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View Poll Results: What's your opinion on The Sims 3: Ambitions?
I love it like llamas!
3 42.86%
It's okay. I've seen better EPs.
0 0%
I'm disappointed.
0 0%
I hate it. I HATE IT!
0 0%
Objects falling toward earth accelerate at 9.81 m/s(2).
4 57.14%
Voters: 7. You may not vote on this poll

Test Subject
#76 Old 7th Jun 2010 at 11:52 PM
Like a few others in this thread I was not really impressed with WA so I consider Ambitions to be the better EP. I like the new additions for example the washing machine and tumble dryer and the create a world ability to change the neighbourhood. Although I have commented on another thread how I found this to be rather limited. I like the new town Twinbrook and find it very enjoyable to play with nice buildings and characters.
Being a Musical Sim I am disappointed that after the release of the main game and two EPs there is still NO piano not even as an 'extra' to buy in the EA store.
Also I am surprised there is still no diving board for the swimming pool or have I missed something here ?

So if you are reading this EA please hurry up with the piano..Lol
Personally I consider this EP was worth the money and has a lot of great playable features. I have only played the Stylist and Inventor so there is still many hours of enjoyment left before the next EP
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Test Subject
#77 Old 8th Jun 2010 at 1:10 AM
my ambitions KEEP crashing when I go to the fire-station ... anyone know why
Scholar
#78 Old 8th Jun 2010 at 2:28 AM
It amuses me when I blow up a huge pile of trash and then, the entire house explodes. It's great for machiminas, looks like a real explosion!
Alchemist
#79 Old 8th Jun 2010 at 3:31 PM
Quote: Originally posted by GrizBehr
One thing I've found I don't like...when you tune up your motorcycle, you just pay money and boom, it's tuned...I'd much rather have an animation where you are out there working on the bike and improving your handiness skill. Haven't tried firefighter yet, so I don't know what the Upgrade Engine is like.


With the fire engine you actually open up the engine and work on it and it improves your handiness skill
Lab Assistant
#80 Old 9th Jun 2010 at 8:46 PM
I haven't played it too in depth yet. I've only had a sim who is a stylist, and I plan on getting her to the top of this profession before moving to anything else. Being a stylist is fun (particularly as dressing sims is one of my favorite things to do in the game) but it can get a bit tedious at times. I like that tattoos quite a bit... I just wish that there were more! Some of the designs of them are ugly and I know I'll never use. Twinbrook is okay. It's a bit too... dirty for my liking, though.
Lab Assistant
#81 Old 10th Jun 2010 at 10:22 AM
Long review for Ambitions for one aspect of a game that was already in progress



I picked the game up before the stores closed the other night, and since I work nights, I spent a good 12 hours playing nothing but what Ambitions had to offer... well.. actually.. close to 18 as I was frustratingly stuck at one point, and started to `cheat` by looking at some of the experiences other players had posted about.

Just for a background on how I run my Sims. I tend to always put my main male sim in some sort of scientific career. I've been doing that since Sims 1 pretty much, if it was applicable. As an aside, in Sims3, I was a little peeved when I found the `science center` in Sims 3 was more about gardening and fishing than building robots and robotic helpers, even though Servo is a freak'n statue inside the building.

After the install of Ambitions, I kicked up my sim with Riverview and got him goin with the inventor skill set. Prior to my installing this EP, I was concentrating on getting my Sim to a state where he was not employed but making enough money to survive just by the weekly property sales, as well as money from the Money Trees, and keep himself young by eating LOTS of Life Fruit. He was married, but eventually kicked the wife out to the curb with the kid as I was finding it way too difficult to keep him working at the gardening as well as taking care of the kid since she was an unskilled loser who was about to age to an elder anyways. I hadn't QUITE gotten to being able to grow life fruit to save her. Man, what did I see in that woman? For fun, I invited the wife back to MY house only to get into a fight and then break up. How fortunate for no allamony payments. The kid still talks to my Sim though.




A bug I stumbled upon.

Some sort of bug cropped up that would not permit me to build the SimBot because I couldn't get the option to make heart shaped gems. I know it wasn't part of a conflict between pre-EP install and post-EP install as my Sim did NOT go hunt for gems previous to the install. The in game text says I needed to find 10 unique gems to get a special cut. From what I figure there are 11 gems in total as I was stuck at 82% of unique gems (9/11=0.818). The game gives me a percentage against how many gems I've found versus the total that are in game, so I worked out that the game thought I had found 9 out of the 11 gems. Yet, my inventory clearly showed that I had 10 unique gems. The only thing I can think of is that the game didn't count any gems I had found by means of the miner. The miner gave me the pink gem. I found another forum that suggested that they had found a gem by working on the sculpting skill and that randomly generated gems. I literally had 5 or more of every kind of gem already cut and in my Sims inventory, and the gem I `sculpted` was nothing that I didn't already have. Once I got to the required level of working with Stone, POOF, the first complete stone cut was the trigger that let me make heart shaped gems. Would have been nice to have the ability to see what gems the game thought I had. I even got the fancy music and alert that I had earned something in my skills. I think I've collected well over 200 gems at this point.




Dislikes about this EP as far as the inventing goes

It seemingly took me 3 or 4 sim days to get to level 10 inventor, mind you with my Sim not being employed and I was willing to ignore my gardens for a few sim-days, I shouldn't be surprised. Any other skill in Sims3 takes MUCH longer. Especially the athletic skill.

The SimBot is a SEVERE disappointment (I can't highlight this enough), and that robot was the only reason I wanted for, and drooled for the game. It really did break my heart. This stupid thing has to go to the can too often (WTF? Bathroom use for a robot???), wants food way too often, doesn't ACT like a robot. Actually, there really is NOTHING robotic about it, aside from that it eats metal and looks like a boiler with arms and legs. To recharge it has to sleep in a bed, where as solar panels on Servo in Sims2 did just fine?. My power drill doesn't sleep in a bed. I miss Servo from Sims2. Heck, I'd take Servo from Sims1 over this SimBot in half a heart beat. I note that on the Sims Wiki page there is mention that this WOULD coincide with the time line that EA seems to have taken with this game. It states that Sims 1 happened after Sims 2, and Sims 2 happened after Sims 3.

Initially I had spent the 40k to get the Best Friend SimBot. Rusted bolt of buckets, and was mean spirited in everything. Fortunately I saved before I spent those creds so all I lost was a few real-life minutes of time.

After the reload, and eventually getting through the previously mentioned bug, the fact that I couldn't pack him up to sell is another let down. Really? Just make him and either adopt him or boot him to be on his own?




Likes about this EP as far as the inventing goes

I don't have to run around town to get high-end gems once you get the miner.
The gathering tool to suck up all the items in both of my gardens (Two of 'em - One for money tree, the other for life fruit) much quicker than going tree to tree, bush to bush.
The Invention Bench is great in that you can store your scraps within it, and as you invent/build, the scraps are used from that stockpile. Its also great that you can buy your scraps right at the desk instead of having to go out and buy them. I don't know if I can store other items in there yet, but will find out soon enough. I know about going to hunt for scraps in the junk yard, but the most I've ever recovered out of there is about 150 peices of scrap.





Things that are in between `like` and `dislike` as whole game:
Time Machine - Rabbit hole?
- Dislike: Would have been more interesting to have other mini-towns attached to the existing town (To maintain the seamless feel Sims3 has achieved) that were not accessible by regular means. These mini-towns could have provided a mini-game similar to how OFB in Sims2 worked in which your Sim was in its own place managing a business, outside regular home-life. A simple "FADE TO BLACK/PHANCY GRAFIX"->"move the view"->"FADE TO NORMAL" showing a different environment would have been beautiful.
- Like: I've not died once yet like I've seen in other threads on this forum, but, I kind of like reading the mini-stories of what is happening to my sim while in the time machine. I'm sure that'll get old fast.



DISPISE/LOATH: Property management going digital = Give me back the analog method!

When I first started up the game and read the text that property management was now digital, I thought "Cool, less organizing of my inventory items and I don't have to see all of those deeds". As soon as I found how the implementation of the digital method works, I found it to be damned annoying. You can't multi-select properties to enqueue your running around town, and it really would have bothered me less to run across town 30 times as I drive a Speed 10 sports car. The implementation is way off because once you dial your phone, or use the computer, and you pick the property you want to visit, then click the OK button, the window closes and you're immediately off to the races to get your money, then have to re-dial again to get the next place lined up for the money pickup. It also doesn't remember your sorting order, what tab you were viewing to see what properties still owed money, or anything worthwhile that would stay on screen while in between visiting properties. Now, once you make the inital call and your sim starts moving, you can hammer that phone and things get queued up until after you visit your first building. After that, its your sims turn to pound on that phone to keep redialing to check on properties, which then all of a sudden I had to start selecting the second tab, ordering the properties by amount owing, selecting the top property, then hitting OK, lather, wash, rince, repeat. I've really pretty much given up on collecting ANYTHING from ANY of my properties/buisiness I own/co-own with as I just can't be bothered to keep hammering on that cell phone. Even if it is just once a week.



Building on Properties

Its great that one can now build features on different properties to better enhance it. I absolutely LOVE how I can own the property, build a mini-kitchen and toilet so I don't really have to leave my favorite fishing hole every time my Sim has to pee. But, then theres that nagging feeling that you spent all this money to take ownership of the property and build stuff on it, only to get nothing out of it, simply because you don't want to dial the phone number a bazillion times.



Things I've not done yet

I noticed that one can put a cash register into play on your property and its supposed to act like the consignment store. I noticed that ANY property (Not business) I've owned no Sim shows up on it. Wonder if adding a register will make up for my not wanting to hammer on that cell? However, my sim now has over a million simmoleans, so not sure if I care anymore.

I'm kind of divided on trying to be a fire-fighter as it does seem to be a pretty cool part of the game, or maybe one of the biggest deals in the game. However, I read in-game that while the sim is a fire-fighter, he'll live in the fire station. So... That means I'll have to make special trips to the old place to care for my gardens? Do I now have to pay twice the bills? Do I get to buy whatever I want and add it to the station and then take it home when I decide to leave?

I don't like tatoos in real life (Its a `to each their own` thing. I'm not opposed to other people getting them.) so I'm not going to have much of anything to do with the tatoo stuff.

My real life hair is combed by my baseball cap, so having my Sim become a hair dresser just doesn't seem fair.

I've not gone to the junk yard to try and blow things up for scrap. Vehicle carnage is indeed *SO* my thing. ... well.. In a game, or at a demolition derby anyways.




Final words

Ambitions adds a LOT of game play features, and it DOES open up a LOT more functionality to the game to make it just that much more entertaining, and for that reason alone, all the negatives I mention above don't really bug me as much in comparison. Blowing things up? Who WOULDN'T like that? We all have a little pyro in us. Men AND women alike.

EA did definately take a few steps forward with this EP, and fortunately I will say they took FEWER steps back, which leads to an overall positive effect. For all the dislikes I had mentioned, I know there are MANY more things that I'll find that are going to gain more points in my books. I'm seeing a lot more twists and turns that none of the other Sims games have ever featured (IE: TNT).
Alchemist
#82 Old 10th Jun 2010 at 4:19 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Pontiac76
I'm kind of divided on trying to be a fire-fighter as it does seem to be a pretty cool part of the game, or maybe one of the biggest deals in the game. However, I read in-game that while the sim is a fire-fighter, he'll live in the fire station. So... That means I'll have to make special trips to the old place to care for my gardens? Do I now have to pay twice the bills? Do I get to buy whatever I want and add it to the station and then take it home when I decide to leave?



Firefighters don't live at the Firehouse. They live at home and go to work when it's time for their shift just like the other sims. You'll just be at the firehouse for the duration of his shift. After his shift is over you can either go home or stay at the firehouse to work on skills.
Test Subject
#83 Old 10th Jun 2010 at 10:14 PM
Today was the released date at Spain... i just installed the game, i´m about to have an... great time playing :D
Scholar
#84 Old 11th Jun 2010 at 8:17 PM
Ain't played maybe 15 min and i love it....this is the ex pack i have always wanted!!!!!!!
Lab Assistant
#85 Old 13th Jun 2010 at 4:56 PM
I have to say, I have a lot of tech problems with Ambitions, that I didn't have before. I bought my computer a month ago and it's a good one, it worked very smoothly with WA alone.

Now I'm having trouble saving and have regular CTD. It is dampening my enjoyment of the game for sure. Oh, and I also couldn't switch families the last time I tried to.

Needless to say, but if the game is not patched, and the trend of putting less stuff in EPs to sell more store things continues, I think I will stop enjoying and playing the Sims altogether.

I bought the special anniversary edition which was advertised as coming with an "exclusive object", and it's the same bookshelf available for free at the store for everyone. And it only worked a whole week after the game was released.

I also think it is ridiculous that Ambitions comes with so few clothes, and no new accessories, when it has a stylist career. They're really milking the Sims store as much as they can!

I do enjoy inventing, sculpting and LOVE Twinbrook, that is, when I am able to play it
Test Subject
#86 Old 23rd Jun 2010 at 8:22 AM
Honestly, I have been less than impressed by Sims 3 Ambitions.

I wasn't very excited about it in the first place, but as I began to play I started to really enjoy it. Then the novelty wore off, and the repetitive play kicked in.

I must say many minor facets of the game have been improved and Twinbrook is a really interesting neighbourhood, but the new professions just get really boring. You are literally doing the same things over and over again and I just wish I didn't actually have to follow them as they did it - maybe some choice in that? The tattoo system is pretty cool but the positioning choices are too limited AND was it me or did Maxis make it seem as though it would be a profession?!

There are many things I have yet to do in the game, and I hope it proves me wrong.

But it won't.
Mad Poster
#87 Old 24th Jun 2010 at 2:59 PM
No opinion yet. Just got it earlier today. Can't wait to get home and play!
Lab Assistant
#88 Old 24th Jun 2010 at 3:20 PM
I actually really enjoyed and am still enjoying ambitions, but from what I can tell it's not too open ended ( like world adventures ) once I finally do everything then there's nothing more.
Field Researcher
#89 Old 24th Jun 2010 at 3:38 PM
I enjoy ambitions. I just thought the medical career would be better
Locked thread | Locked by: leefish Reason: old thread.
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