Okay I was wanting more magic/ecofreak/hippy/fairy stuff. Afraid this is going to focus on celebrities. As if I already don't have enough reason to hate the paparazzi. Have you noticed? I'm sorta looking for a new job in real life, and employers seem to prefer candidates who can make a total shitpile sound as if it's a bed of roses. Azure would get hired anywhere she applies. Forget producing a quality product, just make it sound good.

And, think I'm just gonna go look at user-made worlds now, cos this DOES NOT look as if it's worth 20 dollars.

It looks like Sunset Valley only with mountains. And green sims are no big whoop. We've had green sims since the base game.

But it has a full-on magic object!!! With gameplay that... we... actually... already have in the game. Hmmm.... Aw, shucks. Still I'm happy I'll have at least one supernatural thing added to my game. I just hope that the object will be available separate from the world.

Exactly. Just one new object is not worth creating an entirely new world for. They should have just released the fountain of youth as a separate object online (or included it in an EP) instead of adding it to a Sunset Valley clone.

I'm with you on adding supernatural elements to the game, but I think they should all come in one pack instead of being released separately.

I'd prefer that to be the case as well, since EP's are generally more tightly integrated into existing features in the game. Whereas these premium content things are nice, but they don't really have a bigger impact on the gameplay as a whole. The "Enchant" spell from the Spellbook in the store only enchants... the spellbook itself... far cry from using "Enchant" in the Sims 1 on Pink Flamingo statues (turning into Vegas style female dancers) or garden gnomes (it came alive and would upkeep your garden for you).
On top of that, I feel like the premium content reuses as many pre-existing assets as possible. I've seen that Fountain sparkle before!!! :D

All those new Pets pictures made me check if there was any new Hidden Springs info. Not that I can find. It's right around the corner, and after today's Pets pictures, I have to say I'm not really interested in this world anymore....

Agreed wholeheartedly. I would be perfectly happy with occult stuff being sold in the store, except for the fact that it's just more stuff. There are new animations that go with that spellbook and everything, but as you said, the impact on gameplay is virtually nothing (no pun intended). I'd like to have new skills associated with a witchcraft occult, maybe some opportunities, some things that are more interaction and less flash.

Of course, I understand that a lot of people could do without the occult stuff, including magic, so I kind of wish they had left all of the occult for its own expansion pack so that people could take or leave it as they pleased. But I suppose if they were trying to get the greatest amount of people to buy those expansions, stuffing as much stuff as they could in so they could appeal to a larger and more varied audience, they probably accomplished their goal well.

As for Hidden Springs, the more I see of it, the more I think that the landscape is really the only thing that appeals to me. I like the lake and surrounding mountains, plus the stepped landscape, but I don't think I want any of the buildings, people, or things that come with it. Fountain of Youth I could DEFINITELY do without, seeing as I have about three different things that do similar, if not the same, things.

The Pets town looks like West Buttfuck, Wyoming.

From what I've seen and read about, this world has only two interesting things about it: that cool-looking new rabbithole and the so-called 'magical' hidden area the EA guys keep talking about. I'm not very pleased with the overall world. It's even worse than Barnacle Bay (which I bought and stopped playing after about four minutes due to the hatefully plain houses). I'll probably still end up buying it sooner or later given its sold in stores (I have a nasty habit of collecting every single hard copy/case related to sims). Is it just me or does the EP neighbourhoods look amazing compared to these paid neighbourhoods? Seriously, Twinbrook/Bridgeport/WA worlds > Barnacle Bay + Hidden Springs.

Really? I think it is pretty. I think I might buy it for my daughters as they love all things magical. Then I can steal the rabbitholes. I am so happy EA is giving us so many options. My opinion of them is going up with this release and with the info we have so far about Pets. I think getting rid of that WoW guy has really spurred them to go back to making us a real Sims game rather than some rpg wannabe. Good for EA!

Now if they could only have bug testing for more than a day. :/

Nope, EA isn't getting my money for this. The lots are typical EA, which is nothing to write home about. i'd end up bulldozing them all, including that big white house that's suppose to be town royalty...pffftt, if so they shoulda paid for a better roofing contractor.Not to mention the mountains look like they forgot to add the terrain paint. I have never seen a solid green mountain in my life.

I do like a couple of the RHs but that isn't enough for me to spend money on it. Gotta do better than that. I'll wait for Pets. The new world at least looks like somebody spent some time on it and didn't throw it together just to earn a few extra bucks for EA.

I am not interested in it right now, but if a creator make an awesome world with Hidden Springs stuff in it, I might buy it.

The official Polish Facebook TS3 account says Hidden Springs will cost 2500 SimPoints! Source: simprograms.

Oh dear. The world looks shamefully quickly scraped together, what a low for EA. Not even new terrain paints used, just...agh. They sure get creative when it's time to figure out ways to rip that $$$, I wish they got as creative with developing of the game. : P They are just selling you a rock, giving you the impression that it's a little piece of MOON.

Though the female clothing is soooooooo pretty
But is it just me of one dress looks exactly like one of these shirts ?

Yeah, I know I am not interested in it now. That world is not worth 2500 simpoints.

Woah! More than a stuff pack! I won't be getting this. Too bad, my girls would have loved it.

What female clothing? Most of the ones I see in the screenshots are from the base or other eps/store items. I see very little new stuff in those screenshots and notice they have released maybe 6? We know almost every item in Pets but they have not told us about the 'dozens of new items and exclusive hairstyles' so that makes me think they are either lacking or really only a few.

2500 simpoints???

No competitor, that is the problem.

In the live chat, Azure showed some clothing ( maybe all, dunno ) and the female outfits were so nice. I will buy this town when it's on sale, there's no choice. I HAVE to have those outfits.

I just found the chat. I saw three dresses, all short, pretty much like the ones we already have, and one top. Not at all impressed. I can get better stuff via custom content for free. I do like the terrain though, but it is not worth the money, sadly. The spa is like all other spas, no special healing powers, not plastic surgery, just a pretty spa that probably won't fit into most other worlds. I didn't see any other unique rabbitholes. The build objects are very nice but not worth $25. If I ever do get it (goes on sale), I would rip it all out and build small Pacific NW town for my kids. They want Eureka and this would work well.

$25 ?!?!?! Now I know for sure EA is smokin' crack.

That makes it really easy not to buy. There's nothing new in Hidden Springs that you can't get elsewhere, including mods that allow you to control aging. And, there are plenty of nice custom worlds available for free. I don't need Barnacle Bay Disaster Part Deux.

With the nice looking world they'll be giving us for Pets, this one reeeeally falls short in comparison - and we don't even have either to play with yet. For the money, I'm saving up for Pets.

Not that I wouldn't take this if they lowered the price or something. I like stuff. And a new location I haven't played to death is always welcome, even if it requires re-arranging to suit my own needs. But still.

$25 is waaaaaayyy too much for a world. It's just ridiculous and I don't know what EA was thinking. D:
Not even premium content would make it worth it. I guess if it's a DD eventually it might be worth it for some people but jeez... it's worth more than half an EP. x-x;

I can think of several ways $25 could be better spent.
That is... if I actually had $25. xD

Passing on this one... even though I thought I would be getting it. Oh well. That's ok, I'll have Generations to look forward to. That's where the $25 is going to. I don't have SP's yet, concentrating on EP's and I'm passing on Pets.