Sims 2 Lot placement

[Spandau]

Here's a question for you all and a source of annoyance for me. When
placing lots in "empty spaces" in a neighborhood, is it difficult to put
the sized lot you want exactly where you wish? I mean, even though
there is absolutely nothing for miles around, a larger lot or longer lot
just will not "fit" and only the 1x3 or the 2x2 lot will. I have some
choice real estate just calling out for large manors and castles and
game will not allow the lot placement. I have some city blocks that can
only be half filled and don't look very urban. So is there a way (a
cheat) to force lot placement along a road. Are there other things that
interfere with lot placement besides other lots, roads, cliffs, and water.

Tim

[Jeanie]

Post by Spandau
Here's a question for you all and a source of annoyance for me. When
placing lots in "empty spaces" in a neighborhood, is it difficult to put
the sized lot you want exactly where you wish? I mean, even though
there is absolutely nothing for miles around, a larger lot or longer lot
just will not "fit" and only the 1x3 or the 2x2 lot will. I have some
choice real estate just calling out for large manors and castles and
game will not allow the lot placement. I have some city blocks that can
only be half filled and don't look very urban. So is there a way (a
cheat) to force lot placement along a road. Are there other things that
interfere with lot placement besides other lots, roads, cliffs, and water.
Tim

There is a function under lots that allows you to move lots, even if
they have houses on them. You could try using that to shuffle them
around. Also, when you have empty space between the lots, go into the
neighborhood view and use some of the neighborhood decorations like
trees or such to fill up those spaces. Sometimes, if you don't have the
lot decorations open, you won't be able to see things that are actually
sitting there in the way. Rainbows, clouds, balloons, birds, all of
that stuff shows up as a big box when you have neighborhood decorations
open. You can use the hand to grab onto them and either delete them or
move them somewhere else.

Jeanie

[Spandau]

Post by Jeanie

Post by Spandau
Here's a question for you all and a source of annoyance for me. When
placing lots in "empty spaces" in a neighborhood, is it difficult to
put the sized lot you want exactly where you wish? I mean, even
though there is absolutely nothing for miles around, a larger lot or
longer lot just will not "fit" and only the 1x3 or the 2x2 lot will.
I have some choice real estate just calling out for large manors and
castles and game will not allow the lot placement. I have some city
blocks that can only be half filled and don't look very urban. So is
there a way (a cheat) to force lot placement along a road. Are there
other things that interfere with lot placement besides other lots,
roads, cliffs, and water.
Tim

There is a function under lots that allows you to move lots, even if
they have houses on them. You could try using that to shuffle them
around. Also, when you have empty space between the lots, go into the
neighborhood view and use some of the neighborhood decorations like
trees or such to fill up those spaces. Sometimes, if you don't have the
lot decorations open, you won't be able to see things that are actually
sitting there in the way. Rainbows, clouds, balloons, birds, all of
that stuff shows up as a big box when you have neighborhood decorations
open. You can use the hand to grab onto them and either delete them or
move them somewhere else.
Jeanie

Thanks for the response. I have tried using the move and rotate tool
from within the game. I have also looked for every conceivable
neighborhood decoration that might be in the way to no avail.

It just seems odd that some lots would fit and lock into place while
others do not, even when there is room available for the lot to do so.

When placed, lots and lots with buildings will often modify the terrain
on to which they are placed, flattening the ground or even roads. I
wonder if there is something in that function that interferes with a lot
that will not lock into place?

Any thoughts out there for this frustrated would-be-City Architect?

[Georg]

Post by Spandau
Any thoughts out there for this frustrated would-be-City Architect?

I think you are limited in lot size because you are a *city* architect.
In the neugbhorhood, you can use large lots. Downtown you are limited by
size and can't use large lots.

Manors are better off in suburbia anyway.

-georg

[Spandau]

Post by Georg

Post by Spandau
Any thoughts out there for this frustrated would-be-City Architect?

I think you are limited in lot size because you are a *city* architect.
In the neugbhorhood, you can use large lots. Downtown you are limited by
size and can't use large lots.
Manors are better off in suburbia anyway.
-georg

Well, it sounds like you all have wrestled with the same lot placement
issues as I have with pretty much the same results. Here is to the hope
that some enterprising hacker can come up with a solution.

Thanks for the feedback,

Tim

[Maxon]

Sometimes, there seems to be a way in which the lot won't accept the terrain
or the other way around and, try as you might, you can't place a lot in a
certain spot. I don't know why it happens. Sometimes, placing a lot next
door alters the terrain around it slightly and then you can sometimes move
the lot over a space using the lot (hand) grab tool or plonk another lot
next door. It doesn't always work.

Some Neighbourhood terrain decoration is hard to see. I see someone already
mentioned the invisible ones (e.g. rainbows) but one that can be difficult
to spot is bus stops. They're very small rectangular signs and Maxis tend
to place them by the roads in the pre-made neighbourhoods (including a lot
on the standard Downtown map - actually they might have come with
Nightlife). They can be very difficult to see. Try grabbing about with the
hand over the space you want to use with the grabbing hand function or see
if you can get your eye in to spot them.

Best wishes
maxon

Post by Spandau
Here's a question for you all and a source of annoyance for me. When
placing lots in "empty spaces" in a neighborhood, is it difficult to put
the sized lot you want exactly where you wish? I mean, even though
there is absolutely nothing for miles around, a larger lot or longer lot
just will not "fit" and only the 1x3 or the 2x2 lot will. I have some
choice real estate just calling out for large manors and castles and
game will not allow the lot placement. I have some city blocks that can
only be half filled and don't look very urban. So is there a way (a
cheat) to force lot placement along a road. Are there other things that
interfere with lot placement besides other lots, roads, cliffs, and water.
Tim

[Jeremy Reaban]

Post by Spandau
Here's a question for you all and a source of annoyance for me. When
placing lots in "empty spaces" in a neighborhood, is it difficult to put
the sized lot you want exactly where you wish? I mean, even though there
is absolutely nothing for miles around, a larger lot or longer lot just
will not "fit" and only the 1x3 or the 2x2 lot will.

<snip>

Yeah, I know, sometimes they don't. And sometimes you can't put down a
prebuilt house/lot of a larger size, but can put in an empty lot

Sometimes it helps to put in an empty lot, then go into that empty lot and
flatten the terrain. Then exit and bulldoze

[Janice]

Post by Spandau
Here's a question for you all and a source of annoyance for me.
When placing lots in "empty spaces" in a neighborhood, is it
difficult to put the sized lot you want exactly where you wish?

I've had this problem happen a few times with certain 'in game'
houses being copied to certain neighborhoods that have a lot of
uneven terrain (rolling, sloping and steep). The Ying Yang
neighborhood comes to mind.