Frustrated with the Paparazzi and Being Celebrities - Somethings that might help

[MrsFlynn]

I don't like having my Sims be celebrities. So when I found that some of my favorite Sim people became Sim celebrities I was not thrilled. I tried putting up a fence with a locked gate. And that worked to a point. But then my Sim family couldn't invite people over. And they couldn't go anywhere without being bugged by the paparazzi.

It frustrated me to the point where Sims 3 wasn't fun to play at all. So I tweaked Sunset Valley to my liking, by putting the commercial lots where I liked and my favorite pre-saved -- pre-Late Night Sim households where I wanted them. I did this back in November.

A couple things I should note just in case it does make a difference is that I play with aging off and story progression off. Watched what opportunities I choose to do and what jobs my Sim people took.

It's been working so far. I see Sim people that are paparazzi around town, but they leave my Sims alone. And that's what I like!!

So from this I have learned:

1. Install your saved pre-Late Night Sim people/families into Sunset Valley or a town that doesn't have Late Night commercial buildings in it.
2. Avoid jobs that require your Sim person to have celebrity status.
3. Avoid any opportunities that pay in celebrity points.
4. Play with story progression off.

If anyone else has tried something similar and/or has any tips or tricks. Please let me know.  I'd like to share our progression on keeping a no-celebrity town.

Thank you,

Mrs Flynn

[Naga]

I tried putting up a fence with a locked gate. And that worked to a point. But then my Sim family couldn't invite people over.

Did you try the electric gate that came with Late Night? You don't even have to lock it, it automatically blocks any uninvited sims.

1. Install your saved pre-Late Night Sim people/families into Sunset Valley or a town that doesn't have Late Night commercial buildings in it.
4. Play with story progression off.

Number 1 has nothing to do with anything. The only possible way that commercial buildings could affect your sim's stardom is if you did the opportunities given by your sim's agent, such as "dance for 3 hours in _" or "order a drink at _", but if your sim doesn't have any stars, you won't get any calls from your agent.

Number 4 is the key. When you start a new game outside bridgeport, none of the households there will have stars (unless you bring over households from bridgeport or another saved game of yours that has celebrities), and by turning off story progression you disable the other sims' ability to make new friends, therefore allowing less popularity, leading to no stardom.

Getting to the point: Celebrities aren't that bad. The only actual bad things are paparazzis (blocked by electric gates, and not even noticed when you're outside sometimes) and the Publicly Embarassed negative moodlet (which you may even get more simoleans from in case you win the law suit thing).

[Shenice93]

If you don't want your Sims to become celebrities just avoid impressing them or meeting them and like Naga said the electric gate that came with late night solves the paparazzi invading your privacy as they can't get in without permission and paparazzi don't ask for permission. So no unwanted paps in your house. That is my personally favorite way to deal with it because by cutting off story progression you miss the whole "your town is alive" thing that comes with the Sims 3 that wasn't in the Sims 2 and its my favorite aspect of the game.

[RJ]

If you don't want your Sims to become celebrities just avoid impressing them or meeting them and like Naga said the electric gate that came with late night solves the paparazzi invading your privacy as they can't get in without permission and paparazzi don't ask for permission. So no unwanted paps in your house. That is my personally favorite way to deal with it because by cutting off story progression you miss the whole "your town is alive" thing that comes with the Sims 3 that wasn't in the Sims 2 and its my favorite aspect of the game.

Sometimes it is not so easy to avoid celebrities. When your sim is in a career that has the 'co-workers' or 'boss' requirement, and your co-workers or boss is a celebrity you will gain celebrity points when you interact with them.

Anyway I feel that the celebrity opps that keep popping up is more annoying than the paparazzi. It just keeps popping up. I am sick of seeing all the 'Work out for 4 hours' and 'Dance for 3 hours at the grind' ):

[Pam]

I just want to say hello and welcome to MrsFlynn.  It's nice to see you posting on the Forum. 

[Naga]

Anyway I feel that the celebrity opps that keep popping up is more annoying than the paparazzi. It just keeps popping up. I am sick of seeing all the 'Work our for 4 hours' and 'Dance for 3 hours at the grind' ):

I agree with that completely.

[Anushka]

I usually accept the dancing one and never fulfill it, and avoid getting those calls that way.
Also, you have to be carefull about other opportunities too. My Sims often got their first star with skill opp if Sim who gave the opp is celebrity, even if reward is not increased relationship, and there is no mention about celeb points, I still got 1000 of them and first celeb star.   

[RJ]

I usually accept the dancing one and never fulfill it, and avoid getting those calls that way.
Also, you have to be carefull about other opportunities too. My Sims often got their first star with skill opp if Sim who gave the opp is celebrity, even if reward is not increased relationship, and there is no mention about celeb points, I still got 1000 of them and first celeb star.   

Yes my Gardening/Fishing/Cooking challenge sim got her star by delivering some fish to a celeb. It was under 'skill' but still awarded celeb points. It was so annoying because she got accused of peeing in public and her mood was low for the 3 days.

[Naga]

I wish there was a way to lose those stars. At least then we could undo the unwanted celebrities.

[Lyrrad]

I had one of my Sims gain 2 stars just by walking past a celebrity.  She had completed the Celebrity Challenge from the Charisma skill and had the Attractive Lifetime reward which seems to make people friends as soon as you met them.

[Esther1981]

The only things about celebrities that I don't like is how the paparazzi come onto your lot and takes pics but as mentioned earlier a fence and a gate fixes that, but if you don't have money for that, it really gets annoying fast! The other thing I don't like is getting falsely accused. If I do something, fine I'll take the 3 day mood hit or go sue for slander. But don't go around saying I peed on myself or got into fights without having proof to back it up! I control my sims every moment and I know what they did or didn't do! Grrr sorry, it just irritates me for some reason! (Shift+clicking that moodlet is a perk!)  Welcome to the forums MrsFlynn and Lyrrad!

[samoht04]

Well even thought most of the things my sims get accused of are true I still get annoyed and sue them, not always profitable but oh well. 

[Esther1981]

Well even thought most of the things my sims get accused of are true I still get annoyed and sue them, not always profitable but oh well. 

Lol that's funny. If I know they did it, it doesn't irritate me I just laugh and say ooppss they got caught! Like earlier this morning I was playing my Dynasty and Chris got accused of peeing on himself. Ok, he's been in the basement all day long sculpting, nobody can see what he's doing but me plus all needs are static. That REALLY irritated me lol. I just shift+clicked the moodlet but still! It's stupid!! 

[Schipperke]

What I find most annoying about the whole celebrity thing is that, unless your sim is a hermit, there doesn't seem to be any way to avoid it.  As others have mentioned, I've had sims become celebrities just by socializing at work.  I got so fed up with the negative moodlets and loss of friends that I wound up uninstalling LN.  The only way I would consider reinstalling it would be if EA brings out a patch so that your sim will only become a celebrity if you want them to.

[Shenice93]

Hmm...I find being a celebrity more interesting mainly because for some reason I have never been falsely accused. My sims have been publicly disgraced many times for pretty much everything but they are all true so it never really bothered me. Though not much bothers me nowadays. I guess it has something to do with the fact that is my last semester in high school. Then again stuff that is supported by facts has never really bothered me. I have a very strong case of "senioritis" and there is no cure as far as I can tell.