Lot Sync Timer: All BlueSoups Suck Edition

[ZephyrZodiac]

I can't blame you!

[BlueSoup]

OK, I'm posting this here, so you are sure to see it.

I installed a few new families over the past couple of days, and I finally got around to buying Reggikko and Hegelian a lot timer. I installed it for the family, and now it shows up for them at Day 0.  But, there are no other families listed!  I have about 7 other families in this neighbourhood that have (and are configured on) the lot timer.

So, what seems to fix it for me so far is to go into the other lots (manually) and then click on the lot timer and choose, "Install for family".  I have to do this for each and every family in order for them to be recognized again.

[J. M. Pescado]

I think this is a purely BlueSoup problem, perhaps because BlueSoup either keeps uninstalling from neighborhood first...or because BlueSoup tripped the anti-BlueSoup code.

[BlueSoup]

This is not a BlueSoup-problem.  First, in order to uninstall the damn thing, one must have the debug mode enabled.  This is not the case, since I rarely have it enabled.

So, this is YOUR problem.  It's clearly a defective product, you really should stop blaming it on me. 

[ZephyrZodiac]

Well, I haven't got that far yet, I've only installed it with three families, and have about another 17 to go!  I do hope I don't have to keep restarting it!

[BlueSoup]

What I end up having to do is reinstalling it on the families, but it does maintain the timer settings that I've given that family. 

[ZephyrZodiac]

So I should be OK until I make a new family in CAS?

[BlueSoup]

Well, even then I notice the problem doesn't occur all the time.  I'm not sure what's going on, really. 

[nectere]

I have noticed this also, whenever I install a new family with a timer, I have to go back and reinstall it for all other families as well. I assumed that was designed so that the timers could sync to each other and update the family listing...I didnt know it was supposed the be smarter than that and do it automatically. However even though I have to reinstall for each family, it still has its proper time settings.

So in conclusion, yea it would be nice if it were smarter than that, smart sync!

[J. M. Pescado]

What kind of new family are you installing with a timer? It's not supposed to delete the tokens at all. Unless you're somehow invoking the uninstall-all routine, it's very strange that you're managing to remove all the tokens. Describe the exact steps which cause this. Does this always happen?

Try the following procedure:
Before installing, check the list: Does the list appear to be correct? If not, don't do anything. Otherwise, save. If the list is correct, proceed with the install. Check the list again. If the list remains correct, everything is good to go. If the list is NOT correct, exit to the neighborhood without saving and try again.

[nectere]

I dont know if you are asking me or what, procedure:

Install for families in play everything is fine. Install NEW family and install timer, seems fine. Go to previously installed family with timer, click on timer, only option is install for family (again). Install and everything is fine again, but I have to do this for each family that was previously installed whenever I add a NEW family and timer.

I have no idea if that made sense, but thats what happens in my game.

[ZephyrZodiac]

Well, it would only take a moment, and if it's fine once you've installed it again, and you don't have to reset it or anything, it's not really a problem, is it?  It's not as if the timer resets to zero.

[nectere]

correct, it only takes a moment per household that it is already installed in. No big deal, just making  general observations. Pardon me for intruding

[ZephyrZodiac]

You weren't intruding!  I would think it was useful to a lot of people to read your observations so they'd know what to do, and that it isn't a serious issue.

[BlueSoup]

It's not a serious issue, but it does require loading each lot (and then the neighbourhood screen) to install it again.  And if it does it every time you install a new family, that's sort of a pain in the ass.

[ZephyrZodiac]

In that case, you could have a mad session in CAS, install loads of new famiies in one go.  Not the ideal solution, but at least then you'd only have to re-install the timer for each lot once.

[Sandilou]

It kind of makes sense to me; the lot timer seems to know how many lots are already in the neighbourhood. I've got 48 lots, and when I installed it, the first address was Lot 28.  I think the Awesome One has configured his masterpiece so that it knows how many lots with families are already in place, even if they are not in sync.  So if you add a family to a brand new lot then its data ie brand new address has to be installed.  I don't think the issue is the fact that the family are CAS made, I think its the fact that a new lot has been added to the neighbourhood.  Please note that this is a totally uninformed guess. 

[ZephyrZodiac]

Makes sense!  I'll have to check when I load my game again!

[J. M. Pescado]

Look: This isn't supposed to happen. Installing a new lot or a new family is not supposed to delete tracking tokens on existing families, and this does not occur in testing. Perform the procedure as described above to verify the listing at every attempted change so I can isolate exactly when and possibly why this occurs.

[BlueSoup]

I'll check it in a few hours when I get home and let you know; I have a bunch more Sims to install.

[Liss]

I've got some time to kill...going to install it on fresh families, play a few days, then introduce new families and see what happens.  That is a reasonable way to recreate this error correct?

[BlueSoup]

I think that's a reasonable way to try to replicate the error, yes.  I plan to do the same (along with trying Pescado's suggestion).

[Liss]

have installed it on 3 lots so far with families at different days, no problem so far.  Still testing though

[pamysue]

Input:  I installed this on all my lots tonight.  I had to move 2 families into lots in the midst of going lot to lot and adding the timer.  When I jumped with the timer to a lot where I had previously installed a timer, after adding a new lot, I did not have to Install for Family again.  Everything was still just fine.  These weren't newly created Sims, but ones returning from University.

Waste of bandwith:  This IS great.  I actually use a rolodex to try and age my families together and this will make Sim life much easier.

Question:  If I move an entire family off a lot and take the timer with them (in their inventory), will it save it's tokens?  And will the family number be the same when I move them into a new house?  I'm assuming the lot number will change when I move, but I have many families with the same last name (inbreeding) and am hoping I can still track them around by family number.

[J. M. Pescado]

The family number does not change unless the family is disbanded by either everyone dying or merging with another family, or graduating from college. But since college families cannot use the timer, this doesn't affect them.