The base town for The Sims 3 is Sunset Valley. The Sims 3: Late Night introduced a new town into gameplay - Bridgeport. While Bridgeport is a beautiful, exciting town with sizzling nightlife, intriguing new characters and a thriving community of Vampires, longtime Simmers who are invested in Sunset Valley may feel torn as they must convert to Bridgeport to experience Late Night's variety of features.
However, with a little creativity and a lot of patience Sunset Valley can be converted into a Late Night ready haven for your favorite Townies to enjoy.
Plan - An excellent first step is to plan exactly what you want in your town. To accommodate Late Night, you will need some lots for clubs and bars and a few high rise apartments. You will also need to find room for the Film Studio so your Sims can enjoy the new Film Careers.For a cohesive look, it is advantageous to also take this time to create zones for different architectural styles and price points. This gives Sunset Valley a sense of realism. After all, it is atypical to find a low-budget cabin next to a modern loft!
Save and Destroy - At this point in the renovation, take a moment to go lot by lot and "Save to Bin" any households or lots you want to keep. Most Simmers have been using Sunset Valley for years now and don't want to abandon their households or constantly switch back and forth between neighborhoods to enjoy Late Night. By saving households to the Bin, you are able to place them back into houses after the makeover. Also save any lots that you may want to move to a new location. Keep in mind that Late Night introduces many multi-function buildings. Why keep City Hall, a Police Station and a Military Base when you can put a Civics Building that houses all of the above?
Once all your favorite lots and households have been saved, bulldoze everything. Start with the cleanest slate possible.
Borrow and Steal - Open Bridgeport, Twinbrook and Riverview if you have them. Take a moment to scan each and "Save to Bin" any households or lots you think would enhance Sunset Valley. If your new Sunset Valley is going to have a "historic district," steal some of the columned homes from Twinbrook and Riverview. If you want Vampires or Five-Star Celebrities in Sunset Valley, snag some from Bridgeport. There are no Buyable food trucks but by saving a lot with a food truck parked on it, your Sims can still enjoy the pleasure (or is it torture?) of cheap, greasy, 24 hour eats.
Plop - You are finally ready to start placing lots Sunset Valley. Swapping Town Hall for the new Civics Building is a no-brainer. This frees up a huge 60x60 lot where the Military Base used to be. This is an excellent spot for the Plumbob Studio Backlot! Place a few of the smaller high rise apartments in your Sunset Valley "downtown." Choose high-rises that are not too tall so they blend in with the necessary buildings like the grocery store and bookstore. Be sure to check and that you have all of the necessary Career Buildings and then begin either converting or plopping your clubs and bars. Try to think outside the box here. A stylish modern home near the beach can become Sunset Valley's premier Poolside Lounge by simply changing the Lot Type and adding a dance floor and a bar. The old Goth mansion can become the new Vampire Lounge. Get creative and have fun but remember that Rome wasn't built in a day - and neither is Sunset Valley!
Build - Once you have plopped all the lots you can, take inventory of what you still need. If you could not find a cohesive library, you may need to build one. If you're not a strong builder, you can always visit The Sims Exchange to find a user-created lot that fills your needs.
Once you have followed these steps, you can start re-populating your town with all the households you have saved. With Vampires now in the mix, expect to some some of your favorite townies converted for new storytelling and an unpredictable gameplay! By giving Sunset Valley a Late Night makeover, you can enjoy all the perks and benefits of the Late Night Expansion Pack while keeping your favorite Sims close to home!
Jessica Vivian - Homeschooling, Simming, Co-parenting, Single-parenting, Blogging, Erotica Writing for your reading and viewing pleasure.
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