I am thinking about adding the EPs "FreeTime" to my Sims 2 game would any members know if Merola Mirror Mod and his Picture Mod work with Freetime ?
I'll asking because Merola created those two mods before Freetime came out. Thanks

These?
http://modthesims.info/d/33870
http://modthesims.info/d/30927

There are plenty of other mods that do much the same as these, and more, like SimBlender, Insim, and the insim-lookalike Sim-Manipulator, and they all work with FT. The SimBlender is usually safe to add to most hack combos.

I've got the Insim version with an addition to the sim menu, and can make any sim selectable/controllable.

Dolphin's control this sim here on MTS does the same thing as the mirror, but does not need an object. It's compatible up to M&G, so FT is no problem.

Might check if there are Freetime versions of the mods anywhere. If there is not, the mods would probably work fine with Freetime.

You would do far better with the sim manipulator which does more and is supported. I know Andrewgloria uses it so he would know the details for lower EP users. Also, and I mentioned it before, Dolphin's Control this sim is far better because it's on each sims pie menu and contains a super hug fix. Merola mods probably work perfectly well but I doubt many people use them since there are more extensive newer made mods around. They are not updated to freetime actions either but if they continue to work (I know the mirror does since I use to use it) and you like them keep using them. You would simply have to test if her painting still works or causes issues.

I have all EPs and SPs in my game, and the mirror works just fine. Just be careful whom you select. No unplayable NPCs ... but you know that already.

I suppose I should use control-this-sim, but I'm a creature of habit, I guess. I have No Sim Loaded for the hug bug nonsense. To be honest, I tend to be reluctant to download new mods or change mods that I know work because sometimes, two mods don't play nicely together, even though they work fine for others. I know my current configuration is OK (well, I have a very slight problem, but it's bearable, only happens in certain uncommon instances, and isn't even remotely annoying enough to do a 50/50). I would guess that the mirrors simply become Maxis regular mirrors if I change my mind. May be worth a try in the future.

As for the other mod, Insim and/or the Blender covers those functions, so I never used it.

Free Time, by the way, does have Securom, but ... err ... (sees mod frowning over there).

No, that sounds like a bad idea. Just because a mod has not been updated does not in any way signify you should assume it's not been updated because it did not need to be. There are plenty of modders who just did not care to update their work to later games, or that weren't around anymore when newer games game out. If their policy forbids editing, it would not be updated by others. Or they may be obsolete because someone else did better newer versions. Like in this instance, there are newer mods that do fulfill the same functions.

That said, if you can't determine if a mod works or not (don't forget to check comments, others may have tested it before you), you can always back up and try it. Very few things would break things in a way that isn't fixable by removing the mod and reverting to backup. But you should always back up first, just in case.

There is less risk since it's an object mod not a global mod, but backups are always a good thing to do, can't have too many of those.

An object mod has private resources, usually, but that does not mean those resources do not call global or semi global resources, especially object mods that do this kind of thing. Globals and semi-globals can change, so if your object mod calls something that now has code that your mod does not understand, it could error and glitch. It's unlikely to do anything without you trying to use it, but it could easily error just by mousing over it if it's not compatible.

So yes, it's more likely to cause errors forcing you to reset Sim endlessly or delete temporarily, than it is to cause a more serious problem. But it could still happen.

I want to say Thank you for all your comments, Jo's did tell me a short while ago about Dolphin's control mod. @ gazania yes I Know that Free Time have SecuRom on it, but there is a way to get around that ( If you know what I mean. )
I have never been afraid to let go of a mod I have had Merola two mods for so many years, It's like they are a part of me ( lol )

Replacement : For Merola Mirror > Dolphin Mod - that sound great
Replacement : For The Multi Painting ?? What would you all suggest that would do the "exact" same thing ?

I would choose the sim manipulator since it is supported by the creator. I would also talk to AndrewGloria since I know he uses it, but he may use a different version than I do since his highest game engine is OFB. If the Simblender is okay with FT I would also get that since it's so handy.

I have all the EPs/SPs except the holiday ones and have used Merola's Mirror for years with no problems whatsoever. It's a great mod that does something that some of the other mods can't (that I know of) - it can select sims that cannot be clicked on (sim on the other end of a phone conversation, visitor or party guest who's wandered off somewhere in a very large house and you can't find him, etc.).

Just don't put more than one on a lot at the same time. I seem to remember that I accidentally did that once a few years back and it caused some kind of problem, but I can't remember the details now.

It was never updated to work with Pets, so you won't be able to select them with it, but that's the only disadvantage I can think of.

The picture does work but there is a one tile of it that works the same. I'm not sure where I got it from long ago.

I do wonder, though ... can you have Control-this-Sim AND the mirror in your game without stuff going ka-boom? This is almost sounding like Inism/Blender ... there are some features in one that aren't in the other, and both are useful.

@Simonut: I hardly ever user Merola's Multi Painting, because most of the useful functions are widely available on other mod objects as well - SimBlender and InSim are the most popular. But on one of my lots, I *do* have the painting, and it has never failed. I'm running under M&G, so I don't see what would go wrong under FT.

@gazania: I know what you mean. SimBlender does virtually everything a player can want, and so does InSim. There is no reason to have both. If Control-this-Sim has functions similar to Merola's Mirror, then I don't see why one would so desperately need to have those two together either. But most players develop habits. And so do I. I *always* use the SimBlender, even though I *know* for a fact that the SimManipulator (by Aaroneous) really *is* much better. And though the Blender can also summon sims and make them playable, I *always* use Inge Jones' Teleporter Cat for that, because the Blender is slow and not as well organised in that section. And even after all these years, I still haven't even looked at InSim yet.

On the other hand, as an (ex-)modder, I'm used to playing in Debug mode (boolprop testingcheatsenabled true), so for most functions I don't even *need* the Blender or the Painting or what-have-you. I summon someone using the Cat and then have two options to make them selectable: either I shift-click the sim and then click "Make selectable", or I use the "Make Selectable" function on the Cat. Then I can have them do everything and anything I want, without the use of a mirror or any other cheat object. Yes, we're all habit-players. So I'm not telling Simonut that she shouldn't use the mirror or the painting anymore, because I know that this is useless. Heck, even *I* wouldn't listen, if I were in her place. And I'm supposed to know better!

Actually, Insim has a couple of options that I use that SimBlender doesn't have. (And it has functions that I don't use that SimBlender doesn't have, too.) The one I use the most is Insim's "Budget Adjuster." With it, you can adjust a household's funds up or down in various scales. Which, for me, is extremely useful, particularly when I can't use the familyfunds cheat in the household I need to adjust. I've not found any other object that you can use to add/subtract a specific amount of money to a household's funds. (You can adjust down with Monique's computer, but in increments of $100, minimum. You can't adjust up at all except by taking out a loan, but you have to pay those back, of course.)

The other thing I use less frequently is InSim's "Health Adjuster." With that, you can make Sims immune from illness. (Or make them sick.) You can do that with the sickness tester that you can generate in debug mode, too, but if you do it that way, it doesn't seem to "stick" unless you keep the tester on the lot. With Insim, I can generate the adjuster, make the change, then delete the adjuster and the change "sticks."

So, for me at least, there IS a reason to have both InSim and Sim Blender, even though some of the functions are redundant. I don't have any of the other mods being discussed, though, so I have nothing to say about them.

I also like the aging feature in Insim, too. Sometimes ... OK ... more than sometimes ... I like to adjust ages. Blender allows you to adjust three days; Insim one day. Usually, I just want one day.

I do use the Blender 85 - 90% of the time when I do want to use something of this ilk, though.

Oh yes! I use the aging function of Insim over Sim Blender, too, so that I can adjust by any number of days I want rather than 3-day increments. I always subtract days from married-in townies, so I use that function a lot, too. Forgot about that one.

I don't do aging cheats... My sims go through all stages Baby -- Teen at normal speed, and when they become adults, I use the "Aging off" option of my "Slow Aging Controller" mod, which means that adult sims live forever, or until I've had enough of them.
And I don't do money cheats either. I don't have any mods to make it harderfor my sims to earn a few measly simoleans, so I'm not making it easier for them, either. If they need more money for whatever reason, they will have to earn it.

It's funny how we get to using certain features of things. I always have the sim blender on a lot since I use appearance>everyone>clothing to make sims all wear everyday or formal, and I am always checking how many hours until a birth. I never use it for teleporter, I always use Inge's cat or Christianlov's mirror, other things I use the manipulator on. I have simslice small electronic maker, but that thing adds a mechanical skill point every time it's used. I never quite get why people mod things so the sim gains a lot of money/skill fast. I had to bring out the manipulator and take away those skill points.

I removed Merola's mirror once I learned that the Simblender could do the same things and more. I need to cut down on hacks. XD

I see that the Manipulator will also allow selection of invisible sims, but I have to navigate through a complicated menu to do that. The mirror is much simpler, so I'll keep it.

I was going to get rid of Merola's Multi-painting, but I noticed that it could alter personality DNA (the white line under the personality points that shows the genetic personality). I had forgotten about that. The Blender and Manipulator will only alter the actual points (which I don't need because I can just click and drag them up and down with the testing cheats). Interesting. All of the paintings other features appear to be available either through the testing cheats or through other mods.

You can change the personality DNA with simblender. After altering the personality, there's an option to make the genetic personality match the new personality - I think the menu option is "sync personality" but I could be wrong. I've used it a few times if a baby was born after I'd forgotten to roll the pacifier before loading the lot. I use the blender to randomize the personality and then sync the personality; the white line below the personality points moves to fit below the new personality.

@stitching: you're not wrong! That's why the option is there

@RoxEllen1965: Yeah, there are a few things the painting can do that you'd be hard-pressed to find on many other cheater objects. The Blender would indeed not change genetic personalities. But with "sync personality" as @stitching suggests, you could get it to what you like. As a Debug player, if I were to want a sim's personality changed, I'd just drag the lines in the personality view to what I want them to be, and then sync it on the blender.

I hung that painting in that specific lot, loooooong before I started modding myself, and also looooong before I learned to use Debug mode. That lot has been used in a few hoods over time, and I'm familiar with what it looks like, so the painting needs to stay. And when I'm playing that lot, since the painting is there already anyway, I'm darn well using it, too!!!

The testingcheats menu on the lotsynctimer also lets you adjust ages by one day, up or down. The lotdebugger will let you make personality you've changed genetic. So there are those options.