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Off the grid issues/suggestions

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Overall I am enjoying playing with the 'off the grid' lot trait, but have three issues/suggestions:

- I cannot clean my dirty toilet. Even though the toilet is tagged as functional off the grid and can be used by sim, when she tries to clean it, the option is not available and it says 'plumbing doesn't work off the grid'. I wonder if the same thing will happen when my stove/sink/shower gets dirty.
- It's hard to find the functional items in the catalog; it would be great to find these items via a filter option like how we can filter by style or pack type.
- There isn't obvious logic to why some lighting works off the grid and some doesn't. Not all items that appear to be candles work; for example, the Selvadora chandelier isn't function. And items like the oil lamp and lanterns don't work, which seems odd since those are objects designed in real life to work without electricity.

So... not sure if those things can/will be fixed, but would be great to see them addressed in a future patch. Anyone else had similar issues with not being able to clean their supposedly 'functional' off grid equipment?

Comments

  • NindigoNindigo Posts: 2,764 Member
    Suggestion: Don't hang on to the concept of conveniency


    Origin ID: Nindigo79

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  • unsatisfiedunsatisfied Posts: 3 New Member
    Also would like water pumps, to drink water from, wash dishes and hands. Also compostable toilets.
  • FelicityFelicity Posts: 4,979 Member
    Also would like water pumps, to drink water from, wash dishes and hands. Also compostable toilets.

    This. Just this. It would be great.
  • firienfirien Posts: 1 New Member
    Upvoting the idea of an off the grid filter. Im trying to do a cabin and sorting through everything to find the items that will work is kind of a pain. I was kind of surprised it didn't already exist!
  • Atreya33Atreya33 Posts: 4,410 Member
    The off the grid trait has some strange limitations.
    - if we can use an object, we should be able to clean them. And refill the water on the laundry stuff wash tub. This item should have all options off grid.
    - taking a bath should be possible off grid, filling a tub with water is easier than building a shower that doesn't need plumbing. I'm just talking about the basic 'take a bath', the spa option and bubblebath don't have to be enabled off grid.
    - cooking on gas needs more dishes. I understand the need for fewer meals, but just 2? We could use a few more, for example soup or pasta/spaghetti. I cooked on gas for 2 years in real life and have only two dishes is ridiculous.
    - logic in which lamps can be used. What I miss most is the jungle adventure chandelier and portable lamp. (the more modern portable lamp from OR works, so the old fashioned one from JA should work too.)

    overall this trait is a very good addition but it feels as if it needs a bit more fine tuning.
  • MardiMarZMardiMarZ Posts: 1 New Member
    Oh man, I agree with all these. It makes no sense why a Wash Tub, literally a bucket for washing clothes, is not fully functional on a lot with no power. The plumbing works enough for you to have a shower, so you should be able to replace the water. You should also be able to take a bath.

    And yess to the water pump!! I’ve lived off the grid for a period of time, and had to go to a well for water... I would love if we could have a functional well or a water pump. And then by having a well, the plumbing options would be available. That would make sense to me.

    Also! I wish my sims wouldn’t ALWAYS have a negative moodlet from using the water. The sims I made were supposed to prefer living off the grid, but it makes them miserable and messes with my story telling too. I feel like there is no benefit to off the grid but the no bills perk... since everything else (no options plus negative moodlets) leaves both me and my sims frustrated.

    More recipes would be great!! I would love to be able to cook with my vegetables and fruits and caught fish, etc on gas, so my sims can fully live off the grid. It’s like I need a fridge in order to cook in a reasonable manner. Also it’d be great if the cooler let us store food when off the grid, or could act as the fridge on off the grid lots. I’ll make my sims purchase ice through the cooler if I had to!

    And def yes to the lamp logic — anything that in the description is “battery powered” (like battery powered lanterns from outdoor retreat) should also work off grid, not just candles!

    Also solar panels would be so cool to have too if possible, to fully upgrade our sims’ if they were able to save up enough money... then they could have electricity with cheaper or discounted bills.

    And I totally agree - it would be so great if we could filter the buy/build options for “off the grid” friendly things that’s be soooo helpful.

    (Also for all the items created from the wood making table to be useable OTG, that’d be great too!)

    And random side note - the OTG trait makes me miss getting a newspaper in the Sims. I want a way for my sim to be able to look up jobs/odd jobs without needing to leave the lot to use their cell phone.

    Pretty sure this is my full OTG wish list. I was so excited to see this trait (ever since it was a potential option during the fan made pack time). I would love to see it live up to it’s full potential. For the time being I’ve found it easier to just leave the trait off and just pretend like I used to that the home is off grid. Way less negative moodlets.
  • LexyconDevilLexyconDevil Posts: 1 New Member
    Two huge issues with being able to somehow use showers but not bathtubs:

    - Toddlers can only be washed using tubs--so I guess no families living OTG, even though this should be more feasible
    - You can make a tub from the woodworking table--and then not be able to use it off-the-grid. Why?

    It's great that we can use the woodworking toilet, for instance--that can contribute to a type of aesthetic you're going for. A shower totally messes with the rustic setting some will be aiming for, meanwhile. People in reality and history have been using bathtubs before plumbing was common; I don't think most showers should be usable, by comparison, unless they're outside showers.

    I also feel like it's immersion breaking in some cases (like the shower is) to have super normal refrigerators: I can wait for another update for more options, but they should make another form of storage, or at least make a more rustic or old-fashioned fridge than just the first default option. You also shouldn't be able to use any high-end refrigerators at all but it seems you can, for some reason--it should be limited to the very basic ones.

    Shame to hear about some of the cleaning issues and a lack of OTG sim trait benefits; it shouldn't be a totally miserable existence, just a limited one.

    I think it'd be good to have more options for the BBQ for sure, in light of the update. It doesn't have to cook everything a stove+other kitchen stuff can, but being able to do more than 2-3 items seems reasonable. Being able to use your garden veggies and fruits, at the very least, would be better than nothing.

    I too miss newspapers and wish we could have them back, with the caveat that you should be able to cancel a subscription if you don't want to deal with it. Or even the option to subscribe, so lots (unless they're OTG) don't automatically start with newspaper delivery.

    I love that they've done this, for free no less, but I'd be much happier if *at the very least* just gave us some dang tubs, and of course fix the cleaning issues--that doesn't seem like it should be happening, OTG doesn't mean no available soap, does it?
  • AWildMishieAWildMishie Posts: 4 New Member
    I posted this in a different thread, but it fits here too and I don't want to re-type all of it:

    I wish they had included more new items to go with it, such as the ability to generate solar/wind power and gather rain/ocean water and convert it to potable water. These could have been neat little extras that wear down and need to be repaired like the items in some of the City Living apartments. New battery-powered lamps and radios along with some updated kitchen/bathroom items that feel more off-grid-y (like propane stoves and ice fridges).
  • PrincipleOfEntropyPrincipleOfEntropy Posts: 389 Member
    I posted this in a different thread, but it fits here too and I don't want to re-type all of it:

    I wish they had included more new items to go with it, such as the ability to generate solar/wind power and gather rain/ocean water and convert it to potable water. These could have been neat little extras that wear down and need to be repaired like the items in some of the City Living apartments. New battery-powered lamps and radios along with some updated kitchen/bathroom items that feel more off-grid-y (like propane stoves and ice fridges).

    I agree with this. Off The Grid certainly isn't the same as no electricity. Someone pointed out in another thread a little while back that a fair few people in Hawaii live "off the grid" and generate their own electricity through the use of things like solar panels. For those with Island Living, being able to generate electricity through a hydroelectric form might have been nice too.

    It's a pretty big addition in terms of a lot trait, and definitely an interesting one, but at the moment it feels as if not enough thought went into it (with certain objects many people have mentioned not being compatible and oversights with cleaning, for instance). Things like one's own source of power or water collection should have come out with it for the sake of functionality.
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  • GrumpyGlowfishGrumpyGlowfish Posts: 2,207 Member
    Does that mean you guys can actually use sinks, just not clean them? I've tried two sinks, one from the base game and one from Laundry Day, which are said to work off the grid, but when I click on them, I have zero options, and my sims don't automatically use them after going to the toilet either. Maybe this is a bug in my game then.

    As for the lights that inexplicably aren't working, I suppose those are just oversights that will soon be fixed. It's funny that the fridge actually works; you may not be able to cook everything you want, but you can store cooked food in there to slow down the spoiling process, meaning that the fridge is in fact cold.
  • CelSimsCelSims Posts: 2,270 Member
    Does that mean you guys can actually use sinks, just not clean them? I've tried two sinks, one from the base game and one from Laundry Day, which are said to work off the grid, but when I click on them, I have zero options, and my sims don't automatically use them after going to the toilet either. Maybe this is a bug in my game then.

    You should have an option when you click them to 'quickly wash hands' and 'quickly brush teeth' I had a bug in my game where they wouldn't use the sinks which a game repair fixed. Incidentally, upgrade them to self cleaning and dirt isn't an issue.
  • elsie_delsie_d Posts: 7 New Member
    @PrincipleOfEntropy said:

    > I agree with this. Off The Grid certainly isn't the same as no electricity. Someone pointed out in another thread a little while back that a fair few people in Hawaii live "off the grid" and generate their own electricity through the use of things like solar panels. For those with Island Living, being able to generate electricity through a hydroelectric form might have been nice too.
    >
    > It's a pretty big addition in terms of a lot trait, and definitely an interesting one, but at the moment it feels as if not enough thought went into it (with certain objects many people have mentioned not being compatible and oversights with cleaning, for instance). Things like one's own source of power or water collection should have come out with it for the sake of functionality.

    I am **so** happy to have found this thread. I feel the same way about the issues with trying to live off the grid the way the developers presently designed it. NO way to search for specific off-the-grid items is the issue that brought me here. I've not experienced all the other issues yet, hence my joy in finding this before putting in a lot of time and effort into creating my Magneto hideout off the grid, lol. The inability to was items is a bit baffling. Running water should not be an issue since even desert dwelling nomads have used sand for centuries to clean their items. :D
  • MissSpiffeyMissSpiffey Posts: 212 Member
    edited June 2019
    Heads up:
    • Toilets/sinks need to be upgraded to Self-Cleaning. This is actually not that hard if you consider that you (should) be doing a lot of fishing (See: Admirals Fish Trap) and get lots of random upgrade parts and your sim has plenty of spare time to read skill books on boosting that skill. There is also a cheat you can use to set the level (stats.set_skill_level Major_Handiness 10), and you can set it to 4 (the level required for self-cleaning).
    • You can use the "Open Air Natural Toilet", "Anything Goes Party Bush or "Duty Calls Model Citizen Bush" if you have Jungle Adventure or Get Together. They get "smelly" status for several hours after use so have 2-3 on your lot.
    • COOKING NEEDS HELP - This is the one I haven't found a fun, workable solution to. I use the Vintage Fridge to store fresh food, which is not listed as Off The Grid but should be or the coolers should at least be functional to stick food in like fridges. I also use the "Auld-Crow Wood-Burning Stove", and I now have a garden in which to grow veggies. I *should* be able to cook fish tacos and other recipes for which I have the ingredients, on my wood-burning stove! If it works on gas, it should work as a stove with whatever ingredients are ON SITE. Period. Currently, if you want a better range of cooking options you can only use the outdoor grills. Which reminds me that Sims should set down food after grilling it if there is a surface nearby, instead of putting it into their inventory.
    Post edited by MissSpiffey on
    Gallery: #ItzSpiffy - I make custom NoCC Wall Art for the game using only my sim's camera and in-game scenery! I also love building modern mansions among other things.
  • itsbetsyhitsbetsyh Posts: 1 New Member
    > @atrainor said:
    > Overall I am enjoying playing with the 'off the grid' lot trait, but have three issues/suggestions:
    >
    > - I cannot clean my dirty toilet. Even though the toilet is tagged as functional off the grid and can be used by sim, when she tries to clean it, the option is not available and it says 'plumbing doesn't work off the grid'. I wonder if the same thing will happen when my stove/sink/shower gets dirty.
    > - It's hard to find the functional items in the catalog; it would be great to find these items via a filter option like how we can filter by style or pack type.
    > - There isn't obvious logic to why some lighting works off the grid and some doesn't. Not all items that appear to be candles work; for example, the Selvadora chandelier isn't function. And items like the oil lamp and lanterns don't work, which seems odd since those are objects designed in real life to work without electricity.
    >
    > So... not sure if those things can/will be fixed, but would be great to see them addressed in a future patch. Anyone else had similar issues with not being able to clean their supposedly 'functional' off grid equipment?

    YES YES YES to this--also what about a windmill they could build or water pump? -- but please let us sort by this! It's hard to find the functional items in the catalog; it would be great to find these items via a filter option like how we can filter by style or pack type.
  • jeanieusjeanieus Posts: 1 New Member
    Like the washtub is my pet peeve right now.

    The Ole Timmy's Wash Tub(laundry day pack), the fact that it works and allows you to wash clothes but it doesn't let you switch out the water is not okay! Either it should work or not at all. They can't just provide a halfway fix, I feel like if they can get a shower and a sink to work they should be able to switch the water in the tub. It doesn't seem fair to not be able to use that gameplay at all during off the grid, since you can hang clothes etc. Please fix so at least one washing option works without us having to constantly buy new items to keep our sims from getting negative moodlets.
  • micheleimichelei Posts: 422 Member
    edited June 2019
    I agree with all of these suggestions.

    The cooking situation confuses me. Stripping all the food dishes from the stove does not make any sense. Almost anything can be cooked on a campfire, woodstove, propane stove/oven or solar oven. There are very few limitations. Think of how cooking started. Many delicious recipes and food dishes were created way before anyone had electricity. This decision is kind of short sighted.

    Some electronics should be usable. Laptops and small radios use batteries. Or it would be nice if solar panels could be used for a limited amount of power. Households could add panels to use more appliance/electronics.

    I would have loved to have working wells or rain barrels. Even some way for a sim to collect water for a baths, laundry.

    Right now I am not using the off the grid lot trait but I am playing an off the grid style game. My sim goes to town twice a week to charge laptop, and fill up on water, propane and food. My "bills" pay for these items. I am going to add a well, grow more food and shrink my bills. I will have to use money cheats when I reduce my bills.
  • superkyle221superkyle221 Posts: 1,119 Member
    I think solar panels will be great, but people wanted laundry instead.
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  • marinapjanicmarinapjanic Posts: 109 Member
    There is a mod for replacing water in washtubs...
    Wish there were more things to do with off grid trait
    https://nieswillsneeze.tumblr.com/post/185725408829/sims-4-replace-water-off-grid-mod-nies
  • SucomSucom Posts: 1,709 Member
    One of the problems I found playing off the grid was that my sims were constantly hungry because any food they could cook without electricity never seems to fill their hunger need. I had to put my sims into a regular house because it was taking up all their time making food. I got bored doing that constantly so I was a little disappointed about this.
  • BeardedgeekBeardedgeek Posts: 5,520 Member
    edited June 2019
    Heads up:
    • Toilets/sinks need to be upgraded to Self-Cleaning. This is actually not that hard if you consider that you (should) be doing a lot of fishing (See: Admirals Fish Trap) and get lots of random upgrade parts and your sim has plenty of spare time to read skill books on boosting that skill.

    Both my sims on that lot are Children of the Ocean. So No, I will not do any fishing whatsoever.
    It seems, to me, that whoever came up with this lot trait put about 0.02% percent of thought into it. As it stands now you have to mod the game to make the trait usable, OR remove the trait and just live as if it was still there.
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  • BeardedgeekBeardedgeek Posts: 5,520 Member
    Added: I am sure people have done this already but I didn't find one so I issued an official bug report about this:

    https://answers.ea.com/t5/Bug-Reports/Off-The-Grid-unusable-since-nothing-can-be-cleaned/m-p/7987381#M95544[url="http://"][/url]
    Origin ID: A_Bearded_Geek
  • EveryDaySimEveryDaySim Posts: 193 Member
    My sims can't sing in the shower when off the grid, which makes absolutely no sense at all. How in the world did that even make it through? It really seems like they didn't check anything at all.

    Living off the grid is supposed to be a different kind of freedom, not misery and punishment. Otherwise, why have it in the game at all? We are supposed to be having fun here, aren't we?

    This is still a game, right?
  • Vermatrix1Vermatrix1 Posts: 35 Member
    Since technically "off the grid" would mean your house isn't connected to the same utility network that everyone else is using, wouldn't it be a good idea at this point to add solar panels like a lot of people wanted back when everyone was asking for some sort of eco pack? The sim's house would still fall into the off the grid definition while at the same time have access to most or all of the electronic devices in the game.
  • snootypatootysnootypatooty Posts: 499 Member
    Simply put solar panels is a bit to modern for the Island but a wind mill would be perfect and a water well
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  • Vermatrix1Vermatrix1 Posts: 35 Member
    solar panels are modern but then again the island also has modern roads on it in places as well as the high speed watercraft so solar panels could work, also wind turbines, maybe some sort of small scale hydroelectric item.
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