Unexpected Results for the Reward Area

I decided to export my world as it currently is and install it in my live game for testing.  Specifically, I wanted to see how the isolated area on the plateau connected (or didn't) with the rest of the lots down in the main town.  The results were... not what I expected.  Possibly more good than bad, but I think I'll have to re-evaluate my approach of an isolated area, simply for realism.  Before going into the details, let's look at some pictures of my test subject, Edward, experiencing his base camp and the campground.

Yay!  My world is selectable!  It installed perfectly.  And, look!  My little picture I selected is there.  *claps hands*

Edward's home came with ghosts!  Nice to confirm that these random challenges still exist in my world.  While I love this little campsite, I think I'd like to have some really houses up at the reward area.  What if someone wants to bring a family with them?  Is that a vampire ghost?  I'm not sure I've seen such a evil-looking ghost before.  A ghost hunter showed up to get rid of him, although Ed turned him down.  So at least we know service NPCs will show up on their own.

Ed walks from his campsite over to the main campground and goes for a swim.  It works!!! *cackles madly*

Ed gets out of the pool-pond without a problem, although he gets a face full of grass while he does it.  *rolls eyes*

No problem using the shower or toilet!

Back at home, Ed tests service NPCs again by ordering pizza.  No problem getting it delivered.  I followed the delivery person's car when they left, and it did the same thing as the ghost hunter's.  It drives down the road, makes a u-turn and then disappears.  So the service NPC just pop in and out of existence as needed.  I'm not certain what would happen with firefighters.  I didn't think of it at the time, but I think Ed may need to start a fire in the near future.

Now the weird stuff that forces me to rethink my approach to this area.  Several random townies showed up at the campground.  When I followed them, I found that they would drive their car to the part of the road closest to the cliff edge, get out of their car and then... walk down the cliff face, whereupon they would run to a road and get back in their car.

Now, I ask you... does that look realistic?

I decided to send Ed to the tattoo parlor using a taxi, and he did the same thing.  >:(

On the one hand, it's good that service npcs can show up at the lots on the plateau.  On the other hand, this looks silly.  I don't know if I'd prefer that they give me some routing error message... I think I'd prefer they just wink out of existence and reappear on the bottom road.  I've looked at my routing map.  That area is unroutable for sims!  But I guess getting from one location to another outweighs routing.

Oh, this solution just came to me.... A subway.  I didn't want to have one in the world, but at this rate I'm going to have to add a road to connect up to the campground anyway unless I want everyone scaling the cliff all day long.  It still doesn't help with the firefighters (will they get out of their truck to run up the cliff, I wonder?), but using a subway terminal at the top and bottom would at least allow it to look isolated.  For those who don't have Late Night.... well, to be honest, the world sort of relies upon having all expansions, so maybe I won't worry about that.  It's simply a requirement.  Not that the world won't work without it...  you'll just have people running up and down the cliff.  If I don't use the subway terminal and go with a road instead, that will be a very long drive from, say, the beach up to the campground.  I personally don't want that.  Le Sigh.  Something to think about, I guess.

On a positive note, once Ed was down in the town, he got to visit some interesting places.  He stopped by Slocum's Ink for a quick read.

He took a spooky drive up Gothic Hill.  (ooo fog... spoooooky!) ;D

And then he went to the beach to catch the sunset.  Thank goodness I was able to make the boardwalk a road, because I wouldn't want to wait for a sim to run all the way down, particularly for those houses at the end of it.

I forgot to check where the sunset would be before choosing which way my town faced, but thank goodness you can see it from the town and it's not behind it over the mountains.  Phew!  Turns out it sets slightly to the right side of the town and makes a pretty picture with the lighthouse in front.

Well, that's enough for today, I suppose.  It looks like the poll is favoring using 10x10 residential lots instead of larger lots in the reward area, but since the area can't be made inaccessible to all but those who live there and service npcs, I will need to find another way to make it special.  If I have all rare and special items available up there, everyone in the town has access to them even if it's less convenient.  So the lots will  have to make up for it.  Perhaps I can create a contest to make some log cabins that are luxurious... say each room must give the Well Decorated or whatever it is moodlet.  No price limit.  We need our little rich area, too, right?  *laughs*