Product: The Sims 4
Platform:PC
Which language are you playing the game in? English
How often does the bug occur? Often (50% - 99%)
What is your current game version number? 1.76.81.1020
What expansions, game packs, and stuff packs do you have installed? Sims Base Game 64 Bit (NOT Legacy Ed.), Cats & Dogs, City Living, University, Get to Work, Get Together, Dine Out, Dream Home, Outdoor, Parenthood, Cool Kitchen, Kid's Room, Laundry Day, Moschino, Tiny Living, Country Kitchen, Free Holiday
Steps: How can we find the bug ourselves? Have a fireplace on your lot that isn't already lit
What happens when the bug occurs? Sims autonomously and immediately will go to light a fireplace if it isn't already lit. If you have an autonomous sim and have nothing in their queue for them, then within 20 in-game minutes (not real time), at least 60% of the time, they will decide to light a fire. Guests to a lot with a fireplace immediately go to light an unlit fireplace unless your Sim or others are interacting with them. You apparently can't have a fireplace that isn't lit, your Sims and other Sims on the lot will not allow it. It's their first autonomous action if you have nothing in their queue or they aren't occupied by another Sim's interaction.
What do you expect to see? Lighting a fireplace just has no reason to be an autonomous action. It isn't at all necessary nor fulfilling for the Sims in any way. Sims should, at least, prioritize autonomously taking care of needs over their necessity to have a lit fireplace. Why does the fireplace HAVE to be lit. They need to be okay with fireplaces not being lit and just leave them alone.
Have you installed any customization with the game, e.g. Custom Content or Mods? Not now. I've removed them.
Did this issue appear after a specific patch or change you made to your system? Neutral/Not Sure
-Clarification to the questions above:
I had mods, but since the last big update have removed them from my PC and reinstalled my game entirely. I'm not sure how long this has been an issue, since I didn't often play in houses with fireplaces until recently, and so I'm not sure if it started after a specific patch or update.
-Other clarifications:
I only play households in Newcrest so I'm not sure if it's town-specific. Occurred on at least 4 different lots within the town (all main level fireplaces, haven't ever had a fireplace on another floor). This has happened with at least 3 different styles of fireplaces and I don't recall which; whether they're from a pack or from base game, I couldn't tell ya. Last occurrence was a few days ago (the last time I played live-mode).
-Further into the issue:
Sims autonomously and immediately will go to light a fireplace if it isn't already lit. If you have an autonomous sim and have nothing in their queue for them, then within 20 in-game minutes (not real time), 60% of the time (maybe more), they will decide to light a fire. (If they don't light the fire, then they decide to make a pot of coffee for no reason instead, idk). Guests (Sims not in your household) on a lot with a fireplace immediately go to light an unlit fireplace unless your Sim or others are interacting with them. (It's an autonomous action, so you can interrupt these issues with a direct action). You apparently can't have a fireplace that isn't lit, your Sims and guests won't allow it. It's their first autonomous action if you have nothing in their queue/nothing occupying them.
-Related posts/reports:
I tried to look on the threads and reports, as well as on posts of issues already been noticed and their status, to find whether this issue has been already listed. I looked for maybe 20 minutes with different key words via the site search (scrolling all the pages and briefing the reports) and also using "find in page" browser page key word searches, and I didn't see this specific issue. Closest I found was a year old report of Sims autonomously being obsessed with lighting an already lit fireplace, and this is different since I've never had this issue when the fireplace is already lit. If it's lit, all Sims just leave it be. But I don't want the fireplace to always be lit!! There's no reason! Also, I'm pretty sure a lit fireplace can still cause fires if left unattended or burning too long and such (I don't know if this still happens, but I don't really know why it wouldn't. I know they reduced probability for sure, but I don't believe they entirely removed the possibility from the game). If I missed someone already reporting this specific issue, I apologize greatly and would like a direct to their post so I can boost their report by hitting the button saying "I'm experiencing this too" and help to get this issue seen (and to not clutter the forum with repeat reports).
Cheers~
