The community got the chance to ask questions related to Apartment Life, this is the response from EA for each of the fansites.
How many roommates are possible in a family? » You can have one roommate per household.
When 4 families live on a lot and there are still some apartments, do NPC families uses them or will they be empty? » NPCs will move in to become your neighbors.
Can toddlers now go to a community lot? » Toddlers are bound by the same rules as previous expansion packs, but we have provided them some more fun on their home lots.
Has a neutral witch her own spells or a mix of spells of good and evil witches? » Neutral witches begin with neutral spells available to them and then choose to align themselves with either good or evil magic. More spells of a given nature will become available to the witch. Neutral spells can be cast by all witches.
There are no shops possible on a apartment lot. But can Sims run their own business on an apartment lot? » No, but if you have Open for Business they can still purchase a community lot and run a business there.
Can the Sims use the helicopter to go to work? » Yes, they will be able to use the helicopter to go to work.
Can you tell us something more about the social groups? » There are five distinct social groups who display unique greets, clothing and hairstyles. They show up as walkbys and visitors depending on the class of lot that you’re on. Ritzier lots tend to attract mainly Socialites and some Technogeeks while the low end lots attract mostly Gearheads and some Bohemians and mid range lots attract Jocks and some Technogeeks and Bohemians.
Can we enter in a social group? How? » You can learn which social groups respond better to certain stories or greets. Player Sims can’t actually become members of the social group, but they can make friends with social group townies quickly by learning which stories and greets they like.
Can toddlers play with the new toys? » Yes, we added a really cute spring rider for toddlers to play on.
We'd like to have more info about the new community lots.» Apartment Life has plenty to do and see. There is large Central Park, a library, museum and lots more.
What about the new families?» There are plenty of new families including the Cordial’s, Contender’s, Peterson’s, and more. They each have a history and story that needs to be told.
For example, In Belladonna Cove you will find:
Samantha and Kimberly Cordial – Somewhat familiar siblings with a desire for the more mystical side of life.
Jessica Peterson – After leaving her very well-off husband to pursue some less permanent fun, Jessica is realizing the hardships of trying to make it on your own.
Carlos Contender – Carlos is the ultimate Jock. Now that he’s older he’s much more of a lover than a fighter."
Can witches wear normal outfits?» Yes, witches can wear casual clothes
Is there a cheat to enable build mode in apartment lots?» You will be able to create lots and use a cheat to rezone them into Apartments, similarly to how Dorms and Hotels work.
Can the butler live with your family?» The butler can be hired to work for a family like other service Sims.
We know that we can have up to 4 families in the same apartment lot, but can we build 6 apartments and have 4 regular families and 2 NPC families in the same lot?» Yes you can.
Can we propose a friend to live with us? If so, can we control him?» You can propose for a friend to either join your family as a controllable Sim or become a non-controllable roommate.
Do roommates pay for foods?» Nope.
Can you build an apartment without furniture?» Yes, you can build an apartment without furniture.
Can normal sims marry witches and have children with them?» Yes normal Sims can marry witches and have babies.
Can we control a roommate if we marry him?» Yes. Your roommate will become controllable, but won’t be your roommate anymore. They will be a regular family member.
Are there new skill points for the new topics we can study?» No.
Can a witch make our Sim become a pig (or change our appearance)?» HAHAHA, no witches do not have magical spells that can change another Sim into a pig.
Are there any new cars? » We did add the ability to purchase the helicopter, you can also download a slew of Ford cars from www.thesims2.com.
Are there any new careers? » No, but we did add new careers in The Sims 2 FreeTime Expansion Pack.
Does the butler work in the same way as the maid? Or is he able to do other things like getting your sims a drink? » The Butler has many duties which include cleaning, taking care of the garden, looking after your babies, and cooking just to name a few.
Now that sims can visit neighbors on the same lot, is it also possible visit neighbors on other lots? » No.
Are the magical world lots about the same as the special hobby lots from Free time? » Yes, they behave in a similar way and only witches can visit them. They must be unlocked.
Is it possible to have a ceiling at the top floor when there's already a roof on the house? » Yes. Ceilings are a great new addition to this pack. You now have ceilings and can change their appearance. They work similarly to the way floors work now.
Is it possible to build apartments in the university neighborhoods? » No.
Are sims able to start 'Open for business' shops in their apartments? » No, you can not open a business on Apartment Lots. It is against SimCity regulations
And if so, are all families on the same lot able to start their own shop? And would it then be possible to visit your neighbors shops? » Please see previous response
