# I need help with my Sims game... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 17, 2002, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-my-sims-game/114426 "2002-06-17T00:10:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-my-sims-game/114426/1 "2002-06-17T00:10:09Z")
Ok, why do some of my houses’ surroundings have other neighbors in there? I try to click on them, tell them to leave, talk to them, but the program says it is not permitted…I call them from the phone, and they answer that they are already outside, yet I cannot interact with them…I learned the hard and sad way that if they stay too long in the area, they die…_sniff, sniff_…3 out of 4 of the ones in this state are kids, no way do I want them to die…Any help? Also, one of the family has troubles bringing the neighbors…they call their friends, and their friends say OK…but they never appear! One hour, two hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, and they don’t appear…and it happens with all the members of the family, their friends don’t go to their house…what’s happening? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-my-sims-game/114426/2 "2002-06-17T00:17:26Z")
It’s a problem with portals. There is one house in the orginal sims neighborhood (I’m thinking lot 4) that this happens most often to; and each created additional neighborhood may have it as well. The best way to get rid of this problem is to import a house over it. You can either import a house from the sims teleporter at the orginal site, or follow the instuctions under cheats for “house so nice have it twice” here: [www.geocities.com/simthingdifferent](http://www.geocities.com/simthingdifferent) to use an existing house without downloading anything. to temporarily remove “stuck” neighbors, you can use the move objects cheat and delete them; they don’t starve in your house and yard that way. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-my-sims-game/114426/3 "2002-06-17T00:32:39Z")
Do’h! I hadn’t thought of that, thanks! Still, why suddenly the friends stopped visiting in one of the lots? They used to go there, and be happy, and now no one will appear… ---
**Author:** ![Calliope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Calliope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calliope)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-my-sims-game/114426/4 "2002-06-17T00:35:13Z")
Wow, I’ve never had that happen, but we usually bulldoze all the existing houses anyway. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-my-sims-game/114426/5 "2002-06-17T02:46:03Z")
Nope, I made the house of lot four…and I’m stupid, but I cannot use any move object thingie to delete the neighbors…_sigh_…I guess I’m not playing any of the houses until I figure how to remedy…which is a shame, since that leaves me with only 3 other families…and one of them is so near the happy life ending that I won’t play it anymore afterwards… ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-my-sims-game/114426/6 "2002-06-17T10:25:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Calliope \* > \*\*Wow, I’ve never had that happen, but we usually bulldoze all the existing houses anyway. \*\* Unfrotunately, bulldozing doesn’t help in this case, because it’s the lot itself that’s corrupt, not the house. They did manage to fix it so it never happens again by the second expansion pack, though, so it’s been a long long time since I’ve had the problem myself. Karl, I didn’t think of this last night, but try this: Go into your sims/template neighborhood folder and click on house04. Copy it into your sim/houses folder (answer yes that you do want to paste over existing file) and then you’ll have the same family the next time you start the game, though they’ll be homeless. I’m about 75% sure this will work. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-my-sims-game/114426/7 "2002-06-17T10:39:37Z")
Actually…yes, that may work…that’s the same thing I did when one of the other families was about to lose the job…of course, they’ll have less money to buy their basic necessity stuff…oh well, a couple of days living on the edge… ---
**Author:** ![lolagranola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ea5d25/32.png) [@lolagranola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lolagranola)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-my-sims-game/114426/8 "2002-06-17T16:35:58Z")
Did you try the patches available at [The Sims](http://thesims.ea.com/us/index.html). We downloaded the patches before we even started playing the game, and haven’t had any problems. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-my-sims-game/114426/9 "2002-06-17T23:38:08Z")
Yes, I downloaded one, but unfortunately, the patches won’t work with the Spanish instalation… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Jeremy\_s\_Evil\_Twin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Jeremy\_s\_Evil\_Twin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeremy_s_Evil_Twin)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-my-sims-game/114426/10 "2002-06-18T10:08:45Z")
Have you tried the “prepare\_lot” cheat? Sometimes that will clear up a stuck portal. Also, make sure you haven’t deleted anything important, such as the mailbox, trash can, or the invisible portals at the end of the sidewalk. I had a similar problem with the Goth house just a few nights ago. Wanted to re-populate the graveyard so I put about 20 neighbors in a fenced-off pen and lit a fire, which raged for about six hours or so until I noticed that the maid & gardener hadn’t shown up yet, nor had the repairman I called to fix up the remnants of a Frankenstein-potion disaster…I tried calling for pizza and “Throw Party” several times, and still, no one was coming over. That’s when I used “prepare\_lot”, and started laughing as a virtual FLOOD of neighbors & NPCs poured onto the lot, including the paper girl (at 6:30 p.m.) and, for some reason, Barnie the Carnie. God, I love this game. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-my-sims-game/114426/11 "2002-06-18T12:25:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KarlGrenze \* > \*\*which is a shame, since that leaves me with only 3 other families…and one of them is so near the happy life ending that I won’t play it anymore afterwards… \*\* Happy life ending?!?! No no no! You are their god, They should be worshiping you for all you have done for them. Have they prayed to yoy lately? No? Then now is the Time to be a vengeful and angry God! Remove fire detectors put in cheap fireplaces near flamible objects, Remove the ladders when the children play in the pool. Have them ignore their friends and neighbours, Remove the useless creature comforts like beds sofas, toilets and stoves. Keep them up all night and wake them each time they doze off. Make em miss their jobs due to lack of sleep. By the time you are finished those little ingrates will wish you had bought the expansion packs and used the Transmogrifier to generate an Idol of yourself that they can pray to every waking hour. Of course you could just let them be hapy and give up the game. ---
**Author:** ![QueenAl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/d26b3c/32.png) [@QueenAl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QueenAl)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-my-sims-game/114426/12 "2002-06-18T12:30:07Z")
For the ones that are stuck outside, it may simply be that they can’t ‘physically’ get out. Sims are very stupid and need a clear, wide opening to get out. They can’t walk over flowerbeds, for example. Try knocking down a wall or flowerbeds or anything that might be in the way. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-my-sims-game/114426/13 "2002-06-18T20:52:06Z")
I’ll use the “prepare\_lot” cheat to see what happens…the “move\_objects on” cheat is very useful, but it means that every sim-day I have to delete another whiny peeing and crying kid from the lot… _Sigh_ I’m a goodie, I cannot see my sims suffer…I want them to suceed!