The Sims 2
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
- Runs well on low-end hardware
- Large community
Availability
Versions
The Sims 2 Store Edition
There was briefly an online store that sold additional items for use in The Sims 2. To use the store, the game required a patch to The Sims 2 Store Edition. Store Edition removed the need for a physical CD, but introduced instability to the game. Support was pulled from the Sims 2 Store, and the Store Edition is no longer available.
Improvements
Expansion Packs
Along with multiple versions of the original game, there have been numerous expansions to The Sims 2. This is a list of all expansion packs:
- University
- Nightlife
- Open For Business
- Pets
- Seasons
- Bon Voyage
- Free Time
- Apartment Life
Stuff Packs
The game also sold collections of items and clothing, known as stuff packs, between expansions.
- Holiday Party Pack
- Family Fun Stuff
- Glamour Life Stuff
- Happy Holiday Stuff
- Celebration Stuff
- H&M Fashion Stuff
- Teen Style Stuff
- Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff
- IKEA Home Stuff
- Mansion & Garden Stuff
Patches
The following Sims 2 products require patches after installation:
- The Sims 2 (CD or DVD original release)
- University
- Nightlife
- Open For Business
- Pets
- Seasons
- Bon Voyage
- Free Time
- Apartment Life
- Family Fun Stuff
Game data
Game files location
- If you a Deluxe edition, the folder name will be different.
- Expansion packs are in their own folders under EA GAMES
Save files location
Save game cloud syncing
Template:Save Game Cloud Syncing
Video settings
Widescreen resolution
The game's max res is 1600 x 1200. For higher resolutions you need to edit the following file:
EA GAMES\(Latest expansion installed)\TSData\Res\Config\Graphics Rules.sgr
Set maxResWidth and maxResHeight to your display's native width and height, or copy/paste the following:
option ScreenModeResolution setting $Low uintProp maxResWidth 2560 uintProp maxResHeight 1600 uintProp defaultResWidth 800 uintProp defaultResHeight 600 setting $Medium uintProp maxResWidth 2560 uintProp maxResHeight 1600 uintProp defaultResWidth 1024 uintProp defaultResHeight 768 setting $High uintProp maxResWidth 2560 uintProp maxResHeight 1600 uintProp defaultResWidth 1024 uintProp defaultResHeight 768 end
Input settings
Issues and Fixes
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.
Disable intro movie
To disable the intro movie that plays every time the game opens, go to the following folder:
EA GAMES\The Sims 2\TSData\Res\Movies
Rename the file intro_eng_audio.movie into something else, like intro_eng_audio.movie.old. The intro movie won't play anymore. If you want the movie back, just change it back to its original file name.
Stuck Sims/Poorly Placed Objects/Frozen Objects
Periodically, a sim may become trapped or an 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. To fix these issues, open the cheat console by hold Ctrl, Shift and C, then type moveobjects on
and enter buy mode. You can now pick up the sim or broken object, and move it to another location. To restore the game to normal after this, open the cheat console again, and type moveobjects off
.