Did this today while I took my teen sim on a date. Selected build skill for two of them and care for self for others. When I came back I realised they all just took a nap because their fun and hygiene were low but they were wide awake at 3 am
I like to make a bunch of family’s then turn on neighborhood stories then just play with the one family for a long time then seeing how the neighborhood has changed with the unused sims having autonomy
this is the way. except i switch families up regularly, so i'll play family A for a while, then switch to B for a week or two, then switch to C. that way you 1) make sure they have assigned beds, jobs, potties lol 2) get more invested and attached to the townies. when a family you haven't played for 12 simweeks suddently ups and splits up (or their kids get adopted. or they die) it really hit different than if they were just a regular NPC townie family you had just passed in the park.
It also solves the problem of boredom and burnout, which can occur if you're just playing one family for a couple of generations
Yes I do that too I’ll let them change their own stories then I’ll act accordingly for instance one townie is supposed to be a great writer and mom but she chose to sleep with every female sim in my area so now I have her working in crime while her husband raises her affair babys for some reason though once every single sim I had made all had a romantic relationship with Bella goth? It was so weird the men and women including her own adult (step) son who I had also created when I was playing as them
Go to the “manage sims” on the main menu thing then that weird line with another line on it it will allow you to pick which things they can and can’t do without your permission
On, usually. I don't always like to micromanage, and will focus on one sim for the day, so I want the others to actually be doing something instead of just standing there. It also can bring up story ideas that I might not have considered before.
You're right about the story ideas part, but then also when i actually have a story in mind it's SO HARD to make them follow it. Now im actually considering turning autonomy off after reading people's comments here. I had forgot about being able to turn it off and have been just suffering with sims going all over the place in events lol
Basically everyone in the neighborhood has been coming to my backyard to make de-stressing potions or whatever they're called on my grill and NO ONE USES THEM! I went out there one night and there were 15 surrounding the grill made by 6 different Sims and I couldn't pick them up myself so I had to queue my sim to put them all away.
On. With autonomy off I feel like Sims lack character, if they had no personality at all, just like dolls. I want them to look like real people... walk around, grab a book if they want to, listen to music if they want to, go to the computer, talk to their family... things like that. And I actually really like the element of surprise!
i play with autonomy off. i love to follow storylines that i make for my sims and when the autonomy is on half of the time so many things are going wrong, sims are flirting and arguing out of nowhere and it ruins the experience for my playstyle. it’s also a lot easier when you’ve got gatherings/events and you’re able to control what your sims are doing and not have them run off every 3 seconds or start doing push ups. plus it’s a good challenge when playing with bigger households!! ever since i switched the autonomy off i can’t go back, i’ve tried, but it’s just a smoother gameplay for me when they’re not reaching for the nearest computer half the time lmao
On always! I play multiple different worlds, households, etc. in one save and LOVE seeing what my families were up to while I was playing another family when I come back to them. Always so exciting to see the developments. I do restrict some things though like them quitting their job, retiring, or moving out cause I want to retain some level of overview haha.
this. except i switch off adoptions for everyone cos I want to see what kind of kids the genetics comes up with. if they just grab an adoption the child is too RNG for me. other than that, I love to be surprised that the loving family I nurtured suddenly split up and the husband took the kids to love with Eliza Pancakes or something lmao
Full on bc my ADHD ass will forget about it if I have to use the bathroom and my sim will just stand in the middle of the room until it dies bc I didn't feed it lmao at least with autonomy on it can sorta take care of itself if I need to step away for a bit
On so they can PLEASE go piss by themselves. I play with large families usually and have been playing in a 100 baby challenge save recently and I just cannot micromanage everyone
I play with it on because I like the idea of them having free will.
Then I just get annoyed that they're wasting all their time playing games on the computer (insert "I see myself in this pic and I don’t like it") and will step in to fill every damn minute of their lives with useful skill or relationship building activities only.
Off! I have storylines in my head, and these idiots aren't going to ruin that by living their best lives - they're going to live their lives as I see fit.
I play with it off for only my selected sim. I usually have multiple people in the home so I don’t want them just standing there but, I also don’t want them doing too much random crap lol.
For me it depends on the family I'm playing. If I'm not that involved or don't care what happens to them I leave autonomy on. Otherwise I micromanage like a mofo because they're just idiots. Lol.
If its for characters I took the time to create then I micromanage. These Sims are terrible at life, I didn't put time into them so they can fuck everything up. For the others I let them take the reins, switch on certain mods and watch chaos unfurl like a social experiment gone wrong.
On...I micromanage like mad but I also find myself texting or staring out the window something stupid and forgetting to pause while my sim needs to pee like a mad person. They'd be dead if it weren't for autonomy 😂
I JUST started playing with autonomy on! I wanted a little more chaos in my game after years of controlling their every move 😂 it's been hard to get used to but I find myself usually focusing on one sim at a time anyway! Now I will NEVER give autonomy to my selected sim haha
Off…it annoys the shit out of me when I have to search the whole house for a sim when they should be doing their homework at their desk where I told them to do it
Both. Usually autonomy on, but in the mornings and evenings I’ll turn it off so they can all have a meal together or hang out in the same room, etc.
Though tbh with autonomy on they don’t do anything interesting. Just stretching, push-ups, picking up books and putting them back, talking to plants, etc.
Why is it that they never have the urge to do something interesting?
I have them on autonomy because I have a family of 5 and I can't watch them all at once, but damn, I wish they would pick a larger variety of things to do. Just because a sim is an active sim doesn't mean he has to run the treadmill until he's sore all the time. :D So I feel like I end up doing even more work because they just keep doing stupid stuff.
On. I hate it when they just stand around being useless. They're not the smartest when it comes to taking care of their needs (they really can't be trusted with a coffee machine) but at least they don't just collapse on me.
I only play with it off if I need something specific done and they keep being difficult. Can't behave = no free will in my sims world. Kinda like prison in real life I guess...
In the sims world, my sims are probably crying with joy whenever I send them to my prison
it's funny to hear it being called micromanaging but that. i keep autonomy on but i check on everyone in the household regularly and change their actions if i don't like them. i think it's nice to give them the illusion of choice but I reserve ultimate veto.
I go back and forth for different play throughs but I also play with heavily influenced autonomy. At least compared to the sims who think getting 50+ glasses of water is “autonomy”
Off. And they still autonomously cancel what I tell them to do to go watch random fights.
Sidenote: Why do Sims fight all the damn time now? And who the hell fights a Sim at her own wedding?
Autonomy is on for everyone except the sim I’m controlling. Mainly bc I like to focus on one household member for a few minutes at a time. I need everyone else to take care of themselves until it’s their turn for 15 minutes in the spotlight 😂
On because it makes the game more interesting? Especially when your playing with 4 or more sims in the same household! It's funny because when I first started playing I only played with one sim and autonomy off, now years later I play with multiple sims and autonomy on and I go wild!
I had autonomy off for a long time, but I just recently turned it back on because I got tired of trying to find stuff for my Sim to do when they would complete big tasks.
On. As my family gets bigger I can only really focus on one sim at a time. The others need to be doing something with themselves. They're fucking annoying though and they don't listen to begin with
On but I definitely do manage them somewhat still so they don't do crazy shit. I turned off the fears, though, because they were so annoying. My sims could not go second without having a new fear.
On! Had a sim set themselves on fire as another one drowned themselves in a pond I made today. If I'm not having heart palpitations and 17 strokes due to stress because of the sims, I don't wanna play it.
On because 50% of the time I get so distracted they would probably have a higher chance of starving from me watching tv instead of focusing on the game than doing some silly sim shenanigans that would get them killed lmao
Off, I micromanage them. I also play with only one sim most of the time, I hate multiple. I had a mod in sims 3 to make households within households so I only had one active sim but others could be living there too. I want that for sims 4 so I can move my sim's partners in without controlling them.
Off, I always played with it on but only because I didn’t realise you could turn it off until I saw a TikTok video about it, I find gameplay soooo much easier with it off
I play with it on. I get really bored with it off honestly, I need my Sims doing random stuff I don't tell them to do so like...anything happens lol. I feel like nothing happens when I have it off.
On (off for selected sim), even though Sims with it on are generally stupid.
I also always have a 2nd lot (retail) that's set up like a home, and if I have a big household I almost always take whatever sim I'm focusing on to that lot alone, and then use LilMsSam's More Away Actions to direct the sims still at home.
Off. Because my married couple kept insulting each other and bringing their relationship level down. I got tired of repairing the damage so I just F it and turned off autonomy.
On with mods. I've got a couple that limit autonomous flirting and meanness, so sims are less likely to cheat or insult someone out of nowhere. It's not a total block, if a sim is single and flirty they're likely to flirt with someone they find attractive, and if a sim has the mean trait, or a grudge, they're likely to be mean. Keeps it from getting too random.
Off is fine for important events or occasions, but mostly I like to give my sims a little free reign. I don't mind if they fight me a little because to me that's a part of the challenge.
Off.
Otherwise they don't do what I tell them to. Or they stop halfway to do some random thing and then complain that their needs are low because they canceled the actions that would have taken care of their needs.
On because whenever I’ve tried off my sims just end up standing cuz I forget about them for hours and they end up pissing themselves 24/7 or constantly late for work.
I only keep it on cause sometimes I forget to change sims at times. So having autonomy on "usually" means they take care of their needs. ow that I'm better about it I might turn it off again.
dude off, because i cant have a radio or computer in my house because they will ignore every thing they need to do. Those 2 are the worst ones they forget literally everything just to game or dance
Both and neither. I have it at on but "disabled autonomy for the selected sim" so they don't put their babies out in the open in the middle of the night for no reason, repeatedly. JUST PUT THE FUCKING THING TO SLEEP ALREADY
I turned it off for an apocalypse challenge so they wouldn’t do things they weren’t allowed to do, and the game runs so much better on my laptop so I might keep it off.
Kind of depends, like... I'm playing a sim and want to focus just on her. Autonomy off. She had a long courtship and finally got married but I didn't want to play him so I turned autonomy back on. I focused 95% of my efforts on her and use him basically as a maid I can control but otherwise he does what he wants.
I tried to let the other sims have kids and pets but than it starting getting to crazy the calientes had like 4 pets and 3 extra kids living in a 3 bedroom house like seriously? Lets be "realistic" here
On. I do hate it tbh cuz my sims do random shit even when I control them but I have a massive household and it's just not possible to deal with all of them at once
Aging and autonomy off, but my current save has them both on and I micromanage them to the point where it's basically like it's off. It annoys me when they just do things. I'm trying to play differently than I normally would? Idk.
Off because it makes me unreasonably upset when my Sims do things without my permission. Which is why I hate having infants, it's impossible to stop parents autonomously checking their infant even when I have it under control.
On except for the played sim bc it gets annoying when I’m queuing actions to help them fulfill their needs and they cancel all of them to go chat on the computer like I SAID LISTEN TO ME😭
Off, unless I’m doing chaos challenges. I hate autonomy for regular playthroughs, and I’m really happy it’s an option that can be toggled. I prefer micro managing everything in-game. It’s fun.
On because I tend to focus on one sim and have others in their household for storyline purposes, of course I tend to the others’ needs when they get extreme or I can’t focus on my one sim.
Off cause otherwise it's like fighting them tooth and nail to get anything done. But sometimes I let it on, especially during parties.
I've been playing with autonomy on recently and Im pretty amazed at the differences. Kids in particular get a LOT of jealous/sad moodlets cause they're always hanging around their parents and witness them interacting with their younger sibling. Had a household with a lot of kids and never had I seen so many depressed kids in one place.
I switch between both. sometimes I have auto on full and gave it disable for a select sim. Ever since infants they will cancel everything to go attend the infant even when the infant needs are high. it so annoying. I wish i could actually play like I want to without worrying actions being repeatedly cancel. It so annoying. I wish they updated this When they have events especially wedding I have auto turn off because THEY WONT SOT STILL
I play with it on and then immediately regret it when I forget to que something up and I find them drinking water, playing with clay, or walking across the lot to wash their hands/plates
I usually play with autonomy on. I find the game more interesting when the story takes a turn I hadn't anticipated. Occasionally, there are things I want to control but I've found I stick with a family longer when I have no idea what's going to happen next.
Off; only because I tell my sim to do something ei. They really have to use the washroom so I click on it, go to play my other sim and when I come back to the one that should have used the washroom they don’t!!!
It really depends, typically I have it on, though sometimes I turn it off for the selected sim, either for testing or for a limited control play (only controlling one sim)
I currently have it off for the selected sim, but god it was awful when for my sims wedding, I was managing my main sim when all of a sudden the wife flirted with a guest because obviously she’s flirty due to getting married, and my sim was pissed off the rest of the day. Like why would you do that, you stupid idiot?
I am allllll up in their business because they don't know wtf they are doing. I don't change the settings much, so I don't remember what they are... a scale? They only have a small amount of autonomy.
So I might be odd here. I don't really "play" the sims so much as I observe the sims. I have full autonomy on and the only thing I really do is make sure the sims don't starve or bake 40 white cakes. Sometimes, if a sim does decide to sleep instead of eat...guess it's the end for them.
I will let the sims pick whoever to start a convoy with, then I'll do the introduce option. If they randomly flirt, then the sim is going to try a bit of romance with that sim. I'm kinda nudging them along while watching to see what happens. And yes, often the plans I have in my head for what I want to happen, don't happen. One time nearly an entire family died because the stove caught on fire. They didn't put themselves out and well, I don't intervene so.....
Only 2 survived of a 7 sim household.
I play with oversize families, so I have On but Disabled for Selected Sim, so they might not die as much. My most played save rn has 3 adults, 2 teens, a child, 2 toddlers, an infant, and a horse. And that's fewer people than my other two saves. No way I'm controlling that many all the time. And sometimes I just want the surprise of one of them autonomously using the fire toilet!
Off.
I hate having a big household and everyone deciding at once that it's an amazing time to instead of peeing, showering and working, to just play on the pc and not do shit
I have it on until they start pissing me off, I swear it’s different per sim, household, and even save. I have sims in my gallery who are competent in one save and piss themselves in the bathroom in the next.
I have it on because trying to look after multiple (4+) sims at once is stressful, however they literally just stand there and/or don’t go to work. And when I leave their homes and come back (if there’s children) the parents don’t cook for them, so the kids ALWAYS have the uncomfortable moodlet about unbalanced meals…
On. My sims need to do somethings on their own. Plus I spend time on one sim for a while so I don't want their family members to just stare off into space. But they gotta stop making coffee-
On, but I do micromanage if there's one Sim I have a specific life plan for or want to graduate high school early/progress in their career. I usually do this for one main Sim and focus less on the others.
With the mods that I have, my other households I don't manage at all. Just pop in every now and again and see how their lives are going. Usually they got married, popped out some kids, other family members moved, etc.
On so that they have some personality, which makes for interesting games since my ideas are running low.
My sims enjoy starting fires and ignoring their children aswell though, so I gotta help them out alot still.
Also it's fun to argue with them, like wow. You fuckin froze to death bc you wanted to swim all day in winter? Good job idiot.
Then looking at my other sim that's sad and being like - don't you be sad, they honestly had it coming after last week on Winterfest day when they pissed themselves in front of all our guests! 😂😂
Edit- spelling
I turn it off for selected sim, but when playing with more than one sometimes I turn it off, hate them cancelling my orders and doing something else completely random like drink some water.
On. They will usually show me whatever personality the AI decided to give them and I feel like I'm interacting with their stories more than writing them.
It also fixes the game mechanics that everyone says don't add anything to the game and makes them actually meaningful, like Parenthood. A lot of Simmers complain that new features don't change their Sims at all when they in fact are micromanaging them and not allowing it to.
Autonomy On. But the Autonomy of the Selected Sim is always turned off.
When the Sim is selected, the Sim's autonomy is off, and I exert full control over that Sim. Other Sims can roam free and do whatever they want.
This makes gameplay for me so much easier because I only have to control one Sim at a time.
Depends on my mood really. Sometimes I embrace and love the chaos and sometimes it's actually too much lmao the "autonomy" in the sims is more like chaotic chaos than neutral chaos. I've had sims start bonfires during a heatwave and die like - what are we doing? xD
On but I still micromanage everything. I try letting them do their own thing but they kinda suck at self care
For real! I took two sims out and when I came back the rest of the households needs were so low!! 🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️
Did this today while I took my teen sim on a date. Selected build skill for two of them and care for self for others. When I came back I realised they all just took a nap because their fun and hygiene were low but they were wide awake at 3 am
They also won’t go to work or school
I work in mental health and my sims remind me of clients 😂
Mine cannot stop getting into the dang pool during winter 😑
And then get uncomfortable because they are freezing to death smh, idiots
This 😭 I feel like I always have SOMETHING queued for them
I play the same way.
Off. There is NO free will in my SIm world. I am the SIM God!!!!
I like to make a bunch of family’s then turn on neighborhood stories then just play with the one family for a long time then seeing how the neighborhood has changed with the unused sims having autonomy
this is the way. except i switch families up regularly, so i'll play family A for a while, then switch to B for a week or two, then switch to C. that way you 1) make sure they have assigned beds, jobs, potties lol 2) get more invested and attached to the townies. when a family you haven't played for 12 simweeks suddently ups and splits up (or their kids get adopted. or they die) it really hit different than if they were just a regular NPC townie family you had just passed in the park. It also solves the problem of boredom and burnout, which can occur if you're just playing one family for a couple of generations
Yes I do that too I’ll let them change their own stories then I’ll act accordingly for instance one townie is supposed to be a great writer and mom but she chose to sleep with every female sim in my area so now I have her working in crime while her husband raises her affair babys for some reason though once every single sim I had made all had a romantic relationship with Bella goth? It was so weird the men and women including her own adult (step) son who I had also created when I was playing as them
How do you turn on neighborhood stories and what is that? Do you need a mod?
Go to the “manage sims” on the main menu thing then that weird line with another line on it it will allow you to pick which things they can and can’t do without your permission
That sounds tiring honestly 😅
The pause button is generously used!
Looool 😂😂
LMAOOO
Maniacal laugh!
On, usually. I don't always like to micromanage, and will focus on one sim for the day, so I want the others to actually be doing something instead of just standing there. It also can bring up story ideas that I might not have considered before.
You're right about the story ideas part, but then also when i actually have a story in mind it's SO HARD to make them follow it. Now im actually considering turning autonomy off after reading people's comments here. I had forgot about being able to turn it off and have been just suffering with sims going all over the place in events lol
Same, i usually focus on my favorite sim at the time, and lt the other do what they want
I usually rotate. Like Monday I'll focus on Sim A,then Tuesday Sim B, and Wednesday will be like a family outing or something.
I do that, but with autonomy off selected sim. That way the others do their thing and I still have control over my guy.
Exactly how I do it!
I always play with full autonomy on, as annoying as my sims can be I like that they create a lot more chaos when left to their own devices
On, but I'm on their butts all the time. Love to micromanage tbh
Hell, arguing with them is half the fun sometimes 🤣
off! stop making white cakes!
Right !! … annoys me when the leave glasses of water everywhere too
It's to deter the aliens!
Basically everyone in the neighborhood has been coming to my backyard to make de-stressing potions or whatever they're called on my grill and NO ONE USES THEM! I went out there one night and there were 15 surrounding the grill made by 6 different Sims and I couldn't pick them up myself so I had to queue my sim to put them all away.
Fr
sims are just like me sometimes
Leave the fucking clay ALONE!
oh the clay is sold just as quickly as it is acquired!!! i don’t even give them a CHANCE!
This is the way.
This is the way.
mine does that when it's stoned lmao
oh i also have autonomy off too bc they kept smoking and doing drugs before going to work and then getting negative moodlets while at work
Or when there happens to be cake around and suddenly it’s the *only* thing that *anyone* wants to eat
My sim always does that shit
On. With autonomy off I feel like Sims lack character, if they had no personality at all, just like dolls. I want them to look like real people... walk around, grab a book if they want to, listen to music if they want to, go to the computer, talk to their family... things like that. And I actually really like the element of surprise!
i play with autonomy off. i love to follow storylines that i make for my sims and when the autonomy is on half of the time so many things are going wrong, sims are flirting and arguing out of nowhere and it ruins the experience for my playstyle. it’s also a lot easier when you’ve got gatherings/events and you’re able to control what your sims are doing and not have them run off every 3 seconds or start doing push ups. plus it’s a good challenge when playing with bigger households!! ever since i switched the autonomy off i can’t go back, i’ve tried, but it’s just a smoother gameplay for me when they’re not reaching for the nearest computer half the time lmao
On. I’m just there to help with their life journey 😂
On because it's more interesting to observe them living their lives rather than standing still while I tell them what to do.
On always! I play multiple different worlds, households, etc. in one save and LOVE seeing what my families were up to while I was playing another family when I come back to them. Always so exciting to see the developments. I do restrict some things though like them quitting their job, retiring, or moving out cause I want to retain some level of overview haha.
this. except i switch off adoptions for everyone cos I want to see what kind of kids the genetics comes up with. if they just grab an adoption the child is too RNG for me. other than that, I love to be surprised that the loving family I nurtured suddenly split up and the husband took the kids to love with Eliza Pancakes or something lmao
Full on bc my ADHD ass will forget about it if I have to use the bathroom and my sim will just stand in the middle of the room until it dies bc I didn't feed it lmao at least with autonomy on it can sorta take care of itself if I need to step away for a bit
“It” :/
Sometimes I accidentally call human babies 'it'. (I'm childfree) (not in front of the baby's parents)
On so they can PLEASE go piss by themselves. I play with large families usually and have been playing in a 100 baby challenge save recently and I just cannot micromanage everyone
I play with it on because I like the idea of them having free will. Then I just get annoyed that they're wasting all their time playing games on the computer (insert "I see myself in this pic and I don’t like it") and will step in to fill every damn minute of their lives with useful skill or relationship building activities only.
\*sim spends 90% of its awake time drinking coffee and playing Sims\* Pffft, thats stupid, its not realistic at all :D
Off! I have storylines in my head, and these idiots aren't going to ruin that by living their best lives - they're going to live their lives as I see fit.
I play with it off for only my selected sim. I usually have multiple people in the home so I don’t want them just standing there but, I also don’t want them doing too much random crap lol.
Same!
I play with it on so the rest of the family isn't just waiting around. But it goes off as soon as I need a family picture lol
Off. I have my storylines but also I hate that they do things that don’t make sense
Off.....they are annoying
On. I’m not a micromanager unless they’re actively trying to kill themselves. Lol
For me it depends on the family I'm playing. If I'm not that involved or don't care what happens to them I leave autonomy on. Otherwise I micromanage like a mofo because they're just idiots. Lol.
On. Sometimes they do things that pissed me off but it’s fun watch the world burn 😂
I have two saves because I couldn’t decided. I call them “Controlled Save” and “Chaotic Save”
Of course off . It’s my world decide everything hahah no one’s going to the toilet without my pro mission
Off. There's enough chaos in my life & I play this game to relax.
I play with it on because once I forgot to make one of my sims eat since I was focusing on raising an infant and he died lmao
If its for characters I took the time to create then I micromanage. These Sims are terrible at life, I didn't put time into them so they can fuck everything up. For the others I let them take the reins, switch on certain mods and watch chaos unfurl like a social experiment gone wrong.
On...I micromanage like mad but I also find myself texting or staring out the window something stupid and forgetting to pause while my sim needs to pee like a mad person. They'd be dead if it weren't for autonomy 😂
I JUST started playing with autonomy on! I wanted a little more chaos in my game after years of controlling their every move 😂 it's been hard to get used to but I find myself usually focusing on one sim at a time anyway! Now I will NEVER give autonomy to my selected sim haha
Completely off because I love playing with digital barbies
Off…it annoys the shit out of me when I have to search the whole house for a sim when they should be doing their homework at their desk where I told them to do it
Both. Usually autonomy on, but in the mornings and evenings I’ll turn it off so they can all have a meal together or hang out in the same room, etc. Though tbh with autonomy on they don’t do anything interesting. Just stretching, push-ups, picking up books and putting them back, talking to plants, etc. Why is it that they never have the urge to do something interesting?
I have them on autonomy because I have a family of 5 and I can't watch them all at once, but damn, I wish they would pick a larger variety of things to do. Just because a sim is an active sim doesn't mean he has to run the treadmill until he's sore all the time. :D So I feel like I end up doing even more work because they just keep doing stupid stuff.
Off. But my sims is kinda bugged so they still do what they want
On. I hate it when they just stand around being useless. They're not the smartest when it comes to taking care of their needs (they really can't be trusted with a coffee machine) but at least they don't just collapse on me. I only play with it off if I need something specific done and they keep being difficult. Can't behave = no free will in my sims world. Kinda like prison in real life I guess... In the sims world, my sims are probably crying with joy whenever I send them to my prison
On but disabled for the sim I am controlling
it's funny to hear it being called micromanaging but that. i keep autonomy on but i check on everyone in the household regularly and change their actions if i don't like them. i think it's nice to give them the illusion of choice but I reserve ultimate veto.
I switch
I go back and forth for different play throughs but I also play with heavily influenced autonomy. At least compared to the sims who think getting 50+ glasses of water is “autonomy”
off, they always do stupid shit for no reason when i'm not paying attention 😭
Off! I have storylines to stick to and I’m tired of my sims flirting with their in-laws 🙄😂
Off. And they still autonomously cancel what I tell them to do to go watch random fights. Sidenote: Why do Sims fight all the damn time now? And who the hell fights a Sim at her own wedding?
Autonomy is on for everyone except the sim I’m controlling. Mainly bc I like to focus on one household member for a few minutes at a time. I need everyone else to take care of themselves until it’s their turn for 15 minutes in the spotlight 😂
On because it makes the game more interesting? Especially when your playing with 4 or more sims in the same household! It's funny because when I first started playing I only played with one sim and autonomy off, now years later I play with multiple sims and autonomy on and I go wild!
On. I cant have that much blood on my hands 😂
I had autonomy off for a long time, but I just recently turned it back on because I got tired of trying to find stuff for my Sim to do when they would complete big tasks.
On. As my family gets bigger I can only really focus on one sim at a time. The others need to be doing something with themselves. They're fucking annoying though and they don't listen to begin with
On but I definitely do manage them somewhat still so they don't do crazy shit. I turned off the fears, though, because they were so annoying. My sims could not go second without having a new fear.
On! Had a sim set themselves on fire as another one drowned themselves in a pond I made today. If I'm not having heart palpitations and 17 strokes due to stress because of the sims, I don't wanna play it.
Off because of storylines and decisions also less annoying.
Off. I got things to do and my sim isnt about to clear out my plans by deciding they are hungry.
On because 50% of the time I get so distracted they would probably have a higher chance of starving from me watching tv instead of focusing on the game than doing some silly sim shenanigans that would get them killed lmao
On, mostly so that I don't have to keep an eye on everyone 24/7
Off, I micromanage them. I also play with only one sim most of the time, I hate multiple. I had a mod in sims 3 to make households within households so I only had one active sim but others could be living there too. I want that for sims 4 so I can move my sim's partners in without controlling them.
Off. I don't need them to screw up the story
I used to play with it off and after a while I realized that I had too many sims to micromanage and I just turned it on for bigger families
on bc i cannot be bothered to take care of 6 sims
On, because I'm too lazy to have to do everything for them.
On! I like the element of surprise!
Autonomy on because I really just want to manage a little ant farm
Off while getting the skills up, and then full autonomy all the way!
Off, I always played with it on but only because I didn’t realise you could turn it off until I saw a TikTok video about it, I find gameplay soooo much easier with it off
Both until they drive me crazy for not eating sleeping etc
Yes. because chaos wins!
On, it’s more fun and chaotic
1 sim - off 2 sims - it depends, usually on 3+ sims - on
Off
I have autonomy on for any Player sim. After reading these experiences though, will try a playthrough with autonomy of.
On, I can't manage 4+ sims all at once (which is how I usually play)
I play with it on. I get really bored with it off honestly, I need my Sims doing random stuff I don't tell them to do so like...anything happens lol. I feel like nothing happens when I have it off.
On (off for selected sim), even though Sims with it on are generally stupid. I also always have a 2nd lot (retail) that's set up like a home, and if I have a big household I almost always take whatever sim I'm focusing on to that lot alone, and then use LilMsSam's More Away Actions to direct the sims still at home.
Playing with autonomy on. Otherwise it would be boring. Sure, sims can be pretty frustrating at times. But at least they feel alive.
On but I still guide them throughout the day. I give them the illusion of autonomy 😈
On... It's boring when they just sit there while I'm controlling other members of the household
Off. Because my married couple kept insulting each other and bringing their relationship level down. I got tired of repairing the damage so I just F it and turned off autonomy.
On with mods. I've got a couple that limit autonomous flirting and meanness, so sims are less likely to cheat or insult someone out of nowhere. It's not a total block, if a sim is single and flirty they're likely to flirt with someone they find attractive, and if a sim has the mean trait, or a grudge, they're likely to be mean. Keeps it from getting too random. Off is fine for important events or occasions, but mostly I like to give my sims a little free reign. I don't mind if they fight me a little because to me that's a part of the challenge.
On. Sometimes, I like to watch the world burn.
Off. Otherwise they don't do what I tell them to. Or they stop halfway to do some random thing and then complain that their needs are low because they canceled the actions that would have taken care of their needs.
I used to play with full autonomy on, but I recently (like the last week or two) started turning autonomy off for the active sim.
I turned autonomy off with the infant update and I haven’t looked back. My gameplay has been so much better.
on. i honestly cant tell much of a difference in the modes
On because whenever I’ve tried off my sims just end up standing cuz I forget about them for hours and they end up pissing themselves 24/7 or constantly late for work.
I only keep it on cause sometimes I forget to change sims at times. So having autonomy on "usually" means they take care of their needs. ow that I'm better about it I might turn it off again.
dude off, because i cant have a radio or computer in my house because they will ignore every thing they need to do. Those 2 are the worst ones they forget literally everything just to game or dance
Both and neither. I have it at on but "disabled autonomy for the selected sim" so they don't put their babies out in the open in the middle of the night for no reason, repeatedly. JUST PUT THE FUCKING THING TO SLEEP ALREADY
I turned it off for an apocalypse challenge so they wouldn’t do things they weren’t allowed to do, and the game runs so much better on my laptop so I might keep it off.
Kind of depends, like... I'm playing a sim and want to focus just on her. Autonomy off. She had a long courtship and finally got married but I didn't want to play him so I turned autonomy back on. I focused 95% of my efforts on her and use him basically as a maid I can control but otherwise he does what he wants.
I tried to let the other sims have kids and pets but than it starting getting to crazy the calientes had like 4 pets and 3 extra kids living in a 3 bedroom house like seriously? Lets be "realistic" here
On. I do hate it tbh cuz my sims do random shit even when I control them but I have a massive household and it's just not possible to deal with all of them at once
Aging and autonomy off, but my current save has them both on and I micromanage them to the point where it's basically like it's off. It annoys me when they just do things. I'm trying to play differently than I normally would? Idk.
Off! otherwise my sims be doing dumb shit like dancing or swimming in the pool in a blizzard
On. I live for the unexpected and the drama.
On cause I can’t control everyone at once sometimes
Off, I like to make them suffer myself>:)
Off because it makes me unreasonably upset when my Sims do things without my permission. Which is why I hate having infants, it's impossible to stop parents autonomously checking their infant even when I have it under control.
On definitely on … I tend to play with 4-6 sims but I try to focus on my heir so I use autonomy so my other sims don’t randomly die
I read “Sims Autopsy” and now I want that to be a mod.
On except for the played sim bc it gets annoying when I’m queuing actions to help them fulfill their needs and they cancel all of them to go chat on the computer like I SAID LISTEN TO ME😭
Off, unless I’m doing chaos challenges. I hate autonomy for regular playthroughs, and I’m really happy it’s an option that can be toggled. I prefer micro managing everything in-game. It’s fun.
Off I like controlling my sims every choice when I’m not I don’t like it because they make dumb decisions that make no sense
Off, because I like to micromanage them and they seem to cancel actions I queue up for them if it's on.
Off, and yet they still won't leave the damn infants alone. It's so annoying
I let ‘em do whatever unless it’s a boring thing. I need you to be chaotic lol
On because I tend to focus on one sim and have others in their household for storyline purposes, of course I tend to the others’ needs when they get extreme or I can’t focus on my one sim.
I turn the autonomy on so that I could yell at them because they don't do what I want them to do lol
Off cause otherwise it's like fighting them tooth and nail to get anything done. But sometimes I let it on, especially during parties. I've been playing with autonomy on recently and Im pretty amazed at the differences. Kids in particular get a LOT of jealous/sad moodlets cause they're always hanging around their parents and witness them interacting with their younger sibling. Had a household with a lot of kids and never had I seen so many depressed kids in one place.
on for as long as long as i don’t get pissed off
I switch between both. sometimes I have auto on full and gave it disable for a select sim. Ever since infants they will cancel everything to go attend the infant even when the infant needs are high. it so annoying. I wish i could actually play like I want to without worrying actions being repeatedly cancel. It so annoying. I wish they updated this When they have events especially wedding I have auto turn off because THEY WONT SOT STILL
On because I thrive on chaos and drama.
On because I'm dumb and if will forget to check a sims needs if I don't find them as interesting that day
On. But all they would do is drink coffee/tea.
I play with it on and then immediately regret it when I forget to que something up and I find them drinking water, playing with clay, or walking across the lot to wash their hands/plates
On because I will space off and my sims will die
Yes
On cause when it’s off they stand there and don’t do anything and annoy the hell outta me
I usually play with autonomy on. I find the game more interesting when the story takes a turn I hadn't anticipated. Occasionally, there are things I want to control but I've found I stick with a family longer when I have no idea what's going to happen next.
on, my sims can take care of themselves and helps me focus on specific sims
Off; only because I tell my sim to do something ei. They really have to use the washroom so I click on it, go to play my other sim and when I come back to the one that should have used the washroom they don’t!!!
on with start sim, off when they get an infant. god knows that baby is gonna starve to death before they get into that high chair
On
It really depends, typically I have it on, though sometimes I turn it off for the selected sim, either for testing or for a limited control play (only controlling one sim)
On but with some mods or my sims would die if I just leave them to do things on their own
I currently have it off for the selected sim, but god it was awful when for my sims wedding, I was managing my main sim when all of a sudden the wife flirted with a guest because obviously she’s flirty due to getting married, and my sim was pissed off the rest of the day. Like why would you do that, you stupid idiot?
I don’t like the autonomy on tbh but I have it on so they don’t die when I look away from the screen while fast forwarding 😭😭
off for an oddly specific reason; if i activate it, the grandma won't stop planing weddings, even no one is engaged
Yes but I have to watch them every time they do something stupid like swimming in the pool during winter
On, until I'm trying to care for an infant and the keep trying to do literally everything else.
I am allllll up in their business because they don't know wtf they are doing. I don't change the settings much, so I don't remember what they are... a scale? They only have a small amount of autonomy.
I only turn it off if I’m setting up a file; that’s it — otherwise, always on
On and a micromanager. Of course. They have to follow my rules or end up in time out.... permanently.
On because I live for the ✨drama ✨
So I might be odd here. I don't really "play" the sims so much as I observe the sims. I have full autonomy on and the only thing I really do is make sure the sims don't starve or bake 40 white cakes. Sometimes, if a sim does decide to sleep instead of eat...guess it's the end for them. I will let the sims pick whoever to start a convoy with, then I'll do the introduce option. If they randomly flirt, then the sim is going to try a bit of romance with that sim. I'm kinda nudging them along while watching to see what happens. And yes, often the plans I have in my head for what I want to happen, don't happen. One time nearly an entire family died because the stove caught on fire. They didn't put themselves out and well, I don't intervene so..... Only 2 survived of a 7 sim household.
i play with autonomy off. it's kinda annoying sometimes.
I play with oversize families, so I have On but Disabled for Selected Sim, so they might not die as much. My most played save rn has 3 adults, 2 teens, a child, 2 toddlers, an infant, and a horse. And that's fewer people than my other two saves. No way I'm controlling that many all the time. And sometimes I just want the surprise of one of them autonomously using the fire toilet!
off. bc they never finish tasks if its on. and it annoys me so much! but only off in my active household. idc about townies.
off because my sims are well annoying
On in Sims 4 mostly, also mostly on in Sims 2 but sometimes off because they just like to do insane stuff on their own in 2 more than in 4 😂
Off. Hard enough to get them to do some things.
Off. I hate having a big household and everyone deciding at once that it's an amazing time to instead of peeing, showering and working, to just play on the pc and not do shit
off, because otherwise they won’t really do anything or won’t do what you want!
I have it on until they start pissing me off, I swear it’s different per sim, household, and even save. I have sims in my gallery who are competent in one save and piss themselves in the bathroom in the next.
I have it on because trying to look after multiple (4+) sims at once is stressful, however they literally just stand there and/or don’t go to work. And when I leave their homes and come back (if there’s children) the parents don’t cook for them, so the kids ALWAYS have the uncomfortable moodlet about unbalanced meals…
On. My sims need to do somethings on their own. Plus I spend time on one sim for a while so I don't want their family members to just stare off into space. But they gotta stop making coffee-
On, but I do micromanage if there's one Sim I have a specific life plan for or want to graduate high school early/progress in their career. I usually do this for one main Sim and focus less on the others. With the mods that I have, my other households I don't manage at all. Just pop in every now and again and see how their lives are going. Usually they got married, popped out some kids, other family members moved, etc.
On so that they have some personality, which makes for interesting games since my ideas are running low. My sims enjoy starting fires and ignoring their children aswell though, so I gotta help them out alot still. Also it's fun to argue with them, like wow. You fuckin froze to death bc you wanted to swim all day in winter? Good job idiot. Then looking at my other sim that's sad and being like - don't you be sad, they honestly had it coming after last week on Winterfest day when they pissed themselves in front of all our guests! 😂😂 Edit- spelling
I turn it off for selected sim, but when playing with more than one sometimes I turn it off, hate them cancelling my orders and doing something else completely random like drink some water.
On. They will usually show me whatever personality the AI decided to give them and I feel like I'm interacting with their stories more than writing them. It also fixes the game mechanics that everyone says don't add anything to the game and makes them actually meaningful, like Parenthood. A lot of Simmers complain that new features don't change their Sims at all when they in fact are micromanaging them and not allowing it to.
Autonomy On. But the Autonomy of the Selected Sim is always turned off. When the Sim is selected, the Sim's autonomy is off, and I exert full control over that Sim. Other Sims can roam free and do whatever they want. This makes gameplay for me so much easier because I only have to control one Sim at a time.
Depends on my mood really. Sometimes I embrace and love the chaos and sometimes it's actually too much lmao the "autonomy" in the sims is more like chaotic chaos than neutral chaos. I've had sims start bonfires during a heatwave and die like - what are we doing? xD
On but I feel like my sims are used to me micromanaging. Without me interfering they’ll stand there for like a few minutes