So today I was messing around with The Sims 4 again, feeling kinda bored with the base game stuff, you know? Saw folks online buzzing about these two popular mods – “Rebels” and, well, everybody else. Kept wondering, which one actually brings cooler stuff to the table? Decided right then to figure this out myself. Gotta test these things properly.
Getting My Hands Dirty With Downloads
First step, obviously, was grabbing the mods. Headed over to the usual modding haunts. Downloaded the main “TS4 Rebels” mod package – felt pretty big, took a minute. Then, just grabbed a handful of other popular, well-rated ones folks always talk about. Didn’t go for every single alternative mod ever, that’d take forever, just a solid mix of the big names known for adding cool objects, interactions, maybe some gameplay tweaks. Made sure I got the latest versions for everything.
The Setup Slog (Always Fun)
Alright, time to get them into my game. Backed up my Mods folder – ain’t nobody got time for corrupted saves. Cleared out almost everything except some basic framework mods everyone needs. Created two fresh folders: one labeled “Rebels Test“, the other just “Others Test“. Dropped all the Rebels stuff into its folder. Shoved the collection of other mods into the “Others” folder. Popped only the Rebels folder into my active Mods directory. Restarted the game, made doubly sure script mods were enabled this time. Yeah, did that dance.
Made a brand new Sim, plopped her into a fresh, empty lot. No cheats yet, wanted to see what the mods naturally unlocked.
Kicking the Tires on TS4 Rebels
Started poking around. Opened build mode first.
- Build/Buy Stuff: Wow, Rebels has this… distinct look. Found a bunch of grungy furniture, really edgy lighting, some weird tech pieces. Lots of stuff aimed at “rebel” lifestyles – posters, makeshift bars, battered furniture. The quality was kinda hit or miss? Some objects looked fantastic, others felt a bit low-res close up.
- CAS (Making Sims): This is where Rebels got interesting. Tons of tattoos! Crazy hairstyles – bright colors, asymmetrical cuts, wild accessories. Piercings everywhere. Found tons of ripped jeans, band tees, leather jackets layered over hoodies. Definitely caters to a specific punk/alternative vibe. Felt very focused.
- Gameplay & Interactions: Spotted some new social options like “Argue Politics,” “Insult Blandly,” “Start Underground Fight Club” (seriously!). Seemed to add rebellious traits that affected Sim behavior, like making them autonomously do rude or destructive things sometimes. Messed up my Sim’s moodlets a couple times, gotta admit. Noticed some minor lag when loading CAS.
Swapping to “The Others” Pack
Okay, closed the game again. Yanked out the whole Rebels folder. Shoved the “Others Test” folder into the active Mods spot instead. Restarted the game, same routine.
Made another new Sim, dumped her on another empty lot.
Diving into the Alternatives
Immediately felt… different. Wider spread, maybe?
- Build/Buy Stuff: Whoa. Okay, much bigger variety here. Found beautiful, realistic furniture sets, clutter that looked crazy detailed. Whimsical fairy garden items. Sleek modern appliances. Classic vintage pieces. High-end luxury stuff. Quality felt more consistently high across the different mods I’d grabbed. Found way more cohesive room “sets”.
- CAS (Making Sims): Vastly broader range of clothing styles. Everyday fashion, business suits, fantasy robes, historical outfits, athletic wear, swimsuits, tons of cute dresses. Hairstyles ranged from super sleek bobs to massive afros to intricate braids, lots more “normal” styles too. More subtle skin details and makeup options, less intense tattoos.
- Gameplay & Interactions: This was harder to pin down immediately. Didn’t see such obvious in-your-face socials like Rebels had. Instead, noticed things like… Sims autonomously pulling out sketchbooks, more nuanced phone interactions, kids having unique games. Some mods added careers, others expanded gardening or cooking deeply. One might have added little moodlet tweaks making emotions last longer. Performance felt smoother overall compared to the Rebels package.
The “Aha” Moment – Side by Side Realization
So I finally switched back and forth between the two saves a few times. And here’s the thing that clicked:
- Rebels: Absolutely kills it if you want that specific, intense “alternative/punk” aesthetic for your Sims and their homes. The CAS is bold and unique. But… that’s the main focus. Build/Buy reflects that niche hard. Gameplay is all about being disruptive. It’s cool, but it feels like just one flavour, kinda strong.
- The Others: Doesn’t feel like one mod. Feels like… a toolkit? I got way more flexibility. Want a chic apartment? A magical forest? A cosy cottage? An ultra-modern mansion? Covered. Want my Sim to look like a CEO, a farmer, or a medieval knight? More options. Gameplay additions felt deeper but sometimes more subtle, less flashy than Rebels’ “Start Fight Club”. The sheer volume and variety of stuff, especially objects, blew Rebels outta the water. Way more styles covered.
Bottom Line From My Testing
Which mod has more cool stuff? Kinda depends what you call “cool,” I guess.
If “cool” means very specific punk/edgy vibes: Rebels probably wins. It nails that look and feel intensely. Tons of attitude.
If “cool” means sheer variety, tons of objects, broader clothing, and diverse gameplay depth: The others combined absolutely stomp Rebels. The difference in build/buy items alone is massive. You just get WAY more different kinds of things, higher quality generally, across the board. Rebels has cool stuff within its lane, but the lane feels narrow next to everything else out there.
My personal winner? Gotta go with the others pack for replayability and options. But I might grab just the Rebels CAS stuff sometimes if I’m making that specific type of character. Experiment over!