Yeah, I actually loved the sims, recently I played through the sims 3. My one problem with that game is that once I went through it once, I had pretty much done everything. It lost all of it's magicalness once was making a bagillion dollars a day and growing old and ugly. Dwarf fortress, however, I can play forever. And when I start a new fortress it gives me the option to go a completely different route. The sims only allows me to really create a house and choose a career path. It's the same thing over and over again. Although I did REALLY enjoy the first play through.
I guess I don't want to be whiney about my games, but I do like discussing these ideas of "depth" verses length/options. Or something.
Interesting... As I said, I figured the suggestion would be hit or miss
But, I will push it a bit more, not for the sake of argument but to see if maybe I cant expand your playstyle a bit: Have you considered taking a less '
make a bagillion dollars a day and grow old and ugly' approach to the Sims? For example, rather than just trying to be the best at your job, make your person really lazy. Or want a huge family. Or breed animals. Or build stuff. etc.
I
could just try and make my DF fort the most powerful and best every time I play... after the first couple I'd get kinda bored. Thus, I start taking different paths and making different things, like I am on a big human settlement kick, right now.
You can do the same in the Sims, play differently each time. it seems to me that you are making the same character each time you play (a hard working, micromanaged, successful individual).
Of course, its possible you have done all this but still reached the same conclusion... but... in the case you have not, try it:-) Build a sims megaproject:-)
Otherwise, let me try another suggestion:
Tycoon games. I tend to get a similar joy out of tycoon games as I do out of DF. Railroad Tycoon, Rollercoaster Tycoon, Transport Tycoon, Simutrans, to list a few. What are your thoughts on those types of games? I think they fit the bill of 'play forever, continually improving/modifying/trying new things' pretty well.