Invisible Friends and their weird traits

[VampirePlasma]

Am I the only one who notices the IFs traits are a bit strange considering they are children's toys. I mean like Evil, Klepto, Mean Spirited, Hot Headed? Is that normal? I had my IF (still being a doll) steal my sims' laptop! And scare her and fight her! The only funny thing was how everyone in the house stares at her fighting by herself. But seriously, am I the only one who thinks this traits are bit strange?

[TheChronicR]

Add me to the club of IF trait haters! I really think EA should have given them only "good" traits, but I guess it's just random. But anyways, if it's not a challenge that doesn't allow cheats, you can always change their traits via testing cheats.

[athena]

I've noticed that too, the IF that turned real in my game had the evil and klepto trait, and she is such a gorgeous child too! What a pity, perhaps they take the opposite traits of their owner Sim, what do you think? 

[ratchie]

Well seeing as is it supposed to be the child imagining the friend surely they are the ones imagining the bad traits too. Seems to be some of our Sim children have some unresolved issues and need to see a therapist 

Rachel

[TheChronicR]

Well seeing as is it supposed to be the child imagining the friend surely they are the ones imagining the bad traits too. Seems to be some of our Sim children have some unresolved issues and need to see a therapist 

Rachel

I couldn't agree with you more, Rachel.

[MarianT]

Perhaps the idea is that the IF is a shadow-self. I remember that my brother's imaginary friend could do things that he wasn't allowed to do. An IF can also be blamed for taking the last piece of pie from the fridge and misplacing your homework. Then again, EA may simply have used the same trait selection device it had in place for the ghosts you encounter in the ghost hunter profession.

[Katluvr]

Perhaps the idea is that the IF is a shadow-self.

Ahhh, another Jungian in the house - how wonderful!  While it is possible that the IF is a shadow-self I would be really surprised if the developers at EA intended it that way.  It's kind of an esoteric touch to include in a video game.  If I had to guess, I would suspect that traits are assigned randomly and even the less desirable ones are included in this process.  It would be interesting to see if sim children have a harder time becoming friends or maintaining a friendship with an IF who is mean-spirited or has other traits that might negatively affect social relationships.

[Lysita]

I've just started playing a game with an IF, haven't really gotten far enough before in any others before I deleted them. And my own seems rather nice, Rayne made friends with him easily and has discovered two of his three traits so far. Which are genius and..I don't remember the other. Rayne is a genius herself, as well as disciplined and loves the outdoors. Payne's other known trait isn't one of those, but they are best friends. Rayne had barely started using the chemistry table when she got an opportunity to find a rainbow gem and send it to the science center for the potion to turn IF's real. However, this is my first time playing in Twinbrook, and I have no idea where the gem is.

[sharpsiren]

I think the IF's have strange traits because they're often thought to be ghosts (in Real Life). "Shadow self" is a very interesting explanation as well. But I know that in paranormal circles imaginary friends are thought to be actual ghosts and not imaginary at all.

[cndneh]

I think its a coincidence.  I'm playing a household where the IF's end up being the spouses of their real life friends.  I've only had one that was evil (I'm playing 5 right now), Other traits were workaholic, snob, genius, schmoozer, natural cook, hydrophobic, evil, disciplined, eco-friendly, coward, born salesman, and couch potato. So some useful, some not, of course turning them human is great because I can then balance the "bad" traits with something good.

I find the IF's frustrating as toys with children because they keep the children from doing important things like homework.  I like to micromanage my Sims and the IF's are my worst nightmare!!  But they make beautiful spouses and so I kept the dolls in the inventory until I had the potion ready and then they come out to play, and be turned into a real boy/girl.

[Pam]

I think the IF's have strange traits because they're often thought to be ghosts (in Real Life). "Shadow self" is a very interesting explanation as well. But I know that in paranormal circles imaginary friends are thought to be actual ghosts and not imaginary at all.

That explanation doesn't apply to Sims 3 at all.

I agree with cndneh.  It's just coincidence if an invisible friend gets bad traits.  I've got two in my Dreamweaver DecaDynasty who were made real and married into the family and they just have random traits.

[MoMoll]

I'm sure some have decent traits. however, all of mine had either mean-spirited or insane traits.