More Awesome Than You!

Hi folks, new MATY member here.

I've been a member of MTS for a couple of years and there is a topic that comes up from time to time in various subforums over there, namely, the topic of how to go about properly patching the game.
Some people have said that there seems to have always been a level of confusion about how to properly patch the game, so a topic was started with the aim of getting a definite answer. Here is the link to that topic: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=566526
Most folks seem to be of the opinion that as a person proceeds through the install process, every EP should be patched before going on to the next EP, until all EPs and SPs are installed and individually patched. My own experience, however, seems to indicate that this somewhat tedious process may not be necessary.

Here is my install experience:

For starters, I have Double Deluxe, as well as all three of the Expansion Compilations (University Life Collection, Best of Business Collection and Fun with Pets Collection, the latter of which includes the Mansions & Gardens SP, which to the best of my knowledge was the last game engine released). I also have all remaining EPs and SPs in CD or DVD formats (in particular Seasons, Bon Voyage, Free Time and Apartment Life, as well as all the SPs).
So I have everything, either in CD or DVD formats.

When I install my game, which I have done 3 times during the past year (twice because I upgraded my computer to a new OS and once to get rid of the problematic Sims Store Edition), I can apparently install the various EPs and SPs in any order and I am never prompted to apply any patches at any point in the process. After everything is installed, my game version is indicated as being v1.17.0.66

(http://i60.tinypic.com/28v6s09.jpg)

This  corresponds to the version number of people who patched all of their EPs as they proceeded through the install process, as explained above.
So, despite of the fact that I'm obviously running the correct, latest and last version of the game (M&G v1.17.0.66), most people are telling me that I still need to patch the individual EPs, because there supposedly are files within each EP (other than the executable) which the game still accesses. My contention, and hope, is that this is probably not the case.

As an example, people have told me that an unpatched Seasons EP would include a faulty Ottomans family, wherein the family history of the twins born to the pregnant Samantha Ottoman would show them to have a townie as a father, or even a piece of furniture, such as an armchair. So I played the Ottomans until the twins aged up to toddlers and their family history turned out to be normal, with Samantha as their mother, Peter as their father, as well as their grandmother, whose name I forget. All other family members also had normal family trees.

Likewise, someone said that the Crittur family (the two dogs) would show nonsensical family trees, but after moving them into a household and looking at their family tree, they each only showed themselves, which is normal for a newly created Sim straight out of the Sim bin.

In addition to these two examples, I looked at a few other issues that the various EP patches fixed and they all checked out OK with my game. Being mainly a Lot builder, I don't have nearly as many mods installed, but the ones I do have appear to behave as advertised. In short, I see nothing amiss in my game (other than the numerous bugs which EAxis never fixed and which everyone has to deal with).

So that is the question. Do I still need to individually patch each of the 4 EPs that are not part of my compilations, even though the game never prompts me to patch during the install process and despite the fact that I'm running the latest version of the game and despite that fact that there is no indication that there is anything amiss in my game?

I would like to get to the bottom of this patch confusion and would appreciate any input from the knowledgeable folks here at MATY - thanks.

(And I apologize for making my initial post such a lengthy one. For what its worth, I've tried registering here before without success. The registration process is not the friendliest.)

WDC, STFU, GTFO, DIAF.

About this time you may be sensing a theme. . .

Where in all that drivel do you have a need for us? Surely you could finish reading your research and just fucking do it yourself?

Remember on Labyrinth at the beginning, where Hoggart was going around with a bug sprayer, killing shiny, sparkly fairies with pesticide? That's probably the best metaphor for the relationship between long-time MATYzens and newtards I can think of.

Teal deer.

Is this a question or a guide? Either way, it's not very good.

Come on guys, leave the poor poster alone. He needed to tell someones on the Internets that they were WRONG.

He has a diabolical collection of mashed together EPs, can't install or patch 'em in order, so slings 'em together in a slap-happy, haphazard way. It WORKS. ALRIGHT?!?

There aren't enough lulz in this thread. 1 out of 10; would not spork again.