Apartment Life: Obligatory Hate/Love Topic

[spaceface]

Special effects in the neighbourhood decorations. You can put a smoke emitter anywhere you like, I know that's why the crashed UFO in Strangetown has smoke coming out of it. The crashed UFO object itself doesn't have smoke.

[BrokenRobot]

The power plant decoration smokes on its own.  It doesn't use the separate smoke decoration.

Anyway, I'm a little late to the party, but I'll go ahead and post my lists so I don't feel left out anymore.

Like:
-A lot of the new objects, specifically the TVs, computer, and playground stuff.
-Two, maybe three of the new outfits.

Meh:
-The apartments themselves, although I wasn't very interested in this feature to begin with.
-Witches.  The visual effects are cool, but the spells just aren't usefull enough to justify the amount of time it takes to make the reagents.

Do Not Want:
-The seven bajillion hooker/trekkie/just-plain-stupid-looking outfits.
-The seven bajillion identical hairstyles clogging up the menu.
-The seven bajillion new townies.
-The bugs.  Oh, the bugs.

[Karen]

Likes:

I *love* the new playground equipment!  I've been wishing for this ever since the base game came out.  Why it took them so long, I'll never understand.  I especially like the "play on playground" action...looks quite realistic.

The portraits regenerating on "change appearance".  Personally, I got very tired of constantly having to find either a mirror or the lotdebugger/clothingtool every time I sent them to Plan Outfit.  I will gladly put up with the occasional random ugly pose in exchange for not having to deal with that hassle.

I like the spiral staircases.

Neutral

Apartments seem fine so far, for playability (but I've had the game only a day, so I haven't run into any bugs yet).  I like being able to split up some of my overcrowded households into multiple apartments. 

New Study options on the bookcases are interesting, but I haven't tried very many of them so can't say for sure if I like them or not.

The "Knock on Door" sounds good in theory, but I have yet to see it actually result in the desired Sim coming out.

Dislikes

Absolutely HATE the inability to build on occupied apartment lots (I haven't tried the cheat method yet, will do that tomorrow, probably).  I can't stand those tall rectangular hedges, and routinely take them out of any pre-made lot where I see them.  Can't do that with apartment lots.    

The new phone harassment times.  Why they decided it is rude to call a friend after 10pm, I'll never understand.  Would love to see a hack for this one.

Witches.     I have zero interest in the witches, as I prefer to keep my game as realistic as possible.  How can I ensure that I never, ever have a Sim turn into a witch?  (I would love something like jfade's No Plantsims Under Any Circumstances hack, only for witches.)

The Murphy bed seems rather pointless, as it takes up the same amount of space when closed as it does when open.  If you can't place objects in front of it when it's closed, what good is it, except as an extra path to get from one place to another?

I don't like not being able to automatically drop the outside wall of the apt.  I play almost entirely in cutaway mode, and it annoys me to have the walls get in the way when I'm trying to see what's going on.  Particularly in small apartments.

Karen

[Faizah]

Witches.     I have zero interest in the witches, as I prefer to keep my game as realistic as possible.  How can I ensure that I never, ever have a Sim turn into a witch?  (I would love something like jfade's No Plantsims Under Any Circumstances hack, only for witches.)

Very easily: When clicking on an NPC witch, don't choose the Teach me the Path of Darkness/Way of Light option. Witchery is always a conscious decision, sims can't 'accidentally' become one.

[GayJohnScarritt]

Likes:
The "Knock on Door" sounds good in theory, but I have yet to see it actually result in the desired Sim coming out.

   I get the weird impression that 'knock on door' only succeeds once you have a fairly high relationship score with the neighbor, until that point is reached, i have to use 'ask to come out'.  Of course, when you first move in, you have to 'Introduce to Neighbors'.  Once you know them, and as long as the nieghbors are in their apts (and not asleep) you can call them up to make friends.
   What drives me bonkers, is a playable family as neighbors, throws that entire theory out the window.  Even if my sim knows one or more of that family fairly well, 'knocking on door' seems to result in either a random roll of who answers (or refuses to answer the door), or it's always the neighbor you know the least.   GRRRR

[bubbs]

I placed a trailer park in one of my hoods.  There is no place to put an energizer.  How in the frell are they supposed to have one?  It was interesting playing them without it though.   

[Tsarina]

Perhaps you could use the cheat MaxMotives and then keep track of when and how many times you use it for that lot? I know it's not the same, but if you REALLY need that energizer, it could be a way to do it.

[bubbs]

I don't really need it for them.  I figure that is one drawback to living in a trailer, lol.  Want an energizer, they must move to a house.

[jsalemi]

In a way, that's part of what I like about AL -- it's pretty realistic in that space is limited in apartments, and you have to get creative on what does and doesn't fit. If you want more stuff, save up and buy a house.

[moparopie]

like:
- the toddler and child playground equipment!
- the new social interactions
- ceilings! and spiral staircases
- some of the new 'clutter' objects are really nice

dislike:
- not being able to place items out of apartment bounds
- my sim serving the entire friggen building in the commons area when he makes a meal in his house *grr*
- the toy dog/hamster

I haven't seen the witches yet so I can't say whether I hate them or not.

[Zazazu]

I don't really need it for them.  I figure that is one drawback to living in a trailer, lol.  Want an energizer, they must move to a house.

Why do you ever need an energizer?

My home-schooled sim kids are enjoying the new things to learn. They work in the garden, go on hikes, study physiology, fire safety, couple's counseling, and the normal skills. Jumping rope is a good way to build body points when the tv isn't well positioned for working out.

Major annoyance for me, since I like taking lots of family photos...the new shelving won't hold photos. Grr.

[spaceface]

I am starting to get irritated by the idle witch animations. I cannot decide which is worse, the sappy nice witch or the stagey mean witch.

Also, I have absolutely no idea how to place two objects on the same section of wall.

[maxon]

Also, I have absolutely no idea how to place two objects on the same section of wall.

Oh, you press a key at the same time.  Ummm ... Ctrl-Alt maybe, Shift-Alt?  I've forgotten obviously.  Checks manual: God, that's a useless piece of trash.  You press a key - or two - while you're trying to place the object.  The instructions are probably in the help section in game. 

[maxon]

I didn't think so but maybe you are right - look I'll fire up the game and work it out.

[spaceface]

Even with moveobjects on I can't place the new shelves so that they are one above the other.

[spaceface]

Erm huh? Plz explain! I battle to put windows in the right way sometimes, so this might be just me.

[spaceface]

BAA!

[jwaas]

I am more than a day late and more than a dollar short, but now that I finally have AL working on two different computers, here goes.

LIKE
The garbage chutes!  I eventually stopped using both garbage compactors and (interior) trash cans, because they'd just need emptying anyway, all my neat freak Virgo Sims would keep autonomously emptying them, etc.  This solves the problem.

The new Walk To Work/School interactions.  Since I'm running just base+UNI+AL, I have no cars (except the helicopter, which isn't exactly a car and seems to be broken anyway).  Now that my Sims are finally able to walk to school or work, even late, I have no need for cars.  Though the Maxis apartments that come with carports are making me want to try it with NL or FT added....

The witches are interesting.  I couldn't find the Infallibly Good Witch the first time I played Belladonna Cove, so I turned one of my college student Sims into an Atrociously Evil Warlock, with the intention of making him good eventually.  It took a while, but finally I did.  I couldn't agree more about the witch idle animations.  Oh my goodness gracious yes, they are annoying.  At least it's fun watching them make the ingredients.

DISLIKE
Broken toy dog
Broken helicopter
Broken everything else
Not being able to add hot tubs and other essential goodies in apartment common areas after moving Sims in
Stupid Maxis clothing, slutty women and stupid men with painted torsos (I want to see a pic of the painted-torso-guy cemetary)

Apartment roommates being absolutely uncontrollable, even with the InSimenator.  I cannot change their skintones with Christianlov's painting that way.  It is also unfair that they get to stay up all night watching TV until they are almost in three different needs failures, then Run Errands to get their needs filled.

Not being able to build inside apartments (it causes "invisible furniture" after reload if I do).  This makes it much harder to make "un-shoo-able" bathrooms, since I can't add walls to make separate shower rooms and terlet rooms.  I can use UNI community showers and Hunter240x's divider urinals, at least for the men, but the other "shoo-able" items have to go by themselves into a spare bedroom, or even (as I did yesterday with Ajay Loner's apartment) on the back porch.  (I'm using an old "no naked emitter" hack, and even if I weren't, it seems that the apartment porches act like enclosed rooms.)

[socurious]

One Don't Like is something missing from AL that was available before; the option to choose an hairstyle for each type of clothing (i.e., everyday, swimming, pj's, etc).  That option doesn't seem to be available with AL - at least I'm not seeing it. 

Like - learned something new from TashaFaun.  Baaaa.

[moonluck]

Apartment roommates being absolutely uncontrollable, even with the InSimenator.  I cannot change their skintones with Christianlov's painting that way.  It is also unfair that they get to stay up all night watching TV until they are almost in three different needs failures, then Run Errands to get their needs filled.

You can if you use the control pets cheat, "boolProp ControlPets true"and "boolProp petActionCancel true"

One Don't Like is something missing from AL that was available before; the option to choose an hairstyle for each type of clothing (i.e., everyday, swimming, pj's, etc).  That option doesn't seem to be available with AL - at least I'm not seeing it. 

I have it. I seems to be in the same place it has always been for me.

[moparopie]

another dislike - my "plumper thumper" sectional sofa isn't a sectional.

http://community.livejournal.com/thesims2/5816437.html#cutid1  It's driving me nuts.

[Cappuccino]

^ I'm not sure this will help, but maybe you had Inge's "Is Chair A Booth/ Is Sofa A Sectional?" fix? It has been updated for AL, no idea if it is related with your problem though.

[moparopie]

^ I'm not sure this will help, but maybe you had Inge's "Is Chair A Booth/ Is Sofa A Sectional?" fix? It has been updated for AL, no idea if it is related with your problem though.

Yep, that would be it.  Last time I checked her site there were no updates yet.  But now it's fixed and functional.  So... False alarm bug, heh.

[BrokenRobot]

Okay, has anyone figured out how to place two decorations on the same wall section yet?  I can move them up and down fine, but it won't let me place the second object.

[Chain_Reaction]

Even with moveobjects on I can't place the new shelves so that they are one above the other.

You press and hold Ctrl and Alt while having the object against the wall. First you'll want to use  [ ] to move it to the desired height then place it.

another dislike - my "plumper thumper" sectional sofa isn't a sectional.

http://community.livejournal.com/thesims2/5816437.html#cutid1  It's driving me nuts.

I can't even find the new sectional sofa. I've searched all over.

I've only played a bit but so far:

Like:
The walk to school interaction. I can have kids miss the bus and stay home for nearly an hour more doing homework then send them off without being late.
Most of the new objects are great.

Dislike:
How easy roommates are to keep happy. Mine is a drunk, she drinks at the damn bar all night then shakes her ass at the stereo all night. None of the neighbors seem to notice the noise either.
Not being able to modify the apartment how I want in build mode once someone is moved in. It's understandable but whats even more annoying is not being able to modify it without anyone in it unless you rezone, save, exit, reload. WTF EAxis?