In the mind of the Simmaster, earlier today...
I wish I could figure this out. Why won't it load? Okay, next attempt. Dorispepsi recolors deleted, defrag completed, net unplugged so that vicious little spybot can't do anything... what else can I do? Maybe if I jettison my custom neighborhoods, it might help... (
drags custom neighborhood files to desktop) ...Foster's Valley, Downshire, Aridia, Crescent Bay, Autumn Coast, all removed to desktop. Eh, I'll leave Aridia in, there's only a few Sims there and they've never been played; if the game loads I might be able to package them and get 'em out of there, maybe resettle them on my old system. Okay, in goes the disk, now we wait. And wait. And wait. Up to two loading bars now. That's as far as it ever gets before it stalls. Time to go make a sandwich... (
departs room; prepares and eats a turkey on whole wheat sandwich; returns) ...Let's see - hello! Five loading bars! C'mon, just one to go... there it is! Now, do I see - yes, there it is, the "Custom Content Enabled" screen. Click, it goes away, and well look at that. The "Neighborhood Browser" window. There they are; Riverblossom Hills, Pleasantview, Strangetown, Veronaville, and Aridia. Now, can I actually
enter any of them? Guess I'll start with Aridia. Or should I try one of the others? Maybe Pleasantview? (mind starts to race.) Sarah's in Pleasantview. (heart starts to race.)
I could get Sarah out. "OH MY STARS I COULD GET SARAH OUT!
HANG ON HONEY, I'M COMING!!!" (clicks Pleasantview) I don't believe I just yelled that. Idiots upstairs must think I'm crazy. I don't care, they're a bunch of as- why is this taking so long!?!? Load, dammit, load! (fidgets). C'mon, lo- there it is! I can see Pleasantview! The Tomlinsons, the Hamlins, The Chamberlyns, Wayne Goulet, Bianca Modron, - there. Sarah Sussman. (clicks to activate the packaging program). Oh, please, this has to work, it's got to work... it's taking so long. She was my first Sim, her file must be huge by now. This has got to work. How can a single woman living in a small house take so long to package? Please, this has to work. If I can only save one, please, let me save Sarah. Please.
She was my first...
The scream of pure joy was heard throughout the Simmaster's building. Sarah's file, all 150+ megabytes, had been packaged and saved.
Over the next two and a half hours, all the Sims in five neighborhoods were packaged and moved to the safety of the F: drive. Whether or not their neighborhoods, or the remaining four neighborhoods and their inhabitants, can also be saved remains an unanswered question. But for at least some, there will be another chance. 