Default Medieval Townies & Base Game NPC's for all.

[Madame Mim]

http://www.genensims.com/guest/MadameMim/Scotia.htm

Is a Neighbourhood I have been working on. It is designed to do away with Goopy (and all the rest) and give you default townies and basegame NPC's of a medieval flavour.

The method for doing this is to replace the original (or blank template if you're using one) C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Sims 2\TSData\Res\UserData\Neighborhoods\N001 with another N001. I call it Scotia.

Scotia isn't a fully defigned Neighbourhood (like Pleasant View, etc are) although you can play it as such. Mostly it exists so that any new Neighbourhood you spawn will use my default NPC's and townies rather than the EA/Pleasant View ones.

Theory testing has been completed and the process definately works. What I need now is people willing to test that (with the full shopping list downloaded) all NPC's (bar the Headmasters which I cannot do very much with) and townies are properly theme garbed - ie I haven't missed anything out of my shopping list (which I am 99.9% sure is complete).

Please test it and let me know what you think.

edit: Can I please have some feedback - even if it's "I'm not touching that with a ten foot barge pole because . . . . "

[seelindarun]

Actually, I love this concept because I can't stand to make my own townies.  It's the main reason why I don't use the clean templates.  Heresy, I know. 

But the reason I haven't dl'd to test this is the theme.  I just started toying with Seasons and I'm trying to keep the CC down while I'm exploring the vanilla game.    I can completely understand that the tedium of making your own townies and NPCs is orders of magnitude greater when you also have to dress them right, so I do think there's a greater need for this in themed 'hoods, though.

[Madame Mim]

Oh, good. Then you can vote on which theme next. Medieval was just first firing in my brain. I want to do a series of swapable N001's for different themes. Just pop one in and you'll get different townies every time.

Of course if you don't download any of the shopping list you'll still get new townies and NPC's - they'll just be wearing some wierd ass clothes.

[Aggie]

Silly question: I'm playing a N001 'hood right now that is not Pleasantview (it's my own custom 'hood). Were I to replace the requisite file, would I see any negative effects on my custom 'hood and current townies?

Also:

Forbidden
You don't have permission to access /guest/MadameMim/Scotia.htm on this server.

[Madame Mim]

No. The template only comes into play at creation. Your current townies, etc, would all stay as they are. Unless you remove the Neighbourhoods folder and force the game to spawn new 'original' Neighbourhoods you'll never even see my N001, just the associated townies when you spawn new Neighbourhoods.

[Aggie]

If I could see the size of all the files that I'd need to download, I could give this a shot for you. I don't mind spawning a new 'hood to test this out. This sounds rather interesting.

ETA: Okay, I got in this time. I'll give it a shot and let you know how it goes.

ETA2: It may take me a while to download all the clothing listed. Trust me when I say that I will, in fact, update you as soon as I know anything.

[jmtmom]

I've taken a look, and I think I'll try it out. I have most things on the list.

[Aggie]

I downloaded all seven parts of Scotia, but they're all the exact same size. Why do I need all seven parts?

[Madame Mim]

Because it's a split rar (and the last file is a little different in size) to make downloading easier. When you unzip part one it unzips the rest of them too to make one Neighbourhood folder and one set of instructions for installation.

[Aggie]

Hmmm, when I unzipped the first one, it didn't unzip the others. Perhaps that's why none of the townies I've spawned have had medieval wear.

Just to ensure that this works, can I manually unzip the 7 files and install them somewhere? Also, I'm only installing the clothing to test that this actually works. Does it matter what folder the custom clothes are placed in within the Downloads folder? Can I put all of the clothing into a separate folder of its own (which is what I've done) and still have the game generate medieval townies/NPCs?

ETA: Urk. I was spawning them in an existing 'hood. Whoops. Let me go correct this.

[jmtmom]

I just noticed that the inteenimator is part of the shopping list. I've never used it, never really wanted to. Is it essential?

[Madame Mim]

Denimjo - it should not matter where you put them. I keep all of mine in the same folder so that I can remove them when I'm not playing a medieval Neighbourhood.

Are you sure it didn't unzip the others? It should do it quietly in the background (ie it'll just look like it's unzipping the first one, but really it's doing them all). You should end up with 139 character files in the N001. In fact if it doesn't unzip the others you should get an error message. Try deleting the existing N001 and then putting the new one in. If you just paste over the top it doesn't work right. I'm uploading an unpartitioned rar as we speak - but it'll take some time.

jmtmom - inteen is only needed if you plan on playing the N001 rather than using it to spawn townies. All you need if you want to use it to spawn townies are the clothes.

[Aggie]

I figured out why it hadn't unzipped the others: I'm pretty sure it's because I changed the default unzip location. I did it again and I'm pretty sure it was fine. I'm going to try it again here in a second.

[jmtmom]

Ok followed all the links, found a few things I needed to add. When I clicked on the " a bunch of stuff I don't know where I got..." I got an error page: "Not Found
The requested URL /guest/MadameMim/thatWhichIsUnfound.rar was not found on this server"

I grabbed everything else except the inteeninator and the default preg clothes replacement.

[Aggie]

Finally MATY has returned.

Nope, no luck. I got all the clothes except for the ones from Fashion 2 Sims and put them into a separate folder in Downloads. Created a new 'hood, but the townies are all being created with regular clothes. What could I be doing wrong?

[Madame Mim]

thatWhichIsUnfound.rar was poor pathing on my part and should be fixed now.

As for the townies that are being created with normal clothes - are they normal townies? Do you recognise any names? Are the NPC's the normal ages that you would expect? Basically I'm trying to find out if this is a clothing or entire Neighbourhood problem you are experiencing. Please tell me some more about these townies and tell me the installation steps you took so that I might better understand. Thankyou.

[Aggie]

Okay, for the installation:

1). I've only downloaded the recommended clothing files. I've gotten those files placed in a separate folder in Downloads (a folder named Scotia).
2). When I first began this process, my C:Program Files etc. area had a folder named N001-bak. I rared this folder and then deleted it (keeping the .rar file in the same location).
3). I then extracted the first part of the 'hood files. I cut/pasted the N001 folder into the C:Program Files etc. area.
4). I opened up the game and created a brand new hood.
5). I went into CAS to create a Sim to start the 'hood off with. I then moved her into a lot.
6). Since I have debugging mode on in the usercheatstartup file, I then shift-clicked on her and spawned the Spawn NPC and Townie tree.
7). I generated several townies that way as well as a maid and a gardener. They all had regular clothing, but their names were drawn from a Live.package file from my Downloads folder.
. I then quit the game.

I later managed to get all seven of the .rar files to extract at once and then copy/pasted over the N001 folder I had gotten from just the first part earlier. Rebooted game; same thing. Then I manually deleted the N001 folder from the C:Program Files etc. area and re-extracted the seven .rar files into the location I had saved them (a folder on the Desktop). I then cut the provided N001 folder and placed it back into the appropriate area. Rebooted game; same result.

I'm wondering if this has anything to do with a Download conflict.

[Madame Mim]

7). I generated several townies that way as well as a maid and a gardener. They all had regular clothing, but their names were drawn from a Live.package file from my Downloads folder.

And there's your problem right there (at least I hope it's that easy). My NPC's and townies are already there. If you spawn them you are making new ones to EA design (and the only way to over-ride their clothing is through Paladin's NPC clothing changer). My NPC's and townies are carefully created by hand (god, that sounds so pretentious) with changed ages so that they don't get forced into EA-wear. If you have a teleporter bush try checking the families available for summoning and who is in them.

[Aggie]

AHA! I shall check that out right now and let you know how it turns out.

ETA: Yup, that did it. Everything seems to be working peachy keen right now. The only issue I have is with some elders clothing (and that is doubtless due to the fact that I failed to get some clothing from one of the sites listed) and one Service Sim, Ernest Gast, seems to be sporting mime costume makeup and I'm not sure if that was intentional or not.

Am going to download the 'missing' clothing soon and will even get the rest of the medieval set (objects, building items, etc.) very soon. I love this idea! There even is a Goopy lookalike in there somewhere. 

The only thing that I'd suggest is that since it would doubtless attract many other users, perhaps just adding a footnote to mention that one doesn't need to spawn new townies or NPCs would be helpful. I know most people here at MATY wouldn't need to know that, but people who tend to do stupid things (i.e. myself) would probably benefit from a 'stating the obvious' instruction like that.

Nicely done, Madame Mim! And I love your username, by the way.

[Madame Mim]

Thankyou. I'm rather fond of your avatar. I wish I could remember the joke about Allah comes round to borrow a cup of sugar and God asks him how to pause Civilization - turns out that all our problems are because God is trying to run a PC universe on a Mac.

I'm glad it worked out for you in the end.

[Aggie]

Sounds rather likely to have happened. 

Do you happen to have any recommendations for some nice medieval hairstyles? I think that might be the only thing that my new 'hood is lacking at the moment. For some reason I thought that I had seen Peggy have some quite some time ago, but the prospect of having to go through hundreds of pages of downloads is a little daunting.

[Madame Mim]

Sorry, no. I just threw out all my hairs because I could not track down something that was causing skull colouring so I've only got MTS2, Parsimonious and Rose Sims hair in at the moment. I don't think PeggySims has much medieval in anycase. I suppose you could try Neptune Suzy http://www.ts2creations.com/ I've liked her clothing and downloaded (but not yet installed) her medieval hairs for women.

Oh, Ernest Gast is probably sporting a scar by simgirl24 http://www.modthesims2.com/download.php?f=378&showType=1&u=674926&threadcategory=Special%20Effects If you make him selectable you'll be able to wipe the makeup off his face.

[morriganrant]

In theory could i place this hood long enough to create a mideval style hood and then remove it? Would that leave the new hood with the new townies provided none ofthem get killed forcing the game to generate an ea townie?

I would love a mideval hood but don't want ren-fair townies being spawned in my non themed neighborhoods.
So could I put the neighborhood in the folder to create the hood and take it out to play the other hoods, killing townies with no problem then put it back in when I wished to play this one?

[Aggie]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, Madame Mim, but I'm pretty sure that you can do that, Morriganrane. After all, the character files for the townies for a 'hood are kept in the My Documents/EA Games/The Sims 2/Neighborhoods/N00x/Characters folder. I'm not sure if you'd have to summon all the pre-made townies and NPCs first or not (I suspect you would, though).

The only thing that I would also change would be to make sure that you remove the default Medieval Pregnancy Wear hack when you weren't playing that 'hood, since it's a default maternity wear replacement.

[Madame Mim]

I can't correct you Denimjo because you're right. In fact it is my ultimate purpose to make a series of swappable N001's for themes, or just so that we get different townies occasionally.

Now that this one is working fine (barring shopping list error reports) all I need is to decide what themes to do. Probably the next one will be to fix Planet of The Cats so that the NPC's stay in character and just convert it to a template.

The only thing I'm not sure about morriganrane is your statement "killing townies with no problem then put it back in when I wished to play this one?" because I'm not sure I understood. So I will just make two statements.

1. My NPC's townies will only generate on the creation of a new Neighbourhood (like the Pleasant View townies do ATM) and if you remove them from the pool any new ones spawned by the game will not be in theme.

2. Once a Neighbourhood has been created you do not need to put my N001 back in for it to work. Created Neighbourhoods stand alone (as Denimjo said).