How To Fix Pausing Every Few Seconds Without Resetting All Sims

[Jagid]

This information applies in all environments, but it is most helpful in China, as it happens there a lot. It is also useful if there are Sims stuck trying to get into and out of elevators or really just about anywhere.

If you are at home or base camp and you don't care if all your Sims' locations, actions, and to some degree their green bars are reset, you can always do the old hold down of shift + control and then press C. Then type ResetSims *. Then press enter. That resets everyone in the town and doesn't even require cheat mode.

But I hate loosing all my queued actions and I hate having to go back out to The Temple of Heaven or wherever I was from base camp or wherever my Sims are living.

Study your town for areas where the Sims' paths to home will require them to double back on themselves a few times. When your machine starts the pausing thingy, press pause and take a look at those places. Maybe look over at the top of the hill for fisherman trying to go home from Dragon Springs. Look at their names, and you'd type ResetSim Bayu Shang, or whatever the name of the Sim is. Rinse and repeat.

Then check Hot Springs. Do the same for any stragglers there. There's no impact on your Sims' plans and those poor souls don't pee themselves and eventually die (I've never seen that, but I've always imagined it). 

If you want to permanently keep it from happening ever again (in this savegame) do this:

• SAVE YOUR GAME using SAVE AS. Name it PRE or BEFORE or something.
• Use SAVE AS again and use a name like POST or AFTER. Now you can't accidentally save over your current file.
• While holding control + shift press C.
• Type TestingCheatsEnabled True. Press Enter.
• Type EnableLotLocking On. Press enter.
• Go to Edit Town.
• Click the lot where Sims are getting stuck.
• At the bottom-right of the pop-up window you see a dark blue padlock. Click it and leave it open.
• Click the first circle called Change Lot Type.
• Switch it to No Visitors Allowed.
• Rinse and repeat very carefully. Some lots are better left glitchy.

Exercise CAUTION. You can totally break your savegame if you misuse these commands. I usually limit myself to those two lots.

These commands have, however, made my gaming time actually worth playing. Mine was so bad that I'd try to play for a few minutes and give up. And with the long-term fix I barely have any issues. I have tested it extensively and it fixes the issue on three different platforms at my house, from below spec (Netbook) to mediocre (average laptop) to a very nice one (Core i5 3570, 8 GB, SSD for system & games, GeForce GT, Win 7).

I am totally cool with it if someone wants to rewrite this information and make a sticky or something. It would be nice to have an easy reference.

---

Additional Note:

I just used the eyedropper and put Secret Rotating Doors at the base of of the stairs of Shang Simla Market, along with some walls and decor. They keep the townsfolk out just fine. They just don't know how to use those whacky doors!   Your Sim, of course, can open and close the doors at will, with a little elbow grease.

[RainBeau]

That is so cool, thank you! I had actually a really interesting game going on with Lara Croft and Indiana Jones as a married, tomb-raiding couple, and they had just bought a house in China but I had to stop playing because of that pause-every-few-seconds thingy. The same thing happened with my "I Am an Artiste!" project, and it was driving me crazy. Now I know how to fix it! Thank you!

[Wai]

I have mentioned this previously, several times.  It is a pathing issue.  The primary lot in question is Hot Springs.  However, I usually "fix" Dragon Springs at he same time.  The only other one in China which will give this problem is the big one under the market which you open with a quest (Deng Wang's Treasure - or something similar).   Obviously, you cannot make this one "No Visitors Allowed".

It is partially fixed when you find the back, hidden, staircase,  However, the alternative is to use cheats to build a fence around the enterance, no gate.  Now the NPC can't get in, but, neither can your sim unless they can teleport.

It was SpiritedTreasure who first wrote this up back in June or July, last year.  I too think it should be stickied, but, please give the credit to SpiritedTreasure
.

[Jagid]

Hi Wai!    Thanks for the info, but I've been using this a very long time.

I keep a Sims file in My Documents and I never saved this series of commands there, so I had to try to recreate them from memory. I go long periods not playing Sims 3. I play other stuff as it comes out, but I always come back to Sims eventually because it's relaxing.

So after a long hiatus -- and a few frustrated minutes trying to remember -- I remembered to write it into my notes. Then I thought it'd be nice if there was a sticky, in case anyone else would like to use it. Although I spent some time searching for "china" and "pausing," what I mainly found was a confusion and debate whether it was groups of Sims in a spot or a pathing issue. Both things are the same issue, just as you said: Pathing.

So I figured a post would be OK. It had been so long my username had died, so I recreated it. I am only offering to help people who'd tried the searches I had tried without success. I also scanned tech support with my own eyes for a sticky. I looked for stickies on this savegame breaking issue elsewhere and didn't see any. So I am just offering this one as a candidate for the WA forum.

So back to the pathing issue. A Sim trying to go somewhere he can't go causes him to stamp his foot and try something else. One Sim causes a minor pause, on some machines unnoticeable. When Sims are leaving home or going from place to place, they often choose something else to do. No biggy. At night, the only thing every Sim wants to do is go home. They never give up trying. If they can't figure a path, it's a game breaking pausefest.

I meant no disrespect to SpiritedTreasure, but I don't believe I've seen his post and I doubt it precedes my data. If it does, I apologize. And I did search first.

Also, I so agree: I wish we could fix places like the market without using scary cheats. Maybe add a crowbar tool that lets you pop up the switch that opens the ladder down! LOL. 

[MoMoll]

This information applies in all environments, but it is most helpful in China, as it happens there a lot. It is also useful if there are Sims stuck trying to get into and out of elevators or really just about anywhere.

If you are at home or base camp and you don't care if all your Sims' locations, actions, and to some degree their green bars are reset, you can always do the old hold down of shift + control and then press C. Then type ResetSims *. Then press enter. That resets everyone in the town and doesn't even require cheat mode.

But I hate loosing all my queued actions and I hate having to go back out to The Temple of Heaven or wherever I was from base camp or wherever my Sims are living.

Study your town for areas where the Sims' paths to home will require them to double back on themselves a few times. When your machine starts the pausing thingy, press pause and take a look at those places. Maybe look over at the top of the hill for fisherman trying to go home from Dragon Springs. Look at their names, and you'd type ResetSim Bayu Shang, or whatever the name of the Sim is. Rinse and repeat.

Then check Hot Springs. Do the same for any stragglers there. There's no impact on your Sims' plans and those poor souls don't pee themselves and eventually die (I've never seen that, but I've always imagined it). 

If you want to permanently keep it from happening ever again (in this savegame) do this:

• SAVE YOUR GAME using SAVE AS. Name it PRE or BEFORE or something.
• Use SAVE AS again and use a name like POST or AFTER. Now you can't accidentally save over your current file.
• While holding control + shift press C.
• Type TestingCheatsEnabled True. Press Enter.
• Type EnableLotLocking On. Press enter.
• Go to Edit Town.
• Click the lot where Sims are getting stuck.
• At the bottom-right of the pop-up window you see a dark blue padlock. Click it and leave it open.
• Click the first circle called Change Lot Type.
• Switch it to No Visitors Allowed.
• Rinse and repeat very carefully. Some lots are better left glitchy.

Exercise CAUTION. You can totally break your savegame if you misuse these commands. I usually limit myself to those two lots.

These commands have, however, made my gaming time actually worth playing. Mine was so bad that I'd try to play for a few minutes and give up. And with the long-term fix I barely have any issues. I have tested it extensively and it fixes the issue on three different platforms at my house, from below spec (Netbook) to mediocre (average laptop) to a very nice one (Core i5 3570, 8 GB, SSD for system & games, GeForce GT, Win 7).

I am totally cool with it if someone wants to rewrite this information and make a sticky or something. It would be nice to have an easy reference.

---

Additional Note:

I just used the eyedropper and put Secret Rotating Doors at the base of of the stairs of Shang Simla Market, along with some walls and decor. They keep the townsfolk out just fine. They just don't know how to use those whacky doors!   Your Sim, of course, can open and close the doors at will, with a little elbow grease.

Sorry to disappoint; but, this has been known and used by many of us. However, your info will be helpful to those who have not yet experienced this.

[Saltypaws]

This is the original post by SpiritedTreasure.  Just wanted to let you know, no problem.

http://www.carls-sims-3-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,10952.msg215040.html#msg215040

[Jagid]

Very nice Saltypaws, thanks!

I'll still take credit for the new edit to my original post about using walls and hidden doors at the base of the two sets of stairs at Shang Simla Market and other places where No Visitors Allowed isn't practical. Just close them behind you and voila!

Also, my post is formatted in the same way as I could publish it to any Associated Press news service using magazine format. I was hoping the prettiness would convince Carl to sticky it. Readability counts!    Well, they wouldn't let me use the emotes.

I do always find it confounding how no good deed goes unpunished. I wasn't aware of the strict copyright laws in the global forum board system agreement. But one law is consistent: it's always going to cause a guy grief to learn something helpful and share it.

I wasn't even asking for help. I always come to Carls for Sims 3 info and I mainly wanted enough relevant words to pop up in my post that the majority of people would stop searching after seeing it. Then Google would say, "ME LIKEY," and I would help promote Carl a little and make finding the answer that much easier for new people.

That's not directed at you, Saltypaws. It's just very discouraging and part of why I don't participate in forums generally. I suppose I'll resume that policy now.

Next time learn to say, Thank you! We have very similar information already (see this post). But thanks for being part of the group! 

[Jagid]

Wow! He stickied it! Mission accomplished. 

[RainBeau]

Don't give up on the Forum at large, Jagid. This forum is usually much kinder and friendlier than others.

[Jagid]

   Thanks so much ombradellarosa! 

One kind sentence and I don't even remember why I was sad! I won't give up.

[Saltypaws]

I really didn't mean anything by putting that post on here.  We appreciate any suggestions or findings that help gameplay.  Since that post was almost a year ago, of course people are not going to look for it.  I do appreciate your input and hope you stay with us on the forum. 

[Pam]

Jagid, I must apologize for rude posts you received from a couple of our members.  (Not you, Salty.  You were being helpful.)  This is not at all how new members should be greeted on our Forum and I'm sorry you got a poor first impression of us.  I hope you'll stick around and find that this is a friendly and helpful community.

[Janna]

I find it helpful, I didn't know a lot of this, especially on the going to Edit town section, I know how to reset sims, but the rest is new to me. 
 
I do have a question on the pathing aspect.  I have this happen in lots of places, when my sim is at the base camp, it can happen while climbing stairs, or on her way to or back from the falls, lot of places, not just the ones listed.
Is that pathing or something else?
It is mainly in China, sometimes in the other countries, but always in China. 

The people here are great, very friendly and helpful.  Sometimes someone, anyone, will get out of bed on the wrong side and sound snippy when they don't mean to.  I know I have a couple of times sounded a bit snippy when I didn't mean to. 
And we all are bound to come up with something similar to what someone came up with another time and not know it.  Especially if it has been buried due to not being used, or a part of it has some different info than that individual had but some also the same.   

[Wai]

I'm sorry if I sounded abrupt, I certainly did not mean to.  To be truthful, I was still feeling annoyed by being refused permission to use this in a challenge game a few weeks ago.  My trip to China for the challenge was a nighmare and took several hours because of the stuttering which can last for 15 minutes at a time.  3 to 15 minutes waiting , one minute of play, repeat.  It was particularly bad on that occassion.

Pathing issues are exactly what you are describing, in the main,  Janna, and, most will be greatly reduced by doing this small routine.  I always do it, fpr China, right at the very start before playing a new game then turn cheats mode off.

Passing on the stairs and other problems caused by multiple sims in one place with your sim will not be solved this way, however, they are just something that you have to be aware of.  If your sim bumps up against another he/she is likely to lose their cued actions.

If an NPC gets stuck in a doorway or other confined space, preventing your sim from completing an action this can also be solved with resetsim NPCsimname.  The name is case sensitive ie: resetsim Adeze Min.  Again, China seems to be the place where this happens most frequently, particularly when buying from the food merchant or the relics merchant.

There are also places which your sim cannot reach, again mainly in China, unless you can teleport.  Frustrating if you know there is a dig site or spawner there.  The lotlocking wo'nt solve this either, though it is pathing issues.

Other places can get stuck NPC sims, but none as bad as the two mentioned in China.   Usually, resetsim * will be enough to solve the problem in other towns.

[Jagid]

Thanks Wai and Janna! 

I understand you better now on why you were so perturbed there, Wai. Thanks for explaining.

For Janna, something I do a lot of to keep my own Sims from getting stuck is I click a lot of stairs, doors, and other "way points" along the path and send the Sim to a string of those before the final goal.

If you get your Sim some Athletic skill, you can also use the "Jog Here" command. That will allow you to set up to seven way points and then you can plop in your final destination at the end. That's how I collect the gems and such up above the Terracotta Army. I send the Sim to the little camp down below, set two way points and then start collecting once they get up there. You have to reverse that to get them out.

It's funny to me that the pathing algorithm can't find the right zigzags to cope with the terrain. Since China has the most vertically diverse map and has the most issues, I can only imagine they based their path finding subroutine on something that looks mostly at horizontal spaces.

But that's just a theory.