All-In-One and Nanny NPC

Plain text version of this manual.

News: Christianlov updated his mods, (2008-05-27) they can be found here:

http://www.modthesims2.com/creator/christianlov

I will update this manual as soon as possible.

I found Christianlovs mods at MTS2 a couple of years ago, and at one point he asked for help with a manual. I then wrote this one, and had some contact with Christianlov about it. It was available with his downloads when they were up before at MTS2.

People have been asking me about how to use the All-In-One NPC and the Nanny, so I decided to update the old version of this manual - I use these mods with all expansions installed, including Freetime.

All credits for these mods go to Christianlov.

Manual

The mods of Christianlov will help you to make your own NPC servants for the homes of your simmies. They can be customized in many ways, and this manual is a handbook in using the tools and the customizing possibilities.

Installing

The files you need to download and install

Controllers – Invisible objects but needed to make the others to work:

  • NannyController
  • BaseController

These files are important to have, but you don’t do anything with them in game. They need to be in the downloads folder, a good idea is to create a subfolder in the downloads folder called christianlov.

Tool to make customized NPC:s:

Filename

Note

NPCTweakTool.rar 

　

SimBoutique_ClothingRack

Now updated for outerwear!

Objects to make the NPC:s to show up and work for your sims:

Filename

Note

Ain1GasStove

 

Ain1Cooktop

 

NannyPainting

Ain1_Painting

Objects to add if you want your NPC:s to sleep in their own beds and/or sit and rest while waiting for things to do:

Filename

NPCBed

NPCChair

Note: these are the zip-files you need to install – they also include other files, which you also need to keep in your downloads folder. My advise is to manually extract them all in the christianlov-subfolder.

　

Creating your customized NPC:s

The first thing to do, before hiring any NPC, is to decide what NPC:s you want.

Start with buying the NPC Tweak Tool, you find it under Misc/Misc, it costs 150 § and looks like a Sim Urn, the golden version.

Options when creating NPC:s

  1. All-In-One OR Nanny
  2. Male OR Female
  3. Adult OR Elder
  4. Skin Tone (Light Medium Tan Dark Random)
  5. Clothing – Bartender (Black apron, white shirt) OR Casual (Pick Casual if you want to dress the NPC in other clothes later) (You can use Simwardrobes NPC replacer and decide an alternative for the Bartender - then these NPC:s will dress in that.

The NPC:s you create with the Tweak Tool, will be possible to assign in your sim houses. They will count as NPC:s in every way, and will be free only if you move them in into a house. If you do that, they are not NPC:s any more (and are free to marry, have kids, take ordinary sim jobs ect.) This is if you use the Tweak Tool to move them in.

However, if you move these NPC:s in using the Christianlov Sim Transporter to another household they will not be available to assign from the "Assign NPC" menu, but they keep their assignment. The All-In-Ones keep working as they ever did, even if they are now a neighbour. The nannies too, but they can have some issues, in some cases. At times they seem to be on strike, just standing there or stuck in a loop.. try to remove them from the lot to see if a reset helps. (Move objects on, just delete the sim) If they can't be forced to work normally this way, you should replace the painting and hire a "real" Christianlov nanny.

Link to the Sim Transporter: christianlov_SimTransporter.rar

Other options with the Tweak Tool:

Tweak NPC - Options:

  1. Rename - You can give the NPC a new first name.
  2. Change Appearance - You can change the looks (makeup, hair, face) of the NPC

  3. Check Wealth - This function shows the private funds of the NPC

  4. Check Wealth – All - This function shows the private funds of all NPC:s
  5. Options Silent – Off

  6. Diagnose..

  7. NPC - This function checks the state of the NPC:s connected to All-In-One modification. You will find out if they all work properly.

  8. Moved In NPC - Same, but checks former NPC:s you moved in with other sims and left the NPC service.

  9. Dead NPC - Checks for NPC:s you killed in game.
  10. Controller.. - Checks the installed controllers and if they work as intended.
  11. Clean up..
  12. Old NPC - Pick this option and all NPC:s created with older versions will come to you, and then die. You can delete the gravestone or use it for a graveyard of your choice.
  13. All-In-One NPC - Pick this options and you can summon any All-In-One NPC to die.
  14. Nanny - Pick this options and you can summon any Nanny NPC to die.
  15. Move in..
  16. All-In-One - This option moves in any All-In-One NPC – after which they leave the service as NPC:s and become free sims.
  17. Nanny - This option moves in any Nanny NPC (made with these mods) – after which they leave the service as NPC:s and become free sims.

If you don’t care about using the same NPC:s in all houses, I would recommend creating at least 2 nannies and 3-4 All-In-One-NPC:s. Even the biggest sim-house should be manageable by 2 nannies + 3-4 All-In-One NPC:s. More about organizing the NPC:s efficiently in 4.

Assigning the NPC:s

Important NOTE: when a menu option show ON it means they are off, and vice versa. The menu shows options you can CHANGE TO, not what options picked.

All-In-One NPC

The All-In-One Painting

You find it under Deco/Paintings . When you place the painting, start with assigning an All-In-One NPC, before you decide on other preferences/options.

With the painting you get to pick from all the All-In-One NPC:s you made OR another sim, maybe a neighbour in the hood needs the extra money?

The NPC will cook meals and place them on a dinner table with chairs in the same room as a stove (any stove, maxis or custom). There for, dining rooms should be built so that they have no doors between them and a stove. No table/chairs means that the NPC wont cook.

These are the choices in the MENU:

  1. Options
  2. More options
  3. Band: Dance/Jazz/Rock/Country/Freestyle Rap/Singer
  4. Preferences
  5. Time of Arrival 4-23
  6. Time of Leaving 4-23
  7. Tip 1/5/10/25/100 §
  8. Breakfast: All the standard meal options in game, AND custom foods.
  9. Lunch: All the standard meal options in game AND custom foods.
  10. Dinner All the standard meal options in game, AND custom foods.

Options for All-In-One NPC

  1. Maid OFF/ON With this option ON the NPC will clean the house.
  2. Cook OFF/ON

    With this option on the NPC will cook. If you have the stove – it will cook meals and place them on a dinner table with chairs in the same room as the stove. There for, dining rooms should be built so that they have no doors between them and the stove. No table/chairs means that the NPC wont cook.

    If you use the Cook Top you need the same counters that work in dorms – if you don’t have those counters in the room, the NPC wont cook.

    In both cases the NPC will continue cooking as soon there are free spots to place the food, independent of number of sims or their hunger. Try to adjust the spots on counters/table to the numbers of plates your sims need. If noone is eating the plates will stand until they go bad and after a while the NPC will clean them out and replace them.

    With the options for Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner you can decide what the NPC cooks. This can be changed any minute, so if your sim gets an urge for pancakes, just change the type. All standard meals are available for all kinds of meals, so yes, they can have pancakes for dinner.

  3. Repairwomen OFF/ON -  The NPC will repair everything that breaks. NOTE: the special All-In-One NPCs are specialized in repairing and have high skills, to avoid accidents. If you assign a neighbour sim this can be a problem..
  4. Exterminator OFF/ON The NPC will get rid of bugs that pester you.

  5. Coach OFF/ON  - The NPC will make your sims exercise. This can be time consuming, maybe assign a special NPC trainer for this purpose? Especially if you have a big family.

  6. Bartender Original/OFF
  7. Bartender Make Drinks Only/OFF

    Original means the NPC will tend the bar, make drinks mean it will keep drinks available.

  8. Homework – Help With Homework ON/OFF
  9. Homework – OFF/ON
  10. Gardener OFF/ON
    The NPC will take care of the garden. If you have a big garden with lots of bushes and flowers, it takes a lot of time. A good idea in that case is to assign a special NPC for this, maybe place the cook top somewhere in a shed or such.
    NOTE: Does NOT work for Seasons – if you have Seasons I suggest you turn gardening off.

More options

NOTE: many of the "more options" does NOT work after Seasons/BV/FT. They are as far as I know harmless to try. The one I use, that DOES work is Pay bills.

  1. Write Novel ON/OFF –
  2. Manage Grandfather Clock ON/OFF
  3. Turn Off Computer ON/OFF
  4. Turn Off TV ON/OFF
  5. Espresso Serving ON/OFF
  6. Paint ON/OFF
  7. Mail & Bill ON/OFF
  8. Sell Painting ON/OFF
  9. Aquarium ON/OFF
  10. Feed Cowplant ON/OFF
  11. Light Bonfire & Fireplace ON/OFF
  12. Accept Delivery ON/OFF
  13. Serve Buffet ON/OFF
  14. Answer Phone ON/OFF
  15. Table Serving ON/OFF
  16. Order Food ON/OFF
  17. Greet Doorbell Ringing Visitors ON/OFF
  18. Greet All Passers By, Except Working NPC ON/OFF
  19. Stereo Turn Off ON/OFF
  20. Stereo Turn On ON/OFF
  21. Turn On Preferred Options
  22. Turn Off Preferred Options

To use the Christianlov OFB special cash register:

The new version works a bit different than the old one. First, add an All-In-One-painting. Assign an NPC OR another sim (neigbour). Then, add the cas register, and pick the option Assign My NPC. Now the sim assigned by the painting will take care of customers in addition to the other chores connected to the painting. As far as I can see, he/she will do this promptly when needed, but it could be a good idea to remove other chores from this all-in-one, so that he has the time needed for the shop. I will test this further.

 They don´t show up as employees in the OFB info in game, but they get salary if you choose to pay them. They are very efficient.

Nanny NPC

You find the Nanny NPC Painting in Decorations/Pictures, it costs 120 § . When you place the Painting, start with assigning a Nanny NPC, before you decide on other preferences/options. Chose assign and pick the Nanny you created before. She will show up after a bit of time.

She will always find the standard (base game) baby furniture, but you can register custom content as an option on the painting. Make sure that you do the search for the custom objects when a baby/toddler is in a crib, or on the nursing table/sitting on potty/ect. One painting can have four custom items registred.

The Freetime baby items – I also have Pescados (MATY:s) baby controller installed, and I don’t know if that’s the reason, but my nanny painting recognizes the Freetime stuff. I did try it with Simlogicals Nanny patch for this, but my testing showed that then the painting couldn’t find custom nursing tables, and as I NEVER use the in-game nannies, I uninstalled the Simlogical nanny FT patch. Now everything works fine.

Menu:

  1. Assign - can only assign from Christianlov nannies, so you have to make at least one first, if you don't the game will spawn one for you.
  2. Children Info - see children info, how many days left, name ect.
  3. Options
  4. Preferences
  5. Time of Arrival 4-23
  6. Time of Leaving 4-23

Options for nanny:

  1. Hide with walls down/Set viewable always
  2. Teach Toddlers ON/OFF- Using this option means that the Nanny will teach the toddlers – if you have many toodlers this can be time consuming (not using smart milk) and in that case its recommended to have more nannies available. The nanny teaches potty training and talking, but NOT walking, or rhymes.
  3. Override Queue ON/OFF
  4. Serve dessert ON/OFF - If this option is ON, then the nanny makes desserts/cakes if she doesn’t have babies/toddlers to care for. Useful when kids come home from school, if you keep the nanny after pre-school age. I am not sure this function works after Freetime, I haven't seen them making any desserts, but I will do further testing.
  5. Help with homework OFF/ON
  6. Homework OFF/ON - If this option is ON, then the Nanny will do the homework for the kids. If you have many kids/teens this is time consuming, so if you want the Nanny to concentrate on the babies/toddlers my advise is to keep it OFF.

Preferences

Same for All-In-One and Nanny

  1. NPC Gender – Male/Female (use if you don’t use tweak tool)
  2. NPC Age – Adult/Elder (use if you don’t use tweak tool)
  3. NPC Skintone Light/Medium/Tan/Dark (use if you don’t use tweak tool)
  4. Stay 24 hours ON (default, options on/off)
  5. NPC Holiday OFF (default, options on/off)
  6. Default Outfit – Casual (use if you don’t use tweak tool)
  7. Salary OFF (default options on/off)
  8. With Salary ON, you get to pay for the NPC:s. 15 §/hour, so a full time Nanny will cost 360 §. I like this option as it adds realism to the servants – only rich/well-paid sims can afford an army of servants, as it should be. AND – the NPC gets to keep the money! If you later plan to free the NPC, this option can give it a nice starting fund. With the tweak tool you can check the wealth of your NPC:s.

Organizing the NPC:s

In my big sim houses, I usually use 1 nanny and 2-3 All-In-One NPC:s. The Nanny picture I place in the Nursery. I prefer to have the Homework option OFF, as homework takes a lot of time and tend to leave the poor toddlers and babies without nursing. In smaller houses I usually start with an All-In-One NPC, then add a nanny when there are children.

The All-In-One painting I place either in the kitchen or in a special NPC room, I build a kitchen with dining area close (no doors between dining room and kitchen stove, make an open passage!) The NPC with cook options ON is the Cook, and also Maid to get the dirty plates. I also usually make her pay bills and order food/accept delivery. (She still orders food fine, but doesn’t always accept deliveries post-FT.)

One All-In-One painting I place somewhere else in the house – and assign a maid or a butler for the maid stuff in the house, and also to answer phone. One house for example has 2 butlers, one of them also greets guests. Important: put these NPC:s cook – off.

With these tools, it is possible to staff the house completely, with everything from a nanny and a teacher for the kids, and a personal trainer, to a private band playing in the garden. Just remember to manage them wisely – if you make the maid greet every passers by, she will clean less. If there is a need for greeting, maybe a special NPC (a guardsman at the door?) should be assigned for this.