6 years ago

Self-downloading your own work.

Product: The Sims 4
Platform:PC
Which language are you playing the game in? English
How often does the bug occur? Every time (100%)
What is your current game version number? The most recent
What expansions, game packs, and stuff packs do you have installed? All of them
Steps: How can we find the bug ourselves? Delete your shared items from library, then place them into world repetitively (while ever they are not in your library you can add to your download number total.)
What happens when the bug occurs? It increases your download numbers on your shared item.
What do you expect to see? Numbers not increasing from downloading your own work.
Have you installed any customization with the game, e.g. Custom Content or Mods? Not now. I've removed them.
Did this issue appear after a specific patch or change you made to your system? No

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There are multiple ways too self-download, it can also be described as download cheating to some or even hacking or botting. Self-downloading is when players repetitively download their own shared item to boost it up to the popular now. It is very easy to do with or without a programme helping you. It has been an issue on the gallery for the longest time. Recently an anonymous player came to me, and told me about auto-clickers. This is one of the easier and most effective ways to boost your downloads while not even at home, or at the PC. The popular now is meant for great creations to EARN their way there by the love of the community. However, this practice ensures that you get there consistently without fair play. The gallery is a number based system, therefore there should be no ability accidental or otherwise to manipulate the download totals of your shared items. We've been asking for this fix for years. We really hope now that we've gone cross-platform that this issue can finally be fixed. Thank you for your time in reading this.

gameplay issue

21 Replies

agrimonys
6 years ago
I have the same problem with only one change: I live in Germany. This bug exists since the beginning of Sims 4 and it works all over the world. It is not a regional problem. In 2016 the gallery even had big problems after a patch. After that, the figures for downloads, content and followers were no longer correct at all. Everything was slippery and changed. But an honest way of playing has not been possible here for a long time. The players, who push their own downloads here by using the above description, are becoming more and more. I have been pleading for years for this "counting system"; to finally be abolished completely. Then there is no more competition and no more bad words. Everyone wants to outdo the other in one way or another. This only brings unrest and struggle to the gallery. Please EA, finally fix this bug, so that the Sims 4 will be honest again soon or do without this counting system completely. It would also relieve the server, wouldn't it?
TopNotchToddler
6 years ago
A colossal loophole that renders ratings useless and repeatedly led to bad blood among creators. Yes, I'd very much like to see it closed.
Flash5Carter1
6 years ago
@Lukaswut This problem only recently came to my attention - it hadn't occurred to me that people would want to do it, but it makes sense that in a numbers based system the largest number of downloads will get see by an ever larger number of players (Popular Now, Most Popular). In the interests of fairness, for long time players and new alike, fixing the self download bug would be a really positive move. I understand people like to store their saves, cancel, upload and reload but it should only count for one download for one person (no matter how many times that one person downloads it). Hope you can find a way to address this issue, would be really refreshing to see some a wider number of creators hit 'top of the pops'!! 😃
MenaBuchner
Seasoned Veteran
6 years ago
@Flash5Carter1 Absolutely agree with this.
EA_Mai
EA Staff
6 years ago
Hi everyone, thanks for sharing your thoughts!

The Gallery has always worked like this, so this is what we would consider feedback. Heads up that I've moved this thread to our 'Feedback' section.

Cheers,
-Mai
Psychotps
Seasoned Ace
6 years ago
@EA_Mai So, if you want to fob your download stats to fake a popular download, you can just download your own files multiple times?

Well, isn't that good to know!
TopNotchToddler
6 years ago
So, this is not a bug, it's a feature?
Well, guess we should have known it.
Simsensonal
6 years ago
@Lukaswut we really need to fix this! xx #fairplay
BumblingJuicebo
6 years ago
Changing this so we can download our creations to use again WITHOUT making our own numbers go up would help a lot. I keep some things in my catalog so I dont lose them when my computer messes up but this causes problems with numbers. The followers numbers dont show the same anymore and my download numbers on individual creations show differently sometimes going back down. This only started after I began to download the things I keep in the gallery for backup. I dont want to be able to make my numbers go up or screw up my own numbers just to use what I've created. Please help us.
angelictrait
6 years ago
@agrimonys I think though if the counting system was gone it would be harder to find things on gallery. Particularly houses, spas, and other lots. I'll start by look through the newest items but most of the time I end up finding what I want in the "popular now" or "most popular" when it comes to lots. So, there's advantages and disadvatages to it. Making sure people can't cheat getting downloads would make it easier for good creators get noticed over those who were just trying to cheat to get lots of downloads. This is just my opinion though.