Mods for a new player

[Wistala]

This is my first time playing a sims game but I'm enjoying it so far. I like mods, but I don't like having too many on a game. So I wanted to ask you guys' opinions on what mods you find to be the most useful or fun. Thank you. I don't have any game packs by the way, if that matters for certain mods.

[HelenP]

Hi Wistala, welcome to the forum, I'm glad you're enjoying the game.

For non-tournament/non-dynasty gaming I use by default:

• 'No Food Sparkles' from Aren on ModTheSims, it removes the sparkles from excellent quality food;
• 'Dirt Overlay Default' also on MTS, restricts the appearance of dirt to hands and face only, no more dirty clothes;
• 'Friendlier Ask to Leave' by ReubenHood on MTS, get waved goodbye instead of shoed off the lot;
• 'Woohoo acceptance animations replaced' by Shimrod on MTS;
• 'Camera Mod 1.13.104' by Buckley and updated by szielins also on MTS;
• 'Terrain replacements' by K-hippie on MTS, improves the look of grass and rocks etc.;
• 'Painting replacements' by Daisy Tighfield on MTS, replaces the default paintings from the painting skill;
• 'Garden Plant overides' by pbox on MTS, changes the look of some of the plants used for gardening skill.

Then other mods as seems appropriate to the game I'm playing, so maybe

• 'Less Musical Chairs' by Shimrod, stops sims changes seats all the time when talking to people;
• 'Sleep all night' by Shimrod, stops sims getting up at 3am just because their sleep need is full;
• 'Always start lots paused' by Scumbumbo on MTS, so I don't have a disaster when starting the game or changing lots if I get distracted;
• 'Custom Food' is a whole bunch of new recipes which works with a dedicated script mod by many modders on MTS, adds new options for meals and some new gardening plants.
• 'Custom Woodworking' by Leniad on MTS, lets you make more furniture and usable toys on the woodwork bench.

All this alongside custom clothes, body parts (hair, eyes etc), furniture and building stuff (wallpaper etc) from MTS and TheSimsResource.

To keep track of it all I use 'The Sims 4 Mod Manager' by Raxdiam on MTS because it allows me to quickly enable/disable individual mods or whole folders of mods if the game gets buggy.

[Playalot]

It really all depends on what vanilla animations or actions annoy you! I tend to not use any mods that effect the way the vanilla game runs but occasionally will use mods that change the rate of alien abductions (Get To Work pack) and things like that. Some simmers absolutely swear by the mod MC Commander whereas for me that just changes too much.

Carl's got a guide that covers the basics of using mods and/or cc here (click) that you might find useful to read.

[Candyd]

MC Command Center
Happy buffs changed to fine (eliminates happy moods from decorations so your sims aren't permanently happy for no reason, and they have more diverse emotions)
Woohoo acceptance animations replaced
No more random friendships or romances
Stop random flirting
No autonomous rude / flirty / enchanting introductions
(The last 3 combined make sims 100% faithful by default)

[Puppetmaster1]

The Fashion and Biologist Careers mods.  Just for a little more variety.

I have a lot of different households, I don't like having too many multiple careers, so for me the more careers the merrier.