Sedona OFB sub-hood - an default alternative to Bluewater

[cwykes]

If you are sick of seeing Bluewater every time you go to add a shopping 'hood to your game, try Sedona instead.
I've made an alternative to Bluewater that you can put in your OFB defaults.  It includes 43 lots and 33 sims. Download it here http://users.telenet.be/hardlucksims/> and here http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/cwykes/
If you like grand and classy 'hoods or hate palm trees, this is not for you!  Desert terrain, palm trees, houses built for the heat with flat rooves and not too many windows, sims with hats and sunglasses.  Plenty of starter businesses for you to use in other hoods and some 3x1 businesses that fit neatly down the middle of the dual carriageway in Strangetown.

Report any problems in this thread.  I'd also welcome feedback on what you like and what you don't like.  I'm happy to work on it some more if there's something that needs doing.  In case you'd rather make your own, here's the thread that explained how to do it. http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php/topic,3996.0.html

[Motoki]

Oh thanks, I will try it out. I've been wanting to have some alternate subneighborhoods to go to so this will be nice.

[dizzy]

The "Add Shopping District" dialog is indeed messed up as you explain in the readme. Thankfully, it's not *too* difficult to select #3 in the list.

Am I crazy or are all the townies in Sedona aliens? (And one looks like Elvis.)

[cwykes]

yup - I liked the idea of selling all your expensive junk to alien tourists.  I hope they're as badly dressed as tourists usually are!  And you can spot them a mile off and get ready to dazzle them into buying your most expensive piece of art as a souvenir.  If you hate them I could do an empty hood without too much trouble.  There's probably a way to suppress that big Bluewater button, but I'm not techie enough.  I also don't know how to get the .png file to update - the 'hood camera scrolls around the empty hood at the moment.

Syberspunk tested it out for me last weekend and said the storytelling didn't show in his game.  Was it OK in yours? 

[mdrturner]

Sorry, I really want to test this out but I can't click on the Sendona "Line".
I can see the option for Sedona but every time I move the mouse towards it, the big Bluewater Village button highlights.
Am I missing something? Probably something really obvious knowing me 

[jrd]

Maxoid error. You need a dummy B002 in order for B003 to be usable. For some reason Maxis has made it nearly impossible to add a B00x template.

[mdrturner]

See, I knew it would be something obvious.
Whilst I had installed the B002 & B003 to the correct folder, I hadn't physically "created" the B002 within the game. Once I created Aridia(sp?), I had no problems creating Sedona.

Lastly a couple of questions, do I have to DAC before playing the rest of my game? (I've created Sedona in my primary 'hood.) Also is it safe for me to delete the B002 (Aridia) from within the game?

[jrd]

You can now delete B002 (Aridia) again.
I wouldn't do a DAC unless you really want to start from scratch again (remember, DAC will delete ALL Sims, from the main 'hood and all sub'hoods).
Sedona looks clean from a cursory inspection, so if you don't mind the alien tourist shoppers just leave it intact.

[Simsbaby]

This looks fun, I will give it a whirl and tell you how it goes.

[mdrturner]

@ Jordi;
Thanks. I forgot about DAC deleting all Sims and not just the ones in the sub-'hood.
As for the alien shoppers, meh, I've already got loads of aliens and other assorted wierdos in my Townie "pool".

[dizzy]

Syberspunk tested it out for me last weekend and said the storytelling didn't show in his game.  Was it OK in yours? 

No neighborhood story in mine. There might be a lot story, but I didn't bother to check.

[mdrturner]

No neighborhood story or Lot stories for me either. 

[cwykes]

Whilst I had installed the B002 & B003 to the correct folder, I hadn't physically "created" the B002 within the game. Once I created Aridia(sp?), I had no problems creating Sedona.

You shouldn't have had to create it in the game.  I don't.  When I click to add a hood, both names are there and I can just about manage to click on Sedona.

Sedona looks clean from a cursory inspection, so if you don't mind the alien tourist shoppers just leave it intact.

I should look clean, cos I put a lot of effort into that,  but I'm really glad you agree.    I created it in a hood on which I'd done deleteallchars.  I didn't put the alien sims in until after I'd cleaned it in SimPE.  Then I cleaned it again in SimPE to get rid of Grimmy and Co and a post boy or two.  I've done that enough times that it wouldn't be a problem to do a sim free version. 

I'll puzzle away over the album problem. - it must be a numbering issue.  Bluewater pics get renumbered to whatever the hood number is in your game.  Mine obviously aren't.  If you are curious renumber the 'hood pics and album appropriately and it should show in your game.  Or you can look at it with the Storybook viewer.  If you don't have that it's great for looking at stories outside the game.  I've still got the Alpha version from MTS2 but there is a newer HTML version somewhere.

[syberspunk]

Cathy,

I was thinking about the album thing... and my guess is, that it probably depends on how many 'hoods you have and possibly when the hood was added.

Since you only have OFB and the basegame, it will differ than those who have other EPs, and thus have Unis and Downtowns added. It probably will also change depending on the order that they were added. One might assume that a Shopping District was added last, but you never know, since apparently you can install EPs out of order. One could presumably add subhoods out of order as well.

One thing you can do, to manually fix this. Go into the Sedona subhood and actually take a picture in-game. Then go inspect the storytelling stuff and see how the image was named/created. I think there are .xml files as well, with pre/postfixed numbers in the file name. You might also have to peek into the NeighborhoodManager.package or something.

I did this one to fix my 'hood. It was kind of a pain in the ass, and I don't remember exactly what I did, and unfortunately I was too lazy to document the process. Anyhew, if you can figure out whatever pattern the filenaming is, or if it is dependent on some setting in one of the .package files, then you can just rename the files from this download and/or change the .package file accordingly so the show up properly.

I hope that all makes sense.

Ste

[cwykes]

Thanks Syberspunk - you've been a real help with this. You can install Bluewater at any time with any combination of EPs in place.  So the game has a functional mechanism to change all the lot, character and album numbers in a default hood to something that works for your game.  If that didn't work we'd all have lost lots or sims when we added a new subhood.   

 I've got answers on two points - missing story and mdrturner's problem.

Sorry, I really want to test this out but I can't click on the Sendona "Line".
I can see the option for Sedona but every time I move the mouse towards it, the big Bluewater Village button highlights.

You were adding it to a 'hood that already had Bluewater in weren't you?  I tried that and I got just what you reported.  You can't get to Sedona, but the dummy is highlighted and hitting return installs it.  I've updated the readme.  If you install the dummy (aka Aridia), Sedona is highlighted next time you visit that screen. So you can install both and delete the useless one.  There is a trash can to drop it into onscreen, even if that works as badly as other maxis deletions, it ought to be OK because there are no sims or lots to leave a mess.  You could also delete the 002 template and see if that works.  (I'll test another day) EDIT - deleting N002 works fine I've updated the readme


Re the story telling - It's another crap bit of coding by Maxis.  Here's what I put in the updated readme.

Neighbourhood story and albums
========================
The install doesn't handle this very well and I'm afraid it's maxis problem not mine!  Existing albums for families in lots are renumbered and installed with the pictures and text.  The neighbourhod album is renumbered but the pictures that go with it are not transferred from the template file.  Check your own Bluewater album with wordpad and you'll see there are pics referenced that aren't in the 'hood, but are in the template hood. 

If you want to see the (very short) story and pics.  Cut and paste snapshot_00000004_121d9534.jpg and all the other 00000004 snapshots and thumbnails into your 'hood storytelling  (don't renumber unless there's a clash) Find the neighbourhood story for the new Sedona subhood in your game. (It's numbered 00000002 in my test hood.)  Open it with wordpad. Insert a couple of lines space between    <Style>Album</Style>    and   <KeywordList/>     Then Open my webentry_00000004.xml with wordpad.  Copy all the entries  (from the first <Entry>  to the last </Entry> inclusive and paste them into the middle of your new album into the gap.  Should work fine.

[Simsbaby]

Got it in game and I think it is quite good. Strangetown now has a shopping district, I didn't attach Bluewater Village there because it didn't fit. And thanks for putting so many residential lots in! 

[Inge]

Glad someone has finally cracked how to do this.  I have been puzzling over it for ages!   I shall come and visit your site and have a look.

A little later...   Lol!  Do you need a web designer?

[cwykes]

Yup - I am to web design what Pescado is to paperwork! - I figured I'd start learning how to do it when I'd got Sedona out there and tested.  20MB was too big for e-mail and I could hardly just dump it someone else's site, so I figured out enough to get it up there.  My son the computer student can probably be coerced into showing me some stuff instead of playing Warcraft when I get him home again.  Failing that my daughter has a webdesigner boyfriend and I have techie nephews.

OR - If anyone wants to put it up on their site where more people will find it, I'm happy with that.  I just think we'd better test it out here before offerng it to less savvy simmers.  Well I also think someone more graphically talented should make a really great hood.

How to do it is in that thread I linked in the first post.  I only cracked the last bit.  Also, I don't know if it works for Uni hoods as I don't have Uni - is there anything special about them?

[dizzy]

Just save this as index.html and upload it:

Code:

<html><head><title>cwykes' fabulous neighborhood page</title></head>
<p><a href="Sedona/Sedona%20NeighborhoodTemplate.rar">Sedona</a></html>

[Motoki]

It's a cute neighborhood. I like it. I really have to be in the mood to build so I definitely appreciate the time you spent doing this. And I agree it's nice to have more residential housing.

It goes really well with Strangetown, but could work with other neighborhoods too. Here in Washington the coastal areas are 'lush' but if you go over the mountains it's desert. Of course, I can't say I've ever had the urge to shop in eastern Washington but still!

cwykes I know you don't have Nightlife, but I wonder if someone else might make a new downtown too. That would be nice. I suppose a new University might be interesting, but we already get three and I never much cared for that expansion.

[kutto]

Mind if I see some pictures before I download it? It sounds good, though. I love palm trees.

[Orikes]

I second the request for pictures. Especially of the tonwnies.

[cwykes]

I've put the pics I have into a story and I'll upload it to the exchange.
EDIT - it's here  http://thesims2.ea.com/mysimpage/mysimpage.php?user_id=1159607
(The two alien families are also there for download from way back and so are stories about the sims who were in the MATYville hood)  The pics are a bit dark, but you'll get some idea.

The townies are recognisably from the same race and it's a race that has pollination technicians and clones.  Your sims may have a bit of trouble telling some of them apart - All those foreigners look a bit alike you know!  I'm sure they'll develop their own fashion style once you've sold them haircuts, makeovers and clothes.  there aren't many pics of them - sorry - I'll take a few more...    If anyone who has DLd it has pics, please post them in this thread - I couldn't work out how to insert a pic  .   

Like I said it wouldn't be a lot of work to do a deleteallchars, clean up the files and make a version with no sims at all.  I'll probably do that anyway next week as the hood is a bit quirky. 

Can we make a new Uni?  If there is anything special about Uni hoods, this won't work. Otherwise I think you can do it the way I did this one.  If I cut this down to a few lots and renumber it to  U004(?), someone can try and make it into a Uni sub-hood instead.  I can't test as I don't have Uni or NL  I'm tempted to go buy Uni, just to do a Uni hood!  I'm also willing to collaborate on one with someone else - I can do file clean up and conversion.  Same thing for downtown - what number would it need to be?

Anyone know about png files? - it would be nice to scroll round the hood!
Oh and thanks for the html - should it go in the root directory or the sedona folder?

[dizzy]

You can use Irfanview or the GIMP or most any paint program to save as png.

I missed one tag from my code, by the way:

Code:

<html><head><title>cwykes' fabulous neighborhood page</title></head>
<body><p><a href="Sedona/Sedona%20NeighborhoodTemplate.rar">Sedona</a>
</body></html>

This code goes in your "/var/www" folder (or whatever is the "root" of your visible web page).

[cwykes]

thank you Dizzy.

I'm away for about a week - no updates til then. 
I had a lot of trouble getting text into the uploaded hood story.  I'd write it in game and it looked fine.  I'd upload it and all the pics were there, but half them were missing text.  To cut a long story short, the bits I'd cut and pasted from lot stories had a different value in  textresource ID - when I changed them all to match what was in the hood pics it went fine.  DK what's going on - I mention it in case someone else has the same problem.
<TextResourceId>0x00000000</TextResourceId>