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Real Estate, Finance, and Apartments Pack
aquabluefox
Posts: 74 Member
This is an idea I had for a pack (not sure of a name). This is probably way too many features for a single pack but hey, I can dream. ^^ The pack would come with a large, grungy urban city world complete with Sims 2 style apartments. Some of the neighborhoods would be wealthier with expensive apartments and flashy venues, while other neighborhoods would have dirtier and cheaper apartments with poorer venues. This world would come with fitting new venue types along with an actor active career and plenty of appropriately themed public space. In addition to the world and apartments, there would also be enhanced financial and real estate systems allowing for a more complex system of wealth and ultimately more hardship for sims when desirable. With this advanced real estate system would also come a new active career as a real estate agent. More details on the venues and features below. There would also of course be plenty of build/buy items relevant to the theme.
New Venues:
Cinema: Sims would be able to head to the cinema in order to see the latest movies. There would be various movie types such as action, romance, kids, etc. and each sim would have to pay for a ticket (with higher prices for adults than for children, etc.). There would also be snack counters where sims could purchase snacks from NPCs such as popcorn, soda, etc. Once the movie were to begin, sims would automatically eat food from their inventories (or the player could direct them). Different movie genres, emotions, traits, etc. would elicit different responses within the audience at different times. For example, during a romance movie a couple might cuddle and kiss, during a comedy they would laugh, etc. Some sims might start talking and others could shush them. If a sim’s cellphone rang during the event they might get embarrassed, and other sims would react to them in different ways (a sim who is hot-headed would probably get rather angry). The player would be able to direct certain sim interactions as the movie played as well.
Theater: Sims would be able to head to the theater in order to watch plays, musicals, etc. Once again, sims would have to buy tickets and then sims would react during the event. NPC actors would take to the stage to perform the play, musical, etc.
Bowling Alley: Sims would be able to head to the bowling alley in order to bowl with their friends and family. Sims would have to pay for bowling equipment and could also buy snacks at the counter. Different groups of sims could compete with one another.
Restaurant: Sims would be able to head to a restaurant for a full dining experience. Sims would also be able to own and run their own restaurants (possibly only with Get to Work functionality). Different restaurants would be possible, such as a fast food restaurant where you only order food at the counter, a buffet where sims serve themselves, and a fancier restaurant with full service. Each restaurant would have its own menu with appetizers, main courses, desserts, drinks, etc. Food from any pack could be added to the menu and in any desirable category. It could also be possible to set breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus, or even set up specific menus for certain times (if you want your restaurant to serve only pancakes for 1 hour in the morning, go for it!). Prices would also be adjustable by time and maybe even for specific items instead of just one price category like in Open for Business (you could have an inexpensive cake option and a more expensive cake option in the same restaurant, for example). Sims would be able to hold birthdays at restaurants and get special treatment, such as the restaurant staff coming over to sing happy birthday and give them a special birthday cake. Sims could also hold proposals there and other fun stuff, with the entire restaurant reacting to it (cheering and clapping on an accepted proposal, for example).
Bank: Sims would be able to head to the bank to create and manage their bank accounts, take out loans, and obtain credit cards (which would be entirely optional). Sims could also deposit simoleons in savings accounts and earn interest daily or weekly. To make this venue more interesting, there could be certain special events, such as a small chance of a bank robbery like the thieves of the previous games.
New Features:
Apartments: Apartment buildings would be in Sims 2 style fashion, with 4 or more households (only one of which being actively played at a time, but the others being simulated still). Sims would have to pay rent and be respectful to their neighbors or risk being kicked out or fined by their landlord.
Real Estate System: Sims would be able to buy and own property including apartments, houses, vacation homes, and retail lots and sell or rent them out to other sims. After renting a lot out to a household, the landlord would be able to visit the lot to check up on it and could potentially have special interactions with the tenants. The landlord would be required to answer complaints filed by the tenants and pay for certain repairs and such. The landlord might have to take certain actions if rent wasn’t being paid on time. Any lots unowned by played sims would be considered to be owned either by NPC sims or the bank.
Loans: Sims would be able to take out loans to make expensive purchases such as houses and retail lots. They would then be required to pay those loans back over the course of time with interest. If the sim started failing to make payments, the bank might end up taking objects from their home or even entire non-residential lots in order to make up for the lost payments.
Credit Cards: Sims would be able to sign up for credit cards at the bank to make purchases on credit. Any purchases made with credit that weren’t paid back within a week would accrue interest. Like loans, mounting debt from credit cards could lead to repossessing objects and lots.
Bank Accounts: Sims would be able to open up individual bank accounts in addition to the general household accounts. If a sim had an individual account, all money they spend and earn would be placed or taken out of that account. Money could be transferred between accounts using the same system as for household and retail accounts. Sims could also open savings accounts at the bank to deposit simoleons and earn interest over time.
Roommates: Sims in both apartments and regular residential lots would be able to get roommates. Roommates would live in the same space but be uncontrolled by the player. Sims could search for roommates online or ask any sims they know to become their roommate.
Real Estate Agent (Active Career): In this active career, your sim would act as a real estate agent. Your sim would get called on by the bank and inactive sims to sell or rent out certain property. In doing so, your agent might get a budget to stage the property and would have to hold showings. Your sim would have to convince sims who attend the showings to purchase the property by making a solid case. It might also be possible for your agent to create houses and such on empty lots to sell within a given budget or renovate existing houses to try and sell them for profit.
Actor (Active Career): In this active career, your sim would work at the theater. At first, you would start small, creating props and working as an understudy. Soon enough, however, your sim would rise to main roles. Your sim would have to perfect their acting and singing to perform in plays, musicals, and possibly other shows. Before each performance of course your sim would have to learn their part and interact with their coworkers. The more you practice before the big show, the better your sim will perform. The better reviews the show gets, the higher you rise in the theater hierarchy.
Bank Teller (Inactive Career): Since we haven’t had very many inactive careers added yet, I thought this might be an idea. Working at the bank would probably be too boring for an active career but it could maybe work as an inactive one. The involved skills would probably be charisma and logic.
Cinema Inactive Career for Teens: Teens would receive a new inactive career working at the cinema serving snacks and cleaning up theaters.
New Venues:
Cinema: Sims would be able to head to the cinema in order to see the latest movies. There would be various movie types such as action, romance, kids, etc. and each sim would have to pay for a ticket (with higher prices for adults than for children, etc.). There would also be snack counters where sims could purchase snacks from NPCs such as popcorn, soda, etc. Once the movie were to begin, sims would automatically eat food from their inventories (or the player could direct them). Different movie genres, emotions, traits, etc. would elicit different responses within the audience at different times. For example, during a romance movie a couple might cuddle and kiss, during a comedy they would laugh, etc. Some sims might start talking and others could shush them. If a sim’s cellphone rang during the event they might get embarrassed, and other sims would react to them in different ways (a sim who is hot-headed would probably get rather angry). The player would be able to direct certain sim interactions as the movie played as well.
Theater: Sims would be able to head to the theater in order to watch plays, musicals, etc. Once again, sims would have to buy tickets and then sims would react during the event. NPC actors would take to the stage to perform the play, musical, etc.
Bowling Alley: Sims would be able to head to the bowling alley in order to bowl with their friends and family. Sims would have to pay for bowling equipment and could also buy snacks at the counter. Different groups of sims could compete with one another.
Restaurant: Sims would be able to head to a restaurant for a full dining experience. Sims would also be able to own and run their own restaurants (possibly only with Get to Work functionality). Different restaurants would be possible, such as a fast food restaurant where you only order food at the counter, a buffet where sims serve themselves, and a fancier restaurant with full service. Each restaurant would have its own menu with appetizers, main courses, desserts, drinks, etc. Food from any pack could be added to the menu and in any desirable category. It could also be possible to set breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus, or even set up specific menus for certain times (if you want your restaurant to serve only pancakes for 1 hour in the morning, go for it!). Prices would also be adjustable by time and maybe even for specific items instead of just one price category like in Open for Business (you could have an inexpensive cake option and a more expensive cake option in the same restaurant, for example). Sims would be able to hold birthdays at restaurants and get special treatment, such as the restaurant staff coming over to sing happy birthday and give them a special birthday cake. Sims could also hold proposals there and other fun stuff, with the entire restaurant reacting to it (cheering and clapping on an accepted proposal, for example).
Bank: Sims would be able to head to the bank to create and manage their bank accounts, take out loans, and obtain credit cards (which would be entirely optional). Sims could also deposit simoleons in savings accounts and earn interest daily or weekly. To make this venue more interesting, there could be certain special events, such as a small chance of a bank robbery like the thieves of the previous games.
New Features:
Apartments: Apartment buildings would be in Sims 2 style fashion, with 4 or more households (only one of which being actively played at a time, but the others being simulated still). Sims would have to pay rent and be respectful to their neighbors or risk being kicked out or fined by their landlord.
Real Estate System: Sims would be able to buy and own property including apartments, houses, vacation homes, and retail lots and sell or rent them out to other sims. After renting a lot out to a household, the landlord would be able to visit the lot to check up on it and could potentially have special interactions with the tenants. The landlord would be required to answer complaints filed by the tenants and pay for certain repairs and such. The landlord might have to take certain actions if rent wasn’t being paid on time. Any lots unowned by played sims would be considered to be owned either by NPC sims or the bank.
Loans: Sims would be able to take out loans to make expensive purchases such as houses and retail lots. They would then be required to pay those loans back over the course of time with interest. If the sim started failing to make payments, the bank might end up taking objects from their home or even entire non-residential lots in order to make up for the lost payments.
Credit Cards: Sims would be able to sign up for credit cards at the bank to make purchases on credit. Any purchases made with credit that weren’t paid back within a week would accrue interest. Like loans, mounting debt from credit cards could lead to repossessing objects and lots.
Bank Accounts: Sims would be able to open up individual bank accounts in addition to the general household accounts. If a sim had an individual account, all money they spend and earn would be placed or taken out of that account. Money could be transferred between accounts using the same system as for household and retail accounts. Sims could also open savings accounts at the bank to deposit simoleons and earn interest over time.
Roommates: Sims in both apartments and regular residential lots would be able to get roommates. Roommates would live in the same space but be uncontrolled by the player. Sims could search for roommates online or ask any sims they know to become their roommate.
Real Estate Agent (Active Career): In this active career, your sim would act as a real estate agent. Your sim would get called on by the bank and inactive sims to sell or rent out certain property. In doing so, your agent might get a budget to stage the property and would have to hold showings. Your sim would have to convince sims who attend the showings to purchase the property by making a solid case. It might also be possible for your agent to create houses and such on empty lots to sell within a given budget or renovate existing houses to try and sell them for profit.
Actor (Active Career): In this active career, your sim would work at the theater. At first, you would start small, creating props and working as an understudy. Soon enough, however, your sim would rise to main roles. Your sim would have to perfect their acting and singing to perform in plays, musicals, and possibly other shows. Before each performance of course your sim would have to learn their part and interact with their coworkers. The more you practice before the big show, the better your sim will perform. The better reviews the show gets, the higher you rise in the theater hierarchy.
Bank Teller (Inactive Career): Since we haven’t had very many inactive careers added yet, I thought this might be an idea. Working at the bank would probably be too boring for an active career but it could maybe work as an inactive one. The involved skills would probably be charisma and logic.
Cinema Inactive Career for Teens: Teens would receive a new inactive career working at the cinema serving snacks and cleaning up theaters.
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Comments
I particularly like the following points:
* TS2 style apartments (they were much better then the ones in TS3 as I could have multiple active families on one lot and play each household in rotation).
* Wealthy and Grungy neighbourhoods. I really like having that contrast in a city themed expansion. Having that contrast, and sometimes having sims work their way up from nothing, or fall from the top like Mel Brooks in Life Stinks.
* Restaurants. Just YES!!! And I'd add grungy fast food diners too, just to continue that wealthy/grungy theme. Like in TS1 Hot Date where you had the fast food, and bistro food podiums.
* Movie Career, with film AND theatre. I would really love to have an active movie career. Sort of similar to TS1 Superstar where you could be an actor and actually act out a scene. And I would really really REALLY love to be able to write plays and have them performed on stage, like in TS Medieval and the Bard profession. And I'd like the off-stage side to the career too. So maybe the career has two branches: acting; and writing/directing. I'd love to have sims write scripts.
* Banking and finance. I'd love more control over money in the game. I'd like loans and mortgages. A stock market as well. I'd also like ways to transfer money between sims, so I could pay a sim for coming over to help with the gardening, for example. Or have a sim make charity donations, or have a sim do fund raising. Something like Ani's donation box from her Tax Collector mod for TS3 would be perfect, that kind of system, because it is handy for so many things!
* I like the idea of a real estate career, and being able to buy/sell/rent property. It would be interesting to be the landlord and have tenants, and have to maintain a property. Maybe you'd have bad tenants and have to patch stuff up after kicking them out! It would be fun to be a property investor too, in a similar way to the architect career in TS3, but you'd buy a run-down property and do it up, and sell it for a profit.
My only thought is that this is getting a bit too big for one expansion, features might end up getting stretched and feel less involved. I'd probably see this as something like 'The Sims 4: Big City' expansion, focusing on the city living and money features (the apartments/banking/property market/and rich and poor dynamic). And perhaps saving the movie aspect for something more specifically celebrity themed with careers like modelling an fashion. Perhaps this could be replaced with forming a band like in TS3 Late Night? As I feel that suits the overall grungy to rich vibe better. They could also allow sims to sing on that blimmin' microphone too! It would be fab to have a sultry lounge singer in a smoky bar.
I also feel like things like politics or investigative journalism could be interesting here. Maybe they could have a film noir feel to the city? Oh, and I'm back to movies again! Oh, maybe the criminal career could be interesting too! Like, there could be mobsters and bank robbers? Yes! We need to be able to rob the banks! I'd like to have sims be able to swipe stuff again too. ^__^
Sorry for randomly thinking out loud (or typing as I think), I just get carried away!