I don't really like building normal houses for my sims, I'd much rather build them something fantastical; an ancient palace, a cottage in an enchanted forest, or a fallout-vault.
One might argue that playing The Sims yields no (useful) real-life achievements, but I disagree. If a Sims-player seeks to give nothing but mediocrity to his or her sims, there is no soul behind it. But a truly magnificent palace, an architectural masterpiece, is an expression of creativity.
I play mostly to build, although I do occasionally allow my sims to live a little, if only for a couple of days. As a child, I often pretended to be an architect, drawing advanced plans for future homes. I believe The Sims has given me an outlet for my architectural needs.
