You know what’d be cool? If the decals that we put in this “junk” category made your build cheaper instead of more expensive. Like you move into a crappier house and cleaning it up would actually cost money
Great idea!! The Basement kit has items that negatively affect sims and they could do that with more items. It would also be nice to clear out the junk in the painting category
I think theyre supposed to be sunroom/solarium windows, so attached to the main house which is why thers a gap to put freizes. However, an interior double door that matches would have been cool if they arent intended to have an outdoor entrance
I know not everyone can, or even want, cc in their game, but for those who have the possibility, the cc creator Peacemaker made matching doors to these windows. He usually makes add-ons to packs in general and I cannot recommend all of his work enough ❤
I originally come from Romania and let me tell you: you captured the architecture style perfectly. I love to see that part of my culture is now kinda represented in the sims?!
I'm from Poland, but i liked the small kitchen and him worrying he doesn't have much space to work with (because that's how it is!) and yup, maybe the fridge would be all new but cabinets have seen some cold war stuff haha
@@msliper yeah countryside in our “homelands” hit differently I guess. 😄 But I love how small everything in my grandma’s house is 🥰 and tbh my grandma living in the city owns a one-room-flat in the bloc so everything is even more on close quarters 😄
had no idea that holding down shift only deletes a section of the trims. i appreciate it a lot when james adds in building tips whilst building, it’s super helpful, even if they’re seen as well known tips !
The tarot poster appears to just be the major arcana! The deck is split into major and minor arcana, but major is what most people know of it. It’s cards like Death, The Lovers, The High Priestess, The Fool, etc. The minor arcana are four suits of cards (cups, wands, swords, and pentacles) more like a normal deck. Tarot actually originated as just a deck of playing cards and eventually took on a more mystical interpretation.
I had no ideea my country’s architecture would be featured in this EP. And it’s very accurate, too! I think it’s the first time I see a cultural reference to Romania in any video game, this makes me happy :)
Hi neighbour!! :) Hungarian here. I’m very glad for it too - since we’ve so close our architecture is similar, so it’s a treat for us too. I don’t mind seeing all the American inspired worlds, but… there is something charming about seeing something that’s a bit familiar. I’m really happy they chose Romania for inspiration.❤ I’m definitely going to play in the non-spooky parts with regular families too :D
My family is Hungarian/Romanian, I've been back home a few times and the aesthetics of the countries have stuck out to me a lot. When James went into the town to build I had such a weird sense of a deja vu, it reminded me so heavily of my grandpa's hometown. It's so cool seeing my heritage getting a spotlight!
unrelated to life and death: you know what gate I need? A single tile wide gate for the tall slatted wooden fence. Currently we have two, and they're both two tiles wide. It's impossible to build a realistic UK suburb with semi-detached or terraced houses houses because you need single wide gates for garden access. Nobody here has wide enough plots that you'd waste space on a double-wide gate
For the “in between” room off the dining room, put a small bar like the globe and a few chairs as a gents parlor or “withdrawing room.” These actually did exist in historic homes for gents to go smoke and drink and socialize in, while the ladies would use a separate parlor or withdrawing room, before or after coming together for the main event/party, or during private social calls
Yes! And the items are so versatile for Central European small towns! I’ve been wanting to build some of the Slovenian art noveau buildings and these items work perfectly for that
@@annatzipora6857 And there is a reason for that, of course 😆 The romanian revival style was around when the Secession and art nouveau movements were happening in Europe so the influences are definitely there. Happy building!
Seeing the build, I can't help but to think this is what realm of magic should've looked like. Idk, it just screams wizardry, old tomes, and ancient obscure dark magic knoledge.
@@Aphelia.I like the items themselves, but the swatch colours make mixing packs hard unless you either go with only the white or black swatches for windows. (I felt pretty constrained when recreating my RoM houses). Although the main reason why the lack of ability to easily mix with other packs was frustrating was the lack of variation for each style of window. (Which is an issue faced by most of the game packs. Imagine if there was a two tile wide variant. Or a short one. Strangerville did a great job of providing a window set.) There’s not much bright orange wood. If there was a grey or chocolate brown swatch, then they would be infinitely more usable. My other wish is about the round windows. I’d just want one without the rectangle part because it would fit with more build styles. The stained glass is beautiful, and deserves to be used elsewhere. However, the plain rectangle window is easily my most used item. It is underrated, and I do somewhat enjoy the challenge.
@@Aphelia.I love Realm of Magic’s BB! It’s different and quirky, but you can still create nice building exteriors with it. It also has my favorite arch in the game. I won’t lie though, it also has my least favorite fireplace 😅
LOVE that we finally have more rusted stuff and that we finally have rusted stuff that isnt just industrial. Those greenhouse windows are my favourite thing in the pack and im only 1 minute in
Just a note about what you called "moroccan", the style is called ottoman. Romania was a part of the Ottoman Empire for around 300 years and greatly impacted the culture, life and art. The Ottoman Empire spanned vast parts of the Middle East, Northern Africa, and Europe, but it actually never ruled over Morocco. But of course, architecture and design influence can cross borders.
As a romanian myself I am excited but a bit disappointed about the pack. Lovestruck had a lot of Spanish touches in names, furniture but this pack lacks a bunch of stuff, especially a Romanian-ish name. There could've been so many items since they added that country side touch such as a Persian rug on the walls or Persian rugs in general, a table with a silly table cloth, traditional clothes, a new type of toilet (outdoor wood one) and the infamous doily (or in romanian mileu). I hope the least they will do is add some type of romanian food and name at least one sim in romanian.
i’m not romanian, but i know exactly what you mean! perhaps in gameplay itself we’ll get to see more of the culture not just through npcs or meals, but hopefully through other interactive means as well. maybe even a radio station? that would be fun to see :) fingers crossed
For whoever is curious, this particular style emerged at the time of the 19th century nationalist movements - people were claiming their lands, their identities (in terms of nationality), separating from some, going through unifications (Romania with Moldova, for instance) and generally trying to become independent from the larger ruling forces, e.g. the ottoman, habsburg or russian empires. This is exactly the moment I found out this pack was inspired by that style, pfahah, so sorry for rambling 😆 It's also called "neo-brancovenesc", after the earlier renaissance style... the brancovenesc 😆 My personal rennaisance style favourite is the Stavropoleos church. At that period in time the byzantine influences were very strong, it's full of decoration and painting and 'life' too, despite being a church. I'm not particularly religious but I visit that church and hang out in its inner courtyard whenever I get the chance, sit on the benches there and check out decoration I previously missed. There's also some rock gravestones(?) or just cross-shaped decoration and some older decorations just scattered around and it also kind of looks like a tiny cemetary too. Definitely more 'Death' than 'Life', but the creative expression (paintings, intricate details), and it being like a green oasis surrounded by concrete and higher density urban blocks, helps balance it out. My personal revival style favourite is 'The Central School for Girls". Nowadays there's cultural events going on there sometimes and it's great to hang out there after fun events in the huge inner courtyard, with fairy lights and music and whatnot haha. Actually, the architect who designed it worked to restore the previously mentioned church when it needed a restoration - and he didn't derail from the church's original style (rennaisance) because he was studying it so much himself, developing the revival style. Nowadays' nationalist movement probably won't inspire cool new buildings and art, though... and it's going to cause a lot of trouble for a lot of people, like it caused some back then too... We peaked back then in terms of creative output lol
@@PapaRoboto Well... at least when nationalism coincides with a "return to" a glorified past period of the nation (whether it existed or not). The extreme, more fascistic tendencies can go either way... There was still nationalism when socialism came about - and those guys had other priorities: ornament was costly, everything had to be standardised and made efficient so they can, in theory, provide them to everyone... "equally". Those came to be associated with poverty and then there was a return to decoration and linking it to wealth and higher status (you also see it with music: luxury-branded perfume ads with classical music on the background). Those glass and steel phalluses can find fans amongst nationalists as well, do not worry, haha.
This build buy looks AMAZING. Like the holes in floors and roofs? Genious! The wallpapers all look beautiful and these worn out items all make for a perfect rags to riches! I am honestly even overwhelmed! And all those windows! I salute EA for once!!
I am in love with this building style!! I specifically thing that a lot of these items will be perfect with the vampire game pack and the castle kit. I kinda just really want to build a vampire mansion right now!
Greetings from Romania! The architecture does really look like a late 90s version of our style. It makes me so happy to see it. Btw, amazing video, James! Just like always ❤
as a Romanian, I'm always excited and anxious, when I hear something is based on Romania. thankfully the new DLC world looks good, because bad representation feels worse than no representation. I was gonna get this pack even before they said what it was inspired by. I can't wait to check it out myself once it releases.
I'm from Romania. the house looks like it belongs in my neighbourhood 🥰 always wanted to have romanian style buildings in the sims but i am a lousy builder so thanks for making my dream come true 🤗😘
I actually LOVE!!! the world. I LOVE that there are three parts and the spooky one is just like one neighbourhood (the size of entire Forgotten Hollow xD). That is such a cool detail. It really feels like a lot of love and attention and creativity went into this pack and I can't wait to play with it!
40:00 I think a dresser functionality is perfect for that hallway because you can change into your cold weather clothing before going outside. Realistically the new position of the door makes a lot more sense. With a front door that grand you need a big hallway with space for the door to swing open and to greet your guests before they have access to the rest of the house.
All those "shabby" swatches and extra items really need to have a systematic makeover: like, when you build a "run-down" house, you want to spend cash on upgrading it, when right now you sell all the "dirt" decals and actually MAKE MONEY.
Build&Buy overview let's goooooooo (Idk why but I love watching James's B&B overview so much despite not being a builder! I just rewatched the old packs ones waiting for this)
if you think that's weird, I've listened to his Paranormal Stuff build buy overview a dozen times in the past week, without actually watching the video. I dunno, it's just soothing to listen to in the background.
Love the worn and rusted swatches, we don't have enough of that. Some gorgeous stuff here, surprised the furniture is so modern but it is lovely. I can see myself using a lot of this.
I just started the video, but the doors and windows are already reminding me of Resident Evil: Village (which, I believe, was set in Romania) and I AM LOVING IT!!
Definitely set in Romania, there's a particular wooden church that looks just like the ones we have here at least haha with the high straight-back wooden chairs and the decorated fabrics and plates displayed on walls you'd see in villages etc
@@michaelaheb I wasn’t sure either but I think I remember it being called a romanian village AND the whole thing with the youtubers playing it, pronouncing „Dimitrescu“ wrong and romanians being like „you pronounce all the letters!“ xD
@@joanabug4479 Honestly it’s so pretty! I remember even with walking through the RE: Village just thinking (despite the ruin of course) that it all looks so beautiful and… cozy? Homey? It’s really hard for me to find the right word. And the Castle with the Vampires was so grande and majestic!
@@Klaranella WAIT okay so it’s dimitrescU? sorry it’s been a while since i’ve seen the gameplay, but i think in the game itself they were pronouncing it Dimitresc / the mispronunciation right? and i agree w your original comment !! Resi 8 was soo good
I really like the synergy this pack will have with other packs' build styles. Vampires, Realm of Magic, Courtyard Oasis, Castle Estate, Werewolves, Crystal Creations, Storybook Nursery, Paranormal, Romantic Garden and Get Together would all mix and match so nicely with Life and Death
One more note, the atmosphere in Mourningvale instantly reminds me of Hoia Baciu forest (well... when there is that foggy weather). But no, it's not "one of the most haunted forests" 😆 like the internet likes to tell. There might just be 2-3 extra crooked trees compared to a normal forest, but when the netizens add that it's in Transylvania, people instantly think "oo, spooky!" 😆
I’m genuinely so excited for this pack! We haven’t seen anything quite like this since Vampires, and it’s amazing to finally have beautiful furniture in such a unique style!
They could have just added a light that we could put under cabinets ourself or under any other furniture if want. I think the high school pack has a light like that.
Wondering why they don't add an option for objects that have size variations depending on wall size instead of having catalogues full of the same objects times three. It would be much more convenient to have just one item coming with a "size option" and just have to pick the preferred size for doors/ windows/ curtains /etc. A bit like kitchen cabinets have different versions.
Vlad must be so proud ♥ Thanks James for the peek from all of us still sitting on the fence regarding this pack. The Grim Challenge too was genius. EA has outdone itself after the last pack fiasco.
So so happy about these videos! I also love the speed at which you’re going through the items. It’s not super slow or rushed. Great work! This also finally helped me decide to now buy this. Apart from the kitchen and one wallpaper I don’t care about any of these items but I’m excited what simmers will build with them.
What I really love watching the livestream yesterday, was CAS. I was thinking everything is perfect for Sandlewood. I see him being a dapper gentleman like his dad, and having a dark secret. Not only being a werewolf, but a black widower as well. Everything ties really well into this lp. ❤🖤
Seeing the livestream yesterday has me so exited! I love the detail they’ve put into the pack! I think it was well needed after the last pack not being so good (in my opinion) cannot wait to see what you think of everything
Peacemaker makes great addon packs using the original Maxis meshes. Maybe EA should adopt them officially as part of the new CC official kits? I also agree with moving all the bits that are not paintings/photos etc into a new category, it's getting annoying trying to find things.
Yay I was right, I looked at last upload of like the trailer and everything, I knew today would be the build buy overview. The livestream was so fun yesterday!
This pack will be the only one I'll pre-order because it actually looks really good. I'm glad they finally brought in broken windows! I've wanted that for so long to add to abandoned house game play 😄
I love that sims can't walk over the decals, because it would be so weird and break suspension of disbelief to just see sims walk over a hole in the floor.
I absolutely love the Sims creators community. Thank you for each taking a different approach to the pack on the first day so you each had unique details to show. I loved switching between all of you to see what you would do with the new pack.
As A Romanian, I can tell you that the texture on that gate, although it does look weird, it is "supposed" to be stretched. We have many gates in Romania that the patterns just look stretched and old
I find it unbelievable that they will give us one sofa and not a matching armchair and two-seater. It's so simple, and so easy. An intermediate modder could do it, so why isn't a paid professional? It would make so many players happy.
I love that we're all traumatized from previous sims games by the fire place ALWAYS setting stuff on fire, but actually it's really hard to get stuff to catch on fire in sims 4, even when you're actually trying.
Along with the need for matching couches/arm chairs, why, oh why, is there no single bed in this pack? I think that's a huge oversight. Also, beautiful new bathroom set, but no toilet that will match those colours on the bath and sink. 😢 However, the items in this pack look fantastic and I like that there's an older and more modern set. Can't wait to build and play with this pack. I better get cracking with aging up my legacy heir, who is still a child.
I'm so glad we can have broken windows and holes in the floors or roofs. Anything grunge! I love these rundown looking things. I build shacks most of the time so this will be great. Looking forward to playing this pack!
My guess is there's probably 2 reasons for it: 1. not that widely known, meaning most people wouldn't recognize it's particularly romanian. Romanian names sometimes mimmick other languages easily, as it has influences from both the romance, latin side and the slavic... and 2. notoriously hard to pronounce for the reason at #1 😆
@@PolarBear-ty7kw I mean... that's my opinion too, of course! I was just guessing the explanation, not making up excuses for them, hehe. But after the Resident Evil fiasco I know why they would be afraid to even give it a shot (although they just have to hire some romanian people to do the explaining...). It's considered just extra work for little return... There was an article making the rounds here (in romanian sadly) about how they messed up names because it was designed by japanese devs for an american audience, based on what the japanese thought the americans knew about Romania... something like that. The pronunciation was all over the place, the item names (even if you pretended they were in old romanian language) were off (what the hell is "ciorb' de legîm"? 😆). Authenticity was completely discarded 😆 'cause it's not for the small number of romanian gamers who would immediately feel something's wrong, of course.
@@PolarBear-ty7kwi understand the frustration, but the other commenter’s points are valid. representation is good but what makes representation better is doing it the right way. i do agree tho that it would’ve been nice to have a world that has at least a name that’s inspired by Romania…or even parts of said world if not the world on its own . so both criticisms are valid imo. maybe when in gameplay there’ll be more , i hope
@@tardybloomer But from what I've seen the neighbourhood in which James built here is very reminiscent of better known transylvanian towns like Brasov. There's even a church nudged into what seems like an older-style square. The bigger squares (with the greenery decorated in like french style) are definitely closer to present-day and you sometimes don't find those - other times you do - like in Timisoara (but it's outside Transylvania). The 'spooky' forest even reminds me of a local forest that people thought was haunted (it just has some curly trees lol). I like the build details too, it's definitely in the right style and let's not forget that it's still a video game in a fantasy world. I actually wouldn't like it if it were 1:1 with reality, they have to bring something to the table after all 😆
I'm definitely going to recreate the Specter family manor when this pack comes out. It was my favorite family from The Sims 2, and expanding upon the story set up for you was always so much fun. The haunting of the house by the many npc's made for great storytelling. Now I finally feel like we will have the appropriate build/buy to bring it to life properly with this pack.
I spesificly watch James' videos on build buy overviews and I was a tad disapointed he did not go through all the items like always, but the build part of the video was super cool! Love how the house turned out. (please still go through each and every item like before)
They really need to separate the painting and posters sections into decals, paintings, and posters. Same with the plants into small plants, medium plants, large plants miscellaneous. Similar to how they have the lights section
So glad you made a build! I always struggle to find a video where I can actually see the Comfort, Hygiene and Environment levels per object! It is still a mystery to me how we get modern furniture in The Sims which is less efficient and comfy than the "baroque" items that do not fit a modern build concept.
Wow this is a breath of fresh air compared to the last few expansions we got. Really high quality build and buy. Sucks that For Rent and Lovestruck didn’t get the same 😢
Can live without out it but it would’ve been really Sims-eat to have some kind of grim reaper toilet 😂 Also I need a physically copy of those tarot cards wow they are amazing
James! So random but the roofing on the ground made me think of how cool it would be for you to do a hidden pyramid build. Hide the walls with terrain / foliage and make the roof really tall. Is this possible?! Think it would be really cool 😊❤ love from Florida
Please in the future when you do super long videos / builds like this, could you include a quick house tour at the end where you fly over the rooms or going inside the house? i think it's way nicer to see it all together in the end :)
I am loving everyone’s videos. I forgot what time these videos release and legit checked every hour until they were. I was that excited and nothing disappointed either! I cant wait to play for myself on Halloween!
Oh my gosh, I absolutely love that dark shade of green! I want it in my everyday life. Bonus I can now have a different shade of green kitchen in my houses.
The song in the beginning is the same one NRB uses for Blood on the Clocktower, a board game which takes place in a town called Ravenswood Bluff! The connections that are almost certainly coincidental intensify
You know what’d be cool? If the decals that we put in this “junk” category made your build cheaper instead of more expensive. Like you move into a crappier house and cleaning it up would actually cost money
That's such a good idea, you should work for EA 😭
Or at least gives us few buffs. We get “nicely decorated” buffs when things are nice, high environment and a buff for expensive items. Come on EA!
Oh this is an amazing idea..! You have to pay to get rid of them
Great idea!! The Basement kit has items that negatively affect sims and they could do that with more items. It would also be nice to clear out the junk in the painting category
@@darrylwhitefeather207work for EA? I’d rather swim in a walled pool💀
Whyyyy on earth would they not give us matching doors to go with those greenhouse windows???
Lazyness
I think theyre supposed to be sunroom/solarium windows, so attached to the main house which is why thers a gap to put freizes. However, an interior double door that matches would have been cool if they arent intended to have an outdoor entrance
So you can buy the greenhouse kit 😂
I know not everyone can, or even want, cc in their game, but for those who have the possibility, the cc creator Peacemaker made matching doors to these windows. He usually makes add-ons to packs in general and I cannot recommend all of his work enough ❤
I originally come from Romania and let me tell you: you captured the architecture style perfectly.
I love to see that part of my culture is now kinda represented in the sims?!
I'm from Poland, but i liked the small kitchen and him worrying he doesn't have much space to work with (because that's how it is!) and yup, maybe the fridge would be all new but cabinets have seen some cold war stuff haha
@@msliper yeah countryside in our “homelands” hit differently I guess. 😄 But I love how small everything in my grandma’s house is 🥰 and tbh my grandma living in the city owns a one-room-flat in the bloc so everything is even more on close quarters 😄
had no idea that holding down shift only deletes a section of the trims. i appreciate it a lot when james adds in building tips whilst building, it’s super helpful, even if they’re seen as well known tips !
same! and funnily enough i just had last day th eproblem with the trim. i sat in front of the video being like wat :o
You can also add the trims to one wall at a time by holding down shift
I love that you can see the little grim bunny in the fridge. It's cute. Also, there are exactly 13 lots in the new world and I find that funny.
freezer bunny omg!!
Would you eat freezer bunny?
@@Syzygyzzz yes
@@Syzygyzzz
No, I’d feel bad
The tarot poster appears to just be the major arcana! The deck is split into major and minor arcana, but major is what most people know of it. It’s cards like Death, The Lovers, The High Priestess, The Fool, etc. The minor arcana are four suits of cards (cups, wands, swords, and pentacles) more like a normal deck. Tarot actually originated as just a deck of playing cards and eventually took on a more mystical interpretation.
The collection is 26 cards total, so that would be the major arcana + one card per suit!
I hope that they finish it and sell it, I'd totally buy it. 😅
@@bpsara Even better! I didn't have a chance to count them so was just guessing based off of how many swatches it roughly appeared to have!
@@dolphinamoon for real! Having a Sims tarot deck would be so fun!
Yes there are 22 major arcana, however I counted 28 posters in total, so probably 22 major arcana + 6 minor arcana
I had no ideea my country’s architecture would be featured in this EP. And it’s very accurate, too! I think it’s the first time I see a cultural reference to Romania in any video game, this makes me happy :)
resident evil 8 is set in romania , idk if its very accurate architecturally and culturally though
Hi neighbour!! :)
Hungarian here. I’m very glad for it too - since we’ve so close our architecture is similar, so it’s a treat for us too. I don’t mind seeing all the American inspired worlds, but… there is something charming about seeing something that’s a bit familiar. I’m really happy they chose Romania for inspiration.❤
I’m definitely going to play in the non-spooky parts with regular families too :D
My family is Hungarian/Romanian, I've been back home a few times and the aesthetics of the countries have stuck out to me a lot. When James went into the town to build I had such a weird sense of a deja vu, it reminded me so heavily of my grandpa's hometown. It's so cool seeing my heritage getting a spotlight!
unrelated to life and death: you know what gate I need? A single tile wide gate for the tall slatted wooden fence. Currently we have two, and they're both two tiles wide. It's impossible to build a realistic UK suburb with semi-detached or terraced houses houses because you need single wide gates for garden access. Nobody here has wide enough plots that you'd waste space on a double-wide gate
Totally agree with you there but also I would like 3 square Gates.
@@PearlDraft0 yes for sure. for grand houses where you have the space for a big gate you want a properly big gate
For the “in between” room off the dining room, put a small bar like the globe and a few chairs as a gents parlor or “withdrawing room.” These actually did exist in historic homes for gents to go smoke and drink and socialize in, while the ladies would use a separate parlor or withdrawing room, before or after coming together for the main event/party, or during private social calls
NO WAY!! I'm from Romania and I'm so happy we have a pack inspired by Romanian Revival. Thank you for mentioning it!
Hey! What do you think about the items? Are they reminiscent of the style of where you are from, as they intend to be?
Congrats 😄
I love Romania, it's beautiful!
Yes! And the items are so versatile for Central European small towns! I’ve been wanting to build some of the Slovenian art noveau buildings and these items work perfectly for that
@@annatzipora6857 And there is a reason for that, of course 😆 The romanian revival style was around when the Secession and art nouveau movements were happening in Europe so the influences are definitely there. Happy building!
Seeing the build, I can't help but to think this is what realm of magic should've looked like. Idk, it just screams wizardry, old tomes, and ancient obscure dark magic knoledge.
I feel like the build style for this pack is going to mesh SO well with other packs. Paranormal Activity, werewolves, vampires, realm of magic..
RoM build buy style is one of my favorites tho 😭 I love how it's more fantasy/light academia than dark.
@@Aphelia.I like the items themselves, but the swatch colours make mixing packs hard unless you either go with only the white or black swatches for windows. (I felt pretty constrained when recreating my RoM houses). Although the main reason why the lack of ability to easily mix with other packs was frustrating was the lack of variation for each style of window. (Which is an issue faced by most of the game packs. Imagine if there was a two tile wide variant. Or a short one. Strangerville did a great job of providing a window set.)
There’s not much bright orange wood. If there was a grey or chocolate brown swatch, then they would be infinitely more usable.
My other wish is about the round windows. I’d just want one without the rectangle part because it would fit with more build styles. The stained glass is beautiful, and deserves to be used elsewhere. However, the plain rectangle window is easily my most used item. It is underrated, and I do somewhat enjoy the challenge.
i love how they went for art nouveau in RoM but it feels pretty tame like they werent fully convinced and the swatches are horrible
@@Aphelia.I love Realm of Magic’s BB! It’s different and quirky, but you can still create nice building exteriors with it. It also has my favorite arch in the game. I won’t lie though, it also has my least favorite fireplace 😅
LOVE that we finally have more rusted stuff and that we finally have rusted stuff that isnt just industrial. Those greenhouse windows are my favourite thing in the pack and im only 1 minute in
Just a note about what you called "moroccan", the style is called ottoman. Romania was a part of the Ottoman Empire for around 300 years and greatly impacted the culture, life and art. The Ottoman Empire spanned vast parts of the Middle East, Northern Africa, and Europe, but it actually never ruled over Morocco. But of course, architecture and design influence can cross borders.
As someone who likes building churches in the Sims 4, the architecture is gonna be so nice to use! :D
drop your gallery id
@@aaoaaa8864 sorry I don’t upload to the gallery 😅
Greetings from a fellow Simmer who likes building churches in TS4!
As a romanian myself I am excited but a bit disappointed about the pack. Lovestruck had a lot of Spanish touches in names, furniture but this pack lacks a bunch of stuff, especially a Romanian-ish name. There could've been so many items since they added that country side touch such as a Persian rug on the walls or Persian rugs in general, a table with a silly table cloth, traditional clothes, a new type of toilet (outdoor wood one) and the infamous doily (or in romanian mileu). I hope the least they will do is add some type of romanian food and name at least one sim in romanian.
i’m not romanian, but i know exactly what you mean! perhaps in gameplay itself we’ll get to see more of the culture not just through npcs or meals, but hopefully through other interactive means as well. maybe even a radio station? that would be fun to see :) fingers crossed
For whoever is curious, this particular style emerged at the time of the 19th century nationalist movements - people were claiming their lands, their identities (in terms of nationality), separating from some, going through unifications (Romania with Moldova, for instance) and generally trying to become independent from the larger ruling forces, e.g. the ottoman, habsburg or russian empires. This is exactly the moment I found out this pack was inspired by that style, pfahah, so sorry for rambling 😆 It's also called "neo-brancovenesc", after the earlier renaissance style... the brancovenesc 😆
My personal rennaisance style favourite is the Stavropoleos church. At that period in time the byzantine influences were very strong, it's full of decoration and painting and 'life' too, despite being a church. I'm not particularly religious but I visit that church and hang out in its inner courtyard whenever I get the chance, sit on the benches there and check out decoration I previously missed. There's also some rock gravestones(?) or just cross-shaped decoration and some older decorations just scattered around and it also kind of looks like a tiny cemetary too. Definitely more 'Death' than 'Life', but the creative expression (paintings, intricate details), and it being like a green oasis surrounded by concrete and higher density urban blocks, helps balance it out.
My personal revival style favourite is 'The Central School for Girls". Nowadays there's cultural events going on there sometimes and it's great to hang out there after fun events in the huge inner courtyard, with fairy lights and music and whatnot haha. Actually, the architect who designed it worked to restore the previously mentioned church when it needed a restoration - and he didn't derail from the church's original style (rennaisance) because he was studying it so much himself, developing the revival style.
Nowadays' nationalist movement probably won't inspire cool new buildings and art, though... and it's going to cause a lot of trouble for a lot of people, like it caused some back then too... We peaked back then in terms of creative output lol
I was looking for a comment like this lol, thank you architecture nerds under James' videos (affectionate)
Well, at least we got ONE good thing from nationalism 😂
This is so cool, thank you so much! I learned something new today 😁
You would be surprised.
A lot of nationalists are also big fans of traditional architecture.
Goodbye glass and steel phalluses!
@@PapaRoboto Well... at least when nationalism coincides with a "return to" a glorified past period of the nation (whether it existed or not). The extreme, more fascistic tendencies can go either way... There was still nationalism when socialism came about - and those guys had other priorities: ornament was costly, everything had to be standardised and made efficient so they can, in theory, provide them to everyone... "equally". Those came to be associated with poverty and then there was a return to decoration and linking it to wealth and higher status (you also see it with music: luxury-branded perfume ads with classical music on the background). Those glass and steel phalluses can find fans amongst nationalists as well, do not worry, haha.
If it's based on Romania, the influences wouldn't be Moroccan but Turkish/Ottoman, since they were buggered by them throughout most of history haha
I think the Ottoman empire also managed to bugger eastern Morocco, which may explain the similarities 😂
now that i think of it, it makes sense
"buggered" is one way to put it lmao
This pack feels perfect for an Addams Family build
omg I love that idea!
I've been looking at my notifications all day waiting for everyone to post their Life and Death videos. 😂
They all posted all at once! I was like, woah! Good choreography guys! 😂
@@lizzkopta I know funny. I choose James first. Then I will watch Kayla. Others just for fun
This build buy looks AMAZING. Like the holes in floors and roofs? Genious! The wallpapers all look beautiful and these worn out items all make for a perfect rags to riches!
I am honestly even overwhelmed!
And all those windows! I salute EA for once!!
A BB overview AND a build?? I'm feeling extra lucky today.
I am in love with this building style!! I specifically thing that a lot of these items will be perfect with the vampire game pack and the castle kit. I kinda just really want to build a vampire mansion right now!
Greetings from Romania! The architecture does really look like a late 90s version of our style. It makes me so happy to see it.
Btw, amazing video, James! Just like always ❤
as a Romanian, I'm always excited and anxious, when I hear something is based on Romania. thankfully the new DLC world looks good, because bad representation feels worse than no representation. I was gonna get this pack even before they said what it was inspired by. I can't wait to check it out myself once it releases.
I'm from Romania. the house looks like it belongs in my neighbourhood 🥰 always wanted to have romanian style buildings in the sims but i am a lousy builder so thanks for making my dream come true 🤗😘
I feel like this with the castle kit and the nursery kit would look amazing together!
THERE'S NO GREENHOUSE DOOR?!!! It could have been perfect!
I actually LOVE!!! the world. I LOVE that there are three parts and the spooky one is just like one neighbourhood (the size of entire Forgotten Hollow xD). That is such a cool detail.
It really feels like a lot of love and attention and creativity went into this pack and I can't wait to play with it!
Those stairs are glorious and the windows are very ornate. I like this, Dracula build incoming.
40:00 I think a dresser functionality is perfect for that hallway because you can change into your cold weather clothing before going outside. Realistically the new position of the door makes a lot more sense. With a front door that grand you need a big hallway with space for the door to swing open and to greet your guests before they have access to the rest of the house.
All those "shabby" swatches and extra items really need to have a systematic makeover: like, when you build a "run-down" house, you want to spend cash on upgrading it, when right now you sell all the "dirt" decals and actually MAKE MONEY.
Build&Buy overview let's goooooooo
(Idk why but I love watching James's B&B overview so much despite not being a builder! I just rewatched the old packs ones waiting for this)
10:34 I actually didn't know that before about counters 🤯
if you think that's weird, I've listened to his Paranormal Stuff build buy overview a dozen times in the past week, without actually watching the video. I dunno, it's just soothing to listen to in the background.
Romania mentioned 🔥🔥🔥🔥 The building items are so accurate, I love them!
Love the worn and rusted swatches, we don't have enough of that. Some gorgeous stuff here, surprised the furniture is so modern but it is lovely. I can see myself using a lot of this.
Great to see EA kept it real authentic for Romania and added all the ways you can make your building look scuffed and falling apart!
Thank you James! I never buy anything without looking at your overviews and reviews first
Me too 😊
Yep, same!
I just started the video, but the doors and windows are already reminding me of Resident Evil: Village (which, I believe, was set in Romania) and I AM LOVING IT!!
I was thinking about that too, but I wasn't sure if it was also set in Romania
Definitely set in Romania, there's a particular wooden church that looks just like the ones we have here at least haha with the high straight-back wooden chairs and the decorated fabrics and plates displayed on walls you'd see in villages etc
@@michaelaheb I wasn’t sure either but I think I remember it being called a romanian village AND the whole thing with the youtubers playing it, pronouncing „Dimitrescu“ wrong and romanians being like „you pronounce all the letters!“ xD
@@joanabug4479 Honestly it’s so pretty! I remember even with walking through the RE: Village just thinking (despite the ruin of course) that it all looks so beautiful and… cozy? Homey? It’s really hard for me to find the right word. And the Castle with the Vampires was so grande and majestic!
@@Klaranella WAIT okay so it’s dimitrescU? sorry it’s been a while since i’ve seen the gameplay, but i think in the game itself they were pronouncing it Dimitresc / the mispronunciation right? and i agree w your original comment !! Resi 8 was soo good
I really like the synergy this pack will have with other packs' build styles. Vampires, Realm of Magic, Courtyard Oasis, Castle Estate, Werewolves, Crystal Creations, Storybook Nursery, Paranormal, Romantic Garden and Get Together would all mix and match so nicely with Life and Death
Hilariously, this is just a list of the only packs I don't own 😂 oh except get together of course
One more note, the atmosphere in Mourningvale instantly reminds me of Hoia Baciu forest (well... when there is that foggy weather). But no, it's not "one of the most haunted forests" 😆 like the internet likes to tell. There might just be 2-3 extra crooked trees compared to a normal forest, but when the netizens add that it's in Transylvania, people instantly think "oo, spooky!" 😆
I’m genuinely so excited for this pack! We haven’t seen anything quite like this since Vampires, and it’s amazing to finally have beautiful furniture in such a unique style!
You put so much work in this! Thanks James, needed something to watch and chill and you come to rescue
Anyone else a little disappointed there isnt a infant crib? That was a missed chance but great build James!
Romania mentioned! Let's gooo. I love your videos, James. I have been watching you for 2 years now ❤
I wish they hadn't put the lighting effect under the cabinets. It makes them unusuable in an older style or off-grid home
They need to make it possible to toggle them on and off
They could have just added a light that we could put under cabinets ourself or under any other furniture if want. I think the high school pack has a light like that.
@@chotanya it would have been such a good idea and way more customisable too, could add them below shelves etc
12:56 we have a wall decal category 😅 that’s where those should be
First Deli's video, and now it's James video! That's what I call a GOOD evening
Wondering why they don't add an option for objects that have size variations depending on wall size instead of having catalogues full of the same objects times three. It would be much more convenient to have just one item coming with a "size option" and just have to pick the preferred size for doors/ windows/ curtains /etc. A bit like kitchen cabinets have different versions.
Omg those windows would be perfect for camillos castle 😮
(From tiny town) 😊
50:34 Just to note that if the shower cubicles are placed like that into a wall corner, it will block or deter the woohoo in shower interaction.
Vlad must be so proud ♥ Thanks James for the peek from all of us still sitting on the fence regarding this pack. The Grim Challenge too was genius. EA has outdone itself after the last pack fiasco.
So so happy about these videos! I also love the speed at which you’re going through the items. It’s not super slow or rushed. Great work!
This also finally helped me decide to now buy this. Apart from the kitchen and one wallpaper I don’t care about any of these items but I’m excited what simmers will build with them.
The Bigwallet grave update build coming soon ... ? 😂
What I really love watching the livestream yesterday, was CAS. I was thinking everything is perfect for Sandlewood. I see him being a dapper gentleman like his dad, and having a dark secret. Not only being a werewolf, but a black widower as well. Everything ties really well into this lp. ❤🖤
James: we should put something valuable here [atop the stairs].
Me: an urn?
James: a valuable vase.
Me: or that.
I would LOVE some outdoor siding in that deep green. I'm in love with that color right now.
I feel like I want to build Vlad his Transylvanian dream home.
Seeing the livestream yesterday has me so exited! I love the detail they’ve put into the pack! I think it was well needed after the last pack not being so good (in my opinion) cannot wait to see what you think of everything
Peacemaker makes great addon packs using the original Maxis meshes. Maybe EA should adopt them officially as part of the new CC official kits? I also agree with moving all the bits that are not paintings/photos etc into a new category, it's getting annoying trying to find things.
Oh it’s going to go so nicely with the Vampires pack and Castle kit. I’m so excited for all of it ❤
This build buy will go nicely with the castle kit.
Yay I was right, I looked at last upload of like the trailer and everything, I knew today would be the build buy overview. The livestream was so fun yesterday!
This pack will be the only one I'll pre-order because it actually looks really good. I'm glad they finally brought in broken windows! I've wanted that for so long to add to abandoned house game play 😄
I love that sims can't walk over the decals, because it would be so weird and break suspension of disbelief to just see sims walk over a hole in the floor.
I absolutely love the Sims creators community. Thank you for each taking a different approach to the pack on the first day so you each had unique details to show. I loved switching between all of you to see what you would do with the new pack.
aww I love Kate emerald ❤.
As A Romanian, I can tell you that the texture on that gate, although it does look weird, it is "supposed" to be stretched. We have many gates in Romania that the patterns just look stretched and old
I find it unbelievable that they will give us one sofa and not a matching armchair and two-seater. It's so simple, and so easy. An intermediate modder could do it, so why isn't a paid professional? It would make so many players happy.
Storybook Nursery Kit was basically an in-your-face hint about Life and Death. Essentially life before death.
As someone who loves tarot, I cant believe we're getting this pack. I screamed when you showed the wall art of all the tarot prints!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love that we're all traumatized from previous sims games by the fire place ALWAYS setting stuff on fire, but actually it's really hard to get stuff to catch on fire in sims 4, even when you're actually trying.
46:01 James saying "Boom Boom" was so going to hear "chk chk boom" next, like from other favorite aussies)))
stray kids everywhere all around the world
Along with the need for matching couches/arm chairs, why, oh why, is there no single bed in this pack? I think that's a huge oversight. Also, beautiful new bathroom set, but no toilet that will match those colours on the bath and sink. 😢 However, the items in this pack look fantastic and I like that there's an older and more modern set. Can't wait to build and play with this pack. I better get cracking with aging up my legacy heir, who is still a child.
I'm so glad we can have broken windows and holes in the floors or roofs. Anything grunge! I love these rundown looking things. I build shacks most of the time so this will be great. Looking forward to playing this pack!
I really love the freezer boney giant plushie. I will use it in all of my kids' rooms.
I want one for MY room
1 hour build & buy overview!!! thank you james!
If the world is inspired by Romania, why isn't the name Romanian? All other worlds have Spanish/Italian-y/Germanic/Japanese/Polynesian etc names.
My guess is there's probably 2 reasons for it: 1. not that widely known, meaning most people wouldn't recognize it's particularly romanian. Romanian names sometimes mimmick other languages easily, as it has influences from both the romance, latin side and the slavic... and 2. notoriously hard to pronounce for the reason at #1 😆
@@joanabug4479None of these should be a valid reason....
@@PolarBear-ty7kw I mean... that's my opinion too, of course! I was just guessing the explanation, not making up excuses for them, hehe. But after the Resident Evil fiasco I know why they would be afraid to even give it a shot (although they just have to hire some romanian people to do the explaining...). It's considered just extra work for little return... There was an article making the rounds here (in romanian sadly) about how they messed up names because it was designed by japanese devs for an american audience, based on what the japanese thought the americans knew about Romania... something like that. The pronunciation was all over the place, the item names (even if you pretended they were in old romanian language) were off (what the hell is "ciorb' de legîm"? 😆). Authenticity was completely discarded 😆 'cause it's not for the small number of romanian gamers who would immediately feel something's wrong, of course.
@@PolarBear-ty7kwi understand the frustration, but the other commenter’s points are valid. representation is good but what makes representation better is doing it the right way. i do agree tho that it would’ve been nice to have a world that has at least a name that’s inspired by Romania…or even parts of said world if not the world on its own . so both criticisms are valid imo. maybe when in gameplay there’ll be more , i hope
@@tardybloomer But from what I've seen the neighbourhood in which James built here is very reminiscent of better known transylvanian towns like Brasov. There's even a church nudged into what seems like an older-style square. The bigger squares (with the greenery decorated in like french style) are definitely closer to present-day and you sometimes don't find those - other times you do - like in Timisoara (but it's outside Transylvania). The 'spooky' forest even reminds me of a local forest that people thought was haunted (it just has some curly trees lol). I like the build details too, it's definitely in the right style and let's not forget that it's still a video game in a fantasy world. I actually wouldn't like it if it were 1:1 with reality, they have to bring something to the table after all 😆
That curtain could be used over a large painting if someone is making Number 12 Grimmauld Place!
I'm definitely going to recreate the Specter family manor when this pack comes out. It was my favorite family from The Sims 2, and expanding upon the story set up for you was always so much fun. The haunting of the house by the many npc's made for great storytelling. Now I finally feel like we will have the appropriate build/buy to bring it to life properly with this pack.
I'm obsessed with this build!!! It might be one of my favorites ever
I'm so excited for James' lp on this pack!!
I spesificly watch James' videos on build buy overviews and I was a tad disapointed he did not go through all the items like always, but the build part of the video was super cool! Love how the house turned out. (please still go through each and every item like before)
They really need to separate the painting and posters sections into decals, paintings, and posters. Same with the plants into small plants, medium plants, large plants miscellaneous. Similar to how they have the lights section
So glad you made a build! I always struggle to find a video where I can actually see the Comfort, Hygiene and Environment levels per object! It is still a mystery to me how we get modern furniture in The Sims which is less efficient and comfy than the "baroque" items that do not fit a modern build concept.
Wow this is a breath of fresh air compared to the last few expansions we got. Really high quality build and buy. Sucks that For Rent and Lovestruck didn’t get the same 😢
Can live without out it but it would’ve been really Sims-eat to have some kind of grim reaper toilet 😂 Also I need a physically copy of those tarot cards wow they are amazing
Oooo that stone wallcovering would make a great backsplash tbh.
This was definitely great!! I love seeing all the items in a house and see how they look inside and outside. Fun video to see an overview!
I'm only 15 mins in and I already feel like this build mode is the most complete they released in a while !!!
I typically buy packs based on build items, the love pack was cute but girl. When I saw those windows and doors I was gagged. I'm ordering it now brb
Idea: The Original Bigwallet manor could be redone but look abandoned with those new windows
I'm pretty sure the Moth is supposed to be a butterfly. The butterfly represents death and rebirth in some cultures.
Alot of the build stuff would be great in castles, manors, & clockwork era stuff.
really like this format for the build/buy overview, always great to watch you build! ☺
James! So random but the roofing on the ground made me think of how cool it would be for you to do a hidden pyramid build. Hide the walls with terrain / foliage and make the roof really tall. Is this possible?! Think it would be really cool 😊❤ love from Florida
Ok yeah I do love this pack.... at least for build buy. You're my first stop on the Life and Death Train ❤
Please in the future when you do super long videos / builds like this, could you include a quick house tour at the end where you fly over the rooms or going inside the house? i think it's way nicer to see it all together in the end :)
I am loving everyone’s videos. I forgot what time these videos release and legit checked every hour until they were. I was that excited and nothing disappointed either! I cant wait to play for myself on Halloween!
Oh my gosh, I absolutely love that dark shade of green! I want it in my everyday life. Bonus I can now have a different shade of green kitchen in my houses.
do we have matching stained glass to that mausoleum item because those swatches were GORGEOUS
Cats & Dogs also has A LOT of decals!
The song in the beginning is the same one NRB uses for Blood on the Clocktower, a board game which takes place in a town called Ravenswood Bluff! The connections that are almost certainly coincidental intensify