Re: [FIXED] Issue with auto-solve (fun & energy) and Free will not working

Hi @crinrict I appreciate you changed the title to better reflect the issue, but my original title 'Game Breaking Update' reflects my personal feelings that I hoped would alert the developers to my unhappiness (anger!) but I guess you know them better.

When I close a game from that save the cache file is empty.

Starting and closing (with save) a completely fresh game leaves the cache folder empty

Starting a fresh game and importing the household from the gallery the game filled the cache folder with thumbnails as it usually does after visiting the gallery. 

I also tried playing the backed up save game from yesterday, but the problem persists and the cache folder remains empty when I close. 

I am in no rush to uninstall because I'll have to download every expansion and stuff pack. The cache or lack of is not that important, as the only way to fix the auto-solve issue is to start another fresh game, and that really disappoints me. As I already noted I have no mods or CC that could bring about this chaos, and having to abandon that saved household renders the past year of gameplay as a complete waste... (angry again!) but I've paid for the game and also future content, so to continue playing the game I am going to have to start from the beginning. 

Hi,

I can understand that you are angry but here in the bug forum it's about reporting a bug. Doing so has two purposes: Making the devs aware that there is a bug and the other is that other Simmers with the same issue actually find your thread and can post their experience as well. It's one thread per bug and one should be able to easily find it. You won't find a dev posting here. It's me trying to make sure everything is listed and compiled and help where I can. 

Willing to share your save game ?

If so, please zip up this folder: documents\electronicarts\thesims4\saves, upload to mediafire or dropbox and PM me the link.

hi, ok i wanted to report a few things i learned from the officials:

first the cache folder i believe will only generate files when you use the gallery and this requires doing more then launching gallery so it makes sense you have files in the cache after using gallery. it seems the patch must have purged all of our cache files and using the gallery shoudl create new temp files.

For the lot that keeps having issues another reported being able to fix the issue by doing the following:

1. saving the problem lot to the library

2. moving family to another lot temporarily

3. then replacing the problem lot with its version from the library

4. move back family

hopefully this is helpful.

Hi @PeopleMatterMore I hadn't thought about saving the lot to the gallery, I suppose that resets the lot like in TS3. I am going to try it thanks for the tip

with regard to the cache folder, it used to be that you could delete all the contents of the folder after anytime you played and it would be auto generated the next time you played, I rarely visit the gallery in game because it fills up the folder with all kinds of junk, but I did have a period early in the year when the fridge was glitching and that meant deleting the cache every time I quit the game. Can't remember when that was fixed but until the Sept update I had no reason to delete the cache - I think I did it out of old habits!

On a lighter note I actually like to see empty folders it keeps the OCD in me calm. 

it's the auto solve issue that's blown the game and disappoints me the most so I am looking forward to trying your tip

I'm adding this shortly.

On the cache files, trying to find out if anything was changed since you're not the only one. For me they were all deleted on startup but filled fine again once I started the game.

If you have further issues with the caches, please make a new thread for it.

Thanks

EDIT: @reboot2019 trying out your save and I totally see what you mean with the fun. Nothing happens when I click either but just to be sure I understand you right on the energy.

The Sim you click on, did they already have a bed assigned ? I mean if there's not enough beds, they can't claim one, right ? Your Sims also seem to have a bit of a problem with their Free Will

EDIT EDIT: So, I can't duplicate the energy level issue but Fun seems to be broken in that game. Free will doesn't work when they're fun level is very low. Probably connected,

thank you @crinrict I appreciate you taking the time to try out the save. There's definitely a problem with free will but as far as I can tell it only effects that household! I was going to try what @PeopleMatterMore suggested but instead moved them into an empty pre-built house and demolished their previous gallery house. Everything was fine for a while they fulfilled their fun and energy needs at the click of a button, but then the autonomy broke down. It could be related to claiming beds, because up until the autonomy broke clicking on energy sent them to the nearest bed or sofa, then when that stopped working I had the husband and wife claim beds and although the husband managed to find his bed when I clicked on the energy button, the wife couldn't (or wouldn't!) after a while even the husband started napping on a garden bench or brewing coffee but his wife wouldn't attempt anything until her energy levels were so low she collapsed ☹️

I've played other households and they're all fine, although I've never played those families for long periods so I can't be sure. I am going to try what @PeopleMatterMore suggested and save the household to the gallery then start a new game and move them into a prebuilt house, and see if I can figure out how it breaks.

I've tried ceejay's suggestion with your save and it worked fine afterwards.

My theory on the free will is that the problem is the fun. Free will works fine for most Sims but not if they have very low fun.

I did all these things. At first it worked well, but after a while the bug was back. Not all the sims on that lot have that bug. 2 out of 8

edit: the bug was back after my sims claimed the beds.

edit: the autosolve doesn't work and authonomy doesn't work. Sims don't do anything when their needs are all green.

For fun ? Energy ? The free will one ?

@brigitta1710 I agree the energy issue is OK(ish) as long as you don't let them claim beds.

The fun thing is a lot more frustrating, on one hand they seem to be doing more socializing autonomously and gaining more fun while they're chatting, watching TV and swimming, but on the other hand once all their levels are green they stand around doing nothing waiting to be guided!

I think it was @crinrict that mentioned stress earlier, they definitely won't do anything while they're stressed, so you need to push them around until they're relaxed and comfortable enough to interact with each other and then the fun levels rise quickly. Kids of course don't get stressed, so they're bouncing around from one fun activity to another. 

Another thing I noticed is if for instance when they have a dream/wish to watch a channel on TV and I click the fun button they go and watch that channel! And the socialize button is less responsive too, but I think that's stress related as well.

Has anyone found a permanent solution to this? I did what was recommended and the issue came back after 5 minutes.

Are the developers aware and/or are working on this? It's really frustrating and I don't feel like playing this game anymore, especially if ridiculous bugs like this are presented to players.

Did you try moving around the furniture ?

Could you maybe also upload your save game and PM the link ?

Does it happen in all your houses ?

Is the bug back for energy only or also free will and fun ? Did you use claim beds or was it just there ?

No furniture was moved.

No beds were claimed.

It happens in all my houses.

The bug only affects fun. Sims will not autonomously fill their fun need.

According to the lastexception.txt file there is an issue with "\Server\autonomy\autonomy_modes.py", line 1678, in _score_object_interactions_gen
"

Replacing the lot temporarily fixes it, but the bug soon returns.

I am also having this same issue and I've tried that fix, however it doesn't work after about 5 minutes into the game again. I have tried it multiple times and it's annoying to keep doing all of that, only to have it break again.

Hi @Darnellcotez I've play tested this for hours and I haven't been able to find out why it affects some Sims and not others. Obviously the devs have tweaked the autonomy/fun gain levels, hopefully they'll have figured out a fix SOON!

Resetting the lot as per @PeopleMatterMore solution works, but I found that I had to replace the beds because they are automatically claimed, and in my game that borks the energy buttons. But after resetting the lot the fun button did work for one of the three adults in my household, the other two I think have stressful characteristics, for example one is ambitious, and the other is a game designer and suffers a lot of stress during work.

It might have been wise at the beginning of this thread to list the traits and aspirations, age, employment etc of the affected Sims, maybe we could have found a common cause as it's simple enough to change their personalities in CAS.

edit: don't waste your time on the above! I've got a stack of paper in front of me with lists of traits and aspirations etc, and I can't find common ground in any of it.

Still I have one adult male that autonomously fills his needs and all the auto solve buttons work.

One young adult female who cannot do anything autonomously any more and stands outside at the front of the house for hours! The auto solve buttons for hunger directs her to the ice cream maker, energy to the coffee machine, and social to trolling the forums - all of which raise her fun levels.

And one adult female who can fix her needs autonomously, though it rarely happens quickly and she seems to spend a lot of time idle. All her auto solve buttons apart from fun work normally.

The other two family members are a teenage and a child sons, they seem to be able to find their own fun. But the teen boy's auto solve fun button doesn't work.

It's not completely the game breaker I was moaning about in the first place, it's most definitely improved since following @PeopleMatterMore suggestion, but the fact remains it's broken, and most likely that's because the devs have tweaked the settings in preparation for some future content and that's just wrong! Why not hold off with the fiddling until they're ready to release what ever it is they've got planned?

@DashTheBomber0 I merged your post. It's the same issue.

@crinrict

I appreciate moving my topic to the similar post, but as I mentioned I did research and tried all the solutions that have been given thus far, I even tried repairing the files by right clicking on the sims 4 in my library through origin and no files seem to be missing. I also noticed the same as the other fella mentioned these sims have no real common threads other than being relatives and the worst part is that it isn't simply energy and fun.

My sims can't handle any of their needs NOT A SINGLE ONE unless they are red . They do not do anything for extended periods of times if their needs are green and worst yet the fun and bladder are iffy at best. I've had one sim pee his pants 5 times in 2 sessions in a house with 5 toilets!!! I tried moving my family to the gallery and they lose all their money so I can't place them in a house that's obvs worth 350k I'm pretty much stuck.

So yours might be different after all then

Are you using mods ?

Hi @DashTheBomber0 resetting the lot as suggested previously does seem to make a big difference, I felt much the same as you and I stubbornly refused to move my household out because my hardworking Simself had over a million simoloeons that they would have lost had I moved them to the gallery.

But that's not how to do it...

edit: I forgot about the mods! If you are using any drag that folder onto the desktop and dump the cache If there is anything in there, mine is empty) then

• save a copy of the lot to your library
• move out the family to a vacant lot and sell all the furniture
• bull doze the house then replace with the house that you saved to your library
• move the family back in (they shouldn't have lost any money in the sale/repurchase)

The auto-solve issue will probably still affect them in some way, but hopefully it will be better.

Good luck

@crinrict

As I stated in my original post, I have used absolutely zero mods and only one expansion. I do have the deluxe version of the game though.

I will try this, but look this is merely a band-aid and we shouldn't have to jump through these types of insane hurdles to be able to enjoy a game which we paid good money for.

The AI shouldn't be this bugged period and I'm seriously upset. Also I don't have any mods.

Have you also try turning off free will and turning it back on.

I do still believe yours might be connected to the same bug. Might not, it's hard to tell.

@crinrict

Yes I have actually, it was the first thing I thought of due to years of customer service.

Sorry if you stated but I can't keep everything in mind: Do you have the same issue on a new save game too ?

Happy to look at your save if you want me too. Just upload it somewhere.

I too have this problem, and can't come up with a solution.

I've played about eight or nine households in the past couple days and have visited at least as many.  I don't use the 'fun' button, but do use the energy button.  

When changing households I notice that a small percentage of the sims will go to sleep, or nap automatically without me telling them too.  But after the first time, the majority of those will no longer choose to do it automatically, nor will the energy button work.  I've had a household that appeared to have the majority of the sims behaving like they should but I moved the beds to a new location, then no sims would rest automatically or with the energy button.  They would have a bed selected.  For the most part I have to manually click on a bed for the sim to sleep.

When I visit other households, there may be a very small percentage of sims who will go to bed automatically.  The rest of them just stand in one place until they pass out or until they have to use the toilet.  I think they would starve to death if I let them.  Once they wake up from passing out they stand there until they pass out again.  Painful to watch. ☹️  

I use mods to automate things, and have not removed them.  I probably will since the game is no longer playable in this fashion.  I too do not micromanage every sim every minute of the sim day, and of course have no control over sims whom I visit.

This problem came about at the same time 'select bed' was an option.  I have never done that manually, but it happens once a sim uses a bed.

Something that came about just before the update (which I figured changes were being made on the server) is that my Sims get stuck in doorways.  (not all sims and not all the time) and it's just the main entrance ways to buildings.  They eventually snap out and will be doing or have done the commands that were issued prior to them going through the door way.

-AL2