User:K6ka/Sandbox

This tutorial is for The Sims 2 only.

As mentioned in the avoiding corruption game guide, deleting a Sim in the family bin will corrupt the neighborhood the Sim was in. This is due to the fact that Sims deleted in the family bin are not removed entirely; their character file is unlinked but leftover bits of data is still left to drift around the neighborhood files, attaching themselves to other Sims and eventually throwing a monkey wrench into the works. Even if no Sims are deleted, the neighborhood can still be in danger due to its character file limit (1000 files for base game and University users, 32767 in Nightlife and later). Since deleting Sims in the family bin doesn't remove the character file (and still corrupts your neighborhood in the process!), one might ask, "How do I *safely* delete Sims without causing any sort of corruption?"

This article will cover the safest known method of removing Sims from a neighborhood. It is by no means perfect and may still cause problems. Please back up your neighborhood before attempting.

Step 1. Get SimPE
SimPE is a third-party program that is widely used for a wide variety of tasks. It can be used to create, clone, or mod objects, edit Sim character data, create hacks and mods for the game, and for examining the game's code.

Step 2. Get the FFS Lot Debugger
The FFS Lot Debugger is a debugging object created by J.M. Pescado that provides many tools that can be used to fix various issues with the game. These include the ability to remove gossip, wipe corrupted memories, clear out stuck tiles, destroy stuck event controllers, and much much more. It also provides the option to properly clean out a Sim's character data. You can obtain the debugger here, and can be found in Buy mode > Miscellaneous > Miscellaneous.

Step 3. Identify the Sim you wish to delete
Identify and record the name of the Sim you wish to remove. Make sure that deleting the selected Sim(s) will not instantaneously corrupt your neighborhood or game. Specifically, Sims that have been known to be dangerous and universal Sims are never safe to delete.

Step 4. Remove the ties
The FFS Lot Debugger will remove most resources, such as memories, Sim Wants and Fears, gossip, etc. automatically. However, there are a number of references that must be removed manually. These include family tree ties and business ties. To remove these references, simply sell or quit the business the Sim owns/works in, and then remove the family tree ties using SimPE.