Dive into the exhilarating world of nightlife business management in The Sims 4 with the WickedWhims mod! This comprehensive guide will walk you through creating and managing your very own strip club, a unique and engaging business venture that adds a thrilling dimension to your gameplay. Become the ultimate entertainment mogul as you learn the ins and outs of running a successful adult establishment, focusing on the art of the Strip Club Dance and all the elements that make your venue the hottest spot in town.
Strip Club Start
Building Your Empire: Creating a Thriving Strip Club Business
Just like other business ventures in The Sims 4 such as retail stores or restaurants, the WickedWhims mod empowers you to establish a fully functional strip club. To embark on this exciting journey, you’ll need to designate a lot for your new business. Transform any space into a bustling nightlife hotspot and build your strip club from the ground up. The process is streamlined and user-friendly: simply access your Sim’s phone, navigate to the dedicated “Strip Club” category, and select “Buy a Strip Club.”
Strip Club Purchase Menu
Important Note: Strip clubs are not categorized as a pre-set venue type. Purchasing a strip club business must be initiated through your Sim’s phone or computer interface within the game.
Designing Your Venue: Essential Elements for the Perfect Strip Club Atmosphere
Creating the ideal strip club environment is key to attracting customers and ensuring your dancers can deliver captivating strip club dances. While there are no strict prerequisites for building your club, certain objects are essential for specific functionalities and enhancing the overall experience. Consider incorporating classic strip club elements such as:
- Bar Area: A well-stocked bar is crucial for serving drinks and generating revenue.
- Dancing Poles/Spots: These are the focal points for your dancers’ performances and where the magic of the strip club dance unfolds.
- Seating: Comfortable seating around the dance areas allows clients to relax and enjoy the shows.
- Private Areas with Seating: Designated, more secluded seating for lap dances adds a layer of exclusivity and personalized entertainment.
When planning your club’s layout, pay special attention to the placement of Dancing Poles and Dancing Spots. These are the stages for your performers, and ensuring client comfort is paramount. For every dance area you create, strategically place ample seating nearby. Clients will automatically seek out seats when they want to watch the dancers, so readily available seating contributes to a smoother and more enjoyable experience.
Remember, you don’t need to equip every dancer with a pole or spot. Your hired staff will also be engaged in other crucial tasks such as bartending and charming customers.
Pro Tip: If you envision a dedicated stage for your dancers, consider designing it to prevent clients from wandering onto it instead of finding a seat. A well-designed club layout ensures that clients can easily find comfortable spots to watch the strip club dances, preventing them from congregating in undesirable locations and disrupting the flow.
Management Mastery: Operating Your Strip Club for Maximum Profit
Taking control of your strip club’s operations is managed through the dedicated club management category on your Sim’s phone. This intuitive interface gives you complete command over various aspects of your business, including:
- Employee Outfits: Customize the attire of your dancers to create a unique visual identity for your club.
- Operating Hours: Set your club’s opening and closing times to align with peak customer traffic.
- Financial Reports: Monitor your club’s performance with detailed financial reports to track revenue and expenses.
- Hire Yourself as a Dancer: Step into the spotlight and become a performer in your own club, directly participating in the strip club dance entertainment.
Strip Club Management Menu
By default, your strip club is set to operate during peak nightlife hours, opening at 7 PM (19:00) and closing at 4 AM (04:00). However, you have complete flexibility to adjust these hours to suit your preferences. Utilize the “Manage Open Hours” option within the Strip Club category on your phone. For 24/7 operation, simply set the same hour for both opening and closing times.
Hiring dancers is a crucial aspect of strip club management, with the primary constraint being that potential hires cannot already hold another job. You can employ up to 6 dancers initially (this limit can be extended using cheats), and delegate various tasks to them during their shifts. If you wish to personally engage in the strip club dance performances, the “Hire Yourself as Dancer” option allows you to join your own staff, provided there’s an available dancer slot and your Sim isn’t already employed elsewhere.
Pro Tip: Expand the pool of available Sims for hire using the cheat command “ww.set_stripclub_employee_pool_size [number]”. Similarly, increase the dancer employee limit beyond 6 (up to 12) with the command “ww.set_stripclub_dancers_employee_limit [number]”.
When recruiting dancers, carefully consider their skill sets. High Charisma skills will make dancers more effective at charming clients and boosting tips. Dancers with strong Mixology skills will excel at bartending, preparing higher-quality drinks that drive up profits. For captivating strip club dances, prioritize dancers with high Fitness, Dancing, and Nudity skills.
The composition of your dancer staff, in terms of gender and preferences, directly influences the clientele your club attracts. You can curate your employee roster to create a standard club, a gay club, or a mixed-gender venue. Strategic hiring can help you shape the atmosphere and clientele of your establishment.
Dancer Task Assignment
In your strip club, hired dancers primarily perform three key roles: Stage Dancing, Bartending, and Charming Clients. You can manually assign tasks to each dancer, or allow them to autonomously choose their roles based on the club’s current needs. While micromanaging and direct involvement can optimize club performance, your dancers are capable of operating effectively on their own.
To assign a specific task, click on a dancer employee and select “Assign Task” within the “Strip Club” category. When playing as a dancer yourself, simply initiate a task to automatically switch to that role.
Center Stage: Stage Dancing and Client Engagement
Dancers assigned to the Stage Dancing task will seek out the nearest available Dancing Pole or Dancing Spot, or proceed to a specifically assigned one. Each strip club dance routine is dynamically generated and can be influenced in real-time by clicking on the dancer. Stage Dancers are a primary draw for clients, making it essential to consistently have at least one dancer performing on stage to maintain a lively atmosphere.
Stage Dancer Performance
Every dancer on stage captures the attention of clients who are willing to spend money to witness impressive moves. The quality of the strip club dance performance is a major determinant of client engagement and the amount of tips dancers receive. Factors contributing to performance quality include dancing skills, rapport with individual clients, and the music currently playing in the club. Signs of poor performance are easily noticeable, often manifesting as clients yawning due to lack of engagement.
Dancers with better skills and stronger client relationships deliver higher quality performances, leading to more frequent and larger tips. Interestingly, the more tips a dancer receives, the more likely they are to shed clothing items during their performance, adding an element of visual progression to their strip club dance.
Sustained performance is just as crucial as quality. A dancer’s Fitness, Striptease, and Dancing skills impact their stamina and the duration of their routines. Each strip club dance is designed to last as long as possible, and dancers require a brief rest period after completing a routine. However, rest doesn’t prevent them from interacting with clients or offering lap dances during their downtime.
Pro Tip: The Dancing Spot Marker serves as a versatile alternative to the traditional Dancing Pole. It unlocks a completely different set of dance animations that do not involve a pole, allowing dancers to move freely and expressively. The Dancing Spot Marker also includes an invisible swatch that remains clickable even when hidden in Live Mode. Experiment with both poles and spots to diversify your strip club dance offerings!
Dancing Spot Performance
Note: Dancing Poles created by Azmodan22, Noir, and MJ95 are natively supported by the mod.
Pole and spot dancing are not limited to strip clubs; they can also be performed outside of business venues, providing a way to develop the Striptease skill in various contexts.
Bar Operations: Maximizing Drink Sales and Revenue
Dancers assigned to the Bartending task prioritize preparing and serving drinks at the bar. Drink sales are a primary revenue stream for strip clubs, making a dedicated bartender a vital asset.
The drink service process is straightforward: a client enters, orders a drink, consumes it, and leaves an empty glass behind. Over time, empty glasses can accumulate and clutter your club. Hiring a Janitor is highly recommended to manage this and maintain a clean and appealing environment. Excessive empty glasses not only take up space but also create an unpleasant atmosphere for patrons.
Bartending Dancer
While bartending dancers manage the drink sales process, the club owner retains control over bar pricing and supply management.
Each drink prepared consumes Bar Supplies, which are essential for bar functionality. Drink sales are impossible if your club runs out of supplies. Proactive ordering of Bar Supplies is crucial to avoid service interruptions. Low Bar Supplies also limit the variety of drinks available, potentially dissatisfying clients who cannot order their preferred beverages.
Order supplies by clicking on any bar and accessing the Strip Club ‘Order Supplies’ menu. Purchased supplies contribute to the total ordered, which will be delivered the following day around noon. The cost of supplies is linked to the base price of the drinks sold. Higher-priced drinks necessitate the purchase of more expensive supplies.
Simply selling drinks at base price and replenishing supplies is not the most profitable business model. As the owner, you should adjust the Price Markup on drinks to generate profit from each sale. While a 100% markup might seem appealing, excessively high prices can deter clients if they are unable to afford or unwilling to pay for their preferred drinks.
High Price Markup combined with low Bar Supplies reduces the likelihood of clients purchasing drinks. Limited supplies mean fewer drink options, and increased prices make them less attractive. If you are running low on supplies and cannot offer client favorites, temporarily reduce the Price Markup to make alternative drinks more appealing until your supply order arrives.
Adjust the Price Markup via the Strip Club ‘Price Markup’ menu, accessible by clicking on any bar. Experiment with different markup levels to find the optimal balance between profit and customer satisfaction.
Strip clubs in the mod feature an extended drink menu, increasing the number of available drink options from the standard 4 to 39, including drinks created by icemunmun. The mod is also fully compatible with Basemental’s Real Drink Names if you use that mod.
Personalized Entertainment: Charming Clients and Lap Dances
Dancers assigned to the Charming task focus on engaging with clients, identifying those interested in socializing or receiving a lap dance. Lap dancing is a significant revenue source for dancers and a frequently performed role in strip clubs. Often, socializing clients will seek out available dancers and request a lap dance.
Lap Dance Interaction
Lap dances are performed on designated seats. Assigning Lap Dancing Seats is essential for clients to request private dances. Any Loveseat, Sofa, Recliner, or Chair within your club can be designated as a Lap Dancing Seat. Create private rooms, place seating within them, and click on the seat to “Assign a Lap Dancing Spot.” Clients requesting lap dances will automatically utilize these designated seats. Note that seats designated as Lap Dancing Seats are exclusively used for lap dances, preventing Sims from sitting or napping on them for other purposes.
A client receiving a lap dance in a private area.
If clients are not proactively requesting lap dances, dancers can take the initiative. Upon greeting a client, 6 new Charming Social Interactions become available. These interactions function similarly to romantic interactions but without establishing a romantic relationship. Instead, Charming interactions increase the client’s Charm level, reflecting how much they like the dancer and the club overall. Higher Charm levels translate to larger tips.
Charming clients has a broad impact on the club’s success. High charm with a dancer not only increases their tips but also influences client spending habits. Charmed clients are more willing to pay higher prices for drinks. Conversely, if a dancer fails to charm a client, they may be less inclined to return to the club in the future.
During a lap dance, the same performance principles apply as with Stage Dancing. Dancer skills and the client-dancer relationship contribute to performance quality, directly influencing the dancer’s earnings beyond their base pay.
Technical Settings: Fine-Tuning Your Strip Club Experience
All strip club customization settings are located under the Nudity Settings -> Strip Club Settings menu within the game options.
- “Dress Up After Dance“: This straightforward setting dictates whether dancers partially undress during performances and then automatically redress into their assigned career outfit after each strip club dance routine.
- “Personal Lap Dance Cheat“: This setting unlocks the ability for the club owner to request a lap dance at any time, adding a personal indulgence for the business owner.
- “Static Clients Count Cheat“: Override the dynamic client attendance with this setting. By default, client traffic peaks between 7 PM and 3 AM. Enabling this cheat forces a consistent number of clients to appear at your club at all hours. To revert to the default dynamic attendance, set the value back to 0 (zero).
- “Dancer Profit Share Percentage“: Customize the revenue sharing model for dancer tips. A portion of each tip and lap dance payment is typically shared with the club. Set this value to 0% if you prefer dancers to retain 100% of their tip earnings.
- “Dancer Earning Multiplier“: Adjust the overall profitability of dancers’ tips and lap dances. Setting the value to “200” doubles dancer earnings, while “50” halves them, allowing you to fine-tune dancer income.
- “Bar Earning Multiplier“: Control the profitability of bar sales. A value of “200” doubles bar profits, while “50” halves them, providing control over the bar’s revenue contribution.
- “Native Undressing Behavior“: This setting governs how dancers undress during strip club dance performances. By default, specialized rules prevent dancers from removing gloves, shoes, and socks while dancing. Enabling this setting makes dancers follow the general nudity rules defined in Nudity Settings -> Outfit Settings.
- “Dancer Task Auto-Assignment”: Disabling this setting prevents employee dancers from automatically switching tasks based on club needs. With auto-assignment enabled (default), dancers will adapt their roles to optimize club operations.
- “Focused Dancing Objects Interactions”: When disabled, this setting unlocks all interactions on Dancing Poles, Dancing Spot Markers, and Lap Dancing Seats. By default, interactivity is limited to dance-related actions to streamline gameplay.
- “Clients Visitation Limits“: Disabling this setting removes relationship-based restrictions on club visitors. By default, Sims in established relationships are less likely to visit strip clubs. Disabling this allows all Sims to visit regardless of relationship status.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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Q: Why is the lot type set to “Generic”?
- A: To ensure maximum compatibility with the base game, WickedWhims custom business lots are intentionally set to “Generic.” This ensures smooth functionality and avoids conflicts.
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Q: I don’t want my dancers to tend the bar. Can I hire a dedicated bartender?
- A: While dedicated bartenders are not a separate employee type, you can easily assign a dancer exclusively to the Bartending task. Simply assign the Bartender task to a dancer, and they will consistently perform that role and even switch to a bartender-appropriate outfit. If you want a dedicated bartender without reducing your dancer count, use the “ww.set_stripclub_dancers_employee_limit” cheat command to increase the number of hireable dancers.
Credits and Contributions
The WickedWhims Strip Club feature is a collaborative effort, made possible by the talented creators who contributed to its development. We extend sincere gratitude to:
- Animators: For creating 23 new, dedicated animations for Pole Dancing, Spot Dancing, and Lap Dancing, bringing the strip club dance performances to life.
- Noir and Dark Sims: For designing and contributing the Dancing Pole object.
- Nolan-Sims: For creating the distinctive Strip Club icon.
Technical Details for Animation Enthusiasts
Animators interested in expanding the strip club dance animation library can readily add new pole dancing, spot dancing, and lap dancing animations to the mod. Detailed instructions are available in the ‘Creating WickedWhims Strip Club Animation XML File’ tutorial.
Technical Limitations
Initially, the Business Management window/tab was intended for strip club management. However, its limited functionality within the game engine made this approach unfeasible. The alternative was to shift all management functions to the phone interface.
While strip club management is phone-based, the Business Management window/tab remains visible with a warning message advising against its use. Completely removing it caused game errors due to the inherent design limitations of business ownership within The Sims 4.
Business Management Warning
Future Enhancements: Music, DJs, and Club Dynamics
Looking ahead, the WickedWhims Strip Club feature is poised for further expansion, with planned additions including:
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Music and DJs: Music is integral to the strip club dance experience. Future updates will introduce music genre preferences for dancers, impacting their performance based on the DJ’s music selection. DJs will be expanded to play a wider range of in-game music, or players will be able to manually manage music via stereos. Dancer-DJ relationships will also be developed, with friendly DJs playing music that enhances dancer performance.
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Impact, Events, and Security: To enrich the gameplay experience beyond basic management, future updates will introduce random events and consequences to strip club operations. These could include challenging clients, dancer mood fluctuations, accidents, disputes, and other dynamic events requiring player intervention. Security personnel, such as bouncers and security guards, will be added to manage entrance fees and handle problematic clients, adding a layer of realism and challenge. Longer-term impacts of club visits, such as relationship changes, moodlets, and reputation adjustments, are also planned to create more meaningful consequences for player actions within the strip club environment.
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Meaningful Dancer Career: The current focus is on strip club management. However, future development may explore enhancing the playable dancer career path. Creating engaging dancer gameplay with diverse tasks and options is a separate design challenge that will require careful planning to make the dancer career as compelling as the management aspect.
The WickedWhims Strip Club feature offers a solid foundation for adult business simulation in The Sims 4. Explore the possibilities, manage your dancers, and build the ultimate entertainment venue!
If you want to support the ongoing development of WickedWhims and gain early access to features, consider becoming a Patreon supporter: Patreon page. Your support helps ensure continued improvements and exciting new additions to the mod!
