I have seen districts from the Urbz redone for sims 3 and some of the residential lots from Sims 2. I absolutely loved that game.

I would really like to take the different districts from the game and design them for the a Sims 2 neighborhood.

Because of different gameplay and businesses and other reasons, I want to break up the different sections of a district into lots so its easier to play on. I only have BG, NL, Uni, and OFB. So they wouldnt be exact because I want to keep custom content out. It would provide a template for users to modify with their EPs and CC.

Now, it would be a lot of lots and I will totally take help and do this team effort style if anyone wants.

Before this even possibly starts though, I wanted some feedback

1. Is this something the Simming Community would like?
2. Would this method work for users, in terms of how the districts would be set up?

Thanks and lot forward to hearing your thoughts.

UPDATE:
To keep it organized, I would like to post a master list of all the lots I would like to include in Urbzville. I will cross off lots as they are completed. Names can be changed as we go along, in case anyone has some great suggestions

The descriptions kind of help me keep in mind what The different lots will include.

Districts:

Neon East

Central Station

South Side Bridge

The Foundry

Kicktail Park

Cozmo Street

Gasoline Row

Diamond Heights

Skyline Beach




Lots in each district:

Neon East

-HoloXam Arcade (arcade with tapioca bar)

-The Pulse (hottest rave club)

-Sara Tonin's Garb Grab (clothing store with electronics for sale)

-Mazuhiko's Sushi Bar (Japanese neon restaurant)




The Foundry

-Iron Age Coffe Haus (café)

-The Gearbox (robotics store)

-Crispin's Cauldron (art gallery)




Central Station

-Mini Arcade (in an abandoned train car)

- Clothing Store (in an abandoned train car

-Piercing Parlor (salon place)

-Fight Cage

(need to decide if Central station should be one large lot)

(should it be above or below ground)




Skyline Beach

-clothing store and food store (clothing and produce available to buy)

-The Red Room (boombox van and Jacuzzi)

-Hangout spot (with barbecue and tanning chairs, but no pool)




Gasoline Row

- Chop Shop (clothing store)

-Sausage Grill (diner like place at a gas station)

-Bar with band stage




Diamond Heights

-Catwalk Club with fountain square (a catwalk and clothing store, need better name)

-Diva's Snapshots (snap photos with the antique camera)

-Clothing Store (need better name)




Cozmo Street

-Performance Stage (bar with karaoke, need name)

-Will's Libitation Station (a bar)

-Clothing Store (need name)




South Side Bridge

-Bab's Beauty Barn (clothing store)

-Lucky Six (casino)

-Louie's Flameworks (not sure what I can change this to instead of fireworks)




Kicktail Park

-Major Monkey's Ice Cream Emporium (turn it into some sort of sweet shop)

-The Grunge (clothing store)

-Floaters Air Bar (a bar with the bubble hookah things)

I think it would be best to upload each district separately. Should I upload them all at the same time? Or upload each one as they are completed??

You're talking about individual lots that we can group into districts? For example, the sushi-making restaurant in Neon East (my favorite district) would be one lot, and the game arcade, dance club, and clothing store would be three separate lots?

Quite an undertaking! And without CC and all the EPs/SPs it could be quite a challenge (though you at least have a Maxis outfit or two you can use for a rave scene!)

I would be fascinated to see what you could create. The Urbz still remains one of my favorite Sims games.

Fascinating still would be how downloaders take these lots and modify them using CC, then post what CC they used.

I keep forgetting that the Urbz was a game most people knew from a console, not a GBA like I did! It's still one of my favorites too, but I think probably differently than gazania's referring to! I'd still love to see more district themed lots though- I personally love the Sim Quarter from the GBA version, and some of the lots I've made are inspired by elements from it!

Also, in general, the answer to the question "I have an idea for XXXXXXX, should I do it?" is a resounding "YES!" People like variety- that's why they come to sites like MTS in the first place!

Thank you so much for the feedback so far. I absolutely loved Neon East! I would love to have lots inspired by it! I would have to look at the list of buildings in the district to make lots though.

It would be more inspired in a way.

For example, Neon East, the lots would be:
Japanese Restaurant
Arcade
The Pulse
The Garb
Bar

I would have to research the names of the different venues. But that is what I am doing for the different districts. I will see how Neon East plays over to see if I continue.

I know it'll be a project, but I am kinda to the point where I enjoy creating more anyway :P

This probably won't be started till my mansion is posted, which should be soon. I can't wait!!

You might also download and examine projects like the recreations of the neighborhoods for Sims Life Stories, which are made with BG only. Mark is fond of projects like that and could probably share some hints.

So I am pretty much done wit my mansion and I am just waiting on final feedback.

To break this huge project down, I am starting with my favorite district, Neon East! I have been checking out pictures and videos.

These lots will be associated/inspired by this district:
Sara Tobin's Garb Grab - clothing store
The Pulse - rave club that will include a bar
Mazuhiko's Sushi Bar - Japanese Cuisine Restaurant
HoloXam Arcade - based on one of the social moves you can unlock in that district

I want to have the red arch that marks neon east in one of the lots along with a set of subway looking stairs that supposedly lead to central station

I can't wait, this will such a fun project. And @Peni Griffin who is the user that made these recreations? Could not find them

The Hood Building Group - though I'm positive Marka93 was the one who suggested the project. They've done Bitville (Vincent's Story) and Four Corners (Riley's Story).

Thanks Peni, I found it

All I did was use the base game and remade all lots as close to as I could, it takes a lot of time so take your time and no matter what just keep working on it even if it takes 2 or more years to complete.

I worked on Riverside project for more than 2 years before Peni Griffin and Mootilda help me finish it to get it up loaded here at MTS.

I have never played the Urbz so I don't know how it looked when it was running.

ADD: What ever you do build the lots first in a empty game environment so it will reduce or remove any corruption from happening in your hood.
This way you have a back up so if something goes wrong when adding in sims.

Backup, backup and backup, you can't have to many backups.

I am not making a hood, but lots that could be added to a hood or downtown.

I have done the research and checked out someone's project started a few years ago to remake the urbz. I actually realized that I don't like the building layout as much. There is not much deco and I feel like I could do so much more. They are just too simple to me.

If it wouldn't ruin the project, I would like to change up the project.

I sort of want to build the lots from scratch, but they would still have that urban neo-Tokyo feel like in the game.

Thoughts? I could stick with the brick siding and red clay and green pagoda roofs like in the game, or modernize it to plaster siding with pagoda roofing?

I would have to use a cheat to shape the roof with tile, would that corrupt the lot?

Thanks!

The first lot I will begin with is Tonin's Garb Grab. I am thinking about trying the style that they used in the game. I am going to use actual roofing, just so players that have bon voyage can add their pagoda roofs easier since I think that's the game they are available in.

I am thinking about using the 1x3 lot. Will that be big enough for the clothing shop?

I should be able to start tonight on this lot.

I am also a suckered for photoshop and having really fun cover photos, so I made two teen Sims that look like neon east goers. I'll also attach the cover photo

I don't think this would corrupt the lot. No.


It may be too small if you want t create a clothing shop for urban cities, but if you intend to create a tiny shop. Then I'd try. There's always the LotAdjuster which can increase the lot size.

It's astounding what you can fit on a tiny lot!

Thank you for the feedback. And I meant to say I can start tomorrow. I will try it on a 1x3 first. It shouldn't need much room since it it a clothing shop

Ok, so after some thinking I am including a deco lot or two for each district to help take up space. These lots wont be furnished in anyway other than the outside. So far I have a basic start on the deco lot for Neon East. I know it's not close to done, but I am not sure what is missing.

I tried to stick to the same exterior style that was in the actual game.
The main point of this lot is to make Neon East seem larger. I plan on using the same exterior style throughout the Neon East lots.

Is it possible to extract models from the Urbz?

As in like packaged lots? Unfortunately I don't think so. That would be awesome though. I don't know if the even made a PC version of the game. Its hard enough to find pictures of the districts only videos.

I would like to see how you plan to do the town's layout. It is extremely important when this type of thing is in question. Big city, and especially a remake, needs to have a proper layout.

I don't know how Urbz city worked, and is there a layout of it available, but you should already have some kind of layout in your head.

That's a very good point. On Sims Wikia they do provide vague descriptions of where the districts are located. I do plan on providing some sort of reference for people so they can place the lots correctly if they wish

UPDATE: I have read through the descriptions of the different districts and I have a feel for where the different districts go. I will be making and posting a reference map to upload with each district so users have a guide on how to place the lots. I know not everyone will use the same neighborhood or might make their own. Or some people might not was all the districts.

My goal tonight is to make the cover photo for Neon East, start on The Restaurant, and make the map

UPDATE: Sorry for my absence. I have been job applying, so that always trumps simming. I will start on what I can tonight.

UPDATE: Apologies, real life overtook sim life. Don't worry, I haven't abandoned the project. I guess this is what happens when you have too many projects going on at once and you begin to realize you bit off more than you could chew As soon as my mansion is approved, this is my next project :D

Is this by any chance still going on? The Urbz is my all time favorite sims game and I've been trying to get the same feeling on all my sims games. Too bad we never got the second urbz game.

I know it's almost a decade since posting, but is the project completely dead?

Hello! Unfortunately, yes. I had a lot of changes going on at that time and honestly completely forgot. I also have changed my game direction numerous times since then, lol. Thank you for asking though. Sorry to bear the sad news