Load Order

[Paradiso]

I know the game loads everything in alphabetical order, but what happens if the files are in different subfolders? Will they still load in the correct order or should I put them together?

If I have to put them in the same folder, can InTeen be in a subfolder or should it be left in the main downloads folder where I have it?

[miros1]

it loads like this:

folder a\file a
folder a\file d
folder a\file f
folder b\file c
folder c\file b
folder c\file e

Not 100% sure if files in the Downloads folder itself load first or last.

[Paradiso]

So I should, just to be 100% sure they load in the correct order, put the files in the same folder.

[ancienthighway]

Subfolder your CC.  It will save you time and grief when you decide to change things up.  Putting all your mods in the same folder will not necessarily ensure they load in the correct order.  Some mods that are alphabetically ahead of another must actually load after. 

I think most people here subfolder mods by the creator.  In most cases that will solve any load order problems.  With Inteen, I've had it in the Downloads folder, and in a subfolder named zInteen.  The files in the Downloads folder will load last in any case, and with mods I use, I want Inteen loading last.  Flavor Packs should be in the same folder with the main Inteen files.

[Paradiso]

Everything in my Downloads folder is subfoldered with the exception of new CC, InTeen and another mod that didn't work when I subfoldered it. I can't remember what it is off the top of my head. New CC gets subfoldered when I know it hasn't caused me any problems in game.

I'm trying to get Squinge's Pregnant Sims Wear Any Outfit mod to load after InTeen because I found a thread on here that said it has to load after in order to work.

So I guess my question really is, if I want the Squinge mod to load after InTeen, should I have InTeen and the Squinge mod in the same folder? Or will having InTeen in a folder named 'InTeen' and the Squinge mod in my 'Mods and Hacks' folder mean that InTeen will load first?

[miros1]

Everything in "Inteen" will load before anything in "Mods and Hacks."

[PKOlzen]

Subfolder your CC.  It will save you time and grief when you decide to change things up.  Putting all your mods in the same folder will not necessarily ensure they load in the correct order.  Some mods that are alphabetically ahead of another must actually load after.

In the past I've always just dropped them into the Downloads folder, but that was back when I just used the 'vanilla' downloads from Maxis. Had a real bad experience with a telescope hack when I first started and avoided any hacked objects and such 'til now. Now that I've got a little more confidence in the creators of those hacked objects and such, I've started adding some of them to the game and now I'm hearing they need to be loaded in a certain order or need to be sub-foldered. Without needing a lot of programming knowledge and such, how can you tell what order these mods need to load in? Is there a simpler way other than poke 'n' hope?

[BoilingOil]

For most mods, the author will usually tell you in what order to place it. For example: most of TJ's mods over here will do best if they load after anything Pescado makes. Read the docs coming with the mod, to find out!
For many other mods/hacked objects, some people may have already found out which order works, and which not. You'll quickly find out by asking around. Usually, the first person to ask, is the one who created it

In the rest of the cases, it's indeed a question of trial and error. That's one of the reasons why one shouldn't install too many hacked objects in a single round... Add 2 or 3 (or maybe half a dozen), try to run the game and see if all works out, then if it does, add some more... If you were to add like a score objects, how would you ever know what to change when something didn't work, right?

Of course, all this is only important when HCDU (Hack Conflict Detection Utility, found at SimWardrobe) notices that two hacked objects/mods make changes to the same part of the program. One will have to choose which mod's functions are most important to them, and make that one load last.

Hope this helps. Happy simming.

[zephyrzodiac]

As a basic rule of thumb, subfoldering under the name of the site or creator is a good way to start, and then make adjustments for any mods that don't work properly that way.

[PKOlzen]

As a basic rule of thumb, subfoldering under the name of the site or creator is a good way to start,

Which is what I had started to do, but when I recently scrubbed the system and created one of those super-'hoods, I went to play the Curious brothers in Strangetown and when Pascal delivered, the baby's skin tone was the standard human. Thinking it was a mod I started to read up on glitches with mods then heard about load order and wondered if that was what was causing the problem (which it turns out, was not the problem). Finally, I disconnected my D/L folder and went back into the Curious home, let nature run it's course, saved at @5:30AM, and he still had a normal baby. Now even a doofus like me knows that if all the mods are gone and what you expect to happen still doesn't happen it's got to be something else, so this time I looked at baby Curious's family tree and lo and behold Mommy is Pascal and Daddy is the yellow Social Bunny . As a friend of mine used to put it, I believe I have troubleshot this problem down to the component level and I am just going to put all my mods back (after running them through Delphy's organizer and the clean-installer), and continue as usual. Thanks for all the help BoilingOil & zephyrzodiac , as it should save me from other hiccups down the road.

[BoilingOil]

Sounds like a solid plan, PKOlzen.

I would want to find out how a Social Bunny came to be one of the parents. I would want it, but possibly not be able to...

[zephyrzodiac]

I'd say it was a fault in the install .... nothing to do with mods, more EA...  I wonder, what EPs you have, and whether you have patched?

[PKOlzen]

I'd say it was a fault in the install .... nothing to do with mods, more EA...  I wonder, what EPs you have, and whether you have patched?

All EP's but not all SP's, and patched religiously (bad things happen when not patched, in my experience). Like I said, I determined that the Social Bunny was one of the parents after I removed all my mods, let it run it's course, and the baby still came out with 'normal' skin-tone.

[zephyrzodiac]

Strange things happened with Seasons, so maybe this was one strange thing they didn't fix?  Maybe, if you had a replacement Pollitech the game didn't see it and latched on the the social bunny instead?

[PKOlzen]

Strange things happened with Seasons, so maybe this was one strange thing they didn't fix?  Maybe, if you had a replacement Pollitech the game didn't see it and latched on the the social bunny instead?

Strange things happened with every expansion. I really miss the Maxis of old. Solid products, good customer care, and a sense of responsibility. But you're probably right, the pollitech got re-addressed/re-IDed and the game went looking for a "suitable" substitute and latched onto Harvey. I think I'll just play it out and see what happens.

[zephyrzodiac]

I don't think the social bunnies are particularly fugly.....

[zolabee]

No worries unless his ears start lengthening... 

[PKOlzen]

No worries unless his ears start lengthening... 

"Her" ears, but I get your drift. She's still a newborn yet, (she was born on the last day of the Curious bro's turn in the rotation)so other than skin-tone not much can be told about her yet.

[Zirconia Wolf]

Just chiming in to say that I found the social-bunny-parent thing pretty funny as I have been using my recent down time (aka "mad-at-the-world time") to plan out some themed Hoods I thought might be fun to try.

One of the themes I have been toying with involved Santa, the Tooth Fairy, etc...and of course an Easter Bunny family! (Kind of a *fractured fairy tale* thing...)

As for sub-foldering: while I practice it religiously, I am definitely the odd duck (err...wolf) here as I sub-folder by type rather than by creator or site. For instance, College Life (contains mods effecting YA's & universities) Townies & NPCs (mods effecting such Sims) Respawn Control (all respawn-stoppers) etc, etc.

*Mac Daddy* mods (like InTeen, Nudist & ACR) get their own folders.

I tried the site/creator thing & could never find stuff reliably. (I do re-name any mods that don't already contain their creator's name to include it however...)

[zephyrzodiac]

Are you going to use AH's little program to run your themes?

[BoilingOil]

@ ZW: I know where you come from... My first layer of subfolders is function-based as well: hacks-and-mods, arches-doors-windows, stairs, walls, floors, CAS, deafult-replacers, buy-mode, to name but a few. But within each of these folders, everything is sub-foldered per site, and then per creator. I always know exactly where everything is. One might wish I was this methodical in RL

[Zirconia Wolf]

Are you going to use AH's little program to run your themes?

Almost certainly! I love the idea of being able to have different default replacement & such *available* at- basically- the push of a button. Should also help cut-down on the *clutter* in my clothing bin! As it stands now (or stood the last time I played) I have to wade through a lot of *themed* stuff to get what I want much of the time!

I am guessing though that I had best do my HCDU-ing & DDO-ing before I set up my themed folders though, right?

Boiling Oil: I like your sub-foldering technique! Blends the best of both worlds! Going to use it once I get TS2 re-installed. (Still tracking down other stuff I need...)

Good lord, if I organized my life with the same zeal as my Sims stuff, I would be the most *with-it* person on the planet...instead of a deranged she-wolf sitting on her butt staring at her PC mapping out various family lines (amount other things) for all the various hoods I juggle.

The problem with RL is it's just not as engaging as TS2 life to me...

[zephyrzodiac]

The HCDU is easily sorted, just do it while your game is running - it's the one program I know that will work without problems - probably because it only reads stuff and doesn't try to take it over.

Clean Installer is easily directed to the themed set you want to check out, I imagine the same thing would apply to the DDO.

The only thing I have found a problem with is installing houses, so best to do that while a theme is still called just The Sims 2 and load up the game so the lots can install.  I've tried redirecting them with the CI, but for some reason they just don't seem to install.  If you need to install further lots, at some future date, it doesn't take a minute to rename, since you don't have to worry about renaming the modular stairs scripts as well.

[Zirconia Wolf]

I assume you mean packed/installed houses that are not the *default* Lot Bin ones the game comes with?

That shouldn't be a problem. To date, I have no *imported* lots scheduled to *appear* in any of my (possible) themed hoods.

[ancienthighway]

I've had the same experience installing lots as ZZ has.  They install nicely into the current TS2 folders, but fail when trying to redirect them to an alternate folder.  Fortunately you can install while the game is running the proper hood.  They just won't appear in game until you restart that hood.

[zephyrzodiac]

I never thought of that!  Thanks, AH, one learns something new (and useful) every day!