Advice requested on which EP to buy next

[Wai]

My funds are very limitted, but I seem to have played out my existing configuration.  I have World Adventures, Ambitions and Outdoor Living stuff.

I would like to have the spiral staircase for the bulding flexibility it gives (or did in sims2 so I assume the same applies now).  I would like to have a piano and I used to enjoy having a greenhouse, (though, of course that was essential for Seasons).  I also miss the exercise assault course and the card table.  I enjoy maxing out skills, particulary those which produce increasingly improved items or benefits.

I don't particularly enjoy rearing children, certainly not more than one, maybe two at a time.  However I quite enjoyed pushing my sims through University in Sims 2.  I positively dislike all the monster elements such as vampires.

I have been considering Pets, but I remember they were very demanding and after a while boring in the Sims 1, so, I didn't bother in Sims 2 (did Sims 2 have them?)

So, what I need is more gameplay and some new interesting, interactive equipment and or challenges.

It would help if I knew which of the EP's contain the most elements I miss. 

Also, how much idependence Pets have, do you need to constantly control and/or monitor their actions?

Any advice would be appreciated.  Thank you.

[MoMoll]

This question comes up a lot with people new to the game. Personally, I hate being pregnant (or I should say my sim does), since you lose work time and can't do things a normal pregnant woman could do if she wanted.
I like Late Night, because there is the possibility to throw parties at home or elsewhere (and your sims gain an increase in relationships from throwing parties. Also, I like the vampires. I use a mod to keep them at 30% to the town population, otherwise everyone would be a vampire.
As for bulding, I 'm not much into that. there are too many wonderful builders that I just download their lots. But, I do change them and, yes, the spiral staircase helps. however, if you put a 2 step wide staircase, it's better, because otherwise people cue to use the spiral staircase.

[Stiborski]

My choice would be either Generations or Pets. Since you don't like vampires, I wouldn't recommend Late Night (mostly because of the whole celebrity thing, which is really annoying). Showtime is okay but it also has celebrities.

And pets are just like sims, you can let them have high or low independence.

[MoMoll]

Pets are fine; but, they eat your newspaper, your garden, etc. It's like rodents running wild. I use mods, because EA has no concept on how they have a Vst nulber of vampires and pets spawning in games. Vampires don't bother me; but, I want to keep them to a certain level. Pets, I use a mod to decrease the strays that are always eating my newspaper.

[Wai]

Thank you MoMoll and Stiborski

For your help, it's looking like Pets, though I am concerned about the stray sporning.  I have never used mods.  Do fences keep strays off your property?

I assume I won't get a spiral staircase or piano with Pets.  Would you know if either come in a Stuff pack.  I've looked through the specs for all the stuff packs I am aware of, but haven't found them, but, I may be missing something.

[Pam]

My choice would be either Generations or Pets. Since you don't like vampires, I wouldn't recommend Late Night (mostly because of the whole celebrity thing, which is really annoying). Showtime is okay but it also has celebrities.

Showtime doesn't have the same kind of celebrities that came with Late Night.  In Showtime, your Sims have careers that make them into stars, but not celebrities.  They don't get the celebrity stars or the gifts or anything else.

[Stiborski]

Showtime doesn't have the same kind of celebrities that came with Late Night.  In Showtime, your Sims have careers that make them into stars, but not celebrities.  They don't get the celebrity stars or the gifts or anything else.

But one of my Sims received a star as soon as she joined the singing career and had her first show at a venue. She never interacted with other celebrities (she's the first one of my Sunset Valley, they were non-existant before her).

[Sportsfan]

For full info about all the EPs you can click in the little logo in the top left of your screen, and look on the left til you see "Expansion Packs". Ya gotta love the guide.
I would say that Pets adds the most of what you don't have.

[Roxanne07]

But one of my Sims received a star as soon as she joined the singing career and had her first show at a venue. She never interacted with other celebrities (she's the first one of my Sunset Valley, they were non-existant before her).

Your sims may only become celebrities if you have Late Night installed, since only Late Night adds that ability to the game. If your singer sim has become a celebrity, that's because you have both Showtime and Late night installed at the same time.

@ Wai, It actually depends on what you like the most. There's some real useful information about all expansion packs on the guide.
Here is the guide to the Pets expansion pack. You do get to control your pets in the game ( Cats, dogs and horses ). Their portrait will be added to the left side of the screen just where your sim portraits are. They come with unique traits and lifetime rewards. You get to have unicorns in your game, as well as a new town called Appaloosa Plains.

Showtime comes with lots of new abilities, too. There are a lot of new furnishings and interactive equipment ( such as the Photo booth ),  three new careers and quite a few hidden skills.

Just go with the one you like!

[Wai]

Thank you everyone for all the help.

I've spent the last hour or so tossing up between Pets and Showtime or raiding the "Rainy Day" fund and buying both.  Guess which one one!  I just hope there are no rainy days any time soon.   I just placed my order.

[Coocoo girl]

Late Night or Pets.  Late night adds a ton of musical instruments, and you can make bands.  To me, the only cons of that are the vampires and celebertys.  Neither of them get on my nerves thought, except for when my babysitter ends up being a three star celeberty.  The vampires also don't wear that different of clothes, just sometimes a little darker I think.  The reason I wouldn't recommend generation is because, other than the staircase, it mainly focuses on enritchng life for kids and teens.  Pets gives you, well, simply that, pets.  You can also see the deers.  Oh, and if you like awesome looking deaths, the horse death is absolutely epic. 

[Decima]

My way around choosing which EP to get was to get them in a bundle from eBay. For the price of just over one EP, I got 2 EPs and 2 stuff packs.

I wasn't really interested in pets but it came in the bundle, I haven't bothered getting a pet yet but it's been good to have as I like a lot of the build/buy items that come with it. It's also been useful having the strays. On one of my builds I only had an archway between the street and the inside house (it made sense if you saw it) but after a random cat appeared in the living room I realised I needed a proper gate!

I much prefer generations, it comes with the most amount of 'stuff' that I use all the time. I can't imagine building anything without generations now!