How to Find Custom Content (Downloads) for Sims 2

There is hope for your sims yet. Welcome to the fascinating world of user-created content for your sims. Break out of your saltbox colonial doldrums with the thousands of objects, clothes, and much more that you can easily put into your game. Unlike The Sims, Sims 2 makes it even easier to put custom content in your game because everything goes into one folder.

Getting Started

There are many downloads available for Sims 2 and countless websites that put out content for your game. There are 3 different types of sites that host Sims 2 content, and those will be explored here.

Free Sites

Free sites are just that. They offer exclusively free content for your game.

Donation Sites

Donation sites have a lot of free content, but their largest files or best sets can be downloaded by donating to their website. This helps to offset bandwidth costs from other people downloading.

Pay Sites/Subscription Sites

Some sites are set up as subscription sites. I tend to call them pay sites because you have to pay to download most of their content. Sometimes they will have some free files (or freebies) available, but for the most part, in order to download, you have to be a paying member. Because you are paying for access to their content, these sites usually have the best designers, the most customer support, and their content is typically updated and kept compatible with the new expansions.

Sims Showcase

Sims Showcase is where I go to see the latest content available for my sims. Many websites are affiliated with Sims Showcase and submit pictures of their latest objects, skins, and sets. Sims Showcase will show you the picture, give you the link, and tell you what kind of site you'll be going to to get the content.

Here are the types of files you will be looking at:

Genetics: Eyes, hair, make up, etc. for your sims.

Clothing: clothes for your sims

Objects: furniture for your sims

Walls and Floors: walls and floors for your sim houses

Build objects: Doors, windows, staircases and more.

Houses: user-created houses for your sims. Some come blank or with Maxis only content. Some have custom content either with the house, or that you have to download separately so that it will show up in your game.

Recolors vs. new objects.

Some objects are called recolors. Recolors take an existing mesh and put a new skin on it...changing how it looks. The object works exactly the same as other objects that use that mesh...it just looks different.

Pay special attention to see whether the recolor is of a Maxis object (meaning that you already have that object in the game) or whether it is a recolor of custom content. If it is a recolor of custom content, the designer has an obligation to tell you where to get the original file so that their recolor will show up in your game.

New objects require meshes, and they can often be downloaded with the object. Sometimes, to conserve bandwidth, the meshes are available separately. This is particularly common with clothing. Two outfits can look completely different, but as long as the mesh is the same, the outfits will show up in your game as long as you have the mesh associated with those files.

What is a mesh?

A mesh is the framework that the game requires in order to show the object in the game. A mesh is separate from recolors, though sometimes they are packaged together. Typically the mesh will have one color so that it will show up in your game, and then there are several (or even many) recolors for that mesh.

Meshes can make skirts longer or wider, they can give your sims heels for their shoes, and more. They are also used in objects to make completely new ones. Mesh designers work with an existing mesh, transforming it so that it will hold a new skin or shell. Mesh designers are typically limited in what they can change a mesh into. Because they start out with an existing mesh that does a certain thing (like a sculpture, which is decorative), they can transform the object into something else entirely by look, but it will still be a decorative object. It's rather technical, but it has to do with how the game reads files. Mesh makers tend to work with existing meshes because the game is programmed to read them.

Meshes can greatly enhance your Sims experience because there is little limit to what one can do with meshes, but the mesh still does the thing it was originally intended to do. You can make a dishwasher look like a gazebo, but it still washes dishes. That's why it is important to have a good mesh maker.

What are poly counts?

When you get into downloading meshes, you'll see something called poly counts. Again, it's technical, but as a general rule the lower the poly count, the better the mesh is. When objects have a low poly count, the game can read and render them faster to keep your game from slowing down.

What are Collections Files?

Collections files are sometimes hosted by set creators so that you can easily find the objects that they've made to go with that set. Collections files don't go in the Downloads folder. Instead they go in the Collections folder. In order to access them, you click "Collections" when you're furnishing your house and scroll until you find the collection that you are looking for.

Downloading Responsibly

I recommend downloading from a reputable website with good customer support and accountable object makers. That way, if you have an issue with the object you've downloaded, you can notify the creator and they can remove it or fix it so that you can get a better copy. The Sims creators community is full of people who really want to enhance the sims experience for themselves and others and they usually really like to see your input, whether you have a problem or not. Let them know that you appreciate them.

Please keep track of your downloads. If your game starts crashing after you've put something into it, that object may be incompatible. Sometimes your game won't crash, but the object won't show up right or it will cause your game to freeze. If this happens, you can remove the object and see if it resolves the problem. If the object is faulty, please contact the creator to let them know.

To prevent objects from causing problems with your game or not showing up, please make sure that the object that you are downloading is compatible with the version of Sims 2 that you are running. Some objects aren't updated when expansions come out. This is most common on sites that don't get a lot of traffic. Some objects won't show up in your game because you do not have the expansions required for the mesh to show up. Make sure that the object you want to download is compatible with the version of Sims that you are running.

Where are some good places to get downloads?

I tend to really like pay sites, but most people who are just getting into downloading will want to skip those or just browse their free objects. Here is a list of pay sites that I use that have free content available so that you can see what they offer and how good it is.

Http://www.welldressedsim.com Well Dressed Sim (smaller files tend to be free, needs more designers)
http://www.thesimsresource.com The Sims Resource (typically about 3% free, free objects are on rotation so you never know what's available) Many designers.
http://www.parsimonious.org Parsimonious. 100% free.
Http://www.simplan-x.com SimPlan X. Some free objects, some pay objects.
Http://www.simsconnection.com Sims Connection. Pay site with free objects.
Http://www.simfreaks2.com Sim Freaks 2 Pay Site
http://www.modthesims2.com Mod the Sims 2. Many designers in a highly interactive community.
Http://www.simssecrets.biz Sims Secrets. Pay site with free items.
Http://www.simchic.com Sim Chic. Pay site with free items.

There are many more sites out there, but that should get you started. Remember, there is always Sims Showcase to keep you up-to-date on the latest downloads available. Sims Showcase is here: http://simsshowcase.planetthesims.gamespy.com/

No matter what style you're looking for for your sims, someone, somewhere, probably has what you need. Good luck, and happy simming!