One of my favorite games is Vampire: Masquerade – Bloodlineand I’ve always been obsessed with the nightlife portrayal of the game. Exile, Confessions, Vesuvius are all vampire-owned bars and clubs, each with its own unique atmosphere. So when Sims 4 Developer Maxis has launched a new extension on creating your dream business. I knew what I wanted to do right away. I had to create my own vampire bar with sweet songs, elite customers and flirty vibes. use Business and Hobbiescreated a vampire nightclub called LoveBites, but it didn’t go as planned.
I set out to build lovebites and decided that this should be a classy joint. I bought a new lot of land, set up a luxurious front lobby with framed artwork, built a huge dance floor with a DJ booth and a high stage for live performances, and arranged a bar offering drinks for non-vampires who appeared at the club. It cost $70,000 to build a large facility, but we decided it was worth it. If you want to build, grow a vampire nightclub, or go home. To make the experience more authentic, I assigned many characteristics: Vampire Nexus, the hottest spot in town, optional clothing.
Image: Maxis/Electronic Arts via passthecontroller
With everything set, I was ready to start my first shift and my patrons and their hard-earned Simoleons started rolling. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
A handful of patrons shuffled, wearing heavy winter clothes and bags over their heads. It was like a low budget My eyes are closed wideand that wasn’t the sexy vibe I wanted to raise. The atmosphere was awkward, the dance was terrible, and the club looked too big and empty. The bag appears to be from a nearby action plan. Eco-lifestyleAdditions – Sometimes the whole town votes to wear a bag on its head. My business doesn’t have a mailbox so I can’t vote to get rid of it.
To make matters worse, I had assigned a vampire hostess a job drinking plasma. I thought this meant she was relaxing behind the bar and sipping the plasma pack with her stock. Instead, she took a more aggressive approach, asking both her employees and patrons to walk and drink blood. It didn’t matter that her thirst meter was full. She was focused on the work in front of her, which meant surprise bartenders and musicians with her long animations, as she held back their delicious blood and even pampered her mood.
It had been 12 hours before I knew it. I had decided to build a club in a different lot from my home base, but I hadn’t built a kitchenette for employees or beds for rest. At first, this seemed like a great way to strengthen your work-life balance. Instead, it meant that all of my employees were exhausted, hungry, and angry like hell. I closed the store and, for my troubles, I was earning a total of -§300.
Image: Maxis/Electronic Arts via passthecontroller
I was a little disappointed at first, but soon became clear Business and Hobbies Players expect to sink some time into their business and pay their membership fees before it becomes a phenomenon. I spent tens of thousands of Simoleons building classy clubs, but it still was recognized as a “garage business” because it hadn’t made an impression on the hearts of its customers. Often, it is necessary to open to gain a reputation, and the game allows you to choose between dealing with a friendly dreamer or targeting a schemer’s clientele.
This means my sexy vampire club was in a much more ongoing work than I had expected. So I let my Sim family leave their job and focus on opening a club. Things are improving. Patrons are showing up at the club in appropriate dance attire, celebrities are showing up to check out the place, and having a large family full of skilled Sims means they can recruit from a reliable talent pool.
I’m still not nailing the exact vibe I’m aiming for at all, especially since everyone still wears a bag on their heads. But I am starting to see more vampire customers and seeing dynamic play is fascinating. Regular Sims only appear in drinks and dances, cheating on vampires and falling in love. Then the vampires drink their plasma and for a while I feel this place will soon fit Vampire: Masquerade – Bloodline.
But I haven’t made any money yet. This is a problem with the construction costs of all these startups. There are also concerns about customers. I beg them: Stop wearing paper bags to my hot vampire club. You are defeating all the moods.
