coolspear

Personal Update April 2020 - After making the massage chair and table have a higher auto push that works on any venue, my sims at home were giving each other autonomous massages. Which was great to see, at first. But not when they start doing it at inconvenient times. Like if hosting a party, and the first guest arrives. Main sim greets and invites them in, then auto shuffles them off to give/get a massage. Meanwhile other guests arrive and are being ignored. Not good. So I decided to add a new implementation to the massage chair and table. The same one seen on the "no wash dishes in sinks" mod. And now these objects come with an On/Off switch. Much better than using any form of no auto mods, whether that be the traditional sort I usually make, or Scumbumbo's version that's individual or found as part of MC's options. All those types block autonomy across the board for all objects everywhere in the world, and are a bit of a rigmarole to undo if ever you want autonomy back, a bit of a rigmarole to even find which option to make non autonomous as oftentimes many options are displayed with Scumbumbo's mod, so which one do you select? This On/Off feature does it per object. So you can switch them off at home, but leave them on everywhere else. And is right there on the object, no need to go through rigmaroles any longer. I have been adding this feature to many objects I'll be uploading, and many more I plan to add it to. Just look for the new "OnOff" in a mod's name to know it has this new autonomy switch per object feature.

Just to note, I noticed my sims still giving a hand massage the other day, so there is an interaction file missing for the chair. Mod is not broken, just a hand massage interaction file I've yet to find and add.

Updated for 1.61

So far I have only updated the "Diners Behave Less Use Other Stuff" mod, as the files of that mod cover many interaction fields outside of restaurant dining.

All other mods of this set I have not thoroughly checked as yet. Given they are very specific to restaurants, I cannot see Maxis changing them.

Maxis did mess up the way sims eat food, both at home and at restaurants, but whatever they broke was nothing to do with these files. They have claimed in at least two patch notes since Island Living that they've fixed the food eating issues. Again, if fixed, it will have nothing to do with the files used in these mods. I guess I'll just have to take my sims to a restaurant and see what happens to get a true sense of what's fixed and what's not, before I start looking into the rest of this mod set.   

Updated for 1.61

It's a given Maxis will always break this one with every big cyclone patch, and you have to take out mod otherwise stereos are fubar. And the Uni patch was no exception. Mod now fixed.

Updated for 1.61

Found a few more things that ghosts like to obsessively, repeatedly, annoyingly possess if on the lot. So banned them too. Lit Bonfires, Lit Campfires and Bubbleblowers.

If you also spot other objects I've missed, just let me know which ones and I'll add them to the mod.

Updated for 1.61

Added the new Sim Scuffle computer game to the no auto list.

Update for 1.61

So far the dancing mod is the only one I've checked. Hence the only one updated to 1.61.

It also comes with the new "On/Off Autonomy" feature added to all dance floors as of April 2020. I've been adding the On/Off switch to many objects in game to replace the ye olde format of No Autonomy (for all same object types globally) with a new option to switch autonomous interactions On or Off directly on the object, per single object, whenever the player decides. Turn Off a Dance floor at home so it cannot be autonomously used, but the ones at the Nightlclubs/Discos remain On, that sort of thing.

I have not thoroughly checked the others, but they remain in my game unproblematic until such a time I can get to look at them. Due to the specific nature of them, I cannot imagine Maxis has changed them. Dancing covers a lot more fields, so did need an update, whereas the others of this set are just specific unto themselves, can't see Uni having anything to do with them. But, if anything, it will be minor corrections, so I'm in no rush as I work on more important mods first.

Update for 1.61

Updated up to 1.61

Now includes all the figure paintings from Uni.

Updated up to 1.61

Updated up to 1.61

The Alpha mod updated with new coding.

Also more beds added. Magic Realm beds. Uni beds. And the single bed from Tiny Living.

I have not included the two Murphy beds yet. Typically, Maxis has made them more trouble than they are worth and as such, the beds need mods up the wazoo just to bring some sanity to them. I've seen some on MTS to stop the frequent killings and another to slow down the overzealous breakages. If I ever have the urge to use these Murphy beds, I'll know where to go to get mods for them, and then I just might give them the same treatment as all other beds. Until then, I don't even bother with them. Thanks, Maxis, for ensuring that.

Updated up to 1.61

Now properly accounts for the new Uni world and the addition of the Tiny Living pack.

This mod will always break whenever a new pack is released, as the details for each and every pack have to be added to the files it uses, so the game can properly register them.

If you do install any new packs (Since Tiny Living) then always remove this mod. Unfortunately this will reset the Jungle and Forest back to rental status.

I have no intention to patch or buy any more new packs for the foreseeable future, so it's make your mind up time, if you want to go to the trouble of making Jungle and Forest residential, move in families and spend hours, days, getting that all lovely, only to have to remove this mod the next time you get a new pack.

I'm not saying I won't ever get a new pack. Never say never. But if they remain as lacklustre and as shallow as everything thus far, then no. Probably not. I truly believe Maxis, their talent - or lack thereof - is utterly irredeemable for TS4 at this late stage.

Also Forest Region has been updated to include the upcoming Scouts Group Park venue. So after placing this mod and clicking on a forest lot to see a new Scouts Group Park available in the list, that is a new venue type coming very soon to the WSC collection.

For my own preference, after getting fed up of a few elements, I have removed the barista and one of the alien bartenders. Will be uploading that version (only version) soon. I'm not going to be adjusting it further than that. The single alien bartender suits the lot I've purpose built with a bar/dance area for the off duty co-workers, and also the single alien scientist is also keeping their job.

I do have a policy regarding multiple versions of mods, stating I pretty much don't do that. Especially while Maxis are still regularly patching the game. But you could edit the mod using Sims 4 Studio very easily. It really is a simple task to open the mod and delete the single line of code for each situation you'd prefer not to have. All the other files relating to those features won't mean anything once that single code line entry for the situation is gone from the Zone Director XML. Honestly, try it an see. Open with S4S and you'll see it instantly. I've named them adequately enough for you to know which job situation is which. Delete single line for alien bar workers, delete line for alien scientist, save, and the labs and their workers are the way you want. Easier and quicker than writing and sending an email!

I added it the other day and it works well in game. Went to town on my main family of 8 sims. The head honcho had so much crap in a few boxes, but now has well-organised groupings of objects relating to a theme in many boxes, and each box first named after him the owner, and then the theme of the contents. Brilliant! So much easier to grab whichever box and its specific contents to use them. No need for the player to memorize it all any more. Plus they all neatly fit inside one box - I used an Adventurer's Mega Cooler to store them all - so his inventory appears quite empty, just the Cooler and his trusty Simray freeze gun. I think that Cooler has got more stuff in it than his blooming house! Almost... Needs a kitchen sink.

I'll be uploading all that any day now. If I can't find time in the week, I'll definitely have time during the coming weekend to make a start uploading stuff.

On any given object XML, including the one for a Time Capsule, it's a relatively minor modding task to add the naming function. Such as I've done for a few things - Slablets being one example and more recently the boats and waterscooters Maxis neglected to complete giving naming functions. And bikes now too, but I've yet to upload that mod. Recolours are helpful too in making an object more unique, but nothing beats giving it an individually unique name to truly set it apart, as there's only so many recolours of an object you can get from build mode before they start to repeat - unless you're content to make gazillions of shades.

I'd sooner mod in a naming function. Far, far less work - though multiple colour variations can spice things up a bit. No denying that.

In fact, now that we mention it, I think I will add naming functions to all my storage-type box objects. It couldn't hurt. (Don't know why I didn't do that originally. Better late than never, I guess.)

In the opening post, there's a link at the bottom to the wicker basket fish storage box found on Sims 4 Studio website.

It's a box recolour, retexture, made from a non-Maxis object mesh I think, created by Merrysim to work with this storage mod. You still need the mod here for it to be a functioning fish storage box, but if you're looking for an alternative look to the Maxis low end Cooler Box the original uses, then grab the wicker one by Merrysim.

Funnily enough I was thinking of adding the Lice Shampoo to my Medical Fridge Dispenser mod as a purchase-able item. (After clearing it with Turbodriver first.) That fridge dispenser does pretty much what you're asking. All potions, child potions, scientist serums, medicines, cowplant juices, special foods and whatnot can be bought from it directly. Adding the Lice Shampoo would be very simple, without ever altering the work of other creators, just add it's unique object number to a shopping XML. I've been meaning to work on that fridge anyway, since the Magic Realm potions are not yet part of its shopping service. Once I get into that, I'll also try adding the other WW items.

Making said shampoo so it can be stored in certain inventory types (beyond what it's setup for) unfortunately would involve having to alter its coding, so I would never do that to another active creator's work, even with their blessing.

If I can set it up right for the shampoo (also birth control pills, tampons and condoms) to be bought via the medical fridge dispenser, and it works for me, then I'll approach Turbodriver and see if it's okay to go public with that. So no promises this end, as I've yet to see if I can extract their unique object numbers to add them to a shopping XML, let alone get Turbodriver's okay to go public with it.

What makes it even worse from time to time, - and I can remember two occasions where its happened and probably a couple more I've forgotten - is when the inexplicable, unneeded, cosmetic, I-did-it-my-way changes get changed back to the way they were about six months later.

As if the temp, short term, straight-out-of-uni dev is no longer on the team, and the original dev is back working on their old XML and said, "eh? What's this greenhorn, rookie nonsense? I didn't do that. That's not how I want my work to be." So switched it back to the way they prefer it. Once again breaking all the same mods that now have to be changed in a way they should never have been changed at all.

If that's not a valid reason to take six months off from modding, nothing is. Leave it half a year and the dev wars in the studios make less work for you to fix. Writing XMLs - rewriting - like it's a fucking public-editable Wiki page, and modders be damned. 

Indeed, that there is part of the ongoing patching annoyances. The great thing about XMLs, is that they can be quite flexible if manipulated just right. (LEs up the wazoo if done wrong.) The worst thing about XMLs, is that they are quite flexible. And I swear to Jumpin' Jack Flash, every patch we see the evidence of a new dev - straight out of uni - on the team who wants to manipulate an XML their way. Not to fix or improve the game, not to make the mechanics of the XML better, not because it's new shit for a new EP (That's a different thing altogether.) just to do it their way, how they learnt it in uni, because that's the way they prefer it. Like good, old Frank Sinatra - probably listening to him in the background as they implement the code changes. Then upload their change into the big, Maxis discombobulating machine, that then batch changes every other XML with same code to reflect same. And a big fuck you to all the modders out there, and their now broken mods, for no reason whatsoever.

Yeah, six years of seeing that more often than is necessary can really piss you off.

Take it away, Frank.. "I did it myyyyy waaaayyyyy!" 

Not as simple as that. All the coding for chance cards has been removed, deleted, from the XML. If you're looking to get that back (by putting the coding back on the XML) you've got a bit of a rigmarole on your hands.

The best avenue would be to extract the original XML from the game files, replacing the edited one in the mod with it, but of course you'll need to note where the clothing change code line is on the modded XML as you're going to want to make the same edit to original XML. The original of this XML is very large, thousands of lines of code. So I cannot tell you the exact line number the clothing code is on as many hundreds of code lines are gone from my modded version. The best I can tell you is the clothing code line is nearer the bottom, on my modded XML it's line 1040. Check where it is on mine first, to get a better idea of where it will be when replacing modded XML with the much larger original.

Actually that's two XMLs you'll need to do that for. Child Grade School and Teen High School XMLs.

The original chunk of code on each will look like this -

<U n="outfit_change">
  <V n="on_route_change" t="no_change"/>
</U>

You need to completely replace that chunk of code with this (Just like in the mod.) -

<U n="outfit_change">
  <V n="on_route_change" t="for_reason">
    <U n="for_reason">
      <E n="on_entry">Category_Formal</E>
    </U>
  </V>
</U>

Good luck.

Aye, as Kimi said. If you let me know which patch level you are on, I can better help you with what you should expect from this mod.

Basically, if you're on a patch higher than 1.55, then anything about this mod can be, and most likely is, broken.

If on 1.55, then it should work fine, if you've installed it correctly. Remember you should only install each separate package elements of this mod if you have those packs installed, otherwise you will get a completely blank Traits Store as you have described.

As, technically, even if you are on a higher patch than 1.55 while using this mod, it would not make the Store blank. It would just not show any of the new traits Maxis have introduced since 1.55. Such as the Robot Trait (Or whatever it's called.) from Uni. Then again, I do not think that trait would be a buyable one anyway, so would not be part of this mod's purview even after I finally update it. Until Maxis add any new buyable Reward Store traits, then this mod is not strictly broken. (Though I cannot account for any other unforeseen wrangling they may have done that breaks this mod indirectly regardless of new traits. That's always a possibility.) The only thing that makes the Store blank is using one of the separated Traits package files of this mod, for a DLC pack that you do not have installed. So I recommend you double-check that first - especially if you're no higher than patch 1.55.

Though you do mention Custom Traits, and as such there is a chance things may be rubbing up the wrong way. Depends on what type of Custom Traits they are, and how they are applied to sims in the game. I don't use any, so I wouldn't know what to tell you if that is the case. Try without the Custom Traits, to see if this mod works. That's about as much intelligence I can provide on that matter. And if it does work, then you are left with the Highlander scenario, there can be only one, so choose which one you prefer and scrap - cut off the head - of the other. Alternatively, Sims 4 Studios website has some helpful tutorials on how to use S4S to blend mods so you can keep the best of both worlds.

In the patch notes before the most recent patch - god, they just keep coming! - it does mention a fix for sims not eating at restaurants. So what you're experiencing, it's not that they broke the WSC restaurant mod any further than they have done since 1.56, but also somehow broke their own shit on top of that regardless of my mods.

But of course, mods take the flak first, as ever. One of the troubles about using mods is that they are the go-to culprits when anything goes wrong. And that would be the correct thing to do if this was any other game by any other devs using mods from any other creators. But it's Maxis, and Sims, and their blasted regular "infamous" patches.

Though that's not to say my mods don't need a good clean up. Of course they do - and I'm (slowly) on the case. But Maxis' regular clumsiness does not help in the final equation.   

If using the WSC Restaurant mods, and the many food mods on this site, they will accumulatively prevent occults - and humans - from eating or drinking that which they should not. A lot of reworking in those many mods, a real interwoven tapestry when all together, to secure precise occult feeding and drinking habits.

But yes, Maxis may have broken many elements between all those mods in the last five or six patches that I still need to finish updating for.

All my mods here are only as good as the second 1.55 hotfix patch. Anything after that, god knows. So if you're on 1.56, then probably Maxis did do some effing around with restaurants and feeding habits as they have been breaking those sort of things patch after patch since Island Living - even slightly before then in the run up to the new way IL food was (badly) done. Most patch notes since have mentioned some fix or another to do with food and/or restaurants. So yeah, I got me some mod tidying up to do on that front. It's like they've been waiting, "ah coolspear will be taking a lengthy break, so let's totally fuck up food and restaurants, one of the biggest things he's worked all the while he's been modding, in his absence." (Take it away Samuel L J - "motherfuckers...") Why not go whole hog and totally ruin the fucking career mods while you're at it. Ah, that's next patch...

Sure, didn't they take a recent survey, asking the community if they would rather Maxis continue releasing more new stuff pack and game pack themes, or spend more time going back over older packs to improve them with better and/or new features. I tell you now, I'm quaking in my boots at the latter. Those older packs suffering from general TS4 lacklustre and poorly implemented, half-arsed concepts, there's plenty out there in the world of mods that has long since broached these failings already. So if they do attempt to finesse older shit (Ha!) they will do nothing but steal the ideas of mods and modders and do a fucking piss-poor job in the process. So please, community, vote overwhelmingly for the former and stick with the piss-poor new stuff packs. (And just wait for modders to improve upon those new packs respectively.) Better the devil you know.

Such a move would only be to satisfy those diehard players who refuse to use the evil, pirated, hacked work of unfit, untrustworthy, unskilled modders, (It's unbelievable some conditioned souls do think that way. I know, I once did back in the day!!!) yet wish to reap the benefits that modders introduce, nagging at Maxis as to why they cannot do - improve - their shit in the way modders do. They want those modded features, so really, are Maxis just going to up and steal them ideas just to satisfy this element of the community who want the features, but not the mods? (So tell me, who are the pirates, hackers and the unfit, unworthy unskilled in that scenario?)

Take a leaf out of Paradox's book, Maxis, if that's your intent. Bring the modders on board and pay them their dues, perhaps even the tiniest smidgeon of the royalties thereafter, (at least enough to keep them in fresh coffee till their dying days! - which will probably be all the more sooner with that much coffee available ) rather than blatantly fucking steal the shit because it's your IP. (I forgot, this is EA we're talking about. Steal away and keep your damn coffee! And take it away again, Samuel L J - "motherfuckers...") 

This mod is not connected with any other in the WSC series, nor does any from the series have influence in vampires Forgotten Hollow.

Where the Empty Streets mod serves many (almost all other) regions, it does nothing in vamp region.

The vampires mods here are unique in that sense, only serving their own region and nothing else - and vice versa to all other world control mods having no stake (pardon the pun) in the vampire town's comings and goings.

I too have recently bought Uni, (From the recent half-price sale on Origin) but until all the mods on this site are updated and in line with current patching I cannot yet play the game at all, let alone experience the new Uni stuff. But I can say that the fact old Vlad is using the Uni campus as a new feeding ground is to do with coding that will be in Uni region XMLs, nothing to do with any mod in the current WSC series. To alter this new behaviour or end it completely (Making it like "Empty Streets" for example.) will involve working on the newer region XMLs that come with Uni, not any mod already in existence here on this site. Typically. Unless Maxis have drastically reworked that structure. I should not think they have, otherwise the mods here would already be preventing Vlad's new Uni neck-sucking shenanigans.

The beauty of the WSC mods that specifically alter or end the behaviour of sims on streets, is that patches can never break them. I totally gut the region XMLs, to stop all unwanted crap. So no matter what Maxis add or remove themselves patch after patch, it matters not a jot to those mods. They're already gutted of all coding, and will remain so, hence utterly empty streets now and forever.

(However, it is not unheard of for Maxis to suddenly introduce repeat but new copies of XMLs that start putting sims back on streets again. Like they did for the Forest Camping areas after Island Living patch. Baffling, that they pointlessly double-up on Forest region XMLs and totally override my mod. Almost as if someone at Maxis was playing with my mod installed to stop sims, but forgot or did not realise. And said, "oh shit, nobody comes to forest any more. Why not? We need to fix this!" So made new XMLs all over again to make sims come to forest again. Totally frikken bizarre. Of course, I shut it all down… again.)

To implement in the load it's not just "more than," (The Priority 600 over Priority 500 does that job adequately enough already - if only aiming for extra nesting depth.)  but also "greater than."

Further establishing that anything found inside a folder named "Overrides" is "greater than" all else, in terms of highest possible loading priority rules.

Nothing I can do about this issue. I did write a warning that these teleportation pads can be iffy if used in the Selvadorada Jungle Region. Especially not to be used, placed from build mode nor carried in inventory when going over to the half of the map that has all the Tomb Raider, Indiana Jones adventuring.

These teleport pads use same coding from those tomb area ancient gateways, and they will "confuse" the game if present on a lot or a sim,  causing crashes or game lock ups during load screen if you try to do anything with these teleports on that half of the map. It's fine to use the teleport pads on the half of the map where the Market Area & Jungle Bar is. There are no ancient gateway teleports on that half of the map to confuse the game.

Storage boxes, whether they are mods or the feeble default Maxis versions, do not act in the same way fridges do.

Sounds to me you are expecting the cauldron to register the ingredients stored in a storage box when trying to make potions.

In the same way an oven registers what ingredients are stored in a fridge when cooking and preparing meals.

Unfortunately, that's not how storage boxes work in this game. For a long time it has been on my to-do list, to look into how ovens and fridges are connected, how ingredients are recognised between the two when sims cook, and apply similar to storage boxes. It might not be applicable, given the connection between ovens and fridges is a unique entity dealing only with these objects, only with ingredients allowed in a fridge and only with food preparation, whereas storage boxes hold a great many different things - especially if using my version - so perhaps are too wide in their nature to pin down to service cauldron cooking with ingredients.

It may be that to do so, I'd have to create a new type of storage box that only holds cauldron potion ingredients, nothing else, and only works with cauldrons, as a fridge storage does to service and supply an oven.