Signs that a hood is about to explode?

[baaaflatfit]

My Pleasantview that I've been playing since Jan05 is starting to worry me. 
Ghosts are no longer active on any of the lots   
The game is crashing occasionally when a Sim is taxiing to a community lot (just a standard Maxis one).
And actions are dropping out of queue like crazy whenever I play a lot that has more than 2 Sims on it.
I have all EP's, haven't installed the most recent NL patch, have sufficient ram, I think: 1GB
However, my processor is only at the less-than-awesome 2.2GHz. 
Character files are up to 'User00637' in that hood, only 113 of which are Sims I actually play either in the regular hood or at SimState. Is this a too-many-sims problem, do you think? 

Is there anything else that might account for ghosts no longer appearing?
Any suggestions as to how I might be able to resolve these issues and save my hood?
Thanks for any advice.

Max

[Ancient Sim]

I doubt it's your specs - I have a 1.8 processor (overclocked to 2000, but still less than yours) and only 512K RAM (or whatever it is, half a gig) and my original Pleasantview is only slightly less than yours in terms of character files.  I rarely play it now, but when I do I have no problems at all, so I would say it's something to do with the game itself, not your pc.

[ZephyrZodiac]

Have you ever either moved an occupied house into the lot bin, or downloaded a house and installed it with the Maxis installer?  637 character files is only just over 100 are playables is fairly high and it sounds like you might have some junk character files that need cleaning up.

[flowerchile]

ZZ; do you ever sleep and is there anything that you don't know?

[ZephyrZodiac]

Yes and yes.

[flowerchile]

Speaking of sleep, it's my turn, 3 more sleeps till OFB.       Or has EA changed the release date?

[baaaflatfit]

Have you ever either moved an occupied house into the lot bin, or downloaded a house and installed it with the Maxis installer?  637 character files is only just over 100 are playables is fairly high and it sounds like you might have some junk character files that need cleaning up.

Yes, to the first, no to the second.  How do I go about cleaning up these character files that aren't needed?

Max

[ZephyrZodiac]

For starters, never move another occupied house this way.  Now, as to cleaning it all up, you need to use simPE to find any duplicate files which have sneaked into your game.  Now, since these characters will probably have been wandering around your hood, and will have different GUIDs from the originals, you can't just delete them as they will have memories of meeting some of your sims, and your sims will have corresponding memories.  So, deal with them one at a time. 

If you've never used SimPe before, then I think it would be best if you first download and install the program and familiarise yourself with the layout before posting back for further assistance.  If you are already familiar with the program, then it's a matter of taking one duplicate file at a time, checking in Neighbourhood memory for which sims they have met and deleting those memories.  You Would then need to check the Memories of all those sims and delete those memories too.  This includes any invisible memories the duplicate may have passed on to them and are owned by them.  Once you have done that, return to the Relationships panel, delete the relationships there, make a note of the number of the character file, then move on and deal with another.  Remember to commit everything you do as you go.  Once you have found and deleted all the necessary memories and relationships, close simPE and open your MyDocuments/EAGames/TheSims2/Neighbourhoods folder, open the folder for the hood you are dealing with, open the Characters file and find each of the file numbers that you have noted down and delete them.

When you've done all that, check in simPE again to see how many of each NPC you have.  If you have Uni installed, then you may have gained a large number of baristas back in the prepatch era, unless you had JM's nonpcspam mod, and you would need to get rid of these extra files too.

[baaaflatfit]

I moved the Dreamers out right at the start, and deleted the Oldies from the bin.  Doing both of these is wrong?  Yikes!  That was a long time ago, and I've never noticed any weird problems having resulted from that.  Although I did make sure to remove all the references to their character files that I could find with SimPE.  I've  committed more serious sins, though, like moving a Sim I no longer wanted to play into the lot bin and then deleting her.    I'm rechecking any mysterious connections with SimPE now, and I have a couple of questions: 
1) How do I find the corresponding character # in my Character Files?  SimPE, unless I'm looking in the wrong place, gives a # like '0xEEOblahblahblah' whereas under my Neighbourhood 001 files, I get  'N001_User00001.package'  If I open the latter with Notepad, I can't find anything recognizable.  So I'm a trifle terrified I'll delete the wrong character file.
2) I'm also not sure how to check easily for duplicate character files with SimPE.  Can you point me to some good tutorials for this?
Thanks for your help! 

Max

[jsalemi]

To answer #2 first, I always just sort the character files by name, and manually look for duplicates.  There aren't many; Skip Broke being one I can think of off the top of my head.

As for #1, the easiest way I've found to find the file name is to open the character in the plugin view, then click on the 'More' icon -- one of the options that will appear is to open the character file, and the name of the file is  listed in the option.  I *think* there's also a way to see the character file name in the grid in the Sim Browser.

[ZephyrZodiac]

If you use the Classic version, the file name is at the top right hand side - I think it's harder to find in the new format, though.  But using the Nieghbourhood Browser and just scrolling down the list is the easiest way to find them.  And usually those files will be noticeably smaller.

[baaaflatfit]

Quick reply! Thanks!

As for #1, the easiest way I've found to find the file name is to open the character in the plugin view, then click on the 'More' icon -- one of the options that will appear is to open the character file, and the name of the file is  listed in the option.

To open the character in plugin view, would I be in the Neighbourhood Browser, then? (Sorry if it's a DOH! question, hehe!)

I'm not using the classic version, ZephyrZodiac, but there's a way to do this using the latest version, isn't there?

Max

[ZephyrZodiac]

If you have opened Neighbourhood view, just go back to where you clicked that option, and you should see the sim Browser option too.

Oh, and if you ever want to use the classic version, just open the simPE folder in Programs and you should see a shortcut icon for it there, which you can stick on your desktop.

To refer to your query about the dangers of moving an occupied house to the bin and then deleting it, you don't, unfortunately, delete any sims that those sims have met.  Put the house and family into the bin, they "lose" all their relationships, which then turn into unlinked character files! 

[baaaflatfit]

Arghgghgh!  Well I made some mistakes in editing memories, so I'm restoring back to where it was before I started getting overly ambitious.  I want to remove every single Dreamer file, including the ghosts. Is that possible?  Also, I'm curious about something:  Why did Mortimer Goth keep getting memories after he died? That just doesn't make sense. Would it be safe to remove all post-mortem memories from dead people?

Max

[ZephyrZodiac]

While they are linked, they will still get memories.  And no, you should not remove ghosts!  You already have problems with your hood, don't compound them!  However, it is safe to delete all townies, provided you first go through the process of removing memories and relationships as I outlined.

Maybe it would work better if you just did one or two at a time, then exited, removed those files and then did a couple more.  That way, you don't lose a lot of work if you make a mistake.

[baaaflatfit]

While they are linked, they will still get memories.

 
First of all,  I'm not sure I understand what you mean by 'linked'. Mortimer died a natural death a looooong time ago in my game.  With others who have died, the last memory is "I am dead --Am a ghost"  But with him, I'm getting absurd memories like "Met So-And-So", but when I check So-And-So's memories, they have no memory of having met him, of course, because the guy's dead!  Nor do they have an experience of having seen his ghost.  Plus ol' Mort's carrying all this incredible baggage in his soul, like the (invisible) memories of other Sims whom he never even met.  Very weird. I have no desire to ever resurrect him, so why keep all these silly memories?

And no, you should not remove ghosts!

Even if I've never played the Dreamer family and never want to?  Why should these character files matter?

Maybe it would work better if you just did one or two at a time, then exited, removed those files and then did a couple more.  That way, you don't lose a lot of work if you make a mistake.

Yes, I've learned that the hard way, hehe! 

I so want to remove a pile of Townies from my game, and because so many of my Sims have seen them fighting Downtown    and carry memories of that, I can see what a huge task that will be.  Is there any way you can select one character reference in SimPE, then easily locate all references to it?

Thanks, ZZ!

Max

[ZephyrZodiac]

There is a plug-in you can try, but I can't remember where it is, except that it's somewhere in Peasantry.

As far as I know, the only safe way to get rid of the game-created characters is to deleteallcharacters before you ever play a hood.  I don't know why Mortimer should have all these memories, however, there are other Maxis characters that also seem to have a string of memories after they are dead.  Also, are the memories of meeting so-an-so his own visible memories, or invisible memories owned by another member of the family?

[baaaflatfit]

As far as I know, the only safe way to get rid of the game-created characters is to deleteallcharacters before you ever play a hood.

  That's what I was afraid of.  Ohwell...   

however, there are other Maxis characters that also seem to have a string of memories after they are dead.  Also, are the memories of meeting so-an-so his own visible memories, or invisible memories owned by another member of the family?

The only one I noticed this happening with, besides Mortimer, was Skip Broke.  But I didn't check every single ghost. (I have a lot, thanks to Alexa Gorey having a strange penchant for locking fellow students in her closet, hehe!) 
And, yes, Mort's memories of meeting other Sims are appearing as his own visible memories.

I got my ghosts back though!  I decided to try a suggestion by Kathy (CTNutmegger) to delete my NeighbourhoodManager.package before re-launching my game.  This seems to have fixed the problem!

Max

[ZephyrZodiac]

That's useful to know!  I must admit, I never tried that one!

[Jysudo]

2 quick questions: I am too lazy to read thr that super long thread on character files again (took me 2 hours the other time)

1. What is the danger zone for neighbourhood? Is the mark 500 or 800? I cannot rem and I need to know before OFB.
2. What the purpose of deleting the file, groups cache? Should I delte it? I know it helps for something but I cannot rem now and it seems to regnerate the file if you delete it.

Thanks.

[BlueSoup]

1.  800 or so.  Although some people have started experiencing problems around 650 or so.

2.  It seems to hold corrupt files and it is definitely relative in size to the amount of CC you have.  I personally delete it right before every time I play.  Never have hanging up problems.

[Jysudo]

1.  800 or so.  Although some people have started experiencing problems around 650 or so.

2.  It seems to hold corrupt files and it is definitely relative in size to the amount of CC you have.  I personally delete it right before every time I play.  Never have hanging up problems.

Ok thanks. I will delete my groups cache before I play next time.
Darn, with OFB, my files will be at 550 (est). Its a old neighbourhood. Some of my houses are already cranky with the jump bug and frozen sims not moving while their TV moves and radio plays (don't even know what stupid bug that is ...)

[Sleepycat]

I so want to remove a pile of Townies from my game, and because so many of my Sims have seen them fighting Downtown    and carry memories of that, I can see what a huge task that will be.  Is there any way you can select one character reference in SimPE, then easily locate all references to it?

Thanks, ZZ!

Max

removing unwanted townies and cleaning up memorys is alot easier with Theo's Memories editor enhancement plugin
http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php?topic=2590.0

I did this myself recently, using simpe - classic view, I went into neighborhood browser/sim browser and wrote down the numbers for all the maxis townies and dormies I wanted to get rid of. I then exited and opened my hoods characters folder and deleted all of the ones I wanted gone.

I then used Theo's memory plugin and hit the "Fix Memories" button, it fixed them, I hit commit & saved and that was it, done, bye bye fugly maxis townies/dormies.

I also used it to get rid of some maxis characters. Cassandra & Alexander Goth, Angela & Lilith Pleasant, Dirk Dreamer, the Broke brothers and Lucy Burb no longer exist in my hood, and according to my sims, they never existed at all. 

BUT if you want to get rid of living playable sims make sure they are not living with any sim (move them out to the bin or kill them).

After deleting them the same way as I did the townies&dormies I had no problems but then I read someones post about needing to also delete the "sim discription" (I think that was it) of them, so I went back into simpe and did that also. I continue to not have any problems with my hood.

[baaaflatfit]

So you're saying to delete the character files from the game first, remove memories later?  If I get brave enough I might try it this way, thanks to Theo's plugin!  Thanks for letting me know this is safe!

Max

[ZephyrZodiac]

It would work differently with the plug-in, I think, because you don't have to search for all the individual references in neighbourhood memory.

Sleepycat - I can understand the rest, but what have the Broke Brothers done to deserve annihilation?