npcs will sometimes develop a romantic relationship immediately after introduction. However it doesn't take into consideration the sims sexuality or/and if they have a romance bar with someone else. ...
Ideas
EA_Solaire
Community Manager
Community ManagerHello all,
If any of you are still encountering this on the latest game version (without mods), would you be willing to share your save file(s)?
If so, please send me a private message with a link to the file. Instructions can be found here: https://forums.ea.com/idea/the-sims-4-bug-reports-en/information-how-to-send-user-files-to-the-sims-4-team/5048472
Thanks!
***Edit - I am still 1.116 patch. But as I can't see this is fixed from the laundry list, I commented this as a reference to how it was.
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Sorry that I can't provide the save file for this case myself because my game is modded.
And this case is difficult to replicate without a mod, as it occurred randomly with only NPC (unplayed) Sims. I found this case when I brought some NPCs to play and found this value (50 friendship and 40 romance bar). I knew that was from "NPC introduction" that gives 40 friendship or -50 to be "dislike".
I am commenting here to acknowledge the request, but I am unable to apply for now. I hope that there is someone who can provide this if it still happens.
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I knew this case from this mod's description. (There is another link on Tumblr but I can't access Tumblr for now)
https://modthesims.info/d/655227/no-random-npc-romance.html
Technical stuff: so here's how NPC relationships work. Their introduction is a unique introduction that is only available to NPCs; active Sims cannot do it. When NPCs introduce themselves to one another, several outcomes are possible (these are called Loot Actions). The aforementioned tuning file lists several possible outcomes.
One of these outcomes is the normal one from a friendly introduction, which the tuning file doesn't even mention as that's the default. The second one is the Sims hating each other (-50 to friendship), which is remarkably uncommon (10% chance). The third is that they become friends, with 40+ to friendship, which is the most common (75%).
And the last, with a whopping 40% chance if all of the tests pass, is an outcome in which their romance is set to 40. This loot is programmed to run only if one Sim is male and the other is female. It was also supposedly coded so that this specific outcome didn't run if an NPC had another romantic relationship above 25, but, regrettably, it doesn't seem to work as often as it should, if at all.
From this document and my experience, the possible way to replicate this without a mod is
- Make many NPCs who have the same-sex gender preferences and invite them to some place.
- Let these NPC sims talk to each other for a long time. And wait for them to introduce each other.
- There are 3 possible results. A: add friendship +40 / B: friendship to be -50 (dislike) / C: friendship +50 romantic +40 **C is what we want (but not guarantee)
- If case C happens --> There are romantic relationships that happen with males and females, even though they are homosexual.
If I have enough free time, I may try to replicate this with a new save to prove.
Hey, that's my mod!
Yes, this loot has been in the game for a long time, and it hasn't been updated to account for sexuality. Honestly validating to see that it can happen to Sims in a romantic relationship because that was what caused me to make that mod in the first place.
The loot itself is Loot_Relationship_NPC_Initial_Social.ActionTuning. This only runs when NPCs do the hidden introduction interaction, not visible to the player (NPCs cannot use the player's introduction interactions on each other). To fix it, you can just rework the test for sexuality compatibility, but honestly, I'd prefer it if that outcome was just removed. It's way too easy for an NPC to accidentally cheat on a Sim that way.
Glad that you recognized my comment. I appreciated that you explained the cause and how you fixed it. So I can know what symptom and what your mod does.
As I want to control all NPCs in my save files and don't want to ruin my plan for each NPC, your mod is a lifesaver! No more unexpected new romantic relationship expecially current time when gender preference matters.
There are some good cases where I use these random romances to match background NPCs without my own decision (I found their relationship because I picked them to play together in the university). However, I don't want to let the game pick more. So, your mod can stop it.
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Back to the topic, I agree with you that while it can be fixed by keeping this root, I prefer it to be removed. Or better, be able to toggle on-off for anyone who wants random events like "Neighborhood Stories"
Until then, I will keep your mod in my folder.
PS. I had already forgotten about this thread until you replied to me. A bit surprised that it's been over a year. I hope this bug will be picked up and fixed soon.
Well I think that mechanic is also just sort of outdated now and not just because of the sexuality check. I use that mod as well, and i still see plenty of background sims flirting with each other, so I really don't think it is needed for the game to randomly add a romance bar. Also, Neighborhood Stories/phone calls exists now so random romances can happen that way. Though I think the problem of sexuality checks is still present there. I had a hell of a time recently where I started dating and then playing a rando where I had previously gone 'yeah, whatever' to a romance, via one of the phone calls, and then when i got into playing him, I discovered that a) he was gay, and not exploring, and the partner was Zain Amri. I remember the phone call, so i know it was what did it. So he had this supposed romantic partner he could not even interact with romantically. And then, whenever i tried to break up or delete the relationship with MCCC, it would get added back every time i went into CAS or Manage Worlds. so i think something got stuck on him or Zain, maybe i had not gotten the call back yet (I am rotational, so it may have been left hanging on one of my other households before i got the call back that the date went well or whatever, I know i have sometimes returned to a household i hadn't played in quite some time and gotten the callback from a date/hangout from ages ago only then) so i had to move his fiancee, and his parents and siblings into one household, and move everyone to my tray, delete the originals, and place them back into the world and cheat back their relationships with other sims. It was the only way to be rid of the accursed romance with Zain.
BUT! assuming they fix that, and I have a mod that does for the nightly NS run, but not the phone calls, with NS, you have far more control over WHO can get a romance. You can have it be a free for all, disable certain rules, or you can select who can do what rules. I'm like you, i like to have guardrails but not full control, and Neighborhood Stories is actually great for that, with all it's individual rules and the ability to set rules on a per household basis if you wish. I just wish they would add more rules, and fix the sexuality checks. I use a mod called Neighborhood Stories Expanded that adds the sexuality check, and things like getting engaged, marriage, and individual moving, but unlike MCCC (the story progression is busted in that right now anyway, generating waaaaaaaaay too many babies) it can be easily controlled per household and be toggled on and off entirely in the settings.
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