Just hand me the lot and I'll test it ... but as far as I know it seems to be agreed upon that Uni lots work for everyone, as long as they don't contain Uni objects. The format change came with NL.

I'm preparing to re-install my game copies stil. n, my previous NL copy has no UNI too. presently, I only have the base game copy available.

Just downloaded the lot, nengi -- will test it tonight.

<time passes>

Tried to test, but I'm not much of a help I'm afraid. Because I get the "This thing requires Expansion pack data" message, and I only have the Maxis installer (Booooo!), so I can't even tell you whether the error message is humbug or not.

Sorry. Hopefully someone else can give it a try?

May get the Clean Installer to install it
But, I guess you've already known that... So, even the Clean Installer doesn't work? Or there're some other problems...?

No problem Plasticbox, thanks for trying

perhaps whats needed is a programme built to convert the files.
which can remove the non relevant bits and leave behind compatable bits.
if you see what i mean.

I tested the "test" lot by ningi65 and it did cause my game to crash as I tried to open the lot. I have uni and NL.

Thanks unicorn77799900 for being my guinea pig and reporting back here, I appreciate it.
Edluver also reported the lot to be unusable here: http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=143526.
My sister (who I forced to test the lot...), she has UNI and NL, experienced a game crash as well.
So, until someone tells me different I assume that OFB is behaving in the manner of NL:
A house built under OFB (even without any OFB items used) requires OFB to work!

Since FFS isn't considered a true expansion, I'm wondering if there'll be a requirement for others to have it with any houses I'll be making with it on my system? I'm still waiting for it to be delivered, but I'm seeing a lot of misc. negative things and know a great many refuse to buy it.

I already have the other expansions, which narrows down who can use what I'd make quite a bit, and I'd hate to install FFS and worsen that. I really want to use the items in it, but I'll shelve it a while if it does have a requirement

edited: Well, I kind of answered my question, but I'm still not sure if it's typical for most people. I downloaded an empty Exchange lot that listed FFS as a requirement (as of this writing, I still don't have it, but I have everything through OFB).

Lot installed as normal and did not crash during placement, entry, and saves. Didn't see any notices for that in error logs in a brief check either.

I hope this isn't completely off-topic, but having experienced a crash with games that weren't compatible, how do you get those lots out of the game? As soon as I attempted to trash the lots, the game freezes. Is there a way to get the lots out of my game without resorting to reinstallation?

takemychance,

Just have the game exited or quit.
Check out the time when you installed those lots through "date modified" sorting in the "...\My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Teleport" folder.
After figuring out the involved files in terms of the installed time (the modified date), delete them manually through the window explorer.
If too hard to trace through the time, install all the other compatible lots leaving the incompatible ones alone. and get back to the mentioned directory(ies) to delete the files.

If you can't find the related files in that directory, try "...\My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\LotCatalog"

Hope this helps...

So... what I've gotten from all this... If you have NL at all, you must have NL to use the lot. If you have University, but there is no Uni content on the lot, anyone can download it. If you have Uni and NL, but no Uni content, you only need NL, right? And we're still working on the OFB backwards-compatibility it seems. Oh, and of course all lots are forward-compatible?

shinelikestars,

If a lot is made in TS2 + NL, it can be used in another TS2 + NL copy. But it's unclear that if lots made under TS2 + NL but without any NL visible content can be used in TS2 +OFB. So, the use of "must" is unsure until that's clarified/verified/confirmed.

If a lot made in TS2 or TS2 + UNI, they're mostly usable in all game versions, except some of those with highly deformed swim-pools thru sunni's way. If they're aerial pools, the pool layers will simply be removed after NL and no mess results. But if they're lakes and sea or else, they can be big useless messes to users even though the game may not crash.

Thanks, Niol! That helps somewhat.

Once my husband has time to fix my other computer, I'm going to play with the OFB/NL compatibility. Might be interesting to see if my NL lots will work in an OFB-only game.

How Do You Make The Houses Because Im New Please Explaine Amanda

x_weemandy_x,

may ask in new thread for "How Do You Make The Houses" coz this thread is about lot compatibility in different game versions.

In that new thread, you may get better response if you can provide at least a screenshot to other readers, so they may be able to grab what you're asking... so to increase the likelihood you're getting a helpful reply.

For imsage-host, you can try sites like these
http://xs.to/
http://s33.photobucket.com/albums/d98/amythestfenix/
http://reg.imageshack.us/

I recently repackaged a lot created with the base game with the OFB EP and it is not usable by anyone who does not have OFB. This has been tested and there is no compatability with the older EP's. I ended up uninstalling OFB to update and repackage all of my lots so that more people would be able to use them.
xo

So, lots made in game versions with OFB requires OFB, but can game version with FFS SP use lots made in OFB without visible OFB contents?


May use different XP user account to install different game versions...

Say, the base game and UNI may share the same programme folder location if they can be mixed together by means of different user accounts. However, NL, OFB, FFS may be better installed along with yet another copy-set of TS2 and/or UNI. Coz these EPs or SP seem to overwrite the TS2 and UNI files.

Well, yes, one can imagine it takes quite a lot of space to accomodate several game versions with different user account. But, one can make shortcuts (esp. at the downloads folder) to move custom contents around different accounts, so they don't need multiple copies of custom contents.

In my case, an extra user account takes me about 25-30 MB; another copy of TS2 = 3.4 Gb; another copy of NL + TS2 can be 5.? Gb (can't remember exactly), etc...

After all, by means of multiple user account, one can play or use different game versions with ease. Whenever wanna use a particular game version, just switch the user account that game version is installed.
Yes, it may sound a lot of installation from the start, but that's a way to go if one wants multiple game versions.

Surely, one can have an XP copy for each game version, or the mix.

from what I have been told by those that have tried using a different user account on their pc is that it does not work because the OFB overwrites all base game files.
xo

"However, NL, OFB, FFS may be better installed along with ***yet another copy-set*** of TS2 and/or UNI. Coz these EPs or SP seem to overwrite the TS2 and UNI files."

Yes, I've assumed OFB may overwrite the game files...

I'm not sure what you mean. Are you saying to install a seperate copy to the 2nd account on the same pc?
xo

Yes, that way, one can have multiple game versions by means of user accounts.
So, there'll be copies
TS2 + UNI
TS2 + NL
TS2 + NL + OFB
TS2 + UNI + NL + OFB
TS2 + OFB
etc...

I'm unsure if TS2 and UNI can really share the same copy of TS2, but one can try to confirm that.
For every EP newer than UNI, just at least install a new TS2 copy to have them installed in a location different from other copies.

Yes, it may take a lot of spaces though. Afte all, it depends on how many game version(s) one wanna have.

you know, I'd try that if having so much spaces... :D

Based on visitor feedback and some testing by uninstalling and reinstalling different combinations it seems that all the individual EP's affect lots in a way that the only safe way to re-distribute them is if the end user has the same combination of EP's. The circumstances under which lots made with University will work with just the base game are very limited, most often it seems that although the lot will install with the S2CPI, it fails to be placed or initiates a game failure. The FFS isn't as bad, it does appear to create some changes to the lot that flag the lot as requiring FFS (so using the Maxis installer it will fail without FFS), but this goes away (along with any FFS content) using the S2CPI.

What I haven't yet tried is creating a base game neighbourhood http://forums.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=107015 and creating a lot with this, which restricts the game files to just what came with the original and ignores the EP changes, to see if that results in a lot which will install with no EP's or any combination of EP's. If that doesn't work (it seems likely that it will to me but I'm no expert), then the only safe way appears to be to uninstall everything, create the lot, package it, then no EP related changes can cause it not to install on any type of installation.

Just wanted to add...

I have the EPs listed in my signature. EVERY lot made with OFB causes problems with the game, and NONE can be used, even empty lots.

If lucky...
The lot will cost in the millions. The lot can be placed in the neighborhood, but will crash the game if you attempt to enter the lot. These lots can be deleted from within the game, and I delete them as soon as I see the pricing is wrong.

If Unlucky...
The lot will crash the game the moment it is clicked on in the lot catalog. (It usually freezes for 30 secs or so first) It cannot be deleted in game. These lots must be deleted out of game from the lot catalog folder.

The last one is the most aggravating because after waiting for your game to load, it crashes with one click.

EDIT TO ADD: At the time of this post I had Sims2, Uni, and Nightlife ONLY installed.

I've read through this thread and it seems like there's still some confusion as to what marks a lot NL-required, OFB-required, base-game compatible, etc. Or maybe I'm the only one confused. Some of you have expressed your concerns as the new lot upload guidelines are not clear. I'd like to be able to provide some sort of chart with various EP combinations installed. I have all EPs (and Stuff Packs) installed, so I'm not a good candidate to test.