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TS3/TSM: The Pudding => The World Of Pudding => Topic started by: Ayrell on 2009 July 12, 20:08:16



Title: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Ayrell on 2009 July 12, 20:08:16
Hi:

I remember than in TS2 there was a file in which the names the game randomly assigned to townies were, and that the contents of that file could be changed. Is there such a thing in TS3?

Thanks.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: cheapncheerful on 2009 July 13, 00:57:37
I'm looking forward to something like this too. The names are really odd in the english version, but they seem to be ten times odder in portuguese.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: ingeli on 2009 July 13, 11:51:12
Especially as they seem to think Amanda is a male name. I have, so far, had 2 male Amandas in my game. Interesting. But I SOO want an improved namelistfile, as we had in Sims2.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: SimDebster on 2009 July 13, 11:56:06
This was the first thing I wanted to change, but to date I haven't found it in the XML data. I find TS3 a pain to mod so far, anything going beyond a simple XML tweak has been made virtually impossible.

I have been wondering about that.  Is the near inability to mod because it needs to be that way for game speed, or whatever?  Or is EAxis trying to stop modders?  If it is the latter then EAxis is even more stupid than I thought they were since modifying the game is what has made the Sims series so popular.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: ciane on 2009 July 13, 14:15:10
There was mention of gender switching names on MTS. It was attributed to the insane or inappropriate traits of the parent. A girl was named Christopher and a boy Kim.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: chaos on 2009 July 13, 14:17:31
I'd love to have a mod for better townie names. When my townies give birth, their children get some really goofy names, sometimes.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: ingeli on 2009 July 13, 14:18:50
I highly doubt that. I think they just mislabelled Amanda as male. Kim, btw, is a name both gender can have, also. I think its just sloppy insanity by EA.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Ayrell on 2009 July 13, 16:30:12
Thanks everyone for the input and comments, and thank you Jordi for taking the trouble to look again. Sounds tedious.

Ack, it sucks that it seems to be unmoddable. I don't understand EA's reasoning. :/


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: chann on 2009 July 13, 16:54:26
The names are all inside the language STBL in FullBuild0.package, along with ALL of the game's text, type 0x220557DA if I remember correctly. There's one STBL for each language.

There's already couple of tools out for them: Postal (http://www.simlogical.com/Sims3ToolsForum/index.php?topic=85.0) and this editor on MTS (http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=350777). The only compatibility issue I know of is that you can't make piecemeal edits/overrides to the base STBL, so you're limited to one text mod at a time.

jordi, would be awesome to see a remake of your TS2 name mod :)


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Zazazu on 2009 July 13, 17:15:08
I'd love to have a mod for better townie names. When my townies give birth, their children get some really goofy names, sometimes.
Two of the Test girls were pregnant at the same time (well, married names Newsome and Bender, but the 11 Test kids will always be Tests to me). They had three girls between them. One was named Joanne. The other two were Chiquita and Kenyatta. The hell? I had to rename them Cindy and Kenya. Kenya is still a fairly rare name around here, but I do know a girl with the name. I've yet to meet a Kenyatta or a Chiquita that wasn't a banana. Thankfully, Ken Test and Jay Test's sons had normal names.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Ayrell on 2009 July 13, 20:00:54
I'm glad a way to do this has been found, but I'm sorry that it's so annoying and hard. It sounds like that even to me, and I don't know about coding. Thanks everyone for looking into this.

I just don't know why did EA Games decide to make this game so hard to modify, seeing that as someone else said before in this thread, this franchise is so popular mainly because of the easy customization. Who knows what's on their minds...

The Spanish names are just ridiculous as well. "Hildegarda" is one I saw just yesterday, and in TS2 Vidcund and Pascal Curious were "Gumersindo" and "Pascualín"...




Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: gamb on 2009 July 13, 20:11:56
Thanks for telling us where in the STBL they are, jordi.

Is there any particular reason there are two copies of every name?  I have two instances of Aaron, Abbott, Austin, etc.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: ShortyBoo on 2009 July 13, 20:12:52
Since I play with Story Progression off, I've avoided townie names for the most part. If I want a family to have a baby, I play through the pregnancy and name the baby before switching to another family. The only time I missed a baby being born, it was a girl and she was named Latisha. I've only ever known 2 people named Latisha in real life and both were black. This baby was half white and half asian. I just changed her name at City Hall. Of course, now I can't rename sims at City Hall anymore for whatever reason, so I'm more careful about making sure not to let the game name the babies. The only way I can change their names is through editsim. For whatever reason, when a sim who has kids from a previous marriage gets remarried, the kids in the family end up taking their step-dad's last name, which doesn't make sense to me. So I've had to change a lot of names, but now that City Hall doesn't have the rename option, I have to do it through editsim.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: CheritaChen on 2009 July 13, 20:48:23
Last names: 6254 in random order from 22757 (Aaron) to 29010 (Fortier)

/snip/

Male names: 1037 in random order from 30021 (Aaron) to 31057 (Vince)

I wonder how many hours I'd have to run the game before it spat out Aaron Aaron? I think I'll keep an eye out for that one.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: chann on 2009 July 14, 01:49:43
I've definitely seen Precious in my game, as well as Cristian (for a girl). And Guillermo Nguyen...for a black guy?!

I think EA sourced their names from California birth records. THAT would explain the weirdness, right?


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: moondance on 2009 July 14, 02:45:56
My game gave me a Shannon Shannon.  Also, in my Indie neighborhood, the Landgraabs decided to have another son after Malcolm:  Bubba Landgraab.  I loved that sim, and was quite sorry when he died.  For a little while there was a Misty Rains running around town, making me wish there was a Porn Star career I could put her into.  She did the next best thing though, and went into politics.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Madame Mim on 2009 July 14, 03:38:06
Yeah, I had a small child Misty Summers. My Newbies (not the EA version) had another daughter and named her Consuela or Carmelita or some such - arghh - do not want.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: chann on 2009 July 14, 04:53:40
Misty Rains? I got Kandi Seaman.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: minidoxigirli on 2009 July 14, 06:29:53
I had the spare in my Legacy family get married and move out with her husband.  They had twin girls- blonde hair, blue eyes, pale skin.  Their names? Tawana and Lashanda.  I have gotten some adorable names- Lexie, Sam, and Gina come to mind.

EDIT:
But how could I forget this gem?
(http://i43.tinypic.com/t5j704.jpg)


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: jobot on 2009 July 14, 10:58:36
My fambly's kid met a Gordon Ramsay at school.  ;)


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: CheritaChen on 2009 July 14, 11:34:49
My fambly's kid met a Gordon Ramsay at school.  ;)

Did he come home crying?


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: jobot on 2009 July 14, 12:03:53
Haha, no. I've still to switch over to the Ramsay household and check it out.  ;D


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: J. M. Pescado on 2009 July 14, 12:40:51
So I've had to change a lot of names, but now that City Hall doesn't have the rename option, I have to do it through editsim.
It's quite weird that City Hall no longer works for you, but if you REALLY want to rename a sim, try the "rename" command in AwesomeMod. As a side benefit, "rename" lets you bypass pesky name character limitations, so Milhouse Trixibelle Saltfucker can have his full name.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Simsample on 2009 July 14, 12:46:20
This is the strangest Maxis townie name I've seen:
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y288/Bluefunk/Sims%203/StrangeName.jpg)
For the city hall renaming issue, are you trying to change the names of minors, ShortyBoo? I noticed that teens and below cannot change their own names- you have to get an adult to do it.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Kerryee on 2009 July 14, 14:46:46
Man, and I've spent the morning looking for a change name Mod, only to find this.  Sorrow.

I started a new neighborhood for Legacy, started out by deleting all humans, and some of my fun new townies include Meghan Fox and Julia Stiles.  While funny, they aren't as bad as Shaquetta Woodstock (a blond, blue eyed little girl), or the newly born Albert Fish.  I'll be keeping an eye on that one.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: shinygobonkers on 2009 July 14, 15:15:58
Man, and I've spent the morning looking for a change name Mod, only to find this.  Sorrow.

I started a new neighborhood for Legacy, started out by deleting all humans, and some of my fun new townies include Meghan Fox and Julia Stiles.  While funny, they aren't as bad as Shaquetta Woodstock (a blond, blue eyed little girl), or the newly born Albert Fish.  I'll be keeping an eye on that one.

you should marry him into your family and then lure townie children unto the lot and...


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Ayrell on 2009 July 23, 09:51:07
Would it be possible to, at least, make it so that the English version names appeared on the other versions of the game? (Spanish, Portuguese, etc.)


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Nepheris on 2009 July 23, 10:55:10
I've had a male Carmen turn up in my game yesterday. Needless to say, he was gassed quicker than you could blink.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: pantherpirate on 2009 July 23, 17:49:28
But how could I forget this gem?
<snip>

This is the strangest Maxis townie name I've seen:
<snip>

Okay, seriously, you guys are gonna get my keyboard ruined every time I spew out my soda  :D I wonder if townies can be born with other names like Mike Litoris or Hugh G. Rection?



Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: kuronue on 2009 July 23, 23:19:09
Can you at least verify that the reported seemingly-feminine names are on the male list and vice versa, as opposed to the theory that Inappropriate sims are naming their children inappropriately?


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: chann on 2009 July 23, 23:39:28
Can you at least verify that the reported seemingly-feminine names are on the male list and vice versa, as opposed to the theory that Inappropriate sims are naming their children inappropriately?

I don't think EA thought that far into it  ::) Amanda for instance is indeed on the male list, between Errol and Ervin.

Actually, I've developed the hypothesis that the male names and last names come from another EA game - Madden. God knows where the female names come from.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Doc Doofus on 2009 July 24, 00:47:13
They must have made the names list in a hurry, or just put the dumbest fuck at EA on the job.  Somebody with a bad case of dyslexia.  The first male baby in my game was named Joesph.  Now, come on!  I suppose if we poke around enough, we'll find that there's also a Mayr and Jeuss in there as well.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: moondance on 2009 July 24, 04:18:19
I've had several "Brains" but not one "Brian," so I think you're probably right.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Doc Doofus on 2009 July 24, 06:50:49
Quote
... or else they[EA] have absolutely zero quality control for stuff like this.

*giggles*


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Roflganger on 2009 July 24, 07:28:10
or else they have absolutely zero quality control for stuff like this.

Considering the number of spelling errors I've seen - restaurent being one that springs to mind - this seems the most likely.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Alex on 2009 July 24, 07:51:00
or else they have absolutely zero quality control for stuff like this.
I think it's safe to say that we are the quality control.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Ayrell on 2009 July 24, 17:34:38
I see, and understand. Thanks, Jordi.

Hopefully you'll get around to releasing your "better names" version for TS3 as well.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: cheapncheerful on 2009 July 25, 03:38:43
Can you at least verify that the reported seemingly-feminine names are on the male list and vice versa, as opposed to the theory that Inappropriate sims are naming their children inappropriately?

I don't think EA thought that far into it  ::) Amanda for instance is indeed on the male list, between Errol and Ervin.

Actually, I've developed the hypothesis that the male names and last names come from another EA game - Madden. God knows where the female names come from.
Amanda counts for EA as a male name on other games too?
It's not usual a 7 feet linebacker named Amanda.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: chann on 2009 July 25, 05:56:18
Amanda counts for EA as a male name on other games too?
It's not usual a 7 feet linebacker named Amanda.

Maybe it is... Amanda-man is a true anomaly. I'm actually tempted to believe Amanda was some ex-girlfriend of a jilted programmer and making it a man's name was an act of revenge ;)

To me the first name list reads like a football roster - especially with all the African-American names - and it seems reasonable to assume the last names would have been re-used too, if the first names were. Then again, I'm not even American so take it for what you will.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Euphemism on 2009 July 25, 06:11:09
FFS EA, how fucking hard is it to go to babynames.com and copy/paste? Jesus (or Jeuss) Christ on a motorcycle. They've done horrid names for two games in a row now, and nobody knows why. Maybe not even EA.

That said, as bad as names in TS3 are, I still think they're at least a minute improvement from all those Goopys and Dagmars and Sims named after the producers (Langeraks and crap). But, yes, an improved name list would be appreciated. I think I may be using yours in TS2 still, jordi.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Sknsarp on 2009 July 25, 07:07:06
FFS EA, how fucking hard is it to go to babynames.com and copy/paste?

Unfortunately a search for baby names pops up babynamesworld.com first which does indeed list Amanda as a name for both genders.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: NameGame on 2009 July 28, 02:48:08
Would it be possible for Pescado to fix this in AwsomeMod? If he had the desire, could he tell the game to look somewhere else for the names? For example an XML tuning made specifically for the purpose?


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: J. M. Pescado on 2009 July 28, 02:55:09
//For my own use I'm slowy going through the name list and replacing the most horrible ones with proper names, if I get this finished I'll release it. Can't say my heart is in it though, STBL editing is a boring chore.
You know, I could hack AwesomeMod to support plugin name lists, most likely.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: NameGame on 2009 July 28, 03:10:45
You know, I could hack AwesomeMod to support plugin name lists, most likely.

I would like that a great deal. I know you are doing story mode right now, but if you can get around to it: thank you.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Ayrell on 2009 July 28, 14:34:35
That would be a great feature indeed. Thank you.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: chann on 2009 July 29, 03:49:04
Well, guess what the 1.3 patch changed? "Amanda" is now "Abner".


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Sknsarp on 2009 July 29, 03:56:13
It's a start, but how many more atrocities are there?


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: asmadasrabbits on 2009 July 29, 04:15:24
Good god Abner is just as bad.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Kag on 2009 August 02, 17:57:11
With the addition of Indie Stone the Altos have started procreating again in my game. They've had two sons so far--one was named August, which I figured wasn't that bad, and the other was named Bimble.

Also, since nobody else has mentioned it yet, found what looks like the first overhaul for names on MTS this morning: http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=360297


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: GypsyKate on 2009 August 03, 09:04:13
That's great, Jordi.  Will you be sharing your list?


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Nepheris on 2009 August 03, 12:56:03
Odd names do not bother me, it's the genderconfused ones that I hate. My whitey sims can go on being a Latoyah or Mei-Lin for all I care, but a sim will *not* be called Carmen while sporting stubble. That's just... no. Do not want.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: GypsyKate on 2009 August 03, 13:12:15
Thank you, Jordi.  The weird names were making me feel like committing Simicide!


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Silverdrake on 2009 August 03, 14:53:36
I like multicultural names, but Bimble has got to go! I'd love to be able to import my own list.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Mootilda on 2009 August 03, 18:04:51
I'd love to be able to import my own list.

I believe that the MTS link above has instructions on how to do this yourself.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Ayrell on 2009 August 05, 16:32:47
Awesome! Thank you very much!

Jordi, does yours work with all versions (languages) of the game?


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Ayrell on 2009 August 06, 00:27:25
Oh, that's too bad. Thanks for clarifying. :)


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Nemamiah on 2009 August 06, 20:14:18
Just popping into this thread for a gander and to show what happens when my Sim impregnates random townies:
(http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l210/ToriAiava/Toriis.jpg)

Jamie Jolina and my first Sim managed to poot out an almighty fuglet though...


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Motoki on 2009 August 06, 20:31:50
If you think that is bad I switched away from my main house for a bit and when I came back the one sim had dropped her kid and named it Kermit.

Well, he's a toddler now and does do a lot of flailing. :P

On a semirelated not to modding the names, it's not possible to replace some of the default string table values without replacing all of them is it?

I ask because I have tweaked a couple of things like changed the name of the "custom" radio station and changed the babysitter to nanny to match the elder babysitter mod I am running, but when I tried to yank out just those values and put a string table in with them I lose all my other strings. I guess it's an all or nothing situation.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Motoki on 2009 August 06, 20:39:38
It is possible now to just change the namelist. I'm working on an update, should be able to upload it within the next two hours testing permitted :)

Oh good news! If you get a chance can you explain how you did it? I'd rather not have to include a whole string table just to change the name of one radio station.  :-\


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: chann on 2009 August 06, 23:22:15
BTW, channTL's and my list are about 90% identical. I guess we used exactly the same source and just made different choices :D

The majority of the male/last names I found in a baseball game (http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/ootp10/) ;) I used the census list as my first source though.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: LilMissLoza on 2009 August 10, 19:52:45
The mod over at MTS2 is very good, I recommend it to anyone whose game isn't yet contaminated by all the ridiculous preset names.

I still have a Harrison Harrison though, not sure whether this tragedy occurred before or after I installed the mod.


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: cassblonde on 2009 August 28, 23:07:22
Pescado has added plug in name STBLs to the Awesome mod - now could someone explain how it works?


Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: Havelock on 2009 August 29, 07:01:44
Pescado has added plug in name STBLs to the Awesome mod - now could someone explain how it works?

Got answered in Awesomod discussion/questions/helpful tips thread  (http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php/topic,15531.msg479159.html#msg479159[/url)

The space in the config is for you to enter a key or String ID. Whatever you enter will be the "prefix" that AM will use to load the names. For instance if you enter a generator key like "MyNames" in the MaleNameGeneratorKey box in the config the game will use the names with a key of "MyNames/MaleName:Name#" in the STBL (hashed, of course).
That is correct. The male/female/lastname "keys" may all be the same, or they may all be different, if you happen to be using, at any given time, sets constructed seperately or from different sources. The "default" EA set is "Gameplay/SimNames" for all 3, so those would be using "Gameplay/SimNames/MaleName:Name#", "Gameplay/SimNames/FemaleName:Name#", etc. You can build a namelist using any of the available STBL builders, or I will, at some point when I get around to it, create a simple crappy DOS utility to convert a simple NOTEPAD list into a nametable.

I am also curious about how to enter the name files in the Auto Config. I made my own replacements, but am not entirely sure how to add them in to AwesomeMod. In other words, I do not understand what the Auto Config is asking for.
The AutoConfig is simply asking you to input the core names. If you overrode and replaced the original EA STBL to generate yours, then this method is useless to you. But if you created a new STBL of, say, "EdibleNames/MaleName:Name#", "EdibleNames/FemaleName:Name#", then you would fill in "EdibleNames" (case insensitive) into the entry.

Also, I have all 3 (male/female/last names) combined into one STBL so I was wondering if I needed to change that. If anyone could help, that would be great. Thanks!
Nope, not a problem. The actual distribution of the STBLs is transparent to the engine, so it doesn't matter whether you made each individual name its own STBL, jammed them into the same STBL, or are even using some really WEIRD thing. In fact, the default value of "Gameplay/SimNames" for the standard EAxian names already is in a single STBL.



Title: Re: File that decides Maxis "townies"' names
Post by: cassblonde on 2009 August 29, 14:34:46
Yeah, that would answer it for people who had any idea what it all means. Not so much for me. Ah well ... I'll just keep using the mod I have for names. I know when I'm out of my learning curve.

Thanks, though, for taking the trouble to quote it and everything.