Would you buy a “Shopping Mall” GamePack? «123...Next Go

jackjack_k

So I’ve been thinking, I really want a shopping mall in the Sims. There’s so many ways they could incorporate it. I just feel like it’s something missing from Sims 2 - 4, and it always feels unrealistic not to have one in a game as way to get out of the day.

So as a Game Pack, I would imagine we’d need maybe a single neighbor hood (eg like Forgotten Grotto) with one huge lot (maybe 64x64, but I would encourage them to go one better and maybe go 90x90).

Obviously have one prebuilt Mall (with empty room for players to build their own Shops) and the ability to build your own from scratch.

I would imagine that they could repurpose the food stalls and give us indoor versions that look like the front of Fast Food shops.

New Gameplay items:

Clothes Racks (Either like Hot Date where it’s shop exclusives outfits, or like Sims 2 ( you could change how the game works in Settings to have Full Acces to CAS or buy purchase only).

Grocery items: Things like shelves, freezers, fridges, fresh produce stations etc). Either buy from the store or have someone deliver groceries to your door. Or disable it in settings.

Hairdresser stations, new Workstations etc.

I’m not sure how it would work overall, but I’m sure they could think of something to incorporate what I’m saying.

Other packs could obviously work in favour of this.

I imagine they would have to make the lot a “Special” lot type with custom coding so that Sims wouldn’t just shop and eat, but they could also do thinks like use a gym or visit a spa for a massage inside the shopping centre.

Would you guys buy a Shopping Mall GP and if so, what would you want to see in it?

elelunicy

Very unlikely to happen in TS4 as large lots filled with tons of objects are bad for performance. The simulation lag would be awful as autonomy calculation would need to take everything in every shop into account at once. The current 20 Sims per zone limit is also way low for a mall. I mean, 20 probably isn’t even enough for the number of employees a decent sized mall needs. Spas in Spa Day aleady have like 6 employees at once.

jackjack_k

@elelunicy wrote: »

Very unlikely to happen in TS4 as large lots filled with tons of objects are bad for performance. The simulation lag would be awful as autonomy calculation would need to take everything in every shop into account at once. The current 20 Sims per zone limit is also way low for a mall. I mean, 20 probably isn’t even enough for the number of employees a decent sized mall needs. Spas in Spa Day aleady have like 6 employees at once.

True. But potentially they could find a way around it. I say as if it’s very unlikely to happen BUT;

Some areas like the Willow Creek Park have very simple backdrops and huge lots in this area seem to run really well whereas the rest of the game they run terribly. I also had a mod that increased the amount of Sims in my game and I didn’t have any issue in the base game park areas. But I did have issues elsewhere.

I also know to help reduce lag in the Science lab they made the backdrops really basic (it’s like it’s in the middle of nothing) as that lot gets really laggy with all the equipment and that object that makes other objects.

They could create custom rules for this large area world but yeah. I hear what you’re saying. Thing is they’re creative solutions to problems surely. Even doing what the Sims 2 did and completely limiting how NPC Sims Work and making them almost hollow with no programming, skills etc. so the game doesn’t have to do anything with them.

TS1299

Idk somehow I am already enjoying the Get to Work aspect imo. They just need to improve it such as tweak the customers behaviors and create some new objects. Seems very unlikely tho.

keylimepiesims

I’d love this, and it’s still possible it could happen, SGGrant was saying a few weeks ago that he’d love to expand retail.
I think instead of one huge shopping mall that’s all open at once, it should be divided into ‘units’ much like the CL apartments, where each acts as its own store, that would make it much more stable.

https://twitter.com/simgurugrant/status/997141956554735616?s=21

SerraNolwen

I think it would require too much overlap with the Get to work expansion, which already gives you shops and the ability to sell clothes. I'd love to see a few more commercial lot types though, things like hair salons, and maybe some kind of way to combine lot types. We might not be able to make a fully functioning mall (though I got pretty close with what we already have), but combining lot types could make one lot work as both retail and restaurant, for example.

TrixieLoca

100% I'd love grocery shops back so much or ordering online! It's a small detail but it adds so much realism

ElenPink

Nah..

IceyJ

I don't think I'd be interested because I already have a shopping mall in my game. The only thing it doesn't have that you mentioned was hairdresser stations. And groceries, because I don't think I've ever seen groceries in a mall (but I could add some if I wanted.) They've already given us quite a bit of content to support this type of gameplay.

miss_simlish

I don’t think I would be interested in a mall, (malls are a little outdated anyway, right? All mine locally are shutting down!). I would like a “Town Life” pack? I’d love hairdressers, tattoo artists (because sims can have tattoos but not get them? ), grocery stores...that kind of stuff. Just more reasons for my sims to actually leave the house (lol).

pixiejuice

I would be interested only if they gave us a building tool to divide lots into smaller ownable pieces. So one 64x64 could divide into several smaller shops that sims could own and change the individual zoning to whatever, including residential for "apartments". (To make up for not giving us real apartment tools in CL.) So if they made a mall pack that could do all that, yes, I'd buy it.

michelei

I love the idea of a building tool to divide lots. I do not know if it is possible but I think it would be nice for retail spaces and multi family homes. I also think it would be interesting to have an additional neighborhood that was one large mall space with separate shops. I would not want loading screens between the shops. I would like for my sims to go from store to store or cafe without interrupting the story.

Dault3883

Not likely due to the performance side of it with that many objects besides for the most part Malls are dying doesnt really make since

agustd

A lot like that is way too complex to ever make it into TS4. This game is about everything but complexity

It's possible they expand retail in the future but huge lots filled with sims are a nightmare for performance. Most people don't play or gaming rigs capable on handling that, hence the 20 sims per lot limit. And even with that limit people keep complaining about lags in public venues.

I personally see why we can't shop for clothes in TS3 and TS4. With a CAS like that it doesn't really make sense and shopping racks aren't much different than the mannequins we already have if we want to simulate buying clothes.

Dannydanbo

Players would hate malls made of shells with four or five units in them. What they could do is create lots that are wide but not deep, like 64x20. Then create a new register that has a NPC clerk attached to it and when you place a register, the clerk "works" that sales area ringing up customers. Then you could have four or five shops in a row, each with a clerk and different stuff to sell as if they were separate stores but really, they are just one big store.

AnnaLoo91

Probably not, unless they made it worth going to, like maybe your sims can get new smartphone skins or something, and also going to the mall gives the ability to actually customize clothes the way it was done in sims 3. That may give me incentive to get the pack. I do like the grocery store idea someone said above though, that would be nice, just doing some shopping

Dannydanbo

I'm working on a build that's on a corner lot so it has two usable sides. It will look like four or five different shops with different exteriors, but will actually be just one big store divided into sections, clothes, toys, books, restrooms, etc. So, outside it looks like a row of shops on a corner, but inside one department store. In the rear , there will be a plaza with a fountain and tables and food stalls.

VanPelt81

If they can tweek some of the issues with the stores that are in Get To Work and add enough different shops it might be interesting though the Mall in the traditional sense might be more of a fit in an 80's game pack.

Movotti

IceyJ wrote: »

And groceries, because I don't think I've ever seen groceries in a mall

Really?
Every mall I've ever been to has at least one major supermarket in it.
I live in a tiny city, and there's only one mall here, and it has two large supermarkets, one at each end.
I thought the purpose of a mall was for one-stop shopping.

ChadSims2

I'd love to see Get to Work retail system updated with clothing racks and new clothing that could only be purchased in the stores otherwise there is really no reason to go to them. But really they need to find a way to get something like this to work the worlds are way to small to have to create a specific lot for each business if I want to make a coffee shop and a clothing store on one lot there should be a option to select which room is what type of business and both work as they should.

Neia

The main reason I used malls in TS2 was the length of the loading screens, which were so long at the end. With TS4 loading screens being so short, I doubt I would use malls much, so I'm not sure I'd buy a mall GP.

paradiseplanet

If it introduces multipurpose venues again, I'd give it a chance, but if it's anything like the mess of the retail system, it's not worth anything.

AlbaWaterhouse

The idea of playing a mall pack bores me.

rambahadoer

TS1299 wrote: »

Idk somehow I am already enjoying the Get to Work aspect imo. They just need to improve it such as tweak the customers behaviors and create some new objects. Seems very unlikely tho.

yes i think that to i would love if they would more items to that and tweak some stuff like having sims pay at the register for more realism

SheriSim57

I would love to see a shopping mall. I wish they had the old rack system, instead of having to put together whole outfits, but maybe they could make it where you could change one item of an outfit at a time, like a jewelry store, when you buy jewelry at a jewelry shop it could just change that one piece. As far as NPC’s go they could make it like many stores are going to these days, the self check out system. You wouldn’t need an NPC for that. Added to hair dressing, tattoo shop, and grocery store, we should be able to have things like a jewelry store, candy shop, ice cream shop, flower shop, perfume shop, makeup shop, and of course places to eat, again kiosk for check out would be good. I would also like to see a ticket booth for a movie theatre with a special bar that sells popcorn, candy, soda, and hot dogs, similar to the outdoor festival food booths, but it looks more like a bar.

Cinebar

No, I already built a mall for my game when we got GTW. It worked great complete with NPC cashiers. It had pratically everything. I don't see a need for a mall in the game we can build our own if we are clever.