Death takes a holiday

[jsalemi]

So the last sim on a lot (one of my original CAS sims in Pleasantview) dies of old age.  I get the annoying pop-up about killing sims and click on the OK button to get rid of it.  The Grim Reaper then sits on the coach and watches TV.  Not unusual -- I've seen the GR do things like this before when the last sim on a lot died.  But the problem was that he never left!  12 sim-hours later, he's still sitting there, the sleepclock is trying to send the dead sim to bed, BUY is trying to send her to the bathroom (her stats were of course plunging -- she's dead!), and the controls to exit the lot were locked out. I used the Lot Debugger to re-enable them, but when I got back to the neighborhood screen, it still showed the lot occupied by the dead sim.

So I said 'what the hell', reloaded the lot, and there's ol' GR still watching TV.  I put the game in high speed just to see how long this went on, and THREE SIM DAYS LATER, GR was still sitting there watching the TV, making no signs of leaving!  I finally plopped Inge's teleporter plus bush on the lot and cleared it of all non-residents.  That finally cleared out the GR, the dead sim's icon, and re-enabled the controls to exit the now-vacant lot.

Has anyone else ever encountered a GR who just wouldn't leave? There were never any signs on any problems on this particular lot, and the only thing I can think of that may have confused the game is that her husband died the day before she did in the same play session (I admit I was tired of playing them and just wanted them to go away finally  ).  This is the original PV, now well into its 4th generation, but there haven't been any other signs of an impending BFBVFS in the hood. Sounds like one of those sadorandom Maxian gliches, maybe?

[jolrei]

Good for a souvenir pic or two before teleporting off, I guess.  Never had this before.

As you say, not abnormal for Grim to stop off and do something else before wandering back to the ethereal plane.  I've seen him use the public terlets on a comm lot (and flushing nicely before leaving), as well as helping himself to pizza, but never getting stuck doing it. 

Probably is a maxian glitch of some sort.  If sims can inexplicably get themselves stuck in the middle of end tables (had this happen the other day), why not Grim getting stuck watching the soaps for three days?

Also sounds like the glitch where the dead sim somehow doesn't realize they are dead (i.e. dead sim teen still tries to do homework, go to school etc.).  This might explain why Grim did not leave - he felt he had not completed the job yet.  Admittedly, in these other examples, the dead sim reappeared as a ghost, but on a lot where the deceased was the last sim standing (so to speak), that may not happen.

[Zavaris]

I have never seen the GR hang around before. I just get the usual send off no matter how they die.
It would be kinda cool to see though.

[jsalemi]

The GR would only hang around if the last sim on the lot dies -- it leaves if there are still other living sims around. I've seen the GR use the toilet and make a drink at the bar, and even watch TV, but never for 3 days.

You also get a (sometimes amusing) pop-up message when the last sim dies. In this case I got the nagging one ('this is a game of LIFE, blah blah blah'), but I always giggle at the one that's a 'personal ad' for the GR.

[mildlydisguised]

I've had Grim stay around for about 3 sim days once too.  Stupidly I hadn't yet placed the lot debugger on the lot and so had to watch Grim playing chess, watching TV, using the facilities and basically treating the house like his own.

Really want to see the amusing 'personal ad' message now, only ever been nagged previously

[jsalemi]

Really want to see the amusing 'personal ad' message now, only ever been nagged previously

It is pretty funny.  Starts off something like: "Death. What can you say about Death?  He's a Taurus, likes to take long walks in the park...." and on and on like that for a couple of lines.

[Gwill]

A Taurus, eh?  I always imagined him as a Scorpio...

[jsalemi]

A Taurus, eh?  I always imagined him as a Scorpio...

My memory may be faulty (and I'm sure someone who's seen this pop-up recently will correct me ), but I think it said 'Taurus'...

[jolrei]

My memory may be faulty (and I'm sure someone who's seen this pop-up recently will correct me ), but I think it said 'Taurus'...

I've seen this popup, but can't remember what star sign Grim is.  I think it goes on to suggest that female sims looking for a date should bring along 3 friends (or perhaps I am not remembering correctly).  Now I want to kill someone to see if I can get the popup and check.  Such a dilemma, since I like most of my sims right now (even my townies).

[akatonbo]

My memory may be faulty (and I'm sure someone who's seen this pop-up recently will correct me ), but I think it said 'Taurus'...

I've seen this popup, but can't remember what star sign Grim is.  I think it goes on to suggest that female sims looking for a date should bring along 3 friends (or perhaps I am not remembering correctly).

Well, of course. War, Famine, and Pollution Pestillence need dates too.

[morriganrant]

I've had Grim hang around a bit even with other sims on the lot. That was back in the early days on my game play. I Had the base through NL and i was exploring the capabilities of death by tombstone. I killed 5 npcs then plus some. Grim took care of business, wandered inside, helped himself to a drink at the bar then faded away sitting on the couch in front of the tv.
My icon is grim after i had a  "mass suicide" *cough*cemeterystock*cough* on one lot. He got a drink of water then went to the bathroom. He flushed but he did not wash his hands. :p

[jolrei]

My icon is grim after i had a  "mass suicide" *cough*cemeterystock*cough* on one lot. He got a drink of water then went to the bathroom. He flushed but he did not wash his hands. :p

Well, what sort of disease is Death going to die from?  My feeling always was that the marginal boost to hygiene that washing hands provides is mainly good for teens warding off zits.  Not sure if it has another useful function in game.

I would usually try to kill NPCs/ugly townies on a residential lot, and generally used the satellite for the resale value.  Consequently, there was a high correlation of space debris, "unexplained" townie disappearances, and visits by Grim during periods when one of my families was building on to the house to accommodate a new baby, move in spouse, etc.

I note that "statistician" and "data analyst" are not occupations for sims, and consequently, the causal relations of these phenomena were not well known at the level of the neighbourhood.

[LFox]

I recently had a elder die of old age on one of my bunker lots.  After taking my sim Death decided to go toilet then sat down
and watched some tv...and watched....and watched.  He had already watched like half a day at that point so i took the mind control mirror and canceled his watch tv action.  Upon doing so he got up and left.  Was somewhat amusing to see death taking a break but annoying how he glitched up to want to watch tv indefinitely.

[Angie]

Really want to see the amusing 'personal ad' message now, only ever been nagged previously

It is pretty funny.  Starts off something like: "Death. What can you say about Death?  He's a Taurus, likes to take long walks in the park...." and on and on like that for a couple of lines.

I has a screenshot!  Okay, it's not actually mine.  Bluebirdtexas22 posted this on the BBS:

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p81/bluebirdtexas/aboutdeath.jpg

See, you actually can learn something from the BBS!   

[jsalemi]

Heh -- my memory wasn't that faulty after all.