I got the dreaded squigly lines in thought bubbles

[baratron]

I had a total panic when the squiggly lines turned up in my Neighbourhood with 4 playable sims who hadn't met any Townies yet. I was really stressed out.

Then I realised that what had happened was that I'd moved the laptop from the front room into the bedroom, and thus changed the resolution of Windows from 1280x800 to 1280x768 so I could play the game lying down on the TV above the bed. For some reason, changing the resolution made all the speech bubble icons fizzly. Phew .

[Kestran]

So. Should I put the nocorruptdeath fix in my hacks folder or is this some new bug? 

[MokeyHokey]

Yes and yes? 

[Regina]

I've seen this too and I have the nocorruptdeath mod.  In my game it didn't happen because of badmouthing, but was in a sim's thought bubble when he was in the haunted bedroom.  Last night, instead of the funny little ghost icon in the thought bubble it was the squiggly lines.  (I've since excorcised the house using the FFS Debugger.)

[twojeffs]

Well, I can't say for sure when I installed the patch since I was out of town for a while and didn't install it until I was back. I suppose it's possible that the package was damaged--I can try recopying it and see if that helps.  If the objects.package WAS modified by the patch and I recopy it from the disk, I would need to reinstall the patch though, yes?

You shouldn't have to reinstall the patch.  Maxoid Tom said all it did was recopy the original objects file from the CD.  I don't think it would let you install the patch again anyway, not unless you were to reinstall NL, because it would say you are already patched.

I am not sure that the objects.package file was not modify since the remote control car was definetely modify.  Wasn't that car part of the objects.package file or is the programming of this object in another file?  Or is it that when patch it, it added an extra file seperately which modifies the programming of the objects not the objects.package file itself?  Sorry I have no idea how it works.... but would love to learn.  Maybe twojeffs or JMPescado can answer that for me or any other awesome people here that knows how it works. 

Objects.package was most definately altered by the patch. The objects.package in a patched NL game should have a last modified date of Sept 30th. I believe the patch copied the original NL file from the CD to make sure they had a good copy & then applied the patch changes. It doesn't matter what the date was that you installed the patch, the date should be Sept 30th on the file. Remember - the patch didn't even come out until Oct 12th.

If you're file is dated anything other than Sept 30th (and you've previously installed the patch of course), your objects.package file is hosed.

Here are what the stats should be on two NL Objects.package files:

Original unpatched NL Objects.package: Last modified Wed, Aug 17, 2005 3:45pm, 41,180KB
Patched NL Objects.package: Last modifed Fri, Sept 30, 6:33pm, 41,171KB

In other news...this is apparently a completely different bug from the corrupt death bug. That was related to corrupted memory tokens. This has something to do with object icons not memories. Installing the corrupt death fix is still a good idea, it just won't help with this problem.

[RainbowTigress]

Thanks TwoJeffs, you are definitely more awesome than I!

EDIT:  I just checked mine (patched NL), and the date and time match with what you gave, but the size of mine is 42,158,640.  What does this mean?

[MissDoh]

Thank you very much Twojeffs for this reply.  My logic was good... it is always good to know.

[Kestran]

In other news...this is apparently a completely different bug from the corrupt death bug. That was related to corrupted memory tokens. This has something to do with object icons not memories. Installing the corrupt death fix is still a good idea, it just won't help with this problem.

That makes sense. When I got this (I have only seen this once in my game so far) Kaylynn was clearing dirty dishes off the table and got stuck between the 2 dining chairs and she was waving her hands at me complaining she couldn't move. The squigly lines was probably when she was complaining about the chair.

My question...should I overwrite that patched objects file with the objects file that is on the NL cd disk or should I leave well enough alone? It is write protected and is stamped 30th Sept. My date of birth ironically

[twojeffs]

Thanks TwoJeffs, you are definitely more awesome than I!

EDIT:  I just checked mine (patched NL), and the date and time match with what you gave, but the size of mine is 42,158,640.  What does this mean?

That would be the same as 4,117 KiloBytes . I just didn't list the exact number of bytes. 42,158,640 bytes is what it should be so you're ok. As long as the time stamp and size match what it should be, there is no sense in messing with it.

[Brynne]

My size is a little off, and so is the date:

Am I looking in the right place? I don't want to sound like an idiot, but is  it in Program Files/EA GAMES/The Sims 2 Nightlife/TSData/Res/Objects?

[Regina]

Brynne, that's where I found the one in my game with the date and file size that matches TwoJeff's.

[RainbowTigress]

My size is a little off, and so is the date:

Am I looking in the right place? I don't want to sound like an idiot, but is  it in Program Files/EA GAMES/The Sims 2 Nightlife/TSData/Res/Objects?

Hate to say this, Brynne, but that looks messed up to me.    Do you have the patch?

[twojeffs]

Yep, sorry Brynne, but yours looks like it's hosed. 

The modified date is what we're looking at. What's weird it that yours shows that it hasn't been accessed since 10/20. Hmm, let me test something...

Edit: Ok, for some reason the objects.package doesn't show as 'accessed' when you run the game. All of the other files seem to, but not that one file. Very weird. 

I'm beginning to wonder if this might be a bug in Simpe that is doing something. When was the last time you ran Simpe and what did you change when you ran it?

[MokeyHokey]

The only thing I use SimPe for is to customize hair.  I don't touch sims or even use it to backup neighborhoods.  I'm just not that attached and routinely start neighborhoods over. 

CRAP, have we been referring to the NIGHTLIFE objects.package?  I was talking about the original. Oops.

TS2: Created October 10, 2005, Modified January 22 2005 (EH??), 30354KB

TSU: Created & Modified February 14, 36367 KB

NL: Created August 17, Modified September 30, 41171 KB

Why does it think my Sims2 file was CREATED in October 2005? I didn't think that was the install date?

[Brynne]

Bleah, my objects package is hosed? That's no good. So what do I need to do, replace it with a copy of the one on the cd, then?
I can't remember the last time I used SimPe. Maybe 4 or 5 days ago. I was adjusting relationships-creating some family ties.

[MissDoh]

Brynne, I would I love to send it to you through this board but the file is too big.  Is there a place I can send that file to you, I can rar it before if it helps.

[vecki]

From what I understand, it can be replaced with the version on the CD... no need for email or posting on a website 

[MissDoh]

But the cd file as been modified so it is not the same one as the cd.  Look above at twojeffs' post about that.

[twojeffs]

I've never tried replacing the patched objects.package from the CD. I'd assume that it would let you rerun the patch to update it, but we won't know for sure until someone tries it? Anyone want to be the guinea pig? Obviously back up the current file first.

[crammyboy]

If you get it back, you should set the entire /program files/EA Games/ to read-only.  I do that every time now, since I lost all my wallpaper and floors way back.

[vecki]

Just taken a look at the objects.package file for me, let me see if I can attach the image.

(I just added the Read-Only thing myself as it seems the patch didn't do it... let me know if I've done something very wrong!)

[attachment deleted by admin]

[MokeyHokey]

Anyone want to be the guinea pig? Obviously back up the current file first.

I don't mind.  I'm rather fond of starting over, anyway.  Off to try it.

Ok, replaced object files off the various disks as follows:

Ts2: August 17 2004, 30345 KB

TSU: February 14 2005, 30367 KB

NL: August 17 2005, 41180 KB

Edit:  Just tried to run patch and "Sims 2 Nightlife is already up to date."

*Sigh*

[MissDoh]

Just taken a look at the objects.package file for me, let me see if I can attach the image.

(I just added the Read-Only thing myself as it seems the patch didn't do it... let me know if I've done something very wrong!)

I think the size of the file is ok but I am not sure,  but it is the hour of the last change that troubles me the most, it should show like this:

Patched NL Objects.package: Last modifed Fri, Sept 30, 6:33pm, 41,171KB

[Brynne]

So the patch was supposed to set it to "read only"? Why was mine not? Ack. What do I do?

[MissDoh]

So the patch was supposed to set it to "read only"? Why was mine not? Ack. What do I do?

Though MaxoidTom mention he look to it it was not done, he never confirmed it was either.  Right after I install the patch it was the 1st thing I check before I even started the game and notice it was not a read-only file.

EDIT:  My offer to send you a correct objects.package file through e-mail is still an option.  Simply tell me where to send that file, I am at work so I cannot send it right now but will when I come back home unless someone else does it before I do.