Is it me, or are an awfully lot of these errors with similar problems saying "missing neighbor for data access". Anyone know what that means, or is it irrelevant (knows nothing about how the game works, just curious :)

Father Time isn't American. Like Santa, and most of our holiday traditions, American immigrants brought him from Europe. Father Time is the representation of time itself, related to the Greek Chronos and Roman Saturn. He's a sun-god and "dies" on the shortest day of the year to be reborn as the New Year's baby. Like Chronos and Saturn (and Death, who is naturally related to the figure of time) he carries either a scythe (to cut down life) or an hourglass. Saturn is also an agricultural god and the reaping instrument is appropriate in that context. Saturnalia (Saturn's celebration in Rome) was celebrated in December and our New Year's contains the remnants of the pagan end-of-the-year holiday - those that didn't get rolled into Christmas. Both Christmas and New Year's contain elements of the "summer king"/"winter king" theme of the end of the year.

Just think of him as sort of an externalization of the idea that the sun will come up anew tomorrow

Oh, thanks for the "world-wide" ones!

A couple of those I've been too, but several I haven't :) Personally, I love "non-US-English" sites (even without translations). I know a few words of German, just enough to get in trouble or work through where something is and find I can even navigate a Japanese site (not a word of Japanese I assure you) if I pay attention to the letterstrings that repeat and/or if there's a pic here and there. It's not too hard to figure out where "download" is :) and I've even registered on some that have free registration in languages I don't speak (long as they don't ask *too* many questions).

They're so much fun to browse as the worldview is different so likely many of the things available for the sims are too and I'm just really big on"multi-cultural" I guess you'd call. I like diversity.

ooh which hack? Brynne? anyone?

My son has Kallmann's syndrome

They do vary - a lot even. In my game, my favorite family that had 6 kids, the random roller got stuck (gotta hate when that happens) and the last 4 all had exactly the same personality points. They probably looked exactly alike as well, but I changed them so quickly to different hairstyles and clothes that it just seems like a family resemblance.

Either I decide what I want kids to be like (have something in mind for their lives) and offer toddler toys to work on the skills I want, or I want to see what they like so I offer all 3 toys and see what they play with and what wants they roll, and give them aspirations later that seem to match their personalities. With one of the 4, I needed something specific and forced it. With the other 3, I just let them go to see how they'd turn out.

They're all totally different beings - they have different wants and interests (the interests started off all the same as well. Really, all 4 kids were identical). One was creative - always wanting to dance and paint and play instruments, one was so big on logic that as a child I couldn't keep him off the chessboard even tho he'd max'd it out (he learned *really* fast - maybe a stuck smart milk, although they all had it and all were read to), one drove me insane by constantly bringing friends home and running outside to greet people if given half a chance.

The 4th, of course, got stuck being how I wanted her to or else, but the others I didn't influence, they just are themselves. Weird how that is.

Does that mean you all can't zone? I get bored easily and can't sit still and the like. My oldest son was diagnosed ADHD, and at the time they said it was likely both my husband and I had it tho we weren't tested, but later it turned out that wasn't a very good diagnosis

But despite that, if I do something creative/right-brained and get into I can totally zone and lose hours or even days without realizing it. I have test anxiety so it's not easy to do while testing, but if I *can* get to "concentrate" level, I can easily block people moving around (and a fire alarm for that matter).

Though there's nothing right-brained creative about watching sims study and that stuff will drive me insane in about two seconds. I add more sims quickly and fast forward if I can't find something to do - tho I don't use the "do it yourself" hacks, as I prefer to do it MYself I like to feel like I'm doing something and as long as I have something to click on (or think about) I'm ok. I have to be moving if I'm not zoned out.

so the lighting pack corrects problems with the camera mod?

I just wanted to be able to see the neighborhoods further back, but honestly I think my computer isn't really up to it and I'll just stick with the Maxis cameras - but as it's doing weird things in my game, I still think other people with minumum specs might have similar issues (even tho it's working fine for lots of people). Anyway, it's something to try before upgrading their computers because the neighborhood view has gone wacky :)

I bookmarked Holy Simoly - great site :) Thanks everyone, I'm really enjoying all the recommendations, even if I didn't say so specifically (cuz I have trouble keeping up). I'm even managing to get things fairly well of the official site (and there are some lovely houses there, thank you all.) I'll happily spend most of the holidays downloading everything - plenty to keep me busy :)

I did only install one. I installed "A", decided it wasn't working well for me, took it out and installed "C" to try that.

I picked up the camera mods labeled A, B and C - they come with so much, I'm not sure if that includes the lighting mod or not. I put in "A" (which does the most), took it out and put in "C" (which does the least) and I'm going to take that out and put the Maxis defaults back in. It might be that my video card (which automatically comes up with the lowest settings and never gives me the special events stuff) can't handle his mod. My video card sucks. A new one is on my christmas list, but I'm broke so I dunno Someone with a better card probably wouldn't have a problem - that's why I wondered if the people who had the problem are using the mod.

It also could be a new problem with terrains as I used them on that lot, but I've never seen it before. It's really kind of weird (not like the christmas one, but all that was there was beach and water so it wouldn't be that bright.)

12 ghosts a dripping

(or are you going up to 14?)

I'm wondering if any of you having the odd neighborhood view things are using the camera hack from MTS2. I had an old version which did nothing but allow you to zoom out farther and seemed to work beautifully (pre-NL). I forgot it when I installed because it's in cameras, not downloads or somewhere and NL apparently installed over top of it. So I went and got the new one. I've put it in and taken it out 3 times because all 3 versions seem to do weird things for me - mostly it just kinda makes the lot shimmer and... not look right. I'm not *sure* it's the camera, but I really believe it is.

This is the one I mean:

http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=97642&highlight=camera

(I haven't posted to the creator yet. I will when I test a bit more and am sure that's really what it is. Tho corraboration would be good too. Anyways, it's an idea besides getting a new graphics card :)

Even with aging on, I manage to max at least 5 (or get 8 pts in 6+)... I cheat body tho (I use the mobile - I just hate training body really), so say 4+ is fairly easy to do (I use smart milk, that's the only aspiration reward, and whatever career rewards the family has earned).

Why you're very welcome. I just knew you'd appreciate it

<tiptoeing through tsr>

by the by, say hello to my grandson, Jamie... he doesn't wanna sleep so granny can build sims stuff but he's way too cute to be annoyed at.

PS - Your lots are great looking cwykes. I particularly like the farmer's market. What a cute idea. Unless I'm missing something only one of them is in the free rotation right now (grabbed but I'll keep an eye out and pick-up the others when they turn out so I can see how the river looks in my hood (I really need some like that - to be a "canal" out to the sea.)

Yeah, I'm looking for smaller or medium-sized things also. I'll download a big lot to see how it works and because it's really cool, but only put it in a test neighborhood as I can usually feel the slowdown just clicking on it in the bin, without even placing it :)

I have been moving families up lately tho. I like to redecorate anyway and as I can keep things I really want now (as long as it doesn't go buggy on me) I don't mind so much. And my built-on additions aren't as nice as a new home that's intended to be a bit bigger.

If I can get the exchange to work for me (big if :), I'll check out yours in NL and post some pics for you. Water and willows is about perfect for what I'm working on - and especially if you've got some community lots. Since NL I'm having a better time with community lots - I can play downtown pretty well. And there are some out there I'd never be able to manage myself - I found a train station, with trains, and a bus depot :) tho I haven't put them in yet and dunno if they'll crash my game. It's worth a try tho.

PS - I really love Hügö's site as well. I'd never been there before. Thanks so much. <happily spending hours looking at everything> :)

Thanks!

Witch has some wonderful lots - I downloaded all her starter ones when she posted here awhile back. I should have mentioned that my computer is allergic to the official board - it locks it up. (The computer that's connected to the net is a mac, and it just doesn't play well with that site.)

Tribecca is the one I don't have bookmarked and have been trying and trying to remember Thank you!

I do build some of my own gali, but I'm not an architect and it takes me a long time. I don't mind using nice ones from other people when I can. And it's fun to see what other people like

What are your favorite places to download lots? I'm looking for some that are different than what I normally get. (I prefer that they not be on the biggest lot size, fully furnished with everything under the sun, and cost a billion trillion simoleans cuz my lousy video card can't handle it, but I still like to look and dream )

Oh and do you have different sites you like for community and/or university lots?

50k seems reasonable to me. a good hitman costs

I dunno about how they do it. I haven't tried them yet either. They sound (and look) kinda sneaky. I just the idea is... <long pause> ...cute

<waits cuz someone is sure to call me on calling hitmen cute, but I just do>

I'm probably going to end up breaking all my personal rules and getting a subscription to that site. I dunno that there's near enough to be worth it (hope they make tons more), but I really like the NPCs... well, and... I want more of the guys

a bit off-topic, but I think the dma hitmen are great. (I just discovered them :)

Me, I like to try out all the options at least a little before deciding I'm not gonna bother with those (tho I've never had a zombie, I just couldn't even find a reason for it). So, I'd suggest using one of the Uni's that has a secret society (I forget which one doesn't, but one of them doesn't), picking up at least one of the dormies or binned students (maybe a boyfriend or girlfriend of your main family) and testing the dorm a little, and maybe a greek house (I played that for about 5 seconds before I couldn't stand it anymore ;) and testing out all the commands and stuff. That should only take a few minutes - *then* start fast forwarding through all the boring stuff.  It's *really* easy to get 4.0 for any in-game born sim and especially fast if they've got their skills already at 8 for scholarships anyway. Don't forget to check out things like the extra chat options for students in the same major and letting a higher grade student teach a lower one to study (comes in handy for the Uni students that are already there) and the like.

NL does make it lots more fun tho. I've taken to running the game on the highest speed while setting them up to do what's necessary schoolwork-wise. I might let them earn some money tutoring other kids at the library or playing instruments or hustling pool, or working in the cafeteria - just for fun (my ingame sims usually don't need money) and visit the Uni lots, just to have seen them. But I don't fast forward all the way to senior as I think it's rather fun to spend time calling up a bunch of students in the directory and inviting them on outings - friends and dates both. My Uni kids spend most of their time downtown now and those years are actually about doing a lot of socializing (and sometimes a bit of experimentation ;)). When I get tired of it - I jump them to senior and graduate them :)

This is without my themed University story idea which I'm still working on and isn't in game yet.

Oh, I imagine you know it's not a great idea to have a baby while on campus? You can't do that without hacks anyways (unless you have a teen male that gets pregnant via abduction from the sphere thing) and I think there are hacks to fix it but just thought I'd mention it :)

I agree

And also about the sims2 community in general being less "tech literate" (so to speak). It's also hard to make sure the info gets to the people who need it - there have been some good sites that went down due to bandwidth issues (there was one in particular who went over to TSR and I was sorry about, but I can't remember who it was now). One of the things Delphy's been good about is picking up some of those..

So it's not really that he's an old man or even a young kid posing as an old man, but actually a raw-meat-eating plant luring us all in with the wonderful cake offered here? a pod people?

yes, and it drives me crazy that the goodbye (or I'd guess hello) kiss will count as a first kiss I had some of my teens waiting for the right time and just because they went on a date and had a good date and like each other doesn't make it the right time. Takes the fun out if I hafta spend time watching for and canceling out goodbyes.

Thanks for answering!

That's too bad - didn't they do a better job of this for Sims1 (seems like it, but I can't remember yesterday, alzheimer's dontchaknow.) Anyway, it's silly that all restaurants serve the same things - guess I'll hope they fix it in the business EP, but considering what they're *not* doing, guess I won't hold my breath either.

PS - That's a point Motoki - I guess if I used buffet tables, I could limit the menu, and have a lot of restaurants serve buffet style. Seems like I've seen a sushi bar that worked that way on some site, but it was a donation item (so I don't have it). Course then I'd have to learn to mesh which would require a 3d program and making it through the huge learning curve of figuring out how to use it, and I'm not likely to get that far

I'd really love a way to limit the menus at restaurants (or wherever) so my seafood place just serves seafood and my ice cream parlor only has floats and deserts, and the waffle house only has waffles or whatever And so I can get some of the wonderful foods I'm downloading for the restaurants off the home menus so it doesn't clutter them up.

Anyone know of a way to do this already? (I seem to miss things)

If there's not already a way, any chance any of the wonderful modders here would consider making one?

Is it even possible? (I'm not trying to ask for the world - I just don't know any better.)