The Sims 2 Double Deluxe, The Sims 2 University Life Collection, The Sims 2 Best of Business Collection, and The Sims 2 Fun with Pets Collection all include the Launcher. However, this may not be the case if the disc and shortcut for one of the compilations is used to start The Sims 2.
In general, the executable that is used to start the game will be in the same folder as the Launcher.
#DOWNLOADING SIMS 2 EXPANSION PACKS HOW TO#
For an illustrated guide on how to do this, see this page at ModTheSims. This can generally be done by right-clicking on the shortcut used to start the game, selecting Properties, and editing the textbox labeled "Target:" so that "Sims2Launcher.exe" is replaced by the filename of the game's executable file. The Launcher can be avoided by starting the game directly from the executable. This can be avoided by clicking the Play button before the promotional pane finishes loading, or by bypassing the Launcher as described below. As of August 24, 2013, some content shown in that pane has been observed to cause the Launcher to stop responding. While the Launcher's news pane is no longer used, the promotional pane is still used.
#DOWNLOADING SIMS 2 EXPANSION PACKS MAC#
All three Mac App Store re-releases of The Sims Stories games are also affected by this change. The Launcher has been removed from The Sims 2: Ultimate Collection, however, it is still present in The Sims 2: Super Collection but it is actually a launcher made by Aspyr Media for all Aspyr games released on the Mac App Store. The Launcher will also be present if The Sims 2 University Life Collection, The Sims 2 Best of Business Collection, The Sims 2 Fun with Pets Collection or The Sims 2 Double Deluxe has been installed, and if the compilation disc and shortcut are used to start the game. However, unless Mansion & Garden Stuff is installed, that should not be an issue if Seasons is the latest expansion pack installed, as stuff packs prior to Mansion & Garden Stuff are based on either Open for Business or Pets. The executable for the Launcher may be present if stuff packs released after Bon Voyage are installed. It is not present in the base game, or in expansion packs up to and including Seasons. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.The Launcher first appeared in Bon Voyage. Players who purchase the expansion by September 2 will also receive extra freebies for their Sims, including a rideable bicycle, a gnome statue, and a decorated tree. It’s a little slice of Harvest Moon right in The Sims 4. The expansion’s trailer shows a marketplace for Sims to sell their produce and a festival where enterprising players can enter their prize crops or animals in a contest. In a press release, EA and Maxis said that players’ Sims will “find a variety of new ways to connect with nature.” Players can have their Sims pick up cross-stitching, participate in a countryside picnic, or explore the nearby idyllic woods. The expansion pack includes new activities for players’ Sims to participate in, including growing their own crops, which can be used for cooking, befriending animals, exploring Henford-on-Bagely, and getting to know new non-playable character Sims. The design of the expansion’s environments, clothes, and animals very much evokes the “cottagecore” aesthetic trend that has spread like wildfire on social media sites like Instagram and TikTok. The Sims 4 is known for its wide variety of expansion packs that allow players to design their Sims and towns in a variety of unique ways, and the Cottage Living expansion pack seems to be no exception.