AFAIK it's not actually shoplifting - the customers' motives get too low so they automatically leave the lot. They usually come back after a while and pay. But in your case, because they're all somehow getting pushed off the lot prematurely, it sounds like borked mods. While you're sorting that out, I suggest getting SimWardrobe's frozen customer fix (check my signature - it's under Fixes) because the cash register animation sometimes gets stuck otherwise.

Yes, providing means to fill needs and having a good environment score will keep customers on the lot longer.

I've also seen sims who would otherwise just be walk-bys pick up merchandise after having been greeted leave without paying. I no longer greet sims at open home businesses unless they've actually entered the building or are outside with the customer sales bar over their heads. That stopped most of the shoplifting at home businesses for me.

I have never seen that many up and leave. They do occasionally leave without paying but they should turn back up again bag in hand, so not so much shoplifting as taking a while to pay. Reminds me of solicitors, quick to charge and slow to pay.

In my experience, sims who have taken merchandise without paying (usually because the playable visiting the lot leaves) will line up at the cash register to pay for it first thing next time they're on the lot.

When building a hotel, what is necessary apart from the Solidity doors and a concierge desk? I made an Infirmary for the Burning Robot festival, where sims who are suffering heat stroke etc. from sleeping in the campgrounds can check in to sleep more comfortably, and built the rooms on the same principle as little aparments. "Changelotzoning lodging" doesn't cause it to register as a hotel, however, and visiting playables are not greeted by a concierge, bellhop, or maid. The playtesting sim got the option to "check in" at the concierge desk, though being already checked in at a camp ground he couldn't actually do so.

I can't think of anything that I always see in hotels apart from the desk and the doors. Is there an existing thread on the subject of making hotels (apart from gazania's adventures with freezing housekeepers)? I'll get and post a screenshot of the floorplan tomorrow if I need to, but I'm hoping I've overlooked something obvious that people will know off the top of their heads.

That's odd. Do you have any mods that prevent townies/NPCs from spawning? That would be my first guess.

Try the cheat "changelotzoning hotel'' instead of lodging. The lot type is lodging, but they made the cheat non-intuitive.

My game is 'Changelotzoning hotel' One way seems to work for some people and the other way for others.

When I changed the campsites, I tried "hotel" first and it didn't work. I tried "lodging" and it did. So it didn't occur to me to try "hotel" again. It would be just like the weird way tech works around me for the types of lodging to need different code! I'll give it a shot when I open the game later today.

I'm planning on doing a week in 2 rotations with my megahood, from Monday morning-Thursday morning and next rotation Thursday morning-Monday morning. And a Uni rotation will take place during one rotation. I was thinking in order to keep the days of the week straight when Sims have their University time during the Monday-Thursday rotation they'd have to move back in with their previous family or some family, so as to not get out of sync. However I have the Sim Manipulator and I know it can change day of week and time but i've never used that option...googling it I see when it turns to midnight that day it should not go back to the day it was supposed to be, which is good. Has anyone used the Sim Manipulator to change the day of the week? Does it work like it's supposed to and won't cause problems?

Question, I went to add a Downtown to Coral Bay *gasp* yes. But the pre-made Downtown is not there. Now I did this set up about 3 years ago and my memory is shot, so I am guessing that I took away the maxis template because I didn't want all those downtownies. Now if I go ahead and make myself a custom downtown, will it come with Crumplebottom and the vampires? Again I will guess yes but I want to know for sure before I go ahead and start on this. I want them by the way, I miss Crumplbutts lovely face. Actually is there a ready made one that I could download? I don't mind a few sims but I don't want it overrun with them.

Mrs. Crumplebottom is a Universal, remember. You can't really get rid of her.

Unless you repress spawning, you'll get vampires and other normal downtownies generated over time. You might even get all the Tricous (including dead ones).

I know she is universal that's why I am guessing she will be there, I just wanted confirmation. I have the no respawn mods otherwise Coral Bay would have been full of townies. I also have the mod that stops too many NPC's.

So any good Downtowns to download?

If you want an empty one, Bigg City is available on SFS, because I knew people who wanted the empty version, but wanted to upload the empty and populated versions at the same time. ( http://simfileshare.net/download/207580/ )
Emerald Heights comes in more than one Downtown version, too. http://modthesims.info/d/584335

Any pictures around of BiggCity? Emerald Heights might be more the thing since it's still coastal like Coral Bay. Thanks

Emerald Heights is very well-designed and well-made.

I think I'll try that empty version. So DEH4 into Program Files NeighbourhoodTemplate folder. Having no CC is a good thing, I vowed no more until I get my upgrade.

Perhaps a WCIF?

Emerald Heights is an excellent choice and I do not wish to deter you from using it, but since you asked, I do have a few pictures of Bigg City on the tumblr post where I put the link to the SFS download.
http://penig.tumblr.com/post/158977...-i-got-to#notes

I promise the houses are better than the ones in Widespot; but I will not pretend to have built anything like the number or variety of lots that the various contributors to Emerald Heights put together. It's quite the place!

Well, I have installed Emerald Heights, but that's not to say I can't also install and take a look at Bigg City as well.

I think I have room for a third downtown in my hood. So much for the "no more subhoods" thing...at least this one isn't populated.

Okay, this is gonna sound stupid, but that's what this thread is for, right? I've never installed a Custom Neighborhood before. (If it isn't clear, I'm installing the Main Hood.)

I pasted the SC4Terrains folder contents into my EA Games/The Sims 2(insert TM mark here) Ultimate Collection/SC4Terrains and the Neighborhoods's N555 folder into Neighborhoods. I'm not sure what I did wrong, but it's not even showing up in my Main Menu's Neighborhoods list. When I hit Create Custom Neighborhood, the terrain shows up.

I thought, 'oh, didn't realize you have to put in lots yourself', and checked the Lots but there's no custom Lots in there so... yeah. I'm 99% sure that's not how it works though, lol.

...help?

Want to drop in a link?

Sure! It's this one: http://modthesims.info/download.php?t=570309

Well, it sounds correct, have you checked that all the files are in the correct spot? I wonder if instaling is slightly different with the UC.

No, it should have worked. Let's review. You know, I wonder. If it's a neighborhood, as opposed to just a terrain, I don't separate them out. I plunk all the files down into the neighborhood folder. Try that.

And now for my stupid question. How hard is it to create an uberhood. I have a fabulous one that Marka made for me. But, I would like to add Old Town to it.