The Sims 3: Stuck with Low Moods; Miserable after Latest Patch Workaround

Oh wow I’m back.. Today we’ll discuss a bug where after installing 1.18/2.13/3.9/4.6/5.4/6.1 patch, your Sims have increasingly low moods into the red and are often miserable. If you’ve noticed the opposite occurring, continue reading..

The description of this bug does not apply to everyone since there are cases where players have gotten this bug through other ways. This bug workaround will work specifically for those who noticed their Sims mood dips after sleeping on particular beds.

 

Low Mood Bug Description

Players have discovered after installing the latest patch, their Sims mood has dropped into the red and will no longer rise into happy or elated status no matter what they do. This bug occurs regardless of whether your needs are filled, and if you have multiple positive moodlets. When Sims are affected by this bug they will be too miserable or depressed to garden, change their appearance, woohoo, and try for a baby.

This bug can occur with or without Custom Content and Mods either through official site or third party.

This bug may not always cause low moods, in fact, some particular beds cause your sim to be stuck with elated and high moods that gradually rise over a period of time.

Workarounds

After several days of testing and reading various responses we have come up with a workaround until EA patches the bug. This workaround works only for those who are affected by low moods after sleeping in a bed.

Due to a faulty calculation with the “Well Rested” moodlet, some beds will either permanently increase or decrease your mood until you reset your save.

• Workaround 1
  • Reloading a save file will temporarily fix the mood your Sim is having. You must save your game, load into the main menu and then load your game. This will place your sims mood back into it’s appropriate value.
• Workaround 2
  • Due to a faulty calculation, one sim must use the Luxorlove Sleepset or beds with +25 Well Rested Moodlet.
• Workaround 3
  • If you can’t afford the bed, one must awake a Sim before the Well Rested Moodlet appears. You can avoid this by waking your Sim up before the energy bar is completely green.
• Workaround 4
  • Install the Mood Hotfix Mod which will check and recalculate the correct mood throughout the day.

 

Researching the Moodlet Bug

Since this workaround works specifically for those affected through beds, we have compiled several cases and posts that match up with the symptoms players are having. If you are affected by this bug but not through beds, you should post your observations on how it occurs on The Sims 3 forums. Then we can add your problem and solutions to this post.

This bug was first mentioned on a gamefaqs thread where the well rested moodlet was incorrectly stacking negative or positive moods. The incorrect mood isn’t  caused by the bed itself, but by the “well rested moodlet” which can only occur if your Sim sleeps on a bed and the game decides that they had a good night’s sleep. Particularly it is noticed on the cheaper BRASS type beds which give a +10 value to the Well Rested Moodlet.

 

You can click some pictures for larger size

Since the Well Rested Moodlet gives +10, it will drop the mood meter regardless of positive  moodlets.

As you can see, even though most of the needs are full and this sim has 2 positive moodlets, he is still miserable. This can only be remedied temporarily by sleeping on certain beds or awakening a sim before well rested mood shows up. But one must load the save file first so the mood is accurately calculated.

This value doesn’t happen on all beds however..

• Well Rested Moodlet Bug
  • Cheap and Mediocre beds with +10 ~ +20 create negative moods
  • Upper Mediocre beds with +25 have correct moods.
  • Expensive beds with +30 and up create positive moods.
  • If  two Sims sleep on an unaffected bed, one Sim’s mood will still drop.

There has been a reported case where two sims who slept on expensive beds at the same time had one of their moods permanently drop while the other sim’s mood permanently increase.

Please note simply, “buying a better bed,” does not avoid this issue. The most expensive bed can cause a permanent green mood making the game too easy. You will need to buy a bed with +25 Well Rested Moodlet and have only ONE Sim sleep on it.

Using the LuxorLove Sleepset keeps the correct mood value in tact.

 

 

The Following quotes match the description and issues described in this post..

Using cheats to drop negatives hiked the mood up a little, but many times the moodlet would reappear and had to be removed again. Taking off the “well-rested” moodlet caused an immediate sharp drop, same thing happens if you let that moodlet expire on it’s own.  [dhouse2]

You can experience this for yourself through cheating. Just by sleeping and cancelling the well rested moodlet on a bed that’s affected with this issue causes a permanent sharp drop to your sims mood.

I would wake my sim up before getting a completed night of sleep(sometimes just before it would complete). This kept me from getting the slept like the dead moodlet(sim is a vampire so not well rested). [Becket1]

Same process, avoiding well rested moodlets avoided the bug.

I quit out of my game (keeping the expensive Medieval bed) and restarted with the same Sim who was having the misery problem. Since then I have played over 5 Sim days and I am not getting the mood problems (yet). Everything is staying in the high green, even with no energy, low fun & social bars, dirty surroundings, etc. I even had a house fire at one point and still stayed well within the happy range. [dhouse2]

Coincides with expensive beds giving permanent positive moods.

The way the “well rested” buff is applied with the current patch seems to be the problem: a default value of +25 (from the buff definition) is subtracted from the mood and the actual value given by the bed is added. This logic would be correct if the default buff was in effect at the time, but I guess it isn’t. For a cheap +10 bed, this results in an accumulating loss of 15 mood each sim day. It also works the other way around: any bed or similar giving a stronger buff over +25 will produce an accumulating daily gain. [gatomontes]

A great description of this very bug.

 

Permanent Positive Moods Before the Patch

This bug has existed in previous patches but in reverse. Sleeping and getting the Well Rested Moodlet caused a Sim to gain a permanent increase in moods making the game too easy.

 

Second Sims 3 Leak now claims to be Final Version

A Developing Story… updated 6/3/09

Just when you thought it was safe to go back outside, another Sims 3 leak is released. This time another group claims their leak is now the final retail version that is expected to ship on June 2nd. News of this leak was sent on May 25th, after several days of performance and testing issues discovered by members of various forums and blogs we can now project that there are no noticeable changes between the two leaks.

We still can not say whether or not this leak is the final version until June 2nd. There will be a new post after I purchase of the game where we will compare reports made over the past two weeks on issues that have been fixed or not. Unless there is any other major news story released, the next Sims 3 blog post will be the last discussion over the authenticity of the two leaks.

Story Progression Fixed in Retail ?

On June 3rd: There are complaints at the official board about story progression. It appears it does not deactivate if you uncheck the feature. I guess for those who thought the second leak was the final version, you can officially say “I told you so!”

The First Leak’s Demise

Will EA step up their game plan with this new leak?

As reported by SimPrograms, a SnootySims member found a link to the first patch to be released officially by EA. According to the story, the first leak’s version number is  1.0.615.00107. The patch to be delivered by EA will upgrade the retail version, 1.0.631.00002 to 1.0.632.00002. This was to put an end of all forum debates on whether or not the first leak was final.

Still as addressed in the previous article, there are doubts over whether EA is telling the truth. The version numbers aren’t so incredibly far from each other either making it sound as if there were only minor bug fixes between each build.

The Second Leak Steps Up

Sunset in Sunset Valley: Screenshots via [SimGalaxy]

According to the info file contained within the second leak, this version is slated to be 1.0.631.00002. This leak also appears to be a DVD copy of the game and does not include SecuRom.

The second group is boasting how their leak is the “real deal”. They’ve made sure to post evidence of this by comparing the version numbers and dates of files in both leaks. They have included a link to EA’s patch update file to explain how the first leak cannot be patched since EA will only update version 1.0.631.x to 1.0.632.x.  So it seems there’s a little competition going on here.

 

Differences between 1.0.615.x and 1.0.631.x ?

This week, several players from various forums and blogs described their experience between the two games. Players reported no gameplay differences between both versions. They found no additional items, hairstyles, or objects. Some gamers experienced minor bug fixes between each leak, but there were conflicting reports and we can not confirm them at this time.

The inability to deactivate Story Progression was a major bug in the first leak. Players reported this bug was still not fixed in the second leak. 

The only major difference players noted between each leak were the version numbers and dates of files. The second leak had files 7 days in advance from the previous leak. 

 

EA encourages pirates to purchase the full game

Pirated “615″ Posted by a forum member on Gamespot,
the thread was later deleted.

Thursday May 27th: EA sent a message through the game launcher:

You are playing a non-final, unauthorized copy of The Sims 3.

Purchasing and registering an official copy of The Sims 3 will entitle you to benefits including access to an entirely new game town called Riverview, 1000 SimPoints which can redeemed for game objects in The Sims 3 store, and access to The Sims 3 Exchange.

It was very interesting to see EA’s response to the piracy matter. There is something very significant with this message. Note that the version number says 1.0.615.x. Put your thinking caps on!

Real Retail Version “631″ Posted by SnootySims Forum Member

The version number for the retail version with no patches installed is version 1.0.631.x. The last four digits refer to the region it came from and if it is a digital download. There is something interesting here though. Compare the three screenshots.

Pirated “631″ posted on SnootySims Forum

Unlike the first screenshot of version 1.0.615.00107. The second leak does not show the “non-final, unauthorized” message.

 

The Sims 3 Store Money Pinch!

EA officially released The Sims 3 store prices and it has left several consumers upset, concerned, or refusing to buy anything due to the cost of items. An estimate to purchase all store items cost over $250, thats way over the retail price of $49.95.

EA Claims Sims 3 Leak is not the Final Build

In an interview with the Associated Press, EA claims The Sims 3 leak is only a “buggy, pre-final” version. This is pretty good news on behalf of the whole  Sims gaming community as the leaked copy featured some glaring bugs that should have been caught during testing.

 

The Second Leak (May 25th, 2009)

The Sims 3 has been leaked again, this time by another group. This group claims their leak is the final retail version and has been posted on many different websites and torrents.

After several observations found from forums and blogs we can conclude the retail version does not present the same bugs as the second leak. Click here to read more information about the  second leak. The article below consists only of the issues and bugs concerning the first leak. 

The Major Concerns with The Sims 3

The police station, so far EA hasn’t sued file sharers.
Screenshot via [SimGalaxy]

In the leaked copy, players found numerous bugs and oddities that would potentially disrupt the fanbase. It was very interesting to see SecuRom  packaged within the leak. This lead to doubts over the authenticity over EA’s statements. They claimed the physical copy of the game would be shipped without it, however, the digital copy would still include SecuRom.

Fortunately, it was later found within the EULA that the leaked copy was derived from the digital release. Even though SecuRom is used to protect unauthorized copies of the game from running, it was already bypassed by the time the leak was released.

The lack of objects, clothing, and hairstyles became a hot button issue among fans. EA has not revealed if the base game will include more items when it hits retail. EA does plan to sell more objects through The Sims 3 store, and will allow 1000 points free for all players who legally purchase the game.

As the hours went by, the mystery surrounding the leaked copy took on a huge forum debate whether the game was the final build. Players brought up major points to support each side of the argument. One issue that supported both sides were game freezes and crashes. In each case, players reported crashing incidents starting within 3 minutes to 6 hours of gameplay. However, some players did not receive any crashes whatsoever.

A general theory over the cause of the crashes were related to old graphic and audio drivers. It’s recommended that players should update their NVIDIA or ATI graphic card drivers before installing the retail copy of the game.

 

Bugs, Bugs and more Bugs!

Screenshot via [SimsDomination]

We do expect the Sims 3 will ship with bugs, and many of these bugs will most likely get patched. Alas, players were complaining about various glitches and screwups within the leaked copy.

A bug some players found early on during gameplay was the inability to kill a Sim in a fire. This bug was quite interesting in that one would think EA would allow this ability in the first place as it’s one of the most popular deaths in the whole series.  On May 20th, we finally saw the first leaked video that included the fire death animation, so we’re not sure as to why some players couldn’t do it and others could. Rumours and speculations arose as players felt that maybe EA was trying to soften the game’s image by removing the death. However, the leak was programmed to include other methods of killing a Sim. We concluded that this form of death will return in the retail version.

Another bug found by players was the inability to deactivate story progression. This feature controls any drastic changes your neighborhood Sims would do, for example, this feature controlled if your neighbors would move in or out, become pregnant, advance in jobs, and die. This became problematic towards players who wanted a similar play style of The Sims 2. They did not want to worry about other Sim families they created to suddenly die or move out of the neighborhood for good.

There were also some minor issues with the music not playing, fast forward speed button malfunctions, and guitars stuck on a Sim’s body.

 

Players are still skeptical

Protesting at City Hall

It’s quite hilarious to see the debate move right back to where we all started, as now there is still a lot of discussion on whether or not EA is telling the truth. Discussion among forums and blogs seem to theorize that EA is now speaking out to avoid bad press. It’s still likely that EA will release a patch to fix all major bugs related to the gold copy on release day.

We’re also concerned with EA’s choice of wording with the term, “pre-final”. This implies the leaked copy is probably just a few small builds away from the gold copy. If this were the case then it means the leak pretty much sums up everything that’s going to be in the game. Fans will not be happy!

Spore Patch changes DRM Policy so Users can Regain Installations

The Spore Patch described below has  been released. Download’s Spore’s Patch here!

After the massive amount of complaints about Spore’s “draconian” DRM, EA sheds some light on its future plans. Here are some details Mariam Sughayer shared with MTV Multiplayer Blog.

Up to 5 Computers Authorized

This new patch expected to release sometime in the near future, will allow 5 computers authorized to play concurrently. When one computer uninstalls the game, you will be able to deauthorize access to that computer, freeing up one installation attempt.  With this new method, users will no longer be forced to hit the activation cap that was set in place since the beginning.

Goodbye DRM?

EA shows off its compassionate side by saying they might release a patch down the road that will completely make DRM “null and void.” Don’t expect this patch anytime soon, its more likely to occur many many years from now when everyone else is awaiting Spore 3.

User Reactions

As we wait until the final details of this patch to come forth, users are still not pleased deeming this is “not enough.” Concerns stem from SecuRom’s ability to cripple DVD hardware and burning software. Another concern includes the pirated version as the most ideal to play since it has been wiped clean from SecuRom and can be installed on an unlimited amount of computers.

Further Questions

Feedback from various online forums and websites have brought up several questions that need to be answered by EA.

What would happen if a user uninstalls the game but the deauthorization attempt has failed?

In order to keep this as fool-proof as possible, EA would have to create a new program that can detect whether Spore is installed or uninstalled on the system. Since really, if a user uninstalls the game while they are currently offline for whatever reason, they will have no way of contacting EA’s servers about this change.

Though this previous situation is hypothetical, a more common occurrence is where users will reinstall their operating system because of unforeseen circumstances.  EA has to be able to deauthorize a computer that has no traces of this game within the registry.

Will this patch apply to hardware changes?

If the patch authorizes 5 computers to play the game, hardware changes should not use up an activation attempt. We do hope this new patch will deauthorize a computer once they detect hardware changes and reauthorize after it notifies EA.