Extremely strange things happened after I came back from France

[secretsim]

Apologies if this isn't the right place. I'm not so much looking for help as I am perhaps venting?!

My Sim family went to France for 8 days. During that time, the only thing that was different than any other time I went to France was that my Sim got engaged to (then quickly broke up with) a French woman who moved in with the household. I sent her back to Bridgeport early and the family returned later.

Right when I got back, I received a message that the "Smith family has decided to move to another town. Hopefully you didn't loan them any money or books!" I have never seen this before -- it was a household of 7 which admittedly I hadn't played in a while. But why did they leave? I don't think it's because my town is full, since they keep moving random new playable Sim families into Bridgeport. These EA Sims been moving into existing apartments and even with existing families!

When I checked on their house, it was indeed empty. I also found that one Sim moved in with his girlfriend, leaving his teenage daughter completely alone. I thought Bridgeport essentially froze and did nothing while Sims are on vacation. Another family also moved from their farm into a mansion for some inexplicable reason.

The next weird thing that happened was that the family which traveled to France lost their family tree except for the father and sons. That's it. No grandparents, mother, etc.

Has any of this happened? The family tree issue seems to be a glitch others have experienced after coming back from vacation.

[Seabody]

Welcome to the forum!
The majority of that is "Story Progression", which is what guides sims while you're not playing them. Sims have kids, get married, go to work (while you don't control them) and all that because of story progression. You can turn it off in the game options menu.
The family tree thing is just a common glitch EA hasn't addressed for no apparant reason.
I think this topic should be on the World Adventures board.

[secretsim]

Hi Seabody... thanks for the response. I'm aware of Story Progression, I just didn't know it was this uhh, aggressive with Sims! I've never seen it actually move Sims from one house to another before (my farmer Sims moving to a mansion while I was playing another family that visited France for example).

I think I just need to switch households more often and keep a closer eye one everyone. And I'll never, ever have a relationship with a foreign Sim again because I blame her for all the weirdness which never occurred in my game before!

[Seabody]

Yes, Story Progression is known to be, quite aggressive. Remember there is the option to turn it off.

[TheChronicR]

Yes, Story Progression is known to be, quite aggressive. Remember there is the option to turn it off.

Yes, but if you turn Story Progression off, you'll have to turn Aging off too, because everyone in the town will eventually die of old age, and your Sim family will be left as the only "survivors".

[Pam]

I agree with Seabody that the majority of the problems appear to be related to Story Progression.  It can be brutal sometimes, no doubt.  

I'm moving this to the Miscellaneous Help Board.