Expansion Packs (and whether to use them or not)

[Nepheris]

'lo all,

Just a quick question today. As I've been deprived of my precious comp for a few months (long story) I'd like to start fresh over with TS2. Complete new install, sparkly clean folders, all that.

Now I'm wondering whether it's a good idea at all just to install a few select EP's (seeing as I don't really use the features of some), or if that will potentially FUBAR my game and it's better just to install the whole lot to be on the safe side.

Any ideas?

[J. M. Pescado]

Installing select EPs is fine. As a guideline, I would recommend NL, OFB as a minimum, but never JUST NL and things below it, because the NL engine itself is crashware.

[Nepheris]

Would it be okay to install Base, Uni, NL and Seasons only? Thanks anyway for a lightning-fast response 

[J. M. Pescado]

That's an acceptable stable config, yes. I recommend OFB as well, however, as installing OFB enables you to create satellite "shopping district" subhoods identical to the regular subhood, and enables the ownership of community lots, which in turn enables Awesomeware to directly manipulate the guest list by category. Pets is not as necessary, as the added elements of Pets are all noncritical.

[Nepheris]

Okay, thank you. I'll add OFB to the install list.

[Gwill]

Why nightlife?  What does it contain that gains the game?
Also, can't nightlife be patched with any stuff pack as an alternative to OFB?

[veilchen]

Are the cars and downtown a nightlife only feature, or can you manipulate the game into allowing at least drivable cars? I have all the EP's and no stuff-packs, and I have installed them all on my new shiny. I don't want to do without the car or downtown. I don't go there often, but they are important for me to enjoy playing, especially the vampyres.

[jsalemi]

You need nightlife for downtown and the vamps, and I'm pretty sure you also need it for the cars.

[SaraMK]

You don't need NL for cars. There's an official download that gives you a driveway and some cars.

[dizzy]

I would recommend installing all of them to be on the safe side.

[svic]

I have Base, Uni, NL and Seasons only and it works fine.

[cwykes]

My experience is that if you don't add Uni, you'll have problems with LTWs.  When I had base + OFB (which I liked a lot by the way as it felt more real to me - no vampires, zombies, resurrection, changes in aspiration), I had 6 missing LTWs.  When I put seasons on top, I had the 6 LTWs, but couldn't achieve them.  There's a thread or two about it in the Podium somewhere.  The awesome never ruled definitively on whether this was "as intended", buggy or whether my game was borked, but I did find other people with the same problem, so I pass it on as something to look out for. 

[Nepheris]

Actually I would leave out NL if I could, but I think I read somewhere it's got some critical stuff that could bork up your game if you install other later EP's without it.

Fact or fiction?

[dizzy]

This is EA we're talking about, so these are all undoubtedly error-prone if you leave any EPs or SPs out.

[J. M. Pescado]

SPs are leave-out-able because they lack any new codes. All the early EPs add critical core elements to the game and omission appears to result in odd behaviors, though. Uni apparently is required for all the LTWs, NL is needed to have "Downtown", OFB is needed to have subhoods and owned comm lots. Pets and possibly Seasons are more superfluous.

[DrKeith]

Great, thanks for the tips. I'm getting OFB this Sunday, and I already have Nightlife installed. Uni sounds boring to me, so I'll give that a skip. I'll get Seasons down the line, too, probably, if I am sure that my system specs are adequate. I'll be sure to install the two patches for OFB, and assume everything will be fine!

[Quinctia]

I've been running Uni/NL/Seasons for ages.  I'm one of those people who likes Uni and sends all the sims there, without fail (though I speed the time spent there up a bit).  With MATY hacks and proper care not to do anything to break the game, I'm running fine.  Though I'm still on the hoods from my first install, and I never had a huge problem running just NL (aside from a MATY wants/fears hack that wouldn't play nice), so I may be an anomaly.

I've been debating OfB for MONTHS, basically just for the roofs.  And maybe the toy bench.  I just don't know if it's worth the resources for the small amount I'd use it.

[cwykes]

Great, thanks for the tips. I'm getting OFB this Sunday, and I already have Nightlife installed. Uni sounds boring to me, so I'll give that a skip. I'll get Seasons down the line, too, probably, if I am sure that my system specs are adequate. I'll be sure to install the two patches for OFB, and assume everything will be fine!

If I'm right that leaving out Uni, leaves you 6 LTWs short:
a) you'll find it annoying that all the LTWs are career related except for family sims.
b) when you add seasons, you'll have unachievable wants which is worse.
If it all works fine for you, please report back so I stop misleading people....

[cenoura]

Leaving out NL gives some unforfillable wants such as "slow dance". Also I guess the whole dating thing is left out(?) which I like to have the option for in my game when a sim doesn't have any other hope of getting out of red aspiration.

[DrKeith]

Okay, I'll report back on that, then. I can buy Seasons for R50 (South African currency), and another R50 for University, so maybe I'll add all of 'em. OFB is a must though, and I imagine that I'll play at least a month or so with this pack. I'm leaving for Taiwan on the first of February, so I'm not sure how much I'll be playing, but I'll keep your request in mind.

Seasons sounds pretty cool, but I'm iffy about my system's capabilities. Pooh.

[JadeDruid]

You don't need NL for cars. There's an official download that gives you a driveway and some cars.

WHERE!!!?!?!?

[Ness]

Here.

[Count Four]

I have Seasons and no Uni, and I haven't noticed any unfulfillable wants. What wants are you talking about?

For the record, I have Base/NL/OFB/Seasons. I'm thinking about getting Uni, if I can convince myself my computer won't start smoking.

[Draak]

I have Uni, NL, OFB, Seasons and one of those stuff packs, I think it it is Glamour Life. No problems here.

[Invisigoth]

I think that Cwykes meant unachievable LTWs. I did a search for cwykes' previous posts and "LTW" and found this. Basically she got the wants that uni added but even if a sim achieved them it didn't permaplat them and they never got the memory for it. The borken wants include "earn 100k" and "max 7 skills".