I’ve Been Playing The Sims 4’s Royalty and Legacy Nonstop, But One Thing Keeps Pulling Me Out of It

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I was thrilled when the Royalty & Legacy expansion pack for The Sims 4 was announced. I didn’t think anything could excite me more than the Life & Death pack, but Royalty & Legacy completely changed my mind, and I’m happy to say it lived up to the hype. It’s the type of expansion that makes you want to start a new game immediately, and it finally delivers the compelling, story-driven gameplay Simmers have been wanting for years, with real consequences and meaningful choices.

The Sims 4’s Royalty & Legacy expansion pack is generally excellent. It features in-depth gameplay, with lots of creative options in Create-A-Sim and Build Mode, and plenty of engaging activities to keep players occupied. However, as you play, a recurring issue becomes apparent. It’s not that anything is missing or poorly designed, but rather a problem Sims 4 players will likely recognize – and that makes it particularly frustrating.

Pack Integration for The Sims 4’s Royalty and Legacy Is the Gap Between Excellent and Perfection

The Sims 4 has received over a decade of expansion packs, and as longtime players know, these packs are designed to interact with each other. For example, hobbies and businesses should work well with the restaurant features, and vampires and werewolves should react to each other’s presence. While not every combination makes perfect sense, the most logical connections should be noticeable and well-integrated.

Who’s That Character? Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)

The way new content bundles, or ‘Packs,’ are added to The Sims has been key to the game’s long-term success. However, these Packs don’t always connect with each other. Some function independently, which can sometimes limit their potential. While the Royalty & Legacy Pack does have a few features that work with other content, it’s not a major connection. Without the ‘Get Famous’ pack, this lack of integration wouldn’t be a significant issue.

When I Realized That Get Famous Would’ve Been Perfect for Cross Pack Integration With Royalty & Legacy

I realized cross-pack compatibility wasn’t great with Royalty & Legacy during a key moment in my game. I’d carefully planned a chaotic noble dynasty, but the game had other ideas. The head of my dynasty, Marius, started as a Knight – the lowest noble rank in the new expansion. He was focused on building a reputation for himself and his family when his chosen heir stumbled upon a destiny that completely overshadowed my plans.

I was playing when something unexpected happened. My game suddenly focused on Marius’s daughter, Pilar, while he was completing a task for his career. In The Sims, a sudden camera shift usually signals a disaster – like a fire or a death – but this time it was a good surprise! Pilar was exploring and managed to pull the legendary Simcalibur sword from the stone in Verdemar. This instantly made her eligible to overcome any challenge, even her father, and with just one click, she became the Queen of Verdemar.

Embracing Royalty & Legacy, Longing for Get Famous

I was totally floored when I saw this screenshot – Pilar had somehow gotten her hands on Simcalibur, and it completely changed everything! My daughters were just hanging out in the background, oblivious, while their dad was tending to the baby. But the real shocker was my game. This wasn’t how my playthrough was supposed to go at all! Suddenly, Pilar was crowned queen and became the whole focus. I had to completely change my plans. I dove headfirst into playing as her, quickly figuring out the new systems and leveling her up fast because the game practically forced me to. But the more I played, the more I realized something wasn’t quite right – something was missing.

My Sims character experienced something legendary – she actually pulled a sword from a stone and instantly became a leader, with everyone seeing it as a sign of destiny. It was a huge moment, so I was really surprised that the game didn’t seem to recognize it at all!

The Sims 4’s Get Famous Would’ve Made Royalty & Legacy Legendary

It’s understandable that not everyone would immediately recognize a less famous historical figure, but most people have at least a basic understanding of Queen Victoria, or even the current King of England. Monarchs aren’t minor historical details – their stories, both the good and the scandalous, are well-known and have shaped entire periods of time. That’s why it feels so strange that the ‘Royalty & Legacy’ game pack doesn’t connect more strongly with the ‘Get Famous’ pack. Here are some of the limited ways the two currently interact:

  • As the game stands, Sims gain Fame Points slowly as they ascend the ranks, but this fame goes as swiftly as it is given.
  • Monarchs who want fame may have to pursue hobbies to speedrun Fame Levels.
  • Sims involved in a scandal will not only lose Reputation, but Fame if they have Get Famous installed. This feels unnuanced.
  • A way to gain lots of Fame Points as a monarch is to write a tell-all about a scandal they caused. This punishes players who do not wish to jeopardize dynasty prestige in The Sims.

Many of the most important parts of the Royalty & Legacy expansion are overlooked in The Sims 4: Get Famous. Being a successful ruler, or gaining power through a significant event, feels pointless because the game doesn’t fully acknowledge it. To make Royalty & Legacy truly great, it needed to let players experience not just power, but the feeling of having a strong presence and impact on the world.

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2026-02-24 22:05