Since patching I've had problems starting the game. I get a message saying to make sure the CD is in the drive. At other times I get a message saying to make sure no other Sim2 applications are running. Frustrating, although after two or three tries the game will start. My Lucy is also blond, but that doesn't bother me. What does though is reading about new bugs in OFB after the Pet patch installation. I haven't played any businesses since installing the patch, so I'll keep my fingers crossed when I do.
As for hacks, I have only a few: Plants for Pets and umm, one other minor one that I can't think of at the moment, and a few hacked objects. I have all the patches and followed all the correct procedures when installing, such as backing up my game and removing hacks from the download folder. Just remembered, I also have a no-censor patch. I played the game after each expansion pack installation and after each patch without hacks installed and still had problems.
As for not buying any more expansions until the bugs in the previous ones are fixed, I'd already decided not to buy another expansion pack since installing Pets. There are other bugs in the game that I've noticed and that haven't been fixed. Since Pets the matchmaker no longer introduces the blind date to my sim, just sort of wanders off. I also had an issue with moving a sim to college and back again--she had a jump bug upon returning from college, which I solved by having her change her appearance, then she suddenly 'moved' into the house she'd been living in for days. One sim developed what must be a permanant jump bug (I don't have
SimPE and I wasn't so lucky as I was with the previous sim) so it looks like it's the Cursed Vase of Fire for him. Of course, none of these problems could be caused by Pets, but when playing with no hacks installed all I know is that I'm not causing them. :/
The bottom line for me is that EA really needs to concentrate on producing quality instead of quanity. Seasons is not a must-have for me at this stage, only due to the frustration with the bugs of the previous expansions, Pets in particular. Pets Patch Lite just doesn't cut it. When they fix the bugs, I'll think about it purchasing it, albeit long and hard.