Detective Career - Interrogation

[Sonshine]

Hi, I'm trying this career for the first time. He is at level 2 and is trying to interrogate a suspect (one of his assignments) and it is taking forever (5 sim hrs so far)! The interrogation assignment is not being fulfilled. How long is it supposed to last? What will happen if I just cancel it and do other things?

[Playalot]

It's been a while since I've played the detective career but it shouldn't be taking you that long. I had thought that you weren't able to interrogate a subject until you were at L4! Are you able to ask the perp questions using the interrogation table?

@ClayMask  Any ideas?

[Sonshine]

Hmmmm, I didn't think about clicking on the suspect and asking questions. I thought it was automatic. That might be the problem of why it took so long although, I was not prompted to ask anything. I finally just locked her up and then she disappeared (all arrested sims do). I'll try that next time if I get that option before Lev 4.

I'm with you on your fav career being scientist though. That one seems far better put together than the others. I thought I'd try it though. I'd like to also try the secret agent and see how that one goes.

[Playalot]

Oh yes, you totally need to click on the perp and ask questions. There are a whole range of questions you can ask and depending on the response you get from the perp (these show in the in-game notices I think from memory) you can then decide what type of question to ask next. A progression meter will show you how close you are to 'breaking' the perp too. If your sim is focused then there are special questions you can ask that will move the progression along the meter a little further than ordinary questions.

Carl wrote a great guide about this here if you do want to check it out.

Hmm, somehow the scientist career seems less like a time-related mini game. I suppose it is because you are able to order your co-workers around to your benefit and because the at work tasks generally can be completed early enough to leave you time to do what you want. The gadgets are great too.

[Sonshine]

One little question; once the meter is full, does doing more tasks increase performance value or money earned or can I just have my sim do miscellaneous things?

[reggikko]

You can stop tasks once the bar is full. You don't get anything extra beyond that. Just don't leave work early or you'll take a big performance hit. @Playalot has reported getting a one-day promotion in the Science career when completing all tasks, though.

[Sonshine]

Thanks reggikko!

[Playalot]

Having the Entrepreneurial reward trait will help in getting faster promotions but it doesn't guarantee them. This trait seems to give an end of day boost that when it happens you can actually see the performance meter fill up and if you're lucky fill up completely. Mostly it takes me two days to get a promotion. I have noticed that completing all the daily tasks does seem to up the chances of a one day promotion but other than that, it doesn't seem to do anything for your sim.
I'm a firm believer in being the correct emotion in the 'very' state also leads to faster promotions but @dodi90  would disagree.

[Sonshine]

Yeah, he's coming along nicely now. He's lev 6 detective. I'm learning how to go w/the suspect's emotions. If they're shy, then the "bad cop" maneuver doesn't work. I have a couple of the ITF lights in his living room and have him stay there, but often when he gets to work, he's back in a previous mood. 

I'll just combine this in this thread. This same sim, since the patch is constantly wanting to use the toilet regardless if his bladder is full or not. This especially happens when he's eating. He'll take a few bites, then off to the bathroom, then I'll make him eat a bit more, and a couple bites later, he's off again. The bar is completely green. He's not sick (to my knowledge), but I have to keep a hawk eye on him. Do any of you have this?

[Playalot]

This is the 'toilet bug' lol. SimGuruDaniel is looking into this so hopefully a fix is on the cards soon. Meanwhile try repairing your game, it can help. You can also give you sim the Steel Bladder reward and delete all the toilets on your lot.

[reggikko]

Almost everyone seems to have the toilet bug. I noticed tonight that if my Sims didn't have a table to sit at, they didn't go as often while eating. They either stand or sit on the couch and almost always finish their meals.

Sometimes, I stick the toilet in household inventory and pull it out a couple of times a day.

[Sonshine]

Now there's an idea  reggikko!! lol

About the lights and the mood for work, I'll have him focused when he leaves for work, but the moment he lands there, it's back to a previous mood. : /  I have some mathmatical paintings that I keep at the  station and it helps a little.

[Playalot]

The items that give off an emotional aura will only effect the sim when they are physically near the item. (eg focused lamp=focused sim while near).
Pondering chess board (action) will make the sim focused until the moodlet wears off regardless where they are.

So to keep your sim focused for as long as possible you have to get him(?) to do something to become focused, not just be near a focused aura. Ponder moves on the chess board, view a focused painting (painted on an easel while focused), bath with citrus soak, yoga, etc etc.

This link will take you to a list to get you started. It is a little out of date now but the game has become so huge it's pretty hard to list everything!

[Sonshine]

Ok, I didn't realize that the aura was only while he was in its range. That explains it. I'll have him do other things then before work.

About the "toilet bug," that seems to be fixed w/the latest patch.

[Playalot]

If you have Spa Day the easiest way is to light some incense in the bathroom (saffron flavour) while your sim takes a citrus bath. The incense increases the duration of the moodlet from 8hrs to 12 hrs.

I'm pleased EA patched the toilet bug asap.

[Sonshine]

I just got Spa Day, where can I find the incense?

[Playalot]

I think they are in misc decorations. I just search. They are called 1. Spring Blossom Incense Holder and 2. Scent-from-heaven Incense Holder. 

[Sonshine]

Thanks!

[Sonshine]

Well, I tried the incense and it is basically worthless b/c the moment they walk out of range, the buff disappears. The best way as you said, is to either ponder chess moves or browse the sim pedia for the focused buff.

[Playalot]

Oh you use the incense while taking a bath with soaks.... the incense burning in the bathroom makes the emotional moodlet last much longer. You can't just have your sim smell the incense as then, like you said, it doesn't last as incense by itself is just an aura not an action.

So...bath with soaks = 8hrs emotional mooodlet
 bath with soaks AND incense burning in the bathroom at same time = 12 hr emotional moodlet.

Both these moodlets will last no matter where your sim is until the time is spent. You'll know if the sim can 'smell' the incense while they are in the bath as the incense moodlet will show up. Also you have to let the sim finish his bath totally or the moodlet for both the soak and the incense won't show up.

I think it takes about one sim hour for a bath with soaks so you'll have to start getting him ready for work early enough but the moodlet is brilliant for the work day.

[Sonshine]

I'm not sure, but I'll try again. I thought I did a bath. I'll let you know the next time I do it.

[oshizu]

@Playalot 

If your sim is focused then there are special questions you can ask that will move the progression along the meter a little further than ordinary questions.

The comment　above is so helpful! I was wondering why only one or two interactions had the navy Focused edge on its bars.

I've started this career for my Gen7 at Level 4 and was surprised a two-day tutorial was required before actually starting one's own case. 
I've solved two cases so far, but I've been reading about this career online and I have a question:

Is the issue of the arrested suspect not showing up with the cop at the station unresolved? 
That is, is this career still buggy?

I've spent four days at this job so far, but don't want to risk a dynasty challenge on a possibly glitchy career. 
Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated!

[Playalot]

I'm not sure if the 'suspect bug' is still around but it was usually solved by traveling back to where the suspect was and then returning to the station anyway.
Best tip I can give you is to take as many suspect reports and photos of evidence and samples etc as you can because you can use those for the next cases. lol I guess in the Simsverse 'if you've seen one crime scene you've seen them all' is true!  . Being focused helps for analysis to go well and pause button is your friend while waiting for the next work task to load in.

[oshizu]

@Playalot

Thanks for the confirming about "the suspect didn't come back to the station" bug.
When you say "traveling back to where the suspect was," do you mean I would need to issue another APB or do I just travel back to wherever the arrest occurred.

I appreciate your tips about gathering as much evidence as possible. I was able to solve a second crime without visiting a crime scene a at all, but wasn't sure whether that was a fluke or not.
I don't understand your comment about "Pause."

Do you press "Pause" after finishing one task until a new task is dsiplayed to free up more time for completing tasks? Or did you mean something else?

Also, I've started having the sim Work late as well. (I haven't played an active career for so long, I'd completely forgotten about that!)

[Playalot]

Do you press "Pause" after finishing one task until a new task is dsiplayed to free up more time for completing tasks? <<This. Might only save a few moments but they all add up.

Travel back to the lot where you first arrested the suspect from. The park or where ever. The suspect should still be standing there. So I would just go and talk to them again, arrest them if the option was available (again). If the arrest interaction wasn't available then I would just travel back to the cop shop and the suspect would most times just turn up there with my sim.

Once it didn't work so I just spent the rest of the day making friends etc and then the next day when I followed my sim to work the suspect was there. Hopefully, though, you won't come across any glitches.

[oshizu]

@Playalot
Thanks for the advice!
I've read a lot of horror stories online about the Detective career, lol.

[oshizu]

@Playalot
Of course, I run into that scenario where the suspect doesn't return with my sim to the Police Station.

Travel back to the lot where you first arrested the suspect from. The park or where ever. The suspect should still be standing there. So I would just go and talk to them again, arrest them if the option was available (again). If the arrest interaction wasn't available then I would just travel back to the cop shop and the suspect would most times just turn up there with my sim.

I realize it's been awhile since you played the Detective career  but I wonder if you remember if there's any way to return to the initial arrest site besides issuing another APB.
Except for issuing another APB, I can't figure out any way to travel back there.

[Playalot]

I think I would just choose the lot from the map. So if I arrested the perp at the museum then I would just travel back there the ordinary way.