FAQ - READ BEFORE POSTING, or don't complain when people insult you, n00b

[Venusy]

The More Awesome Than You FAQ: version 3 beta

This FAQ is recommended reading for all newbies who don't want to be ignored or poked with sharp sticks.  If you're too dumb or in too much of a hurry to read the FAQ, you might still avoid being the butt of our jokes by refraining from emo whining, keeping use of emoticons to a minimum, and showing a mature understanding of basic spelling and grammar.  MATY is a site where you must be able to convincingly act 18 or older, so try not to be a whiny retard.  When in doubt, lurk!

Table of Contents

• 1.  Table of Contents
• 2.  Current Forum Policies
• 3.  Technical Help  Generating an error log, torrenting and installing pirated games, etc.
• 4.  SecuROM and you
• 5.  Modders/Hackers  The Who's Who of MATY
• 6.  Forum Descriptions  This tells you where to post.
• 7.  Acronyms and Initialisms
• 8.  Sayings  MATY lingo: now you can speak like a MATYzen in your very first post!
• 9.  Ranks  Explains titles, like "Loitering Lurker"
• 10. Links

Looking for something in particular? Try using the Ctrl-F (or ⌘-F if you're on a Mac) feature of your browser to find what you're looking for.  If you have a question and it isn't answered here (really?), go back to the index and use the search box there.  The search box only looks inside the subforum where you are currently browsing!

[Venusy]

MATY rules and policies

Because not enough people RTFnewsbox:

• Posting that you have the latest EP without posting the ISO/BIN/CUE when the existence of the EP has not been verified by a reliable site is a bannable offence.
• THANKS THIS IS GREAT posts in hack threads (and any other threads I feel like doing this in) will be moved to a Retardo thread for being useless wastes of space that get in the way of the main discussion. If you wish to give THANKS, please use the THANKS button. Do not post BAAAAAA! BAAAAAAA! posts either, as these are arguably worse.
• Posting sexually explicit (non-Sims) images is a good way to get your account banned or deleted, unless it is funny. It is alright in certain circumstances (for example, revenge against a download beggar) to post shock images such as Goatse. Zippocat will not get you banned, but will cause members to be pissed off at you for the remainder of your posting career. If you are offended by an image posted by another user, toughen up or find a site where the moderator cares.

And, most importantly of all:

• READ THE FUCKING STICKIES BEFORE YOU POST.  (Stickies are the threads at the top of each forum page with a small shadow under the leftmost icon.)  If it says in a stickied compatibility thread that a hack is compatible with (expansion pack), don't post "hay guys duz this wrk with (expansion pack)?" in said hack thread. Also, reading the first post helps (to use a similar example, if the first post says "Compatible with all EPs", don't post the example I used above). Download links are normally given at the top or the bottom of the first post, so don't ask where they are either.
• If your first post is going to be "where can i find this hack?" in a dead thread, consider Googling before posting. It saves me having to split your post off from the rest of the thread and move it to RL.

Current Senate Policies
Users who flounce (vote to have themselves removed from the Senate) will be punished.

How NOT to post (thanks to Syberspunk):

The short version of this:  Don't write like a wanker!  MATYzens have no sympathy for new people who insist that we should have no problem with stupid usernames, massive signatures, colored text, signing your name in every post, etc.  If someone complains about the way you post, flaming back will probably get your posts sent to Retardo Land for pointing and laughing.  If that isn't specific enough for you, read on:

You might think it's okay in moderation... But NO, especially with LARGE FONTS or ADDITIONALLY EMBOLDENED! This is OFFENSIVE to the EYES and the BRAINZ!!!111oneone and is generally considered obnoxious.  Color should only be used when appropriate, and never for your entire post -- show how special you are with the content of your post, not the color.

(NOTE: If you ever do this, then a moderator will probably remove all excess tags from your post. However, you will probably be mocked mercilessly for doing such a stupid thing in the first place.)

How not to post part 2: Emoticonning and Signature Images
    Wow!!!!11!  This is stupid!!elevnty1!!!       
If there are more than two emoticons in your post, your post is either too long or you are retarded.  Fix it, without double posting.  If you use off-site emoticons, keep them reasonably sized, please.  Further, while cat macros and related images are encouraged where appropriate, images in signatures are often not appreciated.  Signature images, if used, should not be taller than your avatar.

how not to post part 3 (thnks kyna have a bene):
i dont know what a capital letter is and im proud of my ignorance ... i dont wanna use periods commas or question marks if i can avoid it ... i aint gonna use no damn paragraph thingys cos theyre too hard for my puny brain to understand

(PROTIP: Posting like this is a really good way to get canned.)

how not to post part 4:  NO SHILLING!
Do not link to Amazon, gush about items available in stores, or use the forums for advertising of any kind, even if you do not expect to profit from it!  You may, however, freely link to torrents.

how not to post part 5:  NO Double Posting!
Your posts should not follow one after the other.  Give other people a chance to respond!  If no one is responding to you, too bad.  If you want to quote multiple people, you can use the "insert quote" function while writing your post to quote as many times as you like in the same post.  You can also edit any of your posts at any time to add new information or remove false information.

how not to post part 6:  Necromancy is bad, m'kay?
Do not revive a dead thread (no posts in over a month) except under special circumstances, such as discovering a flaw in a hack, or if posting a new thread about a certain subject would get you banned.  If the post is especially useless (such as a "THANK YOU THIS IS GREAT" style post) it may even be deleted by a moderator (though this doesn't happen often).  Necromancy is best kept to hack threads, not social threads.

How NOT to quote
It is impossible for the full text of this post to be reposted here due to restrictions on the number of characters that can be in one post. Please click here to view.

[Venusy]

Technical Help

IMPORTANT: Required Reading For New Users
For a good guide to posting on MATY without getting canned and information about the general MATY attitude to various topics, see this post.

Did you update your hacks?
Before you whine about a gameplay problem, please ensure that all of your hacks are up to date and that you have removed all outdated hacks!  Further, if you have problems related to your use of non-Awesome hacks (i.e. hacks from other sites), go to those sites for technical help.

How To: Get An Error Log
Activate testing cheats (boolprop testingcheatsenabled true), then When the error pops-up, hit cancel and then reset. In the log folder of your My Documents/EA GAMES/The Sims 2 folder (or equivalent) there will be an error log. If you are unsure of which one it is, arrange icons by 'date modified.' Pick the last error log and attach it to your post (additional options).

Guidelines for error log submission
Do:

• Attach the error log to your post using the upload section under Additional Options... (below your post)
• Force an error if asked to

Don't:

• Copy and paste the top part of the error log into your post
• Post a picture of the error message box
• Crop the error log down to the first couple of lines. If a specific object ID is causing the errors by being called from a different object, then the first couple of lines won't help anyone (example: Garden Club Error).
• Compress your error log into a zip/rar/7z/(insert preferred archive format here) archive (note: this is acceptable if you are submitting more than 4 error logs, due to restrictions on the number of files you can attach to one post)
• Force an error if no one asked you to
• Delete the error log from your post. Someone will normally do this for you after they've had a look at the error log and determined the cause of the problem.

How To: Play A "Legally Backed Up" copy of The Sims 2 (and EPs)
NOTE: THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO BON VOYAGE OR FREETIME
Step 1: Get yourself an ISO, or BIN and CUE files of the EP you wish to play.
Step 2: Download DAEMON Tools. Do a scan for spyware after installing.
Step 3: Mount the ISO/CUE file in DAEMON Tools.
Step 3a: If you haven't already, you will be prompted to install the game. This may require mounting multiple ISO/CUE files, depending on what you've "backed up".
Step 4: Game won't run? Download the SecuROM loader (I use version 1.2), and extract it to the directory of your choice.
Step 5: Now modify your "Sims 2 (EP/SP name)" shortcut to the following: "(path to asr.exe) -r "(path to SIMS2(EP/SP whatever).exe"". Hit "Change Icon" and locate the "SIMS2(EP/SP whatever).exe" file to restore the icon back to its former glory.

• FOR EXAMPLE: My TS2 install is located at "J:\Games\The Sims 2\The Sims 2\TSBin\SIMS2.EXE", and asr.exe is located at "J:\Games\asr.exe". So the shortcut I use is ""J:\Games\asr.exe" -r "J:\Games\The Sims 2\The Sims 2\TSBin\SIMS2.exe"". Normal command line options can be added after the SIMS2(EP/SP number).exe, such as "-w -r800x600" for a game in windowed mode, with a screen resolution of 800x600.

Step 6: Run the game!

BON VOYAGE AND FREETIME INSTRUCTIONS: If you need to install BV, follow the above instructions to step 3a. Otherwise, read on: download the appropriate No-CD EXE from GameCopyWorld: Bon Voyage or FreeTime. If you have the BV patch, download the one for v1.10.0.122, otherwise download the one for v1.0. Go to your Bon Voyage directory, go to TSBin, rename SIMS2EP6.EXE to SIMS2EP6ORIGINAL.EXE or something. Put the No-CD EXE into the TSBin folder. Remember to replace it with the original if you need to patch!  If you have FT, follow the BV instructions for the FT exe.

Using hacks in TS2 (thanks to: Dizzy)
1) Double-check that the hacks are in the correct folder (i.e. "My Documents\EA GAMES\The Sims 2\Downloads" or your regional equivalent).

2) Verify that they are <something>.package files, rather than <something>.zip or <something>.rar or whatever.

3) (Only necessary for EPs after Nightlife) When TS2 starts up, make sure that the custom content dialog that appears before the initial menu says that custom content is "enabled." If it is disabled, enable it and then quit/restart TS2. If the dialog doesn't come up, go to a neighborhood and enable the custom content dialog option.

Why my userstartup.cheat no work?
Most common problem: you've saved it as userstartup.cheat.txt. Two ways to fix; way one: in Windows Explorer, go to Tools > Folder Options > View and uncheck the box next to "Hide extensions for known file types". Then rename userstartup.cheat.txt to userstartup.cheat, way two: open userstartup.cheat.txt in Notepad, go to File > Save As... and make sure you save it as userstartup.cheat with "All files" selected from the "Save As Type" box. If this doesn't fix it, check that all cheats are valid, as the game will fail to read all cheats placed after an incorrectly entered cheat.

How to: conduct a binary search - Thanks Dizzy

A binary search simply involves moving half of your hacks. Here's a simplified specification:
1) Observe problem condition and make a note of it.
2) Quit the game.
3) Move half your hacks in the "My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2" folder to some other folder. This other folder should always be a new folder.
4) Restart the game.
5) If you observe the problem condition again, go to step 2.
6) If you do *not* observe the problem condition, quit the game and swap the location of the most current set of hack halves you moved. Then go to step 4 (or 3 if you feel confident in your file management skills).
7) Once you only one hack left in the game, make note of that hack and see FAQ about reporting bugs etc.

[Venusy]

How to remove SecuROM

What is it? - SecuROM is a "anti-piracy" measure, developed by Sony. Like pretty much every anti-piracy measure developed by Sony, it installs itself like a rootkit, and can fuck up your system pretty good.

Which Sims 2 based games have it? - H&M Stuff, The Sims Pet Stories, The Sims 2 Deluxe Edition, Bon Voyage, Teen Style Stuff, FreeTime, and IKEA Home Stuff. Until BV's release, it had mostly gone unnoticed, as most people used the Seasons executable for H&M Stuff, and no one bought Pet Stories.

When is it installed? - The first time you run the game from the legit executable.

I do not currently have SecuROM on my system. How do I prevent it from getting on there? - Use a No-CD crack. Seriously, it's that simple. Make sure that you replace the No-CD with the correct executable before patching.

I am not sure if I have SecuROM on my system or not. How do I check? - Run Sysinternals RootkitRevealer. Look for anything with SecuROM in it.

OH GOD I HAVE IT HOW DO I REMOVE IT - FANKOO Zazazu for compiling pretty much everything into this useful post:

Ok, kids. The instructions are in bits and pieces in the EA official admission/excuse thread, but it's getting long and understandably hard to find. These instructions have worked for several posters, myself included:

1. Follow the guidelines below ripped from http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/98241-13-remove-securom-malware-uninstalling-bioshock-demo:

* Step 2: Remove the Securom registry entries.
The Securom registry entries are deliberately made non-removable by default. In order to remove them download the RegDelNull registry editing utility from Microsoft and install it on your C partition. 
Run the following two commands from a Windows command prompt: "C:\regdelnull HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SecuROM -s" and "C:\regdelnull HKEY_USERS\<Computer specific key>\Software\SecuROM -s" where "<Computer specific key>" can be determined by searching the registry for the "Securom" directory key. This "<Computer specific key>" typically has a form like "S-1-5-21-2052111302-1757341266-724545543-500". Once these two RegDelNull commands have been successfully issued the registry should be checked to confirm that these two keys have been deleted. If they are still present they will now be removeable due to the action of the RegDelNull utility.
 
* Step 3: Removal of the Securom service and related utilities.
Open a Windows command prompt and change directory to "c:\windows\system32". Type "uaservice7 /remove". This will stop the Securom user access service, and clean up its relevant registry entries. On the Windows command prompt type "regsvr32 /u cmdlineext.dll". Reboot and then manually delete the files "uaservice7.exe" and "cmdlineext.dll" from "c:\windows\system32". Note: Both of these files are Securom installed files which can be verified by checking their file properties (Right click - Properties).
 
* Step 4: Removal of Securom files under "C:\Documents and Settings".
Securom installs a hidden directory with 6 files under "C:\Documents and Settings\<Your Administrator name>\Application Data\Securom". The first 4 ordinary text files can simply be manually deleted once Windows explorer has been configured to show hidden files and folders. The two remaining malformed nominally unremoveable files require a special method to delete: Invoke a Windows command prompt with full Administrator privileges by typing the following into a Windows command prompt: "at <your current time + 1 minute> /interactive %systemroot%\system32\cmd.exe" e.g. "at 9:02pm /interactive %systemroot%\system32\cmd.exe". This will open a new Administrator command line when the time set has been attained. In this new command prompt change directory into the Securom folder e.g. "cd C:\Documents and Settings\<Your Administrator name>\Application Data\Securom". Issue the following command to show the two remaining hidden malformed files: "dir /A". To delete the two remaining hidden malformed files issue the following command: "del /F /AH *". Confirm "yes" for each of the two file deletions of the malformed files. Finally, the directory "C:\Documents and Settings\<Your Administrator name>\Application Data\Securom" can be deleted as per normal practice from within Windows explorer.

2. Double check your registry files. Still see any keys under HKEY_CURRENT_USER---Software---Securom? Just delete the suckers. Won't blow up.

3. If that damned SecuRom folder still can't be deleted, even after correctly following the instructions above, download DelinvFile from http://www.purgeie.com/delinv/dldelinv.htm . Run the executable and find the C:\Documents and Settings\YOUR NAME HERE\Application Data\Securom folder and open the sub-folder. (Sorry, mine's gone, but I believe it was named "User Data"). On the right, choose each malformed file and delete. Go back into My Computer and delete that SecuRom folder for once and all.

4. To not get it again, you need to start loading from a no-CD crack. I recommend the Fairlight version from http://www.gamecopyworld.com/. Go to "C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 Bon Voyage\TSBin" and change the name of the current Sims2EP6.exe to Sims2EP6.bak. Then place the crack in the same folder. Make a shortcut to this on your desktop, and run the game from this new shortcut.

I have it , but I've never installed any of the games listed above, and my computer doesn't seem to have exploded... - Other games can also infect your PC with SecuROM. However, not all of these versions of SecuROM are as dangerous as the one contained in the packs listed above (version 7.20 and higher is where problems usually start occurring).

How to convince EAxis that this was a fucking stupid idea?
1. Vote with your wallets: don't buy any more Sims or Sims 2 branded software. Instead, learn how to pirate, and acquire the games that way.
2. Submit bug reports/formal complaints about it (yes, this will require you to get it on your system): formal bug reports for SecuROM related issues are more effective than anecdotal evidence, at least according to one of the Maxoids.  Don't expect much if you try it this way, as it isn't in EA's best interests to acknowledge the problem.

[Venusy]

Modders/Hackers

J. M. Pescado - Site Owner, Sims 2 modder, El Presidente, and Fat Obstreperous Jerk
FFS Hacks & Support
Pescado Hack Index
Trogdor the Burninator, JM's avatar. 

Doctor Boris - A member of Flying Fish Systems, Doctor Boris rarely posts, although he is always credited in the FFS Manuals.

TwoJeffs - Sims 2 modder
Hacks are no longer here, see thread for more information, or go directly to his latest site (may change without warning: not our problem).

Lord Darcy - Sims 2 modder
Darcyland

Syberspunk - Sims 2 modder
Mundelow

CrammyBoy - Sims 2 modder
Propane & Propane Accessories

Director's Cut - a single zip file containing all the hacks JM uses in his game. Guaranteed not to turn your game into a BFBVFS when used correctly.

FFS Director's Cut for Apartment Life
FFS Director's Cut for FreeTime
FFS Director's Cut for Bon Voyage
FFS Director's Cut for Seasons
FFS Director's Cut for OMGPETZ!!11oneone
FFS Director's Cut for OFB
FFS Director's Cut for NL

[Venusy]

Forum Descriptions

Apocalypse Now! - The end times are upon us!

• The Horror, The Horror! - The Sims 3, it burns, it burns!
• Facts & Strategery - These threads contain verified, useful information about The Sims 3.  No L&P or Prima Guide crap!
• Pudding Factory - Have you created something for The Sims 3?  You can share it here.
  
  • World of Puddings - TS3 Self-Sims, stories about self-Sims, and links to Sim videos.

Burnination

• The Podium - Questions and comments relating to The Sims 2 (PC and Mac), or spin-offs such as The Sims Stories. Discussion of the Sims games on consoles should go to Retardo Land, and should not pass Go or recieve £200 (or 200 of your local currency). Also serves as basic PC/Mac/Linux tech support.
  
  • Oops, You Broke It - Game crashing to desktop? PC randomly freezing? Post a thread in here, and the friendly (and not-so friendly) forum members will either try to help you, or laugh at you.
• The War Room - "TS2 gameplay-related strategery, tips, facts, and data. Remember, this is the war room! You can't fight in here!"  Should be required reading for every MATY member.  Especially the Myths, Urban Legends, And Apocrypha Of TS2 Explored And Exploded thread.
• Planet K 20X6 - If you're looking for a challenge, try here.
  
  • Building Contest of Awesomeness - The buildings and results from the 2006 and 2007 building contests.
• Peasantry - Have you made a mod or tutorial that someone here is likely to find useful? Post it in here.
  
  • Taster's Choice - The best community made mods, tutorials, and recolours.
  • Made-Up Animals - Self-Sims, stories about self-Sims, and links to Sim videos.

The Bowels of Trogdor

• The Small Intestines of Trogdor - The technical hacking section addressing various technical hacking related issues for TS2. You must display technical competence before you are allowed to post in this forum.
• The Large Intestines of Trogdor - The technical hacking section addressing various technical hacking related issues for TS3. You must display technical competence before you are allowed to post in this forum.

Awesomeware

• AwesomeMod! - There can be only one!  This is for TS3.
• Armoire of Invincibility - Other FFS tools for The Sims 3.
• The Armory - FFS hacks for The Sims 2.
  
  • Playsets & Toys - FFS standalone objects (not hacks)
  • The Scrapyard - Hacks that have now been made obselete by patches or new EPs.
• Secret Laboratory - I'd tell you, but I'd have to kill you. (Alright, I admit it. I don't know either.)

Darcyland - Moderated by Lord Darcy

• Lord Darcy Investigates - Hacks and other content by Lord Darcy.

Ye Olde Simmes 2 Archives: Dead Creators - Old hacks that are unsupported.  Use at your own risk!

• Ye Olde Crammyboye Archives - Old hacks by Crammyboy, which may or may not work in your game.
• Ye Olde Syberspunke Archives - Old hacks by Syberspunk, which may or may not work in your game.

Serious Business

• Retardo Land - The vast wasteland that functions as the MATY garbage disposal.  Also a place for silly, off-topic discussion that has no where else to go, or discussion about the latest piece of EA LIES AND PROPAGANDA (see Sayings).  Retardo Landers (members with garbage cans under their name) are restricted to posting in this forum.
• Cheese With Your Whine - Moderated by AmberDiceless - Found a broken link on the site? Are forum images not showing up for some reason? Is your age wrong in your profile? Post here! (Please read the Cheese With Your Whine FAQ first)
• Senate Chambers - Where the Senate decides on things that ultimately have no meaningful consequence.
• Secret Desert Headquarters - Official Non-Sims Awesome Gaming.
  • Spore Discussions - Various Spore-related discussions and uploads are share here.

[Venusy]

Acronyms and Initialisms (last updated: 4 April 2007)

BBS - The Official Sims 2 Bulletin Board.
BFBVFS - Big Fiery Ball Visible From Space. What happens when your game/neighbourhood implodes.
CB - CrammyBoy. See Modders/Hackers.
DAC - deleteallcharacters
DC - Director's Cut. See Modders/Hackers.
EA - Electronic Arts, the company that made The Sims 2.
EP - Expansion Pack
FFS - Flying Fish Systems, the hack-making "company" owned by J. M. Pescado and Doctor Boris. Can also stand for "Family Fun Stuff", or "For Fuck's Sake" depending on context.
FUBAR - "Fucked Up Beyond Any Repair"/"All Repair"/"All Recognition"
HR/H*R - Homestar Runner. See Links.
JM - J. M. Pescado. See Modders/Hackers.
MATY - This site: www.moreawesomethanyou.com
PMBD (aka PSMBD) - Paysites Must Be Destroyed!. See Links.
RL - Retardo Land. See Forum Descriptions. Can also stand for "Real Life", depending on context.
RTFM - Read The Fucking Manual. See Sayings.
SP - Stuff Pack.
SS - Syberspunk. See Modders/Hackers. Can also stand for Social Security or Secret Service.
SWAF - Sim Wants and Fears. In SimPE, each sim has a SWAF entry, and doing a DAC or deleting Sims by other means can leave orphaned SWAFs.  Also referred to as "dangling SWAFs" or "hanging SWAFs."  Read more about it here, or do something about it here.
TJ - TwoJeffs. See Modders/Hackers.
VBT - Very Bad Thing. The action that causes the BFBVFS to happen.

[Venusy]

Sayings (last edited: 18 August 2007)

6s, 12s, 18s, etc. - Your age at MATY is your most recent age that is divisible by six.  If your "real" age is 56, you are only 54 at MATY and will remain that age until your 60th birthday.  If you are a teenager, you are a mere 12 (and should not be at this site) until you reach legal age at 18.
Awesome (-ware, -land, etc.) - Pescado's hacks, playing methods, or personal Sims 2 game.  It is always spelled with a capital A to distinguish it.
BoolProp - An incorrectly used term to refer to the cheat code "boolprop testingcheatsenabled true".  Actually, there are several "boolprop" cheats in the game (as boolprop stands for "boolean property", also known as a boolean variable), but the BBS in particular as well as many other uneducated Simmers continue to refer to debug mode or "boolprop testingcheatsenabled true" as just "boolprop."  This is a constant source of irritation for many.    Contrary to popular belief on the BBS and other Sims forums, "boolprop" does not destroy your game, destroy your sims, delete objects from the game catalog, delete your hard drive, or any other such nonsense.  It does not cause errors to occur.  Rather, it lets you know when an error has occurred so you can decide how to solve the problem, instead of just resetting your sim and going on.  It also produces a helpful log that can be found in the directory shown in the error message, which can be uploaded here as a text file so the Awesome ones can analyze it.
boolprop testingcheatsenabled true - See BoolProp.
Congratulations to: Draklixia - Leftover phrase from Pescado's days of adminning KludgeMUSH. See here (NOTICE: This link goes to an external site. MATY is not responsible for the content of external sites. If external sites have been replaced by Goatse/Tubgirl/scenes from SWAP.avi, this is your problem, and not ours) (thanks Fairlight and Assmitten).
Custom Titles - Some users have custom titles.  Who has one (and what it is) is determined solely by the discretion of El Presidente (although some moderators can change their own custom title). Appears between the user's username and their rank.
Debug mode - See BoolProp.
Fs and Ts - Myers-Briggs Type Indicator dichotomies.  Look here for more information.  If you score high on Feeling, you are a stupid F.  If you score high on Thinking, you are an intellectual T.  We have a disproportionate number of INTJ types here, and like it that way.
#grah - MATY IRC in your BBQ.
Kitten Killer - The InTEENimater, a game modification that is considered non-awesome. Posting its name anywhere in a thread will normally result in someone else (generally a moderator or J.M. Pescado) posting this image.
LIES AND PROPAGANDA - The official term for any Expansion Pack/Stuff Pack/Spin Off that Pescado has not currently obtained the objects.package of. Posting that you have the latest EP without posting the ISO/BIN/CUE when the latest EP's existence has not been verified by a reputable source (e.g. The Pirate Bay, Mininova) is now considered a bannable offence.
MOAR FIGHT!: Simply put, any fight between two opposing factions. As is the MATY way, it will inevitably be encouraged. "MOAR" is a portmanteau of "more" and "roar", for those of you who get all of your news from Fox News.
Necromancy - The act of bringing threads back from the dead by posting a reply in them. Threads are generally considered "dead" if there have been no new posts in them for approximately a month or more.
Oldversioned - Your game is using the old version of a hack instead of the new, shiny, less buggy version.
Paid Title - A royal title earned by donating to the site. Appears above a user's username, and is different from other titles in that it is not insulting.  Limited time offer: you can get one too!  Offer good only until December 15, 2008!
Pulling a Ness - Having multiple versions of the same hack installed. This leads to versioning problems and causes people to point and laugh at you.
Read The Fucking Manual - Usually every hack posted here has a RTFM or Read Me text file included in the zip file or on the thread.  The Director's Cuts are the exceptions to this rule, so if you're curious about the purpose of a DC-exclusive hack, then look HERE or search the forum. Someone will probably have asked the question already. If they haven't, feel free to post it in the appropriate place.
Ripped Lips - See Ranks.
Sadorandom - EA's variation of the random number generator used in the Sims, which among other things controls personalities for newborns. Instead of using truly random numbers the same set is chosen every time, leading to exact duplication.
Tight Pants - User created gameplay error usually caused by using conflicting hacks from another site.  Tight pants is YOUR problem; don't ask us to fix your pants!
Trashcanning/Trashcanned (also referred to as "canning/canned") - Obtaining the coveted "Retardo Lander" status. See Ranks for more information.
Undiscovered Shiny - An unreleased hack that provides an annoyance fix or a new feature.  Undiscovered Shinies are usually not released until Fat Gwilly People request them.
groups.cache - Delete this file in The Sims 2 folder periodically, more often if you have a lot of custom content.  It seems to cache game data, and can get corrupted, causing loading and closing issues, as well as various other problems.  It does regen every time you start the game.
cigen.package - Seems to be the same sort of thing as groups.cache, but for BodyShop.  Deleting it can fix a problem you're having with Bodyshop, and it does regen the next time you start it.

[Venusy]

Ranks

Ranks (in order from worst to best) -

Dead Member - Die in real life. Lips change to .
Banned! - After obtaining Retardo Lander status, prove that your IQ just keeps dropping. One of the easiest ways to do this is to create multiple sockpuppet accounts, post threads that could be considered too retarded for RL, and generally be a total asshat. Lips change to .
Subscription Expired - Be found guilty of not paying your subscription fee. Lips change to an icon that has currently not been reuploaded to the server.
Retardo Lander - See below. Lips change to .
Souped - Gain notability, then leave in (or due to) a dramabomb explosion. Bonus points if you say something to the effect of "I'M NEVER COMING BACK" and return 1 or 2 weeks later. Lips change to .
Undead Member - RISE FROM YOUR GRAVE. (get someone to assume that you're dead, then post refuting this fact). Lips change to .
Loitering Lurker - No posts. Lips change to , although this can only be seen in private messages.
Tasty Tourist - 1 post
Asinine Airhead - 5 posts
Blathering Buffoon - 50 posts*
Corpulent Cretin - 100 posts
Dimwitted Dunce - 150 posts
Exasperating Eyesore - 200 posts
Feckless Fool - 250 posts
Garrulous Gimp - 300 posts*
Horrible Halfwit - 350 posts
Irritating Ignoramus - 400 posts
Juvenile Jackass - 450 posts
Knuckleheaded Knob - 500 posts
Lipless Loser - 600 posts*
Malodorous Moron - 700 posts
Nitwitted Nuisance - 800 posts
Obtuse Oaf - 900 Posts
Pinheaded Pissant - 1,000 posts
Querulous Quidnunc - 1,100 posts*
Retarded Reprobate - 1,250 posts
Stupid Schlemiel - 1,500 posts
Terrible Twerp - 2,000 posts
Undesirable Uncouth - 3,000 posts
Vacuous Vegetable - 4,000 posts*
Whiny Wussy - 5,000 posts
Senator - See below. Lips change to
Grammar Police - See below. Lips change to .
FFS Member - Only gained if you are an FFS Member. Lips change to
Moderator - Only for moderators (see below). Lips change to
Global Moderator - Rank is unused. Lips would change to if rank was used.
El Presidente - Only for J.M. Pescado (see Modders/Hackers). Lips change to .


* Also earns lips.

Ripped Lips - As a member's post count goes up, they acquire "ripped lips" icons.  These also function to serve how many PMs (Private Messages) you're allowed to hoard.  There are 5 PMs per every set of ripped lips.  Senators get 100, and moderators have unlimited hoarding potential (well, some might, but global moderators don't).  This is a parody of other sites that may have stars or other icons showing a member's status.  JM prefers to punish instead of reward people.  This is the reason for the insulting titles that one acquires as they move through the ranks.  Lip ripping is also JM's favorite pastime.  He has been known to rip the lips off people who he deems stupid.  Figuratively speaking, of course.  I've been told it doesn't really hurt...much.

Senators (added by BlueSoup, at the suggestion of Rainbow and TaWanda)

- Senators have no useful functions whatsoever.  It is a parody of all parodies to even have a Senate.  
- The only thing Senators can do that regular users can't is:  vote/post in the Senate section, and they have PMs not based on ripped lips (since they have the cool flames have the cool laurel wreath , don'tcha know? ). As of December 10th 2007, the icon of the Senate has changed from fire.gif to senate.png ().

Grammar Police "The MATY Grammar Police, 2/3 of whom spurn invitations to join Mensa, care not for any claims that you belong to any other Grammar Policing divisions on the internet, in RL, or in your own mind. Membership in MATYGP is by invitation only. Asking to join the Grammar Police may be regarded as grounds for disqualification from consideration for membership." - courtesy of Rohina.

Moderators - There are currently six moderators on the site - AmberDiceless (Cheese With Your Whine), Crammyboy (Propane & Propane Accesories), Syberspunk (Mundelow), Lord Darcy (Darcyland), Rhayden (Be Less Stupid), and witch A.K.A. Poofs (global). Pescado is the Administrator and as such has full moderator powers as well. Note that global moderators have less power in Retardo Land compared to other sub-forums, due to the anarchistic attitude of RL. However, in extremely rare cases, a global mod may feel that some topics are "too retarded for Retardo Land", and may use an exploit in the system to regain full control over a thread or series of threads so that they can be locked as necessary. This exploit is also necessary to perform some other key moderational duties in RL threads, due to the lack of power. When the exploit is used as normal, no one responds or even notices. When it is abused, the inevitable response is MOAR FIGHT! (see sayings).

Retardo Lander - This exclusive rank confines the user to only posting in Retardo Land, and is currently held by less than 1% of MATY users. To obtain this rank, simply do something incredibly stupid, or do something not quite as stupid repeatedly.

[Venusy]

Links

Popular Tools & Tutorials

Tutorial: Clean custom neighbourhoods, by Jordi
Empty and Cleaned-up Neighborhood Templates (for making a custom 'hood with NO GOOPY!)

Creating Default Skins, by Angelyne

Checking polygon counts of objects, by Baratron

Hair Binning SimPe plugin, by Theo

Correcting the DNA of Strangetown premade characters, by Baratron

SimPE - SimPE - The Sims 2 Package Editor, found here.

Several useful tools by Jfade, including the Mac Unpac, Wardrobe Wrangler, and The Compressorizer!

disaSim2 - Sims 2 BHAV console disassembler 2.3d - contributed by Syberspunk.
Note: The latest version, updated by Shy, can be found in here.

Content/Hack Scanner Tools - useful for scanning your game for unwanted/conflicting hacks, and deleting content. - Contributed by Syberspunk.
The Sims2Pack Clean Installer (S2PCI) aka Pheverstool

Paladin's Sims 2 Hack Conflict Detection Utility

Dizzy's Sims 2 Mod and GUID Checker Tool
Note: The latest version, updated by Shy, can be found in this post.

CEP - CEP is a tool that makes normally unrecolourable objects, recolourable.  Also required to make these items show up in your game.

Other Links
Homestarrunner.com - One of JM"s favorite sites, from which he borrows a lot of phrases.  For example, the child board in the Peasantry, Made-Up Animals, has this description:  "If you were a sim, what would you like as if?"  This is from one of Strong Bad's emails.  Made-Up Animals is where MATY Members upload their self-sims if they wish to do so.  Check out the HRWiki, and the HRWiki's list of H*R sightings on MATY.

Affliates/Other AwesomeNet sites: PAYSITES MUST BE DESTROYED!: Pescado's new business venture. See EA's EULA before complaining.
TSR MUST BE DESTROYED!: A redirect to the "The Sims Resource" section of PMBD. See EA's EULA before complaining.




Credits - In no order whatsoever
RainbowTigress - Writing the majority of the original FAQ and this FAQ.
Flying Fish Systems - For saving the sanity of Simmers everywhere.
Dizzy - Writing the "Using hacks in TS2" entry
BlueSoup - For writing several of the original FAQ entries.
Frankenbeasley - For writing the mission statement.
Vcline - Pointing out a broken image link.
Syberspunk - For showing everyone how NOT to post.
Flowerchile -
Kyna -
Lorelei - For giving new users a lesson in general MATY attitudes towards idiots and new users who act like they own the forum.
Venusy - For modifying the FAQ into version 2.0, guide to playing "legally backed" up games.
BastDawn - Editing the old 2.0.0.6beta FAQ to version 3.0

Questions, comments, or suggestions?
Post them in this thread.