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Try these
other Sims Fanatics Community Links! Would you
like your Sims page to be a part of the SFC? Email Rougue or Val about the possibilities! |
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This FAQ is happy to be a
part of the Sims Fanatics Community! It’s the Sims Community built for Sims fans by Sims
fans! |
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This FAQs is made possible by Sim Fanatics all over the world. Thanks to all
the Sim Fanatics who contributed questions and/or answers to make it! -- Please report errors and broken links to Val. |
This is the Sim Fanatics Community’s (SFC) FAQ’s
for the Sims 1 Game to cover questions that keep occurring in the forums.
Before submitting a question, please check the FAQ
to make sure it isn’t already addressed here. Thanks!--Val ghghghghghghghghghgh 12/07/06 – Update 1. Restructured the Links Launch to match other SFC WebPages I
built. 2. Updated Links on the Links Launch to reflect newly added SFC
WebPages. 3. Added the following new questions: ·
Hey, why do some of my simmies look really odd? |
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C Just Click the Question to warp to the answer! C Just Click the Question to warp to the answer! C Just Click the Question to warp to the answer! C Just Click the Question to warp to the answer! C Just Click the Question to warp to the answer! C Just Click the Question to warp to the answer! C Just Click the Question to warp to the answer! C Just Click the Question to warp to the answer! C Just Click the Question to warp to the answer! C Just Click the Question to warp to the answer! C Just Click the Question to warp to the answer! C Just Click the Question to warp to the answer! C Just Click the Question to warp to the answer! C |
·
Is
this group specifically for Sims I or Sims II..............?????? ·
Can I get Sims2 questions answered in the SFC? ·
Can I use objects made here for
my Sims 2 game? ·
Hey, how can I get my
questions added to the FAQ? ·
Hey, I’ve downloaded the ThingCheck but it’s not working! What’s
wrong? ·
What is SkinCheck and
where can I get it? ·
What is SkinDoctor and where can I get it? ·
What is
Transmogrifier and where can I get it? ·
What is RugOmatic and where can I get it? ·
What is the correct order to
install my Sims Expansion Packs? ·
Do I have to switch CD's when I want
to play one of the other expansions I installed...? ·
How do I download user made objects, unzip them, and
install them in my game? 1.
downloading 2.
unzipping 3.
installing ·
Hey, what if my Sims is not installed in the default
location? ·
How do I organize my downloads? ·
Why should I organize my downloads? ·
What about Hot Date,
Vacation, and Superstar Skins? What are they, and where do I put them? ·
Why won’t my downloaded skins
show up in the game? ·
Why do I keep seeing simmies
wearing bikinis and pajamas in the family creation screen? ·
Where do I put the skins I
downloaded? ·
Can skins go in the downloads
folder too? ·
Hey, why do some
of my simmies look really odd? ·
Okay, now that I removed it,
how do I fix the duplicate GUID? ·
How do you properly save sim
files onto CD without having to use 1 million of them? ·
I know you can save a lot more to
DVD-r's than CD's - how much more? ·
How do you create a zip using WinRar? ·
Are creations in the SFC free to clone or
recolor? ·
Where can I find non SFC
objects/walls/floors pictured in the SFC object previews? ·
I have more than 8 family
members on my lot. How do I play family member 9, 10 and so on? ·
Wait!
What? How can I have more than 8 simmies in a family? Is that possible? |
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SFC:
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Is this group specifically
for Sims I or Sims II..............??????
—Thanks to Sim
Fanatic Shuree for submitting this question! Answer: We don’t discriminate. So, the group is for fans of both Sims 1
and Sims 2; however, current creators for the site are mostly interested in
Sims 1 and creating only for the Sims
1.
Can I get Sims2
questions answered in the SFC?
—Thanks, SFC
admin Rougue for submitting this question and fabulous Sims2 resources! Answer: We will all do our best to answer all questions, but as I
mentioned before, Sims 1 is our main focus so I’m afraid our knowledge base
will reflect that. I have no experience with the Sims2, myself, and Rougue
has very little. So, until we get some Sim2 users here the SFC will mostly
deal with Sims1. If you have questions concerning Sims2, I recommend you pay a
visit to Simbella’s Hangout, Neighborhood
99, or my personal
favorite SeaBree’s Simmers Sit In! *dances* It’s a GROOVY place, ya’all!
Can I use objects
made here for my Sims 2 game?
—Thanks to SFC admin Rougue for this
question and answer! Answer: At
the moment, no. Our current creators are only specializing in Sims1 objects
and skins. Sims 2 objects are coded differently, and that is why Sims 1 objects won’t work with
the Sims 2. Sim Fanatics Donna suggests this for
Sims 2 fans: The website The Sims Resource seems to
have a ton of lovely things for it. It's a paid membership site, but it's only like 8 bux
for 2 months and you can get plenty of stuff in that time. I've been a member
for a couple of weeks and just the sheer amount of help files and stuff
makes it worth it.—Thanks to Sim Fanatic Donna for this
suggestion.
Hey, how can I
get my questions added to the FAQ?
Answer: If you have a question that would
fit into this SFC FAQ, then email it to me at
my regular email addy, or
you can post it in any of the SFC yahoo groups. If you have the answer to
that question, it would be great if you would supply it for credit…otherwise,
I will have to research the question myself. Be sure and put in the subject
line that your question is for the SFC FAQs.
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Sim
Tools:
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What is ThingCheck and where can I get
it?
--Thanks to Sim Fanatic Kelly for
submitting this question! Answer: ThingCheck is a fabulous Sim Tool, created by
Ratt Salad, to search Sims Downloads for problems with object files. If you download a bunch of user made objects, ThingCheck is virtually an essential because
it is currently the only tool (that I'm aware of) that searches all downloads
for duplicate GUIDs, which will crash the Sims game to
desktop. Anyone who wants this program will find it on the Sims software page at Bunny Sims 'Livin' it Up' WebPages. Please follow the
instructions Ratt Salad provides with the program!
Hey, I’ve downloaded the ThingCheck but it’s not
working! What’s wrong? --Thanks to Sim Fanatic
Rosemary for submitting this question!
Answer: There are a couple of things you could have going on that
might cause your ThingCheck to malfunction. 1.
If
your Sims is NOT installed in the default folders, this will cause an error
message in the ThingCheck that will say something like-“ThingCheck cannot
access an unnamed file.” At this moment, I am unsure of how to fix this. I
will post the repair as soon as I have access to it. 2.
If you
are running any other Sim Tool or the Sims game itself, you will get an error
message saying something like—“ThingCheck cannot access an unnamed file.” To
solve this issue, shut down all Sim Tools and make sure that the Sims is not
running, then try to load the ThingCheck again. Before contacting Ratt
Salad for support
on this program, please make absolute sure that you do not have one of the
mentioned problems here.
What is SkinCheck and where can I get it?
Answer: SkinCheck is a marvelous Sim Tool,
created by Ratt Salad, to search your Sims skins folder and report all duplicate filenames, missing files and bad bitmaps.
Anyone who wants this program will find it on the Sims software page at Bunny Sims 'Livin' it Up' WebPages. Please follow the
instructions Ratt Salad provides with the program!
What is SkinDoctor
and where can I get it?
Answer: The SkinDoctor is a Sim Tool created by Dr. Pixel that scans your Sims skin folder for
problem skin, animation, and bmp files, and then gives you the option of
removing problems data or repairing them. Anyone who wants this program will find it on the programs for Sims1 webpage located at The
Blarney Stone.
Please follow the instructions Dr. Pixel provides with the program!
What is Transmogrifier
and where can I get it?
Answer: The incredible Transmogrifier is a Sims Tool crated by Don
Hopkins that allows a user to clone Sims objects for the purpose of creating
new objects. It is a must have for any user wanting to create new objects. Anyone who wants this program will find it on the Transmogrifier webpage. Please follow the
instructions Mr. Don Hopkins provides with the program!
What is RugOmatic and where can I get it?
Answer: RugOmatic is another fine Sim Tool created by
Don Hopkins that allows a user to create Rugs with out having to use the Transmogrifier. Anyone who wants this program will find it on the RugOmatic webpage. Please follow the
instructions Mr. Don Hopkins provides with the program! The full version of this program requires a donation.
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Sims
Installation:
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What is the correct
order to install my Sims Expansion Packs?
—Thanks to Sim
Fanatic Amethyst for suggesting this question, and
to SFC admin Rougue for the answer. Answer: 1. The Sims 2. Livin’ Large (If you have Deluxe, Livn’ Large is a
part of the first disc.) 3. House Party 4. Hot Date 5. Vacation 6. Unleashed 7. Super Star 8. Makin’ Magic
I
have added all the expansion packs to my game, and now
the game keeps asking me to put in the MM CD to play! Will I still be able to
play with and use the objects and skins from the previous expansion packs?--Thanks to Sim Fanatic Rosemary for inspiring this question!
Answer: Ya, absolutely! The Sims will recognize and
load objects and skins from every previously INSTALLED expansion pack, and you
only need the CD to the last expansion pack you installed to summon them all
up when you are ready to play.
Do I have to switch
CD's when I want to play one of the other expansions I installed...? --Thanks
to Sim Fanatic Rosemary for submitting this question!
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Downloads:
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How do I download user made objects and
skins, unzip them, and install them in my game?
--Thanks to SFC admin Rougue for suggesting
this question! Answer: Downloading:
It’s different depending on what web site you are wanting to download from. But most generally to download an object all you have to do is click on the object’s link. Some websites link the object’s picture and some have a link beside the picture that will say something like ‘Click here to download’. Once you click on the download link, a new box will open like
this one:
Click on the save button, and then choose a location easy for you
to locate. I always choose a file I created in ‘My Documents’ labeled as
‘Zips for Sims’. This way I know where they are, and I can scan them for
viruses and back them up before opening them. Note: Once you are done downloading, I recommend you always scan
your new goodies with a virus scanner of some sort before ever unzipping
them.
Unzipping:
First of all, it’s important to note that I like to use winrar
for all of my zipping needs, so this tutorial will only reflect that. Locate and open the file containing your new download zips.
Right click the file you want to unzip and choose the option ‘Extract Here’.
Note: You can choose one of the other extract options, but I
recommend using the ‘Extract Here’ option, so you can look over the files and
read the creators inserted ‘readme’ before installing the object or skin into
the game. My reason for this is that some objects have important installation
instructions that if not followed will cause either the game to crash or the
object to not work properly. So, in this case, let’s do it the right
way…Extract here; Read the Readme, then install according to the creators
instructions.
Installing:
Okay, now the files are extracted. After you have read the creator’s
readme, follow his/her instructions on installing the object. If there are no
instructions, these are the default locations of where to install your
downloaded objects, skins, roofs, walls, and floors. Objects
go here: C:\Program Files\Maxis\The
Sims\Downloads (Files usually ending with an IFF) Skins
go here: C:\Program Files\Maxis\The
Sims\GameData\Skins (Files usually ending with bmp, cfp, cmx, skn) Walls
go here: C:\Program Files\Maxis\The
Sims\GameData\Walls (Files always ending with wll) Floors
go here: C:\Program Files\Maxis\The
Sims\GameData\Floors (Files always ending with flr) Roofs
go here: C:\Program Files\Maxis\The
Sims\GameData\Roofs (Files always ending in bmp) Note: I always back up my zips on CD or DVD just in case I lose my computer
and all the beautiful downloads I have. This way I still have the downloads
if I have to reinstall. After you have installed your new objects/skins into
your game, if you have backed up the zip the way you wanted to, you are now
done with it and can throw the zip away.
Hey, what if my Sims is not installed in the default
location?
Answer: If your Sims game is not installed in the default
location, here is how to find your downloads folder: 1.Right Click on the Icon you use
to start your Sims game.
2. Choose the option ‘Properties’
3. Left click the button that says ‘Find Target’.
4. The window that opens is the Sims main folder. If you look in
the address bar, you will see the address to your Sims main folder. You will
find the downloads folder near the top. The GameData folder is located a little lower than the downloads folder.
These are the folders you will need to know their locations for installing
your downloads.
In my case, the address is C:\Program
Files\Maxis\The Sims because my Sims is installed in the
default folders. Sims Fanatics
Donna suggests: The Sims Resource has a downloadable wizard
that will automatically install the files you want into the game for you (for
both Sims 1 and 2) and if you don't like a file or the file has
something wrong with it, it will uninstall it for you.—Thanks to Sim Fanatic Donna for this suggestion.
How do I organize my downloads?
Answer: The best way that I have found is to create a folder in your downloads
for each website. Only put the objects from that website in it’s prospective
folder. If you have hundreds of downloads from one website, it’s good to have
separate folders for the objects. I have provided a picture here of my own download folder so you can get
an idea of what I mean.
Organizing Suggestion: Bunny
Wuffles suggests
that you keep less than 200 objects in a download sub-folder to keep the
games start up loading time at a minimum.
Why should I organize my downloads?
Answer: You may have a
problem with one of the downloads and will have to remove it. Organizing them
makes it easy for you to find the offending object so you can remove it. This
will save you hours of searching for an object that you don’t know the name
of in a sea of downloads in a disorganized folder. In addition, you may
simply get tired of certain objects and just want to remove them. It happens
and this makes that easier to do as well. |
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Skins:
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What about Hot Date, Vacation, and Superstar Skins? What are they, and where do I put
them?
Answer: These are skins
designed to be bought by your Sims in the downtown, Vacation Island, and
Studiotown locations. These skins include pajamas, formal wear, swimsuits,
high fashion, and winter wear. Once your Simmie pays a visit to one of these locations
and buys new clothing, that new clothing will then become the default
clothing for that sim. These skins install in the same way all other skins do. Put them in your skins folder. If your Sims are installed in the default folders, you will find your skins folder here: C:\Program
Files\Maxis\The Sims\GameData\Skins
Why won’t my downloaded skins show up in the game?
Answer: There are a couple of things that could make this happen. 1. You may have placed the skins in a subfolder inside the
skins folder. But for some reason the Sims game will ignore any subfolders
inside the skins folder as well as anything inside them.…thus any skins you
have in there will not be used in the game. You can fix this problem by taking the skins out of any
subfolders located inside the skins folder and drop them directly inside the
skins folder. It’s messy, but it’s the only way they will work. 2. Another reason that the skins might not be showing up is
that the skin is either incomplete, the bitmap is not in the proper format,
or there is a problem in the cmx somewhere. To determine if you have any of
these problems with your skins, there are two fabulous Sim Tools available to help you solve this
problem. Skin Doctor, which will scan all of your skins
files and remove any problem skins, and SkinCheck which will also scan all of your
skin files and then provide a report so you can take care of the problem
manually. Although I personally prefer the Skin
Doctor because it
will remove problem skins for you, I have had great success with both tools
and commend the authors for their remarkable work! If you use either, be sure
and follow the creators instructions completely!
Why do I keep seeing simmies wearing bikinis and
pajamas in the family creation screen?
Answer: Because some creators don’t name their skins to fit into the
expansion pack naming system. I assume that this is done to allow people who
have no expansion packs to have access to these skins. If you would like to
change the names of these files so that they can be used as buyables in your
game rather than in your Family creation screen then you can visit my Making
Buyable Skins
Tutorial. It will talk you through it all.
Where do I put the skins I
downloaded?
Answer: It is always best to read the instructions of the creator
inside the skins zip you downloaded; however, some skinners assume you know
where they go and don’t tell you where to put them…in these cases downloaded
skins almost always belong in the ‘Sims’ skins folder. If you installed your
Sims game in the default location, you will find the skins folder here: C:\Program Files\Maxis\The
Sims\GameData\Skins
Can skins go in the downloads folder too?
Answer: I recommend that
you only place skins in the downloads folder when the skins creator tells you
to put them there. Generally speaking, skins will not work in the downloads
folder unless they belong to a user created object. So, when in doubt, you
will be better off placing skins in the skins folder, except where the user
creator instructs you to place his/her skins in the downloads folder along
with an object. Please, always read the enclosed instructions inside the skins/objects
readme. Some downloads have special instructions to make them work properly
in your game.
Hey, why do
some of my simmies look really odd?
Answer: There are various problems that can come from errors in
skins, few of which will make your game crash. The most common skin problems
will cause some simmies to appear invisible, some will cause a skin to be
white, and some will cause the skin to look warped and odd…making your simmie
look like some kind of mutant from outer space. To find out if you have any
skin problems, there are two marvelous Sims Tools that can aid you in fixing
these problems! SkinCheck is a marvelous Sim Tool, created by Ratt Salad, to search
your Sims skins folder and report all duplicate filenames, missing
files and bad bitmaps, so you can remove your problem file. Then there is SkinDoctor, a Sim Tool created by Dr. Pixel that scans your Sims skin folder for
problem skins, animations, and bmp files, and then gives you the option of
removing problems data or repairing them. Both are fabulous tools, and both will help you find your skin
problems so you can fix them.
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Crashes:
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Lately when I try to play
my Sims game, it crashes to the desktop after a short time. WHY? And can it
be fixed?
Answer: The most common cause of Your problem is more than likely a GUID conflict! What that means is that you likely have two
or more objects with the same GUID somewhere in your downloads folder. Yes,
it can be fixed. The easiest fix that I have found is a program called ‘Sims
ThingCheck’. You
can find it at Bunny Sims’ ‘Livin’ it Up’ website located on the ‘Sims
Software’ link! Here is a quick run down of the solution, but I highly
recommend that you read ‘Ratt
Salads’
instructions thoroughly before doing anything with the objects in your
folders. Once you download and run the program, check the results list
for all objects that are labeled as ‘Duplicate GUIDs’. Locate the object that you like the least and remove it from
your maxis folders. At this point, you have a choice of two solutions. You
need to make the choice that is right for you. 1.
Either
delete the object from your computer forever and never look back. 2.
Or place
the object in an easy to locate folder where you can later change the GUID to a unique one. Once you have removed 1 of the objects in every duplicate GUID conflict incident, then you should
run the ‘Sims
ThingCheck’ one
more time to make sure you didn’t miss any. When the results come back as
being free of duplicate
GUIDs, you may now
go back to playing your game! Happy Simming! BUT
WAIT!!! There are a lot of results
for ‘Duplicate objects’ in my ‘Sims
ThingCheck’ scan! What do I do about them? --Thanks to Sim Fanatic Rosemary for
submitting this question!
Answer: If you have downloaded objects, it is likely you will have
results for several ‘duplicate
objects’ in your ‘Sim ThingCheck’ scan. That’s okay. Duplicate
objects will not crash your game. The game will only recognize the most
recent addition for game play and ignore the other. It’s only the ‘Duplicate GUIDs’ that you want to worry about.
Okay, now that I removed it, how do I fix the duplicate
GUID?
Answer: According to
Rougue, all you need to do to fix the problem is clone the object using
Transmogrifier. This will give the object a new GUID
completely. She cautions users not to change anything in the object as they
are cloning it. After cloning the object, drop it back into the downloads
folder and run ThingCheck again, to make sure the problem is solved. If it
is, then you are free to play! Happy day!
I got ThingCheck and had no duplicate GUIDs, but my
game is still crashing! What else could be causing the crashing?
Answer: Sometimes a there is a problem with a skin that can
cause your game to crash. There are two marvelous Sims Tools that help you
locate skin problems in your game, to allow you to fix or remove the problem. SkinCheck is a marvelous Sim Tool, created by Ratt Salad, to search
your Sims skins folder and report all duplicate filenames, missing
files and bad bitmaps, so you can remove your problem file. Then there is SkinDoctor, a Sim Tool created by Dr. Pixel that scans your Sims skin folder for
problem skins, animations, and bmp files, and then gives you the option of
removing problems data or repairing them. Both are fabulous tools, and both will help you find your skin
problems so you can fix them.
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Backing
up my Sims!:
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—Thanks to SFC admin Rougue for submitting these questions! |
How do you properly save sim files onto CD without having to use 1 million of them?
Answer: First, make sure you are recording the files to your disc in
data format, rather than an exact copy. This will allow you to host more
information on a disc. For example, you can only put about 15 average length songs on
a CD in copy format. But if you compress them into MP3 files, you can fit
over 100 songs on a CD in data format. However, this is a good time to mention that CDs are NOT permanent. They have an expiration
date that manufacturers do not warn you about. I found out the hard way, by
saving all my music to CD’s in MP3 format, only to go back to retrieve a
favorite song and finding the files corrupted. In this case, your CDs data is
a total loss and you will have to throw it away or hang it on your
wall…depending on how you want to use it…after it’s useless. The last time I
checked, the average lifespan of a CD is about 4 years. Anyway, each CD recorder is different. So, I cannot tell you
how to do it step by step. But I can tell you that in order for you to get
the most out of your CDs, make sure you get the largest storage capacity CD’s
that your PC’s recorder can handle, and then make sure you are recording in
‘data’ format, not ‘copy’ format. I can get a lot on a CD doing it this way, but not nearly
enough to meet my binge Sims downloading habits. So, I now record all of my
files to DVD. This brings us to your next question.
I know you can save a lot
more to DVD-r's than CD's - how much more?
Answer: Following the same rules as with a CD, making data format DVDs
and not copy DVDs, I am able to back up my entire Sims collection, including downloads
of skins and objects, all onto 2 DVD’s. This used to take me 4 to six CD’s. And don’t forget
about my habit of mass downloading Sims objects and skins. I have thousands
more now, than I had when I was using data CDs to back them up. Now, I think
backing up my files for the Sims would take anywhere from 6 to 10 data CDs.
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Making
and Sharing Objects:
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I created carpets
using RugOmatic that I would like to share with the public, but which of the new files RugOmatic creates
should I zip up ? —Thanks
to Sim Fanatic Rosemary for submitting this question!
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Locations:
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Where
can I find non SFC objects/walls/floors pictured
in the SFC object previews? —Thanks to SFC
admin Rougue for submitting these questions and answers!
Answer: Zoo Bars and Zoo Walls: The Zoo Bars and Zoo walls to use with SFC Zoo
animals, are created by Traclyn of Rosewood Sims. You can download them at Simplified
Passions. Aquarium
Windows and Water Walls: The Aquarium Windows & Water Walls used in the SFC Aquarium theme are made by
Jendea
Simitecture. You will find the Pool Time Glass Window on either page 7 or
8 in the Doors & Windows section under “other build objects.”
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Hacked
Objects:
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I have more than 8 family members
on my lot. How do I play family member 9, 10 and so on? —Thanks to SFC admin Rougue for submitting
this question!
Answer: Press the space bar to cycle
through all family members, including those who are there by using Inge Jones’
fabulous intelligent hacks! Or you can use Inge’s ‘Visitor Controller’
which allows you to pick a specific
Simmie directly from its menu. This object can be found at Simlogical along
with Inge’s other fabulous creations. (Warning: Follow Inge’s
instructions closely on how to use and install her objects or they will cause
your game to crash.)
Wait! What? How can I have more than 8 simmies in a
family? Is that possible?
Answer: Absolutely, yes, it is possible!
Thanks to one of the greatest known Sims hackers Inge Jones. She has
wonderful hacked objects located on
her site, Simlogical, that
allow you to not only have more than 8 simmies living on a lot, but also
allows you to have apartments, schools, and prisons. If you haven’t heard of
it, you must check it out. A word of warning, though, you MUST follow
Inge’s instructions exactly for using her objects, or they will crash your
game. Simlogical is now
closed, however Inge has put the pages back up for people who still want her
objects. Thank you, Inge! You’ve made the Sims so much more for me!
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The Sims Fanatics Community (SFC)
is not associated in any way with EAGames or it’s affiliates. The Sims Fanatics Community is a non profit organization, built
to improve the quality of game play for the Sims 1 and Sims 2. |
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