I always thought change was a good thing.  That we can't grow without change.  However lately it seems like everything that is changing is not growing or improving anything! Not just with Sims but with America.  Sims 3 changes a few things but instead of progressing and improving it is regressing and downgrading.  Sims is not growing with it's players and yesI hate to admit it but I wonder what I'm going to do with my spare time once Sims 3 is over.  I highly doubt I'll be investing in Sims 4.  Guess it's sort of sad that most of my life has been spent invested in a game.

I do not oppose change.  I have worked the majority of my life and have had constant change during all of my positions. The changes have increased my knowledge and made me a better worker. So, when Sims comes out with a new version or Expansion pack (not stuff pack) I expect the change to be good and better.  But it's not.  It's just more of the same, no real 'changes' or additions.  No growth or progression but usually less content and even a little regression.  I guess I shouldn't be surprised because that's the way the 'real world' seems to work.

Even in America.  We have a President that won on his promise for change and we've had no change.  Just more of the same.  The one 'change' he recently succeeded in, is against the Constitution and just takes us backward to a type government our forefather's fought against.  Our own President has broken the law but should I really be surprised? Illegal aliens have more rights/benefits than legal American citizens) Now the president is campaigning on 'Forward' which is so ironic as again, he is not moving us forward but taking us backwards to a way of life worse than what we have now. The problem is no one knows their history.  Just as most Americans don't seem to know what America's history is....simmers don't know the history of the Sims.  Sims 1 in my opinion is still the best of the 3.  It had the most original content and ideas.  While the graphics and game play have become better due to the seamless play....the content and ideas are the same or worse. I can remember vacation pack with Sims 1.  The different areas sims could go and the different activities in those areas.  Sims 3..different areas but same activities...nothing unique or new. Sims 1 was full of little suprises and I don't think I'll ever forget the party one family had and Drew Carey actually showed up! Totally unexpected and a good laugh. Sims 2 was a good sequel.  My husband still remembers when he was looking over my shoulder and asked me to have the little girl look through the telescope.  She was beamed up by a UFO which I had never seen before myself! I love those little unexpected surprises. For me Sims 3 is a dud. Any surprises appear too often and are too repetitive. Nothing unique.  I laughed with Sims 1 & Sims 2 but Sims 3 has yet to surprise or make me laugh. Its even less fun because they have taken the family album away.  It was much easier to tell a story with Sims 2 than with Sims 3. Yes i'm still playing Sims 3 and will till the end of it. Unless something drastically changes for the better...I see no use in continuing more of the same with Sims 4.  Rumor has it Sims 4 will be MMO and that will just kill Sims in my opinion.  No way it can be a completely on-line game and still maintain the greatest features I still enjoy the most (building unique lots/creating unique sims).  The on-line features and socializing features are not worth loosing the improved graphics/game play and customizing abilities. Dark Spore killed Spore and was an epic failure.  They would have been better off creating a Spore 2 or continuing with Spore EPs but no they had to opt for an on-line version which killed Spore. I expect any attempt at making Sims a massive multiplayer on-line game will kill it too.  It will not be as great as some envision.  

So what I've learned through playing the sims and living in America is this: once greatness is achieved..the next step is destruction.  (America is now self destructing as well as the Sims...the Sims really is a life simulation game in more ways than one)