Do people actually skate on frozen pools? I grew up in the north and everyone drained their pools. When you freeze water in a cement/concrete pool, the water expands cracking the pool. So it was a fall event to drain your pool completely and let it sit all winter long with a cover on it.

I really hope that the weather EP is coming soon but ice skating on the pool? I don't think thats' going to happen! exited though..

Even toward the South, where I live, people do that. So, yeah, skating on pools seems pretty absurd to me. Skating on the ponds, however, should happen.

I would have thought that, with all the chemicals they put in swimming pools (as well as the heaters), it would be very hard for them to freeze over, let alone freeze enough for a person to skate on them.

We don't usually drain pools here (bottom half of Alabama) - too warm. I've never seen a pool freeze. Most people cover them to keep the leaves out. Sometimes they'll turn green before it's warm enough to swim in them again. Actually, one year my mother just kept hers treated all winter.

Well, I lived up near the Wisconsin border so a pool would probably freeze if left with water inside. Even a little water left in the bottom of the pool could cause freeze-thaw cracks like you get in the roads up there. At that time, built-in concrete pools were not common except for rather wealthy people although I am sure that has changed. I don't know how fiberglass pools would work but they do crack also...and the expansion of frozen water could probably cause problems.

This is one of those situations where I think the sims world could safely veer off into fantasy land... In real life you can't leave water to freeze in a swimming pool without damaging the pool, but why does that have to be true in sims world? The rules of physics must be firmly adhered to in our world, but they don't have to apply in sims land.

So why not save us having to create or place yet another single-use community lot which takes up way too much space and instead have frozen pools for personal skating rinks?

Just call me Mrs. Contrary...

The only issue is not every hood has (room for) a city pool or an outdoor pool at a gym, or whatever. It's bad enough Starlight Shores barely has enough room in it, I wouldn't want to Sims flooding the gym just to ice skate. At least with the rink object, Sims could skate on it, and it would be appropriate indoor for ice skating.

It's like a hit and miss kind of thing, but both are nice.

Okay, Mrs. Contrary! LOL

I would hope that if they are going to veer off into fantasy land that they give us an option. I honestly prefer not to see the sims skating on the pools in my winter hoods. A rink would be great though. I loved the one we had in...was that Sims 2? Seems so long ago.

I realize the sims is just a game but some of us like realism. Veering off into fantasy land is all good and well as long as those of that don't want to do that have the option. If pools turn into rinks, half the houses would have rinks in the backyard...seems a bit odd to me. I want to option of keeping my game 'real'...and I don't want to ruin your fantasy but neither to I want to be forced to deal with something I can't turn off.

Honestly, I really doubt they will turn pools into skating rinks. Rinks seem more of a community object...a pond, or someplace people meet to socialize. So..Ms. Pragmatic says we are all speculating on things that based on EA's history, won't even be an issue. We might be lucky to get frozen ponds..since EA did include those textures in CAW...pools..hmm, I doubt it.

My pool never freezed over during the winter, but I also live in Texas so maybe it just didn't get cold enough. But I don't think people normally ice skate on their pools. I think ponds should be skate-able though :3

Waterslides came with Generations. Honestly they're not all that impressive but they'd be great in the summer when everyone's dying from the heat.

A magic EP followed by a weather EP?

It's like EA is trying to make up for that Katy Perry disaster on a disc.

Also, these rumors make a fair amount of sense. TS3 is nearing the end of its life (if we follow the trend set by TS1 and TS2), so it makes sense they're trying to squeeze in the most popular EPs to maintain interest in the game until TS4. Damn, it's weird to be approaching the end. The life cycle of this game is going by quickly.

*snaps fingers* Wait, has anyone considered the pattern? (You know, the Remake-New-Remake-New-Remake-New thing?) There was a weather EP in Sims 2, but there wasn't a full-out magic EP - the next EP will have to be weather if the pattern will continue. I think I'm overexciting myself, but I think it's logical. :D

I thought the pattern has been broken by Showtime? Is Showtime considered "new"?

We never had anything like Showtime in TS2, last I checked, so theoretically it would be considered new. Of course, I may be wrong, but judging by The Sims Wikia, there's nothing that broke that with Showtime.

Ever since the beginning of TS3 I've felt that everything in it is very rushed... but looking at GEN, SHT and Katy Perry stuff pack, they are even more rushed. Actually, they feel like forced and rushed! It just feels like EA is squeezing it all out just to get it done and over with... but why? Have they been preparing TS4 all along and TS3 has been just some test-ride for TS4?

That's an optimistic perspective. I'm afraid it's probably a mix of two things:

1. The Sims team is spread thin. They were making Generations and The Sims: Medieval simultaneously. A good portion team has to create the often dull content you find in the Store and in stuff packs. How much of the team is dedicated to that Facebook game, The Sims Social?

2. EA is, well, lazy. They want put as few resources into a product as possible, knowing full well it will still be purchased in droves. Why be creative? Why go beyond what is simply necessary to keep the game alive? It's easier to push out rushed expansions and release a few staged videos that make them seem worthwhile.

I'm not bitter about the situation; I suppose I'm just sad. The Sims could be great, but it seems to be turning into a unexciting franchise. Maybe these next two EPs will reinvigorate the series. Who knows?

I think he means the sliding board that drops you in the pool

[QUOTE=writerchick]So why not save us having to create or place yet another single-use community lot which takes up way too much space and instead have frozen pools for personal skating rinks?

If they do this, then you won't be able to use the swimming pool during the winter, or skate during the summer. They'll still need to create a skating rink of some sort, even if it is some sort of adjustable platform that you could build on top on the swimming pool or anywhere else. Personally, I don't like the idea of having a skating rink in my sim's backyard, takes away all incentive to go out in the neighbourhood.

Not sure if it was already posted, but the site SimCookie posted this :

(http://www.simcookie.com/2012/04/17...-les-saisons-2/ )

Snow :
- Snow ball
- Special snowflakes (Book)
- Footprints in the Snow
- Is that… snow?
- Melted Snowman (Drink)
- Snowflake

Rain :
- No Chance of Rain (Achievement)
- Batten down the hatches, there be a nasty storm brewing and enemies closing fast! You lad, look sharp! (Sims 3 Generations)
- Storm

Automn :
- This grass looks great in the fall.

Springs :
- It’s hard to argue that there is any tree more beautiful than a cherry tree in the springtime.

Chansons :
- Harvest Rain Song ( Book)
- Song at Sunset (World adventure)

Others :
- The weather report forecasted sunshine, but for some reason it looks like it has snowed in the principal’s office! {0.SimFirstName} wouldn’t know anything about this, right?
- A rainstorm indoors?! Well, now you’ve seen everything…
- Whoa! Opening that last door unleashed a huge torrent of water. You just barely swam to safety.
- The clouds are so thick you can barely see where you’re going. If only you had a fog light.
- What’s with all this water? You’re a fireman, not a lifeguard! (Ambitions)
- The outdoors are beckoning your Sim to leave the indoors behind and enjoy the great outdoors. Your Sim wants to have fun in the sun!
- Play Outside
- Cold Sun
- old Sun
- That was a great day! Just enjoying the sun and a good meal…why can’t every day be like that one? (memories)
- A trip to the park is a fun way to enjoy the sun and fresh air, though one has to watch out for the muddy patches!
- Gum on the Shoe

Doubts :
- Tropic Twister ( Drink)

Object :
- Milkshake


Also the site simsvip posted some tweets by SimGuruMeatball that could indicate a weather EP is coming:

http://simsvip.com/?p=9848

So.... are we taking this as gospel?

Who else thinks that if they animate making a snowman, it comes out looking a lot like Katy Perry.....wearing her signature bra, of course.

You need to read the guy's twitter page..although I think he has since made it private so you will have to follow him. I don't have any desire to do so. These tweets were taken out of context. If you are what came before and after, most of them do not have anything to do with any Sims EPs. He was obviously enjoying the attention though and did play with the tweeters though for a bit. I think it got out of hand which may be why he went private.

The best indication is the rain category in the exchange.

If we get weather in an EP, I hope they give us a new town styled in an appropriate region that has four seasons, like New England. I also want full farming, not just raise a few plants, but farming with fields, farm equipment like tractors and combines, and barnyard animals such as cows to slop, chickens to milk, and pigs from which to collect eggs.

Why not old England?! England gets snow . . . and people complain far too much about it . . . and the news takes the weather as priority over other things . . .

Yes, and grow wheat to bake bread and make cakes!