Well, not really but I try it. At first I did create the "Gym Hard Body" and as I had Uni installed I had some equipment to add. After that started the rebuild of the gym in "City". I wanted to make it "cleaner", more like a gym. EA had added a lot of stuff to keep the "fun" level high but as sims love to have fun they did not use the gym. The small gym there was that is. The 2:nd floor was my idea.

Your community lots are very nice; I'd visit any of them!

I got a laugh out of this: Maybe the girl was a particularly annoying customer.

Cher64: Funny! No, she just had some bad luck. I guess Mizty had a bad day. She could be nicer but I created her to be a little harder. When she finely did serve the guest correct she was just like: "Ta-da" and then she walked off.

Attention! This thread has not had a reply for 24 days.

Sorry for the dely. There will be updates in a week.

Well, here I am. I did told you I would come back and I did. Today I simply plan to show you some of the OFB:s in my subhoods. There are more but I will only give you three of them this week. So let's start shall we?


Last time we did a lot of sport did'nt we? Let's calm down a bit. Just sit down and relax. Maybe read a good book. What, you do not have a book? Well, we can fix that. I'm going to show you the home of good literature in my hood.


And here it is: Lauras Bookshelf. It's only a 2 score OFB but a lot of sims do come here.


A peek inside.


The owner herself, Laura Green.


So you are not a friend of books? How about flowers? You like it? Cool, then we can go to...


Flowerpower. The home of plants and releted objects. A 10 score OFB.


Some sort of overwiev. I had trouble getting a good wiev over the entire shop but I guess this will do.


From left to right: Serena Lona - the owner. Kevin Collin - (townie) Boss and a man of plenty sell, Fiona Rivers - whit the right to restock. Kevin is as usual missing his plumbob and I do not have a clue why.


I'm not sure about you readers but I need a drink right now. I'm going to the "Beach bar". OK, i guess I should tell you that the name is quite of a lie because the bar is not located at a beach. But as we say: Close enough.


So here we are. The bar do not use to open on saturdays but I did it to show you.


The owner Bianca Samson (right) whit her employee Claire Natalia. Classy bartenders.


A better look of the bar. And the boss wanted to sing. I did put the showers in for the employees but I guess I can take them out now.

@Mrmo glad to see that you are back.

I would leave the showers in. I usually put showers in my owned and in my un-owned businesses as well.

The book store just needs more time I think, I didn't see any sort of problems.

I admit to using a Mod from SimWardrobe, The SW-Customer-Limit-Adjuster. It sets how many Sims will visit your shop at one time. I always use it to set what I consider a reasonable number, so even when my business is low level I still have more than a couple of Sims visiting.

The layout your businesses look good and I like how the owners and employees look.

SimWardrobe had a number of mods that help out with OFB Businesses, if you are interested in some of them see http://simfileshare.net/folder/15672/

Thanks for the support. Feels nice to have a follower.

Hm, I do not think I will use any mods but thanks anyway. The biggest problem I have whit OFB:s is that they never seems to generate any big money to the owners . Take the bookstore for example. Many sims do go there and the prizes are set to a medium. Many books are being sold but at the end of the day Laura have not been making any good money or broke even. And she's alone. Oh well, I guess I should not cry about it in this thread but it still bugs me. I have tried whit ticket machines in some places, like bars, but the only thing comming out of that is that sims stands around for houers thinking about if they want to pay or not . I have been reading some threads and do understand that I'm not the only one whit this problem so I have to live whit it. Good thing I know the money cheats.

I follow everyone fairly regularly who posts in this particular group. I think we can discuss whatever we want about your game, except for technical help sorts of issues as I am not the best person to ask about PCs since I use a Mac and help issues should be in the Help Forum anyway.

Night Clubs do well I have found, set the price on the Ticket Machine to be less than average and have a lot of fun things for the sims to do. I have some pictures in my Aliens Everywhere thread if you want to look at my custom one.

For the bookstore use a ticket machine, but set it very low. Use Sales socials on the customers. Possibly add a Chess table if you do add a Ticket Machine.

Other ideas for the bookstore are add the auto cash register from simlogical.com and or add a Barista and sell coffee as well as books. Also I would add one Employee to act as a Sales person or have the owner do the sales and either have the auto cash register or have an Employee act as Cashier.

Does the owner of the bookstore live with a teen or older sim? If you have a family member to help out bring them with the owner instead of hiring an Employee. if your owner lives alone, consider have her move someone in by marriage or otherwise or have her buy a bot and add the bot to the family.

I like bots, but I have been making them look like regular sims, so that they are Androids.

When you use a ticket machine, have the owner or an employee go there and use Sales on the customers if you have a number of Sims thinking if they will pay or not.

I add a ticket machine to a lot of places even if I sell something there, it helps a lot. I just set the ticket machine price very low if I am selling something.

Generally When you first start out in a Business you should not use a ticket machine until you get the Business to level 8 or more.

I always keep the Ticket Machine below Average and depend on Volume or sell something as well.

For the toy shops that I have, I frequently use a Ticket Machine set very low or absent and then I make the buyable toys less than average and I make the custom toys higher than average to much higher than average depending on which one they are.

If you are going to run OFB Businesses you really should look at the Mods that are available, there are a number of them that just help you run the business and you can pick and choose ones that are not cheating sorts of mods if you like and they are not cheating necessarily in my opinion. For example the SimWardrobe one that I mentioned allows one to set the number of customers that you have at one time, but you don't need to set it to a high number. I don't myself. Besides you still have to make the customers happy on your own. Me I set the number to different levels depending on what kind of business I am running. Bookstores would only have a few customers at a time for example while night clubs would have several more. Several Modders have put out mods for OFB since there are glitches when trying to play among other factors.

Anyway For an extra help that is not a Mod or a cheat go do the Island Vacation.


How is your Bar doing? How many fun things are there at the bar?

How about the Flower shop?

I hope that I have been of some help.

Anyway I have several Sims who have 5 businesses at level 10, I really like to run businesses.

I guess I should feature them in one of my updates on my households that have the businesses and include pictures of the businesses. Heh I will have to a bit careful with the Strip Clubs and the Swinger's Clubs due to nudity, since I do use the no-nudity-censor Mod.

Hi

I did take a quick look at your Aliens Everywhere thread but I will come back to it later on to take a better look. You know, when I read longer text like that I want to take my time and I'm always so tired when I come home from work. But I will come back to the thread as it seems very interesting.

Thanks for the ideas of improve my shops. I will think about it. I did have a ticket machine at the bar but did take it out. I sure will try to put one back in and set the prize low because that company loses money. Sure, Claire (or maybe it's Clair, do not recall that now) is very over payed but that's more a result of the way the game is written. As you sure knows an employee can go from fairly paid (correct term?) to underpaid in no time and I do not want her to quit like the always do the the payment drops.

A Barista in the bookstore? Sounds cool but is it possible to add NPC's to owned lots (sure, it must be possible as did advice me to do so but I still asks). BTW, Laura is alone and do not have any other family members.

I'm not going to write so much now but I will try to add an update this weekend. I have a few more OFB's to show you. IF you are interested of cause. One of them is a clothing store and as a word of warning I can tell you that the owner is even "larger" (you know what I mean dont you ) than Ms Natalia in my previous post so I think I will spoiler her in some way.

OK, that's all for now.

@Lordtyger9, your post is very helpful. I, too, have always had trouble running a profitable business. It seems the ones that make the most money are the least fun for me -- probably because they have no employees.

@Mrmo, I am curious about custom body shapes. For some reason, I was under the impression that if you went with a larger breast size (or bigger buff dude) that you had to make all the Sims in your 'hood the same shape. Obviously, this is not the case. Can you expand on how that is done? Is it a mod that you apply in CAS? Also, how do you go about getting clothes that will fit? I see you have two ladies wearing the same outfit -- but in very different sizes.

BTW, it's too bad that you are having trouble making money. I think your businesses are beautiful!

@SIMelissa Let me know what kind(s) of businesses you want to run and I can try to give you some specific advice.

@Mrmo You do have to Hire an Employee or have a Family Member run the Barrista Bar. I do suggest that you move some one in to her household or get a bot to help out at her businesses.

I must state that I do use more than a few mods to play businesses. From MATY: antibusinessdecay.package; BO - Shoppers Respect Privacy.package; CyJon: CJ-FasterRestockingBadge.package, CJ-NoQuitting.package; InSIMenator_Squinge: AlwaysGetLoyaltyShowItem.package, beseatedfaster.package, CustomersCanUseGrills.package, getbacktoworkalwaysgood.package, HireMoreEmployees.package, MoreEmployeesForHire.package, noShopGardening.package, OFB_CheckInWithShopsFaster, OFB_CustomernoMoreComplaining.package, OFB_EmployeesAlwaysRested.package, OFB_nobagthrowing.package, OFB_NPC_MakeOvers.package, OFB_SuggestOutfit_Fix.package, OFBHireYA .package, OFBShowerBath.package, RingUpFaster.package; MTS: monique_BrowseNBuyFaster25Percent, Numenor_ Fix-for-restock-signs, Numenor_AllPlacement-SignOpenClose, Numenor_OFB_Custom-objects; simbology_twojeffs: YA Visitors Outside Uni.package, SimWardobe: SW-EmployeeArrangeFlowersDammit.package, SW-EmployeeMakeRobotsDammit.package, SW-EmployeeMakeToysDammit.package, SW-Frozen-Customer-Fix.package, SW-HelpShoppersFirstFullSalesOptions.package
SW-Improved-Perk-Up-Interaction.package, SW-Increased-Reporter-Spawnage.package, SW-MoodCheckForSalesInteractions.package, SW-Pay-Owner-To-Play.package,

Also some object MODs: twojeffs-Visitor Controller.package, SimWardrobe: SW-Customer-Limit-Adjuster.package, SW-Employee-Fishing-Controller.package, SW-Employee-Massage-Controller.package, SW-Employee-Musician-Controller.package, SW-OFB-Wage-Adjuster.package, SW-Servo-Charging-Station.package

I started playing Businesses with out the above MODs and I still did OK, so I think I know how to do them. I wanted to disclose what MODs that I use though, some of them are kind of cheaty I suppose, others are more the fix kind of MODs. I don't use all of the Object based Mods at every location. I will advocate that you all get them, but I don't think they are required in order to run a business by any means.

One bit of advice I can give in General that with or with out MODs is that it is a bad idea to try to run a Business with just the owner by themselves. Have a Family Member help out at first, once it gets going hiring Employees is a good idea.

I really do love to play OFB businesses so I will try to help and I am going to share more about mine in my upcoming updates.



If someone wants SimWardrobe Mods: http://simfileshare.net/folder/15672/

No, it's not a mod but it do takes a lot of CC to make things work. For Clair I did use the BootyGal bodyshape and the dress is downloaded from here: http://modthesims.info/download.php?t=233729. For some bodyshapes it's easy to find clothes but for others it's very hard as the CC is spread out on many websites. The only problem I have whit my custom bodyshapes is that the sims can not do all the things like other sims can. IE, we have the saunas and massage tables from BV. My custom sims can not use them as I have any CC towels for them. Sure, there can be mods but I think CC would be better.

I like the way you put together your businesses. I've only played a few business owners, but I plan to do more of it.

SIMelissa, when I first got interested in different body shapes, I found the information at Wooden Simolean very helpful. You need body shape meshes, and there are both Barbie and non-Barbie versions available for most, and then you need custom clothing to fit those body shapes. There is a way to make all the clothing for a specific body shape show up together in the clothing catalogs, and I find that to be very helpful. You can have multiple body shapes in your game; you determine which sim has which body shape when you create the sim.

Cher64: You did explain it better then I did. Thank you! Also, thanks for the nice words.

For the bookstore it's possible that the sims may be purchasing individual books because all written novels by sims will show up in all bookcases but could be purchased individually in ofb shops. It's been awhile since I ran a bookshop but I remember running into that issue when I wanted whole bookcases to be sold and they werent.

Um, I'm not sure I understand that so let me speculate and please correct me if I'm wrong. I know that sims can write novels and this novels do show up in all bookcases? And the novels can therefor be sold in my bookstore? If so, is that good or bad? So far I hve not be paying attention to what books being sold and I'm quite lazy checking my sims inventory for items the bought.

Hello everybody! I just did notice: This thread have 2.9K views. Yay!

So where were we last time. Oh yes, we did visit the "Beach Bar". It was fun wasn't it? Less fun that someone did spill his drink all over me. Oh well, I can get it cleaned later on but in the meantime I guess I can bay some new clothes. I know a little shop downtown, the "Clothes R us" store. Now, before we get there I only want to say that we better hope it's not the owner herself who runs the cash register becuase she does have the bad habit to leave it and never return. Yes, I had to get her an employee just because of that. Oh yes, many sims have been leaving their bags on the floor, screaming and shouting out of anger. Anyway, here we go.



Welcome to Clothes R us. A 6 score shop (It just went up to 7).


Alja Natalja knows how to use the cash register. Her red skin tone comes from the lightning on the desk.


Our "modest" owner Norma Nipps.


Shops open. I just recently installed the "H&M" stuffpack so I will change some things later.

Now, I do not know about you but I find shopping very boring. But before the end the shopping trip there is one more place I want to show you. It's a place in Bridgewater where they sell some deco items. It's a quite popular shop and it's called the "Rich store of decos". The shop is runned by Regina Rich and the family do have quite a lot of money to.


And here we are. A score 10 store.


Michelle Buenavista takes care of your money.


Regina Rich, as always in a furcoat. No animals were killed making this furcoat.


Stores open. It does take some time before the customers find the place but when they do the store runns good.

OK, enough of shopping now. As I told you, I do find it boring. And if I want to loose my money there are other ways. I know a small place in Bridgewater we can go to. It does not run quite well but I hopes that gets better over time. I did read the comment about getting a ticket machine and I did get one. The lowest "default" prize was 18:- and the sims seemd to find it to high. I did set the "custom" prize to 10:- and that worked better. (To be honest, I do not play this lot or the family much, I don't know why).


And here we are, at the "Play, Bar and dance". Let it snow, let it show, let it snow...


A peek inside. True story, this was once a "adult" oriented nightclub. But it did not run well...


There is a 2:nd floor but it's small.


Tyra Sellén, Bartender (townie)


Romana Dobria. Owner and DJ.

So, that was all I had to show you this week. Now, I will take a break from making updates in this thread because I can't find the time to play when I does. I will follow the thread but there will be no new stuff for a while so take care and happy simming.

I love how your clothing store is laid out, looks really good.

I think all your shops have good layouts.

I recently went to one of the more Adult sites and downloaded a number of items for a strip club, made two of them and I ran one of them. Seemed to work well.

I have been playing a lot recently, going to be a few days until I get my next family installment ready to post.

I could be wrong, but I was under the impression that the novel only shows up in the bookcase of the Sim who wrote the novel.
There is a mod that allows Sim-written novels to be sold in stores. I've not tried it yet, but it's on my list of things to add to my game.
Here is the mod, Sellable Novels, (link is dead): http://faiuwle.wikidot.com/sims2hacks
Thanks to ihatemandatoryregistration, all those files are safely tucked away here: http://www.simfileshare.net/download/292377/

@Mrmo, I enjoyed the shopping tour. You have great stores! And I love Regina's fur coat and Michelle's necklace. I'd love to have both of them for myself -- but if I wore something like that in my town I'd either die of heat exhaustion or a mugging. LOL

Enjoy your play time!!

If I'm not all wrong the fur comes from the Glamor life SP and I do think the necklace is an item that comes whit the outfit. I do not remember if it's from an EP/SP or basegame. Nice to know that you liked it. I will check out your thread as well. Seems interesting.

Please stand by for more action!

I'm back whit some more images from my hood. I come to think on a thing: so far we have been visiting some restaurants and we have done some shopping but we have nowhere to stay during our trip. That is not good at all but as it's my town I know what to do about it. There are some places "Downtown" and I will show them to you shortly. First I just want to add some info. Some of this images have been posted here on MTS already but I will repost them as they are important to this thread. I also going to do this a three poster (each location in separate posts) so it will be easier to read. Please enjoy! And of we go...!




Welcome to the Hotel Snitz. Sorry for having a image showing the outside of the hotel but it's quite impossible to get that of a building this tall. Please note that this is some older images. I got into some trouble and had to get rid of this "roofs" (the awnings) over the front door. This buildning is indeed the "Hans Trapdoor Corp" redecorated.


First floor whit a restautant. It does take some time for the shefs to spawn so I guess my game struggles whit this buildning.


Second floor whit rooms. The building is quite slim so each floor only have two rooms.


Floor three to six. All rooms looks almost the same.


Floor seven whit a gym.


Floor eight whit an open air skybar. I was "told" that I should fix the roof so it would not look like a giant piece of glass but in order to do so I have to rezone the lot and I feel a little lazy. But the idea is good.

And that's was that. Stay tuned, there's more to come.

What you said? You did not like that one? Oh well, I guess we have to chose an other place to stay. We can go to the Hotel Splenty instead.


And here we are. Hope you enjoy your staying.


A different angle.


Lobby, restaurant and a nice garden.


Floor one and two have rooms.


I like this garden. It's so green.

We still have one left. Don't go away. Or, as the Terminator would say: Stay here, I be back!

@Mrmo how are your Hotels zoned? They look nice.

Now that was very "fancy pancy" was'nt it? Maybe you want something simpler? Yes? Ok then, I can give you the Hotel Duval.


And here it is. To be honest: This was the first hotel I ever created.


Lobby, restaurant and gaming room.


Some of the rooms. Quite simple but it works.


And, incase you want to know where I did get the idea for the design...


That's all folks. I do not when I will be back or what I will show you next but I'm sure there will be someting. See you!