Those of you who know me, know what a sim addict I am, so you knew I'd cave in and get this game! Just looking at all those things they were coming up with made my eyes go boggley!!! So I popped it in and gave it a try!!!
From a creative point of view---

It looks like we're starting with base game stuff all over again. There is a guitar in it, the only instrument.
The view of the horizon is beautiful, but when in play mode in your house it looks a lot like sims 1-their movements are like sims 1-like cardboard figures.
There is option to change the theme/color/patterns of each object.

I haven't figured out how to use the bike yet, but when you want to go somewhere you click on 'm' it will show you a map, and many icons to click on. A taxi will show up and take you to that new lot. The only one I've gone to yet is the beach, (gorgeous view-even the waves you see the spray hitting behind the rocks from where you are!) and all they did was cook on the grill and talk to two people.

In create a sim you have many many options to make a sim, but it will take a lot of practice to do my celebrity sims again! they have Thigh High Boots!!!!!

motherlode works very well in it! The paper boy/girl puts the paper down and runs off! You see other sims in the neighborhood coming out, but then daughter is on it so I haven't played that part yet!

So now you have a 'so far' glimpse of the game. We are still seeing tutorials so it explains a lot of what happens in the game--you can't get too lost in there!

Good luck, and I'll wait on the exchange stuff to see what's up with that!
Later:
Okay, I cannot believe I spent the whole day playing that game!! (okay so Starr and I took turns! )
Starr found the bike option first. She just sent them to their destination and they went on the bike. If you right click on the sim you can watch the neighborhood go by as she pedals away.
One tough part was finding a good-looking guy who was single in the game, although I did find Malcom Landgrabb==AS A TEEN! One fellow looked VERY dashing in his police uniform, and she started chatting him up. One option is get to know better, and it brings up more details on the sim you're talking to. Eventually she found that the guy was in a relationship, so the man hunt began!
In school, as in work, you have many options as well. There's this box that shows up, andyou get options to work hard, slack off, meet coworkers/new friends, so that one is new.
When moving in to a house with your new family; the houses you can afford are the ones that are highlighted (yeah, I used motherlode later cos the one I could actually afford was a dump! ), so I just scooped up my little cellphone (everyone gets one!) and chose the move option. It gave me the option to sell all furniture and move into the new house. So, with motherlode's help, I got my house by the ocean!

The ocean is such a beautiful sight! OH MY GOSH!!! They really put a LOT of detail in it. And the night scenes are to die for!
The sims themselves have clothing options, and also a 'color choice' you get when you click on the clothing. A color wheel shows up with the clothing, and you click on the piece of clothing you want to change, and then click on part of the wheel to change the color. Above the wheel is a box that has clothing samples. You pick the type-leather and fur, themes, paisley, etc...and it shows fabric samples of each so you can pick what you want the clothing to look like! The thigh high boots I raved over have laces that go up the front, and heels!!! You do the furniture in much the same way, with the color wheel, and the fabric samples!
Each sim has personality traits. I made the mistake of making mine EXACTLY like me! () I'm clumsy, so I made her clumsy--just to see what she'd do. GADS!!! And like me, she's an accident WAITING TO HAPPEN!!!! This gal tripped over the lint on the floor!!!!! You get like four/five options (think it's five-anyone??), and mine were natural chef, family oriented, artistic, clumsy=can't recall the other one. With that you get to pick your lifetime want from a list of five. All the chins in the CAS are pudgy, but you can slim them down somewhat. I'm still not sure if there's a bodyshop yet-haven't checked.

Much later: Nope! No bodyshop, but I think we can still/might be a chance, to make our own sims to share with others. If not now, then I know our creative tech gurus community wide will figure out a way to do it!
hugs and high hopes,
Skye

kaching and motherlode WORK!!

I don't think I'll really be getting another game though. It was kind of expensive to go out and get this game, have it take up 6 GB + 1 GB for content and storage. But it is beautiful, has wonderful possibilities. You'll love it!!!