Desirability Tuning Lots

[OffshoreTacos 5]

Sometimes you're trying to build a low-wealth neighborhood, but middle-class condos keep sprouting up. Or you're trying to build a middle-class suburb, but rich folks keep moving in. I'd love to have some lots to selectively increase the local desirability for a certain wealth level and/or reduce the desirability for other wealth levels.

This would be especially useful for building high-density, low-wealth neighborhoods, where you need high desirability yet you have to keep the wealthier Sims out.

Ideally, I'd make two lots: one to anchor R$ areas, and one to anchor R$$ areas.

Is this possible? Does anyone have a rough idea of how to do it?

I'd be happy to mod it myself and maybe even do some BATing for each of the lots. I'm just looking for a pointer in the right direction.

[Andreas Roth 629]

Increasing the desirability is easy - just plop a park or something. Lots with "park effect" are intended for residentials, and lots with "landmark effect" (plazas etc.) are intended for commercials. Decreasing the desirability is not that easy, but in order to get low wealth areas, simply leave out any lots that would increase the desirablilty (this also includes police stations and such, as they would reduce crime, hence increasing the desirability again). Also, make R$ buildings historical (at least the larger ones) - as long as they don't abandon, they will stay R$ forever, even if the desirability goes up.

[Geronimo 4]

In addition to what Andreas pointed out, taxes is a great way to control demand, though not desirability, but by raising taxes to a relative high level you can avoid R$$/R$$$ taking over your "slums" if they are too desirable. Lowering taxes works opposite. Dont forget to adjust taxes back to "normal" if you want the demand back.

Dont know anything about modding, good luck anyway!

[OffshoreTacos 5]

Thank you, Andreas and Geronimo. Although I've been using the techniques you describe, I'm looking for a more reliable way to cause low-wealth highrises to grow. Unless I set the middle class tax rate ridiculously high, I get a lot of R$$ condos where I don't want them. Hence my desire for a lot that specifically attracts R$.

From what I can gather, park effect increases desirability for all R wealth levels and can't be used selectively. But, I have noticed a property in certain buildings called "demand created," and it appears that it can be tuned for specific wealth levels. I realize that this isn't a local effect, but it still could be useful for my purposes.

I'm imagining a ploppable that has a strong park effect and creates astronomical demand for R$. If you plop it amongst undeveloped, high-density residential, two things should happen. The desirability for all R wealth levels in the area should go up, and citywide demand for R$ should go off the charts. Even if there's strong R$$ demand, the much higher R$ demand would cause only R$ high-rises to be built on your undeveloped land. Then, you could mark them all as historical and demolish the modded lot. R$ demand would surely bottom out then, and you'd probably see some abandonement (which might actually be realistic). But at least you'd have permanent R$ high-rises, and they might eventually fill up again as the city grows.

What sort of ploppable could have these two properties (park effect and demand created)? If there's no type of building or lot that could have both, then what kind can just have demand created? (After all, it's easy enough to raise desirability just by building parks, schools, hospitals, etc.)

[OffshoreTacos 5]

I ended up making a landmark with C$ Capacity Satisfied at 100,000. I tested it in an empty region, and here's what happened. The R$ demand skyrocketed, predictably enough. Within a few years, the city's population hit 40,000. But then, R$ demand started a slow decline, while C$ demand went through the roof. I built many more parks and even a minor league stadium, but to no avail. Plopping another of the same landmark had no further effect on R$ demand. So, it seems that R$ demand is being limited by some factor, but I can't figure out what it is. Any ideas? Could it have to do with the Commercial caps at all?

[bixel 1,228]

not sure exactly what does the work, but I bet with a little inspection with iLive Reader you might be able to figure something out. For instance I think the little 1x1 Lot gardens in the park menu increase R$ demand, same with the 1x2 basket ball court. While the 1x2 Tennis Court increases Mid and High Wealth Demand. If you can figure out what those properties are you can mess with them a little.

Many people have made parks that allow the ability to lower pollution levels like Air and Noise Pollution, if you can decrease one property maybe you can increase another at the same time.

Meaning, you might be able to make parks that raise R$ demand while lowering demand for R$$ and R$$$.

[SimNation 139]

That Sounds great to me as well. Usually when I want lots of R$ sims I just make a whole city tile dedicated to R$ and allow very little amounts of R$$ to grow (that way the R$ do not start to riot because of lack of stuff in the city that R$$ tend to like). Also a real good trick I use from time to time is to not put any schools. If you do not put any schools in area's you want to be R$ even if some r$$ grows they will leave and eventually R$ will take its place.

Another thing not mentioned is Radiation. If you have like the GSM towers or Cell Towers..they help to make R$ grow near them only. Nimby lots as Bixel stated are great for helping R$ sims to grow.

[BlackDragonAJ89 21]

I kind of have this problem, except it's dealing with Commercial Service (Any wealth) vs. Commercial Office. Where I want gas stations and shops to be, I get printing offices and private offices. Where I want the office buildings, I get swamped with stores and truck stops. If there was a mod that split the CS and CO, I'd really appreciate that.