Installing The Sims 2, Expansion Packs and Patches....

[MissDoh]

I reinstalled last weekend.. I was tired of the neighborhoods and wanted an unplayed Pleasantville. I installed base, patch EP, patch, etc. I don't see it as a waste of time (I was grading)...Just destroying one world to create another.
And yes, my Sims refer to me as GOD.

If your game was working fine, you could have simply deleted the c:/mydocuments/eagames/thesims2 folder.  It would have been just like you started it the 1st time.  I did that a few times with no problems at all.

[RainbowTigress]

I see no reason why people would be reinstalling, espacially if it is working fine.  Would be a total waste of time. 

Well, as the original poster said, s/he is going to be installing on a NEW computer.  I have only reinstalled once, and that was when I got Uni and thought I could install into the same directory as TS2 (didn't work ).  Other than that, I have not had a reason to reinstall.  However, when the time comes for me to reinstall Windows, I will have to consider this situation because I'll have to install everything all over again, including TS2+EPs.

ElfPuddle, you don't have to reinstall the whole game to get a fresh Pleasantview.  There are a couple of ways to do that, such as copying the neighborhood files from the Program Files folder, which is what I did.  Or remove your games folder and let the game restore the original neighborhoods.

[MissDoh]

Rainbow, that comment I made was not directed to the original poster.  It was to those that were considering reinstalling because they did not install the old patches.

It was clear that the original poster have to install the game, it is on a new computer. 

[RainbowTigress]

That is a good point, MissDoh.  I was actually thinking of my own situation, which would be when I have to reinstall the whole OS.

[BlueSoup]

Yes, I had mentioned in a previous post as well they didn't have to reinstall the game. 

[Sagana]

So, we're convinced that OFB included what the NL2 patch accomplished? I never installed NL2, for the same reasons as others - I thought it would come with OFB. And I haven't installed the OFB patch - I'm waffling over it. Usually I'm inclined to patch, but I really like my game the way it is right now and I don't much want to lose the ability to delete custom objects from in-game. That's the biggest problem with the patch yes? And it hasn't been fixed?

But if I do install the OFB patch, and I need to install the NL2 one to fix terrains (OFB doesn't take care of that), I guess I'll do it all at once.

I'm even waffling over buying the FFP - I'd really like to have the masks, I really don't want to break something... does the FFP +patch include all the stuff the OFB patch did? (I think it also breaks the ability to delete objects, yes? so at least some of it is there).

This is confusing. They *really* need to make it clearer and easier to determine what's necessary. Poor customer service as well as too-rushed code/projects with nasty bugs :(

[BlueSoup]

No, I'm not convinced.  I still think it's better to install NLp2 separately than rely on OFB to fix it.  If the terrains aren't fixed with OFB without the NLp2 then obviously the patched items are not included in OFB.

[MissDoh]

I'm inclined to patch, but I really like my game the way it is right now and I don't much want to lose the ability to delete custom objects from in-game. That's the biggest problem with the patch yes? And it hasn't been fixed?

Sagana, according to this from the official site, they don't consider this as a bug at all, so don't expect that to be fix, so now you have a reason to install the patch if you are planning on purchasing new EP:  http://bbs.thesims2.ea.com/community/bbs/messages.php?threadID=b1b9f42ed4fd1027f0054f07f1725eac&directoryID=103&startRow=1&openItemID=item.103,root.1,item.43,item.41,item.23#b6e8f48b59c0f45971ecd1447df20f87

[ElfPuddle]

MissDoh and rainbow,
Yes, thanks. I *knew* I didn't have to re-install....but I *forgot* until I already had. It was one of those beat-head-against-wall moments. I felf very foolish after hitting "okay"....but there we go.

[syberspunk]

Many of you have noticed that since Open For Business, you are no longer able to delete individual custom design modes in-game (such as an instance of a recolor). This is due to a critical code change we needed to make to our file system to ensure the game would work properly. The benefits of this code change far outweigh this unfortunate side effect. We strongly urge you to install the patch regardless of this issue.

Hrm... I wonder what it was that required a critical change in the code to fix that would affect the deleting 'custom design modes' in-game.

You still have the option to disable an entire group of items by using The Sims 2 Content Manager Tool found on our website (http://thesims2.ea.com/getcoolstuff/contentmanager.php?pid=GetCoolStuff_contentmanager). However, you cannot delete individual design modes for objects released after Nightlife. For users comfortable using Non-EA created and supported programs, the open source program, SimsPE, can isolate specific strings and package files from the game in order to delete them. We understand that is not an ideal workaround for most users

Hrm... interesting. Can someone clarify for me what they mean by 'custom design modes' anyways? Do they only mean recolours? Or does this mean something else? Are you unable to delete custom content period? Or just the individual recolours?

I guess this doesn't really concern me so much since I don't really use custom content/recolours much anyway. And if you really did want to disable specific recolours or delete them altogether, I guess you can use SimPE or even better S2PCI. *shrugs*

Ste

[BlueSoup]

Design Mode is recolours or new meshes.

[syberspunk]

Design Mode is recolours or new meshes.

So... you wouldn't even be able to delete completely 'new' objects either? So essentially, you can't delete custom content in-game at all. That's what they're saying?

Ste

[RainbowTigress]

I delete stuff out of my Downloads folder to make sure it's gone.  I rarely delete stuff from in-game, although deleting stuff in Bodyshop is useful.  But I don't think meshes get deleted that way, only the texture.  I never knew stuff could be deleted in CAS until someone mentioned it.  I don't make new sims in CAS much.  Do you know if CAS or Bodyshop will be similarly affected?

BTW, I thought it was funny that MK called it SimsPE.    Strange that non-EA created and supported programs work better and often have better support than the ones that are EA created and "supported."  Of course, the little sheepies can't use something that doesn't have the EA logo on it. 

[MxxPwr]

...I never knew stuff could be deleted in CAS until someone mentioned it.  I don't make new sims in CAS much.  Do you know if CAS or Bodyshop will be similarly affected?...

As far as I can tell, they got rid of just about every in-game delete button; CAS too. Haven't used Body Shop yet though. I didn't like the way FFP 'installed' a new one.

Anyway, getting rid of the delete buttons seemed to be the critical code change syberspunk was asking about. I'm assuming it's to keep us from deleting uniforms which crashed business lots.

[syberspunk]

Anyway, getting rid of the delete buttons seemed to be the critical code change syberspunk was asking about. I'm assuming it's to keep us from deleting uniforms which crashed business lots.

Wait... that's their brilliant solution? To remove the delete buttons? What if you delete the costumes outside of the game? Or does it have to do with some problem with the data being loaded in memory, and then trying to remove it in-game? How very odd...

Seems like a crappy, ad hoc kind of work around than an actual solution to the problem...

Ste

[RainbowTigress]

I've had problems occasionally trying to delete stuff from in the game.  It would tell me that the texture was in use, when it actually wasn't, at least not in that house.  I couldn't figure out why.  I finally said 'screw it' and just made a note to do it when I exited the game. 

[Sagana]

Well I like deleting things in game. I tried their version of clean installer, the content manager thing and it sucks. I don't mind using Clean Installer sometimes, but some things I'd rather delete in-game where I can really see them, and I'm somewhat SimPE phobic.

I dunno if I'll get the next EP or not. If I hafta choose between the EP and breaking a game that works well for me, it'll need be something pretty interesting to convince me, something other than pets :p

[Tgdrysix]

Well it's up and almost running....YEAH  .....still moving around folders and stuff.....haven't really "played" yet.....but hoping to get it going soon.....I installed the sims2 disk.....then uni.....then uni patch....(diidn't realize there was a sims 2 patch until after I  installed uni....so I skipped that one.....then nightlife, patch, well you get the drift.....man does it load up fast without all that CC....almost decided to leave it all out.....well it crossed my mind for about a second.... .....After each one I went in game to see if there were any issues....(I went to Pleasentview)....added a uni, downtown and bluewater village.....like I said earlier I didn't actually "play" in there yet but everything seemed to load okay....will be testing more as I get the rest of my files moved over....having a bit of an issue with the switch between the two computers and the mouse not wanting to work propertly with the newer one....getting some lagging and jumping with it....so I gotta figure out why it's doing that went ever I switch over from the old one to the new one....thanks again for all the input....tgdrysix