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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 16th Jun 2019 at 9:55 PM
Default Preservation of mods and their guides
Many years have passed, but will the things will have same accessibility in future?
I just got worried about that.

Some time ago, I downloaded over 2 GB of mods for Sims 2. Now I forgot where I got them. Maybe they are from here, or other sites.
Maybe certain mods I have - are now cannot be re-downloaded from same place. Whether the uploader took it down, or the website is shut down.

I cannot fully dedicate myself into one activity, due to many life factors - I forget what I learned over long time of not using that knowledge.
For example, I was looking for the mods that optimize the game, so it would reduce the lag and also disables the unnecessary townies. I forgot that. And because I forgot where I backed up these mod files, I had to spend hours to find them back again.
It's good that these files are still available for downloading.

But there's another problem. Certain mods and game itself has very specific way of use. Like, how on earth I should understand how to edit the .package file without a guide, if I need to.
I already forgot how to replace sims appearance with other sim. There was some guide that explains how to replace them. So by following that guide, I replaced the newspaper deliverer's both clothes/body/skin with my custom sim that has many appearance mods, like tiger skin. But now I forgot how I did that in SimPe. I hope I'll be able to find that guide again how to do it.

Also about the mods that are not download-able anymore.
I can remember this was the case with GMod. Someone uploaded the blood splatter model effects into gmod workshop, so I downloaded it. But as the time passed, I spotted that this mod is not in workshop anymore.
So I probably have several mods that are not available for downloading anymore. And this thing - scares me.
The example of lost guides how to mod will be this link http://residentevilmodding.boards.n...ial-guide-index . All original poster's links are dead, or lead to download link which has no files anymore. Thankfully, there is one user in comments section with download link with a modding files compilation.

So now I'm thinking on how do I fully backup both the game, mods and guides for them.

It's "funny" how the data has infinite lifespan, but hardware is what it makes it mortal. Whether it's your local PC hardware, or someone's server hardware.

And by having 2 GB of mods, that consists of 4000+ files - it will be a hard task to understand which is what, because I was putting them into dis-organized mess. I wasn't thinking the way I do now.
Now I'm gonna download all text/video/image tutorials, in case if they get deleted. And I also will be doing sorting the files too, adding notes to them to know what is what.

I hope I'm not alone who thought about such similar topic.
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Mad Poster
#2 Old 16th Jun 2019 at 10:29 PM Last edited by simmer22 : 16th Jun 2019 at 10:43 PM.
It's why when I download something I always save a picture if there is one, a text file with information if there's things I need to know or special instructions, plus a link just in case. If there's any files elsewhere I need to download to make the mod work, I do so immediately - because with the rate sites are changing, getting deleted, and/or losing files these days I don't trust the site or the download to be there in a couple years' time.

I have a lot of downloads on external harddrives. They're not particularly organized, but they're in individual folders with the pictures, links and text files, so I don't get them mixed up.

Just out of curiosity, are you talking about mods/hacks (files that change game behavior or lets you do things the game normally doesn't let you do) or including things like clothes and furniture? Most of the community only use the word mod (or hack) when talking about game-changing modifications or hacks, and CC/Downloads or clothes/furniture/etc. when talking about the rest. Technically, they're all mods, but it sometimes gets a little confusing when someone uses "mod" to describe everything.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#3 Old 17th Jun 2019 at 8:48 AM
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
It's why when I download something I always save a picture if there is one, a text file with information if there's things I need to know or special instructions, plus a link just in case. If there's any files elsewhere I need to download to make the mod work, I do so immediately - because with the rate sites are changing, getting deleted, and/or losing files these days I don't trust the site or the download to be there in a couple years' time.

I have a lot of downloads on external harddrives. They're not particularly organized, but they're in individual folders with the pictures, links and text files, so I don't get them mixed up.

Just out of curiosity, are you talking about mods/hacks (files that change game behavior or lets you do things the game normally doesn't let you do) or including things like clothes and furniture? Most of the community only use the word mod (or hack) when talking about game-changing modifications or hacks, and CC/Downloads or clothes/furniture/etc. when talking about the rest. Technically, they're all mods, but it sometimes gets a little confusing when someone uses "mod" to describe everything.


Yes, I generalized everything listed below as mods. All of that must be saved.
I think the good way to ensure that we will be sharing such data is via peer to peer sharing ways. Who knows how long the mediafire will last, or whatever file hoster.
There was Megaupload long time ago...

Also with current youtube's political agenda, the risks of videos getting taken down are higher, if you're on the "wrong" side. I talk about youtube, because many guides are in video format which are mostly uploaded there.
And of course the original uploader might also delete it too, if the user in a emotional state that he/she decides to destroy his/her own creations.
Mad Poster
#4 Old 17th Jun 2019 at 6:00 PM
I think the only way to be close to 99% sure you manage to save the CC you want to maybe use in the future is to download it yourself, and put it on an external harddrive or somewhere else relatively safe, and doing like I do - saving a picture and a text explanation with it so you know what the item does or looks like.

I don't think it's possible to save every single CC item in a place where anyone can get to them. There are sites like PMBD for pay content (not sure if they're up again), the Graveyard (they just returned after several months), simscave, and various WCIF topics where people just so happen to have missing items to share. These sites have a tendency to go up and down and back up again, so they're not safe places where the CC will be forever. Better you just download what you want when you find it.

I probably ended up losing files when Mediafire suddely without warning deleted my account. Good thing I'd done a backup, so I had most of the mroe recent files, and since I rarely if ever delete things from my computer unless I have a copy somewhere, so I did find most of the missing files.
Forum Resident
#5 Old 17th Jun 2019 at 10:03 PM
You're right to worry about that, Aredein. To add to what simmer22's already said, this is the actual cost of all "free" mods---you're relying entirely on the generosity of the modder to support them, including whether or not the mods will even remain available and accessible for as long as you would like them to be.

Also, it's not always in the TOU of every modder to allow for their stuff to be posted elsewhere, even if they're no longer around. (And even if it is posted elsewhere, what happens if the reuploader misses stuff you had?)

The only thing that the TOU always will allow is that you can save personal backup copies. So although it seems like extra work, you really are your own best backup option. Especially in a game as old as TS2!

One other thing to consider: it's often easiest to update your mods/cc archives right when you download the new items. I guarantee it will feel like more work if you try to go back and archive stuff after you've already forgotten what it is or why you have it! So for me, just like I Compressorize all my cc before I install it in game (because if it doesn't work compressed, I don't need it), I also archive a copy right then while I still remember the details about it.

Good luck!

*Ongoing TS2 informational projects (come on by to contribute, get info, or spectate!): (1) the SimPE Preservation Project and (2) Conflict Tracking for the 3t2 Traits Project Mods
*Need a Pescado mod? Use his hack directory: in the first post, find the link for your latest EP, then go in hacks/
Mad Poster
#6 Old 17th Jun 2019 at 10:32 PM Last edited by simmer22 : 17th Jun 2019 at 10:49 PM.
^ Compressing may be a good idea (not everyone does this to their files, but more people should. It's a very useful spacesaver. Be careful in regards to hacks/mods, but since most of these files are tiny they don't really need compressing. Most items containing textures and meshes are fair game), and also if you decide to do various edits like recategorizing, re-pricing or making something shiftable. I've been trying to do that for my main Downloads folder, but it's a huge task considering that folder used to be around 35 GB, and that's only a tiny fraction of the CC I've collected over the years. Considering to just slowly do all the file fixing when I see the need for it, and maybe remove some items I no longer use (not delete, just move away - I rarely delete files because I might change my mind at a later point, and then the CC may be unobtainable).

One tip on whether files are compressed or not is to check the size of the recolor files. If all of them are almost exactly the same size and the time stamp varies, the files are most likely not compressed. They tend to be around 80-90 kb, 300-500 kb or 1-1,3 mb, depending on the texture size. If the file sizes vary but the time stamp is the same within a minute or two, then they're most likely compressed. CAS items directly from Bodyshop don't follow this pattern, but will do so if textures have been changed in SimPE.
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#7 Old 17th Jun 2019 at 11:49 PM
I make sure most of the time to also grab a picture, but some sites won't let you do so easily. Parsimonious a point in case. I had to literally take a screenshot of the page, then crop the picture and save to my desktop and only then could I drag a picture I made into the folder. Now I realize one of the downloads I didn't do that with and I am not sure what the item is. For the most part now though I save a picture and text info if needed onto a notepad page. I have tons of moods with no readme's though already. But anyway do as much of that as you can and save them. if we are all doing stuff like this then we can help each other out and help the graveyard site or any archive site-and there are a few archive dumps around.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Instructor
#8 Old 18th Jun 2019 at 1:01 AM
How many Sims-related contents, I mean CCs and mods, include readme file(for description and install instruction) in the archive? You can tell 'having readme is mandatory at some mod sites'(Nexus Mods, anyone?), but for personal homepages and blogs, including readme is not a 'must'. Even well-known fan communities, I think.
Mad Poster
#9 Old 18th Jun 2019 at 1:17 AM Last edited by simmer22 : 18th Jun 2019 at 3:18 AM.
If it's a mod or something that needs special instructions, a text file is appreciated. If it's just for show (creator name or some other less useful information), I'd prefer not.
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#10 Old 18th Jun 2019 at 3:11 AM
Quote: Originally posted by LFact
How many Sims-related contents, I mean CCs and mods, include readme file(for description and install instruction) in the archive? You can tell 'having readme is mandatory at some mod sites'(Nexus Mods, anyone?), but for personal homepages and blogs, including readme is not a 'must'. Even well-known fan communities, I think.


Without a readme how will you know how to use/install/what it clashes with/what it even is? Your memory from reading over the page it was on 5 years ago? Unless a mod is very simple and its name tells you all you need to know/it's that well known; it needs a readme. Talking mods here not CC. If you are from another community you may be use to different terminology. Sims 2 is a little different, when we say mod we do not mean clothes, hair etc, we mean hacks.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Mad Poster
#11 Old 18th Jun 2019 at 3:27 AM
All mods are CC, all CC items are technically mods (in pretty much every other game), but when we in the TS2 community talk about mods we're usually thinking things like hacks and fixes, like "no red pause lines" and game modifications like the Inteenimator or ACR, could stretch it to poseboxes, and some modified objects (a chair would just be regular CC, but a NPC controlled ites is more of a mod - basically things that modify how the game work or add features. More visual CC like hairs or walls that don't do anything else than being a hair or a wall is there to make the game look nice and give some variety.
Theorist
#12 Old 18th Jun 2019 at 5:45 AM
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
All mods are CC, all CC items are technically mods (in pretty much every other game), but when we in the TS2 community talk about mods we're usually thinking things like hacks and fixes, like "no red pause lines" and game modifications like the Inteenimator or ACR, could stretch it to poseboxes, and some modified objects (a chair would just be regular CC, but a NPC controlled ites is more of a mod - basically things that modify how the game work or add features. More visual CC like hairs or walls that don't do anything else than being a hair or a wall is there to make the game look nice and give some variety.

Yep, and it's been like that since the original game. In the overall gaming world it doesn't make sense but it does for Sims games and really helps to understand what a person is referring to.

I really like, if at all possible, to save a picture of a piece of CC, at least if it's a texture for an in-game object mesh or any clothing. I use 7-zip so the pictures can be dropped right into the .zip archives, although it doesn't have the capability to do that with .rar files.

If a person is planning on keeping all their stuff backed up it isn't that big of a deal. Get organized from the start and you'll have that stuff practically forever unless your storage device goes belly up and to avoid losing it I'd really recommend making an extra copy somewhere. I personally can't hang onto a thumb drive longer than about ten minutes without it going missing but if a person has a burner in their computer CDs/DVDs aren't expensive and store well for long periods. External hard-drives can be great but they cost a bit.

I declare, I absolutely would not trust an online storage space ever with anything I wanted to keep long-term. For years I used photobucket for remote image hosting then they got all weird. Sure, they backtracked on their ridiculously high prices but now I keep seeing ugly watermarks on pictures, some of them completely ruin the image. File storage sites get disappeared for one reason or another. Basically it boils down to if you want something done right do it yourself.

On MATY there's a thread with a read-me that explains all of the mods which is really handy because unless you download the mods individually you don't get that in a saved format. Someone else made a full list of one of the other people's mods I use--I think it is for Dizzy's but can't recall for sure. In any case a person doesn't need to save a file with each mod, just open up *Notepad and C&P the mod name and description to it when you download and save that where you keep the archive files. I like saving the original archives and a copy of my Downloads folder. There is no such thing as too many back-ups.

*I prefer using Notepad for stuff like this because it doesn't have a spell checker, and if I keep them in LibreOffice files then the read-mes end up clogging the history and buries all the important stuff I'd prefer to see when I open the program.
Mad Poster
#13 Old 18th Jun 2019 at 11:22 AM
Including a readme isn't even a requirement here. All my mods' information is on their mod page.
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#14 Old 18th Jun 2019 at 12:10 PM
That's how I make a readme for mods here, I copy and paste the info into notepad and drop that into the folder that I make for the mod.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Theorist
#15 Old 18th Jun 2019 at 4:12 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Charity
Including a readme isn't even a requirement here. All my mods' information is on their mod page.

And that's what I'm meaning, copy and paste it to a Notepad doc. It really does help to keep it because the mod can up and disappear.
Mad Poster
#16 Old 18th Jun 2019 at 5:22 PM
Well I'm not planning on deleting my few mods. And if MTS disappears then it's the beginning of the end.
Theorist
#17 Old 18th Jun 2019 at 7:23 PM
A lot of times we don't plan on deleting anything but we can't always depend on a hard-drive or some such following that plan. Like a few months ago my daughter's HD failed and she had to get a new one. She lost scads of stuff she didn't have backed up. I always say, if it's important to you back it up in at least duplicate. And most of the time I actually follow that advice.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#18 Old 18th Jun 2019 at 7:32 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Charity
Well I'm not planning on deleting my few mods. And if MTS disappears then it's the beginning of the end.


Won't be if we do many mod/hack/custom content backups with full documentation what each thing does and sharing it with those who want it.

I was also spending good portion of time finding a guide on which neighborhood template to disable in Sims 2 directory (not "my documents" folder) to disable all auto-generated sims. So such optimization guides is also what needs to be archived on each other's PCs.

But here comes another question. How we are supposed to meet each other to share with our mod compilations? You got to see me here, thanks to this site. It could be other sims site, but the point is that such game specific sites help to gather people with common interest (sims games in our case).
Mad Poster
#19 Old 19th Jun 2019 at 5:35 AM
I always back up my stuff to an external drive.

Quote: Originally posted by Aredein
But here comes another question. How we are supposed to meet each other to share with our mod compilations? You got to see me here, thanks to this site. It could be other sims site, but the point is that such game specific sites help to gather people with common interest (sims games in our case).


That's why I said that if MTS goes then we're screwed.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#20 Old 19th Jun 2019 at 7:49 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Charity
I always back up my stuff to an external drive.



That's why I said that if MTS goes then we're screwed.


I agree.
That's what happened to YTMND site. Due to technical hardware failure, it now needs to be restored. And it already was in archive view mode.

Maybe duplicate/mirror websites should be a more common thing, to make sure the data won't get lost and people wouldn't lose a common interest meeting point (like the one which we have here).
Although, buying extra hardware would result in much bigger expenditures, which likely won't be outnumbered by income.

And if all that fails... I guess I'll be just running around in online games that have chat function and be questioning everyone "does any of you play the sims"? Although, knowing that some part of sims players do not play multiplayer games, so how do I find them? Maybe they create movies in the sims, so I may stumble upon them via the videos they upload on some site like youtube? Not many the sims players are movie makers and not many of them leave comments on videos, so how do you find the people who are not discover-able by any of the means, except the very site itself that gathered them here?
Theorist
#21 Old 19th Jun 2019 at 2:37 PM
Much resources are needed for mirror sites.There are other places with active Sims communities like I'm sure Reddit and I think I remember something about some Facebook groups. And what about Nexus Mods? And all the Tumblr sites? There's also the official forum for as long as that suits EA to run them. I know for me if I'm playing a Sims game I usually end up gravitating toward MTS just because I've been registered here as long as there's been a Sims 2 and I'm long familiar with some of the names here. (Yes, that 2004 in my user ID is the year I registered.)
Test Subject
Original Poster
#22 Old 22nd Jun 2019 at 2:00 AM
Another point why I made this topic is because I want to create a probably way too ambitious project. A big neighborhood with subhoods that in total would equal to 1000+ playable sims.
In the image below you can see that long time ago I did technical crash test on how many both the game and PC can handle lot instances with sims in them.
I was able to paste 250 houses that each one has one sim. So it's 250 houses and 250 sims.

I estimated that for better character creation and their bio writing will take many years, so having well organized mod compilation, with their guides is a must for long term playing.
Not to mention, I probably have to get into modding to create custom content as well.

https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca8...V8GYh3ugDTpVYtw
Mad Poster
#23 Old 22nd Jun 2019 at 8:03 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Misty_2004
Much resources are needed for mirror sites.There are other places with active Sims communities like I'm sure Reddit and I think I remember something about some Facebook groups. And what about Nexus Mods? And all the Tumblr sites? There's also the official forum for as long as that suits EA to run them. I know for me if I'm playing a Sims game I usually end up gravitating toward MTS just because I've been registered here as long as there's been a Sims 2 and I'm long familiar with some of the names here. (Yes, that 2004 in my user ID is the year I registered.)


Why does your join date say Jan 1970? Sims 1 wasn't even born then, let alone MTS lol. Hell, I wasn't even born then.
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#24 Old 22nd Jun 2019 at 9:44 AM
Lol, I was; but something sure glitched up there.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Theorist
#25 Old 22nd Jun 2019 at 4:17 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Charity
Why does your join date say Jan 1970? Sims 1 wasn't even born then, let alone MTS lol. Hell, I wasn't even born then.

It was a teleporter accident, one I didn't even realize happened until lately. When they merged the users from the forums and downloads sections my forum account was renamed and the registration date went to the computer default date of 1969. When I discovered it they merged my two selves and apparently the date was then set to 1970. I like 1969 a lot better, though. So much more happened that year for it to be superior to 1970. I mean there was the moon landing that happened not long after we moved from the small town I was born in to my grandfather's acreage, and the day of the moon landing (it was a Sunday) we went to one of my folks' cousins house and they had irrigation water that day which meant they were flood irrigating their lawn and all of us kids got to go play in the yard. I mean you just don't forget stuff like that. But yes, I won't go into my whole user name here but I registered here not long after TS2 came out. It may have been that December, I don't remember exactly.
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