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Shrewbarb's avatar
3 years ago
Solved

Sims Cannot Perform Directed Actions

Having played the game since it came out, I'm pleased this is the first time I've needed to post here.  Nonetheless, it's a doozy because I can't enjoy the game and I've tried all I know to try to fix this problem.

My sims will not complete any actions.  Sometimes they start but will not finish.  Other times they never start.  If I spam them with enough commands, sometimes I can get something completed.  I'm playing an I'm Surrounded by Idiots challenge, so that's kind of appropriate, but I still need to be able to direct one of them!

I tried traveling.  I moved the family out and back in.  I also moved them to a new house in a new neighborhood.  I did the faux factory reset I read about here.  The game seemed to work that way, so I kept trying.  Wanting to preserve the house and family, I saved copies to my library and started a new save.  For several sim days, everything seemed to be fine.  Now the problem is back, even in the new save.  I removed my mods folder, which I hadn't done previously, but the problem persists.  

I'd really appreciate any help anyone can offer.  I'm guessing there are more technical ways to continue troubleshooting, but if so, I could use some help in accomplishing those.  Thanks!

  • @Shrewbarb 

    Tbh, this sounds like a mod issue.  So, move your mods folder to your desktop and start a new save.  Before you start, delete the localthumbcache file.  Play for a bit to see if the problem happens in that save.  If it doesn't then, it's a mod issue and you will have to troubleshoot to find which mod is causing the problem.  If it continues to happen in a mod free save, then come back here and we can go from there.

    Hope this helps.

6 Replies

  • @Shrewbarb 

    Tbh, this sounds like a mod issue.  So, move your mods folder to your desktop and start a new save.  Before you start, delete the localthumbcache file.  Play for a bit to see if the problem happens in that save.  If it doesn't then, it's a mod issue and you will have to troubleshoot to find which mod is causing the problem.  If it continues to happen in a mod free save, then come back here and we can go from there.

    Hope this helps.

  • I appreciate your help.  I did as your recommended and made a new save without my mods folder and that file.  I played for a sim week over two play sessions and haven't had any problems.

    Is this enough time?  I think so, I think that in my last new save, it took only a few sim days for problems to start.

    Now I need to determine which mod(s) may be an issue.  I know this is done one at a time, but if I add one and have no problems, do I remove it to try the next mod or is it okay to add a second if I'm confident the first isn't an issue?  I don't have a great number, a large handful, MCCC, an extra traits mod and mostly very small things aside from those.

  • CGrant56's avatar
    CGrant56
    Hero+
    3 years ago

    @Shrewbarb 

    If you've had no issues after playing for a game week, then that should be enough.  I usually don't go that long, just a day or so most of the time.

    There are a few ways to test for mod problems, but like you, I only run a few mods, so I test mine one at the time first, then test them a few at the time together, and finally all of them together.  Most of the time I usually have a good idea which mods might be acting up based on the problem I'm having so I test those first.  Sometimes, a problem is not a broken mod, but is caused by two mods conflicting so when you test them one at the time, you find nothing wrong.  So, testing them together is the only way to find a conflict.  Before I test anything though, I go back to the sites where I got them and make sure I have the latest version of the ones I have just to make sure I didn't miss a mod update after a game update.  Then I start testing.  I always start with my older mods too since it's more likely that they might break as new game packs are added. 

    For CC, I check everything that I add with Sims4Studio (S4S) individually before I add it to my game now.  But, when I run into a problem that I think is CC related, I'll look at everything I have again just to be sure.  If you have a lot of CC though, that can be impractical so the 50/50 method is the way to go.

    Hope this helps.

  • Thank you again for your help.  I added each mod in and played for awhile until I have only one mod left to add, Vicky Sims' 100 extra traits.  The game has worked fine so far.  As I go to download the latest version of the mod, I find myself confused again by the directions.  Perhaps I'd never installed it correctly to begin with.  At any rate, I liked it but not enough to insist on it when I can't be sure to get it right and when it seems to be what was causing my problems, so, I'll just live without it.

    I've been playing with a test family this entire time, but do you know if I can go back to the family where there was a problem?  Are there likely to still be problems or, without the probable problem causing mod, would they be playable again?

  • CGrant56's avatar
    CGrant56
    Hero+
    3 years ago

    @Shrewbarb 

    Tbh, there is only one way to find out and that is to go play that household again.  Since the mod you mentioned is a trait mod, I assume you've used some of the custom traits on your sims.  I suggest you take a look at the sims in CAS before going to live mode to make sure the sims have game traits.  You'll probably need to use the CAS.fulleditmode cheat before going to CAS so you can do that since traits are locked in CAS normally.  

    If you can play that household without problem, then you're good to go.  But, if you are still seeing problems after removing the mod, then the save might be corrupted.  Some mods will leave remnants behind even after removing the mod.  If you find that happening, you might have to abandon the save.  You can try to save the sims by saving them to you Library.  Same with any custom lots.  Then add them to a new save and see if the problems persist.  Hopefully, you won't have to do that.

    Hope this helps.

  • Aw, shucks, it looks like the problem is continuing in that save.  At this point, I'm not eager to try copying them to the library.  I don't have copies of them without those traits, or without missing traits now that the mod is gone.  It seems like a recipe to continue the problem.  Time for something new.

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