Game stuck in animation loop
Product: The Sims 4
Platform:PC
Which language are you playing the game in? English
How often does the bug occur? Often (50% - 99%)
What is your current game version number? 1.94.147.1030
What expansions, game packs, and stuff packs do you have installed? All expansions. All game packs except My Wedding Stories and Star Wars. All stuff packs except My First Pet, Toddler, Fitness, Kids Room, Cool Kitchen. Desert Luxe Kit.
Steps: How can we find the bug ourselves? I don't know since I'm not sure what causes it. I've tried to force it but so far have not found any specific trigger. It doesn't seem to be related to the amount of times you pause/unpause.
What happens when the bug occurs? 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, 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 (I gave up and force quit the game after around 45 minutes). 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? Never used.
Did this issue appear after a specific patch or change you made to your system? Yes
Please describe the patch or change you made. Update 01/17/2023 PC: 1.94.147.1030 I don't think I've experienced this issue previous to the latest patch update (however I'm not entirely sure).
This bug has appeared on at least four occasions now and on two different days. I haven't been able to narrow down what causes the bug yet since it's occured both while my spellcaster sim was taking care of her baby, while my spellcaster sim was interacting with her toddler, and two other seemingly random occasions. Se attached videos from two separate occasions.
"Small" tangent:
There might be something connected to the save interaction since when i tried to go to manage worlds without saving first (after the bug occured and game was stuck in animation loop) I got stuck on a loading screen but could still close the game window (not the game) by pressing the windows button (could also open other applications). This time I could open the Task Manager and use it to close the game. But the times i tried to save, either by pressing "Save" or by pressing either "Exit to Main Menu" or "Exit game" followed by "Save and Exit" I could not close the game window. When pressing the windows button the taskbar showed and I could right click on any open applications to show the menu with the "Remove from taskbar" and "Close window" options, however if I tried to close the window nothing happened and i could not get the window of the Task Manager to open in front of the Sims window so I had to force quit my entire computer.
