? re hacked Grandfather Clock for Uni

[Simsane]

I have a friend that bought an unusual base game in December 2006.  It came with an Xmas bonus pack, but that's not why I say it's an unusual base game.  Before she ever added any other eps or sps, she had lockable doors and gates; could move a sim that was in the sim bin into an occupied lot; had an inventory; had lifetime wants; and had attractions.  Maybe I'm not remembering correctly, but I don't remember having any of those things when I only had the base game -- but I bought mine in September 2004.

Anyway, she then added Glamour Life and H&M stuff packs; a few months later she added Nightlife.

Yesterday she bought University and Bon Voyage, although only intends on installing University for a while.  I had told her about the hacked Grandfather Clock from this site.  She would like to put it into her game, but I have explained that with hacks, you need to make sure you get the one that is made to work with the expansion packs that you have.

My question is this, normally I would get one that says it is for Nightlife as that is her newest expansion pack.  But, I wanted to make sure that H&M does not make a difference.  Also since she has lockable doors and I thought that was from OFB, I just don't know for sure which hacked Grandfather Clock I should tell her to get.

I do not want to tell her to put something into her game that will just mess things up.  I have taught her to make subfolders inside her downloads folder -- so she would be able to easily remove it, but I would like advice as to which one I should have her try.

Or, is this clock much like Merola's Multi Painting and Merola's Mirror -- those items have worked with all of my games.  I know they are hacked, but they don't actually do anything unless you click on them.  So they are not like the Phone Line controller for example.  Is the hacked Grandfather Clock like that?  Where that one hacked item can remain and work with any/all games?

Any help would be appreciated.

Edited to add -- after I made this post, I went and looked at each of JM's directors cut files.  Starting with FT DC, and working my way backwards.  Each one had the collegeclock with the same date UNTIL I went from OFB to Nightlife.  In other words, JM uses the same collegeclock file from OFB through to Free Time, but used a different one in the Nightlife game.

Since her game definitely does have one OFB feature (the lockable doors and gates) and since she also has H&M installed, should I assume that I should grab the one that is used currently?

[talysman]

This is the sort of situation where Wikipedia can actually be valuable, because it is maintained by total geeks who are obsessed about trivial pop culture details, like different editions of the Sims 2. Thanks to Wikipedia and your mention of the date "December 2006", we know that this is the Sims 2 Holiday Edition (2006). Which. although it may have some OFB features, doesn't include OFB: it really is just the base game plus a stuff pack.

Which, unfortunately, makes it hard to decide whether to count your friend's set-up as NL or post-NL. Unless Pescado can tell you authoritatively  otherwise, it's probably best to grab both versions, try one, and if it doesn't work, swap it out for the other one.

Just don't use both at the same time.

[Simsane]

I was expecting that answer.    I was just hoping someone would know for sure.  But I do appreciate that you went to all the trouble to look up her game and try to decide which one is best.  I already knew not to put both in the game at the same time, but again, thanks for the warning.

It has been so hard trying to decide which hacks to tell her to use.  She wants a good anti-social worker hack, but with her game being so, shall we say 'unique' that I just shy away from most global hacks.  If I could get her to add newer games, it would make it a lot easier, lol!

All right though, I will have her download both of them and then try them out one at a time.  I think I'll have her try the one that JM has in his Directors' Cut for Nightlife.  I have a feeling that is the one that may work the best.  Although, I did have her put JM's two phone packages from his Nightlife Directors' Cut into her game and when she tried to open it after she installed the phone hacks, her game crashed.  As soon as she pulled them out, it worked again.  So, this weird game coding (or whatever you would call it) where she has a feature from OFB does seem to make some difference.  Especially since when I had her try it, I had her first make a completely empty downloads folder so that the only cc she would have would be JM's two phone hacks.  Unfortunately for her, unless she installs a newer expansion pack than OFB, I don't know if she can have any global hacks.

[Simsbaby]

You could let her borrow one of your older game cds.

[Simsane]

She lives in another state, so that would be difficult.  I did one better though, I just ordered OFB and Seasons (she doesn't want Pets, just like I never wanted it) for her from Amazon.  She should get them in a couple of weeks.

[J. M. Pescado]

Which, unfortunately, makes it hard to decide whether to count your friend's set-up as NL or post-NL. Unless Pescado can tell you authoritatively  otherwise, it's probably best to grab both versions, try one, and if it doesn't work, swap it out for the other one.

All stuffpacks made post-OFB appear to run the OFB engine.

[Lord Darcy]

All stuffpacks made post-OFB appear to run the OFB engine.

Not quite so, I think. Teen and K&B seem to be based on Pets engine, as they are using 0x54 TTAB format which was introduced by Pets. Stuff packs up to H&M are based on OFB engine, except for Happy Holiday Stuff.

If your newest EP is only up to OFB, the game will run from the newest SP engine, superseding OFB engine. (Except for Happy Holiday Stuff) So if your friend has NL+GLS+H&M, the game will run from H&M executable, not from NL executable. If you want to make sure, you can ask her which executable her game runs from, H&M or NL. If her game runs from H&M engine, as I expect, tell her to get OFB hacks.

[maxon]

Am I missing something here?  Surely her latest EP is Bon Voyage.

[Cappuccino]

Am I missing something here?  Surely her latest EP is Bon Voyage.

Yeah, you missed this apparently:

Yesterday she bought University and Bon Voyage, although only intends on installing University for a while.

[maxon]

Am I missing something here?  Surely her latest EP is Bon Voyage.

Yeah, you missed this apparently:

Yesterday she bought University and Bon Voyage, although only intends on installing University for a while.

I read that as only using University for a while - nothing about using or not using BV. 

[Simsane]

Thanks, everybody.  No, she does not intend to install BV for a while -- I plan on doing some more research on this website before she does, if you know what I mean.  I don't even own BV, so I haven't read some of the posts that will help her to prevent SecuRom.  Although I do understand that she already has SecuRom due to having H&M installed, from what little I have read, the problem mainly starts when you install and load BV.

But it does sound the like collegeclock file that JM has used in his Directors' Cut since OFB and is still using while having Free Time, is the correct one.  That is probably why the two phone hacks I had her install made the game crash -- they were supposed to work with the Nightlife game.  Either that, or it's because I  had her pull her downloads folder out and make a new one with only the two phone hacks in it.  I don't know for sure because she was so upset about the fact that it crashed that she pulled them out, put her old downloads folder back and didn't want to try them again.    I'll grab both, but I'll have her try the newer file first.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention -- yes, Lord Darcy, she has to put her H&M disk in to play.

[CAFlanny]

I plan on doing some more research on this website before she does, if you know what I mean.  I don't even own BV, so I haven't read some of the posts that will help her to prevent SecuRom.  Although I do understand that she already has SecuRom due to having H&M installed, from what little I have read, the problem mainly starts when you install and load BV.

I had this same problem, but it's easy to fix.  Just have her follow the instructions in the SecuROM thread at the top and download a no CD crack.  It's a lot easier to remove it from the H&M version than the BV version because SecuROM isn't active with H&M.

[Lord Darcy]

I had this same problem, but it's easy to fix.  Just have her follow the instructions in the SecuROM thread at the top and download a no CD crack.  It's a lot easier to remove it from the H&M version than the BV version because SecuROM isn't active with H&M.

She is using H&M disc to run the game, so Securom must be active for her, unlike most of players who used Pets or Seasons disc until BV came out. Although it is possible that the version shipped with H&M is tad more benign than the one shipped with BV.

[CAFlanny]

She is using H&M disc to run the game, so Securom must be active for her, unlike most of players who used Pets or Seasons disc until BV came out. Although it is possible that the version shipped with H&M is tad more benign than the one shipped with BV.

Ah, yes, I hadn't thought of that.  I was mainly speaking from my own experience.  I waited to install BV, so I only had to get rid of the inactive SecuROM from H&M.

[Simsane]

She is using H&M disc to run the game, so Securom must be active for her, unlike most of players who used Pets or Seasons disc until BV came out. Although it is possible that the version shipped with H&M is tad more benign than the one shipped with BV.

Actually, Lord Darcy, I'm sure you are correct.  But if that's the case, then in a way it's also good news.  She has not had any problems with her pc despite the fact that she has been using the H&M disc to play.  Perhaps that implies that she will be one of the lucky one's who doesn't get any damage from it.

She does not keep any personal files, nor does she do any internet banking or bill paying on her computer (yes, she is a little bit old-fashioned in that sense -- but that may be a good thing since she has SecuRom!) so as long as it has not caused any damage, can I assume that installing BV probably won't either? 

[Sivany]

I've had Securom on my computer since BV came out and since removing it was too much like hard work I've left it there and I've not had any problems related to that at all so far. I think the main problems were with it breaking the DVD burner and interfering with DVD/CD burning software. Since I have none of those things I haven't noticed any effects so far and, since I need a new computer anyway, I'm just keeping my fingers crossed rather than messing about with deleting Securom, which would very likely lead to me breaking my computer anyway.

After reading this thread though I'm beginning to think it was a really bad idea to have all expansion packs up to and including FT and then randomly decide to buy and install the H&M stuff pack. Since doing that my sims can't skill parenting, the metre just stays stuck at wherever it was before I installed H&M.

[Lord Darcy]

She does not keep any personal files, nor does she do any internet banking or bill paying on her computer (yes, she is a little bit old-fashioned in that sense -- but that may be a good thing since she has SecuRom!) so as long as it has not caused any damage, can I assume that installing BV probably won't either? 

As Sivany said, the main problem of Securom lies in damaging optical devices. So it's a potential threat to anyone who owns an optical device like a CD/DVD burner, even for the people who are not doing any kind of monetary transaction online. Securom can break anti-virus or firewall too, as reported by many people. Also, newer games are shipped with "upgraded" version of Securom, which can be more destructive and harmful. Securom had not always been this dangerous, after all. Older versions of Securom were quite benign compared to current crap. The fact that H&M caused no visible damage does not automatically guarantee that BV Securom will be safe. Better to tell her to remove the crap altogether, following the stickied guide.