#simblur

GUIDE STARTS HERE

if you are a visual learner, this guide is not for you; however, there are several videos you can watch! i recommended googling it. i havent watched any modding videos in years, so i have none to share, but there are several!

"how do i install mods? why arent they showing up in my game? what am i doing wrong?"

first and foremost, when it comes to installing mods, always download recently updated mods. scrpit files & mods that change/add gameplay elements always need to updated for the recent patch. scarlets realms mod list can be helpful for this. for cc (custom clothes/furniture), having the most recent version is still important, but if you want to download cc from, lets say 2022, it should still work fine. typically if a file is broken, it will show up as a broken texture in game or not show up at all when you use it. sometimes, it will prevent your game from running, normally you will recieve an error upon opening the game when this happens.

secondly, always download your mods from a trusted source. i exclusively get mine from patreon, but creators may host theirs on the sims recourse, their own websites, etc. basic internet safety, just be smart with what and where you download.

☆☆☆

how to install mods. im used to windows, so sorry if something is inaccurate for mac.

if you are on mac, the path for your mods should be this: Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4/Mods (macOS)

if you are on windows, the path for your mods should be this: C:\Users\[user]\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\Mods

i will be using one mod as an example, adeepindigo's healthcare redux / hcrx (is what ill call it for short). you dont have to download it, but its a very common mod that requires certain packs and utility mods, which is why im using it as an example. other common mods include mc command center by deadpool, ui extensions and more columns in cas by weerbesu, basemental by basemental, wicked whims and wonderful whims by turbo driver, relationship & pregnancy overhaul and lgbtqia by lumpinou, and tool mod and better build buy by twisted mexi.

go to the mods page. locate the mod you want and read its description. make sure the mod you want to download doesnt need any other mods or any specific game packs for it to work. (for healthcare redux, it requires get to work, and has many optional packs. it also requires general pie menus and lumpinous mood pack, you need both for the mod to work at all. this is similar for other mods).

download your mod of choice, mine is hcrx, always make sure the mod has been updated in recent months (if its a gameplay mod). an outdated mod can corrupt your save. i exclusively download my mods from patreon or modders website. (for hcrx, adeepindigo has it on their patreon)

once youve downloaded all you need, move your mod from your downloads into either a. your mods folder, or b. a folder made just so you can unzip and organize your mods. if you do that, make sure to add the files into your mods folder when youre done! (i always do this to make sure i have everything i need before adding it to my mods. some people have trouble with mods if they unzip it directly into their mods folder, im not entirely sure why, but unzipping it into another folder should prevent that from happening)

your folder, whether it be your mods folder or another one, should now have 3 things: lumpinous mood pack, general pie menus, and adeepindigos hcrx zipped folder. the mood pack and general pie menues should both be package files, you can move them directly into your mods folder now.

in the folder of your choice unzip the folder using 7zip. right click the folder > extract > extract here. a new folder or multiple files should appear. you can place this folder/these files directly into your mods folder. make sure the script file is only one folder deep. the folder your script files are in should look like this: The Sims 4/Mods/[folder name here] or The Sims 4/Mods. again, any deeper and the mods will not work

once youve added your mods into your folder, open your game. if you havent already enable mods & script files in your game, go to your settings and enable them! after that, close and relaunch your game.

mods should now be installed and working!

the most common problem people encounter from my experience are mods that are outdated or noncompatible- a lot of mods conflict with one another because they share the same tuning- if a mod is conflicting with another mod it may not show up in your game. remember, your mods should always be unzipped! a zipped folder will not work!

☆☆☆

for custom content, see here

go to your site of choice. i reccomend patreon. sentate & serenity for clothes. theyre patreon creators and have a lot of amazing choices. there are several creators to choose from, some on tsr, some on tumblr, some of sfs, etc. (always choose from a trusted creator and a trusted site! if downloading from sfs, sim file share, please be vigilant! some popular creators have had their account hacked. please be careful!)

download the cc you want. clothes/hair/makeup/skin/furniture/etc. make sure you dont need a required mesh, or game pack. a mesh is what gives the clothes or furniture its shape. without the mesh, the clothing will be broken and unusable. most creators make new meshes. a game pack (ep, gp, stuff pack, kits) are dlc EA releases. some clothing may require one of those packs for its mesh. creators almost always list what pack or mesh is needed if it isnt included in their download. ive never seen anyone not list it!

open your downloads folder, you will see various files that end in .package. these are aptly named package files. you can place them directly in your mods folder without any extra work.

you may see zipped files, right click these files to unzip them. after youve unzipped them, you will see more package files. they may be inside of other folders. move these package files into your mods folder as well.

open your game, you should get a pop up that shows what mods are in your game, if your mods are enabled correctly. if you do not get that notification, check you have your mods enabled in the settings. if they are enabled and are still not showing up, double check where youve put your mods. make sure its in your mods folder!

go to create a sim or build buy, your custom content (cc) should be there! i always suggest checking that the cc youve installed is working correctly!

if something youve installed isnt working correctly, remove it! broken cc can occasionally cause a lot of problems in your game! i suggest using better exceptions, but there are other ways to find broken cc!

ps.. if youre still unsure of how deep your mods can go into your mods folder, heres a guide

for script files, it will always need to be one of these two: the sims 4\mods (files go into the mods folder directly) or the sims 4\mods\[folder name] (files go no more than one folder deep)

for package files, it can be anything from the sims 4\mods (files go directly into the mods folder) to the sims 4\mods\[folder name 1]\[folder name 2]\[folder name 3]\[folder name 4]\[folder name 5] (files can go no more than 5 folders deep)

☆☆☆

now.. for the age old question, "why are my mods not working?"

heres the simple answers:

you did not install them correctly

mods are not enabled in your game

download the meshes, delete bad files, update, reinstall, and enable your mods! that should fix them!

your mods are outdated and thus broken.

for cc, if your sim is showing up with a question mark texture or something similar, then you are missing a mesh. this applies for bb as well. download the mesh or delete the cc.

for bb cc, if the item doesnt place and/or disappears after you place it, you have bad cc. delete it or find a way to repair it.

one of the most common questions i see is about ui. if your ui is broken, its because one of your ui mods are broken. if you dont know what mod it is, check for ui cheats or better build buy. any mods that change your ui will be the cause. if you have an updated mod but an outdated game, then you need to update your game. the tldr is that your mods are broken. if the broken ui or other game issues persist then check the previously linked troubleshooting guide. goodluck!

important note:

if youre still having trouble, the guides i added above can help! especially the second one! be careful!

when the sims 4 is updated, mods break. i have multiple suggestions on what to do when the game updates and mods break:

do not update your game. turn off automatic updates and wait for the mods to be updated before you update your game. this way, you can play with your old mods while you wait.

if you do update your game, do not enable mods right away. have a back-up non-modded save to play while you wait.

if you update and reenable your mods out of habit, or accidentally select your modded save, do not save your game. disable mods until theyre updated and see the second suggestion.

dont play! this is what some people prefer to do, i personally dont do it but hey! its a perfectly acceptable thing to do!

do whatever you want, really! the beauty of the sims is that its a life sim you control. of course, i strongly suggest 1-3, but you can do whatever you want. take out certain broken mods, disable them all together, etc! its your game, just have fun!

dont tell her qpp - she hates this photo! she thinks it looks too much like a photo youd see in a movie, you know, one of the ones taken before the girl tragically dies!?

good thing her daughters, maki and naomi (both teenagers now), were readily avaliable with their digital camera!