Lot Sync Timer: All BlueSoups Suck Edition

[Liss]

Well, I made 7 separate families last night, all at different times.  I installed the sync timer first thing on all of them, and played them for a while before making a new family.  (These were all CAS families).  Try as I might, I couldn't recreate Blue's bug.

[lordrichter]

I just had my game crash on me (will not go beyond the splash screen, just shuts down) and am currently diagnosing this.  (It works with the stock "My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2" but not with my current version, so it is in the user data side, not the game data side)

I dunno if this is normal corruption, but this is one of three hacks that I installed in the last couple of days, so I am curious about what files this hack touches. 

Anyone?

Edit: Corrupted groups.cache file.  Probably not related to this hack.

[BlueSoup]

Okay, here is a picture of all the families in my neighbourhood, and all of them are currently installed with the Lot Timer (my name is blurred for privacy).  The family I've currently got loaded (Laverwinkle) is not listed, and I have one Sim currently in the lot bin awaiting a lot placement.



Now, looking at this, there is no family 9 - could this have anything to do with it?  I have no idea what the Sim-binned family is numbered.

[FatedCircle]

Um...is it possible the Laverwinkle family is family #9?  They would not be listed anyways, as you're playing them.  No need to save and load their lot.

[BlueSoup]

It's possible, I have no idea.  I just want to know why this keeps happening to me, and no one else can re-create it.  I'm frustrated.

[FatedCircle]

Well, I had all mine uninstall too, but I think it was related to the fact I took my downloads folder out of my Sims 2 file in order to upload a clean house.  I haven't tried adding a new family to the neighborhood, but I had all mine reset after I reloaded my game with my downloads back in.  Not a big deal, and twas my own stupid fault for forgetting the negative side effects of taking out the hack without uninstalling it from my lots first.  But other than that, I've not had any problems.

[BlueSoup]

Oh. My. God.

I suddenly feel incredibly stupid.

It *is* the All BlueSoups Suck edition.

[Ancient Sim]

It would appear that families living Downtown are separated from those living in the regular neighbourhood, which is a bit of a pain because in most cases they need to be synched-up with each other.  Is it possible to alter this, because although it's a separate neighbourhood screen, they're all part of the same neighbourhood.  When I say separated, I installed my first clock for a Downtown family and it didn't show any of the clocks for the families in the main neighbourhood who already had them.

[Zandi]

You can set forwards or backwards the amount of days you need the lot to go.

To set up in the neighbourhood:

Buy and place the lot timer for each lot you want to keep track of (looks like an Elixir of Life bottle, located in the Misc/Misc section).
Click on bottle and choose "Install for family"
Set the day timer to the appropriate day (IE.  If it's the fifth day on the lot, select +5).

Set all families the same way.  Once all the families are set up, you can use the lot jumping feature to switch between them (it auto-saves the lot).  You can click on the bottle to see which family is on which day and who you need to play and for how long to make sure the aging is even for the neighbourhood.

I can't think of anything else now, I'll edit if I do. 

Thanks for posting this Blu
I was looking for a new clock cause I hadn't read beyond the first post till now.
Now th check out the awsomness!

[J. M. Pescado]

Well, I had all mine uninstall too, but I think it was related to the fact I took my downloads folder out of my Sims 2 file in order to upload a clean house.  I haven't tried adding a new family to the neighborhood, but I had all mine reset after I reloaded my game with my downloads back in.  Not a big deal, and twas my own stupid fault for forgetting the negative side effects of taking out the hack without uninstalling it from my lots first.  But other than that, I've not had any problems.

According to Crammyboy, inventory tokens will self-destruct if the tokenating object, in this case, the Lot Clock, is removed from the game.

Since the Lot Clock is also an inventory token that goes in your family inventory when configured, removing it from your downloads folder, then starting the game, will remove all of the installation tokens that allow the lot to be tracked from off-lot.

So All BlueSoups Suck!

[J. M. Pescado]

It would appear that families living Downtown are separated from those living in the regular neighbourhood, which is a bit of a pain because in most cases they need to be synched-up with each other.  Is it possible to alter this, because although it's a separate neighbourhood screen, they're all part of the same neighbourhood.  When I say separated, I installed my first clock for a Downtown family and it didn't show any of the clocks for the families in the main neighbourhood who already had them.

That's particularly tricky since they're in a seperate neighborhood entirely, and their lot data can't be loaded until you go there. There is no primitive that iterates between families, so this becomes much more difficult.

[skandelouslala]

Okay...reading this thread made me want to give it a go.  I love the idea of not having to go through the neighborhood screen.  Sure you can do that with NL, but only if you see the lot next door

Now I just have to try to remember if I ever want to get rid of this how to do it properly.

[Ancient Sim]

One other thing I've noticed is that if I place this under the lot, like I do with the Lot DeBugger, it still shows 'up top' - in other words, it can't be hidden away in the basement.  I'm having to put them next to the dustbins and mailboxes for want of a better place, as the elixir thing isn't really something you can use as a decoration.  Is there any reason why it won't hide away in the basement?  Is it just a matter of ticking something in SimPE so that it will do that?

[J. M. Pescado]

The reason that happens is because it's taller than the lot debugger's placeholder box, so would poke through the foundation, whereas the debugger's box does not. Proposals are currently being accepted for how the object can be made lower profile for those who absolutely can't stand seeing it around.

[jrd]

What about using a CD? Like Inge uses for all her hiders. These objects can be hidden beneath coffee tables with ease.

[Venusy]

How about the alarm clock? Small, but still quite easy to see.

[Karen]

How about the alarm clock? Small, but still quite easy to see.

It's already being used for the Sleep Control clock.

[Kyna]

I like the 'clock' idea since it's related to time.  Since you're already using the grandfather clock for something else, maybe a decorative wall-clock of some kind - with an appropriate MATY appearance of course.

But then I like the CD idea too.  Not only because it's hideable, but because it could also be used as decoration - on the floor near a teen's study desk for example.  (Sometimes I like to simulate the appearance of a messy teen's bedroom for story purposes, even if the sim actually has high neatness.)

[Venusy]

How about the alarm clock? Small, but still quite easy to see.

It's already being used for the Sleep Control clock.

I don't really think that matters. I mean, both the FFS Debugger and the Macrotastics controller are both based on the yellow placeholder box design.

Oh, and while the grandfather clock would blend in easy with rooms, it would be quite impossible to put it in a low basement without the object appearing to go through the floor.

[RainbowTigress]

I have put this object on several of my lots under the foundation, and it doesn't show through on the next floor.  The only problem I have is on homes that don't have foundations, because there is nowhere to hide them.  Why am I not having this problem?  I discovered this using TwoJeff's personal electronics tree.  I can put it under the foundation and I can't see it when I go up a level.

[BlueSoup]

I don't know why Rainbow, I actually haven't tried to place this anywhere special.  I usually just plop it down in the corner of the lot somewhere. 

I was wondering though, if someone could possibly make a recolour of it and turn the green liquid to clear, so as to more simulate a bottled water setup, then I can place it in the kitchen.

Any takers?

[Ancient Sim]

Could it not be made much smaller so it resembles an egg-timer and can go in the kitchen?  Would be better if it wasn't something that's already used as a mod - I get terribly confused between the LotDebugger and the Macrotastics boxes and always choose the wrong one both in the catalogue and on the lots.  It's even worse with Inge's bushes - I have 5 or 6 of the things and I swear they change order in the catalogue everytime I go to buy one.  How come things in the catalogue don't show details on mouseover?

[J. M. Pescado]

I get around the lot debugger/macro/whatever placeholder boxes all looking the same by making them point in different directions. The macro box always points towards the house, the lot debugger points towards the street, etc.

[Ancient Sim]

Good idea, I will try that.  I've been having one on the left and one on the right as I look from the front of the house, but for some reason I still get confused.  Doesn't help with choosing in the catalogue, though - why do I ALWAYS pick the wrong one?  I suppose it's Sod's Law again.

[Sweethrtcc]

I love this. It is great to be able to keep track of the families w/o having to remember who you need to play next, not to mention the added benefit of not having to exit to the neighborhood each time you want to change.