Warning: Simport and Custom Content

[BellaClo]

I've just read reports on the official forum that shows CC being transfered to players' games when they host tours with Simport. Find more info in this thread:

http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/510505.page

From what I've read:
1. When you accept to host a Sim on tour in your game, this Sim is downloaded to your game as a .Sims3pack in your Download folder, and installed as a .package or .sim in the Savedsim folder.

2. If this Sim has been created with CC, parts of this CC get attached to the Sim, thus transfered and installed in the host game.

3. Deleting the files seems to help get rid of this CC most of time, but not always.

So, for all of you happy Showtime players, this might come a bit like a cold shower because it's definitely not what was announced by EA, but it's probably better to know it before this cause potential trouble in your game. Be extra cautious on how and with whom your Simport as long as EA hasn't addressed the issue (if they ever do).

[bshag]

Hi Bella, you beat me to it.  I read the same thread and posted.  No simport for me unless it's my sister and ONLY my sister.  (I know where she lives, lol.)  I don't use package files or mods for the reason I don't how to manage them but a sim I dl'ed from another's studio that supposed to not have any cc, came with cc tattooes which totally messed up my ability to make and upload tattooes to my studio on sims site.  

This thread scared me, so no simporting for me.

[BellaClo]

I find it scary too, but mostly because EA proved to be unreliable on such a big issue. Players were concerned about the potential dangers of such a feature as soon as they announced it. Why did they say only data would be transferred and no files, if it was not to respect this?

I don't have this Ep yet because it's only released on the 9th here around. I wasn't much decided to buy it, but some Picts and features were tempting. I think I'll indeed pass :-(

[xFezIsAFreakx]

Ugh, well that's annoying! If I ever do simport, it'll only be with people I trust to not have CC. My game is CC-free and I prefer to keep it that way. Do the CC even come up as installed in the launcher, so if you ever do accidentally get some there's an easy way to get rid? Of course, the real problem is with the especially dodgy CC that likes to hide itself from the launcher. 

[Hosfac]

Just to play devil's advocate here:  a lot of the people complaining about CC already have a lot of it, and aren't entirely sure that they didn't download it...but are "pretty sure" that they didn't.

However, it has been shown that CC is transferring in the files, but it's not actually not downloading.  Deleting the simported sim from the bin appears to remove it...but they're still testing this.

[kattiq]

I just got Showtime today, and I'll be the first to admit I do have some clothing CC. However, if I ever send a sim through simport I will change their clothes to the EA made ones because the last thing I want to do is have the CC infiltrate their game, especially if they like it CC-free. So no worries from me! I will only take simport request from people here that I trust. See some of you in-game soon!

[Ricalynn]

There is a possibility that just having CC on the toon for any of it's outfits/makeup/hair not just the career ones will cause this problem.  So if you do plan on sharing Sims through SimPort just remember this.

[Katluvr]

Exactly what Hosfac just said.

Crinrict has a preliminary post on their blog about the problem and how to handle it, although it is subject to change as more information becomes available through further testing.

http://sims3.crinrict.com/en/2012/03/simport-sending-sims-and-custom-content.html

This definitely gives me pause, but does not put me completely off this game feature.  I am going to create a separate folder where I will allow SimPorting (for the time being, at least) - I won't allow SimPorting from the folder where I run my important games.  That way if something does happen I won't lose anything of value to me.

I only have members of this forum as friends, and I trust you to take appropriate measures to avoid transmitting CC.  If I don't know you that well or have seen CC in your stories on the forum I will come right out and ask you about the sim you want to send over.  Please don't be offended by the question and please feel free to ask me about my sims before hosting them.  For the record, the only things I have other than store items are some patterns from the Exchange and our own Swap Shop.

(Note:  I'm not against CC - there is a lot of really great stuff out there and I have used it in the past.  It's just that I already have more stuff from the store and our Swap Shop than I know what to do with and I don't want to bog down my game with more stuff.)

I hope this won't completely deter people from SimPorting.  I think it has a lot of potential as long as we are careful and considerate of each other.

[Branr]

This is amusing for this reason:  this morning I went through and deleted all CC  from my system, and I hadn't heard about this twist in the story.

[kattiq]

I really don't have a lot of CC because it slows down my game. I could just go and delete it all if I wanted. Haha

[BellaClo]

I think it's annoying for every type of player. The ones who don't want to get CC obviously, but also players with CC they carefully pick from trusted websites/creators. Nobody wants to receive some unknown stuff in his game.

The post from Crinrict is very interesting (as usual). There seems to be some flaws in the system of Sims sharing. I don't understand much about it, but I guess CC creators and modders will have better insight. We just have to wait for the game to be released worldwide and give them some time to understand what's happening.

[Hosfac]

The whole reason I'm skeptical of a great deal of what's being reported in that thread is that a lot of the people doing the reporting have an agenda.  They're using this to say "I told you so!!  See?  I was right!"  They were opposed to the entire concept of SimPort from the first mention of the word, and are using it as proof positive that it's something evil and horrible and that EA is the devil for even considering it.

[BellaClo]

You're probably right about this "agenda", and certainly on the official forum where discussions tend to overheat much. If I'm totally honest, I'm rather in the negative bandwagon with EA lately. And this kind of issue is not what's going to change my feelings. I don't see EA as the *big bad devilish wolf*, just lacking a bit in ethics and professionalism 

While there is still no clear explanations on the why and how, some workaround can certainly be imagined, like a "good practice chart" for Simporting.

[Katluvr]

I design and test databases as part of my job and it seems that no matter how robust my user acceptance testing is there is always something that it doesn't pick up.  I suspect that may be part of what's going on here.  The folks on the official forums who are spinning it that we were lied to are either panic-mongers/EA bashers or are uninformed on how software is developed.  The real test of EA in my mind is how quickly and effectively they respond to this information, assuming it is correct.

At the end of the day people who were always against the idea of SimPorting will use this to justify their opinion, and that's their prerogative.  I think many more people will continue to use this feature, but take precautions to minimize their risk.  I'm grateful for the level-headed members of the official forums who are analyzing the problem and trying to give us helpful information about it.

[jeanamariex3]

I do think the original poster on the official forum sounded like he/she had too much time on his/her hands. According to SimsVIP (Alexa is her name I think, I've chatted with her quite a few times, and she's my friend on the official forum), she says none of the custom skintones hair and makeup items, her friend uses on her Sims transferred into her game.

I will just about take anyone on the forum, as I talked to a few nice people on there quite a few times. However, this forum is much nicer.