The Shop Items - doors - mats etc - What have you learned about playing with them in game?

Karritz

My latest build - a block of shops on a 25x35 lot

I've been building a block of shops and am now play testing them. I'm discovering some interesting features of the shops.

See WIP pictures in this Creative Corner thread (page 4). http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/45/715610.page

I have so far discovered that clicking purchase on any register on the lot will produce a list of all items for sale on the lot.

If the mats are too close to the wall parts of the building are included in the list of items able to be purchased. For example my Sim just browsed a table full of voo-doo dolls and the list of prices she saw included a price for the window behind the table. So I suppose that means you also have a hardware store even if you didn't mean to.

If a Sim is browsing when closing time arrives - they are locked in for the night unless they are reset.

Here's a few pics in case you'd like to see some of it without visiting the CC thread.







I have seven stores in the building:
Garden Shop
Cafe
Magic Shop
Pet Shop
Sweets Shop
Toy Store
Furniture Store

Please post any interesting experiences you have had and have pics or links to show us more about it.

FrayedFlight

Thank you for this! I haven't really messed with much of the content yet (Unfortunately, I have an obsession with getting this "set up" before I actually play) and I really like seeing what people have learned about the content.

Karritz

Thank you for responding. I hope some others post information too.

Here is a pic I got of a Sim who was happily purchasing items and then closing time happened and when he tried to leave he discovered he was locked in. I will have to investigate further to see if I can find a way around this as I haven't done much with it yet.



There are at least four other Sims locked in various stores in this building. Most haven't realised they are locked in yet. They are all Sims from town - not Sims I am currently controlling.

lizbethbear

It locks the sims in the store? They need to fix that.

Karritz

It is possible that I haven't followed the instructions properly. Still investigating. But there are Sims locked in.

I also have some mats placed on the footpath and Sims don't move them inside when the store closes. So other Sims continue to browse and purchase plants all night. I got my Sim to buy one to see if it works and it does. All I had to do was click on the mat and choose what to purchase. It only offered the items on the mat. She got a plant and it went into her household inventory. Other Sims continued to buy plants until around 2 or 3 am when they decided to start playing guitars and dancing.

Tinkerball

Karritz wrote:

Other Sims continued to buy plants until around 2 or 3 am when they decided to start playing guitars and dancing.

That's pretty cool. Like a real city street on the weekend.

HollownessDevour

What I have learned.

I have 0 locked in cause I have used the MH default stores as shells so a exit normal door in the back (if anything it allows them to come back in after they all leave but when I did put 2 shop doors no one was locked in it was a small lot though) but I want that lot to be always open cause it has a Elixir Register so for that lot I am not worried. But closing time and the NPC for the Elixir Register can get messed up causing your store clerk to switch spots with the Elixir Register NPC.

I have considered the barrier system for the back door if I want my sims to be able to get in and not NPC though, for future builds. A 24 hours shop is possible via door but not via register there are only 3 types of shifts.

However, when I click the register I do get a full list which when I had extra items on shelves for ambiance it is an evil long list via register X /

Items only need to have a section to touch the rug to be for sale. Like you know when you pick up an item it shows with a green square or rectangle how much space it needs even if only a 1/2 or 1/4 is touching the rug it works but that also means light fixtures, windows and other items you don't want on sale tend to be for sale. But it also means the smallest rug can be hidden under big objects if you don't want to visually see the run.

I wish each store door was it's own store so I can name multiple stores and have have separate sales but it isn't terrible and I am still playing with options n my current WIP shop. Which I think I'll have one shop on the lot 24 cause it s an Apothecary with a Elixir Register (so no store door just a regular door with public washrooms) and the other Voodoo shop a open late only shop and then put the barrier system in the back so if I want my sim to get in I can.

BUT! my problem was last time I test played no one visiting the shop when it is zoned as Elixir Consignment? Anyone else have this problem?

An I get lots of Swimwear NPC clerks but not always.

dizzydee

Karritz, your creations are always so detailed and betuiful. I can spen hours just peering through them. I can't wait to see the shops when you've finished with them.

Re: Sims getting locked in. Do you have some regular doors in your shops? Back doors for deliveries. They should be able to get out through a regular door.

Karritz

Thank you dizzydee, I'm glad you are enjoying them.

I am still experimenting. Since reading HollownessDevour's post above, I am thinking fire escapes.

My shops are in a 3 story high building. Each shop is a 10x8 room with 1 or more doors. Some of them can easily have an additional door added to the central common area of the build, but some only have room for a single door.

I have public toilet facilities on two of the three floors. I've devoted the top floor to a single shop.

There are lots of Sims visiting. I have made it a hangout which is what the toy shop venue is. (The one that came with the gold version of MH.)

I am going to have to cull the number of registers. I thought I'd put everything I could into it initially then remove the things that don't work.

I have a food merchant register and an industrial oven, and the quick crossants coffee bar all in the one cafe. I think the food merchant isn't doing much but I'll have to observe. Maybe when the chef is not working Sims can order from the food merchant. Or maybe the coffee bar will be enough for them. I noticed Sims were still eating at the outside tables well after the stores closed. They were washing their plates at the sinks in the public toilets - as Sims do.

Off to do some experimenting...
I've already seen the humble harvest stand does have lots of business in that Sims are making purchases from it. But I couldn't consign anything to it while it was in the store. So I'll move it outside and see if that helps. I've not managed to be at the store with a Sim who had something to consign while the consignment clerk is there so I don't know if I can consign anything in a hangout. But I thought it was worth trying. I think I'll add fire escapes down the back of the building and try the barrier to entry system at the bottom of the fire escape. I've already tried it at the top of stairs before and found I had to delete it as the only way I could place it all Sims could get into the building and only certain ones could get out. Some experimentation is going to have to happen though. I probably can't specify multiple specific Sims for one barrier to entry. It will also be a problem as Sims randomly don't show up for work and the game allocates a different Sim for the shift.

I have a savvy seller's register in all of the other stores. I also have an ordinary consignment register in the garden shop as well as a humble harvest stand. In the magic store I have an elixer register.

Karritz

I've made a few more discoveries.

I added the fire escapes and now sims are not getting locked in at closing time. However, they wander in and out of the shops all day and night regardless of closing/opening times.

I might investigate the barrier system to exclude NPCs. I have had a bit of a look at it and it didn't seem to work but I will try to do more with it on the weekend.

The big discovery I just made is that Sims can be REALLY ANNOYING!! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :evil: :evil: :evil:

I had spent ages displaying toys in my toy shop. Some are on shelves and some on the floor. The store is closed. No Sim is tending the register - although I doubt it would make a difference to this problem if they were.

I saw a Sim in the store and decided to see what she was up to. :evil: :evil: :evil: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

I think she must have the NEAT trait. She was picking up the toys off the floor and putting them into a toy box I have in there on display. I thought of removing the toy boxes - then I wondered what she'd do with the toys on the floor if I did that. I checked and one toy box has almost 40 toys in it. It looks like I can't have toys on the floor now :oops: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

Here's the evidence:



Putting a toy in the box:


Going back for another one:


She is a food merchant. Presumably she's supposed to be working downstairs in the cafe.

If a neat trait can make this happen to a toy store - what can she do to other stores where items are on display? And what about kleptos? Are we going to turn up to discover an empty store? The stores can't be locked at closing time due to sims getting locked in.

rumbutter

lovvvvvvveee the builds and the interior colours two shops i built one had washing machine and tumble dryiers sims did their washing on the lot the other lot had fridges sims helped themselves to eats

monaduncan

Very pretty builds

I noticed the stores are very busy. I have noticed Sims have items from the stores in their family inventory (I do have MC mod) which I really hope continues. I have found Sims browsing in the stores even when closed. Not lucky with the shelves, get the "can't reach" interaction. HS.

Edit:

Karritz

rumbutter wrote:

lovvvvvvveee the builds and the interior colours two shops i built one had washing machine and tumble dryiers sims did their washing on the lot the other lot had fridges sims helped themselves to eats

I was thinking of putting appliances in my furniture store. I'm glad I didn't now. I haven't noticed any sims sleeping in the beds.

Karritz

monaduncan wrote:

Very pretty builds

I noticed the stores are very busy. I have noticed Sims have items from the stores in their family inventory (I do have MC mod) which I really hope continues. I have found Sims in my Sims browsing in the stores even when closed. Not lucky with the shelves, get the "can't reach" interaction. HS.

Thank you.

I find that having mats on the floor allows my sims to click on the mat to buy anything above the mat. This includes the windows of the building. I was surprised they also include the mobiles and aeroplanes hanging from the ceiling.

LadyLaFleur

You can set the times the store is open on the door to avoid getting locked in. I usually lock the store an hour after the register closes.

Rhedd_V

I'm not sure what's causing your problem with sims getting locked in after (door) closing time. I specifically tested that and there was no problem at all. Active and non-active sims alike were able to just walk out.

If it's working correctly, the door doesn't actually lock in both directions at closing time, it just becomes a one-way door.

Did you notice that the door has a dedicated inside and outside? There's a little bell hanging from the door. Make sure that's on the inside of the shop! Maybe that'll help.

Karritz

Rhedd_V wrote:

I'm not sure what's causing your problem with sims getting locked in after (door) closing time. I specifically tested that and there was no problem at all. Active and non-active sims alike were able to just walk out.

If it's working correctly, the door doesn't actually lock in both directions at closing time, it just becomes a one-way door.

Did you notice that the door has a dedicated inside and outside? There's a little bell hanging from the door. Make sure that's on the inside of the shop! Maybe that'll help.

Thanks. Yes I did notice the little bell and was careful to make sure the doors were the right way around. I've since added escape doors and fire escapes so Sims can get out if they are locked in. I ended up using the barrier to entry doors that came with the Plumbob Theater. Strangely, they aren't getting locked in now. And I don't think they are going out the escape doors either. Maybe there was a setting somewhere that needed to be set and it took a few Sim days to happen. I didn't patiently play for many days I was moving it around different worlds. I have the store in Aurora Skies now and the are not getting locked in there. It could have been world related too.

I've now got it on the Exchange and haven't had anyone telling me they are having problems with it yet.

This is a link to my Creative Corner thread with pictures and the Exchange link if anyone is interested in having a look at it.

http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/60/715610.page#11441019

Edit: I was just thinking - it could have been mods causing my problems as I had some in previously but they are all gone now due to the patch. However, others who were not using mods were also experiencing the same issues? All I know for sure is it was happening in my game before and now it isn't and I didn't do anything to the shop doors. I simply added escape doors that now seem to be not needed.