I like the first style the best I think, while I like the Athena I don't really think it's her.

I think with a highly controlled storyline you might have issues with ACR. I wouldn't play without it but I love letting my sims take control of the game in most situations. Maintaining relationships boundries isn't that difficult as long as there are any loose wheels running around. I rarely have issues in established played households it's just when sims that don't get played all that often show up they tend to cause havoc since their timers have been dormant too long.