Helicopter Couldn't Land

[ZephyrZodiac]

Bound to!  Though I rathr think the teens driving to pick up their friends for a go out or sneak out is Maxis way of checking out some of the bugs, and it seems reasonably bug-free - at least, I've never lost a teen that way!  Strange, though, they get to Uni and suddenly they walk everywhere, or take a cab!

[RainbowTigress]

I had problems with the Sneak out/Go out car on one lot.  He would go to the car, which was the yellow sportscar, and instead of opening the door and getting in, he would suddenly be warped off the lot never to return.  When his stats got low enough for JM's power idle or bathroom controller would try to command him, it caused an error.  I pressed Reset, and he was deposited in on the front lawn.  After much troubleshooting and experimentation (and hair pulling), I discovered that the garbage can was in the way of the door on the yellow sportscar.  The problem didn't happen with the limo.  But his want to sneak out/go out would never be satisfied, and he would have been stuck off lot forever with his stats draining if I hadn't intervened somehow.  Interestingly, this never caused a problem with an adult sim going to work using this same car.  He would disappear into the car the same way when leaving for work, but he would come back home normally and exit from the opposite side of the car into the street.  Why the teen didn't just go around to the other side of the car, I don't know, it would have made more sense!  Once I moved the garbage can a few tiles over, he was able to sneak/go out with no probs and had his want fulfilled...only to be replaced by another...

One can only hope that they will have these types of bugs worked out in Nightlife.  I'm not going to hold my breath though.   

[ZephyrZodiac]

Well, it'd be a first, wouldn't it!  A bug-free Expansion?  About as likely as a snowflake in hell!

[Brynne]

Great new idea for the next expansion: "The Sims 2: Bug Free"
I had the "sneak out" problem you described just a few minutes ago. I was about to check this forum to see if anyone had said anything about it. How weird is that? I solved it my own way, though, after much hair-pulling also. I was always reluctant to do the "sneak out" thing because the first time I tried it, the sim disappeared. I simply exited without saving that time. This time, I have one popularity sim who's wants were all "sneak out with...", except for one, which was the "go to college" one. So I had him call Angela Pleasant to sneak out. She arrived, and he just disappeared. I was upstairs in the house playing a different sim at the time, so I didn't see what happened, but he had no "snuck out" symbol in his portrait. I checked JM's lot fixer, and it had a "retrieve missing sim" option for the lost sim. That didn't work. What I finally did was to use Inge's teleporter shrub, click on the missing sim's icon, use the shrub to make him a townie, then click "clear all non-residents" to get rid of his portrait. Then I went to the Livingston family, found him, and moved him back in. Good as new, I hope. I do want to see if I have a trashcan problem, though.

[RainbowTigress]

Well, it was a little while back now, as I posted about it on the 'other' site, so it's gone now.  But I think JM said that many lots have this problem with bad placement of the mailbox and trashcan.  I think the reason we don't notice it more is because it only becomes an issue with teens going out and certain cars.  I didn't know about the "retrieve sim" on the lot debugger, but sometimes I will see different options at different times.  Like once I used it to change a LTW at the same time someone was preparing dinner, and I saw "unblock fridge tiles."  Well I knew she was cooking, so I didn't click it, but I thought it was interesting that it would show up then.  I guess it doesn't know whether it's a problem or not.  But I'm glad that this just happened to come up in time to help with your problem.

[ZephyrZodiac]

The debugger didn't help me with the darned repoman!  There weren't any stuck bills as the mailman had just been when the repoman arrived, and the debugger  didn't show any stuck bills.  I tried everything I could but without Build Mode, what is there to do?  I banned the repoman from the lot, but he didn't go!  Poor Lilith still has bad memories about it.

Funny though, I've never had the problem of stuck teens, maybe it's because on lots where I've let them sneak out I haven't moved the mailbox from its original position.  I did have the problem once with a pool car, though.  The wife came home from work and got stuck in the car, then the husband came home and got stuck too.  I couldn't get them out with Move_objects on, and they died, so, since I'd only started the couple about two days before was very upsetting so I didn't save! 

One thing you can try when things are bad like that and you have to try and work out an answer is to put the flamingo of happiness or ecstasy onto the lot.  At least then your sims stats won't go down!  When this happened to my sims I had no downloads at all, so I couldn't do that!  I don't know if it works though if they're stuck outside the lot, probably not.

[RainbowTigress]

This was a Maxis lot, the Family Farmhouse that was in the bin.  I really like this house, but I've never moved the mailbox or trashcan in any of my lots, not until this happened.

[ZephyrZodiac]

I've had loads of trouble with Maxis lots - I think they were built by cowboys!

[RainbowTigress]

It's a shame really.  I like the way the houses look, but some of them were just designed horribly.  They weren't designed with how sims really live.  I am horrible at designing houses myself so that's why I've stuck with them.

[ZephyrZodiac]

I usually build mine to a symmetrical shape, hall in the middle, with stairs, kitchen and dining room/area to the left, living room'study to the right (or vice versa) bathroom between stairs and kitchen at the back of the hall.  Upstairs, bedroom with ensuite one side and another bathroom opening onto the landing, kids' room on the other side of the landing.  Generally works for me.

[Kitiara]

Because my houses tend to be box-like and plain, I tend to play the Maxis ones, but modified. I hate Maxis bedrooms. Generally too small to put a double bed in. The living rooms also tend to be small, but that doesn't bother me so much. Put in a chair or two and a bookshelf, and what else is necessary? With the flamingo outside most of my Sims live TV free.

[RainbowTigress]

Obviously, whoever designed the Maxis-made houses never played them.  I can't believe some of these houses don't have anywhere to put a double bed!  How are we supposed to have 10 babies or woohoo with 10 sims, unless we're supposed to use hot tubs.     I'm like you, Kitiara.  I've started learning how to modify the premade houses, but sometimes I have to modify the roofs to match, and they've given me fits.  I quit giving my sims TVs as well and only flamingoes.  I did give in the other day and bought Jennifer Burb a big TV because she wanted it, but she had the money.  Plus, the kids would use it with the skillinator to build cooking skills.

[ZephyrZodiac]

I like TVs and Playstations as they build relationships while they watch or play!  I usually start off with one room and a bathroom and go from there.  If it's the small lot I usually manage a bedroom as well - but it's really the living room in disguise until I can afford to build the upstairs!

[Kitiara]

I play with no20khandouts and povertybuildscharacter, so my Sims never start with much money. I have a lot they all tend to start on. The only enclosed room is the bathroom. The other rooms have no walls. They live simple lives, on the lawn. When they have been good little pixels and saved up enough money, they get to move to a new house with actual walls.
I decorate the houses without moving them in. Then, when I want to move them, I just move them into whichever house fits their budget. Later, after more money comes in, I may reward them by redecorating to fit the personality of the family. Then again, I may not.

With kids, I will sometimes buy a tv because kids are good for nothing but skill building, and the yummy channel is effective, but one they are teens I usually sell it. I hate when my Sims watch tv when they should be doing something more practical.

[ZephyrZodiac]

Spoilsport!  How would you like it if someone sold your PC?

[RainbowTigress]

My Sims have way nicer things than I do, so they really can't complain.

[ZephyrZodiac]

Wanna bet?  Try playing without No What's this and see what they think of some of the stuff you give them!

[Shivani]

I recently gave into their frequent spins for a tv, though I generally put such things up on the roof where they cannot get to it, but I was feeling exceptionally generous (and I admit, I was missing the Yummy channel a bit) and swapped it out for the wall-mounted flatscreen.

Well, that just had to go within a very short amount of time.  Sure, it was useful for keeping idle sims out of trouble, but it also resulted in some of them ignoring the call to work and using vacation days.  Every time I turned around everyone was huddled in that section of the living room like lemmings at the edge of a cliff.

On a side note, I've not yet had a problem with the helicopter, but they are on the largest lot, so there's plenty of space available even with the maid's van present (not that it usually is, as it tends to arrive after and leaves prior).

[Kitiara]

Spoilsport!  How would you like it if someone sold your PC?

Well, I do actually let them have a computer. But, not at first. They have to work a while and earn the money first. Besides, I give them flamingos. Also, I will admit, if they repeatedly spin wants for an expensive tv or stereo, I generally give in and buy them. Okay, so this is more to shut them up than to make them happy, but they do get what they want. I may be a strict mistress when it comes to my Sims, but I'm not cruel. Usually.

By the way, I would sorely miss my pc, but the tv would not be that big of a deal.

[RainbowTigress]

Wanna bet?  Try playing without No What's this and see what they think of some of the stuff you give them!

Sims are programmed to like or not like things based on their value.  If the object costs a lot more than the things they already have, they will cheer.  If it cost a lot less, they will boo.  If it is about the same, they will hardly notice.  Which is why I got sick of them booing all the time, even when I bought them expensive stuff.  Thank goodness for the No what's this hack!  Stupid fortune sims would even boo the very things they had wants for.

[ZephyrZodiac]

Oh, I know, I was being facetious.....

[RainbowTigress]

 

[ZephyrZodiac]

Also annoys me, without the hack, how they hate dark rooms, but buy them expensive lights and they boo as much as if you get the cheap bare lightbulbs!  Now sims1 sims were far more discriminating!

[RainbowTigress]

Is this the flamingo hack?

[Kitiara]

Is this the flamingo hack?

The nowhatsthis hack. It stops the "what's this" bubbles when sims move into a new place or you buy them  something new.