Sipping Tea...

[MrsFlynn]

Oooh no.  I think I was briefly up at midnight, but was able to go back to sleep.

[MrsFlynn]

I got to playing the PI Career again. Realized I had never played in a custom (Create a World) player-created town.

I had previously learned (during my 2nd test-playthrough) that replaced/edited science lab and stadium lots will make some cases not work correctly. I recently found that rabbithole rugs and doors do the same = will make some cases not work properly either.

Most recently I've come to the conclusion with the help of MrsG - Some PI cases may or may not work or work well in custom worlds due to what lots are placed or not placed when the world got created in CAW and if they creator used the original base game or Twinbrook science lab which were most likely coded to work better with the PI career.

Read more tip notes here and the case list we put together here on the PI career.

[Cheeseweasel]

I never considered that. That could explain why I have trouble "helping with police work" on several occasions when I played a PI. Most likely I was in a custom world. So I guess those need the Ambitions version of the rabbitholes and those can be placed in the basement if the aesthetic is wrong for the world or I want a walk-in building. Thanks for the tip.

[MrsFlynn]

Moved/replaced rabbitholes don't work properly either. -- Rabbitholes place in basements may not make the some cases work properly either.

Helping with police work doesn't work at all with the PI Career no matter what town you play in. It was a wrongly coded case that belongs to the Fortune Teller Career.

It's noted at the bottom of the case list linked below.

PI Case List

Help Investigate/Offer Psychic Services:
- This case is not for the Private Investigator. It's for the Fortune Teller Career (Supernatural Expansion). The game cancels the case or it doesn't work properly.
 
** This case should be canceled when it comes up or will either be reset by Nraas ErrorTrap or stuck in a loop of trying to help the police.

[Lapaige46]

I don't know if this is relevant since it has nothing to do with the PI career but when I changed some community properties for custom ones in my "new" Riverview they worked fine. I took out the spa building because it didn't go with the "esthetic" of the town and placed the spa in an old house. It's a walk-in building and I have the spa equipment from MTS but I also have the rabbithole and it works so that customers can go for specific services.

I also built a new bookstore and added the rabbithole. Sims use the bookstore almost as a meeting place. They browse books but they also use the rabbithole to purchase books.

The only one I haven't tried is the business and journalism one in my new "newspaper/office building because I haven't actually played it since I built it.

Please excuse any typos. My brain and eyes aren't coordinated this morning. 

[MrsFlynn]

Thank you for the reminder!!

Please understand I did not create the PI notes and tips to say edited save files or even towns created with create a world are bad and you shouldn't try playing the PI career in them. Go ahead and try the career!!

I'm trying to share a word of caution that the PI career may not work as well. 

It does work it just may not work well with some cases and they'll have to be skipped.

Your save file works well for you what you made it for. I'm sure it's the same for Cheeseweasel and her save file.

For me and my edited save file it didn't work well and now I know why.

[Cheeseweasel]

Wow, I didn't know the help police was meant for fortune tellers. I learn something new every day it seems. One thing I have problems with is putting Ambitions venues (stylist, consignment store, etc.) on the same lot as rabbitholes (rabbithole rugs).  I get the message that in order for one lot to work properly, the "special building" aka rabbithole needs to be removed. I thought that the consignment store simply needed to be on a lot by itself because no one was there to mind the register, and it was always "closed." But I tried to build a mini consignment store on it's own lot and still had the same problem with the register. Sometimes I have problems with the WA cash registers being manned as well when I'm trying to set up a cafeteria in a business building, for instance. I guess some things work well together and other things don't.

[MrsFlynn]

I'm not entirely sure how to fix the consignment shop being always closed. Though that has happened to me more than a few times. What I do is just replace the lot, by bulldozing the building that's there and replacing it with either the consignment shop in the community lots to test or just to use. lol Or replace with one that I built that I know works.

If you'd like I can share my current consignment shop for you to test?  If it works for you, keep it or build one for yourself. -- Attaching my consignment shop below. It's a .package file that goes into the library folder (C:\Users\Username\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Library)

I've run into that issue with the rabbithole rugs before. I'm thinking it might be normal ?? for the message of Rabbithole needs to be removed when using the rugs and maybe the doors. It doesn't hurt anything. The rugs will still work, for the most part.

You can try switching them out for different ones from this site I got rabbits from.

Sims 3 Rabbit Hole Rugs and Doors - Complete Collection
https://katsujiiccfinds.tumblr.com/post/651393714136203264
–- Direct download Link of the Rabbithole Rugs and Doors:
https://www.mediafire.com/file/3y4x2alg6roepye/Sims3_RabbitHole_RugsDoors.7z/file

I haven't really used WA registers, so I can't speak on them. However, you are correct on some things work well together and other things don't.

[Cheeseweasel]

Thanks for the links! I downloaded them, unzipped them, and put them in my files. I'm excited to see your consignment shop. Sometimes if I change lot type where I have multiple venues to "consignment shop" instead of "arcade" or "visitors allowed," and then replace the cash register, someone will open the store at least for awhile, but at times it will close again. I've been using the savvy seller register, rugs, and shelves as a work-around and placing items to buy in the actual store, but it eliminates the element of surprise and the sims can't put their own items on consignment. When I start a new build -a- world game or play in a CC world again, I'll try out your store.

[MrsFlynn]

You're welcome! Ah!! That might be why I don't have a lot of issues with the consignment shop. I leave it's lot type set to consignment shop, add only the elixir register, no other scripted objects.

I have heard that mentioned before that players can't consign own items from the consignment shop register. You may already have Nraas Consigner?

https://www.nraas.net/community/Consigner

It allows the sale of sketches, rocks, relics, insects, gems, metals. But not things like furniture or decor. I don't think the game was made to do that at least not with consignment Register. I think you can with Savvy Seller Register though?  I don't know. I've never really played with it.

I wanted to note on my consignment shop, it's kind of small, but does have an empty basement level through the out-building door.  It works great for what I built it for, but I'm actually hoping to rebuild it to be just a little bigger so it doesn't feel so cramped.