My first impression of Sims 2 Open for Business
I’ve been anxiously waiting to receive my Open for Business expansion pack since I was notified my order shipped last week. Well, it arrived yesterday from Amazon.com. I was quite (happily) surprised to find it in my mailbox a week earlier than I expected. There were some odds and ends that needed my attention before I could sit down and do the installation, so I placed it on my desk and went on to finish my tasks. As soon as my jobs were done, dinner was over and I had some quiet time, I busted open the package and loaded the CD.
Installation was about normal (you need around 95MB of free space) and I took the time to complete the EA Survey. So, after 30 minutes or so of backup, install and setup, I was finally ready to see what this expansion pack has to offer. My first impression? WOW! My second impression? I’m hitting the store today for the Open for Business Prima Guide
During the two hours I spent with Florence running her flower shop, I hired two teenage NPCs. One came with a silver badge in restocking and the other had a bronze badge in selling. I upped their pay to “overpaid” just to encourage good work and assigned each a task. By the end of the two hours, I had bumped her store from a level 1 to a level 5. Somehow in all of the selling, stocking, making of many and ringing up customers, I managed to lose money. (Hence, one big reason I want to grab the guide).
You earn business perks/rewards that you can cash in for business items - like money, discounts from vendors, good word-of-mouth, etc. While I discounted my vendor rates a few times, tried to make some of the arrangements myself, and was selling at above average or moderately expensive pricing, I still barely broke even after paying the employees. I’m sure much of this comes with experience.
There are a few things I want to look into.
- How can I keep customers from wandering into the house?
If I have a home-based business, I surely don’t want John Q Public in my living room. I want to see if there is a way to keep uninvited guests out of the main house. - Which regular skills relate to which business skills?
Based on my past experience with Sims 2 gaming, one usually makes another go quicker (something I imagine the guide covers). - If I hire a local Sim who has a job, do they lose their current job or can they do both?
This is something I’ll figure out with just testing it out, but just ran out of time last night. - Do existing relationships impact sales loyalty?
My gut says yes - everything comes down to existing relationships in the Sims, doesn’t it? - Can kids of the owner help out?
Based on work restrictions as they are before this pack (only teens and older can work), I think probably not. Something to look into, just in case.
This is a quick list of things I jotted down during my first review. I’m hoping to get back to Seaside Valley today and check out some of the other businesses. One thing I already dread is building new lots. Building is the one thing I truly dislike in the game. The new lot inventory is nice now — where I can keep a stock of houses and businesses I like and place them over and over again. Hopefully, some of the great Simmers will be uploading new business lots to the community exchange.
Overall, based on my limited play so far, I’d give it a 4 out of 5. The only reason it doesn’t achieve the highest mark is the learning curve. Compared to previous expansion packs, this isn’t a simple install, load, and go. Open for Business requires some learning and some patience (UGH!).
Want to see a demo of the pack? Head over to the official website and have a peek at Sims 2 Open for Business in action.
