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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 7th Nov 2010 at 7:22 PM
Default Does Sims 3 have 'just walking by' type house visitors?
Hello! I just recently got this game, made a few families and so on. I've looked through the FAQs and do not see anything about this, so I'll ask here.

I figured that it would be similar to the Sims 2, and that visitors to the house would randomly appear. I've made a couple of relationships and so forth between the people I'd prefer to visit. Yet, they don't randomly show up like I expected.

Is it perhaps because the house is somewhat out of the way? Or do random visits like that not happen in Sims 3 at all?

Thank you for your time. And yes, Story Progression is on.
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Field Researcher
#2 Old 7th Nov 2010 at 7:53 PM
You get the usual welcome wagon and your friends sometimes drop by your house, but there's no daily quota of random strangers walking by like in TS2. If you want to meet new people, you either have to build someplace that is naturally busy, or just go to a community lot (remember, no restrictions on saving or skilling on community lots here, so, you may go to a community gym or library everyday to socialize and skill with virtually no penalty), or even just go to neighbors' residetal lots one by one and introdce yourself (only LN celebrities always decline such surprise visits).

Also, unlike TS2, you don't really need to cultivate random friendships to advance most careers. Only co-workers count, and it's per-sim count, not per-household.
Mad Poster
#3 Old 7th Nov 2010 at 10:06 PM Last edited by RoseCity : 8th Nov 2010 at 1:54 AM.
I did have a vampire my sims met at Waylon's Haunt, drop by their apartment uninvited, and they ended up hanging out with him all night. So maybe sims dropping by will happen more in LN than previously.

Edit: That vampire, Beau Merrick, stopped by again - I could see this becoming slightly annoying.
Field Researcher
#4 Old 7th Nov 2010 at 10:06 PM
I've honestly never experienced the welcome wagon or any drop-ins in TS3, or any of the expansions... until I picked up Late Night.
It always bothered me, too, especially since you could see your neighbors get visitors all the time lol
Eminence Grise
#5 Old 8th Nov 2010 at 12:31 AM
I have RARELY received a welcome wagon. No idea what controls whether it appears or not. But there are walkby sims, for sure... but I think they have to have a REASON for walking by.

If you want a lot of sims avaialable for socializing, put your house right next to a community lot (or put a community lot right next to your house). In Sunset Valley, there's that one set of three buildings around a community pool... always tons of folks to talk to there.
Fat Obstreperous Jerk
#6 Old 8th Nov 2010 at 12:51 AM
There are no purely "random" walkbys because in an open world, to walk by, sims have to GO somewhere. Otherwise you'd get weirdos who appear to be doing nothing except pacing back and forth in front of your house, like creepy stalkers or pedophiles.

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I cannot accept, and the wisdom to hide the bodies of those I had to kill because they pissed me off.
Field Researcher
#7 Old 8th Nov 2010 at 9:44 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Srikandi
I have RARELY received a welcome wagon. No idea what controls whether it appears or not.

Can't say for sure, but I think it's triggered by you staying on home lot for a first few hours. Since most players immediately go elsewhere to get a job, skill, etc, the wagon does not appear.
Test Subject
#8 Old 8th Nov 2010 at 9:53 AM
I think it depends more on whether you move into a house rather than an empty lot - until Late Night I'd usually build from scratch and only ever saw a welcome wagon if I moved Sims into a ready-built home.
Forum Resident
#9 Old 8th Nov 2010 at 9:55 PM
I've never had a welcome-wagon, nore any random sims passing by...
Lab Assistant
#10 Old 9th Nov 2010 at 12:02 AM
i think the welcome wagon is triggered if you moved to a lot with next door neighbors(the welcome wagon consisted of them in my game), and the walkbys are usually jogging sims, i suggest skilling and socializing in libraries since you get the focus(forgot the name) moodlet
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