User:DrakonoSkerdikas/sandbox3

Starting with The Sims 2, community lots have been a base game legacy in every Sims installment. Pleasantview, Strangetown and Veronaville all feature premade community lots in their neighborhood. These lots typically a shop or more, for the player to have Sims purchase groceries, clothes or video games which cannot be acquired at home.

Generally, this type of lot works much like a residential one, but have some significant differences. Notably, Sims that stay on the lot till past 6 pm do not age, providing them immortality for as long they stay there. Pregnant Sims are also "frozen" in similar biological suspension, where the duration of stage progressions is put at halt and prevents a birth from occurring during the stay. Despite these anomalies, their aspiration bar level will still decay. With the exception of secret hobby lots and college campus, Sims cannot build skills and enthusiasm on any community lot. However, there is a mod that allows Sims to build skill on community lots. With the exception of hotels, Sims cannot sleep or nap in a community lot which prevents them from restoring their energy.

Certain NPCs may only be or are primarily found on community lots. Nightlife introduced Mrs. CrumpleBottom, a prudish old lady who appears on Downtown lots and reprimands Sims for performing romantic interactions in public. Bon Voyage introduced the Unsavory Charlatan, a pickpocket that may appear on any community lot at random and will attempt to pick the pockets of Sims. Apartment Life introduced high witches that may also appear on community lots at random, usually accompanied by special effects depending on their alignment.

Until Apartment Life, non-controllable Sims on community lots did not need to be greeted before being able to interact with them. Starting with Apartment Life, Sims on community lots need to be greeted before other social interactions become available, much like The Sims. Sims may also autonomously attempt to greet Sims they have not greeted yet.

Traveling
Prior the release of The Sims 2: Nightlife, Sims of current household could only travel by means of taxicab. This, however, has changed as various traveling methods got introduced and carried over through expansion packs or patch updates. Sims can be sent to a community lot either by personal car, on foot or by their private helicopter; witches can fly on their brooms. Non-playable Sims and witches, however, will always walk or fly to community lots respective unless invited for meet-up or in a group.

Travel to community lots is not instantaneous, and the game clock will reflect this. Since time stops on a Sim's residential lot while he or she is visiting community lots, this is primarily for "color", and has no real effect on gameplay. Sims must leave community lots using the same method of transport they used to get there. For example, if a Sim called a cab to get to the lot, they must call a cab in order to leave the lot, and cannot use a car or walk to get off the lot. Likewise, a Sim who walks to a community lot must walk off the lot, and cannot call a cab to leave.

Babies and toddlers cannot visit community lots, but children can if they are accompanied by older household members. If a child is taken to a community lot, neighborhood children may appear with one or both of their parents, while townie children will come alone. NPC children will not appear if the currently active household did not bring a child along with them to the community lot.If The Sims 2: Pets is installed, Sims can take their pets with them to a community lot. Just like Sims, the pets must be old enough and bringing them prompts strays to show up as well.