Hi All,

I've finally gotten around to adding the Free Time icon to the site, as well as doing some reorganistion of the Game Mods section, and finally, I've added a third "download view" which I think some of you will like.

Firstly, the Free Time icon and also the Kitchen and Bath Stuff icon have been added to your profiles, to the downloads pages, and also to the downloads themselves. Since Kitchen and Bath Stuff is not actually out yet, anybody caught trying to upload items that require this stuff pack will be smacked.

Secondly, I've added a new download category called "Miscellaneous". This contains the following sections:

• Miscellaneous
• Careers
• University Majors
• Foods
• Neighbourhood Objects
• Neighbourhood & CAS Screens

The Game Mods section now contains only:

• Global Mods
• Object Mods
• Config Mods

All of the above areas have also been put on moderation and cleaned up.

From now on, Object Mods is to be used only for objects that actually do things like raise needs, or change skills. It is not to be used for new objects that happen to contain BHAVs or that just add something new to the game.

Essentially, I want the "Game Mods" section to contain only things that you can use to change the way the actual core gameplay works - global mods already does this, but Object Mods contained a whole lot of things that really didn't do that. Config Mods remains for mostly external things like camera hacks and the like.

Please also note I have removed Modding Tools from the Downloads section - it is now to be found in the Create section instead.

Thirdly, I've added what I call the "Dual Download View" which is essentially a 2 column view, but which also shows some of the details of the first post in the actual download screen.

You can change the kind of download view you use by going to User Tools -> Edit Options.

I've also done some small tweaks and changes behind the scenes which you don't really need to worry about.

As always, if something isn't working properly, let me know.

Regards,
Delphy & The MTS2 Staff

Thanks, for this update. I like this new look very well, and as always the staff does a great job and you too, for being retired, that is.

Wow, you've been busy! Personally, I like the new downloads view. It's a lot easier for me to keep track of everything.

Hi Delphy, great work, I appreciate very much all these change and news.
Particularly, I like that you have split a new category "Miscellaneous" from "Game mods", I think it's more useful in this way, and the new "Dual Download View" that I think it's more help to get an overview of the thread without go to the page.
Thanks a million !!!

All works fine for me.

Thanks for the info, Delphy! You have been busy, busy, busy! Sounds like the changes will make things a lot easier for us!

i like the new download view a lot, because it is much more detailed!
thanks for this, delphy!

ps: i thought u retired...

I like the new look!

I like the new Downloads view, looks really neat! Thank you Delphy!

Hi, I like the new downloads view. It seems to flow better.

Love the new look! IT also seems to load faster, and for those of us with dial-up, we love you for it!

thanks, delphy, it loads a lot quiker, like pinkpanthurpurr said, espicaily for people like me, with dial up!!!

ohh yeah, delphy, im one of those cheeky monkeys who now pretend to have kitchen stuff!!!!

Wow Delphy thanks!

I love it, love it, love it!! Thanks a million, Delphy!

This is great. I thought my computer was going bonkers at first! Are you "really" ever retired? That's okay. When you do resurface, it's always for a good cause. So what do you do with the time you used to dedicate to the website?

You did a great job.

Okay so since people obviously can't read, and insist on adding Kitchen & Bath Stuff under the "Stuff Packs Purchased" on thier profile... when it's not even out yet... I have removed it from the site.

Thanks for the comments about the new download view. It was something I did for myself a long time ago (over a year now) and figured it might be worth releasing to the general populace.

StephSim, I have a full time job, and have done since way before I "retired" so my time is full enough already.

I like the new look of the site. Easier on the eyes, and it all fits in the browser.

Thank you Delphy and the team for all your dedicated work. Yes, it was confusing as to what went into Object Mods and what didn't.

As far as the new Download page view goes - well I'm very glad you gave us the option to switch back to thumbnail view. The traditional pagesetter's layout of "right brain sees graphics on the left, left brain sees text on the right" is disturbingly schizoid for me.

So, if I get it well, both the Global Mods and the Objects mods are creations that override Maxis original functions or objects, but with this difference:

- "Global Mods" override Semiglobals and/or Globals, i.e. they change the behaviour/look of an entire category of objects (global replacements for dishes, counters etc; global modifications for phone functions, sims behaviours etc.)

- "Object Mods" override only "private" Maxis BHAVs, i.e. change the behaviour/look of single Maxis objects, usually buyable ones (Maxis espresso machine that raises the motives, Maxis paintings that improve skills, Maxis modular stairs made recolourable etc.).

All the mods that only contain resources (BHAVs, BCONs, GMDC etc) assigned to GroupID 0xFFFFFFFF or 0x1C050000, even if they "magically" raise motives or skills, are NOT "Game Mods" (because they don't override any Maxis original object or function) and should be posted in the proper Download sections, regarding their function/room.


Correct?

Numenor,

Generally, yes, although we've left in the "raising motive" stuff in Object Mods, regardless of if it uses a Maxis BHAV or a custom one. We'd have to individually examine each possible item that gets posted in Object Mods otherwise. Global mods are as you say - something that overrides the semi-globals or globals, except that some things that do that are, I believe, in Object Mods if they are "attached" to an object.

Anything that is generally an object and just has some cool new features would not be in Game Mods. Also, Object Mods has yet to be totally cleared out of non-Game Mod-worthy items.

It's a little confusing, but it's a start, and can be refined later on to better identify "which" items should or should not be in which category. We should probably discuss this in more depth

awesome job! looooove the new look of the download page! thank you very much!!

I like the changes. While as a creator, I am opposed to increased moderation which increases the delay in publishing new creations, this is necessary to keep a high level of quality and to prevent too much bad content from surfacing.

The re-organization of the game mod section will definitely help to see what is a transformation and what is not, however, I fear this will make an active search for hacked objects harder. The approach you described in the first post seems to be a good intermediate.

The new download view is awesome!

Thank you for doing this! The site seems to load faster now

I LOVE how Neighbourhoods arn't under lots and housing anymore, such more comfuzeling!
Yet, I think that an 'Neighbourhoods with sims' and 'Neighbourhood baces' to be added, as a sub-dirctory of cource, (Like eg, male Teens and female Teens in sims) as maney just get piled into the same catagory.

Much love to the Updates!

PETCHY14