The Sims 4/Patch 44

The 44th update to The Sims 4 was released on December 1, 2016. It updated the game to version 1.25.135.1020 for PC and 1.25.135.1220 for Mac.

Official patch notes
Ho, ho, ho Simmers!

Woah! Wait, it’s December?!

I haven’t even worked on my list yet. Do you think Santa has a good stock of VR? Also, I’ve been thinking of something vintage… maybe a butler. Do you think Santa can get a butler down the chimney?

Oh, um… anyway.

We have updated the Holiday Celebration Pack with some new objects (a holiday table, fireplace, nutcracker, and centerpiece). And a fun little object called the Holiday Cracker. What’s inside? A poorly written joke, a little holiday sweet, or a teeny Meduso of your very own.

Also… if you didn’t know how to find your Holiday Celebration Pack items, we have added a Holiday Pack Filter for that very purpose. Open up the filters list in Build Mode, scroll to Packs, and select Holiday (at the bottom).

But that’s not all. No my friends, no holiday can be declared complete without issues!

General Issues

 * We fixed an issue that could result in a Sim placing their used dishes down outside of the boundaries of a lot, resulting in the dishes becoming stuck off lot. Dishes will now just disappear.
 * Where do they go? We imagine it to be similar to the dimension of ‘The Other Sock.’
 * Dirty coffee makers will now be cleaned by the maid, rather than disposed of.
 * Though have you see the stains coffee makes?
 * I think the maids were doing you a service, but hey, if you want to keep drinking it, don't ask me to look at your stomach lining when you're dead.
 * …because you know, it's probably pretty gross. I mean more so than it normally is, it's probably like extra coffee stain gross.
 * Sims should now prefer to sit during the marriage ceremony.
 * Except for the married couple, who probably would just prefer you send a gift.
 * We fixed an issue that could cause a residential lot to switch to a generic lot type after being placed from The Gallery.
 * When directed to, Sims should now clean up all the dishes on half walls.
 * Family oriented Sims should no longer get the Missing Family buff if they have interacted with a baby in the family.
 * Babies are family too.
 * Even if they do smell funny.
 * Large and Small Crystals will no longer inform you differently about their Energized Décor moodlet strengths depending on where you read the tooltip.
 * High quality harvestables will no longer increase in value after each lot load.
 * I'm sorry, you'll just have to earn your Simoleons the old fashioned way.
 * …with a little rosebud.
 * Sims should switch seats less when there are other nearby seats available.
 * Goldilocks vs. The Sims, tune in Wednesday for the latest intense chair choosing match!
 * We fixed an issue that was causing Sims to stand up and then sit down in order to turn on the television.
 * Ordering drinks for the group from a bartender will now order drinks for the group.
 * …rather than just giving you one drink that costs a group rate.
 * Essence milked from Cowplants will now display the name of the Sim whose essence it is.
 * …because it’s important to know.
 * “Was that Bob you just drank? Because you know I was saving Bob. And now, Bob is gone… did you really need Bob? I mean Susan and George are still in the fridge, they’re right there next to the lasagna. But no, you had to take Bob!”
 * “I'm just not sure this is working out for me. I'm leaving you, and I'm taking the Cowplant."
 * Chairs can now properly be slotted to the middle positions of 1x2 and 1x3 tables when dragging the table to the chair.
 * Yes, there is a middle position on the 1x2, just accept it.
 * Maids will no longer throw away freshly cooked meals during their shift. They may put them away in the fridge. But they most definitely will not put them in the trash.
 * They will not put them in the drain. Not in the dark. Not near a tree. Not in a can. They’ll let them be.
 * They do not like them on a lot. When they’re not as hot. They do not like them in the house. When nibbled by a mouse. They do like them here or there, but they will not trash them anywhere.
 * Male Sims with feminine frames should see less distortion in their bottom assets.
 * Gallery items that were uploaded in Norwegian without a description will no longer be non-deletable from The Gallery.
 * Woohoo or Mess Around with a non-household Sim on a non-household lot will now properly shoo other Sims from the room during said action.
 * Lighting preference is still player choice.
 * Typing a number into the sell multiple window from the Sims inventory will now allow you to type the number, rather than just typing a 1.
 * Also 3 is a magic number, the figure 8 would be great, and 0 saved us from our fingers and toes.
 * We fixed an issue that was causing memory usage to increase as songs were being previewed in the options panel.
 * Gym Rat trait now properly prevents hygiene loss during yoga.
 * Playing a violin from the Sims inventory will now properly complete the Play Violin whim.
 * The developers have informed me that all violins are created equal, and that they are endowed by their engineer with certain unalienable code, that among their functions are the ability to play, write, and pursue a whims completion.
 * Which I suppose if they were truly unalienable would nullify this issue.
 * Sims should now prefer to use the closer of sinks, when washing dishes.
 * The closer sink will vary upon Sim position. What was closer now, may not be closer later.
 * Child Sims who age up will no longer need to reload their lot to see the skill panel update with their adult skills.

Get to Work

 * Changing the default color of the Grimy Times Crime Map will no longer cause the police station computers to lose the ability to conduct police work.
 * I knew it… when the computers begin to revolt based upon your interior design choices, the nuclear codes are not far behind.
 * Children will no longer warp when attempting to restock mannequins.
 * Also, due to child labor laws, children will no longer be able to restock mannequins.
 * Baking skill books will no longer be so expensive.
 * …there was a bad zero. Bad zero! It has been removed, reprimanded, and placed on the other side of the decimal point, on a timeout.
 * The Prison Yard Gate can now be placed on any sized fence. Not just the small fences.
 * …that didn't make sense anyway. Because the gate was a tall gate… so, even in its wrongness, it was extra wrong.

Get Together

 * Using the closet to change the outfit of a non-household Sim should no longer switch the active player control to other Sims in your household. This was particularly a problem if the other Sim that was given control was on a different lot, resulting in you loading a new lot upon returning from Create a Sim.

City Living

 * Entering Build Mode on an apartment lot while your Sim is at work or school, will no longer force your Sim home early.

Outdoor Retreat

 * Taking non-household members on vacation will now take non-household members on vacation, rather than forcing those non-household members to linger around your vacation until their Needs fail.
 * Sitting at the Happy Camper Picnic Table will no longer give a Comfy moodlet with the reason being “From Expensive Furniture.”
 * Don't get me wrong, the craftsmanship is superb. But it's still just a wooden bench.
 * You know, maybe semi-comfy, or comfy-ish… but Comfy? I think that's going a bit too far.

Dine Out

 * We addressed an issue that would prevent business owners from gaining entry to their lots, if the doors had been Locked for Everyone but Employees.
 * Owners are employees. Fish are friends not food. And use the rule of three when writing.
 * Adults will now drink water or sparkling water if it is the only drink on the menu.
 * They won’t be happy about it… but they’ll drink it.
 * The blue flames on the I Dream of Sous chef station shall no longer, from this day forward, henceforth and back, to and fro, remain lit after closing. So sayeth you one, so sayeth you all?
 * The Mythic Patio Warming Lamp can now be instant upgraded with the Handy reward trait.
 * Please note: The Handy reward trait provides no benefit to Kleptomaniacs or Romantics.
 * Sims will no longer be able to scavenge for spare parts in dropped food.
 * A strict Prep n’ Serve review system has been put in place prior to food service, preventing any unwanted washers, o-rings, or ball bearings from finding their way into your Shrimp Louie.
 * Choosing the option to Disallow New Customers will now disallow new customers from arriving to your restaurant.
 * Claimed tables are now properly clearing their claimed state when a restaurant is opened for business.
 * Mine, mine, mine.
 * Ordering Lemonade, Ice Tea, or Citrus Swig at a restaurant will now serve you Lemonade, Ice Tea, or Citrus Swig and not just an empty glass.
 * We addressed an issue that could cause Build Mode to fail to function after uploading an incomplete restaurant to The Gallery, and then downloading it to your home lot.

Backyard Stuff

 * Children will now gain motor skill after each trick slide they perform, and not just the first one.
 * After all, tricks are for kids.

And on that horrible pun, I bid you a fond farewell, a happy holiday season, and the warmest of wishes,

-SimGuruGnome

Patch issues
The patch was reported to cause several problems with club functionality from Get Together. These problems were fixed in the following patch.