(Simulated) Throne of Lies

Do you remember a promise I made to myself a few months back, then promptly broke as my willpower shattered into thousand of pieces? A certain promise regarding a certain game that spawns expansion packs at an unearthly rate in order to snatch pennies and pounds from unsuspecting fans.

Yes, I am talking about The Sims 3 and my addiction to it.

And the promise I am referring to is the one where I solemnly swore I would no longer buy an expansion pack, that The Sims 3 Seasons would be the last. I didn't even try to resist The Sims 3 Seasons because, well, seasons. Weather! Holidays! Anniversaries! Why bother to pretend resisting?

But wait, what's this? A new expansion pack seemingly tailored to my preferences and needs. That's right, The Sims 3 University Life burst onto the scene and my promises to myself fell away to reveal a weak willed woman unable to say no to this franchise. I bought it up after months of suppressing the urge to splurge, then promptly made a new promise.

No. More. Expansion. Packs.

What happened next was unforeseeable. Or maybe not. I mean, my track record doesn't suggest an ability to resist temptation, does it? And my laptop needs are orientated around my Sims needs. They are literally one and the same, as in sync as Merlin and Arthur, Ant and Dec, Sam and Dean. So clearly anyone with half a brain would have been able to see that somewhere in the future, my promise would once again fade into oblivion, because somewhere in the future I would buy a new laptop, enabling me to reclaim the expansion pack that got away.

That time is now.

A few weeks ago, I was browsing laptops. I didn't intend to buy one. I was just sizing them up, checking up prices, and seeing what specs are best for playing The Sims 3 (my poor, old Dell was doing just fine with all my expansion packs, if a bit jumpy, but I still hungered for guaranteed stability). I figured good graphics cards (and the rest) were more in reach now then they were years ago when I first bought a laptop and The Sims 3. That meant it was time to familiarise myself with the market.

Except I got too caught up in the market. I found a laptop that nearly perfectly aligned with the specs recommended by Simmers more in the technological know then me. It also sat in a reasonable price bracket and was gorgeous. I snapped it up and then my mind floated over to thoughts of Sims. The Lost Expansions Pack dominated my dreams. I knew the time to buy it was upon me.

What is this lost EP, I hear you say. Well, the one that got away is The Sims 3 Ambitions.

I could have bought Ambitions any time, and yet I didn't. Why? The simple fact that EA recommends installing its expansion packs in order. Since Ambitions is the second EP and I was up to University Life, I managed to abstain from it. I also ignored its LPs and reviews, telling myself I didn't need it. Then a new laptop marched onto the scene, which meant reinstalling all my Sims games, and thus an opportunity presented itself.

I began to obsess over Ambitions. I watched LPs, familiarised myself with its clothing, items, careers, traits. I realised I was missing out, big time, by not owning it, that my Sims playtime would be so much more if Ambitions was accessible to me. I needed it. Badly. And so it was that I broke another Sims promise.

I now own Ambitions and I am loving it. Absolutely loving it. The new laptop plays the games like a dream and I regret nothing. Nothing at all. See, I might not be able to resist EPs, but my Sims experience is all the better for it.