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Née whiterider
retired moderator
Original Poster
#1 Old 23rd Jul 2014 at 8:03 PM Last edited by Nysha : 24th Jul 2014 at 10:10 AM.
Default Sims 2 Ultimate Collection - Now Free!
Most of you have probably heard by now that EA have been offering a new Sims 2 Ultimate Collection for free via Origin, to anyone who has any Sims 2 game. The Ultimate Collection is a compilation of Collection Packs, meaning that it contains all of the Sims 2 EPs and SPs, and it was also promised to include exclusive content, although no-one seems to have found any exclusive content yet.

Well, from today until Thursday 31st July, EA are offering the Ultimate Collection for free, to absolutely anyone!

For instructions on how to get your free copy of Ultimate Collection, click here. You will have to install Origin to download and install Ultimate Collection, unfortunately.

If you want to keep playing using your disks, register for UC but don't download it.
Having both regular game and UC installed at the same time will break at least one of them, and uninstalling either will partially uninstall both. Once you've registered the code, that's all you need to do - UC will stay on your Origin account until you want to actually install it.

Got questions about Ultimate Collection? Here are a few of the FAQs...
  • Ultimate Collection is compatible with your existing neighbourhoods, as long as you never installed Store edition. If you did, I'm afraid UC won't open your neighbourhoods.
  • UC is a collection of collection packs, so all the EPs are patched.
  • UC doesn't work with AnyGameStarter.
  • UC is Windows 8 compatible (as far as we know).
  • UC is uses the AL or M&G versions of hacks.
For any other questions or thoughts, have a wander over to the UC discussion thread.

Happy simming!

What I lack in decorum, I make up for with an absence of tact.
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Mad Poster
#2 Old 23rd Jul 2014 at 8:35 PM
Ooooh! Interesting!

Does anyone know if it's possible to register it on origin but not download/install until a later date? I'd like to use this when I upgrade to windows 8 (which will be soon...ish as running XP right now) but not yet, because I have challenges running in an AGS game which I want to complete first.
just a girl
#3 Old 23rd Jul 2014 at 8:42 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Nysha
as long as you never installed Store edition. If you did, I'm afraid UC won't open your neighbourhoods.

Seems like people found a solution: http://www.simsnetwork.com/simpedia...mate-collection
I think I saw someone here on MTS confirmed this worked for them.
Constant Contestant
retired moderator
#4 Old 23rd Jul 2014 at 9:02 PM
I have got it and left it on my origin account, undownloaded. I just wanted it as a backup game in case my disks stop working!

Want a specific style of house or community building? Why not take a look at my profile and see what I build and then come ask me to make it!
Test Subject
#5 Old 23rd Jul 2014 at 9:13 PM
I was going to say you have no idea how glad I am I logged in today, but since we are all Sims people, I suppose you do!
Test Subject
#6 Old 23rd Jul 2014 at 9:55 PM
Thanks so much for the message! To be honest, I wouldn't think EA would send dozens of dollars worth of Sims for free considering all I hear is money, money, money from other people.

Also, Origin says this can take a few hours. This will be a long day.

Kayderenskee.
Test Subject
#7 Old 23rd Jul 2014 at 9:58 PM
i am losing my mind i saved like 200 dollars! i don't care how it takes i've been waiting for this for YEARS! :D
Test Subject
#8 Old 23rd Jul 2014 at 10:22 PM
Go Bless You
Field Researcher
#9 Old 23rd Jul 2014 at 10:42 PM
Quote: Originally posted by KDrwenski
Also, Origin says this can take a few hours. This will be a long day.


Ten minutes for me B-)

I know you don't care but I tell you anyway.
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#10 Old 23rd Jul 2014 at 10:47 PM
Quote: Originally posted by karen lorraine
I have got it and left it on my origin account, undownloaded. I just wanted it as a backup game in case my disks stop working!


Same here, I now have two nearly full physical sets as I recently bought a bundle off ebay for $100 just to have a spare of each disk (the bundle is only missing Holiday Stuff) and now a full digital copy sitting on my dash as well.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Test Subject
#11 Old 23rd Jul 2014 at 10:55 PM Last edited by KDrwenski : 24th Jul 2014 at 12:48 AM.
Quote: Originally posted by JackieSmith
Ten minutes for me B-)

I know you don't care but I tell you anyway.


Well, I do read everything, so I care about everything.

Also, I was just about to post the free pack on Reddit, but seems everyone posted it!

Kayderenskee.
Scholar
#12 Old 23rd Jul 2014 at 11:53 PM
I do not have The Sims 2 EPs and SPs installed in my third computer... Lucky me. x)

Sim Renders
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Test Subject
#13 Old 24th Jul 2014 at 12:01 AM
I'm having issues with CC loading in my game. I had uninstalled the disc games months ago, so I didn't have anything to back up. When I installed the ultimate collection, I downloaded the Clean Installer as well. I've been downloading sims on here, but they aren't showing up in my game! I have everything checked for CC to show up but it isn't. :/ Any ideas?
Lab Assistant
#14 Old 24th Jul 2014 at 1:43 AM
This is so perfect for me! I recently built a new computer and decided to forgo a disk drive in order to improve the airflow of my case. Obviously this meant I couldn't install TS2. For the last few weeks I've been wondering whether I should just bite the bullet and install a disk drive, just to be able to install my old Sims 2 disks... or go the "yarr" route (I already own them all, so it would have been ok, right? ).

Thankfully, I've been saved from doing either. I won't even have to dig up my dusty old TS2 copies for a redeem code now. Cheers EA!
Test Subject
#15 Old 24th Jul 2014 at 1:51 AM
Quote: Originally posted by paytonpls
I'm having issues with CC loading in my game. I had uninstalled the disc games months ago, so I didn't have anything to back up. When I installed the ultimate collection, I downloaded the Clean Installer as well. I've been downloading sims on here, but they aren't showing up in my game! I have everything checked for CC to show up but it isn't. :/ Any ideas?



Im having same issue sims/lots not showing up with Clean Installer but other cc has loaded Ive read thru all the usual fixes but nothing has worked!
Field Researcher
#16 Old 24th Jul 2014 at 1:56 AM
Quote: Originally posted by simsfreq
Ooooh! Interesting!

Does anyone know if it's possible to register it on origin but not download/install until a later date? I'd like to use this when I upgrade to windows 8 (which will be soon...ish as running XP right now) but not yet, because I have challenges running in an AGS game which I want to complete first.


Yes, you just need to reedeem your copy till June 31st, but you can download later. After you register will show a message saying that

I'm bad at finding CC on my own
My simblr
I'm shy and so I might take longer to reply you '-'
Test Subject
#17 Old 24th Jul 2014 at 2:03 AM Last edited by napoleon30 : 24th Jul 2014 at 9:47 PM.
If you have time to spare, patience in the use of said time, and some organizational & micromanagerial skill, there is a way to lift your neighborhood out of a disc-installed-Store-Edition purgatory and into the salvation of running the game on UC, sans a disc in the drive any more. Mootilda once posted in her journal here, about some work she tried once with converting a neighborhood from Store Edition to Mansion & Garden version.

It's here - http://www.modthesims.info/journal....howentry&e=6429
Remember patience, willingness to try and try again, and I'd say, have a backup of your backup. (Of course I'm paranoid. Everything's trying to crash my game. Oh, and the NSA spies on my Sims, but they spy on everyone, even the pixelated. )

In a nutshell, one would load UC, generate a blank neighborhood for a template to transfer the old neighborhood's content to; and also generate some unused subhoods to be used as templates for any downtown, university, vacation, or business/shopping subhoods that were pegged to the neighborhood.
Then as described by Mootilda, you can use SimPE to begin extracting the records of your old store ed. neighborhood, and then, after deleting some records of the UC template neighborhood, moving your extracted records into there, saving as you go along. I did this for my N001 prime neighborhood, and for certain subhoods which had lots in them that were occupied or owned by residents of my neighbhorhood.
The result- the templates were transformed into replicas of my Store Edition neighbhorhoods in all respects; all lots, sims, memories, relationships, objects, businesses, vacation homes, special greek houses at the university, and relevant text information is there. Everyone's simming away as usual and they don't realize the dimensional shift that's just occurred in their existences. Well... aside from the fact that they can now bake cookies for Santa, of course.

I would add to Mootilda's list of records to extract: any BNFO records, for hoods or subhoods that contain your sims businesses. Also, certain record classes can have a LOT of stuff if the neighborhood's had a lot of folks in it. I had 72,852 SREL (Sim Relations) records in there for my main hood. I set up 6 folders on my desktop to chuck 'em into and, extracting about 2000 - 3000 at a time, tried to stick about 15,000 or so in each folder til all was extracted. I once tried selecting all 72,852 at once and extracting, but errors kept popping up all over the place. It might not have matterred too much in the end- like if Goopy Blahblah's relation to Witch of the West got wiped out- but one never knows what could corrupt things.

I'd been locked to Store Edition EP99 for years and no matter what else I installed, I always was having to use that EP, which meant having the disc in at the start, since I'd installed Store Ed. from my Best Of Business collection disc. (I realized, too late, that I could try getting Store Edition online like many others did- through the store I guess- and replace the version I had, which always required a disc in the drive at launch. But alas, by the time I wanted to do that the Store was shut down and EA / Origin didn't seem to offer it.)

So I was looking forward to trying Mootilda's procedure even if UC hadn't come along; I was going to reinstall everything up to Mansion & Garden, but leave out Store Ed., and then try this out with my game. The arrival of UC just prompted me to try the procedure now. Thus far, it's worked out well!
Field Researcher
#18 Old 24th Jul 2014 at 2:05 AM
I'd just like to say that I'm very glad with that, since my laptop which barely runs Sims 3 won't run Sims 4, and 'cause TS2 runs well here with high graphic configs, and because weeks ago a cousin of mine gave me her Sims 2 base game and University, and I've finally "tasted" the wonders of Sims 2, and now I can have all the EPs
But then I remember my internet is a crap and this will take a loooong time to download :P

I'm bad at finding CC on my own
My simblr
I'm shy and so I might take longer to reply you '-'
Test Subject
#19 Old 24th Jul 2014 at 2:42 AM
Wonderful, I just bought 2 EPs off eBay a couple days ago :P
Lab Assistant
#20 Old 24th Jul 2014 at 3:07 AM
SO GLAD I logged in today. Thanks for this. I got my copy and is downloading now! *dances*
Instructor
#21 Old 24th Jul 2014 at 3:15 AM
Saw a post going around for it on Tumblr and I snagged it this morning. And now I don't have to bother registering my disc copies (or hauling them with me when I move, etc) Probably won't install it but keep it around for backup purposes. :P

This is making me wish they'd put TS1 on Origin too, oh well...

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my dreamwidth - ts2 downloads
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Test Subject
#22 Old 24th Jul 2014 at 4:56 AM
Awesome. ;w; Now I won't have to spend money on extra disks since I managed to somehow lose them.
Test Subject
#23 Old 24th Jul 2014 at 5:40 AM
I have Windows 8.1, and it doesn't seem to work. I have to run it on my boyfriends laptop with Windows 7. So I don't know if it's an issue with laptops, or just Windows 8.1.
Test Subject
#24 Old 24th Jul 2014 at 6:51 AM
Quote: Originally posted by simsfreq
Ooooh! Interesting!

Does anyone know if it's possible to register it on origin but not download/install until a later date? I'd like to use this when I upgrade to windows 8 (which will be soon...ish as running XP right now) but not yet, because I have challenges running in an AGS game which I want to complete first.


Yes, absolutely. It does not automatically download for you on Origin, but you can absolutely have it in your Games Library and not download it for a while. I'm doing that with several games in my Origin library.
Test Subject
#25 Old 24th Jul 2014 at 8:26 AM
Yeah, it's downloading now!! (It takes forever though, my internet is so slow ) I can't believe that they are giving the complete game out for free... with all the eps and sps. Three weeks ago I was thinking about buying some expansion packs that I are missing in my Sims 2 collection... and now I'm glad I haven't bought them then. I really have to thank EA for that. But who knows maybe they just want us to forget everything they did with the Sims 4...
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