Yo, any Sims players out there?

[Heyo]

If so.. what version would be the best to get first? I have never played the game before... what should I do?

I see The Sims "Superstar".. the Sims "Vacation".... a few others....

What would be a good startup for a new player to learn the general gameplay and have some fun?

Heyo

[LiberalVoice]

1. The original Sims!

Duh

[Reverend_Smitty]

2. I think you have to buy the original game first

and then you can buy expansion packs like vacation, superstar, etc... I have the original and it is a fun game. But be forewarned once you start playing you won't be able to stop at first. I developed a godlike complex over my minions.

[jeff30997]

3. You need the first one to play all the extensions.

I just bought Hot Date and i think it's one of the best.

[BattyDem]

4. You'll need the original Sims before getting anything else.

The expansion packs sort of "specialize" in different themes and interests. They're all good, but my favorites are House Party, Hot Date, Unleashed and Makin' Magic. (I have all the expansion packs - I love my Sims!)

All expansion packs include new "skins" (clothing), new objects (furniture, lamps, electronics, etc) and new characters.

Here's some info on each expansion pack:

Livin' Large - "Luxury" items like marble statues, a pool table and a robot maid; a lovebed and some weird stuff like a genie and alien abduction. 5 new careers. More neighborhoods so you can have build up to different 50 homes/families. Themes for your home: Gothic Castle, "Love Shack" and high tech.

House Party - Everything you need to throw a killer party - DJ booth, caterer, dance cage, mechanical bull, dance floor. Western, luau and rave themes.

Hot Date - adds another neighborhood "downtown" where you can shop, have dinner, meet people, do the club scene ... you know, stuff you'd do on a date. New Sims interactions like cuddling, playing footsie and gossip. There's a cuddle couch, a romantic swing, a love tub and a picnic blanket with basket.

Vacation - Adds "Vacation Island" where you can go to the beach, a winter lodge, and camping. Volleyball, snowboarding, fishing, snowball fights, snow slide, and other fun stuff.

Unleashed - Pets for your Sims! Dogs, cats, fish, etc. New "Old Town" neighborhood has parks, cafes, shops and a market. Five new careers are added to the game. You can grow your own vegetables and sell them at the market for extra money.

Superstar - You can become a Rock Star, Movie Star or a Supermodel. "Studio Town" is a new neighborhood that has three themes: movies, music, and fashion. You can also hire a butler.


Makin' Magic - It's all about the supernatural. You can develop supernatural skills and cast spells, make potions, etc. "Magic Town" neighborhhod is sort of like a spooky carnival. There are rides and mini-golf. Lots of new items and characters with this pack.


The Sims Deluxe Edition - this includes The Sims (the original) and Livin' Large, as well as some new items that come exclusively with Deluxe.

The Sims Double Deluxe - includes The Sims (the original), Livin' Large and House Party

The Sims Mega Deluxe - includes The Sims (the original), Livin’ Large, House Party and Hot Date.


You can probably get more detailed info about each pack at Amazon.com.


FYI ... The Sims 2 comes out in September. The graphics are amazing! More info here: http://thesims2.ea.com

Have fun! :-)

[jukes]

5. uh,

isn't *this* Sim?

[AlFrankenFan]

6. All, but make sure yer computer is fast

I have a lot of the expansions and it so slow (I have a Windows 98 Gateway Pentium Celeron) I can't get to "Downtown mode" or "vacation mode" without it freezing. If you have PS2 they make The Sims for it too.

[Chovexani]

7. Get one of the multipacks.

I have all the expansions and have been a hardcore Simmer for a couple going now, so here's some advice:

I would suggest getting Sims Mega Deluxe which includes the original game, Livin' Large, House Party and Hot Date. I would consider those three expansions to be essential ones, because 90% of the fan-made objects you'll find online tend to require those packs. Hot Date in particular is a must-have simply because of the sheer number of options it adds to the game--over 100 new interactions, the Downtown area, tons of new objects, etc. It's really worth it.

Get the feel of the game with that first. The next expansion I would consider "essential" to have besides those I just stated would be Unleashed, because it also offers a ton more stuff, not quite as much as Hot Date but it's up there. Superstar is fun if you like the idea of your Sims becoming celebrities. Vacation is so-so, and Makin' Magic is just a total ripoff--the novelty of the few features it adds wears off quickly, and most of the stuff you can do it in has already been implemented in a much better way by various fans.

Some things to keep in mind. The Sims is a resource hog, no doubt about it, and the more expansions you have the more memory and processor speed it sucks up and it can be unstable. Don't run it on anything less than a P3 (or a G4 if a Mac user), and don't even try running this game with the minimum system requirements which are laughable. 256 MB memory you'll need, at least--especially if you plan on getting all the expansions.

To me the best part about the Sims is that it's fully customizable. There are literally hundreds of fan sites with downloadable objects, skins, and other things for the game. http://www.strategyplanet.com/thesims/simsshowcase/index.htm">Sims Showcase is a great place to start, and is an invaluable resource for a Simmer. They check out the Sims sites online and show you what different sites have available for download, and keep you appraised of when they update.

BTW, if anyone wants skins of Chimpy and some other political figures just PM me. I made my Dubya Sim a Slacker, and he often pees on himself and cries. :evilgrin:

On Edit: Whatever you do, don't waste money on the console versions. They are a pale imitation of the computer ones, as your options are severely limited and it is a serious pain in the ass trying to build a decent house with a PS2 controller.