Forum Discussion

Hyperion_Rail's avatar
7 years ago

Paparrazi on Private Lot

There's not really a reason to bother with specs as this is a "bug" that is considered intentional. However, I find it extremely frustrating and unrealistic. I know you're gonna say this isn't a bug but I couldn't find a valid way to make this point besides calling it was it is in my mind...a bug, but Paparazzi SHOULD NOT enter a private lot, especially with a gate of any sort. In reality this would cause a LOT of controversy and legal issues. I live in California, I work in film, I know celebs, and this is just plain taking me right out of the immersion. 

I have a huge mansion with my celebrity wife in the game being a mermaid and movie star, so about a third of my ground floor is a massive pool for her to swim and sleep in. Half the pool is inside the mansion, and the other half outside in the sun. Paparazzi are everywhere, so I put a huge wall around my 64x64 property with 2 gates out front and yet the paparazzi push right on through that, trespassing AF, and hang out all around the pool and yard waiting for her to skinny dip or sunbathe. I yell at them, I fight them, I pay them off, but stop one and 3 more appear. But the point is...I shouldn't have to at all. They SHOULD NOT enter a private dwelling even if it's 90% yard. Now if they were sneaking or peeping in windows that would be one thing and a cool mechanic, but no they just walk around my pool like they live here and I'm sick of it. It drags my game down, it feels highly unrealistic, it can cost me money, but most of all...it makes me extremely uncomfortable. My wife and main character are modeled after me and my gf and even though it's just a game with no consequences, the idea of seeing one of these creepers snapping photos of her sleeping in the pool in a tiny bikini (or worse) just infuriates me. In reality that man would be arrested and sued to high heaven. Whatever mechanic keeps them from entering an actual house should apply to fences and gates as well, and definitely pool areas that are fenced off WITH GATES. In real life paparazzi hanging around some celebrities pool or even just stepping on their front yard would be grounds for trespassing and harassment and would have those jerks in cuffs but in your game they are treated better than celebs and it gets in the way. Paying them off or fighting them should only be necessary at public venues, I shouldn't have to do it every morning when I wake up. And paying them off is the only sure fire way to get rid of them and there's always 4-6 of them around since my character has started to gain celebrity points now so...thanks, for being a celebrity my prize is spending $2000 every morning for privacy. 

I know this is never gonna get fixed. I know I'm wasting my time writing this out. But dangit I couldn't play another second of this game till I told someone how stupid and broken this mechanic is. Add an ability to lock doors only for paparazzi, program them to stay out of fenced yards (like real ones), make it easier to kick them out, I don't care but do something because this is such a pain in the behind to the point I don't wanna be a celebrity in this game anymore. Not because of paparazzi in general...only because they are always IN my house.

I should also note that Paparazzi being in the house constantly affects other things like sometimes the ultra speed won't activate while sleeping because they're still milling about, and my sims cancel tasks constantly (in their OWN DANG HOUSE) to go pose for the paparazzi standing around the pool. And I should note that since one of my sims is a mermaid, the pool is about 75% of their day. They're always in swimwear and hanging around it. In fact I had to make a lot of items, such as fridge and TV available around the pool so that she can basically live in the water, so I'm CONSTANTLY dealing with this.

13 Replies

  • This problem gets EXPONENTIALLY worse if you DON'T live on the lot.

    I play a celebrity household in Del Sol, and as you may expect I have celebrity neighbors as friends.

    I go to their house to hangout... here comes the damn Paparazzi right next to us like they are friends too. They get in the pool with us, come inside and eat, watch TV. It's ridiculous and infuriating. And no that definitely doesn't happen at all in real life... some stranger comes in to watch your TV right in front of you.

    Of course the unplayed household AI isn't going to do anything about them and since it's not my house I CAN'T LOCK THEM OUT, plus as stated it's also very hard to get the multitude to leave as options are limited.

    The Send Home option should ALWAYS be available even if it's not my house. I could be at the park and send a Sim home, better yet they're should simply be a "Send Away" option on ALL SIMS ALL THE TIME, because the current setup breaks game immersion not helpful things like that.

  • Jmal2341's avatar
    Jmal2341
    5 years ago

    I have to revisit this because it has not been addressed and still a truly annoying issue.


    @jpkarlsen wrote:

    In real life Paparazzi also often trespass on private ground.


    First, that is absolutely FALSE, ignoring what you see on TV in real life Paparazzi SOMETIMES but rarely trespass on private ground, (they use telescopic cameras and even that may not be legal places) because as others have said it is illegal and they can face tremendous consequences depending on how unforgiving the celebrity is, which would deter future Paparazzi from that particular celebrity. This is not an option in the Sims.

    HOWEVER, IGNORING ALL THAT... Paparazzi certainly don't live in these people's homes like they are welcomed friends. if they even come on private property they're usually SNEAK to get pics, and certainly not every single day, maybe one or two days in a year

    The problem is I can't lock the paparazzi out my property without locking out friends or acquaintances. There's no differentiator in the Sims so it's hard to lock the doors and if I don't...

    The paparazzi come in to cook, to watch TV, to swim, use the bathroom.... that is ridiculous it's insane. There would be ways to stop this permanently in real life, it is literally burglary, not trespassing, with years in prison as the consequence, look up the law! THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN IN REAL LIFE EVER, NOT ONCE EVER.

    It's incredibly frustrating having no way to combat this especially on console with no mods

  • Gednaa's avatar
    Gednaa
    Seasoned Ace
    5 years ago
    @Jmal2341 Despite having a huge fence round my lot in Del Sol and all doors locked and gates, I still find Paparazzi and random people in my house or grounds. I'm really puzzled as to how they are getting in as I have it like a fortress. Can't find a gap they can squeeze through anywhere!