It's raining ghosts

[eevilcat]

Well not exactly... but the one and only ghost on my nice, new, shiny alphabet legacy lot decided to make an appearance during a heavy rainstorm in the middle of the day in summer. Is this normal ghost behaviour? Or is something borked already? I've only being playing long enough to produce generation 'B', so I'm hoping it's the former.

[Zazazu]

If a tombstone is hit by lightning, the ghost will come out for a bit and then return to its "home". That's new with Seasons, of course.

[eevilcat]

Ah, thanks, that would explain it as the storm lasted for ages (by sim standards) and there was a fair bit of lightning. Are gravestones high up the group of items that lightning can hit? Assuming that it isn't all equal chance. There really isn't anything much else outside on this lot apart from 3 fruit trees and a car. Does that also mean the gravestone can be destroyed, given that lightning can kill sims? If so, I may need to consider mausoleums.

[sloppyhousewife]

[...] Does that also mean the gravestone can be destroyed, given that lightning can kill sims? If so, I may need to consider mausoleums.

I'd say, no - because the fire will be put out by the rain before the gravestone can be destroyed. At least that's the case with trees, flamingos or anything else I have had burning because of a lightning hit so far (incl. a fridge that stood outside). Sims seem to be the only "things" that can be destroyed by lightning hits, but only if their motives are low enough, I guess.

[Zazazu]

I had a telescope go to ashes because of a lightning strike, but that's all. Overall, in my game, lightning prefers trees and swingsets. I've not had a gravestone go up in flames, but then I rarely play with gravestones on my lots since my family moves every generation.

[Emma]

I've had flamingoes and gnomes struck by lightning too-the flamingo burned but sadly got put out by the rain.



I also have a couple of good pictures of a tree being struck by lightning during a very long storm (lasted 22 sim hours). This is on my greek house lot.





I take quite a lot of pictures now to plonk in my painting folder. I love this feature

[AuKestrel]

I'd say, no - because the fire will be put out by the rain before the gravestone can be destroyed. At least that's the case with trees, flamingos or anything else I have had burning because of a lightning hit so far (incl. a fridge that stood outside). Sims seem to be the only "things" that can be destroyed by lightning hits, but only if their motives are low enough, I guess.

Apropos of Sim death, I was trying to kill off some townies last night the old fashioned way (luring them to a lot, then smiting them with lightning) and several townies escaped despite being struck 10-12 times (how is that even possible??). However, one of my Sims who wandered in from another lot, whom I smote by mistake, died after just one strike.

I think the game discriminates against player-made Sims!

[sewinglady]

I think the game discriminates against player-made Sims!

Definitely.

It seems very difficult to kill Maxis made sims...unfortunately.

But with sims I've created or that have been born from my created sims - one zap and here's Grimmy!

Although, I sometimes associate this with the stupidity of the now dead sim... but Maxis made sims are even more stupid than the ones I've created, so why should they live when mine die?

[J. M. Pescado]

I think the game may discourage townie deaths because of the respawnation.

[Kasmira]

I read on this site somewhere that lightening rods help keep trees and things from being struck.  Since then, I have added a lightening rod to the roofs of the houses I have played and haven't seen a single burning tree.  The only thing is that the rods won't save your sims from being struck while in a hot tubs.

[Emma]

What about if you put awnings over the hot tubs? Does that stop sims being struck while in there?

[Gwill]

You'd have to use moveobjects on to achieve that, but if it works it would be great.
I've not had very good experiences with the lightning rod, bu mostly because I've had difficulties finding good places to put them.

[Emma]

I might try it. I have to make a new neighbourhood cos mine is seriously buggy, but will try with first available house

[phyllis_p]

What about if you put awnings over the hot tubs? Does that stop sims being struck while in there?

There was some discussion of covering hot tubs to avoid electrocution in this thread here:  http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php/topic,8044.0.html

On the subject of townie deaths, I had one die from being zapped in the hot tub at a community lot recently -- my first.  There was a thunderstorm, but I was paying attention to my playable Sim inside the club.  As I changed camera angle, I noticed a tombstone by the hot tub.  It was a popular townie, and her ghost showed that she was definitely fried.  Really took me by surprise.

[Emma]

Thanks phyllis Interesting, and it looks like a covered tub will protect the sims.

[Zazazu]

What about if you put awnings over the hot tubs? Does that stop sims being struck while in there?

There was some discussion of covering hot tubs to avoid electrocution in this thread here:  http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php/topic,8044.0.html

On the subject of townie deaths, I had one die from being zapped in the hot tub at a community lot recently -- my first.  There was a thunderstorm, but I was paying attention to my playable Sim inside the club.  As I changed camera angle, I noticed a tombstone by the hot tub.  It was a popular townie, and her ghost showed that she was definitely fried.  Really took me by surprise.

My one hottub death was one of two possible husbands for a sim I was playing at the time. He was fried and she successfully pleaded for his life. However, I had her marry the other option since Shock Boy was apparently dumber than the average sim. That's bad.

[eevilcat]

I've put my hot tub inside a greenhouse on my legacy lot with some paving and vegetables growing around the edges. It looks pretty as well as functional and my sims seem to be safe from lightning so far.

[rohina]

The hot tub lightning thing is seriously evil. I was messing aorund with it for my most recent legacy chapter, and 5 of the sims who were struck once in the tub were struck again almost immediately. Lots of deaths, mostly of playables, but one dormie also got fried.

[caterpillar]

The thing that's driving me crazy about the townies who get struck on community lots but don't die is that they go around forever with the burnt hair & face. They somehow manage to get their clothes repaired & cleaned before showing up later on other lots, lol, but don't get around to showering.

[rohina]

I found that the playables were still black and crispy when I went to their home lots, too.

[Kasmira]

The rate of sim deaths in my game sky-rocketed with Seasons.  The culprits were the hot tubs of death.  I become attached to my sims and I take good care of them, so it bothers me when I get an "accidental" death that I didn't plan.     Awnings and roofs both work to keep out the lightening and the warmth fix mod keeps them from catching fire quite so much.  I have the ACR mod and I made a brothel in my 'hood...  My one poor girl died three times from lightening strikes in the hot tub, as well as my daughter's favorite sim who was visiting one of my houses.  Since adding cover over the tubs and getting the warmth fix mod, I have a lot fewer hot tub related deaths and that suits me just fine.

[Emma]

Thanks Kasmira. I have the warmth fix in too, and I will make sure I cover up hot tubs with roofing or awnings. Unless I don't like the sim

[caterpillar]

I found that the playables were still black and crispy when I went to their home lots, too.

LOL, yeah, that's a pain, too. I had a crispy Nina Caliente running around my neighborhood for awhile, lol.
Just after I posted yesterday, I went to play & found one of my crispy townies on a DT lot, getting into a hot tub (an indoor hottub, this time, lol). Getting into the water washed his hair but not his face, lol.

[Emma]

Can you place the vanity table on a community lot? You can 'do makeover' on the toasted townies that way if you can. If not you'd have to wait until they did a walkby or you could invite them over if your sim was friendly with them.

[caterpillar]

Thanks, I hadn't thought of that. I don't know if vanity tables can be placed on community lots, but it is worth a try.