[FIXED] [ECO] [CoL] NPC Sims not filling regular positions [ Edited ]

[whubble]

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? 1.90.358.1030
What expansions, game packs, and stuff packs do you have installed? I own all expansion, game, stuff packs and kits and all are installed.
Steps: How can we find the bug ourselves? Visit some of the lots where certain NPC sims are usually found (ie the pub in Henford on Bagley) and see what NPC is assigned to work there.
What happens when the bug occurs? The game is generating random NPCs to fill the regular townie positions rather than using the ones that are already there.
What do you expect to see? I expect to see the regular townies doing their regular job and not have a bunch of unnecessary NPCs in my NPC tray.
Have you installed any customization with the game, e.g. Custom Content or Mods? Never used.
Did this issue appear after a specific patch or change you made to your system? Yes
Please describe the patch or change you made. I just updated my game today (7/26/2022) with the Highschool Patch.

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I started a fresh save today after updating the game with the new patch. For some reason, the regular sims that usually fill the NPC positions are not. I had my sim in the pub in Henford on Bagley, and the pub owner who is usually Sara Scott comes into the pub with the Pub Owner's title still over her name, but she doesn't get behind the bar. Instead, the position is filled by an inappropriate randomly generated townie. This also goes for the Creature Keeper. I moved my sim into an apartment in Evergreen Harbor, and instead of being visited by Knox Greenberg as Eco Master, another sim showed up, but when I see Knox at the gym, it still says eco master over his name. The same with Beth Sterling. This is not life-changing by any stretch of the imagination, but by doubling all the NPC/Townie sims to fill those roles, I am ending up with a large number of extra sims in my non-playable bin that I don't want. I experimented by deleting all the unrecognized townies from the bin, hoping it would reset the right ones, but it doesn't, and when I go back into the bin a ton of sims have been generated. However, the three sages are in their correct positions in the magic realm. Also, the townie families seem to be correct. 

Edit By Crinrict: Added Tag to Title

[crinrict · Accepted solution]

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When you live in a small village like Henford-On-Bagley, you get to know everyone on a first name basis. So seeing random NPCs working in the local pub was a shock for everyone. Now, only pre-made NPCs will start off behind the bar and other local businesses.

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Fixed in Patch 1.92.145/1.65

If you're still experiencing this issue, please create a new thread.

[crinrict]

Could you please edit your post and add the following info to your post.

Product: The Sims 4
Platform:
Which language are you playing the game in? 
How often does the bug occur? 
What is your current game version number? 
What expansions, game packs, and stuff packs do you have installed? 
Steps: How can we find the bug ourselves? 
What happens when the bug occurs? 
What do you expect to see? 
Have you installed any customization with the game, e.g. Custom Content or Mods?
Did this issue appear after a specific patch or change you made to your system? 

The bug template is currently working on/off but it helps if you are not prompted for the template while editing, please answer the questions anyways. 

[MapleSimmer]

I can confirm I'm seeing the same thing in HonB

Product: The Sims 4
Platform: PC
Which language are you playing the game in? English
How often does the bug occur? In both saves I've started since the Jul 26/22 update 
What is your current game version number? 1.90.358.1030
What expansions, game packs, and stuff packs do you have installed? All expansion, game & stuff packs. Most Kits
Steps: How can we find the bug ourselves? Go to Henford on Bagley
What happens when the bug occurs?  The grocery owner, mayor, pub owner, grocery deliver & creature keeper are not the usual sims
What do you expect to see?  I expect to see the usual sims filling the grocery owner, mayor, pub owner, grocery deliver & creature keeper roles in a brand new save. They are still in manage worlds
Have you installed any customization with the game, e.g. Custom Content or Mods? I removed my mods folder for the update, it's still out 
Did this issue appear after a specific patch or change you made to your system? After the July 26/22 game update

As I mentioned, I do see the sims in manage households, however I took my sims to Finchwick on their first day in the new save (i.e. Sunday) and the roles had been placed by random NPCs, all except the Crumplebottoms.  I had this happen twice, I restarted my save after I noticed it and the same thing happened. I've not yet tried an existing save, though in the first save I didn't see the creature keeper and in the second save I've not yet seen the grocery deliver. I tested in an old save where I had visited HonB before the update and the pub owner and the grocery shop owner were the usual sims.  I tested in another save that I'd started before the update but not played in and not visited HonB and the pub owner were random NPCs.

Edited on July 28/22 to add that my sim was unable to get an errand from the Mayor shown here and the Agnes Crumplebottom in the world. My sims returned to Finchwick the following Saturday and there was a new mayor, still not the original one, but my sim was able to ask for an errand from her. There was still no option for an errand for the Agnes Crumplebottom in the save, the message was that she had 'no errands at this time' even though my sims had never done an errand for her (and it's usually there as soon as I start a new save, I almost always do the errand for her in my saves). This is the new mayor in the same save that now has errands for my sims:

Here's the Agnes Crumplebottom that doesn't have any errands, though she is noted as the Garden Shop Owner, however I've only seen Agatha Crumplebottom in the stand in this save. Her outfit seems a little different than I remember, she is also noted as a participant in the Finchwick Fair as my sim was able to compliment her on her fair entry:

I also found the grocery deliver when my sims were at the fair, however it wasn't Rahul. 

End of edit.

Best regards,
Jennifer

[emdarby]

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? 1.90.358.1050
What expansions, game packs, and stuff packs do you have installed? All of them
Steps: How can we find the bug ourselves? Start a new save and go visit Henford on Bagley
What happens when the bug occurs? The NPCs in Henford on Bagley are now completely randomized. The pub owner is now a completely random NPC instead of someone from the Scott family. The grocery stall person is now a random NPC instead of Kim Goldbloom. Those sims are still in my game - they are just not longer assuming their work responsibilities.
What do you expect to see? I expect the Scott Family to be the pub owners. I expect Kim Goldbloom to run the grocery stall.
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. This occurs after the patch for High School stories.

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The grocery stall person is now a random NPC instead of Kim Goldbloom.

[RandomBuzziness]

Same thing for me. Shortly after installing the July 26, 2022 patch, I sent my sim to the Finchwick Fair. The Grocery Shop Owner, the Pub Owner, and the Mayor were all new random Sims, not the original Maxis townies. Agatha Crumpletottom was still running the Garden Shop. I'm playing an older save that I started in 2019, and for all of my previous visits I have always seen the default Maxis townies in those roles. I am playing on PC and this save is no-mods/cc (never used).

[WingedSnek]

I am having the same issue as well. I tried repairing the game and starting new saves but to no avail. I'm playing on PC and the bug also started occurring in my game after the new patch. It's driving me crazy and I definitely won't touch the game again until it's fixed. 

Edit: I tried deleting the random NPCs and re-assigning the roles via cheat, however, the game still generates more NPCs to fill the „vacant“ roles, so that there are now two mayors etc. in town. The Crumblebottoms also multiply for the same reason, however, under different names in the household manager, since they have a hidden NPC trait as well.

[EmeraldLaura]

Product: The Sims 4
Platform:PC
Which language are you playing the game in? Deutsch
How often does the bug occur? Every time (100%)
What is your current game version number? 1.90.358.1030
What expansions, game packs, and stuff packs do you have installed? All but Pet Stuff and JtB
Steps: How can we find the bug ourselves? enter Henford in livemode and watching for the premade NPC (Lavinia Choppra, Kim Goldblum etc..)
What happens when the bug occurs? the premade NPC will be replaced by random generated NPC
What do you expect to see? the Sims that have been premade by EA for the corresponding Jobs like for example Mayor or Grocery Owner
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. Highschool Years Pre-Patch

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i already tried to replace the random NPC by the following Steps with Kim Goldblum as example (wich always worked for me - but not yet anymore!) :

1. find out the random NPC's name in the Grocery Shop

2. find Kim and let her move in to a Lot where i enter livemode with her

3. add a career with careers.add_career career_Adult_CottageWorld_NPC_GroceryOwner

4. add hidden Trait traits.equip_trait trait_Hidden_CottageWorld_NPC_GroceryOwner

5. leave the household

6. move her out off the Lot

7. find the random NPC thats actually the Grocery Owner in the List and delete him

8. make Kim unplayed and no favorite again

usually (out of experience with Cheats like this) it will work everytime when i follow this order and the corresponding Cheats.

what happens now is, if i do as described, there will be generated new NPC again and replace the recently deleted NPC!

[WingedSnek]

@EmeraldLaura I tried the same thing. It's like the game somehow does not recognize that the pre-made NPCs have hidden roles to start with. Did anyone test whether the barkeeper and the librarian in Moodwood Mill also have the same problem? And possibly also the principal in the High School Years pack when it is released.

[EmeraldLaura]

@WingedSnek Celene Lopez is still the Barkeeper in Moonwood Mill (at least in my save)

[crinrict]

Yes, I tested MWM. That one is fine for me. All of them.