Hi, I'm new to the Sims 4 so please bear with me if this has been hashed out before. Why can't my sim sit still for a while and read a book? I want her to read a charisma book for work but she keeps getting up to do other things and walking around with a book in her hand. Her needs are filled and I try to set her down to read but she keeps wanting play computer games or read something else from the book case. When she does that she walks around with a book in each hand, and gets stuck in a loop walking back and forth from the couch to the bookshelf, unable to read or put a book away. If she's holding a book, why doesn't she put the first book away before getting a new one? Why can't she just happily read a book like in Sims 3?

Welcome to Sims 4, it’s not just books it’s dishes being picked up then put back down randomly or the obsession over water, sims are so flighty in Sims 4. Imho I think in the processes of trying to make them more autonomous than they were in 3 they over-tuned the frequency of events. That being said you can turn off autonomy in game settings and then your sim will only do actions you queue up for them.

That's the difference between 3 and 4. In 3, they read that book until you canceled it, or they became so miserable they just couldn't continue reading. In 4, they have all the other distractions, and they will absolutely try to do as much as they can at the same time. Including taking a quick meal or drink when doing business in the bathroom.Its one thing I miss with skill books. That the sims kept reading them until you wanted them to stop.

I usually have to keep that Sim selected if I have multiple ones and want one to read a book for skills or job tasks. I have the setting for autonomy set to disable selected Sim, but it can be annoying if I have to briefly switch to the next Sim in the household to tend to and then the other decides it is done reading.

Thanks for your comments. I'll try disabling autonomy for a while and see how that works out.

Why won't my sim sit still? | EA Forums

19 Replies

secretlondon123
5 years ago
Maybe she doesn't want to?
Jilly3ean
New Veteran
5 years ago
Welcome to Sims 4, it’s not just books it’s dishes being picked up then put back down randomly or the obsession over water, sims are so flighty in Sims 4. Imho I think in the processes of trying to make them more autonomous than they were in 3 they over-tuned the frequency of events. That being said you can turn off autonomy in game settings and then your sim will only do actions you queue up for them.
Kathykins
Seasoned Ace
5 years ago
That's the difference between 3 and 4. In 3, they read that book until you canceled it, or they became so miserable they just couldn't continue reading. In 4, they have all the other distractions, and they will absolutely try to do as much as they can at the same time. Including taking a quick meal or drink when doing business in the bathroom.

Its one thing I miss with skill books. That the sims kept reading them until you wanted them to stop.
PhoenixMaiden
5 years ago
I usually have to keep that Sim selected if I have multiple ones and want one to read a book for skills or job tasks. I have the setting for autonomy set to disable selected Sim, but it can be annoying if I have to briefly switch to the next Sim in the household to tend to and then the other decides it is done reading.
spankenstein89
New Adventurer
5 years ago
Thanks for your comments. I'll try disabling autonomy for a while and see how that works out.
beadierturtle
5 years ago
I have autonomy turned off, and I still have this problem, but that's because I've a cat. They keep stopping what they are doing to pay attention to the cat.
spankenstein89
New Adventurer
5 years ago
"beadierturtle;c-17443718" wrote:
I have autonomy turned off, and I still have this problem, but that's because I've a cat. They keep stopping what they are doing to pay attention to the cat.

lol
spankenstein89
New Adventurer
5 years ago
I also find it hard to get my sims to have conversations with other sims. I'll get them to chat about something, but then my sim stops talking and starts playing games on her computer, so if I want to advance a relationship I have to keep intervening and cancelling the computer action and get the conversation going again.
Smellincoffee
Seasoned Ace
5 years ago
I have this grievance when they're talking. Sims will wander away mid-sentence to go stand in the yard, meaning the other sim has to follow them to complete it. Or they'll keep switching from sitting, standing, and wandering.
spankenstein89
New Adventurer
5 years ago
Yes, the continual switching from standing to sitting is annoying.