What does NPC mean?

[Darstan64]

Hi all,

I'm still trying to figure out things with this game, I invited a roommate into my home and something was mentioned about NPC household being active.  I'm not sure what that means.  She had a job before she moved in but now she doesn't.  Is that normal?  I guess if I want roommates contributing to the household I need to get them out working or else I'll be paying all the bills with my own money. 

Does that mean whoever I invite to move in, I will have complete control over them?  What happens to whoever was controlling them before? If I decide to accept an offer to move into another household would someone also be controlling my sim?   Also what does it take to get the relationship bar to full, I had a fiance and now he's my husband but when we chat the bar only shows half way full.  Is that also normal?

Sorry for all the dumb questions.  Thanks again for all your help

[MissPlumbBob]

These aren't dumb questions! Especially if you are new to the game.

NPC stands for non-playable character. NPCs can have jobs that controllable Sims can't have. These jobs include maid, firefighter, repairman, pizza delivery guy, etc. Did she have one of those jobs?

Do you have University Life? Having a roommate is when a Sim lives with you but is not controllable. Being in a household is when you gain control of a Sim. If you move the Sim in, yes, you will have complete control; the game itself was in charge of them before. If you move into another household, you gain control of the whole household.

For the last question: it's completely normal. Just have them socialize more, and the bar will be full in no time.

Also, do you play with mods? I hope my answers help somewhat; I'm sure another member can explain this better than me! Keep asking if you don't understand.

[Darstan64]

Yes, she was a maid before moving into my house as a roommate.

No, I don't have University Life.  I'm playing Sims3.  I'm not sure if I play with mods.  What are mods please?

And thank you for your help, MissPlumbBob you were very helpful.  I think I understand now!

[MissPlumbBob]

That explains why she moved in without a job. Sure, get her a job so she can bring in money!

Okay, University Life is an expansion pack that was just released. It added a "roommate" feature that you don't have, so don't worry about it.

"Mods" is short for "Game Modifications". They are downloaded from different sites and are not created by Electronic Arts. They have the ability to modify aspects of gameplay. There is a whole board about them on this forum; you can find it here.

Glad to be a help!

[Pam]

Hi Darstan64 and welcome to our Forum!

It's exciting to see a newcomer to Sims 3.  It makes us all remember when we first started playing the game and were learning so many things that were confusing at first.  I've noticed that you've made a few threads to get some answers to your questions and that's perfectly fine.  However, please be careful about changing the subject when you make follow up posts.  When that happens, things get off topic and disorganized, and we try to keep the Forum tidy.  In fact, considering your newness to the game, I would suggest you make a thread on the Miscellaneous Help board specifically just for you instead of making new threads that end up scattering things around.  You could call it something like "New Player Needs Lots of Help".  That way, you can just ask whatever question you need and the rest of us can read the history of what you've already asked in order to understand your questions better.  I also highly recommend that you look at Carl's Sims 3 Guide if you haven't already.  It's a wonderful resource for everything about Sims 3 and the Expansion Packs.  Much of the information you've asked about can be found on the Guide.  Click here to visit Carl's Guide.

More in reference to this thread, I think we got confused when you used the term "roommate" to describe the other Sims in your household.  Roommates are a brand new thing that just came with the University Life Expansion Pack, as MissPlumbBob explained.  Roommates live in your house, but are not part of your household...  meaning you cannot control a roommate.  However, if a Sim is in your household and has an icon on the left side of the screen, that means you control that Sim.  Sims join your household when your Sim marries or invites a Sim to move in.

Also adding to what MissPlumbBob said, I do not recommend that you start using mods (game modifications).  They can be tricky and are known to mess up your game if not done properly.  As a new player, I really think you should just play the game as it is.  We always advise caution when using mods and third party custom content (items created by someone other than Electronic Arts).

Good luck with your game and happy Simming!