Creating dorms TS2U

"cmbaker16;c-16482932" wrote:
@Maniac4u with sims 2 builds you create on lots in the different neighborhoods and sub-hoods, like your dorm for the university, don't transfer when you start in a new main neighborhood. So whenever you load into a main neighborhood you never played your basically starting over. If you wanted to place the dorm you built into the university hood there is a way. You would need to go back to the neighborhood you created the dorm in and move the lot to the bin, if i am remembering correctly. I can go in sims 2 tomorrow and double check and if i am wrong can give proper instructions to help as it is 12am here and I should really be in bed lol.

oh and the changelotzoning cheat can be tricky did you make sure that you had entered boolprop testingcheatsenabled true from the neighborhood screen, this is how you enable cheats for sims 2, once it's enabled go onto your lot and enter the changelotzoning cheat than leave the lot and it should work, again this is if I am remembering correctly. i'll double check this for you too tomorrow.

Yes, I used the boolprop code in the neighborhood. I'll try it again.

@Maniac4u I went into the game and threw together a dorm. I made sure to put in the boolprop testingcheatsenabled true before starting my dorm than I placed a empty lot down and built the dorm as I wanted it to be when I was done I entered changeLotZoning dorm and I left the lot. When I clicked on the dorm I created from the neighborhood view, it told me rooms were available. I moved the sim in and was able to claim a room and play. If you still have a sim living in the dorm you may have to move them out to try inputting the cheat again.

and to save the dorm you already have you need to go into lots and houses, select move to lots and houses bin, select the build you want to move and you'll get a pop up asking if you want to do it and select yes... or no if you click the wrong one, and that should allow your dorm/builds to be placed in the other neighborhoods.

other than this I can't really suggest anything else as the only time i've gotten no gameplay option with a dorm was if my sim graduated and was sent to the main neighborhood, but that's only if the sim that graduated is the only controllable sim in the dorm.

I hope my little bit of knowledge helps and if not hopefully someone else's shared knowledge does.

https://i.imgur.com/AAqMqnx.jpg

This is the "Sun" I was talking about. It shows up after I put the code to change the lot to a dorm. The other premade dorms also have it.

https://i.imgur.com/wuNVjPS.jpg

Premade Dorm

https://i.imgur.com/FnXK51z.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/CVH2rdI.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/RzTxKww.jpg

See the build/buy mode? This is what shows even after I move in my sims. There's no live option.

Idk anymore. I'm just going to give up at this point *sigh* Thanks for everyone's help though.

"cmbaker16;c-16483895" wrote:
@Maniac4u I went into the game and threw together a dorm. I made sure to put in the boolprop testingcheatsenabled true before starting my dorm than I placed a empty lot down and built the dorm as I wanted it to be when I was done I entered changeLotZoning dorm and I left the lot. When I clicked on the dorm I created from the neighborhood view, it told me rooms were available. I moved the sim in and was able to claim a room and play. If you still have a sim living in the dorm you may have to move them out to try inputting the cheat again.

and to save the dorm you already have you need to go into lots and houses, select move to lots and houses bin, select the build you want to move and you'll get a pop up asking if you want to do it and select yes... or no if you click the wrong one, and that should allow your dorm/builds to be placed in the other neighborhoods.

other than this I can't really suggest anything else as the only time i've gotten no gameplay option with a dorm was if my sim graduated and was sent to the main neighborhood, but that's only if the sim that graduated is the only controllable sim in the dorm.

I hope my little bit of knowledge helps and if not hopefully someone else's shared knowledge does.

I really appreciate you going out of your way. I'll try to building a new dorm and start again. Maybe the indoor pool is messing it up?

"Rflong7;c-16484002" wrote:
Did you start the lot as a Residential or Community? It looked like there's a Community phone in the front and I don't think the game will change it to the mailbox. You have to start it as a Residential if you want mail/bills and being able to live there.

Maybe you started the other one as a Residential and this one as a Community and that's why there's no Live mode? I don't know... I'm testing it. :)

Yep- start it as a Residential. :)

Ohhh is that it really? Yea, I started it as a community lot. Makes sense! Thanks, I'll try it now.

"Maniac4u;c-16484166" wrote:

"Rflong7;c-16484002" wrote:
Did you start the lot as a Residential or Community? It looked like there's a Community phone in the front and I don't think the game will change it to the mailbox. You have to start it as a Residential if you want mail/bills and being able to live there.

Maybe you started the other one as a Residential and this one as a Community and that's why there's no Live mode? I don't know... I'm testing it. :)

Yep- start it as a Residential. :)

YEEESSS!!!! It worked! I rebuilt the same thing on a residential lot. Thank goodness I posted the pics and you caught the community phone! Thank you tons!

Aha! So the issue was caused by missing mailbox and trashcan.
But glad this issue is solved. I'll remember to ask that first. Here's a reminder for the future:
Which lot type should you start with when building a special lot:
Dorm-Residental
Secret Society-Residental
Hotel-Community
Secret Vacation Lot (Bigfoot)-Start with residental, change to community for payphone.
Secret Vacation Lot (Other)-Community
ApartmentBase-Residental

Other types that help cheat code gives are not recommended (by me). But yeah, enjoy your new custom-built dorm!

"BMSO;c-16484908" wrote:

"EgonVM;c-16484712" wrote:

"Maniac4u;c-16484166" wrote:

"Rflong7;c-16484002" wrote:
Did you start the lot as a Residential or Community? It looked like there's a Community phone in the front and I don't think the game will change it to the mailbox. You have to start it as a Residential if you want mail/bills and being able to live there.

Maybe you started the other one as a Residential and this one as a Community and that's why there's no Live mode? I don't know... I'm testing it. :)

Yep- start it as a Residential. :)

YEEESSS!!!! It worked! I rebuilt the same thing on a residential lot. Thank goodness I posted the pics and you caught the community phone! Thank you tons!

Aha! So the issue was caused by missing mailbox and trashcan.
But glad this issue is solved. I'll remember to ask that first. Here's a reminder for the future:
Which lot type should you start with when building a special lot:
Dorm-Residental
Secret Society-Residental
Hotel-Community
Secret Vacation Lot (Bigfoot)-Start with residental, change to community for payphone.
Secret Vacation Lot (Other)-Community
ApartmentBase-Residental

Other types that help cheat code gives are not recommended (by me). But yeah, enjoy your new custom-built dorm!

Actually the issue was because she had set it as a community lot when she had built it rather than a residential and using the lotzoning cheat. If you make your own apartments,hotels or dorms it's always best to start them as a residential lot but always use boolprop testingcheatsenabled true or (on) before you enter the lot and build. After your done don't save and exit the lot yet as your going to need to change the zoning type before you save and exit.

Also keeping a copy of that lot in the bin is helpful for the future.

I always built hotels on community lots and they worked. Hotels don't need mailboxes and residental trash cans. I have built many hotels before.
Only residental lots generate mailbox and trash can. In community lots, the payphone and community trash can can be bought from the build mode and are required for community lot to work (I have changed a residental to community before). Missing mailbox and trashcan is a problem that is caused by starting from the community lot. The reason is that when you move sims in, they start out next to the mailbox. As there is no mailbox, it causes the problem where the game doesn't know where to put the new sims, making the live mode inaccessible. In the other words, mailboxes are the "heart" of residental lots as residental lots, dorms and apartments require it to have the lot function properly (Yes, it has bills, but in The Sims 1, the missing mailbox can block NPCs from visiting and make the lot fail to load). While yes, your wording is correct, I still agree with my wording.
That cheat doesn't actually require testingcheats at all. There are only few cheats that require that cheat. Only thing when the cheat makes a difference is when I delete the hotel door (causes the error message to pop up). Changing the neighborhood type does require that cheat...
I'm sorry we get into arguments. I really don't want to get into arguments. I sometimes test things out to satisfy my curiosity and word my discoveries and ideas my own way. If your suggested things work, then that's OK.

@Maniac4u is there anything maybe blocking the mailbox? like weeds or something?

"cmbaker16;c-16485551" wrote:
@Maniac4u is there anything maybe blocking the mailbox? like weeds or something?

Nope, nothing blocking it. The mail person delivers the bills and I can't click on it for my sims to collect and pay it but they are able to receive a love letters which is clickable.