Listing of Tips 'N Tricks

• Game Options
• Audio Options
• Camera & Video Options
• Story Mode
• Moving Out Of House
• Life Insurance
• Changing A Sims Appearance
• Interaction Queue
• Creating New Neighborhoods
• Community Lots, Building & Objects
• Building Mode
• Downloading Custom Game Content From Maxis or Other Sim Lovers
• Uploading Lots
• Personal Tips I've Discovered

• The options button let you make choices about different areas of the gameplay.  From settings on audio to graphic, to camera settings.  Use options to return to the neighborhood, to save, or even to quit the game as well.

Audio Options

• Audio Features~Voices, Music, etc can be adjusted for volume.  To mute a feature, click the 'X' to the left of the volume bar.
• Adjust sound quality~Move the Audio Quality slider.  (Higher sound quality slows down game performance.)
• Select Soundtracks~Use the audio options to select soundtracks for different game functions.   Enable or disable certain songs for the particular game function by using the Enable/Disable button to the left of the song title.  (The song is enabled when the circle is filled with a dot.)
• Choose Stereo Songs~You can choose which songs can play for each music category!  (This music only plays when Sims are listening to the radio or stereo.)
• Change Game Theme Songs~Select the playlists for Buy & Build modes, Neighborhood, or for when you are working with the Create A Family tool to choose which song you want to play at these times.
• Use Your Own Wavs/MP3's In The Game~Move your favorite wavs or MP3's to: '\My Documents\EA GAMES\The Sims 2\Music' and drop them in the appropriate folder.   The songs are then available in the Audio Options panel. ***The Music folder is generated AFTER you have played the game once.  So do not look for it until after that.

Camera & Video Options~Click 'F5'

• Camera & Video Options~Will adjust snapshot size or quality and wil also adjust Video sound, recording, quality, and size.
• Taking Camera Snapshots~Click the Camera Snapshot button to take pictures in Live, Buy, or Build Modes.
• Free Moving Camera Snapshots~In the Neighborhood or Live Mode press 'Tab' for Free Cam.  The Free Cam allows you to move the camera freely anywhere in your Sims' world.  The Keyboard controls for Free Cam are the follow keyboard keys:  Q/E-Down/Up, W/S-Forward/Back, A/D-Left/Right, Z/X-ZSoom In/Out.  Your mouse controls the pitch & rotation of the camera.  Press 'Tab' again to return to the standard camera settings.  Free Cam is a great tool for movie making players, but is not intended for gameplay.
• Video Capture~Click the Video Capture button to record a movie of your Sims.  It will capture an AVI movie until you clik the button again to stop or reach the length specified in Maximum Video Recording Time in Camera Options.  Movies are saved to your '\My Documents\EA GAMES\The Sims 2\Movies' folder.  You can use *any* movie editing software to create your own Sims movies.

Story Mode~Click 'F4'

• In story mode you can arrange pictures and write accompanying text to keep track of and share your Sims' lives.  Story Mode is available only for occupied lots or in the neighborhood.

• Adult or Elder Sims can move out through choices available through the newspaper or the computer and they can take other family members along with them.  These family members are then moved to the Families Bin, from where you can move them to a new lot. 
• An Adult or Elder Sim can also join an existing household through marriage or by invitation under the 'Propose' menu when Sims have become best friends.  If they are invited to join, they can also bring other family members along as well.

• When a Sim dies of old age, a message appears that lets you and your Sims know that the SimCity Insurance Company is there for you.  It will list the Sims who benefit from the Elder Sim's policy.
• The money is NOT deducted from the dead Sim's family.
• The amount received by each Sim is based on their lifetime relationship with the person, and on the dead person's aspiration score at the time of his death.

• Click on any mirror and select 'change appearance' from the menu.  This will include the ability to change hair, accessories, etc.

Interaction Queue

• When new actions are assigned to a Sim an icon for that action appears in the upper left of your game screen.  They let you know what your Sim is up to.
• You can command a Sim to perform up to 8 consecutive actions at one time.

Creating New Neighborhoods

• Click the 'Create Custom Neighborhood' icon in the Neighborhood Chooser panel of the main menu.
• Click to choose a terrain template for the neighborhood, then click 'Load Template' to accept the choice you've made.
• Choose a Neighborhood Name and enter a description.
• Select a terrain type and click 'Load Neighborhood' to load the new neighborhood.
• Then you can write the neighborhood story or wait until later.
• The new neighborhood will now appear in the Neighborhood Chooser panel, with your other neighborhoods.

Community Lots, Building & Objects

• Buying and building on community lots does not cost your Sims anything.

Building Mode

• Houses can have a maximum of five floors. You can also have 3 floors, a foundation and a roof, 4 floors and a roof, 4 floors and a foundation.
• Top Down View-Click the Top-Down View icon to set your building camera in the skies.  The UCP navigational controls or the right mouse button can be used to navigate around the lot and zoom in and out.  To bring your camera back to earth, click the Top-Down View icon again.
• Build Tools-Press 'Shift' with a tool and it will get you more of that structure.  Press 'Control' with the tool to remove structures.
• Laying Floors & Wall Coverings~Select your coverings and click once to place one tile at a time.  Click & drag to place several tiles at a time, or hold down 'Shift' and click to fill an entire room.  (**If you click and drag this tool out on terrain for a floor tile, you'll level the terrain at the same time.)  Press 'Control' with this tool to remove coverings one tile at a time, click & drag to remove several tiles at a time, or hold down the 'Control', click and drag to remove floors from a whole floor section.  To remove a whole wallpaper section click 'Control' & 'Shift' and then click.
• Connecting Stairs~These stairs adapt to any elevation, letting Sims up onto foundations and decks.  Stairs also work on slopes too steep to traverse otherwise.  Press 'Control' & click on a set of stairs to remove them.
• Foundations & Decks~If you build your house on a foundation, you must build connecting stairs to it, same with a deck in front of the door.  Otherwise your Sims won't be able to get into the house.
• Roofing~The space directly under your roof is probably too tight for functional use unless you put in a Dormer.
• Roofing II~Frustrated with figuring out how to use roofs?  Use the 'Auto Roof Tool'!  It will roof all indoor (enclosed) rooms on the lot at once, in the style of your choice.
• Dormers~Dormers are placed much like objects, and can be rotated before they are place.  Use the Wall & Roof Tools to refine Dormer shape or to delete a dormer all together.

Downloading Custom Game Content From Maxis or Other Sim Lovers

• You must register your game and create a user name or password in order to use this feature.
• Click 'Custom Content Browser' button to access TheSims2.com.  A login window will ask you to enter your user name and password.
• Check 'Auto Login' when you access the website, so that you won't have to enter the info again.
• Download custom content by following the instructions on the website.  After the content is downloaded, it automatically appears in the appropriate catalogs in the game and is indicated by the 'Custom Content' icon.
• You can delete any of the custom content that has been downloaded by selecting the thumbnail for it, then click the trash bin icon to delete.

Uploading Lots

• Upload Lots to TheSims2.com~Make sure you're connected to the internet.  Select a lot, now click the 'Package Lot to TheSims2.com' icon.  Use your user name and password to log in.  Then write a description of it and you're done.  All options can be uploaded whether occupied or unoccupied or a community.  If you just want to create a file of the lot and not upload it click on that.

Personal Tips I've Discovered For Myself~Use at your own risk! They worked for me, but it doesn't mean they'll work for you. ;)

• Game Freezes Due To Hacks or Custom Items~If you have recently added a new hack into your game and it's causing you some real problems on a lot you are presently playing... exit the lot, but DO NOT save before you do so. Saving will save the problem you're having. (Like if a child is stuck on a bus and won't get off or a toddler is stuck with his butt in the floor like he's using the toddler potty, but he isn't and you can't get him up again. ~Yeah, those happened to me. LOL) Close out the lot and the game, then remove the recently added hack and open up the game again. It should fix the problem.
• Do not delete a sim using the 'move_objects on' feature~It will really screw up that lot. If you wish to get rid of a sim or two you no longer want in a family move them out and then delete them through the family's available feature in the Neighborhood. If they are not old enough to move out on their own have an adult move out with them, then 'con' a great friend (you don't mind losing or being deleted~say a townie you secretly can't stand but only had a sim make friends with to get their friend count up for a job promotion) into moving into the house, then move the adult back home again. It takes a little work, but there isn't any other way to get rid of toddlers or children. (At least that I've discovered yet.) Once the conned adult is with the children alone in the house move them out and then delete them that way.) At some point I'll post pictures of why not to use the move objects cheat to delete children. ;)
• Preventing Packaging Unnecessary Files When Packaging A Lot~The new 'Packaging Lots' feature is awesome! But it has it's problems too. It tends to include everything in your 'My Documents/EA Games/The Sims 2/Downloads/' folder when it packages, whether or not the items in there are used on that lot. That includes objects and hacks, etc. If you're someone like me who likes to put lots you've created up for download (on your own site or on the Official site exchange) then be sure you move everything from your downloads folder (except walls, floors, etc) that you need for the house into a folder outside of the EA Games folder. Then go into the game, enter the lot, save the lot once more and then package it. This prevents all those extra items from being unnecessarily added to the package file. It will save unsuspecting visitors from downloading unnecessary files with the lot and it'll save you from alot of possible bandwidth use. (Especially if you have a ton of stuff in your downloads folder.)
• Preventing Unwanted Files Added To Your Game When Installing A New Lot~Are you annoyed when you download a lot file and all of the sudden find 20 new custom created or hacked items in your game that came with the file that you didn't want? Here are two separate tips that will take a few minutes, but save you alot of hassle in the end. There are two ways to do this, both ways require you to move your 'Downloads' folder out of your EA Games folder. (It will automatically create a new folder to replace the old when you start up the game.)

1. If you don't want to even see or check out what these files are-then do your double-clicking on the 'Sims2pack' file and all items for that lot will show up in either your 'Downloads' folder or your 'Teleport' folder. Start your game and go to the neighborhood scene and make sure the house is showing up in your Lots Bin. Once you see it is close out the game. Then go back to your 'My Documents/EA Games/The Sims 2/Downloads/' folder and delete all of the files in it. Double-check for files in the 'Teleport' folder as well and delete any in there. Those files are files that came with the lot that you don't want. (Remember that some of them might be wallpaper or something else, if you don't care then proceed.) :)
2. The second way allows you to view what has been included in the lot and you can delete each item as you wish to. Once you've moved your 'My Documents/EA Games/The Sims 2/Downloads/' folder, then double-click on the 'Sims2pack' file and again all items will show up in the 'Downloads' or 'Teleport' folder. Do not start up your game yet, instead open up your 'Body Shop' proggy and check to see if any sims, clothing, eyes, make-up, hair files, etc were amongst those files. If there were, delete the items you don't want. Then close out the Body Shop and open up the Home Crafter proggy and check through your walls and floors and ground tiles to see if any of them are building files you don't want. Delete the ones that you don't wish to keep. Then you open up your game and enter a lot and go through each category of items to find any custom created objects that were included in the lot. Delete the ones you no longer want, keep the ones you do and then close out the game. You can now move the items you kept into your old 'Downloads' folder and move the folder back into the game. One last note~Please be aware that unless you identify each file one by one and rename them re-titling what each file is, it's a possibility hacks were included and you'd never know it. To prevent that, this is what I do... identify each file individually and rename them so I know what it is. Whatever is left over that I cannot identify through Body Shop, Home Crafter, or the objects section in the game is most likely a hack. I very much enjoy some hacks (such as the auto paying of bills at the mailbox, or the daily gardener, etc) but I prefer knowing and choosing what hacks are going into my game rather than blindly letting hacks enter it.