Installing Apartment Life

[hedgekat]

After Securom trashed my computer a year ago I swore I wouldn't buy anything else containing it.  But.... time passes, the pain recedes and the crack works beautifully.  So. The charms of AL became more and more appealing and I succumbed. 

Now to retain my game in good condition is there anything I need to do besides the following steps?

!.  Download new crack.

2. Update all hacks.

3. Back up game then  rename Sims 2 folder.

4. Restore original  neighborhood templates and original exe. files.

5. Install ep.

&. Install new crack and empty templates. 

Did I leave anything out?   

Once I run the game  if I  have understood everything I've read,  I can avoid the creation of any new townies/social groups by filling all apartments with playables.  Then I only get a landlord. Is this correct?  Will antiredundancy prevent more than one landlord even if I have more than one apartment building? 

I've been seeing lots of references to Pirate Cat.  I'd love to follow his example to get M&G and maybe some of the stuff packs.  After what Securom did to my computer I feel like EA owes me a bit of recompense.  However in order for me to arrrr I would have to have a tutorial for Dummies on how to do it.   Is there such a thing?   Everything I have read  on the subject is about two miles over my head.

[jolrei]

I would do it in the following order:

1) have AL ready for install.
2) Download new crack.
3) Remove downloads file to desktop.
4) Back up game (hoods, lots, savedsims, etc.)
5) Restore original 'hood templates and original .exe  (I have found that I often do not need to restore the original hoods, incidentally, but it may pay to be safe).
6) Install EP
7) Install new crack and empty templates
Test in vanilla game to make sure it works.
9) download AL patch and new AL patched crack.
10) test again.
11) Reinstall game from backup and downloads.
12) DELETE ALL hacks/mods from downloads.
13) Install new AL director's cut.
14) Test again.  Should be good to go.

[hedgekat]

Yeah, the vanilla game test is one reason I rename my Sims 2 folder and let game generate a new one.   I can play in that immediately. 


I won't be able to download the AL patch as I can't DL 80 mb with a dialup connection.  It would take over 12 hours to download. If I could maintain a connection that long.  I'm hoping that matyware will fix the worst bugs.   

As for the director's cut, it has a lot of mods in it that have no explanation.  I like to know what everything I have is for.  And some of the things that bother me don't bother Jm apparently since they don't have fixes for them in matyware.  And vice versa.

[jolrei]

I won't be able to download the AL patch as I can't DL 80 mb with a dialup connection.  It would take over 12 hours to download. If I could maintain a connection that long.  I'm hoping that matyware will fix the worst bugs.   

MATYware will deal with most stuff.  I only patched when I installed M&G and AL played with no real problems with Awesomeware installed.  You should be fine.

As for the director's cut, it has a lot of mods in it that have no explanation.  I like to know what everything I have is for.  And some of the things that bother me don't bother Jm apparently since they don't have fixes for them in matyware.  And vice versa.

In this directory ( http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/ffs/index.php?dir=al%2Fhacks%2F ) each individual hack's zip file includes an RTFM that explains roughly what the hack does, if the filename does not explain it.  You should at least install the alfixes, notownieregen, and antiredundancy, as these will control the useless spawning of NPCs and townies, as well as fixing some problems with the apartments themselves.

[hedgekat]

Playing even a short time reminds me why I had all those hacks in my download folder.  And yes, most of them are MATY, though not all.  But antiredundancy and all the noregen hacks have been in my game for a long time.  I did take out the antiredundancy at one time when I got so sick of seeing the same bartender in every nightspot I went into. Game spawned two more but they still didn't show up.  Ugghh.


I've downloaded all the files with rtfms but there are a few in the Moreawesomethanyou-AL.zip that are not available individually and I have never seen rtfms for, like censustool, eggjuicememfix and lessuckskating.   

There are also several hacks that I had from previous updates that are not in the AL zip: bandatronmovefix, nodrivewayshuffle, nocollegeobsession, nodeanspam and nodormieregen. I think when they are updated they are updated in all the pages but I'm not positive of that. Nodrivewayshuffle was modified 8/26/08 so that was after AL was released, I think.

And thank you, Jolrei, for your response.  I really appreciate your input. 

[Marhis]

Game spawned two more but they still didn't show up.  Ugghh.

Bartenders (and DJs) are linked to the bar (or booth). Go in that community lot in edit mode and replace the bar with a new copy; with a bit of luck it will spawn a different bartender (if not, repeat).

[hedgekat]

Thanks, Marhis, that never occurred to me.  I guess that would be with antiredundancy out?  Next time I play in that neighborhood I will zap a bunch of bars.  Does that work for cooks and barristas also?   I recall that one of my neighborhoods has several barristas when looked at in Simpe, but only  two show up on lots. 

[Marhis]

Yep, without antiredundancy; or, you can spawn some bartenders with the NPC gun. I don't know if it works with cooks and baristas, but it would make sense.

This also made me think that you probably can actively choose the bartender:

- spawn some bartenders (for example 3)
- in a community lot put down as many bars as the bartenders are.
- save end exit to neighborhood.
- re-enter the lot in build mode: you should see now the NPCs in their places, standing still. Every bar should have a bartender assigned.
- Delete all the bars except the one with the bartender of your choice, and put it in place.

It may be worth a try .

[Exiled]

I've downloaded all the files with rtfms but there are a few in the Moreawesomethanyou-AL.zip that are not available individually and I have never seen rtfms for, like censustool, eggjuicememfix and lessuckskating.   

There are also several hacks that I had from previous updates that are not in the AL zip: bandatronmovefix, nodrivewayshuffle, nocollegeobsession, nodeanspam and nodormieregen. I think when they are updated they are updated in all the pages but I'm not positive of that. Nodrivewayshuffle was modified 8/26/08 so that was after AL was released, I think.

Cenustool produces a $1 stack of books under Misc/Misc that allows you to see the neighborhood by aspiration, sexuality, male/female, etc.  Eggjuicememfix appears to fix a memory-related issue with making eggjuice.  Lesssuckskating might mean that Sims use their body skill or w/e to improve on skating.  Not sure on the latter two, though.

[hedgekat]

Marhis:  That is a great idea.  Thank you very much.


Exiled: The censustool sounds very useful.  I'm definitely trying it out next time I go in game.

   Eggjuice?   what in the world is that?