Lot
A residential lot in The Sims.
A lot is a part of a neighborhood where build mode and buy mode objects can exist.
The Sims
In The Sims, Sims cannot go outside lots.
Lots are divided into residential lots where Sims live, and community lots where they can interact with other Sims. Unleashed allows players to rezone lots in the original neighborhood and Old Town, but in all other areas, a lot's status as residential or community is fixed.
In The Sims, all lots are numbered, and each lot number has a specific location. Each area uses a range of lot numbers, as follows:
- Lots 1 through 10: The original Sim Lane neighborhood
- Lots 21 through 30: Downtown
- Lots 40 through 42: Vacation Island (winter)
- Lots 43 through 45: Vacation Island (forest)
- Lots 46 through 48: Vacation Island (beach)
- Lots 50 through 80: Old Town
- Lots 81 through 89: Studio Town
- Lots 90 through 92: Magic Town (residential)
- Lots 93 through 98: Magic Town (community)
- Lot 99: the secret lot at the top of a beanstalk.
A lot's location is controlled by the number in its filename. For example, House05.iff is lot 5, which is 5 Sim Lane. It is possible to place a lot in a neighborhood simply by copying its "House" file into the correct folder, and replacing the "House" file which was already there for that lot. This can be done even if a family is living on the lot, which allows a player to "drop a house" on a family.
The Sims 2
As in The Sims, Sims cannot go outside lots in The Sims 2 but can visit some of the non-residential lots after a loading screen appears.
Some expansion packs for The Sims 2 added new lot types - such as dorms and secret societies (University), hotels and beaches (Bon Voyage) and apartments (Apartment Life).
In The Sims 2, the Lots and Houses bin contains both vacant lots and lots with pre-built structures. Lots come in a variety of sizes and range from tiny (3x1, 2x2) to huge (5x5, 5x6). The size of the lot affects its price; larger lots cost more. The actual size of the lot (in squares on the grid) is the lot size number times 10. For example, the 5x6 lot has a grid of 50 squares by 60 squares. However, the outer 2 squares on some or all sides cannot always be built on.
Lots can be placed almost anywhere there is room for them, as long as they connect to a road. If a lot cannot be placed in a spot where there appears to be room for it, it may be necessary to move or remove any neighborhood decorations that are in that spot. When placing a vacant lot, the player will be asked whether it is to be a residential lot or a community lot. Pre-built lots, whether Maxis-made or custom, are pre-zoned.
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The Sims 3
The Sims 3 allows Sims to explore lands between lots. Sims cannot route over water (without The Sims 3: Island Paradise expansion pack installed), objects, and terrain specified as non-routable in the Create a World world-building tool.
The Sims 3 introduced a much broader range of lot assignments such as library and gym, alongside rabbit hole objects that affect lots. These assignments and objects can change a lot's properties.
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The Sims 4
As in The Sims 2, in The Sims 4 Sims can not visit any other lots without encountering a loading screen. However, community lots and residential lots can be visited any time. The neighborhoods around the lots are "open" and can be explored freely.
Lot assignments return in The Sims 4 and work the same way as in The Sims 3, with introducing new lots to the base game such as nightclubs, bars, and lounges. Rabbit holes do not return in The Sims 4.
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