Phone calls for the dead

[sudaki]

I thought I remembered another thread about this long ago, but I can't find it, so here goes.

Sim Douglas died about two (Sim) days ago, and since then, a friend of his has called the house looking for him twice.  I don't get the pop-up 'Is Douglas there?' dialogue; whoever picks up automatically tells him Douglas isn't there, whereupon I get a popup saying "I'll try back later."  I'm kind of amused how they're leading him on, but on the other hand I hope this isn't indicative of some greater problem in the brewing.

I have Uni and NL. I use Phone Hack. I'm playing a pretty new neighborhood, and I haven't done anything too disawesome there. Is he perhaps just too heartbroken to accept the truth?

[DrBeast]

Did the first phonecall occur moments before Douglas died? Something similar happened to one of my sims fairly recently. The moment he graduated from college and was on his way to the cab, someone called. I couldn't have him answer his cell phone (or maybe I didn't notice it was ringing), and for days his former room-mate kept getting calls from that contact who's looking for the sim who moved out (to add insult to injury, the contact is a Drama professor!). This continued even when that roomie graduated, moved to the base hood, and got married! EVERY DAY the damn Drama professor keeps calling and saying "Oh, So-and-so is not there? OK, I'll call later.". I got sick and tired of the ringing, so I just summoned the Sim over with the Teleporter shrub and had him answer the damn phone!

[Emma]

I get this sometimes with people phoning up the dorm for my sim who has graduated, moved out and is back in the neighbourhood!  I wouldn't worry, I don't think it means your game is broken or anything

[DrBeast]

Nah, it's just ANNOYING!

[sudaki]

Did the first phonecall occur moments before Douglas died?

I don't think anybody phoned then.  He died in the middle of the night right after getting home from work, and this guy called the next afternoon.  And the next.  And the next.  I don't think he has other friends. 

[Ness]

if it's what I think it is...  it will stop once you exit and re-load the lot

[Ancient Sim]

The problem is probably because for some reason since OFB (or maybe one of the patches) when someone dies, they don't go into Default anymore, they remain as residents of their original lot.  When I have Sims die on other lots, I have to summon them to their own lots with Inge's teleporter bush, then the message comes up saying they've died on another lot and they move into Default.  If the calls continue to come after you've reloaded the lot, try doing that.

Alternatively, you can go into SimPE and delete him from his household.  The game will automatically put him into Default then.

[sudaki]

Alas, I've exited the lot many times and the phone calls continue.  And I don't have OFB.  And I can't use SimPE because I'm on a Mac.  I'll check with the puppykiller to see if he's been properly moved to Default, though.

Weirder still, I checked on the necrostalker in question and he doesn't even KNOW Douglas -- or has no memory of meeting him anyway. I assume he must be one of those "contacts" who calls out of the blue to invite you downtown, only... creepier.

[J. M. Pescado]

If someone is calling for a dead sim, just don't answer it. If the call goes unanswered, it will usually stop bothering you entirely. With the Phone Hack, normal calls won't show up at all if you cut the line, only contact calls, and if you ignore them, and just let it ring for once, it won't be back.

[vilia]

If someone is calling for a dead sim, just don't answer it. If the call goes unanswered, it will usually stop bothering you entirely.

A bit like dealing with telemarketers really.  If you do happen to answer the phone and find you have a telemarketer on the line, why not try one of my 3 effective ways of getting rid of them:

1. Tell them it is against your religion (of which you are the high priest/cult leader) OR
2. Try and sell them stuff e.g. Avon, garden supplies, cutlery set etc OR
3. Speak in a foreign language e.g. Vulcan

surpisingly they DO work...no joke

[Mike]

If someone is calling for a dead sim, just don't answer it. If the call goes unanswered, it will usually stop bothering you entirely.

A bit like dealing with telemarketers really.  If you do happen to answer the phone and find you have a telemarketer on the line, why not try one of my 3 effective ways of getting rid of them:

1. Tell them it is against your religion (of which you are the high priest/cult leader) OR
2. Try and sell them stuff e.g. Avon, garden supplies, cutlery set etc OR
3. Speak in a foreign language e.g. Vulcan

surpisingly they DO work...no joke

Where's number 4?

4. Hang up on them.

[J. M. Pescado]

My phone is answered by appointment only. All other calls are ignored. If you want to talk to me, make an appointment first.

[Jelenedra]

So how do you call to make an appointment?

[J. M. Pescado]

So how do you call to make an appointment?

You don't. You need to make an appointment to call. Otherwise I won't activate the phone ringer and won't pick up the phone.

Obviously, this presents a bit of a catch-22. That's not *MY* problem, now is it? You can always make an appointment to call back when I contact you. If I contact you. Because if I haven't contacted you, I don't really want to talk to you anyway. Nyah.

[vilia]

Where's number 4?

4. Hang up on them.

A bit too normal for my liking - I like freaking out telemarketers

You need to make an appointment to call. Otherwise I won't activate the phone ringer and won't pick up the phone.

Just curious - do you extend that rule to family members & close friends as well or are they the only exceptions?

[Lythdan]

I wasn't aware that JM had any family members or close friends.

[J. M. Pescado]

Just curious - do you extend that rule to family members & close friends as well or are they the only exceptions?

Given the present state of my family members, I think that would be putting "Phone Calls From Hell" a little too literally. Plus I thought this was about Phone Calls *FOR* The Dead, not Phone Calls *FROM* The Dead.

[Jelenedra]

You deleted the swimming pool ladder, didn't cha?

[Swiftgold]

I've had this happen since Uni, at least a couple times, when the phone call would be for the Sim who just died and they say "not home" (why not 'OMG THEY JUST DIED?!?', hah?) but I haven't had repeated calls like that, so... yeah.