My alluring vampire tavern in The Sims 4 has encountered some significant challenges.

One of my favorite games is Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, and I’ve always been enamored with that game’s depiction of its nightlife. The Asylum, Confession, and Vesuvius are all bars and clubs owned by vampires, each with its own vibe. So, when The Sims 4 developer Maxis launched a new expansion all about creating the business of your dreams, I immediately knew what I wanted to do: I needed to create my own vampire bar, with sweet tunes, elite clientele, and a flirtatious atmosphere. Using Businesses & Hobbies, I created a vampire nightclub called Lovebites, but it didn’t go quite as planned.

I set about constructing Lovebites and decided that this should be a classy joint. I bought a new lot of land, set up an extravagant front lobby with framed works of art, built a massive dance floor with a DJ booth and an elevated stage for live performances, and arranged for a bar that served drinks for the non-vampires who showed up to the club. It cost $70,000 to build the massive premises, but I decided it was worth it — if you’re going to build a vampire nightclub, go big or go home. I assigned traits to the lot to make the experience more authentic: Vampire Nexus, Hottest Spot in Town, and Clothing Optional.

With everything set up, I started my first shift, ready for the patrons and their hard-earned Simoleons to start rolling in. Unfortunately, that wasn’t quite the case.

A handful of patrons shuffled in, wearing their heavy winter clothes and bags over their heads. It was like a low-budget take on Eyes Wide Shut, and it was not the sexy atmosphere I had hoped to cultivate. The vibes were awkward, the dancing was bad, and the club seemed way too big and empty. The bags appear to be from a Neighborhood Action Plan, one of Eco Lifestyle’s additions — sometimes, an entire town will vote to wear bags on their heads. My business doesn’t have a mailbox, and so I can’t vote to repeal it.

Making matters worse, I had assigned my vampire hostess the job of drinking plasma. I assumed this meant she would lounge behind the bar, sipping on the plasma packs in her inventory. Instead, she took a much more proactive approach, walking up to both employees and patrons and asking to drink their blood. It didn’t matter that her thirst meter was full; she was focused on the task at hand, which meant she would stunlock the bartender or musician in a long animation as she supped upon their tasty blood and further spoiled the mood.

Before I knew it, 12 hours had passed. I had made the decision to build my club on a separate lot than my home base, and I hadn’t built a kitchenette for employees or beds for rest. At first, this seemed like a great way to enforce work-life balance. Instead, it meant that all of my employees were exhausted, hungry, and mad as hell. I closed up shop, and for my troubles, I had earned a grand total of -§300.

At first, I felt a bit discouraged, but it soon became clear that Businesses & Hobbies expects players to sink some time into their business and pay their dues before becoming a phenomenon. Even though I had spent tens of thousands of Simoleons to create a classy club, it was still qualified as a “garage business” because I hadn’t made an impression on the minds of customers. Opening up often is necessary to earn a reputation, and over time the game lets you choose whether you want to cater to friendly Dreamers or aim for Schemer customers.

This means that my sexy vampire club was far more of a work in progress than I had anticipated. So, I had my Sim family quit their jobs and dedicate themselves to opening the club. Things are improving; patrons are showing up to the club in appropriate dance attire, a celebrity or two has shown up to check the place out, and having a large family full of skilled Sims means that I can recruit from a reliable talent pool.

I still haven’t quite nailed the exact vibe I’m going for, especially since everyone is still wearing bags on their heads. But I’m starting to see more vampire clientele show up, and it’s fascinating to see the dynamic play out. Regular Sims show up for drinks and dancing, only to flirt with vampires and fall in love. Then, the vampires drink their plasma, and for a moment I feel like this place could fit right into Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines.

However, I have yet to make any money, which is a problem with all those startup construction costs. I also have concerns about my clientele. I beg of them: Please, stop wearing paper bags to my hot vampire club. You are bringing the entire mood down.