Mission Highly Unlikely: Mission Complete

[Schipperke]

Since this is not a Dynasty, you should know that there is now an option in testingcheats to remove Celebrity status. Or set Celebrity status, for the matter. You can shift-click Nameless and take him back down to 0 Stars. Don't give up on Late Night for this fixable problem!

Really?  We can remove celebrity status?  I wish I had known about that option to remove Celebrity status, and now that I do know, I may just be willing to reinstall LN.  Or not.  Because I was already getting fed up with tripping over paparazzi everywhere.  I'll have to think about it some more.  But thanks for telling me, Rosa. 

[Odinsdottir]

Oh, poooor Nameless!  Thank heavens for PJ, at least.

[MarianT]

Schip, the population controls work like the graphics settings -- they cover your whole Sims 3 file instead of each individual file (I discovered this when I had fairies and werewolves showing up in my decadynasty game because I'd included them in the life states dynasty game.) As for celebrities, apparently you can't keep them from picking up a point, but if you check the box to remove your household from the celebrity system, you don't get the interminable calls from the agent.

Great update, though -- you seem to have made lemonade from your lemons!

[RainBeau]

Really?  We can remove celebrity status?  I wish I had known about that option to remove Celebrity status, and now that I do know, I may just be willing to reinstall LN.  Or not.  Because I was already getting fed up with tripping over paparazzi everywhere.  I'll have to think about it some more.  But thanks for telling me, Rosa.

Yeah, I personally think it should have come in the patch with Late Night, but it took until the Supernatural patch. I discovered it quite by accident, but it was a very happy accident!

As for celebrities, apparently you can't keep them from picking up a point, but if you check the box to remove your household from the celebrity system, you don't get the interminable calls from the agent.

Great update, though -- you seem to have made lemonade from your lemons!

You can't? I thought that was the whole point of that checkbox!

[Louise56]

You can also cure all the sims on town with testing cheats on. It is a cheat with the mailbox. Shift click on the mailbox and you can get rid of all the supernaturals, make all the sims normal. Poor Nameless, that burglar look so mean.

[Schipperke]

You can't? I thought that was the whole point of that checkbox!

Yeah, that's what I thought.  When I did my Dynasty, one of them got a celebrity point and then they all became level 5 celebrities just from talking to each other.  And from that point on, every few days one or more of them was getting falsely accused of something or other - ridiculous things, like peeing in public (even though they all had Steel Bladder).  And every time, they would lose up to 5 friends, even though I had spent 20,000 happiness points on the Long Distance Friend reward.  Negative moodlets, lost friends - I was pretty fed up with celebrity by the time that Dynasty was over.  So if Marian is right and we can't stop our Sims from getting celebrity points, I think I'll just leave LN uninstalled.  No big loss, except for the instruments.

And as saltpastillen astutely pointed out, an anonymous Sim whose mission depends on secrecy doesn't need the complications of being a celebrity!

[saltpastillen]

The way I have solved the problem of the population control settings not being saved to each individual game file, is to do a factory reset and have all my dynasty files in one sim3 folder, my challenges in another and so forth. It isn't really a problem for me since I tend to do that anyway, and it's a great way of making sure your sims don't get turned into something you don't want them to.

[Schipperke]

Payne's Pains

Next morning, Nameless really needs a bit of fun.  Thank goodness for Kids TV.  The parrot is practicing his acrobatics.  All is peaceful.

Just after dawn, a visitor arrives from far away.



Now, what would make Mr Payne start thinking about ghosts the minute he steps onto this lot?

He walks in and finds Nameless still in his underwear, watching television, and surrounded by dirty dishes in various stages of decomposition.



Nameless, of course, is entirely unaffected by the filthy surroundings.  But Mr Payne gets a double hit of negative moodlets, one from Nameless himself and the other from the ambient stench and swarms of flies.  Stifling his natural inclination to get away from the dirt and smell, Mr Payne sits down beside Nameless.  (But I had to turn off his free will to make him stay.)

Mr Payne:  I've come to get your progress report.  How are you getting along?



Nameless:  I quit.
Mr Payne:  Pardon?
Nameless:  I can't do it.  It's too hard for me.  I want out.
Mr Payne:  Explain.
Nameless:  It's impossible.  Almost everybody hates me.  I'm always scared.  Vita's spies are everywhere.  I've never seen Holly Alto - what am I supposed to do, walk up to her front door and ask Vita to let me talk to her daughter?  There's no library, no art gallery.  Central Park has been turned into something sick and ugly.  There is nothing left in this town of beauty, intellectual stimulation, common Sim decency.  There are these poor Sims - they call them Freaks - who are forced to go around pretending to be deformed just so the Evil ones can laugh at them and make fun of them.  It's awful! 
Mr Payne:  I see.  Things are even worse than we feared. 
Nameless gestures at the grey parrot:  That bird is the only one I can trust in this whole town!  It's making me crazy. 
Mr Payne:  Crazy?  Crazy how?
Nameless sighs:  A few days ago I saw an ugly, distorted face in the mirror.  And I imagined it was talking to me.  I tell you, you have to get me out of here.  Please!

Mr Payne knew this would be a difficult mission.  He was prepared to have to deal with Nameless' laziness and slovenly ways, but what he's seeing and hearing has made him truly alarmed.  As Nameless stares at the television, Mr Payne makes an urgent phone call.



The telephone rings and is answered.



"Busy?  I have three teenagers wanting to learn to drive!  Urgent, you say?  Well, the driving lessons will have to wait.  I'll be right over."

[Dextra2]

Nameless is getting therpy? Good, he needs lots of it.

[Audren]

It's Simgund!  Do Nameless and Dr. Freud have the same hairstyle? (When the doctor doesn't have his hat on, that is)

[Schipperke]

It's Simgund!  Do Nameless and Dr. Freud have the same hairstyle? (When the doctor doesn't have his hat on, that is)

I don't know.  Do you think maybe they share the same barber?  For some reason, that strikes me as quite funny.  If they do have the same hair, it's probably because I don't like a lot of the male hairdos.  A lot of the longer ones tend to look quite "girly" to me.

What an observant person you are. 

[Schipperke]

Simgund Makes a House Call 

Diary Entry

I couldn't imagine what the old man was doing outside.  All he needed to do was arrange for my flight out of this place.  I'd happily go back to my home town and the repo woman, or even live on the street if necessary - anything would be better than this wretched town.  I heard Mr Payne calling me to come outside.

There I met a scholarly-looking, middle aged fellow who gazed at me intently with penetrating blue eyes.  He introduced himself as Dr Simgund Freud.  "Now, my young friend, what is this I hear?  You are worried about your mental health?  Tell me all about it."



I told him about the face in the mirror, the menacing town and the Evil Sims.  I told him about the missing art gallery and library.  I told him about the park that had been turned into a gambling den.  I told him I couldn't stand it any longer.  I got down on my knees and begged to be allowed to leave.



I saw him dart a glance at Mr Payne, then he said, "Yes, I see.  Would you be willing to be hypnotized?  I have found hypnosis to be very helpful in cases of this sort."

Whatever.  I didn't care.  It couldn't possibly be worse than my daily existence.  I agreed to be hypnotized.  "It won't hurt," he said.  "Watch the spinning disc.  You will begin to feel relaxed, calm, drowsy …"



I don't remember much of what happened next.  I just remember feeling relaxed and light, free of tension.  Then he snapped his fingers and it was as if I woke up.  "You must take better care of yourself," he said.  "Sound mind in a sound body.  No more going for days without bathing.  You will feel better if you bathe daily - I promise you, it will help to lift your mood.  Of course, first you must make a self-cleansing shower for yourself.  The post-hypnotic suggestions I gave you will help you cope with the situation here in town.  It is imperative that you find the Good Sims so you can support one another.  Don't worry, we're going to find a way to help you." 



He gave me a friendly hug and said, "Now, why don't you go relax while I have a few words with Mr Payne."

I went back to my television program.

As I sat gazing at the television, I could hear occasional snippets of their discussion coming from outside.

Mr Payne:  ... all right?



Dr Freud:  …serious … breakdown
Mr Payne:  … treatment?
Dr Freud:  … GO Treatment Centre … get away …
Mr Payne:  … crucial mission … can't abort.



Dr Freud:  … responsible … consequences
Mr Payne raised his voice here:  There must be a way for him to continue!  This mission is too important.  It must not be allowed to fail.
Dr Freud:  … neurotic … isolated … stress … breaking point
Mr Payne:  … would agree to …
Dr Freud:  … sure?   



Mr Payne:  … cold (or perhaps it was bold, or maybe old - I couldn't be sure)  … grateful …
Dr Freud:  … strong character …
Mr Payne:  [unintelligible]



Diary Entry Ends

Dr Freud:  Well, it's worth a try.  Now, I must be getting back to the driving lessons.  Nice to see you again, old friend.

He leaves.  Mr Payne makes two phone calls, one to arrange for maid service, and another one.



As he walks away from Raven House, Mr Payne is deep in thought.  A passerby might have heard him muttering about carrots and sticks.

[Easilyamusd123]

These Mr. Payne stories are always so exciting! And suspenseful too. Plus I love how you tie them all together with inteormixing characters or name drops from other stories. They're so excellent!

Thank you, Schipperke for writing them all and keeping up with updates

[RainBeau]

I am sleep-deprived and I have a crazy theory! I think Mr. Payne is a rabbit! That would explain everything. The rabbits that constantly show up when he's around...the fact that he always wears grey and has no first name...that must be the race of aliens he comes from! Rabbit men! Also, he was just talking about carrot sticks. Okay, I'm done with my crazy theory now. Good night

[Odinsdottir]

Schip, these days you're my favourite author!  Better than Stephen King and Margaret Atwood put together.  Maybe I'm taking simming too seriously these days..