hi all,

now that I - finally - installed the base-game environment I came across a strange prob:

my game puter is set up like this:

account 1: main account for creating and testing regular stuff. Downloads folder is cluttered with my own and others' creations
account 2: base-game environment

the base-game environment is working perfectly fine only after having run it and going back to account 1 my regular game won't start any more. all that happens is that the very first screen - GLS logo - shows up then vanishes with nothing else happening. and there won't be any open process any more either.

does anybody have an idea how this can be fixed - other than un- and reinstalling the latest EP/ stuff pack every time I run the simulation?

Chrissy - This is in part for my fault, and in part for yours. This system wasn't designed to work in a multi-account environment: the batch file always expects to find both the "base-game" and the "full game" folders into the same Documents folder. Changing account, changes the Documents folder, too, and this causes problems.
BTW: in which Documents folder have you unzipped my files?

WHAT TO DO:

• Find the .bat and the .reg files that you have installed in [MyDocuments]\EA Games, and delete them all.
  
• Logon to Windows using the account that you use for the "Full" game.
  
• Redownload the updated files that I've posted right now, and perform all the installation steps, installing the files in the Documents folder of the "full game" account, and editing the files as explained.
  
• Still in the Documents\EA Games folder, be sure that you have the folder "The Sims 2" (NOT "The Sims 2 - FullGame": if so, rename it to "The Sims 2").
  
• Double-click on the file "Sims2_Full.reg" that you have edited earlier, and allow the content to be added to the Registry.
  
• Start the "full" game as you usually do (i.e. using the original entry in the Start menu, or the original shortcut on the desktop): your "full" game should work fine, now.

From now on, start the "base bame" using the same account that you use for the "full game". If you want, you can move the already existing "base game" folder from the other account to the "full" one; just be sure that the "base game" folder is named "The Sims 2 - BaseGame", before moving it; otherwise, just delete that old base game and let the game create a fresh new one at the first run.

This is weird - I wondered why this thread wasn't showing up in my New Posts listing, then I saw it was originally posted nearly a year ago - yet no one commented to it till yesterday, and you announced it as if it was something completely new in the last few hours. What's going on?

I believe this post was split from the other thread in the Object Creation & Texturing forum about creating and testing base game compatible objects, that's why the date is weird.

Oh I see. I wish the software allowed for when the original post is edited that it bumps the thread.

To tell the truth, I tried to split the thread leaving the original thread number to the original thread in the "Modding Discussion" forum, and assigning to this thread a new number. But... I messed up things, and happened the opposite -
And when I was done, I realized that very few posts, in the original thread, applied to the base-game environment (most replies were related to create base-game objects); and the few relevant replies were outdated and misleading. So, I've basically left all the posts in the Modding Discussion forum.

Sorry for the mess...

I believe, nonetheless, that the thread now located in the Modding Discussion was included in your "New Posts" (at least, if you have set that forum to be included in the New Posts).

Yes I think that one was, but it would have been anyway, since you added a post to it.

Now you just have to write a tool that allows me to load Sims 2 and get Sims 1. How I miss their little fixed-expression faces. I just want my Sims to stop gurning and getting cartoon eyes, please!

I... ehm... still have the Sims1 installed in my PC. My heart skipped a beat when I was about to hit the "Delete" button
(There was no uninstaller for TS1, except for MM...)

Nothing has changed in the main function: the BaseGameStarter still... starts the base game
But now, while starting the base game, the routine checks many things, and automatically fixes what needs to be fixed, in order to prevent the game to run in the wrong "The Sims 2" folder, and in order to ensure a correct restoring of the "full" game functionalities, when finished with the base game.
Though I'm 99,9% sure that you will never have problems, with this new V. 1.1, I've also included in the Installer a new "Repair your 'full' game" option, that automatically rebuilds and restores the normal functions of your "Full" game.
(NOTE: The "manual" installation doesn't benefit of these improvements: I strongly advice to use the installer, instead).
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Is it possible to have a back to ep2,ep3 ... option to test something with the intalled Eps.
I saw the batch, it seems to be possible to change it with the right parameters copied from the registry, but is there any other problems especially to go back to the last game ? I would post it in a forum but I dont find wich one.

Actually, I've thought to this further expansion of the batch file several times, but I always come to a dead end.

The main problem is "logical": the Base Game is the first of a list of subsequent installations, while the "full" game is the last step.
But what steps are in between? Some users might have UNI and not OFB, some other UNI and OFB but not NL; not to mention the Stuff Packs: beside the Christmas one, all the newer packs acts (and are installed) as EPs...
Every EP you add to the list, the possible combinations increase exponentially: with 1 EP only, you have 2 options; with 2 EPs, the options become 4, and so on. With the current 5 installations (EPs and Packs, excl. Christmas), there are 2^5 = 32 different possible combinations, and the PETS is bound to be released soon...

In the batch, I can easily remove *all* the EPs, and then restore them all; but removing only one or two EPs is quite difficult, and the result may be unpredictable.

But I'm definitely willing to try. At least, I can try a special version for who has all the EPs: getting rid of the latest, and then of the second latest etc. is easier that remove one "from the center" (e.g. removing only NL from an all-EPs game).

I'm glad you asked that, it's another reason to go on with this project.

Thank you, I thought something like that for me, only the ascending Eps. I saw that it was quite easy to modify the batch to do it (I worked with the holly 640k during 15 years) but I think you tried it and I asked your advice about the result and almost the restore of the last Ep.

Thank you for your answer

What does this hack exactly do?

Patul - The new BaseGameStarter PRO is on its way! Features: start a game "Up to the selected EP", and even "Only the selected EP" :D

Maerline - This not exactly a hack, in the sense that it does not modify the behaviour of your game. It just makes your game believe that there are no EPs installed (while, of course, they *are* installed ). With this trick, you can start your old base game, excluding all the EP installed, and play the base game only; and then you can go back easily to your "full" game, i.e. the one with all the EPs installed.

I cannot believe how much you rock.

The new the BaseGameStarter *PRO* Installer can run:
- the base-game only, ignoring all the installed EPs;
- only one of the EP that you own;
- one of the EP that you own plus all the previous ones.

This is valuable if you, for instance, want to test an object you have created agains a specific EP.

Read more about the new BaseGameStarter PRO from Post #1!

A ton of thanks , grazie mille Numenor ! you are....


Question : I must delete the previous saved folders or have no importance ?

If your old savegame folders contain nothing relevant, yes, delete them, and let the installer create its own.
If those folders were created with the older version of the BaseGameStarter, then the PRO version can manage them correctly.

OMG! You rule!! I just tested this with a lot and uploaded it to MySimPage to see if the house would need anything but the base game and the house only showed base game requirement. This is wonderful for all the lot builders who like to build base game houses, but like having all the EPs installed.

Lol, I was somehow misled to believe the EPs overwrite the game files instead of over-ride...

Thanks for doing allthese works to ease for multi-versions of game runing...
Now, I can concentrate all my EPs together in one HD and saving more spaces out...

Just can't thank you enough... :tons of frienfdly hugs...:

Abso-freakin-lutely incredible, Numenor. I've always wanted a base game testing environment and... and... zomg... This is such an amazing resource for creators. I can't imagine what joy this must give builders in addition to my gushing over it for objects/body shop content.

You never cease to astound me, Numenor. This is truly awesome. Thank you so much for everything you've done for this community.

WOW. This is an amazing tool. Many many thanks

Numenor, I could kiss you!! I'll just settle for using your Mod to death instead :D

Wow, this is a perfect tool!