newest Maxis chat transcript

[Sleepycat]

typical chat transcript, has a few interesting bits


http://thesims2.ea.com/community/chat_03_16_06.php


like this part

mrsarmybrat (Mar 16, 2006 3:07:40 PM)
are there any hidden things in ofb that might take a while to find?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:07:40 PM)
I'm waiting to find out when you guys figure out what makes the flying pig show up.

thats sort of throwing out a challenge, anyone up for it? *laughs*


patch will be out "soon"  or "in the next week or so" or "in the next few weeks" 


The Best question was this one

Evil Kite (Mar 16, 2006 3:22:41 PM)
What happened to placing objects outside of the normal lot grid, for example in the street. I kept trying it with moveobjects cheat and it doesn't work. How come? Did you guys remove that feature. Its a shame because I love adding lamposts and trees out there.

MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:22:41 PM)
I'm not sure why that changed! We'll definitely try to fix that.

[RainbowTigress]

I hope they do fix it.  We'll just have to wait and see though.  My faith in Maxis is not too great right now. 

[Ancient Sim]

So what does make the flying pig show up, anybody know?  I put GunMod's camera mod back in today, being unable to reach two of my lots without it, and noticed a flying pig in my new Pleasantview when I was scrolling into the far corners.  It can't be the length of time playing a neighbourhood (as someone has suggested) because I've only been playing this one for 3 months.

And what exactly does this mean?

If I make a sim eat cheesecake before they try for baby, how much chance will it add to my sim having twins?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:08:25 PM)
it pretty much makes it nigh-%100.

What is "nigh-%100" when it's at home?  Does he mean minus 100% because she said before they try for baby?  Let's face it, a Sim could eat cheesecake as a toddler, it'd still be before they tried for a baby.

[Sleepycat]

Ancient Sim, I've been wondering about the pig for abit now, had 2 show up at the same time shortly after installing OFB.

The hood isn't all that old either but I'm curious, have you ever reinstalled the game?  I ask because my daughter says she has seen it in hers on my other computer and I hadn't reinstalled since adding Uni to that one (stupid Maxis for not dating the damn patches). On this computer I haven't ever reinstalled, installed the TS2/Uni last June then added NL and now OFB. 


as for the cheesecake, some have reported eating cheesecake within 3 hours of a sim getting pregnant has worked for getting twins but I haven't tried it

[Ancient Sim]

I've reinstalled quite a few times, but not since adding OFB.  It's probably something really silly, like keeping all the Maxis characters intact or something.  I have a vague memory of seeing a flying pig in my original Pleasantview as well, so I'll go check there.  I can't check my other neighbourhoods unless I put the back-ups in, because I've removed them.  I'm interested to know whether it's something neighbourhood-specific or game-specific (should narrow it down somewhat).

As for the cheesecake, I was just being flippant really.  Still don't know what the answer means though, it doesn't makes sense to me!

[jsalemi]

I just noticed the flying pig in my Pleasantview a day or two ago.  It was after I added an airplane, a lighthouse, and some windmills for added effects (I'm funny that way ).  I wonder if any of those are the trigger?

[vector]

And what exactly does this mean?

If I make a sim eat cheesecake before they try for baby, how much chance will it add to my sim having twins?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:08:25 PM)
it pretty much makes it nigh-%100.

What is "nigh-%100" when it's at home?  Does he mean minus 100% because she said before they try for baby?  Let's face it, a Sim could eat cheesecake as a toddler, it'd still be before they tried for a baby.

According to twojeffs, it's set as default to 100%, he's got a hack to randomise it. No idea what the cut-off time is, though. Probably 24 sim hours, otherwise it'd just be stupid (not that that's an unusual occurence in Maxian programming).

[Renatus]

I know that cheesecake works after try for baby, and probably within the window before the first belly bump - I tried it a few days ago just for kicks (and with the 10% hack in). About 12 hours after the woohoo and chimes I had the sim use shaklin's medicine cabinet, she tested pregnant with one baby. I then sent her to eat a slice of cheesecake - no change, so I sent her to sleep and she had another slice after she woke up, but before her first belly bump (so about 18 hours in). Tested again, twins, and sure enough, two babies were born a few days later.

[radiophonic]

So what does make the flying pig show up, anybody know?  I put GunMod's camera mod back in today, being unable to reach two of my lots without it, and noticed a flying pig in my new Pleasantview when I was scrolling into the far corners.  It can't be the length of time playing a neighbourhood (as someone has suggested) because I've only been playing this one for 3 months.

The pig showed up for me after opening the neighborhood for the first time after installing OFB (see avatar). After that it stopped showing up.

[sara_dippity]

Could the pig show up after having a business reach level 10? Or only on certian days of the week (real time days)? I know on April 1, in Black and White (the first one), your pet's footprints were happy faces, so it could be a time of day or week. Or when Bella is pregnant with twins.

[Karen]

According to twojeffs, it's set as default to 100%, he's got a hack to randomise it. No idea what the cut-off time is, though. Probably 24 sim hours, otherwise it'd just be stupid (not that that's an unusual occurence in Maxian programming).

Actually, according to twojeffs, the cheesecake effect only works AFTER the Try for Baby, when the Sim is already pregnant.  Despite what Maxis says, I don't think eating cheesecake BEFORE the Try for Baby will do anything.  Eating it once she is pregnant, without Twojeffs' hack installed, will guarantee twins, no matter how late in the pregnancy she eats it.

Take a look at some of the other threads on this subject, it's been discussed to death over the past couple of weeks....

Karen

[radiophonic]

Could the pig show up after having a business reach level 10? Or only on certian days of the week (real time days)? I know on April 1, in Black and White (the first one), your pet's footprints were happy faces, so it could be a time of day or week. Or when Bella is pregnant with twins.

I didn't have any businesses at the time and it floated over the neighborhood. Maybe it only shows up when there are no home or community businesses to spread the capitalist (pig) urge over your neighborhood.

Try it in an empty neighborhood.

[Sleepycat]

The pig showed up for me after opening the neighborhood for the first time after installing OFB (see avatar). After that it stopped showing up.

same here, haven't seen it since (I should say "them" because I had two floating around) but I haven't played that hood for the past couple nights. I started a new hood and I haven't seen any floating pigs in it. 


I saved a pic of my piggies too 

[Regina]

It doesn't have anything to do with longevity of playing a neighborhood, that's for sure, because I only installed TS2 on this computer 8 days ago, and I've already seen it in the neighborhood I'm playing.  I deleted all the characters and started fresh last night and didn't see it today.  That neighborhood never had any Level 10 businesses in it, although I did re-start a home business about five times.  Who knows? LOL

[radiophonic]

Maybe then it just requires a neighborhood that has a community lot. lol

[Liss]

I read on the BBS (ducks rotten tomatoes) that it has to do with having a water tower decoration. *shrug*

Another funny thing I read over there, is that someone asked in one of the chats when we would get pets, and the maxis answer is "when pigs fly."  So they think it's a hint to the next ep.

I think someone took a few hits of acid and listened to pink floyd when they were programming.

[radiophonic]

I think someone took a few hits of acid and listened to pink floyd when they were programming.

Sure, the instrumentals on "Animals" make great replacements for the neighborhood view music.

[Sleepycat]

well pigs were flying in my hood tonight!!! *laughs*

random note - this hood (Pleasantview) does have a water tower decoration


Ok, twice I got the pigs to show up tonight. I had the game in the neighborhood view for app. 5 to 10 mins (both times I went and did something, like went outside for a cig which since it's cold out, takes me about 5/7 mins) Both times I came back and had a pig flying!

Now when I first had it show up a after installing OFB, I had it in the hood view and then went and had a cig, when I came back I got to see two pigs floating across my hood so I kept that in mind when I played tonight.

[flowerchile]

NICE!!!   They fuck up with the game and think that FLYING EFFING PIGS are gonna keep everyone sweet! I'd like my game to run properly before I worry about Pigs and how to get them..

[laeshanin]

Seen no pigs, flying or otherwise and OFB is dull... Maybe I'm doing something wrong? My sims are impossible, moody little gits who refuse to do anything - yes, I have autonomy on - but still... grrrr 

As for Maxis? Same old...

[vilia]

Ok, twice I got the pigs to show up tonight. I had the game in the neighborhood view for app. 5 to 10 mins (both times I went and did something, like went outside for a cig which since it's cold out, takes me about 5/7 mins) Both times I came back and had a pig flying!

Now when I first had it show up a after installing OFB, I had it in the hood view and then went and had a cig, when I came back I got to see two pigs floating across my hood so I kept that in mind when I played tonight.

Maybe it is the having a cig part that is causing the pigs to appear - I sense a conspiracy 

[Regina]

Seen no pigs, flying or otherwise and OFB is dull... Maybe I'm doing something wrong? My sims are impossible, moody little gits who refuse to do anything - yes, I have autonomy on - but still... grrrr 

As for Maxis? Same old...

Well, not sure what you might be doing wrong, but when I have my sim in 'business mode' I turn free will off so he or she isn't running off trying to do something else when they need to be tending the customers or cleaning up.

I find OFB to be the most interesting expansion I've played (and I've done them all except SuperStar).  I've been playing with it off and on for about 9 days and I'm still seeing new things all the time (like the kids dancing with adults), and have yet to explore at least 15 gazillion types of businesses my mind's developing.

[SimSherry]

Another funny thing I read over there, is that someone asked in one of the chats when we would get pets, and the maxis answer is "when pigs fly."  So they think it's a hint to the next ep.

Hmm... Maybe the pig is triggered when our Sims buy/make a pet brick?  Seems to me that I first saw the (2) pigs after my Sim had made a few bricks and even started training one.  I wonder?

[vaughje]

I don't think it has anything to do with business or bricks, but more to do with decorations or something completely random.  I started with a clean install of all EPs, deleted all the hoods and started over with an emtpy one.  Had no houses or lots at all and just started adding decorations, as soon as I went back to regular view to add some plots there was a lone pig flying by.  Never saw it again but I don't spend too much time in neighborhood view.

I did add a water tower, lighthouse (the one on the rock to go in the water), cell phone tower thingy, waves, boats, those little canoe things, some rocks, birds, a plane (the white one), a rainbow, clouds, a hot air balloon and some trees.  So one of those things?  lol

[laeshanin]

Got the pig in flight, and it does seem to be linked to the water tower dec... Am trying to play OFB without any prejudice, but I like NL best of all. Sims still being awkward little cusses.