Another dumb- ass neighborhood restart question.....

[Tgdrysix]

okay I know there are a few post covering this topic but before I cause a BFBVFOS by doing something wrong I would like to go over the process of "restarting" not reinstalling a neighborhood so bear with me.....From what I have gathered I would go to mydoc/eagames/thesims/neighborhood/ and select whatever neighborhood I want to restart....send it to my, say desktop, close out of my docs and restart my game...( I have all eps and a patched game)....this will cause that neighborhood to be "regenerated".....yes...no....maybe so?   Or do I have to remove the "whole neighborhoods" folder and thus restart all neighborhoods back to square one....? What game disk would I use to fire up my game after I moved the selected neighborhood out....the orginal one or nightlife? Also if I want to "restart" a custom hood....does this method work for those too? That's the questions I have so far....any help will be greatly appreciated!!!   tgdrysix
                                                                                                                     

[simmiecal]

You cannot "restart" a custom neighborhood - this only works for the Maxis ones. If you want to re-start a custom neighborhood, just start a new hood the same way you started the old one - "create a new neighborhood". You would use the same disk you always use to start the game (so that would be NL if you have NL).

[angelyne]

The method you outlined above (moving a hood to desktop) will not regenerate a new 'hood.  The neighbourhood you remove will simply be gone from the select screen.

If you move your ENTIRE The Sims 2 folder from your document folder to another location, then yes, the game will generate a brand new set of the now overly familiar neigbhourdhoods.

If you want to start a new neighourdhood from scratch you can do what Simmiecal said.  You will have a blank canvas, a terrain based on whatever template you choose when you created the new 'hood, but no houses, no characters, no townies, no NPC's (they will be generated later).

If you want to start over with one of the pre-made neighbourdhoods, use my first method.  You can also do a DELETEALLCHARACTERS in order to get rid of all the pre-made characters, townies and NPC's.  It's the equivalent of dropping a neutron bomb.  All the people are gone, but the buildings remain.

Oh and you always use whatever disk from whatever expansion you have installed.  Messing around with game files will never impact that in any way.

Hopefully I am making some kind of sense

[tmweil]

I think what you are asking is.... because I am wondering about the same thing..... when reinstalling a neighborhood such as Veronaville to it's original content, when restarting the game, so as not to create a BFBVFS, and reinstall the original content, is this the correct procedure and which disk do I use... sim2 original or NL?   

[Tgdrysix]

The method you outlined above (moving a hood to desktop) will not regenerate a new 'hood.  The neighbourhood you remove will simply be gone from the select screen.

If you move your ENTIRE The Sims 2 folder from your document folder to another location, then yes, the game will generate a brand new set of the now overly familiar neigbhourdhoods.

If you want to start a new neighourdhood from scratch you can do what Simmiecal said.  You will have a blank canvas, a terrain based on whatever template you choose when you created the new 'hood, but no houses, no characters, no townies, no NPC's (they will be generated later).

If you want to start over with one of the pre-made neighbourdhoods, use my first method.  You can also do a DELETEALLCHARACTERS in order to get rid of all the pre-made characters, townies and NPC's.  It's the equivalent of dropping a neutron bomb.  All the people are gone, but the buildings remain.

Oh and you always use whatever disk from whatever expansion you have installed.  Messing around with game files will never impact that in any way.

Hopefully I am making some kind of sense

So from what I'm gathering from your reply is I can't just restart (regenerate) one neighborhood I would have to restart  ALL of them by moving the entire "thesims" folder to my desktop not just the neighborhood ones?

And I pretty much figured I couldn't do that with a custom hood but I felt I'd better ask just to be sure.....I told you it was a dumb-ass question....fair warnings were given....lol !


 tgdrysix

[Tgdrysix]

I think what you are asking is.... because I am wondering about the same thing..... when reinstalling a neighborhood such as Veronaville to it's original content, when restarting the game, so as not to create a BFBVFS, and reinstall the original content, is this the correct procedure and which disk do I use... sim2 original or NL?   

Ha Ha made you post !!!!! tgdrysix

[nectere]

yes regenerate all the hoods (that come stock) then remove the ones you dont want by replacing your backup copies.

step one: move the entire sims2 folder to your desktop
step two: fire up the game
step three: quit game
step four: remove the hoods you dont want that were generated by firing up game
step five: put back all the stuff you want i.e. the hoods, downloads etc from the sims2 folder you moved in step one.

[Sleepycat]

yes regenerate all the hoods (that come stock) then remove the ones you dont want by replacing your backup copies.

step one: move the entire sims2 folder to your desktop
step two: fire up the game
step three: quit game
step four: remove the hoods you dont want that were generated by firing up game
step five: put back all the stuff you want i.e. the hoods, downloads etc from the sims2 folder you moved in step one.

step 3 1/2: copy  the fresh new Neighborhoods folder (containing all 3 maxis hoods) to another location so that you can just replace hood(s) with a copy(s) from that set.


handy for those of us who restart alot 

[Tgdrysix]

Oh man nothing is ever easy is it ?!  Okay well thanks for the info....not sure if I'm ready to get into that mess of moving stuff around and putting stuff back in....it will be my luck I put the wrong stuff in the wrong place and for sure cause a BFBVFOS.....again thanks! tgdrysix

[ZephyrZodiac]

You can also simply rename your Sims2 folder to, say, TheSims2 version 1, and then you will still be able to generate a complete new set of folders and neighbourhoods, but it saves the bother of moving your folder to the desktop. 

The only folders that won't automatically regenerate are Saved sims, downloads and Packaged Lots.  You will need to either make new ones or, if you want to keep the same custom content, just copy them from the old sims2 folder to the new one.  However, if you have custom terrain paints in the old Downloads, I'd suggest you don't copy them unless you are REALLY attached to terrain paints!

[Tgdrysix]

You can also simply rename your Sims2 folder to, say, TheSims2 version 1, and then you will still be able to generate a complete new set of folders and neighbourhoods, but it saves the bother of moving your folder to the desktop. 

The only folders that won't automatically regenerate are Saved sims, downloads and Packaged Lots.  You will need to either make new ones or, if you want to keep the same custom content, just copy them from the old sims2 folder to the new one.  However, if you have custom terrain paints in the old Downloads, I'd suggest you don't copy them unless you are REALLY attached to terrain paints!

Well this sounds a bit less complicated....But just so I'm understanding correctly.... after I rename the "thesims" folder ( to something else)....I just start up the game and it will regenerate a new "the sims" folder?  then I would exit the game and go back to the orginal folder and copy the downloads, packaged lots and saved sims... to the newly regenerated "the sims" folder?  Sorry to be so dense but I just want to make sure I understand the steps before I go mucking around with my game....thanks again, tgdrysix

[nectere]

I fail to see how that is less complicated...

but yea, thats what you would do.

[ZephyrZodiac]

It saves the bother of moving the whole folder to the desktop.  It also means that you can switch between each folder simply by renaming them, and thus you can play either your old Pleasantview etc., or your new one.

And if you wish, you can theme your new set of folders, and only put in custom content that fits your theme.

[nectere]

Ok I kinda see what you are saying but not really. I mean click on the file and move it, versus click on the file and rename it...

Its pretty much the same amount of steps either way. But whatever works for ya!

[ZephyrZodiac]

Well, I actually have four different sims2 folders in my game (Sims2 Play is the original, then I have Sims2 Hist(orical), sims2 Build and Sims2 Test (that's for checking out old hoods I might want to play again to see if they work ok.)  The Build folder is vanilla apart from a few walls and floors which are from FSF sites and has no hacks in at all because I don't actually play in that folder.  I also use the Test folder for checking out houses I've made or cleaned up (ones I've built in game) to see how well they work.

I've also got several Pleasantviews in the Play folder, which have been renumbered with Oscar's Renamer!  Just in case I want to play them again............  Whichever Folder I want to play, I just remove the additional label after renaming the one I've been playing back to it's own name, and so far I've had no problems at all - and if I accidentally forgot to rename any of them back to TheSims2, I'd just get another set of game folders!

[angelyne]

This is exactly it Tgdrysix. 

[ZephyrZodiac]

Tgdrysix. 

[angelyne]

Tgdrysix. 

lol that's his name

BTW Tgdrysix, it would be helpful if you told us exactly what you are trying to do.  Then you would get a more specific answer

[ZephyrZodiac]

Thanks, I should have looked back up to the top of the page!!!!  (I thought it was some cryptic comment that meant something LOL!!!!)

[nectere]

lmao, he/she thought my method was complicated? Even I got lost there for a second Zeph!

*just a second though...

[ZephyrZodiac]

Well, it's only Inge's method of running a clean install for house-building, plus a couple of other installs for different sets of downloads!  And I just had so many versions of Pleasantview littering my second HD that I decided to check them all out, find the most up-to-date of each that was still working OK, then renumbered them so they can stay in the same folder with everything else!  Bonus was, I was able to delete loads of unnecessary Back-ups and saved quite a bit of disk-space!

[Tgdrysix]

Tgdrysix. 

lol that's his name

BTW Tgdrysix, it would be helpful if you told us exactly what you are trying to do.  Then you would get a more specific answer

*whispers....tgdrysix is a her.....first few letters are my initials....and the six stands for how may kids I was crazy enough to have (kinda like my badge) !

 ....  well the reason for starting this post was because I was thinking of restarting my pleasentview hood which has almost 600 character files ( it still seems to be going okay....knock on wood) but with the new ep coming out soon .... well I thought maybe I should start that hood fresh so I don't blow up my first pleasentview....I have alot of time invested in it and am still only on first generation kids....almost got them all out of uni....have 8 more to go...had over 40 in there at one time.....it's a long story and I don't get much "playing" time with my real life crew running around.....anyway I was looking for a quick simple way to restart that neighborhood so I would have a fresh one to add the new ep to, cause with the number of character files I have in there already the new ep may add more than that neighborhood can handle....just wasn't sure if I wanted to chance it....still have alot of playing to do in that hood. And again thanks for all your help.... I just have to decide if I want to move things around, rename files or just let it ride.... Tgdrysix

[nectere]

Well in that case I would make a backup copy of the hood and keep it someplace safe, and keep backing it up every so often if I continued to play it, and especially I would take all my stuff out that I wanted to keep safe from the big fiery ball when a new EP is installed.

[ZephyrZodiac]

Also worth removing some of the townies and dormies.  But make sure you get all the memories of other sims who have met them and remove them too.

[Marg]

Tgdrysix  I have just this moment finished making pristine clean new Maxi neighbourhoods.    I backed up my game, moved the Neighbourhoods file out of the game to my desktop.    I restarted the game.    It generated all three Maxi hoods.   All my custom content is still there.   I quit the game.   Went to my neighbourhood folder on the desktop and moved my Custom hoods from there into the newly generated Neighbourhood folder in the game.    I restarted my game and went in to look around.  Everything is there.
You can do this at any time and end up with nice clean unplayed neighbourhoods.   Just enjoy your gameplay until something happens when you need or want to have clean Hoods.    It does work extremely well.    No worries.