More Awesome Than You!

Recently I've downloaded several lots which use store content, and some of the items get replaced by non-store items, even though I do have them installed. This in a decrapified install and in a fresh new game. I decrapified the lot's sims3pack, installed it, then decrapified my save, library and userpresets. I've tried deleting my DCCache and reinstalling all my decrapified sims3packs then decrapifying my save, library and userpresets, still the objects get replaced. What's odd is that some of them appear normally, such as the Estate Fence, while others get replaced, like the Archibald Door.

I use the Recompressor tool to decrapify, not sure if that affects anything.

That's normal, but someone else will have to explain why.

If the lots were made with paid for store cc then they will not show up no matter what you do. Once you decrap they become "different" objects so technically you don't have them. The ones that show up are items that the creator pirated, the ones that don't show up are items the creator paid for.  I do believe if you  use packages they might show up, I'm not sure though. 

If you use packages anything paid for will show up, but nothing decrapped will show up. If you decrap the packages... everything decrapped will show up, and nothing paid for will show up. If you have paid for stuff installed via the launcher, and non-decrapped packages, the launcher stuff will override the packaged stuff. Finally, if you have decrapped launcher stuff, and undecrapped packages, every store item installed with both methods will be duplicated.

This is why people who decrap are not supposed to share. Pescado even mentioned that they shouldn't share ages ago.

So if I want the objects in the lots to show up, I have to reinstall by converting the crappified sims3packs to packages?

Strangely, decrapified Sim and world Sims3Pack files that contain pay store content work just fine, so it seems like lots would be the same way. I tried poking into the library files at one point but didn't get very far. Decrapifying did change some values in the file but the objects still wouldn't show up.

Why not just do it the easy way and manually replace the stuff?

That's the easy way vs. simply decrapifying the lots?

Wait, nevermind. That won't work, will it.

Decrapified content SHOULD work provided the lot is decrapified as well. However, if the lot doesn't actually contain the items anymore, then decrapifying cannot fix links to objects which no longer exist.

Here's an example lot with quite a bit of store content and no custom content: http://modthesims.info/d/403277 (http://modthesims.info/d/403277). I just now downloaded and decrapified the Sims3Pack the same way I've always done and installed it through the launcher. When I placed it in the game none of the store content showed up. The only objects that seem to work sometimes are fences. Like I mentioned before, decrapifying works fine for worlds and Sims but not lots.

What sort of actions might cause the lot not to contain the items anymore?

All right, seems I'm always a little behind the curve.  I JUST discovered this problem when I tried to install a sweet castle from MTS and all the banners got replaced by butterflies.  I've tried installing via launcher, extracting the s3p to a .package file and plopping that in my Library, and doing both after decrapifying.  I've cleared cache, and the store content is still not showing.  I understand from my meager searchings that this is just something that happens and no one really knows why it doesn't work like it should.

I just wanted to see if anyone had figured out the proper combination of installation and decrapification to get the store content to shown in downloaded lots.  If it's not just random EA craziness and I'm just screwed.  That castle has a LOT of windows and furniture to replace by hand if I'm screwed into doing it manually.

From what I've experienced, you must use the same method that the creator used. If s/he used legit store cc then you must use legit store cc, if s/he used decrapped packages, then you must use decrapped packages. Try sending the creator a PM asking which method they used, you might get lucky and s/he used arr'd items.

I'm under the impression that the issue is a bit more complex. After downloading, from MTS, the lot referenced by Clara (Mirkwood) and two castles (Vampire and Swamp), I extracted them to packages with Delphy's tool and dropped them in the Library. I decided  to test the following: Gothique Window, Faire Folk Bench, Magical Faire Door, Magical Faire Gate, Castle Double Door and Galileo's Observer.  In my laptop I used the regular EA store-bought Sims3pack via Launcher. In my desktop, I used the store Sims3pack downloaded here, only compressorized (not decrapped) and extracted to packages.  In my desktop, as expected, the items show as CC in Buy and in Build. But, in both cases, the items show in the lots.

Right, they show up because both versions used non decrapped items. I would guess that if you tried that using decrapped sims3packs instead of packages they won't show up.  It's more a decrapped vs. Non decrapped rather than packs vs. Packages.

What makes me confused is why decrapping the Lot file doesn't make things match up.  And even more confusing is that some people seem to have managed to get these lots working without knowing exactly what it was that fixed it.

I don't download lots often, but I want the interiors to look like they were intended to on those rare occasions that I AM seduced by some sweet architecture.  As is the case with those candlelight castles.  Meh.  I'm going to try a couple more things and then give up on it.

If I wasn't so lazy I'd do some troubleshooting, IF. I don't use other peoples lots so I don't really care, but there is a lot I built using packages that I'd like to get right. Since now I use sims3packs, and I don't feel like replacing everything in the lot.

All right.  I semi-fixed my problem by replacing my decrapped Store content with all of Moryrie's untouched files.  I left the decrapified lot installed to test, and it worked fine.  I might try launcher installing the original lot for an untouched copy of that, but I don't see that it's really needed.


Whelp, now I know.

I wish I knew a lot better what s3rc does. Based on what I experienced so far, "s3rcing" a store Sims3pack (without "decrapping") changes it enough to be able to extract packages that can be modified by s3pe or merged or just used by Sims3 directly and still "work" in lots. If I understood correctly, the "decrapped" Sims3pack and packages become different objects and can't be "recognized".

Right, which is how it tricks the game into thinking it's not a store item, thus, letting it install. So maybe it is just a matter of decrapped vs. vanilla then. I was under the impression that S3RC simply just compressed items, I had no idea it let you open up store cc, good to know.

I tested the imported lot vs decrapifed issue with the help of my Wife, as I wanted finally work out what was going on. I decrapify all my items, where as my wife doesn't. She has some of her stuff installed via launcher and other via package, none of which is decrapified. She built a lot for me to test, using a mix of items from from her packages and her launcher installed items. I took the sims3pack and decrapified it, then installed it. No Store stuff showed up when I loaded up the house, only base game and EP/SP stuff.

So it appears that the method used to install stuff doesn't matter. It seems that if the author doesn't decrapify their items before building the house, then the downloaded house will have no store objects for us decrapifiers.

No big loss. I can make do without.

Send me the afflicted lot pre-decrapification and I will take a look at it.

ftp.kludgemush.com/incoming/OakishHome.7z

This was a test house made with a mix of package and sims3pack installed store content. Neither the lot or the content was decrapified.

I tend to mostly have only the more interesting and older sets. This wasn't built with too much of the really new repetitive crap, was it? I stopped getting most of the furniture packs sometime last year.

Kitchen, Main Bed, Bathroom were all last year stuff.

The only stuff she has installed via package is new content. Older stuff she has via the launcher. However, the sets themselves to matter, it works the same regardless of sets, so if you name a couple sets, I can ask her to build a very simple test house specifically with that content, which should make it easier for you to track.

Strictly speaking, I don't actually need a house at all. What I definitely have, on the other hand, is the new Gothique Urinomicon, and I have it opened for dissection already, so if you were to simply build a lot and plop about 5 copies of that and nothing else, that'd be an ideal test case, since I already had that object isolated and if the lot contains nothing else, I'll know it's there. Just let me know exactly which Sims3Pack set you used so I can cross-reference it. Start with with the non-decrapified version. Also, if you upload a new thing, go ahead and remove the old thing.

Uploaded a test lot. There are 5 Gothique "Urinomicon" (installed via package) and 5 Overachieving counters from the Bayside set (installed via sims3pack). Content is NOT decrapified.

ftp.kludgemush.com/incoming/Non-decrapified%20Test.7z


Ditto on the test lot.

Try now.