Empty and Cleaned-up Templates. [UPDATED]

[Kyna]

If you don't have Pescado's no-regen hacks, then yes the game will generate townies, dormies, etc as needed.

They'll be less fugly if you use default face template replacements.  And if you don't want the standard EAxis names, I recommend a replacement name mod - Jordi has one over at MTS2, and there are probably others around.

[gynarchy]

Yes, the Charlatan appearing is normal. The game will create NPCs as they are needed but if it matters to you what they look like, you can spawn them yourself ahead of time with the NPC gun. The templates only affect newly created neighborhoods so if you swap out an empty template with a clean one, your already existing neighborhoods will not change.

[gynarchy]

You could make your own using Deleted 2 I suppose.

[pepsihamster]

Oh, you awesome ones, I need help!

I have reinstalled all my games (Base,Uni, NL, OFB, Pets, Seasons). I have installed all the empty templates on the first page of this thread. I have followed everything exactly! When I was finished with that, I put in my hacks notownieregen, CAS face replacements and default eyereplacement of choice and such. Than I made a backup of my TS2 folder.

So, everything should be fine, and I start the game for the first time since I reinstalled and I load Pleasantview. What do I see? All the Maxis created Sims are occupying their houses. At least all the diomonds are floating over the houses. I did not dare to load any lot, in case I would have to make some kind of ajustments now.

When I look in my neighborhood folders (under program files) for the different hoods that I installed the empty templates for, none of the character folders have any files in them. Thats how its supposed to be, but how come I have occupied houses then?
When I look in my neighborhoods/characters folder in My Documents, they are full of files. Where did they come from?

I am quite sure I did everything according to the guidelines on the first page of this thread. What is going on, and can I save my hoods somehow?

Oh, I hope so!

[gynarchy]

I don't think you did anything wrong - when you reinstalled the base game it added the three original neighborhoods, before you had a chance to replace everything with cleaned/empty templates. The templates don't affect already existing neighborhoods but if you started a new neighborhood it should be empty. If you want to empty out the original three hoods, drag the Neighborhoods subfolder from My Documents to someplace safe (in case you want to put it back at some point or whatever) and allow the game to generate the folder again. This time the neighborhoods should be empty.

[pepsihamster]

Gynarchy, you just made my day! Thank you for that vital information 

I was wondering if there where any empty templates around for Verona Ville and Strangetown, too? Else, I will try and follow the guidelines that were posted somewhere in the thread and do it myself. But if there were any, I would happily be using them, ofcourse. 

[Emma]

I have the empty Strangetown and Veronaville templates here.

[pepsihamster]

Yippedy. Now its working. No Maxis sims in any of the 4 neighborhoods. I haven't checked into downtown or bluewater or Uni yet, but they should be empty too now, is my guess.

Thanks Emma for the download links, I also found Riverblossom somewhere in the thread. So now all hoods are empty, yeah.

The only strange thing is that the 2 occupied lots in the bin that come with Pets have come. Very strange, because the LotCatalog in Pets Program Files is empty, so I can't even delete those. Can I safely delete them from the bin, or will they leave corrupt data behind?

Another strange thing, although I don't mind, is that the name of Pleasantview now appears in english on the selector screen and also the storytelling for that hood is in english. I have a non english game. That is odd, because I haven't tempered with those at all, and for all the other hoods the names and storytelling is still in the right language. Well, never mind that. I am just glad I finally can play again - with my own sims.

[Emma]

Just delete them-as long as you don't place them they should be okay. For next time, to create a completely empty n'hood, you need to look in:

C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 Pets\TSData\Res\UserData\LotCatalog

The only lots I have left in there are the 4 lotbin community lots-their file names are:

cx_00000002.package
cx_00000003.package
cx_00000005.package
cx_00000006.package

The rest of the files in there-delete. If you don't want the Maxis community lots (2 petshops and 2 petparks) then just delete the lot.

[pepsihamster]

Exactly, thats the thing, I have looked in that folder and it is empty. So I have no idea where they came from, because I emptied that folder out according to the guidelines of SarahMK.

Well, never mind. I'll just delete the 2 occupied lots from the lot bin, as you suggested. Thanks.

[Emma]

4shared is good, but it can be a bit pissy sometimes. I've attached the 2 hoods to this post.

[nil]

Hi there,

anyway to view this thread as 1 whole page?

Any list of all criteria for a sims-free neighbourhood?

Thanks in advance.

[Kazzandra]

I'm going to make the master list here. Links will fill in in a few minutes.
You need all of the clean templates for all of your games.
Base
University
Nightlife
Open for Business
Pets
Seasons
Bon Voyage
Freetime

You also need to go here and click the link for your latest EP. Click 'hacks,' and then retrieve these.
anttredundancy
nossrepawn
nostrayrespawn
notownieregen
Unzip and place in Downloads folder, preferably subfoldered under 'Essential' or some sort.

And follow Jordi's Clean Custom Neighborhood Tutorial for installing you new templates.

Remember, if you create a new neighbourhood and minimize and see character files in your characters folder, then something went wrong. Don't continue; see what you're missing or what step you missed.

Oh, and the box.net links are working for me, so I linked to SaraMK's originals.

[nil]

I actually want to trim off all sims and lots after DAC.

0xCC2A6A34 Sims Creation Index necessary?

What is TTAT  in the neighbourhood package file? I've checked the wiki already. but it doesn't say its function yet.

Since I want the neighbourhood free of sims and lots, should I delete the text lists files as well?

wow, thanks for all the infos...

[Kazzandra]

"Trim off?"

If you're asking if you can do this to an existing neighbourhood, you cannot. Once a character file is in the game, you can't remove it easily. Lots are easy enough to bulldoze, however.

[jolrei]

I actually want to trim off all sims and lots after DAC.

If you are at the stage of creating the neighbourhood free of sims and lots, I would use empty templates and create a custom hood.  This would be free of lots.  Using DAC will leave residual crap you don't want.  It is easier to destroy the hood and rebuild it with empty templates than to go through SimPE and find and destroy all the extraneous rubbish left behind by DAC.

You can install an empty default hood as well (like an empty Pleasantview), and then simply bulldoze all the lots you don't want.  Presto!  Empty clean Pleasantview, complete with bridges, decor, etc. (to create lag and use up memory needlessly).

[nil]

Thanks jsalemi, Kazzandra and jolrei for your tips.

With your tips and my searches, I'm glad to have made some empty neighbourhoods and my own custom neighbourhood template and clean and clear up the template directories saving another ~200MB out of TS2 programme folder. .

[awrevell]

I may be blind but has anyone posted a cleaned version of F001 (Desiderata Valley)?  I have found all the other templates I need but this one eludes me.

P.S. Thanks SaraMK

[CAFlanny]

I may be blind but has anyone posted a cleaned version of F001 (Desiderata Valley)?  I have found all the other templates I need but this one eludes me.

I don't think anyone's made one yet.  I've been looking for a cleaned version for awhile, too.

[gynarchy]

I don't believe that will work because some of the character data for them is stored in the V001_Neighborhood file. You could clone the Travellers and recreate them in CAS but you'd have to replace their memories and whatnot if that matters to you. I made clones of them for my merged neighborhood, if I still have them I will attach them.

[Kyna]

I'm not sure that I've correctly understood what you're asking, so I hope this post answers your question.

If you want the premade playables but not the townies then you need to download the clean templates, not the empty templates.  The clean templates contain all the playables and the few townies/NPCs/dormies they have relationships with (such as Kaylynn in PV or Crystal Vu in ST).  They contain no other townies, NPCs or dormies.

To regenerate the base neighbourhoods you don't need to uninstall/reinstall.  All you need to do is drag the Neighbourhoods folder out of the My Documents/EA Games/The Sims 2 folder and then start up the game.

While any new townies or NPCs that you create (or that you let the game generate) will use your name mod and face templates, the existing sims will not - although they will use any default skin replacements you may have.

If you have the no regen hacks from Pescado's director's cut in your game, the game will not generate any townies or dormies and will only generate NPCs as required.  You can make your own townies, downtownies, dormies, vacation locals, tourists & hobby mavens in CAS and then use various hacks in combination with the townie and NPC maker (a tree in earlier EPs, a gun in later EPs) to give them jobs, skills, badges, etc, and then turn them into whatever type of sim they're supposed to be - note that you don't have to give your CAS-made townies jobs & skills as the game will do it for you, although it will only give them jobs in the base game careers.  I usually give them jobs, as I want some of the townies and downtownies to have careers from FT and BV.  You can also use the townie gun to generate NPCs.  If you use the townie gun to generate townies/NPCs then you need to save after each one you want to keep, and exit the lot without saving if you don't want to keep the sim that was generated, otherwise your neighbourhood will be clogged up with useless character files.

[Assmitten]

Nice try, Kyna. Could you move her mouse for her, too? It's sooo exhausting.

[Kazzandra]

I'd like to get rid of all of the fugly EAxis NPCs, townies, dormies, etc.

I want ALL of the townies, NPC's, Downtownies, playables, everything.

 

none of the cleaned template links work for me. Also I wanted F001 not F002 for my FT hood which I also can't find.

Poor Kyna. I hope she can make up for her minutes of WASTED TIME trying to help someone who doesn't even know what she wants and can't even be buggered to look at a comprehensive list on the same page.

[Kyna]

The lulz factor helps to make up for the wasted time.  But I'm scratching my head trying to work out why anyone would want the annoying EAxis townies, dormies and downtownies that none of the playables know anyway.

I'm thinking that if she likes the behaviour of Marsha Bruenig and sims like her and wants to retain them, then she's clearly needs more help than she'll find here at MATY.

[seelindarun]

By jove, I think I've got it!  I think it wants Goopy and Marsha, but with new face templates and names!    How this differs from having all new townies generated still has me confuzzled.