I can haz 2 problemz?!? Awesome people, please help me!

[trlaavh]

One, I have this freaky OCD-thing when it comes to the Sims 2, where I have to build all my buildings before I move in any Sims. I've heard some weird thing about apartments, like the non-playables will just sit in their apartments magically gaining needs? I fixed that by downloading Inge's signs from Simlogical. I also updated all my CC, and got the AL fix from Pescado.

So, my first problem is: What else must I do/download before moving in sims, and is there anything I should look out for???

Two, one of the very first things I do in a neighborhood is make one sim, and move them into a lot. Then I use debug mode to create all my NPCs. I hate the EAxis ugly ones. Now, I've never seen anyone do this before, so I'm awaiting the "No one's ever done it because it CAN'T be done!!!" comments, which I'm almost positive is the case.

So Problem Two: Is it possible to upload my neighborhood character files to a Sims 2 site ( Like MTS2 ) so other people can use the NPCs? Is there more I'd have to upload than the character files? Would I simply cause a downloadable BFBVFS?

Please help me! 

[J. M. Pescado]

One, I have this freaky OCD-thing when it comes to the Sims 2, where I have to build all my buildings before I move in any Sims. I've heard some weird thing about apartments, like the non-playables will just sit in their apartments magically gaining needs? I fixed that by downloading Inge's signs from Simlogical. I also updated all my CC, and got the AL fix from Pescado.

The alternative tends to be that they wander the hallways peeing themselves, like dormies do when their magical protections are removed, so when you go back to play them, they are a wreck.

[trlaavh]

I figured it was something like that. I hate those stupid dormies. Anything for the second problem, anyone? That's the one I'm more interested in, truthfully.

[Gwill]

So Problem Two: Is it possible to upload my neighborhood character files to a Sims 2 site ( Like MTS2 ) so other people can use the NPCs? Is there more I'd have to upload than the character files? Would I simply cause a downloadable BFBVFS?

You do not upload the charcater file, no.
You extract the character in question with sim surgery in simPE, then upload (preferably after cleaning it up with bodyshop).

I'm not sure I see the problem.

[Sagana]

If you're just randomly generating NPCs (do you mean townies as well?) using your own defaults I'd guess from the townie/NPC gun, wouldn't it be easier for others to just generate their own? What's the point of uploading/downloading yours unless you've special made each one in CAS or something? And if you're doing that, why not do it in bodyshop if you want to save them for others to use?

[trlaavh]

I guess I didn't explain myself thoroughly. I made them with the NPC gun one at a time, 'kill'ing the ones that were spawned ugly. I went through all EPs worth of spawning lists, and redid some NPCs multiple times until they came out descend looking. This took a heck of a lot of time. I have Sim PE installed, but I have no clue how to use it. I did not generate any townies, because i hate townies, and have notownieregen to fix the problem. It went something like this:

*spawns mailcarrier*
Ew!
*delete*
*spawns mailcarrier*
Ew!
*delete*
*spawns mailcarrier*
Ew!
*delete*
*spawns mailcarrier*
Ew!
*delete*
*spawns mailcarrier*
Ew!
*delete*
*spawns mailcarrier*
Finally!
*Save*

So as you can see, for 240 NPCs (I did a few multiples) this took forever.

[Leeahna]

Do not kill them, save each time after you kept one so when you spawn an ugly one you dont want to keep you can exit to neighborhood screen without save, this leaves no rubbish while killing them does.

[Lum]

Out of morbid curiosity, can we marry mail carriers and/or other NPCs? I understand that the taxi/bus drivers are a big nono.

[J. M. Pescado]

It varies widely by NPC. In theory, any interactable "named" NPC is suppose to be marriageable, but the outcomes can vary. Maids and Mailpeople are NPCs that handle this relatively well, more obscure NPCs tend to react poorly. A married NPC will not abandon any of its "signature behaviors". In earlier editions of the game (fixed by Awesomeware and subsequent patches), marrying a headmaster would stop you from ever being able to do the Private School scenario. Marrying NPCs from later expansions is less advisable: Uni NPCs continue to perform their obnoxious antics even after marriage, and other NPCs are simply right out. The NL Diva/Slobs are basically designed to be marriage material, but be warned that they will not abandon their signature antics even after marriage!

[YoungOldPrude]

The NL Diva/Slobs are basically designed to be marriage material, but be warned that they will not abandon their signature antics even after marriage!

And that's exactly why I always end up killing them off. It's the same thing with the Grand Vampires-- they attempt to bite people even after they are cured...still, I prefer snapping vampires to primping and bragging rich folk.

[Zazazu]

Bah, it adds flavor. You must marry the streaker.

[trlaavh]

Exiting without saving is going to take forever. Great... 

[YoungOldPrude]

Bah, it adds flavor. You must marry the streaker.

There is just something about streaking that hits me as being undignified, so I do not think that the marriage would last. However, it would save money on a clothing budget…

[witch]

Exiting without saving is going to take forever. Great... 

If you've been doing all the deleting in your current hood, it's probably wrecked it beyond repair.

[trlaavh]

What? Deleteing? I completely restart hoods from scratch whenever I get an EP. I start from an empty terrain file, with empty templates, and build everything from scratch.  Whatever hood I use before the next EP, I delete the whole thing. Redo all my sims, redo all the houses... you get the picture of how time consuming it is. As you can probably guess, I am immensely happy that AL is the last one. 

[witch]

Every time you delete a sim without proper preparation - see Deleted 2: Electric Boogaloo - you leave behind character file crap that has not been cleaned up. This results in a condition known as dangling SWAFs, amongst other nasties, I believe. Read up on it.

[talysman]

Although Tralala has said some pretty dense things, in this case, "deleting the hood" doesn't seem bad. From the description, this means "manually deleting all the files for that whole neighborhood, then creating a completely new neighborhood". That's not going to break the game any more than deleting your entire Sims 2 user folder.

It's deleting sims and keeping the now-b0rken hood that's bad.

[witch]

I guess I didn't explain myself thoroughly. I made them with the NPC gun one at a time, 'kill'ing the ones that were spawned ugly. I went through all EPs worth of spawning lists, and redid some NPCs multiple times until they came out descend looking.

...

So as you can see, for 240 NPCs (I did a few multiples) this took forever.

It was this post that prompted my comment.

[trlaavh]

I guess I didn't explain myself thoroughly. I made them with the NPC gun one at a time, 'kill'ing the ones that were spawned ugly. I went through all EPs worth of spawning lists, and redid some NPCs multiple times until they came out descend looking.

...

So as you can see, for 240 NPCs (I did a few multiples) this took forever.

It was this post that prompted my comment.

Yes, but I voiced my understanding of this post:

Do not kill them, save each time after you kept one so when you spawn an ugly one you dont want to keep you can exit to neighborhood screen without save, this leaves no rubbish while killing them does.

... here:

Exiting without saving is going to take forever. Great... 

... and what do you mean by "Dense", talysman?

[witch]

trlaavh - which is a stupid username to type, BTW - I was talking to talysman, the poster immediately before me. If I were addressing you, I would have put your name.

Yes, but I voiced my understanding of this post:

Do not kill them, save each time after you kept one so when you spawn an ugly one you dont want to keep you can exit to neighborhood screen without save, this leaves no rubbish while killing them does.

... here:

Exiting without saving is going to take forever. Great... 

... and what do you mean by "Dense", talysman?

So? You voiced an understanding of a post and I shouldn't post? WTF are you going on about? This isn't all about you, you know. I was adding pertinent information as to the consequences. D'uh.

I know what talysman means by dense, however.

[Zazazu]

It does that a lot, Witch. It deserves the nickname Rohina gave it.

Bah, it adds flavor. You must marry the streaker.

There is just something about streaking that hits me as being undignified, so I do not think that the marriage would last. However, it would save money on a clothing budget…

They keep their clothes on about half the time, and they don't do the dance. It is seriously funny.

[Sleepycat]

With empty templates and a good set of default face replacements, why would anyone need to create NPC's themselves?  (unless they were doing a theme hood or something)  The game is quite capable at creating them as needed and with a good set of default face replacements they aren't fugly.   


If townies are actually wanted, it's easy enough to turn playables into townies/downtownies/social townies or shift-click on the mailbox for the option to have the game force create a batch of 30 townies.

[Emma]

I never create Downtownies anymore, just the special NPC's needed. Too many clones.

[Inge]

I don't really understand this stuff about fugly townies.  To me all Sims2mies look like grotesque charicatures.  Thats about the one thing I am looking forward to in Sims 3 - that they seem to have humanoid faces.

[J. M. Pescado]

And that's exactly why I always end up killing them off. It's the same thing with the Grand Vampires-- they attempt to bite people even after they are cured...still, I prefer snapping vampires to primping and bragging rich folk.

I dunno, have you seen Lala in Awesomeland. She's pretty funny with her primping and talking about herself.