This mod is NOT compatible with the Ultimate Collection
If you use the Ultimate collection, please download the AGS v.2.2.0-UC
Collection packs other than Deluxe, Double Deluxe and Holiday Ed. 2005/06 are not supported. If you install the AGS with any other collection pack, you will probably have to uninstall and reinstall all of your games to get back to a working state.
>>> ANYGAMESTARTER <<<
Build your game (and BodyShop!) the way you want it
for testing purposes or nostalgic pleasure!
IMPORTANT - COMPATIBILITY LIST
This AGS version is compatible with any game and expansion on physical CD/DVD.
It support also Store Edition, Deluxe, Double Deluxe and Holiday Ed. 2005/06. Don't use the AGS with expansions bought online from EA site, the Ultimate Collection or other game editions not listed above
The installer has been tested under Windows 10
(but should work fine with any older Windows version down to XP)
and must be run under an administrator account.
Fixed a bug that prevented the AGS to run in a 32bit environment.
Version 2.1.2 (27 Dec 2017)
FEATURE: The AGS installer now correctly manages both 32bit and 64bit game installations (while previously the installer could run under a 64bit Windows, but couldn't create a working Registry file in such environment).
The useless online check for updates has been removed; the AGS now does not require any more an active internet connection.
The screen resolutions has been updated to more... modern values (1024x768 / 1280x720 / 1600x900); Bodyshop max resolution is still 1024x768. In order to use these resolutions, some users may need to fix the issue with the Sims2 not recognizing the latest video cards (search Google for a replacement of the "Graphics Rules.sgr" file).
The installer, in order to correctly manage some game configurations that include specific stuff packs (H&M, IKEA and K&B) now permanently renames the three mentioned game folders, so to remove any non-standard characters like "®" and "&". This won't affect in any way the normal "full" game.
Minor improvements in the internal code and the batch files.
Version 2.1.1 (9 May 2009)
BUGFIX: The "Replace" function didn't actually delete and replace the AnyGame1 any more (the bug was introduced with v. 2.1.0 and affected only the AnyGame1, while the AnyGames 2 and 3 were correctly replaced).
Version 2.1.0 (30 Apr 2009)
Introduced the ability to UPDATE existing AnyGames to a different EP configuration, without deleting and replacing the saved AnyGame (neighborhood, sims, downloads, etc.). The option is available only in Standard Mode (not in BGS mode), and only if the update is actually possible (see details in the "How to Use" and "Hints & Tips" sections, below).
WHAT IS THE ANYGAMESTARTER
The AnyGameStarter (in brief: 'AGS') allows to create a temporary test-game (and optionally a test-Bodyshop) including or excluding any Expansion Pack, Stuff Pack and Add-on Packs (among the ones that you own, of course).
Typical usages of the AnyGameStarter include, for example:
Set up a game with few (or no) EPs, where to create lots with low (or no) game requirements.
Set up mutiple alternate themed Full Games (e.g. medieval, sci-fi etc.), with their own default replacements that don't affect the main game.
Set up an alternate game (with or without EP/SP) to play Legacy challenges.
Set up a game without Seasons, where to create functional CAS screens.
Set up a "base-game only", or a game with an unusual configuration, where to test an object or mod under specific conditions.
Set up a game with only one specific EP or SP, so to explore the new objects and features provided by that single pack (ever tried the thrill of running a game with only FFS, CEL and a Xmas pack? Geeeeez! )
HOW TO USE
First off, you have to download the rar attached to this post and extract the installer ("AnyGameStarter_Setup.exe"). I suggest NOT to extract it to the desktop, so to avoid an eccessive clutter: better put the installer in a folder somewhere on your hard disk.
When done, double-click on the "AnyGameStarter_Setup.exe"; you need to double-click on the installer only once: the very first time you run the installer, it will check if your Registry holds the correct path to the Documents folder, and will update all the existing AGS and BGS games making them compatible with Mansion & Garden (if you have it). Then, the installer will create two icons on your desktop:
You won't see any activity from the installer (apparently it doesn't even start...), but you will see the two new icons on your desktop. From this moment on, use the two icons tu run the AGS:
use the "Standard" icon to run the normal AnyGameStarter. Click the button below to know more.
HOW TO USE THE AGS INSTALLER - "STANDARD MODE"
=======================================
(If you want to know more, read the Hint&Tips / F.A.Q. section)
By starting the installer in Standard Mode, you can create/replace an AnyGame using the full-feature AGS interface; you can also make permanent an existing AGS/BGS game, or delete an existing AnyGame.
Before doing anything, you have to LOCATE THE RIGHT ICON to start the installer.
Look at your desktop, and search for the "Standard Mode" icon:
If you can't find it, then double-click on the "AnyGameStarter_Setup.exe" that you have extracted from the rar downloaded from this thread: the "Standard Mode" icon should immediately appear on the desktop; if not, select the option "Force re-create icons" from the drop-down menu.
Now start the installer using the Standard Mode icon, and decide what you want to do:
CREATE or REPLACE an AnyGame.
This is the main function of the installer. You can create up to three highly customized AnyGames for every need; the AnyGames created this way are "temporary", meaning that the installer can delete, replace or uninstall them without any special warning (if you need a safer game, read on about the PermaGames).
In order to create an AnyGame, follow this procedure:
Step 1: Game Configuration.
In Standard Mode, the selection of the game configuration is mainly done using the EP/SP list; anyway, for your convenience, there are some pre-made game configuration already stored in the drop-down menu.
You can freely include or exclude any of the listed Expansion, Stuff and Add-On packs (the list will include only the games the you own, of course). If you deselect all the packs, the installer will create a "base game only" AnyGame.
Step 2: Additional Options.
The Standard Mode offers a lot of options: scroll down to see them all!
Most of the options are quite self-explanatory, but anyway here is a detailed description of all of them.
AnyGame to create/replace: here you decide which of the THREE available "slots" should be used for the AnyGame that you are creating. If the slot is already taken by an existing AnyGame, the entry is "Replace AnyGameX"; otherwise you read "Create AnyGameX".
NOTE: the "slots" are shared between normal AnyGames, and "BGS games" created using the special "BGS Mode" of this installer (old BGS games created with the outdated BaseGameStarter installer are separated, and don't use these slots).
In addition to the Create/Replace entry, the installer allows - whenever possible - to update the existing AnyGame.
The installer automatically detects if the desired game configuration (as set in the previous selection window) is compatible with the existing AnyGames, and shows the "Update" option only if the update is actually possible.
Keep in mind that adding new EP's to an existing AnyGame is always possible, while downgrading a game is possible only under specific conditions. Read more about the Update feature in the Hints & Tips section.
After choosing one of the three slots, you can optionally activate one of the following options:
Create additional "Legacy" BodyShop: this will create a second icon named "AnyBSX" that start a special BodyShop containing only the packs selected for the AnyGame; this is extremely useful when creating a sim, or cloning clothings, in order to avoid to unknowingly include stuff from unfrequently used packs (Celebration, Glamour, Holiday add-ons etc.).
Customize shortcut icon: by default, the installer identifies the game configuration and chooses the best icon available, from a wide pool of icons:
For example, if you create an AnyGame with UNI, NL and OFB, the game will identify it as a "Up2OFB game", and will choose the proper icon. But in case you want a specific icon to identify your AnyGame, then you can activate the option "Customize shortcut icon" and the installer will ask you to choose the desired icon, among the ones provided.
Type of game to create:
The "standard game" is the normal Maxis game with all the pre-defined neighborhoods, lots and sims (PleasantView, StrangeTown, Veronaville etc.); it's perfect for Legacy Games, but requires more disk space.
The "mini-game" contains only one small neighborhood, with one residential lot occupied by the reknown Randy and Rhonda Random ; the lot catalog contains only one residential lot, the family bin is empty. If needed, you can add the Maxis sub-NH (university, downtown, vacation etc.). Mini-games are suitable as test environments, because they are "clean" and load up quickly.
The "empty game" contains absolutely nothing: no NH, no lots, no families; it only contains some empty terrains (otherwise you couldn't create any new NH); if you are going to create a neighborhood to share, you should create it withing an "empty game". Please note that Maxis sub-NH are not allowed in empty games: you have to create new sub-NH from scratch, if needed.
Game resolution: choose whether you want the AnyGame to run fullscreen, or in a small/widescreen/large window.
Sound options: turn the game sound ON or OFF.
Game language: sometimes you may need to test a creation in a foreign game; using these options you can force the game to start in one of the listed languages. If you don't need to change the language, set it to "Original" (in brackets, you will read the default language used by your game).
Check for updates: activating this option, the installer will briefly go online to check if there are newer AGS versions available; if so, it will alert the user, suggesting to visit the official AGS thread (this one) to read the news and download the new version. This option, by default, is checked if an active internet connection is detected; otherwise it deselects automatically. If you deselect it manually, it will stay deactivated.
DELETE existing AnyGames.
By selecting this option (at the bottom of the EP list, or from the drop-down menu), you can delete one or more existing AnyGames. In the next screen, you can choose which AnyGame(s) should be delete; if you select them all, the AnyGameStarter will completely uninstall itself, deleting all the AnyGames and all the icons from your desktop and the Start menu.
NOTE 1: only the three AnyGames (along with the connected AnyBS) can be deleted; the AGS installer won't do anything to the Full Game, the PermaGames and the deprecated BGS games created with the old BaseGameStarter installer.
NOTE 2: the "Delete" option only appears if at least one AnyGame is found.
Make PERMANENT an existing game.
By selecting this task (at the bottom of the EP list, or from the drop-down menu), the installer can transform into a PermaGame (Permanent game) one of previously installed AnyGames, or one of the deprecated BGS games created with the old BaseGameStarter installer.
I've included the PermaGame task for two main reasons:
bypass the 3-slot limit of the AnyGameStarter: sometimes we might need to have more than three AnyGames at the same time (for example, to quickly test an object in several different environments), so we can make some of them permanent, thus freeing one or more slots;
update and transform the old BaseGameStarter games into PermaGames, since the old BaseGameStarter is now obsolete, unsupported and incompatible with Mansion & Garden.
Force Re-create icons for "Standard" and "BGS mode".
Usually, the installer detects if the said icons are missing and automatically re-creates them; but in case it doesn't, you can double-click on the main executable (AnyGameStarter_Setup.exe) and choose the option "Force Re-create icons for Standard and BGS mode" (found at the bottom of the EP list or in the drop-down menu). This will restore the missing icons on the desktop.
use the "BGS Mode" icon to activate the special BaseGameStarter operating mode. Click the button below to know more.
HOW TO USE THE AGS INSTALLER - "BGS MODE"
=======================================
By starting the installer in BGS Mode, you can create/replace a AnyGame using the simplified "BaseGameStarter" interface; you can also make permanent an existing AGS/BGS game, or delete an existing AnyGame.
IMPORTANT: please don't confuse the new BGS-style AnyGames created with this AGS installer, with the old BGS games created with the deprecated BaseGameStarter installer:
- new BGS-style games can be created, deleted and made permanent;
- old BaseGameStarter games can only be made permanent (you can delete them only using the old BaseGameStarter installer).
Before doing anything, you have to LOCATE THE RIGHT ICON to start the installer.
Look at your desktop, and search for the "BGS Mode" icon:
If you can't find it, then double-click on the "AnyGameStarter_Setup.exe" that you have extracted from the rar downloaded from this thread: the "BGS Mode" icon should immediately appear on the desktop; if not, select the option "Force re-create icons" from the drop-down menu.
Now start the installer using the "BGS Mode" icon, and choose one of the entries from the drop-down menu. Please note that the BGS mode only works using the drop-down menu: there is no list of EP to select/deselect.
CREATE a BGS-style game.
This is the main function of the installer. Apart from the last couple lines, the entire drop-down menu is reserved to the various pre-made BGS games:
You can select from the list the desired "Only..." or "Up to..." game:
Only XYZ: these games contain only the named Expansion or Stuff pack.
Up to XYZ: these games include the named EP/SP, plus all the previous EP and SP (i.e. "Up to Pets" contains PETS, GLS, FFS, OFB, NL and UNI). The entries in the drop-down menu are in "chronological order", so that it's easy to know which are the "previous EP and SP" that will be included in the game.
NOTE 1: In the BGS games, Store Edition is always excluded, as well as the Holiday packs; if you need to include those packs, you must run the installer in Standard Mode. NOTE 2: You can create up to three BGS games, one by one (it's not possible to create multiple games at once, like in the old BGS installer). NOTE 3: the created BGS games are considered "temporary", meaning that the installer can delete, replace or uninstall them without any special warning (if you need a safer game, read on about the PermaGames).
After clicking "NEXT", you are presented the Additional Options window (it's a simplified version of the Standard Mode one):
The BGS Mode offers a limited selection of options, most of which are quite self-explanatory, but anyway here is a detailed description of all of them.
AnyGame to create/replace: here you decide which of the THREE available "slots" should be used for the AnyGame that you are creating. If the slot is already taken by an existing AnyGame, the entry is "Replace AnyGameX"; otherwise you read "Create AnyGameX". NOTE: the "slots" are shared between the BGS games and the normal AnyGames created using the installer in Standard Mode.
Type of game to create:
The "standard game" is the normal Maxis game with all the pre-defined neighborhoods, lots and sims (PleasantView, StrangeTown, Veronaville etc.); it's perfect for Legacy Games, but requires more disk space.
The "mini-game" contains only one small neighborhood, with one residential lot occupied by the reknown Randy and Rhonda Random ; the lot catalog contains only one residential lot, the family bin is empty. If needed, you can add the Maxis sub-NH (university, downtown, vacation etc.). Mini-games are suitable as test environments, because they are "clean" and load up quickly.
Game resolution: choose whether you want the AnyGame to run fullscreen, or in a small/widescreen/large window.
Sound options: turn the game sound ON or OFF.
Check for updates: activating this option, the installer will briefly go online to check if there are newer AGS versions available; if so, it will alert the user, suggesting to visit the official AGS thread (this one) to read the news and download the new version. This option, by default, is checked if an active internet connection is detected; otherwise it deselects automatically. If you deselect it manually, it will stay deactivated.
DELETE existing AnyGames.
By selecting this option (at the bottom of the EP list, or from the drop-down menu), you can delete one or more existing AnyGames (which includes standard AnyGames and BGS-style games). In the next screen, you can choose which AnyGame(s) should be delete; if you select them all, the AnyGameStarter will completely uninstall itself, deleting all the AnyGames and all the icons from your desktop and the Start menu.
NOTE 1: only the three AnyGames (or BGS games created with this installer) can be deleted; the AGS installer won't do anything to the Full Game, the PermaGames and the deprecated BGS games created with the old BaseGameStarter installer.
NOTE 2: the "Delete" option only appears if at least one AnyGame is found.
Make PERMANENT an existing game.
By selecting this task (at the bottom of the EP list, or from the drop-down menu), the installer can transform into a PermaGame (Permanent game) one of previously installed AnyGames, or one of the new BGS-style games, or one of the deprecated BGS games created with the old BaseGameStarter installer.
I've included the PermaGame task for two main reasons:
bypass the 3-slot limit of the AnyGameStarter: sometimes we might need to have more than three AnyGames at the same time (for example, to quickly test an object in several different environments), so we can make some of them permanent, thus freeing one or more slots;
update and transform the old BaseGameStarter games into PermaGames, since the old BaseGameStarter is now obsolete, unsupported and incompatible with Mansion & Garden.
Either mode you choose (Standard or BGS), the installer will let you - in addition to create new games - to delete existing games or making them permanent.
NOTE: the AGS installer must be run using an administrator account (the same used to install the full game).
What is this "Mini-Game"? Why should I select this option, instead of the "Standard Game"?
The Mini-Games are much smaller and faster to load, because they only contain one small neighborhood, without sub-NH. The mini-game neighborhood contains only one residential lot (Randoms' Retreat) occupied by a two-members sim family (Randy and Rhonda Random). The lot bin contain only one unoccupied residential lot and a community lot; the family bin is empty.
This way, the mini-game is ready to be used for any test, but still is small and clean enough to be loaded very quickly. If you need to add a sub-neighborhood, the Maxis pre-made ones are available (universities, downtown, shopping districts, etc.). All the hidden lots, such as Witches' castles, Hobby secret lots, vacation hidden lots etc, are automatically created when you first enter the mini-game NH.
What is this "Empty Game"? What is the differences with the Mini-Game?
The Empty Game, is even... empier then the Mini-Game; it contains no neighborhoods at all, and the lot/family bins are completely empty.
Moreover, the Empty Game is set up so to prevent the game from creating the default lots and NPC: this way, you can create an empty neighborhood that is kept empty when you enter it: no sub-neighborhoods, no hidden lots, no default NPCs, nothing. The game will contain only things that you purposely create yourself.
I have different Windows accounts, used to play different copies of the game; is it a problem?
Having multiple accounts is fine, but keep in mind some important facts.
The installer must always be run with administrative priviledges; if all the different accounts are administrative, there's no problem. If you want to run the AGS installer under a "user" account, you must use tho Vista option "Run as Administrator", or the XP option "Run as..." (and then select an Admin account).
The AGS installer works on a per-user basis: the mini-game installed under one account won't work under another account. In case you need the same mini-game under several accounts, you must run the AGS installer once per account.
The mini-games created by the installer must be run as administrator, too! This is because the mini-games need to temporarily modify some Registry keys in the "HK_Local_Machine" section.
I have some expansion on CD, and some other were bought online. Can I use the AGS installer?
In some cases, there's a workaround, that allows - at least - a limited usage of the AGS even with online EPs; but in any case, my warning is still valid: the AGS is to be considered incompatible with the online EPs, because I don't have online versions and I can't run any test in such environment. If you want to try yourself, do it at your own risk.
The workaround is based to the fact that when you run an AnyGame, it actually runs the executable from the latest EP included in the AnyGame. Therefore, if you have some online EPs and some CD-versions, you can create and run an Anygame that includes, as the latest EP, a CD version.
For example, if you have:
- CD versions for UNI, PETS and BV
- online versions for SSN, FT and AL
then you can create an AnyGame that includes BV as the latest EP (thus excluding FT and AL); you can even include SSN in this AnyGame: the fact that SSN is an online game is irrelevant, since the "latest EP" is BV, i.e. a CD game!
IMPORTANT: When I talk about "EPs" I mean games that act as an Expansion Packs (not Stuff Packs); for example, if you have IKEA on CD, you CAN'T use it as "Latest EP" in an AnyGame!
For your reference, here is a full list of games that act as Expansions, and therefore can be used as "Latest EP" in an AnyGame, if you own the CD: Base, UNI, NL, OFB, FFS, GLS, PETS, SSN, BV, FT, AL, MG.
As you can see, some Stuff Packs (FFS, GLS and MG) act as Expansions, and therefore can be included in the AnyGame as "latest EP".
Why the "UPDATE AnyGame ..." option does not appear in the list?
It's not always possible to update an existing AnyGame. Keep in mind that:
Adding new EP/SP to an existing AnyGame is always possible (you can see which EP/SP are included in the existing games by reading the configuration that appear in square brackets in the Create/Replace AnyGame list, next to each game).
Removing an EP/SP is not always possible, because older expansions can't read neighborhoods saved with newer versions. However, you can safely remove any pack from the existing AnyGame, as long as you keep the current "latest EP" (or you replace it with a newer EP).
For example, if you have created an AnyGame with the configuration Base + UNI + NL + OFB, you can safely remove UNI and NL (thus keeping OFB); or you can even remove OFB, if you add a newer EP (for example SSN, or BV, or any other EP newer than OFB).
Important: When I say "Newer EP", I mean a pack (EP or SP!) that has a greater score in the following table: Base=0 - UNI=1 - NL=2 - OFB=3 - FFS=4 - GLS=5 - CEL/HM/TSS/KB/IKEA=6 - PETS=7 - SSN=8 - BV/Store=9 - FT=10 - AL=11 - M&G=12
As you can see, our example game (Base+UNI+NL+OFB) has a score of 3, and therefore it can be updated with any other game configuration with score >= 3, such as (just to mention a few): Base+OFB, Base+NL+FFS, Base+AL, etc.
NOTE: Store Edition - In the list above, you can see that Store Edition has a score of 9 (just like BV); however, I strongly advice NOT to use Store as "Latest EP": if really you can't avoid including Store in your AnyGame, at least you should add an EP with score greater than 9.
This is because Store Edition is crap It acts as a BV-like expansion, but can't actually manage the removal of some older expansions, especially Pets (while the real BV can manage the removal of Pets and any other pack).
PLAYING THE INSTALLED GAMES
How can I install a lot or a custom Sim into a AnyGame, BGSgame or PermaGame?
Very easy! Just drag & drop the Sims2Pack over the chosen game icon:
The Maxis installer or the CleanInstaller will open up, asking for confirmation: just confirm the default path and the lot (or sim) will be automatically installed in the right folder.
I have installed many different games, and now I don't remember what icon starts what game.
The AGS installer does its best to assign a visually understandable icon and a descriptive name to the shortcut; I also strongly suggest to rename the icons as soon as they are created by the installer, so to better remember the characteristics of the installed game.
In any case, the most powerful information source is the tooltip:
Just hover the mouse over an AGS icon (default or customized, game or BodyShop), and the tooltip will tell you all the game parameters, the packs included, etc.
I play the normal game under a "User" account; is this a problem?.
YES, this is a problem. The games created with the AGS installer (as well the installer itself) must be run as administrator. This is because the mini-games need to temporarily modify some Registry keys in the "HK_Local_Machine" section. If your Windows account is a "User" one, you must use the Vista option "Run as Administrator", or the XP option "Run as..." (and then select an Admin account).
TROUBLESHOOTING AND REPORTING BUGS
Problems with the installer (wrong or blank icons, games not correctly created or moved, errors issued while installing...).
Please post in this thread, giving as many information as possible about the task you were performing with the installer, and possibly a screenshot.
You should also provide the install log; in order to create a log, run the installer using the icons located in the Start Menu -> AnyGameStarter: the icons in the Start Menu are different, because force the installer to create a log ("AGSinstaller_Log.txt") on your desktop. Compress the log into a zip and attach it to your help request post.
If you can't fin'd the icons in the Start Menu, or you have deleted them, run the installer in any possible way (even double-clicking on the AnyGameStarter_Setup.exe) and choose the option "Force re-create icons" form the drop-down menu.
Problems while running the games ("Wrong CD" error, games not starting, error messages issued while starting a game...).
Please post in this thread, giving as many information as possible about the game you were running, and the error you experienced.
You need to include the AppFiles folder (compressed into a zip) to you help request. The location of the AppFiles folder is:
AnyGames (including BGS-style games created with this installer) --> there is only one AppFiles, shared between all the AnyGames, located in: (Documents)\AnyGameStarter;
PermaGames --> Each PermaGame has its own AppFiles folder, located in: (Documents)\AnyPermaGames\PermaGameX (where X is the PermaGame number).
Old BGS games (created with the deprecated BaseGameStarter installer) --> No support is given on these games any more. Please convert them to PermaGames, test them, and if they still have problems, follow the instructions in the "PermaGames" section, above.
MY "FULL GAME" HAS BEEN DELETED/NUKED/BROKEN!
OK, take a deep breath and calm down: you full game is safe and has NOT been deleted. You DON'T HAVE to reinstall anything.
Here is what you have to do:
Be sure to have the latest AGS installer.
From the Start menu, select the icon "AnyGameStarter -> AGS installer (Standard)". If you don't see it, double-click on the file "AnyGameStarter_Setup.exe" (downloaded from this thread): it will create the icons in the Start menu. (Note: the icon from the Start menu are special: they create an Install Log on the desktop).
After selecting the "Standard" icon from the Start menu, you should see the first page of the AGS installer:
At this point, you can click Cancel: the installer has already tried to fix your game.
RESTART WINDOWS. This is important! It will force Windows to read the fixed path to the Documents folder.
Test your Full Game, to see if it's normal again.
If the Full Game still doesn't work, then run again the installer using the "Standard" icon from the Start menu; create an AnyGame (it's not important which one).
Go to (Documents)\AnyGameStarter and compress the folder AppFiles into a zip. Include in the zip also the file "AGSinstaller_Log.txt" that you should see on your desktop.
Post in this thread, explaining your problem and attaching the ZIP.
BASEGAMESTARTER
What happened to the old BaseGameStarter?
The internal code of the BGS is similar, but different than the AGS one; and both have grown too big and complex to be maintained separately. Therefore, I decided to merge them into the new AGS v.2. After all, the only "pro" of the BGS was the simplicity of usage (pre-made games, few options, nice recognizable icons), and all these features can now be found in the "BGS Mode" of the new installer.
What should I do with the old BGS games already installed?
You don't have to do anything; they will be automatically updated (if needed) to be compatible with Mansion & Garden, and will still work like before. Only, they are considered unsupported; for this reason, I strongly suggest to convert to PermaGames the old BGS games that you really need, and then completely uninstall the old BaseGameStarter.
When converting old BGS games to PermaGames, I don't see all my old BGS games in the list! Why?
The AGS installer checks whether you have run each old BGS games at least once; if you, for example, installed the "OnlyCEL" game with the old BGS installer, but you never actually run the OnlyCEL game, then you are not allowed to convert it to a PermaGame: if you really want it, you should instead create a new AnyGame containing only Celebration, using the AGS installer.
HOW TO UNINSTALL
You can either use the Add/Remove Program panel, or run again the AGS installer and choose the option "Delete existing AnyGames" (and then select all the games). When you delete the last mini-game, the AGS is automatically uninstalled anyway.
NOTE: uninstalling the AGS will delete the three AGS games; neither the Full Game nor the PermaGames will be deleted.
CREDITS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks a million to MaryLou for creating most of the icons and the community lot included in the mini-game.
The AGS installer has been created using Inno Setup, the ISTool user interface and a lot of self-learned Pascal coding -
CHANGELOG and HISTORY
It's a long story, but if you're interested, click the button!
CHANGE LOG and HISTORY
=========================
Version 2.0.3 (03 Jan 2009)
New "Debug Mode" icon in the Start Menu: use it if you have problems with the Documents folder; the icon forces the installer to open a folder selector, where to select the right Documents folder.
Fixed a bug that prevented the correct conversion into PermaGame of old BGS games created with BGS installers older than v. 2.2.
Many thanks to Aelflaed for reporting and helping tracking down the bug.
Fixed a rare bug that caused the AnyGame/PermaGame batch files to be mangled, thus preventing the AnyGames or PermaGames to run at all, or forced the Any/PermaGames to run using the "full" save-game folder.
Many thanks to Lord Darcy for reporting and helping tracking down the bug.
Version 2.0.2 (27 Dec 2008)
Bugfix: The installer issued a "File not found" error while converting old BGS games, if no AnyGames were found. Thanks to Aelflaed for reporting.
Version 2.0.1 (26 Dec 2008)
Bugfix: The full game "lost" the Apartment Life expansion if IKEA was not installed. Thanks to LauraLaima and PenChris for reporting and providing helpful info.
Version 2.0.0 (25 Dec 2008)
BaseGameStarter merged into the AnyGameStarter: the code of the AGS/BGS has become too complex to maintain them separately; starting with v. 2.0.0, the AGS includes the old BGS functions (see detailed instructions in the How To Use section).
PermaGames: now you can make your favourite AGS/BGS games permanent, meaning that nothing can modify or delete them (except a manual deletion by the user). This is useful, for example, for the Legacy games or the frequently used test-games. PermaGames are also a good way to circumvent the 3-slot limit of the AGS, in case you need to install many games at the same time.
Online check for updates: this option (activated by default if an internet connection is detected) checks if a new update has been released; if so, it suggests the user to visit the official AGS thread to download the new version.
Support for all the expansions: the AGS now supports all the existing expansions up to Mansion & Garden. IMPORTANT: the packs bought from EA's online store are NOT supported!
Improved, more robust fail-safe code: the AGS installer now checks and fixes automatically the most frequent problems (misplaced Documents folders, EP not seen by the main game, "Wrong CD" bug, etc...). Just start the installer, without even creating a game, and it will perform its magic
New terrain for the mini-game: now the mini-game is built over a terrain with many flat areas, so to allow lot builders to find a good building site easier.
Version 1.6 (12 sept 2008)
New Feature: Apartment Life - The AGS is now compatible with the Apartment Life EP: you can include or exclude it at will.
New Feature: Store Edition - The AGS is now compatible with The Sims 2 Store Edition (beta); for anyone curious about this, SE is seen as a Stuff Pack by the game; it doesn't add anything to the game (you have to buy/download stuff online), but there are some exclusive objects that will appear only if you have SE installed and activated. Therefore, the AGS now gives the ability to include SE in the minigame. However, I strongly suggest to deactivate it, unless you really need it: it's mostly useless in a minigame, and might cause your creations to require SE to work.
Improvement: [Double] Deluxe - Solved a little bug that made the "No Maxis Content" option not work properly with [Double] Deluxe.
Improvement: "Wrong Disk" error - The internal code has been partly rewritten, hopefully solving the "Wrong Disk" bug that some users were experiencing with IKEA.
Improvement: Faster loading and cleaner catalog - When using the "Mini Game (no Maxis content)" option, the hidden lots (FT and AL) are now created without any characters; they will be created automatically by the game whenever really needed. Also, all the pre-made Dorms, Hotel and Apartments have been stripped from the Lot Bin.
Version 1.5 (28 june 2008)
New Feature: IKEA Home Stuff - The AGS is now compatible with the IKEA Home Stuff SP: you can include or exclude it at will.
Improvement: [Double] Deluxe - I've finally managed to get access to a Deluxe and a Double Deluxe installations, and therefore I can ensure full compatibility with both Sims2 versions, and also provide assistance if needed.
Bugfixes: IKEA, EP detection and Lot installation - Under some circumstances, running an AnyGame caused the IKEA stuff to disappear from the Full Game; also, in some cases the EP/SP selector showed EPs actually not installed in the computer; lastly, the installation of lots (by Drag&Drop) didn't work fine when the screen resolution was set to fullscreen. All these bugs have been fixed.
Version 1.4 / 1.4b (18/24 may 2008)
New Feature: Kitchen & Bath - The AGS is now compatible with the Kitchen & Bath SP: you can include or exclude it at will.
New Feature: "AnyBodyshop" - Now you can optionally add a second icon to each AnyGame, that will start the related BodyShop (i.e. a BodyShop that includes only the EP/SP selected for the AnyGame).
New Feature: "No Maxis Default Content" "Game Type" choice - In order to greatly speed up the game loading (especially the first time you run a newly-created AnyGame), you can optionally get rid of all the additional lots, families and neighborhoods that come with specific EPs (i.e. the "Maxis default content"): no more "Creating Pets/Weather/Exotic Destinations" screens, no more catalogs clogged with the same old lots and families! Moreover, this option will stop the intro movie from playing (even faster loading!).
NOTE: you can still manually create colleges, exotic destinations, downtowns and everything; and you will still find all the clothings, hair styles etc. in the CAS/BodyShop.
You can choose between the following options:
Standard Game - This option creates a complete game, with all the default neighborhoods, families, lots and everything; it's useful if you want to create a secondary "full game" with a specific theme (e.g. a "medieval" Pleasantville).
Mini Game - This option creates a game containing only the "Mini-Game" neighborhood, with one occupied house already installed and two more in the lot bin; if you want, you can manually add the Maxis pre-made colleges, downtown, etc. (or create custom empty sub-NHs). This is the perfect environment for testing your creations or building lots to share.
Empty Game - This will create a perfectly empty game, without neighborhoods, sub-nh, sims, lots: nothing at all. Choose this option if you want to create an entirely new neighborhood to share with other players.
The neighborhoods created in this empty game will require the newest EP, among the ones you selected (if you deselect all the EP, the resulting NH will be base-game compatible). The size of the created empty NH can vary, but it's extremely small (a base-game simple NH: 190 Kb; an all-EP NH with college, downtown, shop district and 3 vacation dest.: 16 Mb)
Version 1.3 (13 mar 2008)
New Feature: Freetime - The AGS is now compatible with Freetime: you can include or exclude it at will.
New Feature: 64 bit compatibility - The AGS installer will automatically detect 64bit systems, and will install the proper file versions.
Improvement: Temporary language - The code related to the management of the temporary game language has been fixed and improved; there should be no more issues infrequent languages such as Russian or Hungarian.
Version 1.2c (06 feb 2008)
New Feature: NoSound - Now, when installing an AGS game, you can choose whether to mute it or not.
Improvement: tooltip - For better readability, the tooltip shows the info split in 4 lines.
Version 1.2b (02 dec 2007)
BugFix: FullGame - Thanks to the users' reports, I've tracked down and fixed a bug that prevented the Full Game to run correctly whenever the user did NOT have all the EP/SP. Reinstalling the AGS will fix your Full Game.
New Feature: Language choice - Now you can force the AnyGame to use a specific language, chosen from a list of 11 (plus, of course, your original language). This is extremely useful if you are going to create something aimed to an international audience: you can see how your creation behaves in a foreign game!
Version 1.2 (29 nov 2007)
New Feature: Teen Style - Now the AGS works fine with the Teen Style Stuff pack, and can include this SP into your AnyGames.
New Feature: Drag&Drop lot installation - You can now install .sims2pack files by simply dragging the sims2pack over the chosen mini-game icon, and the BGS will let you install the sims2pack content into the mini-game, instead of the full game. When the installer opens up, just confirm the installation into the *default* path. This works with both the Clean Installer and the Maxis installer.
New Feature: Icon Tooltip - Unlike the BGS, whose icons have an explanatory name, the AnyGame icons are somewhat "anonymous", and so you can forget which packs you have included in that particular mini-game.
Now the AGS icons have a tooltip that will remind you the game configuration.
New Feature: Collections - Now the BGS installer copies all your collections from your full game to each mini-game; this won't harm nor slow down your mini-game because the collections are just small files that contain references to the actual objects: if the mini-game doesn't include the EP needed for some objects to be displayed, the collection will appear empty (e.g. if you open the "Nightlife stuff" collection in a OnlyUNI game, you won't see any object inside).
Improvement - Screen resolutions - Implemented in the AGS the same feature of the BGS, that allows you to set a resolution for your AnyGame (3 standard and 2 widescreen resolutions are available)
New Community Lot in catalog: a ready-to-use lot, useful for quick tests, created by MaryLou for all of us to enjoy
Version 1.1b (30 sept 2007)
Fixed a bug that affected only some users: when starting
the mini-game, actually the Full game started; or the game
complaints about not running the right game. If you are not experiencing this bug, you don't need to redownload.
Version 1.1 (30 sept 2007)
The AGS now does NOT cause game crashes any more.
The new installer will also fix your crashing problem, if you
didn't already fixed it yourself reading THIS POST.
Other improvements: > Now compatible with Sims 2 Deluxe
(will also fix the "Nightlife uninstalled" error)
> You can now choose the screen resolution for the AnyGames
> Better handling of games without Bon Voyage
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*** I RETIRED FROM MODDING ***
You may contact me via personal messages here at MTS, and I will reply, but I don't grant I can help you, as a long time has gone by since I created my mods.
This following policy applies to ALL my creations, unless otherwise stated on the download thread.
It's FORBIDDEN: to repost my stuff anywhere.
It's FORBIDDEN: to clone my creations.
It's ALLOWED: to create recolours for my objects (and post them on any site, including paysites), BUT you can't include the mesh in your recolour: you must give credits to me for the mesh, and provide a link to the mesh download thread.
It's ALLOWED: to include my creations in your lots, BUT the lots must be uploaded on free sites (except the Exchange), and you must provide credits and a link to the download thread.
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AnyGameStarter v. 2.1.3 (for CD/DVD games) * UPD 29 Dec 2017
AnyGameStarter v. 2.1.3 (for CD/DVD games) * UPD 29 Dec 2017
Collection packs other than Deluxe, Double Deluxe and Holiday Ed. 2005/06 are not supported. If you install the AGS with any other collection pack, you will probably have to uninstall and reinstall all of your games to get back to a working state. 
IMPORTANT - COMPATIBILITY LIST 
Version 2.1.3 (29 Dec 2017)
Version 2.1.3 (29 Dec 2017)
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