The Headmaster Bug

[IgnorantBliss]

Wasn't the bug with headmaster that caused him to leave shortly after arriving supposed to be fixed with the University patch? I never actually had this problem before the patch, but now he declined Darren Dreamer's and Brandi Broke's kids from private school off the bat.

I put Darren and Brandi together to help with her financial problems, and thought it would also give Dirk and Dustin a chance to fulfill their wants about getting into private school. Well, the headmaster arrives, greets Darren, then interrupts Brandi's turkey cooking, shakes hands with her, and immediately decides "these are not the kind of people our school wants to associate with" (or something similar). Yes, Brandi is white trash (my husband called her a white trash MILF), but, come on!

So, has anyone else had this bug appear after installing the patch?

Edited to add: And I did not save the game between inviting the headmaster and having him arrive.

[C.S.]

I haven't run into this problem, but probably only because I put in the call around 4.30pm. Did you call too early?


Edit:

Edited to add: And I did not save the game between inviting the headmaster and having him arrive.

Ignore my "call too early" question. I posted seconds after you edited.

I did have some wonkiness with the HM having drank coffee even though he didn't, and I had the '+10 points' message. He was about to leave too, but thank goodness the scenario 'recovered' and he stayed long enough for the kids to be accepted into private school. I had clicked on the Merola's Mind Control Mirror to check on a guest, although I didn't select the HM, so I wondered if that might have affected the scenario. It never used to before NL, and I always have the game paused when I use the mirror.

Did you make the HM temporarily selectable at any time? I read that it might cause the HM to leave.

[IgnorantBliss]

I only called around 4pm. And it's funny, because every time I called the headmaster before the patch, I usually called hours in advance, and always saved just before the headmaster arriving (in other words, doing everything against the recommendations), and I never had this bug.

[sadiebutterfly]

I have Nightlife with patch, and the other day the Headmaster vanished in the middle of the scenario. Literally disappeared, taking the scorebox with him. (The salmon was on the table so yeah, I was annoyed.) I used the 'Fix AWOL Headmaster' option on the Lot Debugger but he didn't come back. I'd never had any problems with the headmaster before.

I invited him again the next day -- got a different headmaster and everything was fine.

[qvcatullus]

Just thought I'd point out that I used to have the headmaster bug all the time (seemed like no matter when I called or whether or not I saved!), and now that I have the patch, I have not yet had any problems with the headmaster.

Well, I've had personal problems. I don't think he's a nice man, and I think he's far too interested in material goods, but that's another matter.

[IgnorantBliss]

No, I never made the headmaster selectable.

I have had some problems with the headmaster before, just not this one. One time he got stuck in the hottub and became unselectable. After that I decided I have to make sure there is no hottub in the house when he arrives.

[FreakyRufus]

I have the uni patch and the NL patch, and have occasionally had problems with the headmaster.  For example, the other day he showed up, rang the doorbell, was greeted, then immediately declared that they didn't want this kind of family in such a fine educational institution and left.

I quickly paused the game, then searched google.  The "workaround" that was suggested was to immediately call and invite him again (as long as it is before 6pm when you call, he will still show up).  I did that and he showed up and went through the whole "headmaster scenario" successfully, letting little Lucilla into the private school.

[qvcatullus]

Yup, and that's precisely the bug that the patch claimed to fix, Rufus.

[ZephyrZodiac]

I don't often bother with the private school want, but when I have, I've rarely had a problem with keeping him on the lot, just the first couple of times I had problems understanding what exactly my sims were supposed to DO!  Once I'd worked that out, though, any sims who were desperate to go didn't have a problem, provided there were enough rooms to tour!  Also helps to have the most outgoing, highest charisma member of the family to do the schmoozing.

Maybe there's something in your downloads folder which is somehow causing this to happen?

[gali]

Ignorant, if you married two poor sims (Brandi and Darren) - it's obvious that your house is ugly, and the environment rate is very low.

Further more, may be you had a bill in the mail box, and didn't pay it, and you didn't take the trash out.

When HM comes, you have to be sure that you payed your bills, took the trash out, and all your appliances and electrical objects are not damaged.
Second, you have to check all your bathrooms, to see if they are clean, and you don't have leaks.

Better use cheat to send your kids to private school - Brandi/Dreamer match is not satisfying at all, they are and will be "slums"....

[IgnorantBliss]

Ignorant, if you married two poor sims (Brandi and Darren) - it's obvious that your house is ugly, and the environment rate is very low.

Further more, may be you had a bill in the mail box, and didn't pay it, and you didn't take the trash out.

When HM comes, you have to be sure that you payed your bills, took the trash out, and all your appliances and electrical objects are not damaged.
Second, you have to check all your bathrooms, to see if they are clean, and you don't have leaks.

Better use cheat to send your kids to private school - Brandi/Dreamer match is not satisfying at all, they are and will be "slums"....

The house was clean, and when I took the headmaster for the rounds the second time I called him, the score was fairly good. I think this is a plain bug, not a feature. I don't think the headmaster is supposed to decline them before even giving a chance. Only if there aren't enough points gathered from the house tour, dinner and smooching, then it should matter.

And I did get the kids to the private school without cheating on the second try .

This is copied from JMP's Myths thread in the War Room:

MYTH: The Headmaster instantly rejecting a family on arrival is caused by poor-quality yards, furniture, family funds, or other family state. Improving your yard, making your family richer, making the members like each other more, or improving their grades even when they are already above a C will make him more tractable.
STATUS: FALSE. The headmaster's snooty 1700 departure is caused by a bug relating to the saving of your game after calling the headmaster. Do not save your game after calling the headmaster. It is advised that you do not call the headmaster hours in advance. Call only shortly before or during hour 17 (5pm), and he will arrive immediately. Do not save after calling the headmaster until he leaves. If you do experience a snooty instant-departure, the headmaster will perform his proper ritual if called back immediately.

[Ancient Sim]

I remember the Headmaster rejecting the Dreamer house (before even being greeted) when I first got the original game, but when I invited him again everything went smoothly and Dirk was accepted.  Probably would have been better if he hadn't been, because the headmaster started phone-stalking him.  It doesn't seem to have anything whatsoever to do with the house, because Brandi had all 3 of her kids accepted when she had barely enough money to pay for the food she cooked.  I've also had Sims in expensive houses rejected. 

[J. M. Pescado]

Do you run in debug mode, and if so, did you see any errors? Anything which causes the headmaster to error or reset will result in him vanishing, ending the scenario messily.

[IgnorantBliss]

No, I do not run in debug mode, so I can't say about errors. The headmaster did not vanish, though, he just took off, if that means anything  .

[ZephyrZodiac]

Maybe he and your sim had very incompatible star signs!

[Emma]

I have had this randomly in my game too-and it always seems to happen in lots that I have had the remote control car on! I still don't like that thing!

[ZephyrZodiac]

Well, it wouldn't surprise me, since it's somehow counted as an NPC, that the Headmaster doesn't get on with it!!!!!

[Swiftgold]

I had an odd headmaster bug last night too, when I opened a lot for the first time in a while. The headmaster showed up in his car randomly one day without being called, and with the kids already being in private school. I got the usual 'show him around' type message, but since they were already in the school I didn't want to bother, so I just had someone say goodbye. I didn't give it time to give me the scoring popup, so I don't know if there was going to actually be one or not. He gave me a snitty 'This isn't the kind of family we want associated with our institution' and walked off-lot like any visitor.

[ZephyrZodiac]

Just goes to show, state education for all is the way to go!

[Avie]

I have a persistent Headmaster bug in my Legacy family. I called him way back in the day at Gen 3. He duly turned up, the scenario scorecard rolled up as normal, then he inexplicably disappeared a few minutes later with no message from the computer and no car ever turning up.
Since then, although I retain the option to "Call Headmaster" on the phone, he never turns up and I just DREAD getting fortune sims who are desperate to get their brats into Private School.
The entire Legacy, now with the end in sight in Gen 8, has been played without a single kid EVER to get into Private School due to this early glitch yet it works fine on other lots.
Go figure.

[Sleepycat]

Avie, Have you tried JMs Lot Debugger? it has a option for fixing the headmaster

[ZephyrZodiac]

I don't know if Avie got the debugger to work - she has a Mac.

However, it might be worth following the suggestion outlined above, to call the Headmaster again immediately after he leaves!  That way, I think you get a different one, just as if you fire the maid and call for a maid as soon as they get in the car, you get one of the others.