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.