How to Disable Autonomy for Selected Sims or Pets in The Sims
The Sims franchise offers a wonderful blend of life simulation and player control. However, sometimes you want more precision over your Sims’ actions, particularly for specific characters or scenarios. The question often arises: how do you disable autonomy for selected Sims or pets? The short answer is that, in The Sims 4, you can’t completely disable autonomy for selected Sims or pets in the base game, but there are several workarounds and tools (like the MC Command Center mod) to help you achieve granular control. You can influence their behavior and prevent unwanted actions by using the built-in game options and, for more advanced control, mods. This article will guide you through the process and answer frequently asked questions to help you master Sim autonomy.
Understanding Autonomy in The Sims
Before diving into the “how,” let’s clarify what autonomy means in The Sims. Autonomy refers to the game’s feature that allows Sims and pets to act independently based on their needs, traits, and current situation. When autonomy is on “Full”, Sims and pets will perform actions based on their own desires; things like eating when hungry, socializing, and pursuing activities that fit their personality. However, there are times when this autonomous behavior can be inconvenient or undesirable. That’s where disabling or modifying autonomy comes into play.
How to Partially Disable Autonomy for Selected Sims in The Sims 4
The base game of The Sims 4 doesn’t offer a direct “disable autonomy for selected sim/pet” button, but here are some steps you can take to gain more control:
-
Game Options Autonomy Settings: In the game, you can adjust the overall autonomy level from Full to Off. This impacts all Sims.
- To access this, click the three dots in the upper-right corner of the screen, and select “Game Options.”
- Click on “Gameplay” and find the “Autonomy” section.
- Changing this from Full to Off will mean the Sims in your active household will only do basic interactions to preserve their lives.
-
Managing Interactions: Although you can’t disable autonomy entirely for a single Sim or pet, you can manage their actions by directing them in minute detail. For example, if you want to keep a Sim from being mean, you can direct them to do other actions when they seem like they’re going to be mean to another Sim. Similarly, you can direct them to eat if you see they’re going to autonomously try to bake a cake when you want them to have a different meal.
-
Using the “Disable Need Decay” Cheat (for needs management): If your main concern is your Sim autonomously addressing their needs (like hunger, hygiene, etc.) you can disable the decay of needs.
- Open the cheat console by pressing Ctrl + Shift + C on a PC or Command + Shift + C on a Mac.
- Type in testingcheats true and press Enter.
- Then, type shift+click on the mailbox outside your house. Select Alter Needs, then select Disable Household Needs Decay. This will stop your Sims from autonomously addressing their needs. You will have to control all of their needs yourself.
Utilizing Mods: MC Command Center (MCCC)
For a more robust way of controlling Sim autonomy, you’ll need to rely on mods. The MC Command Center (MCCC) is a popular choice that can give you granular control over autonomy. Here’s how to use it:
Turning Off Autonomous Mean Interactions With MCCC
- Click on a computer in-game.
- Select MCCC.
- Go to MC Tuner.
- Select Change Interaction Autonomy.
- Turn off Autonomous Mean.
Disabling Specific Autonomous Actions With MCCC
- Click on your Sim
- Click on MCCC.
- Click on MC Tuner.
- Click Enable Autonomy Scan.
- Click on the ground (or floor).
- Click on Autonomy Commands.
- Click on Currently Running Scan.
- Scroll through the list, and click on the autonomous actions you want to prevent.
Modifying Autonomy Scan in MCCC
- To activate the Autonomy Scan menu for objects, click on a Sim, go into the MC Command Center > MC Tuner menu and choose “Enable Autonomy Scan”. This makes the option to scan appear when clicking on an object, however, this does not affect whether or not an interaction that was disabled is still disabled.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can you completely turn off autonomy for a single Sim or pet in The Sims 4 without mods?
No, the base game of The Sims 4 does not allow you to completely disable autonomy for a single Sim or pet. You can only toggle autonomy on or off for the entire household or utilize cheats to turn off need decay. Mods are required for the level of control you want for individual Sims.
2. How do I prevent my Sims from autonomously having mean interactions?
Using MCCC, you can go to **MC Tuner**, then **Change Interaction Autonomy** and turn off **Autonomous Mean**. This will stop your Sims from autonomously starting mean interactions.
3. What is the “Disable Household Needs Decay” cheat?
The **"Disable Household Needs Decay"** cheat stops your Sims from autonomously fulfilling their needs. To activate this, open the cheat console (**Ctrl + Shift + C** on a PC or **Command + Shift + C** on a Mac), type **testingcheats true**, press enter and then type **shift+click** on the mailbox and select **Alter Needs** then select **Disable Household Needs Decay**.
4. Can I use MCCC to stop my Sims from doing specific autonomous actions?
Yes, MCCC allows you to scan for and disable specific autonomous actions. Follow the steps in the MCCC section of this article to accomplish this.
5. How do I prevent my Sims from getting autonomously married?
While Sims can develop relationships autonomously, they will not marry or propose autonomously. A player will still need to direct a Sim to propose marriage. However, you can turn off the chance of NPC sims getting married by using the computer in the game, selecting MCCC and then going to MC Pregnancy/Marriage then Sim Selection/Marriage Percentage and setting the percentages to “0” for each age group.
6. Can I stop NPCs from moving into houses in my Sims 4 world?
Yes, you can prevent NPCs from moving into houses. If a lot has zero beds, it should stop NPCs from moving in.
7. How do I make a Sim stop hating another Sim?
The best way to remedy this is to move them into the same household and direct them to avoid each other until negative sentiments wear off. After that, you can have them apologize and do some friendly interactions until their relationship improves.
8. Can I stop controlling a Sim and switch to another one?
Yes, you can go to “Manage Worlds” and then select a different household to play. To remove a Sim from a household using cheats, use shift+click on them and choose remove from household.
9. How do I change my Sim’s sexual orientation manually?
You can manually change your Sim's sexual orientation after creation using the "Change Sim" interaction on a mirror or dresser, which takes you back to Create-a-Sim (CAS).
10. How do I get rid of NPC Sims in The Sims 4?
Go to "Manage Worlds," make sure **cas.fulleditmode** is on and find the Sim via **Manage Households**, then **Edit in CAS**, and click the X to delete them.
11. Can Sims autonomously divorce?
Yes, Sims can autonomously break up or divorce if they have a bitter, hurt, or grudge sentiment towards their partner and the relationship has a low enough romance level.
12. How do I delete a romantic relationship using MCCC?
If you want to delete the relationship between SIM A and SIM B, make sure SIM A is active, click on SIM A and go into **MC Command Center/Relationships/Delete Relationship**. You'll get a dialog showing pictures of all the Sims that Sim has any relationship with.
13. How do I move a divorced Sim out of the house?
To move a divorced Sim out, go into "Manage Worlds," click on the household, and move the Sim to a new home.
14. What does the MC Woohoo module do?
The **MC Woohoo** module adds more detailed options for Woohoo interactions, without changing the game's basic animations. This module only appears on the computer when you click MCCC.
15. Can Sims autonomously ask to become girlfriends or boyfriends?
Romance is autonomous, but Sims will not autonomously ask to be a Sim’s girlfriend or boyfriend. That interaction is still determined by the player.
Conclusion
While The Sims 4 doesn’t offer a straightforward way to disable autonomy for selected Sims or pets without mods, there are multiple ways to gain greater control over your Sims’ actions. By using a combination of the built-in game options, cheats, and tools like the MC Command Center, you can craft the precise narratives you desire. This helps give you more options for gameplay, and keeps your Sims from being mean or doing actions that you don’t want them to do. Experiment with these options and discover how to create the best Sim stories possible.