Date Posted: 9th Aug 2011 at 8:54 PM

Just enjoyed these articles and thought I'd keep the links:

http://www.cracked.com/article_1633...rewing-you.html
http://www.cracked.com/article_1846...u-addicted.html
http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-6-m...in-video-games/
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/featu...game_design.php
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/featu...y_of_choice.php

Some interesting animated gifs:
http://oceanquigley.blogspot.com/20...-simcity-4.html

Date Posted: 5th Aug 2011 at 5:20 PM

I finally figured out yesterday what was causing the low outdoor environment score with my new Rise Up series: the unfinished roof. I made an (incorrect) assumption that sims would not be affected by the covering on a flat roof, given that it was several levels above the ground. I was wrong. Even though the sims can't see the roof, and even though it's on a level that they never enter (which usually stops them from being affected by anything on that level), the unfinished roof is always giving them a less-than-stellar environment score.

There are several options that I'm considering. All of these options change the environment score from yellow to green. All of these options also increase the environment score more (and for less money) than the landscaping provided.

1) Add a low fence around the outside edge of the roof. Approximate cost per house: $1000. Unfortunately, there are very few low fences available in the base game and the ones that exist will definitely change the look of the roof. Once some EPs are added, the options are better.

2) Add the low-cost wood flooring that I used in my Fledgling Flats series. Approximate cost per house: $1250. Unfortunately, that flooring is grey. I live in a temperate rainforest and I get enough grey in the weather, so I hate to add more grey to these houses.

3) Add a moderate-cost wood flooring which (mostly) matches the existing color of the roofs. Approximate cost per house: $2500.

4) Add the standard tile flooring that EA uses as the default flat roof. Approximate cost per house: $3000.

5) Add a moderate-cost flooring appropriate to the coloring of the each house. Approximate cost per house: $1250 and up. Depends upon the floor covering chosen.

Other questions:

- Should I just warn people about the problem and let them solve it themselves, as part of upgrading the houses? In general, the interior of the houses have a green environment score and the environment score outside of the houses is yellow, so it seems inconsistent.

- Should I update the existing Rise Up lots which are available to be downloaded or just do the rest of the series? I have approximately 50 houses in various stages of completion. All ground level lots are complete, except for landscaping. Some basement lots are complete, except for landscaping.

Date Posted: 5th Aug 2011 at 6:24 AM

Sometimes, you just want to play someone else's families. As long as you aren't too attached to your neighborhood, this isn't necessarily a bad idea.

From: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=451077

Here are a few sites that allow users to upload families on lots. Be aware that they may destroy any neighborhood that you add them to. Note that the corruption may not be immediately apparent; sometimes you can play for a while before your neighborhood experiences odd behavior or stops working. You should also be aware that once your neighborhood has been corrupted, there is no way to fix it.

http://www.the-isz.com/theisz/index...91-sims-sims-2/
http://www.flyingacres.com/Neighbor...play.php?fid=52
http://www.deb1968.com/debssims2stuff/index.php
http://files.sims2graveyard.com/sim...t%20a%20Family/
http://www.woodensimolean.com/node/97
http://www.thesimsresource.com/challenges/list

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Why isn't it possible to guarantee that an occupied lot is completely clean?

From: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=450837

SimPE doesn't display family ties for non-existent sims and it doesn't display memories / tokens / inventory for neighborhoods, lots, families, or non-existent sims. Since it doesn't display them, there's no way to remove them. This is one of the reasons why occupied lots can fail, even if you've cleaned them to the best of your ability, and why the Moving Sims FAQ suggests that you test fully-cleaned occupied lots before using or sharing them.

Date Posted: 26th Jul 2011 at 1:42 AM

From: http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/s...pic,9750.0.html

"To unhide lots, subtract 0x00000010 from the value in U0 of the Lot Description in SimPE, works in reverse for hiding lots too."

Date Posted: 10th Jul 2011 at 5:02 PM

I was reading this thread yesterday:
http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=447790

and I was struck by how many people ask for help and then attack the person who answers them. I believe that the term used on MTS is "being a Meeki", after someone who was notorious for attacking people who tried to help:
http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=385085

Last night, I made a decision to stop being so tolerant of this behavior. I've decided to start adding people like this to my ignore list. This was a difficult decision, because I really do like to help people. However, I'm not sure that I can actually help anyone who has this kind of attitude. Adding them to my ignore list should give me more time to help people who are truly interested in receiving help.

Unfortunately, this means that there's a possibility that I will ignore someone who has reformed and actually wants my help (or who was just having a really bad time and responded inappropriately). So, if you notice that I'm not responding to someone who actually needs my help, especially with one of my programs or mods, please let me know. Thanks!

Date Posted: 7th Jul 2011 at 9:31 PM

Interesting discovery; further research here:
http://www.modthesims.info/showthre...836#post3579836

When placing a wall covering on a partial-height wall, sometimes the wall covering is aligned at the top and sometimes at the bottom. I had noticed this before, but only because M&G uses a different alignment than all of the other EPs and SPs, thus mucking up the look of some of my Fledgling Flats (silly EA!).

However, I just changed a wall from a normal wall to a foundation (basement) wall in the base game, and the wall covering changed from a bottom-alignment to a top-alignment. So, it may be possible to use the wall type to set the alignment, when one or the other is desired.

This means no more odd siding when transitioning from a foundation to a ground level such as a garage.

Base Game: (and various EPs through Apartment Life):
Normal wall - aligned at bottom
Foundation wall - aligned at top

Mansion and Garden
All walls - aligned at top

Date Posted: 3rd Jul 2011 at 8:55 PM

Preliminary testing shows that deleting 3D Array instance 0x15 (21), which contains the invisible flags, is completely safe and that the array will regenerate when you run the game. So, here's what to do:

1) First, make sure that you don't have any pools or no-slope basements on your lot, since this procedure will cover them with grass.
2) Determine your lot number or file name. If you don't know how to find it, type in the cheat "boolprop ShowLotPackageFilename true", then hover your mouse over your lot. The lot file name, will be displayed.
3) Backup your save game. It's important to backup the entire neighborhood folder. Don't skip this step.
4) Run SimPE and open your lot package (File / Open then navigate to the Lots subfolder for your neighborhood and open the file from step 2.)
5) In the left pane, select 3D Array (3ARY)
6) In the right pane, select the 3D Array with an instance number of 0x15 (21).
7) Right click on that record and select "Delete".
8) Save and exit SimPE.

Run your game and the invisible tiles should be gone. If there's any problem, restore from your backup.

Date Posted: 20th May 2011 at 6:04 PM

From: http://support.ea.com/app/answers/d...2/showhome/true (no longer available)
and from: https://help.ea.com/article/RN2229

Note that you may have to install your Store Edition last and that EA has removed the Store Edition updates. To get an updated Store Edition, buy Fun with Pets and install it last.

Date Posted: 1st May 2011 at 5:41 AM

It's possible to renumber community lots. I used this technique to select my graveyard lot for Apartment Life (when the final sim dies in an apartment, the tombstone will be sent to the lowest numbered lot in your neighborhood). I also did this with the Brainania lots so that they would appear in alphabetic order in the travel menu.

0) Backup!

1) Find an unused lot number that you want to use. Look in your lots folder to see what's available.

In SimPE:

2) Open the neighborhood package.

3) Find the hex instance number of the Lot Description (LTXT) for the lot.

4) Find the Text List (STR#) for the lot. It will have the hex instance number 8###, where ### is the instance number of the Lot Description. For example, if the Lot Description instance is AB, then the Text List instance will be 80AB. If you check the Plugin View, you can confirm that you've got the right one.

5) Use the Resource tab to change the Instance of the Text List to 8 followed by the new lot number, for example 8005 if you want lot number 5. Commit and save.

6) Go back to the Lot Description for the lot and use the Resource tab to change the Instance of the Lot Description to the new lot number. To match the example in step 4, we'd set it to 5. Commit and save.

7) In the Lot Description Plugin View, change the Instance field to the new lot number. Commit, save and exit.

8) Rename the lot package.

NOTE: This only works for community lots.

Date Posted: 29th Apr 2011 at 3:51 AM

I'm constantly amazed by the number of errors associated with shipped EA neighborhoods. I just found another one.

I've been working on a new program which will search your neighborhood for errors that can cause corruption. Well, Belladonna Cove was shipped with a ton of Urnstone tokens which have invalid Lot IDs. Urnstone tokens are used to track a dead sim on the way to the graveyard. Since EA specified a graveyard that doesn't exist, those sims are in limbo forever.

Unfortunately, SimPE doesn't give you the ability to edit these tokens. I'm looking into a way to fix them, so that these sims can actually make it to their final resting place.

Reference:
http://www.modthesims.info/showpost...15&postcount=68