Bishop Takes Head Kick: Grandmaster Quan's Grandmaster Challenge

[Lilygirl]

I'm starting to wonder is uninstalling LN might be beneficial for this challenge: this would get rid of the celebrity and paparazzi problems people are reporting during testing. Just an idea. I know we have to be patched up to the most recent patch but there's no requirement for EPs.

Sorry Metro if this qualifies as strategy, I just meant is as a overview suggestion for this challenge, instead of deleting problem Sims.

[Metropolis Man]

I'm starting to wonder is uninstalling LN might be beneficial for this challenge: this would get rid of the celebrity and paparazzi problems people are reporting during testing. Just an idea. I know we have to be patched up to the most recent patch but there's no requirement for EPs.

Sorry Metro if this qualifies as strategy, I just meant is as a overview suggestion for this challenge, instead of deleting problem Sims.

No, not at all, lilygirl. That's a fine suggestion. However, it's probably not realistic for many Tournament players given they'll be juggling Dynasties, and other challenges with LN content at the same time as this one. I'm crossing my fingers this does not become so problematic that I just have to completely pull the plug on this one. I think the idea was sound and unique. The reality of roadblocks is another matter. 

[Alexandria_]

I'm running a test game for this challenge and am having difficulties with next rank chess opponents and next rank sparring partners accepting. I did 3 chess matches at home then I was unable to get the next opponent to accept the match (tryed for several Sim days). I went on vacation to China (leveled up some for Martial Arts) and unable to get a sparring partner and still no chess opponent. I've looked at some of the forums for a reasonable suggestion to help, but there doesn't seem to be an easy solution. Should I just wait and keep trying? I've not have this issue until recently. I'm not much into killing off Sims, but deleting would work just fine for me. If deleting is acceptable, can someone tell me how to do this.

Thanks for any help!
Carla

What problems are you having?
Is the option not there? Are they saying they can't come? Are they not appearing? Are they not responding?

Try greeting them (and if it's chess at your home lot, invite them inside) before challenging them.

[Aiwe]

If a Sim in China is constantly saying 'something has come up' when you call them to challenge them it may be that they're trapped in their house (it's a known bug), I had this a couple of times when I was practicing, for sparring it's annoying but not a disaster as you can track them down at home and challenge them there, but most of the Chinese houses don't have chess tables so you're stuck if it's the chess tournament, at least until you head home.

[Holmes]

Here's what I've been doing in my practice games -- I'd appreciate Tom's thoughts on whether this would be acceptable in a real game.

- The China "Something has come up" as an instant immediate response to invitation. The Sim is bugged. Delete him/her via the Edit Town screen. (If there is another way to delete a sim, I'm all ears; this is the only way I know, and it is a technical violation of the standard ruleset).
- Give any sim one try to play a game during 'normal' hours 6am-11pm. If the sim is at work (or has to go to work, or has to go home to bed), that try does not count, i.e. repeat until sim not at work, and attempt is during normal hours.

If the sim is not at work and either will not come or you get the something has come up problem or the sim arrives and then departs during the game (provided it is not to go to work, but is because of fatigue (but still inside 6am-11pm)/hunger/papparazi), then resetsim the sim, and try again.
If that try fails, delete sim and start again with next.

Note that "play a game" does not mean "play games until you win"; it means playing one single game til you either win or lose.

----------------------
e.g. Friday
7am I phone Madison VanWatson, she comes over. We start a game. 8am she departs for work with the game incomplete and refuses to respond. That is my tough luck, I must wait til 3pm until she again becomes available. I call, she arrives, we start to play, she departs showing the moodlet tired, without the game completing.

I resetsim Madison (game did not complete, in normal hours, she is not at work), and invite her again. She arrives, we play a game and I lose. I rechallenge her and we begin to play another game. She departs, I invite her again, she is unavailable. I resetsim her (Note that I cannot delete her since she has been able to play a game through after being reset), and she arrives. I lose twice more, we start to play again, and she is now tired and leaves. It is 11:01pm, and I cannot bother her (or reset her) until 6am the next day. I cannot delete her, since she is showing "normal" though annoying behavior.

6am I invite her over, we play a game, and I win! On to the next, Geoffrey Landgraab. He is not at work, he repeatedly indicates something has come up when I invite him, so I delete Geoffrey and move on.

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I've found this ad-hoc ruleset of mine effective for testing out strategies. Does it meet with the spirit of Tom's rules? I obviously think so, but it definitely doesn't meet with the letter of his rules as they currently stand.

Thoughts?

[Alexandria_]

- The China "Something has come up" as an instant immediate response to invitation. The Sim is bugged. Delete him/her via the Edit Town screen. (If there is another way to delete a sim, I'm all ears; this is the only way I know, and it is a technical violation of the standard ruleset).

That's not necessary in most cases. You can simply go to their house and ask them to spar. The only time it won't work is if they're a merchant.

e.g. Friday
7am I phone Madison VanWatson, she comes over. We start a game. 8am she departs for work with the game incomplete and refuses to respond. That is my tough luck, I must wait til 3pm until she again becomes available. I call, she arrives, we start to play, she departs showing the moodlet tired, without the game completing.

I resetsim Madison (game did not complete, in normal hours, she is not at work), and invite her again. She arrives, we play a game and I lose. I rechallenge her and we begin to play another game. She departs, I invite her again, she is unavailable. I resetsim her (Note that I cannot delete her since she has been able to play a game through after being reset), and she arrives.

Again, I don't think you need to use reset Sim in this case. If you just ring them up, they'll come back.
Also, I have found if you invite them inside before challenging them to the game, they won't leave 9 times out of 10.



That's just what I've done in my test games and it's worked for me without having to use any cheats.

[Anushka]

There is another way to delete Sim, if you have a visual of him/her, type in testingcheatsenabled true and then shift+click on Sim and then click delete.
If Sim is on your lot, type in moveobjects on and delete him in buy/build mode.

 

[Metropolis Man]

I'm very leery of allowing too many cheats, but I also want players to get through this as smoothly as possible. I'm just not sure at this point.

[Schipperke]

If a Sim in China is constantly saying 'something has come up' when you call them to challenge them it may be that they're trapped in their house (it's a known bug), I had this a couple of times when I was practicing, for sparring it's annoying but not a disaster as you can track them down at home and challenge them there, but most of the Chinese houses don't have chess tables so you're stuck if it's the chess tournament, at least until you head home.

I think this happens sometimes when your opponent's needs are too low for them to spar.  I've found if I call that opponent the next morning, they will come.  I would definitely try this before even considering using a reset or other cheat.

[Veldmuisie]

Completed my test run.  Only had to delete one paparazzi.  You weren't kidding - you really cannot spar with them.  Some had to rest or finish with work before I could defeat them, but nobody got stuck or needed help.  It is very doable.

[Alexandria_]

Completed my test run.  Only had to delete one paparazzi.  You weren't kidding - you really cannot spar with them.  Some had to rest or finish with work before I could defeat them, but nobody got stuck or needed help.  It is very doable.

I've done a couple of test runs and haven't had to delete anyone yet.
I think sometimes it just takes a little bit of patience with the Sims that are working or tired.
I've really been enjoying my test runs! 

[alyssa.cole]

I've done a couple of test runs and haven't had to delete anyone yet.
I think sometimes it just takes a little bit of patience with the Sims that are working or tired.

Agreed! I finished a test run without any need to delete or reset any foreign competitors.
While there might be a major glitch now and then that needs a clarification on how to proceed, I think patience might be the name of the game. Being too quick to open the cheat tab seems like it might really skew the challenge field.

[Metropolis Man]

Agreed! I finished a test run without any need to delete or reset any foreign competitors.
While there might be a major glitch now and then that needs a clarification on how to proceed, I think patience might be the name of the game. Being too quick to open the cheat tab seems like it might really skew the challenge field.

Agreed. I'll need to think carefully about how I want to clarify things before official kickoff. Don't worry everyone — you won't be in the dark on what to do in case of issues.

[Schipperke]

Agreed. I'll need to think carefully about how I want to clarify things before official kickoff. Don't worry everyone — you won't be in the dark on what to do in case of issues.

Yes, I think we need very clear instructions  on this point.  In a challenge where time is such a big factor, we need to know whether to wait for opponents, and how long. 

[ClayMask]

I realize that the call and travel time to get to your destination when going on vacation don't count.  What about the return trip?  Does driving back to your house count as part of your time once the town loads?

[Metropolis Man]

I realize that the call and travel time to get to your destination when going on vacation don't count.  What about the return trip?  Does driving back to your house count as part of your time once the town loads?

What difference would that make? You cannot turn right around and go on another vacation anyway. So, if you're on vacation and have to return home, that tells me you have to take another vacation; otherwise, you'd finish up in China and be done with the challenge. Am I missing something?

[ClayMask]

Nevermind, I misread the rules.  I thought that travelling to your vacation destination did not count as part of your at home minutes, but it looks like it actually does count.

[Metropolis Man]

Thankfully, this thread is not that long (yet), so I looked over everyone's issues that some have been having in their test runs. I think at this point, I'm not willing for anyone to employ cheats of any kind. Several players have noted that they have achieved success simply being patient. Now, that said, I do know that problems can occur. I have had them happen to me in the past when a martial arts tournament competitor ended up being a shop keeper and I simply could not advance at that point.

So, my first few posts in this thread where I told everyone that I had no problems with deleting bugged Sims — forget I said that. To get on the leaderboard, you need to get through this event completely cheat free. That way your time will be as accurate as possible.

BUT, here's what I AM willing to do. If you encounter a horrid bug (like the shop keeper one), then you have my approval to simply wipe your file and try again. No questions asked. If you want to bring this to my attention when it happens, I would appreciate it, but keep in mind this is not a "best out of 3 attempts" kind of thing. If you have no problems at all and achieve Grandmaster status in chess and martial arts on your first attempt — you're done and must follow the one shot standing rule. But, if you do hit roadblocks that prevent you from continuing, then you have my blessing to restart with another file (or just starting over with the same file if you choose to do that).

Everybody clear? 

[Teresa]

Sounds like a plan.  I am counting the days until this challenge starts. 

[Veldmuisie]

What if your next martial arts contestant is a paparrazi?  Is there a way to spar with them?  I got one to the academy but even after extensive chatting, there was no option to challenge him.

[Margerita]

And also what about when you call to challenge them regardless of what time it is they say "Something has showed up and I can't come" or something like that?
That happened to my test sim...

[NancyJ]

Assuming they have a home and they're not a merchant, if they say 'something came up' you can go to their house to spar with them.

[Margerita]

Assuming they have a home and they're not a merchant, if they say 'something came up' you can go to their house to spar with them.

Ah, thanks for that info I'll do that next time it happens, the sim that kept refusing was not a merchant in that trip...

[n8thegr8]

What about the paparazzi issue?

[Metropolis Man]

What about the paparazzi issue?

Like I've already said this morning, if you run into issues preventing you from continuing, then you have no choice but to resign your game and restart. I know that blows and I hope that doesn't happen to anyone. Please exhaust as many options as you can before packing it in completely. But, I do not want anyone to just start deleting Sims when they run into problems. You have to finish both the chess and martial arts tournaments cheat-free.