New Uses for WA Tomb Building Tools

[mtglady]

Now that we've got this thread, I'd like to use it to throw around some more ideas. What else can we use the WA tomb-building tools for?
Who else has ideas? I'd love to use more WA tools for my buildings.

I sometimes install Motion-Detecting Lights in my homes just by using porch lights and Hidden Trigger Panels.  That way the porch light automatically goes on or off depending on whether or not your Sim is going in or out the door. 
Sometimes I set it up for lighting paths to a back yard garden, around a pool or whatever. 

Now to get back on topic:  Hosfac, you might want to change title of this thread from Traps in Houses to WA Tomb-Building Tools so the posts will not be off topic discussing these other uses per Ausette's suggestion.

[Hosfac]

That's a good idea, seeing as how the original question was answered and this has evolved into a new discussion.  I'll do so now.

[Ausette]

So we're all good with the topic name now? Yay, on to more wacky applications! 

I had some real fun with a Dive Pool while I was building my brewery [BLATANT PLUG]. I used Fog Emitters to make bubbles, changed the water colour to brown, and voila! Instant swimmable beer vat! My Sims are so spoiled. 

[mtglady]

Yes, we are all good with the topic change - thanks Hosfac.

Ausette, you really have spoiled Sims .  Your vat is a cute idea and I think I am going to have to download your brewery since I just had to click on the 'BLATANT PLUG'. Now my Sims can be spoiled too. Good job!

[Seabody]

Possibly a display out on the front deck for certain sims?


These are activated by walking through the front door.

Dart traps for an adventurer
Electric Traps for a scientist
Fire traps for a firefighter
Steam traps for a fisherman (?)

Just a thought.

[Hosfac]

There has been a new development in my automatic sim extinguishing system I designed for my inventor, in case of an accidental explosion that catches her butt on fire.  This development has given rise to a new idea.  But first, the issue (as described in the Building and Construction Showboat thread):

After my initial test, a puddle was created at the back of the little 2x2 room.  The sims in the house became nothing short of obsessed with it, because the active steam trap prevented them from getting to it.  This led to constant foot stomping and complaining on their behalf.  So I had to come up with a way to turn it off so any puddles could be cleaned up, and then be turned back on so that the system could be used again, if needed.  This was my solution:



The hole on the left hand side sets the trap to dormant and hidden, and allows complete access to any puddles that might be created.  The hole on the right hand side sets the trap to armed and visible, so it can be used again.  And thanks to Danefaith's help, I've even linked the light inside that section so that it's green when it's active and red when it's not.

While I was thanking him for his assistance, an idea popped into my head:  an Anti-burglar defense system!

Just like in the above examples, you have two switches:  one one to arm the system and one to disarm the system.  The system itself would consist of a trap (or row of traps) that block all entrances into the house.  Those traps could be safe (darts to knock the burglar out), or could even be set for "lethal response" (fire or electricity).  To do this, you would need to set the traps themselves as armed and hidden when active...or you could just use it as a deterrent by setting them to fire.  Then, before bed, you simply turn the system on, and before you leave for work/school in the morning, you turn it off!  Just don't forget lol.

I'm going to have to try this one out and see how it works.  I'm going to guess that it's not going to work like I planned for no other reason than burglars ignore things like locked doors.  But it'll be fun to try!

[Seabody]

I am not a good builder, but I have a suggestion for Hosfac.

To add to the realism, you could stick a fire trap down there for experiements (or subjects...) that need to be heated.

[Hosfac]

I was thinking that would be a good way to create ghosts for a custom graveyard.  I know that you can place graves with cheats, but do those headstones have ghosts?  But even if they did, you couldn't control what they looked like.

[KrispyNickyB]

Very clever idea! Keep us posted on the burglar idea. In my game I never actually have a burglar show up. Which is very odd that my game never hits it.

[Hosfac]

If I add a burglar alarm, it usually takes a while for one to show up.  However, if I don't add one...my sim usually gets robbed in the first week lol.  But my test will be easy:  I'll just use "Force NPC" with testingCheatsEnabled true. 

Going to go and try that now.

[KrispyNickyB]

I think burglars must think my Sims aren't worth the trouble. Ever since I've installed Sims 3 I've had only 1 show up! Now forcing would be cheating and I'm midst a legacy. You're tempting me Hosfac

[Schipperke]

I know that you can place graves with cheats, but do those headstones have ghosts? 

I don't think they do, Hosfac.  I used buydebug to place a couple of graves in the Riches Galore yard, hoping to see a ghost or two, but if they were there, they never came out.  I got rid of the graves after a week or so, but I would have thought a week was long enough to know. 

[Hosfac]

It's not worth cheating to get a 24 hour negative moodlet lol.

UPDATE:  I'm going to call the burglar-defense system a substantial success.  Not phenomenal, but extremely worthy of further experimentation.

The first recipient of my super-ingenious, patent-pending home security system was Bunny Shore of Barnacle Bay.  Her house has a front entrance, as well as a rear entrance with 2 access points.  I placed the traps like this, so it would be impossible to enter the house without walking over a trap.  I set them to armed and hidden as their default state.




I also wanted to make it so it was simple to activate and deactivate.  The holes take time, and if a sim's mood is low they won't stick their hands in them.  So I added a wall light, set the color to red (to indicate that the system was active), and enabled the ability to add triggers.  I then linked all 4 traps to be armed when the light was on, and to be dormant when the light was off.  Now the system can be armed and disarmed with a click of the mouse, and with no direct interaction on behalf of Bunny!

The for the first test, I choose the least harmful option: darts.  I waited until after dark, and sent Bunny to bed.  Cue the burglar:



As you can see, it knocked him out cold.  While he slept peacefully on her front lawn, I woke her up and had her call the police.  Despite the fact that the burglar left empty handed, he managed to get away before the police arrived.

For the next test, I changed the trap types to fire, sent Bunny back to bed, and summoned another burglar.

Just as with the darts, he triggers the trap.  But despite the fact that he gets crispy on the first one, the second one doesn't kill him.  Nor does the third or the fourth...and yes, he triggered all four lol.  After triggering the final trap, the burglar gets in his Big Lemon and calls it a night.  But even though he survives, he never makes it inside the house.

For the final test, I changed all the trap types to electricity.  By the time the second test was over, it was morning, so I let Bunny go to work and continued the next night.  With a click on the mailbox our crash test dummy, Robi Baron arrives right on schedule to have another go at it.

He triggers the first trap as expected, gets zapped as expected, but something I didn't expect happened:  the trap caught on fire. 



I quickly disarmed the system, as Bunny woke up so she could go and freak out.  I had her extinguish the flames herself, and luckily the traps were not damaged.  After the fire, the burglar leaves.  So, I sent her back to bed and rearmed the system and summoned another burglar.

It turns out that this was a fluke (although it's good to know that it can happen).  Just like the previous night, he triggers all 4 traps this time, passing out on the last 2.  So while he was unconscious, I had a bit of an idea:  I turned the light off, and then back on to reset the traps.  upon waking, he starts trying again lol.  By this point it's daylight, and he only has time to trigger 2 traps before Bunny wakes up.  I have her call the police, but keep the traps armed for good ole Robi so I can see if the police can catch him.

Unfortunately, Bunny runs out the front door so she can freak out over the burglar and sets off one of the traps herself.  While she's getting electrocuted, the police officer shows up and Robi makes good his escape.  And where does the police officer stand?



Yep, right on the trap...electrocuting himself...and zapping poor Bunny again in the process.  She managed to survive both electrocutions, but as the burglar survived 6 in a row so it seems that as they currently are, they are not lethal.  But as it kept the house from being robbed, I still consider it a success.  I have an idea on how to possibly make them lethal, but it will require some extra research on triggers and behaviors with other objects.  But this is a great starting point.

[Schipperke]

The Hosfac patented burglar-defense system - love it!  Truly ingenious.  A little more complex than the standard burglar alarm, but a lot more fun.  Great pictures!

[Lilygirl]

That is so awesome!! Hosfac, I had to read your entire post to my husband because I just had to share this!

I wonder if a combination of different types of traps would work in terms of lethal defense. I think they all cause different moodlets. But then again, I've had a Sim die from going back to work on the dishwasher after a failed attempt. Small oops on my part.