You're not supposed to put it somewhere in the game files, you're supposed to "run it on" the EXE files. The patch file itself can be on the desktop. You double-click the patch file and select the EXE file you want to fix. It's not a patch like the TS2 patches. It mainly fixes some settings for 32-bit EXE program files to allow access to 4 GB instead of 2 GB RAM, and can be used for various EXE files if they have that same issue. 64-bit programs (TS4 for instance) already can access more RAM and don't need the fix.

I've put my M&G EXE file back into its orignal place, and it works fine there. Same with the Bodyshop file - it's in the original place. For me that works fine.

I know some tutorials say to put the M&G and Bodyshop EXE files in some other folder, not sure what the logic is behind that one (there was an explanation somewhere, but that information was slapped onto my brain with a long-gone sticky note ), but if the file works fine from the original location (or doesn't work from the other location), I see no reason to put it any other place than where the game originally put them.

Add the 4GB patch to: The Sims 2 : your last EP (or in the case of the UC, it goes under Pets, because the Mansion and Garden exe is there).

I added it to Bodyshop as well - it is a separate program, and has its own launcher, so you add it there and Bodyshop works better.

Added it to SimCity4 as well.

You can add it to any program or game you want if you want it to use at least 4GB, at least, that is my understanding of the patch.

Ooh I didn't knowthat. Is there a way to improve bodyshop in general? I noticed mine seems to be using low quality textures.

^ Tutorial, if your Bodyshop drops the texture size down (for instance, you should get files with 1024x1024 for body, but you get 512x512 instead).
https://www.wikihow.com/Fix-Your-Bo...s-in-The-Sims-2

Low quality is best fixed with replacing the textures in SimPE.

thank you both.

Not sure if this is the right place to ask, but I've had a small issue with ACR.

I set it so that Global Override for Jealousy is "Engaged/Going Steady", so that there's a bit more of a distance between Sims getting insanely jealous because one is on a date with another Sim. But despite this being set, I was on a community lot and Leon (accidentally, by my mis-click) asked Irene on a date and she said yes. And then Victor, who was walking by on the lot, ran up to her and slapped her as Sims do when they see what is considered 'Cheating'.

Victor and Irene had an ACR-caused Woohoo and they got crushes on each other, but nothing more than that. Does the ACR adjuster have to be on the community lot for the global override/default to work or did I otherwise mess up?

Does anyone know what the reason could be for no fish showing up in the koi pond oceanography career reward in my game?

I placed the career reward and went into live mode for several hours but there wasn't a single fish to be seen. It can't be because of a mod because this happened even with an empty downloads folder. I tried in spring, summer and autumn.

What are your shader settings? Those affect fish.

Do I find out what my shader settings are in the GraphicsRules file? If so, what would I need to search for? I used the search term "shader" but a lot of results came up and I didn't know which of all of those shader settings you were asking about.

This one turns on shaders (and effects).

boolProp UseShaders true

You can put it in your UserStartup file as an "always on" cheat (but if you just want to test it, you can type it in like a regular cheat or use an alias). If you use a lighting hack, it's usually a required cheat for the hack to work.

Small warning - things will look different (some items get a boost with effects like reflections and bump maps, while others don't wear the effects very well, some older CC in particular), and it's heavier on the computer, so make sure yours can handle it. If you happen to play on a "potato" or have regular fights with a Nvidia card, and notice an increase in crashing or pink-flashing, this cheat could be part of the reason.



I could almost swear I saw a mod that let you have fish showing without the shaders on, but if so, I seem to have mislaid the link, and Google wasn't helpful.

That graphics Rule or SGR file in the install is what I edited to disable simple terrain and I used Notepad+ instead of Notepad to edit the working copy of that file and switched out a copy of it for the original in the directory.I quicky discovered that trying to edit it in Notepad just resulted in it becoming a text file though I've been able to save it as SGR in Notepad+ by selecting all files when saving it.

boolProp UseShaders true did the trick! The koi are in the pond again, I'm so happy!
I don't play on a potato but unfortunately I happen to have a NVIDIA graphics card so pink soup and I are old friends. I guess from now on I'll have to decide whether I want empty ponds or to tempt the almighty cook of the pink soup.
Thank you all for your help!


EDIT:

I found this one and I'm happy to say that it works great. Thank you so much for mentioning this as an alternative!

Why is the highest level in the medical career called Chief of Staff?

I associate the title "Chief of Staff" more with the military than with medicine. The senior General in the British army is called Chief of the General Staff. Before 1964 his title was Chief of the Imperial General Staff, which used to be abbreviated to CIGS. It made me think he must be a heavy smoker!

I see there's a similar designation in the American army.

Is the senior (and managing) doctor in American hospitals frequently designated as "Chief of Staff"?

I'm wondering what Fred Boyce, who is Chief of Staff in Veronaville (and a townie!), actually does for a living to justify his very large salary. Since he seems to be the senior physician around here (and therefore the best??), Nicholas and Alexandra Romanov would like him to take over the personal medical care of their son Alexei. I don't know what poor Alexei thinks about it all! I think more than anything else, he would like to be left alone to hang out with the local teens.

Most of the time they're called Administrators. presidents or Directors. They're on par with CEO's of most companies.

The Chief of Staff is the head of the medical staff, responsible for providing leadership and guidance to the medical staff and promoting effective communication between the medical staff, administration and Board of Trustees.

That's the one I was thinking about. Saving the link/mod for future reference (because someone else might find it useful, including me, even though I play with the cheat on).

Is there a certain AI when it comes to who arrives at a community business lot? In my current file, I only have one customer from the neighborhood all the time, and she stopped buying things. I know I have a BACC, meaning I don't have townies and only a very limited customer base right now (Five other Sims in total, not counting the witches that are made and I don't think they can be customers?) but is there anything that makes it so that more sims arrive to buy things on those lots?

The higher level businesses have higher customer counts. Yeah, if you don't have townies yet it's going to take a loooong time to gain levels.

Odd because a similar BACC setup by someone else, they got Rank 1 very fast with only one or two customers across a few days.

PS: I remembered a different question I had. How do I use Skyboxes? Or something that lets me change the default skies. They all say place it (like a neighborhood decoration) in the farthest, lowest corner of your map. But when I tried, it doesn't seem to fit or it barely covers anything.

I did not see your answer. The truth is that I came to the same conclusion as you. I think like I'm creating a new sim and I'm only importing its appearance... Although speculation makes me always have doubts. So I'll try to do the "cleaning" with bodyshop. xD

How do you make makeup the top layer instead of skin overlays? I made vampire skin an overlay (selected with a tattoo box) and it dilutes the makeup. Is there a way to edit the overlay so that it's not the top layer?

EDIT: Figured it out for myself!! There's a line in SimPE in Texture Overlay called "layer" and you just change that to 0 and it will be the bottom layer. The overlay skin has to be removed and reapplied in game afterwards. I'm so happy Always so fun to figure out these things with next to 0 knowledge

What are some simple small businesses a retired couple could run, preferably on a community lot? Just looking for some new ideas.

A fresh fish store is my go-to business now. I usually set it up on a small lot with a little pond on it - that way, the owners can have fun and socialise with other fishing sims and replenish their stock whenever they need to. And I've found the fish very easy to sell as well.

A small grocery store. They sell food and flowers, everyone likes flowers and food.

I like running a takeaway using the deli counter.

Question: Does the RPC launcher pack chooser option work like the old AGS ie it won't change your main game and it can work without including M&G? There doesn't seem to be any documentation about it and I don't want to lose my game by experimenting.