Which EPs do you recommend?

[Katluvr]

I know we are all going to have different opinions based on how we like to play.  If I have to pick 2 EPs that I like the most I would have to say Pets and WA, but each EP has good points.

WA:  I love traveling, exploring tombs, and especially the new skills (martial arts, nectar making, and photography).  The biggest downside of this EP is that there are so many travel bugs as Esther said.

Amb:  I don't often play the professions and jobs that were added with Ambitions, but I love to make my sims self-employed and use that feature very often.  I don't see any real downside to this EP, but if you aren't into building a career I would think it should be lower priority for you.

LN:  I definitely have mixed feelings about this EP.  I absolutely love vamps and the celebrity system (not the paparazzi part but I love getting celebrity freebies).  There are also a lot of great items that come with this EP - the hot tub being one of my favorites.  The thing I don't like about this EP is Bridgeport.  The subway system is so slow and I just don't much like high-rise living.  Even so, I think this EP is well worth getting.

Gen:  This is probably my least favorite of the EPs to date.  It has a lot of really awesome items (especially spiral staircases) and new interactions with your simmies, so it is well worth getting for those alone, but I absolutely despise invisible friends. This EP is at it's best in multigenerational or large families, but as you mentioned you don't tend to play that way then I would suggest putting this at the bottom of your list.

Pets:  This EP is absolutely my favorite so far, not only because I love animals so much, but because Appaloosa Plains is awesome!  There are some new furniture and building items and lots of clothes with this EP and I love all of them. 

[MoMoll]

I feel sorry for you in making a decision because, according to our different lifestyles, we have different opinions about the towns etc.

Personally I love Bridgeport, since I hve alwys lived in big cities and presently live in a penthouse (small by US standards; but, top floor with a view). I love the clubs and YES, subways can be a hassle. However, if you can afford it you get a 10 speed cr and skip the subways, or you cheat and teleport.

Appaloosa Plains was too country for me. The decor and the saloon reminded me of a time we got lost in the US and were the only people in the bar without a 10 gallon hat and spurs. Not into country.

So according to your own tastes you will have to decide. But, without a doubt WA is great! That is if you envision travelling and learning new songs and eating new foods.

[templesmom]

I love reading all the posts here because is reminds me of what I love about each Ex pack.  I do love WA and really have gotten into playing it again. I might be the worst opinion though, I never really play any game very long and haven't gotten very far into any of the Ex packs. I need to fix that. Good luck and good find on the buy two for the price of one deal.

[delti]

Thanks everyone! LN ended up not being part of the deal, so I ended up with WA and Ambitions. I haven't really used Ambitions yet (I had work, so I wasn't able to play as long as I'd like!), but I'm loving WA so far.

The only downside, is that you need a real graphics card, if you don't have one yet, as your pets will look distorted if your card isn't supported. (Hey that rhymes!  ) I would recommend Nvidia.

Ugh, I know. That is my next purchase. I have a relatively new but cheap graphics card right now and it doesn't like my Sims 3 game very much. I will look into Nvidia.

Thanks again for the help everyone.

[Teacup Chihuahua]

Hi  delti I hope you get your graphics card sorted soon  (work has the annoying habit of interfering with life(Sims) lol) ,you picked my 2 favourites hope you enjoy and if you need any help you will always find it on here 

[cndneh]

Ugh, I know. That is my next purchase. I have a relatively new but cheap graphics card right now and it doesn't like my Sims 3 game very much. I will look into Nvidia.

Thanks again for the help everyone.

before you buy a card though check through the forum and find out what people find is the very best video card to play Sims, NVIDIA is great but make sure you get the best one for your needs, and yes you might have to send lots but it'll be worth it.  A while back I needed a new card, spend money on it and it worked for some games, but it turned out any new games it didn't work for, it was almost new and I still ended up buying another video card *curses!*  buy the best that you can!

have fun!!

[Esther1981]

My suggestion for a card would be ask Carl. Mine was great until Pets. I sent Carl a PM and he sent me a link to the best card for my game and computer. I haven't been able to purchase it yet, but I have faith that when I do, my pets will look gorgeous. If you ask someone off the forums that doesn't play sims, they might suggest an awesome card perfect for your computer, but not your game. I asked Carl because I know not only is he a computer genius, he also plays sims alot so that's the perfect person to ask. 

[Hosfac]

Since my opinion might be quite different than yours would be if our positions were reversed, I'll just list why I like the expansions and you can judge for yourself if it helps or not.

WA:  Much more than vacationing, I adore the "buydebug" items for building.  I like the wall plaques that you can set your own text, the floor switches and the hidden door in particular, but it requires a lot of familiarizing with how they work (the most helpful resources for that can be found here).  I have also occasionally used traps for purposes other than they were intended, but this is less appealing without some of the other expansions.  Also, you can buy chests in the stores in other countries that are incredibly useful for storing things, and I use them a lot.  Plus it adds my favorite skill:  Photography.  It's so much better for recording generations past than painting is.

Ambitions:  One of my favorites, this adds several extremely amusing professions as well as the ability to become employed through a money making skill.  Plus it adds the Inventing and Sculpting skills, which are my second and third favorite skills in the game respectively.

Late Night:  The best things about this game are also the worst things:  Celebrities and Vampires.  Both are really cool and fun to play, but both are impossible to avoid if you're not looking to deal with them.  It does add 3 new musical instruments to the game (and corresponding skills), but really there's not a lot you can really do with this aside from playing for tips in the subway in Bridgeport and forming a band (which may or may not be bugged at the moment).  The new types of hang-outs seem really neat in theory, but in practice they're just so-so.  It also includes one of my least favorite skills:  Mixology.

Generations:  I don't have this one yet, but I will sometime this week.

Pets:  While this is, without a doubt, the best pet related expansion for any of the three versions of the Sims, if you're not into animals that much you'd be better off getting something else.  It has some of my favorite outfits in the game, and horses are extremely cool...but they require a lot more effort than a working Sim can feasibly put forth before collapsing from exhaustion.

If I had to recommend one out of the whole lot, right now it would be Ambitions.