Does anyone know why my community lot has so few people?

[pitaisland]

Every time I goto a community lot I see about 1-4 people. I try to stay at a community lot until my sim is dying and really needs to sleep. And still 1-4 people. Never got passed 4 sims. Does anyone know why?

And I don't think its my computers spec. I have a huge house with 7 sims living in it. It never lags.

[trl]

The game will usually adjust the number of sims on a community lot to what your computer can handle, from my experience. Even though your computer can handle many sims on a home lot, a community lot also has NPC's working the cash registers and juice/coffee bars etc. Maybe a smaller lot will allow more sims.

[pitaisland]

Thanks, but is their any mod that can change that?

[trl]

I don't know of any mod that can help that, sorry. Do you play the community lots with alot of custom content? If so try more maxis stuff for those lots. I prefer it for the community lots, the game runs smoother.

Also try closing all your background tasks while playing the game, to free up some of your computers resources and maybe turn down your settings in the game options; reflections off, lighting med, graphics set lower etc.

The only other thing I can suggest is adding more RAM. I am not sure what your computers specifications are but 2 gigs is best (with windows XP) and 3 gigs with Vista from all I have read in the forums as this game with many EPs, Stuff packs and downloads can be very demanding of your computer's resources. Also an upgraded graphic card with more video ram may also help. Good luck!

[PegasusDiana]

I have 8 gigs of ram, and I never have a lot of people on the community lots. Maybe 8 to 12 if you count in all NPC's running the store/depending on the store. But I have never seen it with more than 8 people I can interact with at one time in the regular neighborhoods. Plus I think it depends on the lot. I go to a pet store there are always 8 people there. I go to a restaurant there are usually 4 people there and a couple running around outside the lot. The only community lots I've ever seen a lot of Sims on at one time is the University ones. Like the hang out place, the shopping center. So I think some of that is just normal game behavior.

I think I should clarify what I'm saying. Say I go to the pet store with one Sim there are usually 6 other Sims there looking at Pets, etc. 2 clerks. That's a total of 8 Sims/9 with my Sim. If I take a family of 8 to the pet store there are usually still 6 Sims there and 2 clerks so then I have a total of 16 Sims on the lot. Same for the restaurants. I take one Sim there are usually 4 Sims, plus 4 employee's. So I have a total of 9 Sims on the lot. I take 8 sims a total of 16. In other words I think 8 is the maximum for regular neighborhoods. Just like the maximum houshold. Now I will see a pet or two running around in addition to the Sims, from time to time. But for the most part those are usually when other Sims leave the lot. Like say Mr and Mrs Jones Sim couldn't find anything they like so they leave. I may get a couple more sims that pop up or a couple pets. Once in a blue moon I'll have the 8 Sims and a pet will show up on top of that. However on a few of the University lots. I've seen it go as high as 12 Sims plus the employee's and my Sims. Ice Skating/Roller Skating? I hardly see any people, sometimes I can take a parent and a couple kids and will see maybe one or two Sims the whole time. Sometimes more. But not very often.