For many of you, if it's been a long time since you're played Sims 2 ... welcome back!

For many of you, this is your first time ... hello!

I was thinking that some of us "veterans" might have some tips and tricks to tell newcomers or returnees who have been away from the game for at least a year or so ... mods we consider essential to our sanity, things NOT to do, etc. Perhaps we might want to collect them in one thread?

If there is already a thread out there that ended fairly recently (within six months, maybe even within a year) that already discussed this, I will delete this thread.

My bit of advice ... Watch out for preventable game and hood corruption. I consider myself a little knowledgeable in this field, since I apparently seem to stumble upon long-forgotten corruption issues, and even find a new one or two. This is why I joke about constantly having to reset my hoods!

There are a couple of already-established links to explain this. I'd bookmark 'em:

http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title...Hood_Corruption

http://sims.wikia.com/wiki/Game_gui...ding_corruption

In addition, if you find you have a custom content problem and you have to do a 50/50 method to find the offending file, and you have Custom PTs. do NOT take them out while testing ... not even if you don't save. My daughter and i found that my Sims children with alien parents suddenly found themselves with the human parent only ... the alien parent disappeared. This can lead to neighborhood corruption.

When you test, put something in your file that puts those custom PTs in your top Ten to remind you not to take them out., such as "aaa" in front of your file name. Include the custom PT files n your top 50 per cent. I'd also back up your game first, in case you forget and take out the files. (I've done it. Good thing I had a backup!)

When downloading a lot, if you read any comments about a custom NPC on it, unless you positively know you want to keep the lot, do NOT download it. This is exceedingly rare (I've seen it only once in the eight years I've played), but it does happen. Always use Clean Installer, and if you see any ghosts or remnants of any other Sims you don't have in the Clean Installer lot file, don't include those if you download the content that comes with the new lot. Remove those ghosties from Clean Installer. You do NOT want those on your lot. Again, this is very rare, but I've seen it happen. Download lots only from well-tested sources.

Yes, sometimes this game occasionally seems to corrupt if you sneeze on it, but it doesn't hurt to take preventable steps to reduce the chances. If your hood does become corrupt, it's up to you what to do. Sometimes, the hood shows serious problems years later, sometimes days or even hours later. I've played corrupted hoods until they exploded, and I've immediately deleted them.

Those links also contain some important files to cut down on corruption and other problems. I'd download at least those essential ones (I consider the ones in the first source absolutely essential, and the remaining custom content links in the second source extremely useful), and put them at the top of your Downloads folder as well.

EDIT ... More very informative links from the other posts here.

- Other post on important and/or useful mods and hacks: http://www.modthesims.info/showthre...5#startcomments
- Game patch info: http://www.modthesims.info/wiki.php...ching_Your_Game (Thanks to Kankritty for the first two links.)
- What do Sims 2 cheats do? http://www.snootysims.com/cheatsindex.php?id=cheats (Again, beware of the deleteAllCharacters one.)
- Two sources about "safe" and "unsafe" NPCs (very important to know): http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title..._Regarding_NPCs and http://sims.wikia.com/wiki/Game_gui...e_to_play_as%3F (Thanks to M.M.A.A. for these links.)
- More great info on useful mods and hacks: http://thesims2.livejournal.com/7373855.html#comments (Thanks to joandsarah77).

More threads on good mods and hacks (they seem to be coming up here quite a bit, and I'll TRY to list some of them in one place!)

- http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=529098

(I thought I saw another one, but it seems to have disappeared.)

This one is an older thread with some great tips and links as well: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=528853

It's far better to just backup your save game before you start removing CC. Then, you never have to worry about things becoming corrupt.

Another tip ... there are some truly knowledgeable people on this forum. Mootilda is one of them.

And as all those experts say...Back up is your friend. I advise never just throwing downloads into your Download folder. I always make a new folder in Downloads, naming it the DATE you download something. If I'm going on a shopping spree, I make separate sub-folders; like "7-19 clothes", "7-19 hair". ALWAYS look for "meshes needed" for clothes and hair - I use to miss these a lot, and wound up with a lot of useless stuff. (You actually should make a habit of looking for meshes, and get those BEFORE you get the actual item that needed the mesh; sometimes you will not be able to GET the mesh). The reason I make sub folders is that you may find problems with new downloads, and this way you will know where to find (& maybe delete) them. With so many sites out there, you WILL find lots of stuff that is just not well-made - especially HACKS! Later I put these "dated" item into my other "main" subfolders, like "hair", "makeup", "clothes", "mods, defaults". If you back up before a download spree, even if hood-killing stuff is introduced, you can restore your game.

-Make sure your mod/CC is compatible with your game > What's the point of downloading a BV mod if you don't have BV
--Always update mods such as Inteenimater to your most recent EP
-Read the links on various signatures of users, such as mine, MMAA's and K6ka's (as examples), as they give you a bit of a hint on what's safe and what's not.
-If it doesn't sound right to you, then don't do it because it probably isn't ok anyway.
-Backup, you can never have too many backups
-NEVER MESS WITH THE PROGRAM FILES PART OF THE GAME UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!
-Thread on recommended mods/hacks by us users
-PATCHES PATCHES PATCHES PATCHES!!
-There can only be one type of default in your game at a time - (You can't have two green eyes defaults at the same time but you can have one green one brown) otherwise last one loaded wins

-Ctrl+Right Click refreshes thumbnails (quicker and less laggy than deleting the thumbnails folder in my documents)
-Ctrl+F makes triangle floortile placements
-On a standard UK keyboard, the ¬`¦ button collapses the cheat box
-Open the cheat box by ctrl+shift+c
-Type "help" in the cheat box to see a whole lot of cheats for gameplay and pictures
-In BodyShop, play with the function keys (F1, F2, etc) as they change zooms, mannequin poses, background, etc.
-Go through The Sims Wikia and the Sims Wiki to learn more about known glitches and signs of corruption

List of what these cheats do: http://www.snootysims.com/cheatsindex.php?id=cheats

Do be aware that a few of these cheats can make your life miserable if you use them, especially deleteAllCharacters. I wouldn't use that one. On the other hand, kaching and motherlode can be your friends.

Is there a way to merge that other thread? Or should we delete this one and add the tips and tricks to that one?

Joandsarah ... your blog link in that other thread is also very useful. NPC animals are cool, but do be aware they can cause some issues.

What other thread gazania? I'm well aware of those NPC animals, why does it sound like I wasn't aware? Please point me to the post you see about that, maybe it needs editing.

And in addition to those links, here are two more about which NPCs are safe to move in and which of them you should not touch AT ALL!:

http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title..._Regarding_NPCs

http://sims.wikia.com/wiki/Game_gui...e_to_play_as%3F

It seems that a lot of players LOVE to tinker with the NPCs and this should prevent anything stupid getting done!

Please check both lists, as one tends to be more updated than the other.

Feel free to ask questions about it all!

P.S. gaznia, I'd really appreciate if you could those two link to the title post as well. Thanks!

Sorry ... I definitely know you're aware of them.

I meant for new players. Those animated objects are tempting and oh-so-cute, and I even have a couple that I really enjoy, but they can be a commitment. Sorry that I wasn't clear.

I should put all useful links in the initial post, I believe, though it may be an awfully long one by the time we're done!

That's okay then. It's always possible I have old posts with bad info on them. Years ago I had a fix it up challenge on the BBS with a messy dump of a house which came with a tramp. Goodness knows how many people downloaded that occupied house. I think most of us have been there, done that and learnt our lesson.

Since this is tips and tricks I will post a few

Headmaster Visit (I posted this a few days back but here it is again)
1. Before he arrives make sure your house is tidy. To get extra points buy a small item that gives a good score.
2. When he gets out of the car line up 8 AL greets. Do not greet him formally or the opportunity to use these will disappear. These give you guaranteed a good amount of schmooze points.
3. Click on entertain give tour and take him to the best rooms of your house. Outside also counts as a room. If you have a decent but not great house but have one painting/sculpture/object that has a lot of enviroment points move this around to each room before you show it to him. If you gained a lot of schmooze points before you may not even need to do that. I got the Newson kids into private school while they lived at the Maxis caravan park.
4 Entertain.call for dinner. This does not have to be a great meal, but if your sim can cook well serve something hard to cook. A plate of spaghetti will do if your sim only has a few points. Check your time and make sure he has enough time to eat. Everyone eating together is nice but it can make the meals too slow. You only get dinner points if he finishes. Also you can only call to dinner a cooked meal, not for take away like pizza or Chinese and not muffins cooked by kids as I have tried.
5. By now your sims should have at least 90 points, but if not place and serve espresso in the same room as the headmaster and after your sim takes a cup he will follow. This will give 10 bonus points.

Running a Business
1. Use couples or families to run a business when you are just starting out.
2. Hiring employees takes money, so try not to hire people unless you have to.
3. If you do hire people make sure to check their stats and make sure they are fairly paid, especially after they gain a badge. They will quit on you quickly if they are underpaid.
4. If your cashier is less than stellar do not let a long line form. Have your other playable go chat or tell a joke (because you did do this with a couple, right?) to anyone looking impatient and they will forget they are waiting. They might even go and start browsing again.
5. If you are running a bakery it is easiest to serve catalog cake and whole cooked cakes, not slices. Do not use J'Adore Bakery in Blue Water Village as it is. The layout is terrible and the cakes are all bad.
6. Do not place chiller display cases next to the cash register as sims stand on an angle when browsing and can block the till.
7. If you want to sell cars on the car stand you need to be in whole sale mode by clicking the padlock. This will make the cars show up in the catalog.
8. If you want to sell coffee you will need to hire a townie or use a hire family mod. Sims will not buy coffee if a playbale simply tends the coffee bar.
9. if you would like sims to eat at your shop which isn't a restaurant you will need some kind of mod. There is payable buffets from simwardrobe, payable food by Exnem which you can find on the Booty. Or a patch for the shiny time cooktop at Simlogical which will make a cafeteria worker show up on any lot.

Every day Play
1 If a bin kicker is a problem you can fence the bin in on three sides or leave the bin on it's side and compost the rubbish. Once on it's side it can't be kicked.
2 If your sims are poor a quick source of cash is to dig for treasure. The same hole can be re-dug over and over again. They can also make extra cash working as a DJ or bar tender on a community lot.
3. When gardening you can save money by using compost rather than fertilizer. Many things can be composted including all trash, nappies (diapers) leaves and even plates if you don't give your sims a dishwasher or sink.
4. Before a baby ages up make sure the parents are in a good mood by having a date at home. Then they can give the toddler a bottle of smart milk and wear a thinking cap to make teaching toddler skills a lot faster. If they still don't have enough points for both a thinking cap and milk keep sending them on home lot dates until they do.
5. Make toddlers more enjoyable by using a sleep mat or toddler bed and a never ending bottle or sippy cup. This way as soon as the tot is potty trained the parents can get a good nights sleep.
6. If elder sims annoy you add in an elder sleep all night, less bladder decay and no age discrimination all on MATY. http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/ffs/al/hacks/

As I'm reading this, I thought I saw another Tips and Tricks thread. It's great to see that other had the same idea, even before I did.

Mods ... may I please respectfully suggest some "universal" thread merging these ideas? Perhaps a sticky?

For those out of the Sims 2 loop for a couple of years or more ... there are new things you might want to know. Important things. Some people have found potential problems and solutions that you might wish to know about, as well as some cool mods to make your Simming more enjoyable..

For new players ... there are things that will definitely not be in any players' guide that may save your game and your sanity, as well as a few fun tips. It's not even remotely all gloom and doom ... not by a long shot! There is a reason so many of us have played this game for five or more years. I have yet to find all the possibilities for this game, and I've been playing for eight years! The freedom that modders and other CC creators have enjoyed with this series have brought forth some incredibly beautiful and imaginative content!

All I know is if I came upon a game years after I played it, or if this is a new game to me, I would like to know some basic do's and don'ts, as well as helpful tips.

for new players and those coming form 3,
1 if you want your sims to stay happy then don't wait until there needs are in the red,
2 one plate of food won't fill a sim hunger fully if it's low.
3 different foods fill different amounts of hunger eg. gelatin fills less then hot dogs
4 food made form fresh food points fill sims up much faster even too much.
5 fresh food points are from fish caught and the fruit/ vegetables grown in gardens
6 sim owned business can sell fish and sim grown produce to other families
7 if you want to send playable sims to other sims businesses they have to be on community lots (the business)
8 if you don't want sims to pass out in there food when there tired use the snack menu or instant meals
9 useing the view interaction raises fun, so a cheap decorative object can be used to get sim kids to do homework without watching TV for hours

edit: 10 to change your sims clothes you need to go shoping to get new ones, or thry can sew them too(with a high enough talent badge
11 fridges will run out of food make and sims starve if they don't ether buy more form a store, get some delivered, or restock with fish/produce

i also forgot to mention that this list assumes that you have all the expansion packs installed somethings are base game but others are ep only

Here are some more from me. Some require EPs like the plantsims and pranking.

• Sims will get fired from their job if they miss work more than once on a non-vacation/maternity leave day
• The Grilled Cheese aspiration is FUN
• You can WooHoo in a bed, an elevator, car, clothes booth, hammock, tents, a photo booth, hot tub, love tub (Aspiration points needed)...
• The ingame clock will skip from :59 to :01 to calculate relationship decay, interest decrease, etc. Don't worry about it, it's normal
• Plantsims can sneeze pollen on people as a prank. They can also give birth at any time "with" the Ideal Plantsim (Ideal Plantsim is NOT to be played with. See my sig on who can bork games)
• With Bon Voyage installed, you can dig anywhere, and retrieve rocks, decor items, bones, treasure chests and maps for secret lots to visit on your holiday! However, don't drown yourself with the water pipes.
• Sarah Crittur and Samantha Ottomas both have glitchy pregnancies when their gameplays start. This is fixed in the Ultimate Collection
• Kids can prank people with static shock if they are standing on any rug when the action is selected
• CrumpleBottom will give you a whack and a rollicking if you attempt to interact with her! Beware for the concrete purse!
• Chance Cards are fun to play and they determine the future of your Sims' careers. Fired or promoted? Or ignore.

@Kankritty to add to your list of woohoo spots cars, clothing booth, tents and I do believe the hammock but I have never tried it.
Both Sarah Crittur and Samantha Ottomas pregnancies are fixed in the UC.

The UC is fully updated and there are 4 more updates for it by right click the UC icon in Origin and check for updates until it says you are up to date.

It might be a good idea to turn off any robots before inviting the Headmaster over, now that you mention it. The MunchieBot didn't cause any problems when Dr. Malevolence invited the Headmaster over, but the last thing I'd want was for a MunchieBot to decide to bring some pizza on by, go on the fritz and the next thing you know, there's rotten food nuking my Environment all over the place....


Asking the Headmaster to join you in the hot tub (if your house has one) seems to be good for some Schmooze points too. I haven't tried this with the hot spring yet, but I have high hopes of success.


This doesn't seem to be as much of an issue if you sell low-cost, high-profit items (like restored Junk Cars). One of my auto mechanics (the one who married the cow mascot) has two neighborhood teenagers helping him out with the cash registers and the sales. He still comes ahead with some strong profits.

But yes, using family is definitely cheaper, particularly for businesses which are just starting out. Dr. Malevolence back there has two Servos whose primary job at the robot shop is to hang out in the back room and churn out more robots for the sales floor. Servos can be awesome workers or lousy workers (depending on the stats of whoever built them), but Bigfoots are always awesome workers. Just don't let the Bigfoot's Needs go red; you wouldn't like him when he's angry.


You can also sell restored Junk Cars on the car displays (or on any driveways which your community lot has by virtue of the ChangeLotZoning cheat). The only downside is that you can't restock restored muscle cars out of your own inventory; if you try to Restock them, you pay a (far pricier) wholesale cost for a new muscle car. The only way to get around this is to delete the muscle car's "ghost," haul a new muscle car out of your inventory, set it on the display and price it again.


This seems to be true for the barber's/beautician's chair too. My massage parlour also has a barber's chair, and if I set my playable masseuse to be the stylist, no one will buy a makeover from her. She can still offer makeovers--free or otherwise--to customers; strangely enough, customers will accept the paid makeover offer but won't actually go through the makeover or pay her for it. She still gets stars for good service, though, which has earned Kiki's House of Beauty some easy stars.

You can also score some easy money by selling massages while your Energy's in the deep red. Take the customer's money. Put the customer on the massage table. Start whining about being sleepy. Kick the customer off the massage table straightaway. Profit. Repeat until you get tired of hearing your masseuse's griping and send her to bed (or to the nearest juicer full of Pepper Punch).

It's also worth repeating that your business lot can never have too many diversions to keep your visiting customers happy and distracted. That massage house also has a tea table and a mahjong table, so the customers will drink tea and play mahjong until Kiki calls them to the massage table. I've actually gotten stars from customers just by letting them play mahjong for hours on end. Sometimes my masseuse will join them for tea or mahjong, which certainly doesn't hurt customer relations any.


That does help keep the cockroaches away, true. On the other hand, a trash bin that's prone to frequent kickings can also be another useful source of compost. If you have a playable Sim who can click on the trash bin to kick it (thanks to sufficient Grouchiness or whatever it is which decides whether or not a Sim can kick a trash can), you can put that Sim into a lengthy Kick-Compost-Stand Up-Kick cycle and get a bunch of free, fast and easy compost that way; just be sure to turn off all SentryBots on your lot before doing this.


In fact, it saves you quite a bit of time if you dig the same hole over and over, as opposed to starting a new hole every time. It also means less impact on your Environment score. That's why I don't complain too much whenever the local wolves come over to dig up my yard. "Oh, it looks like Tramp paid me another visit. I've been meaning to do some more treasure hunting anyway...."

And if you should have multiple Sims digging for treasure at the same time, try to space them apart. That way, a busted water pipe will only trash one Sim's Environment score and cause one Sim to flip out, rather than doing likewise to all of them. There's also less whining about such-and-such Sim's bad Hygiene that way, too. It's not like they earn any Social or relationship points for group diggings anyway.


Don't forget that they can also earn extra cash at gyms (by clicking on any exercising Sim and acting as their personal trainer, but I think that your Body or Fitness enthusiasm has to be higher than theirs to do this). They can also earn cash by working as barristas or, if their Creativity is high enough, playing pianos or other music instruments for tips (via the Perform... option). You can also click on your own Sim and Freestyle for Tips, but the tips seem to come in more frequently if you learn and use Break Dancing or Fire Dancing instead.


And newspapers and hobby magazines, of course. If your Sim gets a few points of enthusiasm in any hobby, that Sim can get on the phone and subscribe to the relevant hobby magazine. It doesn't cost you anything, and most of my houses (or at least the ones which have gardens and compost bins) have a trash can right next to the front door, so that when those hobby magazines show up on the porch, a Clean Up click sends them right to the trash can, and a Compost Contents click sends them to the compost bin from there.

And if you have a maid or a butler, be sure to beat him or her to any non-empty trash cans or trash compactors on your lot. You can compost right out of a trash can, but not so with compactors; you have to click on the compactor, Take Out Trash, cancel the action as soon as your Sim has the trash bag in hand, then click on the pile of trash and Compost it.

WooHoo(& try for baby) also in closet. Car whooing doesn't work in some custom cars (actually, I thought the sports car didn't work either). I've never seen the option to use the elevator...have to try that!

They can WooHoo or Try for Baby in cars, changing booths, tents and hammocks too. The hammock takes a bit of work, but it can be done.


The random treasures which you find are good for some Simoleons too, or for setting around your house or giving away as gifts ("*gasps* Oh, Fred! A boulder? You shouldn't have!"), and you can leave the old bones for your dogs; leaving an old bone near either end of the sidewalk in front of your house can stop wolves from digging up your yard as well. Dug-up treasures range from rocks (worth a measly $25) to treasure chests (worth a cool $5,000 and a vacation memento, or you can keep them around your house for some heady Environment boosts and possible item value appreciation).

Just beware the dreaded water pipe.


Oh, Crumplebottom will give you a hearty lecture if you try any interaction with her. Flirt? Get lectured (or possibly thrashed). Talk? Get lectured. Prank? Get lectured....

And her lectures are pre-emptive too, so you won't even get the simple pleasure of flicking her nose before she lays in with a nasty tongue-lashing.

And if you really want to get hit with the concrete purse, try WooHooing in a changing booth right in front of her. But don't do this on a date, because your date rating will take an ugly hit from that purse too.


Don't forget to take your Lifetime Aspiration Benefits! They're under Rewards > Aspiration Rewards > Lifetime Aspiration Benefits. Always take Business Instinct (the second rank in the Work ladder) as soon as you can. Because why settle for beating Chance Cards half of the time when you can beat them 80% of the time?

Business Instinct only affects the work-related Chance Cards, not the hobby-related Chance Cards. But the hobby Chance Cards usually just determine whether you gain or lose enthusiasm in a certain hobby, so screw 'em. :p

And if you get the ability to write a restaurant guide or do financial consulting, grab those as well. Those are great for unemployed Sims or Uni Sims wanting to make a little cash. A well-written guide can get you over 2000 Simoleons a pop. And you can write a lot of guides!

I'm learning stuff from this thread that I didn't even know!

Writing restaurant guides builds your Cuisine enthusiasm too. It's funny how the Pleasure aspiration and the Cuisine hobby go hand-in-hand.

Writing novels on a computer is another good way to make money (especially for those Sims with lots of spare time on their hands). Writing novels also builds up Creativity (more so for Serious or Shy Sims, it seems; leave the music instruments for the Playful or Outgoing ones), and it builds up Film and Literature enthusiasm too; gain enough of that and you get the "Book Club" benefit, which basically means that you can grab novels from a bookshelf--including the ones that you've written and published yourself, as long as you remembered to put them away after the deliveryman dropped them off--and discuss them with other Sims, which is always good for some Social, relationship points and, if I recall, a dollop of Fun too.

EDIT: Yep...just confirmed it by having my gothy witch (and Films and Literature hobbyist) grab one of her covenmates for an impromptu chat about mystery novels; they're on vacation (and far away from Gothika Lore's bookshelf heavy with such best-selling hits as "Gothic Sunday," "Goth Drops II: The Moping" and "The Legend of Bleake Gothman"), so they had to settle for the stock novels.

But discussing novels with other Sims does indeed build Fun, Social, relationship and F&L enthusiasm, so keep those novels rolling and your F&L enthusiasm high.

Don't use the launcher

That^ Only people don't seem to be listening and keep saying click faster. *sighs*

Never ever play the J'Adore bakery. It's so badly layed out so either
a) make your own OFB business
b) edit the J'adore bakery.

Don't resurrect anybody from the Pleasantview, Strangetown (especially) or Veronaville hoods unless the wikia says they are okay to resurrect SAFELY.
These three hoods are from the Base game, and the safest resurrection method came with University.

Take a look at this

I really appreciate this thread, guys. Except for starting up the game twice and playing maybe 1/2 hour each time, I haven't played TS2 since TS3 came out! I don't even have it installed on my main PC, although it's still on one of my laptops.

Anyway, I just got the TS2 UC and plan to install it soon. It will be like getting a brand new game! LOL. Except I'm in the process of packing and clearing my house to put it up for sale right now, so it may be a month or so before I get to do this. But I will make sure that I check this thread again before I install. It's kind of amazing what you forget after being gone for a few years.

Thanks for the tip about looking at plants to bump up the fun skill, keeping the fun meter high is one of the hardest things I've come across, especially kids when they come home from school and homework keeps piling up!

I can't play without Macrotastic from MATY. I plop down a few flamingos in the garden and then Do Homework from the menu on the selected sim. They go kick that flamingo a few times and their fun bar is full without actually cheating. It's just a Macro so they will kick the flamingo and stand it up again without having to babysit them.