How do I make bars/clubs stay open all night?

Once again I learn something I didn't know about this game! :open_mouth:

Was wondering the same things you are @JoAnne65 :) Following!

"Leutiankane;c-11830079" wrote:
if you ctrl+shift click the pro or dive bar in build/buy mode it gives you the option now to set the shifts for it. been that way since IP apparently.

I never knew that, thanks for posting it. New Info to me!

"JoAnne65;c-16889356" wrote:
So if I understand it correctly and distillate a conclusion, technically there is an option but the mechanics of the LN pack in general make it not very advisable to do so. Thanks!

@JoAnne65 , actually I suspect that the option might only control what shifts the mixologist sim tends the bar object. I doubt that option controls the hours the venue itself will be open. But yes, there are also complications to having a bar or lounge venue open 24 hrs.

You're saying that the bar closes and the bar tender just stays and finishes their shift that we just set? That would make such feature as setting their hours completely and utterly pointless for keeping a bar open. I hope that's not the case, not ready to accept that answer :) .Another possibility is that the feature is for when you put a professional bar on a lot that isn't a late night bar/club. Which I could see it having an actual purpose then. I'm going to test it. I'll report back later when I've had the chance to do so.

Edit: Made my post sound less grouchy. I did just roll out of bed.

"Satanu_Reeves;c-16889687" wrote:
You're saying that the bar closes and the bar tender just stays and finishes their shift that we just set? That would make such feature as setting their hours completely and utterly pointless which is a possibility but not ready to accept that answer yet. I'm just going to test it. I'll report back later when I've had the chance to do so.

No, it's not pointless. As I said above, I think that feature is solely for resorts. Resort lots are open 24 hrs a day. The shift feature lets you manage expenses when staffing pool bars, LN bars, the check-in desk, and the resort snack bar. That's what the upkeep prices refer to in your pic above. I think it's a bug that the option shows up on LN bars when not on a resort lot. Other resort options like drink quality on LN bars, chlorinating swimming pools, and setting the temperature of hot tubs do not show up unless those objects are on a resort lot. Seems like EA just forgot to restrict this option on LN bars to resort lots. Maybe because the other objects with the option to set shifts (check-in desk, resort snack bar, pool bar) simply aren't available unless you are in build/buy mode on a resort lot, so EA didn't have to worry about resort options showing up on non-resort lots for those objects. And maybe the LN bar resort options showing up on non-resort lots just slipped through their fingers? Dunno, but I'll be surprised if setting mixologist staffing hours affects bar and lounge venue hours.

I'm definitely interested in your testing! I put a LN bar in the library in Oasis Landing (the UL snack bar did not work at all, my sim couldn't order anything). The plumbot mixologist is only set to staff the bar the first two shifts, but the library is open 24/7. So, that setting has not affected library hours. I'll have to try enabling all 3 shifts on the bar and see if the mixologist staffs it 24 hrs or not. AFAIK plumbots don't age so I'm not worried about complications.

Where I see this could be useful, intended or otherwise, is that perhaps on venues that are already open 24/7 or very long hours, we might be able to arrange one or two different bar objects (and thus different Role Sims staffing them) for each shift thus providing something close to 24/7 coverage without making it look like we are working our Role Sims sims to death. Or are the shift settings per lot rather than each object per lot?

@TreyNutz I didn't think about that comment before I wrote it, it's since been edited. Was concerned it read like I was being short. Still gonna test though, I want to know what happens when the bar closes now.

"Satanu_Reeves;c-16889687" wrote:
You're saying that the bar closes and the bar tender just stays and finishes their shift that we just set? That would make such feature as setting their hours completely and utterly pointless for keeping a bar open. I hope that's not the case, not ready to accept that answer :) .Another possibility is that the feature is for when you put a professional bar on a lot that isn't a late night bar/club. Which I could see it having an actual purpose then. I'm going to test it. I'll report back later when I've had the chance to do so.

Edit: Made my post sound less grouchy. I did just roll out of bed.

I assume the problem might be that LN was developed long before the option to set hours was. Which might be why the pack sabotages the option. I’ve disliked nightclub curfews from the very beginning (and the hotspot system for that matter). I consider it an idea that may have seemed nice on paper but didn’t turn out very good when playing the game. I like the curfew for kids and teens (because that consequence feels in depth and realistic to me, though I do wish we would have had the option to bypass it), but not for the nightclubs.

ETA: oh, I like it you’re going to test it! Bookmarked.

"Satanu_Reeves;c-16889745" wrote:
@TreyNutz I didn't think about that comment before I wrote it, it's since been edited. Was concerned it read like I was being short. Still gonna test though, I want to know what happens when the bar closes now.

No problem. I didn't take it personally. :) I assumed it was focused towards EA. :p

edit: well, enabling all 3 shifts on the bar in the OL library did not force the mixologist to work all 3 shifts. The plumbot disappeared sometime after 2 am and was still gone around 8 am.

@JoAnne65 Yup, if you set a graveyard shift at the bar in a LN venue...it will close at it's usual time and the bartender will just stand there in the dark washing glasses with no one to talk philosophy with LOL. So as @TreyNutz said, it's for other lots such as a Resort.