Seasons objects.package and Seasons EP

[Marhis]

According to Aspyr schedule, Seasons for Mac will be ported at a later time. But in the meantime, I would like to update some of my mods that seems to need to (ref. diff files posted by Pescado).

Question: if I buy download from torrents the Seasons EP for PC, I will be able to extract in some way an objects.package from that, or I need to have also TS2 base + Seasons and install them all?
In short, it's worth that I wait the 36 hours dowloading the torrent file, or simply give up, 'cause it will be useless anyway?

[miros]

I think I'd wait for the real port.  Just use the Pets hacks until then.

[notveryawesome]

Marhis is referring to her own mods that she's made, for which she needs the objects.package file in order to update them for those people who have the Seasons EP and want to use the mods.

[Lorelei]

Could someone send her the Mac-ready objects.package, or is it uncopyable somehow? Seems like that would help her fix her mods.

[Sleepycat]

Could someone send her the Mac-ready objects.package, or is it uncopyable somehow? Seems like that would help her fix her mods.

there is no mac-ready objects package yet...

[dizzy]

Is it really that different? I would expect some of it to be a little different, but surely the BHAVs and BCONs and such are all the same?

If so, you can copy it off the install disc (disc 1 if it's US) from the compressed.zip file.

[amjoie]

The Mac game seems to be a different animal, just from playing it. Some things don't work the same. I think the porting is a bit more complex than meets the eye.

What might be more useful is for someone to send her the PC package from an expansion pack she already has on the Mac. Then she can compare those two packages and see how much difference there really is from Mac to PC. If they are nearly the same, it might help to have the PC Seasons package. Just a thought ....

[Simsbaby]

Umm.... They really aren't that different. If you were to say, have the mac versions of TS2 and Pets, you can install Uni, NL, and OFB off of windows disks. They work just like the mac versions.  All I think they really mess with is changing stuff from one OS to another. 

[amjoie]

Well, I tried installing PC expansion versions of the game over a Mac base game, and it didn't work for me. It refused to install. (Shrug)

[Marhis]

There's no difference (almost apparently) between package files, BHAV and stuff. Some differences there are (it seems, so far) in the way the game loads and use those packages, but it's all about the executable part, not the resources. So, yes, the objects.package (and Simsxx.package, Skins.package, etc.) from PC versions is exactly the same than in Mac versions - that's why I'm trying to dl that.

No much luck so far, as it seems that the dl time is rasing instead of diminishing - I'm not a good pirate, I suppouse  . So, if anyone may help providing somehow an objects.package from Seasons it would be much appreciated .


ETA: Maybe should be somehow useful if I explain how Mac version of TS2 is installed and configured:

The game (base) creates a folder
Macintosh HD/Users/<username>/The Sims 2
corresponding (in PCs') to
C:\Programs\EA Games\The Sims 2

(Macs uses normal slashes instead of backlslashes to indicate paths, as in all unix systems, but it's only a notation issue).

In this folder you'll have the executable (The Sims 2.app), BodyShop, Package Installer, the readme's, a folder with Body Shop tutorials and the TSData folder. That TSDAta folder contains exactly the same stuff the corresponding TSData folder has in PC installation).

Notice: that "The Sims 2" game folder has an invisible extension ".localized", used by Aspyr installers to identify the correct folder.

The game creates then the usual personal folder with settings etc. in:
Macintosh HD/Users/<username>/Documents/EA Games/The Sims 2
exactly corresponding to
C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\MyDocuments\Ea Games\The Sims 2

When you install an expansion pack, it updates the executable (you'll have only one exec, in the end) and adds in the game folder (according to the EP you have):

Macintosh HD/Users/<username>/The Sims 2/Expansion Packs/University.localized
Macintosh HD/Users/<username>/The Sims 2/Expansion Packs/Nightlife.localized
Macintosh HD/Users/<username>/The Sims 2/Expansion Packs/Open for Business.localized

(despite the extension, they're all folders)

Inside any of that EP folders, there's the additional TSData folder for that EP, with all the relative subfolders like Control, Res, Sys, etc.

So, e.g. if I want to make a mod, I open in SimPE
Macintosh HD/Users/<username>/The Sims 2/TSData/Res/Objects/objects.package

and then check the corresponding
Macintosh HD/Users/<username>/The Sims 2/Expansion Packs/University/TSData/Res/Objects/objects.package
Macintosh HD/Users/<username>/The Sims 2/Expansion Packs/Nightlife/TSData/Res/Objects/objects.package
Macintosh HD/Users/<username>/The Sims 2/Expansion Packs/Open for Business/TSData/Res/Objects/objects.package

and check if the resources are the same or not, and then make my mod accordingly.

[Sleepycat]

would this help? http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php/topic,7430.0.html
I think it shows what got changed from Pets to Seasons

[Marhis]

Thanks everybody! Someone has just sent me that (in)famous huge objects.package: I hopefully will be able to destroy the game update my mods yahoo  .

[J. M. Pescado]

The reason your download times keep going up is because your download program uses a flawed algorithm to calculate download ETAs. Many programs use some kind of average download rate on what you have so far to determine your download ETA. This is a poor method of doing things, because it assumes that download rates are independent of quantity downloaded. A more accurate method is the logarithmic estimation, AKA "The 10-90 Rule", where the the last 10% of anything always takes up 90% of the time. 10-90, of course, explains clearly why a download will always hang in the 90% completion range and take forever to finish!

[Marhis]

...wow...

I used the first torrent client I was able to find, and didn't bother to even modify default settings: just dowload the file from piratebay and double-click. Now I'm understanding why there's so much discussion about clients and the way they operate.

Meh, I have to be a wannabe pirate forever, just like Guybrush.

[SaraMK]

didn't bother to even modify default settings

At the very least you need to set an appropriate limit on your upload speed. Otherwise you will choke your connection and send everything grinding to a halt, or at least a slow crawl.

[witch]

Google the BitTorrent Bible, I found that an excellent RTFM and it clearly explained how to set my upload speed for instance, among many other useful pieces of info..