Meals greyed-out, sims can't cook or bake

by CertifiedHuman
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Meals greyed-out, sims can't cook or bake

★★ Novice

Product: The Sims 4
Platform:PC
Which language are you playing the game in? English
How often does the bug occur? Every time (100%)
What is your current game version number? 1.77.131.1030
What expansions, game packs, and stuff packs do you have installed? Cottage Living, Eco Lifestyle, Island Living, Seasons, Cats & Dogs, City Living, Get Together, Get To Work, Realm of Magic, Strangerville, Jungle Adventure, Vampires, Dine Out, Spa Day, Outdoor Retreat, Tiny Living, Fitness, Bowling Night, Vintage Glamour, Romantic Garden, Perfect Patio, Holiday Celebration Pack
Steps: How can we find the bug ourselves? Start game, create character, try to cook something
What happens when the bug occurs? When I select "cook..." or "bake..." on a fridge or oven, all of the meals are greyed-out and I cant select any of them. Tried leveling up my cooking skill with a book first, replacing the oven and fridge, nothing works. No mods or CC installed. Tried creating a new game, tried repairing the game, tried using ovens/fridges on other lots. Nothing works.
What do you expect to see? I want a refund for the Cottage Living pack, since I just bought it yesterday and I can't play the game due to this bug.
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? No

When I select "cook..." or "bake..." on a fridge or oven, all of the meals are greyed-out and I cant select any of them. Tried leveling up my cooking skill with a book first, replacing the oven and fridge, nothing works. No mods or CC installed. Tried creating a new game, tried repairing the game, tried using ovens/fridges on other lots. Nothing works.

Message 1 of 21 (102,798 Views)

Accepted Solution

Re: Meals greyed-out, sims can't cook or bake

Does the lot you are playing on has the Simple Living Lot Challenge by any chance? This Challenge makes you require all ingredients to cook a meal, you can turn it off by clicking on the trophy in the Lot Traits UI.

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Message 2 of 21 (102,784 Views)

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Re: Meals greyed-out, sims can't cook or bake

Does the lot you are playing on has the Simple Living Lot Challenge by any chance? This Challenge makes you require all ingredients to cook a meal, you can turn it off by clicking on the trophy in the Lot Traits UI.

Message 2 of 21 (102,785 Views)

Re: Meals greyed-out, sims can't cook or bake

★★ Novice
@Anska_Stormblade I really hope that's the case, I will check as soon as possible!
Message 3 of 21 (102,758 Views)

Re: Meals greyed-out, sims can't cook or bake

★★ Novice

Yes, that was the case. But I really think they should highlight this trait when trying to prepare a meal, I would never have thought about that.

Message 4 of 21 (102,731 Views)

Sims Unable to Cook

★★ Novice

Product: The Sims 4
Platform:Mac
Which language are you playing the game in? English
How often does the bug occur? Every time (100%)
What is your current game version number? 1.44
What expansions, game packs, and stuff packs do you have installed? expansions: cats & dogs, city living, cottage living, discover university, get famous, get to work, seasons, game packs: dream home decorator, parenthood, spa day, vampires, stuff: laundry day, nifty knitting, tiny living
Steps: How can we find the bug ourselves? Playing the game
What happens when the bug occurs? When I try to have my sims cook/make a meal, the food options are all blurred out, making them unable to make food. the only thing they can do is order.
What do you expect to see? Sims being able to make food.
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? Yes
Please describe the patch or change you made. After downloading Cottage Living, my sims have been unable to cook

Photo shows sims inability to cook.

Message 5 of 21 (102,623 Views)

Re: Sims Unable to Cook

Champion
@alexisbiancax it's probably not a bug, you're most likely playing on one of the new lots that has the new "Simple Living" Lot Challenge activated.

It's a new lot challenge (something they've extended from Lot Traits) that comes with Cottage Living. It means that you cannot cook anything unless you actually have the ingredients on your sim's inventory or in the fridge.

If you want to turn that off, just go into build mode, go to the lot traits and challenges panel and remove it.
Message 6 of 21 (102,609 Views)

Re: Sims Unable to Cook

Hero
@alexisbiancax I merged this with a thread on the same issue.

Please tag me if it's not the lot challenge.

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.



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Message 7 of 21 (102,567 Views)

Re: Meals greyed-out, sims can't cook or bake

★ Guide

Do they have the tool tip feature where you hover over the thing that is grayed out and it tells you why you can't make it, similar to handiness upgrades? I don't have this pack so I don't know, but that would be nice!

Message 8 of 21 (102,522 Views)

Re: Meals greyed-out, sims can't cook or bake

[ Edited ]
★★★★★ Apprentice

I have greyed out baking recipes currently but I don't have Cottage living and there are no lot challenges on the house. The lot didn't have any traits or challenges when I downloaded it from the gallery. My sim cant bake any of the recipes that I don't have all the ingredients for. I wanted to make quiche but don't have the spinach. My sim has level 6 baking skill. Quiche requires level 5.

I do have mods. Not sure if this is intended gameplay.

I don't usually play bakers and my sims tend not to bake unless its a birthday cake. My current sim is a baker. The non-baking recipes seem unaffected. My sim has a big garden so I have a lot of ingredients. Because of this I didn't notice this limitation.

Message 9 of 21 (95,849 Views)

Re: Meals greyed-out, sims can't cook or bake

Champion

@CrystalWB For Cooking and Gourmet Cooking you will see a 'use fresh ingredients' option box that you can tick or untick to let your Sim cook or not cook a meal that they have/have not got the ingredients for. 

Screen Shot 2021-10-04 at 9.35.17 PM.pngScreen Shot 2021-10-04 at 9.35.29 PM.png

 

However, for Baking your Sim will need to have certain (listed) ingredients in order to bake certain items. There is no box for a 'use fresh ingredients' option box that you can tick or untick to let your Sim bake a meal that they have not got certain listed ingredients for. For instance:

 

If I want my Sim to make a Spinach and Onion Quiche, but she does not have a spinach or and an onion, she has no option available to make that quiche:

Screen Shot 2021-10-04 at 9.36.29 PM.png

 

 

However, if I have her harvest a spinach and an onion from her plants, she does have the option available to make that quiche:

Screen Shot 2021-10-04 at 9.41.41 PM.png

 

This is not due to Mods/CC [I do not have any nor have I ever had any in my game, and this lot and save are from way before Cottage Living (no simple living trait)]. It has been like this for Baking as long as I remember. I also think it's odd. Perhaps it's for the purpose of making Baking 'extra special'?

SheriGR   I don’t work for EA.


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Message 10 of 21 (95,830 Views)
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