26.3.2015

There are two aspects of this game I'd like to make players aware of before they play the game. These can drain your computers power and memory so be aware before you play: The first is that in this game the new memories feature is actually a nightmare on your pcs harddrive. Sims don't get important memories like they did in the sims 2. They store up insignificant memories, such as 'went shopping', and 'went to the park'. All sims inside your neighbourhood start storing up memories and it's only the active sim you are watching at the time who stores an actual photo memory of an event. All other sims store a picture of a tree for example when visiting a park, a building when visiting a shop,etc. Every memory stored adds to your hard drive and memory and I found that it slowed down the game for my sims to have so many memories. Every sim in the neighbourhood gets a memory whenever they visit anywhere so if you change your active household you can suddenly notice 7 pages of useless memories stored.The other thing to be aware of is the daycare career. It's not a career but a profession, and the actual job hasn't been mentioned by many reviewers so I'll start with a quick explanation. Any sim can start daycare from home. From Mondays to Fridays that sim has to be at home from 9am to 5pm to take care of toddlers and kids. Its starts with taking care of just two or three toddlers. You can hover over a toddler and see things such as 'Jane is a bit smelly' which means change her diaper. Sims with toddlers in the neighbourhood will give their toddlers to your sim to look after, and will pick them up later.Your sims performance is measured by how well fed, clean and happy socially a toddler is when it leaves at the end of the day. When a sim climbs this career ladder they will have to look after more and more toddlers until a total of 4 toddlers, then they start to look after kids. Kids come to your sim's house automatically after school and stay there until 5pm. Your sim will never have more than 4 toddlers and 2 kids to take care of and 1 of the kids will be a tough kid to look after. There are perks to this career as your sim often gets gifts from the parents but you may be asked to look after kids at the weekend (though this is an option you CAN refuse)BUT: Here's the problem. If you don't have enough toddlers(and I assume kids) in the neighbourhood for your daycare sim to look after the game will marry 2 NPC(non-playable character) sims and create a toddler out of them. You read about the marriage the next day in the paper and suddenly have a toddler, this in itself is not a problem, but NPC sim parents are never available to pick up their own kids at the end of the day. And if it's a toddler somebody has to drop him/her off. The game will generate a new NPC teen to drop the toddler off, but will not use the same teen to pick it up. My game started generating a new sim teen to drop off the toddlers and pick them up every day. The game freezes briefly while this happens, and the more characters the game creates per neighbourhood, the slower and more unstable it becomes. I had so many characters in the end that my game took 20 minutes to load! I had to abandon a week's games and delete all the saves and start without a daycare career until my neighbourhood had enough toddler sims to not keep generating random teens.Be careful and aware if you have a daycare sim.Now to the rest of the expansion, this really has opened up a lot of new interactions for teens and kids. However one thing is still missing which I really expected...toddlers interacting with other toddlers. It's very UNrealistic to still have sims 3 toddlers act separate from each other especially after the last expansions of the sims 2 let toddlers huggle and talk while playing with toys.Kids and teens can be selected while asleep and can have dreams about different things, if their dreams come true the next day they become extremely happy. Click on various areas with a child sim and watch them don different outfits to act out a tea party, or driving on the sofa. There are lots of great new toys such as the water slide (available to adults too) and the seesaw which of course can't be played alone!Sim toddlers can get a special toy, an imaginary friend, in the post. This is just a doll at the toddler stage but turns into an interacting friend when at kid stage, and can one day become real although I haven't gotten that far yet.There's a new lot in this game too that you can place in your neighbourhood, a new park with all the new outdoor toys featured, but again not much decent interaction between kids and toddlers and nothing between toddlers at all while there. There is ONLY a new lot and no new neighbourhood which again is a shame having been used to the sims 2 where virtually ever expansion added a new place to visit or play.I won't go into too much other detail as other reviewers have mentioned other new features, just be aware of the problems that memories and daycare can give your pc...Keep deleting memories and make sure you have enough toddlers in your neighbourhood BEFORE you attempt the daycare career to avoid taxing your pc.This game installed fine on vista with no problems but you do need the installation code found in the box and do need the disc in the drive when playing. I'd still give this game a good score, but not a 5 due to the problems it caused me, and lack of toddler interactions.

20.7.2011

The Sims 3 Generations is probably the best expansion pack for the Sims 3 yet, possibly with the exception of World Adventures. As previous reviewers have mentioned, it is mainly beneficial if you like to play with families as opposed to only adults, but there are some new aspects for the adults and it certainly makes having children a bit more interesting.You can now have an adult sim read toddlers and children to sleep, and sometimes this will be one of their wishes, which is nice. You can only do this if you have certain suitable books. For children and teenagers there are a few more options at school. They can go on field trips from which they can pick up skills and moodlets and they can also sign up for after school activities from which they also pick up skills.Alternatively you can send them to boarding school where they will remain until they reach their next age up or until you remove them. If you leave them there they will pick up certain skills and personality traits. There was some kind of glitch in my game as I sent my teenager to a boarding school and for some reason she was delivered back to the house having not graduated. She received negative personality traits for her 'indifferent' attitude to school and also was unable to get a job! The option to join the ___ career was simply not there when you click on the buildings, although she could still get a vocational profession. Slightly unfair as I did not ask for her to be returned early from school, as I said, I think it was a glitch.The fact that children can be punished is a bit annoying as the parents will punish the children without you telling them to do so. They can be sent to time out, be grounded or banned from using certain household objects. Fortunately you can just 'let off the hook' if you want to.There are a few new toys which can be used by children and adults alike. There are rocking toys for toddlers, see saws, water slides and dressing up boxes. Dressing up boxes are good fun and have quite a few options such as dinosaur, princess etc. Furthermore you can even choose they type of dinosaur / princess you want your sim to dress up as. Children can now have imaginary friends, which is amusing, and they can pull pranks such as hairdye in the shower, whoopie cushions and making the toilet overflow. Teenage pranks are slightly more thuggish and involve throwing eggs at neighbours houses and leaving flaming bags of poo (gross). That's a fun aspect and I appreciate that.Both teenagers and the menopausal (male as well as female!) are subject to hormonal changes. Teenagers on certain days wake up feeling rebellious and you will have the option to select wishes such as snub another sim, skip school, stop being friends with their mother etc etc! Sims having a midlife crisis have a similar thing and have wishes such as breaking up with their partner, flirting with somebody else, changing jobs or moving house.There is a new day care profession for adults. It's ok, but a bit boring as far as I'm concerned. I'm sure some people would really enjoy it. You get to look after other sims' toddlers and children in your own home.There a few new cosmetic features. There are a few new hairstyles and clothes and you can now give your sims body hair on their chests. Babies and toddlers can have buggies and elders can have walking sticks. This really doesn't make much difference to gameplay but is nice all the same.Adult interactions are a bit more fun. You can woo hoo in a few new places including in the shower which I like because they get clean at the same time! They can also star gaze together which is really sweet and gives them a positive moodlet after they've done it. Weddings are a bit more fun with generations. The hen and stag parties are very good, with the options to spray sims with fizzy nectar or ask sims to make a toast. You also get a sexy dancer turn up. Weddings are a bit more organised with the reappearance of the marriage arch.Sims can now store memories, which I find to be a pointless feature because the memories don't really have any kind of effect on the game. It would be better if sims recalled them occasionally or if they had an effect on their mood like in the sims 2.There are a few new rewards up for purchase with the lifetime reward points; Hover Bed, Young Again, Clone Voucher, Age Freeze, Inheritance, Super Nanny, Above Reproach, Clean Slate. They all pretty much do what they say on the tin. As for the clean slate and above reproach ones, I find the whole reputation thing a bit annoying as it goes. There are only so many times I need to be reminded that my sims are 'eternally faithful' etc. Oh, and it also tells you that your sim remembers woo hooing with another sim practically every time you do it which is a bit annoying. Maybe they'll iron that kind of thing out later.All in all it's a pretty good game with some slightly annoying features. If you're a sims addict it will definitely keep you entertained for quite a while. Every time the sims has a new expansion pack the game just becomes a little more 'deep'. It is a ridiculously complex game in terms of the multitude of options and interactions available to you and generations vastly increases that.

13.3.2013

A must-buy for fans of the family elements of Sims 3, Generations introduces more gameplay options relating to different stages of life. Teenage Sims will have 'rebellious' wishes such as prank playing, whilst Sims entering the 'adult' life stage may experience a mid-life crisis. Children and teens can now go on field trips with the school, which can result in them learning skills and coming back with various freebies. Teenage Sims can attend a prom, where they may well meet a new love-interest, or be voted prom king/queen. Children can be sent to boarding school (for a fee). They will become non-playable whilst at the school, returning when they are young adults, hopefully with good traits and some special skills.I don't like this option much as the whole point of the game is to control Sims, but I guess if you have a lot of Sims in the family and want to focus on fewer, this may come in handy. Weddings are more fun, with the introduction of wedding arches and wedding cakes, enabling you to hold a proper wedding, and stag/hen parties beforehand.The game introduces 'imaginary friends' - toys which are sent automatically when a baby is born. Placing the toy on the ground makes it come alive, and can then be interacted with by the child sim (but no one else). I found this rather annoying however as they are not controllable, and have a tendency to wander the house at night booby trapping the furniture - leading to negative moodlets for my adult Sims in the morning. But fans of the supernatural elements of the game may enjoy this. The game also introduces a new 'controllable' career - daycare. Toddlers will be dropped off at your house in the morning and you are responsible for keeping them happy. Hovering over the child tells you what their needs are. At higher levels, older children are also left in your care. The money is relatively poor and it's a lot of work. It's a possibility if you have small children of your own and need longer than the mat leave allowance, although you will have little time for your children which might defeat the object. It's a feature I found fun for a while but I don't think I'd bother with now the novelty has worn off.One of the best features are the range of new lifetime rewards. These include the 'motive mobile' - a car that recharges all motives to full - and 'inheritance' - a free cash windfall, good for using up lifetime rewards in elder Sims before they're lost for good. There is also a big range of new buyable objects, including various toys, pushchairs, and bunk beds. The recording system for memories is much better, with a scrapbook style presentation including the Sim's free text biography, and a collection of photographs from key moments in the Sim's life. It also gives the facility to adjust the length of individual life phases. This can be really useful for players who enjoy different aspects of gameplay and can help with working on specific achievements as well. There is also a new 'nurturing' trait which enables adults to teach toddlers skills faster and gives better interactions with youngsters. This is useful if you plan to have a lot of children or work in daycare.The only big annoyance with this expansion for me is that adults in the house will automatically punish children/teens if they misbehave. This can be extremely annoying, spoiling relationships and giving negative moodlets. It also stops the adults in the middle of whatever task they were doing. There is no way to stop this, you cannot cancel the action and even with free will disabled they will carry on. Sometimes the young person is 'grounded' - which means they get told off even for going to school! This creates a negative feedback loop whereby either school grades fall or the child is constantly punished. Punished children will adopt a sneaking walking style, which seems to be permanent, continuing long after they have reached adulthood, married and had kids of their own! My advice is to avoid your kids getting into trouble at all costs!Overall, the good features of this expansion far outweigh the minor annoyances. An enjoyable expansion, especially if you like the family life aspects of the game.

28.7.2011

Firstly, this is a really fun expansion pack that you can't eat up all at once (or so I think), this is down to the fact that the new features involve and are relevant to most aspects of your Sim's lifetime. Saying this, it is relatively child/teen orientated, so if you don't enjoy raising a family you won't notice a lot of new content but it may still improve general gameplay (midlife crisis aspirations, new items like walking sticks for elders etc..)Imaginary Friends: I've only come across one so far (sent in the post from a mysterious relative) and it was essentially a clown toy. They grow up with your Sim if you form a good bond with them. At first they are pretty fun and it's a nice addition.

18.7.2011

The Sims 3 Generations is my favourite expansion so far. Why? I've found that within different stages of the sims lives not alot goes on but now thats completely changed. There are new activities and items that can be enjoyed like tree houses, new cars, pranks, afterschool activities, teaching sims to drive, chemistry/ potions sets, prom and graduation. Finally a wedding ceremony can take place and the new "teen party" can be thrown when the parents are away on a free vacation.A new job has also been introduced as a care giver, where your sim will advance through five levels in their career babysitting toddlers and children afterschool.

5.7.2011

I love The Sims and have been an avid fan since the original version and have loved sims3 since it came out. This expansion pack adds extras to the sims3 base game. It has new items for the kids including a sandpit, tree house, slip and slide and costume trunk including the long awaited bunk bed. It includes new teen items like a sleeping bag so if you run out of bedrooms people can buink on the floor. One of my fav new items is the buggy so that when you take out your baby you don't have to carry them around and, as my sim is prone to do, leave it on the floor in the park!As well as new items there are new wedding interactions, pranks that your teens can play, new traits (to make a good prankster)

6.11.2011

I was slightly wary of giving this game to my daughter at first because of there being no new town, but my daughter thoroughly enjoys this game and still does. She says that there are lots of new interactions to do and adds more depth to having large families. She thinks the idea of imaginary friends is very interesting and even more fun that you can bring them to life. There is a new proffesion known as day care as well. You look after toddlers then (after a while) look after children. There are strollers for toddlers and babies, children can have tree houses and more play equipment, teens can play pranks on people across the neiborghhood and have prom, adults can have a midlife crisis and elderly sims can have walking sticks.

31.3.2012

If like me your like playing the family element more than the career then this is the expansion pack for you!It opens up the family element more by introducing loads more interactions and activities you can do with your children. It doesnt come with a new world though which is disappointing!Your sims can have new traits such as nurturing and rebellious.Teens can play pranks and go to prom, Adults can have midlife crises and Woo hoo in a few more places (tree house and shower)There are quite a few new toys and object additions such as slides, playground toys, tree houses, chemistry sets and prams etc. There is new wallpapers and spiral stairs for your house among other things.

18.6.2011

I joined playing the Sims when Sims 3 came out and quickly caught on. I have all of the expansion packs so far and will continue to get them.I love starting a game with just a couple then building it to a full family tree! So that was a bonus point for me.This game has a few more clothing items and lots of new furniture. They've also added cute little thing like you can go on a date or you can give either a friend or a loved one some flowers or a gift. You can really have fun with the different GENERATIONS. Aha ha ha.The only thing I think I would criticise is the fact that there is no new town. And I decided I didn't want to play a proper 'family' game in the city. So I chose Twinbrook I think it was.

18.6.2011

What can I say? - Basically enjoyment of this pack will depend on what you enjoy most whilst your playing sims.For instance, spiral stair cases just made it for me, I am so pleased with them.I also really like the child-minding option because it saves actually having to HAVE kids :)I love all the new items really, and there are new interactions, especially games for kids which are really fun. There is also Prom which although in uncontrollable, is still a fun event.There's the wedding, which above all Sims will sit down for (which is fantastic) and the cake can also be cut.(and before this, bachelor and bachelorette parties are really fun, dancers, spraying champange etc)Even kids parties are way better,

10.9.2011

I was surprised when I recieved this as it was quick to download and quick to use. However it takes a lot of play for many products be used in the game. However there are positives.I really enjoyed the fact there are prams and children can be punished and do more things. It makes the whole game more realistic.The one thing I really dislike is the 'imaginary friends' they are really annoying because you're kid only seems to play with that toy and you cant delete it so I have to move it to the mother or fathers inventory.The teens are more fun and I like the new objects teens and adults have.Generations overall is a great booster to make it more realistic if you really like making stories and realistic game play this is for you.

28.8.2013

This expansion pack adds alot of fun little features into the game including spiral staircases, bunk beds, sleepovers, pranks and more. Of course this pack focuses on families and young children so if you don't enjoy having kids in your game this probably isn't the expansion pack for you! This is the first expansion pack I have ever bought and I have to admit I was a little dissapointed by how little seemed to be added in the sense that they were all little tiny things added such as new hairstyles new objects etc - there was nothing major to shout about - no new world for instance. This costs only slightly less than the game itself so I would expect more content to be added than I actually

1.7.2011

Well I was very wary of buying this because I'm pretty skint at the moment and I didn't want to waste my money.It is very fun some of the things you can do and the game does make The Sims 3 much more realistic, with the use of teenagers having mood swings, field trips, driving lessons, etc etc.I absolutely love the new items that come with the game, I have forever wanted the bunk beds and the video camera is very fun to use.I've not come across everything yet, not had any imaginary friends to deal with or midlife crisis'.The game was quick and easy to install, no problems yet.I'd only suggest buying this game if you're really into 'family things',

27.5.2014

Nice new features, as other reviews state. Sometimes I used to get bored after designing a house and starting to sim the family, but this makes things more realistic.More items available like bunk-beds for kids (space saver) and toys etc. Prams and walking sticks are fun too, can take the baby for a stroll. Can read kids bedtime stories too.You can also hang graduation certificates on the wall, and change into college robes and then take pics like graduation which is sweet (I like the little details, can you tell?)A few interaction changes like encouragement or something similar, and now woohoo can be done in the shower and bath (no idea who thought of that feature but hey-ho)I recommend this one as it enhances gameplay and makes sims more realistic.

5.8.2012

If you love the sims then buy this game it's so fun, the children get bunkbeds and sleeping bags, if you also have ambitions there's a profession as a daycare woman/ man, it's so awesome, I didn't buy mine in order I bought some of the ones before this game then pets, but I had no problem installing this game after pets and I went on the EA website before hand and they said you don't have to install them in any order, so if thats what's putting you off buying it like it was me don't worry, you just have to use the disk of the most recent game that's all, so I'm still using my pets disk, seriously recommend you buy it if you're as mad as me on the game,

The Sims 3: Generations (Add-On) (PC/Mac) - Reviews

Info

Analysis

Detail