I understand that "special" lots (the ruins, chalet gardens, and the island bluffs in Windenburg) are a part of the Sims team's effort to ingrain backstory and atmosphere in the game. However... the reality is that locking lots into such niche types is severely restrictive. These locked lots add little to no unique gameplay and limit our ability to create our own stories. I would love to to say that I understand why they did this, but frankly, I can't grasp the thought process behind decisions like these that ultimately limit player control and storytelling. I say it's time to free the lots. If you're going to give us an editable lot, we should be able to freely edit the lot type as well. I kindly request that these special lots be fully unlocked. We shouldn't have to rely on a mod for something so fundamental.

100% agree. I created a royal family and I wanted them to live in the Von Haunt Estate. It is not possible. And that irks me very much.

THIS!especially i want to make von haunt and bluffs residential lots soooo bad like really what am i to do with mansion if i can't even live in it? my fancy rich sims wanna buy it.what do i do with some random pool ?when i could have cool witch tower instead? and witch living in it?seriously.also i hate how they put graffiti thing in bluffs bg cause really did you have to ruin my ancient fantasies with thatruins idk I feel like that i don't mind as much but i guess it would be nice to have like museum or something there

Oh please please please!!! One of the biggest frustrations ??? maybe I don't want a garden!! I've been using zerbu venue change mod but I would love for this to be official so that's one less mod to worry about.

@Brandonstatez why do you want to unlock those lots?

Would have been nice had EA ingrained backstory into 'Journey To Batuu'...but lots that can't be edited is nonsense. We should all have the freedom to create the world we want within the 'tabula rasa' of the Sims 4.

Can Maxis please unlock "special" lots?

Lonewolf1044
Seasoned Spectator
5 years ago
"pandie00;c-17659620" wrote:
"troshalom;c-17659339" wrote:
@Brandonstatez why do you want to unlock those lots?

Why not? Options are always welcome

I agree, it increases creativity for me and puts everything on the table if all is available to use. :)
babajayne
5 years ago
I would like to use the chalet lot as a residential lot for my sims to live in. I was surprised to see that is not an option in the game.
I also initially wanted to create my Flaming Gnome festival lot in the Strangerville crater but that wouldn’t have worked, either.
How can we play “our own stories” with limitations like this?
bsozz
5 years ago
"Chicklet453681;c-17661387" wrote:
"babajayne;c-17661329" wrote:
I would like to use the chalet lot as a residential lot for my sims to live in. I was surprised to see that is not an option in the game.
I also initially wanted to create my Flaming Gnome festival lot in the Strangerville crater but that wouldn’t have worked, either.
How can we play “our own stories” with limitations like this?

Can someone explain to me why these lots are locked and can't be changed? I'm not a big "player" so I didn't know they were locked and couldn't be changed to whatever or you wanted it to be. Is there something particularly special about them that if it was changed to a residential lot it would break some function?

Good question. I have no idea myself. Functionally they don’t seem different than any other lot. I could understand if there were scripted story events occurring on those lots, but that’s obviously not the case (Strangerville excepted I guess). ?‍♂️
Babykittyjade
Rising Observer
5 years ago
From what I know I think the chalet gardens is a special lot that you get invited to parties at. I've gotten them before (until they were nerfed and I no long receive invites ?)

The others I don't know

But the cheat does not allow us to change the lot type. And those special lots are not special enough to be considered special so we should be able to change and use it how we want.
Something like the strangerville lab is the only exception because its tied to the story
babajayne
5 years ago
I haven’t even done the Strangerville story yet and wouldn’t mind breaking it (or another lot) for just one save.
OldeSimsFan
New Traveler
5 years ago
I see no logical reason why the Strangerville lab can't be unlocked once the story is done. That 'world' is pathetically short of buildable lots so every one is valuable. I wouldn't mind if story completion was a prerequisite for unlocking so long as the option was available.
Lonewolf1044
Seasoned Spectator
5 years ago
"Faraway_Son;c-17659585" wrote:
Would have been nice had EA ingrained backstory into 'Journey To Batuu'...but lots that can't be edited is nonsense. We should all have the freedom to create the world we want within the 'tabula rasa' of the Sims 4.

I so agree as this is the only vacation neighborhood that cannot be edit, or build in it and I look at that as an big minus.
Beckablitz
5 years ago
@Babykittyjade i agree since we no longer get invites to any Windenburg location (or any where :( ) then why shouldnt we be able to choose the lot type? Afterall the dance parties etc arent happening, which is sad as I liked these. So lets make the lots useful again.
RouenSims
Seasoned Traveler
5 years ago
I built on the Bluffs. I didn’t know we weren’t supposed to be able to.

We probably can’t change the one because the Knights of the Hedge have to roam there.
SheriSim
Seasoned Hotshot
5 years ago
The one lot I wanted to really change was the lab lot after playing through the story. I was hoping to make a military base there. I don’ know why they didn’t make one to begin with in strangerville. It could have been a cool active career instead of just marching around town, that was lame. The lab is now a wasted space.