Difference between revisions of "The Sims 2"
From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
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# Make backup of <code>Graphics Rules.sgr</code> and paste content provided [http://sims.wikia.com/wiki/User:Lost_Labyrinth/TS2/Graphics_Rules.sgr here] | # Make backup of <code>Graphics Rules.sgr</code> and paste content provided [http://sims.wikia.com/wiki/User:Lost_Labyrinth/TS2/Graphics_Rules.sgr here] | ||
'''Notes''' | '''Notes''' | ||
− | {{ii}} This method may allow setting shadows to high but don't fix the problem ( | + | {{ii}} This method may allow setting shadows to high but don't fix the problem (see bellow for the only way to acctualy fix.) |
}} | }} | ||
{{Fixbox|description=Download Sim Shadow Fix(Square Shadow Fix)|ref={{cn|date=July 2016}}|fix= | {{Fixbox|description=Download Sim Shadow Fix(Square Shadow Fix)|ref={{cn|date=July 2016}}|fix= |
Revision as of 23:21, 8 March 2019
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Developers | |
---|---|
Maxis | |
macOS (OS X) | Aspyr Media |
Publishers | |
Electronic Arts | |
Engines | |
The Sims 2 Engine | |
Release dates | |
Windows | September 14, 2004 |
macOS (OS X) | June 13, 2005 |
The Sims | |
---|---|
Subseries of Sim | |
The Sims | 2000 |
The Sims Online | 2002 |
The Sims 2 | 2004 |
The Sims Stories (series) | |
MySims | 2008 |
The Sims 3 | 2009 |
The Sims Medieval | 2011 |
The Sims 4 | 2014 |
Key points
- Large modding community.
- All Origin versions get a free upgrade to The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection (contact EA Support for non-Origin versions).[1]
- Although it shipped originally with SecuROM, The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection was updated in November 2017 and no longer uses SecuROM.[2] However, it; along with all other digital releases of the game - were already pulled in August 2014.
- The disc version may not run properly on Windows 10 due to issues with SafeDisc and/or SecuROM.[3]
General information
- Official Website (archived)
- The Sims 2 Official Forums
- EA Answer HQ
- EA Answer HQ (OS X)
- The Sims Wikia
Availability
Source | DRM | Notes | Keys | OS |
---|---|---|---|---|
Retail | SafeDisc v3 DRM[Note 1]. Later expansions use v4 or SecuROM 7 DRM. |
|||
Mac App Store | Super Collection. |
- SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows Vista and later (see above for affected versions).
- The Windows version is no longer sold digitally.
- All Origin versions are automatically upgraded to The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection. Contact the EA Support for retail versions.[1]
- The Ultimate Collection from Origin no longer has SecuROM DRM.[2]
Version differences
- List of all different versions and regions can be found on Wikipedia.
DLC and expansion packs
Name | Notes | |
---|---|---|
Apartment Life | ||
Bon Voyage | ||
Celebration! Stuff | ||
Family Fun Stuff | ||
Freetime | ||
Glamour Life Stuff | ||
H&M Fashion Stuff | Also known as Fashion Stuff in Australia | |
Happy Holiday Stuff | Also known as Festive Holiday Stuff in Europe | |
Happy Holiday Pack | Also known as Christmas Party Pack in the UK and Ireland and Holiday Party Pack in Australia | |
IKEA Home Stuff | ||
Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff | ||
Mansion & Garden Stuff | ||
Nightlife | ||
Open for Business | ||
Pets | ||
Seasons | ||
Teen Style Stuff | ||
University |
Essential improvements
Patches
- Retail versions of the base game, expansions, and the Family Fun Stuff pack require patching after installation. The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection on Origin is already patched.
- Although the game's patch site has now gone down, many expansion pack patches are available from the PCGamingWiki filespace.
- The patch notes can be found here here
Skip intro videos
Delete or rename video files[6] |
---|
|
Improved view distances
Remove fog[7] |
---|
|
Game data
Configuration file(s) location
System | Location |
---|---|
Windows | <path-to-game>\TSData\Res\Config[Note 2] |
macOS (OS X) |
-
<path-to-game>
changes according to what expansions you have installed. For example, if you have Ultimate Collection or all expansions path would be...\Fun with Pets\SP9\...
Save game data location
System | Location |
---|---|
Windows | %USERPROFILE%\Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\ %USERPROFILE%\Documents\EA Games\The Sims™ 2 Ultimate Collection\ |
macOS (OS X) |
Save game cloud syncing
System | Native | Notes |
---|---|---|
Origin | Ultimate Collection now requires Origin running to play. | |
OneDrive | Requires enabling backup of the Documents folder in OneDrive on all computers. |
Video settings
Widescreen resolution
- Fixes common issues like graphics settings being disabled or not getting applied on newer GPUs, and black square Sim shadows. Adds widescreen support.
Download Graphics Rule Maker[citation needed] |
---|
|
Field of view (FOV)
- Each of the game's cameras can have their FOV set independently using the fov parameter in their Camera Settings files, which are contained in
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Cameras\
Anti-aliasing (AA)
- If your "Edge Smoothing" slider is greyed out in-game, then it's likely that the game cannot determine how much VRAM your GPU has and is defaulting to its failsafe of 32 MB.
Raise amount of fallback value[citation needed] |
---|
Notes
|
Input settings
Audio settings
- Alt-tabbing may not work properly during the game's loading screens.
Localizations
Language | UI | Audio | Sub | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
English | ||||
Czech | ||||
Danish | ||||
Dutch | ||||
Finnish | ||||
French | ||||
German | ||||
Greek | ||||
Hebrew | ||||
Hungarian | ||||
Italian | ||||
Japanese | ||||
Korean | ||||
Norwegian | ||||
Polish | ||||
Portuguese | ||||
Brazilian Portuguese | ||||
Russian | ||||
Spanish | ||||
Swedish | ||||
Thai | ||||
Traditional Chinese | ||||
Simplified Chinese |
Issues fixed
Vista/7 Compatibility
- The Sims 2 is compatible with newer versions of Windows, however the original release of the game has issues, and will show an error message when loaded.
- Patching the game or installing the expansion packs will correct this.
Game stuck in 800x600 resolution, or 4:3 aspect ratio
Force fullscreen windowed mode+texture memory[citation needed] |
---|
|
Stuck Sims/Poorly Placed Objects/Frozen Objects
- Periodically, a sim may become trapped or a special object may be placed in a bad location, preventing a sim from doing anything. In other cases, a normal object may be improperly tagged as "in use" and cannot be moved, sold, or manipulated.
- Use this cheat carefully. Some objects like the mail box cannot be replaced once deleted.
Use "moveobjects" cheat code[citation needed] |
---|
|
Black Square Shadows
Use custom config file[citation needed] |
---|
Notes
|
Download Sim Shadow Fix(Square Shadow Fix)[citation needed] |
---|
|
Neighbourhoods inaccessible in Ultimate Collection
Remove ™ in registry key[citation needed] |
---|
|
Issues on newer CPUS
- The Sims 2 was made before the release of multi-core CPUs. It may have issues at the startup loading screen on newer CPUs with multiple cores and Hyperthreading. Try following if The Sims 2 does not progress in loading at startup.
Set affinity[citation needed] |
---|
Notes
|
"More..." button does not work in conversations
This issue is caused by using a mouse when playing on a laptop with a touchpad. It is solved by either:
- Disabling the touchpad whilst playing The Sims 2, if possible.
- Using the touchpad to play instead of a mouse.
If playing on a PC Desktop it is solved by:
- Pressing tab when selecting options in the pie menu
Low quality neighborhood terrain
Enable high quality neighborhood terrain |
---|
|
Other information
API
Executable | 32-bit | 64-bit | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Windows | |||
macOS (OS X) |
Mods
- The Sims 2 attracted a large modding community, allowing further customization features. Unfortunately, even properly designed mods could increase the chances of crashes and errors in the game. Mods have a major impact on loading time and stability, and should be used with discretion if you are having issues with the game.
Official Tools
- These tools created by Maxis and formerly hosted on the games official website.
- Content Manager - This will allow you manage mods and custom content
- HomeCrafter Plus - This will allow you to create custom floors and walls
- The Sims 2 and the BodyShop Demo should not be installed on the same machine at the same time. Existing save games may corrupt and other issues may arise
System requirements
Windows | ||
---|---|---|
Minimum | Recommended | |
Operating system (OS) | 98SE, ME, 2000 | XP, Vista, 7 |
Processor (CPU) | 800 MHz | 2.4 GHz |
System memory (RAM) | 256 MB | 1 GB |
Hard disk drive (HDD) | 3.5 GB | 15 GB (with all DLC installed) |
Video card (GPU) | ATI Radeon 7200 Nvidia GeForce2 Series 32 MB of VRAM DirectX 9 compatible | ATI Radeon 9600 Nvidia GeForce 6 series 64 MB of VRAM |
- When the Seasons (or Later) Expansion Pack is installed, T&L incompatible graphics chips can be used;[8] however it requires a Minimum CPU speed of 2.4 GHz.
macOS (OS X) | ||
---|---|---|
Minimum | ||
Operating system (OS) | 10.3.8 | |
Processor (CPU) | 1.2 GHz PowerPC G4/G5 | |
System memory (RAM) | ||
Hard disk drive (HDD) | 3 GB | |
Video card (GPU) | ATI Radeon 9000 Nvidia GeForce FX5200 32 MB of VRAM |
Notes
- ↑ SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows 10[4] or Windows 11 and is disabled by default on Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 when the KB3086255 update is installed.[5]
- ↑ When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below
%PROGRAMFILES%
,%PROGRAMDATA%
, or%WINDIR%
might be redirected to%LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore
on Windows Vista and later (more details).
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Origin - The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection FAQ
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection: SecuRom Update - Sims Community
- ↑ ArQAde: The Sims 2: Please insert the correct CD-ROM
- ↑ Not Loading in Windows 10; this will break thousands of - Microsoft Community - last accessed on 2017-01-16
- ↑ Microsoft - MS15-097: Description of the security update for the graphics component in Windows: September 8, 2015 - last accessed on 2018-02-16
- ↑ TS2; skip intro - PC Gaming - Tom's Hardware - last accessed on
- ↑ This is how Sims 2 can look in 2016 : thesims - last accessed on
- ↑ The Sims 2: Seasons for Windows (2007) Tech Info - MobyGames