Charisma Skill Strangeness

[Schipperke]

My Dynasty founder was out fishing at 5 a.m., not another soul around, and the message popped up that he had just increased his charisma to level 4!  Has anyone else seen this happen, and more to the point, how on earth could it happen?  I thought charisma could only be increased by socializing, reading charisma books, or practicing speeches in front of the mirror.  Increasing charisma by fishing is a new one on me.

I should also mention that he hadn't been socializing with anyone recently either.  Perhaps he's been fishing so much that he's starting to talk to the fishies.  Metro, if you're reading this, can he count fishies among his best friends?   

[Metropolis Man]

  Now that is bizarre! I wouldn't even begin to make guesses as to why that would happen. Oh, and you can't count fish as your Best Friends. Well, if Charlie the Tuna ended up at the end of your pole, okay, but that would be about it. 

[Schipperke]

Now that is bizarre! I wouldn't even begin to make guesses as to why that would happen. Oh, and you can't count fish as your Best Friends. Well, if Charlie the Tuna ended up at the end of your pole, okay, but that would be about it.  

Yeah, and Charisma is one of the skills I'm trying to save for a later generation's SuperMax choice.  Wouldn't you know it - most of my sims work like mad to get their Charisma level up, and the one I don't want to maximize the skill, it goes up on its own while he's fishing.  

So, no fish for Best Friends?  Is this a situation where begging might help? 

[LenaLJ]

I've had that with different sims in different games with different skills before. I never knew why it happened - last time my gardener had been out fishing and then went home to his plants and right after he gained his gardening skill number 7, he gained skill level 3 in fishing without being near the water any longer.

[Schipperke]

Ive had that with different sims in different games with different skills before. I never knew why it happend - last time my gardener had been out fishing and then went home to his plants and right after he gained his gardening skill number 7 he gained skill level 3 in fishing without being near the water any longer.

So it's like there is a delay in them getting credit for the skill increase?  Did your gardener do his gardening right after the fishing?  I don't see why that should matter, but it was hours since my sim had done any socializing so it was a real surprise to see the message about his charisma skill increase.  Just when you think you know this game well, something new & strange pops up.

[Pam]

That's something I've never seen, Schipperke.  Another thing to look out for with Charisma is that it increases when interacting with toddlers, too.  Might accidently gain some levels there.

[gerrr00]

Things like that have happened many times to me before.  Did not matter what I was doing.  I would get a wish to level up charisma and the next morning it would level up while cooking.  Or I would want to become best friends with whoever and in the middle of gardening at 6am I would fulfill that wish, without talking to anyone for hours!  Another bug is wanting to meet someone new, I could again be doing anything but meeting someone (even socializing) and my wish would be fulfilled.  I don't like the charisma skill and try to avoid it. Usually if the bug hits me, I can max it within a sim week without trying, doing the minimal to keep my social bar in the green.

Once I had a Sim know so many people it was bothersome to call, invite over or throw a party because she knew literally everyone, and she was best friends with everyone too. 

[Pam]

I don't like the charisma skill and try to avoid it.

Why don't you like it?

[gerrr00]

One reason is that crazy bug.  I love my Sims being social but knowing too many is a headache.  Also because I feel bad if my Sim wants 12 friends, I feel like I have to help them do that.  If I click on a wish I usually follow through until I make it happen.  I know that is a little silly.  I feel like a bad mommy if I don't!

[Pam]

I like Charisma because it makes it so much easier to get things from people and make friends.  Mine aren't social butterflies by any means, but being able to be a friend after the first introduction sure does make it easier on vacation and when completing certain opportunities.  I takes a lot of the effort off of me for plodding forward one tiny bit at a time to get to a friend level.  I haven't had any bugs in it either.

[Pielord]

I pretty much only use charisma if it's for a job specifically (politics usually) or if the Sim is a guitar player. Other than that.. nah it gets boring.

[samoht04]

The last time I used charisma was about Four generations of Sims ago... 

[Schipperke]

I love the charisma skill!  It is so much easier and faster for sims to make friends.  With a high level of charisma, all they have to do is introduce themselves to a new sim, and they're best friends.  For sims doing adventures or anything else where they have to interact with other sims, it just makes everything go so much faster.  When I have a new sim, usually one of their first tasks is to head to the library to read the charisma book until they have level one.  But this is the first time I've had a sim gain charisma by fishing.

[samoht04]

Maybe he was lonely and there was a fish...  Did you see anyone else fishing? In sims 2 they had conversations so they might in 3.

[Schipperke]

After that message popped up, I looked around for other sims but he really was all alone with the fishies.  My founder doesn't have the Insane trait, but that doesn't prevent him from being a little strange at times.  Then again, I've never played a sim with the Angler trait before, so maybe this is something unique to them.