Starting afresh

[Audrey]

I bought an off-the-shelf pirated copy of Sims3 and as a result have not been able to patch my game at all.  However, the game is fully functioning with the first version of AM working perfectly., thank God and Pescado.
BUT, I want some of the features that the EA patches have brought to the game, so I am forced to upgrade/buy the unarred version.  I hear you say, but why don't you just download a more recent arred version and then patch?  The simple answer is that the bandwidth in South Africa is prohibitively expensive and it would cost me about the same if not more to download, so I broke the piggy bank and paid for both the retail versions of Sims 3 and World Adventures. To be honest I am shit scared.

I have a shitload of custom-content and I have been reading such horror stories about the patches, WA glitches, AM not working, etc.

What I would love anyone to do is give me a step by step, blow by blow account of what to do to get both the base and EP working perfectly with Awesomemod.

Something like this:

1.Back up all custom content, houses, saved sims, etc
2.Install base game.
3.From here on I'm stuck.  What patches do I install, in what order, at what point can I install the latest AMod.
4.
5.
6

Anyway any help would be most appreciated.







I have a

[Grimma]

You might want to check your post there, you seem to have missed a few spots.

Anyway, here's what I suggest (the easiest, most idiot-proof way to use the patches and the CC):

1.) After backing up and whatnot, install base game.
2.) Patch from base to 1.7 Do not patch to 1.8. DO NOT USE THE LAUNCHER TO PATCH! Get your patches from simprograms or dig around these forums.
3.) Install WA
4.) Patch to 2.2. DO NOT PATCH TO 2.3 OR 1.8
5.) Install framework, download AM for 2.2, etc.
6.)
7.) PROFIT!

[brownlustgirl]

You said you have lots of CC, after updating to 1.7/2.2, I suggest you use Delphy's BlueLotObjectFixer to avoid problems with .package files causing your hoods turning to blue cut outs. Some creators have corrected their objects, I would check to see if they are fixed also.

For me, the BLOF is a must have for the few downloads I do.

Keep backups of all your hoods, just in case of problems.

[Audrey]

Grima, why the question mark at point 6?
How do I avoid using the launcher to patch?
Erm, excuse for being dim but what is 'framework?

Brownlustgirl, I have never figured out how to back up a hood? Any tips please.

Thanks so much for the info guys, I was reading another thread on here and was getting more and more depressed about the whole patching, simpack3 files not working, blah, blah.  

I look forward to the answers to these questions above.  Sorry I am a real dunderhead when it comes to these things?

I was on another thread on her - the CAW one and one of the posters said:

I bought both the base game and WA.  I used the launcher to install the patches and I downloaded the new version of AM.  Everything loaded up and ran fine except some items are missing.  I am going to try the dbcache thing and then I will let you know if everything shows up.  

and then later said:

I went back into the game and some of my downloaded objects are there but some are missing.  When I copied the dbc file over was I supposed to delete it from its original location?

EDIT:  I am definitely missing my content.

NEW EDIT:  Got it!!!  Copied all the dbc files from the cache and now all my content shows up and the game runs smoothly.

Now I'm confused, Grima, you said I shouldn't do patches from launcher and this guy seems to think it's okay.  Did you have a bad experience patching from launcher.  
Also what the hell are dbc files and from which cache did he copy them and to where?  

God, I know I'm sounding retarded,but I seriously am not familiar with these terms and I don't want to stuff up my game.

Any help with direction and answers to questions will be appreciated.  

[bitterquill]

Erm, excuse for being dim but what is 'framework?

The hack framework is a pair of files that lets your game recognize CC. You already have it installed if you have any CC in .package format. If you placed it manually (in which case you would probably already know this), you placed the d3dx9_31.dll at C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Game\Bin (or the corresponding location on you machine) and the Resource.cfg at C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3. If you installed Delphy's Install Monkey, it placed the framework for you.

If you have an older version of the Resource.cfg, you'll need to edit it (by opening it with Notepad) for the most recent patch. Mine says:

Priority 501
DirectoryFiles Mods/Override/... autoupdate
PackedFile Mods/Override/*.package
PackedFile Mods/Override/*/*.package

Priority 500
DirectoryFiles Mods/Packages/... autoupdate
PackedFile Mods/Packages/*.package
PackedFile Mods/Packages/*/*.package
PackedFile Mods/Packages/*/*/*.package
PackedFile Mods/Packages/*/*/*/*.package
PackedFile Mods/Packages/*/*/*/*/*.package
PackedFile Mods/Packages/*/*/*/*/*/*.package
PackedFile Mods/Packages/*/*/*/*/*/*/*.package
PackedFile Mods/Packages/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*.package
PackedFile Mods/Packages/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*.package

PackedFile Mods/Packages/*.dbc
PackedFile Mods/Packages/*/*.dbc
PackedFile Mods/Packages/*/*/*.dbc
PackedFile Mods/Packages/*/*/*/*.dbc
PackedFile Mods/Packages/*/*/*/*/*.dbc

you said I shouldn't do patches from launcher and this guy seems to think it's okay.  Did you have a bad experience patching from launcher.  
Also what the hell are dbc files and from which cache did he copy them and to where?

I think one major reason that some people prefer not to use the Launcher for patching is that it sucks and is evil; also, you have less control over which patch is installed and when. But to be fair, I've done all my patching through the Launcher and I've had no problems with it for that purpose.

I don't know what DBC files actually are, so hopefully someone else can help with that. I do know what to do with them, though, or at least what has worked for me. The DBC files are found at C:\Users\[Your Name]\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\DCCache, and you will copy them to C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Mods\Packages\DBC Files (you'll have to create that folder). If you've added the part about the .dbc files to your Resource.cfg as in my example above, you're all set.

To all you infinitely more computer-literate people out there, if I'm doin it rong please feel free to lay into me with as much severity as you see fit. All I know is that this has worked for me so far.

Grima, why the question mark at point 6?

Don't worry about that part, it's a joke.

[Audrey]

Thank you Katana.  Yes, I do have a load of cc so I guess I have framework.  I have saved all my files to desktop and am about to uninstall my arred version and start the reinstall.  I will report back.  Thanks again to all above who helped.  Pray for me, lol.

[Grimma]

you said I shouldn't do patches from launcher and this guy seems to think it's okay.  Did you have a bad experience patching from launcher.  
Also what the hell are dbc files and from which cache did he copy them and to where?

I think one major reason that some people prefer not to use the Launcher for patching is that it sucks and is evil; also, you have less control over which patch is installed and when. But to be fair, I've done all my patching through the Launcher and I've had no problems with it for that purpose.

I don't know what DBC files actually are, so hopefully someone else can help with that. I do know what to do with them, though, or at least what has worked for me. The DBC files are found at C:\Users\[Your Name]\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\DCCache, and you will copy them to C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Mods\Packages\DBC Files (you'll have to create that folder). If you've added the part about the .dbc files to your Resource.cfg as in my example above, you're all set.

I said not to patch through the launcher simply because the launcher will patch you up to 1.8 and 2.3, which, if you have CC in sims3pack format you want to use, may be problematic. To quote J. M. Pescado:

Fixing CC requires DARK SORCERY and ELDRITCH CHICANERY involving file manipulation, and is not for dummies.

If you do not even know what the framework is or how to make it work, the "file manipulation" part of this may be a problem for you. So just DON'T PATCH UP TO 1.8 and 2.3 YET. Simple as that.

[Audrey]

Too late.  I have version 1.8.25.003002 as per the launcher.  I have not tried to install my sims3packs yet.  I am going to put my other .package files back and my saved sims.  


]Edit:  Okay, I put back the .package files and the saved sims, and awesomemod 1.8/2.3 version.  At half an hour it had not even gone half way on the second green bar loading screen, so I took out saved sims and awesome mod, same problem, ridiculous loading times.

The only time I was able to load the game was before I put back the packages file.  Can anyone think what could be slowing the loading time so much.  I dread to think what time it will take if/when I load WA.

Edit2: I took out all the hacks and put in awesomemod, all my carefully sculpted sims look exactly alike, I am devestated.  I can't get to CAS using editsim name.  This is just awful.

[gesine]

Expecting others to take you by the hand and guide you through modding a game is ridiculous. If you want to play anything other than the plain vanilla game that EA sells, you have to take control. Take a couple of days, a week, a couple of weeks, whatever it takes to sit and read this forum. Everything you need to know is already here. Read and study the relevant threads. Take notes. Organize the data. Give yourself an education and you will be able to solve your own problems. Or play without mods.

[Audrey]

Thanks for your help Gesine.  I did just that and now my game is running just peachy.  And what mods was I asking about, btw?

[gesine]

3.From here on I'm stuck.  What patches do I install, in what order, at what point can I install the latest AMod.

Your original post said you wanted to use Awesome mod.