#s2 ep7

Changelog at the bottom of the post.

Download (I'm kind, but please read the whole post just in case) MTS // SimFileShare

One thing I've heard and seen around the The Sims 2 Community for awhile now is the Soccer Goal from FreeTime and it's horrible needs drop! Before I tuned it, it took only 2 HOURS before a sim would stop because the energy would drop soooo fast! Not even the Need Benefits help that much, if not at all! Not only that, if a sim's fun was too low (-80 and below to be exact) they wouldn't play, even if the Soccer Goal is a fun activity for them and they will autonomously interact with it, they would quit! Decide what to do, damn it! So sims shouldn't get exhausted anymore and can finally play all day long! And, when bored, get out and play some soccer! Because your -80 or below Fun Need doesn't hinge you anymore! You're freeeeeee! Read down below if you're interested to TUNE IT yourself!

The Package file(s) is already compressorized.

Installation CHOOSE ONLY THE "Both In One" FOLDER OR THE "Seperated" FOLDER PACKAGE FILE(S) OR YOU WILL GET DUPLICATES! Unzip the file and then drop the Package file(s) into your Downloads folder in your Documents>EA Games>The Sims 2 OR The Sims™ 2 Ultimate Collection OR The Sims 2 Legacy folder, depending on your version of the game.

Conflicts/Containing Files Anything that edits the: BCON (Behavior Constant) - Name: tuning - play // Group: 0x7FC80134 // Instance (High): 0x00000000 // Instance: 0x00002002 and/or the: BHAV (Behavior Function) - Name: Play - Game - Alone // Group: 0x7FC80134 // Instance (High): 0x00000000 // Instance: 0x00002033 and/or the: BHAV (Behavior Function) - Name: Play - Game - Together // Group: 0x7FC80134 // Instance (High): 0x00000000 // Instance: 0x0000202B (NEW) Custom Standalone BHAV: - Name: Exit Object - Motive Failing? Soccer Net (NEW) // Group: 0x7FC80134 // Instance (High): 0x00000000 // Instance: 0x00002040

I decided to seperate the Package file into each own Package file:("WolfTest_EP7SoccerNet_NoFunMotiveFail" "WolfTest_EP7SoccerNet_BetterNeedsTuning") just in case someone doesn't want both / both in one (WolfTest_EP7SoccerNet_BetterTuning)

Let me know if there's any issues :)

Download MTS // SimFileShare

How to tune it yourself! Is the tuning too kind to you? Wanna tune it yourself? Check this out! Open the Package file in SimPE, then click on the Behavior Constant (BCON) // tuning - play

IMPORTANT NOTICE!!!! DO NOT edit anything else what I haven't mentioned since I don't know what the other numbers do! Here you can see the tuning table! The only ones that I know works (and what they are) is: 0x1 (1): Fun Need Speed 0x4 (4): Hygiene Need Speed 0x6 (6): Energy Need Speed 0x13 (19): Fun Need's Limitation to stop the sim from continuing when the Fun Need is filled to 100 (originally) (I've set it to "9999" decimal, which means it never ends when the Fun Need is at 100(full)) The Needs doesn't switch (fill or empty a Needs Bar of your choice), it only tunes the speed of it, 0 and below (-) affects the Needs that goes down, faster or slower (same with Fun, but opposite, above 0)

Credit: SimPE

when we see ekko and powder go to vi's memorial for the first time and ekko asks if she was the one who caused their death, powder very quickly retorts that it was ekko's tip that ended up sending them on the job that killed her. i think that this is important not just because the writers wanted to explicitly say that the chain of events that led to the original timeline hinged on ekko's tip but also because in how quickly she said it, we can assume that this is something that's come up between them before.

ekko already is seen as a character who carries a lot of responsibilities on his shoulders, mostly self-ascribed, which i tend to characterize as being born partially of guilt. i think guilt is a large part of his character and it would be somewhat irresponsible to shrug that off when speaking about his character in the alternate timeline that the original ekko drops in on.

powder is characterized as brighter and happier than jinx when she grows up in this universe with a support system, obviously, but she still has a tendency to anger. this is shown through how she tells ekko to get out before she does something she'll regret rather than rolling over in the face of his interrogation and insensitive statements. she also holds a grudge, as we see it takes ekko physically taking her to see vi's painted memorial in the firelight lair before she stops scowling at him in the bar and warms up to him again.

looking at all of these things, i think it's a fair assumption to make that following vi's death, there was a period of time where powder directly blamed ekko for what happened, and that ekko blamed himself as well. this, in my opinion, doesn't cheapen their relationship when they grow up into the people we see in s2ep7, but deepens it.

i think the act of forgiving is something that takes a long time, whether you're forgiving yourself or someone else, and ekko and powder's relationship being as comfortable and easy as it is in s2ep7 speaks to the fact that they had a long stretch of time to get to that space where they could move past the circumstances that led to vi's death. at least, they both do until original timeline ekko drops in and reopens that wound, which in turn leads powder to throw blame back in his face, similarly to how i assume she must have done directly following vi's passing.

the idea that powder and ekko in this alternate timeline had to move past anger, grief, guilt, and blame makes their relationship feel more heartfelt than if they were locked in since day one and there was no more work to be done. love as something that has to be earned and worked for even in a world where things seem mostly ideal shows that it wasn't just a fluke that they got together but a deliberate continuous choice to work through trauma to allow themselves to be together.

it also legitimizes the idea that original timeline ekko and jinx could hypothetically be together as well. not just because we see "oh, one version of powder and ekko can get together so this one can, too" but because both versions have baggage to work past before getting together, but the universe we see displays how this pair managed that with the luxury of a support system and a kinder environment that original timeline ekko and jinx unfortunately weren't afforded.