How To: Starting Up a New Sims 2 Ultimate Collection Game

For years I’ve wanted to learn to manage my Sims 2 game in a way that allows it to run better, have less corruption, and just to understand and organize it’s functionality.  In the fall of 2018, I play the Sims 2 Ultimate Collection with Windows 10 on an Asus Republic of Gamers laptop with a Nvidia 770m video card.

I first started using Ultimate Collection because when it came out in 2014, I was having difficulties with my second set of disk games no longer starting.  A few times I attempted to use a No CD executable file to get around that issue with my disk versions, but at the time I lacked the persistence to figure it out or find the information online.

In April 2018, while trying to get the 4 GB patch to apply, I seriously started trying to use an executable file to avoid starting the game in Origin, but I messed up my game and didn’t have time to do the Origin repair and then all the steps to play again.  When I started playing Sims 2 again this month, I had a renewed interest in finding a solution and also getting the 4 GB patch to work.  Coming at these issues with more patience, I finally was able to succeed and wanted to document the process here for my own reference later.  It may be helpful to someone else as well.  If you have a question, feel free to ask, and I will share whatever I know.  However, my troubleshooting ability and time to dedicate to problem-solving is minimal so if I don’t know how to solve your issue, I will let you know that I can’t help.

In this post, I will document the process I’ve used to set up my Sims 2 game executable file, 4 GB patch, install Graphics and Video card fixes, and install a clean new neighborhood, Ayre, including links.  I play Sims 2 Ultimate Collection, downloaded from Origin.

1.  Deactivate Origin’s auto-updates.
2. If you want to remove Securom and then add a “no-CD” file to bypass Origin when you start the game, I would follow this tutorial at Leefish.  I decided to try bypassing Origin without removing Securom first, and remove Securom if needed.  When I lost access to my second set of game disks a few years ago, I had tried to remove Securom unsuccessfully.  However, I know it is ideally best to remove it so I am including this step here for others, and for myself in case I later decide to re-do this process.
   1. This is the information that helped me make sense of this process, and it has a link to another site with info about no CD files
3. Without removing Securom, I used this “no-CD” file to bypass Origin to start the Sims 2 Ultimate Collection.  If you do this it is necessary that you do step #1 first, and don’t start the game again until you install the no-CD file.
4. The next step was to get my game to be “large address aware,” or use 4 GB memory instead of being limited to 2 GB memory, a source of crashing.  This video by Jessa (that Maisie told me about) was how I learned to manage all the following steps involved.  If you need to correct crashing in your Sims 2 game, I would recommend using this video to not only follow the directions, but learn how to do the steps she is talking about independently.  To help clarify the process, here are the main steps you need to learn from her video:
   1. Install 4 GB patch to .exe file (in my experience it wouldn’t work on Origin’s .exe which is why I finally persisted until my “no-CD” Origin workaround was functional.  The way I determined it was working was by keeping Origin closed and starting the game as an administrator from the desktop shortcut after installing the above “no-CD” file.)
   2. Check to see if 4 GB patch is applied by starting the game and then confirming in the config file in your Sims 2 Documents folder.  Directions are in Jessa’s video.
   3. If the 4 GB patch is not applied, follow the troubleshooting directions in the video (the part about cutting and pasting in the CS Bin.)
   4. Confirm that the 4 GB patch is applied by starting the game and confirming in the config file in your sims 2 documents folder.
   5. Allocate memory correctly by following the rest of the steps in Jessa’s video.
5. Follow Leefish’s tutorials (if needed) to make the Sims 2 Ultimate Collection recognize and utilize your graphics card and video card rules files.  I made my own video card rules file, using these directions, since my card wasn’t on the list.  There is also a Graphics Rules Maker utility now, which you may want to try.
6. Follow Jordi’s tutorial to install clean templates.  Check that you did it correctly by starting a new custom ‘hood in your Sims 2 game, then exiting the game and looking at the character files for that ‘hood in your Sims 2 documents folder, Characters.  If it is not empty, you need to start again.

At this point, you are ready to start adding mods.  These are the ones I am adding.

1.  I used this Camera Mod compilation
2.  Add Skyfix to your game so you can see outside the lot or horizon.  If you use DreadPirate’s new version of Gunmod’s Radiance Lighting system, you don’t need to add Skyfix as it is included.  However, I tried for about an hour and a half to get my WinZip to open DreadPirate’s folders last night and could not get them to copy.  I could see them but WinZip just kept giving me errors.  I am sure I am doing something wrong but can’t figure it out.  If I can ever figure it out, I will definitely install it since it looks amazing.

Also, I have been lurking about Plumbbob Keep and various awesome Sims 2 medieval themed simblrs for months, and finally decided to begin the process of creating  my own medieval Sims 2 world in a new game.  I am going to keep playing and blogging Falls Bridge.  Having a break from all the detail of set up, and later, the anticipated agony of a middle ages ‘hood is going to be refreshing.  However, in real life, the middle ages have been an interest of mine for more than two decades so I am very excited about bringing it to life in my Sims 2 game.

As I continue to set up my new medieval game, I’ll post the process.   My next steps are to check into terrain and water replacements, road replacements, and ‘hood deco, followed by face and name overrides.

Thanks for reading and if you have any tips, or corrections to leave in the comments, I welcome your feedback!