Simslice
FAQ Page by Homeslice
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Why should I subscribe to Simslice
when there are so many other sites?
There are lots of Sim sites, but none of them add entire new dimensions
to the game quite like Simslice does (e.g. Slice City, Weather Machine,
etc. ), and few take the time and attention to detail in creation
and in testing that Simslice puts into every object, including little
fun "surprises" we are known for. Feel
free to read what the press has said about Simslice. Over the
past three years, we have used donations to help keep this site
alive, using "Incentive Pack" items to encourage and reward
supporters -- our goal was to make the majority of our content available
for the majority of people, without going bankrupt paying our website
bills. The system worked at first. And I want to thank all
our past donors for all their help and support over the years! Their
support allowed us the ability to post new, free items for you and
everyone else each and every week for nearly 3 years. Without our
supporters, we wouldn't be here today. But as time went on and interest
in older "Incentive" items started to lessen, it was necessary
to (regularly) introduce brand new Incentive Packs to encourage
support to continue coming in. Honestly, we never expected to have
as many Incentive Packs as we do now (18). The time required to
create new free items every single week was also a major drain on
us as well, but it's a promise we made to you all that we were happy
to honor. In addition, the recent rash of thievery, encouragement
of thievery from their supporters (which of course is the fuel that
keeps thievery going...) and the extra time for us to deal with
it all, was also very time-consuming. Now with the release of The
Sims 2 and it's more advanced game engine, it will take even longer
to create content for that game than it did for The Sims "1".
So when you add it all up, we had to make a quick choice: either
shut down, or change our strategy. We chose the latter.
The result? More stuff for you! If membership
is strong enough, we can afford to put more time into this site
for you. That means more and more of our time now will be devoted
to making Sims content than ever before (for both The Sims and
The Sims 2). You should see more frequent site updates, and really
unique stuff -- some of the projects we are working on right now
will literally blow away anything accomplished in the past.
We are working with coders at the highest levels, names of whom
you are very likely familiar with, to create some really dazzling
things that I can't go into detail right now because of a confidentiality
clause... but I will very soon. We have always supported
Guest Artists, and we are encouraging more and more artists to showcase
their work on Simslice as well, especially with content for The
Sims 2. So if you feel your work fits our "Originality,
Creativity, and Quality" motto, and you would like to learn
more about the benefits of having your work hosted by Simslice,
we would be very happy to hear from you. Please
see our Submissions page for details. We also are hosting a
brand new and improved Forums (no more EZBoard). And much much more
is to come! I know an explanation of all this perhaps wasn't required,
but those of you who have been frequent patrons of our site over
the years deserve to know everything. I hope that explains it well
enough, and I sincerely hope you will continue to be with us as
official members of our site
and continue to support the work done by Simslice now, and in the
future. If you have any questions, please contact us.

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I
want to subscribe, how can I do that?
Click on any of the Sign
Up buttons. Payments can be accepted electronically or by postal
mail from any country in the world. Paypal will convert many currencies
to USD$ (our preferred currency). Visit
xe.com for a list of current exchange rates. If you have any questions
of course, feel free to contact
us.
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Where is the Weather Machine?
The Deluxe Weather Seasons Package for the original The Sims game
is here! Members can download it from it's own webpage right
here. We also have a Weather-Maker for The Sims 2 and that can
be downloaded from our Sims 2
Objects section. In fact, all 18 of our older Incentive Packs
are now available here for subscribing members (they are no longer
at the E-Store).
Some of them have already been updated, but all of them will
be updated soon.

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I
am having problems logging in - help?
First you need to subscribe.
If you are a member and are having problems logging in, there are
a few things you can try that might help:
1) PayPal Verification: If you used PayPal, log into your
PayPal account and pull up your payment record -- just verify that
the username and password are being typed in accurately. Access
is usually immediate. However in rare cases it might take PayPal
a little longer to process the information to a server. So if that
happens, just give it a little more time, say about an hour.
2) Try a Block/Copy/Paste method: Using your left mouse
button, click and drag across the "username". Type Ctrl
C to "copy". In the login window on our site, click inside
the "username" field and type Ctrl V to "paste"
in the "username" exactly. Make sure no extra space characters
were inadvertently entered before or after the username. Repeat
the process with the "password". Since "password"
characters are hidden, count the number of "password"
characters to make sure they match and that no extra spaces were
pasted.
3) Extra characters added?: Make sure no extra [space] characters
were typed in the beginning or end of your username or password.
This is particularly common when using a Block/Copy/Paste method.
Extra characters, even spaces, will alter the word and fail the
login.
4) CAPS Lock key: If typing, make sure your CAPS Lock key
is "off"
5) Check your browser settings: Another tip, try adding
us to your Trusted Sites list. For IE users, this can be done by
clicking on the "Tools" pulldown, then "Internet
Options", then "Security" then "Trusted Sites".
Then just add our site. Many have reported this tip as helpful.
When logging in, if you get an "Unauthorized" page but
don't get the login popup box, then try increasing your browser
Security Settings (they may be too low). If you don't want to mess
with them, here's a way around that (for IE users): Select "Tools"
then "Internet Options" then the "Security"
tab. Click on "Internet" (a globe pic) and click the "Custom
Level" button. Then scroll aaaaaaall the way down to the last
one... to "User Authentication" and select "Prompt
for user name and password".
6) Protective Programs: If you are using a Firewall, Windows
XP Security Center or even certain Anti-Virus programs with access
protection settings too high, they might cause a disruption in viewing
websites. Check your settings to make sure you are allowing yourself
to access Simslice and pop-up login prompts.
7) More Help: If you know of additional helpful tips that
can be added here, or if you have any additional issues to report,
please contact us.

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How
do I cancel my subscription?
This applies to recurring subscriptions only. Log into your Paypal
account and click on the "History" tab. Please note that
if you have a lot of transactions in your account, or if your subscription
is older, you might have to search by the "Date" to find
your record. Find the row labled Simslice and click on the subscription
"Details" link to open your transaction record. If your
subscription is older, you might also have to click on the Subscription
ID # linked at the top of that page (the link starting with "In
reference to: S-" followed by various alphanumeric characters).
Then click the "Cancel Subscription" button at the bottom
of the page. You should receive an automated email confirmation notice.
Your subscription username and password should still remain valid
throughout the remainder of your billing cycle, after which time it
will automatically terminate and you will not be rebilled. Feel free
to contact
us if you are unable to do this yourself or if you have any questions.
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Why
is the look of some pages changed, and others not?
For personal reasons there have been many delays in improving some
of the cosmetic changes to this site. However they will be finished
hopefully soon. Functionally though, everything should work just as
well as before (or better) -- forums can be posted in, downloads can
be downloaded, etc. which is really the important thing.
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How
long have you been making stuff for the Sims?
We've been making content since the very beginning of The Sims (in
the year 2000), which was even before Simslice.com came online (in
2002). We host a bit of everything you need for your game: Objects,
Skins, Houses, Walls, Floors, Roofs, Programs, Patches, Contests,
Forums, Troubleshooting Support, and much more. But we differ in that
we strive to host only unique content that can't normally be found
elsewhere. We also have personal interaction with our visitors. And
we host content for both The Sims and The Sims 2 games... we are even
known to make "games within games" (e.g. see Slice
City).
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How
can I submit my objects, or clones of your objects that I made?
Click on the Submissions
link for all the details. We are basically cool folks and you will
always get all appropriate credit for your creations posted on this
site. And yes, you can even clone Simslice objects and submit them
here only -- we'll put them up with our others, so that downloaders
have more choices (e.g. maybe you prefer the Weather Machine in marble
instead of just black or white?). If someone makes it, and we like
it, we'll post it. If you are a website owner or object maker and
you want to collaborate on something, we would be very interested
in hearing from you.
IMPORTANT: For many reasons, we must insist that no one takes
items posted on Simslice (or clones of them) and posts them anywhere
else except here on the Simslice website. See our Terms
of Use for details. So if you are respectful and supportive of
our site as well as the Sim Community you choose to be a part of,
we thank you for abiding by our wishes on this one matter, and for
abiding by the legal copyright laws that protect us.
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How
do I download, unzip and install items in my game?
How to Install Our Files:
Like most Sim sites, creations here are "zipped up" (compressed
for space), and you can unzip them using many tools, such as the
free evaluation version at WinZip
(Note: WinZip is not needed for Windows XP or Vista users
-- they can just double click on the file to open (unzip) it). There
are other programs around that can unzip, such as Simzip for TS1,
but since some of these have been reported to corrupt certain game
files, to be safe we don't make any additional recommendations.
However feel free to use whatever you are comfortable with, just
backup your file first just in case.
To download our items, simply click on the download
link (for details about how to subscribe to Simslice, click
here). A window will pop up with a prompt. Click the "save"
button and choose a folder to save it to. It will then start
downloading to that folder. Once finished, go to the folder where
you downloaded the file, and double-click on it. This starts the
unzip process. Windows XP users usually can just move the files
to the proper location (XP can read zip files like regular directories).
WinZip users should follow the WinZip prompts to extract the file(s)
to the appropriate directory(ies). You can adjust these WinZip instructions
below for whatever tool you are using. The instructions below are
for WinZip users starting from the very beginning... if you've already
started the unzip process above, continue from step #5:
1) Make sure The Sims game is not running (if it is, quit the game).
It is best if you are using the latest version of WinZip.
2) Hit the "I agree" button, if prompted (after agreeing
to their notice of course ;) ).
3) Hit the "open" button. This opens the "Open Archive"
window.
4) Locate the .zip file you downloaded, highlight it, and hit the
"Open" button again.
5) The contents of the Zip file are now displayed. Highlight each
file and hit the "Extract" button (or if there is an "Extract
All" button, you can use that instead).
6) Select the proper folder (see "readme" file or instructions
below for details). Then hit the "Extract" button.
7) The files will now copy to that folder. Close the WinZip window.
You're all done!
8) Run the game, and the objects will be in the appropriate in-game
categories.
Brief instructions are included on each download's webpage, and
additional instructions are in each enclosed "readme"
file, so make sure you read them both in case there are special
instructions. But basically, here's where files need to be
installed:
Sims 2 content: Files ending in .Sims2Skin or .Sims2Pack
are installed just by double-clicking on the file and following
the prompts. Files ending in .package just need to be put
into your "C:/.../My Documents/EA Games/The Sims 2/Downloads"
folder. Now, this folder is not created when the game is installed,
but only when the .Sims2Skin or .Sims2Pack installer
is run for the first time. So if you are new to downloading and
you do not see this "../Downloads" folder in this exact
location, then simply create it and then put the .package
file in it. A few people prefer the "../Objects" folder
instead (in C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Sims 2\TSData\Res\Objects),
although "../Downloads" is usually the better choice (just
don't put the file in both - only one or the other). The next time
you run the game, your item will be there! If not, check to make
sure you have the "Catalogs Display Custom Content" setting
in the game set to "ON" (some expansions have additional
requirements too -- for more details, jump to our troubleshooting
FAQ).
The rest of the instructions apply to the original The Sims
game:
Objects: Objects should be extracted into the Sims/Downloads
directory, unless otherwise stated in the "readme" file.
If you are a frequent downloader of our site, we suggest going into
the Downloads folder and creating a new folder called Simslice,
and put all our objects in there (it's easier to track and organize
your downloads this way, but you don't have to do it). If they don't
show up in your game, or you get a crash, there could be many reasons,
so please click here to jump to that FAQ here that offers solutions.
Skins: All skin files go into the GameData/Skins directory
unless otherwise stated. Do not create subdirectories in the Skins
folder because the game won't read them for some reason.
Houses: If you have multiple neighborhoods, run the game
and pick the neighborhood you want the house to go in (if you haven't
done so already). Then quit the game, and find the Userdata folder
that corresponds with that neighborhood (i.e. Neighborhood 2 = Userdata2).
Those of you without multiple neighborhoods in your game just go
to the Userdata folder. In that folder, open the Houses folder,
and replace the House##.iff file with the downloaded House##.iff
file of the same name (FYI, ## is the "lot number" of
a house/lot). Every lot has a House##.iff file, even if it's an
empty (undeveloped) lot. So make sure there isn't already a house
in that lot when you replace it, or it will be lost. When you are
done, run the game and move in your family as usual. Follow this
same process when downloading Downtown lots, Vacation lots, Old
Town lots, etc.
Walls: All wall files go into the GameData/Walls folder.
All wall files end in .wll and you can create subdirectories in
here if you want.
Floors: All floor files go into the GameData/Floors folder.
All floor files end in .flr and you can create subdirectories in
here if you want.
Roofs: All roof files go into the GameData/Roofs folder.
All roof files should end in .bmp and you can create subdirectories
in here if you want.
Troubleshooting, if needed: See the FAQ below titled, "Game
is crashing, freezing or items aren't appearing in game. Why oh
why?"

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Game
is crashing, freezing or items aren't appearing in game. Why oh why?
First make sure you unzipped the download. Some "sim-specific"
zip programs out there (like Simzip) have been reported to sometimes
damage hacked objects, so we don't recommend using them -- WinZip
is however safe to use. Click
here to jump to our FAQ about unzipping/installing files. All
our objects are stress-tested and have clean coding, so they won't
cause crashes based on their programing. There could be many other
reasons this occurs though, so here are some tips:
1) Try deleting the file
from your folder and re-downloading it. It's likely that the file
got corrupted during the download process (it's not too common, but
it can happen). When this happens, it can either cause a crash, freeze
or just not show up in the Buy/Build Mode. When re-downloading, it's
best if you're not playing your favorite music, chatting with three
other people and having five other downloads coming in at the same
time. ;) But seriously, the less you have running when you download,
the better, although it's not a guaranteed prevention. Nothing is.
2) In the Sims 2, there is a new feature that
disables viewing of user-made content. This can cause anything you
download not to show in Buy Mode or Build Mode. To check if this is
a problem, run The Sims 2 game, then click on Options (F5) then click
on Game Options (the pic of the gears). Make sure the "Catalogs
Display Custom Content" setting is marked "ON". If
you have Nightlife or later expansions, click
here for more detailed instructions.
3) If you are using pirated software (warez), it has
been known to cause a variety of game problems. We recommend that
you only use legitimately purchased games.
4) Check to make sure you meet the requirements to use
the object you downloaded. All our objects have a Requirements
listing below their descriptions on each webpage. Typically users
that don't meet the stated requirements get a freeze or the object
disappears just after it is bought. Or sometimes it works anyway...
but usually not.
5) Scan your objects for duplicate Object IDs.
Each object in your game has a GUID that the game uses to distinguish
between objects. If two GUIDs in the same lot are identical, the system
sometimes gets baffled and takes a brief Sabbatical. None of our objects
have conflicting GUIDs, so you are safe to download here. However
if another website is using our "magic cookie", their objects
may cause problems when used with ours. Check our Links
page for websites with programs that can scan Object IDs.
6) If you download a lot of hacked objects from various
sites, make sure they are from reliable sources. All our stuff is
clean and won't cause problems interacting with other objects (or
our own), but poorly hacked objects can affect non-problem objects,
even Maxis objects, so know your source.
7) If you are using a Mac computer, most of our downloads
should still work, but as we run our games on Windows, we can't guarantee
that for all. However you can try "truncating" our file
names if they exceed 31 characters (the maximum limit for Mac filenames).
NEED MORE HELP? This FAQ lists the five most common issues.
For a lot more more tips and resolutions you
can do on your end to fix them, click here. After reading
both pages, feel free to contact
us if you still have specific questions or problems. Please include
all details about what you specifically tried.
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Why
can't I distribute or post Simslice creations on my website?
Most websites are opposed to people downloading their content and
posting them elsewhere, for a variety of reasons. For one, we sometimes
update objects and it's difficult to troubleshoot when there are
multiple versions existing. We have even sometimes pulled some of
our own content to update it. But mostly, it is a very disrespectful
and even illegal thing to do, and it really hurts the whole
Sim Community in the end. Please read our Terms
of Use section. Some of our objects took many months to make,
and it's very disappointing when someone posts one somewhere else
as their own. So we don't permit our creations to be cloned, distributed
(in any form) or posted elsewhere anymore, even if credit is given
to us. The only two exceptions are The Sims Resource and The Sims
Biker because they are respectful sites and we had previously allowed
them to do this before Simslice was created.
However if you wish to clone or recolor Simslice objects to submit
only to Simslice for posting, or if you are a website owner wanted
to collaborate, we would be very interested in hearing from you.

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Do
you test your objects so I know they're safe for my game?
Every object we ourselves make is stress-tested in the game
and they only get posted when they function as intended. I personally
run the game using a Windows-based U.S. version of The Sims
and The Sims 2 and most/all these objects should work for users
of alternate versions too (like Mac, or other countries), but I can't
directly test them for that of course. Feedback however has been very
good from these users though, and we do edit all language strings
in every current project we undertake (most sites still don't do that).
However everyone must try them at your own risk, in accordance with
our Terms
of Use. Objects made by other creators have been be tested by
them though, and feedback links are provided for you. Also, be on
the lookout because we are known for adding occasional (and unadvertised)
fun "surprises" in almost every object we make... just to
add a little extra spice for ya. :)
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I
want to request something. How can I do that?
Visit our the Requests
Page and the rest is easy. Normally we are very good at responding
to virtually all of our emails. But with requests, we can only promise
to read each and every one we receive, but we can't promise to answer
all requests.

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Where
can I find tools to make game content such as object, skins, etc.?
Check out our Links
page for websites that have popular and useful programs for creating
and editing Sims, objects, skins, etc.
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What
are your Terms of Use and Privacy Policy?
We fully support people's right to their privacy, and we do
not share any personal information about anyone with any outside parties
(frankly, it's none of their business). Same goes with emails -- for
example if you need to report something unlawful to us, you will always
be kept anonymous if we need to follow-up with any violators. Click
here to read more details about our Privacy
Policy and our Terms
of Use.
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Where
are your forums?
Right here. If you are a member,
you can access our new and improved forums (yes, no more EZBoard!)
by clicking on the "Sign Up" button at the top of our Homepage.
Members & non-members can still access our older, free forums
-- membership registration requirements are currently in place to
safeguard against spammers.
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Are
you guys on The Sims Online?
Yes, we're in Blazing Falls at Simslice's The Rubber Room. But we
are not there very much. If you want to access Simslice's Sims Online
Page for details, please
click here.
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What
is your e-Store and where is it?
Right
here. The e-Store is a place where you can purchase separate merchandise
items, such as a Rejuvenation Coffee Mug, real postcards from Slice
City, humorous Simslice T-Shirts, mousepads, and more.
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Do
you offer 24/7 customer support?
Only if we can stay liquored up long enough. :) But seriously,
We'll do our best to handle any problems you may have with your objects.
We are very good about that, just ask around. So before heading to
the Forums, try emailing us via our Contacts
page . We do read every help email, and try to answer them all.
We want this site to be a positive experience for everyone.

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What
else?
Please visit our "Resource
Rooms" (for TS1
and TS2
) in our Member Forums -- compiled by forum admin Blondie, they are
chocked full of useful information related to many aspects of The
Sims & The Sims 2 gameplay. Sybella's Resource Room, another well-stocked
knowledge base maintained by forum admin Sybella, is
in our older EZBoard
forums. If you are not a forum member, click
here to join. If you have a question that's not answered on our
FAQ page, the answer is probably in one a Resource Room. If not, feel
free to ask someone in the forums, or just contact us directly. Thank
you for reading our FAQ and we sincerely hope you enjoy your time
with us. :)
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