Friday, May 31, 2013

Dragon Valley Store World Review


Hey guys,

Welcome to my review of the newest world released: Dragon Valley. There will be multiple parts of this guide, so if you are searching for anything particular regarding this world, hit that Ctrl+F and find the part you want to find. I hope you guys enjoy this Review just as much as I did making it.

First off, here are the collection files:

Dragon Valley: http://www.mediafire.com/download/9sgtkkl8bj1yqzn/DragonValley.package
Duke of Bows Renaissance Venue: http://www.mediafire.com/download/8605o1u0ua02iye/DukeofBows.package
Celtic Lands: http://www.mediafire.com/download/2zb4xmms8iene05/CelticLands.package

Part 1: The Price
Part 2: The World and Rabbitholes
Part 3: The Baby Dragon
Part 4: The Duke of Bows Renaissance Faire Venue
Part 5: Celtic Lands
Part 6: CAS
Part 7: Build/Buy
Part 8: Returning Families
Part 9: Overall Review





Part 1: The Price


The price for Dragon Valley is initially $20 in the form of a simpoint bundle (and most likely the same for retailers on August 6th). However, there is also a secondary simpoint bundle referred to as a "Gold Simpoint Bundle." This is priced at $35 and includes Dragon Valley + 1900 Simpoints + Celtic Lands Set.

Comparing this to Monte Vista, which is Monte Vista + 1900 Simpoints, the Celtic Land Set can be treated as a free incentive towards purchasing the higher bundle. Personally, there are positives and negatives to this:

Positives:
- Dragon Valley + 1900 Simpoints is a good deal anyways considering $35 would normally be 3500 Simpoints. Dragon Valley would be priced 2450 Simpoints if sold only via The Sims 3 Store, along with 1900 Simpoints, making it 4350 Simpoints, equivalent to $43.50. 
- You get a free small set included as an incentive for purchasing the higher bundle.
- The 1900 Simpoints can be used to purchase a venue or any other store content

Negatives:
- Not everyone can fork over $35, making the $20 bundle a cheaper alternative
- Celtic Lands is a "Promotional Only" set, meaning players are restricted to only purchasing the Gold Bundle if they want this set.
- If you buy the Standard Bundle, you would have to pay the same price + $15 to get the Celtic Lands Set in the future if you decide to get it... meaning, you're paying $20 + $35 = $55, aka paying twice for Dragon Valley
- Celtic Lands WILL NOT be sold individually, especially after the retail version comes out August 6th. 

Other than that, the STANDARD price of the world we will be using is the $20, meaning Dragon Valley is the price of a STUFF PACK, not an Expansion Pack.

Also, below is the price breakdown of Dragon Valley using the prices of typical store content:

Baby Dragon Premium Content: 500 Simpoints
1 Main Rabbithole (Stadium, 3 Designs): 100 Simpoints
13 Rabbitholes: 13 x 25 = 325 Simpoints
Dining Chair: 75 Simpoints
Dining Table: 75 Simpoints
2 Windows: 2 x 75 = 150 Simpoints
Toilet: 75 Simpoints
Trash Can: 75 Simpoints
Mailbox: 50 Simpoints
2 Lights: 2 x 25 = 50 Simpoints
Fence Gate: 25 Simpoints
Bridge World Object: 50 Simpoints
Well Decor: 25 Simpoints
Lighthouse: 25 Simpoints
11 Ruin Pieces: 11 x 25 = 275 Simpoints
Door: 75 Simpoints
Door Arch: 75 Simpoints
4 Roof Decor: 4 x 25 = 100 Simpoints
Fence: 25 Simpoints
5 Wysterias: 5 x 25 = 125 Simpoints
4 Build Mode Plants/Trees = 4 x 75 = 300 Simpoints
10 CAS Clothing: 10 x 75 = 750 Simpoints
Tapestry Decor: 50 Simpoints
Tub/Shower Combo: 75 Simpoints
2 Hairstyles: 2 x 100 = 200 Simpoints
Column: 75 Simpoints
Statue: 50 Simpoints
Wash Basin: 75 Simpoints

Total: 71 Items for 3850 Simpoints = $38.50
World Cost: $20/$25 (If it's on sale or not)
Savings: $18.50/$13.50

Therefore, you are pretty much getting double the cost of typical store content, discounted by almost 50% off to purchase as a world. If you think of it that way, you aren't even paying for the world itself, which is a much better deal than the past store worlds. Also, 71 items for the price of a stuff pack has more objects than a typical stuff pack (even if most are decor).

HOWEVER, as a stand alone world, it does lack a lot of creativity, so you would still have to purchase lots of themed store content in order to flesh out this world. Of course, for some, you may have purchased these objects weeks/months ago, or even a few years back.


Part 2: The World and Rabbitholes

Dragon Valley is a world set in Medieval times, adjusting to new modern day additions to the world (explaining the cars, buses, cell phones, etc.). Of course, there are some heavy influences from Scotland, Ireland, the White Cliffs of Dover, and other real world architecture utilized in this world. There is some influence from works like Shakespeare, or some television series like Game of Thrones, Merlin, Charmed, etc. that have been used in this world and I think this world has a nice touch towards fantasy. 

If one would compare it with Moonlight Falls in Supernatural, this world would trump it like no other. There is so much in-depth design into this world, that makes it so breathtaking to play in. 

I love the designs of all the rabbitholes, especially the Stadium and School. There are three recolors of the Stadium if you check your Build/Buy Mode and you can customize your world on how you see fit with the Stadiums.

Below are some pictures of the world, and a list of all the Rabbitholes and their lot designs.














Rabbitholes

Hospital

Science Facility

City Hall

Military/Police

Bistro

Bookstore

Theatre

Spa

School

Grocery/Diner

Stadium

Criminal Warehouse

Graveyard

Lighthouse

Part 3: The Baby Dragon


Included with Dragon Valley for the first time in The Sims 3, is the Premium Content Item: The Baby Dragon. This premium content has tons of interactions that solely are focused on either the egg, or the types of dragons (objects, not pets) itself.

You first would purchase the egg and it will grow and hatch into dragons of different colors. 


There are interactions involved such as:
  • Brag about Physical Prowess
  • Gossip about Love of Fire
  • Talk about Job
  • Talk about the Weather
  • Talk about Friends
  • Discuss the Egg Paradox
  • Plot against Enemies
  • Converse about Existentialism
  • Name
  • Carry
  • Fly 
  • Feed
  • Play With
  • Talk To
The first 8 Interactions are used mostly when you get the Dragon Egg via Buy Mode. Depending on how you  converse with your egg can affect what color dragon you will receive.

ADVICE: 
  • Gossip about Love of Fire increases chance of getting a Red Baby Dragon
  • Talk about Weather increases chance of getting a Green Baby Dragon
  • Talk about Friends increases chance of getting a Purple Baby Dragon
  • With the Renaissance Faire Venue, Converse about Existentialism can increase chance of getting an Armored Black Dragon

Each dragon egg costs $395 Simoleons and can take around 6 hours in order to hatch. There are is a chance of getting one of the four colors of dragon which include:

Red

 Green

 Purple

 Armored Black Dragon

Naming your baby dragon will bring a "close relationship" (They say) with your baby dragon, along with being able to prevent your baby dragon from being taken away by other sims. Lets say some sims get some baby dragons, and you are making them NPC's and you are playing a different household. They get to keep their baby dragons, making sure they are not accidentally sold, and you can't take their baby dragons from them.

The interaction carry, places the baby dragon on your arm, and your sim will walk with the dragon on your shoulder, and there will be an occasional placement on the arm to pet your dragon also.


The fly interaction allows your dragon to practice flying around your sim. I believe it's just a fun interaction, and no moodlets would be created from just flying, but you never know if your dragon might get a random hidden skill from it or not (imaginary of course).


Feed is pretty self-explanatory. You are merely feeding your dragon a small red fish (Red Herring?)


The Play With interaction involves your sim playing with the dragon. They would tickle, pet, and more with the dragon.


The Talk to interaction depends on what color baby dragon it is. Red would be Athletic, Green would be Gardening, and Purple would be Charisma. Doing so will increase your skill related to the Dragon itself.


And last but not least, are a set of interactions, moodlets, and features that are tied to a specific color of a dragon.

Red


 Interactions:  
  • Shoot Fireball At...
  • Cast Fiery Torment On...
Moodlets:
  • Dragon Singed
  • Mark of the Red Dragon
  • Fiery Torment
  • Dragon Bite
Features:
  • Athletic Skill
  • Hygeine
  • Energy
The Shoot Fireball At.... Interaction will shoot a fireball at a sim, sometimes hitting them, or hitting the ground. Sometimes, the sim, if hit by the fireball, will get the Dragon Singed moodlet. It gives a -30 moodlet for 2 days (which adds on to the Singed moodlet given also).



The Cast Fiery Torment On... Interaction will shoot fire on the ground on the sim, giving a chance of getting a  "Fiery Torment" moodlet, along with having a chance of a sim dieing due to the fire being cast on the ground below them. The Fiery Torment moodlet gives a -30 moodlet for 3 days.


The Mark of the Red Dragon moodlet is obtained when you have the Red Dragon with you in your inventory, or on your shoulder. This moodlet builds Energy and Hygeine needs. Also, having the Red Dragon will help you train your Athletic Skill easier. It gives +20 moodlet for 24 hours, and stays permanent when you have the dragon in your inventory or is carried.


Overall, the Red Baby Dragon is one to be careful of due to its constant desire to shoot fire, and wreak havoc upon other sims.

Green

Interactions:
  • Summon Treasure
  • Harvest Plants
Moodlets:
  • Dragon Bite
  • Mark of the Green Dragon

Features:
  • Gardening Skill
  • Hunger
  • Bladder
The Summon Treasure interaction involves your dragon to cast its own spell and produce collectibles from the ground when this interaction is utilized.



The Harvest Plants interaction is involved when you want to speed up your gardening process. Using this interaction, allows the Green Dragon to cast a spell to make all plants grow into the next growth state. However, if it's already in the Harvestable state, the green dragon will harvest your plants for your automatically and place it in your inventory. Once used, it goes on cooldown for almost an hour. It is a pretty neat idea for a dragon!



When having the Green Dragon in your inventory or on your sim, you will get the Mark of the Green Dragon moodlet, which helps improve your Hunger and Bladder needs.


Talking to the Green Dragon improves your Gardening Skill.

Purple

Interactions:
  • Summon A Friend
  • Summon Someone New
  • Be the Life of the Party!
  • Cast Rune Charm On....

Moodlets:
  • Dragon Bite
  • Rune Charm
  • Mark of the Purple Dragon

Features:
  • Charisma Skill
  • Social
  • Fun

The Summon A Friend interaction is where your purple dragon will cast a spell and summon someone you know on your relationship panel.


The Summon Someone New interaction is where your purple dragon will cast a spell and summon someone that you don't know in order to help bring you new friends, or increase your relationship with the townies.



The Be the Life of the Party! can only be utilized when you throw a party or if a party is occuring. Using this interaction will cast a spell on your sim, making them seem livelier and make all parties around town better.



The Cast Rune Charm On... is a new interaction that is in the form of spellcasting. The Purple Dragon will lift the sim you targeted with casting this spell and imbue your friend's mood and make them feel happier and likeable for up to twelve hours. Even the grumpiest of sims can get a lift from this spell.


The Mark of the Purple Dragon moodlet helps increase your Social and Fun need and talking with the purple dragon can increase your Charisma Skill a bit faster.


Armored Black Dragon

Interactions:
  • Cast Phantasmal Curse On...
  • Summon Death Flower
  • Summon Ghost

Moodlets:
  • Dragon Bite
  • Dragon Curse
  • Mark of the Black Dragon
  • Zombified!

Features:
  • Logic
  • Energy
  • Hunger
The Armored Black Baby Dragon can only be unlocked when you purchase, download, and install the Duke of Bows Renaissance Venue that was also released along with Dragon Valley as a separate store venue. This  Dragon has interactions related to the Grim Reaper and death and has multiple abilities.

The Cast Phamtasmal Curse On... Interaction can curse a target sim, giving them a chance of being a zombie (If you own Supernatural). The Dragon Curse moodlet will also be obtained, or the Zombified! moodlet can be given also.




The Summon Death Flower is self-explanatory. Your Dragon will cast a spell, summoning an instant Death Flower in your inventory, and is on cooldown for almost an hour, in case some random death happens to you and the reaper shows up.



The Summon Ghost summons ghosts in the lot you are in, in order to help haunt someone's home, etc.


The Mark of the Black Dragon builds Hunger and Energy needs. Talking to the Armored Black Dragon improves your logic skill also.


Part 4: The Duke of Bows Renaissance Faire Venue




The Duke of Bows Renaissance Faire Venue is an exclusive Sims 3 Store content that is themed for Dragon valley. It is NOT included in Dragon Valley and comes with two new premium content objects, and 12 build/buy objects themed to make a Renaissance Fair that you would find in real life (which are fun and I suggest you all go to one when you get the chance).

Thank you to sofie981 for gifting the venue to me for review!






It is a 40x40 Small Park Community Lot and can be placed in any 40x40 lot in Dragon Valley. One of the best spots to place it is on 88 Deidre Drive shown next to the symbol that resembles a Charmed Reference (or maybe another TV Series).


The two new premium content objects are the Archer's Gauntlet and Fit as a Fiddle Violin. Included are also a bunch of new build/buy objects that include a brand new community grill, tent sculptures (brand new decor object, which is nice). It is priced at 1900 Simpoints and the breakdown is as follows, if the items were sold individually:

Archer's Gauntlet: 500 Simpoints
Fit as a Fiddle Violin: 500 Simpoints
Community Grill: 100 Simpoints
Renaissance Fence: 25 Simpoints
Lizard's Lament Fountain: 50 Simpoints
Jr Knight's Gym: 100 Simpoints
Daffodil: 75 Simpoints
Spirited Banners: 25 Simpoints
Wooden Weapons Rack: 25 Simpoints
Protective Pavilion: 50 Simpoints
Renaissance Stair: 50 Simpoints
Meet Over Meat Picnic Table: 100 Simpoints
Circular Tree: 75 Simpoints
Lil' Dragon Tamer Spring Rider: 100 Simpoints

Total Individual Item Cost: 1775 Simpoints
Venue Cost: 1900 Simpoints
Savings: (-)125 Simpoints

Personally, I think this venue could have had more objects and everything for the price tag. A discount would have sufficed due to how little the amount of content is, along with the fact most of the other venues had more objects in them, especially higher-quality objects. The only thing that was worth getting was the Violin and Archery Gauntlet for me.

Archer's Gauntlet




The Archer's Gauntlet is a brand new premium content object that is pretty much like a recycled arcade object, themed for a Medieval feeling. This object costs 500 Simpoints, if sold individually. It can be used by any sim Teen to Elder. There is no brand new skill included with this object, but it improves the Athletic Skill. The higher the athletic skill, the more trained and easier it is to shoot better in the Archer's Gauntlet. There are many different interactions and only two moodlets given by this particular object.

There are two main interactions, Practice Archery and Challenge the Board. Both of these have four subcategories on which particular archer style you want to compete with. This is a solo type of premium content, and you can't play with other sims or challenge them, sadly.


  • Basic Shot
  • Quick Shot
  • Challenge Shot
  • Extreme Shot
Practice Archery is where your sim is just practicing in order to train your athletic skill. 

Challenge the Board is where your sim will try to obtain the high score, which can be checked by the 3rd interaction.

The Basic Shot is where your sim will just shoot at the targets with one arrow. Pretty basic right?



The Quick Shot is where your sim will shoot at the targets at a faster pace than the basic shot along with aiming the bow and arrow higher than the basic shot.


The Challenge shot is where your sim will sometimes shoot two arrows, and all of the targets are rotating, including the weapons hanging on the other side. 


The Extreme Shot is where your sim will light your arrow on fire, and aim for the apple on top of the dummies head.



The two moodlets are the Eagle Eye and the Marksman. The Marksman is obtained when your sim has scored a high score with the challenge the boards interaction, while the Eagle Eye is obtained when your sim feels like they have gotten sharper with their archery skills when practicing.



Fit as a Fiddle Violin



The Fit as a Fiddle Violin is a brand new instrument premium content object released for the store. I believe it is also the first instrument premium content, which is a nice addition. A BRAND NEW Violin skill is introduced with this premium content, and improving it can unlock brand new songs for your sims to play. It can be played by any sim Teen to Elder. It costs $600 Simoleons and comes in its own Violin Case. There are two types of composition, one is the original compositions, and the other is the medieval compositions. There are 3 Medieval Compositions and 12 Normal Compositions. Below is the list of compositions:

Compositions:
  • Summer of Sage
  • You're Still here?
  • Savage Charles
  • Evil Child of the Well
  • The Reaper Went Down to Georgia
  • Ode to the Llama
  • Amber Rose
  • The Duck Descending
  • Plumbob Bob
  • Stairway to Dragon Valley
  • Don't Wall Me In
Medieval Compositions:
  • Jester's Last Dance
  • The Tenth Ballad of Henry the Ninth
  • Armored Armour
You can also serenade another sim with your violin also or play for tips. There is only one moodlet, and that is obtained when you play the violin, Enjoying Music. Other than that, there isn't really much of anything else except just watching your sim play the violin and unlocking new songs.

Build/Buy Objects

Included with the venue are 12 other build/buy mode objects and they will be showcased here:

Lil' Dragon Tamer Spring Rider


Jr. Knight's Gym

Meet Over Meat Picnic Table


Lizard's Lament Fountain


Spirited Banners


Wooden Weapons Rack


Protective Pavilion

Community Grill


Daffodil


Circular Tree


Renaissance Fence


Renaissance Stairs


Part 5: Celtic Lands




Included in only the Gold Simpoint Bundle of Dragon Valley is the Celtic Lands set. This set will NOT be sold individually in the future and is a promotion-only set. When purchasing the Gold Dragon Valley Simpoint Bundle, you are getting Dragon Valley + 1900 Simpoints (Much like Monte Vista) and this set. Basically, you are getting this set free, and honestly I personally like the theme, but some of the objects are not worth getting. This set includes 10 objects that are Celtic-Inspired. The price breakdown is as follows:

Hot Tub = 300 Simpoints
End Table = 75 Simpoints
Fence = 25 Simpoints
Gate = 25 Simpoints
Window = 100 Simpoints
Picnic Table = 100 Simpoints
Light = 25 Simpoints
Fountain = 50 Simpoints
Dining Chairs: 2x75 = 150 Simpoints

Total Cost: 850 Simpoints

One object that didn't make any sense was a random design of a Hot Tub. Perhaps they could have just not added the hot tub, or made it more round, maybe even some random Celtic-Inspired Premium Content (Now that would make it worth getting the Gold Bundle if that PCI was free included).

Anyways, the pictures showcasing the build/buy objects will be shown below:

Chalice of Light

Wake of Harmony

Balefire Table

Siren's Call of Light

Celtic Charm Hot Tub

Circle of Stones

Rune Fire Chair

Song of the Bard

River Chalice Fence

River Chalice Gate

Part 6: CAS


Dragon Valley includes a total of 12 CAS assets when purchased. These assets include:
  • 2 Female YA/Adult/Elder Hairstyles
  • 4 Female Outfits
  • 2 Female Tops
  • 1 Male Outift
  • 2 Male Tops
  • 1 Male Kilt
First off, I am kind of glad another Kilt is added to the store for men. There's only 1-2 kilts purchased via the store, and this adds on to it. I do like the look of some of the new CAS content, and wished there were more male hairstyles included, along with some for elder males also. It looks like yet again Teens/Children/Toddlers were ignored from this world, which is saddening.

I was kind of shocked to find multiple different designs for two of the female tops, the male outfit, and one of the male tops, more than I've seen for any other CAS they have introduced. It looks like they did put some more work on those four items more than the other CAS assets.

Below are the screenshots of all of the outfits and hairstyles, including recolors.

Female

Protector Pixie Cut




Tight Bob




Medieval Metal Belt



Celtic Simple Dress






Medieval Strapless Dress





Fantasy One Strap Dress



Medieval Hooded Top










Medieval Bodice










Male

Elven Armor









Medieval Shoulder Armor








Simple Linen Shirt



The Extraordinary Ordinary Kilt



Part 7: Build/Buy


The Build/Buy assets of Dragon Valley have a whole bunch of objects to choose from. They range from having typical decor, some new Medieval-Styled Bathroom content, to Wisteria plants, along with BRAND NEW roof decor objects that can further expand the creativity of builders. I think the build/buy portion introduced in Dragon Valley is my most favorite portion (much like any build/buy asset as I am a builder) and I think it was the main draw of my purchase of this world. 

There are some nice designs for each of the objects introduced, and I hope to use plenty of them in my builds. 

The list of objects include:

- 5 Types of Wisteria
- 5 Types of Roof Decor (1 isn't listed)
- 2 Types of Bridges
- 15 Designs of Ruin Pieces (Some are slightly different, like different stencils)
- 1 Door
- 1 Arch
- 1 Bathtub/Shower combo
- 1 Toilet
- 1 Sink
- 1 Statue
- 1 Well
- 3 Lights
- 1 Mailbox
- 1 Trash Can (Required for Homes, not the small ones)
- 1 Fence Gate
- 1 Column 
- 1 Painting
- 1 Dining Chair
- 1 Dining Table
- 2 Windows
- 14 Rabbitholes + 2 Extra Stadium Designs
- 1 Lighthouse
- 4 Build/Mode Plants and Trees

Therefore, there is a total of 66 Build/Buy Objects included with Dragon Valley, which is quite a bit included for such a world. I love the design of the Painting, that Dragon Statue, the Wisteria, and also the brand new roof decor objects. 

Below are the images of all of the content introduced. The Rabbitholes and Lighthouse will not be showcased as they are found initially in the World + Rabbithole portion of this review.

Note: I will add ruin pieces later on in the week, when I get the chance.

Well of Wisdom (Community Lot Only)


Outdoor Lamplight (Tall)



Outdoor Lamplight (Short)



Knotted Torch



Step Right Up Pedestal Sink



Chamber Pot



Flowing Fixture



Bonded Tapestry



Dragon Slayer Heroine Statue



Post Box



Rugged Receptacle



Great Hall Dining Table



Great Hall Dining Chair



Ornate Door




Ornate Arch



Slated Sun Window



Sun Window



Simple Roof End



Ornate Roof End



Dragon's Ridge Roof Decor

Lofty Roof Lantern



Fantasy Column



Barrier Entryway Gate


Root of Wisteria



Rising Wisteria



Scaling Wisteria



Wandering Wisteria



Ascending Wisteria



Ancient Oak Tree



Amber Elm Tree



Ombre Umbrella



Heather Shrub



Ruin Pieces

Stone Barrier 


Stone Barrier Post


Condolence Stone


Dragon Slayer's Departure


Here Lies Myra Mains


Hero's Farewell


Lost Ruin Column


Lost Ruin Entryway


Lost Ruin Rubble


Lost Ruin Viewpoint


Lost Ruin Wall


Reserved for Earl E. Demise


Rest in Pieces


Zombie Proof Headstone


Part 8: Returning Families

Returning in Dragon Valley is John Burb and Jennifer Pleasant (Burb). Even though I had hoped for the Capps to be introduced with Dragon Valley, I find it nice that they added the Burbs now. I even enjoyed the concept of how they arrived in Dragon Valley, but as always, it seems like another "Honeymoon Getaway" (much like the last worlds). They are not officially married yet, but are engaged, so you can find something creative to their wedding.

They live by the Dragon World Terrain on 34 Lugh Lane, if you want to know where to find them (I will have a Map Guide shortly later in the weekend) and it's a 40x40 lot. The home is called "Sweet Shelter" and is a 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom home.

Anyways, below are the pictures of John Burb and Jennifer Pleasant, along with their home! 





Part 9: Overall Review


Price: 9/10 - Personally, I'd rather pay the $20 for Dragon Valley or the $35 for Dragon Valley + 1900 Simpoints than resort to paying 2450 Simpoints or 4350 Simpoints for a typical World Standard/Gold Version. The price is cheaper than most of the other worlds, and you are getting tons of build/buy objects (without including the world itself) for the price. They gave us more content for what we are paying, and I think it was a good move. I only brought it down to a 9 because the Venue isn't on sale, along with the Celtic Lands set incentive being included in the higher bundle only.

Theme: 10/10 - I was a fan of The Sims Medieval, and this brought back some of that feel into The Sims 3. Even though there are still modern day transportation, cell phones, career outfits, and other things that doesn't give it a Medieval feel, most of the stuff that will fully flesh out a Medieval feel would be better off as a separate game, in my opinion. I think for what the Store Team can do, this was pretty well designed, along with their approach of this world: A distant land still stuck in their typical medieval time period, but trying to adapt into modern day technology introduced slowly (aka Story Progression). 

World Design: 10/10 - The world is breathtakingly beautiful, and I enjoyed every design put into this world. I was a fan of multiple inspirations from many television shows, movies, etc. along with the styles introduced and further fleshed out with the new objects. Placement of the lots, along with the builders making it more convenient for other builders to place lots and build without any issues with terrain is a definite plus also. I think so much more can be added to the world using other content, and it was a wonderful world to bring out into the store.

Baby Dragons: 8/10 - Even though they don't grow into adult dragons, there are tons of interactions, moodlets, and benefits from each dragon type. I feel like the gameplay can be quite fun, if not helpful for many simmers and I find these dragons adorable. The storyline ties in why they are only baby dragons, but that is their approach at it, not their limitations. I do find it disappointing that the Armored Black Dragon is locked unless you install the Renaissance Venue, but other than that the Baby Dragons have been well designed.

Archer's Gauntlet: 7/10 - The Archer's Gauntlet has its pros and cons. I do like the medieval gaming feel of it (much like seeing an arcade game, basketball hoops machine, etc. for modern day), but I feel like more could have been done with the Archer's Gauntlet. I wanted to see more competition between sims, but the interactions are a nice touch. I do wish there were some animations of messing up, or having another sim act as a dummy for the extreme shot instead of using an actual dummy.

Fit as a Fiddle Violin: 8/10 - I do like the fact the Violin introduces a brand new instrument skill tied to it, along with a bunch of new songs! One of my favorites is the Evil Child of the Well (Lucky Palms Reference), and plenty of others. It's understandable that there are not additional moodlets, and it's a plus that Children and older can use this particular item.

Venue: 8/10 - I think for the price, the venue is somewhat of a rip-off in price, but the objects included and the theme of it all was very creative. I wouldn't think of a Renaissance Faire as a venue, but the store team just did a good job in it. I did like the introduction of tent scupltures, along with a brand new community grill, some stairs, and the new playground equipment for kids. Maybe if this was on a discount like other venues, I would have given it a 10/10.

Celtic Lands: 5/10 - You either love the set, or you don't love it. Personally, I love the set, but I think limiting to those who can get the Gold Bundle was somewhat of a saddening move. They could have sold this set separately and made more money, even with a discount, while still selling Dragon Valley + 1900 Simpoints much like Monte Vista. HOWEVER, it was a nice addition to those who are frequent shoppers, making it a free set (which I do enjoy a free one here and there). The hot tub does throw me off though, no clue why....

CAS: 8/10 - A lot has been done in terms of design, stencils, and creativity to whoever made the clothing for this set. I enjoyed the new Elven-themed CAS assets, along with the different designs of multiple tops and outfits. However, I did wish there were some Medieval Hairstyles for Children/Teens/Male Elders along with clothing for those ages also. 

Build/Buy: 10/10 - There is a whole bunch of new build/buy mode objects that just expands one's creativity! I mean really, more wall plants, more roof decor, some new ruin pieces, and much more is introduced with Dragon Valley and I can't wait to use all of it. They even did their best to make the trash can (for all residential lots) look Medieval, along with the Bathroom content. One of my favorites if the Golden Dragon Slayer statue decor, along with the tapestry (with multiple stencils).

Flexibility/Utilization: 9/10 - I feel like Dragon Valley can be utilized and approached differently, along with being fleshed out with multiple Expansion Packs/Stuff Packs/Store Content in the past. Dragon Valley is not just a Fantasy-Only themed world, it can be treated in many different concepts for storytelling, gameplay, building, with the overall ideal that creativity can be expanded at its finest.

Overall: 8.3/10 - Dragon Valley is a must-have for all Medieval lovers and Fantasy Gameplay simmers. It's a nice world, with nice features, brand new content, and much more and it's only just the beginning. The Store Team and the World Building Team did a wonderful job making this world and I hope to see huge improvements and other awesome worlds in the future.

I hope you guys enjoyed your review!

Regards,
AznSensei

8 comments:

  1. I have one discrepancy. Children cannot use the premium content. Does it allow it in your game?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Whoops did a typo, sorry meant teens! Will fix that later this evening

      Delete
  2. Very nice Review! (cherid87120)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love your review. I love all your reviews. One question though. Those two bridges, I haven't been able to find them. I looked in buydebug, edit town/world editor, and community lot objects. SimsVIP thinks they are for CAW only. Is that right?

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    1. I think they are CAW only, but you can find them in the Featured Store Set Collection (found in Outdoors I believe)

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    2. Oh, ya, I noticed that late last night. I was making my Dragon Valley collection folder, and after I gave up looking for those two bridges, I did see that in sort by room, outdoors, and featured sets. I tried to put those two bridges from that in my collection folder, but, they didn't show up there. Oh well...at least you can get to them that way.

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  5. Thanksfor the revew, it was a perfect desision maker for me

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