Re: Basement issue?

@Pick-a-boo_doo , thank you for your input! 😇 I'm glad you were able to use the suggestion to help with your problem! 🥳

I do have a question -- you stated that you thought the reason why I didn't get what @jenn451 described and what you were experiencing in my initial look into the issue was because I had "created an empty room directly in the basement.".  Is there something I am missing about this situation that you did  that caused the problem? 🤔
How else can I test what is going on, and see if I have the same problem?  🤷‍♀️😅 Did you mean something different?

I did look into a house that I know I have in another save file from years ago that has a basement larger than the house, and I did not see this problem either. 

I'm asking this because I'm trying to determine if this really might be a bug, or if it is just that the basement was accidentally raised.  🙂
Are you playing on a console or are you playing on a PC or Mac? If you are on a PC or Mac, are you using any Mods or Custom Content (CC)? 🤔

@Pick-a-boo_doo , thanks for replying and answering my questions! 😊

I also am using a PC (I thought perhaps the problem was that you and/or @jenn451 might be console users and that this might be a bug with the console version, but this is obviously not the case!) 
I also do not use Mods or CC. 

I am also playing that version of the game. 

However, I was not using the "Basement Tool".  I kind of remember using it when we first got basements added to the game, but then just used the Wall Tool in the basement areas.  Thanks for bringing that up! 
So I tested to see if using the basement tool made a difference.  Using the same lot as I did before this is what I got:

There was no ground change 🤔
So I tried to raise the basement walls like I did before:

I was able to get the ground to raise using the arrows/handle like last time.  🤷‍♀️

The only other thing I can think of is what is the starting height on your basement walls from the 3 possible settings?  Mine are on the lowest setting, as you can see here:

Is perhaps your (or @jenn451 ) wall settings on one of the higher of the 3 settings? 🤔
Please update with your findings! 😇

@PugLove888, OK. I guess my explanation was poor. "First Floor" means the "Ground Floor".
So, don't use the "Basement Tool" at underground, use on the ground. And I didn't change height of wall.

@jenn451 @Pick-a-boo_doo @PugLove888 

This has been going on in the game for a long time.  I think it started about the time the devs gave us the ability to have 4 basement levels instead of the original 2.  @PugLove888 has the right of it though.  Just use the basement elevation arrow and pull down and it fixes it.  It only happens if you have a raised foundation.  It doesn't happen with a flat foundation if you put the basement in before raising the foundation. So, one way to do it is to build with a flat foundation, put the basement in and then raise the foundation.  I don't usually do it that way.  

I do it a little differently than @PugLove888 has shown you.  I always use the basement tools and I build my basements to follow the outline of the first or ground floor so the basement has the same outline.  I also always use the tallest wall height for my basements too, mainly because I want the wall space the higher wall height will give you to put up the collectible space and microscope pictures after I collect them and because I usually put my gardens in the basement.  You have to use the tallest wall height so the trees will fit.  

What I do is this:  I build my house above ground and figure out the floor plan.  Once the floor plan is mostly done and before I do any landscaping, I use the basement room tool to create a small basement room.  Then I drop down and grab the double headed arrow and drag the basement room down.  Then back to the first floor and use the basement wall tool to outline the perimeter.  Once you close the room with that tool, you have a full basement.  Then drop down and select the entire room, go back up with the room selected so you can still see the arrows and the yellow outline.  Then grab the double arrow and drag the basement back up until the ground starts to rise around the foundation, then drag it down one click so that the ground is level.  Then I put in the stairs to the basement and adjust the first floor walls around the stairwell.  As you adjust the basement elevation, there are also some color visual queues to let you know as well.  Green and red.  When it turns red, you're too high.

As you probably already know if you've used the basement room and wall tools, sometimes it won't let you follow the perimeter and turns red.  This is usually because of fences and exterior stairs.  Like you used a fence around a porch and have already placed the porch stairs.  So, any porch fences and porch stairs need to put in last, after you've got the basement in.  And then the landscaping around the foundation.  

This is one of those cases where the order in which you do things matters.  If you do it in the right order, you don't have any where near as many problems as when you don't.  It does take a bit of trial and error to figure it out though.

Hope this helps.

Hello!  I noticed recently that while using the basement tool, if you stay one tile within the boundary of the ground floor rooms, the terrain around the foundation is not raised by the basement. Building a basement along the boundary of the ground floor rooms and beyond will raise the terrain around the foundation.  Here is a short video to demonstrate.

https://youtu.be/XJg6HvW5Zbs

@Pick-a-boo_doo , thank you for your added information. 😇 Since there are several ways to make basements, it is hard to know just exactly how another person did it in a step-by-step manner.  😅

I was finally able to replicate what you and @jenn451  were talking about, thanks to your added instruction as well as what  @CGrant56 said and the video that  @JonaO703 provided! 😅

Even though I knew my suggestion could work to fix the problem, I really wanted to replicate the problem in my game! 🤣 At least I know now exactly what you are @jenn451 are going through! 😓

@CGrant56 , It sounds like this basement tool is really picky! 😕😢 That might be why I tried it once years ago and never tried it again! I just found another way and moved on, and then forgot about the tool altogether! 😅 Thanks for shedding light upon the importance of order in making basements! 😃

@JonaO703, Looks like it. I tried it too. However, if I widen that basement and make it wider than the ground floor, that area will still be raised. As a result, the basement made with the "Basement Tool" needs to be lowered one level.
@PugLove888he, I am glad you were able to reproduce and share the problem with us.
@CGrant56, Thanks for the detailed explanation. So this issue was a known one? Like PugLove888he, I had used this tool once and then created the basement in other ways, so I wasn't too concerned about it.
By the way, I think this thread is unsuitable the place to present reports or workaround about this issue, what do you all think? (this thread is MOD/CC issue thread)
If the developer did not intend for the basement created with the "Basement Tool" to be one step higher, then the behavior of this tool is a bug. And this original post should be moved to another appropriate thread, since this tool is from the base game. (since this is a mod/CC thread)
Not at the time to move this post yet?

@Pick-a-boo_doo    I saw the same thing.  After using the basement tool, if I expand the basement to the ground floor boundary and beyond, the terrain raised.  I wish I had tested that in the  the video.  :-(

I also just tested building a room below first and the terrain never raised.  It didn't matter where I put the basement room or where I pulled the walls.  The terrain only raises when I use the basement tool. 

I don't know if it's a bug or not.  It's possible the devs actually did intend for the tool to cause the terrain to be raised as you suggested.  It very well could be that the basement is just a bit closer to the foundation since since you're drawing the room directly below the ground level.  Whatever the case, I don't think this thread will be moved to the bug forum.  For one thing, bug reports need to have the template filled out which helps the dev team to know what packs may be involved, if any mods were used, what game version was used, etc.  Also, this forum is for general game issues, not just for Mods / CC issues.  So if you or anyone else believes this is a bug, I'm fairly certain there would need to be a separate bug report.

@JonaO703, Thanks for reply. It seems I wasn't able to understand to proper use each thread though I knew the bug report needs a template. Thank you for telling about it. I understand to need for me to know much more how to use.
As you verified, the raised terrain phenomenon just only occurs when using "Basement Tool" to create a basement from inside of the ground floor room.

If a basement is to be built from outside by just one tile of the ground floor, the terrain will not be raised. That mean for using "Basement Tool", need to be built from the outside of the ground floor room.

In the house has already been built on the full size of the lot, building rooms directly underground will prevent the terrain from being raised.
this is all I know, but I would be glad to help @jenn451 and others.
And @PugLove888 @CGrant56 @JonaO703 : I have learned a lot. Some things I was able to reconfirm after being asked and verified. Thank you so much.

@Pick-a-boo_doo , you're welcome!😄  But thank you too, since I learned a bit more about the Basement tool, which I had forgotten about! 😅

I think this issue might have been complicated when the developers added the terrain tools to the game a few years ago.  That might have had some unintended effects, though I can't be sure.  It could be that it is working as intended , but that some of us just don't understand the best way to use the Basement Tool. 🤷‍♀️ 

@Pick-a-boo_doo   Hey!  I learned some stuff too.  ;-) I think it makes sense that if you start with the basement tool outside on the ground then it starts out lower than the foundation.  Many thanks to all for sharing.  We all learn together. :-)