Alchemy and writing issues

[amano_ginji]

Ever since installing "Island Paradise" I seem to be having some problems with my potions.

For instance, "Liquid Job booster" and "Enlightment" potions don't seem to have an effect.
I mixed up some liquid job booster potions and had one of my sims drink it. She had just entered the culinary career and had maximum cooking skill and high mood. I don't think the potion had effect, because her job performance increased just as much, as when I tried it without the potion. I tried it several times but no luck.
Something similar - once I brewed up a lot of enlightment potions, about 21 (don't remember if they were the big or small ones) so I had my fairy sim drink one, take a nap, drink another, rinse - repeat. Only 1 or 2 potions had an effect, I monitored her skills and there was no change.

Another issue I am having is with the Writing skill. Normally when one of my sims starts learning the skill, even if he hasn't read any books the books he writes are either a hit or best-seller, it is extremely rare for my sims to write a "normal" book, even with no traits to help them.
I have a household since before Island Paradise and one of my sims - a female vampire, had level 10 writing skill and the only book she had written was a hit or best-seller (dont remember) and I decided to get all the skill challenges and stuff and had her write books all the time, and even with all three skill challenges complete - the one that makes her write faster, the one that gives her more royalities and the one that increases the chances of a hit or best-seller, almost ALL her books are normal quality!!!! That's absolutely shocking to me, it has never happened before!

As a final note, does anyone know of a solution to the missing "Eternal Joy" moodlet, when moving to and from University?

[Trip]

Liquid job boosters have been broken for rabbithole careers for a long time now. While they work wonders for self-employment and professions, they actually slow the progress for rabbithole careers.

Enlightenment elixirs don't work too well on my end either. I don't really have an explanation as to why.

I recently had a writer who was able to make hits and bestsellers just fine, though I don't have Island Paradise, just the latest patch. Are other sims affected by it? It sounds odd, and I'm sorry to hear that your writer isn't making hits.

[Vinyl]

I think enlightenment potions can affect any skill - including the ones you don't have yet.  Unless your sim has a point in every possible skill the elixirs won't appear to do anything. 

[amano_ginji]

Liquid job boosters have been broken for rabbithole careers for a long time now. While they work wonders for self-employment and professions, they actually slow the progress for rabbithole careers.

Enlightenment elixirs don't work too well on my end either. I don't really have an explanation as to why.

I recently had a writer who was able to make hits and bestsellers just fine, though I don't have Island Paradise, just the latest patch. Are other sims affected by it? It sounds odd, and I'm sorry to hear that your writer isn't making hits.

Eek! That's terrible news for the liquid job booster.
But how do they work about professions and self-employment? Do they increase the amount of experience you gain, each time you gain it?

Get back to me on the writing, if you ever install Island Paradise.

I think enlightenment potions can affect any skill - including the ones you don't have yet.  Unless your sim has a point in every possible skill the elixirs won't appear to do anything. 

Yes, they do randomly raise any one skill of all that exist in the game, however I used potent enlightment elixirs, which give a helluvalot of points in a skill, and especially if that skill is level 0, it should gain one level at least, yet out of about 10 elixirs, only 1 or 2 did something.

[Vinyl]

Yes, they do randomly raise any one skill of all that exist in the game, however I used potent enlightment elixirs, which give a helluvalot of points in a skill, and especially if that skill is level 0, it should gain one level at least, yet out of about 10 elixirs, only 1 or 2 did something.

Ah, sorry, I forgot to mention the gains won't appear unless the skill is unlocked normally.  At least that's how it's always worked for my sims.  They could be level 10 in riding but until they sit on a horse or read that first riding book it won't show up under their skill listing.  It seems to be similar to how the hidden toddler/child skills work - the sim could be a level 3 guitarist from playing with the xylophone but it won't show up until they strum their first guitar. 

Now if you have your sim go and take a class in every skill so they all appear in the skill tab and they're all still at level 1 then yes, it would appear the elixirs aren't working.

[amano_ginji]

Oh, I see...

You make a valid point, I will have to check it out.

By the way, does anyone how to fix/circumvent the "Eternal Joy" bug with University?