
5. BV - Vacations rock.
6. OFB - I never use this one, I think. I never got into it.
7. Pets - Oh, I have to have my pets. I have made sim-kitties and doggies for all my past and present little ones.
(and then all the stuff packs, H&M was a waste, I thought and so was Teen Style Stuff, but those are small, altogether.)

I guess it's going to be OFB, though darn it IS potentially useful...

Anyone have any other thoughts?

Great and useful thread.
I'm considering buying a new EP. I stopped buying them after BV mainly because of my lack of time to play and, well, TS3 coming out.
Since I've finally decided to not buy TS3 at all, I thought I might get a new EP just to feel a bit spoiled again :D

I originally liked Apartment Life, but looks like Free Time is getting good reviews too. I wonder if an AL+FT double pack will ever be released :D

BTW, of all the EPs I have, my fave has to be Bon Voyage. Maybe it's just because it's the one I've played less, or maybe it's 'cause I really like vacations and journeys. I loved "Vacation" in TS1 as well.

Following in my fave list, Seasons and Open for Business.
Seasons adds such a great realism to the game. I love the snowmen and the sunbursts and the gardening. I also think this EP combines with Bon Voyage nicely.
Open for Business might not add a lot to the game, but I've always loved shops and always dreamed about actually own one - and finally I've reached my goal, yay! - so I loved this EP. I guess that taking care of a business might get boring after a bit, but then again you can send sims on vacation to take a break! :D

For those of you who have M&G, is it worth it?

I want to buy a new EP soon. I already have DOuble Deluxe, so which should I get, Pets, or Apartment Life?

We had a similar question on TSR.
http://forums.thesimsresource.com/s...ad.php?t=366275

Really, it depends on if you want your Sims to have pets and werewolves, or if you want your Sims to live in apartments and have witches. But if you download custom lots, I think you should buy the EPs in order, since many custom lots assume you purchased your EPs that way!

It's settled, I'm getting Pets. If I can find the money, I'll get Uni too.

I'd say get Uni only if you don't use cheats or hacks. The dorms and dormies are boring, and the secret society lots aren't as accessible as Freetime's Hobby Lots. That being said, I send all my teenagers to a single University residence, where they skill-up and make friends among themselves. Alumni "donate" their career rewards to the University students. I have a dorm where I put the cowplants so they eat dormies who turn into ghosts and zombies!

EDIT: I forgot to add that Pets have some pretty funny Chance cards, related to the Pet jobs. You thought it was silly to see your pet get into the carpool? Just see those Chance cards!

I picked Uni because I find it has more to offer. I like going off to the dorms to get to know my sims better before deciding what life they have ahead of them.

I like NL and OFB best, I was never really a fan of Uni, though it did have it's merits, but those invading cheerleaders drove me crazy lol

I have Pets too, but I just didn't connect with it like I thought I would. But NL I love, for me it's a definate must have ^_^

I have Double Deluxe, which has Nightlife and bits and pieces of Uni and OFB (such as inventory and LTW), but just found out I was sitting on $20 in Best Buy gift cards. So I'm gonna buy an expansion pack finally! 8D As I said, I only own one, but here's my opinion on them in the order I plan to buy them-

Nightlife: If I'd had a choice in the matter I might've bought it later, but still a great and highly entertaining EP. Dates are adorable, cars are good, and while chemistry can get a tad annoying when your sims don't match up right, it does add a layer of realism to the game. Also, it gave me Pleasure Sims, who are adorable. Adults wanting to jump on a couch = win. ^-^ The Gypsy is very helpful, and while I haven't seen Mrs. Crumplebottom yet I'm waiting for the day it'll happen. :3

FreeTime: The one I've decided on buying. All the stuff packed with it looks just plain awesome: the hobbies and secondary aspirations will really help bring out my sims' personalities (not to mention give them more ways to build fun than plunking them in front of the TV) and I'm really gonna need the ability to age townies for my legacy.

Uni: I've heard all over the place that Uni is dreadfully boring, but it still attracts me, probably because I'm not old enough to attend college yet. Besides. COWPLANT. I've been waiting since I heard it existed to get my hands on it.

Apartment Life: While I'm not too crazy about apartments, the new clothes and building options, which I've heard are fantastic, really draw me to it. Besides, I'm curious about the magicky types.

Seasons: Only slightly uncomfortable with the idea of having weather, but that's prolly just because I'm so used to it not existing. It looks like a really cool and dynamic EP though. Besides, PENGUIN! May switch this one with AL, who knows.

Bon Voyage: This one I'm a bit mixed about. While the vacations sound fantastic, I'm not sure I'd get much opportunity to use them, and that's bad because they look very memory-intensive. D8 That aside, it does look quite cool. Not that excited about it. Except maybe for the Unsavory Charlatan, he looks like a riot. Yes I do rate EPs based on their minor quirks, why do you ask?

Open For Business: While I really want a Servo, I'm not sure much else attracts me to it. I have a feeling it'd be fun for a while, but I'd get bored with it too easily. D8 Besides, considering Double Deluxe has OFB code in it, I could probably spawn a Servo in boolprop...the option appeared, but I was afraid to click it. This and Bon Voyage are tied.

Pets: I'm not really sure what I'd do with it honestly. Pets are good, but the other packs are better. I won't lose any sleep over not having this one.

I hope I'm making good decisions here. :D

Just chiming in to say that the best EP for me was Seasons followed by Freetime & Open for Business. Those 3 EP's started me playing Sims again. And for all the reasons already listed upthread.

Didn't see much posts on the SPs - I only have Ikea and I got it because it allows my poorer / uni sims to have nice looking furniture for very little simoleans! I thought Ikea was worth it - you can furnish an entire home without breaking the bank, and since I have no 20K handout installed, my sims are very thankful for the Ikea furniture :-)

I've got Double Deluxe (but I have played the base game) with Open for Business, Seasons and Apartment Life, so I'll give my opinion on these:

Nightlife: Cars are useful if you miss the carpool and the new social interactions, chemistry and matchmaker are good for getting your sims new friends and potential partners. The pleasure aspiration makes good use of all the new stuff. Downtown is good, although there could have been some pre-made families included. I haven't really played vampires.

Open for Business: I like the craft items and they're a good way of making extra simoleons. Servos and robots are good when they're not broken although hiring a maid is cheaper and less effort for basically the same result. The stage tool with modular stairs and elevator are useful space savers. Bluewater Village is good, but the families could have been developed more.

Seasons: Weather and seasons adds a great new element to the game and the autumn skilling benefit is good. Plantsims are easy to take care of and create large families from so again extra simoleons! Gardening and fishing are good additions as well especially with the extra-fulfilling meals. Being able to put away leftovers is a useful extra.

Apartment Life: Apartments are more fun than I expected them to be and are good for making friends with the townies down the hall. I haven't played TS1 Making Magic so I can't compare, but the Magicland is very lame, but then we did get a very detailed new neighbourhood with Belladonna Cove. The new clothes and stuff are very nice too.

Celebration Stuff: I was disappointed with the small range of stuff included so I probably won't be buying any more SPs if they're all like this.

What the heck. I'm avoiding going to practice, so I'll chime in. I has no Bon Voyage (which I have, but to date have not installed) or Apartment Life (because I'm afraid I won't be able to use some of my favoritest hacks with it).

So for me, it's:

1) FreeTime. I likes my hobbies, especially since I got a hack that gets rid of the phone calls and visits about them. I also like secondary aspirations, but what I really like is the aspiration point benefits. I hardly ever use aspiration rewards because they all seem pretty unrealistic to me. The only exception I make is Smart Milk because toddlers annoy the hell out of me. (Just like in real life! My own toddlers annoyed the hell out of me sometimes! ) I want to get them out of my hair enough that they can at least use the potty all by their little lonesomes. But I definitely take advantage of the point benefits thingies that Free Time introduced.

2) Seasons. I like having the seasons, though I confess that in some neighborhoods, I eliminate winter. (Seriously, tons of snow in a desert town like Strangetown? I mean, yeah, it'll snow in high desert places like Santa Fe, NM but it doesn't look to me like Strangetown is high desert.) But what I really like is the ability to store leftovers in the fridge, especially because it makes it so that children can feed themselves. (I'm so neglectful! ) The gardening and fishing thing is nice, too, though the fruit trees drive me batty. I forget I have them and then... *sigh*

3) University. Yeah, I actually like Uni. I did get a hack to shorten each semester by one day, not so much to make the whole thing shorter but just to increase the challenge. I got tired of Sims who had straight As with no effort.

4) Nightlife. I like dates and cars and the chemistry thing. Haven't done too much with vampires because they get boring to me since they don't die. Hate the Pleasure aspiration, for some reason.

5) Open for Business. Mostly it's down here because I don't do the business thing that often, so I could live without it. I don't dislike it, though. In fact, I'm very fond of my little convent that supports itself by selling produce as a home business. I did a brothel once, too, just to see if it would actually work, and that was fun. I should probably do more with businesses...

6) Pets. Again, I don't dislike it, but I hardly do anything with it. The strays are annoying, though. I've resigned myself to a perpetual hole in the ground on all my lots.

Hi My 8y/o brother-in-law wants me to install TS2 on his new comp. Problem is it's not exactly high end computer so I have to choose which expansion packs he gets. Any suggestions? I want him to get the most fun out of them.
I'm thinking Uni (some awesome stuff+lifetime aspirations), Pets (he loves animals), Free Time (hobbies make game much more interesting but not too hard as say OFB) and Apartment Life (flats and neighbours). Plus some stuff packs.
What do you think?

=/ I just wanted to mention that this thread needs updating, what with Apartment Life out and all. It definately deserves to be on the poll. XD

Seasons definetly adds another element of realism to the game.
Bon Voyage was the last EP i got so i suppose im a little biased

Ta da!! =D

#1 Seasons-
My most favorite EP. I love the weather.
It makes it feel more real, and it helps with the movies I make. The only thing I don't like about
the added feature of weather, is that it makes the sims even more retarded in a way. I just don't find the weather as interesting as they do
to the point of looking outside every single time the weather changes.
The whole family will fight over a window to see the rain.
I find this annoying.
Score: 10

#2 University-
My second favorite. I had wanted this EP for a long time, but just in recent months finally gotten it.
I enjoy the fact of your simmies venturing out into the unknowns of collage life, but in all honesty,
I find it takes far too long to get through collage, call me impatient.
Score: 9

#3- Nightlife-
Nightlife is just fun. It gives you the ability to buy and drive cars, lets your teens drive to school and work.
The added feature of being able to add driveways to your home makes it feel much more real,
and while a lot of other cool features escape my mind right now, I feel this is a good EP.
Score: 9

#4 Apartment Life-
Apartment Life and Nightlife are very mich tied. I like both equally.
AL allows you to move your sims into apartments, they can have roommates and many other neighbors around them.
I have nothing against this EP, and it's one of my favorites, but not the most.
Score: 8

#5 Bon Voyage-
ROAD TRIP!
I'm glad we got a Vacations EP like in Sims 1. I really do like this EP, we get vacations, new items and destinations,
and most importantly; lots on the beach!
The water is pretty and there's alot of things you can do while on vacation, I never got bored of this EP and I felt it was worthwhile.
Score: 10

#6 Free Time-
Again, a good game, The ability for your sims to have hobbies makes them more personable and unique,
plus we get alot more items =D
I don't have much to say about it though.
Score: 7

#7 Pets-
Who doesn't love a kitten and puppy?
I'm pretty sure this was the first EP I bought for Sims 2. I love being able to add cats or dogs to my family, but the fact that if they're not tamed, they'll wreck your home, REALLY bugs me. I have toddlers to take care of! I'm not going to train the dog myself! Nor to I really want to spend the dough to get a pet trainer.
But, all in all, it's nice.
Score: 6

#8 Open for Bussiness-
Ok, I can't say much about this EP, seeing as I only had it installed for a very short time, but from what I remember, it was cool.
I didn't really care much about having my own shop, so eh.
Score: 3-4

Did I miss any? hope not.

I don't know in what order are they, but I like seasons, freetime, OFB and pets the most. Seasons has that lifesaver (leftovers ) and i like that i can decide the weather. In freetime I simply adore that kids activity table! And hobbies are also nice etc.

My least favourites are BV, Uni and nightlife, in that order. In my game BV really doesn't work at all, I can't send sims on vacation because they just get stuck in there and can only return if I teleport them back by using some other sim from their home-neighbourhood. But the one thing I really like in BV, is that it allowes sims to walk to community lots! That's golden I find Uni just BORING, but that's great place to move those teens from large familys so I can focuse playing with them. And sometimes when I get really bored, I take sims to the city.

I'm really bad when it comes to choosing my favourites, especially because I got most of the EPs at the same time but I'll try my best...

My favourites:

EP1: University

I'm probably weird but I've always liked playing my Sims through University. I admit that it takes a little bit too long but otherwise I enjoy it - and luckily there're hacks that reduce the time of each semester. And I LOVE the Cowplant!

EP5: Seasons

I couldn't live without it because it makes the game so much more realistic. I love nature, gardening, sunshine, raining, snow and seasons in real life so it's really nice to have them in TS2 too.

EP8: Apartment Life

I love the windows and other build mode content that came with it and I also like the idea of apartments. Witches are OK but not really my favourites.

I like these too but they are not Must Haves for me:

EP2: Nightlife

I like vampires and dating and I probably couldn't live without the option to see the neighbourhood objects, other lots etc. when playing one lot. Nightlife used to be my favourite EP mostly because of vampires.

EP3: Open for Business

I used to dislike this EP but now I actually like it. Running a restaurant is too difficult for me but I like other types of businessess.

EP7: Free Time

To be honest, I waited it to be a lot better than it turned out to be. I do like it though, it's good that there're more things for Sims to do.

Least favourites:

EP4: Pets

In real life I love animals but this EP simply wasn't what I wanted it to be. I probably could survive without it.

EP6: Bon Voyage

I like the furniture that came with it and I love the idea of travelling but well... I'm not sure if it's because of the loading screens or what but I very rarely send my Sims to vacation. Beach lots are nice but I don't use them that often. I'm still happy that I got this EP because I'm sure that I'll enjoy it a lot more now that I'm giving it a real chance.

Seasons rules

So, if I was to get Freetime or Apartment Life, which would you people recommend?

So, if I was to get Freetime or Apartment Life, which would you people recommend?

I don't have all the EPs, but out of what I have, my favourites are AL, Uni, and OFB. I have a legacy, so uni is a must (no uneducated heirs please). I find AL has some great features and it's great for storing spares if your neighbourhood is small or if you have a tight budget. I originally bought OFB just for the servos, but I love the actual business aspect.

I dislike Pets because it's annoying. I never make/adopt pets because they make my lots really laggy, and I hate the pet-related LTWs, because, um, I don't let my Sims have pets. I'll probably end up uninstalling. I also have NL. I like it well enough, but I don't really use the features that much. I don't find it annoying, just kind of "meh".

I do want Seasons and FT (not so keen on the idea of BV; seems like it would make my poor computer lag too much), but I don't think my laptop could handle them.

I only have Freetime, and I think it's a good EP for adding a lot of background to Sims' personalities. Secondary aspirations and aspiration benefits are the greatest things since sliced bread. The only problems I have with it are that the hobby/hobby enthusiasm systems are just a bit weak, the hobby club NPCs are very annoying and tend to visit the house at inopportune moments, and the Lifetime Aspiration bar completely and annoyingly invalidates the Lifetime Want system, which I find a lot better (and better earned) for getting permaplat. x.x

However, I've heard nothing but good about Apartment Life, too, and I'm torn between that and Seasons as my next one. It has playgrounds and witches and you can make pretty houses with it. So...I dunno. I'd have to get AL to completely answer that. FT's a good EP, though. Get it at some point.

I love Apartment Life with a passion. In all honesty, I rarely build houses anymore because I like apartments so much. They're a lot cheaper (to me at least) and you don't have to take care of anything outside your apartment, the landlord will do that for you everyday. Belladonna Cove is, in my opinion, a much better neighborhood than Desiderata Valley, because it's city-like setting brings a lot more interesting people to the table. Lastly, AL brings magic to TS2. While not my favorite part of the EP, it does add for a bit of fun :]

FreeTime is good for your Sims' backgrounds. It is a lot of fun testing all of the hobbies to see which one your Sim will be most enthusiastic about, and the amount of clothes that came with it were really nice. I agree with Carth in that the secret hobby clubs don't really serve a great purpose, with the exception that it is indeed a new lot to go socialize. FreeTime also brought a lot of new items like the ballet barre (a personal favorite), the stationary bike, the soccer goal, and more.

I don't think I would want to run my game without either of them, but if I had to choose, I'd pick FreeTime, for the new clothes/objects and biggest influence on your Sims' lives.

A lot of people seem to dislike bon voyage. I think it's a good EP, if you know what to do to keep yourself entertained. Same with University, you can convince yourself it's a sims story. But, my favourites are 1.Seasons, 2.OFB, 3. Bon voyage, 4.University, 5. Pets..
Though these are pretty high up so unlike a lot, I also adore pets. Nightlife & Freetime I've yet to try >

I don't have NL or FT so I don't have much to say about those obviously. I will probably get FT before NL though as the only thing to look forward to from NL (for me) are the cars...I already have some that I've downloaded and they work fine without it so I'll probably get NL last.

In no particular order:

University
I do like that I can send my sims to college, but I dislike that it's only teens that can go. I like the extra want slots and items, but I too find that college drags on a bit (just like in real life )

Open for Business
This is probably the EP I use the least. I hate when my sims get the lifetime want of owning 5 top rated businesses because it takes forever and most of the time I never achieve it that way anyway (using the aspirationlevel5 cheat instead) I had one sim get 2 top rated businesses and that was enough for me.

Pets
I love animals and this was the first EP I chose to buy because of that. I'm not going to say I dislike it because I don't, but it's a bit redundant after awhile having to train the pets not to poo all over or destroy my belongings. I also like that it added the ability to lock your doors (not sure if that's something an earlier EP introduced but it first appeared for me when I installed Pets)

Seasons
Love it. The only thing I dislike about it is perhaps the furniture. I like simple, clean-lined modern furniture, not a bunch of wicker items with gaudy floral patterns.

Bon Voyage
I like this one as well, but much like Pets it's a bit redundant after awhile. I liked the beach and sunbathing the most, but with hacks and beach lots it's pretty much useless for my sims to go on vacation now. Also I didn't like that after running around like crazy for the 45 vacation memories nothing happens

Apartment Life
Great EP but my sims are snooty and would rather have a $200K house so I don't actually use the apartment feature all that much. By the time I get done building an apartment it's as large as a house anyway so it's pretty unrealistic. I love the items of this EP and the gigantic aquarium is something I'd kill for in real life

Stuff Packs
I don't have any of them; at some point maybe but I'm looking at the $120 worth of EP's I already have and spending another $120 on packs containing nothing more than clothes and beds seems a little useless when I can just download stuff here.

Must have EPs:

Apartment Life (gotta have ceilings, and apartments)

Bon Voyage (gotta have poses in game, and fun little outings)

OFB (gotta have your own business, not to mention the cool hair, and some clothes)

University (gotta have young adult sims going to college)

Freetime (gotta have hobbies, magazines, all the new interactions, and secret lots)


Least needed EPs:

Pets (can live without strays knocking over trashcans, skunks, and training pets, not to mention not being able to build custom CAS screens)

Seasons (can live without it raining or snowing "in the house" when you don't zoom in all the way, also not being able to build custom CAS or even download many)

Most Needed SPs:

Ikea (this goes without saying, so many cool furniture, including a one tile dresser, which I LOVE because those other bulky dressers get in the way)

Kitchen and Bath (some really awesome clothes and hair here, as well as plenty of kitchen and bathroom misc decorative objects)

Mansion and Garden (awesome new building tools, and pretty plants, as well as some really gorgeous hair)


Least Needed SPs:

Glamour Life (waste of space in my opinion, not much was added here, some okay clothes, other than that, not needed)

Family Fun (ridiculous furniture and clothes)

Teen Style (All of the clothing for teens that came with the base game and other expansions is cool enough, no need for extras, also the furniture here is lacking)


The rest of the EPs and SPs I left out because I feel neutrally about them.

University is definetly my favourite EP because it brings you lifetime aspiration. I like playing my sims with structure and I like having a goal to reach.

My least favourite EP is Bon Voyage, because I forget my sims are on holiday and accidently leave them their for ages and I keep doing this until over half my neighbourhood is there! Plus the holidays cost sooooooo much, and I don't like cheats...but i may re-install for the other stuff that comes with Bon Voyage.

I don't have any of the stuff packs.

The EP's you should buy? Why, the ones that you need for HP's Uber-Megahood! That would be Open for Business, Seasons, Apartment Life, and Freetime. The Uber-Megahood allows you to play *ALL* the neighborhoods together. I'm especially enjoying the surprise of finding out who's hooking up with whom from different neighborhoods!

What is your most favourite/least favourite expansion pack, and why?
Favourite:
Either FreeTime, OFB or BV or Seasons xD
Least Fave: University, i hate that it's bad if your sims don't go to college
What is your most favourite/least favourite stuff pack, and why?
Fave: Hmm... IKEA or Family fun
Least Fave: None
If you could rank how much you like each expansion or stuff pack in order, what would your order be?
1. FreeTime
2. OFB
3. BV
4. Seasons
5. Nightlife
6. IKEA
7. Family Fun
8. Kitchen and Bath
9. Celebration
If you had to remove an expansion, which one would it be, and why?
xD Yesterday i had to remove all my EP's and SP's and some of them were loaned from friends, and i am short of a LOT of EP's


If ye all are wondering why AL isn't on ly lsit it's cops i don't have it! The local (ok an hour away) Smyths store doesn't have it and neither does the GAME store.

Well, I've been a lurker for a while, but first post!

My favorite EPs are BV and Seasons!
Seasons-I live on a farm with lots of gardens, animals and a huge pond, so seasons was a big comfort to me! When I get done tilling and fishing, my Simmies can have some country fun also! It added fun clothes, weather, ice-skating and cute interactions.
BV- I've always dreamed of taking vacations, so my simmies can now. I always have my loaded Sims buy vacation houses and they love them! I feel so good for giving my hard working Sims a beautiful vacation, and going to Twikkii Island or Camping never gets old.
Least Favorite- OFB. It's gets old quickly for me, only good thing is the Jacques family, he creates beautiful children.

I have all the expansions and I wouldn't give up any of them. But if I had a least favorite, it would totally be university. I love the objects and the resurrection thing (though I could do without the stupid resurrection wants whenever an elder dies) but college itself is so fucking lame. If I didn't know better, I would think that the people who designed the EP didn't know diddly squat about college life. ONE class, ONE term paper, FREE and EASY scholarships and money grants for maintaining a good average? In real life, college is hard work, expensive and you're forced to choose unnecessary classes to take the majors that you really want and need, and you not only have more than ONE term paper for every class, but you also get a hardass professor that's going to shoot it down more than once and make you rewrite 999,999,999.99 times before he'll consider it "acceptable." College is long, easy, boring, and something the game pretty much forces onto you, unless you don't care about whiny sims that cry and belly ache for a week because they didn't go to stupid college.

My favorites
 

Im having a hard time deciding which EP I like the best. Up until recently all I had was a 6 yr old computer and had Sims2 Deluxe, University and Seasons installed. My game ran so slow that I almost gave up completely playing the game but I have to say of those three games, Seasons was my favorite. I bought a new computer a couple of weeks ago and purchased BonVoyage as well as Free Time. I like Free Time but have to say that BonVoyage has become my new favorite. I think the reason for this is the new travel destinations and it seems much easier to get around in the neighborhoods. Since I got the new computer with much better graphics, its like playing a completely new game. I can't beleive what Ive been missing out on.

Overall, you just NEED University, Nightlife, and Seasons. Uni because of college, NL because of cars and dating, and Seasons because of weather, leftovers, and gardening.

Seasons

+ Wonderful Weather effect
+ Nice Gardening
+ Transition between seasons perfect

- No new Swimsuits for Summer
- Some of the Winter-Outwear doesn't seem to keep them warm
- Gardening took sometimes too long

Bon Voyage

+ Nice Beaches
+ Wonderful time collecting the Mementos
+ Cultural Gestures

- Crappy furnished Hotels
- Finding Treasure Chests/Secret Maps takes too long
- Getting Bigfoot to become your friend takes too long
- Every Lot lags

Free Time

+ New Hobby-things to do
+ Ability to watch movies
+ Ability to finally UNDERSTAND what your Baby needs
+ New Careers

- Most-favorite Hobby: Music
- You need to keep them busy with their hobby - otherwise they're cranky
- Annoyingly persistent Secret-Lot-Membership People

University

+ New Careers
+ Young Adult Stage (Can do everything an Adult can do)
+ Funny Scene with Parent when Kid goes to College

- Semesters take too long
- Annoying College-People barging into your room
- No chance to get Siblings into the same room
- Too easy to get the Qualify-For-Graduation-To-Next-Year-Grade
- Young Adult Stage (It's basically Adult)

Pets

+ Can add Pets to family
+ Can make several races of Pets
+ Ability to Become Werewolf kinda fun

- No Sit-On-(Sim)-Lap Option
- Annoying Dogs & Skunks clotting your Lot
- Annoying Dogs who want to know your Sims
- Annoying Dogs who want to know your Pets
- Time doesn't go Fast-Forward if the Pet is awake when all other Sims are sleeping

Open For Business

+ Ability to Lock Door for other Sims
+ Run a Shop at home
+ Teens can help in Shop

- HAVE to have a Home-Business to lock Doors for Household AND Employees only
- Annoying People clotting your Lot
- Need to buy Community Lot to run a Restaurant
- The Badges take forever
- Most Shops in Blueside Hill (whatever that Lot was called) not useable for Sims


All in All I'd suggest getting Bon Voyage and Seasons.
If you're a patient person you can get University, but I think it's only good to get a I-Graduated-From-College-I'm-So-Happy Memory for your Sim.

OfB was okay, but it had it's querks.
Pets was good, too, except with all the pets always getting in your Sims way ..

C-A

P.S: I can't say anything about the Plant-Sim-ism because I never managed to do that yet.

Favorite: Seasons - I love gardening, plantsims, weather! It is so nice that there is snow, sunshine, and rain. Even the hail is great! I don't like that my sims overheat if spending to much time in the hot tub though, everything always catches on fire...and with my luck, I don't put fire alarms anywhere near by.

Least Favorite: Pets - I love the new furniture shipped with this expansion, but I don't love the pets. Every pet I make seems to have suicidal tendencies, because they won't eat until they've nearly starved to death. And after they learn all the tricks and reach the top of their career, they really no longer have a point other than providing companionship, which I hardly ever need.

Removal!: University - I hate that every single teen sim rolls the want to go to college, and if they don't go to college...they get a bad memory of missing out. I don't want every single sim to go to college, because not every single person in real life goes to college, and not everyone thinks it's a bad thing!

When it comes to my sim game, I'm a stickler for realism, which is why I create my own custom careers...the maxis careers pay sims waaaaay to much money for what they do! And I generally use the familyfunds cheat when starting out, because I don't think people just automatically start out with $20,000.

I'm really looking forward to Apartment Life, though, for whenever I get the money. I love the concept so far!

I have three EPs installed - University, Nightlife, and Seasons - and I really like all three of them.

I agree with the majority of people here - the best EP is Seasons! Weather makes the game so much more realistic, and I love the new gardening and fishing activities. I also like University because it gives sims more time to gain skills and meet people. I don't use the Nightlife features as regularly (except for the cars), but sometimes I like to have my sims go on dates or go downtown.

I used to have Free Time when I had a PC, and I loved it almost as much as Seasons. While Seasons made the sims' world more realistic, Free Time made the sims themselves more realistic by adding new dimensions to their personalities. Unfortunately Free Time isn't available for Mac; if it were, I'd run out and buy it right away!

What is your most favourite/least favourite expansion pack, and why?
What is your most favourite/least favourite stuff pack, and why?
If you could rank how much you like each expansion or stuff pack in order, what would your order be?
If you had to remove an expansion, which one would it be, and why?

1.Favourite would be Nightlife and Seasons. Why?
Simple....Nightlife> Sims can drive their own cars, the vampires.
Seasons> SNOW!!! The season changes just add that extra element to the game.

Least favourite would be....
Hard choice, haven't really found one I don't like.

2. Ranking:
Nightlife
Seasons
Pets
.....
rest in random order

I really want to play Bon Voyage, only Expansion I am missing!

3.Pets probably, just because it lags sometimes.

Everyone mentions 'leftovers' as a part of Seasons..
but I don't have Seasons, and I have the option for keeping leftovers.
I have Bon Voyage though, so I expect that's it.