Family Fun Stuff is NOT worth the Aggravation

[summerbliz]

 >:(I am ashamed to say that I actually bought this Maxis pack. I purchased it a few days ago, exchanged it, and the second disc is acting the same way.  The disc seems to install properly,and initially there doesn't seem to problems with the game.  The second time I try to access the game, the Maxis Logo comes on and that's it.  It won't run!!!!!   I thought , perhaps, there was a problem with the auto-run.  I have tried double-clicking the logo on the desktop, and I have also tried starting the game in my program files, etc.  Nothing seems to work! There's nothing wrong with my drive, because my other games play.  And, yes, I have all the patches.  I'm slightly perturbed at this moment ( pissed off, actually) .  What am I doing wrong?

[nocomment]

Try deleting the Groups.cache file in My Documents/EA Games/The Sims 2.

This file can be safely deleted, the game will generate a new, clean copy when it starts.

I have this problem sometimes.  The splash screen comes up, disappears, then nothing happens.  Deleting that file fixes it.  I hope it works for you.

If it does, then it's not a Family Fun Stuff problem.  This is a weird issue that has been around from the base game.

[summerbliz]

Thanx so much. 

[summerbliz]

I guess I'm going to sound truly ignorant, but I do have 2 questions:
       
      1.  What does a Groups. cache consist of?

       2. How or Why would it conflict with the loading of the game?

Any replies will be accepted, condescending or otherwise..........

[nocomment]

I'm not offended that you're asking questions.  Sadly, I don't know that answer.  This is just one of those things that's been recommended so many times that I tried it, and it worked.

Until someone comes along with real answers, try this.  Move Groups.cache onto out of that folder and onto your desktop.  Then if you have problems you can put it back.

You'll feel safer once you do this and see that the game really does generate a new copy.

Good luck!

[summerbliz]

No, you're right.  It does work!  Very much appreciated.  I just wanted to understand how and why. 

[syberspunk]

My limited understanding is that the groups.cache file is a cache of all loaded objects in your game. I think it is supposed to be a way for your game to load faster since it caches the objects or something, and theoretically lots should load faster or something. But I guess if the file gets too big, ironically it ends up hindering the game loading.

Deleting it is harmless because the game will just regenerate the file. What you might notice is that, the game might take slightly longer to load while it regenerates that file and/or slightly longer to quit while it is updating it. At least, that's my guess.

Ste

ETA: Incidentally... and this is just an assumption... but if you have tons of CC, particularly objects and/or clothing type stuff, as in like gigs of it, your groups.cache file will probably be seriously bogged down by this. I would imagine, the more custom content you have, the larger your cache file might end up being, and as a result, you may have to delete the file quite often. I hardly/rarely, if ever, have to delete mine, and I don't have much custom content in the way of objects and clothes. The majority of my hacks consist of gamemods and what not. I think all together, I only have a little more than 350 MB of cc. I've seen people claim to have well over like 5GBs or what not. Well... something like that.

[summerbliz]

Clueless, here again.  Does this pertain to the downloads folder, or the amount of community and residential lots in the game?

[summerbliz]

You answered my questions, thank you

[syberspunk]

I went and edited my original reply to add a bit more info, but to answer your last question, I think it's both. I think it caches the objects you might have in your downloads folder because those things have to show up in Buy Mode. It might even cache the clothes... but I'm not certain about that. I rarely go to comm lots to buy new clothes... probably once per gaming session, and each time I go, I'm pretty sure it takes a while for the game to load the clothes, so I think it generates that list 'as new' everytime.

In addition to the downloads... I think it caches the objects that exist per lot that you've played during that gaming session. Again, this is mostly my own speculation. I have no idea if I'm right or just pulling this out of my ass imagination. 

Ste

[tIIsuggas]

Slightly off topic.

Homecrafter generates groups.cache too.

Groups.cache appeared as homecrafter was closing.

[BlueSoup]

Groups.cache regens as soon as you start up your game, before it loads the neighbourhood.  However, it doesn't get that big if you force exit on the game before it loads.  I delete it all the time, but then having 8+ gigs of stuff kinda forces me too.

[liegenschonheit]

So if I have tons of stuff, delete groups.cache, load the game and then kill the process before it fully loads, my game will load faster? When exactly should you kill the process?

[BlueSoup]

No.  Just delete groups.cache and it should load a little wee faster, but probably not enough to make a noticeable difference.  It can make the difference between loading and not loading at all though.

I was just saying that it doesn't fully gen until at least after the neighbourhood and most likely lot have loaded.

[liegenschonheit]

Well poo. I was hoping my game would load faster. The darn thing takes forever.

[Jelenedra]

Weed out your downloads folder. Best way to do it is to just delete the whole mess and then start from scratch. I do that occasionnally.

It helped me get all my hairstyles binned and family'd. As I could download a hairstyle, open up datgen (haven't tried the new SimPe plugin) Edit the files then cut and paste into the downloads folder. One of these days I'll clean out my clothing folders so I can go through one by one and adjust shoe properties and categories. (I hate that some bathing suits are everywhere BUT swimwear)

[SaraMK]

As I could download a hairstyle, open up datgen (haven't tried the new SimPe plugin)

The SimPE plugin is awesome. I liked DatGen, but the plugin is much, much easier.

[Jelenedra]

Does it automagically point all familied hair files to the same gray texture? (And thus allowing me to delete the others?)

[Simsbaby]

Yep.

[Jelenedra]

Shiny.

*misses her internets at home*

[J. M. Pescado]

* J. M. Pescado points and laughs at Jelenedra for living in third-world countries.

[Jelenedra]

What? I was trying the Ethopian Challenge at home.  No electronic devices, right?

No worries. Should have money for fixing it next week or so. Whoo!

[angelyne]

The plugin also lets you remove unwanted ages.  It really is awesome. 

The only bad thing about this plugin is that it's so easy, it encourages you to download more and more hair.

[Jelenedra]

*laughs* When that happens, just purge the download folder, then you can justify all those new downloads because you were "already there getting that old hairstyle you really like."

(I purge downloads and neighborhoods often. It saves sanity because I don't have to go through a kagillian hairs that looked good on the website but like ass in game so they never get used.)