The Sims 2 Double Deluxe

The Sims 2 Double Deluxe™ includes The Sims 2, Nightlife Expansion Pack, Celebration Stuff, plus a bonus DVD.

--- The Sims(TM) 2 Double Deluxe Readme document

http://www.TheSims2.com Electronic Arts Version 1.0 2/6/08

(c) 2008 Electronic Arts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Table of Contents

General Installation System Requirements

Performance Tips Known Issues Video Card Issues Windowed Mode Other Command Line Options Cheats Video Capturing Camera Settings

Web Content Custom Content Custom Neighborhoods Using SimCity(TM) 4 Terrain Custom Neighborhood Picture The Sims 2 Body Shop

GENERAL --- For the latest up to date information on The Sims 2 Double Deluxe, The Sims 2, The Sims 2 HomeCrafter Plus, and The Sims 2 Body Shop visit: http://www.thesims2.com. You can visit fan sites and find message boards, FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), walk-throughs, and hints on the site.

INSTALLATION

If you have a version of The Sims 2 Body Shop or The Sims 2 HomeCrafter Plus already installed, please make sure it is closed before installing The Sims 2 Double Deluxe.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ---
 * Windows XP, ME, 98, or 2000: 1000 MHz processor
 * Windows Vista: 1300 MHz processor
 * Windows XP, ME, 98, or 2000: 512 MB RAM
 * Windows Vista: 1 GB RAM
 * Windows(R) Vista, Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 98 or Windows 2000 Operating System.
 * At least 5.0 GB of additional hard drive space.
 * A T&L-capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM.

Supported video cards:

ATI Radeon(TM) series (8500 or better) 8500, All-In-Wonder 8500 9000, 9200, 9500, 9600, 9700, 9800   X300, X600, x700, X800, x850 X1300, X1600, X1800, X1900, X1950

NVIDIA(R) Quadro(TM) series Quadro, Quadro2, Quadro4

NVIDIA GeForce series (GeForce2 GTS and better) GeForce 2, 2 GTS GeForce 3, 3 Ti   GeForce 4, 4 Ti, 4200, 4600, 4800, MX 420, 440, 460 GeForce FX 5200, 5500, 5600, 5700, 5800, 5900, 5950 GeForce PCX 5300, 5900 GeForce 6200, 6600, 6800 GeForce 7300, 7600, 7800, 7900, 7950

Intel(R) Extreme Graphics (see note below) 82865, 82915 and above

Windows Vista supported cards (Vista requires a DirectX9 video card)

ATI Radeon(TM) series (9600 or better) 9600, 9700, 9800   X300, X600, x700, X800, x850 X1300, X1600, X1800, X1900, X1950

NVIDIA GeForce series (GeForce 6200 and better) GeForce 6200, 6600, 6800 GeForce 7300, 7600, 7800, 7900, 7950

NOTE: If you have a non-T&L capable video card, such as Intel Extreme Graphics, then you need at least a 2.4 GHz processor.

THE NIGHTLIFE NEIGHBORHOOD

Your Sim is sitting snuggled with their date on a park bench. Not only can they admire the way the moonlight dapples across the park pond, they can also see the restaurant across the street and the nightclub next door. Now Sims can see neighboring buildings, and visiting another lot is as simple as clicking it! To go downtown or visit another neighborhood, use the phone to call a taxi or click your Sim's car.

Restaurants: From the '50s diner to upscale fine dining, we've got all of your Sims dining needs covered. Drop in for a quick bite while out on the town or take a date for some candlelit romance.

Bowling Alleys: It's not just the striking shirts that pull them in at the local lanes. It's the crashing excitement of knocking those ten pins right off their feet.

Night Clubs: Dance until you drop at any of the jillion of trendy clubs littering the downtown area.

THE DATING SYSTEM - Send your Sim out on a date and watch their love life blossom. Dates are a great way to quickly build up relationships. Choose your Sim's dates carefully because they won't hit off with just anyone. Each Sim is attracted to some of the other Sims they meet and completely uninterested in others. Find them the right match and watch the sparks fly.

THE DINING SYSTEM - Your Sims no longer needs high cooking skill to enjoy fine gourmet dishes. Take them out to a restaurant and ask a server or host to BE SEATED, then they can relax and chat while they are waited on by servers and chefs. If they play their cards right, they might not even have to pay for it.

THE ATTRACTION AND CHEMISTRY SYSTEM --- Your Sim might like another Sim just fine, but without that "certain something," building a romantic relationship is at best an uphill battle. Save your romantic efforts for a more susceptible Sim. Sims with good chemistry between them can build their relationships much more quickly and easily.

You'll know your Sim has good chemistry with another Sim when lightning bolts appear by them in your Sim's relationship panel. When your Sim thinks about a Sim they're attracted to, a cloud of hearts appears around their thought bubble.

Sims on the prowl can now quickly assess their romantic prospects. Click on your Sim and choose SCOPE ROOM to see who makes their heart go pitter-patter.

Your Sim's turn-ons and turn-offs also help determine whether they're attracted to another Sim. When you create a Sim, there is a new tab on the Aspirations screen that lets you set their turn-ons and turn-offs. Previously-created Sims have a one-time use potion in their inventory called ReNuYu Porta-Chug that allows the Sim to set their turn-ons and turn-offs.

VEHICLES GAMEPLAY - Gone are the days when your Sim sat waiting for the carpool. Now your Sims can own a vehicle that they can take to work, head downtown in, or just sit in it in the driveway and enjoy. There are five different types of cars, from the family van to the zippy sports car, and each model comes in several different paintjobs.

To purchase (and place) a car, your Sim must have a driveway. To build a driveway, go to Build mode and select the Garage icon. After you have a driveway, you can buy a vehicle and place it on the driveway.

To change which Sim (within the same household) owns a car, click the car and choose CHANGE OWNER.

Once your Sims have saved up enough for the sports car they've always dreamed of, they'll want to protect it from the elements. To add a garage to the end of a driveway, you must place a driveway extension piece at the end of the original driveway. Then, you must place a garage door between the two driveway pieces. After that, you can extend walls from the garage door all the way around the extension piece, and add roofing. You can build garages as separate structures or add them on to an existing house.

NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS - Gypsy Matchmaker: A little money doesn't always go a long way. With the matchmaker, the success of her match is greatly affected by just how many Simoleons you drop into her itchy palm. She will accept a "donation" of any amount under §5000, so don't be stingy if you've got Simoleons to burn-you just might end up with a new flame. The matchmaker also has a little something up her sleeve that she calls Love Potion #8.5. For the right price, your Sim can imbibe a nip of the concoction and temporarily maximize their attractiveness.

Vampires: These denizens of the dark enjoy the night like no one else, but Sims afflicted with the curse of vampirism cannot stand the sunlight. Woe to the vampire Sim that lets time get away from them and stays out past sunrise. If they venture outside in the daylight, their needs plummet and they soon die. To keep your vampire Sim in comfort during the long, bright day, invest in a cozy coffin. They're hermetically sealed to keep all annoying light rays from disturbing your snoozing Sim.

NEW PARTY AND WEDDING STUFF EXAMPLES --

Celebration! Furniture -

- Bottomless Pit Buffet: Whatever the occasion, Sims can sidle up to this bounteous buffet and enjoy a number of taste sensations—in quantity. Bottomless Pit Buffet: because your Sims can eat.

- Thrones of Passion: Nestle your Sims in the Thrones of Passion to signify their newly-weddedness. With swags of ribbon these chairs declare that the bride and groom rule over the wedding realm.

- Bowdacious Dining Chair: If your Sims are hosting a formal affair, why settle for the same old drab seats? Meet the dress standards with these attractively-attired chairs.

Hairstyles and Accessories -

- Flowers in Her Hair: Proclaim the passion of the moment by adorning your Sim with a chic and romantic hairstyle featuring live flowers.

- Take the Veil: Complete your Sim’s bridal look with a face-framing veil in beautiful handmade lace.

- Ring of Posies: Complement an elegant updo of tousled curls with a colorful circlet of fresh blooms.

- Crowned Glory: Fit for a queen, brides can reign supremely over their wedding day in this elegant hairstyle that incorporates a sparkling tiara.

Flowers

- The Petalstal: Combine the classic look of a column with the timeless elegance of vibrant silk flowers and you’ve got a flower arrangement that’s eternally beautiful.

- The Fiorella: A cut above your normal floral arrangement, this centerpiece dwarves the competitors, standing tall and stately (and with a luxurious profusion of blooms, no less) at any event.

- Harmonious Centerpiece: This beautiful single orchid sheltered within a sphere symbolizes the nurturing nature of a couple united by their love.

Lighting

- The Eye of the Party Hurricane Lamp: Sheltered from the potentially boisterous antics of party-goers by a shapely glass guard, this decorative lighting adds the warm glow of candles to your event indoors or out.

- The Twinkly Tea Light Set: Embellish your Sims’ event with these small candles to create a lot of ambience on a shoestring. Note: No shoestrings were harmed in the making of these candles.

Formal Wear

- Blushing Bride: With its slim and slinky silhouette, this wedding dress lets the bride shine without all the fuss of a fuller-bodied skirt.

- The Dapper Dan: Altar-bound Sims can step up to their new life in this tasteful tux made with luxury llama wool and a meticulous attention to detail, including a coordinated boutonnière.

- Lovely Little Lass: Girls will swoon over the delicate details of this pretty dress and matching mary janes. For flower girls or the birthday girl, make her day special day in an outfit fit for a princess.

- Little Groomsman: A tiny tux for the younger set, this one comes in sizes perfect for a ring bearer or younger brother.

PERFORMANCE TIPS

When you run The Sims 2 Double Deluxe for the first time, the game will automatically configure its graphics options based on your machine's specs. If game performance seems sluggish or choppy, there are a few things you can try to improve things:


 * Make sure your computer meets the game's system requirements (see above). If you do not meet these requirements, the game is unlikely to run acceptably.
 * The number of Sims and pets you have on your lot is one of the biggest factors in determining performance. Lots with low numbers of Sims and pets (4 or less) will run more smoothly than lots with many Sims and pets (8+).
 * In the game, go to the Graphics/Performance Options panel. Reducing or turning off options will improve the game's performance. Reflections, Screen Size, and Smooth Edges are the options that will affect your frame rate the most, followed by Shadows and Lighting.
 * In the Audio Options panel, moving the Audio Quality slider all the way to the left will improve game performance.
 * Turn off all other applications while running the game.
 * Some large showcase lots in the game (like 1 Wright Way in Pleasantview) may be slow when scrolling around. Frame rate should pick up considerably when the camera stops moving and you are interacting with the Sims.
 * Adding RAM to your system is an efficient way to improve performance, especially if you are running with two or more expansion packs installed.
 * Defragment your hard drive regularly for optimal disk performance (Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Defragmenter).
 * System performance will get worse if your hard drive becomes more than 85% full. Try to keep enough free disk space.

KNOWN ISSUES

Low Hard Drive Space: If you run out of hard drive space while playing The Sims 2 Double Deluxe, the game will be unable to store new data, such as saved games, video captures, and new neighborhoods. In certain cases, when attempting to save the game with no hard drive space, the game will appear to save, even though data has not been stored. Please make sure you have at least 500 MB of free hard drive space when running the game.

Wheel Mouse Camera Rotation: If you're unable to rotate the camera by using your mouse wheel, please make sure that you set the scroll wheel button function to autoscroll in your mouse settings.

Installation/Uninstallation: If you experience any problems installing or uninstalling the game, please temporarily close any virus scanning software you have, and try again.

Locale Settings: Depending on your version of Windows, you will have two or three places where your locale settings are stored. If these settings are not consistent with each other, you may experience problems saving movies, and may have extra saved game folders generated under My Documents. In order to fix the problem, you will need to make sure all of your locale settings match. For example, if you are playing The Sims 2 in Thai, all your settings should reflect Thai location and language:

Windows 2000: Open the Regional Options Control Panel, and set the Your Locale option. Then click Set Default..., and select the appropriate location. These two settings must match.

Windows XP: Open the Regional and Language Options Control Panel. Under Standards and formats, select your language option, and then select your location in the location field. Click Apply, then go to the Advanced tab. Select the correct language in the Language for non-Unicode programs field, and check the box under Default account user settings. Then click OK. Make sure you reboot to complete this process.

Incompatibility with SB Audigy2 or SB Audigy2 ZS sound card on Windows 98SE: The Sims 2 Double Deluxe is not compatible with the SB Audigy2 or SB Audigy2 ZS sound card, when running on Windows 98SE. If you have one of these sound cards on the Windows 98SE operating system, and are experiencing problems starting up The Sims 2 Nightlife, updating to the VXD driver for that sound card may fix the problem.

Windows 98: 4.0 and 5.1 speaker configuration not available on some Windows 98 sound drivers, and only stereo is available. (Sound Blaster Live!, Sound Blaster Audigy, Forte Media FM801) Updating to the latest drivers may allow these options to be selectable. NVidia NForce 2: sound problems when selecting 4.0 or 5.1 speakers. Sound is played correctly only in stereo. M-Audio Sonica Theater 7.1: Sound frequently pauses and skips. Upgrading to the latest drivers may help.

WINDOWS VISTA ISSUES

On Windows Vista, your game data is stored in a different place. Instead of being in a My Documents folder, your game data will be saved in your Documents folder (usually: C:\Users\ \Documents)

If you are having problems running on Vista, please check with your graphics card manufacturer for the latest drivers.

Vista requires a DirectX 9 compatible video card. While older cards may run just fine, they are unsupported and drivers may not be updated.

Video Card Issues:

ATI RADEON SERIES

PROBLEM: Sims and objects sometimes appear too bright or all white. Sometimes Sims have patchy lighting. CARDS: Radeon 9500, 9600, 9700, 9800 This is a known bug in some older drivers. Upgrading to the latest manufacturer's drivers will resolve this.

PROBLEM: Special cinematic events (such as first kiss) are too blurry. CARDS: Radeon 9000+ This is a known bug in some older drivers (Catalyst 4.5). Upgrading to the latest manufacturer's drivers will resolve this.

PROBLEM: Texture dropout, distorted Sims and objects, strange horizontal lines on Sims and shadows. CARDS: Radeon 9000 This is a known bug in some older drivers. Upgrading to the latest manufacturer's drivers will resolve this. PROBLEM: When running in high resolution (1600x1200), lighting effects are corrupted. CARDS: Radeon, Radeon 7200, Radeon 7500, cards with below 64MB video memory This is a known issue and is caused by choosing a higher resolution than The Sims 2 can support. Running in a lower resolution should resolve this.

PROBLEM: Neighborhood and water have bright flicker. CARDS: Radeon, Radeon VE, Radeon 7200, Radeon 7500 This is a known driver bug. However, updating your driver to the latest version may help.

PROBLEM: In Create A Family, creating a baby Sim will result in a bad floor texture. CARDS: Radeon, Radeon 7500 This is a known bug in some older drivers. Upgrading to the latest manufacturer's drivers will resolve this.

PROBLEM: Bad textures and random color bars appear when using video capture. CARDS: Radeon 7000 series, 8000 series, 9000 This is a known bug in some older drivers (Catalyst 4.3). Upgrading to the latest manufacturer's drivers will resolve this.

PROBLEM: Shoreline flickers in neighborhood view. CARDS: Radeon 7000 series This is a known bug in some older drivers (Catalyst 4.3). Upgrading to the latest manufacturer's drivers will resolve this. FORCED ANTI-ALIASING: The Sims 2 will have graphical problems if anti-aliasing is forced on in display properties. To fix this: * Right click on your windows desktop and select Properties. * Choose the Settings tab and press the Advanced button. * Select the 3D tab and make sure SmoothVision is set to Application Preference. * If not, press the Custom... button and change the anti-aliasing setting to Application Preference.

NVIDIA GEFORCE SERIES

PROBLEM: In certain lighting conditions, Sims will have small flashing triangles. CARDS: GeForce FX 5600 This is a known driver bug. Turning lighting options from high to medium will resolve this. Updating your driver to the latest version may also help.

PROBLEM: From certain camera angles, Sims may be missing some triangles. CARDS: GeForce FX 5200 This is a known driver bug. However, updating your driver to the latest version may help.

PROBLEM: The neighborhood and many screens display all grey. CARDS: GeForce 6800 This is a new video card, and this is a known driver bug with an early version of the driver. Disabling hyperthreading on your machine may help (see below). Updating to the latest driver may help.

PROBLEM: Interface panels and buttons may disappear or turn a solid blue color. CARDS: GeForce 4 series This is a known bug in some older drivers (before version 6177). Upgrading to the latest manufacturer's drivers will resolve this.

FORCED ANTI-ALIASING: Sims 2 will have graphical problems if anti-aliasing is forced on in display properties. To fix this: * Right click on your windows desktop and select Properties. * Choose the Settings tab and press the Advanced button. * Select the GeForce tab. * Select Performance and Quality settings from the left menu. * Switch Anti-aliasing settings to Application Controlled.

PROBLEM: Game crashes soon after starting. Some recent NVIDIA drivers have problems when running when Hyperthreading is enabled on your processor. Try updating your driver first. If this doesn't help, turning off Hyperthreading in your BIOS will work around this issue. If you have no idea what Hyperthreading or BIOS is, it's probably not worth messing around with this stuff. Contact your video card manufacturer for assistance.

PROBLEM: Game graphics are corrupted or game freezes. CARDS AND DRIVERS: Nvidia GeForce4 MX 420. Only drivers with version ForceWare 66.93 and 66.94, running on Windows Me and Windows 98 operating systems have this problem. This driver was released after The Sims 2 base game had shipped. If you experience this problem, updating your driver to the latest version may help.

UNSUPPORTED VIDEO CARDS

If you have an unsupported video card, The Sims 2 will run in software rendering mode. When software rendering mode is active, rendering performance is slower and graphical quality is reduced.

Examples of unsupported video cards are:

ATI Rage Fury Matrox Millennium G400 Matrox Millennium G550 NVIDIA Riva TNT2 Matrox Parhelia ST Micro KYRO S3 DeltaChrome S8 S3 GammaChrome S18 Pro SiS 315 Trident Blade XP SiS Xabre 400 XGI Volari S3 Chrome S27 Nvidia Geforce 6800 SLI in Vista with SLI Enabled


 * Video Problem tip: If you are seeing graphical problems not described here it is always best to go to your video card or computer manufacturer's website and make sure you have installed the latest drivers for your hardware.

WINDOWED MODE - To run The Sims 2 Double Deluxe in windowed mode, first create a shortcut to the game by right-clicking on Sims2SP4.exe and selecting "Create Shortcut." Then right-click the shortcut, and select properties. At the end of the "target" line, add a space and the text "-w" (without quotes). Click OK, and then launch the game by double-clicking on the shortcut. Running the game in a window will allow you to more easily switch between different programs, but please note that running other programs at the same time as The Sims 2 will be detrimental to the game's performance. Also note that edge scrolling does not function in windowed mode. If you experience any graphical anomalies, please make sure your desktop is set to 32-bit color.

Other command line options:

-w		windowed mode -f    	fullscreen mode -nosound	run with no sound -r800x600	run at 800 x 600 resolution -r(w)x(h)	run at (w) x (h) resolution

CHEATS -- To enter cheats in The Sims 2 Double Deluxe, first open the command console by simultaneously pressing Ctrl-Shift-C. Note that cheats are case-sensitive.

The Sims 2 Double Deluxe Cheats: -

help: lists all the cheats in the game.

help [cheatname]: displays specific information about the cheat.

exit: closes the cheat window.

expand:	expands or contracts the cheat window.

familyfunds NAME XXXX Assigns money value to a family from the neighborhood level.

roofslopeangle [15-75] Adjust angle of all roofs on the lot

showHeadlines [on/off]   (for all sims on lot) Needed for moviemakers. Makes all thought balloons, speech balloons, and ++/-- type headlines hidden/visible.

unlockCareerRewards      (for selected sim) For the currently selected Sim, they immediately gain access to all career reward objects in the catalog.

maxMotives               (for all sims on lot) Maxes the motive bars of all Sims currently on the lot. (Controllable and uncontrollable). motiveDecay [on/off]     (for all sims on lot) Stops/Starts motive decay.

aspirationPoints num     (for selected sim) Applies the chosen aspiration level to the currently selected Sim.

lockAspiration [on/off]  (for all sims on lot) Stops aspiration decay/gain.

aspirationLevel [0-5]    (for selected sim) Gives a big chunk of aspiration reward points to the currently selected Sim. agesimscheat on Enables aging cheat when shift clicking on other Sims

setLotLightingFile [filename] Allows the player to create a new lighting file with specific lot lighting values. Used to make special light settings per lot.

moveObjects on/off: removes footprint limitation for all object placement in Buy Mode and Build Mode. Removes limitations placed on hand tool for when objects are in use, or are normally non-movable objects. Is known to cause issues with game elements, routing, hidden object generation and manipulation, etc. Note that using this cheat allows you to delete objects that normally cannot be deleted, such as Sims, the mailbox, and the garbage can. If you delete these objects, there is no way to get them back, so be careful!

aging -on/off: prevents Sims from aging. This can disrupt the carefully tuned gameplay balance, and will prevent little Johnny from ever growing up, so treat this cheat with care as well.

autoPatch -on/off: This cheat lets you re-enable notifications when there is a game update available for The Sims 2. Just turn Autopatch on and go to the Custom Content Browser (the little snowflake button on the UCP in the neighborhood). If there's an update available you'll be asked whether you want to download it.

slowMotion [value]: The slowMotion cheat takes one parameter: the "slowness" setting (such as slowMotion 4). This value ranges from 0 to 8 where 0 is normal speed and 8 is the slowest speed.

boolProp enablePostProcessing true/false: enables the use of postprocessing cheats (see below); very useful for movie making (also see below). Please note that you must have a video card that can handle pixel shaders in order to successfully use this cheat. If you use the cheats and you don't have pixel shaders, the screen will most likely go partially dark, and will not come back until you turn off enablePostProcessing. If you turn on postprocessing, and you turn on cinematics, and a cinematic plays, you may also experience unwanted graphical glitches.

bloom [r g b x] (rgb is color) (x is the bloom amount) [0.0 - 1.0]: This cheat adds a blur effect, like a sitcom flashback moment. Must have entered boolProp enablePostProcessing true for this cheat to work.

vignette [centerX centerY X] (X is the vignetteing factor) [0.0 - 1.0]: Adds a blur effect from the specified center. Using "vignette 0.5 0.5 0.5" should put some blurry bits at the edge of the screen. Vignette 0.5 0.5 1.0 is maximum edge blurryness. Must have entered boolProp enablePostProcessing true for this cheat to work.

filmGrain [val] [0.0-1.0]: This cheat makes the screen grainy. Must have entered boolProp enablePostProcessing true for this cheat to work.

letterBox [val] [0.0-0.4]: Adds a letterbox effect to the view. Must have entered boolProp enablePostProcessing true for this cheat to work.

There are several Terrain Types to use in the Neighborhood creation cheats: (You can choose these in the neighborhood dialog) terraintype desert terraintype concrete nhdregiontype desert nhdregiontype concrete

VIDEO CAPTURING --- The ability to create movies with The Sims 2 is built right into the game. You can simply start creating a movie in game by pressing the 'v' key on your keyboard and 'v' again to end the movie. You can also pause and unpause the capture (without pausing the game) by pressing the 'b' key while recording. There are also various options for the quality of the movies that you can create. Please note that adjusting the Video Capture options in the game will affect the performance of the game.

Changing your Video Capturing options: What screen size will my video capture be (in pixels)?

Small = 128 x 128 Medium = 320 x 240 Large = 640 x 480

What difference does adjusting Video Capture Size in Camera Options make?

Low: This option will provide the highest amount of compression for resolution. Videos made with this option turned on will be of lower visual quality, but save on hard drive space and will affect performance the least.

Medium: With medium selected the video resolution will increase, but the videos will take up more hard drive space and will affect performance a bit more than low.

High: Selecting high will provide videos with the lowest amount of compression for resolution. Videos made with this option turned on will be of the highest compressed quality, but this option will increase the file size of the videos significantly. It is recommended to only use this option if you have a 1.4GHz machine or faster.

Uncompressed: This option will not compress the video capture. Uncompressed will tend to create very large file sizes, about on the order of ten times larger than the high quality setting. It is not recommended to use this option unless you have at least a 2.4Ghz machine or faster, and a faster hard drive helps as well (ATA100 or greater). This option is ideal for advanced users who wish to change the videos to other formats.

Video Sound Capture: This option will either enable or disable sound from being captured in the Video Captures you create. Having this option enabled will affect the overall performance of the game during the video capture, and will also increase the file size of the video capture.


 * Tip: If recording frame rate is low and your video seems choppy, try recording with the sound off. This will allow the game to slow down the simulator to match the recording frame rate so that playback will be smooth.


 * Tip: Video recording should work with all configurations. It may take some experimentation to determine the balance of size, frame rate and quality that works for your system.


 * Tip: Recording at the maximum quality with sound will only perform acceptably on very high-end systems. On most machines, you will have to sacrifice either sound or quality to record with a smooth frame rate.


 * Advanced Tips: All the video capture settings default values are in an .ini file that you can edit. You can modify things like capture frame rate, default folder to capture to, file naming, capture size, max bit rate, and preferred codecs. Want to capture in a different codec? Just install the codec and then make it the preferred codec. The file is located here: My Documents\EA GAMES\The Sims 2\ConfigVideoCapture.ini.


 * Tips for making great videos: Plan your shots! Be sure to use both standard camera mode (F10 will hide the interface menus) and also the Cameraman mode (aka free camera) activated via the 'TAB' key. Cameraman mode is available in both Neighborhood and lots and allows for very controllable and super close movements as well as sweeping pan and zooming type shots. This will take practice but once you get the hang of it, you can make some really incredible video captures with Cameraman mode!


 * Advanced Tip for making great videos: Sometimes, the in-game camera restrictions can hinder that perfect shot. The Cameras in the game are tuned for gameplay, but sometimes they are not the best for making that really great video you are looking for. You can try editing the camera settings, but make sure you backup the old ones first before experimenting with things like min height, max height, speed per step, amount per key press, field of view etc. Do this at your own risk as these changes will also effect how the camera moves in the game. Making changes to these settings may make the game unplayable. Advanced users only! The camera txt files are here: My Documents\EA GAMES\The Sims 2\Cameras

Sharing video captures with friends but they cannot view the video? We included the codec On2 VP6.1 with The Sims 2 base product. On2 Technologies, Inc. offers free downloads of VP6.2 for personal use. In our tests, it appears to be seamlessly backwards compatible with VP6.1. Please visit the On2 Technologies website for more information.

WEB CONTENT --- Players who wish to take advantage of The Sims 2 web features must simply have an Internet connection and a current web browser.

The Sims 2 encourages players to create and modify their own wonderful Sim worlds. However, objects, patches, programs or other modified content not created by Maxis are not always compatible with The Sims 2. If you are experiencing issues with your game and downloads, try uninstalling or removing your downloaded content and introducing it slowly back into your install. This will help narrow down the problematic file. For more information refer to our help pages at http://www.thesims2.com.

CUSTOM CONTENT -- You can add your own content to the game for music, TV channels, video games, collections, neighborhood terrain, and neighborhood pictures. Create your own skins with The Sims 2 Body Shop and create wall coverings, flooring, and ground cover with The Sims 2 HomeCrafter Plus (available for download from www.thesims2.com).

Skins, Wall Coverings, Flooring, and Ground Cover: To use a .sims2skin or .sims2pack file that someone has created using The Sims 2 Body Shop or The Sims 2 HomeCrafter Plus, just double-click the file. The file will install itself automatically no matter where it is located on your computer.

Music: In order to play your own music in the game, just go to My Documents\EA GAMES\The Sims 2\Music, and drop your .wav or .mp3 files in the appropriate folder.

MPEG Layer-3 audio coding technology licensed from Fraunhofer IIS and THOMSON multimedia.

TV channels: To have your own movies played on the in-game TV channels, just go to My Documents\EA GAMES\The Sims 2\Movies\ and place .avi files in the appropriate folder. Ideally, the files should have stereo sound, and be in a 128x128 pixel format, otherwise they will be stretched to fit.

Video games: In order to have your own files played as video games, take any existing .avi file that you have. Then browse to one of the game subfolders under My Documents\EA GAMES\The Sims 2\Movies\Games\ and place your files in the appropriate folder. Rename your movie as the exact name of one of the existing movie files (gamename_ATTRACT.avi, gamename_INTRO.avi, gamename_P1LOSE.avi, P1WIN.avi, gamename_P2LOSE.avi, or gamename_P2WIN.avi, where gamename=bus, ssx, or sc4). Then when your Sims play the corresponding game segment on a computer or video game system, your movie(s) will play on the screen instead.

Arcade games (played on the Arcade Game objects): For these, place your .avi files into the folder under My Documents\EA GAMES\The Sims 2\Movies\Arcade\ and use the exact names of the existing movie files (gamename_intro.avi, gamename_loop2.avi, gamename_loop3.avi, gamename_loop4_win.avi, gamename_loop4_lose.avi, gamename_loop5.avi, and so on, where gamename=game1 for Maze Pirates or game2 for Viking). When your Sims play the corresponding Arcade Game(s), your movie(s) will play on the screen instead.

Collection icons: To use your own icon for a custom collection, simply drop any .tga, .jpg, .png, or .bmp file into My Documents\EA GAMES\The Sims 2\Collections\Icons, and your picture will show up as an option when you create a new collection. Since pictures will be stretched to fit the format, they should be small and roughly square for best results.

Custom Neighborhoods Using SimCity 4 Terrain: New custom neighborhoods for the Sims 2 can be created using SimCity 4 terraforming tools. First, only small cities can be imported into The Sims 2, so be sure not to start with a medium or large city. Make sure the city you use contains roads; otherwise you will not be able to place lots in your new neighborhood. Take the .sc4 file you wish to use, and place it in your My Documents\EA GAMES\The Sims 2\SC4Terrains folder. When you go to the neighborhood creation screen in the game, your terrain will be available to use to create a new neighborhood.

When creating custom neighborhoods, please also note the following:

Most of the terrain features created with the God mode tools can be imported, including foliage (except for palm trees); however, fauna (animals) are not imported. Also note that terrains are imported mirrored from the original SimCity layout.

Switching to Mayor Mode, only original SimCity 4 road bridges or SC4 Deluxe Edition small steel arch bridges, manually laid roads/street that are straight, right angle bend, cul-de-sacs, and T & 4 way intersections are imported as streets into Sims 2 neighborhoods. Diagonal roads and railroads are ignored and not imported. Practically all other placeable features are ignored upon import: zones, elevated roads/highways/freeways, buildings or other facilities, airports, landmarks, etc.

Once loaded into the game a neighborhood's default terrain type can still be modified via the following cheat: 1. With the neighborhood you wish to change loaded, open the cheat dialog by pressing Ctrl-Shift-C. 2. Type: terrainType Desert (Changes current neighborhood terrain type to Desert. Note that the cheat is case sensitive.) terrainType Temperate (Changes current neighborhood terrain type to grassy terrain. Note that the cheat is case sensitive.)

CUSTOM NEIGHBORHOOD PICTURE --- In order to create a custom picture to represent your neighborhood on the main menu, first save the picture you wish to use as a .png file (a 4x3 size ratio works best, but pictures with other proportions will be stretched to fit).

For base neighborhoods (Pleasantview, Strangetown, etc): The file must be named N0XX_Neighborhood.png (where XX is the neighborhood number). Then place the file in the neighborhood's directory (e.g., My Documents\EA GAMES\The Sims 2\Neighborhoods\N004).

For downtown neighborhoods: The file must be named N0XX_Nightlife0XY.png (where 0XX is the neighborhood number of the home neighborhood and 0XY is the neighborhood number of the downtown neighborhood). Then place the file in the neighborhood's directory (e.g., My Documents\EA GAMES\The Sims 2\Neighborhoods\N004). Downtown neighborhood files are kept in the same directory as their corresponding home neighborhood.

THE SIMS 2 BODY SHOP

Overview: The Sims 2 Body Shop is a powerful tool that lets you design unique and diverse Sims that will be playable in The Sims 2 and sharable with your friends. You can create custom content such as clothing, skin tones, eye colors, hair, or glasses that can be used in any combination to make infinitely unique Sims.

The Sims 2 Body Shop also gives you incredible control over your Sims' faces through the ability to select from a diverse range of facial "types" and sliders to fine tune even the smallest details, such as nose length, eyebrow thickness, lip curl, and chin shape.

User's Manual: A complete user's manual is available on http://www.thesims2.com.

Installation: The Sims 2 Body Shop is included in The Sims 2 and is automatically installed with the game. There is no separate installation necessary.

Installing New Content: When installing new content, make sure that neither The Sims 2 nor The Sims 2 Body Shop are currently running. Important note: DO NOT install the Body Shop Maxis Starter Content Pack along with The Sims 2. This content is already installed with The Sims 2; installing the starter pack on top of The Sims 2 may corrupt your game data.

Hot Keys: There are several hot keys in The Sims 2 Body Shop that help you preview your Sims. Many of these can be used in combination to get a precise view of your Sim.

F3 -- Toggles between "free camera" and "set camera" modes. In free camera, you can use the following mouse controls to rotate the camera in all dimensions:


 * Click and drag the Left Mouse Button -- Orbits the camera around the Sim's head.


 * Click and drag the Right Mouse Button -- Controls the camera zoom. Move the mouse away from you to zoom out. Move the mouse toward you to zoom in.


 * Click and drag Left and Right mouse buttons together -- Changes the center point the camera is looking at.

F5 -- Toggles the 3D room off and on. If there is a bitmap graphic named "userBkg.bmp" in the "\EA Games\The Sims 2\" folder in My Documents, the image will be displayed as a backdrop.

F6 -- Displays the Sim in the "bind pose," with arms held straight out. This is helpful for viewing parts of the Sim that may be hidden by the normal pose. To return the Sim to the normal pose, click on any Sim thumbnail or content thumbnail.

F7 -- While in "set camera" mode, displays the Sim at the far zoom position.

F8 -- While in "set camera" mode, displays the Sim at the near zoom position.

F9 -- Toggles the UI off and on.

-- Rotates the Sim. (Also shown on the keyboard as the comma "," and period "." keys.)

Display Options: Pressing ALT+ENTER will toggle The Sims 2 Body Shop between windowed mode (default) and full-screen.

You can manually set the screen size to 800x600 by creating a copy of The Sims 2 Body Shop shortcut. To create a shortcut, right click on TS2BodyShop.exe and choose "Create Shortcut". To edit the shortcut, right click on the shortcut and select "Properties." At the end of the line called "Target", add a space after the existing text and type "-r800x600" at the end of the path name.

To set the screen resolution to 1024x768 follow the same steps, but instead type "-r1024x768".

Known Issues: Issue: Textures may appear blurry on video cards with minimum spec video memory (32 MB) Solutions: * Run The Sims 2 Body Shop in 800x600 screen size (see instructions in Display Options section above) * Reduce your monitor's desktop resolution to 800x600

Issue: Skin Tone projects that were saved using the pre-release download version of The Sims 2 Body Shop will not load correctly in the "Load Saved Projects" screen in this version. The projects also will not "Import to Game" successfully. This does not affect custom Skin Tones that already were imported successfully with the pre-release version of The Sims 2 Body Shop. Solutions: Please check TheSims2.com for more information on this issue.

More information on known technical issues is available on http://www.thesims2.com.

LICENSE ISSUES

=
= The OpenSSL toolkit stays under a dual license, i.e. both the conditions of the OpenSSL License and the original SSLeay license apply to the toolkit. See below for the actual license texts. Actually both licenses are BSD-style Open Source licenses. In case of any license issues related to OpenSSL please contact openssl-core@openssl.org. OpenSSL License ---

=
======================================================= Copyright (c) 1998-2008 The OpenSSL Project. All rights reserved.

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.

2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in  the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

3. All advertising materials mentioning features or use of this software must display the following acknowledgment: "This product includes software developed by the OpenSSL Project  for use in the OpenSSL Toolkit. (http://www.openssl.org/)"

4. The names "OpenSSL Toolkit" and "OpenSSL Project" must not be used to  endorse or promote products derived from this software without prior written permission. For written permission, please contact openssl-core@openssl.org.

5. Products derived from this software may not be called "OpenSSL" nor may "OpenSSL" appear in their names without prior written permission of the OpenSSL Project.

6. Redistributions of any form whatsoever must retain the following acknowledgment: "This product includes software developed by the OpenSSL Project  for use in the OpenSSL Toolkit (http://www.openssl.org/)"

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE OpenSSL PROJECT ``AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE OpenSSL PROJECT OR ITS CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

=
=======================================================

This product includes cryptographic software written by Eric Young (eay@cryptsoft.com). This product includes software written by Tim Hudson (tjh@cryptsoft.com).

Original SSLeay License ---

Copyright (C) 1995-1998 Eric Young (eay@cryptsoft.com) All rights reserved.

This package is an SSL implementation written by Eric Young (eay@cryptsoft.com). The implementation was written so as to conform with Netscapes SSL.

This library is free for commercial and non-commercial use as long as the following conditions are aheared to. The following conditions apply to all code found in this distribution, be it the RC4, RSA, lhash, DES, etc., code; not just the SSL code. The SSL documentation included with this distribution is covered by the same copyright terms except that the holder is Tim Hudson (tjh@cryptsoft.com).

Copyright remains Eric Young's, and as such any Copyright notices in the code are not to be removed. If this package is used in a product, Eric Young should be given attribution as the author of the parts of the library used. This can be in the form of a textual message at program startup or in documentation (online or textual) provided with the package.

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met: 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer. 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution. 3. All advertising materials mentioning features or use of this software must display the following acknowledgement: "This product includes cryptographic software written by    Eric Young (eay@cryptsoft.com)" The word 'cryptographic' can be left out if the routines from the library being used are not cryptographic related :-). 4. If you include any Windows specific code (or a derivative thereof) from   the apps directory (application code) you must include an acknowledgement:    "This product includes software written by Tim Hudson (tjh@cryptsoft.com)"

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY ERIC YOUNG ``AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

The license and distribution terms for any publicly available version or derivative of this code cannot be changed. i.e. this code cannot simply be copied and put under another distribution license [including the GNU Public License.]

Expat License --- Copyright (c) 1998, 1999, 2000 Thai Open Source Software Center Ltd

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.

Lua 5.0 license --

Copyright © 1994-2008 Lua.org, PUC-Rio.

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.

STL Port License Agreement ---

Boris Fomitchev grants Licensee a non-exclusive, non-transferable, royalty-free license to use STLport and its documentation without fee.By downloading, using, or copying STLport or any portion thereof, Licensee agrees to abide by the intellectual property laws and all other applicable laws of the United States of America, and to all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement. Licensee shall maintain the following copyright and permission notices on STLport sources and its documentation unchanged :  Copyright 1999,2000 Boris Fomitchev

This material is provided "as is", with absolutely no warranty expressed or implied. Any use is at your own risk. Permission to use or copy this software for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided the above notices are retained on all copies. Permission to modify the code and to distribute modified code is granted, provided the above notices are retained, and a notice that the code was modified is included with the above copyright notice.

The Licensee may distribute binaries compiled with STLport (whether original or modified) without any royalties or restrictions.

The Licensee may distribute original or modified STLport sources, provided that:

The conditions indicated in the above permission notice are met; The following copyright notices are retained when present, and conditions provided in accompanying permission notices are met : Copyright 1994 Hewlett-Packard Company

Copyright 1996,97 Silicon Graphics Computer Systems, Inc.

Copyright 1997 Moscow Center for SPARC Technology.

Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute and sell this software and its documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation. Hewlett-Packard Company makes no representations about the suitability of this software for any purpose. It is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.

Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute and sell this software and its documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation. Silicon Graphics makes no representations about the suitability of this software for any purpose. It is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.

Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute and sell this software and its documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation. Moscow Center for SPARC Technology makes no representations about the suitability of this software for any purpose. It is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.

Thanks for Playing The Sims 2 Double Deluxe! The Sims 2 Double Deluxe Team The Sims Division