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Alchemist
Original Poster
#1 Old 15th Apr 2018 at 3:09 AM Last edited by aelflaed : 15th Apr 2018 at 8:37 AM.

This user has the following games installed:

Sims 2, University, Nightlife, Open for Business, Seasons, Bon Voyage, Free Time, Apartment Life
Default Unplayed lots with Character files
Hi - not 100% certain where to best put my query, but I hope this will be okay. Move if necessary!

I am building a uni subhood template, using Mootilda's method here: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=420196

I was about done, but then things went weird. Some of that is probably the UC AnyGameStarter - which is doing some odd things, but in trying to figure that out, I have discovered that my nice new lots are creating files in the Characters folder, where nothing should be appearing. Obviously, I can't ask Mootilda these days, but I am hoping someone else can explain what I should best do.

I can place completely unplayed residential lots into the hood, but as soon as I load one, files appear in the Characters folder.

I have not yet extensively tested community lots, but many of those will have been visited in the testing hood, as I got confused and had not necessarily kept the unvisited version for editing. I had decided to ignore that, as community lots are not saved when visited...although this may also be a VeryBadThing.

I suspect the problem has occurred because the lots have been moved to another hood for testing and for shrinking. Many of the lots have to be shrunk, but the Lotadjuster won't recognise any lot files in my semi-subhood. Again, can't ask Moo, presumably it is some disconnect between UltimateCollection, AnyGameStarter and the Lotadjuster. Anyway, that means I cannot do all my building in the template.

I have been reading up on Jawusa's lot-cleaning method, and maybe that is what I need to do. But I am not sure they are talking about the same stuff - unwanted character files are not mentioned, just sim-references.

I -do- have a copy of my subhood that is absolutely empty, thank goodness, because it seems every backup I have made since then already had character files. Arrgh. I really don't want to rebuild everything from scratch, and the shrinking need would have to be got around as well.

Has anybody got any clues for me? I can't just delete the unwanted files (obviously a VBT), but I believe the subhood template won't work if they remain.

Update: I've been working on this problem some more.
- Cleaning the lots with Jawusa's method made no difference to the creation of Character files.
- placing a completely fresh EA lot template creates a character file when first loaded. Another is created after packaging the lot, placing again and loading. Another is also created by moving the lot within the hood and then loading it.

Since Mootilda's tutorial specifically says to build your lots in the new template hood, this presumably did not happen when she was writing - perhaps it is a UC problem.

It rather looks as though the only way to prevent the creation of these files, is to place lots and NEVER open them.
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The Great AntiJen
retired moderator
#2 Old 15th Apr 2018 at 12:32 PM
Are you using objects that can generate NPCs (e.g. bars, the cook stove etc.)? Can you see what the characters are - are they NPCs (cooks, bartenders)?

Community lots might not be saved when you visit but any characters generated by the game when you do so will be.

When you say you are moving lots, do you mean to a completely different hood or to the main hood from a sub-hood? I thought you could use the browse button on the lotadjuster to find the right file anyway?

If your game is generating sims, it sounds like you are missing one of the noregen hacks - though NPCs would get generated anyway if the game goes into live mode (the no-regen hacks don't prevent that). It's not something I've seen but I have seen reports that sometimes loading an empty lot can make the game momentarily go into live mode.
When I built Polgannon in AGS (the original version), I did not see this problem so I think something is going on with your game that is not expected. You should be able to extract lots from your game and clean them up, I think. Ask Jo, she knows more about that than I do.

I no longer come over to MTS very often but if you would like to ask me a question then you can find me on tumblr or my own site tflc. TFLC has an archive of all my CC downloads.
I'm here on tumblr and my site, tflc
Scholar
#3 Old 15th Apr 2018 at 3:40 PM
Lotadjuster has a browse button if it can't find your lots, with that you browse to the neighbourhood or sub-hood that contains your lot, not to the lot itself.
Alchemist
Original Poster
#4 Old 15th Apr 2018 at 8:58 PM
Thanks for your replies!
I know about the browse function, but for that hood, LA just says there are no lots to display. Possibly because the hood is flagged as a subhood? Standard primary hoods in the same AnyGame work normally.

The character files are created regardless of what kind of lot is used, or what buy/buy stuff is on that lot. As I added to my post yesterday, I tested this with a fresh lot template. With only bare walls and a roof on the lot, the game still generated a new character file the three times it was loaded. The lots I have been building cover all sorts, residential, dorms, and many different community lots, so I have probably used most item types on one lot or another. Some would generate NPCs in live mode, but there are no sims in the hood, and no live mode has ever been used there.

The number of files generated varies widely - a large dorm made 16, while the nearly-empty test lot only made one (per load, anyway).

There should be no sims at all in the hood, although apart from the Characters folder, I didn't go looking for them. I use no-regen mods, and started with Numenor's empty AGS minigame.
Alchemist
Original Poster
#5 Old 4th May 2018 at 9:52 PM
Just an update...I found that my no-townie-regen mod was not the latest version. I don't currently have a test environment installed, so have not checked, but I think that must be the problem.
Space Pony
#6 Old 5th May 2018 at 3:02 AM
UC anygame is actually "allmost anygame" as it includes M&G mandatory.

Did you made an emty environment? Link here: http://www.modthesims.info/showpost...04&postcount=11

As that is what you have to do if cannot use the regular AGS (UC, Collections, and so, i have not tested myself does the almost AGS make really empty lot), but as I did what Moo succested in that link I have never ever had any character files in anywhere in new hoods. (okay yes the bartender just once, but that is known bug)

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Alchemist
Original Poster
#7 Old 6th May 2018 at 10:54 PM
I -can- use the AGS, but it's a bit glitchy and not currently installed.

Yes, I did have an empty environment. I am pretty sure the outdated mod was the problem.
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