We can start a club

If boards don't want non posters registering they should open their download section, simple as that.

Haha, I love that post! Reminds me of Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz- 'I've just had an unhappy love affair and I don't see why anyone else should have a good time'!

Yeah, that post seems very derogatory considering it's for people who have likely done nothing wrong. Well I'm certainly not getting on my hands and knees for that person.

I'm sure the ski mod isn't as complicated as it looks, but I tend to favor flat lots and terrains, so I don't think it will work well for me. At least that's what I'm understanding from the description. Maybe some day, there will be a cross-country skiing mod. The toddler day care shuttle sounds interesting, though.

This is really reminding me to check out those forums I haven't visited in a while. I mean, I intend to get to it, but ...

I believe, though I might be wrong, that at one point, my log-in stopped working at BAS, and I managed to get in under a new username and log-in, with permission from ... someone. It was a long time ago, when the forum was undergoing a redesign. I had to try a few times, but i did get in.

Okay, so I got a chance to try out both mods in my testing game. The toddler being picked up is very cute as there is a wave at the driver animation and they do actually meet other toddlers in the neighborhood while away. However, I was a bit surprised to see how long the playdate lasted (at least in my game); she was picked up around 9am and did not arrive back home until almost 3:30am. That's a pretty late night for a toddler. I will be keeping the mod though, as it was nice having the test mom get some time to do other things around the home. It could also be a nice break for sims that have multiple children at home and this mod goes nicely with Chris' weekend camp for children/teens mod that I already use.

As for skiing, it's so easy to use and absolutely no hills are required (my test lot was flat); I tested it out on the largest lot size under the 'small' category. Just place the flags for however far you want your sim(s) to ski, then either click on the starting flag or wait until sims autonomously decide to ski. My test sim started skiing before I even got a chance to tell her to do so, she also fell a couple of times the way they do when ice or roller skating. The only thing I would recommend is making sure there is plenty of snow on the lot first (I used Simwardrobe's weather controller to speed up the process and keep snow falling on the lot). When the test sim was not skiing she opted on making a snowman...so at least they find other things to do when done. I will be adding this to my winter only activity lot in my main game.

I added a couple of images for reference.

So the hours are set. That would not help a single sim whose car pool arrives at say 7am or one who arrives home later. I like the idea of a car picking them up and waving but that is too ridged for me. Thank you for the testing, I will keep my transport mirror system. Can you play the toddler at the day care?

So it's using the skating animation? Looks fun. No ski poles? (A pose box could possibly add poles) Don't suppose could re upload it for us banned.

@joandsarah

I'm not sure if the return hours are set, but the driver only showed up at 9am because that is when I called. So, unless it's otherwise noted in Chris' description (I don't feel like logging into BAS to check), the van shows up right after you call like some of the other services (e.g. pet adoption). So, if your sim needs to leave earlier, try calling earlier for pickup and see what happens. And, no, you cannot play the toddler when they are away...which is fine by me as it gives me time to focus on others in the home.

I personally only plan to use this for my stay at home parents and/or those that run an at home business and could really benefit from sending their toddler off to play for a period of time. I also like having another way for toddlers to meet without me having to run a daycare or having to wait until they're children.

So it may be timed for 6 1/2 hours. so perhaps ringing at 7 would result in the toddler being dropped back at 1.30.

You can call the playgroup at any point, and the driver will bring your toddler home. It's a really great mod. I just wish babies could go, too. I plan to keep my Sim daycare, and the mod.

ETA: Didn't refresh before posting so repeated the same info.

I'd like the daycare too, if anyone could please share it. Is there anything critical to know about it (I can't see the thread) such as conflicts and NPC controllers?

Who picks the toddler up, a car pool driver, nanny or someone special? Also can you ring and ask that they remain at daycare? Not that would help a parent who was at work.

Info from the BAS page.

Bon Voyage EP or Higher Required

This is a Playgroup phone service available to families with toddlers. The phone service is available 24hrs per day. When you use the phone service a Playgroup van is dispatched immediately, if your toddlers are already at playgroup then it will return them, otherwise it'll come and pick them up.
When the van first arrives it'll use the same code as the social worker van uses to get all awake toddlers into the van, if the kiddie can't get to the van then she/he is teleported to the van. The toddlers then go off to childcare exactly the same as when sims go to work or school.
When the van returns it just drops the toddlers off by the side of the road so I've made it 'grab' the camera to make you aware that the kiddies are there and need bringing inside.

At home whenever toddlers are at playgroup they are interacting with a toddler/baby job data, after three hours a 'chance card' will run and the toddler will meet another toddler from one of your homes if there are any that he/she hasn't met yet. The toddler will also gain a random skill point at this time, if there are no other toddlers that your child hasn't met yet then just the skill gain will be given. The toddler may also bring home a painting in the toddler's inventory that she/he made at play group.

The 'job data' regularly checks for errors and is on an 18hr timer. If it detects an error or the timer runs out then it will check for an available sim, teen or older who can care for the toddler(s) or wait until there is one, then use the playgroup van to return the toddler(s) immediately. The van runs a range of checks for errors before returning toddlers, if it finds any inconsistencies it will just run a behave to pull all off world babies or toddlers back in world, correcting any hidden flags, alpha etc. then delete the baby/toddler job data then self delete.


Hints;
The van is a service vehicle so it always stops on the opposite side of the road from your sim's home, if you don't want to see toddlers crossing the road alone then have mum/dad carry the toddler across the road and put her/him down on the opposite footpath straight after calling the service. Toddlers toddle/crawl painfully slowly anyway so you'll save your sims a bit time this way as well.


This overrides the following;
Vehicle Semi Global instance 0x000020BD; Get in Temp0 - BP Count - stops toddlers that are at play group being counted as needing a nanny.
Painting Semi Global instance 0x00002001; Interaction - View - Enables the pop-up dialogue on the toddler's scirbble painting.
Bath Semi Global instance 0x00002007; Interaction - Give Toddler a Bath - TEST - Removes toddlers that are at play group from the bathe toddler list.
High Chair Semi Global instance 0x00002000; Interaction - Place In Chair - TEST - Removes toddlers that are at play group from the put in chair list.
Two potty op-codes, both instance 0x0000100A; Interaction - Potty Train Toddler TEST - Removes toddlers that are at play group from the potty train and take to potty list.

Okay, so it sounds like a parent could go to work as the mod checks before bringing the toddler back. Can anyone upload the two mods, day care and skiing? I'm thinking the day care might be a nice add on to my own playable one.

My toddler was gone for 18 sim hours, as I wanted to see what the default settings were and did not attempt to call to have them return home. So, yes your sim could easily go to work and make it home in time using this mod.

Thanks for uploading the notes/description, Charity, I was getting ready for bed, on my tablet and did not feel like going to fish out my BAS password when I posted my last response.

And thanks for the information on calling to have them return early, simmer999.

She said 3.30 AM - though maybe that was a typo but from the mod description, it seems you are meant to call to get the kid back.

I'm one of the banned too, so I can't help. We should definitely host a banned party!

I've downloaded the toddler hack-and because it sounds so tempting (I haven't installed it yet, either) I'm also tempted to extend the time span for those toddlers..because they're adorable but annoying at times. Besides, most parents nowadays do put their children in daycare, so it's a touch of realism that is useful.

I'd also assume that you have to call to have them returned-it would have to be non-autonomous because otherwise you'd have toddlers dropped off when nobody is home..and that's not good either!

Well, my parents get to go to the friendly neighbourhood hotel when the toddlers are getting too demanding, and I hire the nanny to babysit. I think I will keep on doing just that

I didn't notice the AM-PM thing and assumed you meant from morning until afternoon. Did the toddler age a day?

I've placed them on box.net for you (CJH_MiscMods.zip 232kb)
https://app.box.com/s/gfep8apzf6egiv38itypwh59f8qtpcd9
There is also the Send Children To Weekend Camp (BV required) and the Senior's Activity Centre in the zip.

My policy on everything is you may do whatever like provided it's kept free, since linking to me requires a link to an adult site I don't require credit.

This is great! Thank you Chris, for making these mods available.

I'm more confused about this Vicky NPC how do you use her and what exactly does she do?

@Chris Hatch Thanks very much. :lovestruc I only asked because I knew you had a decent re-upload policy.

Will day care or camp clash with anything, like Simlogical's school?

terula - if it runs like a job chance card, then you should be able to look at some career tutorials and get a feel for how those work, then open up the "career" part of Chris's mod and either edit the chance card percentage to zero to disable it, or just make it so the outcome doesn't involve skills, only meeting other toddlers.