Kids need to stop cleaning autonomously

"AprilDawn;c-16649644" wrote:
Definitely not trait related - had a child with the sob trait and she autonomously went outside in the freezing snow to mop a puddle under the snow! Sigh.

I can't even.

One of my sim kids tried to do the laundry today :( :( I'm trying to make him an irresponsible child, what child does the laundry? I don't even know why they made laundry accessible for children

Kids need to stop cleaning autonomously

Well-mannered kids in real life are not as uncommon as some would think. They exist and I love seeing those manners on display. If they were my kids, I'd be proud as heck. Teaching responsibility is very important in my book.

But I do agree that the game could offer more balance also when it comes to this. If a kid's trait crosses over to the negative value, it would only make sense if the kid in question autonomously started to act accordingly and vice versa. I don't mind having to manually help them along in the beginning, however.

"bixters;c-16650418" wrote:
One of my sim kids tried to do the laundry today :( :( I'm trying to make him an irresponsible child, what child does the laundry? I don't even know why they made laundry accessible for children

Completely agree. Children that can do the laundry, skip school to hang out at night clubs but can’t walk the dog. Go figure.

"SimChessack;c-16623905" wrote:
I think even children with the right traits should clean autonomously -- traits like Good or Neat. But the rest probably should have to be told to do them.

Completely agree! Only if they have those traits should they be cleaning autonomously.

I'm glad when responsible kids do this of course where I'm from even the lazy irresponsible kids will get up and do chores as they are expected to do to avoid getting privileges taken away. Then there are kids with strict parents that know better than to cross them at all to consider I don't know why people think brats not doing what they are supposed to do means it's impossible for the kids that know how to act. You could always set a curfew with the board and have your kids go play outside that should lower responsibility. Though not all my kids do the same things I usually have one in charge of laundry.

"JoAnne65;c-16629361" wrote:

"SimChessack;c-16626540" wrote:

"JoAnne65;c-16626292" wrote:
Sims with certain traits do. Which means traits matter and form personalities. I love that, being able to choose whether my sims do that or not. And if it really bothers you, you can simply direct them to the sink and they will wash their hands. It’s just really lame for me when the game dictates things. If there’s something I hate: that.

I think the problem with Sims 4 is that too many autonomous behaviors are not tied to traits. Instead of making "do nothing regarding this interaction" the default and then making them automatic with certain traits, the default is "do this task" and then don't do it with specific traits. This has the effect that in Sims 3, unless you had a "neat" Sim, you didn't see her automatically making her bed or washing her hands, but in Sims 4, unless you have a sloppy sim, you will see her do that. Because there are so many traits, odds are small that you will see the auto behavior except very occasionally, which makes the Sims in Sims 4 seem more "the same" and less individual.

Yes. Must add that for me it's a fine line where it comes to autonomous behaviour. I play with free will enabled so I must like it to some extent, I love surprises in the game, but I don't like it if it hinders me in storylines (sims hugging each other that shouldn't in my imagination) or personalities (I don't think sloppy sims in 4 don't make their beds...?; if they don't that would certainly make a difference).

"ldmarko;c-16627492" wrote:
I would much rather have them cleaning than making messes.

I would rather have some sims cleaning and others making a mess. I play both kind of personalities in Sims 3. I love it that the household of my artist always looked like a mess and the house of his daughter always spot on and neat.

Perhaps some of us like our Sims homes neat - so if sims are neat it does not bother us - but if they are not it would get on our last nerve. I am one of those people.

My real life kids are neat for two reasons - they were raised that way including taught to wash their little hands after toilet use from the minute they were toilet trained and they still do it as adults and taught their kids to do likewise.
In sims 2 and 3 it drove me nuts sims did not do that on their own so I always made them - even though I am aware they are pixels and don't have germs - it would get on my nerves if they did not clean their hands. So I was and still am literally thrilled m Sims do that on their own, as well as make their beds as soon as they get up. I have been like that all my life and my kids were taught to be like me.

I also never make sims with a slob trait - never. Believe me kids making messes with paints in the game gets on my nerves.

Neat kids, neat Sims, beds always made, dishes done, not a lot of clutter - are things I prefer and the way I live, so I am glad the sims finally are this way - because in my world and my real life these Sims are like real people.

So not everyone thinks it is unrealistic - as it is the way I live and people I know live. I am glad we can have both ways without me having to always make my sims wash their hands and such. That it is a natural thing to do. I also think Parenthood pack tends to help our young Sims be more inclined to clean and such - as I noticed child Sims did not do a lot of those things on their own until we got that pack - except the handwashing, dishwashing, and bed making thing.

@SiliClone Thanks! May have to try that though it would be hard with seasons - poor little irresponsible kid would likely freeze to death!
I also usually don't use that parenting board where you can set the curfew much anymore because that thing causes even more dumb autonomous actions that are over the top - the sims are addicted to it like they are many other things

"JoAnne65;c-16631937" wrote:

"bixters;c-16629639" wrote:

"JoAnne65;c-16626292" wrote:


I think the problem with Sims 4 is that too many autonomous behaviors are not tied to traits. Instead of making "do nothing regarding this interaction" the default and then making them automatic with certain traits, the default is "do this task" and then don't do it with specific traits. This has the effect that in Sims 3, unless you had a "neat" Sim, you didn't see her automatically making her bed or washing her hands, but in Sims 4, unless you have a sloppy sim, you will see her do that. Because there are so many traits, odds are small that you will see the auto behavior except very occasionally, which makes the Sims in Sims 4 seem more "the same" and less individual.

I think you've diagnosed one of the big problems with the Sims 4. The autonomous behaviors conflict with the traits. And I also don't think the traits are strong enough to override the behaviors. I wonder if adding more than 3 traits would make a more definite difference?

I think something went wrong with the quoting, @SimChessack said that ;) I do agree with it though.

"Writin_Reg;c-16629771" wrote:

"JoAnne65;c-16629361" wrote:

"SimChessack;c-16626540" wrote:

"JoAnne65;c-16626292" wrote:
Sims with certain traits do. Which means traits matter and form personalities. I love that, being able to choose whether my sims do that or not. And if it really bothers you, you can simply direct them to the sink and they will wash their hands. It’s just really lame for me when the game dictates things. If there’s something I hate: that.

I think the problem with Sims 4 is that too many autonomous behaviors are not tied to traits. Instead of making "do nothing regarding this interaction" the default and then making them automatic with certain traits, the default is "do this task" and then don't do it with specific traits. This has the effect that in Sims 3, unless you had a "neat" Sim, you didn't see her automatically making her bed or washing her hands, but in Sims 4, unless you have a sloppy sim, you will see her do that. Because there are so many traits, odds are small that you will see the auto behavior except very occasionally, which makes the Sims in Sims 4 seem more "the same" and less individual.

Yes. Must add that for me it's a fine line where it comes to autonomous behaviour. I play with free will enabled so I must like it to some extent, I love surprises in the game, but I don't like it if it hinders me in storylines (sims hugging each other that shouldn't in my imagination) or personalities (I don't think sloppy sims in 4 don't make their beds...?; if they don't that would certainly make a difference).

"ldmarko;c-16627492" wrote:
I would much rather have them cleaning than making messes.

I would rather have some sims cleaning and others making a mess. I play both kind of personalities in Sims 3. I love it that the household of my artist always looked like a mess and the house of his daughter always spot on and neat.

Perhaps some of us like our Sims homes neat - so if sims are neat it does not bother us - but if they are not it would get on our last nerve. I am one of those people.

My real life kids are neat for two reasons - they were raised that way including taught to wash their little hands after toilet use from the minute they were toilet trained and they still do it as adults and taught their kids to do likewise.
In sims 2 and 3 it drove me nuts sims did not do that on their own so I always made them - even though I am aware they are pixels and don't have germs - it would get on my nerves if they did not clean their hands. So I was and still am literally thrilled m Sims do that on their own, as well as make their beds as soon as they get up. I have been like that all my life and my kids were taught to be like me.

I also never make sims with a slob trait - never. Believe me kids making messes with paints in the game gets on my nerves.

Neat kids, neat Sims, beds always made, dishes done, not a lot of clutter - are things I prefer and the way I live, so I am glad the sims finally are this way - because in my world and my real life these Sims are like real people.

So not everyone thinks it is unrealistic - as it is the way I live and people I know live. I am glad we can have both ways without me having to always make my sims wash their hands and such. That it is a natural thing to do. I also think Parenthood pack tends to help our young Sims be more inclined to clean and such - as I noticed child Sims did not do a lot of those things on their own until we got that pack - except the handwashing, dishwashing, and bed making thing.

I don’t quite follow your post I’m afraid. If you like your sims’ homes neat, you simply create sims that are neat or perfectionists. Sims 3 has two more traits to give so that’s no sacrifice. Some of us on the other hand who don’t necessarily like all their sims’ homes neat won’t be able to make a sim that is a slob in Sims 4. That’s the subject of this topic. In one game every simmer can have it the way they want, in the next not every simmer can.

Which would be a lovely idea if only my sims had more slots for traits. I generally pick traits to help with careers - and neat doesn't really. Neatness is rarely a great trait for any one outside of the home - but in prior game when we had sliders like 2 or more traits like 3 - then yes I would slide toward neat (not full on mind you) in Sims 2 and choose neat for various sims as they had a lot more slots.

Perfectionists surprisingly is one I use in a lot of careers - as that does not just pertain to neatness. Perfectionists in some games also gives little perks here and there that were nice -

Kids can easily do laundry in real life, that's not at all unusual. It would be cute if they could walk dogs in the game, yes.