The Sims 2: Nightlife/Downtowns

When you first open up a neighbourhood in The Sims 2: Nightlife, you will be given the option to add a new sub-neighbourhood to that neighbourhood. These neighbourhoods are known as 'downtowns' or 'nightlife destinations.' Installing one downtown to a base neighbourhood does not install it for each neighbourhood and if you install the same downtown, they will not be the same. That is, they will have a different population.

Differences between base and downtown neighbourhoods

Base and downtown neighbourhoods aren't that different from one another but there are a few differences:

• Downtown has unique NPCs including the Vampires, Slobs, Divas and Mr Bigs. The other NPCs (Known as downtownies) generally have better jobs, more money and higher skills.

• The Maxis-created Downtown has more community lots than Maxis-created base neighbourhoods. (e.g. Pleasantveiw, Strangetown)

• By default downtown neighbourhoods will be shown at night in the nieghbourhood veiw

Downtownies

When Downtown is installed, reagrdless of whether it's custom or Maxis-designed, it comes with a host of new characters that are profiled below

• Mrs Crumplebottom- Mrs Crumplebottom is an old lady that hates seeing any romantic interactions on the street. If she sees two sims snogging or hugging or whatever, she'll lecture them then wallop her handbag over them. If you see her on the lot, make sure your in a private room or at least a room without her in it if you're on a date. She also hates sims that are inappropiately dressed. It is impossible to have a relationship with her because if you try to talk to her, she'll start attacking you with that purse of hers.

• Vampires- The vampires are recognisable by the pale skin, the vampire costumes, the red eyes, the fangs and the fact that they only come out at night. They behave like any normal NPC except that they run of at sunrise and can turn into a bat. At first there are only two vampires and they only turn up downtown. Their names start with 'Count' or 'Contessa' and they can bite your sims, turning them into vampires. For information on being a vampire see Vampires

• Diva/Mr Big- They are the top of the social ladder. Get them into your house and you'll recieve a heap of money. They also have fixed charcteristics. They have fortune aspiration, their job is as a Professional Party guest and they're dressed well. Note that their names are not really Diva or Mr Big but are instead randomly chosen. Diva and Mr Big just refers to them as characters.

• The Slob- The Slob is at the bottom of the social ladder. They have limited wealth, walk around in their PJs, burp and fart regularly, Have no active or Neat points on their personality and their job is as a Gas Station Attendant. They have the Pleasure aspiration

• Other- Apart from the above, other Downtownies are created upon the creation of a downtown. Their jobs are always level six or higher, they have high skills and they have more money than base neighbourhood townies. They make really good catches but the only way to know who's a Downtownie and who's a regular townie is to wither keep a record of each townie or to ask them personally about their skills or job.