Hi
I've been reading about Players having trouble getting their Sims to eat in the right area... not put stuff in the bathroom or serve food outside. So, iirc, I learned this all back in them there old BBS days.
I made the Tester family to help show how to set up eating areas for Sims 2. They are mostly logical in their choices (kinda).
1. The Testers.
Built a house.
2. Sent Manny to school and Alan to look for a job.
3. I did mess up with the layout but that's how I learn.
4. There are 3 eating areas for them to choose. Breakfast area in the Kitchen, a dinning area, and the outside.
5. Alan got a job and I told him to stand there. I made them all hungry... what will he do?
6. Why he chooses to sit down and wait to be served. Cool!
7. Jill does serve him... now, what happens with little one sitting in the high chair (How quickly I forget their names
)?
Why she gets served, too. (this is my mistake. I put the high chair close to a counter in the kitchen. Not the best place...)
8. Because Sims go to the nearest counter (even if it's in another room) Jill puts the tray in the Kitchen and will eat in the kitchen all alone.
9. Now it's clean up and move time so I can do it right.
10. By moving the high chair near the dinning area's open counter the servings are set there and they all eat together.
....
11. Want a Sim to eat in the Kitchen? Then have an open counter near where they can fix their cold meal; such as cereal, salad, or sandwich.
One open counter near the breakfast nook-
12. Or get leftovers.
Same goes for coffee and espresso. Where do you want them to drink it?
.....
13. Other layout ideas which show the same concept (some old builds
)
Think about where you want them to eat when choosing their meals (or to serve meals)- near the stove for dinning room (hot food) or cold in the breakfast area (or leftovers/microwave meals).
Hope it helps!
Comments
That was really interesting thank you.. I love the kitchen seating area with great windows for outdoor views.. I often like my sims to sit outdoors and eat together in summer so for example if I put a door where those windows are to an outside area with tables would that be considered close enough for sims to auto go out to eat at that table if there was an open top counter close enough or would the door in-between the table outdoors and the kitchen area change the dynamics you describe?
Hi
Sure~ If you want them to eat outside and not having a breakfast nook area- add doors and just move the oven (if it's a hot meal) or leave that open counter for a cold meal. That should make the outdoor eating area closer than the dinning room.
Make sure to have enough chairs for everyone and an outside counter for them all to eat together.
1. I moved the table and put in doors (no table in kitchen)
2. The table outside in now closer for cold food serving (outside BBQ will be served outside if there's table and chairs).
She has the toddler home but she's inside playing but Sims serve everyone- including tots.
3. But she takes the food back in...Yet, as long as the outside chairs are closer, she'll take her serving outside to eat
5. I moved the BBQ counters closer but it wasn't close enough
6. Yet she still takes her food outside. (as long as there are enough seats for everyone to be served and them take their plate. I believe there are 6 serving of a group meal, I have a mod for 8 though)
Thanks for testing that I never realized it depended on various counters and chair positioning as I could never understand why my sims would always eat at the outdoor table when having a barbecue but not going outside to eat after preparing other normal foods in the house because I thought my outdoor chairs were close enough to the house for them to select eating outdoors but never thought the placement of counters having any effect on this so next time I am in game I am going to test this thoroughly..
I will do following some of your examples above
Thank you so much for making this. It was most helpful to read.
Grandma janey
Thanks! What~ No cookie? (Big Grin anyway!)
What was I thinking!!