Since I've been very much hankering for simulation games lately, CS is currently going for a decent/low price on Steam, and I have still some wallet funds to burn, I was thinking of finally nabbing it. Question is: are either of the two main DLCs actually worth it? From what I've read some of their core features were added to the base game, while the additional content may prove to be underwhelming. Does anyone have personal experience and thoughts on the matter?

Thats this small studio SimCity clone published by Paradox is it? I heard its the best "SimCity" of this decade. Sadly have no first hand experience I can give you.

I have the core game plus After Dark. However I have looked into the other DLCs, ... and decided not to buy them.

The After Dark and Snowfall DLCs are mainly there for aesthetics, however they do have some effects on the gameplay. There's little reason to buy the Stadium pack, it just adds some soccer cosmetics.

The After Dark DLC was nice. The day-night cycle adds to the atmosphere of the game and makes it feel more realistic in some way, more simulation like. In my opinion the €5 sale price is worth it for the atmosphere alone since you'll be spending many hours on the game, it gives you a sense of variety.

In the Snowfall DLC the snow effects are limited to just three maps, and for me that is reason enough to not buy it, not even at the sale price. If it was €2-3 maybe I would.

On a side-note, I find it odd that the one-person team behind the game Banished can introduce seasons in the core game yet a bigger studio like Colossal can't for some reason ( ... $$$$$).

The game itself is fantastic and there are many free mods and assets on the workshop that are just as good (or sometimes even needed, I wouldn't want to play without some mods). For the DLCs....I do have both main DLCs and I will recommend After Dark. Some of its features were added for free but overall I think it is a fine addition, especially when discounted.
I haven't played with much of Snowfall's content yet though. A few features carry over to non-snow maps, such as heating, trams (and more public transport options in general) but overall you could skip it if you don't care too much about snow maps. (some mods might depend on it) It's not a bad DLC, just a little lacking. With a better discount than 50% I'd also recommend it.

I love the game, but have to confess that even though I payed full price on the expansions (After Dark and Snowfall), I barely touched it after getting them. :(

What I really wish, though, was some official content to better deal with pollution in the game. Things like recycling centers and better sewage treatment plants.

I'd warn you of several things.

The game is very power hungry, you will need a good computer once you get a few thousand civilians up & running.
The snow DLC, gives you snow, on one map! That to me is mental, it should be on them all.
The After Dark added more bugs (perhaps fixed by now?) but not really much content.
They are adding catastrophe type content via another DLC (paradix sspeciality...), although to what extent...?

tbh, I think Banished has far more going for it by miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiles that CS does & is astonishing that one person did a much better job than a team did, but each to their own ;)

Thanks for the info, guys. It really does sound like I'm better off sticking with just the base game. Those "savings" can then be funneled into Fallout 4, which is going for $20 right now. :) Well, good thing I have a new and shiny PC as of about a month ago that can handle Witcher 3, Planet Coaster, and Transport Fever beautifully. ;)

I've played Banished quite a bit. It's a great little game, but it is rather limited in the things one can do after a while. *shrug*