Re: NPCs that are in game but not in manage households ('stealth' sims)

by crinrict
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Original Post

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[BY DESIGN] [GTW] NPCs that are in game but not in manage households

[ Edited ]
★ Guide

Recently I started noticing NPCs walking around that I couldn't find in manage households.I looked very thoroughly, but they really aren't there.

 

I know this is similar to the issue with ghosts: http://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-4-Bug-Reports/single-ghost-in-the-houses-but-not-in-the-manage-hou...

I've actually had that happen too, so I clicked 'me too' there. This however has something different about in that these sims are still alive. The ghosts generally were in manage households before they died, these sims have never even been in manage households. (I can however imagine that in a technical sense these issues are at least linked, if not actually similar or mostly the same.)

 

We've already had a pretty extensive discussion on this on the forums: http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/833862/npcs-that-are-in-the-game-but-arent-in-manage-hous...

 

This is what we know:

- It only started happening after the release of Get to Work, possibly only for people who have GTW (not sure of that)

- Most of these sims are generated for the purposes of one of the active careers, mostly the detective career (co-workers, suspects, etc). Yet, at least one person reported having seen a 'stealth sim' (that's what we decided to call them) without having a police officer sim (not sure if that person had any sims in the other active careers).

- These sims do count towards the population limit of 180 sims.

- repair game (and packs, separately) has no effect on the issue.

- [Added in edit] It appears that these sims have a hidden trait called 'guilty criminal' which can only be uncovered/removed by using a mod. (more on that in the forum thread linked above)

 

These are the known 'fixes':

- adding the stealth sim to a played household (via cheat or by befriending them) and deleting them from there.

- the use of Angel mod(s), I forgot which, but I don't ever use mods. Also not sure what they do exactly.

 

Anyway, this doesn't prevent more stealth sims appearing, besides we much prefer to have control over all the sims in our worlds.

 

It will be much appreciated if this can be fixed permanently.

 

 

Message 1 of 28 (15,674 Views)

Accepted Solution

Re: [FEEDBACK] [GTW] NPCs that are in game but not in manage households

Community Manager (retired)

We have lots of different NPCs that cannot be located in Manage Households and don't actually live in the world, this is by design. We call them "townies". I believe service NPCs fall under this category. The Grim Reaper definitely falls under this category. Sounds like guilty suspects falls under this category as well. Standard smile


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Message 11 of 28 (16,517 Views)

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Re: NPCs that are in game but not in manage households ('stealth' sims)

[ Edited ]
Hero

I'm a bit unsure if this is on purpose or a bug and if it is a bug, what the bug is.

 

The game spawns pregnant Sims that are removed after they have given birth so maybe the game also spawns suspects that are supposed to get removed afterwards but don't. 

 

Need to read the thread you linked but don't have much time atm.

 

EDIT: Added this for now. Maybe someone has some more insight.

Good Luck
Crin

Trennlinie

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Please only contact me via PM when asked to do so.



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Message 2 of 28 (15,532 Views)

Re: NPCs that are in game but not in manage households ('stealth' sims)

★★★★ Novice

I have one sim in particular who i want to get rid of b/c he was living & in the Doctor career. (For some reason in this career, sims show up doing a diff job each day, but normally the same sims are recycled through the diff positions each time.) One became an elder, then died, but still comes to work, accept now, he hardly does any work, so when he is the Orderly, the place remains a mess! I want him gone, but he has disappeared from Manage Households.

Message 3 of 28 (15,495 Views)

Re: NPCs that are in game but not in manage households ('stealth' sims)

★★★★ Novice

Also, i did use CAS in cheat mode to try to delete ghost NPC that isnt in manage household, to try to delete him, but i can't. So i added someone to his household so i could delete him and keep her, but it didn't work. I made him a teen so he couldn't come to work, but he was back in a couple days.

Message 4 of 28 (15,494 Views)

Re: NPCs that are in game but not in manage households ('stealth' sims)

[ Edited ]
★ Guide

@crinrict Thanks for looking into it/adding it.

Just some new info, which may or may not help. (I could/should have added this before, just didn't find the time to do it.)

 

By now we have figured out that the 'guilty criminal' hidden trait is removed once a Sim is no longer a suspect. From what you've said it means that these Sims should be removed after that. Which, for some reason, doesn't happen and turns them into steath Sims. I'm not sure it's just criminals that do it, I do remember players other than myself mentioning doctors, but they could be ex-cons of course Wink.

 

As for the parallel with pregnant Sims, I can tell you that in my game they are not removed after giving birth. They are, however, visible in manage households. The two that I have treated both were in a four person household, with, presumably, their husband, teenage daughter and child son. But neither of them had a baby - yet it is possible for NPCs to have babies in their households. I have seen it before in a different save, it could of course be patched out later, but not that I've heard/read. (not sure if this is relevant, or a different issue, but I thought I'd mention it, just in case it's connected)

 

I'm going to bump my forum thread to find out if anyone has new insights. I'll edit this message should anyone find out anything interesting.

 

EDIT: HarmonySims280 has let me know that apparently the MC Command Center mod from Mod the Sims has a fix for 'stealth' Sims. I'm assuming this will be helpful to fix it in game (so that it also works properly for people that don't use mods).

The post from Harmony: http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/13692183#Comment_13692183

The MTS link: http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=551680

Message 5 of 28 (15,453 Views)

Re: NPCs that are in game but not in manage households ('stealth' sims)

Hero

What's the take on this issue ?

 

@MDianaSims @babyj1only

Good Luck
Crin

Trennlinie

I don't work or have any association with EA. I give advice to the best of my knowledge and cannot be held responsible for any damage done to your computer/game.
Please only contact me via PM when asked to do so.



Important Threads


Message 6 of 28 (15,116 Views)

Re: NPCs that are in game but not in manage households ('stealth' sims)

★ Guide
Happy New Year Standard smile

Funny, I too was actually wondering about whether this issue was still there or not.
To be honest, the only active career I played recently was scientist and I don't recall any stealth Sims spawning in that save. Seeing as this was mostly tied to the detective career, I don't really know if the issue is still there or not. I don't think I'll get round to testing this anytime soon, but when I do, I'll report back.
Message 7 of 28 (15,101 Views)

Re: NPCs that are in game but not in manage households ('stealth' sims)

Hero

Thanks.

 

 

Good Luck
Crin

Trennlinie

I don't work or have any association with EA. I give advice to the best of my knowledge and cannot be held responsible for any damage done to your computer/game.
Please only contact me via PM when asked to do so.



Important Threads


Message 8 of 28 (15,094 Views)

Re: NPCs that are in game but not in manage households ('stealth' sims)

Hero

Since playing careers I have those but I'm really unsure if it's really a bug or by design

 

@MDianaSims

Good Luck
Crin

Trennlinie

I don't work or have any association with EA. I give advice to the best of my knowledge and cannot be held responsible for any damage done to your computer/game.
Please only contact me via PM when asked to do so.



Important Threads


Message 9 of 28 (15,061 Views)

Re: [FEEDBACK] [GTW] NPCs that are in game but not in manage households

[ Edited ]
★★★ Pro

@MDianaSims

 

Is this still occurring after you remove your mods?

 

On the Detective Career

Detective Career:  Sims who spawn as the guilty suspects are culled after you delete them and won't be in manage worlds except for teens.  Sims who are criminals and co-workers at the police station are in manage worlds.  I have checked and I was able to locate all of them in manage worlds.  Someone who you arrest who is found to be innocent will be in manage worlds.

Message 10 of 28 (14,926 Views)
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