Why do the workers have to stop work to smoke? It's not like they are going outside to save people from second hand smoke, if that was even a thing in this time period. Why can't they do that on their break or even while working. It doesn't cut movement out of arms or legs.

??

During breaks, yeah. To get away from the work site because people don't want to smell second hand smoke, maybe. But these guys in the game smoke right beside everyone, so it isn't to be considerate of the fellow man. It isn't during a break. It's an extra break just to smoke? When people don't have to worry about others complaining about smoke, they smoke and work at the same time. It's only to distance themselves out of consideration of others that takes them from the work place. Go on a construction site that is outside. People don't stop, and say, oh, I have to smoke, and quit working. They light up and go on. Outside working on a vehicle? Same thing. They also do it during breaks. But I don't know of people that regularly stop everything, and light up, when there isn't a reason. I bet you these people you are talking about that stop work to smoke, would rather just smoke where they are, rather than leave work to smoke so you don't have to be a part of their habit. And people smoke during breaks that everyone gets. The only exception to this would be when it iinterferes with work (like painting for example... can't think of many right now, but I'm surethere are others... oh, working on a gas line would be one you wouldn't smoke while working... shrug)

And Another thing, it doesn't take that long to smoke. Real life, if you slow puff, it takes 10 minutes. IF you are at work, and need to get back to it, half that. These people in game act like they are on holiday.

I find it easier to not hire anyone with smoker as their action if I get the option. If I have to take a smoker as soon as I can get a non smoker I replace the smoker with that new employee. Same with lazy. It really makes a big difference in the work done in the Inn.

I suppose they're smoking pipes. This does in real life often occupy both hands (one for the toolset, sorry I don't know the correct English term, and one for the pipe) and takes way longer than smoking cigarrettes (roughly around 20 mins).

I agree. Absurdly so. That was my complaint. Why is smoker's so detrimental to the quality of the worker in this game? In real life, you don't see people driving suddenly pull off the side of the road because they suddenly lost the ability to use their arms and legs because they are smoking!

....
The pipe explanation is something I hadn't thought of and at least makes some sense I suppose. But still, you would think they would pipe it up during their normal break, or maybe once extra beyond a normal break. But no, they basically have double breaks. I haven't played it enough to know the time exactly and the game has enough issues that I'm not currently playing it and won't play it just to test, but it seems like a very serious detriment to ever hiring a smoker in this game. Like fantasy dream make believe detriment.

I think that the answer to all of your questions is that this is not a model of reality but instead it is a game. With lore to learn that makes the game more complicated and more fun. You need to overcome difficulties or else it would be too simple and you would not play.

These "smokers" actively sabotage your inn, and you pay them for it.
I cannot quite find the fun factor in this, difficulty, nor realism.

Game AI is dumb, so even if you praise or scold, none of the employees learn from it.
Just give them a two second break, and they'll get on with their work.

IMO Negative traits shouldn't exist in the first place, or at the very least, those should be added later as an answer to your mismanagement skills. (Not that I expect much from the simplistic programming for this game.)

@Diabolus90: I think you were looking for the word "Tinderbox".

if you look at the traits of your employees, you will find that some of them are smokers
smokers will stop and smoke at random moments

solution...
don't hire smokers

Alternatively, you can scold them when you catch them smoking. They go back to work immediately. Dunno if it has an effect on their subsequent smoking habits.

So I'm their mother to tell them how to act at work? This game is micro, you are over a single inn, but this is taking micromanagement to the extreme.

And is this really how to be good at the game, not to hire based on smoking? Is that the lesson learned?

How about the other "bad" qualities. Lazy, gossipers... In reality, I'd hire smokers over people who sat around and talked or intentionally dissed work because they were lazy. At least smokers have a physical habit pushing them to smoke instead of being lazy or shooting the bull while ignoring the work piling up. Yet, I don't see the in game consequences like I do smokers and you can adjust gossip in preferences.

And it doesn't make sense. They have breaks to smoke. Should make smokers take a little extra on breaks. That would be a consequence that, if they were good in other areas, you could stomach. As it is, it's "don't hire" as a solution. And it doesn't make sense because when they do smoke, they don't walk away in any sense of being considerate. They sit and smoke next to everyone. So if you aren't going to leave, what stops you from continuing to work while you smoke? nothing.

The best solution is when they have two bad qualities. Gossiping + Smoking or Lazy + Smoking. That combination would warrant the way the game is currently set by a person just being a smoker. Because right now, smoker is being lazy x 2 (break + smoke break sitting next to everyone).

Anyway, I think enough has been said (at least by me). It's ridiculous and detracts from the game. The only conversation here that even remotely makes sense to how the game is set up, is the pipe argument.

What do you suppose the scold button is for, then? Ignore it if you want.

The devs are clearly saying that smokers are less productive in this game. Are you a triggered smoker or something? It is just one of a group of traits. PS: https://www.ehstoday.com/health/ehs_imp_39313

Jeez, that's the whole idea: you role-play an employer who is free to - and encouraged to - hire whoever you want, based on whatever criteria you decide to use. Fill your inn up with smokers if you want.

So are you saying it works, the scold button? They will stop smoking except on breaks after you scold them? Or is it just something to do? ---- You're giving me a real life link to a health ad for a game? --- It isn't a decision based on smokers vs non-smokers when the smokers, as another has stated, actively sabatoge your inn. Filling up the inn with smokers would be great, but it isn't an option because the its hard enough as is to get the employees to work. --- I thought I was pretty clear. Smokers unrealistically represented to the point that it isn't feasible to hire them. scold buttons and all. Make them less desirable if you want, but when they take double the time off, to me it seems there is some real life bias's going on.
Of all the posts, reading yours is the first one I've read that seemed like an attack on me for mentioning the obvious smoker problem in this game.

To me it seems you are the one being "triggered".

If you look on this forum, I've mentioned many other issues in this game (that may or may not have been addressed yet). The smoker issue is the one that I respond to because it has been responded too the most. So far, it has been fairly debated with about 50/50 in aggreement to some extent or neutral (the pipe post comes to mind). Your's seem aggressive. Do you have a problem with smokers in real life that you need therapy for?

I think you guys are exaggerating the smoking problem. Or else, for some reason, it is behaving differently for you than it does for me. I've become sensitive to it (and to the lazy hourglass symbol) because of your outrage about them. Because of that I looked for them and fiddled with them to see if the behavior could be modified somehow. I did this so I could *suggest something helpful* to you guys. You are quite welcome.

For me, yes, when given the chance I avoid smokers and lazys and slows when I can, but I hire them when I must. But they do not break the game and aren't really much of a problem. In my current playthru I've got probably 5-6 smokers on my team. When I come back from playing on overland map I check for smoking and hourglassing. There's usually no more than one or two. If you leave them alone they go back to work in a minute or so. If it bothers you, you can scold them. It's not a big deal.

Anyhow, I am completely done with this mess. May your life be filled with happiness.