Get Together - First Impressions

[Carl]

Share you first impressions of the Sims 4 Get Together here and help your fellow members decide if they want it. The game can be ordered through this link, and any sales will help cover the Forum's expenses.

My own first impressions were posted in the Announcement I made with Clubs. EA accomplished something this one that definitely needed done - getting Sims out of the house. I felt little reason to leave other than to collect. Clubs are a great feature that does not suffer like Get to Works's content does, in that the only thing that fully integrates with everyday gameplay with GTW is Aliens. So this one has at the very least a bit more replay value and will likely integrate with future content. Everything in Get Together will factor into day-to-day gameplay, and there are tons of new objects with the pack. It definitely is a value, but you must at least be interested in Clubs in order to fully enjoy it.

The addition of groups in the free patch helps make clubs more entertaining, because you can make your Sims move together and do a variety of activities - even large-scale gardening - as a group. Sims will fan out and do things on available objects, and it's nice. The Club Perks add some reward to using the feature, and you can go as deep as you want with it in order to extend the experience. For someone who maxes things, they may want to pick activities that allow for multitasking and mass-accrual of points, while someone else may pick only a few club activities that don't overlap and just enjoy it slowly.

[Zyffyr]

I started a new game with the intent of seeing how easily I can abuse the system - always one the first things I do before I settle into regular play.

Immediately upon loading the game I created a new group called "Food-n-WooHoo". Encouraged actions? Cook, Eat, Be Friendly, Be Romantic, WooHoo (which does include Try for Baby). The only membership limit was for age - no kids/teens.

I then went to add members and selected 4 women (2 single, 2 married) and 1 man from town to invite and started a gathering. I hadn't even met anyone at this point. Everyone showed up and I was able to go straight to "Lets have a kid" with no further interaction. 3 of the 4 women said yes right off - Nancy Landgraab said no but was happy to hop into bed with the other guy there.

By the time I ended the gathering I had full romantic bars with all the ladies other than Nancy and not a hint of jealousy. I also had enough points to buy the 2nd level of the Flirty enhancement.

I stopped at that point, resolving to only make reasonable use of the system in the future.

I can see great potential value for non-abusive gameplay and so far I am quite happy with the purchase.

As a note, I suspect that the challenge team will probably have to completely ban clubs in the tournament.

[MarianT]

One recommendation I'd make is to put your age setting on long or turn aging off completely if you can. I played with a single sim who had a job, and she really didn't have enough time to hang out much with the club she formed before having to go home and get some sleep. When I go back to her, I'll probably have her start taking an occasional day off work.

The other recommendation I'd make is to make your household a club that enjoys eating, sleeping, etc. That way you can pick up many useful perks -- skill-related ones, but also a perk that makes job progress faster.

My sim went to the nightclub -- the Narwhal place -- and the Partihaus club showed up there as well as some of the townies from WC and OS. Watching Mortimer Goth on the dance floor was a special treat. In the café, the Avant-Garde club showed up. So if you're wondering whether the clubs will add more people to community lots, they will.

My sim formed a painting club -- the Rembrandts -- with the requirement that members have a +2 in painting or creativity. She picked up 2 more adults and 2 children. Unlike what you saw in trailers, there are not easels scattered around Windenburg, so you do have to place your own. I'm also not sure what to do with a painting done by someone in your club, as my sim could not scrap the painting that someone else started nor sell it when it was finished. When I play the sim that painted it, I'll see if she can put it in inventory. But they also got points for being friendly with club members, so the club did pick up some perk points.

My sim was invited to go to Knight Night at the Rattlesnake Bar. A few people in knight costumes were there, but they were not members of a club. You can get bar food at all the bars now, not just the ones in Windenburg. I don't remember the full selection -- around 8-10, I think.

I've only scratched the surface so far. One detail I love -- the sound of the chimes from the clock tower in Windenburg. I don't know if you hear them everywhere in town or just in the old part. Another nice thing was that although she teleported to the bar and café, my sim walked home through Windenburg, and then went through the loading screen when she reached her lot. Something I don't love -- the way the mountains look in the background, with a blue outline all along their edges. My graphics have to be on the lowest setting, though, so I hope that people with higher settings don't have a problem. The other thing I didn't like was that photography was not included in the activity list for clubs.

There are some new interactions, though -- sharing photos is one, and apparently your sim can "exchange numbers" as a new Romance interaction. I really like the new clothing for women and children, haven't dressed any men yet. All in all, I'm very pleased.

[HeatherLovesSims4]

I made a similar club to Zyffyr called The Romantics and my Sim had romantic relations with everyone except one sim.  It got to be a little old, so I disbanded the group and my Sim entered into a relationship with another Sim (who had not been in the club).  Well, while my Sim and her boyfriend were out at the Ancient Ruins, Don Lothario (a member of the The Romantics) kissed my Sim and her boyfriend got very upset.  Now I have to do some damage control to save that relationship.

I like the idea of creating a group for the family household.  I think that will come in handy and I will definitely have to try that.

[Bri]

I actually find myself enjoying this expansion pack much more than I expected.  I do wish they had eliminated a few more bugs (or made sure the new patch didn't make any), but this is definitely been fun.

Now, I just hope they integrate future content with previous ones and it would be good as well.

[callycat]

Unlike what you saw in trailers, there are not easels scattered around Windenburg, so you do have to place your own. I'm also not sure what to do with a painting done by someone in your club, as my sim could not scrap the painting that someone else started nor sell it when it was finished.

I found quite a few easels around the place, so they are out there. For painting it's best to have the club based at your house, then you can sell the paintings afterwards.

[Mack]

So far I love this expansion. I am always awed by the talented people that create these worlds. Every details is a delight to look at. Homes, outdoors are beautiful. I like the hilly effect of the streets, curved stone wall which sadly we cannot duplicate when we are building on a lot. Windenburg has truly a European feel to it.

As for the game play, I just went with the flow. If I got an invitation from someone, I went. There is always a bunch of people everywhere and my Sims got to know 20+ in two Sims days. Basically I visited all venues and dabble a bit with interactions, objects etc... My Sims "fertilized" the bush on her own and came out with a negative moodlet. At the Buff , she dove bucked naked and bellied flop. At the pool, bellied flop some more but started to have the hang of it. Very funny. As gardening is one of my favorite to play, I kept an eye on the harvestables. There seems to be more in the neighborhood where the maze is.

As usual, Carl has written excellent guides. But sometimes I like to discover the game play by myself. With the introduction of "clubs", I find it challenging to decide how best to start.  Everything is new and exiting and I end up all over the map. There is so much info,choices and other things to do or try. And that, my friends, is what I am going to do right now.

[Kamxam]

Made a swimming pool club but some non-clubbers managed to get in before i could make it exclusive and it took them forever to leave so i could do so. Wish they had a "Everyone but your club leave " or such option though.   Was surprised by the amount of people i had come in though. It's like everyone in town was desperate to go swimming. lol
Having fun with this expansion though. Wanted to have a club for people who are married to ghosts but so far i don't think it can be done from what i can see.
Think with more expansions it will be VERY fun to see what can be done.

[Playalot]

I haven't played long enough to really have a first impression beyond looking around the new world of Windenburg, which is just lovely. Just wanted to say that there are a few easels scattered around Windenburg but you have to really look for them! There are three or so near the large fountain/nightclub in the newer area and one behind 'South Square Coffee' that I've found so far. I haven't tried out clubs yet, too busy exploring!

*edit @callycat sorry, didn't see your post, you had already mentioned about there being easels around. The more I explore the more I find! There are actually a lot of easels throughout the world. Trouble is I can't find a way of deleting the paintings on them as there are not placed on editable lots. So it seems that once a townie has made a painting they are there forever.

[reggikko]

I am really impressed with the club feature. Family clubs are a very powerful tool since you can keep the club event running in the background while your Sims do their everyday activities and really rack up the perks points. Buying skill perks removes a lot of drudgery, freeing your Sims up for more fun stuff.

I think this is arguably EA's best work in the Sims franchise. I give it a very enthusiastic thumbs up.

[Dellena]

I am really impressed with the club feature. Family clubs are a very powerful tool since you can keep the club event running in the background while your Sims do their everyday activities and really rack up the perks points. Buying skill perks removes a lot of drudgery, freeing your Sims up for more fun stuff.

Oooo, hadn't thought of this - great idea!

[callycat]

I'm genuinely surprised how much I like it. I wasn't going to pass up anything with new aspirations etc., but all the going out dancing stuff didn't thrill me from the trailers as I've never done much of that with most of my games. But you know, this makes it easy and fun enough that I am letting them go out and enjoy themselves, and letting the household's friends do the housework and other tasks has lots of potential.

[Cheezey]

Honestly, so far I feel like I am missing something else that everyone is seeing and liking about the clubs. I can see objectively where it could be useful for skilling, but it also strikes me as almost cheat-level easy where, like having too many focus items, it can lower the challenge to the point where as a player I feel no sense of accomplishment or enjoyment. (Kind of like how vampires skilled in Sims 3, although, to be fair, I haven't played a club long enough to see if it's that fast.)  I can also see where it could be used for laughs, like forming a club that puts everyone in an silly outfit and makes them wander around town in it, but those are the sort of uses I'd only use once in a while rather than frequently. 

Perhaps it's just not suited to my play style. I freely admit I don't like socializing in this game except very firmly on my terms. I get annoyed when strangers come up to my sims and interrupt them on public lots, and sim behavior from visiting guests like raiding my fridge, making drinks on my bar, or worse, using my computer (a peeve in real life) drives me batty. In fact, I had a mod in for a while that prevented anyone, even relatives and full green best friends, from trying to visit me unless I invited them over, because it seemed like they'd try to visit constantly.

I do really like Windenburg and a lot of the new items and clothing. Maybe I haven't figured out a good way to use the clubs to do things I like yet. If they were more temporary I'd wonder if they could be used to better stage screen shots for stories, but I don't know if there are social consequences for forming and deleting throwaway clubs. I haven't messed around with the feature enough, because I don't really see long-term what any sims I'm playing would do in one that wouldn't be redundant with what they already do.  By that, I mean, they already have tons of focus items so a skill boost from a club because friends are visiting them doing what they are doing would just mean more sims in the way to me, with no positive to outweigh it. Unless the club does something extra other than making the skill grow even faster, which to me, I don't think is a good enough trade off.  I'm also not particularly interested in them having more friends or higher relationships with friends as a goal. It's nice when it happens, but not something I seek out, generally.

[callycat]

Honestly, so far I feel like I am missing something else that everyone is seeing and liking about the clubs. I can see objectively where it could be useful for skilling, but it also strikes me as almost cheat-level easy where, like having too many focus items, it can lower the challenge to the point where as a player I feel no sense of accomplishment or enjoyment. (Kind of like how vampires skilled in Sims 3, although, to be fair, I haven't played a club long enough to see if it's that fast.)

I haven't noticed a cheat-level increase in skilling, but I haven't looked too closely. Buying the upgrade to help certain skills along seemed to make more of a noticeable difference. You can have a club that does non-skill activities easily enough if you need the other functionality for some reason, and it makes any visitors you happen to need a lot easier to manage.

As EPs come out, Sims games always make the basic things easier, or give you options to do so, it's part of the design. Usually it's easier money-making or things like the elixirs as an occult short cut. I think this is the first time they've really made the social stuff easier, and that might be why I like it. Managing friends and not letting the relationships decay is usually more than I can be bothered with - in Sims 3 the endless notifications about losing friends always stressed me out. Here I just need to click once to make a whole group turn up and they will play chess together, do friendly interactions or whatever else I put in as a club activity. They manage most of the social stuff themselves unless I want to guide them, and if I do there's no problem directing them. 

There don't seem to be downsides to kicking people out of clubs or disbanding them so far.

[MarianT]

@callycat and @Playalot , thanks for letting me know about the easels. It might be that if I send an artist's club to a spot, I'll just have to set down easels for them. But then the paintings that aren't done by my sim will stay on the easels. Hmm...have to think about this more.

@Cheezey, I don't think there are any downsides to disbanding a club, but haven't tried that yet. Getting the perk for a skill does make the sim skill faster, which means that leveling up in baking is less tedious than it used to be. You can make a club out of just your family, and use the activities to get them to autonomously do things that you would like. With gardening selected, for example, sims will garden. You could also get the club door and put your computer in a room available only to your family. Of course, you can also do that with the locked door that you already have.