I looked through the original annoyances thread for this issue, and I don't think I saw it there, here goes:

When my sims are told to make food (at any time, in any circumstance) they go to the fridge, stand there for 5 sim-minutes, and then open the fridge. They put the food down on the counter, wait 5 sim minutes, and start preparing it. After the food is finished they put the plate on the counter, wait 5 sim-minutes and then pick it up. Then they wait some more, and walk somewhere to eat it (This is also irritating, but OMFG, it pales). It doesn't drop from their queue, it just takes them a long time to do it.

This makes it almost impossible to keep them on schedule, since with all the waiting around they take an additional 20 minutes to prepare and eat a meal.

I have googled it and a lot of people seem to have this issue, some claim deleting cache files fixes it, some claim emptying every single sim's inventory fixes it. Some claim it is caused by too low computer specs, or too much CC. I have asked a couple other players about it, all three of us  meet the recommended requirements (4gb RAM, modern video card, etc), A uses CC, B does not. I have very few items in inventories, B never empties them out. All three of us experience this issue.

All these supposed "fixes" and "causes" mixed with my own experience and the very small sampling I have taken make me think it is inherent in the game.

It isn't mine. I found it through StumbleUpon.

Sorry couldn't resist. Saw period towns, thought


Mildly amusing thread about image http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?p=17546294

I have read through the "I want to buy a new computer, should I buy Brand X or Brand Y?" and have come to understand that buying a name brand computer isn't usually the best way to go.  This understanding hasn't done much to fix my computer issues, so I need more help.

Background first: I am pretty sure my motherboard is dying. About a month ago it started introducing me to the "Will it or won't it" game, where when you push the power button you have a fairly random chance of getting more than a low key beep beep beep and  louder than usual fan noise, but no video display (monitor is fine, DVI jack is fine, etc.). Usually it kicks in on the 3rd or 4th try.

Around this same time my TS2 stopped letting me run at my usual resolution (it went from highest possible 1680x1050 to highest possible 1440xsomething), and Oblivion started having problem w/ graphical lag. I did open the case and get the dust out, and that made the fan noise go away, but people have told me that the dust in the CPU fan may have caused it to overheat and damage the CPU and motherboard (I'm planning on having diagnostics done to make sure this is the issue, but I have a hunch this is right).

The way I see it I have a few options: I can:

A) buy a whole new similar spec HP (the brand I have now)/Dell (snerk)/other brand computer and be done with it;
 
B) Buy a whole new slightly lower spec HP computer, cannibalise the working components (hard drive, CD/DVD drive, 6GB RAM, maybe graphics card) and find someone to stick it all together for me (est. cost $400, + labor); 
 
C) Buy a new computer case and replacements for the non-working components and find someone to stick it all together for me; or
 
D) Get HP or Geek Squad to replace the motherboard and CPU (est. cost $600 or $700 respectively).
 
E) would be to buy a new motherboard & CPU and get someone to install them for me, but I haven't been able to find the same motherboard for sale online so for now that option is relegated to the realm of possibility

Do I have other options that I haven't realised? If I go with option B, does it have to be an HP or can I/should I try another brand? If option C is my best bet as far as money goes? Should I even consider option D (honestly I threw that one in there for the sake of thoroughness)?


From my perspective A) is easiest, but is wasteful and is fiscally irresponsible right now; B) is my most appealing option right now, as it seems to be pretty simple w/ the added bonus of being fairly cheap and I have have a working computer while I find someone to do the sticking it together part; C) is quite tempting, and leaves me with more research to do, but seems economical and would give me slightly more geek cred than the other options.

I know I have more research to do (and thankfully I have time to do it in), but I also know that there are people here who know this stuff.

Thanks in advance.

I've got an nVidia card, and crashes galore. Although, my card isn't specifically listed as recommended. I haven't updated my drivers though. I'll try that when I feel like playing TS13 again.

I've been having frequent crashes, with no immediately evident link. I have a few suspicions (bad download, corrupt something or other, etc) but I am also running it w/ an Nvidia GeForce 7500 LE, which is not listed specifically in the system requirements (7400 and 7600 are, but these numbers must not mean what I think they mean).

The worst part of being an early adopter on this is that there isn't any commonly known fixes for things like this yet.

If anyone has tested Anebrd's house, does the little fencing make it impossible for sims to get into the bed? Or do they step over it okay?

Shoot, and here I thought this was simply a little piece of weirdness, not part of a BFBVFS.

I thought this was interesting, I haven't seen it before.

My sim was at his job managing a sim owned business when I got one of those dumb hobby related chance cards. I picked one of the options and it told me my sim had gotten a promotion. I was a little surprised at this, and was more surprised when my sim got home from work early w/ the promotion sound playing. it said he had been promoted to "Unused 3" then gave the hours (regular employee/manager hours). His pay stayed the same (400) and he got a bonus of 800.
 
Anyone seen anything like this before?

Is it a flat lot? (I am assuming yes, but we all know what assuming does)

Dumb question: How do I check to see if there are read only files in the DL Folder? I use sub-foldering and I have a large amount of files. I don't want to look at the properties of each and every one.

If she offered them all in 1 big mega pack she wouldn't have had to make up new names for the same color.

Hmm. I will have to check for outdated hacks. I thought I had gotten all my pants sufficiently loosened.

On the ame note, is it a VBT that occasionally my game stops responding for a short time (say, 30 seconds) and then a Grim Reaper appears in the visitor portal? He leaves immediately (no bathroom breaks or drinking) but this has happened about 10 times since I installed AL.

I've done the retirement home thing, I usually just put them in and set it to speed 3 until they die. Occasionally I would have them invite their grand kids over but for the most part, meh.

http://www.thesimsresource.com/downloads/sims2/meshes/objects/286000/

A rock, apparently made of lavender metal.

I had forgotten that I had that.

I started the binary search for the problem, but I was hoping someone else might have encountered and solved this problem. I am sure it is the fault of something I downloaded, since the problem cannot be replicated in a clean game.

Definitely agree with Liz there. I do feel slightly compelled to mention that the logical thing to do here, since it was a couch that was broken, would be to check any hack that says couch or sofa first. Not to mention that one really should remove all their hacks and then only replace them as they are listed as updated or listed as not needing an update. Moot point now, though.

As for the other sofa that doesn't work, if I were divalbw, I would at least try the binary search, at least to familiarise yourself with it. If you take out all your CC except for your hacks it really speeds up the process. I was really surprised how quickly the vanilla game loads without 1.5 GB of CC slowing things down. Of course, if your CC folder is not organised it is more difficult.

It might be tight pants. Check and make sure that you have the updated version of Inge's  "Is Chair a Booth" / "Is Sofa a Sectional" global patches. http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=189428 or http://www.simlogical.com/sl/Sims2Pages/Sims2_MiscHacks.htm.

You might have one or both of these hacks if you downloaded custom sectionals. In my experience, this should take care of the sectionals-not-joining-up issue. I don't know about the other.

Sara MK's empty templates can be found here (search is your friend) http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php/topic,4306.0.html

I had this problem. It went away once someone else on the lot gained a gardening badge (just a bronze one). Try that if you can.

For those that sub-folder the heck out their downloads (by this I mean separate folders for different types of seating, separate folders for clothing genders and categories, etc.) when do you do this? As you download the items, or later on?

Related question: Does anyone extract from the .zip or .rar into the appropriate folder? Does this make it easier to stay uber-organised?

Right now I have folders for the major categories (clothes, genetics, haxx, objects, etc.) then within these I either have them separated by creator (If I have a substantial amount by a specific person) or if they are a creator I am not familiar with it goes in the appropriate category then into a catch-all called "It Could Be Crap"; if I find I like it, it goes into "It Wasn't Crap!". 3rd party recolors of a creation go into the main folder with the object it recolored. So far (for the past year or so) this has served me fairly well. My biggest pet peeve is when I download a lot that comes with a bunch of CC, because it initially gets dumped into the Downloads folder with few clues as to what the .package file is, and therefore where it should go.

(PS- I used a semi-colon in this post, did I do it correctly?)

Tell me about it, in our last apartment even the light switch plates had been painted over. And over, and over, and over.

I wish I knew too, because then I could avoid it.