Forum Discussion

gertie47's avatar
gertie47
Rising Traveler
20 days ago

Could we please have the ability to replace randomly generated townies?

Could Simmers be given an option, before we start a save, to "fill roles" with sims we want to have in those roles or to create "banks" of sims we want to have used in those roles (i.e. a bank of aliens, or a bank of single-parent families, or a bank of spellcasters, bank of uni students etc.). Could there be a system where the game could draw from those "banks" until it ran out (and we could refill it before that happened)?

Or even if there was an official tag, we could give sims in our tray, similar to the "lovestrucksingles" tag used for Cupids Corner. For example, I could tag all the aliens in my tray to be generated when the game wants aliens to be generated.

Most people feel that randomly generated townies are total jump scares.  

I know there are mods, but console users don't have this option. 

And frankly, if mods can come up with solutions, why can't those solutions be incorporated into the game? 

I have used MCCC to add tray sims, but it is limited in that it will create an elder in the body of a young adult or vice versa, etc. I have also used MCCC's copy/paste sim function with better results. 

But could this be something added to the game??

  • EgonVM's avatar
    EgonVM
    Seasoned Ace

    I would like it as an option, but yeah.

    One thing I'd really want from this idea is the "fill roles" part. I have made a huge guide on how to make NPC sims, and one of the difficult things there are still location-based roles (bartenders, gym trainers, veterinarians etc), who need a specific lot defined to work in. Most of them you can get with luck through gameplay, but Moonwood Mill's bar and library always generate a new sim for the role and ignore pre-existing ones.
    Mods are the other idea, but we run into the same problem you've brought out: the console players.

    • gertie47's avatar
      gertie47
      Rising Traveler

      I feel I spend more time making over these NPCs than I do playing the actual game. Luckily, I like making/giving makeovers to sims, and when I'm using MCCC, I have a pool of hundreds to copy/paste (I prefer this to the tray system). But sometimes, I feel like playing without interrupting the gameplay to give makeovers. 

      The biggest annoyance is that hairstyles and makeup usually are stuck in the NPC role outfit, which can't be accessed. So I'll copy-paste for a librarian, for example, and the hair and make-up will remain ridiculous while they are at the library (it's always that vampire hair with the beads 🤣), but they will look the way I want when they are randomly wandering through the worlds. 

      Another thing they could do is make it so pack-specific NPCs could be generated with clothes, makeup, and hairstyles only from the packs they are needed for. Likewise, base-game NPCs like maids/pizza delivery/nannies, etc., could be generated only using base-game items. 

      Ps, your guide is excellent!

      • EgonVM's avatar
        EgonVM
        Seasoned Ace

        Yeah, I'm even making a huge townie project. 8 townie sims for each full-time career in-game.
        Sometimes I'm thinking of uploading townie packets to the Gallery. Download them, make sure they are not in a world, enjoy new background sims that aren't randomly generated. You will be seeing a lot of 8-sim tenant applications though unfortunately...

        With the outfits, I'm wondering if the usual changing the career outfit in cas cheat works on them if I get their sim_id... I guess it's something to test out...

        But yeah...

        gertie47 wrote:

        Ps, your guide is excellent!

        Thanks!

  • I always delete all townies that do not fit my gameplay. It is not a good thing that the game keeps generating unwanted sims. I fill all the lots with townies as an attempt to force the game to fulfill roles needed.

  • AmaraRena's avatar
    AmaraRena
    Seasoned Scout

    I love this idea. I almost never like the townies and quickly replace all the home lots with my own Sims but I've no idea how to go about replacing all the other townies. This would be a godsend.