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The Great AntiJen
retired moderator
Original Poster
#1 Old 7th Oct 2014 at 1:40 PM Last edited by maxon : 7th Oct 2014 at 5:30 PM.
Default Making a secret lot for BV destinations - EsmeIolanthe I did it!
This is a thread for @Esmeiolanthe but may help other people too. Esme said it was difficult to get BV NPCs when you built a blank, empty CUSTOM neighbourhood without the option to have the standard EAxis holiday destinations. From my experience, I thought this might not be right and so, with Esme's encouragement, I gave it a go. And Esme, it works! I think. With my empty templates, as you know, I do have the option for the standard destinations, albeit with no buildings. I think what might help is if you try it with your completely blank method and check it works. I think it will but without faffing about with my installation, I can't check myself.

Creating an Asian Destination Functioning Secret Lot

1. Create a CUSTOM* Asian holiday destination for your hood.
2. Go to hood and place a community lot – make sure you name it the correct name.** That is, the name exactly as it would be for the standard EAxis one. In this case Pagoda in the Shadows is the correct name. Make sure you choose the place where you want the lot to be permanently because it’s going to disappear from view in a bit.

3. Load lot and build away to your heart’s content. The lot should contain a tea table.**

4. Save and exit. Load up SimPE.
5. Load the neighbourhood and sub-hood – that is (see picture), choose your neighbourhood in the neighbourhood browser but use the drop down box on the dialogue box to get the right sub-hood. I called my test custom BV location New Eastern Place but you can call it whatever you want.

6. Once the hood has loaded (see picture for steps), go to
Lot Description (top left hand box – step 1)
Find your lot and click on it (top right hand box – step 2). You should get the lot details in the bottom box as shown.
7. Find the Lot Type drop down menu – choose VacationHidden – step 3. This makes the lot into a vacation secret lot.
8. Find the U01 number and add 0x00000010 to it – step 4. In that case the number would become 0x00002041 (instead of 0x00002031). This hides the lot from view. In future you will not be able to place a lot over this one on the map – so choose wisely in the first place (see note 2).
9. COMMIT and save (steps 5 & 6). Exit SimPE
10. Load up game, load a family, go on holiday. Make sure one of your sims has the appropriate map to Pagoda in the Shadows. (You might want to check before you do this that the lot has disappeared. If so, load up the holiday destination and have a look. It shouldn't be there (visibly)).
11. When you are ready to visit the annoying old crumbly Wise Old Man, select the sim with the map and choose ‘Walk to.’ Then select those who you want to go and the Pagoda in the Shadows option when it comes up.

12 You’ll get there and should see the WOM floating in mid-air. Get someone to make tea. Make friends with the old so-an-so and eventually he’ll tell you the Dragon Legend (one of my favourite bits of coding from EAxis as it happens – they did a nice little job there). Or use SimBlender to max someone’s relationship with him if you can’t wait that long (that would be me).


* no point doing this for a default EAxis destination since they already have the lots.
** I’m not sure these things have to be exactly as stated but I’m not going through the process of testing again

I no longer come over to MTS very often but if you would like to ask me a question then you can find me on tumblr or my own site tflc. TFLC has an archive of all my CC downloads.
I'm here on tumblr and my site, tflc
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Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#2 Old 7th Oct 2014 at 2:01 PM
This looks interesting as I have been planning on making an empty hood using Esme's method. If this lot can be done, I bet the Witch lots and hobby lots can too.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Alchemist
#3 Old 7th Oct 2014 at 2:17 PM
I admire your work, but it's not really a secret lot once you found it - even more built it
Mad Poster
#4 Old 7th Oct 2014 at 2:52 PM
Quote: Originally posted by joandsarah77
If this lot can be done, I bet the Witch lots and hobby lots can too.


That would be interesting.
The Great AntiJen
retired moderator
Original Poster
#5 Old 7th Oct 2014 at 4:02 PM
Both witch and hobby lots require an extra little neighbourhood map of their own. Not saying it's not possible but it's going to be more of a fiddle than the BV lots. But witches and hobby people will spawn in a neighbourhood without the lots.

I no longer come over to MTS very often but if you would like to ask me a question then you can find me on tumblr or my own site tflc. TFLC has an archive of all my CC downloads.
I'm here on tumblr and my site, tflc
Theorist
#6 Old 8th Oct 2014 at 12:03 AM Last edited by esmeiolanthe : 8th Oct 2014 at 2:51 AM.
That looks doable, if a bit intimidating. (I'm still new to SimPE.) I will make a throwaway game and try this with the Takemizu Village template not even available at all. It may take me a little bit to report back, but report back I certainly shall!

This testing and finding out is fun, isn't it?

EDIT: Okay, I did some testing. Here are the results.


esmeiolanthe's Live Journal and Tumblr
Most recent story update: Fuchs That! on 2/21/15
Theorist
#7 Old 8th Oct 2014 at 2:55 AM Last edited by esmeiolanthe : 8th Oct 2014 at 3:15 AM.
Mods, please excuse the double-post. I appear to have hit some sort of limit and couldn't fit everything in one post. Or possibly I am just dumb and can't figure out what's wrong.

It's probably the second thing...


esmeiolanthe's Live Journal and Tumblr
Most recent story update: Fuchs That! on 2/21/15
Mad Poster
#8 Old 8th Oct 2014 at 6:24 AM
I wonder if anyone ever extracted the Wise Old Man's outfit. It would rather fit a monk sim.
The Great AntiJen
retired moderator
Original Poster
#9 Old 8th Oct 2014 at 8:37 PM Last edited by maxon : 8th Oct 2014 at 8:52 PM.
Quote: Originally posted by Charity
I wonder if anyone ever extracted the Wise Old Man's outfit. It would rather fit a monk sim.

That should be very doable.

Great Esme. I think that is starting to confirm that what is needed is the appropriately named and tagged lot to generate the NPC. I've been at work today (weds = loooooong day) but tomorrow I'm going to check the Twikki hidden lot. There's a scenario attached to that involving fixing electrical goods, as I remember it, and I've had an idea about how it must work. Will get back to you.

Regarding the BV locals - I think in a purely custom hood that it is necessary to make your own if you want them dressed appropriately. I know I did. Use the townie brick to make them to make sure they have the appropriate behaviours.

The change zoning method is probably altering the settings just as I did manually in SimPE. It's just I - personally - find it easier when I can see exactly what I'm doing. Hence I prefer to use SimPE.

I no longer come over to MTS very often but if you would like to ask me a question then you can find me on tumblr or my own site tflc. TFLC has an archive of all my CC downloads.
I'm here on tumblr and my site, tflc
Theorist
#10 Old 8th Oct 2014 at 11:42 PM
Well, Thursday is a loooooong day for me, so this may take a bit to get hammered out, but we'll make it work.

From what I gathered, the lot zoning method went something like "Start with a residential lot. Then make it community. Then do something else that esmeiolanthe does not remember. Then make it a secret lot. Then, when that breaks/if that didn't work, do something else that esmeiolanthe has also forgotten." I seem to remember multiple comments on MATY about Bigfoot not generating correctly, but I'm not sure that anyone ever explained why.

For making vacation locals using the townie brick, you just download the brick and tell it which type of locals you want, right? Or do you make them and then convert them with the brick? (I've never tried.)

esmeiolanthe's Live Journal and Tumblr
Most recent story update: Fuchs That! on 2/21/15
The Great AntiJen
retired moderator
Original Poster
#11 Old 9th Oct 2014 at 12:05 AM
OK - yes, you make them in Bodyshop/CAS - or at least I did - and convert them to townies/locals/whateveryouwant. I can't remember if the brick has a townie spawner. The Townie Gun (in game cheat object) does have a spawner. But the spawner will create sims in just the same way it created them for your test hood, it will be the same coding/proceedure. Meaning that I don't think they'll spawn with the appropriate clothing. You get that with the default sub-hoods because the game is not spawning BV locals but copying pre-existing files (hence you always get the same townies or 'townies' made to the same template (as in the student populations for university)).

Edit: I'm not clear with the changelot method you're describing why it would be necessary to start as a residential lot. No-one actually lives there - or at least, no-one playably lives there. In fact, I'm practically certain the NPC (WOM/Witchdoctor/Bigfoot) are not normally resident on the lot - I think it's because the game calls them up when you visit with a sim that the method I describe above is effective at creating these NPCs.

I no longer come over to MTS very often but if you would like to ask me a question then you can find me on tumblr or my own site tflc. TFLC has an archive of all my CC downloads.
I'm here on tumblr and my site, tflc
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#12 Old 9th Oct 2014 at 1:04 AM
Bigfoot's lot does have a mail box. *goes back to watching*

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Theorist
#13 Old 9th Oct 2014 at 1:46 AM
Quote: Originally posted by maxon
Edit: I'm not clear with the changelot method you're describing why it would be necessary to start as a residential lot. No-one actually lives there - or at least, no-one playably lives there. In fact, I'm practically certain the NPC (WOM/Witchdoctor/Bigfoot) are not normally resident on the lot - I think it's because the game calls them up when you visit with a sim that the method I describe above is effective at creating these NPCs.


Nor am I clear why it would start with a residential lot, which I why I said it was difficult to replace the hidden lots. (esmeiolanthe admires all the technical stuff as it flies merrily by several stories above her head ) Maybe there are some things that aren't able to be placed on community lots that people wanted to use, like telescopes? Although there are ways around that... But of course you're asking the wrong person here.

But you know, Jo is right -- Bigfoot's lot does have a mailbox, and a hammock (I think) and a little radio on a coffee table, as if he lives there. Even if he doesn't really, maybe that's part of the requirements for him to appear correctly? I'll have to look at the WOM lot and the Witch Doctor lot to see which they have.

esmeiolanthe's Live Journal and Tumblr
Most recent story update: Fuchs That! on 2/21/15
Mad Poster
#14 Old 9th Oct 2014 at 4:10 AM
Quote: Originally posted by joandsarah77
Bigfoot's lot does have a mail box. *goes back to watching*


Yet doesn't have a toilet.
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#15 Old 9th Oct 2014 at 10:39 AM
I refereed to the letter box meaning perhaps it started out as a residential lot because they come with mail boxes not toilets.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Mad Poster
#16 Old 9th Oct 2014 at 11:00 AM
I know. I just like to point out the silliness of EA not providing all the amenities. It's not like he needs a top of the line porcelain beast; just a peeable bush like in Castaway would do.
The Great AntiJen
retired moderator
Original Poster
#17 Old 9th Oct 2014 at 1:06 PM
OK Jo that would make sense. So probably start the Hidden Burrow as a residential lot and then convert to community.

I no longer come over to MTS very often but if you would like to ask me a question then you can find me on tumblr or my own site tflc. TFLC has an archive of all my CC downloads.
I'm here on tumblr and my site, tflc
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#18 Old 9th Oct 2014 at 1:11 PM
Refereed I am tired, that should be referred. None stop today on trying to get stuff ready for our market stall/garage sale.

I think they purposely left out the toilet because sims have to befriend him in the one visit, so no toilet makes it harder.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Inventor
#19 Old 9th Oct 2014 at 2:17 PM
@esmeiolanthe: You named your neighborhood "Garbage"?

This sounds useful enough (and I could stand creating a secret lot for each of my own custom vacation subhoods), but it seems like making an Island secret lot would be the most difficult of the three, thanks to the Witch Doctor's script. How do you add the four appliances (bathtub, TV, microwave and dishwasher) and make them all broken by default?
The Great AntiJen
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Original Poster
#20 Old 9th Oct 2014 at 2:42 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Pizzatron-9000
This sounds useful enough (and I could stand creating a secret lot for each of my own custom vacation subhoods), but it seems like making an Island secret lot would be the most difficult of the three, thanks to the Witch Doctor's script. How do you add the four appliances (bathtub, TV, microwave and dishwasher) and make them all broken by default?

I think that's not relevant. Or at least I suspect not. I'm going to try it out in a bit. See if it works and then I'll explain why.

I no longer come over to MTS very often but if you would like to ask me a question then you can find me on tumblr or my own site tflc. TFLC has an archive of all my CC downloads.
I'm here on tumblr and my site, tflc
The Great AntiJen
retired moderator
Original Poster
#21 Old 9th Oct 2014 at 5:36 PM
Right, I'm going to double post (or even triple) because this is a long one - sorry mods. First of all, my testing was successful. There's a small issue with the Bigfoot lot but I don't think it's down to the method of making the lot. What might be useful is if other people try this out and make sure it's working. Do you think we should post it as a tutorial in the tutorials section? Anyway, results and method follow for the Twikki Island and Mountain Retreat type lots:

Creating an Twikki/Mountain Destination Functioning Secret Lot
This is basically the same process as for the Asian destination with a few differences.

1. Create a CUSTOM and appropriate holiday destination for your hood (so an island destination or mountain destination).

2. Go to hood and place a lot which will become your secret lot – make sure you name it the correct name. That is, the name exactly as it would be for the standard EAxis one. An Island destination lot should be called ‘Mysterious Hut’ while a Mountain one is called ‘Hidden Burrow’ (without the quotation marks).

The Twikki Island lot can be a community lot to start with though it would appear that the mountain burrow lot was originally a residential lot which was then changed to community. I don’t think this is strictly necessary but I haven’t tested it. Whatever, the final version of the lot needs to be a community lot. Make sure you choose the place where you want the lot to be permanently because it’s going to disappear from view in a bit.

3. Load the lot and build away to your heart’s content. The lot should contain the following:

Twikki island lot: TV, Dishwasher, Microwave (I think the cheapest in each case) and the hammock that came with BV (between the two palm trees). The original lot also contains a bathroom though I again don’t this is necessary but I haven’t tested.

Mountain burrow lot: nothing specific though the original lot had all the main facilities of a regular home (bathroom, kitchen etc) and a large pond. I’m not sure about the pond but Mr Foot will fish from it if it’s there which, actually, can be annoying if you’re trying to interact with him.

4. Save and exit. Load up SimPE.

5. Load the neighbourhood and sub-hood – that is, your neighbourhood but use the drop down box on the dialogue box to get the right sub-hood - as I described with the Asian lot.

6. Again, as before, once the hood has loaded (see picture for steps), go to

Lot Description (top left hand box – step 1)
Find your lot and click on it (top right hand box – step 2)
You should get the lot details in the bottom box as shown

7. Find the Lot Type drop down menu – choose VacationHidden – step 3. This makes the lot into a secret lot

8. Find the U01 number and add 0x00000010 to it – step 4. In that case the number would become 0x00002041 (instead of 0x00002031). This hides the lot from view. In future you will not be able to place a lot over this one on the map – so choose wisely in the first place (see note 2).

9. COMMIT and save. Exit SimPE 10. Load up game, load a family, go on holiday. Make sure one of your sims has the appropriate map to whichever lot you want to get to.

11. When you are ready to visit, select the sim with the map and choose ‘Walk to.’ Then select those who you want to go and the lot option when it comes up.


12 You’ll get there and should see the relevant NPC on lot.

For the witchdoctor (Twikki island), he should be trying to fix one of his appliances.

Go over and offer to help. Then fix the microwave, TV and dishwasher (how does someone in a hut on a tropical island have a dishwasher?). In the meantime, the witch doctor has gone off for a lie down in the hammock.

Once done, after a while, he comes back over and offers you a gift. ACCEPT. It’s the voodoo doll. There is an issue here in that the action can drop if you’re not prompt getting your sim to accept so make sure they’re doing nothing or something that is quickly cancellable – this is a known issue and nothing to do with this method of making the lot.


For Bigfoot – you should find Mr Foot somewhere on lot.

There does seem to be an issue here with greeting him and fulfilling the ‘Meet Bigfoot’ want all your sims will roll as soon as they come on lot. I don’t know why this is. I think it’s not to do with the way the lot is made but to do with the later Greeting actions that came with AL conflicting with the code. Anyway, there is a workaround for now which is get one of your sims to talk to him and then use the Introduce function to introduce him to some of the others, specifically an adult. This triggers some of the ‘Met’ code which I think is required for the ‘invite to join household’ option which will turn up on the pie menu as soon as the relationship between your sim and Mr Foot is high enough (adults only). Anyway, once this is done, you can invite Mr Foot to join your family and he does. With the testing of this lot, I even went back for a second one though it would appear you can only collect one per holiday.

I no longer come over to MTS very often but if you would like to ask me a question then you can find me on tumblr or my own site tflc. TFLC has an archive of all my CC downloads.
I'm here on tumblr and my site, tflc
The Great AntiJen
retired moderator
Original Poster
#22 Old 9th Oct 2014 at 5:38 PM
Finally, this is just a thought. I was thinking a nice project to do might be to build some custom secret BV lots for download. And perhaps extract the original lots too. So people can place them in their games in custom BV destinations if they want to. I was thinking I might do a version of tea pagoda lot I made a (good) while back. Thoughts?

I no longer come over to MTS very often but if you would like to ask me a question then you can find me on tumblr or my own site tflc. TFLC has an archive of all my CC downloads.
I'm here on tumblr and my site, tflc
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#23 Old 9th Oct 2014 at 10:45 PM
Pretty,. I like that. The one that comes with the game is rather boring.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Theorist
#24 Old 10th Oct 2014 at 3:24 AM
@Pizzatron Of course I did! That way I know not to do anything with that 'hood (or even with that iteration of the Sims 2 folder) that I care about. I'm testing thinks that I think might break something, after all.

I will try out the Island and Mountain tutorials over the weekend, since tomorrow is a long day too, but I think that if they work it might be nice to have them as a tutorial. It doesn't appear to be anywhere near as complicated as I thought it would be, even with the vacation 'hood templates completely gone. (Not clean, not empty, gone.)

I love the tea pagoda you made! It might be nice to offer some secret lots for download, but how exactly would that work? Would people have to make them secret themselves, or could they be packaged up as secret and placed like the secret societies in Uni? (I will be happy to help with testing that, and with building, although I'm not much of a landscaper...)

esmeiolanthe's Live Journal and Tumblr
Most recent story update: Fuchs That! on 2/21/15
The Great AntiJen
retired moderator
Original Poster
#25 Old 10th Oct 2014 at 10:42 PM
Quote: Originally posted by esmeiolanthe
I love the tea pagoda you made! It might be nice to offer some secret lots for download, but how exactly would that work? Would people have to make them secret themselves, or could they be packaged up as secret and placed like the secret societies in Uni? (I will be happy to help with testing that, and with building, although I'm not much of a landscaper...)

I think it might be possible to make them as placeable secret lots (though maybe not invisible) but it strikes me that it's likely to be less problematic to provide them as straight community lots with instructions on how to convert. OTOH, we could test them and see if it works.

BUT - I'm finishing Polgannon first.

Friday's are another loooooong day for me too.

I no longer come over to MTS very often but if you would like to ask me a question then you can find me on tumblr or my own site tflc. TFLC has an archive of all my CC downloads.
I'm here on tumblr and my site, tflc
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