Updates update (various mods)

Here’s a look into the Simsonian Library workshop this week. NOTE: I will not finish this all this week, lol.

Archaeology Kit

I’m getting really close to a preview release of the Archaeology Kit 2.0. I did a lot of reorganizing and detail type work on this over the weekend. There is one more mission that I need to finish, but I want to get you all something to start looking at before any more delay.

I initially had more missions planned (there are currently 17 missions, and 7 are repeatable), but the reorganizing I did this weekend should make it fairly easy to add more in the future. I might continue to add them long into the future, and can even be separate downloads now (so that I could come up some Batuu specific missions as an add-on or in a future expansion, for example).

There’s still a lot of little things I want to fix, like modifying the mesh for some of the artifacts so that they sit on the archaeology bench without stabbing the archaeologist (the swords, for example). But I can do that in subsequent preview releases.

Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Someone on MTS gave me the idea to add a spell that creates the ‘Broomba’ (…that’s my word for it), so that you didn’t have to buy it. After cursing to myself that I hadn’t thought of that initially, I’m going to add that in the next release of it.

Classic RPG Spells

I still have a few left that I plan to add to this, including Entangle, Fear and Cure Light Wounds.

I keep thinking about an idea for an Enchant Item spell to allow you to create functional magic wands like those in the Archaeology Kit (btw, have you found any of them yet?). But then I end up on the edge of an entire ‘magic item crafting system’, which would probably get…big. But still thinking about it.

Magazine Kit

Adding a few more magazines. Already made Better Farms and Gardens and Spa Day.

I also did a recolor of the Magazine Rack using the covers from the actual magazines in the kit, but I’m not sure if I like it yet or not. The magazine covers in the rack are much narrower than a magazine normally is. I’ll include it in the next release and you can decide whether you like it or not.

Farm Factory

Still finishing up bulk production of the rest of the canned goods from Cottage Living. Adding a lot of canned vegetables. I started getting so many ideas about things to make, it lead to the Sim Factory idea below.

New Mods In Progress

Instant Tavern & Instant Cafe

These are much like the Instant Cafeteria mod, but are for bars and cafes. Instead of overriding like a dozen bar objects, I came up with a sign that you drop somewhere that summons a bartender and bar patrons. The sign disappears in live mode and can only be seen in build/buy mode. The Cafe version does the same thing. It summons a barista and cafe patrons.

In both cases, you need to supply the equipment for them to use (bars, espresso machines, etc). I’ve been testing these for a bit, so will be releasing them to patrons soon.

Instant Diner

This one is similar, but it’s not exactly like anything currently in the game. It’s a chef station that automatically hires a chef (like the Home Chef station after you pay $100), and you can order right from the chef station window.

However, I noticed that the in-game version only offered a fancy gourmet food menu, and that seemed really out of place at Salty Paws in Brindleton. So I developed three variations with different menus. “American” type bar-and-grill food like burgers, Italian food including pizza and Seafood offering most of the seafood menu items added with Pets.

This was a bit more complicated to do and required a script, so I need to give it more testing, but it’s working well so far.

Sim Factory

I got what feels like a really great idea last week. It’s a new type of business, but instead of having employees serve customers (as waiters or retail workers), the employees MAKE things for the business owner. You could sort of do this in Sims 2 retail businesses, as I recall.

The business owner should be able to help their employees improve their skills (at fabrication, woodworking, robotics, painting, etc) so that the ‘products’ they make are better quality and be worth more. 

The ‘customers’ would be handled like social engagements, where you meet with a buyer and arrange a production contract (which you’d then have to fulfill by having your employees make that product). 

Since I wouldn't be using the built-in business dialogs, I was also thinking of adding an interview process for hiring the workers. It could work a lot like getting a roommate. You'd advertise a job, then sims would show up for interviews where you could learn about their skills and decide to hire them (much as you'd accept a roommate).

I’ve gotten as far as the code to allow a sim to buy a generic lot to build a factory on and 'hire' a worker is partially implemented. I still have some unknowns in terms of how I implement the rest. I’m not thrilled about the idea of adding another custom venue type, since then I have to deal with the whole Venue List chaos (there are numerous conflicting ones out there), so I’d like to find a way to avoid needing that. I might make it a mission-type career where the missions are the production contracts (ie., create 6 tables and 24 chairs for an order, etc).

Anyway, what gets my imagination going about this idea is that you could play with something like this a LOT of different ways. Hire a bunch of artists to paint for you, like a Medici. Start a Furniture or Robotics factory. Or hire a bunch of writers to work for you creating articles and books. I’ve been thinking about making new machines that make new things, like all the various Upgrade Parts, so you can have a parts factory.

Still working on a proof of concept for this, but I like the idea, since it seems really adaptable.

Thanks!

This is what I have ‘on the stove’, so to speak. I’m always interested to hear about any ideas you might have for these or other mods.