This amused me

[jsalemi]

In all the years I've been playing TS2, this is the first time I've seen a sim spontaneously talk to an inanimate object -- in this case, the Cheat.



(yes, that's H.L. Baratron's self sim explaining why the Cheat is so much better to kick than a flamingo. )

[nekonoai]

LOL now all you need is for another sim to come up and make the cuckoo gesture.

[jsalemi]

Surprisingly, none did -- they just walked on by...

[Hecubus]

That sim must be an F. A T would have just kicked it and laughed.

[jsalemi]

Yea, that's what they normally do.  Her social was about 1/2 full, and talking to the Cheat raised it, so I guess it was her secondary Popularity asp kicking in.  But still, never saw that before, even with sims with Pop as their primary asp.

[jolrei]

I think I need to get the Cheat.  Anything to stop sims doing sensible life-affirming stuff.

[muffin-tacos]

LOL! Looks like someone's found a new friend!

[Zazazu]

I've always wished they could talk to the snowman, just like the penguin does. I don't think I've ever seen a sim talk to an object.

[talysman]

Sims talk to art objects, or rather about art objects. At least, they do if two sims view an art object together. I think they talk sometimes when viewing art solo, or at least I *hear* them talk; can't remember if they do speech balloons when viewing solo or just thought balloons. But one of the speech/thought balloons is always the flamingo or the neon flamingo sign, it seems. So that's what's happening here: the sim is viewing the Cheat and discoursing on its artistic qualities, possibly because the game is confused and thinks the sim at the door is also viewing the Cheat.

[jsalemi]

So that's what's happening here: the sim is viewing the Cheat and discoursing on its artistic qualities, possibly because the game is confused and thinks the sim at the door is also viewing the Cheat.

No, I'm sorry -- that's the wrong answer, but thanks for playing.  She was talking to the Cheat, as her action icon said.  The "conversation" went on for a good sim hour or so.  The maid had just arrived, and the sim by the door was just passing by -- she had not acknowledged him at all.

If you click on the Cheat, there's a "Talk" menu options. I never noticed if it was also there on gnomes; I'll have to check later.

[Cappuccino]

If you click on the Cheat, there's a "Talk" menu options. I never noticed if it was also there on gnomes; I'll have to check later.

Now that you mention it, I think I've seen sims talk to a gnome like the one in your picture is doing with the Cheat. Which reminds me of that decorative kitty sculpture that apparently raises Fun in some way, does anyone know anything about it? I mean, can you interact with it in ways other than "View"?

[Ellatrue]

Is it just me, or does that sim in the background have a shrunken head?

[jsalemi]

Is it just me, or does that sim in the background have a shrunken head?

No, his head is odd.  He's one of the Maxis downtownies -- this is in the original Downtown attached to my original Pleasantview, which is still my main hood all these years on...

[Blueblood]

Do personality points affect which Sims can talk to decorative items? I was doing a photo shoot a while back and I had used the Sim Modder to make one of the Sims I was using full playful. That gave her the option to play with The Cheat. He turns back into a gnome halfway through the animation though. *points to avatar*

Edit: I just noticed I wrote outgoing instead of playful. I must remember to not post when I am tired. xD

[J. M. Pescado]

Weird. I'll look into that to see why that happens.

[kuronue]

That sim must be an F. A T

Actually, the sim seems quite fit, to my estimation 

[talysman]

So that's what's happening here: the sim is viewing the Cheat and discoursing on its artistic qualities, possibly because the game is confused and thinks the sim at the door is also viewing the Cheat.

No, I'm sorry -- that's the wrong answer, but thanks for playing.  She was talking to the Cheat, as her action icon said.  The "conversation" went on for a good sim hour or so.  The maid had just arrived, and the sim by the door was just passing by -- she had not acknowledged him at all.

If you click on the Cheat, there's a "Talk" menu options. I never noticed if it was also there on gnomes; I'll have to check later.

Are you saying the Cheat *isn't* based at least partially on the flamingo? I thought it was just a cloned flamingo with modifications to allow it to be placed indoors.

[Roux]

Pescado can answer this for sure (I don't have SimPE handy ATM), but I'm quite sure it was cloned from the gnome. Like Blueblood, I had a 9-10 points playful sim autonomously play with it and it turned gnome-shaped during the animation.

[talysman]

Pescado can answer this for sure (I don't have SimPE handy ATM), but I'm quite sure it was cloned from the gnome. Like Blueblood, I had a 9-10 points playful sim autonomously play with it and it turned gnome-shaped during the animation.

Same diff, then. The gnome's an art object.

[jsalemi]

Same diff, then. The gnome's an art object.

Not quite; sim's can't play with or talk to the flamingos, but they can with the gnomes (and the Cheat, which is based on the gnome).

[talysman]

Same diff, then. The gnome's an art object.

Not quite; sim's can't play with or talk to the flamingos, but they can with the gnomes (and the Cheat, which is based on the gnome).

That doesn't make the gnome "not an art object". That makes it an extra special art object. The flamingo itself is an extra special art object, since most of the art objects can't be kicked. No matter which object it was cloned from, sims can talk while viewing an art object, so even if the "Talk to" action itself isn't available as an autonomous action, there's still another route to get to the observed behavior.

[Gwill]

At least the cheat can't be stolen.  That always annoyed the hell out of me with gnomes.  It was cute the first few times, then it was just bloody annoying.
I remember downloading a small decorative windmill from somewhere, but as it turned out, it was cloned from the gnome, so it was stolen the first day.
Another time I had a gnome in front of the house, pretty close to the mailbox.  Some passer by stole it just as the kids were about to get on the school bus, resulting in them all dropping their queue to yell at the thief and thus missing their ride.

[jsalemi]

That doesn't make the gnome "not an art object". That makes it an extra special art object. The flamingo itself is an extra special art object, since most of the art objects can't be kicked. No matter which object it was cloned from, sims can talk while viewing an art object, so even if the "Talk to" action itself isn't available as an autonomous action, there's still another route to get to the observed behavior.

I was going to continue arguing the point that you can't get the observed behavior any other way, but since you seem to believe it, my only response is, 'yea, whatever'.

[Kazzandra]

MATY-- where funny screenshots turn into debates about "extra special art objects!"

[Zazazu]

Don't forget about sim color preferences. Did you know that sims prefer red?