Lot Sync Timer: All BlueSoups Suck Edition

[katemonster]

1. Can I just stick this on the lot, install it, then put it in someone's inventory? Or will that un-install it?

2. Is there any way to change a family's name in SimPE? I know the lot/family numbers are there to differentiate between families with the same name, but I can't remember them. I'd like to just be able to hyphenate them so I know which couple it is, rather than have the name only include the man's name, which is of course the same as his parents and siblings and fourteen bazillion cousins. Also, due to rearranging of families, I have a few households where the name listed as the family name (on the loading screen and presumably also on the lot-timer menu) no longer belongs to any resident sim and so makes no sense and is annoying.

[BlueSoup]

I don't know what happens if you put it in an inventory - why don't you try it and see?

As for changing the family's name in SimPE - this is easy to do in the Sim browser general overview area.  There's a field where the name is listed, simply write in the name you want it to be, and commit and save.  That's it.

[Oddysey]

Probably not the greatest idea to put a lot timer in someone's inventory. I suggest that, if you try it, do it with a family you don't have any particular attachement to. I know that sticking objects that have relationships with other objects on the lot (graves, beds) in the inventory can result in small explosions and general weirdness.

[RainbowTigress]

Besides, it would be awkward to have to take it out of someone's inventory and click on it every time you want to change lots or see how many days have passed on that lot.

[J. M. Pescado]

The object is rendered inoperable while in someone's inventory, but transporting it via inventory is harmless (and pointless, since the family lot time settings are retained on an invisible token that is associated with the family, not unlike the family's ownership of non-SSX3 games). You won't lose your time settings if you move to another lot, but the lot timer object must be placed on the lot to be able to count time.

[speedreader]

Going back to the 'where to put objects' part of this thread:  If you put this in the 'crawl space' under the house just locate it under something like kitchen cupboards and it cannot be seen.  In houses that have no basement, I put a few floor tiles in the 'attic' near the peak of the roof.  Then I can place all the boxes and stacks of books, etc. up there.  Easy access and out of site.

[Ellatrue]

Why don't you guys just lower the ground under the foundation? Doesn't matter in the crawlspace anyway.

**edit**

I still like the idea of making it smaller and more hour-glass like

[Zeljka]

COMPATIBILITY:
Compatible with all FFS hacks. Tested for TS2NL v1.0p1. Theoretically works for
all versions.

Anyone else tried this without NL yet or shall I be the first to risk the Fiery ball of Incompatibility?
Just curious...

[RainbowTigress]

You can always copy your neighborhood folder somewhere else on your hard drive, then try it and see what happens.  If it blows up, just delete your neighborhood folder in the Sims 2 directory and replace it with your saved copy.

[Grater]

It worked fine for me in Uni, before I got NL.
It's in the Uni hack directory too.

[Zeljka]

heh heh, my game has already blown up (not from this)

University worked great until I installed the Patch which turned it into a fiery ball. I couldn't even enter an empty lot in a newly generated game!?

[RainbowTigress]

Was this in build mode?  I can't think of what would cause that.  I had problems moving sims into an empty house who I'd upgraded to Uni status using the Lot Debugger, but that has been fixed now.

[radiophonic]

heh heh, my game has already blown up (not from this)

University worked great until I installed the Patch which turned it into a fiery ball. I couldn't even enter an empty lot in a newly generated game!?

I have that problem as well. It seems that homes that were occupied at one time are the problem. I can't even enter them in build mode.

One word: Bulldozer.

[Zeljka]

Was this in build mode?  I can't think of what would cause that.  I had problems moving sims into an empty house who I'd upgraded to Uni status using the Lot Debugger, but that has been fixed now.

No, I'd installed the patch and tried to go back in to play. It crashed trying to load a house (that worked after Uni, pre-patch) I tried smaller lots that had also worked and it would load about half-bar, then crash again...

I decided to try the 'move Sims 2 folder' and let it respawn, but to no avail.
Using only Maxis hoods, I tried entering the Goth lot (first I saw)... crash. Tried smaller Broke lot - crashed. Tried taking a single sim from the bin and putting her on a new lot - crash. Tried CAS, tried an empty lot....

It gave me 1MB error logs, mostly that TS Audio log, which I looked up everywhere, though almost all discussion centered around incorrectly typed cheats (I don't use typed in cheats often and hadn't used it since installing Uni, so it wasn't that) and texture errors... can't find this, replacing with that... also a bunch of references to 'Grill Cheese and Pleasure Asp' which prompted me to check I had installed the Uni patch, not NL, (heh heh, no, I did not install the NL patch)

[OniRyo]

Works great for me so far EXCEPT on dorm/greek lots. It doesnt let me manually set the time and such on dorm lots. Not really sure if it tracks the time properly on dorm lots for that matter. Works fine in the standard neighborhood lots though so far.

Once i 'install for family' on a greek house/dorm lot it only gives me the 'list' option instead of the usual ability to choose + or - days and such so not sure if it is by design, bug, or just some quirky (and knowing them, probably broken) way maxis does the time on uni lots causing problems...

Awesome mod otherwise though - as usual.

[jrd]

Time has no meaning on uni lots. Uni lots don't run on time, but on the college clock. Hence this mod is nearly useless for Uni.

[RainbowTigress]

I miss the function of switching between lots with it on college lots.  Does anyone know if this part works in Uni?  I know the time tracking doesn't work.  I guess I'll try it myself and see what happens.

[jrd]

Oh, and it doesn't track between the main 'hood and downtown either. Unfortunately.

[RainbowTigress]

Well, it would be nice if it did, but it makes sense that it doesn't because Downtown is a subhood like Uni...even though they are all a part of the same neighborhood.   

[OniRyo]

Although if it even just tracked in the same sub-hood it could be nice. Not sure if it does that or not downtown... doesnt for the uni lots like i said before. (seriously, is it just me or is 90% of the work in this game keeping lots reletivly in sync with each other?? o.O Maxis really needs to put in a counter in the household info screen like "This lot has been played for xxxx days" or something....)

Downtown lots dont really matter to me though, i only go there to buy cellphones and stuff and dates for my sims. Yet to use a single downtown residential lot so sync between main and DT isnt too important to me personally. (incase i'm missing something, is there any real advantage over the main neighborhood on residentials there? far as i know its just a 'incase you managed to fill up your main neighborhood some how' thing)

[RainbowTigress]

The only differences I've heard of so far is the types of walk-bys there are.  There was a discussion on this somewhere around here not long ago.  Some people are intrigued by the House of Fallen Trees lot that is downtown.  Also, load times when visiting Downtown lots is shorter because the game does not have to load Downtown first, then load the lot, and then load the neighborhood and then the house on return.  Lots downtown tend to be smaller with very little yard, typical of real life city houses.  Also, sims that do not live downtown cannot buy groceries downtown, and sims living downtown cannot buy groceries at a commuity lot in the main hood.  (Don't ask me why, this was Maxis' idea.)

Anyway, there are a few ideas, but try searching the forum because I know this has been discussed a few times.

[Kitiara]

OniRyo, it does seem to track lots downtown with each other, just doesn't show the ones from the main hood. So, you can still keep multiple downtown families synced.

[J. M. Pescado]

Downtown lots dont really matter to me though, i only go there to buy cellphones and stuff and dates for my sims. Yet to use a single downtown residential lot so sync between main and DT isnt too important to me personally. (incase i'm missing something, is there any real advantage over the main neighborhood on residentials there? far as i know its just a 'incase you managed to fill up your main neighborhood some how' thing)

If you don't have anyone living downtown, then you can't lose sync with it. Downtown doesn't display because of difficulty iterating between lots when the lots aren't present. Risk of malfunction is present if I were to search every conceivable family ID by brute force instead. I could try adding a "Safe Mode" toggle, though.

Time sync will work on DT lots, but you have to be DT to see the DT fambly list. No useful effect occurs on Uni lots because Uni lots do not have time.

[witch]

I'm finding the lot timer incredibly useful. I even moved a family, forgot about the timer, put a new timer on the new lot and thought I'd have to manually reset to stay in sync, but the timer already knew the daycount. YAY, idiot proof as well.

One question, that I know has been discussed before but I can't remember the answer, and since uni is under discussion...
Do each of the four years at uni equate to a day in the main hood?

[SimSherry]

I still like the idea of making it smaller and more hour-glass like

I wonder if the Grim Reaper's hourglass would work for this?  Is that possible?  It would look pretty cool, I think.  I can't wait to give this a go, my NPC neighborhood is just getting settled and will really benefit from the Lot Sync Timer.