I've started saying "[x] is a Sims 2 corruption thing" casually, in day-to-day life, to mean "[x] is a thing that people are creating complicated multi-step magical processes to deal with. these processes may or may not have anything to do with the actual problem, which might be a nothingburger and is definitely not under your control."
Well it wasn’t just me, to be fair. I would have never been able to without @fireflowersims help and HugeLunatics trust in both of us. Thank you to both of them for their work and thank you @teaaddictyt for reaching out and doing the more public communication.
I’m super happy I got the chance to work to fix it. It wasn’t an easy undertaking. It seemed like every little thing would cause more errors, I fixed one and another thing broke. But now it seems stable, finally.
A lot of technical stuff below the cut, beware.
Fixing such an old forum is not easy. Documentation is rather sparse because the framework it runs on is old. There is however a more modern version, but updating is difficult. Here was the issue for the forum - upgrading failed.
A website (usually) consists of two different parts: 1 - The files. They contain the code, scripts, designs, images, attachment, profile pictures etc. 2 - The database. The database connects all the different parts and tells the website where to find something. Everything gets stored in tables, assigned IDs and given values. Everything written, each post and topic is also stored in the database. So without the database the whole page would be useless.
It was clear from the beginning that the database was the culprit for the failed upgrades. I got an earlier backup from HL and started working.
I set up a local environment with two versions of XAMPP. One running on php 7.4 (the last version having compatibility for the forum framework version and the upgrade script to the recent version) and the other on a modern 8.3, which was the same as the version the server @fireflowersims set up for GOS.
I ran the upgrade script (which consists of 4 separate parts) on the old backup and ran into errors right away. The script would just outright crash on me, most often without a log or message. The (local) server would just stop responding. My original plan had been to upgrade to version 2.0 first, then 2.1, since it was the recommended order. However the database backup had already been partly upgraded to 2.1. That was the reason my upgrade script failed. Reversing those changes could have been a possibility but extremely time intensive.
(This is the frontpage of the upgrader. I stared at it so much. Like you can see it has a ton of steps)
Instead I asked for the current database and HL provided it to me. This one was already further along on the upgrade and I could see the error HL had run into before handing over. I had to look at the upgrade scripts and source php files to diagnose what the framework was expecting - and failing - to find in the database.
That’s where I found the main culprit for *most* of the errors: Time tables. The framework saves every action that a user does in a log, a long table with the action, an id and a date. This was where everything had gotten wrong. The upgrader expected to see one column for the date, named *day*, while the current table had a different column for day, month and year. I tried fixing the table at first but that didn’t seem to work, so I completely deleted the table and created a new empty one myself. (By now I think the issue stems from forgetting to uninstall certain packages before upgrading, more on that later)
That was possible because the log actually doesn’t hold relevant information for the forum to work. It just records each step, probably for moderation purposes. Once I had done that step the upgrade script was finally able to proceed.
There were a few more errors where I had to look at what the script was doing, find the corresponding code in the sources and edit the database myself. Thankfully the code is relatively well commented and named, so I was able to find what I needed.
Finally I got the upgrade script to run to the end and I was actually able to open the forums (local) page. I hadn’t been able to for now so it was a first. But a lot of stuff was still missing, like all the topics. I could see that the posts were back, but not sorted correctly.
The fix was simple but annoying. The forum framework comes with a repair_setting.php file which I had run several times to fix all the paths, but apparently it didn’t fix *all* of them. So back to the database I went, ran some queries and fixed them myself.
Then the forum finally worked again!
(This is what the forum looked like when I first opened it. It ONLY had recent posts)
(The working local forum, no files yet with the default theme. Seems wrong to look at GOS without the dark theme, right?)
There were still a few things I needed to fix but the database seemed to work fine now. I had never done so many queries in my life. I know SQL, and had to fix databases before but not this intensely. So I guessed I learned something new haha.
Next was the exciting step to upload my clean install to the server. @fireflowersims and I had some directory issues, but I was able to fix them manually once again.
Then I had to take a look at the files which mostly consist of avatars and attachments. They didn’t work at all once moved to the clean install. Once again I took a look at the code and realized that the upgrade script would have changed those files as well, but because I ran it on a clean install it didn’t actually do this step.
I didn’t want to run the upgrade script again, worried that it would mess up a now working database. Instead I wrote a script myself that sorted through all the attachments, looked for the IDs of the avatars from the database so it could move and rename them.
Last were the attachments. This was an easier fix. They just had to be given the ending .dat. @fireflowersims ran a command through the console and then the attachments worked too!
We were getting closer!
Next was the theme. The old theme didn’t work on the modern framework anymore so @fireflowersims looked for a new one which I customized with CSS, trying to get it closer to the way the forum looked before. I think it turned out quite alright, hope you guys think so too!
(Trying to find out what CSS class addresses what? Make everything red and green!)
(All the spider webs)
Next was packages, or mods, to the framework. Fire and I encountered some hiccups here too, since there were some leftovers in the database. The packages hadn’t been properly deinstalled before running the upgrade script, which was another source of the errors. I tried fixing them manually but one of the packages would continue to just break the site no matter what I tried, so we settled for an alternative.
Some more work was put into SSL and making the forum secure. Once again some settings seemed to just break the page and each time I had to go back in the database and manually fix what had gone wrong. It was tedious but by now I knew my way around quite well.
@fireflowersims handled a lot of the server administrative work and DNS settings. I know very little about that part so having @fireflowersims there was great and they made sure the page is reachable at the correct address.
So yeah, I hope the site stays online for a long time now. It’s such a big part of our community and communities history. I used to download so much from there when I was younger. I wanted to give back to the community I love so much. That was the reason I spent many many hours digging through code and old forum threads.
Have you ever wondered why Bodyshop makes your PC work so hard?
BODYSHOP HAS NO FPS LIMIT
With limited frame rate, Bodyshop only puts a strain on PC when it loads CAS content. If your GPU fans go significantly faster the entire time you have Bodyshop open, then FPS is very likely way too high.
It's similar case for TS2 game - but FPS also depends on your system / PC /Laptop and the way you run TS2.
➤ To check FPS in the game, use a shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + S to bring up FPS HUD. FPS is displayed right in the upper left corner.
Tip: if FPS is changing too fast, take a few screenshots so you can read FPS from those
➤ If you set a limit to 60 FPS, that tells CPU/GPU to produce 60 game frames per second. This is the sensible number for TS2. Without FPS limit, your hardware is trying to put out frames as fast as it possibly can, heating up and using unnecessary amounts of energy.
The Sims 2 engine was not designed to run any higher than 100 FPS
➤ When you play The Sims 2 with TS2 RPC & borderless window, Windows Desktop Manager usually handles frame rates. Same for windowed TS2 Legacy edition. This is thanks to Vsync*, which forces desktop's default refresh rate on game window.
*In case of high-refresh gaming monitors / laptops, FPS limit imposed by Vsync may not be low enough for TS2.
*I showed a screenshot of my hood, but I recommend checking FPS in lot view, because in hood view, 'heavy' particle effects like clouds can dramatically slow down FPS even on a modern gaming GPU.
➤ On older gear, FPS may never go beyond ~70 even without the limit, but CPU / GPU still try hard to reach the unachievable frame rate.
Varying FPS numbers may be an indicator that the game is running uncapped, OR that the default frame rate is set too high for your system to handle.
➤ On modern gaming GPU, you'll have no problem telling the game runs uncapped - FPS in lot view usually oscillates between ~200 - 600.
➤ A few ways to set FPS limit:
Playing a game in windowed mode often solves high FPS issue. Unless you have a monitor with high refresh rate. But the general recommendation for old, uncapped DX9 games is: do not trust WDM, do not rely on Vsync, set a hard FPS limit.
If you use DXVK, you can set FPS cap in the DXVK config file, both for the game, and for Bodyshop (you pick the same 32-bit d3d9 version). *I've explained how I tweaked my DXVK's FPS in this post here.
If you don't use DXVK, and Windows Desktop Manager doesn't affect your game's FPS for some reason, or if you insist on playing fullscreen, you can set FPS limit for TS2 with driver-level GPU settings: Nvidia 3D program profile* / AMD adrenalin. Same applies to Bodyshop.
*Nvidia's global FPS cap may not work in fullscreen mode, often it's required to set FPS limit for TS2 exe specifically.
➤ In case of laptops using "Mux-less" or "Optimus" technology, the integrated Intel/AMD graphics card may be forcing FPS adjusted to screen refresh rate, ignoring Nvidia 3D profile's FPS limiter settings.
If so, you may need to use DXVK with FPS limit, or an external tool like Riva Tuner Statistics Server. RivaTuner apparently can make FPS feel smoother ;) It can be used along DXVK, too (but in that case you set limit with RTSS only, ofc).
TS2 game actually has the option to adjust screen refresh rate, it's in the middle of the graphic options tab. I was told that in the Legacy Edition, the Refresh Rate box is blank and permanently locked, meaning you cannot fix FPS inside the game menu.
I have Mr Dj's repack, and this box was always greyed out for me because I always used FPS cap. When I uncapped FPS, the refresh box became active, game allows me to switch between 59 and 60 mhz refresh options, but these do nothing. FPS stays at 80 for a while, then it goes uncapped.
Some say the Refresh Rate setting is broken in Legacy version, but ,more likely, it got disabled cuz it doesn't work anyway on modern systems.
If you're changing it in your graphics card settings, and you're on a laptop, make sure it's set it to your good graphics card and not integrated graphics.
In case anyone wants it today- back in 2020 or so I archived the Old Wood and Dead Metal (Build/Buy) section of GOS when MediaFire looked like it was about to go down.
It's probably less useful than @simnostalgia 's big 2023 scrape- I know I didn't get everything- but more backups are better than less backups.
There's @goatskickin's woods, a bunch of Ja and Kativip and NixedSims, some @mustluvcatz-reloaded ...
I've successfully scraped all of the available Custom Content that was linked on GOS from Mediafire, Box, and SimFileShare. (Mirrors on 4shared not included)
Of course, I can't go back in time to retrieve things that are already long gone but here's a .zip of 49 GBs of content. This is everything from the beginning of GOS to September 2023.
This is the entire site's worth of custom content scraped. There are a few things that you need to know.- This is not checked to see if depe
So, in the Sims basegame objects.package, there's a semi-functional DnD-style roleplaying game table which, from its limited options when other people poked at and play-tested it, seemed like it was going to have one player act as the game master and then other Sims would change into LARP-y costumes so they could play different classes (it's theorised that this was the purpose of the hidden basegame warrior AF outfit with the super-cleavage, but that connection isn't proven).
Given the Sims 2 modding community is on steroids atm, has anyone ever actually looked at finishing it as lost-and-found TS2 content? I don't know enough to know how broken it is or even how it would ideally function, but it's a neat concept.
I would happily contribute texture-making or copy-writing (and even basic meshing/frankenmeshing) if other people were interested in the code. I'm about to head to bed so I can't go digging myself but it got me thinking that it would be a fun thing for potential hobby and skill building with a social element 🤔
THANK YOUUU to @3snappingrectangles for hooking me up! I KNEW I wasn't imagining things (just wasn't in the basegame files, it was in Castaway Stories):
It seems like it's almost fully-functional as-is? I tested it and here are the current problems I would LOVE to collaborate with someone to fix:
The BIGGEST problem that stops this from being usable is how limited the animations are - a Sim "rolls", then Sims react either positively or negatively. But it seems like since that rolling animation doesn't exist, it defaults to all the Sims belching clouds all over each other lmao. Not sure what animations would be best to replace 🤔 Maybe a generic swipe/clear? One of the poker table animations? I'm sure someone who knows this stuff could add more player reactions to rolls, too.
The table just pulls the basegame card table as its mesh (which means it's non-recolourable). Would love to make a custom object to replace this - in an ideal world it would be an object you had to place on a separate table (so players could mix-and-match), but I'd make a full table-sized object if necessary (with an invisible recolour, players could still use different tables). Would just need some help getting the table to point to this new mesh 👍
The object is a Logic skilling object (YIPPEEEEE) and that all seems to function, except there's no notification that a Sim has gained a skill point. If someone can add that, I can write the flavour text (for other things too, like the catalogue description, etc.) Would be cool if the notification was different depending on which role the Sim was playing?
Object currently only functions for adults and elders (the catalogue flag says it's a University object, which is the EP I presume it was made for before it got scrapped [makes sense - def associate DnD with college geeks haha] - so I assume it works for young adults too, but haven't checked). Would love to enable it for teens too?
Sims change outfits to play the game - this functions, but the outfits are all placeholders, as you can see in the picture above. Would love to offer two versions - one which redirect these to other in-game outfits (obviously that legendary unused AF warrior outfit would finally have a purpose) and another which directs them to bespoke CC outfits I'd be happy to make! Not sure how to handle the gender split though (or possibility of added teen functionality)
If anyone wants to poke at the files I uploaded them here. It functions (annoyingly 🤢) in the game if you change its catalogue flags in SimPE.
I've been working on a free resource website for Sims 4 CC creators called Resources4CC. It's a directory of 100% free tutorials, assets, and useful websites related to creating Sims 4 custom content of all kinds: maxis match, alpha, script mods, meshing, recolors, and more.
If you'll get use out of this site and want to help it grow, please reblog this post to spread the word :)
Over my years making CC, I've often ran into problems finding tutorials, graphics, and tools. People share them on forums, on Tumblr, on YouTube, and even their own websites! So I decided to start R4CC for fellow CC creators who would like a sortable list of free resources, all gathered onto one convenient site.
Note: All the entries link off to the original pages. Nothing but the occasional thumbnail image is hosted on R4CC.
On R4CC, you'll find:
TUTORIALS made by the community for creating CC of all varieties, as well as for using common programs.
ASSETS including patterns, color palettes, graphics, fonts and more.
WEBSITES full of their own tutorial and asset libraries, as well as inspiration for CC, help forums, game mods, and other community resources.
More info under the cut!
But first, a cry for help. This is a Herculean task, yes. I'm an ambitious fool. While I did my best to start the site off with plenty of resources (99 entries, to be exact), it's very incomplete!
Do you know of something that could be a great fit for the site? Suggest it via the contact page! The form helps me stay organized and makes sure I won't miss anything, so please don't send recs thru Tumblr. Questions and other comments are encouraged!
FAQ
or at least i assume people might ask these things idk faq is a lot snappier
How do the directories work?
Directories are split into 3 broad categories:
1. Tutorials is for the how; written and video tutorials and program walkthroughs.
2. Assets will cover the what; free design resources and downloads.
3. Websites is the where; free programs and community sites, as well as websites that consolidate assets and tutorials themselves.
Some websites contains massive amounts of tutorials and assets (ex: the S4S forums). In these cases, R4CC will point you towards the homepage or subpages in the websites directory. Select tutorials and assets are still spotlighted, but most won't be catalogued. If you can't find the tutorial or asset you're looking for, give that directory a search!
What is R4CC's AI content policy?
No AI. I only feature visual resource websites that prohibit AI content, programs without AI features, and 100% human-made assets and tutorials. If you spot slop, alert me! Due to AI disclosures not being universal, the onus of identification falls on the consumer; I greatly appreciate your help in keeping R4CC and the CC community at large authentic.
Are you planning to add more directories?
As of right now, I can't think of any categories that would warrant their own directory as opposed to a filter tag. There will be many more filters to come as new resources are added.
I have a feature suggestion or bug report!
To suggest content you think I should add to the site or to report issues, please use the contact form to let me know.
I want my content removed from the site.
Message me on Tumblr (quicker response) or through the contact form and I will remove it ASAP, no questions asked. I will also avoid including your work in future updates. If you're still okay with it being included in future updates, please let me know when you're requesting removal so I don't add you to that list!
I want to change something about how my content appears on the site.
Message me on Tumblr or use the form to get in touch. If you want to be credited by a different username, have your entry link to a different site, if I got something wrong, etc. I will update it ASAP. Hell I'll put sparkles on your entries or decorate them a bit if you ask me to a little whimsy is never bad
Will you add a search bar to the site?
Don't ask me no personal shit like this. (I don't know how to; help wanted!)
Do you want help with the site?
If you'd like to volunteer something, then feel free to DM me with your ideas. Right now, I'm not actively looking for anything except more to catalogue! (And maybe that search bar...)
Some of the filters are empty!
As of right now, there are 99 total entries but you may notice that 4 filters have zero results. A couple of things and projects have come up that require the majority of my attention, so I can't spend the absolutely heinous amount of time per day I was spending on the site before.
Because of that, I decided it was best if I went ahead with launching. It contains a lot of useful stuff already, plus if people really like it, that'll help me justify prioritizing it also my ADHD is entirely unmedicated so if it just sits there I am definitely gonna forget I even made it. Most importantly though, some very kind simmers might suggest things while I'm busy.
Updating entries takes a few minutes, but searching for them can take a lot longer - so IMO, it's better to open up that possibility instead of letting it collect dust!
Thanks for being so supportive of me over the years. I hope this site can give back to the community a bit and help spread some knowledge :)
So I'm trying to continue sorting my sims clothes and trying to get a set of defaults I like put together, and started making a moodboard of Dragon Quest character designs to help point the way. I'm genuinely a little surprised at how... early-middle-ages a lot of these designs are, in a good way!
.....and now I want to do a villainess reincarnation AU with Dina. You know the type- "I got hit by a bus and woke up in a vaguely medieval vaguely-rococo-themed otome fantasy game, as the villainess, and I'm really not cut out for this kind of villainy".
(Except that Dina is very much cut out for it. Just not in the way the game designers intended.)
I think the love interests are, obviously, all very loosely based on the Men Of Pleasantview:
You've got anime!prince!Mortimer, who is mysteriously old enough to have a teenage daughter but still looks like he's 25 at max.
You've got anime!nobleman!Don, who's supposed to marry said king's daughter but only has eyes for the Heroine (TM).
You've got anime!nobleman!Daniel, who's the 'messy', infidelity-kink romance option with a lot of Bad Ends in store, including one where Mary-Sue just fucking axe murders you.
You've got anime!commoner!Darren, who's the 'sweet' romance option with minimal drama, just helping him ~heal~ from his wife's passing and no Royal Intrigue.
Finally, you've got anime!jester!Goopy, who is inexplicably one of the most popular love interests despite clearly being a joke character.
I also think the otome game is really more Nina's thing- Nina loves romance, fictional or otherwise, and has a Favourite Boy she always goes for. (Not coincidentally, it's the Don expy.) And, when Dina gets yoinked into this game, Heroine-chan has red hair... and looks very familiar...
Dina was reborn as ~Marchioness Dinalara~, the villainess of this game, in the sense that if you try to marry Mortimer or Don she's meant to go after you. She has designs on Mortimer's heart and Don's estate, and she's mean and conniving about it and will backstab Heroine-chan at any turn while pretending to be her best friend.
Problem is, Dina's very protective of her little sister. And even though Heroine-chan isn't Nina, she shares her name, and she looks enough like her that Dina can't help but want to keep her safe.
Double problem? Marchioness Dinalara genuinely needs Don Lothorio's land, because her own estates have been absolutely devastated by a recent wizardy war. If Dinalara doesn't do something to get food and money coming in, her people will suffer, and- worse- she'll be too poor to appear at court!
So Dina's got to navigate managing a noble realm, seducing King Mortimer, keeping Nina away from Mortimer... and Daniel... and Goopy... trying to matchmake Don and Nina while keeping herself well away from Don... and what's that ghost that walks the halls at night?
I converted the Celypsdra AegeanSet 2.0 set to Sims 2 at the request of Anon. Download the set below
All credits go to Celypsdra
The set contains 2 clothing items. AriadneDress and TheseusTunic.
The dress is for ages AF and TF. There are 15 colors and the polycount is 7626.
The Tunic is for ages AM, TM, and CU. 17 colors and the polycount is different for CU and AM/TM because the AM and TM have the NuAM bodysuit with sexy feet. The polycount for CU is 3825 and for AM is 8475. Morphs are included
The set also contains 2 hair sets, namely AriadneHair and PhaedraHair. They are both for AF, TF, and CF. 9 colors, of which the 4 main colors are in 1 file and the 5 extra colors are separate. Morphs are included
The polycount for Ariadne is 19,876 and for Phaedra 12,595.
Finally, the set also includes an Aegean Headband. You can find this under Jewels. There are 12 colors and it is suitable for all ages. The details of the leaves do cost a lot. Polycount: 16,463
The download includes all the photos as well as the color charts. This makes it easier to select which colors you would rather not have in your game.
You can find the original here.
You can download the complete set here.
If you encounter any problems, please feel free to let us know.
And as always, have fun playing your historical gameplay.
I have began to start my family trees, seeing what face templates, skins, eye and hair colors all ancestors are, which are inconsistencies and if it can be fixed (ei if Sim A has brown hair but Parent 1 has red hair and Parent 2 has blonde hair, do any grandparents have brown hair? If not, can one of the maternal lines be another family that has consistent genetics but also brown hair? If Victor Goth needs a mother to link him to his brother, Samuel, are there any Generation 5-6 premade women who could've married their father, rather than creating a whole new family to explain)
I am also looking at names, nicknames, last names and references to determine general origins/cultures/races but this is a HUGE caveat. I, myself, am mixed so I fully understand that, for one example, not all Middle Eastern people are Arab (I am part Iranian, Persian) However, the sims franchise at large has generalized multiple cultures. Egyptian and Middle Eastern references being generally treated as "Arabic" is just one example.
💚🌸 any generalizations were made based on game lore provided and are NOT meant for representation. It will be probably be inaccurate and is not my own opinion 🌸💚
All of that being said;
Here are some lore fixes I've discovered:
If Pleasantview takes place in 1994 instead of 2004, but keep Dina, Nina and Don's ages the same (Cassandra is canonically 32 in Sims 2 if you are doing the math), it can make Dina more age appropriate for Cassandra's uncle, Michael, but also makes Don 32 and Cassandra 22 so she could be a medical resident and he a doctor.
Brandi Broke's grandmother, Fatima Simovitch, has no maiden name but could be Arabic, and has similar face templates to Dina and Nina's grandmother Benazir. Since Brandi and Dina are close, even though Brandi is poor (Dina being materialistic) , could they be 1st cousins?
Alexander Goth should be older than the Pleasant Twins. He was born when Cassandra was a teenager.
Michael Bachelor can't be older than Bella Goth (Sims 3 is wrong) since he is younger in Sims 1 (assuming to appease relations with Dina Caliente)
Jocasta Bachelor (Bella's mother) has no last name, but is Blonde and has f16. Kaylynn Langerak is a natural blonde, but looks so similar to Cassandra Goth, and her auntie in Sims 3 is Zelda Mae. SISTERS: Iliana, Zelda and Jocasta Mae?
How is everything liking this so far?
Does anyone need/want me to explain this changes and connections further?
So I get where you're coming from with the age shuffling, but I think you're treating Michael/Dina as an ethical quandary that needs fixing when it just wouldn't have been for the devs.
Pleasantview is based on soap opera tropes, right? Dina is supposed to be an eeeeeevil gold digger who gets involved with older men and then waits for them to die to get their money, lol. In the 2000s this was a really common trope in media, especially the kind of trashy media that Pleasantview is based on.
If you want to change it for your own comfort, that's fine! But I don't think the ages in Pleasantview are a mistake from the devs the way some of the genetics and names can be. It's a deliberate artistic choice. (It's just that the choice has aged like milk.)
★ RULES: type “me core” in pinterest and pick nine photos!
Thank you @grimbunnies for tagging the world in general!
I'm shocked that more Sims stuff didn't come up, seeing as that's really the only thing I use Pinterest for. I also spent... entirely too long scrolling... and picked a few things from 'recommended' because tbh I could not pass up the Arthur no matter how hard I tried.
I am also going to tag Anyone Who Wants To Do This, so feel free!