Recently I've been playing the Sims 4 without a few mods I used to rely on like the no autonomous cellphone mod, which no longer works as the author has left the community. Regardless this has to be by far the MOST annoying consistent animation for sims who have low free will, I mean left simply standing they will use this animation nearly 10 times within a (a real) minute. THATS INSANE.Honestly in real life this is very alienating and annoying when your surrounded by people always checking their cellphones - heck its even considered a social taboo now in some circles or spaces. Many jobs which employ most of the population (like service jobs) actually FORBID use of cellphones during company time (I know this is shocking to silicon valley but would you prefer your barista make you a coffee or check their facebook status in example?) SO WHY are we forced to watch our sims do sometihng that annoys most people in real life over and over and over in-game? Maxis do you not realize HOW ANNOYING this is to watch? Its not a fun or interesting animation, anymore then it is in real life. So I'm asking you to PLS limit the amount of times this animation can play within a set time limit - especially for sims with low free will.

I always play with free will on, but this is one of the things that has driven me close to turning it off. Even more annoying is how sims will do it in the middle of conversations and other actions autonomously and cancel the current interaction. I get these sims are supposed to be modern and w/e but the phone thing is ridiculous (and rude, nothing like ignoring your date to play blicblock)The teen selfie animation is bad too, it's just an idle but it takes up time for them to do things and it can't even be canceled.

Again, I wish phones were an option and not a necessity.

"S100Headache;15317999" wrote:EA wants Maxis to be hip and with it. Constant cell phone usage is EA's idea of "hip and with it".On top of that, the cell phone is very good at keeping Sims' Fun and Social motives up. Maybe that is causing autonomous usage...People are sick of it. It's not exciting or funny to watch. Even the patch notes question the wisdom of giving everyone a supercomputer smartphone:"Who gave the kids a phone anyway? In my day kids didn’t have access to a phone. If they wanted to invite a stranger to a bar, they had to walk to their house… in the snow… uphill… both ways… during an earthquake… without any shoes on… and they had to ask the stranger in Latin!" Yes, and when they asked him, he wouldn't accept until they'd beaten him in a duel. Ahh, I remember those days myself ...Seriously, though, I would love to be able to get rid of the cellphones altogether and make my sims use an old fashioned landline if they want to phone anybody. I already have houses where the sims have no computers, because they spend too much time playing on them. I like playing on computers myself, I just don't find it much fun watching somebody else do it.

"mortia;15318505" wrote:@TOLKIEN , this just got updated today by @catalina_45. http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/897169/mb-updated-mods-by-catalina-45#latestYa I know I emailed her and asked for her to post her version after she commented in the old mod's thread that she'd made an update version.Still it would be nice for EA to address this issue instead of using mods...

@TOLKIEN Thanks for the post. I'm also pretty annoyed by the permantent cellphone fiddling but wasn't aware that there is already a mod to stop this.And of course thanks to @catalina_45 for updating the mod (direct link to download).

OMG STOP with the constant autonomous cellphone animation!!!

Pollyrhythm
8 years ago
I always play with free will on, but this is one of the things that has driven me close to turning it off. Even more annoying is how sims will do it in the middle of conversations and other actions autonomously and cancel the current interaction. I get these sims are supposed to be modern and w/e but the phone thing is ridiculous (and rude, nothing like ignoring your date to play blicblock)

The teen selfie animation is bad too, it's just an idle but it takes up time for them to do things and it can't even be canceled.
Dayvon64
8 years ago
Again, I wish phones were an option and not a necessity.
FKM100
8 years ago
"S100Headache;15317999" wrote:
EA wants Maxis to be hip and with it. Constant cell phone usage is EA's idea of "hip and with it".

On top of that, the cell phone is very good at keeping Sims' Fun and Social motives up. Maybe that is causing autonomous usage...

People are sick of it. It's not exciting or funny to watch. Even the patch notes question the wisdom of giving everyone a supercomputer smartphone:

"Who gave the kids a phone anyway? In my day kids didn’t have access to a phone. If they wanted to invite a stranger to a bar, they had to walk to their house… in the snow… uphill… both ways… during an earthquake… without any shoes on… and they had to ask the stranger in Latin!"

Yes, and when they asked him, he wouldn't accept until they'd beaten him in a duel. Ahh, I remember those days myself ...

Seriously, though, I would love to be able to get rid of the cellphones altogether and make my sims use an old fashioned landline if they want to phone anybody. I already have houses where the sims have no computers, because they spend too much time playing on them. I like playing on computers myself, I just don't find it much fun watching somebody else do it.
WolvesCreek
New Spectator
8 years ago
"mortia;15318505" wrote:
@TOLKIEN , this just got updated today by @catalina_45.

http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/897169/mb-updated-mods-by-catalina-45#latest

Ya I know I emailed her and asked for her to post her version after she commented in the old mod's thread that she'd made an update version.

Still it would be nice for EA to address this issue instead of using mods...
Bonxie_MCCC
Seasoned Veteran
8 years ago
@TOLKIEN Thanks for the post. I'm also pretty annoyed by the permantent cellphone fiddling but wasn't aware that there is already a mod to stop this.

And of course thanks to @catalina_45 for updating the mod (direct link to download).
Bonxie_MCCC
Seasoned Veteran
8 years ago
Sometimes too much realism can also spoil the game. ;)
kremesch
8 years ago
"king_of_simcity7;15319881" wrote:
Sounds quite realistic to me :open_mouth:

What would really make it realistic is if the other sim could smack the crap out of the other for excessive cell phone usage while in the middle of a convo or date. o:)
s_stutler
8 years ago
I wish cellphones were an option. Such as the Sim could buy it at the store if they chose to. Would really help out with all the families that will be wearing the "Victorian, Medieval, and 1950's cc) I see popping up every which way... I just wish someone would make more of it for TS3. :disappointed:
Movotti
8 years ago
Ugh.
It's too realistic.
Last week, I had to doge people, while walking down a mall. They were all glued to their phones, not watching where they were going. It made me very annoyed (Would rather be using expletives here)
kremesch
8 years ago
"s_stutler;15322497" wrote:
I wish cellphones were an option. Such as the Sim could buy it at the store if they chose to. Would really help out with all the families that will be wearing the "Victorian, Medieval, and 1950's cc) I see popping up every which way... I just wish someone would make more of it for TS3. :disappointed:

Yeah. That was one win for 1 & 2. Making cell phones part of a sim was one of the biggest mistakes for 3 & 4. I'm really not a fan of them.

Unfortunately, there is a catch for rotational players. I doubt it will ever change though.