@Giga That looks like normal Sims 2 brightness to me, this is why I wasn't understanding when you said it was gloomy.

Thanks, everyone. :lovestruc I definitely decided to upload the lots. It will be done soon, maybe even tomorrow.

Justpetro, nice to see you too. I had hoped you're still around, tending the bar, mixing drinks and keeping the mood nice and friendly.

Giga, Jo's right, that is my normal brightness, I don't have any environment mods and tweaks here. I only turned all lights on, with Mootilda's mod before taking screenshots. Maybe that is what you mean.

I use SpookyMuffin's lighting mod but as far as I know that only effects dawn and dusk and nighttime, not day time. I do exactly the same thing for my lot upload shots. Daylight, with Moo's lights turn on box.

This is my game, she stands under 4 ceiling lights that are on and the wall behind her is just windows:
https://i.imgur.com/UtF43d6.png
Only time the light is ok, is when sim is right next to it: https://i.imgur.com/XJdADSk.png

That's why I am confused when people say that TS3 is dark. This is completely vanilla TS3, so it is not fair to compare to above pics of modded TS2, but yeah the lighting is so much better even then: https://i.imgur.com/RCxl7Oc.jpg

I am using this mod: http://www.modthesims.info/d/290746...-4-4-29-09.html

I use the 2.5.5 version of That mod. I don’t find things too dark generally, although I did need to take recent pics in an uninhabited hood, because the inhabited test hood was in autumn, and much more dim than the base lighting. Summer lighting does make a difference to pictures.

I mostly do stories and pictures, so I never saw much use in small lots because they're a pain to take pictures in. My sims also tend to have at least 2 kids (and often 4-6+) so since they need their space I rarely use smaller lots than 3x3, and even that's a bit small to me. I've tried smaller lots, but they feel so crammed and you can't put much in them before you disrupt sims' ability to move around.

If you just play the game and maybe occasionally take pictures, I guess small lots can be nice. That, and for neighborhood decoration I guess.

3x3 is enormous to me, and I would wonder what to put in all that space. I have built community lots on that size, but a house would have to have about six bedrooms to need so much space. And with bunks, kids can stack.
The most bedrooms any of my current houses has is three - master bedroom and two shared kids’ rooms. The largest family had eight kids at home, with the youngest (toddler) still on a mat in the parents’ room. Not a small lot, that one, but most of mine stop at two bedrooms. Everyone has to share. You want privacy and personal space, you move out!

3x3 seems huge to me, too. I mostly don't like watching the sims walk such long distances to get to things. Of course, if you use a number of large items, you need the space. Is that what you are filling it with? Or you use the space for the "camera" since you're taking pics? I do have tons of empty space when I build a set.

EDIT: I never quite understand when people disagree with a question. Maybe it was misunderstood. This is basically the same idea that Jo expressed except I'm asking what is used in large lot, such as a 3x3? Large items like the guitar and playgrounds, or space for a camera, pose boxes, etc., or something else? Or maybe others don't mind having them walk a long way?



Maybe the reach and the amount of decay of the lamps and light fixtures is a bit better in TS3? I have never played it, so don't know, but I do notice that in the TS3 pic, there are sconce lights on the wall in the background, the daylight from the door on the right, the fire, something from the front or left, maybe... but there don't seem to be any other sources in the TS2 kitchen (outside in shadow, maybe?). Overhead only lights are going to be harsh and shadowy, even in real life. TS2 is picky about where the lamps and fixtures reach and it's not consistent among different lights. I know some modders have done fixes for different light fixtures. You might want to explore those?

@Sunrader Here is another TS3, this kitchen has one ceiling light and a tiny window in the corner: https://i.imgur.com/HCZC1ke.png
Yet, this bachelor pad is much brighter: https://i.imgur.com/UqJDLp4.png than a TS2 kitchen with 4 lights and wall of windows.

Which fixes would these be? I'd love to have the M&G chandelier working.

@aelflaed where can I find the 2.5.5 version? How is it different?

I tend to use the space for the camera, and because I nearly always have walls up and don't like to use zoom, a larger lot is what works for me. I don't always use the full space for the house, though. Sometimes they get a bit of garden space.

For moving around, walking isn't all that slow - but since I tend to use testingcheats, my sims teleport around a lot. I also use motive cheats so the sims don't actually need to use the rooms, but for storytelling purposes they're there.

And it's not like the rooms are absolutely huge - Bedrooms tend to be around 4x4-6x6, depending on the purpose. I do however try to build so that there's at least one wall that won't come down when using the 3/4 wall setting.

There was a fixed chandelier at coloursims.missingstudios.com, but missingstudios.com has gone missing. I'll upload the file I got from their site. Despite the name of the file, this is not an override, fix or DR for the Maxis chandelier, but a whole new object using the same mesh and lighted properly. The lighting effect is supposed to be more visible with GunMod's lighting mod. I don't have that in my game, but the lighting on this chandelier is still noticeably better than the Maxis original.

This one is supposed to be compatible with the base game, so everybody should be able to use it.

on dreadpirate's site:
https://dreadpirate.tumblr.com/post...tem-25-now-with

I can't remember all the details, it's a complex mod. You'll have to read up the info and decide whether you want to try it.

Sharing EP content that doesn't require the EP isn't allowed on MTS, even here. I think there is a fix somewhere for the M&G light that lights properly.

@Giga That isn't normal. Either you added in a mod, or maybe you have downtown lighting somehow in your regular town. Downtown lighting is dim unlike the rest of the game. Try this cheat setLotLightingFile clear but something is off with your graphics.

A few pictures of my game from before I got a lighting mod. (the mod changes night, dawn and dusk)

@joandsarah77 Well! I do have my family living in downtown! Didn't realise there was a difference in lighting at 1pm. Any mods to make it go away? I can't stand the double loading screen if I wanna go to clubs where vampires and crumplebottom will show up too hence my world is downtown based.

@aelflaed Ah I have tried it, it was a bit too flat for my taste.

I use this lighting mod: https://dreadpirate.tumblr.com/post...tem-25-now-with

I don't use all of its optional shaders because, for instance, I don't want Niol's roof color fix; I make roofs that display correctly without that mod and fix ones that are meant to be used with that mod, so with the mod in, the roofs are far too bright. I do usually have the "World Lit by Fire" tweak turned on because I like its soft, mellow, cream-colored light rather than stark-white light. (I like that in real-life lighting, too. It's why I have a zillion candles in my house, because I prefer candlelight to incandescent light. ) Anyway, I also have a Downtown-based neighborhood with a completely empty main neighborhood. There is no difference in the lighting between them. I can only assume that it's the lighting mod that's evening things out.

TBH, though, you're not likely to find a lighting mod that someone else made that will completely satisfy you in every detail, if lighting is something you're picky about. The only way to get to that is to learn how to tweak the lighting yourself. I'm not entirely fond of Maxis lighting because it's unrealistic -- a room without any windows or lights turned on will not be pitch-black, for instance. The Radiance system (which is generally the base for all the lighting mods out there; it just gets tweaked) makes lighting more realistic, so that unlit, windowless rooms are indeed pitch-black. Also, larger rooms with few light sources will be darker, just as in real life.

The other thing to consider is that some custom windows and doors with glass bits don't actually let in any light because the creator of them messed something up. So, that's something you need to watch out for, if you use custom windows/doors, especially if you use Radiance-based lighting. Also, Numenor's Smarter Lights are helpful: http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=188024

The cheat she gave you will clear the NL lighting on a lot. setLotLightingFile clear

@RoxEllen1965 I was too late with the chandelier, lol. Hopefully, I can find a default replacement fix for it someday.
@iCad Yeah, but I find TS2 modding so difficult. So far I'm still just using maxis stuff, can't be bothered to fight for getting CC and game to work at the same time.
@Sunrader Ahh copy

If it's regular old cc just make a folder and toss it in, isn't much of a fight.

You would think so

You are far, FAR more likely to have issues due to mods, since conflicts between them are common. Other kinds of custom content -- object meshes and recolors and hair, clothing, and other CAS stuff, and neighborhood deco -- CAN cause an issue, yes, but generally speaking it is not likely to do so at all. If you're on a Mac, then those have a finite number of files that can be loaded, but there is no limit on a PC. And..Yeah, mods are far more problematic. Lighting mods are less likely to cause problems, though, because they don't even go in Downloads. Those go into Program Files, completely replacing the Maxis files -- of course you keep backups of that in case you want to switch back! -- so they can't conflict with anything. I've had camera mods crash my game from time to time, but never a lighting mod.

That being said, I can understand not wanting dive down the rabbithole of CC because once you start you're not likely to stop! So, I'm not trying to be a CC pusher. I'm just saying that there's no reason to be afraid of it.

I agree. Mods can cause many more problems than a new dress. The main problem is that, even if the modder is conscientious, runs it through beta testers privately, etc., there is often that one lesser-known mod that can conflict with it and cause all sorts of problems. Or one instance that even the modder probably wouldn't even conceive of that can cause a major hassle for players.

One example for me was the community college mod. For years, people have been using the Squinge/Chaavik version without any problem.

Well, I found one. I'm just good at that!

For several months, things went smoothly. I really enjoyed the mod. No problems at all ... until I reinstalled M&G. Suddenly, my Uni students unofficially graduated, but could never leave the campus. Their panels were almost completely blank. In short, there was absolutely nothing I could do with them.

What a mess! The only thing I could do was to go back to before I used the mod, losing those several months of gameplay in the process. (And we know to backup games, especially when trying out new mods, I hope! )

I don't blame the modders. I've used many, many Squinge mods, and he was a very conscientious modder, as was Chaavik. But it HAS taught me to be really careful with mods and ALWAYS back up the game before trying them; even if the mod seems harmless.

I've had CC alone crash a game, but only once or twice in the 13 years I've been playing. Right now, I have more than 5 GBs of CC, so it's not as if I don't have much of it!

Well, I seem to have the worst luck. I downloaded innocent looking tables. Every time I wanted to go to surfaces, game crashed. I had to 50/50 to all my folders and then I just ended up deleting my whole surfaces folder cos who has time for that. Then I wanted pregnancy clothes, downloaded here, well now all pregnant women became invisible. I wanted to replace the vampiress outfit, but in-game it was borked, just the replacement though. The dress as a normal formal wear was fine. And just 3 examples that came to mind immediately. Oh and lets not talk about the nightmare of trying to get default replacements for the hairs.

Even though mods are more likely cause issues, you kinda are forced to fight it unless you want to go insane when playing.

Are you downloading current (CC made in the last few years) or from well-known creators like Buggybooze, HugeLunitic, MLC, Honeywell?
We all have cc troubles now and then but it shouldn't be that often.

No, pretty old stuff like HP, fanselamb, sentate and just general MTS. expect this blog: https://sims2defaults.dreamwidth.org/