I never preorder.  The way I look at it is that if you order it somewhere you'll either get it right away or a week or two after the release date.  Also, you will miss out on some good deals later on such as gift cards and copies as cheap as $20.

As for Prima Guides?  You're better off waiting a few months to get more accurate info here.

As for the robot thing, I find it oddly hilarious that Servo can make other servos.  Let's say someone makes a servo, the servo ends up killing its creator because he has a desire to kill all humans and then makes an army of Servo to destroy the rest of the neighborhood.  There's still hope for J.M's LTW for those robots for "Kill all Humans".

Would it be possible to make a hack in which no new memories are ever created?  That might stop a load of this invalid memory and junk copies of sims being transferred with houses.  I think Maxis honestly needs to revise these memories in an expansion and make it more of a menu or something.  For example, instead of having pages and pages of "Met" memories they would just have a large bloated list of sims they have met.

I'm not in favor at all for those "non-awesome" paysites.

Let's just say that TSR is actually selling other people's content.  Supposedly your subscription fees are going towards bandwidth... and that was when the thing was still under $3 a month.  It's been a while since I checked that, but the last time I checked it was at LEAST $4 a month, probably a lot higher now.  Let's then look at MTS2, which although it suffers lag issues, has everything for free and is run of voluntary subscriptions.  Now, how come TSR can't do that?  Steve loves money, that's why.

About these people starting up sites and saying "Waaah!  I needz moneyz!"  How much people do you have coming to your site if you can't pay for it yourself?  There's a ten dollar a month service which allows 20GB of content to pass by, and that should be more than enough for a one person site.  Also, you shouldn't start a website if you're not going to pay for it out of your own pocket.

Feel free to keep paying loads of cash for to make your sims look slightly different but I won't be a part of it.

It takes a bit longer than just throwing everything in a .Sims2Pack file but it allows for easier organization.

1)Boot up TS2.
2)When TS2 loads go to a neighborhood and enter the debug code.  If you don't know it already it's "boolprop TestingCheatsEnabled true".
3)Boot up CAS.
4)Press Shift-N.  This activates the Debugging Mode.
5)Go to the sim in the Sim Bin as if you were selecting them, but hover over them and read the data.  It should look something like this.  Keep in mind that I've already done this process to this sim,but you'll get a Jarbled Mess for other sims.

Frag Prod ID = 0
Frag Sort Idx = 3982
C:\Documents and Settings\*Secret*\My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Downloads\MisterExpert\MrE_EdwardJosephine.package

6)That last little bit is the filename.  Write down that name/path somewhere.
7)Repeat Step 5 for any other sims.
8)Close TS2
9)Find the file(s).  Rename the file(s)
10)Rezip the file.  This new file will respond to the custom content that is listed in the package if it's there, but it'll default if it doesn't find it.  Essentially, it's just the sim.

That's all there is to it.  If you want to double check, then repeat Step 5 for anything that's been changed.

It's not that I don't like CC being used on Sims, it's the fact that whenever it's packaged on a sim it's usually in a really long name which makes it undistinguishable from the actual sim file.  Not to mention there's another way to package a sim without doing that Sims2Pack business which you can still use custom content but it just won't show up if they don't have it.  Then again, it'll stick them with default clothing and different colored skins.  Plus, there's people that just plain hide the fact they have CC.

As for existing sims, it's either edit the DNA or use SimSurgery.. but SS will end up with a copy of a sim if I remember correctly.

If other patches failed to explode your game, this one's no different.  However, it's already been said the InTeenimater doesn't work with the new patch apparently, and I'm not sure if it's fixed yet.  If you have a MATY hack, it should be fine though since Pescado's already retired the hacks the game fixes and no doubt TJ and Crammyboy have seen the list.

Why not just open bodyshop, then open up the Brynne Sim, then change it there and re-save the sim and delete the original?  It's a lot quicker than messing with the file in SimPE, although you do have to rename it later if you want it to be categorized.  Then again, .Sims2Pack gives you weird names anyway.

Either that, or people could stop using custom content in .Sims2Pack files.

Bah, I don't even have that many posts and I still have 2d:05h:02m on how much time I've been here.  I'm starting to wonder if I'm spending more or less time on here per day than some people.  Oh well, better here than some other forums that I know of.

I wouldn't care if it was just focused on the sim but the fact it zooms in is really annoying.  Plus, that thing with the camera being focused on the wrong floor.  I'm wondering if this data would just be in a text file somewhere in TS2's directory, but I'm not that good in finding hidden stuff.

They've actually made clones of sims for the Dormies, I've seen 3 sims that are exactly the same face and clothing.  This is different though.  Maxis puts all sorts of artefacts in their games and game files such as the Family want and the Bella in the fireplace.  I nuked my neighborhood and installed notownieregen so I probably won't encounter these two sims, but it's nothing beyond Maxis just shoving some data in there.  However, you might be able to find some way to bring those townies back if you wanted them as twins or something.

Two days ago I installed NLp2 and it works fine for me.  I even kept in all the MATY hacks that were in the package that day, and I believe that included the obselete ones.  I don't think it resetted anything like it did on NLp1, but I'm thinking about Nuking my neighborhood anyway because I removed an eye that affects about 40% of my playable sims.  They'll probably end up going to default or something like that if I don't nuke it.

I wouldn't doubt them including NLp2 in OFB, heck it's been a practice since TS1 to include patches and install them even if you didn't need them (You got the Deluxe patch if you installed Superstar even if you didn't have that expansion).  Most of their "fixes" back then actually came from the patch, in Superstar they didn't even attempt to fix anything and the things they claimed to fix were already fixed by TS1:Up1.  I believe that since the cores were divided that if you don't have the expansion it won't install the patch for it, but If you've got Nightlife it'll install NLp2 and install Unip2 for University.  It'll install TS2p3(Is this correct?) no matter what though.

As for Addresses, youou can change the string in SimPE if you didn't know that already.  Even if you're not a hacker, it's a useful tool to keep around.  You'll always find something that you mess up or find that you named a Sim the same as another Sim.  It's very easy to do, it's similar to changing family names.

1)Open SimPE Classic.
2)Plugins -> Neighborhood Browser.  Double-click the neighborhood you want to edit.
3)Under Filetypes, scroll down to Lot Description.  Click.
4)Under Packed Files, select the first value.  It should be something like "Lot Description (LTXT, 0xB)".  If that's not it, press the down arrow until you find it.
5)When you find it, you can edit the Lot Name(Address) Value if you want to change the address.  If it's a community lot you can also edit the House Name, but you can already edit that field in the game.  Commit Changes when you modify the values.
6)Save.

I'm not sure this will work in the other sections where sims live though.  While looking through the list, I only saw files that were in my Westfall Neighborhood, not its satellites.

As stated many times in this thread, it's Pescado's hack forcing your sim to take the husband's name.  There's a way around this even with the hack installed, but it involves SimPE.  I'll explain the steps real quick on how to change a last name and the lot name.  It should work wit any recent version.

1)Open SimPE Classic.  You can use the other one, but if you do that you're on your own.
2)Plugins -> Neighborhood Browser.  Select your neighborhood from the popup.
3)Plugins -> Sim Browser.  This is a very useful feature in SimPE which was added quite a bit ago, but it makes this process quicker.  Instead of blindly searching every Sim Description file you can find your sim by Name and Family.
4)Now that Sim Browser is open, Find the sim whose last nime you want to edit.  Double-Click on it.
5)Go to Plugin View if you aren't there already.  There's a few options here but all you need to do is select the current last name of the sim and change it to what you want.  Commit changes.
6)Repeat 3-5 for any other sim you need to change the name.  If they took the wrong name, you'll need to do this to the other spouse and any children.
7)After all the names are changed, the Lot will still be under the old name.  We need to fix this.  Under Filetypes select "Family Information".
8)Select the first value under packed Files.  It should be something like "Family Information (FAMI, 0x4....)"
9)If that isn't the family you want to edit, press the down arrow key.  If that's not it, press down again.  Keep going till you get to the family that you want to edit the household name of.
10)Change the Name field to whatever you want it to be changed to.  Preferably the last name that you put for the other sims.  Anything is fine, but make sure you Commit changes.
11)Save.

Yeah, I know.  A bunch of you already know how to do this.

Yes, the Holiday Pack had fireworks.  I don't use them all that often though.

I never had the tree explode in my game, but that picture was pretty hilarious.  I don't make any stories but I believe storymakers would have more use for the Holiday Pack than I would.

I don't particularly hate Maxis and I'm glad they're fixing a few problems.  I just don't like the fact that they did this unannounced and only a week or two before OFB.  Sounds like some kind of ploy to get people to buy it.  It's weird, I noticed quite a few people be instantly interested in OFB just because it has "split-levels" and different shaped roofs.

I don't even think I'll install the Holiday Party Pack the next time I have to reinstall because it adds so much junk that I'll never use.  These "Glamour" and "Family" packs would be a little more useful, but seeing how much times people complain about Maxian clothing I doubt the "Glamour" one will sell that well.  The "Family" one might sell a little better, but I don't see much content they'll actually add with a "donation" pack.

An unrequested patch?  Why the generosity Maxis?  Oh wait, you want us to buy OFB immediately don't you?  I don't think so, a little patch doesn't change the fact that it'll take 6-8 weeks for Pescado to make it playable, if he even gets it all.  I can't deal with your little annoyances such as cheering, useless calls, and What's Thising.  I also can't buy the game if it'll leave me unprotected against those "too many interations" errors that you still didn't fix.

Anyway, I won't be downloading the patch just yet.  Maybe when it's evaluated a little more by the hackers I'll install it, nothing on that list is anything that isn't already fixed by them.

There's not much more than that, except they have that you can pre-order both on an australian site.  Also, if they keep the price they listed there, It'll end up being roughly $23.
http://gamehead.com.au/product.php?productid=86641&cat=&page=1
http://gamehead.com.au/product.php?productid=86640&cat=&page=1

Then again, this is just propoganda like OFB after all.

That User to User support forum must have been added because it wasn't there when I last checked.  It still seems they get better support here though than they do at his forum, but more questions about it are asked there.  Most of the people that come here and ask questions about it are because they experienced something odd because they installed the thing and didn't RTFM.

The only reason I don't use InTeenimater is that it "may" conflict with a few hacks I have and I really don't use most of the features, especially since I don't have Teens in my neighborhood.

That may be true, but that still doesn't change the fact though that it seems the InTeenimater is one of the products MATY provides "unofficial" support for.

Well, I think if we're going to get that techinical about if we're taking away actual cat lives or the 9-lives they apparently have then we'll need to define what installing the InTeenimater is won't we?  I mean, is it installed when it's downloaded, put in the directory or used when it's considered installed?

Well, you could always use the familyfunds cheat to set the exact amount of cash a family has but that might be considered a money cheat.  Either that, or they're stuck at the current house until they make enough money or you merge another family with them.

Maybe it will function like a split-level, I don't know.  I guess I'll be waiting at least 6-8 weeks to get the game, or waiting until it gets to $20 to find out if it is.  I'll be happy if you can actually make a true split-level with the thing, but with the screenshots they have shown it doesn't seem likely.

Well, I've never actually heard of a case where clothing actually exploded the game but I bet it does cause other problems if you have too much.  Sure, I'd also like to turn off the less desirable Maxian clothing but that doesn't seem likely.

I'm not particularly aiming my statement about the game looking worse at people that already know this, it's more aimed at the people that say "Wow, OFB will really improve the look of my game!"

InTeenimater is talked about often here, I'm beginning to wonder if the InSimenator people turned off tech support on purpose to get people here to give support on this "non-awesome" product.

The reason J.M. deems it "non-awesome" is the fact that it's a heavy mod like the InSimenator that conflicts with many other mods, such as a part of JM's Clothing Mod and possibly the Romance Mod.  People tend to like it a lot though, but I really don't like it since I really don't use half of its features.  Maybe when I decide that I need those features I'll get it, but it's just personal choice at this point on whether you shouldn't get it.  That, and if it conflicts with hacks you currently have.

Them calling that raised level thing "split-level" irks me for some reason.  It's not like it puts it on another level or makes it compatible to put on a hill or something.  It's interesting, but calling it "split-level" seems kind of wrong to me, since I have lived in at least 3 houses that ARE split level and that usually means there's a stairway in the front of the house that divides the house into a lower region and an upper region.  I really don't see how raised floors have much to do with that.

About the Maxian clothing, I think it's much better than most of the crap the community makes.  I think people hold that grudge just because TS1 clothes suck, so they don't think TS2 clothes are any better.  I personally would rather have the Maxian Clothing than Custom Clothing, because it probably won't make my game explode.

Also, you know those screenshots are doctored and they have godly cards running it right?  They probably won't look that nice when you get the game if you don't have the best hardware.

I don't believe I needed to install drivers for any mice or even my tablet on the computer I'm using now.  However, I did anyway so my tablet could act like an actual tablet and my mouse would tell me when the battery's dying.  I use a Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse 2.0 and all functions work with it.  Plus, it's the batteries in the thing last a really long time but I'm not getting the 6 months it says on the box.  However, I only had to replace them twice since I got the thing.  It also works quite a bit better than the wired mouse I had before, and it doesn't chew up batteries like the Micro Technologies wireless mouse that died in about a week.

Have you tried setting the wheel in the center to Autoscroll?  That's what my mouse is using, but it's probably a bit different than a Logitech since the drivers for Logitech mice are probably a lot different than a Microsoft one(The one with Microsoft's just adds onto the "Mouse" option on the control panel).  However, I think that the middle button works in TS2 no matter what it's set on with this thing.

I didn't know that hitting that middle button actually rotates the camera like the cameraman mode(TAB) I was using before.  I don't think I'll use it very often though.