So I created my first high rise apartment building in Bridgeport. I used the "constrainFloorElevation false" cheat to elevate the 3rd floor of my building, which then made it look like my building has 14 floors. The first floor is where the main lobby is (inclusions: callbox, elevator and mailbox) where I put 2 public area markers. The second floor has a long hallway; it is also where the *spa*, pool and laundry area is (all has public area markers), and supposed-to-be six NPC apartment units with hidden-room markers for EACH room. Also, I made sure that I marked each NPC door correctly, even checked that the green arrow was pointing *away* from the door. The third floor is just a hidden floor where I put the skip-level marker, so it doesn't have an elevator but only an elevator hatch. The fourteenth floor (actually the fourth floor without the floorelevation cheat) is where my penthouse unit is, but it has a lobby on for the elevator landing where I put one public area marker as well.

Now, I've read somewhere that I should also put public area marker on elevators, so I also added those markers on each elevator and on the elevator hatch (the one located on the skipped floor). I've also read somewhere that I should also put public area markers on the lawn areas (outside of the building) so I put two (because it has an elevated floor) on the outside. And the last public marker was at the garage.

However, I've noticed that it's been a month (sim time--take note, I have 30 days for each season, so it's been awhile ) but no NPC has moved to my building yet I don't know if it has something to do with the public area markers that I've put on the elevators and/or lawn Paparazzi and other visitors sometimes use the spa, pool and laundry area (just to sit and watch at the telly though) so I'm just glad that the public room markers were working there.

Also I've noticed that my bill increased. I made the EXACT penthouse from a previous pre-made high rise apartment (The Gentry) where my bill was only around 1.5k. Now, it's around 2.5k, I wonder what made the bill increase. This is a minor problem, though, and I can ignore easily this if my major problem ^ would be solved.

Just for reference, I've attached the images of my building. (1st-4th floor, respectively)

Thank you so much for reading!

P.S. I apologize for my terrible English. It's not my first language.

When I started to build my own Late Night apartments ages ago, I discovered that in Bridgeport (by that I mean the pre-populated EA default Bridgeport) it takes much more time for NPCs to move in, than in other neighborhoods (and by other neighborhoods I mean 'hoods that don't have LN apartments at all, or only very few). It seemed obvious to suppose that in Bridgeport there are so many apartments already that all the NPCs are living in the other ones. Until new NPCs are being spawned by the game for new functions, of course. You can test this, if this is the case, by placing your building in a neighborhood that doesn't have any LN apartments, and play it for 2 or 3 sim days. Normally, NPCs have to populate your NPC units by then. If they don't, then something went wrong.

I can't see anything wrong though in your pics (or I just don't notice). Maybe a dumb question, and I apologize for that, but you are sure that the lot assignment is "Residential / Regular", right? Not "Residential /Apartment". Regular is meant to be for Late Night apartments with the room markers.

One more remark for help, if I may: there is too much room on your ground level that is covered by hidden room markers. Since I use Nraas Overwatch (which shows the stuck sims), I learned that ground floor level hidden rooms can be death traps for NPC residents - any time the game resets them to their home lot, they very often land in ground floor hidden rooms, from where they can't come out, and stuck there on loop. This can lead to constant lagging, even crash! One day when your lot will already be populated by NPCs as well, please consider to reduce the hidden room area on ground level - they can be really dangerous. Lately I just paint those area pitch black and put an escape door on it.

Not sure if this helps or not, but I believe there are two different hidden room markers if you have WA and LN. One of them is meant for NPC apartment units, the other is meant for things like tombs. If you use the "wrong" one, I think that the room in question still becomes an extension of your playable unit and NPCs won't be able to move in.

Thank you so much for your response!

"You can test this, if this is the case, by placing your building in a neighborhood that doesn't have any LN apartments, and play it for 2 or 3 sim days." -- Sorry, I have to ask.. How do I place my building in another neighborhood?

And yes, the lot assignment was Residential / Regular.

I'll just combine those hidden rooms at the ground floor then to remove the markers. Btw, I don't use mods. I had only downloaded 2 custom contents (aircon unit and trash chute) but thanks for the tip, I'll take note of that

Since there is nothing wrong with the placement of my markers, I think I'll just wait for another sim month or two. I'll update this thread if any NPC finally moves in *fingers crossed*

Thanks again for your response. I really appreciate it.

Okay I'll double-check those. Thanks! Hopefully I can identify which one is for apartment units and which one is meant for tombs :o

When you build a lot, in Edit Town map view, you can click on it and (if it's vacant) you can choose an option like "Make a copy to Library" or something like that. That option makes a copy of it into that catalogue of residential and community lots in the bottom Menu. That lot library is the same in every neighborhood's Edit Town menu, so you can place all lots from the Library into any neighborhoods.

Okay I tried placing the building on another neighborhood but it just kept on processing for about 2hrs (is that normal?). I just quit it because my laptop is heating up already.

Now, I think I'll just check on the hidden room markers as suggested by igazor.

Question: I'm just curious.. with regards to the placement of public room marker in elevators, does it have to be placed on the elevator itself, or in the room enclosing the elevator? I don't know if it makes any difference, but I'm just curious. Sorry if it's a dumb question.

Thanks again everyone!

My sense is that an elevator is like a room unto itself, so a public room marker should be placed in the elevator's interior -- unless it is your intent to provide a private elevator that opens up directly into your sim's apartment rather than into a common hallway.

Hmm. Idk. Seems like the indoor/outdoor lock is somewhat pertinent to which way the arrow is pointing to because i had an incident before where my sim got locked from the opposite side of the door. But i’m still a noob so maybe you’re right




Lol from several forums and had watched some youtube tutorials I was a bit reluctant with the placement of the marker on the lawn as well. (And even in the elevator–but some people seem to have been adding those in their guidelines/tutorials so..)



Yes. That’s why i’ve said that they were NPC doors.


Yes, i’ve been reading of that one. Sorry if this sounds dumb but, is that a mod? I’m using a mac and my game is already quite problematiqueâ„¢ without mods so i’m quite reluctant about that. Also, as you’ve mentioned, my town is full of high rise apartments already, sad. So yeah maybe i’ll try creating more establishments to generate NPCs.

Thanks for the tips!

Out of all the "specialties" I like to think that I have in life, he has to pick that one...(sighs)

First of all, the Mac version of the game is crippled to begin with because of the improper way in which EA arranged its port into the Mac OS. It can only utilize up to 2 GB of RAM no matter how much is available, so that presents all kinds of limitations that players on the Windows version do not see until they get closer to 4 GB of usage.

But players on the Mac version shouldn't be totally afraid of using mods. Many NRaas mods in particular are designed to relieve stress on the game and can actually lower resource usage -- examples include Overwatch, ErrorTrap, Register, Traffic, to an extent GoHere, and Traveler if one intends to do any kind of world travel. MasterController should also be considered because of its Reset Everything command and because as complex as it is, it doesn't really add any overhead to the game as it's really a player controlled command center that sits back doing nothing after loadup, waiting for the player to maybe eventually select one of its commands to run. DebugEnabler behaves the same way.

NRaas StoryProgression, on the other hand, most definitely adds to the game's resource usage. For those whose systems and worlds can handle it, the hit on performance vs. benefits is most often considered worth it and an acceptable trade-off. But it would be the last of these mods a player on a borderline capable system or on a Mac that might already be reaching its resource usage limits should be considering trying. It's all easily removable though, if things do not work out.

Thanks so much guys for your help! igazor's explanation was very thorough, so thanks for clarifying those things. But I think I'll fix my building as much as I can with your suggestions before I resort to using mods. In the meantime, I would be poking around other high rises and changing those NPC doors as what nitromon had suggested.

Thanks again. Hopefully when I come back, I would be updating with some good news regarding this dilemma.