In Sims 1, Sims 2 and Sims 3 - without exception - the player-assigned tasks always have priority over Sim-assigned tasks, with very few and often sensible exceptions. (example, a sim can cancel your order to read a book if his bladder is critical and he wants to pee) If a sim desires to read the newspaper and I desire that they shower, my command always takes precedence over their autonomous desire. If they're in the process of reading the newspaper on their own accord and I command them to shower, they immediately cancel their wish to go shower. And if I assign them to watch TV and then they queue an action to play arcade games themselves, they will not go play arcade games until I cancel their TV action I assigned or something else causes them to cancel it (Fun maxes out, TV breaks, another motive gets critically low, etc)
This system is not a thing in Sims 4, or at the very least rather poorly done. Sims are constantly capable of cancelling player-assigned tasks to pursue their own, and sometimes player-assigned tasks do not cancel sim-assigned ones. The most common example I have lately is that if I assign a Sim to read a book and they sit at a sofa near a TV, they will queue up a wish to watch TV every ~30 minutes, and this wish can cancel the desire to read a book. This is idiotic, because if the book provides fun then there's no purpose to them switching, and if the book is for learning a skill, then obviously it's not nice when they decide to do something else entirely. Sims will even do this if their fun meter is full and there should be zero reason for them to desire to watch TV. The result is a rather aggrivating and infuriating session of gameplay where the player must needlessly micromanage and babysit their sim just to ensure they complete a very basic task, constantly clicking to cancel out their bombardment of nonstop wishes to watch TV. Certain objects or scenarios are more notorious for causing this problem than others, and famously we've had a revolving door effect where one patch sets one object's desirability too high (BETween TV, woodworking table), and then another patch simply moves the desirability onto another that causes the exact same problems.
Another common offender is basic social interactions. Sims in this game obsessively seek out social interactions, sometimes to the point they abandon their home and walk out on the street. This too is a problem because it may cancel your assigned tasks, OR the Sim may go socialize alongside your assigned task since the two can be done side-by-side. The problem is Sims socialize so obsessively that even if though it's done side-by-side, it's very likely the two Sims would re-queue up new social interactions so frequently that your assigned task takes hours to complete. If you seek to cancel such social interactions, then once again you must babysit your Sims and micromanage them.
This is possibly one of the most basic features of any Sims game, existing in every previous title and always an important feature to ensure the player is not frustrated with Sim AI ruining their orders. Yet for whatever reason, it does not exist in Sims 4. This is absolutely absurd, perplexing, and I cannot figure out why this isn't a thing after 2 and a half years. My best guess is this is a result of Sims 4 prioritizing showing off the new multitasking system over old basic systems. AI and weight of actions seriously needs to be tweaked. For those that would respond "just turn off autonomy," that's not exactly a fix. That's basically suggesting Sims 4 shouldn't have autonomy, which is just as absurd since once again autonomy has existed since Sims 1.
Wanted to bring this up because this is absolutely something I see people complain about in various different forms (such as the woodworking table, BeTween TV, I believe the City Living basketball goal was named as one, and a couple others), but I've not seen this issue called out for the general problem it is: our assigned tasks need to hold priority over the sim-assigned ones, or this issue will constantly re-emerge, just via different objects and methods.
"Who are you, that do not know your history?"
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Comments
Agree on the 2nd paragraph.
I agree. Sims shouldn't even anknowledge and be aware that there are sims out there outside while themselves are inside their house, unless the sim can see them through logical means (through a window, arch or straight through a no-wall-obscured area).
Turning off automy is a workaround, not a solution. The Problem still remains that sims don't know how to behave, and the "smarter sims" slogan is absolutely false due to the flaws address by OP.
Repose en paix mamie tu va me manquer :
1923-2016 mamie
This right here? This is why lately, I'm sure some of you have perhaps noticed a bit more of an aggressive tone from me:
It is painfully obvious that in some strange way, shape or form, you have low self-esteem in regards to Sims 4. What does that mean? I'm not quite sure myself cause it's definitely strange, but that's the vibe I get here. I criticized something from Sims 4, and you cannot stand it. It's super obvious it gets under your skin. I've often cited a study I read on consumer brand relationships where fans of a brand often mentally process failures of that brand to a personal failure; if Sims 4 has a flaw and I point it out, you mentally process this as if I pointed out one of your personal flaws, thus you respond with hostility when it's totally unwarranted. Here, I sense some hostility, and you're likewise trying to adamantly deny this flaw exists, likely because again you're processing this as if I were calling you out for a personal flaw. That study seems to be becoming increasingly relevant around here lately...
Let's get some things straight: I lodged a complaint. That's what this is. No more, no less. It is not an attack on the Sims 4, it is not an attack on you, it is a complaint regarding my experience. It's a very relevant and valid complaint, because if I assign my Sim to read Vampire Lore for their Aspiration, but I find I cannot leave them unattended for 5 seconds because they're constantly attempting to cancel the task I assigned them...? That is obviously very aggrivating. I have to watch as a 2 hour task quickly turns into a 5 hour one because my Sim demands so much unneccesary micromanaging that this increases the length of the task exponentially.
Imagine if we were playing a game like Starcraft and I try to assign units to attack an enemy base, but not 5 seconds after I assign that command, the units instead decide to go run towards the southwestern corner of the map for no reason. People would be furious, people would complain, and people would rightfully request fixes for this because it is disrupting the flow of gameplay and making the player's control over the game completely moot; what kind of game affords no direct control to the player?? How would I judge if I'm a good or bad Starcraft player if I'm constantly fighting the game itself as it undoes my work? Why would I not be annoyed when I fail to do something, and not because I did something wrong or didn't try, but because the game undid all my correct work and all my efforts.
That's exactly what this is: I attempt to play the game, but the game undoes all my efforts and directions in a matter of seconds.
If you disagree with me on this? That's your call, and that's just how the world works. Lots of opinions, and lots of disagreements, but as long as some level of respect is maintained, then all is fine and all opinions can co-exist. We are unfortunately past that point, and yes, I am going to get really annoyed with you if you cross that line from simply disagreeing with me, to personally attacking me or acting with unwarranted hostility. Read your post and look at how many completely unwarranted comments are made - completely out of left field - all off-topic and all telling me to self-reflect or something. That's not discussing this issue, that's discussing me. And why? Because I had the audacity to lodge a complaint.
No, I must insist: perhaps you should be self-reflecting on what it says about you if you begin acting in this manner when someone dares point out a problem they have with this game. To see this level of hostility and personal commentary in response to myself lodging a complaint is very hard to witness, both because it's sad to see someone resort to personal commentary over a disagreement of a game feature, (I mean c'mon now) and because I find it very delusional that you cannot stop to ask "why did I write all of those off-topic tangents" and realize that you are the the one that needs to be asking yourself questions, or that you may be taking all things involving Sims 4 far too personally.
It's all getting very tiresome for me. It's becoming a pattern where I post a thread and somebody needs to more or less attack me or act with hostility - either thinly-veiled or blatantly - all because I have an opinion they disagree with. I simply want to discuss the topics, not discuss myself with 20 different people who insist I'm somehow more important to talk about than the actual topic about the game itself on a forum designed around the game. Cut the crap, review your own post, and realize you're out of line. For my sake, if not your own.
I like the fact Sims can eat and drink at the same time but chasing Sims down the street to talk to them while they have their meal is a bit ridiculous. Who does that? The Sims constantly staring at artwork while they eat in turn making the eating process take long than necessary and I am not even going to get into the musical chairs around the table to converse.
On flip side regarding socializing, I am not sure if they changing the socializing while dining out or not but now the Sims are doing everything but socializing. Sims are getting up from the dine out table to order drinks, watch tv, playing on their phones, randomly singing(literally trying to avoid any Sims learning the singing skill), etc. My Sim couple was sitting and having a meal and I had to keep forcing them to talk or the phones and singing would start. I looked over and say a Sims family out for dinner and they were all playing with their phones instead of talking like they used to. It is a nightmare. I actually have my Sims do family dinner on Sundays. All of the extended family gets together and dine out to socialize to keep their relationships high because who wants to reintroduce family members to sims(another issue).
As for book reading, I have been running into the same issue. I was trying to get my Sims to read the vampire books and they kept putting it down to watch TV. I had to click on read the book and tell them to sit in a chair not near a television. I have so many no autonomy mods trying to control these sims and still having issues..lol
@DeservedCriticism Your feedback is valid and I have seen all these issues in game as I stated above. I have been learning to live with it sadly because I feel like multitasking is broken on many levels and it is at the core of the game so I am not sure what the devs can do about it.
there is something wrong with how the sims 4 is I don't much prefer the way it is now unlike in the pass games and let me remind you that the sims 4 is poorly done (is or isn't - *all of it is subjective opinion*), you also need to realise no players play the same all I see isn't an great advantage on how the sims4.....
And it would be fair for you question why you feel the need to be on low esteem from someone's critizing critism over one/few minor flawed aspects the person see in the game. Question yourself: why do you dismiss someone's complaint when you yourself enjoying the game and therefor purchased it for what you like about it. If you did not like this constructive feedback from a fan, than you need to question yourself why are you continue on reading this If the rant is rubbing on your skin?
for your info if someone only complaints about the gamer then maybe its time they retire from the sims game series and move on i prefer the sims4 the way it is now to each there taste and to me the sims4 is not poorly done to each there opinions then i am done so you can think what you and i will never agree with what is mention in this post because i do not have the same view on the game
Repose en paix mamie tu va me manquer :
1923-2016 mamie
@pepperjax1230 Again, where the HECK is all of this coming from?
Why is it so hard to just focus on the named issue instead of getting outrageously personal and picking fights over all kinds of stuff?
Is everyone on this forum under the impression that if you say "I was focusing on it" then that magically makes it true!? No you weren't!! It's absolutely CRAZY how many people on this forum just respond with "no ur wrong" when called out on something.
You were all over the place, lashed out at me personally and AT NO POINT did you ever even touch on the topic of this post! Just because you say "yes I did" doesn't make it true.
there are definitely some bits about the autonomy that I still don't like, though, but that isn't really one of them.
(◡‿◡✿)
Also that to they just cancel what I ask them to do so I just let them choose what they want to do themselves.
Again, just because you say something doesn't make it true.
People like yourself seriously need to calm down. As I've said before, it's painfully obvious certain users take any criticism of Sims 4 personally. I'm seeing the results of that a lot lately, because the result is that people come into my threads and get personal while not even discussing the topic. Super annoying, and I'm very very sick of it.
I do kind of like the delay the sims have in responding to requests I make though. I play on the slowest speed normally so that I can watch and enjoy the game and although it's probably not programmed in to make it that way.. for me at least it makes me feel like they are lingering or even thumbing their nose at me as the player. (I think I may have watched one too many artificial intelligence becoming sentient type of shows.)
Yeah NOW, in your newest post, after I told you twice that you were off topic. Yknow, after the TWO initial posts of yours that were entirely off-topic.
I am seriously going to develop a plumming brain tumor from all this kind of nonsense. ZERO admittance to your mistake, but by God you're quick to accuse "you are picking apart my comment to see what you want" when you finally post a small snippet on topic.
I may seriously be having a chat with the mod team soon. I don't know how on earth I'm supposed to have any discussion here when I have to deal with something like this in every thread I make.
Repose en paix mamie tu va me manquer :
1923-2016 mamie
Disagreeing is fine. Derailing or attacking me is not.
Also, that's not what I said. I said past games had things like a bladder in the red as one of the few exceptions that could allow a sim to cancel your actions. THIS game lets all kinds of stuff cancel your actions, including very mundane wishes such as a desire to watch TV. A wish the Sims will repeatedly spam and re-queue no matter how often you cancel it.
Or not retire but provide a FEEDBACK to the developers or game compay. It may help out meet magority of players standards and remedies the biggest pet-peeve problems.
Like imagine for a second in his situation. Let's say there was a (HYPOTHETICAL) scenario where you couldn't disable aging. You didn't even knew about that BEFORE you purchase the game, because devs didn't told you about (which is what they always don't address regarding flawed/lacking/missing features). Wouldn't you want to request the feature, regardless how you put it: negatively or positively. And how would you feel If you people suggestion "you should question yourself why you purchase this game?" ? Would feel guilty from the passive-blame somebody dropped on you? Just try to put yourself in the OP's shoes instead of suggesting such redudant response like that. Disagreeing is one thing, but putting a prejudgemental blame is another.
Feedback is one thing but I am defending the game nothing needs to be done half of you who think something is wrong with it think it should be TS3 so go back and play the game you enjoy and quit trying to change the game to be like past games the appeal is that its not like past games. Sorry but really if you dislike the game don't buy the packs and don't play. Play the games you enjoy because TS4 is apparently not one of them
If the game assigns me a task to "Read Vampire Lore Volume 1," how can you sit here and tell me it's outrageous that I want my sim to read the danged book and not try to put it down every 5 seconds to watch TV? Who are you to sit here and claim what's the "right" and "wrong" way to play, especially when the aspiration itself is evidence they at least partially had goal-orientated players in mind?
I don't know why but I find it very hard to make a sim finish a book, too. Often I'll queue the same "read book" interaction at least three times so if they cancel the action themselves they'll at least go back to it.
I love this game but sometimes I want to bang my head against a wall.