Ah! Just finished my first Harvest Fest. Ay, yi, yi! As IRL, talk about stressful. My sims are exhausted!I planned to invite the neighbors for dinner and I made outfits for them and my sims. After decorating, cooking and making sure my sims were dressed properly, I invited neighbors over. Of course they show up in totally inappropriate clothing so as I'm trying to get them to show the right outfits. Meanwhile, one sim is constantly trying to grab a plate before I'm ready to call everyone, another sim is eating cereal while a beautiful turkey dinner is waiting, dad went out to take out the garbage so now he's in his winter clothes, and the toddler went to bed. It took every ounce of my patience to get everyone clothed and eating at the same time! After dinner (which finally happened and went well) mom immediately went to sleep. I mean, I don't blame her, but they still have guests!A few lessons learned: make sure everyone has their party wear planned and throw a dinner party so everyone automatically changes. Hide dinner in household inventory until absolutely ready. Also plan dinner early so sims aren't trying to go to sleep.The guests have left and everyone is sleeping peacefully. I think I need a nap, too! That was hard work! :D

I've found trying to do the holidays and setting them up perfectly rarely works and is very stressful. Even not trying to do so is stressful. My single sim just had Winterfest. He couldn't decorate the tree right and got angry then when trying to make the Grand Meal he set the stove on fire and didn't have the money to replace it. Father Winter also showed up angry.

"Rae357;c-16567243" wrote:I've found trying to do the holidays and setting them up perfectly rarely works and is very stressful. Even not trying to do so is stressful. My single sim just had Winterfest. He couldn't decorate the tree right and got angry then when trying to make the Grand Meal he set the stove on fire and didn't have the money to replace it. Father Winter also showed up angry.Bah-humbug. :D Sims can be frustrating while setting up things like this. I should have just turned autonomy off.But when everything finally comes together, it is pretty rewarding since they made it so darn difficult in the first place.

I’ve had stressful holidays. It was insane trying to get everyone on the right page for everything.

Haha good advice. Actually finished celebrating new years for my sims. Mom had mad a grand meal before everyone came luckily no one touched the meal for a few hours cept for Katrina Caliente who was just eating by herself guess she got tired of waiting while everyone was watching the new years count down. Thought it was nice sims could just spawn a drink to toast and it actually gets their hunger up too and then other sims are able to spawn the drink to share in the toast.

"LadyKyn;c-16567409" wrote:Haha good advice. Actually finished celebrating new years for my sims. Mom had mad a grand meal before everyone came luckily no one touched the meal for a few hours cept for Katrina Caliente who was just eating by herself guess she got tired of waiting while everyone was watching the new years count down. Thought it was nice sims could just spawn a drink to toast and it actually gets their hunger up too and then other sims are able to spawn the drink to share in the toast.Oh good to know! It’s not New Years in my game yet, but I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. My house doesn’t have a bar. All I can think is “KATRINA!” From The Sims Supply videos (if you watch those) :D

Stressful Harvest Fest | EA Forums

Rai357
7 years ago
I've found trying to do the holidays and setting them up perfectly rarely works and is very stressful. Even not trying to do so is stressful. My single sim just had Winterfest. He couldn't decorate the tree right and got angry then when trying to make the Grand Meal he set the stove on fire and didn't have the money to replace it. Father Winter also showed up angry.
LaurenLoser
7 years ago
"Rae357;c-16567243" wrote:
I've found trying to do the holidays and setting them up perfectly rarely works and is very stressful. Even not trying to do so is stressful. My single sim just had Winterfest. He couldn't decorate the tree right and got angry then when trying to make the Grand Meal he set the stove on fire and didn't have the money to replace it. Father Winter also showed up angry.

Bah-humbug. :D

Sims can be frustrating while setting up things like this. I should have just turned autonomy off.

But when everything finally comes together, it is pretty rewarding since they made it so darn difficult in the first place.
butterflyxgirl
7 years ago
I’ve had stressful holidays. It was insane trying to get everyone on the right page for everything.
LadyKyn
Seasoned Traveler
7 years ago
Haha good advice. Actually finished celebrating new years for my sims. Mom had mad a grand meal before everyone came luckily no one touched the meal for a few hours cept for Katrina Caliente who was just eating by herself guess she got tired of waiting while everyone was watching the new years count down. Thought it was nice sims could just spawn a drink to toast and it actually gets their hunger up too and then other sims are able to spawn the drink to share in the toast.
LaurenLoser
7 years ago
"LadyKyn;c-16567409" wrote:
Haha good advice. Actually finished celebrating new years for my sims. Mom had mad a grand meal before everyone came luckily no one touched the meal for a few hours cept for Katrina Caliente who was just eating by herself guess she got tired of waiting while everyone was watching the new years count down. Thought it was nice sims could just spawn a drink to toast and it actually gets their hunger up too and then other sims are able to spawn the drink to share in the toast.

Oh good to know! It’s not New Years in my game yet, but I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. My house doesn’t have a bar.

All I can think is “KATRINA!” From The Sims Supply videos (if you watch those) :D
LadyKyn
Seasoned Traveler
7 years ago
"LaurenLoser16;c-16567418" wrote:

Oh good to know! It’s not New Years in my game yet, but I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. My house doesn’t have a bar.

All I can think is “KATRINA!” From The Sims Supply videos (if you watch those) :D

That was honestly my first thought. I thought she left and I was just 'okay whatever then' but moved the camera and there's KATRINA there eating the meal before everyone else. :triumph:

Yep! No need for a bar sims will bring their own drink. XD And when they start group talking with one another the others tend to go ahead and spawn a drink too and they might even make a toast as well. Between blowing horns and throwing confetti as well the whole time. They stayed til almost 4 in the morning itl they decided to leave even though the dinner party itself was over.

She was making a toast and the other girl pretty much pumped her arm because I guess she liked it? XD
https://i.imgur.com/i9MwSLd.pnga
https://i.imgur.com/krRvIrP.png

It's definitely fun. The guests even came into the house into the living room and turned on the New Years channel autonomously.
loubyloulou
Seasoned Novice
7 years ago
"Dannydanbo;c-16567454" wrote:
On the one hand, if it was a stressful holiday then you had an ordinary holiday just like in real life. ;)

Here are a couple of tips that I use that might relieve your stress.

1. Start the whole shebang early. Don't wait for a night meal. Like going out to eat, it will take a lot of time.
2. When your guests arrive in the wrong clothes, PAUSE the game and, using a closet, change all their clothes. When you unpause, they should all change.
3. Cheat. I use testing cheats to UP everyone's needs so they don't eat or sleep or pee before I want them too.
4. Don't be afraid to turn off autonomy so they only do what you want. Get everything done and, once seated at the table as a group, then turn it back on and you'll get those cute moments.

It ain't perfect but it has worked fairly well. After all, it is like herding cats.

Herding cats is frankly easier! (I know, I have cats :D ) so turning off autonomy for a spell is definitely the way to go if you have goals!
AquaGamer1212
New Spectator
7 years ago
@LaurenLoser16

Omg I would have never thought of storing the food in the household inventory until it was time. That’s super smart, thanks! I’m gonna try out a dinner party for Sunday dinner.
ViviHaloko
7 years ago
If I don't want my guests to eat something until a certain time I always store it in the inventory and then bring it out at the appropriate occasion.

For my harvestfest day I just had my sims celebrate it like I do in reality - with just family. No inviting neighbors or anything, so I didn't have to deal with a lot of sims. I don't get the outfits thing though. Its just dinner celebrating gratitude, unless you were running a fancy harvestfest dinner theme or something.
Rai357
7 years ago
Another ruined holiday, he's just not good at these. My sim proposed on Love Day to his best-friend/soulmate/girlfriend, maxed relationship and she turned him down. He was mortified.