Serving Platter Madness

[ZiggyDoodle]

Instead I was told that if we ran out of food because I wasted it, they'd have to kill and eat me.

 

[notveryawesome]

I believe that food will be served if there is a lamp on the table (e.g. the romance candles from NL), but not if there is a scuplture (e.g. the napkin holder).

[RainbowTigress]

If you have a table that is more than one tile, you have to put something in each tile or the sim will still serve on the part of the table that is not covered.

[V]

Where is the Boobies option? I don't know how to vote without the Boobies option available!

But actually I voted that they should only serve if they are not that hungry. If their hunger is really low then they need to put the plate on the counter and get their one serving and go eat.

I do like the idea of having their likelihood of serving be related to their personality. I can't see a grouchy slob serving individual plates to everyone on the lot. You should be happy that she cooked anything at all! Get your own plate - I'm eating!

(oops... sorry... I think was channeling grouchy sims again )

[Marhis]

Maybe the best solution would be drop the serving plate on the counter and let people get their plate from it (it should be the "call for meal" option, but I'm not sure) instead of "wait for food" (which would be another waste of time in this case).

So far I've only made a mod for me which allows serving tasks only in the same room. Not a great solution, but at least in the meantime they stop serving when the kitchen table placeholders are full. It's not tested at full, but if anybody wants to try, it can lessen the annoyance a bit (attached).

I agree that the serving tasks need a way better - and full - tweak. Maybe the serving in community lots (i.e. nightlife) and at home are different? If playable sims would serve meal in the same way NPC servers do, it would be at least a time saver.

[Swiftgold]

I hate the Walk Away that always always happens when the whole horde of guests and family members comes swooping down to the table like vultures when they sense food is available now. Everyone sits down and someone just can't wait for the server to go past and so the server gives up and drops the plate on the ground and walks away and I have to pause and drop it on the counter where it should have been to begin with and argh argh argh-

Yeah, I sense I'm not alone in this

[sudaki]

The Serve Food dance is definitely flawed, but I hated the Sims 1 method of "everyone mob the platter!!!" too. Especially since S1 sims were rather dumber about pathing, I always ended up with traffic jams around the serving counter when everyone in the family tried to Grab a Plate at once.

[maxon]

I hate the Walk Away that always always happens when the whole horde of guests and family members comes swooping down to the table like vultures when they sense food is available now. Everyone sits down and someone just can't wait for the server to go past and so the server gives up and drops the plate on the ground and walks away and I have to pause and drop it on the counter where it should have been to begin with and argh argh argh-

Yeah, I sense I'm not alone in this

That's a real teeth-grinder.

[Simsbaby]

I hated that too, but it was funny when they complained about their being nothing left.

[Ness]

It helps if you "make many" the food instead. For some reason, in Maxisland, "many" means "one, but put it in the inventory".

The sign of a sim on power idle.

If a sim makes many, with nothing else queued up, they will continue to make stuff until the fridge is empty.  As soon as an action is queued up (including power idle), the sim will stop making stuff after that one is in their inventory.

[RainbowTigress]

Is that what Pes meant?  I was trying to figure out what he meant by that.  Mine always make many until the fridge is empty or I stop them, or if one of their needs drops to a critical level.

[Ness]

Yep, if a sim is power idling and is sent to make many, they make one, put it in their inventory and then stop.

If a sim has no other actions queued up, they will continue until the fridge runs out of food. 

[seelindarun]

Oooo, nice tip!  Yet another reason to Power Idle.

Y'know, I'm just speculating, but if more of these handy tips were in the FManual, more people might be tempted into the Pescado Militarized Zone that is Macrotastics... 

[myskaal]

Y'know, I'm just speculating, but if more of these handy tips were in the FManual, more people might be tempted into the Pescado Militarized Zone that is Macrotastics... 

Nevar! *flees from combat boots*

And yes the whole serving dance annoys the heck out of me, too. Bananas.

[jrd]

So far I've only made a mod for me which allows serving tasks only in the same room. Not a great solution, but at least in the meantime they stop serving when the kitchen table placeholders are full. It's not tested at full, but if anybody wants to try, it can lessen the annoyance a bit (attached).

Hey Marhis, thanks for doing this mod... it doesn't seem to work though. Possibly a mod conflict, if I can remember to, I'll check with the HCDU later.

[sloppyhousewife]

It helps if you "make many" the food instead. For some reason, in Maxisland, "many" means "one, but put it in the inventory".

The sign of a sim on power idle.

If a sim makes many, with nothing else queued up, they will continue to make stuff until the fridge is empty.  As soon as an action is queued up (including power idle), the sim will stop making stuff after that one is in their inventory.

But you can "make one" - the platter will be dropped on the counter and remain untouched until *you* decide it's the proper time to eat now. I like this option especially if a sim has a lot of guests, but I don't want him to waste time eating and talking. I send him to skill or something and then "call to meal" (or whatever it's called). No way to get around the serving stuff, but it's done by a guest, so my sim is not involved (nor any other controllables when I keep them occupied).

[jsalemi]

I believe that food will be served if there is a lamp on the table (e.g. the romance candles from NL), but not if there is a scuplture (e.g. the napkin holder).

Nope; the romance candles will keep food from being served, as will the little cube-type candles (can't remember their name).  Bigger candles will keep the sims from being able to use the table at all.

[blubug]

I personally like them serving the meal and calling all sims to eat. I think it's very hospitable and life-like. When I have guests in RL they should eat with us, or at least sit at the table with us, if they're not hungry. They are there to see us anyway, so why not?

 For sims I just chuck the plates into the sims' inventory, if they're busy with something else. Sometimes it's good to have just a one-person meal stashed away, saves time.

[Assmitten]

Is it possible for Sims to whip food out of inventory autonomously, when they need it most? Could that be hacked?

Also, what exactly does power idle do?

[Ness]

Yep, it's already done as part of macrotastics.

Power idle is also part of macrotastics, it does pretty much what the name implies.  Sims don't actually DO anything (as they would when skillinating, macro>cleaning, whatever), but generally just sit idle and take care of any needs as they arise.  Also good for childcare - platinum grandparents power idling to take care of babies/toddlers via the baby controller.

[Morague]

I really preferred how serving was handled in just the base game. If you cancelled the action as soon as they got the stuff from the stove the sim would just drop it on the counter next to the stove. Now, even if you do that a sim still actually has to perform the serve operation before other sims can take a plate, there isn't a Call to Meal option - at least I haven't ever got it. But, what really drives me the most crazy it if you cancel after they have served 1 plate they dump the platter on the floor!

I tried the decorations on the table but it doesn't work that well in my greek house. I use the tables for homework as well as eating & if there's stuff on the table they won't do homework there.

I'd love to see something that would let them just put the platter on the counter.

[dizzy]

In my Greek houses, they eat almost nothing but pizza. 

[sloppyhousewife]

Now, even if you do that a sim still actually has to perform the serve operation before other sims can take a plate, there isn't a Call to Meal option - at least I haven't ever got it.

Perhaps it depends on the subhood or the conditions. The Call to Meal option without serving the food first definitively shows up at college, I'm not sure if it has to be a Greek house, though. I use it for parties - make one group meal, invite to party, send guests to hottub, wait until party is a roofraiser, call to meal to lure the guests into the house (so they will use the toilet as well and not leave due to bladder issues). I always have a guest serve the meal, so the host can do something useful instead. Actually, my sims rarely attend their own parties .

[maxon]

there isn't a Call to Meal option - at least I haven't ever got it. But, what really drives me the most crazy it if you cancel after they have served 1 plate they dump the platter on the floor!

The call to meal option turns up on the plate as the sims are serving - you click the plate then.

I hate it when they drop it on the floor too.

[blubug]

Some of the custom foods don't have the Call for Meal option, maybe that's what's going on there.