Here's something I haven't been game to try yet: Elder Plantsims still have the option to spawn off a little plant-toddler. But the woman already wants six grandkids, so it's not going to happen. Maybe in another household, some time, way off in the future... Question is, is this a good idea?

It's not *that* likely everyone on the lot will die before the toddler hits adult, even if 'everyone on the lot' are all elders. And if they do, that just means there'll be a Plantsim toddler in the adoption pool...

I think I vaguely recall the paper girl throwing a tantrum about the rain, after she'd delivered the paper. I'd never seen that particular tantrum before, and it did seem as though she was trying to avoid the rain. Then she just stood right there stupidly, for longer than usual, before continuing on her way off the lot.

As for storms and Sims staying outside -- I love storms. I love watching storms. I love the smell of storms. I especially love it when lightning flashes and lights up the night like it was day. I assume that's what 'day' looks like, anyway. Storm watching is a habit I picked up when I lived up the 'Top End' (of Australia) for a while - whenever there was a storm, the TV went out. And this happened a couple of nights a week or more, six months of the year. And this is the weather that I miss. It's just not the same 'Down South' (everywhere in Australia that isn't the 'Top End') - storms are not as impressive, sunsets are not as brilliant, the temperature is not a steady 32-33 Celsius all year.

I kind of wish Sims could watch the storms... If they're already maxed on skills, and not doing anything of importance. Or if I just want them to get hit by lightning. Whichever.

Does the autumn leaves effect around progress bars - for building robots and writing novels with maxed creativity - perhaps indicate that the progress is faster than in other seasons? Just a theory...

First juice I made was Pureed Boot...

Nothing special, but the boots don't seem to be good for much else, so I'd try it anyway...

Here's a question, do the fish do anything special? Or are they just good food? (I think I heard they had a bonus to hunger, maybe?)

It's probably a card issue, or something. But have you tried turning reflections on in the graphic options? (I know other people have already asked about other graphic settings, but I didn't see anything about reflections specifically)

It seems to get paid about an hour before their scheduled quitting time. (So for a 9-5 job, they'd get the maternity pay at 4, I think) I may be wrong, I don't tend to pay much attention to that either.

My sims have always gotten it, even on days that they aren't actually scheduled to work. Haven't noticed whether they get double pay if I actually send them to work, but I only found out I could send them in their cars a couple of months ago. (Even when OFB first came out, I only gave them cars as another place to woohoo, or a way to get to work on that first day if they 'missed' the carpool)

Kyna just suggested I check there, and people on the last page do seem to find it works with Pets, so I'll try that.

My copy of Pets arrived today, and I've got a few overstuffed lots already, but I suspect the hack I was using won't work anymore due to the way pets are counted. I can't remember where I got it, so I can't check whether it'll be compatible that way.

Does anyone know if there's been one made for, or compatible with, Pets?

Ah. Oops. Wasn't aware there was another patch out. Downloading that now, thanks!

So, I've got something preventing me from hiring any employees on the phone. I am definitely not awesome, so any help in identifying and correcting this problem would be greatly appreciated.

My last few downloads - and the majority - have all been from here, but I can't even remember the last time I tried to hire people, let alone the hacks I've downloaded since...

I picked up the habit in Sims1 days of only putting walls where they were absolutely needed. The bedroom, to keep out noise so that sims could sleep as woohoo hadn't been 'invented' yet, and the bathroom, for privacy. The rest of the house was one big room with kitchen/dining/lounge/study/etc. Also, if there was a back door, which there usually wasn't, it opened into a fenced in area so that Sims would always use the front door.

Lately I've been putting more walls in, and being slightly more adventurous with my houses, because the pathfinding is much better in the Sims2 than it was in the Sims1. But I still don't often give them a back door.

I don't think that playable sims leave Dream Date gifts, only townies and downtownies. I don't have my sims date many playables though, unless I have a specific match in mind, and then they usually get married/joined/moved in right away...

Um... Don't you need a cash register anyway for the bakery part of the restaurant/bakery?

Ah. Boy, do I feel silly now. 

Thanks.

I can't get the aliasing to work in my userStartup.cheat file, but it runs the cheats entered into it (like boolprop) just fine.

The file is in C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Config and I've attached a .txt version of it. (The one I actually use ends with .cheat though, no .txt on the end)

If someone could tell me what I'm doing wrong, and how to fix it, that would be awesome.

I have Uni, NL, and OFB, if that makes any difference.

Isn't the Golden Anniversary traditionally like the 50th anniversary or something, in real life? Cheating doesn't enter into it at all. An anniversary as elders *is* a golden anniversary, cheating or no.

I wondered when B4 was going to pop up. I think the servos are more like B4 (from the Star Trek movie Nemesis) than Data or Lore. Although a Lore servo would be fun!

I've got a servo that actually owns three Rank 10 community lots, because I soon discovered that Servo wasn't as 'needy' as regular Sims. Servos can be on community lots just fine, they just don't seem to be able to be initialised on them. If the servo has already been actrivated, then they can go to the comm lots all they want with no problem. They just need to be on the home lot when the boot up for the first time. I think it has something to do with the way comm lot managers become playable, yet don't come home with your Sims.

I had trouble activating a Servo on a community business lot, but I had no problems on the home lots, when I tried there. If you can't activate it on the business lot, you can put it for sale, or in the sim's inventory to activate at home.

I've noticed that Servo also goes out to recharge autonomously sometimes, dropping whatever it was doing.

In Open for Business, all normal Maxis doors are lockable, with options on who to lock in/out. I can't see myself ever using the dorm doors for that function again. (I just have to hope that OFB will work on my own computer, which is already slow with just Uni and NL)

So that's why that Sim (former cheerleader) always dresses up as a Llama as an adult. I'm getting sick of her always changing into that every time I go into any lot that she is on...

I may have to put her in the natural scientist career, and later "reward" her for it.

This is the only place I have to pay for. I miss Simslice objects, but I only ever used the Sims1 free stuff from there anyway.

I just don't think that it is worth it to pay for crap that I might not actually like once it is in the game, or even use.

But, that's probably because I'm broke.

Oh, I don't intend to feed them. *evil grin*

Wow, those are awesome. I feel a bit nervous about making dorms myself, or even enabling the dorm build mode cheat thing, but I always hated the way the dormies disappeared in their rooms. I'll definitely be downloading these.

I just downloaded NoUniProtect, too. I wonder how long the dormies will last in the smaller dorm, without a cafeteria...

I'm always irritated that my Sims have no-one to socialise with between 2 and 7 am, so there's a reason for not using the invulnerability hack. I'll probably use it with that hack in, though.