OK, I've been through every page in this section hoping someone would already have explained this, but I just don't understand it. Never have. And I know a lot of you all do understand it, so maybe someone(s) can explain it to me. When a Sim has a thought bubble pop up and it has an image with a red "x" over it, does that mean that the Sim hates the person or object, or they're just temporarily angry/upset with the person or object? I've never been able to figure it out. How do you all know how to interpret the bubbles? I've looked through the Sims 2 booklet that came with my game, but nothing explains it in there, either.Thanks.

OK, thank you. So, just temporary unhappiness then. Good, 'cause I then misinterpreted Dennis's thoughts about his wife's baby a while back because he had a ton of red "x"s over the baby's face when he was writing in his diary one day, and I thought it meant he hated her/resented her because she isn't his. It's just that sometimes one Sim will walk past another (I've noticed it the most with the maid while she's working) and a bubble will pop up and sometimes has a red "x" over the person's face. I've never seen the fire-filled bubble though.I've never had anyone steal the newspapers either, just pick it up, read it, and then put it back down again. Once, someone did kick over the Razaar's garbage can, though. I was surprised because I didn't think he even knew the family. That was a weird one.

I think that is the attraction (or lack of it :) ) when you see a "x" as a Sim walks past another. You may also see hearts too when they are attracted?Townies sometimes kick the trash can if they have walked past the lot and the family have not interacted with them. I am unsure of the number of times the Townie walks past before this happens. Correct me if I am wrong but I think playable neighbours don't kick the trash can without good cause.This pic shows Alexander Goth furious thought bubble with Nina Caliente for cheating with Don whilst Don is engaged to his sister, Cassandra.

It can be fun trying to figure out conversations, specially when a child gets the woohoo thought bubble. *laughs*

Heh, all my teen Sims seem to wind up getting frustrated enough to kick the garbage can at least once, if not multiple times. My first teen, Petey from Pleasantview, not only repeatedly kicked the garbage can over, but would go into the backyard and trample the flower beds when he got too angry and frustrated.

I have always thought it as meaning that sim didn't like what the other said or did. But it depends on the situation. I have had sims hubby and wife show bubbles of each other w/X's but they want to woohoo with each other. I think they just did something unappealing. It's your game, you take it the way you want it.

The Thought Bubbles | EA Forums

DivinylsFan
New Traveler
9 years ago
grumpy sims kick trashcans for no reason
my repairman hubby of one of my sims died of old age and came back as a ghost, the toilet he repaired when he first came into their lives had been sold and replaced by a fancy new toilet, and he floated around with a picture of a toilet crossed out in his thoughts and would stop and wave his arms about and yell.

if you clean up the mess of a kicked over trashcan without picking up the trashcan, like for using it for the compost bin, it stays tipped over and can't be kicked anymore, until someone takes out some trash to it again, where they'll pick it up to put the new trash in it. With the mess cleaned up, and just the empty can tipped over, it doesn't affect the environment score.
SataiDelennn
9 years ago
Very interesting. Thank you all for your suggestions and ideas. I thought there was something specific in a handbook I missed somewhere which explained the meanings of the thought bubbles. I'm glad to know there's not, and it's just us all trying to figure it out, lol. It's still frustrating at times, especially when I am unable to make out the object inside the bubble.

@DivinylsFan
The compost bin isn't an option because that's not available in my game, so I have to pick the bin up and put the trash back in it if I don't want vermin coming around.
DivinylsFan
New Traveler
9 years ago
if you have open for business, one of those sweeper robots could clean it up, but if you don't have seasons you probably don't have open for business either :(
SataiDelennn
9 years ago
"DivinylsFan;14838947" wrote:
if you have open for business, one of those sweeper robots could clean it up, but if you don't have seasons you probably don't have open for business either :(

Nope. Base game plus University. That's it.
ladysimplayer8
9 years ago
You could use the "moveobjects on" cheat to delete the rubbish and/or any vermin too?

If the dustbin was kicked over randomly by a Townie walking past, it is 'safe' to pick up the dustbin and put the rubbish back in.

If the dustbin was kicked over by a furious Sim (e.g. due to cheating) then leave the dustbin tipped over as the Sim will return until the fury subsides - this can take some time and unless you have Freetime, there is no quick fix to repair the relationship.
SataiDelennn
9 years ago
Interesting to note, thanks. Thankfully I haven't had any angry Sims in a while, although, poor Jason (the teenager of the house) got upset/frustrated and kicked the bin over.
ladysimplayer8
9 years ago
@SataiDelennn
I have never had a teen kick over their own home bin.
I did see Dustin Broke do this at the Pleasant home when he came home from school with Angela. I think the backstory is Dustin's father has just died, so Dustin is devastated.
I hope I haven't jinxed myself and it will happen now!

@BoergeAarg61
I micro-manage my Sims on a lot, so at least a few actions are lined up (to include visitors to the lot) and yet they still have the thought bubble when someone is in the bathroom - sometimes even when outside in the garden the Sims still know the bathroom is in use.
I have had visitor Sims have accidents because they can't access the bathroom - and become the subject of local gossip. Some leave the lot with the message "things to do".
Perhaps this thought bubble could be about bathrooms being private and sacred? Students Sims jump out of their skin when they see another student Sim "strutting their stuff" in the communal shower.
SataiDelennn
9 years ago
"StilleWater;14845086" wrote:
I have always thought it as meaning that sim didn't like what the other said or did. But it depends on the situation. I have had sims hubby and wife show bubbles of each other w/X's but they want to woohoo with each other. I think they just did something unappealing. It's your game, you take it the way you want it.

Thanks. I just wasn't sure if there was something stated somewhere "official" that indicated what the thought bubbles said/were supposed to say.
ladysimplayer8
9 years ago
@StilleWater
I have always found that it was an excellent move by EA Games for voices to be in Simlish so no matter where in the world you are playing, you can interpret. :)
Some words do sound like words we know (sort of esperanto); but that would be another thread. :)
StilleWaters
9 years ago
Yes, but if we really knew what they were saying, I think the fun and creativity would be so much less. I play other games and I don't want to hear what they are saying because I want to play my way. But alas, another thread is right.