Question about loading order

[Gwill]

My copy of Bon voyage arrived yesterday, but for various reasons I'm waiting a bit before installing it.
When I do get around to it, probably in about a week, I plan to play my current neighbourhood for a while to get the feel of the EP and then start a new, fresh, perfect hood.
Because I'm using Natalie's incomplete face templates, my current hood is occupied by absolutely gorgeous adults, and equally hideous teens and elders.  This is not an arrangement I feel can continue.  So I'm wondering how exactly load order works.  Can I for instance use someone else's complete set of face replacements, and place Natalie's templates so that they override the adult ones?
Do packages simply load in alphabetical order and the latest to load takes charge, or is it more complicated than that?

I don't really know much about face templates, and I really don't feel like starting frankensteining my own.

[ZephyrZodiac]

From what I understand, which is not a lot, you can replace any templates you like, just not the same one twice.  I use Sarakadie's set from MTS2, which is a complete set, so I don't have a problem with ugly teens etc.  I would think that theoretically it would be possible to use her child set on its own with the ones you are using, but I think the best thing would be to just test it out in a new hood (which can then be deleted) just to see what works and what doesn't.

[Gwill]

I'm perfectly aware that it's possible to mix and match complete templates.  I do that to a certain degree already.
What I want to know about is load order, and whether it is possible, when you know what you're doing to have two replacements of the same face, given that they load in the correct order.

[ZephyrZodiac]

Sorry, I was only trying to help - but you could try sticking a z in front of one and seeing what happens.....

[Ambular]

I imagine you could.  In XP (and I think Vista?) everything loads alphabetically, first by folder and then by file.  So like, files in Downloads load alphabetically, then files in the first subfolder in Downloads load alphabetically, then files in the second subfolder in Downloads, etc.

But why have two?  (Unless it's a situation where the creator stuck a bunch of templates together in the same file.)  If each template is in a separate file, you could leave out the adult templates from the other set you're using and just have Naitali's.  Save some loading time that way.

[Gwill]

The alternate set of templates I have been looking at had all ages of each face in one file.  I figure the safest thing to do is to just go through all those packages and delete the adult faces.  It's going to be a bit of work, but it's probably better than risking the weirdness I might encounter otherwise; I've seen some amazing things happen when people use multiple default skin replacements.

[ZephyrZodiac]

Be easier to find a set of templates with a file for each age-group!  Or do you particularly like the set you have?

[Gwill]

Like I said, it's a bit of mix and match.  Each individual face is one i particularily like better than other sets.   (Yes, I know I'm picky.)  And I want to use Natali's adult faces all 'round, because they look like they belong together.
But the reason I asked was because I'm interested in how the game loads files to begin with.

[ZephyrZodiac]

However it does it, it's far less logical than Sims1!  At least then you could keep your custom walls and floors together through price - those menus in Sims2 are a mess!  If you went to a decorator's shop in RL and came across a muddle like that, I don't think you'd bother to buy from them!

As to faces, and anything else, I assume that it's all loaded according (a) to folder and (b) according to that stupid long file-name - if so, finding that and altering it could be the answer (as long as you don't accidentally duplicate any of them).