There are some great suggestions in this thread!

I really like the idea of expansion packs...maybe a new
house (fixer upper of course).

How about a pawn shop...for in the beginning when times
get lean (ex return it for 25% of purchase price?)

Higher priced upgrades? Car, Boat, Vacation...New couches!!
Acquiring all the house upgrades seemed to happen quickly.

Pet food & have to feed the pet or he/she runs away (maybe
pay a fee to get them out of the pound?)

More pet choices (bird cage, hamster in ball, etc) and you
should be able to have more than one.

I have to say, I love the hamster in a ball suggestion

I have a hamster in real life, and the thought of having a little hamster ball rolling around is just too adorable!

I love the hamster in a ball too! And a bird on a perch would be great also!

The hamster in a ball sounds cute!

(Quote)What about if you finish collecting all 12 pieces of a particular collection, you could sell it as a set online for like, a grand or something? Then you could start from scratch collecting again. (I like collecting.)(Quote)

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Another idea is a way to know what we have done. I have all 5 game slots running between my daughter and I, but I am pretty much playing her games for her. I can't remember who got what, which games I did anti-spam software on, which moms got the baby boost etc.

I think some of these suggestions are getting a little complicated. Part of the appeal of VF is its simplicity. That said there are a few things I would like to see.

Baby - have a crib appear maybe a year (1 hour) after she first "got pregnant". Then she can go back to work and Dad can help.

Toddlers - Under 5's need more sleep so perhaps their energy levels could drop faster. And have them throw tantrums.

Teenagers - Let them refuse to pick up things and argue with their parents occassionally - like real teenagers.

Photo Album - can we take snapshots of the family as keepsakes for future generations.

Notes - Can we have more space here please. I like to make up a history for those who don't continue in the game. IE: Went to Europe and married a supermodel or joined the army.

Bad Eggs - Every family has them. Can we have a character field. "Angel, Good, Indifferent, Bad, Rotten to the core" The really bad ones can sit around smoking, drinking and generally being really lazy if you don't control them. And the angels will pick up things without being told.

Windnwillow, I love your ideas for all the stages of kids and stuff. Not sure that putting drinking and smoking in a family-friendly game is the best thing, but I agree they can be really lazy, like watching tv and playing video games all day instead of doing homework.

Another idea... improvement, really- can we get a real dining room table, that can seat eight (or how ever many people are in the house, providing you add more bedrooms)? I feel kinda bad for the families having only five chairs. lol.

Yeah you're probably right about the smoking and drinking. But what if these lazy peeps take over the house and then can't keep a job. If they don't work on their career they get fired and have to start from scratch again on a new one.

Can you please change the childrens clothes and looks so they look like children. I have a two year old in high heels, short skirt with her hair up and she looks like a working girl. I have another girl in knee high, high heeled boots and a tank top on and she is only 3. Just a thought. Also it would be nice if the dog made noises,barks etc and if we can interact with it, fed it , wash it,etc.

Actually, I don't think I would like this game to become too much detailed as sims. When I first got the trial, I was relieved that the gameplay was definitely different than siims (I sort of like that game, but I definitely don't find it charming).

But a few little improvements would be nice. It would be nice if the kids of the couples did not look alike most of the time. More puzzles would also be good. And yeah, I think the rolling hamster is a great idea

I'll keep saying it - if the moms can pick up trash/socks, pull weeds, clean spots, make meals, etc then there is NO reason they can't work while caring for the baby. They should get a one day reprieve and that's IT.

And how about letting the older kids do some work to earn money too? It's hard getting enough money for the house because I'm always having to spend it on food.