I was invited to join the CFE (not final build) and Early Access (final build) opportunities for For Rent. Thank you to the EA Creator Network for this chance to show you ALL THE THINGS!
I will be taking and answering questions about gameplay, showing off Residential Rentals, Tomarang, new Traits & Aspirations, Snooping & Break Ins, Lore and screenshotting anything else you guys want to see.
The embargo has already lifted at time of posting and I'll break answers down into spoilers in case you just want to know some things and keep the rest a mystery.
Format will be similar to last time where I have links to each subject and add more info to each based on questions asked and as I discover things through gameplay. If you didn't see it the first time you look, check on the subject post again later.
Index to follow. Let me know if there's something I forgot.
Ask away!
INDEX
Residential Rentals - Uses, Restrictions, Management, Moving In/Out, Autonomy etc.
Tomarang - The new Southeast Asian inspired liveable world and the sims who live there.
These can be built on most lots in game, in any liveable world - so no destination worlds or hidden areas like Sixam. There a number of lots disallowed due to technical issues:
City Living/Discover University Penthouse lots (on top of shell buildings).
Island Living water lots (those ones that are partially land, and partially ocean).
Lots with unchangeable venue types such as CiL/EL Apartments, secret lots (Sylvan Glade etc.) and likely the special lots such as the High School/Auditorium from HSY and Bluffs/Chateau/Ruins from GT - thought these have yet to be tested as no pack access during CFE.
How many units can I have in a Residential Rental lot? What about the whole save?
There is an overall cap of 99 units across the entire save. With all worlds installed, that's less than 5 units (units, not lots) per world, so you might want to think carefully about where makes the most sense to build/place them.
Why would I want to build a single unit Residential Rental?
Rent out whole single family homes - Even if there is only one unit on the lot, it's still allowed to be rented out!
Buy a second/vacation home - By making your primary home into a Residential Rental unit (either in a group, or on it's own), you can move to any other owned unit, at any time, free of charge. This is great for rich families, extended stays near family, work related trips (such as a long stay in Sulani as a Conservationist), skill training (have your famous skier stay on Mt. Komorebi for their Winter Olympic season, but live elsewhere the rest of the time) etc. I'm sure there are many reasons to have homes in specific worlds, but not live there full time.
What is "Unit Tax"? Is it profitable to rent out units?
Unit Tax is a flat-rate fee of 50 simoleons per unit, per day. If each unit makes less than this in rent each day, you will run at a loss.
I had this issue trying to run a 16-room boarding house with minimal amenities in each rooms (just beds, dressers and mini-fridges). Rent never went above 24 simoleons, and even adding a suit of armour (10 environment) only boosted it to 36 simoleons or so for the room I put it in.
Conversely, starting with a small 2-unit Residential Rental (one for Property Owner to live in and a second to rent out), each with a full (but basic) set of suggested amenities, was way more profitable.
The system seems to encourage quality over quantity to turn the best profit, or at least up to a point I haven't reached yet.
I did some testing using a single-unit, self-contained house (Nookstone starter in OS) and my 16-room boarding house. The boarding house has 3x4 bedrooms/units, a communal lounge, 2 communal kitchen/dining rooms (stove, counters, 4-seater table and chairs, no fridge, but unit mini-fridges are loaded when playing in it), 2 communal bathrooms (3 sinks/loos & 2 showers in each) and communal deck/grills. They are built in the same neighbourhood with the boarding house built on the Agave Abode lot, so local/off-lot Amenities are the same. This way I had one extreme at each end (self-contained unit vs. nearly everything shared).
Seems to mainly be unit size and unit environment score that effects the Max Rent. I don't think having ALL Amenities in units are as important as long as basic needs are met, likely because they can be shared.
Changing the Nookstone's house/unit size so that the kitchen/dining room was almost non-existent made the unit size and the Max Rent drop by around a third.
For décor I tested in my bare bones boarding house. Max room/unit (3x4) rent was 24 simoleons, regardless of the number of beds in it. All had a mini-fridge, and a dresser (if there was room) too. Adding a suit of armour (10 env.) to the shared space didn't effect Max Rent at all. Adding one to a unit increased that unit's Max Rent by ~50% (I think it was 36 or 38 simoleons).
Removing Nookstone's kitchen (all except fridge) did nothing. Removing 1 full communal kitchen and 1 full communal bathroom from the boarding house - I had 1 of each per floor - also did nothing. The sims still had their mini-fridges in their rooms, and other communal kitchen/bathroom, plus the deck/grills, so all needs were still being met, just with less options.
The way it works you could basically have very low end, and more fancy/decorated units in the same RR lot, but with very different price points. They would all have the same shared Amenities, but this could be varied by clever building so that more exclusive areas are only accessible from certain units, or by using locks.
Tenant sims acquired via the Tenant Picker way won't usually pay the Max Rent, but I got 1 simoleon short of it with one Tenant. The better the unit rating, the more potential Tenants you have to choose from, so the better chance you have of getting close to Max Rent.
Alternatively, you can set the rent to Max Rent and move in sims manually via Manage Worlds. These sims will pay whatever the rent is set to.
Overall, it depends on if your want to use the Property Owner Tenant selection gameplay as intended.
I only have a couple of Tenants to pick from, where are the rest of the homeless sims?
The number of Tenants that show when playing as a Property Owner is tied to the unit rating and simulates it's desirability as a home. The lower the rating, the less sims there are interested in it.
I'm hoping this will be moddable to show all sims/more sims at each level. There is a similar mod that shows all/more sims to hire as employees.
Where can I see my unit info (rent, lease length and unit rules) as a Tenant/Property Owner once a sim has moved in?
You can view your Tenant Agreement on the phone, under the Home App. This brings up the same UI a Property Owner sees when setting rent, lease length and rules, but it can't be interacted with.
You can view unit info by clicking the Tenant Agreement button next to each unit in the Residential Rental Business UI. This brings up the same UI you see when setting rent, lease length and rules,
The UI can be interacted with, however, you can't change any of this outside of the Grace Period (starts at the end of each lease cycle, lasts 24 hours from 9 am). During it you can raise rent and change rules. Lease length can't be changed while there is a Tenant in residence. Leases auto-renew after the Grace Period is up.
What happens if I try to move Tenant sims out of a rented unit mid-lease or while owing rent?
A Lease Breaking fee (500 simoleons), plus any owed rent, will have to be paid when using the Live Mode moving options on both the computer and the phone. If you wait until the Grace Period, you would only pay the overdue rent... Unless you get evicted before then.
The fee and overdue rent can likely be avoided by evicting/moving sims via Manage Households, so it's up to you how realistic/avoidant you want to be.
How do Property Owners collect rent? When is it collected?
Rent is automatically collected from the majortity of Tenants. You get a lump sum of cash for all paid up units and a notification when this happens.
If there are outstanding rent payments overdue (someone didn't pay) you will have a notification on the Tenant Agreement button for that unit, and have various ways to nag your Tenants for rent (mail, in person, via front door - as with as collecting fines), before choosing to Justly Evict them if you wish.
I can't recall when rent is collected, I've played more as a Tenant so far. Not sure if it's tied to lease length, sorry. Will update if I play more as a Property Owner.
Do Residential Rental units need to be furnished? What are the Requirements?
There are ZERO required items for Residential Rental lots/units (a Mailbox will spawn one is if not placed though). There are merely Suggestions (needs objects, skill/hobby objects & décor are suggested to increase rating).
I will likely furnish most units in my save because if you want to start out unfurnished you have that option when moving in. If you move into a furnished unit, you are buying the contents, like in City Living/Eco Lifestyle Apartment lots. This means you can edit the unit to your liking.
Can you edit the outside of Residential Rental lots once you’ve moved sims into them?
Yes!
You can enter and fully edit any Residential Rental lot via Manage Worlds even if it is occupied.
You can edit inside your own unit, and add/move/change objects in shared spaces freely.
Some unit architectural details like roof texture/wallpaper/floors/fences/columns/wall décor on the exterior of units seem editable, and some (windows/doors/stairs) don't.
Some things are probably not intended to be changed, but could be (remember this isn't the final build/software) - E.G I made a bedroom of one trailer bigger, but then couldn't undo it without going in to build mode via Manage Worlds. The windows didn't move with the wall, but the unit boundary did.
What is a "Home Unit" on the Residential Rental UI?
This is a checkbox that indicates which unit the active household lives in. While loaded into a household and in Build Mode, you can easily move to any unoccupied unit on the current lot by simply clicking the Home Unit checkbox for the one you want to live in.
Can I move my sims between units/buildings they own at any time/free of charge?
You can move via the phone in Live mode or via Manage Households on the map.
If you want to continue owning your previous Residential/Tiny House/Haunted House home, make sure you turn it into a Residential Rental lot and assign all the rooms to the first unit (or designate multiple units) before you move.
Remember to Sell furniture when moving so that it remains in the house.
Can I move my sims/townies into Residential Rental units without having to be a/their landlord?
Yes!
Moving your own sims (or townies) into Residential Rental units, works pretty much the same way your would move a sim into an Apartment in San Myshuno or Evergreen Harbor.
For townies/any household via map/Manage Worlds:
Click on the household in Manage Households.
Click the Move button.
Navigate to the world and building you want to move them into.
Click on the building to browse the units by floor (clicking a unit makes unit info like rating/rent/lease length and rules pops up bottom left).
Select a unit.
Decide if you want it Furnished or Unfurnished.
Decide whether to Keep (take with) or Sell (leave in old home) any furniture if moving from another house
Confirm to move the household in.
For active household:
Click on the phone > Travel App > Move Household
Navigate to the world and building you want to move them into.
Click on the building to browse the units by floor (clicking a unit makes unit info like rating/rent/lease length and rules pops up bottom left).
Select a unit.
Decide if you want it Furnished or Unfurnished.
Decide whether to Keep (take with) or Sell (leave in old home) any furniture if moving from another house
Confirm to move the household in.
Will sims move in to Residental Rental units on their own via Neighborhood Stories?
From testing so far it seems like evicting via Manage Worlds has the same ease as Moving In from Manage Worlds.
Unjustly evicting while playing as a Property owner will likely get you sued and means you'll have a fine to pay.
In this mode, you aren't playing as a Property Owner, but rather as the player/Watcher. There are no repercussions for Property Owners when evicting sims this way, and it can be used to free up units/make households homeless the same way you would use it to free up any other home lot type.
Does the game auto-generate the rent amount for unowned units? Can it be changed?
Initial rent always seems to default to be a lower amount than the calculated Max Rent amount, likely due to initial Maintenance level always starting out Poor (to always give you something to improve).
Max Rent per unit seems to be calculated based on unit size and unit décor/environment score (possibly unit amenities too, but didn't effect the units I tested with). Deleting private/shared amenities did nothing, adding shared décor did nothing.
You can't change the rent as a Tenant unless you are also the Property Owner.
However, much like setting up Retail stores in game, you can have a sim buy the lot, set up rent for each unit and then resell it. Rent will stay as set until it is changed.
I tested if changing the unit size after setting the rent makes a difference to the rent set, and it doesn't. You could potentially charge way more than a unit is worth by reducing the unit size after setting the rent to Max Rent manually. You can charge way less than a unit is worth (even nothing) at any time, so no finagling needed here.
I don't know if the rent settings carry over when the lot is saved to Library/Gallery and then placed on a new lot/in a new save, like Retail setups do, as we have no Library/Gallery access in the CFE to test this. Hopefully it works the same, though.
By default, all unassigned rooms are Shared. All unassigned non-rooms (outdoors, etc) also seem to be Shared, but I'm unsure if they are used in rent calculations etc. Sims will be drawn to use various objects in both types of area.
I did notice in Build Mode that the the Amenities (suggested objects) are listed (with + marks to indicate their presence) both in the overall Lot Info panel, and in the Unit Info panels separately, and that the lists can be different. This makes me believe that lot objects are counted, but I haven't checked if these are items in shared spaces or the lot in general yet.
Can I assign fenced in outdoor yards/areas to specific units?
This may be the case with certain outdoor spaces like rooftop gardens, balconies and gardens made from the deck tool and grass/soil/paving floor tiles.
The space has to be accessed through the unit, with no other entrances. If you do have access to the fenced in area from shared space you would have to lock the gate/door leading to it - Any sim living on a Residential Rental lot can lock any door in shared space, so could potentially hog communal resources as things stand right now.
Any sim who has teleportation powers or devices (or a Watcher who cheats) can access private outdoor spaces (such as flat roofs, balconies, gardens and decks) regardless of access points and locked gates/doors.
Private yards/rooms with access to/from more than one unit will be shared by all units with access - Assign them as shared if you aren't planning to lock gates/doors, to keep rent fair for all units using the space.
How do Mailboxes work on Residential Rental lots?
Do I have to use a specific mail box for the whole lot or can I choose per unit?
You can use any mailbox you want, be it singular or multi, and the gameplay is the same.
With several separate mailboxes on the lot (trailer park) I did get the warning from the Mail Person NPC that they couldn't reach my mailbox a few times, but it functioned for my sim as normal.
I used debug wall mailboxes on each trailer and have most mailbox interactions on any mailbox on the lot. The Get Mail interaction is only available on the mailbox closest to my unit front door. I tested this by loading into 2 different units on the same lot and the Get Mail interaction moved when I did.
Mailboxes can be a target of the Snoop interaction, the target family will be whichever unit is loaded at the time. You cannot Snoop through mail on an uninhabited lot/unit.
There is an option to Sort Junk Mail while your own home unit/lot is loaded that uses the same animation of shuffling through the mail. This is only available while there are bills/mail in the mailbox to sort.
I noticed during one of James Turner's videos that he found a coupon in the mail (75% off of computers), but missed how he got it. I think it was this interaction though. I haven't found any myself yet.
Give Notice In Writing (§n) - available at own home when living in a rented unit
This is how a sim would move out. If it's mid-lease (say day 3 of a 7 day lease agreement) they need to pay a fee for breaking their lease. There is no fee during Grace Periods, which last for 24 hours after one lease period ends and a new one begins.
Send Conciliatory Letter - available during Tenant Revolts as a Property Owner
Offsite way to issue (and try to collect on) Tenant fines for breaking rules in other units and lots. You can also issue/try to collect them via the rule breaker's front door or the sims themselves.
Are there any premade Residential Rental lots in the Library?
I couldn't find any in the north of the map (Morensong), but all 5 or so of the small sandy beaches in the south (Koh Sahpa), by lots and the cave, have access to the water for wading and swimming. You can also use floaties (and I would assume boats/fishing traps) from your inventory in the water. This would be a great world for Merfolk.
The sandy terrain are not Beach lots (those are exclusive to IL) but does have sand activities available, including Draw in the Sand (solo or together) - Smiley/Star only, Heart is still MWS exclusive - and digging in Sand Piles for collectibles (I found a Tassel, not sure if there are Marbles/other collectibles). I also assume that Drawing Heart and Make Sand Sculpture will work here too with the relevant packs installed (they work on sand anywhere by default).
Households
Hidden Premades
There are various hidden households, I think the sims team said 20-30 sims all together, in various size households from 1-4 (that I've seen).
One of these sims, Panya(?), seems to be the NPC Property Owner for unowned (premade unowned? all unowned?) Residential Rentals. You immediately know him if you move into one of the premade unnoccupied units as a Tenant, and he shows up if you call the Property Owner to the lot.
The rest have a variety of relationships and traits aimed at various TV tropes and neighbour drama situations. They sometime resemble real life people or characters from shows. These households were added so that there were always a good selection of homeless sims available to move in when playing as a Property Owner.
One is the Cringe sim from the trailers. They are called Kennith Houston, and are part of a roommates household (4x YA, 4 beds) called Zaki (first roomie's surname).
One household, Shadows, are opposite roomies (2x YA, 2 beds) who resemble Wednesday and Enid from the show Wednesday.
Another, Bailey (2x YA, 1 bed), contains a Romantic husband who is likely to flirt with everyone and a Jealous wife to cause the drama. The husband also has a different surname, so you might not even know he's married to Tia initially.
There a lots more I have notes and screenshots for, let me know if you want to know if a specific trope/character type is covered.
Without mods (like MCCC to unhide hidden households) you will not initially see these sims in Household Manager. Once they are moved into a unit via Property Owners filling vacancies, they become visible and can be moved or edited in the normal ways in Manage Households.
The temple is in the open world, next to the playground area. The nearest lot is Taka Soi 15, the 2-unit premade Residential Rental lot in the northern neighbourhood (Cahyaputri family home by default).
Visit - Visiting the temple is a basic rabbit hole in-and-out with a short timer (about 10 sim minutes), and your sim receives a 2 hour Happy +2 moodlet for doing so. Sims enjoy the architecture and history, according to the moodlet text.
The temple rabbit hole object can be found in debug, as can the large gated wall/enclosure around it. These are separate items, so you need to click on the temple itself, rather than the wall/gate to visit.
The sanctuary is in the open world, over the river by The Screaming Gecko (default Lounge). Once your sim crosses the bridge by the Lounge, the Sulea Tiger Sanctury is in a mossy building to the left. There is also a lady and tiger statue to right that you can View for some local/tiger lore.
Visit Sulea Tiger Sanctuary (day only) - Visiting the sanctuary is a Jungle Adventure style text adventure with an image, usually with a single decision stage containing 2 choices. You can receive various 2 hour moodlets (I've had Happy +1 and Playful +1) for visiting the sanctuary based on your chance card and choice. I also found a Red Tassel so far.
Support... (day only)
Donate §10/§50 - Donating §10 or §50 gives a 2 hour Inspired +2 moodlet.
Adopt a Tiger (costs §100) - Adopting a tiger gives a 2 hour Energized +1 moodlet. A tiger poster and interactive tiger plushie will arrive in the mail from the Cub Club with the next delivery. The poster is a single variant and can be found in debug. The plushie comes in either an orange or white tiger variant and can be pat/petted on the head once placed. Both variants can be found in debug.
Sneak Into Sanctuary (night only) - Sneaking in at night is a Jungle Adventure style text adventure with an image, usually with a single decision stage containing 2 choices. You have a chance to get temporarily banned from the sancuary when sneaking in at night, similar to misbehaving on the attractions/rides in Copperdale. You can also be fined a clean up fee (§100). Rewards include a Tiger Inspector Badge, which haven't found yet, but is rumoured to make snooping easier with undeniable access to sims homes. Definitely something your Nosy sims might be interested in.
The temple rabbit hole object can be found in debug, as can the large gated wall/enclosure around it. These are separate items, so you need to click on the temple itself, rather than the wall/gate to visit.
The cave is in the open world, with no nearby lot. You can't walk (or ride/bike) to the cave, you have to swim or teleport (or boat, with IL) to get there. Good luck if your sim is tired, hydrophobic (Fear of Water) or happens to dislike Fitness. The nearest lots are Hothotok Shore, the premade Residential lot in the southern neighbourhood (Bun Ma family home by default), or the blank lot Tam Nang Sands. I showed walking/swimming routes from both these lots in my overhead town view.
Explore - Exploring is a Jungle Adventure style text adventure with an image, usually with a single decision stage containing 2 choices. So far while exploring the cave I found the Blue and Orange Tassels (new collectible) and lore around Tomarang's history with tigers and Princess Cordelia/pirate lore.
You can't sleep/woohoo in the cave like you can the one in Mt. Komorebi, however there is a "poohoo" bush just by the entrance to Fertilize, Nap or Woohoo in if you wish. The cave object can be found in debug. So far the cave hasn't lead anywhere like Werewolves rabbit holes, but one seemed like it did and spat me back out at the visible (via map) entrance.
Hopscotch is playable by any sim aged Child+ and watchable by Toddlers. Childish Teen+ sims may especially like this activity.
Hopscotch comes in 2 different lengths, and various layouts (the double number come in various positions, with animations that match the swatch).
The swatches come in 2 chalk designs (these work well on pavement) in various colour swatches and 3rd design that is made of painted paving tiles (this works well on terrain).
The game rug is portable, so it's easy to add this item into the open street in any world.
Dimensions: 2x5 and 2x6. The course itself is only 1-tile wide, but like with Yoga sims put out their arms when playing, so the width is needed to avoid animations clipping.
https://i.imgur.com/K69TO6P.png
Marbles
Marbles are both a new collectible and a game for Child sims.
The collection has it's own storage object (Jar for Marbles) with various lid colours/sticker swatches. This can be purchased at the Night Market, online and found in Storage > Miscellaneous along with the element rack and pin boards.
The game is played on either a rug or chalk outline (same asset, different swatches) and can be found in Kids > Activities, Outdoor > Activities, Kids' Room > Toys or Activities & Skills > Recreation/Outdoor Activities etc, it's pretty simple to find. The rug/ring itself is 1x1, but it has a 3x3 footprint to allow kids to sit on all sides.
The game rug/circle is portable, so it's easy to add this item into the open street in any world.
Dimensions: 1x1, with 3x3 footprint to allow sims to kneel and play. Like Game Tables you could place it in a corner or against a wall, but this would mean less sims could play.
Bought via the trinket/craft stall in the Night Market
Found while searching toyboxes (Teen+)
Won from other sims when playing Marbles game (Child only)
Ordered on the Computer
Tassels
A wall décor collection, though they are pretty small - I like to size them up at least once. This collection, like the Feather collection in Cats & Dogs, can be combined into a unique item once complete. I haven't completed the collection yet, so don't know what they combine into.
This is a collection designed to get you exploring Tomarang's areas and gameplay, as certain colours of Tassel are found through various means. So far I have found them:
While digging in sand piles on one of the little beach areas.
Functional Utility Appliances
These appliances can be placed on a per lot or per unit basis depending if you want even maintenance levels in every unit, or want more variety. Placing them in shared space means their maintenance level effects the entire lot. Placing them within a unit or single family home, means they only effect that household/unit.
Water Heaters and Fuse Boxes control the frequency and severity of water and power related Emergency Events.
These can also be used on other Residential lot types for similar gameplay benefits in conjunction with the Maintenance Troubles lot challenge. I'm not sure what effects they would have without the lot challenge, apart from maybe breaking randomly.
The base game Fire Suppression System (sprinklers) and (iirc) Thermostats from Seasons have also been updated to work on this by lot/by unit system.
Water Heaters control the frequency and severity or water related Emergency Events. Maintaining and upgrading this item decreases the frequency and severity of these events. There is also an Off-the-Grid upgrade on Water heaters, but I haven't tested this gameplay yet.
The Solar Water Heater saves power by using the heat of the sun to warm water, but only when the sun is out (clear days?). You could try using it alone, especially in the desert, but only cold showers are available at night try showering at night.
Dimensions: Both are 2x2. The Water Heater extends through the wall by half a tile, blocking placement on the other side without MOO being used, but effectively making it only 1.5 tiles deep. The Solar Water Heater doesn't need a wall and can be placed on floors, terrain or roofs (though it doesn't snap to the roof angle like roof solar panels). I'm not sure if it needs to be accessible to maintain/repair/upgrade it).
Fuse Boxes control the frequency and severity or power related Emergency Events. Maintaining and upgrading this item decreases the frequency and severity of these events. There is no Off-the-Grid upgrade for this appliance.
Dimensions: 0.5x1 tile. Sims do the electronics repair animation when tinkering with it, so it can be placed at any height.
This is the base game sprinkler system. Placing these in units means they only work in that unit. Placing them in shared space means they work for the whole lot.
Note: Remember that you also need fire alarms and ceilings in any room a fire could start for the sprinkler systems to function. If a Fire Suppression System is in shared space, the presence of fire alarms would be a choice at room level by Tenants, or could be pre-fitted in all rooms/units by the builder/decorator/Property Owner.
The thermostat is the Seasons lot-wide heating/cooling system. If I recall correctly (I can't test this yet) placing these in units means they will only work in that unit. Placing them in shared space mean they will work for the whole lot.
Room based heating/cooling objects should still work on a room-by-room basis. New in this pack are:
Functional radiators.
Dimensions: Radiators 0.5x1 and 0.5x2.
https://i.imgur.com/aITzRve.png
Wall-mounted AC unit.
Dimensions: AC unit 2x1, with 0.5 of the footprint depth on each side of the wall.
Snooping gameplay allows sims to uncover random, usually silly Secrets about residents to the unit/lot being Snooped on. None of the Secrets are tied to sim personalities or actions, and a lot of these secrets poke fun at the game and community memes.
You could use a Secret as prompt in gameplay to decide if that is a sim you are interested in interacting with, or if they give you the ick, or just plain ignore them if they don't fit how you see that sim. They could also be used as video or book inspiration for sims who want to make a living off of the Secrets they uncover. Snooping also offers extra fun/animations for various careers such as Journalists, Detectives, Covert Operatives, Secret Agents etc.
The Snoop interaction is available on various objects by default when visiting another sim's home, but there is always chance of getting caught if you are doing it while visiting sims who are home. Snoopable objects include:
Beds
Dressers
Bookshelves
Desks
Unsecured Computers
Mailboxes
You can usually find one Secret for each of the Teen+ sims in the household at a time. I haven't found any on Child or younger yet. You won't find another Secret about a sim until you confront them about the one you already know first.
Once you have revealed that you know their Secret, you have 2 options.
You can invite any known sim (no Open Invites like HR events this time) and a known/unknown Mixologist. Gold Rewards unlocks the new Float Lounger/Pool Float.
Invite Sims:
Host - Responsible for organising event & fulfilling party tasks, 1-8 required.
Guest - Attends as guest, 2-15 required.
Mixologist - Tends a bar on the lot, 0-1required.
Select a Place:
The 's Residence
Lounges
Parks
National Parks
Pools
Tasks
Main Task: Socialize while Swimming x5
Other Tasks:
Socialize by Poolside x1
Relax on a Float Lounger or Lounge Chair x1
Thank a Guest for Coming x1
Go Swimming x5
Have Drinks x3
Socialize in the Hot Tub x1
Listen to Music in Hot Tub x1
I'm kind of confused that Gyms aren't included as venue types for Pool parties, as they often have pools. Spas and Rec Centres might have them too, but can't test that yet.
It seems like a lot of the tasks are based on socialising, objects or swimming generally (rather than in pools specifically), so this event could potentially work on a Water Lot, or any lot with swimmable water nearby too as long as going off lot will still count for the task. I need to test this.
Testing if this works on Beaches, Rec Centers, Spas or any qualifying venue type placed on a Water Lot will have to wait, however.
Despite the event name this is not restricted to neighbours only, sims seem to be able to invite any known sim (no Open Invites like HR events this time). Gold Rewards include the new 2x1 grill.
Invite Sims:
Host - Responsible for organising event & fulfilling party tasks, 1-8 required.
Potluck Contributor - Brings group meal, eats and stays as guest, 3-15 required.
Guest - Brings no food, but eats and stays as guest, 0-15 required.
Select a Place:
The 's Residence
Lounges
Nightclubs
Parks
National Parks
I like that you have the option of just a few dishes, or a full on banquet by deciding how many of the guests bring food.
Starting party cost makes this very expensive (3x the price) compared to just flat-out hiring a Caterer, so I wouldn't recommend it as a way to fill the fridge with leftovers. However, I can't seem to hire a Caterer via fridge nor phone in this CFE build, so maybe they changed how hiring that NPC works?
Manual Events/Situations
Breaking & Entering
Any sim can trigger this interaction triggered situation/event, they do not need the Nosy or Kleptomanic traits
This event allows your sims to Snoop in peace... At least, for a while. Unoccupied units won't have Secrets to find as they are tied to residents, or returning sims to mess with (bad for Nosy sims or sims with Evil/Mischievous intentions), but Kleptomaniacs would be more interested in material spoils/targets anyway so wouldn't care as long as the unit is furnished. This ability could also be handy when playing Rags to Riches style, allowing sims to break in to homes and squat for a short time there using the amenities.
There is a sim-picker when breaking in, so why not take the whole family, or even just a friend to act as the lookout? Even more fun comes into play if you combine this with Get Together... Take your Klepto Krew for maximum stealing in minimum time or your entire Prank Posse to prank all the things?
To start the event, just click on the front door of any unit or Residential lot (empty or occupied) and choose Break-in. If the lot/unit isn't currently loaded, you will have to do this a second time once the target lot/unit is loaded.
Sims will attempt to gain access with a crowbar. It might take a couple of attempts, eating into the time allowed by the event. I think higher skills might help here, but I don't know if it would require Fitness or Handiness.
Once inside, sims have the option to Snoop on various objects to discover Secrets and/or potentially steal something with the Kleptomaniac trait. There is a timer until sims come home and catch you in the act, but it only had the pie timer and no actual numbers, so total time allowed is unknown and possibly variable.
You can click the timer at any time to finish the event and go home, or you can wait it out and see what happens when caught.
Autonomous Events/Situations
The handling and outcome of autonomous events/situations in Residential Rental lots can effect the rating of the unit(s) involved and the wallet of the Property Owner/Tenants, either positively or negatively.
Emergency Events (Residential Rental/Maintenance Troubles lot challenge)
These can be dealt with by Tenants or Property Owners (on Residential Rentals) or Owners/Occupiers (on other Residential lot types) and can involve getting their own hands dirty, hiring outside help or ignoring the problem and letting Tenants/other Tenants deal with it.
Participating makes the unit rating increase, ignoring it makes the unit rating decrease. Tenants solving their own issues will receive some monetary compensation for their time by the Property Owner as well as the appropriate skill, if any.
This is especially fun and allows for variety fun when playing rotationally. You might want to do Gardening if you Love Outdoors, for example, but would rather let the Property Owner deal with the plumbing and electricity.
I had a Water Leak issue as a Tenant so had lots of plumbing to fix. I called over the Property Owner first, to make fixing faster, but then fixed my own shower while the Property Owner fixed something else. For that, I received 75 simoleons once the event finished.
Stoves (both electric and gas stoves, possibly other gas powered appliances like fireplaces/grills too) can blow up, this can start a spreading fire and maybe death. Fight the fire, call Firefighters or install preventative sprinklers and alarms. Exploded items and fire damage need replacing and floors cleaning after. Normal post-fire insurance pay-out is given to (active?) household.
Requires functional Water Heater or plumbing objects in unit or shared space. Blocked toilets, broken plumbing objects, broken water heater, puddles causing mess. Fix items, call the Property Owner or hire a sim to do it.
Requires functional Fuse Box or electronic/powered appliances in unit or shared space. Broken appliances/electronics, broken fuse box, chance of electric shock/death. Fix items, call the Property Owner or hire a sim to do it.
Requires gardening plants in unit or shared space. Sick gardening plants. Individually cure plants (costs money, saves plant), or uproot them (removes plant).
It's probably not worth saving plants unless they are particularly rare, as the cost is steep. Removing plants also frees up space in small gardens to allow new things to be planted, so this one isn't all bad.
Cockroaches or other bugs (simply called insects/bugs in game). Individually squish bugs by stomping them (free, kills patch, takes time), or fumigate the lot (costs §400, nukes them all, fast).
Random ghost sim roaming the unit/lot, possesses/breaks things. Can socialise with the ghost until it's willing to leave (free, takes time) or exorcise an object while the ghost is possessing it (costs money, faster).
Tenants picket the Residential Rental lot (uses the protest animations first seen in City Living) and have to be appeased. Property Owners can be called to the lot/visit and can attempt to Promise Better Conditions by socialising with Tenants. Tenants can Complain About Rental Conditions to Property owners. Property Owners can try to appease Tenants from a distance by sending a letter, but I forgot to check if Tenants can complain via mail during event.
Trash Overload
A unit/shared space has trash on the ground and no/full bins. Clean the place up or hire someone to do it for you.
While not an official situation with this pack, they can be started by sims grilling or using other flammable objects in shared spaces very easily when the lot is active.
Maintenance Event (Residential Rental/Maintenance Troubles lot challenge)
These can be participated in by any household living on the Residential lot and Property Owners too.
This is an upkeep based event where sims should perform routine checks, maintenance and possibly upgrades on electronics, appliances, Fuse Box, Water Heater, garden plants and possibly other upgradeable items such as beds or Eco Lifestyle power/water generation objects.
You can do these interactions at any time to improve reliability, but these events may be required for aspiration tasks/goals and ratings changes.
Participation makes unit ratings increase, ignoring the event makes it decrease.
Community Events (Residential Rental, possibly requires 2+ occupied units)
These can be participated in by any household living on the Residential lot, possibly by Property Owners too.
Someone has organised a charity event on the Residential Rental lot. Donate objects via mailbox. This requires things in your sim's inventory, but something as simple as collectibles or toys works. I have participated both as a Tenant and as a live-in Property Owner. Not sure if Property Owners can contribute if they live off-lot.
I'm also wondering if this event is triggered by having a Generous sim living on the lot. I only saw it once so far, but lilsimsie said she saw it several times while playing her test lot/households, one sim of which had the Generous trait.
I'm curious if there are any other Emergency or Community Events added with this pack or with cross-pack compatibility.
Mold (lot challenge) - There's a dampness in the air here that just doesn't feel right. Keep puddles mopped, trash from overflowing, and plumbing objects clean or mold piles will start to appear.
Mold comes in 2 types, Allergenic (unpleasant, makes sims Dazed) and Toxic (Makes sims Uncomfortable, changes sim appearance, can kill sims).
Mold can be cleaned up one-by-one with a spray and protective gear (free, but takes time), all at once via a fumigation bomb (pricy, but fast) or by killing it with fire (warning: may cause firey death and damage).
Sims are more likely to get infected, and for infections to worsen the longer a sim is exposed to it (in the same room). Visibly infected sims and Death by Mold ghosts can spread Mold into shared areas and even other lots, making this the second deadly infectious disease along with Rabid Rodent Fever.
Maintenance Troubles (lot challenge) - Home ownership involves maintenance and this lot brings surprise events knocking. This is similar to the TLC lot trait trait from City Living, but can be applied to any Residential lot (except for Residential Rental units which already have this gameplay by default.) It causes Maintenance Events to occur, and gives some downsides/realism to owning a house rather than only having bad maintenance issues when renting.
(C&D) No Pets unit rule - This is the only new rule with all packs. It only mentions dogs & cats in the tooltip, haven't tested with horses/rodents yet.
New Unit Events
(C&D) Pet Adoption Drive - 5 or so strays (a mix of cats and dogs) spawn on the lot. Sims should be friendly to them to participate. Spawned strays are also adoptable.
Home > Show Tenant Agreement - shows Unit Info/Rules UI, not interactable) Home > Call Property Owner To Visit - NPC or Played Property Owner comes to lot Travel > Move Household (§x) - x=owed rent + §500 Lease Breaking fee if moving mid-lease Business > Buy a Residential Rental - Any sim, not just Tenants
Snoop - On other households' computers Household > Move Household (§x) - x=owed rent + §500 Lease Breaking fee if moving mid-lease Household > Show Tenant Agreement - shows Unit Info/Rules UI, not interactable) Household > Buy a Residential Rental - Any sim, not just Tenants Order > Purchase Marbles - Any sim, not just Tenants
Can I move townies into apartments without having to be their landlord? I have around 500 sims in my game and would love to move them all into apartment units without having to be their landlord.
1. Is it possible to assign fenced in backyards to specific units?
2. How do mailboxes work? Can you have separate mailboxes for each unit or do they all have to share?
3. Can you edit the outside of residential lots once you’ve moved sims into them?
4. If you build an apartment building & move your sims into it without creating a landlord, does the game auto generate the rent, or do you still get to set that yourself?
"candystorm;c-18331585" wrote: Can I move townies into apartments without having to be their landlord? I have around 500 sims in my game and would love to move them all into apartment units without having to be their landlord.
Added.
Can I move my sims/townies into Residential Rental units without having to be a/their landlord?
Yes!
Moving your own sims (or townies) into Residential Rental units, works pretty much the same way your would move a sim into an Apartment in San Myshuno or Evergreen Harbor.
For townies/any household via map/Manage Worlds:
Click on the household in Manage Households.
Click the Move button.
Navigate to the world and building you want to move them into.
Click on the building to browse the units by floor (clicking a unit makes unit info like rating/rent/lease length and rules pops up bottom left).
Select a unit.
Decide if you want it Furnished or Unfurnished.
Decide whether to Keep (take with) or Sell (leave in old home) any furniture if moving from another house
Confirm to move the household in.
For active household:
Click on the phone > Travel App > Move Household
Navigate to the world and building you want to move them into.
Click on the building to browse the units by floor (clicking a unit makes unit info like rating/rent/lease length and rules pops up bottom left).
Select a unit.
Decide if you want it Furnished or Unfurnished.
Decide whether to Keep (take with) or Sell (leave in old home) any furniture if moving from another house
"SimDork23;c-18331591" wrote: 1. Is it possible to assign fenced in backyards to specific units?
2. How do mailboxes work? Can you have separate mailboxes for each unit or do they all have to share?
3. Can you edit the outside of residential lots once you’ve moved sims into them?
4. If you build an apartment building & move your sims into it without creating a landlord, does the game auto generate the rent, or do you still get to set that yourself?
I answered all of these above. I'm arranging things in a somewhat logical order, so check the Residential Rentals post again for your questions.
@EmmaVane Thank you so much for taking the time to answer all of our questions! It’s greatly appreciated & I am even more excited for the pack now! :)
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