Forum Discussion

WolvesCreek's avatar
WolvesCreek
New Spectator
12 months ago

"Unplugged trait" to prevent autonomous phone, computer use and prefer other activities

One thing I've often struggled with playing the Sims is how often my sim(s) pull their phone out to autonomously use it, as someone who barely uses their cellphone for things other than text, email and receiving calls as a choice I wish I could see this an option presented to my sims too.

While I know there are mods to prevent autonomous activities, I'd REALLY love a trait crafted JUST for this. Which I'll call "unplugged" and would work well with off the grid game play for example.

Some features of this trait would be obvious such as sims only using their phone when you direct them to (such as calling someone, getting a job, ect) and possibly getting a negative emotion the longer they interact with it (such as if you told them to play game on it, browse the web, ect) or other forms of "electric entertainment" such as watching TV, gaming, ect)

While gaining positive moodlets for non-electric activities such as sports, reading books, possible with skill boosts or learning too?

I know we all seem very connected but I have a lot of people in my social group now that have chosen a minimalist use of their phone and would love to see this as an option for my sims as a trait too. I suspect it could be a popular trait too!
  • @Bienchen0379 I tried using the technophobe livestyle for this purpose, but removed it because it worked so badly. First, my sims would walk around constantly tense because of technology, even when no one was using any technology in the house. As I play historical gameplay there is no TV, no electronic games, and while there is a gramophone and computer (I use the typewriter from cottage living) they are rarely used. Still, my sims would wake up in the morning, tense, get tense as soon as they entered the house, and stay tense no matter what I directed them to do. I don't know if electricity and lighting and stoves or whatever is included in the trait, because that is the only thing that could explain why they were so tense all the time.

    But what was even worse was that they would still bring up their phones to do things like play games or browse the web. That only stopped when I installed your mod. So yeah, it does exist, but it's so poorly executed that it doesn't work at all.

    Which, on the other hand, is what I find of most lifestyles. They cause more negative emotions than positive ones, and not always in logical ways. Like a sim with a romantic aspiration of "finding the one" getting the "single and loving it" lifestyle because they haven't been on a date for a few days. Or a sim who is a workaholic simultaneously getting a tense moodlet when they get back from work for "needing a vacation" and "not working". The things is I really love the idea of lifestyles instead of traits, because these are choices we make and not things we are born with, but they seriously need rework.

    Sorry @TOLKIEN if I sort of got into a lifestyles-rant in your thread. It's just one of those things that bug me because it could be great if done right.