Q&A: Businesses & Hobbies
INTRO #AD (just in case this counts as social media) I was invited to join the CFE (not final software) opportunity for Businesses & Hobbies. Thank you to the EA Creator Network for this chance t...
Forum Discussion
Thank you for doing this.
I am really interested to see if there are any updated mechanics for vets and restaurants, particularly if we are now able to have residential properties as part of these too.
SMALL BUSINESS SYSTEM
OWNED BUSINESS CROSSOVERS/UPDATES
Business Items - Various decorative signs and decals are cross-pack, so you could use a DO decal on your new B&H sign if you wish, or vice versa. Functional Open/Close signs from B&H do not work for other business types, and default to the Closed image if placed decoratively.
Retail [GTW] - You cannot live on Retail lots. Various sales displays and surfaces have been updated to work like the ones in B&H when placed on Small Business lots, including the bakery and ice display cases, display shelves and pedestals. Mannequins don't seem to work for sales, but Sims will Try On Outfits from them if you have that set as a Business Activity.
Restaurants [DO] - You cannot live on Restaurant lots. You can use the Chef Station as a standard stove, or hire Caterers (not Chefs) on it, but it seems to be missing some newer stove interactions like Canning [CoL] and Family Recipes [B&H]. Sims cannot order food like they would at a Restaurant, but with the pack can eat via Counter Service (like Cafés) or help themselves to food that is not set for sale.
Vet Clinics [C&D] - You cannot live on Vet Clinic Lots. Vet examination/surgery/lab objects can be used on Small Businesses (to make pet treats, cure pets and train the Veterinary skill), but there are no Business Activities, nor Employee Tasks that direct Sims to use them autonomously. The pet treat vending machine can be filled with treats on Small Businesses, and looks full, but Customers visiting the lot cannot buy from it. You CAN give/attend Classes/Lectures for the Veterinary skill via the Hobby Whiteboard, so you could have a Vet School, for example.
You mentioned displays from GTW working on B&H lot. Does the Lice Cold Retail freezer work as well?
but with the pack can eat via Counter Service
I'm not following can you explain further?
Lice Cold Retail Freezer didn't seem to sell anything, but I might have missed seeing it. Sims were busy listening to Lectures and not buying much.
Counter Service is where you buy items from the counter (bar/café/boba etc) and then take it to a table (or take it away, in some cases) to eat it. It's not Table Service like Restaurants, where you sit, order and someone brings food to you. (Note - If you have a counter that sells food & drinks and also have food/drinks on Retail surfaces, Customers/fellow visitors will buy and eat/drink those items on the premises too).Random question on selling stuff.
If an item is sold, does it get the "Needs restocking" sign retail stores get? And if they do, do craftables need to be crafted again in order to restock them (you don't in retail stores)?
Also, with lots with counters (bars, cafés, boba teas etc), can you set the menu or is it just all the foods and drinks usually available?
One follow up question about the pet treat vending machine: do you mean customers visiting the lot cannot buy from it autonomously, your played sims cannot visit the lot and buy from it, or both?
I.e., I was thinking about having a home vet business, and I rather suspected that if I were playing as the owner, unplayed customers would not be able to come in and use this functionality, but I was still hoping that if I set it up this way, and then played as the visiting sim, that I would be able to buy treats that way.
I didn't spend long playing as the owner, about the time it took to make a out 20 treats. I could open and stock the vending machine like any other storage box, however, in that time nobody bought a treat.
When playing as a customer, there was no purchase option on the vending machine.
