Questions I Get Asked About The Sims 2...

I get asked quite a few questions about The Sims 2 such as where I get my custom content, how to make shorts, where to get The Sims 2 and how to optimise it for Windows so I thought I would make a blog post answering all of these questions with links to sites that will help.

The Sims 2 

Although I have all of the disks, I was one of the lucky ones who was able to get the downloadable game for free from EA many moons ago via Origin.  Unfortunately, they are not giving away copies any more.  There is an old petition on Change .org if you would like to sign it.

If you are on a Mac, The Sims 2 Super Collection can be purchased from the Apple Store with most of the expansion packs and stuff packs.  I do believe that it doesn't have Apartment Life which was the last EP for The Sims 2 unfortunately as EA only made it for Windows.  This EP not only had apartments but witches too.

However, if you are on Windows, Reddit has a great post which will help.

In order to run the game on Windows, Pleasantsims has all the instructions on her blog which I found to be extremely helpful. 

Custom Content

I usually get custom content from Tumblr and my favourite creator, especially for clothing and hair, is GoatsKickin'.

During The Sims 2 days, we had a store and all of the items have now been uploaded here.

I just recently found these really colourful items from Linacheries which I haven't downloaded yet but thought they were worth a mention.

For furniture, I really like Padre over at The Sims Resource.  He also creates items for The Sims 4.

If you are into building in The Sims 2, Mod the Sims have a great selection of build items either recolours or new meshes.  My favourite is Honeywells build set. 

Don't forget to check out BuggyBooz here on Blogger - they have made some awesome items for the home and garden. 

If you would like Sims 4 items in your Sims 2 game, there is a database where creators have converted them.  I actually look forward to when Maxis/EA release kits, stuff packs and EP's for The Sims 4 as a short while later they will be converted to The Sims 2!  

Also, I build lots for downloading and you can see videos of my speed builds over on my YouTube channel together with the download links.

Recording Gameplay

To record my gameplay of The Sims 2, I use OBS which is a free recording programme.

The version I have is 27.0.1 so you may need to scroll down the page to get it.  I find that any newer version will not record The Sims 2 as it's an old game.

Making Shorts

When I first started making shorts, I would chop my video up with my video editor into little videos and upload each one to Adobe Express which is a free online tool. 

You can also remove the background from your pictures by going to the little dropdown above entitled "quick actions" (you may need to wait a little while for it to load properly) and upload your image.  This is great for creating thumbnails for long-form videos if you are on YouTube.

I have now learned to make shorts in my video editor by watching tutorials on YouTube.  The video editor that I use is NCH Video Pad Video Editor which isn't a free programme but was just a one-time payment.

I hope the above helps and yes, I know I should update this blog a little more often...

Dag Dag!

- Minicart (Jules)

One Man and His Dog

As I've said before, I don't usually play with pets in The Sims 2 but after building 21 Trailer Creek and playing with the new family of Sam and Bob, I decided to make their own little series entitled "One Man and His Dog".

I took quite a liking to this little family and I enjoyed playing them.  I recorded my gameplay just in case something interesting came up that I could use for a short on YouTube and, as is usual in The Sims 2, nearly always, something happens which is of interest.

So, I chopped up my video gameplay which was over a period of 3 Sim days and created a "no commentary" video showing the antics of Bob whilst Sam was at work and things that they both got up to together.

Although I don't have time to play Sam and Bob on a regular basis, I will be playing them again and uploading videos to add to the series.

- Minicart (Jules)

21 Trailer Creek

I was watching Lilsimsie build a trailer in The Sims 4 and decided to create my own in The Sims 2. 

So I built 21 Trailer Creek and although the trailer is quite small, it is big enough for a couple of Sims.  There is also a front yard with a barbecue and seating area and although I didn't place any gardening plots, there is space for them if you want your Sim to do some gardening and perhaps be a little more self-sufficient.

To test the lot out, I created Sam and his dog Bob and, as you will see from the gameplay video at the end, Bob seemed very happy in his new home, digging holes and playing with his bone.  Sam on the other hand, although happy in his new home, had trouble with one of the neighbours who stole his gnome and then proceeded to try and sell his dog!  He asked her to leave and later went back to retrieve his gnome from her.

This lot is available for download should you want it in your game and you can download from one of the two links below:

Media Fire

SFS

Here's the speed build video if you want to see how I built this lot and also watch the gameplay at the end:

Minicart (Jules)

Harry and Heather

In my own Sims 2 gameplay in Pleasantview, I have quite a few families that I play rotationally, which I may have mentioned before.  One such family is Harry and Heather Barrington-Smythe.

Harry is one of the younger sons of my original couple, Charles and Victoria, who are now no longer with us.  Even though Harry is a romantic Sim, he is happily married to Heather and they have two children who are now at University.  This means that when either Harry or Heather are not working, they have quite a lot of free time to do as they want.  Their work schedules are such that Heather works in the morning and Harry works in the afternoons.

Harry enjoys gardening and fixing old cars whereas Heather has taken up flower arranging and also enjoys chasing after butterflies.

Heather knows that Harry chose her over all the other ladies that he dated in the past and she also knows that he has remained faithful to her over the years.  However, there is that little nagging ache inside of her that causes her to think that it would only take one little thing, one little instance in life, that would make him do something naughty.

Harry on the other hand, is quite convinced that he is a changed man.  Until Andrea Hogan turns up on his doorstep one morning when Heather is at work.

It could be the genie's lamp that caused this "little problem" or it could just be Harry's enchanting personality and charm that caused Andrea to suddenly have a crush on Harry.  Or maybe it was the rose that Harry innocently offered her on his doorstep.  Either way, hopefully, Harry won't ruin everything for a townie.

Minicart (Jules)

63 Camden Street

I really enjoy building in The Sims 2 albeit it's a little harder than in The Sims 4.  

In TS4 you can push and pull walls and add foundations to already built houses.  You can't do that in TS2 and although I have a few problems with roofing, I eventually get it right in the end.

The Sims 2 seems to be getting more popular these days, probably due to the gameplay which seems to be more in-depth and the Sims in 2 seem to react better to situations than they do in 4.  For example, Sims 2 Sims will look at the camera when waiting for the player to direct them to do something or if you as the player sell an object from their home or it gets taken by a burglar or the Repo Man, they will go over to where the object was, sigh and shake their heads or get angry that the item was taken.  Sims 4 Sims just don't seem to care in my opinion.

There are still many custom content creators out there, past and present, who have created and are still creating for The Sims 2.  Even expansion packs and kits for The Sims 4 have been converted to The Sims 2 and this is great for Sims 2 players like myself who can still get new content for such an old but brilliant game.

For me, I care more about my Sims 2 Sims than I have for Sims from any of the other iterations and so I want them to have nice homes to live in, which brings me to my build of 63 Camden Street.

This house is a 3 x 3 lot and will cost your Sim 87,420 Simoleons - nothing that Motherlode cannot fix!  It has one bedroom, one bathroom, a study and an open-plan living room/kitchen/diner.  It also has a back porch with a barbecue and plots outside for planting seeds.  And of course, as there are cars in The Sims 2, it has a nice driveway with a brand new shiny red car.

I did use custom content in this build which seems to bring The Sims 2 more up to date and modern and my Sims really love their new home!  Here are a few pics:

And of course, I made a speed build video for my channel on YouTube which shows some gameplay at the end of my Sims testing the lot out.

You can also download this lot for your game should you want it for your Sims.  The links to download are in the description of the video and also pinned to the comments section.

- Minicart (Jules)

The Bartletts

As I mentioned in a previous post, I play The Sims 2 rotationally and record my own gameplay.  I have quite a few families in Pleasantview who are the children of my original couple.  They also have children where most of them have gone to University.  The eldest son always comes back home but the rest of the family make their own way in life on new lots where they too will eventually marry and have children.

One particular family that I have are the Bartletts.  

As a teen, Charlotte was a Goth and has continued her "way of life" into adulthood.  She lives with her husband in Bartlett Manor, a large mansion on a hill.  

They have quite a few graves in their garden, due to the cowplant that they have fenced in next to the graveyard.  Unfortunately, sometimes they forget to lock the gate and a few unsuspecting neighbours try to steal the cake which the cowplant offers them when hungry.

To make matters worse, Charlotte decided to become a witch, albeit a good one, and she has learned quite a few spells and made quite a few potions.  She is really becoming quite adept at it.

I've never really played with witches in The Sims 2 as I prefer to play families, watching the children grow and learn and eventually go to University and then have children of their own but I'm actually quite enjoying playing a witch in TS2.  

But, I digress...

The Bartletts are really quite a "normal" family, living their day-to-day lives, going to work, taking their children (who are both at Uni) out to dinner and this next episode shows just how "normal" and happy they are.

Again, this episode is lots of short clips of my gameplay over a period of three Sim days.

- Minicart (Jules)

Making a Greek House

Whenever I start a new game in The Sims 2, I like to start with young adults at University.  I feel that this gives my Sims a good start in life by learning skills and meeting their lifetime partners.

When doing this, I enjoy making a Greek House for the boys and another for the girls.  I do this separately to allow more Sims to go to Uni in my hometown, such as sons and daughters of my Legacy family and their grandchildren and cousins.  I then create a partner for Sims that have been born to families and they all join the Greek House that my original Sims have made.

These Greek Houses become bigger and better as time goes on, with families contributing items such as televisions, pool tables and anything else that the Greek Houses may need, including career reward items that families have two or more of.

I tend to cheat a bit when I first make the Greek Houses, such as taking items from the dorm to place inside the house, just to start them off.  However, I only do this once and then either delete the old dorm or replace everything in build/buy mode.

So, for posterity, I decided to create a video on how I do this, using my Sim that has just gained access to the Secret Society.

If you would like to see how I create a Greek House in The Sims 2, or if you ever wanted to create a Greek House but wasn't sure how to do it, then hopefully this video will help you or at least give you an idea.  Of course, you can cheat some Simoleons to build the house but I just prefer to take the stuff from the dorm, as my Sim has already paid for it in rent 😃

- Minicart (Jules)

1571 Melody Drive

Even though The Sims 2 is an old game, I think the graphics are pretty good and the gameplay is amazing.  Sims in The Sims 2 seem more "real" and have great personalities.  To me, they are smarter than the so-called "smart Sims" that EA made out The Sims 4 to be.

Obviously, things change over the years as far as the look and feel of video games and The Sims are no exception.

Building houses and lots in The Sims 2 is harder than it is in The Sims 4.  Regardless of what anyone says about this latest iteration of The Sims, TS4 build mode is very advanced, allowing the player to push and pull walls, laying foundations after the house has been built - I could go on.  I do not consider myself a builder but I enjoy building and I do find The Sims 2 a lot harder to build in than The Sims 4.

I tend to have a lot of trouble with roofing in The Sims 2 but admit that I am getting better and I do accomplish it in the end.

When you look at Sims 4 builds, they are quite modern and "up to date" and doing this in The Sims 2 is a little harder but not entirely impossible.

Thanks to all of those wonderful custom content creators that are still out there, creating new stuff for The Sims 2, you can make your Sims 2 build look more modern for your Sims and allow you, the player, to play this great game with a new, modern look.

Apart from mods to make the water look more sparkly, the grass greener and the world more open, new and colourful UI and a host of other stuff, creators are converting Sims 4 objects to Sims 2, allowing the player to have the expansion pack objects from The Sims 4 into The Sims 2.  It's like having extra expansion packs, game packs and stuff packs for a game that, unfortunately, EA no longer supports.

There is now a conversion database for Sims 2 content that has been converted from The Sims 4 and a hashtag of "4t2" on Tumblr to find this content a lot easier.

I think my Sims in The Sims 2 deserve better so I tend to use a lot of custom content in my game and in the more modern builds that I place for download.

When I was scouring the internet for ideas on my next build, I came across a really modern home that I wanted to re-create in The Sims 2 and came up with 1571 Melody Drive.

This home has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a study and a kitchen/diner/lounge with a garage that houses a brand-new sparkling Mercedes which I downloaded from Mod the Sims a while back.

I also created a speed-build video for YouTube and as you will see at the end of the video, my Sims tested out the home and seemed very happy with it!

Here's the video if you want to check it out and if you would like to download this lot for your game, the link is pinned to the comments section.

Dag Dag!

- Minicart (Jules)

The Barrington-Smythes

It seems that "shorts" are quite popular these days.  YouTube has a "shorts shelf" for videos of one minute or less and which are now monetised for those who qualify.  Tik-Tok is also very popular with short videos although they have upped the watch time to 10 minutes at the time of writing this.

I have also noticed that quite a few people enjoy "no commentary" videos.  In a way, this also closes the language gap where actions can speak louder than words.  And of course in The Sims, well, everyone knows Simlish :-)

Which brings me to today's video.

For a little while now, I have been recording my personal gameplay.  I play rotationally in The Sims 2 and, with each rotation, I record it and make a little video out of it by cutting it up into lots of little shorts and piecing it all together without any commentary.  This seems to go down quite well with my subscribers although it does take quite a while to complete.  Gameplay can be around 6 to 7 hours and a video can end up being just 20 or 30 minutes.  However, it is fun to do!

My latest episode is The Barrington-Smythes.  This is Part 4 where my couple are left alone with their cat Abbey after their children have gone to Uni.  

If you like shorts then you will love this episode of The Barrington-Smythes and if you like "no commentary" videos, you will surely enjoy this offering :-)

- Minicart (Jules)

9 Mill Lane

I have been building quite a few Sims 2 lots lately, recording as I go and turning them into speed builds for posting on YouTube.  My latest is "9 Mill Lane" and I'm pleased with how it turned out.

I did use custom content in this lot, mainly for the flowers in the garden which are converted from TS4 Cottage Living to TS2.  These plants are seen as "objects" and don't need watering or trimming, so that saves your Sims a lot of time in the garden!  As with all lots, if you download this, all custom content is included in the file.

As you will see from the end of the video, my Sims seemed to settle in very well in their new home 😃

So, without further ado, here is the video - enjoy!

Open for Business Tutorial in The Sims 2

I have been asked a few times how to start up and run a business in the Open for Business expansion pack for The Sims 2 so I decided to make a video!

Here you will see my Sim opening the "Just Flowers and More" business lot in Bluewater and she seems to be making a pretty good go of it.

If you ever wanted to run your own business in The Sims 2 but didn't quite know how, this video is for you!

Greek House Shenanigans

 

As a die hard Sims 2 fan, I really enjoy sharing my gameplay with others.  Every day on Twitter, I post a snippet of my Sims 2 gameplay which my followers seem to enjoy and I get quite a few likes, views and retweets.

I decided a while back to put all these little snippets into separate little videos and post them on YouTube as long form videos but alas, viewers didn't seem to be as enthusiastic as my Twitter followers.  So, I decided to post some shorts on YouTube.  Little snippets of my Sims 2 gameplay, just like I do on Twitter.

Again, viewers seem to love these little snippets and I have gotten quite a few views and gained some extra subscribers in doing so.

So, I had another idea...

How about if I put little snippets, a few seconds each, into a long form video.  Scenes that switch from one to the next quite quickly would hopefully keep the viewer more interested to see how the video plays out rather than watching something that is more drawn out, so to speak.

So, I thought I would give this idea a go and "Greek House Shenanigans" was born.

In my personal Sims 2 game, I have three Uni students that live in a Greek House.  Two are brothers and both are of the "Romance" aspiration.  One is now engaged, having had his fun in his early years and is ready to settle down.  His younger brother however is just starting out and has met a few young female sims that he is interested in.  Not happy with dating just one sim however, he has three of them which he is seeing and canoodling with.

They haven't found out about each other yet but I'm sure that if they do, all hell will break loose.

Until then however, my sim is having a lot of fun as you will see if you watch the video above.

I was able to get quite a few little snippets/scenes into this 2 minute and 27 second video so I would love to know what you think of this "new style" of video that I have made.  If you enjoy "shorts" then I think this video will be right up your street!

Let me know in the comments section below!

Cheers!

- Minicart (Jules)

The Wedding

 

There has been a lot of talk lately about a new game pack on the theme of Weddings coming to The Sims 4.

I have only had a couple of weddings in the past whilst playing TS4 but it didn't seem as exciting as previous The Sims games.

The Sims 2 has always been my go-to for comparisons as I feel the game had so much depth to it and so whilst playing my own personal game, it got to the point where two of my Sims were to be married.  I decided to record everything and I'm so glad I did!

There was quite a lot that I had forgotten about, such as the cutting of the cake and making a toast.  Of course the in-game wedding vows video also came into play which brought back so many memories!

My Sims booked their honeymoon before the wedding and the car automatically came to pick them up after the party was over, taking them to their chosen vacation world.  I think this is a lovely touch to the game, something that we haven't had since in The Sims, as with a lot of things.

If EA do release a wedding pack for The Sims 4, although it will look pretty, as does the game, I am not sure if it would bring the gameplay that we had in TS2.  I would love to be proven wrong but so far...

I would love to hear what you think - let me know in the comments section below!

Cheers!

- Minicart (Jules)

Gardening in The Sims 2

 

I really enjoy gardening in The Sims 2.  It is somewhat different to what we had in The Sims 3 and now, in The Sims 4.

First of all from build mode you have to place earth dirt, one square at a time, just like laying a foundation.  Then the Sim can fertilize each square before digging and planting the seeds.

There wasn't much to choose from by way of seeds.  When starting out, a Sim can only plant tomatoes, however, once a gold talent badge had been acquired for the gardening skill, a Sim could then plant tomatoes, cucumber, strawberries, pole beans, peppers and eggplant which was the majority of seeds available.

Purchasing a ladybug loft will keep all the bad bugs away from your plants and having a compost bin allows your Sim to compost all kitchen waste, and even the newspaper, to use for fertilizing the earth next time you want to plant something.

Gardening seemed a lot harder in The Sims 2.  If you overwatered your plants, they would drown and die.  Talking to your plants kept them happy and vibrant, allowing their health level to increase, but this could only be done once you had a gold talent badge for gardening.  Once this is achieved, it is a lot easier to keep your plants happy but until your Sim gets to that point, keeping your plants happy is hard work.

There were three trees available in gardening in The Sims 2, namely Ambrosial Lemon, Ambrosial Orange and Ambrosial Apple, all of which can be purchased fully grown from the gardening section in build mode.

These trees need to be trimmed, which is something we didn't have again in future The Sims releases.  Trimming your trees keeps them happy and of course, as with all plants in The Sims 2, talking to them keeps them healthy and all plants then give great quality fruit and vegetables.  All produce can be placed in the refrigerator for future use and if you have a juicer, fruit and vegetables can be placed in there for a fresh and healthy drink!

Bushes, such as rose bushes, and hedges all bought from build mode would grow, spurting out little shoots that had to be trimmed.  This is something that we never had again in The Sims.  Weeds would also grow not just within plants but on the grass too.

I have quite a few little snippets of gardening in The Sims 2 so decided to pop them all in a video.

Do you enjoy gardening in The Sims 2?  Or perhaps you prefer gardening in The Sims 3 or maybe 4, or maybe a mixture of each?  Let me know in the comment section below!

Cheers!

- Minicart (Jules)

Kids Stuff 2

 

Following on from my video "Kids Stuff", I have captured more things that kids done in The Sims 2 which we don't have in The Sims 4 and most things that we never actually got again, even in The Sims 3.  Simple things like playing games with friends and siblings such as cops 'n' robbers and running to greet a parent home from work were little details that made The Sims 2 so great.

All of these little snippets I have placed in this video entitled "Kids Stuff 2", even if only for posterity.  I am sure that I will get even more bits and pieces and odds and bobs as time goes on.

I hope you enjoy this little video and that it brings back some good memories for you if you ever played The Sims 2 or, if you've never played this version of The Sims, that you enjoy watching some cool stuff from an old, but still very popular, game.

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Cheers!

- Minicart (Jules)

Snow in The Sims 2

Getting snow in The Sims 2 was a little different than in TS3 and TS4.  You couldn't skate on an icy pond like you could in TS3 although there was an ice skating rink venue that you could place to send your Sims to.  Much like in TS4 where the ice skating rink shows up in parks in various worlds.

You could build a snowman and create a snow angel and of course have a snowball fight, just like in future games although building an igloo wasn't a feature until The Sims 3.

A couple of things I do miss from The Sims 2 regarding snow that we never had again was when it starting snowing, children and adults alike would run to the window and look outside.  Children would get excited and so would some adults.  They would also get a memory of "first snow"!  However there were adults that weren't very happy with this and would shake their heads, just like in real life!

Another thing was the way Sims would walk in the deep snow; I don't believe we have had that type of animation since.

And of course the penguin!  Who could forget that lovable penguin that ventured onto your lot when it snowed!  If you had a snowman in the yard, the penguin would walk up to it and chat to it.

In this video I have pieced together all the little video snippets that I have of snow in The Sims 2.  I hope you enjoy it!  Don't forget to comment below and let me know what you think!

Cheers!

- Minicart (Jules)

 

Building a Car

 

When The Sims 2 Freetime was released, we were given the One Man's Junk Car that Sims could build from scratch.  This was a hobby item which allowed Sims to gain the mechanical skill.

The Sim had to work on the car engine and body parts and in the end gained a totally usable car which the Sim could take to have a car alarm installed.

It took a long time to build the car and sometimes whilst working on the engine, the car would backfire and set off black smoke at the Sim.  It was well worth it in the end though, to have a totally usable car to get around in.

This car was reintroduced in The Sims 3 Roaring Heights pack which was only available from The Sims 3 Store, albeit it looked a lot different.

This video takes you through a Sim building the One Man's Junk Car in The Sims 2 and as it took a long time for him to build it, I have edited it through.  However, you can see that he worked on it through day and night and the seasons!

Cheers!

- Minicart (Jules)

Kids Stuff

 

As with my Bits 'N' Bobs video, there are a few things that kids done in The Sims 2 which are unrelated to each other but put together as another 'odds and bobs' make a great video.  Most, if not all, of the things shown in this video were ever given to us again, such as showing off to parents and jumping up and down on the bed.

The dancing with dad clip, where the child stands on her father's feet while he dances with her brings back so many memories of me and my father, who used to dance with me like this when I was a child at family get-togethers.

So much detail was put into The Sims 2 which made it a really great game to play.  Even today, I think it surpasses The Sims 4 for detail and gameplay.

Let me know what you think!

Cheers!

- Minicart (Jules)

Toy Making in The Sims 2

 

When Open for Business was released for The Sims 2 in 2006, we were given appliances in game to allow Sims to craft items for a home or community based business.  This expansion pack also introduced talent badges.  These badges were earned the more experience your Sim gained in a certain craft.  Once a bronze badge had been earned, the Sim then went on to earn a Silver Badge and then a Gold one.  Each badge enabled the Sim to create even better items within that particular craft or to be able to plant a wider variety of seeds and talk to plants in the gardening skill.

One such item that was introduced was the Toy Making Bench.  Sims can craft toys on this bench and work their way up from a simple brick to a water wiggler toy.  All of these toys can be played with by children and some can be played with by pets!  Adults can also play with the kite, as seen in the video.

As all of these toys were only in The Sims 2 (apart from the brick which made an appearance in The Sims 3), I decided to make a video showing how these toys were made and adults and children playing with them.

I hope you enjoy my Toy Making combo video!  Let me know what you think in the comment section below!

Cheers!

- Minicart (Jules)

Bits 'N' Bobs in The Sims 2

 

I have been playing The Sims 2 again in earnest for quite a while and it's amazing how, just after 20 minutes of gameplay, so much can happen as The Sims in TS2 are so quirky!  

I always have OBS running so that I can catch all the little things that happen and also the stuff that we don't have in TS4.  In fact, most of the things we had in TS2, we never had again.  

I have been uploading these snippets to my Twitter and TikTok accounts and Simmers have been loving them!  Some of the stuff is related, such as snow snippets and gardening but there are other things that remain one-offs.

As I have loads of "one-off" video snippets, I decided to put them all in a video and upload them to YouTube.

So "Bits 'N' Bobs" came about through having many snippets of little bits and pieces and things and stuff we had in The Sims 2, all unrelated and bunched together in a bigger video.

Now you may be thinking, "if I can see them on Twitter and TikTok, why would I want to watch your video on YouTube?".  Well, first of all, you may not have or even like Twitter and/or TikTok but there's also a catch!  I haven't uploaded ALL of the snippets to Twitter and TikTok, only some of them.  I kept some back for the YouTube video so there will be clips that you won't see on my other social media accounts!

If you're into The Sims 2 or have never played it, I hope you enjoy watching my Bits 'N' Bobs video!  If you do, be sure to follow me on my other accounts (if you're into Twittering or TikTokking) for more Simlish Shenanigans!

Cheers!

- Minicart (Jules)