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Sims 2 Program File configuration question
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#1
18-01-2020
When I set up Sims 2 on my computer from disks I plan to follow Kiri’s Setting Up Sims 2 tutorial at SimPixels. It will be great to have everything saved that is necessary to start a fresh game if necessary.
I want to be able to play two separate types of games in Sims 2 and I’ve been thinking about how to best make it work.
1. Restore my current Medieval Charter Challenge-style game. It uses A World Lit by Fire which affects the program files, and was originally set up using an empty Pleasantview template. That game did not allow me to load and play Pleasantview.
2. I would also like to be able to play Pleasantview and Strangetown when I feel like it. That would involve using the clean templates for those neighborhoods and ideally I’d like to use the Radiant Lighting system instead of the World Lit by Fire version.
I think there are two separate issues here. First, reading through Kiri’s tutorial I linked above, and the SaraMK’s neighborhood replacement thread that she references at MATY, it looks like I can follow Kiri’s method of making a Sims 2 Installation Folder and setting up the game, but substitute clean Pleasantview and Strangetown instead of empty templates. This would allow me to play premades or play my custom MCC ‘hood without extra townies being generated.
The second issue, though, is the one I’m most unsure of. If I use the World Lit by Fire lighting, which replaces some of the program files if I remember correctly, am I stuck using it when I load up my Pleasantview or Strangetown? Or is there a way to maintain two separate game program configurations without having to re-image my computer when I want to switch between different lighting mods?
Is this something someone on the forum has experience with or ideas about?
I want to be able to play two separate types of games in Sims 2 and I’ve been thinking about how to best make it work.
1. Restore my current Medieval Charter Challenge-style game. It uses A World Lit by Fire which affects the program files, and was originally set up using an empty Pleasantview template. That game did not allow me to load and play Pleasantview.
2. I would also like to be able to play Pleasantview and Strangetown when I feel like it. That would involve using the clean templates for those neighborhoods and ideally I’d like to use the Radiant Lighting system instead of the World Lit by Fire version.
I think there are two separate issues here. First, reading through Kiri’s tutorial I linked above, and the SaraMK’s neighborhood replacement thread that she references at MATY, it looks like I can follow Kiri’s method of making a Sims 2 Installation Folder and setting up the game, but substitute clean Pleasantview and Strangetown instead of empty templates. This would allow me to play premades or play my custom MCC ‘hood without extra townies being generated.
The second issue, though, is the one I’m most unsure of. If I use the World Lit by Fire lighting, which replaces some of the program files if I remember correctly, am I stuck using it when I load up my Pleasantview or Strangetown? Or is there a way to maintain two separate game program configurations without having to re-image my computer when I want to switch between different lighting mods?
Is this something someone on the forum has experience with or ideas about?
#2
18-01-2020
Just an idea here... I haven't tried it, so it may be silly, but... Can you have 2 PF folder set-ups? I know you can do that with the My Docs/EA Games folders. I have three completely different game set-ups (with different cameras, downloads, neighborhoods, and saved sims) - each one is tagged differently, and I remove the tag if I'm going to play in that version. For instance, if I'm building only, I use EA Games - BUILD (minus the " - BUILD") it is all empty hoods without a sim in sight, with extra height cameras, and a few extra building hacks. My Holy-and-most-precious full game is labelled EA Games - FULL (and it hardly ever gets used cause it takes 45 minutes to load - but, boy it looks sooo pretty in there!)
Anywho... why couldn't you do that in the ProgFiles? You'd have 2 installs of the game - but if you renamed the main file wouldn't you're PC use the file with the correct name? Am I being silly? Probably...
Anywho... why couldn't you do that in the ProgFiles? You'd have 2 installs of the game - but if you renamed the main file wouldn't you're PC use the file with the correct name? Am I being silly? Probably...
#3
18-01-2020
@CatherineTCJD that’s part of what I was wondering too! I have no idea if It is possible to have multiple program files like that but I’m interested in finding out. I rename game files often to switch them out like you describe
#4
18-01-2020
I have some mods in the ProgFiles that I put in for some games and out for others if it is just lights than you could create a shortcut on your desktop that would lead you to "C:/Program Files/EA Games/The Sims 2/TSData/Res/" within that folder you would have several renamed folders "Lights-original", "lights-fiery" ... (the way Catherine described), and only the one called "Lights" would be recognized by the game. I'm 99% certain this should work cause whenever I have modded/hacked files I just leave the original folder in there as a copy. You should however clean your cache files whenever you change something there before loading the game.
Good luck!
btw. I used to play the same way like you Catherine until I had the need to start the game in another language with less expansions. I installed anygamestarter for that and now I don't ever wanna miss it again no renaming just choosing the game I want and my "full" game is one of the permagames which like you I hardly ever touch *lol*
just rethinking if you have a documents folder for a game with fiery lights and one for without than I'm guessing you do not need to delete the cache whenever you change the lights folder if that game is always being played with the same lightsfiles
Good luck!
btw. I used to play the same way like you Catherine until I had the need to start the game in another language with less expansions. I installed anygamestarter for that and now I don't ever wanna miss it again no renaming just choosing the game I want and my "full" game is one of the permagames which like you I hardly ever touch *lol*
just rethinking if you have a documents folder for a game with fiery lights and one for without than I'm guessing you do not need to delete the cache whenever you change the lights folder if that game is always being played with the same lightsfiles
(This post was last modified: 18-01-2020 09:32 PM by Lucydique.)
#5
18-01-2020
Yes...but don't confuse My Docs with Prog Files... If this is possible to pull off you'll have to coordinate the two, or you'll have a mess!
AnyGameStarter was a lot of fun when I used a disc install. Since changing to UC a few years ago, I haven't used it. Did they ever fix it so it worked with the UC? (Not that I'd go back to it now. I'm used to what I have.)
AnyGameStarter was a lot of fun when I used a disc install. Since changing to UC a few years ago, I haven't used it. Did they ever fix it so it worked with the UC? (Not that I'd go back to it now. I'm used to what I have.)
#7
19-01-2020
@Lucydique, I didn't think of renaming individual lighting files within the TSData/Res! That Just Might Work. 
(And I might be able to do it without making a mess, ha). Now I have to decide if I care enough about the lighting in Pleasantview and Strangetown to even bother, but I think I will. Also, I think you are correct that since the cache is in the Sims 2 document folder, I wouldn't even have to delete the cache when switching back and forth.
Thank you for bringing up the Any Game Starter as an alternative to switching out/renaming Sims 2 documents folders to play different games. I've never tried Any Game Starter and didn't want to attempt it with Ultimate Collection. But it might be worth trying, since I'm going back to disk versions. I (mistakenly) thought Any Game Starter was only for creating games without certain EPs for testing or playing purposes, but this makes sense.
I just read the post at MTS about AGS. So it sounds like it allows up to three games that it won't delete. Does that mean to play my two different games I would then use an .exe shortcut instead of starting the sims through the regular .exe?
(And I might be able to do it without making a mess, ha). Now I have to decide if I care enough about the lighting in Pleasantview and Strangetown to even bother, but I think I will. Also, I think you are correct that since the cache is in the Sims 2 document folder, I wouldn't even have to delete the cache when switching back and forth.Thank you for bringing up the Any Game Starter as an alternative to switching out/renaming Sims 2 documents folders to play different games. I've never tried Any Game Starter and didn't want to attempt it with Ultimate Collection. But it might be worth trying, since I'm going back to disk versions. I (mistakenly) thought Any Game Starter was only for creating games without certain EPs for testing or playing purposes, but this makes sense.
I just read the post at MTS about AGS. So it sounds like it allows up to three games that it won't delete. Does that mean to play my two different games I would then use an .exe shortcut instead of starting the sims through the regular .exe?
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