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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 14th Sep 2022 at 3:37 AM
Default Are magazines worth it?
Are the magazines worth it? I have a sim who has 2 subscriptions, however, every time she goes to read one of them she picks it up for about 2 seconds and puts it back down. I tell her to read it again, and she does the same thing again. The newspaper she will read for a long time and she gets points for.
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Alchemist
#2 Old 16th Sep 2022 at 2:25 PM
Honestly, probably not. But maybe check her fun bar. Is it full when she tries to read? That could be why she stops so early.

"May the sunlight find you, thy days be long, thy winters kind, thy roots be strong." -Grand Oak Tree, DAO

XPTL Mod Archive | Change a Mod's Mesh into a CC Object | Increasing the Game Difficulty | Editing ACR 4 Your Age Mod
Bored? Read an unfinished legacy or sim story. | aka Kelyns | she/her
Lab Assistant
#3 Old 16th Sep 2022 at 4:57 PM
I don't use magazines a lot, but they can be useful for building interest points, which are in turn very useful in conversations that build relationships. Sometimes I have a pair of Sims who have triple bolts for each other, but whenever they talk on the phone or in person, the conversation tanks. The reason is often that, say, she has high interest in money, but he has 0 interest points in money. Because he really, really likes her, he goes to the Mini Mart and picks up a copy of Rat Race. It may take a while, but the magazine (plus the "share interests" interaction) can improve conversations on the next date.
Mad Poster
#5 Old 16th Sep 2022 at 10:09 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Aspersim
I found this out as well, it's true

and Magazines and the sims interests panel, though somewhat ignored by players has been around since the Sims 2 Base game in 2004 even before the 1st expansion or stuff pack came out, aka The Sims 2 University on CD
Will whoever disagreed with Aspersim on this please explain why. Because what Aspersim posted absolutely agrees with my experience of the game. And, as far as I know, magazines and interests have indeed been around since base game. "Chat" conversations grind to a stop, often with the listening Sim sticking their fingers in their ears, when a Sim starts talking about something the other Sim isn't interested in.

(Magazine subscriptions didn't come with base game; I think they came with FreeTime, and my Sims don't have them. But magazines in racks in unowned community lot shops did come with base game, and they do build interest.)

I get my teachers to read the school pages of Young Sim because, frankly, teachers ought to be interested in school. It also helps them to be able to talk to other teachers about school, and also to the kids. Maybe parents should show an interest in school too, especially if they want their kids to do well there.

I remember well, when some of my Sims were out on a late night shopping trip, Andrew was there as a non-controllable visitor, manically looking through the magazine rack for some publication he wanted. I especially remember him standing on tiptoe to reach the ones on the top shelf. I like to think it wasn't a "top shelf" magazine he was looking for, but you never know with Andrew. Anyway, whatever he was looking for, he clearly thought it was "worth it". And I do tend to respect Andrew's judgement. So, there you are @Vrman87 ! My favourite Sim thinks that magazines are worth it!

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Theorist
#6 Old 17th Sep 2022 at 3:21 AM
Yeah magazines build interest points.
Though I still don't believe they're worth it, unless there's like two Sims who have hugely opposing interests and you want them to be close.

Avatar by MasterRed
Taking an extended break from Sims stuff. Might be around, might not.
Mad Poster
#7 Old 17th Sep 2022 at 3:32 AM
I think OP might be talking about the hobby-related magazine subscriptions, and not the interest-related magazines you can buy from the magazine rack.
Theorist
#8 Old 17th Sep 2022 at 4:15 AM
Ugh the hobby magazines are even more useless, iirc (somebody please correct me if I'm wrong) all they do is rise hobby enthusiasm which, really, is such a useless mechanic.

Avatar by MasterRed
Taking an extended break from Sims stuff. Might be around, might not.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#9 Old 19th Sep 2022 at 2:25 AM
Yes I originally was asking about the magazine subscriptions. And how they weren't even reading the darn things for a second before putting them down again. Fun bar was full so that is not the problem.

I forgot about the magazines in the store/rack. Thanks @AndrewGloria and @tancred for some ideas I didn't think of before with the store magazines. I am sure some of my sims will have them in the near future.
Alchemist
#10 Old 19th Sep 2022 at 2:38 AM
@Vrman87 if the fun bar was full, that could be why sims stop reading--sims tend to stop doing some interactions when their fun bar gets full.

"May the sunlight find you, thy days be long, thy winters kind, thy roots be strong." -Grand Oak Tree, DAO

XPTL Mod Archive | Change a Mod's Mesh into a CC Object | Increasing the Game Difficulty | Editing ACR 4 Your Age Mod
Bored? Read an unfinished legacy or sim story. | aka Kelyns | she/her
Test Subject
Original Poster
#12 Old 20th Sep 2022 at 12:46 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Phantomknight
@Vrman87 if the fun bar was full, that could be why sims stop reading--sims tend to stop doing some interactions when their fun bar gets full.


Ahhh for some reason I was thinking it would be the other way around. They were happy so should be like reading their magazine. (forehead slap moment, one of those obvious moments).

And yes I have found better ways to raise their enthusiasm (about anything really). I subscribed to them as right after they got interested someone called offering. I thought "oh this will be good/help" not thinking about the cardinal rule of 'never trust a cold call' applied to the sims! lol
Field Researcher
#13 Old 22nd Sep 2022 at 11:28 PM
I do not think they are useless, but there are better mechanisms for raising enthusiasm.

However, sometimes another sim will grab a zine and be totally engrossed. To me, that is very interesting, and tells me something about that character.

Magazines also make for cheap gifts. Put them in inventory, and you will never be short of something to be given away.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#14 Old 24th Sep 2022 at 4:40 AM
Quote: Originally posted by saskganesh
I do not think they are useless, but there are better mechanisms for raising enthusiasm.

However, sometimes another sim will grab a zine and be totally engrossed. To me, that is very interesting, and tells me something about that character.

Magazines also make for cheap gifts. Put them in inventory, and you will never be short of something to be given away.


Oh good idea. I didn't think of that. So far only one of my Sims has been offered any subscriptions. When another one gets it, it shall be interesting to see if they behave any different.
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