After a couple of minutes of play, the game freezes indefinitely
Product: The Sims 4
Platform:PC
Which language are you playing the game in? English
How often does the bug occur? Every time (100%)
What is your current game version number? 1.99.305.1020 (also happened on 1.99, prev minor version)
What expansions, game packs, and stuff packs do you have installed? Expansions: All except Horse Ranch. Game Packs: All except Werewolves, My Wedding Stories, Journey To Batuu, Strangerville. Stuff Packs: All except Toddler Stuff Pack, Vintage Glamour, Kids Room, Romantic Garden, and Spooky Stuff Pack. Kits: Only Bust The Dust, Fashion Street, Desert Luxe
Steps: How can we find the bug ourselves? It does not reproduce for me on a brand-new savefile. I will attach my own one, which freezes after 1-2 Sim-hours.
What happens when the bug occurs? After a couple of minutes of playing on a specific save, the game gets stuck in some kind of loop where time stops (and doesn't start again) but the current animations continue, even when entering/exiting build mode. I can click on any buttons but not on any sims/objects, and neither can I cancel the sims interactions. When this bug occurs I can click the buttons to go to manage worlds, main menu, or exit the game but if I do the game gets stuck on a seemingly eternal loading or saving screen. While stuck on the saving screen the animations still continue.
What do you expect to see? For animations to be still when I pause the game and for time to stop/continue as I pause/unpause. To be able to go to manage worlds, main menu, or exit the game without being stuck on a loading screen.
Have you installed any customization with the game, e.g. Custom Content or Mods? Not now. I've removed them.
Did this issue appear after a specific patch or change you made to your system? Neutral/Not Sure
I moved kids out of my main family, Stephanie, and Amanda, to gain an education at Foxburry University, and moved them to a dormitory from Gallery, this will be in a save file. This happens specifically on this lot, other families seem to be untouched by this.
Some insights:
- In the other topic (https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-PC/Time-freezing-animation-looping-in-university-dorm/td-p/12427738) there was an assumption it is related to broken Windows or broken video card drivers. I did a clean install of videocard driver, and this didn't help. I am attaching dxdiag.txt as well in case if this helps;
- On the new save file with a similar setup (the same Gallery dorm, the same place) this issue does not appear, so it's save-bound;
- This does not happen on other lots with other families, and when I travel as the other family to that cursed lot, it operates fine;
- When the family living in the dormitory visits other places, they do just fine, it happens only on the dormitory lot;
- simreset does not do anything;
- I checked out Father Winter theory (https://answers.ea.com/t5/Bug-Reports/ARCHIVED-Game-Freeze-Extended-Loading-Times-Save-Game-Bloating/m-p/9721942/highlight/true#M160860), and for me, this is not the case - the save-file is not bloated, RAM and video memory are alright, no Father Winters. I am also not entirely sure how to check route issues, I tried to delete some furniture but nothing changes;
- Some cases are very similar to mine (the last one is quite the same, I even copied the explanation because it was that good :D):
- https://answers.ea.com/t5/Bug-Reports/Game-stuck-in-animation-loop/m-p/12227544
Things I didn't check:
- Moving out-moving in - since my Sims are in the dormitory, I wanted them to stay there, and moving them out means playing somewhere else for a whole week, and I used the mod to make their former classmates as roommates, and I wanted to play all together. :c Although I might fall into this if there is no other remedy.
Savefile - https://drive.google.com/file/d/16AGPjxY68OKOJlhdsbmJx8So9qc7HxvW/view?usp=drive_link
