coolspear

Ahhh, but I challenge you to give that baby a name???

Hoggy Wonka Humpapunk

Steamahog Willawonkawarts

Where does it end?!!!  

Thank you all, for your appreciation and thanks of how this mod has developed. Really, this mod and what it offers in game is undoubtedly fundamental to my gameplay. And I'm so very glad some of you feel the same way I do about it.

I don't think there is a single venue in my world, home or community, that does no have a Hidden Portal - silent version or otherwise. Same with those Teleporter pads. They've become utterly essential. I cannot imagine a sims world without them.

So thank you all for appreciating and enjoying them as much as I do.     

Please try a simple test for me. Go into Build Mode while on Meadows. If MultiPark is not an option to change venue to, then let me know. If it's not available then I'll have to add it to the Regions XMLs.

It's a simple fix if it's not there, - kind of -  so let me know and I'll make it so. I don't recall setting it up, so I don't think it will be available. But let me know. I know how to fix it if it isn't available.

The Glimmerbrook Bar

The new, unique Glimmerbrrok Bar Venue build. Made especially for the World Sim Control mod set that makes best use of this lot. Find the mods here - http://simsasylum.com/tfm/index.php?/topic/14676-world-sim-control-18-realm-of-magic-realm-of-magic-gp/

All other screenshots in spoiler below. I have to say, I think this is the lot I've done the most pics for. Not because I got carried away. There really is that much going on here. It's magic!!!

Note 1 - Some pictures here are not truly representational of the final build. Such as the pics of the spellcasters duelling at front of building. I like those pictures of them duelling, specifically to show that visitors will do that while at this venue, yet they are older pictures and do not show the final build as it is now. Worth a mention. 

Glimmerbrook Bar.rar  - Final version - Place contents of rar in Tray Folder.

cool1_objectRecolour_MassageTableBlackWood.rar  - CC object used on this lot. Place in Mods Folder

For more information on all CC objects used on this lot, please see this thread - http://simsasylum.com/tfm/index.php?/topic/14691-a-list-of-the-usual-suspects-links-to-cc-used-in-lots/

Final Version

A few tweaks here and there and the Dark Crystal object added as originally intended. The Dark Crystal object is now available for download in the Specialized Mods Section.

Hi @missmani09

I'll answer the second question first as that is easy. It is absolutely fine with Turbodriver's Unclogger mod. The mods here and that mod do very different things in game, different files tackling two different things. I should imagine it's only the "Simulation" used in the name of both mods that would cause anyone to pause and ask about conflicts. I actually use Turbo's Unclogger mod, too. Though I am curious about recent reports of LEs with that mod, as I am experiencing some too. Turbo says it's fine, but I am beginning to join others who would say otherwise. Though it's not due to conflicts with this mod. As I say, completely different files tackling completely different elements of the game. Like bacon and eggs on a plate can both be called breakfast, but bacon and eggs are not the same thing.  (Sounds like an episode of Sesame Street!!! "Two of these things are not quite the same thing..." Sing along. I love BigBird, Sesame Street, and always will. Here's why - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u85Ta5eCCHU )

MC's time manipulating function having an impact on simulation mods. That's a good, but deep and unresolved question. Over the years, with the Simulation mods first seen on MTS, it was a recurrent question. And there were two camps, Those that say it does. Those that say it doesn't. It's good that you ask this question of me now, as I am currently in a (massive) transition stage regarding MC's time settings. If you read what I wrote the other day, I am shifting from playing the game a super slow 75 speed, after four years, back to default 25. And the shenanigans it took to get me back to 25 in my longstanding save and have the internal clock be accurate again. (That's a whole other episode you can read above.)

So then, practically all the mods I've made for last four years have been in a game at time speed 75 via MC. Judging the length of time it takes for sims to do anything has been clouded by that. That's why I originally preferred and recommended TS8 Simulation mod, at 75 it's a must! Not only as my PC can handle most shit the gaming world can throw at it, but time was going one-and-a-half times slower in my Sims 4 universe so I needed sims to pick up the pace and get on with shit as and when I could force it.

Now, however, I'm back on default 25 speed. And that is an adjustment as freaky as all hell, after four years of 75 conditioning. So I'm still in the process of... trying to best determine this "new" universe of time and space I once thought myself familiar with - but I'm finding myself at a bit of a loss. It's moving so damn fast now!!! It will take a bit more getting used to. But on a final note to try an best answer your question, I am thinking of going to TS16 in this new, faster time universe. Probably will stick it in and try it. Default speed is too frikken fast, and perhaps TS8 is too frikken fast for default time. I'm still trying to work that out.

But before I leave, if you are on slow time, and on a decent rig, then TS8 should serve you right. That's from experience. With default time speed, the jury is still out... TS8 may be a bit too overzealous??? Give me time to settle into my default time speed universe and I'll have better answers for you.

No problem. Happy to recommend. But I'd ask, in future, move the discussion to the actual WSC thread you're curious about.

But for now, just get the All-In-Ones in place as that does take a bit of effort. Then form there, with 1 & 6 in play,  I'd say go for the Restaurant, if you have Dine Out. Lots going on and you'll have enough on your plate experiencing the effects over several visits to the Restaurant venues, so don't worry about any other WSC mod sets until you're comfortable to try something new.

So if any more questions about them, we can talk about it in each of their threads as you experiment with what you like to try. 

52 minutes ago, Evangelina said:

Dear Instantmagic!

 

Thank you very much for reply and yes now I understand all things. Like I wrote I didn't saw that the folder with the new resource file included the empty override folder as well.

 

But if you are here maybe you (or anybody else) can help me: I'm totally new in the WorldSimControl theme. There are soo many threads (WSC 1 - 17) and for a beginner like me I don't know where to start and end. Do I need EVERY WSC file or can I take only a few of them? I'm not sure how to handle all these. For example: if I use the "Empty Streets" mod - do I need the "City Streets San Myshuno", too?

 

If a user of Coolspear mods use the files from beginning it will be all clear. But for a new user like me there a so many questions because this WSC is a big, big theme. I read all threads (with translator as well) because I like the whole idea of this series so much. But even after repeated readings I'm often uncertain. 

I recommend starting with WSC 1 - Playable Households Only, and WSC 6 NPC Workers and All-In-One NPC. The All-In-Ones a little bit of work needed to get them setup, but once you do it's out of the way, then they are there in your world to service all other WSC venue mods I release. 1 & 6 are the ones that have the biggest influence on all the other WSC mods. They are certainly not vital to all others, but as a complete set they have all been made to complement each other better than using Maxis default visitors and worker NPCs.

I'd say the number one priority behind all the WSC mods is to have strict control over sims, and to utterly stop Maxis rules generating endless new, unwanted sims. Second priority is to make venues more appealing, to give them more functionality, to make the staff perform better and to give visitors more to do. The Restaurant WSC set being the best example of that.

So long as you have WSC 1 & 6, then everything else falls into place much better with any other WSC mod set you use. But like I say, it's not vital, just much more preferable. The game will still generate Maxis visitors and Maxis NPC workers for my WSC venues if you don't have 1 & 6, it just won't be as good. (Bloody annoying if you ask me. Hence all these mods to eradicate the annoyances.) 

Thanks @instantmagic, that's pretty much what it is.

Sorry if I cam across as crabby yesterday. I've been messing about all week with a new object mod for spellcasters, a Dark Crystal object that gives them lots of new options (via Dark Meditating like vampires) to better their skills or release violent curses and raging, freak storms, like never before seen, to plague many sims in the region. (The fire storm and its burning sims is a beauty to behold! - though no-one actually dies, just total eye candy to watch.) It's the last thing I'm working on before I upload the special Glimmerbrook Bar and remade Magic HQ and the rest of the WSC RoM mods and built lots, and it's a pain in the ass to say the least. (I really will be a much happier person when its done and working right. )

Of course I should be helping you with important inquiries.

When I advise to put mods in the Overrides Folder, it's because I know they do conflict with other mods, some conflicting with my own mods. That if you want certain features of one of my mods to work, I recommend the Overrides folder as another mod of mine has same XMLs and will prevent elements working. I do this so I do not have to break mods apart into more and more separate modules, because that's a royal pain. So I say stick it in the Overrides Folder so one element will work.

And when it comes to the Simulation Lag Fix mod, I really am not joking when I say I demand you put it in the Overrides Folder. I wrote that on the main post there, that if you do not, and the mod does not work, and you come to me to report it does not work, and I ask is it in Overrides folder, and you say no I don't want one of those, then I will discuss the issue no more with you. I really was not joking about that. My past experiences with that mod, the MTS versions, and subsequently my own version, its Overrides Folder or don't even bother. If you are finding that elements of it don't work, now you know why I say Overrides Folder, please. Then we can talk about the stuff that does not work. Hopefully it will start to fully work when you put it in Overrides Folder.

So how critical is an Overrides Folder? For me, it's an absolute necessity, as it really does help me sort out conflict issues with other mods. Or simply why a mod will just not work to its fullest potential until put in the Overrides Folder. But it's also there for you to do same with any mod you download from the community and wonder why it's not working. It could mean all the difference from finding it was due to conflict, than going to a modder's website to (incorrectly) report their mod is not working.

If still in doubt, know that I won't tolerate any bit of shit in my mods folder, and I do love the Overrides Folder. I had it all through Sims2, Sims3 and now Sims4. It's another great tool for better mod using and organizing.

It's a bit tricky, not as straightforward as would be desirable, to casually make more. Otherwise I'd probably do a set of all the individual movies for the very purposes of dedicated movie theatres and cinemas, the alien channel for the Sixam venue. (I may yet do that last one, as it's an itch that won't go away till I scratch. )

I recently did the Winter Warmer TV and finally polished up the Gym Workout TVs because Maxis do like to recurrently break them in patches, all the while reminding me of how much of a pain in the butt it can be. 

If you are familiar with S4S at all, and confident in making your own XMLs, then by all means reverse engineer what I've done here, and instead of, for instance the News Channel,  you could go through the XMLs replacing all references to News Channel for the Romance Channel on your new XMLs cloned from the ones here. As long as they are new XMLs with new numbers, they will not conflict with anything here.

You'd have to start by making a new clone of a TV, whichever model you like.

I purpose built the XMLs myself, (Which is why it's a bit difficult to explain it simply, for others to make their own, as they are not straight up, default Maxis files you can use.) but I don't mind if anyone uses them as templates for new TV Channel types. The more the merrier. And if you do make more and upload them publically somewhere, dropping a credit this way would be appreciated. And if you've gone that far, then you've probably made a great cinema venue to use it all. And that I'd love to see and probably download myself!!!

Already have one nice cinema in game, but could do with another. Trouble is have no space for it. The only real thing about real estate is there isn't any going spare! It's about time Maxis give us another Newcrest-type-deal, sorely needed.

I really cannot keep repeating what I've written here in several posts.

There're only two pages here, and I've explained the function of the Overrides Folder in several post. I cannot keep doing it over and over.

Overthinking it is causing confusion. It's a very simple premise.

The .cfg of this thread is setup to recognise the Overrides Folder. The original Maxis .cfg is not.

The Overrides Folder  - (Not a package file. I don't know why it would be a package file on your end when you open the rar.) - is simply to put mods in, to make sure they take load seniority and will work in your game. Doing this to avoid possible conflicts with other mods that may make the mod not work otherwise.

I won't ever be repeating this again. Please do not overthink it.

No, it won't conflict with the Empty Streets mods. The 300 mod will still be needed even with Empty Streets installed, as it also governs more sim visitors at individual venues in the WSC mod sets.

From my understanding, from comments made over at the official Maxis forums, the ClientDB file is only used for photography in game, only runs while photography interactions and picture/photo taking are used in game. Has no other impact on game at any other time.

Perhaps if you've been going wild with photography and your sim has taken millions of pics, most of which are scrapped, then it's best to delete and regenerate the bloated cache file.

Much like the localthumbscache, if you keep changing families clothing and such in cas, that cache too will become bloated with outdated, older images of the sims and needs clearing from time to time. Though it does have an auto clear function when file gets to a certain size. Maxis helping the noobs. Though this auto clear is a real SOB when you have hundreds of sims families, and their portraits, all of which are fine, but the auto delete files size is reached, and the frikken game keeps deleting it every other session. Such that you have to wait ages for clothing thumbs to regenerate in cas, or family portraits to regenerate. Maxis are not helping experienced players who play that kind of busy, highly populated game. Players such as me. They implement these mechanics for people who play the game like them. Hardly ever and not much happening when they do play!  Like I didn't have enough reasons to hate on Maxis already. Bahhh!!!

All the WSC mods will probably conflict with the other mod you mention.

The 300 mod is the same mod in every thread. You only need one copy of it.

I've actually edited this mod, adding new hidden traits and removing the vamp ones. I keep forgetting to upload. I'll upload it today.

No need for vamp traits to be in this mod any more, as my mod for Sim Cheats allows player to make sim a Vamp occult instantly,  or remove the vamp traits to return to human only. So pretty redundant being I this mod now, especially if broken!

Edit - Done it. Now uploaded.

Personal update October 2019

Added about 15-odd hidden traits from recent packs.

Removed the two vamp traits as they were causing issues. Well, me not editing them properly for a recent patch caused the issues.

If you wish to change your existing sims into vamps, my Sim Cheats mod will help you do that better than trying to add the two vamp traits from the hidden list DIY.

The reason for this and the quick fix are explained in the main post at the bottom and in about three posts of these two pages.  

Not sure about making subfolders in the Overrides folder. Not something I've tried. My gut instinct says it's probably best not to. But that's only a guess. Though it really would not be an issue to try. It either works or it doesn't. If I can remember I'll try an experiment. You can try too, perhaps finding the results before I do. I'll use the No EA/Maxis Logo on Load mod. Put that in a subfolder. Then load the game. If no logos show, then subfolders work in Overrides folder. If logos show, then subfolders do not work. A simple test to discover the truth of it.

Edit Update - Well I tried this experiment. I moved my SimserderDeutscen folder - which contains their "No Intro" mod (Not the best mod name, as we talked about. Then again, how many No Intro mods are there out there to get confused about? But it's still nice to know the creator's name, I wholly agree.) - into the Overrides folder. Loaded game, and there were no EA/Maxis intro logos at start of loading. So it seems subfolders do work when in Overrides folder. At what nesting depth I cannot say. I've done all the basic experimenting I'm willing to do on this. And confirmed it does work at the single nesting depth/subfolder range. Anything deeper, you'll have to try your own experiments. But please report results here if you do continue the deeper experimenting. This is a good thing for all players to know.

Regarding which mods are suitable, that's entirely up to you. Any can go in there, including script mods. (Though they should definitely not go into subfolders if in Overrides folder. I know that even without trying the experiment above.) I recommend the ones I do because I know they might, or do, conflict with other mods while in normal Mods folder. They won't while in Overrides folder, they'll take precedence, take seniority in the load, and be available in game. So if you feel you need to do that with any mod, it's entirely up to you. And it may help determine the reasons if you are using a mod that is doing nothing in your game. Rather than declare it broken, It might start to work when placed in Overrides folder. Then you'll know it was due to conflict with another mod. (Unless that other mod is already in Overrides folder, and the very reason why the first mod did not work. Aye, that's when it starts to get confusing, I'll agree. That's why I do not have too many in my Overrides folder. Just ones I definitely know about, or those I'm testing. Hence why I've never tried subfolders as there are not that many mods in there.) 

And I know exactly what you mean about creators and modders not naming their mods more suitably. Usually noobs. It does not hurt to send them a message relaying the possible future problems due to lackadaisical, inept mod naming. Sign your work properly, and be recognised all the more for it. Noobs-need-nudging, eh? I know, I was a noob in need of an occasional nudge once. Still do every now and then, and ever-better for it.

OMG! WoW!

But I know exactly what happened, what I did wrong. Forgetting, in a nutshell.

Recently, while working on the seaweed FX objects, I opened up the blanket as that has the template coding I was going to use for the seaweed and stone FX objects. So I started adding more and more Special FX to blanket, gathering and listing those I would possibly use on the other objects. They were never supposed to stay on the blanket objects, just a gathering of ideas for other objects on the template coding. But, typical me, when I got neck deep in the seaweed and stone FX mod projects, I forgot what I'd done to the blanket templates. So that's why they are silly with special FX. I'll get that sorted. But I've got to see it first, at least once, in game with my own eyes! Because, OMG! Hell, I might even leave a very slight trace of the sparkles on the blanket to indicate toddler is dreaming of fantasy butterflies, but only while blanket is in use. Sounds like a plan.  

In my game it is Natives only. Even if allowing the street walkbys, it is still islanders only. I have all that malarkey switched off in my Empty Streets mods. But it is only locals allowed by Maxis default if you let that kind of thing continue.

Though I don't know about the Conservationist Career. If you're letting the game dish out that job autonomously and randomly to the likes of Bella Goth, then I should imagine she would sooner or later be a regular visitor to Sulani streets and beaches. Not that I would ever experience that, because Empty Streets are vital for my sanity to rid my game of the annoying randomness and needless, choppy lag Maxis would have us suffer.

And sure, trait blocking is very doable. The very thing I've been doing in these mods all along. Sure, if Maxis want to do it now too, then great. But you're talking about who's out and about on the streets, and you know my opinions on that. I concentrate on making each venue I work on the place of strict control over who is allowed and who is not. And as I plod along with the growing WSC mods, I do hope to cover every type of default venue, while also bringing a few of my own , unique types into the mix as well. Eventually.

@htgcuteAs I've said to others, and in the main mod post, I cannot help with that because I don't know how you play your game or the specs of your computer you run it on. You have to experiment with them to find the right fit for your world and your style of play.

It's always logically best to start in the middle and then try others, or stay with that, depending on how your game reacts. You gotta play Goldilocks for yourself on this one to find what's just right for you, your computer performance and your style of play.

TL;DR - A hopefully humorous and informative story/report/tutorial on how to fix broken, out of sync time in your game when switching slow time back to default time in your longstanding legacy save games. There is a way!!! Read on if you want to know.

Putting out the Fires with Gasoline!!!

I have some helpful info to report, for anyone, like myself, who has been playing the game for a long time using MC's slower time setting, and afraid to take that important, historical save game back to default time setting, for fear of breaking the clock time, out of sync, out of whack and out to lunch forevermore.

Fear not, I have a tried and tested solution to get that ole timey, years old game save back on track, " the time sponsored by Accurist is...," Atomic Clock perfect state.

For the last four years, I've been playing my world speed at 75. (Default is 25.) Four long years of the same world, going at a time-and-a-half slower pace than default. But for me to test mods thoroughly and accurately, especially the ones of the Simulation Lag Fix thread, I need to get back to default speed. But I did not relish losing my beloved world and having to start a new game, for breaking, corrupting the timeline.

So I had to come up with an idea. If I don't want to break time, then I really have to over break it, and see if it sets itself right in the aftermath. Putting out fires with gasoline. Ending this inferno of broken time, that would normally burn forevermore like the eternal flames of hell, with a definitive dynamite blast. And weerbesu just happens to have a mod with enough dynamite to pack such a punch and set time perfectly straight and... on time, again.

Using both MC and weerbesu's UI Mod, I began the experiment. I originally planned to go down at five increments at a time, from 75 to 70, 70 to 65, so on and so on till hitting default time.  And every time I went down five, then reloaded the game to find it god knows where on what time and day from where I left, I was to also use UI Mod to jump forward 12 hours, before editing the next five increments.  Hoping against hope that it may very well say it has jumped forward twelve hours, for 7am to 19pm, but may truly have jumped as much time it needed so as to accurately end up on 7pm. Worth a shot, to see if this method makes any difference.

I did it a couple of times to be on 65, but I had no way of knowing if it was truly working. I did plan to give my unemployed test sim a job at the end of it all, once on 25 proper, to see what time she would be leaving and coming home from work. That's the definitive Litmus, benchmark, watermark test right there, and also how the calendar events line up at the end. But I still had a lot more increments of five and 12 hour jumps to get through till then.

On the third go I, how can a put this? I dropped the lit match into the box of dynamite, and blew time apart. Shattered it. If it was only partially broken before, it got a lot more broken next. So broken and blown-up, it came full circle back to spot on perfection in fact. While attempting to do another 12 hour jump forward, dipshit here, lucky-ass-dipshit to be precise, instead of typing in 19 for 7pm, I went all militaristic and typed in 1900 hours, like I'm a grunt writing an official report for a general to read. "Sir, yes, sir!" Let me tell you, if you ever wanted to know how it feels jumping from the Stone Age to the Medieval Age at the push of a button, my little test sim just went through that. Remember that old movie adaptation of H G Wells' Time Machine? Where your man is sitting in the contraption and makes huge time jumps and the world all around him speeds up and changes dramatically. "The whole surface of the earth seemed changed--melting and flowing under my eyes." (What a writer.) That's what was happening to my sim!

Time was not being reported accurately on the UI as it was trying to catch up with its future destination that was centuries away. My sim's moods and buffs were coming and going by the second, living days worth in mere moments. The most helpful indicator of passing time was the threats for not paying bills. on average every three second for yet another one, of course after the punishment messages of having utilities cut off for failing to pay each bill, over and over. Off The Grid? Ha! You're only truly off the grid when fourth dimensional space-time cannot even reach you any more. Otherwise you're just faking it. It was mid summer when I hit that enter button. Whole seasons were going by in mere moments. Rain, wind, heat waves, snow, all fighting for their right to belong in the world every few seconds. Every time I opened the scrambled calender to try and make sense of it all, I did not know if another month had gone by or another year! Remember that job I was going to give the sim? I said fuck it, and with my cheat mod I gave her the science career. What more could I possibly lose at this stage?! This now is science, now experimenting. As equally fast as the mood swings, the changing weather and the millions of threats for a millions of unpaid bills, the daily invites to go work at the labs were coming up once every two or three seconds. I think they would have come faster, but I was also getting messages about her being promoted too. And she hadn't even moved off the spot! Not even when she finally got the "you're fired!" message for failing to show up at work too many times.

I broke time? Utterly shattered it more like! Time to decide will I scrap this knackered project, or will I try one last round of tests, just because...

I set time speed to default 25, forget small increments. Can't get more busted than this, surely? Saved, quit. Reload. Gave her the science job again. 12pm in game, I want to go forward to 12am. But what the heck, the soldier in me typed in 2400. That's the whole yard full of dynamite now. Fuck it, in for a penny... Hit enter. Un-paused game for a split second to feel the crazy time rush as it kicks in. Paused, saved, quit. Reloaded.

In game it was calm. No more warnings of unpaid, mounting bills. No repeat sackings from job. It was eerily calm. It was snowing, because it was winter. Again. I left when it was late spring. Summer and autumn were... never happened.  It was 10.30am on a Tuesday and my sim was at work, 10am start. Promising sign, and obviously she held the job down this time. I checked the calendar. The normal Starlight Event was back on for its usual Sunday Night gig. Again promising. Okay, speed up time to bring her home. All the while the weirdest feeling for me experiencing default time speeds, even when going at super speed, for the first time in four years. Maybe eight years, because it feels like I've just lost four years in game time! All very H G Wells, let me tell you.

7pm on the dot she comes home, just as she should. Promising? Fricking brilliant!!! An empty lot, except for a table and a computer, but still the best home in time there could be right now. I carry on messing around with speed up time. Smooth and quick as you like. Time is rocketing by, even on normal speeds. From my perspective at least. Time to unlearn what you have learned, I think to myself while imagining Yoda. But distracted next by a message on screen at 9am precisely, about leaving for work in an hour. 10am, balls dead accurate Atomic Clock fashion, and she's back out the door (no door actually) and is off on her perfectly punctual way to the labs once more. Miraculously punctual, you might say.

Sorted. I'll be keeping this test sim. She's earned her right to exist in time forevermore, and be a regular cast member on the show. Certainly in my world.

I jump over to my main sim's house expecting to see an old, frail man. But nope, he is not even home. He is still at the Glimmerbrook Bar venue where I last left him. As are all the spellcasters who were with him. Not a single one of them batting a questioning, curious eyelid while wearing their summer tee-shirts and shorts as the crisp, fresh, mid-winter snow falls all about them.

Time to get the Holiday décor out of boxes and up on the walls again! - (Doesn't it feel like it comes back quicker and quicker each year?)  - And no bad thing.

PS. Not a single LE triggered during any stage of this. Not one. And it's anyone's guess what the actual year is in my game now. But you ask them the time of day, and they'll tell you exactly. And they'll be faultless in the report.

Now I can finally get to testing the Fun Is More Important Than You Think mod at last, as time being dead on accurate is equally as important for that mod. Yippee!!!

Let me know if you too are willing to take these steps to get time on default track in your long-term, favourite, legacy game saves. Fight fire with fire, it's the only way to be sure... (I recommend switching off aging before you start, because, fuck, returning to an empty world full of utterly dead sims!!! Not good. )

I'm also going to post all this in a standalone thread, as I think it important enough to inform folks there is now a way, drastic as it seems, to finally get the game clock back in sync with reality when going back to default time from a state of slow time.

Update - October 2919 - Added column from Realm of Magic.

Personal update October 2019 - Re-sized blocking footprint on the two chandeliers from Get Famous. Added new No Fade lights from Moschino and from Realm of Magic while also reducing the blocking footprints from those lights too, so they no longer cause sim route fails. Why do Maxis think that's okay? Five years of this game now and they still think that shit is okay.

As explained a good few times in this thread, that's just the way default "Licensing" works. Not to be confused with the selling of books game mechanic. You are not selling the work outright, you are leasing it for a time period. Even by Maxis rules you can lease/license the work again and again when the blocking countdown is over. These mods remove the countdown so the work can be leased again instantly, over and over. Though, yet again in this thread, I will stress that this is not the main reason this mod set came into being. It's primarily reworked to allow you to license NEW stuff without any blocks, as you may have a very prolific, productive sim on your hands and I don't think it's wise, fair or even realistic to block them releasing new stuff if old stuff has not yet finished the countdown.

But if you want to abuse the loophole to keep re-licensing old stuff over and over that's down to the player. There are easier and quicker ways to cheat money if that's all it comes down to.

StrangerVille Secret Labs & Alien Party

The default Secret Labs have to be one of the most boring, ho-hum, purpose-centric venues ever created. I know some residential lots of StrangerVille and other packs have come under fire for being so bland, lacklustre and unbefitting, folks would prefer to just nuke them from orbit, rather than have to go to the trouble wasting time loading the lots just to instantly bulldoze them. Though part of me does believe Maxis do this on purpose, so to push players to be more adventurous with the wealth of building tools, and I do somewhat agree. Though when it comes to venues that will be locked off from Build Mode, as they serve a deeper, story-driven purpose which they, - Maxis - don't want you tampering with because you're a boorish, reckless, blunderbuss child that cannot be trusted in your own game, then I do expect more than a modicum of enthusiasm to go into the building of the locked lot. Otherwise don't lock it off, so that cheats are needed to open build access and make it more worthwhile. I'm not a reckless child, Maxis. I won't set about ruining it beyond use if I'm allowed in to plonk down a few more things, FFS!

Having said that, cheats still do not allow you to work on StrangerVille Secret Labs. A venue so locked off, good and tight as a drum, it stays as it lays, so definitely should have been a bit more effort put into its final look by the devs, so players don't instantly feel the need to spruce it up a bit, staying on theme all the while. Because you can't. Even with Build Mode activated by cheat, you cannot move, buy, replace, delete anything, it's that locked off! Ah, well. We're all just undisciplined, haphazard kids in Mother Maxis' eyes. But kids who learn how to mod.

So as it stands, with cheats on to allow Build Mode access, there can be some limited success in changing the lacklustre Secret Labs to something more favourable, and give it a bit more lively spice, rather than the Nothin' Doing default approach. Try as I might, - and I have - Secret Labs does not take too kindly to being a Residential Venue. Mods I've tried by other creators, and those I've made myself, all hit a snag somewhere along the line that makes the efforts in trying a regret. Mainly because of the Build Mode always staying in Retail Mode, and even if your housed, resi sim is a gazillionair, Build Mode says they have zero simoleons to spend on anything. Then if you boot up the game and load the resi Secret labs straight away for new session, you get LEs up the wazoo as mods only get properly, fully loaded during that first lot load, and the lot was a community affair for the first few seconds, then a resi affair by the end, so you get a message saying "sim is visiting a community lot," even though they are home. So sim is greyed-out and unplayable even though at home, and a string of lovely orange LE messages to remind you of the complete waste of time it was to make this lot a resi venue - and now where the fuck is my missing, greyed-out sim?!!! Resi, not on your nelly. Plus, the lot has a hidden mechanic to restore any of the missing exterior items, so that's a real kick in the crotch if you've spent the day totally remodelling the entire build, only to load up next session and have all those exterior objects put back on top of your new stuff. Resi lot? Not ever!!!

Fun, funky alien party community lot? Sure! Especially if you don't change the default exterior object layout, just work around it. Leave it there and blend in with it. Mess around with interior as much as you like, but keep the same architectural shape of the building, then you cannot fail! Best of both worlds. And have the best of an alien world turn up to have some fun!!!

As the cheat allows for Build Mode, you have that one shot of replacing the building with one from your Library. A new building that will also work with what Maxis will continually force the look, architecture and exterior décor of this build to be. Buying, moving, deleting, replacing objects will never be allowed in Build Mode after replacing with this new Secret Labs. But, hell, if I've done my job properly for this fun Alien Secret Labs venue, you'll never need to go into Build Mode again. Just go there and have fun, or continue with the Mother Plant StrangerVille Story, or do both.

Now enough with the frikken writing. Time for some pictures in spoiler tab below.

With this lot comes a Cloned version of the Key Card Lab Doors. I'm trying to remember why I cloned a second version, rather than use the Maxis default Key Card Doors. If memory serves, it's because their default model did not have all recolors and I wanted the right colour doors for this venue. Anyway, those cloned Key Card Doors are needed for StrangerVille Mother Plant Story in this particular build, so I will include the door object here to also download with the lot venue. If you do not download the doors, they will be missing from the lot and your sim will not be able to get into the Mother Plant Area, nor will there be a point in doing the fetch quest stuff to get the needed key card to open the doors.

Notes of interest -

There are no basement levels to this lot anymore. Primary coming about due to Maxis breaking basement flooring and not saying jack shit about it for ages. Didn't know if it was a glitch or their new way of doing basement shit. They finally fessed up and officially recognised the glitch, even now have fixed it. But at the time I was tinkering with this lot and its mods... So I took a different approach on where the Mother Plant goes. Actually I think it looks so much better where it now is, on full view. A real visual treat sitting right in the middle of the lot. A look-but-can't-touch theme, certainly without getting needed door key card first.

If there are awards for making the best sci-fi noises and sound FX in games and movies, (I know there are because original Star Wars got awards up the wazoo for all those funky sound effects, especially the light sabres.) then I would like to strongly recommend the sound dev on the Maxis team who did the sound FX for the electric arc fence around the Mother Plant, to be nominated for said award. I made a separate FX Stone of that arc fence, and when I placed a few around each of the UFOs (As seen in the pictures.) the sound FX belching out, the rumbling, grating, roaring noise of a futuristic engine mixed with an old V8 muscle car, it's just absolutely marvellous to hear. I sometimes actually travel to this lot just to hear it, but you've got to get the camera at just the right angle to hear it at its fullest.

Find the mods for StrangerVille streets and Alien Party Secret Labs here - http://simsasylum.com/tfm/index.php?/topic/14638-world-sim-control-17-strangerville-strangerville-gp/

Alien Party Secret Labs

 Secret Labs StrangerVille.rar  -  Place contents in Tray Folder

Cloned Key Card Doors

cool1_objectCloned_KeyCardDoorMotherPlant.rar  -  Place contents in Mods Folder

For more information on all CC objects used on this lot, please see this thread - http://simsasylum.com/tfm/index.php?/topic/14691-a-list-of-the-usual-suspects-links-to-cc-used-in-lots/

Happy Secret Labs Partying, folks...

Helicopter (FX Object) & Landing Pad (Room)

Here's a handy little setup for you, to place an animated helicopter FX Object, switch it on or off, and watch a variety of different colour helicopters fly in, land, then take off.

"Here's one I made earlier..."  A helipad room with FX Object all set up in centre of big H and ready to place wherever you like. Just switch it on or off at your pleasure.

Independence Day 5 - Outnumbered in Secret Labs' airspace!

The Helicopter FX is from City Living EP, not sure if it's a required install for animation to play. The objects used are from Base Game and a few packs noted in the Library Screenshot above.

FX Object

cool1_objectFX_TerrestrialSaucerHelicopter_CL.rar  - Place in Mods Folder

Helipad (Room)

Helicopter Pad (Room).rar  -  Place in Tray Folder

If the object ever needs updating due to a patch, it will be mentioned in the Specialized Mods Section.

Object files are cloned and XML built by me so should not conflict with anything else out there.

Thanks and Credit: Simsasylum, Sims4Studio, our sims community, EA Maxis - "Get to da Choppa!" (Repeat using your best big Arnie accent. "I'll be back... And back. And back. Until you switch it off.")