Lot types have been a basic feature since TS1, but I think they could do way more interesting stuff. Mainly, mixed use lots.
I'm imagining a system where we can select rooms in build mode (either one, or a group) and set them as different spaces. Build a cafe next to a museum, or a restaurant in the basement below a shop, or even two shops next to each other. I figure the ownership issue could be tackled by making the spaces rented, so that whoever runs the shop space or lives in a residental space simply pays a rent based on the value of the space. It would also allow us to create apartment buildings we fully designed ourselves. Any areas not assigned to a space would be communal space for anyone to use.
I know that builders would do some amazing things with features like these.
Also, I keep thinking how good it would be to have a menu for each lot where we can select which NPCs show up to the lot and the times of day. If I want a bar tender to be at the art gallery every evening, why not, it helps make the world and lots more detailed!
13
Comments
That's a great idea, I want to be able to assign who works where too. Also, thinking about jobs, the current situation where sims in played households can't work at shops and restaurants is frustrating
That sounds cool, except that a pop-up every time would fast get annoying. Even if it's just the first time per save. It would be cool if there were neighborhood settings, where you could click to allow it to recruit these roles among sims in town, or just NPC's. I know having more control over NPC's has been craved since, well, the creation of NPC's. So throwing several toggles in there would be cool.
Well pop-ups might sound annoying, but it could work like the menu we have for restaurants where we assign the menu, the uniform and then we could also choose the employee if we want to. It's a one time thing, not something you have to do in every play session. But it would help greatly if you want a certain sim to work certain NPC job for whatever reason.
Retail should also be given as much control as possible rooms should be designated to a business one could be a coffee shop while the next room over a grocery store or clothing store each running as their own business with different Sim owners.
I wanted this so badly in The Sims 3. I had to create a workaround.
I created a 3-in-1 lot that consisted of a diner, detective agency, and a dance studio.
In order to play it, my detective sim had to own a small empty lot for his mailbox. He slept at his office. I had to mess around with ways to keep other sims out of his private space.
The diner portion was Sims 3 Store content. He had to operate it as a business by default, but it served for the scenario nonetheless.
I didn't want him bothering with cooking his own food. He was too busy with cases.
I loved the office as I would often have his clients visit so he could get to know them.
This helped to immerse me into the private investigator career, but I wished he could live here for real and receive mail here.
The diner and the dance studio just made it feel like life was going on around him.
It was also fun to watch the NPCs interact.
YES!
"Lot Type" should be determined by which interactable community objects are placed on that lot:
Ability to sub-divide would be really nice.
On this same note, I've always wanted to create my own apartments. Some of the lots in City Living are really large and it would be nice to sub-divide those into my own style of apartments.