Are there any good tips on building an apartment block? In my case, I want to build a 4-storey block with 2 apartments on each floor.

I don't play Sims 2 but saw these tuorials on this site if they help:

http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=437141

http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=414521

Here is a tutorial how to do it for The Sims 3: http://linna.modthesims.info/wiki.p...ms_3_Apartments

The main difference between TS2 and TS3 is that in TS3 the NPC units are just dark holes that cannot be visited or interacted with. So don't bother furnishing them. I would also suggest to furnish and decorate only one apartment (where the player's sim will move in) and the public spaces. If you want to offer different options into which apartment the player's household can move, make it separate lots.

Volvenom was shared it some time ago here



Also reported about some issuies were found when she use it

Thank you for the information. Now that that's clear, I'm thinking about my apartment layout/floor plan. Here are a couple I've thought of so far with *awesome* decorating - they're meant to be English in design.

Design A 14x12

The bigger of the two - 3BR 1BA - this one's meant to be upstairs hence the balcony.

Design B 11x10

This one better suits the idea of a tower block - 2BR 2BA

I would like to encourage you to make the layout a bit more organic or open plan

Just make sure the flats has one entrance door and properly enclosed balconies. Otherwise the game may get confused. Also be aware of staircases inside apartments.

Are you planning to use a mod?

I went ahead and tried to open the space up a bit, while trying to recreate a "council flat" layout (sorry I should've specified that was what I was going for before). It's now 12x10 (more even)

I may have to use a mod for this lot.

Strictly from a player's point of view (I'm a regular apartment-living player in TS3), may I make some suggestions (in case you plan to upload at some point)?

- If you build an apartment with staircases only - and no elevators - make sure that the active household's home is not too high on top. Just imagine how much time it takes every time to go home and climb all those stairs, or going to work every morning, climbing down? It's more comfortable to live on the second floor and not higher. - Elevator is a totally different story.
- I confess I'm guilty as charged in this: most of the time when I build an apartment building, I forget about the trash chute. The first time my active sim goes to the trash bin to empty and starts his way down to the street level, I realize: oh damnit, the trash chute!
- As a Nraas Overwatch user, I'm absolutely aware about the dangers of hidden room markers on the first floor (ground level). During gameplay, the game regularly resets all those NPC-s and non-active household members who live in the apartment building, and they are being reset into a spot somewhere in the first floor, not far from the mailbox. If that "reset spot" happens to be in a room with a hidden room marker, the sim won't be able to come out, they will be stuck, maybe causing lag, and the stuck mixologist or shopkeeper NPCs won't be able to go to their assigned workplace, either. It was a bitter lesson that I learned as a player, and now I never place hidden room markers on the ground level anymore when I build an apartment, and I would hesitate to download apartments that have hidden rooms on the first floor.

Thanks for the suggestions.



- I've added lifts in addition to the stairs.
- I haven't added a trash chute yet, I'll need to download it I think. It's this one here, right? http://modthesims.info/d/424060/lat...rash-chute.html Can I still have a bin in the flat if the trash chute is there?
- In that case, I may need to move my flat to the ground floor - at the moment it's on the 3rd floor (in British floor numbering system). At the moment I'm not using Nraas Overwatch - should I get it?

If you have Late Night, you have the trash chute in Buydebug. Yes, it's handy to have a bin inside the flat.
You don't need to move to the ground floor, it's just that I wouldn't advise to place hidden room markers there.
Nraas Overwatch is useful for those who spend most of their simming time with actual gameplay. If you spend most of your TS3 time in Build/Buy mode, and not interested in gameplay, you won't experience its usefulness (I suppose).

It says you need Late Night to use that mod.

I have to get on with homework, but you might want to make this a caw issue.

We have a caw resources forum here

or, you could go to simminginmagnificentstyle

You might need to change the metadata in S3PE to be available in game. You should be aware though, if you don't have LN, you could end up in trouble. If the lot works without those items perhaps you should drop it. You could try posting in WCIF at the top of the main sims3 discussion forum, in case someone knows where you can download some that doesn't need LN.

I would try the buydebug cheat though, just to make sure it's not there, if you haven't. A bit silly if LN didn't provide them as well when they made the balls basegame. I seem to remember they didn't, but there is so much knowledge to store on the inside of my poor brain :p

I have LN installed so that should be fine.



In that case, what should I fill the ground floor with?



It's a bit weird for me - I'm mainly building lots or Sims, and usually only use Live Mode to playtest lots or photograph Sims.

You have public markers in public areas, hidden markers in NPC parts of the house, and no markers for your active family.



Even though you don't use the mod, the setting of markers will be the same.

Overwatch is also used by world builders to pinpoint routing problems. It can be set to lead you there.