Creating townies/etc using tree?

[laylei]

Is the townie/downtownie/NPC/etc tree still broken? I'm starting up an Apocalypse challenge, but thanks to empty templates, I've got no townies or downtownies. And while I can create them in CAS and use the shrub to make them townies/downtownies, I almost feel like it's cheating. So is the Maxis creator tree still off-limits for batch-making townies/downtownies, or could I use it and not get toy cars and clones?

[dizzy]

Since when was it broken? I seem to recall the NPC & Townie maker has worked fine since Nightlife. And if you're batch creating sims, you can just use the mailbox.

[Gwill]

You can also just take out notowneregen and the game will produce townies "as needed".

[Soylent Sim]

Removing the noregen hacks should ideally only be done once you've made a habit of randomizing the sim generator at least once a session.  They can be an excuse to get into the habit as well, but make for dull gameplay if you start with empty templates and don't randomize.

And while certain functions of the townie tree/gun are a little wonky, the heavily broken thing you're thinking about is probably DAC instead.  DAC carries the MATY badge of disapproval, but it'd be silly to apply to an already empty 'hood.

[laylei]

Since when was it broken? I seem to recall the NPC & Townie maker has worked fine since Nightlife. And if you're batch creating sims, you can just use the mailbox.

That's the thing, I haven't used it since probably University, so I wasn't sure if it had ever worked again or not, I've just recently started using empty templates. Thanks

[witch]

Removing the noregen hacks should ideally only be done once you've made a habit of randomizing the sim generator at least once a session.  They can be an excuse to get into the habit as well, but make for dull gameplay if you start with empty templates and don't randomize.

At what point of the game are townies generated? The randomiser can only be run from a lot AFAIK, so the hood is already loaded. If townies are only generated once the player goes to a community lot this would work.

[Madame Mim]

Townies are either generated on Neighbourhood creation from the template (ie PleasantView template in original/empty/alterred form) or (when using an empty template) as needed. If you're talking about creating a whole new Neighbourhood you might even like to check out one of my themed N001 replacements. You can bypass the theme by simply not downloading the shopping list. It will get you new unique townies and NPC's (many heterozygous - sp?) and the only thing you'll have to do is change some townie clothes because they'll all be dressed in EA wear (providing you don't have de-customised clothing) - which you'd have to do anyway.

[witch]

I have been meaning to check out your hoods Madame Mim, currently not playing the sims though, so I've just been folllowing the thread in the meantime. Cheers for the reminder though. I love the idea of themed hoods but suspect I'm too lazy to do the shopping list thing.

[Zazazu]

Remember, if you don't have a hacked Live.package, you're going to get the same crappy Maxis-type names with 20 Bruenigs all over again when you use the mailbox cheat...just different faces. I have Jordi's from here, with a few added names from when I played at an Alphabet Challenge (ye olde format where you marry in the same letter). I like having that added element of surprise, so I generally switch face template sets in and out and spawn townies/NPCs/downtownies/dormies independently. Takes awhile, but it's worth it in my opinion.

Of course, I just spawned another 50 dormies this weekend in Queen's Cove, and I still only had a 1-bolter as the highest match for Aquitaine. 

[Madame Mim]

I'm rather fond of Wild Wild West (the complete Neighbourhood rather than just the template) at the moment. Of course it's chock full of suspect lots given I went a little wild myself with row houses, but those can be bypassed if desired/necessary.

As I said though you can bypass the whole theme and just use the names (no two townies named the same and every effort made to have no two Sims - not actively related to each other - bear the same surname).

I like the face template switching idea. It'd definately give a wider range of looks to the Sims. I wonder if I could find someone to do facial templates by theme - ie redo the whole series with an asian flavour or an african one rather than simply fixing the EAxis mistakes. . . .

[Doc Doofus]

If you wipe the neighborhood of all Sims (including Townies) and wait for them to regenerate on an as-needed basis, you may end up waiting a long time.  The NPC's will come back fairly quickly because the game needs them, but the townies will be few.  It's much better to just use the tree/gun (I miss the TREE!!) to generate a whole new set of townies. 

I like to run it two or three times, actually.  Lots more townies, lots more fun.

One neat feature of the newest NPC maker is a neat little action that lets you change clothing for an NPC/townie.  That's sweet.  Although it is a little buggy, because sometimes it tries to give you or charge you an exorbitant amount of money for the new clothes that another Sim is going to wear.

[squish]

If you wipe the neighborhood of all Sims (including Townies) and wait for them to regenerate on an as-needed basis, you may end up waiting a long time.  The NPC's will come back fairly quickly because the game needs them, but the townies will be few.  It's much better to just use the tree/gun (I miss the TREE!!) to generate a whole new set of townies. 

I had that problem in my new hood. I made it completely clean to start a new legacy, and when my founder was out man hunting, only a teen boy and teen girl showed up. After a couple of days of no one else I thought "fuck it" and just spawned them. I was wanting the townies to be spawned by the game because I've got all my skins townified, and I wanted them to show up on my townies rather than having them all using my defaults. Oh well.

[Zazazu]

I'm rather fond of Wild Wild West (the complete Neighbourhood rather than just the template) at the moment. Of course it's chock full of suspect lots given I went a little wild myself with row houses, but those can be bypassed if desired/necessary.

Did you say wild with row houses?

I still have two full blocks to fill in the "urban" section, Hummingbird Court, and the rest of the open-air fair to fill in (it's in the top left corner, you can see a bit of the one tent and viking ship at Ridge Collectibles).

[Madame Mim]

You win, I don't have any where near that many in WWW.

[Zazazu]

It's actually only 19 lots repeated (well, plus a 1x4 and 1x5 in the middle of a 9x5 block to add a fake alley with parking garages) The more annoying thing was coming up with the street names and making sure I correctly numbered the lots. I'm anal about addresses. Hence my external, color-coded 'hood map. It's keyed and gridded. Yum.

EDIT: Done! Now I only have the other 3/4 of the island to build. *cries*