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Please Fix Multitasking
Felicity
Posts: 4,979 Member
First of all, I want to thank the devs for addressing so many issues already with the game, but multitasking really has some severe issues.
I think the problem is that for most activities, the sims don't seem to be actually multitasking -- they're switching between two activities. I first noticed this the first time I played, actually. My sim was at the park playing chess, and when I had her start talking to the person she was playing with, the chess game stopped until all the talk prompts were finished. I've noticed this happening with other activities as well, including eating.
Sims do seem to be able to multitask watching TV, but that's the only one I can think of. I'm not sure if more issues have developed, but I took a break of a couple of months from the game, and there seems to be even more issues with multitasking that I didn't notice before. Mainly, when my sim listens to music while doing her work tasks at home, they take twice as long as when she's not listening to music.
If multitasking can become actual multitasking, that would be great. However, if actual multitasking can't be done, perhaps have the tasks they're doing take half the time as they would when not multitasking? That way, it would not only keep up the appearance of multitasking (which is nice with those icons), but there would actually be a time benefit as well to make it seem like two things are being done at once.
As it is, when my sims play cards, play chess, play horseshoes, I cancel out any autonomous talk actions so the game will continue. If I let them talk while eating, the meal takes far too long, though I'm not using a patch that at least stops the staring into space while they're eating (presumably to allow for talking).
I think the problem is that for most activities, the sims don't seem to be actually multitasking -- they're switching between two activities. I first noticed this the first time I played, actually. My sim was at the park playing chess, and when I had her start talking to the person she was playing with, the chess game stopped until all the talk prompts were finished. I've noticed this happening with other activities as well, including eating.
Sims do seem to be able to multitask watching TV, but that's the only one I can think of. I'm not sure if more issues have developed, but I took a break of a couple of months from the game, and there seems to be even more issues with multitasking that I didn't notice before. Mainly, when my sim listens to music while doing her work tasks at home, they take twice as long as when she's not listening to music.
If multitasking can become actual multitasking, that would be great. However, if actual multitasking can't be done, perhaps have the tasks they're doing take half the time as they would when not multitasking? That way, it would not only keep up the appearance of multitasking (which is nice with those icons), but there would actually be a time benefit as well to make it seem like two things are being done at once.
As it is, when my sims play cards, play chess, play horseshoes, I cancel out any autonomous talk actions so the game will continue. If I let them talk while eating, the meal takes far too long, though I'm not using a patch that at least stops the staring into space while they're eating (presumably to allow for talking).
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I'm not even sure about working out. Yesterday, I had two sims at the same level of fitness go to the gym, and one was chatting with people and one wasn't -- and the one who wasn't chatting finished up his workout far sooner than the one who was. However, the chatting one was also being mentored so that may be why she was able to work out far longer before getting to the "push the limits" boundary. I'll have to test that again.
Drinking/eating while using the toilet is basically another sitting action with the only thing really happening is the bladder motive becoming full, so it doesn't surprise me that that doesn't interfere with the speed of the action.
And yes, talking and cleaning, talking and fishing -- true multitasking would be great. If they can't do that, let them chat autonomously while doing those activities like in Sims 3.
Edit: But I'm unsure about working out. It may be the one activity that works 100% as advertised, but even if it does, it does not invalidate the fact that almost every other activity there is no multitasking and trying to do so either winds you with doing one activity or the other, OR taking twice as long as it should.
I'd add this to my sig, but for some reason, I can't edit it any more.
I don't think it's a bug. I think it's working as intended, but unfortunately, as intended doesn't work very well.
Actually, even with homework, it takes them far longer if you have talk actions queued up. If it's just autonomous, I don't think it stops the homework. Like chess. If they chat autonomously, I don't think it stops the playing, but try queuing up conversation -- the game pretty much stops right there for the talking even though the chess icon doesn't go away. If you look at the skills being raised, it will be whatever chat tone you're using, not logic.
Chatting is a problem, but so is listening to the stereo while doing computer work tasks. This may be new -- I don't remember the stereo being a problem before taking a break after the December patch. But I ended up removing the stereo from the office where my sim does her work tasks as it would take her twice as long to complete them. I mean, the progress bar would go all the way around, and she'd only be half done, whereas without the stereo in the room, she'd be finished in one round.
Agreed.
It got to the point where I got so frustrated with them constantly ignoring the task I was telling them to do to run and have a ten-minute dance party that- even though I didn't want to do it- I had to turn autonomy off. I hate it.
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I also hate that they stand up to talk and sit somewhere else, and then go back to get their plate, and then sit somewhere else.
So frustrating.