Read before install of Eco and how to band aid bugs [ Edited ]

[zoiee2020]

A lot of people have been having issues with Eco, so much so that ill give what I had to do to fix it. Random baking of cakes. Items on their lots disappearing, etc. All very annoying.

Before you play Eco!!!

Before you start the game after the expac install, go into game options and turn off NPC’s can vote for N.A. P’s. Doing so will help a lot of people with future headaches and heart break. Those who don’t are in for a real treat when their sims start obsessively cooking white cakes or find their business looted so badly, the game actually flags the lot/business as being nonfunctional or unusable due to not have the objects needed to make the property work properly. Unfortunately .... this option is turned on by default when you download Eco.

If you missed that option and your game is tainted:

Best option is to delete Eco and reinstall is. Be warned however, you will lose all saved data but you don’t want to reintroduce bugs to a fresh copy anyways.

If you don’t have this option or don’t want to go this route:

Unfortunately, I got the game from Origin and can’t delete just this pac. You will have to delete all of sims and reload each pac one by one. Very time consuming and again, you lose everything.

Option 2. Download a mod called “Scumbumbo”. If you have MCC installed, it says Scumbumbo is included. However, I find having both causes no conflict and Scumbumbo used on its own it much more user friendly. Scumbumbo is an Autonomy disabler for the sims.

Start the game and Click off game option NPC’s can vote. Then go in to the game. You will have to identify each neighborhood via the eco foot icon in each map at the top of the screen. In each neighborhood, you will have to choose a residence or business to place a community board. You do not need to delete the property, but you will have to evict the sim if it’s a residence. Then convert the property to community lot and place the billboard. You do not need to place community garden objects etc. You just want the board. After placed, go back to manage worlds. You will get a warning this lot is incomplete. That ok …. you just want the board.  Select a sim you don’t care about from that neighborhood and visit the lot. Go to the board and shift click “repeal all N.A.P’s.” then clear everything out. Go back to manage worlds. Change property type back to its original (residence, lounge, bar, etc.) Deleting the board is optional. Repeat for all neighborhoods. Once this is done, go back to manage worlds and click off the visiting sims you used and turn them back to unplayed. This will let those sims die off thus taking any bugged or tainted sims out of the game.

Go to your main played bugged sims household. Click the floor and activate Scumbumbo. This will allow you to click objects in game like fridge and sink. Turn off baking, go for snack and everything your sims are now obsessed with doing. This will not prevent them from baking … it will just prevent them from baking on their own. If their hungry, you will now have to tell them to bake.

Doing all of this has returned the game to mostly normal game play again. My sims have stopped excessively baking white cakes. Stopped beating each other up and my business have stopped being looted. Tainted sims have died out and the new born sims seem unaffected.

Sometimes I do still notice a sim playing with the stupid putty. Emptying out and selling the putty in that sims inventory helps stop this. If a random sim leaves putty on your property and the game won’t let you collect it saying it doesn’t belong to you… that’s ok. This is where your spellcaster comes in. Use spell INFERNO. Reduce the putty to smoldering ash. Collect and throw out.

I hope this helps. Unfortunately, it’s the only fix I have found to be effective. This sim behavior will continue until EA hotfixes the Expac which may be a while.