Investigator

Investigator is a profession introduced in The Sims 3: Ambitions.

Unique among the possible careers, Investigators work freelance, having no set time or location to work. Instead, they acquire /cases/ either by going to the police station, researching cases on a computer, or waiting for clients to call them.

Cases are solved by rummaging through mail and garbage, snooping for clues at various locations, dusting for prints, and - most importantly - talking with other Sims. However, occasionally problems in the investigation will arise. For example, it may be necessary for an investigator to pick locks in order to get inside homes to search for clues and sometimes other Sims will need to be convinced to talk, either by being befriended, being bribed, or simply by being beaten up by the investigator. Be aware that beating up other Sims make your relationship with that Sim go down, and if you are not high up in the athletic skill, you might just lose the fight.

Less ethical investigators (even by investigator standards) can steal objects from locations as being "evidence," much like Sims with the Kleptomaniac trait. They can also use evidence found in mailboxes and garbage cans to blackmail other Sims, although this action is not always successful. Also, Investigators with no love for critters crawling at the outdoors can misuse their magnifying glass to fry the insects and making them explode, negligibly boosting fun for the Investigator. This can also be done at night time, strangely enough.

Investigator sims also need to hold stakeouts. This can be done on a community lot. The sim will pick up some bushes, and a random message will apear. Then, if the stakeout is successful, the sim wil see two other sims exchanging something. The sim can then go and write a report on a computer, which, in turn, will raise their career performance.

Finally, an investigator can also go to the police station to do "low level police work" for hourly pay, with options similar to a standard career (work hard, meet coworkers, etc).

Career Rewards

 * Investigator's Trophy of Honor : Solve 3 cases
 * Investigator's Trophy of Heroism: Solve 3 missing sim cases
 * Eagle-eyed Eavesdropper Medallion: Solve Great Jewel Heist case
 * Medal of The Mindful: Solve Rouge Cop case
 * Investigator's Ribbon of Bravery: Solve Fish Kid case
 * Investigator's Key to The Town: Reach Career Level 10
 * Investigator's Keepsake: Solve 5 cases after Reach Career Level 10

Trivia

 * Sometimes when holding a stakeout, Sims will mention that it reminds them of when Bella disappeared, referring to Bella Goth's disappearance in The Sims 2, which doesn't make sense given that The Sims 2 takes place 50 years later.
 * Since there is no set Time for this career, Workaholic is not effected and therefore the Missing Work moodlet does not occur.

Investigador