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Soooo about Mods...
AmaraRena
Posts: 6,533 Member
Which are your favorites and why? I'll be delving into Mods for the first time soon here and this is what I'm looking for so if you can help me out.... that would be wonderful!
Game Stability
Mod to Remove ALL Sims from a World
Supernatural Hybrid Mod (I really want to have my vampires be able to ensorcel people like the Genie can!)
Is there a Mod that will allow you to sick your dogs on the Paparazzi and robbers? LOL I know, that's probably really reaching but I just thought I'd ask!
Is anyone familiar with the Monarchy Mod and how it works?
A Mod to get rid of cars?
A Mod for "cheating" to set Skills.
Any other Mods I should have?
And while not Mod related...does anyone know which fog emmitter code is used for when your Sim transforms into a vampire after being bitten? Since I'm clearly not getting my bats and belfry I'm thinking I might try to make my own!
Game Stability
Mod to Remove ALL Sims from a World
Supernatural Hybrid Mod (I really want to have my vampires be able to ensorcel people like the Genie can!)
Is there a Mod that will allow you to sick your dogs on the Paparazzi and robbers? LOL I know, that's probably really reaching but I just thought I'd ask!
Is anyone familiar with the Monarchy Mod and how it works?
A Mod to get rid of cars?
A Mod for "cheating" to set Skills.
Any other Mods I should have?
And while not Mod related...does anyone know which fog emmitter code is used for when your Sim transforms into a vampire after being bitten? Since I'm clearly not getting my bats and belfry I'm thinking I might try to make my own!
1
Comments
I have:
NRAAS Master Controller and Master Controller Cheats
NRAAS Cupcake Mod (allows you to keep bakery racks stocked and stocked with whatever food items you want)
NRAAS Overwatch to keep Sims running smoothly. This mod will also find and reroute stuck sims.
NRAAS Story Progression and Story Progression Extra. SP Extra puts map tags into your game.
I use Burn Waffles lighting mod for Midnight Hollow.
Head over to NRASS to get his work, Overwatch is crucial and I don't know how I lived without Master controller. (Allows you to safely remove sims from the world, but also the impregnate feature is brilliant. Allows you to set skill level, traits,etc)
Relativity is another I can't do without, allows adjustment of the in game clock so your sim can get more done.
I think a supernatural hybrid mod might be available at Mod the sims, saw it mentioned on their forum, if not still worth a look around their various mods.
Those are the only 2 sites I trust for modding.
I have a bunch of mods, mostly Nraas. (My favourites.)
Among them:
Hybrid;
Meant for the very purpose of what you said about supernatural offspring. I haven't tested it out much, because I don't overly-love raising babies in the game, but I know I got it for a Supernatural issue, & now I can't even remember what it was, so make of that what you will.
Master Controller;
Just what it sounds like. There'a a 'Total Annihialation' function for removing sims from a town. I haven't used it, (haven't had the urge
There's so much this thing does, I really don't even know. Some of my favourites are the CAS functions. For instance, you can set the values of the sliders to be more more extreme -to the point of ridiculousness-. I like this to make teens look more muscular, curvier, have fuller busts. Just more realistic to my experience.
This one also allows you to shift-click on a sim & eliminate them from existence. Very handy for paparazzi, repo people, social workers... 8)
Overwatch;
I downloaded this one to take care of the lag I was having in my game a couple of years ago. It was bad, with a capitol 'B'. My game was much, much, much lighter on content, (mods, CC, official EA content from the store, expansions & stuff packs), but the lag was at the point where I would click & wait between 10 & 20 seconds for the menu to pop up. After I installed this, it virtually disappeared, instantly, & went back to normal.
It cleans up so many things that happening in town, from keeping up with the dead, to resetting the living, & un-sticking sims that get glitched about town.
Those random cars that un-played sims leave about town, every sim-night get cleaned up by the mod. When I purchased Monte Vista, the nightly messages about car clean up-had stupid numbers in the hundreds every time.
You can find much more in-depth info on each one on his site, http://nraas.wikispaces.com/, all neatly arranged & technical.
I wish you the best of luck with whatever mods you decide on.
Welcome down the rabbit-hole. :twisted:
Some of my favorites:
Shimrod's terrain replacement for Midnight Hollow
Sydserious fountain fix - which fixes the broken fountains and hot tubs except the Asian hot tub. Kissing Toast made one for that hot tub and I have it as well.
Velocitygrass's mod to unlock Showtime Rewards without simporting. Because I love Showtime.
Bluegenjutsu's no coughing mod. I can't stand to see all my sims coughing their food up.
Burnt Waffles lighting mods.
NRaas Relativity - which allows you to control the flow of time in your game. No more two hour showers.
NRaas Tempest - control the weather. I can set the temperature minumums and maximums. No more freezing spring days. I can limit the number of rainy or snowy days.
NRaas Traffic - allows some control over traffic but it will not eliminate it.
Nraas Master Controller and Story Progression. These are more complex and I haven't learned to use all their features. But I can set sims skill levels and relationships. I believe you can get rid of paparazzi with one of these but I'm not entirely sure which one.
NRaas Overwatch - it will reset stuck sims, remove excess cars and keep your game from lagging so much
I have many other mods that I use. Mostly NRaas, Shimrod, icarusallsorts - I just downloaded one to change the nectar glasses into more suitable looking glasses - Nona's superhamper so I don't have to pick up piles of laundry. And one of my favorites is the No zombie mod. But I'm thinking that one would not interest you so much.
Good luck with your mods. I've not had any trouble with them and I hope you don't either. They have really made my game much more enjoyable.
edit to add: I didn't include Cinderelli's mods because you already know about those.
2nd edit: If you go to NaughtySimsAsylum they have a section where you can ask "Does a mod exist that will do this?" They will also take requests for tuning mods so it may be you can get a mod made for you. (Don't think they could make a dog chase the paparazzi. Brilliant idea though.
Some of the BIG mods like Master Controller have a LOT of functionality and do a lot of different things. For the biggies I'd say install them one at a time in a new 'test' save and play around with them until you feel used to them. Installing a lot of mods all at once can feel overwhelming.
I'll list some of my favourites and explain what I use them for.
Nraas:
* Master Controller
---> I use this for switching households without going to 'edit town'. I use the advanced CAS by choosing the 'stylist' option. It also allows you to edit things like skills and career, which is very useful, especially when the game decides to make ALL your sims into sim-fu masters. :roll:
I use the integration and cheat modules.
* Consigner
---> A simple one. This lets you sell many more things at the consignment store.
* Cupcake
---> This mod is used to auto-fill the bakery stands. You can select each rack individually and toggle the auto-fill on and off, so the stands don't fill in your owned bakery, for example. You can also decide which foods will auto-spawn.
* Decensor
---> I always feel like a rude-y when I admit I use this mod! :oops: It removes the censor blur. The blur really bothers me because it's just too big and you can't see some of the nice animations because of it.
* Error Trap
---> I love and hate this mod in equal measure! It kind of saves your game from potentially game-breaking bugs and glitches, which is awesome. BUT it can be a bit too giddy sometimes and can spam you with notifications which gets really annoying. It's a core mod so it actually alters the game files. If you install it I believe it's hard to uninstall without upsetting your save games so use with caution and maybe read up on it thoroughly first.
* Overwatch
---> To me this is sort of similar to error trap but I definitely recommend this one! It helps the game to run much more smoothly and prevents the build-up of things that cause lag, like the accumulation of cars. It usually runs at 3 am and you get a bit of lag while it does it's thing, so I usually save right after. I used to have a lot of save fails, but since installing overwatch I rarely get them.
* Relativity
---> I ADORE this mod! It's definitely a favourite! It lets you control the speed that time passes in the game. I set it to '25' which makes it run at just over half speed. It means I don't feel rushed to do things and I can actually enjoy my sim's day.
* Selector
---> I basically use this mod to switch to other sims by right-clicking on them. It means I don't have to go to 'edit town' to switch households. Let me give an example of when I would use this: If I was playing a household with a broken sink, I could call over my 'handy' sim (from another household), then right-click on him to select him and direct him to fix the sink, and then switch back to my original sim.
That's just one example but I use this CONSTANTLY for so many different reasons.
* Tempest
---> I only recently installed this but it cleans up the 'stuck' fallen leaves in the winter.
* Traveler
---> Allows you to choose any installed world when going on vacation. You can switch between worlds without losing relationships.
I use other mods from Nraas, but those are probably my favourites. I don't use story progression (because I don't use sp anyway) but I know that one is a very popular one!
Ani's Mods
I absolutely adore Ani! I love her style of gameplay, which is fairly similar to my own, she rotates through many households and has a self-sufficient community. I recommend her let's plays for really great ideas! She also often explains how her mods work.
* Shop for Clothing Pedestal Display Mod
---> This mod gives you much more control over the shopping mannequins from Into the Future. You can set the mannequins to specific ages/genders, and set multiple outfits. It lets you set the outfits without having to own the lot. Great for stylists!
* Savvier Seller Mod
---> This mod expands the amount of things you can sell with the MH savvy seller collection and gives you much greater control over which sim owns each rug/display/register. You can sell crafted items with this! This is an absolute favourite mod of mine! It has done so much to help me play my game in the way I want to play it.
I definitely recommend checking out more of her mods at MTS, I use quite a few of them.
* Tax Collector
---> This. mod. is. awesome! It lets you add/remove households from a tax list, and then you can actually tax your sims and have that money go to a community fund. I use it for all sorts of random things. When I play my politician, any money he makes from donations gets put into the community box at city hall. I plan to use this money to improve the church. I also have a 'bank' now from which my sims can get loans, I'm just in the middle of setting this up. I recommend watching this video to get an idea how it works.
Zerbu
* Ultimate Careers
---> This mod is amazing!!! One of my top top mods! It means that your sim no longer needs to go into a rabbithole to work. I build my own open workplaces and enable the career, and my sim will go to work on that lot and use appropriate objects that improve their career performance.
I modded the mod to make it so that my sim doesn't lose work performance when not using the career related items. So I have a lot of freedom to do profession-like jobs that I think are appropriate for that sim. One of my scientists is particularly interested in oceanography, so when I play her she might go off the lot to go to a dive spot and collect fish, taking them back to the science lab.
This mod has made the game what I want it to be! I made Crumpleton specifically with Zerbu's mod in mind.
There is a small learning curve so I recommend playing around with a test save first, until you get used to it.
There are quite a few other little mods I use, mostly from Mod the Sims, like the curfew remover. And of course, I have quite a collection of my own mods now!
Definitely these!! When it comes to must have mods, NRAAS are the ones you want!
Origin ID: Tiki5872
I use: Overwatch, Mastercontroller (those two are musts!)
Storyprogression, Decensor (I hate the mosaics), Woohooer, Sleepfreedom, Shooless, Career... and Vector! The more the merrier as Twallans mods are totally safe!
Mr. Hawk's World of Imelda mods unlock a bunch of hidden objects (things that should appear in buydebug but don't) and they also reorganize the buy catalogue. It makes misc decor much more manageable. It takes random store plants, wall hangings, etc., and moves them to plants and wall hangings where they belong.
Anti Magic Scroll;
To stop the skill books from disappearing every time a sim finishes reading them.
Decensor;
Because the mosaic was getting in my way, & it doesn't add anything positive to my game.
Go here;
Because sometimes I want to queue up a bunch of things for a sim & leave them to it, (especially in multi-sim households), starting with going to a very specific place & then doing those things. Without this mod, I would click that very specific place, then click for them to do those actions. The actions would always override the 'go here', & that was frustrating.
Home Opener;
Because I'm nosy,
Hybrid;
Still can't remember exactly why I chose to go for it, but I read the list of interactions, & was very interested in having well integrated SN babies.
Master Controller;
For countless reasons, some of which I listed in the other post.
Master Controller Expanded Tattoo;
For more options in tattoo placement.
Mover;
This one of my favourites, because it allows me to grow my households beyond 8 total sims, a limitation that's always gotten on my nerves. (When I do have sim families, I tend to like them big. I really don't know why, it's a nightmare.
I also like to story-build when I play games, & this mod allows me to tell stories of teens that don't have family to depend on & have to do everything for themslves, by eliminating the 'at least one adult in the household' limitation.
No CD;
This allows you to play your own, legally owned copy of the game, without endlessly tying up your disc drive. Because it is, after all, my computer, & sometimes I would like to have access to my own disc drive. :evil:
Once Read;
This prevents sims from autonomously reading the same sad old book for the rest of their lives. They should finish it & move on to the next.
I had no idea how much this botheres me until a particularly odd sim kept sneaking off to read his favourite children's book, for sim-years. :shock: )
Once Read Tablet;
Same thing as above, but for the store tablet comp.
Overwatch;
For keeping everything running smoothly, like I mentioned in the previous post. I can't believe how much this mod has helped my game.
Portrait Panel;
Because Mover allows more than 8 sims in a household, & the EA interface only allows for 8 of those sims to be shown in the side portrait panel, I need this mod to create more available slots in that panel. That way, if I have 8 sims, 11 sims, or more, (I can't remember the limit, I haven't reached it yet), they all have their own portrait, equipt with all the functions of the original EA ones.
Register;
This mod allows you control &/or remove different wild animals &,
Relativity;
Because I did get sick having an opportunity & being unable to accomplish it because of the astoundingly accelerated time code of TS3. It should not take my sim 3 hours to wake up, shower, & get out the door to work. :?
Story Progression;
This basically takes over for EA story progression. It can do all kinds of things. Update you on all of the goings on of every sim in town. <(Quick hint; Don't do it! :shock: ) Update you on the goings on of the sims you know. (Much more managable.
It'll help you decide & pre-program how sims can live their lives. How often they can date/marry, etc., or if they will. It's overwhelming to me really. I spent some time at the beginning setting it, & now I get to be forgetting it.
You can also adjust or eliminate the age based curfews in the game, but I haven't been able to get that done right just yet.
Story Progression Career;
Gives you more specific control over how your sims do school & jobs. Honestly, just can't remember anymore why I first chose it.
Story Progression Population;
To help my keep track of how the town is replenishing, & with whom.
I think this is he one that let's you control how many supernaturals you want in town. You can set a number, limiting or encouraging each supernatural type by percentage. Even if that percentage is 0.
(Nraas let you control supernaturals before EA did. 8) )
Traffic;
Because I wanted the food truck to appear in all of my towns, not just Bridgeport -which I never really play anyway-.
Traveler;
I mostly got this one because there is a limit built into the game to prevent your sim from traveling as often as you like. :hunf: Which, ofcourse, limited my story building options, & annoyed me to no end. My sims can now be jet-set if they so choose. 8)
;
I don't think I'm allowed to talk about the others in the forums, but you can figure it out. I have all of those except the hot air balloon one, because I don't have Aurora Skies or it's included balloon.
I probably need to add in some more. There's a 'cupcake mod' for use with the bakery lot, but I haven't been able to snag that lot yet, so I don't yet need it, but I plan to, & I will be trying it out.
You mean the Monarchy Career, I assume?
If so, you will need NRAAS career mod: http://nraas.wikispaces.com/Careers
and once you have that in your mods folder, add the monarchy career mod to your mods, go to your game and join the monarchy career at city hall, simple as that
It works just like any EA career, it's very well done.
Some custom careers comes without tones and opportunities, but this career has it all.
I haven't yet played it myself, but I have played other custom careers.
If you want to know about any issues, just go to the comment section of the mod.
Pretty much been covered but I'll chime in:
Stability: NRaas Overwatch; ErrorTrap also helps but be prepared for a lot of reports in your Sims 3 folder (near the caches).
Remove all Sims: NRaas Master Controller -- not sure if you need any of the optional modules for it (like Cheats or Progression) in addition. I think it's under the Advanced option in the menu
Supernatural Hybrids: NRaas Hybrid, naturally; not sure if it'll do exactly what you want but it's worth a shot.
Set skills: also in Master Controller.
If you like playing vampires but hate them burning up in the sun, you might want to look into TwoFtMama's Daywalkers mods at Sims Asylum (www.simsasylum.com) -- you'll need to register but they don't spam you. A lot of good tuning mods there, unlike NRaas which specializes in script mods.
And welcome to the Dark Side...we have cookies. :twisted:
Fun must be always -- Tomas Hertl (San Jose Sharks hockey player)
NRaas is the best place to start and they have all the info on what each and every mod does so it helps. Start slow and load them one at a time and play with them so you know what they can do. I am standing at 162 mods at the moment and love my game. The other guys gave you some of the best modders names so I wont repeat them. Also when you do add different mods from each place be sure to check them for conflicts as conflicting mods are a pain in the butt.
If you need any help let me know
Eveebella
Fun must be always -- Tomas Hertl (San Jose Sharks hockey player)
I sometimes use Saver (prompts you to save regularly) and one from Mod the Sims called MTS_Buzzler_1126004_Buzz_NectarCombinatorics. It gives you random fruit combinations when making nectar.
The #1 thing you need to know:
Really good and trusted modder's mods WILL CONFLICT with other really good and trusted modders's mods. I cannot emphasize this enough. MOD CONFLICTS HAPPEN! It is the nature of the way this game is modded.
Therefore, resolving conflicts is up to the person playing the game. That is you, and no one else can fix it for you. It is entirely YOUR responsibility. (I will talk about the "how-tos" of resolving mod conflicts in detail, later.)
The #2 thing you need to know:
A really good and trusted modder is NOT MORALLY REQUIRED to make sure their mods work well with another really good and trusted modder's mods. DO NOT ask one modder to "fix" their mod because it conflicts with another modder's mods. When you experience a conflict, you must choose between mods. Period. (So, when you see that a modder HAS put out a version of their mod that resolves a conflict, APPRECIATE that modder and thank them with all your heart -- they went way above and beyond the call of duty, and they are a star in the firmament.)
The #3 thing you need to know:
Not all mods are created the same way. A modder who is able to make amazing override mods is not expected to have mastered scripting mods or XML mods. People who have mastered all those are still not expected to know how to make core mods. Object mods are not the same as mods that change the game, itself. Mods that require changes in animations are more difficult than mods that do not need additional animations. In short, you CANNOT expect a really good and trusted modder to do something that they are not qualified to do, which is why many, many modders will not take requests. (I will be talking about the different types of mods in more detail, later.)
The #4 thing you need to know:
No two people play the game the same way. Asking others for their favorite mods, while very interesting and enlightening, IS NOT the way to choose mods for your own personal game. They don't play the way you play, so their experiences will only let you know more about the way they play their game. The ONLY real way to choose mods for your own game is to get out their and look at mods, to see for yourself. That being said, certain websites have mods generally used by people modding their game. Which particular modders on those websites you can personally trust with your game, the way you play, will be a matter of trial and error. Because only YOU play the way you do.
The #5 thing you need to know:
Mods need testing. (EDIT: Only test mods that are made for your patch level. Safe 1.63 mods MAY NOT WORK with patch level 1.67, so you must get updated mods and/or match your patch level with your mod level.) YOU must test mods. Did I mention that in your game, the way you play, every single mod you ever use will need to be individually tested? Did I emphasize enough that YOU have to test whatever mods you use? Individually testing a mod means you play in a test game with that mod, and ONLY that mod, for at least a sim week, to kick up any problems, and to figure out how the mod actually works, what it actually does, and whether or not that mod is a good fit for you. This will take time. It will be worth your while. Testing individual mods IS NOT optional. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
The #6 thing you need to know:
Core mods are dangerous. They change your game, at a deep level. They may affect the game in ways you cannot easily fix, if you need to ever remove the mod. Core mods that make the claim to not permanently change things and claim to be removable still DO change things at a level too deep for you to see the changes.
In my personal opinion, and from my personal experience, I advise you to plan on keeping a core mod in your game for whatever save you EVER used that core mod in. Truly. I know people will tell you they have gotten by with removing core mods. But ... that has NOT been my experience. I'll leave it at that. YMMV.
Choosing a core mod IS THE MOST IMPORTANT mod choice you will make, because core mods do not play well with each other. Generally speaking, you should choose ONLY ONE core modder, and then find other non-core mods to flesh out the changes you wish to make to your game, always ensuring that all other mods do not adversely affect the core mod.
Core mods are the most useful mods and give you the most control over how you play your game. You will likely want to use a core mod. Which means you will live dangerously, until the mod is thoroughly tested.
Core mods need to be tested for at least three sim weeks, because they do so much, and have the highest learning curve. You will not be able to make an informed choice about their safety and usage in your game if you do not take an adequate amount of time to test the mod. Test with a factory reset test game. DO NOT test a core mod with your real save.
Once a core mod is thoroughly tested in a test game, then test it with a COPY of your real save, for the same extended period of time. If you do not adequately test your core mod, you may be making a big mistake. You have been warned.
The #7 thing you need to know:
You will need to make some hard choices. Once you have individually tested all non-core mods, the next step is to individually test your chosen non-core mods along with your chosen core mod. Yes, that is twice the work. Yes, it is necessary to test twice. No, you cannot skip a step and simply test all your non-core mods with your chosen core mod.
Why? Because you need to make informed choices. You need to know, when it comes down to eliminating conflicts, which mods are REALLY the most important to you, and which you can and will (possibly regretfully) live without. Because, in this game, you CANNOT have it all.
I'm going to post this much, right now. I'll go into more detail, but it will take me some time to write it up, so stay tuned. (I'll also add this to my Know Your Game thread.)
About Mod Conflicts:
The first line of defense for mod conflicts is Sims3Dashboard. It is found at Mod The Sims. Google it. Get it. Put all your individually tested mods that you know you would like to use, along with your core mod, into your Mods folder. Then run Dashboard. It will highlight the all the conflicts for you, and tell you which particular mods are in conflict with each other. When mods conflict, you can only keep ONE of them. Other mods in conflict must be removed. Which mod or mods you remove is entirely up to you.
Make your hard choices. Do your weeping. Then get on with your simming life.
The above may be all most people need or care to know about conflicting mods. But just in case you are the curious type, I will say more about it. Essentially, modders are changing bits of code that modify the basic game. There are only so many bits of code. This means that modders who want to influence certain game aspects ALL have to modify the identical bits of code that relate to that particular game aspect.
Since the game can only use one bit of code at a time, if the game sees two modifications of the same identical bit of code, it creates an error. The game may sporadically choose first one and then the other modification for a bit of code, thereby doing something entirely unexpected and erratic. Or the game may disregard the bit of code, in a fit of indecision. Either way, you have instability and possible corruption. CONFLICTS ARE A BAD THING, and must be corrected.
A good modder will tell you what type of modification they have made to the code (XML, scripting, override, etc), and they should also tell you which bit or bits of code they have modified, if applicable. So, once you get to know a thing or two about mods, from personal experience, you will begin to recognize which mods are likely to conflict. (If a modder doesn't tell you what bit of code they changed or what kind of mod it is, don't be shy about asking. They have no reason to hold back that information, and it is something you do need to know, for responsible modding.)
Obviously, the more mods you have, the more likely it is you will have conflicts. Don't be a mod-aholic. Use only the mods that matter the most with how you play your game, and resist the temptation to throw in every mod that looks even mildly interesting.
What the Dashboard is doing, behind the scenes, is comparing the bits of code that have been changed/modified, and flagging mods that change or modify the identical bits of code. The program is a good one, and generally comprehensive. But it may not catch every little thing that could go wrong. So, if you notice instability in your game, you may have to troubleshoot until you find which mod or mods are causing the instability.
The best way to troubleshoot for mod instability is to take out half your mods, and test. If you come up with no problems, then try the other half of the mods. If you see a problem, again divide that half of the mods in half, and so on, until you locate the culprit.
Bear in mind that a problem may only show up with a few mods operating in tandem, so if both halves show no problem, then you have to divide all your mods in quarters and put the first and third quarter together, and then the second and fourth quarter together, and then the first and second, and then the third and fourth, and every variation possible, until you find the variation that kicks up the problem, so that you can isolate the real conflict or conflicts of a set group of mods that cause trouble when working in tandem (but are fine, otherwise).
Did I mention that working with mod conflicts is not for the faint of heart.
Throughout your entire experience with mods, you must keep in mind how useful they are, and how much of a difference they will make in your game. With that in mind, determine that you will make it work, one way or another. Keep a good attitude, and with some effort and head scratching, you will eventually cobble together your ideal game.
More to come, so stay tuned ....
XML/tuning mods:
The most common mod that most people will shop around for is the XML/tuning mod. It is the easiest mod to make, and so you will find multiple mods that do essentially the same thing, and change the same bit of XML/tuning code. The chances are good that one modder didn't copy the other modder. There are only a finite number of tweaks that can be done to a particular bit of code, after all.
That being said, you will want to carefully read the modder's explanation of what their particular mod does, because they may have combined two modifications into one mod.
Some websites, like TFM’s Naughty Sims Asylum do only XML/tuning mods. The modders on that website will try to assure that you know which of their mods will conflict with another modder's mods on that site. But since they are always creating mods, the final responsibility of preventing conflicts will still rest with you.
On other sites, like Simlogical, NRAAS, and Mod The Sims, you will have to either choose the proper category for XML/tuning mods, or read each part of their respective sites to determine which kind of mod it is.
The XML/tuning mods are patch level dependent, and should match your patch level unless the modder specifically says the mod does not need updating. Check both the place it was originally posted, and also any comments made after that for an indication of whether or not the mod is updated to your patch level. Some modders have a stickied post that shows what mods have or have not been fully updated to the latest patch.
If you want to try your hand at learning XML/tuning modding, check out the tutorials at Mod The Sims (NRAAS also has something about this, on their site). You will need to learn the basics about using the S3PE program, which can be found at Simlogical.
Override mods:
Some override mods replace an EA original with a changed version. They do not change the original. They just force the game to read the changed version first, so it gets used instead. The mod may replace lighting/water/terrain in a world. Or it may replace an object, giving you a version of that object with particular changes made (like enabling the object to be recolorable, for instance). A mod may replace a feature, like giving your faeries different shaped wings.
Other override mods change what shows up in CAS, or change whether an action is autonomous or not.
An override mod may even allow you to view startup screens from a previous EP of your choice, even though you have ITF installed.
Generally, you can only use one override mod of a particular type. You can only have one lighting mod at a time, for example.
Object mods:
Object mods are changes to a particular object that may give you a new object with added functions or a new object with some functions removed. The object mod may be written to give you the object in addition to the original EA object, or it may be written to override the original EA object.
One example of an object mod is a piece of art that only showed one version of picture within a certain frame. The object mod unlocks three versions of a picture to be shown in that same frame. Or the original EA version had a stencil, and the object mod gives you both the stencil and stencil free versions in the same object. Or, an original EA object may not allow for recoloring, but the object mod allows you to recolor one or more parts of the object. Or it may even be an object that looks like a hand-held harp, but works like a guitar in the game.
Generally, an object mod will not be patch level dependent. (On rare occasion, this is not true, however. Object mods had to be updated around the time Pets was released. You will need to check old object mods with TSR RigFix, to prevent "blue lot" corruption, which irrevocably destroys a save.)
Object mods that are not also an override will usually not conflict with each other. They are separate objects that will be added to your game. But you will probably want to choose the most useful one, so your game isn't cluttered with similar objects.
Non-core scripting mods:
These mods change or add scripts, rather than just tweaking a tiny bit of code. They require a more in-depth knowledge of coding, and are made by advanced modders. They may add animations, as well.
Scripting mods generally won't conflict with each other. But they will have to match your patch level, unless the modder says they need no change. Check both the initial place the mod was posted and also the comments section, where the modder may have said the mod needed no updating for a certain patch.
Core mods:
Core mods overwrite core code, which is serious code at a very deep level. They are made by very advanced modders, only. Assume core mods will conflict with other core mods unless you have been assured by the modder that their mods will not conflict with another core mod.
Twallen and Pescado are the two most well known and trusted core modders.
It should be noted here that Twallen abandoned his mod before the final two patches of the game. The last version of NRAAS that was written exclusively by Twalllen was made for patch level 1.63 and that patch doesn't have the changes in it required by the game once the servers go down. The last time I looked at NRAAS, they still had links to the last version of the mod that Twallen wrote, exclusively, which is compatible with patch level 1.63 only.
The current version of NRAAS mods has been rewritten to match patch level 1.67, which does contain changes required once the servers go down. Be aware, however, that the NRAAS mod has been changed by a group of talented modders, and is no longer Twallen's mod, in that sense. (Had Twallen been involved, he may or may not have approved those changes. But the group of modders have made every attempt to stay true to Twallen's original vision of his mod, according to their statements on the site.)
Pescado has not changed his awesome mod since May 8, 2014; however, he has yet to say that he has finalized the awesome mod, so you will still be required to download his mod, on a regular schedule, until the awesome mod is finalized. Pescado's mod requires patch 1.67 to run.
The NRAAS mod isn't just a single mod, like awesome mod. Instead, NRAAS is a suite of mods, made to work together.
Initially, the Twallen vision involved making a group of mods that individually modified the game (mixing and matching at will), without resorting to rewriting the core of the game. Eventually, he was forced to also make some core mods, in order to control the game and stop game errors.
NOTE: Twallen's core mods do conflict with some store PC, and indeed, Twallen was very open that he did not intend to support store PC. So choosing to use Twallen's core mods means being willing to give up whatever store PC items are in conflict. From what I have read about the post-Twallen core mods, this situation has not changed. Do not be surprised if/when you run into problems.
Twallen's original vision means that you will have to learn not just one mod, but many, many mods. Each one has a learning curve. Be prepared to spend a good deal of time acquainting yourself with the ins and outs of the various parts of the NRAAS suite. Read not only the description, but also the comments from other people. Invest your time wisely, and learn what you are getting before you plop it into your game.
Pescado's awesome mod has changed much since the base game. What all it can do now includes so much that he no longer attempts to describe it all on his site. Instead it is all explained in the Read Me document that comes with every version of his mod. READ IT!!
The only way you will learn about awesome mod is to read the Read Me document, because awesome mod works ENTIRELY in the background. You put it on your game, and forget it. In the background, it tirelessly works to fix game errors, optimize play, prevent common problems, remove irritations, etc.
Awesome mod allows for configuration by the player, giving you many choices about how you want your game to play. The first way it does this is with a configuration website page that lets you toggle certain items on or off. The configuration page link is right under the link to download awesome mod, on his site. Once you open the website page, it is titled, in typical Pescado fashion More Stupid Than You. Read every line and make your choices. Then agree to let the website keep track of your choices, because you need to update the configuration whenever you redownload the awesome mod. And then click the Generate button. The configuration will be saved to your desktop or OS download folder. It is the aweconf.pkg document, and does not need to be uncompressed. Do not try to open it. Put it in the same place you put the awesome mod.
The other way to configure the awesome mod is with the menu accessed through key commands within the game -- the same menu you use for testingcheatsenabled and moveobjects on. When that menu opens, type in the word help, and you will see a gazillion new options for game manipulation and modification. Well, not really that many, but there are a LOT of them. To really make the most of awesome mod, you will want to be aware of all the new commands he makes available.
One other thing you need to know: Pescado has his own version of the framework that is optimized for his mod. If you got your framework from another source, verify it is also optimized for the awesome mod.
The mod framework package below, that I use in my own game, has been optimized for the awesome mod, but can be used without it, as well. If you are in doubt, then download my version of the framework, to be sure.
http://www.mediafire.com/download/dtidsn2sa4sd10i/Mods.rar
You won't know what is out there until you look. I would encourage you to go to TFM’s Naughty Sims Asylum and locate the modders toward the bottom of the index page. Read about each mod in each modders section. You will be amazed, and see some mods to fix things you never knew needed fixing. You owe it to yourself to know what is available.
The other sites I mentioned are also worth a look. They all have so much to offer. This game can be played exactly how you want it to be played, with a little extra effort.
I would also suggest you thoroughly read about and test both the awesome mod and whatever interests you from the NRAAS suite. Only by testing will you understand what you are getting.
The choices you make now will affect your game's stability and playability for years to come. It is worth doing your homework now, to avoid problems later.
Also bear in mind that these modding sites may not be around, forever. Get those mods that interest you, now -- because otherwise, at some later date when you do have an interest in them, they may be gone.
In the game I play for my own personal enjoyment, I use mods to stop coughing while eating/grilling, stop the nose picking animation in toddlers, prevent fish from dying/being eaten, prevent minor pets from running away or dying, prevent death from jellybean bush, remove the stir crazy and saddlesore buffs, prevent fleas, prevent food spoilage on the counter and in the frig, prevent the horse twirling animation while saddling, various game fixes, no burglar, no meteors, no juiced buff romancing autonomously, various other no autonomous mods, ITF large flower unhider plus no autonomous dew throwing, cheaper lifetime rewards, showtime extras unhidden, tweaks to dragons, tweak to leaf raking, keeping the 🐸🐸🐸🐸 pics from changing at night, a softer light/less bloom lighting mod, Cinderelli's recent mods, a decensor, stencil unlocking mods, object mods for fixes and some objects mods that make things recolorable, and etc, etc, etc. Some mods I have recently found, and will be testing before I decide to add them. I am currently in the process of finalizing my mods, and want to be sure I don't miss any I need, for the future.
I use mods from all the websites I talked about, earlier.
I also have a totally and completely unmodded game I use for testing purposes.
another bookmarked thread for me
Exploring life through imagination & satire since 1969.
Save Game Often
repair & clear caches Often
S3 Studio
S3 blog Story, lists of empty lots by world
Behrooz
S2/3/4 Randomnes
I use multiple mods for most modders. NRaas are the ones I have the most of.
alverdine @ MTS
http://sims3.modthesims.info/member.php?u=6989003
Ani @ MTS
http://sims3.modthesims.info/member.php?u=3002461
bluegenjutsu @ TFM's Naughty Sims Asylum
http://simsasylum.com/tfm/
Buzzler @ MTS
http://sims3.modthesims.info/member.php?u=432522
icarus_allsorts @ MTS
http://sims3.modthesims.info/member.php?u=7081784
Inge Jones @ Simlogical and the Dead End Nights
http://www.den.simlogical.com/denforum/index.php?board=15.0
Jynx - Rabbit Hole Rugs and Doors are now being hosted on Misty's site
http://simsl3gacies.com/blog/2014/06/15/jynx-rabbit-hole-rugs-for-base-game-and-late-night/
Misty
http://simsl3gacies.com/blog/category/sims-3/
Margaret Pendragon @ MTS
http://sims3.modthesims.info/member.php?u=3789023
NonaMena @ MTS
http://sims3.modthesims.info/member.php?u=4938621
Nona's Sims @ wordpress
http://nonasims.wordpress.com/
Nona's Wiki
http://nonasims.wikispaces.com/
Nona's Nook @ Simlogical and the Dead End Nights
http://www.den.simlogical.com/denforum/index.php?board=54.0
NRaas Wiki
http://nraas.wikispaces.com/
sydserious @ Simlogical and the Dead End Nights
http://www.den.simlogical.com/denforum/index.php?topic=3026.0
Twoftmama @ TFM's Naughty Sims Asylum
http://simsasylum.com/tfm/
Shimrod @ MTS
http://sims3.modthesims.info/member.php?u=3066089
Shimrod @ TFM's Naughty Sims Asylum
TS3 and TSM
http://simsasylum.com/tfm/index.php?/forum/221-shimrods-mods/
velocitygrass @ MTS
http://sims3.modthesims.info/member.php?u=3045250
It took me a while after starting to play Sims 3 before I started using mods. Now I refuse to play without many of them. Depending on game-play, I'll remove a mod or mods from my folder and tuck it away in a folder on my other drive. I don't use all of them in every game.
You can easily add and remove mods, but you should always remember to clear your scriptCache.package file before/after adding and removing. It's good to save links to the mods you use to make sure that the ones you are using are up to date. Sometimes the creator will tweak a mod to improve it in addition to updating for new a new patch (if needed).
Edit to add: You do not have to be signed in at Simlogical and the Dead End Nights to access the pages.