New Open for Busioness Video 1/05/05

[BlueSoup]

I am excited to see diagonal roofs.

Diagonal roofs?  I haven't even got regular roofs down yet. 

[MutantBunny]

OK. But what JM says here is not the same as the consensus over in the hood v. dt thread. So I'm confused. And I WANT to get rid of my Dt (and if I ever get the next EP then I will not want the business district it adds) but I DO want all the game has to offer--which means I don't want to get rid of the dt IF I'm going to lose specific options (however, to lose the vampires would not break my heart as they are piss poorly done vampires as are the aliens as are the zombies.)

And I fear that OFB will add the community lot that can be owned and controlled to ONLY the new business disctrict which will totally suck if that's the case cuz it will  mean we can't own comm lots in the hood or DT. Fear based on past disappoionmnet in Maxis....

Can or can not the vampires appear in the base hood?

And if the dt "manifest specific behaviors for downtown areas, that do not apply themselves to non-downtown areas." Well, can I have an example? The other thread consensus argues with this. But IF it is true, maybe theose things lost are livable.

No surprise that Maxis has lazy coders lol  

As far as this satellite type EP system requiring 'less hack update': I don't recall there being the need for object and hack updates with TS1 at all as there is now with each EP. But I didn't like Makin' Majic and I stopped playing the game shortly thereafter. So maybe I'm wrong?

[BlueSoup]

As far as this satellite type EP system requiring 'less hack update': I don't recall there being the need for object and hack updates with TS1 at all as there is now with each EP. But I didn't like Makin' Majic and I stopped playing the game shortly thereafter. So maybe I'm wrong?

I'm no modder either, but from what I remember of TS1, they didn't really introduce a whole lot of completely different behaviours in every EP like TS2 does.  Sure, they added new interactions, mostly based on objects and specific circumstances, but they didn't add major game-changing features.

[syberspunk]

It's different because Sims 1 had a fixed amount of lots per area - the base neighbourhood had 10 lots (50 with Unleashed), Downtown had six or eight, Vacation Island had eight, etc. In Sims 1, it was probably easier to add a new type of neighbourhood than to add new lots to the base one for reasons besides coding.

Er... I'm still not quite sure how this is "different" in the sense that the previous method was better. At least that is what was implied (or maybe what I am inferring ) from what MutantBunny posted... it was as if they were saying the way the original sims handled it was different? As if the original sims did not add new areas?

How is it expanding the game if the EP is  adding basically a mini game area to the game? Is that 'expanding the game'?? Not to me it isn't. Is this the way ALL of the EPs for TS2 are going to be?? I don't want another satellite off my hood!

This seems to imply that the original sims did not do this, but on the contrary, it did exactly the same thing. You went on dates Downtown in Hot Date, and while it wasn't as elaborate at NL (which I think is a HUGE improvement with the Date/Outing meter), it was in essence a kind of mini-game to get your sims to have a good time downtown. I actually didn't play Hot Date that much, or go downtown that much really. I didn't play Vacation much either, but definately Superstar and Makin' Magic had "mini-games" of sorts when you went to the Hollywood lots (to make demos, do open-mic, act in commercials and soaps, etc.) and the magic 'hood to gain win those magic coins or whatever they were, in order to buy more ingredients to make better spells (or whatever that was, I vaguely recall MM as I hardly played that too ).

TS2 EPs have added these new areas with "mini-games" of sorts, but they are a lot more elaborate, imho, and actually I find them more entertaining, enjoyable, and somewhat challenging. I definately feel like I have a greater incentive to go to these new areas rather than in the original sims. In the original one, I didn't have to go really, except for Superstar since that was your job, but for the others, since I didn't have to go, I didn't bother. And even though it gets boring, the long loading times were a PITA to go through just to visit those areas. At least now, I have a real reason to visit those lots that sort of makes the loading time worth waiting through, especially when my sims have wants to visit those areas.

With Sims 2, you can stuff as many lots of any description into your base 'hood as the map size will allow. As a result, to a non-coder it seems like there should be no reason to add more neighbourhoods, when the one we have could have new lot types added instead.

Hrm... not really... in the base 'hood, can't you only have residential and comm lots? In Uni, you had more types of lots, but those are restricted to Uni really (Dorms, SSs, and Greek Houses). And in NL, are there new types of lots? They just expanded Comm lots, and now you can have restaurants and what not, but this is probably not limited to DT itself. But still, they are just comm lots, no? I don't think it's a different kind of lot. So where are you getting this idea that we can add all types of lots into a single 'hood?

I can see why you would want to have this, to supposedly reduce the # of areas and prevent loading time, but again, as Pescado points out, it sort of makes sense coding wise. In a way, it is kind of object-oriented, in that each EP is almost contained within a specific 'hood.

Anyways, people bitch and gripe and moan about a lot of the crap and the bugs and what not. Hell, I do it too, all the time! But there is also a lot that I love about the game and the EPs. But then again, we all wouldn't be here if we really didn't love the game, now would we? It would be foolish and sheepish of me to ignore the problems, which I certainly am not doing, but it's fun to play devil's advocate as well.

As for the contradictions? Well... I can only go by what I've read, what I remember, my limited game experience , and what I've nagged Pescado about. So I couldn't say for sure whether vamps visit non DT 'hoods. Who knows if the reason they do is because someone's game has turned into (or on their way turning into) a BFBVFS and they don't even know it.

And it's not just Maxis who has lazy coders. Pretty much the whole point of coding in the first place is mostly Due to laziness in that you usually want to write/create something which simplifies much more complex and/or dull and repetitive tasks. So... instead of say typing in something a thousand or a hundred times, you do it once, and then the "code" does it for you. Programmers are an interesting oxymoronic bunch in that they are probably the hardest "working" laziest people I've ever known. lol.

As for the original sims... well I never knew much about the online community, if at all, and I never knew anything about mods before TS2. So I have no idea what that was like. But... if mods didn't get updated for new EPs... well maybe that's why games got fubar'd in the first place? I dunno. *shrugs* I have no idea what simantics was like in the original sims, but as it stands, the way things are with these EPs, updating mods is almost unavoidable. But having separate areas would probably help reduce that need. It would mean that certain mods may not need updating at all. But, if a major change is added, that affects all types of 'hoods or the game in general on a global scale, then you most likely will have to update any mods that are related to that change. For instance, with NL, there was a lot of code added to many interactions, which affect Dates and Outings. If any mods from the previous game or Uni EP were not updated to include these changes, then your game might be silently broken. As in, things wouldn't work correctly, but you might not even notice it. Just because a mod appears to work in the game doesn't mean that it shouldn't be updated.

Ste

Ste

[Sagana]

I suspect (probably stupidly, I know nothing about coding) that they way they put most of the new stuff in satellites in the EPs makes it possible or at least easier for the game to be backwards compatible - that is, it's to avoid requiring us to start over completely every time they come out with a new EP, but all the stuff (neighborhoods and houses and sims) we've done so far still works fine. Rather than to make it easier for modders, as I think they don't care at all about the modding community and assume hackers will do whatever it takes to get something to work (which actually I think the group as a whole (but not individually) will do).

And even though it gets boring, the long loading times were a PITA to go through just to visit those areas. At least now, I have a real reason to visit those lots that sort of makes the loading time worth waiting through, especially when my sims have wants to visit those areas.

I played hot date and although I loved the idea of it, it was almost unplayable for me. I was playing on my mac at the time (not a bad one or anything, almost top of the line) and the combination of the load times and lot slowdown with too many sims on it killed my interest. After unleashed, the slowdown at community lots and the irritation of the pets was too much and I quit playing. Before NL, the base game community lots and Uni lots felt the same way to me - even after I switched to a PC version. Not just too long a load time, but too much drag after I got there. I could stand the game, if I didn't visit a community lot. Something they did in NL fixed this for me and tho load times are annoying, as I can actually play the game if I wait a little patiently, I don't mind. It's not too much. I'm sure there's a happy medium - too long a load and I wouldn't wait for it, too much drag and why bother? and a combination, but as long as it doesn't get worse with OFB, I'm happy :)

Just my, probably wrong, 2cents.

[syberspunk]

Rather than to make it easier for modders, as I think they don't care at all about the modding community and assume hackers will do whatever it takes to get something to work (which actually I think the group as a whole (but not individually) will do).

I agree that it must be partially to accomodate users as best as possible without totally screwing up their existing game. I also don't mean to imply that Maxis is at all going out of their way for the modding community. What I am saying is that, in general, for their own coders, it would be easier (i.e. much less work) for them if they didn't have to go back and overhaul the existing game code. Anytime they add any features that require global changes (such as the chemistry in NL), their programmers would have to go through practically all of the existing game and change almost everything on a global level. It's just happens to be serendipitous to modders if they do it this way.

I played hot date and although I loved the idea of it, it was almost unplayable for me. I was playing on my mac at the time (not a bad one or anything, almost top of the line) and the combination of the load times and lot slowdown with too many sims on it killed my interest. After unleashed, the slowdown at community lots and the irritation of the pets was too much and I quit playing.

Did your computer meet the minimum requirements? I think that, even as they've mentioned now, the suggested minimum requirements is way too low for the game. You actually need more memory and CPU power to even have the game running. Back in the day, my old computer would only run up to Vacation at best. When I got a new computer, only then did I try to install Unleashed, and later Superstar and Makin' Magic. The loading time was tolerable and didn't seem to increase significant between those EPs with my better computer.

In general, load times suck. But I agree, as long as the load time isn't signifincantly lengthened, and the "payoff" of waiting for it is actually worth it, then I'll be happy too. At first, I wasn't too eager about OFB, and I'm still kind of lukewarm about certain things, but in general, new content, new interactions, and new locations to visit are always something I look forward to.

Ste

[Sagana]

Did your computer meet the minimum requirements?

Yeah, it did. I was running a brand-new G4, very close to a top of the line mac at the time. Actually I'm still running that G4 but now it's old and barely runs System X. It wouldn't run Sims2 I'm sure, but I got the PC so I didn't have to mess with waiting for games to come out (and be poorly ported) on the mac anyways. But my macs were work machines and generally in much better shape as I can justify spending money on them. (I just don't do as much work at home anymore, so don't need to upgrade.)

[Ellatrue]

I really don't understand Maxis' obsession with 'adding on another area'! What IS the deal? It isn't expanding the capacity of our hoods to hold more people, not really since all character files and lots etc are going into the main hood folders with all the rest. Of course, if we start a separate hood with satellites off of that --well that adds space--but who wants to do that with each EP?? Not me!

I think it is because they listen to all of the morons on the BBS. Lots of people want new neighborhood areas, even though if you ask me, it is redundant and just makes your game require more of your computers resources. I like the downtown sub-neighborhood areas, but why would I want to add a uni area and a new business area? If I want a new sub-neighborhood, I will add another downtown. The making magic area infuriated me because you had to have your sims keep playing those stupid games if they wanted to live there or buy anything- it added a new kind of currency!

I was hoping they would just add a new kind of lot, or change the existing community lots.

[Hook]

Open for Business:

For those of you who haven't tried it in Real Life, running a business can be FUN!  I'm just hoping the business model has enough depth to be interesting.  I'm looking forward to it in any case.

Makin' Magic:

I only had one Sim family who used magic.  I had a good time with them, and explored most of what Makin' Magic had to offer.  You could earn MagiCoins by performing magic in Magic Town or by dueling in the arena.  Some magic ingredients were only available through "quests" given by various NPC's.  And I bought  couple of dragon eggs, which was interesting because I didn't have the pets expansion.

I had another single Sim who earned enought MagiCoins to be able to buy a house in Magic Town.  But she didn't live there long. The ambient sounds creeped me out, and I don't creep out easily.  They'd apparently done some kind of audio processing on the ambient sounds, and once I heard a dog bark in the game and though it was outside my actual house.  I ended up running both the TV and stereo in the game constantly in an attempt to drown out the noise.

Hook

[MutantBunny]

I was hoping they would just add a new kind of lot, or change the existing community lots.

Yes! THAT'S what I want. And if the 'new lots' that are coming in OFB work the same in the general hood as they do in the Business district then it will be fine--but then that leaves me thinking: if everything works the same in the hood as in the saellite areas--why obther with the satellite Maxis? The only answer I can come up with is: the satellite areas most likely add SOMETHING. But what then?

ALl in all: I just don't like the idea of constant additional satellite areas. Period. One or two ok, maore than that bad.

[Pegasys]

I think one reason why they added a new sub-'hood rather than just changing existing lots is so that it can be integrated with existing neighborhoods more easily. Some people have been playing Pleasantview for an entire year, have customized the community lots to their liking,  and the neighborhood is full. How would they add new lots? I certainly wouldn't want them *replacing* the existing lots. Sure they could put them in the lot bin but that wouldn't showcase the new lots as well and people might be too lazy to place them. I would gather that just like Downtown you don't HAVE to create a new sub 'hood.

[Hairfish]

Can or can not the vampires appear in the base hood?

Yes, they can. I've even had them stalk in and take up residence in my outdoor hot tubs without being invited. They can also live in the base hood ~ Contessa what's-her-name, the orignal female Grand Vampire, now lives in one of my custom neighborhoods. The Sim who married her in died of old age, but she's still there, dispatching unwanted Sims with Shaklin's killer-mod whenever I need her services. She's much faster than drowning.

As for whether home-businesses will be allowed in regular neighborhoods, I don't know, but I hope so. I've already added new space to one house I hope to set up shop in.

[ZiggyDoodle]

I'm not entirely sure why one would actually want to use the main function of it, the business thing.

I'm considering it purely out of boredom for some of my Uni grad Sims.  I.e., Max Flexor and Erik Swain work one day a week. They happened to marry born-in-game sisters who also graduated from Uni.  Swain's wife also works one day a week (but not the same day he does, so they don't have to hire a nanny).

A home business might be something to occupy them during the days they aren't working. 

[Sleepycat]

Sims 2 Open For Business Chat transcripts

http://thesims2.ea.com/community/chat_01_19_06.php


MaxisDon (Jan 19, 2006 6:14:23 PM)
Robots can only be made, not purchased from the catalog. The robots are Hydrobot, Cleanboy, Sentrybot, and Servo.


MaxisHunter! (Jan 19, 2006 6:49:05 PM)
Pregnant women can now go to community lots for almost their entire pregnancy. Yay!

and we get a pet

MaxisHunter! (Jan 19, 2006 6:23:38 PM)
It's a pet brick, and you can teach it a trick!

[Hook]

and we get a pet

MaxisHunter! (Jan 19, 2006 6:23:38 PM)
It's a pet brick, and you can teach it a trick!

Hey, I got one of those! It can do several tricks.  It can sit up.  It can lay down.  It can play dead.  It can roll over (with help).  And it's even good for defense:  I can throw it at someone.  It's easy to care for, sleeps anywhere, and hardly eats anything. 

Yup, finally get a decent pet for the game!  Hehe

Hook

[syberspunk]

Sims 2 Open For Business Chat transcripts

http://thesims2.ea.com/community/chat_01_19_06.php


MaxisDon (Jan 19, 2006 6:14:23 PM)
Robots can only be made, not purchased from the catalog. The robots are Hydrobot, Cleanboy, Sentrybot, and Servo.

Any buffy fans out there? How soon do you think someone might be able to hack a sexbot? I think it'd be a funny alternative to danny's Woohoo npcs. Lol.

MaxisHunter! (Jan 19, 2006 6:49:05 PM)
Pregnant women can now go to community lots for almost their entire pregnancy. Yay!

Hrm... their Entire pregnancy? What would be the purpose of that? Unless... they actually might build/enable hospitals... interesting... didn't someone (cathair?) make a mod that enabled this already? Was it at all useful? How easy do you think it will be for our pregger sims to die on community lots now.

and we get a pet

MaxisHunter! (Jan 19, 2006 6:23:38 PM)
It's a pet brick, and you can teach it a trick!

Hrm... sims are just about as smart as a brick... so what's the difference? It'd be funny if sims could shit bricks. If anyone is clever enough to do it, I'd love to see a mod for that. If no one's sick enough to do it, maybe I'll take a stab at it myself. Lol.

Ste

[cristalfiona]

Any buffy fans out there? How soon do you think someone might be able to hack a sexbot? I think it'd be a funny alternative to danny's Woohoo npcs. Lol.

I dont know that you would be able to tell the difference in the game. I mean, didnt the sexbot just look like a normal human. (and i didnt think she was all that odd- ive met girls like that)

[Havelock]

I was hoping they would just add a new kind of lot, or change the existing community lots.

Yes! THAT'S what I want. And if the 'new lots' that are coming in OFB work the same in the general hood as they do in the Business district then it will be fine--but then that leaves me thinking: if everything works the same in the hood as in the saellite areas--why obther with the satellite Maxis? The only answer I can come up with is: the satellite areas most likely add SOMETHING. But what then?

ALl in all: I just don't like the idea of constant additional satellite areas. Period. One or two ok, maore than that bad.

In the new area are some preplayed sims on lots so you can still learn what you can make with your Addon. There is one Big Boss whith many Shops, one Family ready to make a Toyshop and so one. You can find things out with your own sims or stay lazy and get the premade neighbourhood.

[MutantBunny]

Sure Havelock, new families, new lots. But those things can be placed in a hood as well, we don't need a new satellite for those.

Thanks Hairfish, first hand experience always knows best. But what about the maxnumberofsims on a hood comm lot v. a DT comm lot? Anyone know that answer first hand? I have been trying to compare exactly--same sim, same shop, same decor, same time of day and take a count once in a dt once in a hood, but i haven't managed it yet. I'm old and slow...

The robots can be bought in a shop owned by a sim, if the sim has someone that can make robots. A robot shop. A robot can not be bought from the catalogue.

The maxiod said that preggers can spend ALMOST the entire pregnancy on a comm lot--not the entire pregnancy. No hospitals.

There were more Maxiods then sim fans.

That transcript mentioned a new wall type. It sounded to me like a 'glass wall' that will be used for business fronts.

[Sleepycat]

seemed like a typical chat,

some questions were repeated,
some questions were really stupid
very few good questions and answers

always makes me wonder what questions were asked that got nixed...

apparently woohooing in the elevators will be a bit risky (death wise) and knowing we will be able to hire our other sims is cool and I think I understood it right that we will be able to shop at home businesses.


Some of it sounds really good so I don't regret pre-ordering it from amazon.com

[Kristalrose]

I also noticed they said it would be on store shelves on March 3rd.  Hummm.  I had thought the initial release had been sometime toward the end of February.  Wasn't March 3rd the release date for UNI, too?  Can't remember.

Dangerous Woo Hoo in elevators is funny.  I just hope that doesn't happen to one of my favorite sims.  LMAO

[Sleepycat]

pre-orders get shipped on Feb 28, I believe

[MutantBunny]

FYI: So I had a sim visit Red's Dt at 10 am. Upon arrival thee were 12 sims (counting my sim). An hour later there were 15 sims. I closed out, went home. Called the taxi back and got to Red's in the hood at 11am the same day. 11 sims total, coiunting my sim. An hour later there were 12 sims, but I waited a bit and before the next hour was out I had 14 sims counting my sim.

Only 1 sim difference between hood and dt. I'd have to go with there isn't any difference between max number of visitng sims in hood v. dt.

But this is only one test.

[Sagana]

Sure Havelock, new families, new lots. But those things can be placed in a hood as well, we don't need a new satellite for those.

How're they going to figure out where to place the lots and new families such that no user has already placed a custom lot in that same spot? They would either need some really complicated code that does something like "if this space is taken, use this one, and then this one, and then this one" and what to do if there wasn't any spaces left big enough, or they'd hafta leave all the new stuff in the bins - not placed at all, or every EP would require a complete reinstall at least of the base neighborhoods and your custom ones (where they don't even know where the spaces for lots are) wouldn't be able to have new stuff except in bins. And like that.

[Swiftgold]

FYI: So I had a sim visit Red's Dt at 10 am. Upon arrival thee were 12 sims (counting my sim). An hour later there were 15 sims. I closed out, went home. Called the taxi back and got to Red's in the hood at 11am the same day. 11 sims total, coiunting my sim. An hour later there were 12 sims, but I waited a bit and before the next hour was out I had 14 sims counting my sim.

Only 1 sim difference between hood and dt. I'd have to go with there isn't any difference between max number of visitng sims in hood v. dt.

But this is only one test.

I'm curious - what about testing it at night? I've had some Sims spend all day at the neighborhood rec center, after I'd outfitted it with espresso and showers of course, and at night there are no Sims around at all. My controllable Sim was way in the orange in social and I resorted to having her chat it up with the clerk just to keep from social bunnying. Anyway, yeah, downtown, however, there always seem to be more Sims hanging out late at night. Is that the difference?