Fourth-Wall Options

Updated - Experimental version added (below "Known Issues")

While I was wandering through the semi-globals. I came across this and, since I have not seen a mod for this, decided to turn into a mod. So, let me know if this exists somewhere.

You may have noticed that every so often your Sim looks up at you. I have read how this creeps some people out. For me, it is just a bother when I am setting up a scene and forget to use some posing hack to make the Sim keep a neutral pose.

Sometimes, you may want your Sim (or several Sims in my case) to look up, but must wait for them to do it on their own.

Here is where I hope to help.

1. "NoLookAtMe.zip" is a simple global mod (hack) that changes the "CT - Look At Camera" BHAV so that the Sim is never actually told to look at the camera/player.
(Note: This is just that random glance at the player. There are more hacks for those other situations when the Sim looks at you. See below.)

2. "LookAtMeNOW.zip" is a self-interaction that makes the selected Sim (child through elder) look at the player on command.
(See Known Issues below.)

You may be asking yourself, "can I download both?" Continue reading...

Testing:
From my tests, there is no conflict between these two mods. I have tested this in a base game environment as well as with all my EP's installed. I do not have all EP's or Stuff Packs, so I am putting this in "Testing".

Please let me know if there are any problems with this download.

Known issues:
There is limited range or field in which this mod will work. In other words, the Sim will not turn its head in a weird angle or all the way ("Exorcist"-style) to look at you. It may do so for other things in other situations, but in my testing this never happened to me. But, I do not turn many heads, anyway...

As with all global mods, there may be a chance that it may get packaged in with your lots. Future code changes may affect this mod. If you wish to uninstall this, you may simply delete it from your Downloads folder. If you delete this mod and consequently get the appearance of a "Debug Super Duper Hug" interaction, try [Black_Spirit]'s fix, the "LBFRemovesocial" file, to get rid of it. (His "Deadly Neck Bite - Killer Vampires" interaction is not necessary to resolve the issue, just the aforementioned file.)


Update: Experimental Version (testers and/or experts wanted)
In searching the personality semi-globals for the "Why me?" look, I came across two BHAVs: "CT - Dec Times Used" and "CT - Inc Times Used" that instructed the Sim to look at the camera.

When looking in the "objects.package" file for the group number and all that I needed to make this version of the global mod, I found another "CT - Dec Times Used" BHAV that also told the Sim to look at the camera. I decided to edit both of them, so there are a total of three BHAVs changed with this experimental version.

I do not claim to be an expert on these BHAVs! I saw where it seemed to calculated the reactions (e.g. "why me?"), but I can not examine BHAVs with Numenorean expertise. I neither know where the second "CT - Dec Times Used" BHAV comes from nor when or if it is used at all. Whenever or if ever these BHAVs are use, the Sim should not look at the camera with this mod installed.

Now, in my testing, this only kept the Sim from turning and looking at the player. The Sim still got excited or groaned about the task that it was ordered to do; it just did not direct it blatantly at me. Now, one Sim did turn its head slightly upward when it complained, but was not looking at me (it actually looked away from me). So, depending on your camera angle, there may be some times when it seems like the Sim is looking at you, but it isn't really.

Please let me know if there are any problems. If anyone can enlighten me about these BHAVS, by all means do so!

Side-notes:
1) The attached picture was made by pausing the game, selecting the self-interaction on each Sim, pressing un-pause, and pausing the game again once the Sims had looked up. Then I moved the camera around; you can use this to create a scene of Sims looking up at the sky. (I also threw the picture into my trusty graphics editor for the color effect.)

2) I called this "Fourth-Wall" since the Sim-player interaction is said to "break through the fourth wall".

3) For those interested, check out the "lesswhiny", "dontwaveatme", and the "noroutefail" hacks at MATY for more "fourth-wall"-type hacks.

Additional Credits:
Special Thanks to Echo, who probably pulled out all her hair in frustration trying to teach me how to make a self-interaction, and any and all the other MTS2-ers who have helped me get to this level of modding.