Author Topic: Dream Home Decorator -- First Impressions  (Read 9414 times)

Offline MarianT

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Dream Home Decorator -- First Impressions
« on: June 02, 2021, 06:23:59 PM »
Well, my Sim who has level 10 painting skill and recently reached the top of the painting career just failed her first job as an Interior Designer. And she gave it a sincere effort. Maybe she should have tried using dog poo?

Anyway, this pack has gotten a lot of bad press, and I don't understand why. Should it be a stuff pack? Tiny House Living Stuff Pack had less than 40 Build/Buy objects. This has 135. Game Packs Parenthood and Spa Day both had about 90 BB objects. The career is more than just building -- it's getting to know your clients, too. And your Sim will have to dig to get beyond finding out that somebody likes fishing and bowling and doesn't like French Country design, which is what my Sim had to work with.

What I like about this pack is that it has the potential to improve my ability as a builder. I never used filters before. You don't have to have this pack to use filters, of course, and if you're in the habit of using them, then you might not be interested. But for me, it was a revelation that I could select wall coverings, click on the color pink, and get 20 or more wall coverings to choose from.

People have had a few questions on the official forum, like What room should I renovate? If it's not specified (and the first one or two won't be), you can pick any room. Another question has been what is the style of the new furniture. That's Mid-Century Modern.

I do like the furniture and the CAS items. I also like the new toddler/child tent, which I used to make a treehouse:
gra01.041.jpg

No buyer's remorse here, and I expect that by the time my Sim gets to the level where she'll start encountering bugs, the bugs will be eliminated, especially at the rate she's going.
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Offline ratchie

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Re: Dream Home Decorator -- First Impressions
« Reply #1 on: June 02, 2021, 07:35:26 PM »
I am really liking it so far. My daughter and I have done 6 renovations between us and all of them have resulted in happy clients who have paid so no bugs so far. I didn't realise with my first renovations that you have to take at least three before and after photos so had to improvise last minute with a before picture of the door.  I like the build buy items they give me ikea vibes. Not sure how often I would play the career but it definitely fulfills my desire to decorate without having to build or use my own Sims money. My favourite piece is the little play tent.

Rachel
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Offline MarianT

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Re: Dream Home Decorator -- First Impressions
« Reply #2 on: June 02, 2021, 10:08:18 PM »
My test Sim had 2 happy clients, but the Sim in my 10 x 10 story got Eliza Pancakes.
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Offline sdhoey

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Re: Dream Home Decorator -- First Impressions
« Reply #3 on: June 02, 2021, 10:38:55 PM »
I just wish I could get 5 minutes to even open my game and look at it. *le sigh* School and getting ready to leave Saturday for vacation is leaving me with Sims withdrawal.

Offline Brian_Z

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Re: Dream Home Decorator -- First Impressions
« Reply #4 on: June 03, 2021, 01:29:45 AM »
My brand-new, straight out of CAS sim got the Fengs as first clients.  I'm hoping that with higher Charisma and the Observant trait, you learn more from your clients?  She had a heck of a time prying anything out of them, finally learned that Lily likes yellow and Victor is into Acting.  I don't know what to put in a room for Acting, but I gave them a violently yellow bathroom that they loved.  I did have some fun with the fact that sims don't actually know what they're looking at, so there's a couple of naughty items in there.  Which they liked.

Offline ratchie

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Re: Dream Home Decorator -- First Impressions
« Reply #5 on: June 03, 2021, 02:34:35 AM »
One of my clients liked acting so I did a bedroom with a floor length mirror and decor from get famous lots of movie posters that sort of thing.

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Offline scoed

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Re: Dream Home Decorator -- First Impressions
« Reply #6 on: June 03, 2021, 09:38:33 AM »
My first impression is well I like the build/buy items. They are the selling point of the pack to me. As I feared outside of one career it lacks any game play. The career is fun but lacks incentive to replay. It lacks features that normally come with a game pack. Things like s new skill, or a new world, or a new asperation, or trait. Even Journey to Batuu had all these things and that pack is thought by many to be a dud. All there is is the career game play wise. CAS again lacks male options. Nothing to great in my opinion CAS wise. Honestly it feel like a stuff pack. The only reason to buy it is if you love to build and you wish to incorporate that your gameplay, or you really love the items that came with this pack. I didn't buy it my sister-in-law did, but if I did I would feel ripped off. I feel like Paranormal  Stuff pack offers more game for much less money. My advice is to skip this one if you are looking for gameplay as there just isn't much to this pack outside of build/buy. It is so lacking. I give it a solid D. What is there is good but there just isn't much there. I seen stuff packs with more content. Heck, I seen free updates that offered more gameplay. Where is the game in this game pack?

Now I love the patch that came out right before this. The like/dislike system is worth paying for, the lacking game pack, not so much. Good thing the patch was free.



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Offline deenahax

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Re: Dream Home Decorator -- First Impressions
« Reply #7 on: June 03, 2021, 05:18:39 PM »
Well, my Sim who has level 10 painting skill and recently reached the top of the painting career just failed her first job as an Interior Designer. And she gave it a sincere effort. Maybe she should have tried using dog poo?

Anyway, this pack has gotten a lot of bad press, and I don't understand why. Should it be a stuff pack? Tiny House Living Stuff Pack had less than 40 Build/Buy objects. This has 135. Game Packs Parenthood and Spa Day both had about 90 BB objects. The career is more than just building -- it's getting to know your clients, too. And your Sim will have to dig to get beyond finding out that somebody likes fishing and bowling and doesn't like French Country design, which is what my Sim had to work with.

What I like about this pack is that it has the potential to improve my ability as a builder. I never used filters before. You don't have to have this pack to use filters, of course, and if you're in the habit of using them, then you might not be interested. But for me, it was a revelation that I could select wall coverings, click on the color pink, and get 20 or more wall coverings to choose from.

People have had a few questions on the official forum, like What room should I renovate? If it's not specified (and the first one or two won't be), you can pick any room. Another question has been what is the style of the new furniture. That's Mid-Century Modern.

I do like the furniture and the CAS items. I also like the new toddler/child tent, which I used to make a treehouse:
 [ Invalid Attachment ]

No buyer's remorse here, and I expect that by the time my Sim gets to the level where she'll start encountering bugs, the bugs will be eliminated, especially at the rate she's going.

I like the pack – I’m also not sure why it’s getting a bad rap. Build/Buy mode is really cool and it’s nice to build something out of my comfort zone. I got a client that like singing and mixology so I made her a karaoke room that she loved. I have never built (nor would I have ever thought to build) a karaoke room.
Due to time constraints, I rarely play the game in live mode so it’s nice when I have more time, I have a new activity I can pursue without requiring a ton of live mode time. As others have mentioned, there are a few bugs but not enough to make me regret my purchase.

Offline Brian_Z

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Re: Dream Home Decorator -- First Impressions
« Reply #8 on: June 03, 2021, 08:48:06 PM »
Yes, I've noticed a couple of bugs.  Thankfully, so far they've been pretty minor:
The freelancer gigs notice in the middle of the night, for sims who aren't in any freelancer career, and even too young to GET a job, are back.
Don't give your controlled sim any Likes in the Decor category.  My sim kept dropping whatever she was doing, even getting out of bed in the middle of the night, to go admire the bathroom sink.

Offline scoed

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Re: Dream Home Decorator -- First Impressions
« Reply #9 on: June 04, 2021, 02:42:29 AM »
I have been messing around with the pack some more and one thing I am having fun with is prank designing. Like a client who loved garden decor, green and hated black ended up his only bathroom only having one of the bathroom bushes as his only toilet. The silliness of the designs I get away with and praised for is entertaining. I never designed spaces to work, but work poorly before. Worse home design ever while meating goals and meeting but just barely,  minimal functionality a room needs is kinds fun. So I am raising the packs score to a solid D+. Still not worth the money. Still, this is the most stripped game pack ever but prank design is fun. I imagine it will get old soon enough, but it is making me smile. I am glad I don't have my Sim living in the spaces she designs. That would be awful. LOL.

Offline Rainbow Dash

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Re: Dream Home Decorator -- First Impressions
« Reply #10 on: June 08, 2021, 06:47:44 AM »
Can someone please tell me if the Toaster Oven that came with this pack has any new recipes?

This is one of the only reasons I'm interested in this pack is because we finally have a new kitchen appliance (because we never get these anymore), I'm hoping it won't work just like a regular oven and we can make some different things with it.

Offline MarianT

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Re: Dream Home Decorator -- First Impressions
« Reply #11 on: June 08, 2021, 06:48:58 AM »
Can someone please tell me if the Toaster Oven that came with this pack has any new recipes?

This is one of the only reasons I'm interested in this pack is because we finally have a new kitchen appliance (because we never get these anymore), I'm hoping it won't work just like a regular oven and we can make some different things with it.

Sorry. No new recipes.
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Offline Rainbow Dash

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Re: Dream Home Decorator -- First Impressions
« Reply #12 on: June 08, 2021, 07:01:27 AM »
Seriously, no pizzas, no bagels or anything?! ??? Wow, that's lame, we finally get new kitchen appliances, which they never give us and they don't even do anything. *Shakes head*

I agree with everything that Scoed said and with Carl's video, this pack is so stripped down it feels like a stuff pack, where's the actual gameplay?! It seems like EA is just using this pack to milk us for what was already free in the base game, build/buy mode.

I have not bought this pack and I don't want to because I'm not a builder, the career seems too repetitive and too easy with no real consequences, awful CAS and not much to offer in the terms of gameplay. But I am very tempted for the appliances and furniture, it's right up my alley and I like it a lot, I just know I'll never use the career ... hmmm ... decisions ...  :-\

Offline MeestorMark

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Re: Dream Home Decorator -- First Impressions
« Reply #13 on: June 13, 2021, 12:46:49 PM »
It just strikes me as a double Stuff Pack with a build buy focus instead of CAS. When I look at the amount of BB items, it's seems like it has that value, a double Stuff Pack. Just without the extra enjoyment of Double Stuff Oreos. Lol.

Offline celticlass

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Re: Dream Home Decorator -- First Impressions
« Reply #14 on: June 13, 2021, 01:22:35 PM »
I have a smaller oven sitting on my counter top IRL. Love it. The countertop oven has a higher quality while using less energy. It's definitely worth the cost. Finally being able to choose to cook and bake with gas or electric is a very nice touch.

I have a sim who is a style designer. She has 12 vacation days and way too much income. I thought of making her husband the makeover specialist as he was just a botanist. But have instead chosen their daughter to be the designer. She's in college working on a communications degree as there are no fashion or drafting degrees. She is a creative genius. So I hopefully will get the moodlets I need.

I was surprised to find items in CAS as I thought this pack was all about home decorating. While the furniture is okay, I'm not happy with the lack of comfort, the designs on textiles, or the color choices. But I did discover that styles tab! And since the likes/dislikes showed up, I now have decor added. At first, I didn't. I wish they gave us more than 20 choices!

But I have been remodeling rooms or entire lots and posting them on the exchange (HisCelticlass). Since the makeover pack came out, I have gotten more likes and people downloading my stuff. I'm just glad that people like my stuff and it's being used.

I only discovered yesterday that you can get a job instead having to look for odd jobs or be a freelancer. I have another game I haven't played with yet. So I may make that one my tester for the pack.