The game, as far as my knowledge goes, (Although I'm sure something is inaccurate somewhere), wouldn't have been this way if they'd simply didn't originally try an Online/Multiplayer(/MMO-Style..?) approach to it, but my thing with this is, I would've been
100% for it. (If they'd tried it in a way that didn't push the game into an Online-Only state, like Simcity was. It was the Simcity fright that pushed them away from the concept to begin with as well.)
I know people keep saying that don't want it, but could they AT LEAST add the "If it's optional though, then that's okay" part to it? It'd be perfect if it was literally drop in and drop out, NON online only, but optional setup? And if both players have the same mods kind of style? I can imagine a LOT of fun stuff if they'd actually tried it this way, and some games are actually like that already. I just, again, wish people weren't so full on Anti-Multiplayer about The Sims. It's The Sims 2 on console that literally made me fall in love with the concept. (And The Urbz: Sims in the City.)
EDIT: There was also a chance of there being micro-transactions based on some info I'd read some time ago as well so... That was also just... That was obviously going to be a type of shit storm..