MTS2 has been around for several years now, and over that time, we've changed a lot! The site has undergone constant improvement, and you may have missed some of the features that we've added. I've actually been pretty surprised myself going over all of the changes over the years, and every time I added something to this list, I seemed to find three more things I'd forgotten about... I'll bet many of these features, most people aren't aware of!

We'd like to invite established MTS2 creators, first-time beginner creators, tutorial writers, downloaders, and anyone looking for a new home for themselves and their creations to take a look at the cool features we have to make MTS2 more user-friendly and fun for everyone!


For Creators:

Create and share custom content you've made? We love creators, and have done a lot to make MTS2 better for them!

Profile Customization:

Creators are creative people, and we know how fun it is to really make your profile feel like your own. Thus, we've set up a number of cool features to allow you to customize your profile.

• Custom Profile Title: You can customize the text which appears at the top of your profile by customizing the profile title. For example, if you go to Numenor's profile, his says "Numenor's Moddings".
  
• Preset Themes: With your first upload, you're able to override the normal profile colours and choose a different one from a number of preset themes. For example, check out the Hello Kitty theme, used by daysies on her profile
  
• Custom Colours: After 10 uploads, you can use custom hex colours to set your profile colours however you like, and change it whenever you feel like a new look. For example, here's pixelhate's profile which is in a custom yellow and black theme.
  
• Personal Picks: If you're a featured creator and you have uploads you're particularly proud of, you can highlight them on your profile page. Go to the upload itself, click the Edit button, and tick the box to make it a personal pick. You'll then see it showing up toward the top of your profile. You can have up to three picks at a time. You can see this in action on Echo's profile, where her three picks are Sim Sourcery, Carnival Set, and Easter Bunny.
  
• Profile Banner: Featured creators, MooMoo, Mocca, and Latte award winners can set a banner which shows at the top of their profile, and at the top of all of their uploads. A lovely example is JohnBrehaut1's profile with a lovely moon banner, as well as a matching custom colour scheme.

For more information on setting up these features on your own creator profile, see: Creator Profile FAQ.

Policies on Your Profile:

Want people to know easily what they can and can't do with your uploads? No need to post the same policies on every single upload thread or in your signature - you can put policies box on your profile so everyone can see at a glance exactly what you allow with your creations.

There are 2 ways to do this. The first is with the standardised Creator Policy page located here, which will appear in a box labelled Policies on your profile.

The second way is to write out all policies manually - this is obviously more time consuming but you can specifically word it how you like. Check out how Lethe_s has her policies done at the top of her profile.

Automatic Subdomain:

Want to link people to your creations? It's easy, with the automatic subdomain feature.

How easy? Just tell someone to go to http://yourname.modthesims2.com (no www). For example, to get to Enayla's profile, you just go to http://Enayla.modthesims2.com - every creator automatically gets a subdomain! It's as easy to access as if you had your own website.

(If you have weird characters or spaces in your name, there may be a little hiccup with how the subdomain feature works. Private message an administrator - me or Delphy - if you run into issues with it and we can fix that for you.)

Coloured Name:

If you have any uploads at all here on MTS2, you automatically get an orange name, and a little paint palette icon under your name, showing everyone at a glance that you're a creator. You can see an example on Helaene's profile.

Visibility:

MTS2 is the most popular fansite around, getting many more unique visitors and pageviews per day than any other fansite - and those stats are still on the rise despite Sims 2 being several years old!

If you want your creations to be seen by tons of people from all over the world, this is the place to do it!

Features and Picks:

We've got two different ways to highlight special uploads here at MTS2:

• Features: Featured items are those that meet top quality standards and stand out from the rest. All featured items are tested in-game by MTS2 staff, and are recognized by our staff as being the best of the best. Featured uploads get a trophy icon on the upload indicating that it's featured and show up at the top of the Downloads section. The creator of a featured item gets a trophy under their name, as well as perks like being able to set a profile banner. For more information on how particular uploads get featured, see: MTS2 Creator Guidelines: Featured Content Criteria.
  
• Picks (Stars): While not subject to the rigorous nomination and testing process that featured items are, picks allow uploads to be highlighted when they are popular among the community, showing up as a gold star on the upload. Using a super-secret algorithm to determine popularity, uploads may receive a picked status very soon after uploading, or long after. Picked items are still eligible for featuring.

Journal:

After you've uploaded at least one item, you can create your own journal which shows up on your profile. There, you can post upcoming works in progress, thoughts about your creations, or just what you had for lunch that day.

Guestbook:

If you've ever wanted a guestbook, we've made it easy by offering a guestbook to all creators. Just create a journal entry and tick the box to make it your guestbook. Then people can post comments to your profile just like a regular guestbook.

You can see an example of a guestbook in action on Delphy's Profile (scroll down).

Thanks vs. Feedback:

Most creators love the "Thanks, this is great!" type comments, but it can get in the way of seeing other comments that may be reporting issues with an upload. So when someone posts a comment on your uploads, they can choose to post it as Thanks (just expressing their love for your upload) or as Feedback (reporting an issue, providing important info, or constructive criticism). When looking at an upload thread, you can filter out the thanks posts so you can just see the feedback posts.

Creators can also change feedback posts to thanks if someone has posted incorrectly, making it easy for them to clean up their comments themselves.

Feedback View:

Once you have several uploads, it can be tedious to check each one for feedback. To make it easier to see what the recent comments are on your uploads, we have a Feedback View. Just click on the User Tools dropdown on the top right, and choose "Feedback View" to view all of your uploads (and tutorial threads) in a neat format that makes it easy to see if you have feedback or questions you need to respond to.

Nifty Stats:

If you're the sort that likes to look at interesting stats and figures, you'll love our Scorecard feature! You can find a link to the scorecard on your own profile page, under your name and avatar - "View My Scorecard"

Because scorecards of other creators aren't publicly visible, I've taken a screenshot of Nouk's (with her gracious permission) to demonstrate what sort of cool stats you can see when viewing your own scorecard. Click here to view it - it's a big image so it may take a minute to load.

Modding Groups:

Want to create with a friend and upload together? MTS2 makes it easy with modding groups - what basically functions as a shared profile, allowing you and one or more other creators to upload together. The profile also links back to each member's individual profile. For an example, see The Mod Squad, which has a list of the creators on the team starting after the downloads about 1/4 of the way down the page. Go to any of those creators' profiles and you'll see that it links back to the Mod Squad profile in the "Mod Group Member" box, along with any other modding groups they're a part of.

If you'd like to set up a modding group of your own, contact either me or Delphy with a list of the people who should be in the group, and what you want it to be called, and we'll help you get it going.

Tutorials and Support:

MTS2 is, above all else, about learning. Our Create Section encompasses all areas of modding The Sims 2, from the simplest of recolours to the most advanced hacks, and everything in between. We have a wide range of tutorials to teach you pretty much anything you might want to know... And when questions arise, we have question-and-answer forums where you can get help and support on whatever modding questions you might have, from some of the most experienced and knowledgeable creators in the community.

MTS2 is dedicated not only to helping you create, but helping you create well, to make truly quality custom content that you will be proud to call your creation.

Create Chat:

We have a 24/7 live IRC channel available specifically for creators! Here, you can get help with issues you're having related to your creations (or at least get pointed in the right direction for help, if nobody present knows how to fix your issue), opinions on what you're working on, and a shoulder to cry on when things inevitably get frustrating.

To access the #Create chat, go to: MTS2 Live Chat

High Standards of Quality:

MTS2 is well known for having some of the highest standards of quality in creation in the community. All uploads go through a moderation process, where they are examined by our staff (who are experienced creators themselves) and compared against our Creator Guidelines. This ensures that all uploads to MTS2 are high quality, well-presented, and in the right format.

Many beginning creators find our high standards a bit daunting, and that's understandable. But we hold creators to such high standards because we know they can achieve them. We provide tutorials, help, feedback, support, and guidance in helping creators reach our standards, and our staff as well as other non-staff creators reach out on a daily basis to assist other creators in improving their work.

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing well. We truly believe that setting the bar high means that those who can achieve such heights will reach higher, and we hope that creators will feel proud to display their work at a site that values quality above quantity.

Quick and Easy Uploading:

Our Upload Wizard system walks you through every step of uploading, with helpful tips and info at every stage to make sure you know what to do. Crediting content made by others for things like sims and houses is easy with our PackageDB, which saves previous entries by other uploaders so you may not need to look up links at all yourself.

Once you've finished uploading, your upload is sent to the moderation queue to be reviewed by MTS2 staff. The turnaround time is generally less than 24 hours (though it may occasionally be somewhat longer in some sections). If changes need to be made, you'll get a detailed PM explaining what you need to do - and if you're unclear on anything, you can ask questions right on the upload itself.

In the event that something does get rejected, please don't take it personally - we don't like rejecting content and would much rather accept it! You'll get a detailed reason why it was rejected, including info and links on how to improve. If you have any questions or need clarification, you can ask our staff directly in the Creator Issues forum, where your question will remain private, viewable only to you and MTS2 staff.

Creator Feedback:

Once you've made something, we've got a great Creator Feedback Forum where you can post pictures of your work and get feedback from downloaders and creators of all skill levels. Especially useful for beginners, but helpful for everyone, it's a great resource to get many more sets of eyes examining what you've made and helping you tweak it till it's perfect!

For Downloaders:

Easy Browseability:

MTS2 has undergone constant improvement to make it easier to use for downloaders to help find what they want. We have an excellent Downloads section which has sub-categories for specific areas of content. You can also take a look at the filters under "Search & Filter" which allow you to filter content by many criteria including needed expansion packs, meshes vs. recolours, and more.

These filters change depending on which area you're in - so, for example, if you go into the Lots and Housing area, you'll see filters for lot size, furnishings, and price. And if you go into the Body Shop - Clothing area, you'll see filters for clothing category, top/bottom/full outfit, etc.

You can, of course, always search for what you're looking for too, from either the Downloads page, or from the Search dropdown on any page. The ability for creators to tag their uploads with keywords makes it easier for you to find what you want.

Clear Info on Downloads:

We know how confusing it can be to download sometimes, especially if you're not computer-savvy. So we've tried to make it easy for you, by offering user-friendly methods for seeing what you're downloading.

The top of a thread, right under the Details tag, tells you whether it's a new mesh, Maxis recolour, or new mesh recolour. This information is repeated down at the bottom under the Downloads tag.

Under that tag, you'll also find information on any expansion or stuff packs required, a summary of the details of an upload (including things like price, age category, etc.).

If any additional meshes are required that aren't included, you'll find that information linked there too. If the mesh is hard to find at the link provided, we require that the creator explain further how to find it in the text of their post.

Excellent Content:

All downloads go through our moderation process, so you can be sure that what you see is what you get, that the content is top quality, and that any additional details or information you might need to know will be included. We're proud to be known as a source for some of the best content the community has to offer.

Favourite Creators/Favourite Downloads:

If you see a creator whose work you enjoy, you might wonder whose work they like. MTS2 lets you do this, using the Favourite Creators and Favourite Downloads links.

On each creator's profile, there's a link to add them as a favourite creator. Anyone can add favourite creators - other creators, downloaders, tutorial writers, etc., and when you go to someone's profile, you can see who they have as a favourite. So, for instance, say you like the work of fanseelamb, a popular creator and MTS2 staff member. You can go to fanseelamb's profile and click on "Fave MTS2 Creators" at the top and see everyone fansee has added as a favourite creator.

You can also see individual downloads set as favourites. After you click "Thanks" on a download, you can add it to your favourites. Want to see everything someone has added as a favourite? Just click "Fave MTS2 Downloads" on their profile. For example, here's bruno's favourites.

Recommended Downloads:

You'll find a list on download pages, over on the side, of recommended downloads... that is, users that thanked the download you're currently viewing also thanked the ones displaying. This works similar to sites like Amazon's recommendations, allowing you to view related content - or at least, content that others have liked.

List of Recolours:

When viewing a new mesh upload, if there are other recolours of the mesh on MTS2, you'll see a list of thumbnails for the newest recolours available for the mesh, as well as a link to view the rest. This lets you find more recolours for a mesh easily.

When viewing an upload of recolours of a mesh hosted on MTS2, you'll see a list of other recolours of the same mesh, too.

Download Tracking:

Want to go back and double-check something on a download thread? Forgot to thank a creator for their cool stuff? MTS2 keeps track of your downloads (all of them in the past 30 days) and allows you to easily return to the download threads. To access this feature, click on the User Tools dropdown at the top right and then "My Downloaded Items." It will also show you a pretty graph of your downloading habits for the past 30 days.

For Everyone:

Run by Names You Know!

MTS2 is owned and operated by Delphy, who has been in the Sims 2 community since its beginning and has helped the modding community along by assisting in figuring out the Sims 2 file formats and creating useful tools such as the Meshtool and Delphy's Download Organizer. The other two administrators - me and Tiggerypum, are well-known creators and tutorial writers and have been around in the community for years too. We also have a great staff made up of creators, tutorial-writers, and all-around excellent helpers - again, names you know, who have been around for quite a while. You can see a list of all of our current staff here.

Always Free!

MTS2 will -always- be free to download, use, host uploads, etc... We will -never- become a pay site!

We pay for our site costs through ads and user donations. While there are some perks to subscribing such as a larger avatar, larger PM inbox, and a little icon showing your support, all of the major site features as detailed above are completely free. We will never charge a fee to access any of the major site features - we are committed to staying free for everyone.

Not Going Anywhere!

Several people have asked recently if MTS2 will be shutting down once Sims 3 is out. Rest assured, we'll still be here! While we won't be doing an MTS3 exactly, we may expand to offer a similar site experience for Sims 3, while keeping the same MTS2 you know and love for all the Sims 2 downloads, tutorials, etc.

Live Chat:

MTS2 has almost always had a 24/7 live chat. In addition to the creation-related channel mentioned above, we also have a general, social chat for all manner of topics. It is attached to MTS2, but really, it's not a sims chat at all - more a place where you can get to know new people and talk about all manner of other things. Many people have made great new friends (and more) in our live chat and we have quite a few people who are in there every day, all the time. It has become a home for many of us, a place where we can vent, laugh, discuss current events, and enjoy ourselves.

You can check out the Social chat by going to: MTS2 Live Chat.

Please note that while we don't allow linking to pornography and the like and the chat is supervised by MTS2 staff, topics in chat may not be suitable for younger or easily-offended audiences.

Game Help:

MTS2 has become well-known in the community for having excellent Game Help FAQs and support. Whether your problem is minor or your game has exploded into flames, we're willing to help. Check out our Game Help section, here.

MyModTheSims2:

MyMTS2 allows creators and downloaders to view MTS2 in a whole new (and customizable) way. This is best seen rather than described... to get YOUR MTS2, see: http://my.modthesims2.com/

Increased Usage:

MTS2 has more users now than it ever has - not only in sheer number of registered users, but pageviews and unique visits per day. Despite the age of the game, we're still growing strong, and committed to providing a continuing level of quality and excellence.

A Thriving Community:

MTS2 is also not just the MTS2 site. We have a separate site which includes social forums - for discussion of the game, Sim pictures, stories, movies, and contests, as well as off-topic stuff like debating current events, talking about your other hobbies, chatter about computers and software, and sharing your other creative pursuits with others.

You can access our social forums here: Sims 2 Community Forums

Though S2C is affiliated with and run by MTS2, it is a separate forum and thus you will need to register separately - your MTS2 login and password will not work there.

I'm sure I'm forgetting at least half a dozen things and will likely need to edit this as I'm reminded of stuff - even as staff, it's hard for me to remember all the nifty things that have been added over the years! But I hope this little summary will be a fun tour for some of you who weren't well-acquainted with all the parts of MTS2. Whether you've been around for years, or have just joined, we hope you enjoy all we have to offer.

Last edited by Delphy : 7th Jan 2009 at 10:08 PM.

Hi
I have a question - I have only 8 uploads, but I now have the option to create a journal but it says if I have less than 10 uploads or am not prominent member of community (I am very new) then it will be deleted - I don't want to put lots of effort into a journal and then find it deleted.....can I start a journal - I have nearly 9 uploads and another one planned.....

leesester, Yep you can have one. I'll change the message about prominent people - thats a legacy from the old days. Thanks for the heads up

I bet that took a lot of work to type up. Thanks, it's nice to be reminded of certain things. I'd forgotten a lot of what you've said. :P

Wow! I didn't even know of half of those features! Thanks for the info!

Wow! thats cool :D

that must have taken forever, too!

Heh, I like all the name dropping in the examples. A pretty impressive list, really!

HP, thanks so much for this important information, but if I read you correctly the banner above your profile is only for creators who are feature? If I read this right, I wish it was for a pickup load as well. Some creators who are good may get look over.
But all in all I think it is good. But I guess I can wish.

Wowsers. MTS2 HAS changed since I first joined!
That list must have taken forever to type up, and I'm sure a link could be sent to new members so they know what on earth they can do on the site.
Great work, and I'm sure MTS2 will still be growing strong when TS3 is well into its prime.

draik, actually thats not a bad idea - I shall include it in the Welcome PM.

Also, that *is* a long list... and I pretty much coded most of it by hand too. :P

Continuously improving, permanently updating, busy as a bee, you and your/our staff is all that all the time!
I adore you,

It's reassuring reading that in these days, I feel this home is safe
Thank you all for being there behind and on the scene.

Delphy, I also would like a banner even if I'm not featured (Audluvsvegas designed a so lovely one for me and it's so sad in its solitary corner on my desktop! )

To HP, Delphy, and all the other wonderful creators of MTS2, thank you!! This post by HP not only summarizes the great features of the site; it also points to all the creativity provided by so many talented folks! As an avid downloader I am continually amazed and grateful. ) !!

Thanks for spending time putting that up, really helpful for everyone! :D

Love it, So much I never knew in depth - Love it!

Thank you guys

Last edited by PETCHY14 : 28th Nov 2008 at 7:42 PM.

Delphy, HP, I can not help if I am a "RICH" brag ( joke ) I want what I want, hahaha lol please a nice banner for us who get stars, I am still wishing lol.

I think I have to say that this site is so gorgeous and really means something to me! All the moderators and creators do an awesome job

If there's something similar for the Sims 3 I'll be very happy but it will not be the same...

By the way, are there already some plans to make something like MTS3 (I know that Delphy won't do it) by some of you???
It really troubles me not to know anything about the things to come.

jon119, thats covered in the post.

Simonut / lamamma, the problem with giving picked creators banners too is that leaves very little difference between a picked one and a featured one. If you want a banner on your profile you could always add one to your "About me" box.

Oh, obviously I didn't read your post thouroughly enough...


But that simple sentence is just great to hear , a new hope that Sims 3 doesn't mean we'll have to go over to the evil twin...

Definitely bookmarking this for when I need a refresher!

Ok did not know I could, do that, Delphy what about a banner with little stars for pick upload only, would that make a different between the features? meaning the features would have more choices of banners, but pick upload could only get the stars banner unless later they get feature. Just another idea. If so I will have my head butler sent you a check to get it started (lol )

I really love this site so much and I really respect all the work Delphy, that you and the staff here at MTS2 continue to do.

Featured creators actually get to create thier own banner and upload whatever they want (so long as it fits the size requirements). They don't get to pick from a list.

Thank you Delphy, I didn't catch that I can put a banner in the *about me* box, it's something to try! I totally understand what's behind and can't disagree

BtW, the sentence about a Sims3 section is another good point to elaborate (even if I don't know yet if Sims3 will be worth to buy and play, but I guess that a sort of curiosity will lead me to do that anyway, and I'm glad to know that I can find here a place for it too).

Awesome overview, HP!

A couple of questions, though: I've got a few uploads here but I don't have the orange name and palette icon - does that happen automatically or do I need to change a setting? Also I can't seem to get the Custom Profile Title to work. Any help would be appreciated!

Wow i didn't know what half of them features were and now I do, loads of nifty stuff to play with now, thanks a lot!