Sims 2 Tutorial: Adding second versions of Neighbourhoods

Want to restart a neighbourhood but can't bear to lose your old one?! Usually in the Sims 2 you can only have 1 copy of a neighbourhood, BUT in this post I'll be explaining how to set up a second version of a Neighbourhood and using Pleasantview as an example. With this method, you will create a fresh new Pleasantview with the correct neighbourhood story, thumbnails and with the scripted events working.

!!!As always back up your stuff before starting and processed at your own risk!!!

Download a copy Neighbourhood

• Find and download a copy of the Neighbourhood you want to a second version of. I recommend you find "cleaned" versions where errors and fixes have been applied. Here are some, but you can always look for others. You want to pick the "Main Hood" option and can choose if you want it with or without townies. In this example we'll be using "Pleasantview - Main Hood With Townies".
  

  • Pleasantview

  • Strangetown

  • Veronaville
    

• Pleasantview is Neighbourhood 1 and has the code N001, Strangetown is N002 and Veronaville is N003. You may have custom hoods with a similar numbering system. We will be referring to Pleasantview (N001) in this tutorial.
  

• Unzip the downloaded file, open the folder and drag out the N001 folder onto your desktop, temporarily rename the folder from N001 to N001Clean.
  

• Go to this folder Documents>EA Games>The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection > Neighborhoods. Drag the N001 folder found here (i.e. your original Pleasantview) onto your desktop. Don't worry we will be putting it back later!
  

• Drag the N001Clean folder into the Documents>EA Games>The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection > Neighborhoods and rename it N001.
  

Renaming the Original Hood Files

• N001 on the desktop is your old Pleasantview, we will rename this and all the files within and put it back in your neighbourhoods folder so you still have it but your new version of Pleasantview is playable with the neighbourhood story, thumbnail and scripted events in tact. *Important - there are tutorials out there that do this the opposite way around and rename the NEW Pleasantview, you will still get two Pleasantviews but your new one might not have the thumbnail, neighbourhood story and scripted events. This method fixes that by renaming your OLD Pleasantview.*
  

• Download the Advanced Renamer app, install and run the programme. It will look like this when you open it:
  

• Click "add method" toward the top left and choose "replace".
  

• In the "texted to be replaced box" write N001
  

• In the "replaced with" box write N00 and then add a number such as 5, 6, 7, 8 etc. It doesn't matter which aslong as the number doesn't match any numbers of neighbourhood in your neighbourhoods folder. In this example we'll use N008.
  

• Make sure you write it exactly, no spaces and N is capitalised.

• Under the "Rename Files" tab, click "Add" and then choose "Directories"
  

• Locate the N001 folder on your desktop. Mine is found in OS(C:) > Users > Cat > Desktop > N001 but your's might be different.

• Click "Start Batch" - this will rename all the files in the N001 folder to N008 (or whatever number you chose). There are a lot of them which is why we use this renamer tool, you could do it by hand but it would take a long time!
  

• Drag the newly named N008 folder from your desktop to Documents>EA Games>The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection > Neighborhoods.
  

Editing your old Pleasantview's Neighbourhood code in SimPE

• Download SimPE if you don't already have it, install and open it.
  

• Under the "Tools" tab at the top, click "Neighbourhoods" and then "Neighbourhood Browser".
  

• Find your old Pleasantview file, select it and open. The neighbourhoods are in order so the old one will be after the new one in the list.
  

• In the "Resource Tree" section click "ID Number", then under "Resource List" click "ID Number".
  

• Make sure you are in "Plugin View" on the row of options at the bottom of the page.
  

• In the "(parent) Name:" box change the number from N001 to N008, click "Commit" in the bottom right hand corner of the app and then click the save button in the top left corner of the app.
  

• Close SimPE, start your game and you should see two Pleasantview's, the first one is the new one and you can add 2.0 or clean to the name if you wish. The last one to be shown when you scroll through is your old Pleasantview.

AND WE'RE DONE!!!!