Author Topic: Bug - Workaround Found! - Can't Propose. Game thinks boyfriend is butler.  (Read 13976 times)

Offline FrancescaFiori

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My sim is not able to propose to her boyfriend. Their relationship is high enough, but the option is greyed out and when I mouse over I get the explanation that it would be unseemly to propose to someone in your employ. The problem is, he isn't in her employ. He's not the butler, nor is he any other kind of service NPC. In fact, he's unemployed.

There is an official open bug report on this here so I know others are having the same issue.

I thought I'd post here in case anyone has any thoughts on a work-around. It's my dynasty file, and while it isn't game-breaking, it's really messing up my story, and I'd love to figure something out. :)

Other sims in this file can propose no problem, and I thought I could convince the game that the sim in question was not a butler by getting him another job, so my sims opened a restaurant and hired him as a waiter. It didn't work. The propose option is still greyed out with the same message. Other things I've tried are clearing caches and repairing my game. Thanks!

Online oshizu

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Re: Bug - Can't Propose. Game thinks boyfriend is butler.
« Reply #1 on: December 08, 2016, 04:05:26 PM »
Oh noooo, not your Gen7 heir!  Grrrr.  >:(
My legacy also suffered a glitch where my sim couldn't propose to his girlfriend. I never even though to check for an explanation and simply assumed it was because they were promised as teens.

I wonder if you could make a copy of your dynasty file and try the "ask to be just friends" then rebuild your romance bars?
That worked for me, but then I'm not sure if my problem was the same as yours.

Regardless, I wish you the best of luck. I'm very unhappy and upset to hear that our enjoyment of your updates is being stalled by a game glitch.  :'(



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Offline Playalot

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Re: Bug - Can't Propose. Game thinks boyfriend is butler.
« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2016, 04:36:07 PM »
Sorry to here your dynasty file has been affected like this.  :-\  Can't think of anything other than @oshizu  suggestion but I'm hoping a work-around or even a fix is found soon.

If I remember correctly the sims do not need to be actually married to produce the next heir, just in the same household so maybe you can just carry on without the wedding?
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Offline coolsim9999999

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Re: Bug - Can't Propose. Game thinks boyfriend is butler.
« Reply #3 on: December 08, 2016, 05:47:30 PM »
That's a great idea @Playalot :)!

Another thing that may work is firing the butler and not hiring another one ever in your dynasty file.

Offline FrancescaFiori

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Re: Bug - Can't Propose. Game thinks boyfriend is butler.
« Reply #4 on: December 08, 2016, 06:45:32 PM »
Thanks, guys! Yeah, it's 100% a storytelling issue as far as the dynasty is concerned. I have enough party options to complete five unique ones without a wedding and the heir is going to max her career no problem even without happy "just married" moodlets. I'll miss the satisfaction points from completing Soul Mate, but I think I can squeak by without them, too.

It was just going to be a really satisfying, happy chapter, and now it looks as though it's going to be . . . kinda sad.

I appreciate the suggestions, and I'll definitely give them a shot, though from the looks of the official bug thread other people have tried similar things without success. Worth a shot, though, for sure!

I could cross my fingers and wait for the next patch, but I'm really getting close to the end now (knock on wood) and I'm too excited to stop playing. Plus, thanks to the bug, I have a fun new restaurant to run, now. :p


Offline coolsim9999999

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Re: Bug - Can't Propose. Game thinks boyfriend is butler.
« Reply #5 on: December 08, 2016, 07:44:33 PM »
You're welcome, @FrancescaFiori :)!  Have fun completing your dynasty 8).

Offline Rangervegas

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Re: Bug - Can't Propose. Game thinks boyfriend is butler.
« Reply #6 on: December 08, 2016, 11:31:08 PM »
I am remembering somewhere on here that one of Carl's guides gives a link to a set of advanced developer commands and I would be willing to bet there is a command to remove butler status from that sim, since the butler is a new thing in game I don't know weather a command in there would need to be specific for that or would be something like "Make sim not NPC" etc... Now what the command might be or weather this would work or not I couldent say having never tried it myself. I know there are what are called "Flags" on sims to designate all kinds of things about them, no aging, weather they can marry or not, etc...etc... I don't know if these flags or some game setting that had his data making the game think he's a Butler is the issue here or it's just plain a bug after the last game patch.

Hopefully someone tests out these ideas and develops a workaround till they can get this fixed in game.

Good luck to you.....



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Offline coolsim9999999

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Re: Bug - Can't Propose. Game thinks boyfriend is butler.
« Reply #7 on: December 09, 2016, 12:12:44 AM »
@Rangervegas --- That sounds like a good plan :)!


Offline Playalot

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Re: Bug - Can't Propose. Game thinks boyfriend is butler.
« Reply #8 on: December 09, 2016, 05:06:03 AM »
I am remembering somewhere on here that one of Carl's guides gives a link to a set of advanced developer commands and I would be willing to bet there is a command to remove butler status from that sim, since the butler is a new thing in game I don't know weather a command in there would need to be specific for that or would be something like "Make sim not NPC" etc... Now what the command might be or weather this would work or not I couldent say having never tried it myself. I know there are what are called "Flags" on sims to designate all kinds of things about them, no aging, weather they can marry or not, etc...etc... I don't know if these flags or some game setting that had his data making the game think he's a Butler is the issue here or it's just plain a bug after the last game patch.

Hopefully someone tests out these ideas and develops a workaround till they can get this fixed in game.

Good luck to you.....


I think these have to be quite specific i.e. remove hidden maid trait etc But I do remember them being tied to a mod which exposes the hidden 'traits'. I had a quick look on twisted Mexis reddit page but couldn't see anything.  That doesn't mean the info isn't out there somewhere @FrancescaFiori  just means I'm not 100% sure where to look!

I hear you on the story-line being altered because of this. That gets me every time. I have so many unfinished stories due to not being able to get the sims to do what I had envisaged for the story.  ::) Good luck with the rest of your ID... so close now.  :)
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Offline Nimrod Mikkusu

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Re: Bug - Can't Propose. Game thinks boyfriend is butler.
« Reply #9 on: December 09, 2016, 10:22:55 AM »
I'd use the family modifier\library thingy to split the boyfriend's household and move him with your family.

But you said it's a gen 7 dinasty, so in that case, just have her befriend a random male elder sim, and randomly woohoo with him.

Online oshizu

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Re: Bug - Can't Propose. Game thinks boyfriend is butler.
« Reply #10 on: December 09, 2016, 11:40:00 AM »
Awww, after all the Spiffendales have been through, producing the final heir by having the gorgeous Tallulah woohoo with a random elder....no, just no.  :'( :'( :'(


Also, I realized late last night that my problem was different than yours.
Your sim has the Propose option but it's greyed out. For my couple, the Ask to be Girlfriend/Boyfriend option didn't display so I had to fix that first before Propose would appear.

Fingers crossed that you find a workaround!

Offline coolsim9999999

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Re: Bug - Can't Propose. Game thinks boyfriend is butler.
« Reply #11 on: December 09, 2016, 11:58:30 AM »
@FrancescaFiori --- Good luck with your dynasty.  I'm sure something in this thread will work or you or someone will think of the solution.  You can do it 8)!

Offline FrancescaFiori

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Re: Bug - Can't Propose. Game thinks boyfriend is butler.
« Reply #12 on: December 11, 2016, 03:24:51 PM »
Just wanted to share that I found a workaround! I thought I'd post it here in case anyone else is struggling with this problem!

I'd been stalking the official bug thread and someone posted that they solved their issue by breaking it off with all of their sim's other boyfriends before proposing. My sim is a Serial Romantic, so had quite a few other boy- and girlfriends floating around. My campaign of heartbreak worked. I didn't even have to break up with all of them. She still had three left, but the option to propose on the Chosen One became available! Woo!

Looks like I'll get to have my wedding, after all! Thanks for your help everybody!

Offline coolsim9999999

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Re: Bug - Workaround Found! - Can't Propose. Game thinks boyfriend is butler.
« Reply #13 on: December 11, 2016, 03:37:49 PM »
@FrancescaFiori --- That's wonderful!  Good for you :).

Online oshizu

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Re: Bug - Workaround Found! - Can't Propose. Game thinks boyfriend is butler.
« Reply #14 on: December 11, 2016, 03:42:44 PM »
@FrancescaFiori

Thank you very much for sharing the miraculous news (and your work-around)!
I am so very thrilled that Tallulah will get that fabulous groom and gorgeous wedding that she deserves!

Eagerly waiting to meet The Chosen One. *jumps up and down with excitement