Generic lots? Anyone use them? «12...Next Go

PinkPaws66

I seem to remember seeing some fix to make sims go visit these.

Anyone tried these? What do the sims participate in?

Lumiasta

I have two generic lots in my world. One is Temple of Immortality, just a generic little Greek temple in the Hollow with a Death Flower plant growing on a pedestal. The lot is waiting for me to one day find inspiration to make a vampire hunter, so until that day it's just a placeholder.

The other generic lot is a garden that used to be retail. I had all the plants set up for sale in a retail until the patch hit and now plants can't be sold anymore, so I just turned the lot generic, removed the retail building and turned it into sort of communal garden for my sims.

I haven't seen much sims besides my played ones in those, some joggers or walking by. If you want a specific generic lot and you want it visited, you could always create a club that meets there to do whatever you want to be done in that lot.

Haids5987

I have a couple generic lots, but I don't think that they allow visitors. One is a family cemetery and I've never seen a random Sim wander into it before. I'm relatively sure that only you are allowed to visit them...I could be wrong though!

PinkPaws66

I thought they changed it in a recent patch. Maybe not!

Pegasys

As I recall, they changed Generic lots so you can now throw parties and club events on them. In the past you couldn't do so.

djacquelynstew

My question would be, if anyone who is using generic lots are seeing unplayed/non controlled or townie sims populate to these lots since the EA/Maxis change to the lots?

PinkPaws66

That is exactly what I wanted to find out. It isn't sounding good!

catmando830

I never use them, I see no point, no one can visit them, they serve no purpose as far as I can tell. Maybe a guru could tell us what their purpose is.

Dreamie209

I use them for story or modeling lots (like making a photoshoot place for white background screenshots or making a school/college or some setting for story-telling).

That's all I really use them for, but they do come in handy sometimes.

Karababy52

I've only used one generic lot for my collector Sim. She stores all her collections there and also her rocket, microscope and telescope. I'll probably use a generic lot again at some point, they make great 'tax shelters' or in other words help keep your bills lower. My Sim has an empty lot, a retail lot where she lives and the generic lot. She's collected everything possible, has never opened the store, but has a very nice home there with lots of luxury items and only pays 42 simoleans every week for her bills! Kind of cheaty I guess, but meh... lol

This works great for a single Sim without a job or a family, but probably not so great otherwise. Mostly because I don't think babies can live on retail lots (not sure about this) and Sims with jobs would always 'come home' to the empty lot, so would children coming 'home' from school I think.

As for other uses, I have no idea other than a family cemetery as someone else mentioned or for perhaps a second home, secret rendevouz spot for lovers, private date night area, private park or all-in-one private skilling area. Just some ideas. Personally, I like that townies/premades don't show up on them. They're like an extra lot for my Sims to do whatever they want with them and they don't get bills for it.

IceyJ

Graham confirmed that generic lots are equivalent to No Visitors Allowed.

https://twitter.com/SimGuruGraham/status/844720355306459138

https://twitter.com/iceyJ/status/844721285066379264

https://twitter.com/SimGuruGraham/status/844754211011100676

catmando830

Karababy52 wrote: »

I've only used one generic lot for my collector Sim. She stores all her collections there and also her rocket, microscope and telescope. I'll probably use a generic lot again at some point, they make great 'tax shelters' or in other words help keep your bills lower. My Sim has an empty lot, a retail lot where she lives and the generic lot. She's collected everything possible, has never opened the store, but has a very nice home there with lots of luxury items and only pays 42 simoleans every week for her bills! Kind of cheaty I guess, but meh... lol

This works great for a single Sim without a job or a family, but probably not so great otherwise. Mostly because I don't think babies can live on retail lots (not sure about this) and Sims with jobs would always 'come home' to the empty lot, so would children coming 'home' from school I think.

As for other uses, I have no idea other than a family cemetery as someone else mentioned or for perhaps a second home, secret rendevouz spot for lovers, private date night area, private park or all-in-one private skilling area. Just some ideas. Personally, I like that townies/premades don't show up on them. They're like an extra lot for my Sims to do whatever they want with them and they don't get bills for it.

So your sim can have her main lot/house and also have a generic lot she can visit and store collectables?

Atreya33

I have one generic lot, it was part of a challenge. It was a homeless shelter but there were no other sims but my playables. I don't think I'll be using them much.

@Karababy52 your idea to use the lot to store things sound interesting. I think I'll use it.

Karababy52

catmando830 wrote: »

So your sim can have her main lot/house and also have a generic lot she can visit and store collectables?

Exactly! All I did was go into manage worlds, select build on the lot I wanted and then change the lot type to Generic. She stored everything she collected there and used the rocket (which she had to build/upgrade of course), telescope and microscope for the other collections available through them.

Glad you like the idea @Atreya33 I didn't know it would work to avoid bills, but to my delight it did. You could also store them on your retail lot if you wish and avoid the bills. But the reason I put them on a Generic lot instead is because I was trying to avoid lag. My laptop is old/under requirements and I get horrible lag if my lots have too many objects on them. Obviously all those collections would've probably made the lot unplayable for me. The fact my Sim didn't have to pay bills on that lot was just a happy surprise, sort've frosting on the cake if you will.

aujineh

I had a sim teen boy once who visited a generic lot with his friends. They had a lot of fun there - it had a pool and complete house. It was their private weekend getaway place without townie sims to get in their way.

Atreya33

> @Karababy52 said:
> catmando830 wrote: »
>
> So your sim can have her main lot/house and also have a generic lot she can visit and store collectables?
>
> Exactly! All I did was go into manage worlds, select build on the lot I wanted and then change the lot type to Generic. She stored everything she collected there and used the rocket (which she had to build/upgrade of course), telescope and microscope for the other collections available through them.
>
> Glad you like the idea @Atreya33 I didn't know it would work to avoid bills, but to my delight it did. You could also store them on your retail lot if you wish and avoid the bills. But the reason I put them on a Generic lot instead is because I was trying to avoid lag. My laptop is old/under requirements and I get horrible lag if my lots have too many objects on them. Obviously all those collections would've probably made the lot unplayable for me. The fact my Sim didn't have to pay bills on that lot was just a happy surprise, sort've frosting on the cake if you will. :)

I'm not really trying to avoid bills. My sims generally don't have money problems. But one of the main reasons why I don't play apartments is the ridiculous size of telescopes and microscopes. With a generic lot, my sims can put those along with their planted items and space rocket in a generic lot and my sim can enjoy urban apartment life.

Lumiasta

For the telescope, microscope and rockets I built a Museum of Science which hosts all of those. It also has all the sciencey stuff from the Scientist career, computers, a small garden, fossils for samples, 'n so forth. Very handy for sims learning logic or rocket science or working on Nerd Brain aspiration. 'cause yes, agreed, they are too big for every household to have, and definitely don't work at all for San Myshuno.

I'm curious now about Generic lots, will have to hang out more in the garden and see if anyone comes in. I can confirm walking/jogging by non-played sims for it, but haven't indeed seen anyone unplayed go into the lot itself.

plushtrap_107

@Lumiasta, I have a science park set as a generic lot and I never get visitors there It makes me sad because there isn't another lot type I can set it as that is suitable.

Lumiasta

@plushtrap_107 Turn it into a museum! It's not difficult to meet the lot requirements for that. Also you can set clubs meeting there, I have both my Space Changelings (abduction-results) and Scientists meeting there, it's always busy and fun to visit.

rinre33

I would get far more use out of them if we could use generic lots for clubs. It's baffling that we can't considering how customisable clubs are, the hang out lots are limiting in that we can't have them anywhere
But overall I have a few in my world like a community garden for harvestables

catmando830

Karababy52 wrote: »

catmando830 wrote: »

So your sim can have her main lot/house and also have a generic lot she can visit and store collectables?

Exactly! All I did was go into manage worlds, select build on the lot I wanted and then change the lot type to Generic. She stored everything she collected there and used the rocket (which she had to build/upgrade of course), telescope and microscope for the other collections available through them.

Glad you like the idea @Atreya33 I didn't know it would work to avoid bills, but to my delight it did. You could also store them on your retail lot if you wish and avoid the bills. But the reason I put them on a Generic lot instead is because I was trying to avoid lag. My laptop is old/under requirements and I get horrible lag if my lots have too many objects on them. Obviously all those collections would've probably made the lot unplayable for me. The fact my Sim didn't have to pay bills on that lot was just a happy surprise, sort've frosting on the cake if you will.

I built this lot


I wanted a swimmable fishing hole. So if I made it generic and built my sims house on the lot next door, she would be able to go there and fish, swim, etc?

Karababy52

@catmando830 I don't see why not, try it! Great idea for the lot too, never thought of putting the secret lots entryways on one.

Pamtastic72

I have two one in Oasis Springs and one in Winenburg on the island near the beach, I use them as alternate vacation spots to Granite Falls.

plushtrap_107

@catmando830, that is a really cool lot

@Lumiasta, thanks, I will try that I want other Sims to visit and use the science objects too.

jordan123

I have a generic lot in Windenburg that I turned into a cemetery.

MissNightOwl

I play currently with the vampire family, and as I love Forgotten Hollow, I got a little tired of its gloomy atmosphere. It also fits my story that my couple want to raise up their daughter in more casual enviroment. I didn't want to get rid off their old house though since it's in the family from centuries so I turned it into a generic lot. I can pretend that they own both houses, new and old one, and don't have to worry that MCCC would move in there some other family.

I think there's definitely use for generic lots. It depends on your needs and ideas. However, I agree it'd be nice to have two types of generic - with and without visitors. Or maybe just the option to ignore the requirements on different types of lots.