Please add me to your list. I only use store content. I just can't simport as yet, because I live in S Africa and Showtime will only be released tomorrow here. So perhaps over the weekend.
If you don't consider Exchange downloads as CC then you may find that you are not CC free (that is free of CC from 3rd parties). I have often found lots that promise no CC to have it - since some CC is marked wrongly as store items (have a shopping bag and not the CC red *). It is very possible that Showtime has nothing to do with you having picked up CC in your game, but in paying closer attention to things you have while looking for Showtime items you have finally noticed items that have come to you via the Exchange.
This is not to say that people who list lots and say no CC are lying to you - as often they think they are using a store item because of the marking it carries and that there game is free of CC.
You cannot even trust an unfurnished lot with a house be CC free as windows, doors, wall coverings, etc are very often from 3rd parties. And this holds true of even just plain patterns - as they are not always accurately marked in game as CC so are used as original game patterns - and can be part of clothing, objects, etc.
The only way to make sure you produce CC free games is to have a duplicate of your game installed and never allow anything other then store items near it (although store items really fall into the CC category but that's another discussion). Even adding store items can actually hide third party CC in you game because much of it ends up marked as tore items and you would have to check each item you use marked with a store shopping bag to make sure it really is something you purchased from the store against your purchase history - otherwise you could be passing on third party CC and using it.
You can want to be, pledge to be and need to be CC free but very few of you are. And, unfortunately removing your exchange downloads from the launcher does not remove the installed content and sometimes its not even removed when you uninstall from installed content, and often CC installed with other objects, items, lots etc won't show up as separate items in uninstall, although the handling of installed content via the launcher is improving with each new release it seems.
The only sure way to know you are CC is to have a clean install of your game, EPs and SPs and never click a simpack or download anything to your launcher except store items. Once you download from the Exchange you expose your game to third party CC, even accidentally and through others honest mistakes, and can't claim that you upload CC free items to the Exchange, although you may really, truly believe that the upload is CC free.
I have actually installed TS3 and all the EPs and SPs on a computer that never has run TS3 before, just recently and then installed 10 lots and 20 objects from the Exchange. I did not install any store items so I could find CC that was incorrectly marked as store items. After the Exchanged downloads were installed I had 73 pieced of third part CC installed - 62 of which had store shopping bags and not the * that designates third party CC. Since I had not installed anything I owned from the store I knew that these items were CC and did locate them on the sites they came from. This is not the fault of the Exchange or EA but it is confusing and means you cannot visually spot any third party CC easily. Sadly TS3 does not make it so you can delete objects and items from in the game as TS2 allowed so you have to go on a very big hunt for this installed CC masquerading as store items, as well as those things marked as third party CC.
I really don't think that anyone should claim that anything they upload is CC free unless they have never installed anything but TS3, the SPs and EPs and store items since once you touch the exchange you can have third party stuff and mistakenly and unsuspectingly use it.
This is often why some people have problems with new releases and don't try the steps people suggest to make sure they are CC free when installing or won't go back and do clean installs saying that they never have installed CC. The never have but they still do have CC and if it is used in the game and is not compatible with a new release then the new installation breaks. They then keep going round and round looking for an answer even when the symptoms are telling others that CC is the issue because they really think that they have never exposed their game to CC.
I am not trying to start a war with the Exchanges (its not the Exchanges fault) or with people who claim their uploads are CC free - they honestly believe that - but just trying to warn people that honest mistakes like this are made everyday and so 'CC free' is a very hard claim to make.
Thanks so much for this really informative post! I am one of those people who will not touch anything except the Store. I don't download from the exchange because of the problems with CC. Thank you for reminding others that the Exchange is not safe if you truly intend to keep your game CC free.
I'm looking forward to the game update to correct the Simport CC issue, but I don't think I'm going to trust EA to get it right even then. I will only host sims that are CC free, and only after backing up all my content beforehand!
Does build/buy cc count?,i know it is a silly question but i really don't know, i don't use cc on my sims but i use some when i build homes,does that count me in or out? if so please add me to the list. it would help if the cc free simmers add a note on their blog, just so when a friend request is receive i know which new friends i will simporting back and forward. just a suggestion.
Please add me to the list. I'm CC free, and would like to stay that way. I'll be getting Showtime as soon as the post office sees fit to deliver it (next time I won't pre-order, or I'll do it digitally). I have store items, stuff pack items, and items that I've recolored, but I don't use Create-A-Pattern, and I don't download from users that I don't know are specifically CC free.
I'm not going to lie I have some CC/Mods in my game BUT what if you take all CC off your sim? how / will any cc go to the other persons computer? I thought if you took it off it would be okay?
Comments
I wonder what they are going to do about it if anything
Forgot to say i reinstalled my games due to bad CC. I wont download them again!>
Updated.
Thank you
Thanks so much for this really informative post! I am one of those people who will not touch anything except the Store. I don't download from the exchange because of the problems with CC. Thank you for reminding others that the Exchange is not safe if you truly intend to keep your game CC free.
I'm looking forward to the game update to correct the Simport CC issue, but I don't think I'm going to trust EA to get it right even then. I will only host sims that are CC free, and only after backing up all my content beforehand!
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Thanks for doing this list, Lissy!
@Cmshtr - Yay! Another team mate.
@venuscastro - You should be fine to be added to this list. This is only CC free sims, your CC for builds won't transfer. Shall I add your name?
@KamakaLo - If you remove all the CC before Simporting it should be fine. Let me know if you'd like to be listed.
Updated.