The custom content window from game start-up (with NL EP)
The custom content window from game start-up (with OFB EP or later)
When starting up your Sims 2 game, if you have custom content you will be presented with a window that shows the custom content you have in your game (from NightLife EP onwards). This window differs a little from the NightLife EP that introduced it to the later ones where the layout is changed from two boxes showing overrides and other custom content, to a single pane where overrides are indicated with a yellow exclamation point.
What does the yellow exclamation point mean?
Indication of global mod
With the Open for Business EP or later, if you have any global mods you will see a yellow triangle containing an exclamation point warning you about that piece of custom content, letting you know it is a global mod. This does not mean that the mod is harmful or bad in any way. This is only an indication that it is a global mod. Now certainly it is true that a global mod, if made badly can be harmful, since the global nature of the mod does mean that the use of it within the game could be more prevalent, rather than an a stand-alone object which is more likely only to be used when you direct your Sim to use the object.
The other thing this yellow exclamation point is telling you is that, again, because this is a global mod, it has a higher chance of clashing with another mod because it is not completely stand-alone. See What is a hack conflict? for more details.
What does Overrides something mean?
An example of one of the various Overrides messages
When a mod is a global mod this is because it is changing (overriding) some part of the Game that Maxis wrote - rather than adding a new stand-alone object which doesn't touch any of the main game resources. So when you see the yellow exclamation mark you can select that peice of custom content and read in the lower pane about which game
resources it overrides (or with NL EP when custom content is listed in the top box it gives the same information). Unless you are into modding, the main information you get here is just the same as the yellow exclamation mark - this is a global mod.
If you want to know more detail the table below summarises the ones I know about and what they mean.
| Message about custom content |
This means that resources of this type have been updated in this mod
|
| Overrides Semi-Global |
A SemiGlobal BHAV has been altered/extended/added
|
| Overrides Game Constants |
A SemiGlobal BCON has been altered/extended/added
|
| Overrides Game Behavior |
A Private Maxis Object BHAV has been altered/extended/added
|
| Overrides Global |
A Global BHAV has been altered/extended/added
|
