(Minor rant / PSA. NOT an attack, but a "stern observation")
...So, I notice that the one community lot type with most problems is Restaurants. Now, some of it is Maxis bugs but a lot is bad builds.
Not even big names in the Sim community can be trusted to build a working restaurant, including people that have their own save files for download...
Make sure to look at the following things:
1. Functioning, or even existing, doors. Especially to the kitchen.
2. NO TVs! Especially behind locked doors! It will make Sims leave their table and try to reach the TVs! (also stereos or computers)
3. Make sure waiters don't have to go outside and around the building to reach your indoor tables (sometimes there IS a door, but counters or bars are blocking the way, because No Playtesting!)
4. WAY too crowded. Most downloaded restaurants have WAY too many tables so waiters and guests get stuck trying to get to or from tables. Or chairs blocking booths so the seats against the wall cannot be used.
5. Non-functioning cooking stations due to shelves or decoration placed with MOO and again, not playtested.
6. And finally, if you use MOO say so in the description.
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Definitely.
However there are two reasons I singled out the restaurants:
1. It is the lot type most people have problems with in general (the "waiting 6 hours for food" bug and other things. Making sure your restaurant has at least two squares between most chairs* eliminates a lot of logistic problems for example)
2. It is very sensitive to mistakes. If you block the bathroom in a park, 9 times out of 10 you can find another bathroom in the world within walking distance without having to load another lot, for example.
*With that I mean not side by side, but back to back, between tables.
Thank you. I hope I didn't come off too harsh; I just find it very obvious sometimes that especially restaurants (also bars and clubs, but restaurants are the most unforgiving since you only go there for ONE thing, while it's okay if you can't get a drink in a nightclub as long as you can dance, or the other way in a bar) are just not playtested at all before uploaded.
I also think I should have put the crowded bit as no 1. It is by far the biggest problem. We all know how bad the pathfinding can be in sims 4 and having 20 small tables with 1 square between them and maximum number of Sims on the lot becomes well... a lot for it to handle.
Edit: I know people say bugs make them wait for food for hours. But a lot of times the waiter taking your order might not even have talked to the chef for two hours because he can't get thru the crowd, or can't get into the kitchen, or...
Using MOO too much does seem to cause a lot of small issues so I'd recommend to use it sparingly if you intend for the build to be playable.
I know that there are some builders out there who build for the art and creativity more than functionality, and that's perfectly okay. But it would be helpful if there was a tag for those types, like #nonfunctional or #justforshow or something like that, or at the very least, #NOTplaytested. This would give fair warning to someone looking for a working lot to plop down into their game.
I've noticed also that there are many "flexible" builds where the builder wanted the player to be able to use it as they choose, so they include all objects for bars, cafes, restaurants and night clubs. I find that, in the end, these end up causing more headache than convenience and end up with too much wasted clutter bogging down the lot as well as unused space. Sims will end up routing around for random things and not behaving as they're supposed to. So it's really best to keep it simpler and focused and let the player renovate themselves if they wish.
Finally, there are many restaurant lots that include a "liveable" space upstairs for the owner. While this is convenient for those who like to own restaurants and use that gameplay, these lots aren't the best for players who just want their Sims to visit and go dining. So this advice is probably more for the players. If you must download one of these lots to use, make sure you lock the doors to the residential section (or remove the doors altogether) so your Sims don't try to wander up there. You might even want to delete computers, TVs and stereos, as previously suggested, just in case Sims still get distracted by them.
I know there are players who say restaurants are very buggy, but I have several good working restaurants in my own game (some I've had to alter) so it's possible that many issues are caused by things mentioned in this thread. I'd suggest to try out a simple, spacious, non-MOO, focused restaurant (maybe one by Maxis) and see if it works properly. If it does, then you'll know that you just need to do some tweaking in the other restaurants in your game, or get new ones. If it doesn't, then you most likely have a bug.
I concur with OP and after running a restaurant for 2 Sims generation, I would like to add:
1. I don't have any extraneous objects that would distract Sims. No pianos, no stereos, no chess sets, no computers etc. I found Sims still got up and chat with each other but they returned to their tables much quicker if they were not distracted. I don't even put bars in my restaurants although they're maybe ok (don't know, haven't tested this).
2. If you use any custom content (especially tables and chairs), make sure they are updated for Dine Out pack. I used custom tables once and they really bugged out the game. I had once a bug where I couldn't customize my Sims staff's outfit. The culprit was CC. As soon as I deleted those CC from my lot, outfit customization was fixed.
3. Use the automatic garbage can (I can't remember the name) instead of the "manual" garbage can that needs to be re-emptied into the outdoor trash cans. Delete all outdoor trash cans. It saves your Sims staff from having to take garbage out and other sims from wanting to kick the outdoor cans (and you/your staff have to clean up after them). Your Sims staffs should be focused on doing food related things as much as possible.
4. Pathing: I now prefer to build my own public lots (whether it's retail or restaurant or gym). When I build my own I do not use MOO (I still use MOO for my Sims' house).
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Couldn't help it.
Yeah... Probably going to delete half your lamps .
...Seriously last restaurant I downloaded was so bright with a good graphic card that all guests looked like the Joker or Harley Quinn. I had to delete two thirds of light-sources to get it anywhere close to the "romantic Italian place" it was labeled as
(I get it, with a basic graphic card you need tons of light).
Usually I'm in and out of a restaurant in 2-3 hours (not that a bring a large family just 1-2 sims) unless I chose to stay and have more food or just hang out. I know it's because I avoid basically everything you mentioned. Especially hard on sims is placing fun activities. I downloaded on really cute diner with a basketball court and the waiters were drawn to it. It was obvious it had to go. Also the spacing is very important to not bottleneck the paths as you said. I try not to download MOO builds at all unless I know the builder playtests.
Basically the restaurants are the premade lots that you really should get pointers from Maxis on. Don't place things closer together than they are in the premade restaurants.
Also yeah, as I said, restaurants should really not have any other activities than "Sitting" and "eating" to flow well. And yeah, 2-ish hours for a solo Sim or couple, 4-ish hours for a dinner with many friends where the main reason to go is to just gain Social and Friendship scores.
Does anyone have info on placing tables inside or outside? I had sims dine in the rain because they got assigned a table outside. Tables outside don't consider weather in my experience.
Nope, Restaurants does not care if it's a blizzard and everyone freezes to death. However you can at least avoid personal death by clicking on a table you want rather than asking the Host to seat you. It's one of those tips they really should tell you but don't.
(But yes, I tend to either avoid outdoor seated restaurants during winter OR place them only in warm places, like Oasis Springs or Strangerville (Sulani and Whatsitcalled the Get Famous World has constant thunder storms during Winter so not ideal).
The cafe only takes up half the lot so I put some stuff there to make it looks less empty, but I'll have to rethink that. I suppose I could move original karaoke bar building into that space, but then the karaoke stuff would probably distract the patrons and barista.
EDIT: Good advice about potty chairs @GalacticGal , I will have to revise my wedding venue. I always forget about potty chairs
I also will take all decorations like flowers and candles off all the tables. I know it’s tempting to add these things for decorating but It will sometimes prevent your food from being placed on your table. Especially the smaller tables.
Adding the Homey and Chefs kitchen lot traits does wonders for food quality and service. I also add patio warmers to the outside tables if possible or as another poster said you can click on certain tables in the restaurant and request that table if want to ensure indoor seating.
And It never fails if the waiter is cleaning off tables they dump those dirty dishes on MY SIM’S TABLE. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME!! 🤢
Ultimately, what appeals to one person doesn't always appeal to another. I've kept some downloaded community builds that did fit in my game but you don't always know until you playtest them.
In terms of buggy lots, I've run into issues with houses in which the kitchens wouldn't work or there was just excessive non-functional decor making the lot unusable. It makes you a little wary of downloading.
That bug was fixed 6 months ago.
"Clutter-itis" is something a lot of builders suffer from in general: It's a conditon where any space must be filled with decorations to the point that your Sim can't go to the bathroom without circling around 14 book heaps, 12 plants, 3 random items from the debug menu and 4 small statues, two of them enlarged, two of them shrunk. ..But it usually don't lend a place unusable, just that you realize after you try to move something that that "single object" is actually 14 debug items shrunk and then squeezed together using MOO...