ORIGINAL FAQ DATE: Friday, April 6th, 2001
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[-----------------]
[ FAQ/Walkthrough ]
[-----------------]
Author : JPaterson
Platform : Windows PC
Last Updated : March 15th, 2004
Version : Final
E-Mail : == See "[A] Contact Information" ==
Website : http://www.jpatworld.net/
GameFAQS CRP : http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/8939.html
===============================================================================
UPDATE & REVISION HISTORY
Mar. 15th, 2004
- Changed the look of the "Other FAQs Written" section again, because the last
changed I made look terrible. One of these days I'll find one that makes me
happy! Shaved off a bit of excess text. Removed "Credits" to make the FAQ
slightly smaller in size.
Mar. 14th, 2004
- Changed the order of the FAQ vitals at the top of FAQ; altered the look of
the "Contact Information" section.
Mar. 11th, 2004
- Changed the layout of the "Other FAQs Written" section.
Mar. 9th, 2004
- Changed ASCII to something more readable; ran spellcheck.
Mar. 5th, 2004
- Updated contact information; added ASCII art. Re-did the layout, again, so
that all the copyright, contact and miscellaneous stuff is at the bottom of
the FAQ.
Feb. 24th, 2004
- Minor corrections.
Feb. 3rd, 2004
- Fixed corrections; changed cheat codes a little, as some were wrong.
Jan. 31st, 2004
- Brought format up to date with current FAQs. Ran a spellcheck and made some
corrections.
Apr. 7th, 2001
- added the FAQ section because of an e-mail I received
Apr. 6th, 2001
- Began writing FAQ
===============================================================================
Table Of Contents
[1] System Requirements
[2] Installing The Sims: House Party
[3] Neighborhood
[3.1] How To Switch and Control Different Neighborhoods
[3.2] How To Create Extra Neighborhoods
[4] New Non-Playable Characters
[4.1] Campfire Ghost
[4.2] Caterer
[4.3] Entertainer
[4.4] Mime
[4.5] Party Crashers
[4.6] Secret Celebrity (the celebrity is.....)
[5] Building A Good Party House
[6] Preparing Your Sims For A Wild Party
[7] How The Game Scores Your Party
[8] Keeping You And Your Guests Happy
[9] Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
[10] Bugs
[A] Contact Information
[B] Webmaster Information
[C] Where This FAQ May be Found
[D] Other FAQs Written
[E] The Sims: House Party Copyright Information
===============================================================================
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [1] System Requirements |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
- Windows 95/98/98SE/ME/2000
- The Sims installed (Livin' Large not needed, but you will NOT get LL
objects, careers, etc. unless it is installed BEFORE installing House Party)
- 233MHz Intel Pentium or AMD K6 processor
- 32 MB RAM
- 4x CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drive
- 255 MB free hard disk space plus space for saved games (additional space
required for Windows swap-file)
- High Color (800x600 resolution) capable 2 MB video card with DirectX 7.0
compatible driver
- DirectX 7.0 compatible sound card; Keyboard; Mouse
===============================================================================
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [2] Installing The Sims: House Party |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
1. Start the Windows 95/98/98SE/ME/2000 operating system.
2. Place The Sims: House Party Expansion Pack CD in the CD drive. The
Autorun menu appears.
NOTE: If the Autorun menu does not automatically appear, click the START
button on the Windows Task Bar, then click Run... At the Dialog Box,
type D:\start.exe, then click OK. The autorun menu appears. If your
CD-ROM drive uses a letter other than "D", please substitute the
letter of your CD-ROM drive for "D".
3. Click the Install button to install the expansion pack.
NOTE: You may exit the setup program at any time by clicking CANCEL.
4. Read the General Installation Information, then click NEXT.
5. Enter the serial number from the back of your CD-ROM case. Click NEXT
to install The Sims House Party.
6. After the installation has finished, you are given the choice to
register the product.
7. Choose whether or not you would like to install AOL 6.0. Make your
selection to continue.
8. Click FINISH to exit the install wizard.
NOTE: After you install House Party, the House Party CD is the only CD you
need to insert into your CD drive in order to play The Sims. Even if
you install The Sims Livin' Large Expansion Pack, the House Party CD
is the CD you use to play the Sims.
===============================================================================
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [3] Neighborhood |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A Neighborhood is where your Sims live. They play, work, and obviously party
with other Sims in the same neighborhood. Each neighbor can support up to ten
houses on ten lots.
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [3.1] How To Switch and Control Different Neighborhoods |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
With House Party, you have a total of eight neighborhoods at your disposal, for
a total of 80 houses! To switch between neighborhoods, use the left and right
arrow buttons at the top left of the neighborhood screen. The number in the
center displays the neighborhood you are currently in.
You can have ten houses, which equals ten families, in one neighborhood. When
you create someone in, for example, Neighborhood 1, they are only useable in
Neighborhood 1. They cannot be switched to 'hood 2, and they can only interact
with other Sims in the same neighborhood.
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [3.2] How To Create Extra Neighborhoods |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Make sure you have a totally empty neighborhood, with no houses or Sims
what-so-ever, otherwise you will make an exact duplicate.
Go to your Sims root directory, which is usually, if your hard drive is C:.
C:\Program Files\Maxis\The Sims\. Once there, you will see folders which
are labeled "UserData1" through "UserData8"; each number corresponds to
it's neighborhood. Your families, pictures, houses, etc. are stored within
these folders. Highlight the folder that has an empty family by
left-clicking on it. Press CTRL+C to copy the folder. Return to the
desktop and press CTRL+V to paste a copy of the folder. Right-click the
newly copied folder and click "Rename". Rename the folder to "UserData9"
or any such number up to 50. Left-click on the folder once and press
CTRL+C again. Return to the \The Sims\ directory and paste the new folder.
When you go to the game, you will now have a ninth neighborhood in which to
run or ruin the lives of more Sims.
===============================================================================
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [4] New Non-Playable Characters |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
There are six new NPC's that I have encountered so far. There may be more;
there may not. If I see any other then the ones listed here, I will add them
to the FAQ.
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [4.1] Campfire Ghost |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
When you have a group of Sims gathered around a fire, order a Sim with a
Charisma rating of six or higher to "Tell A Story". When a story is being
told, there is a 1 in 10 chance the Ghost will appear and haunt your Sims. The
haunting lasts until the fire burns out.
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [4.2] Caterer |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
The Caterer is the main item at your party. He will fill your Punch Bowls and
Buffet Tables, and re-fill them when they get low. Although you can direct
your Sims to perform aforementioned tasks, the Caterer does a better job, and
you may forget to tell your Sim to re-fill due to the fun you're having. The
Caterer will work until 11:00pm, then he will empty the punch bowls and buffet
tables, and leave so he can get his "beauty sleep". The downside to the
Caterer is he costs §350 for the day, and when he's not busy cleaning or
filling, he will talk to your guests, and most guests will lose relationship
points with the host or hostess of the party, as he has really bad social
skills. He will occasionally go to your Costume Trunk (if you have it and it's
opened), look at the clothes, and make a rude remark. If he is no longer
needed before 11:00, you can "Dismiss" him, and being the gentlemen that he is,
he will clean up before he leaves. If he's mingling with your guests, direct
one of your Sims to perform the action "Back To Work".
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [4.3] Entertainer |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
The Entertainer pops out of the Fancy Feet Cake Treat, and is either Male or
Female, depending on which you choose. They will do a little dance for you,
while the entire party watches. When the dance is over, the Entertainer will
stick around and party for a while. Sometimes, she may even grab a Sim, fling
him backwards, and kiss him, giving him her number as well. If another Sim is
in the same room and has a heart for the relationship, they will not take that
kindly and either slap the Entertainer, the kissed Sim, or both.
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [4.4] Mime |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
When your party is doing bad, the Mime will show up. He will mingle with your
guests, perform stupid mime tricks, and steal things. The first two, even
though your party is bad to have attracted him, have a positive effect, and
will slowly raise the party mood. If you ask him to leave, he won't. The
guests need to be entertained before he will leave.
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [4.5] Party Crashers |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
When your party is doing good, you may have a Party Crasher show up. The
crasher is either male or female, and the female crasher looks like a frickin'
goth zombie. Anywho, the party crashers add to your overall mood. They will
participate in the campfire, bubble blowing, dancing, etc., and most group
activities. If the party starts sinking while the crasher is there, they may
break things, such as a dishwasher, your DJ table, TV, etc. You can ask the
crasher to leave whenever you like, but expect a nasty
remark about it.
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [4.6] Secret Celebrity (the celebrity is.....) |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
When your party is doing exceptional, a black stretch limousine will show up
outside your door. Who is this secret celebrity? Here's a few hints for you:
a) he's fat (not really fat, but he ain't skinny)
b) wears dorky black glasses
c) has two TV shows (a comedy and hosts a comedy improvisation show)
d) has friends named Kate, Lewis, and Oswald
e) hates his boss' secretary (who dress wild and wears inhuman amounts of
makeup)
Any idea yet? No?! Where have you been living??? Drum roll please....
(da da na num)
Thank you.
Mr. Drew Carey!
That's right folks! Old Drew himself will show up at your door when your party
is the talk of the town. He will stand outside your door for one hour, while
all your Sims flock to him with pictures of Drew in their thought bubbles.
If your party continues to escalate for one hour Sim-time, Drew will phone up
his agent and tell him to take off, as he has a night of wild partying to do.
Drew will come to your house, dance, eat, and do all other group activities.
He will stay for a maximum of four hours, and for most of that time, your Sims
are thinking nothing but Drew. After he leaves, they are STILL thinking about
him. When Drew shows up, you know you can throw a good bash.
===============================================================================
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [5] Building a Better House |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
I won't go into too much detail here. Build a house like you would in The Sims
or Livin' Large, but for House Party, take care when designing the party area.
Make sure your guests have access to other forms of entertainment, such as a
pool table or television, preferably within the same room. Create a kitchen
with dining tables and chairs, and be sure to have one or two Buffet Tables
(more depending on how many people you want) and a punch bowl or two. Make
sure there is plenty of bathrooms, as your guest Sims may not like each other
enough to use the bathroom while someone else is in it. Without the proper
bathroom set up, your party can go sour fast. Build two tile bathrooms, with
nothing but a toilet, and designate these as bathrooms with the two new doors
Men and Women. Your Sims will obey the door signs, and will not enter a
bathroom of the opposite sex.
Make sure all these rooms are connected together somehow, so your Sims have
less travel time, which keeps them happier, and possibly keep the party running
later.
NOTE: If your party goes past 11:00pm (same time when the Caterer leaves), th
police will show up at your door explaining that neighbors have complained
about the noise (doubtful since they're probably at your house right now). If
more then five people (not including the resident sims) are still in the house
when 12:00am rolls around, the cop will show up again and fine you.
Here is a checklist of items you should have for the ultimate party, with the
amount of that item in brackets:
- DJ Turntable (1)
- Dance Floor (5-10)
- Buffet Table (2+)
- Punch Bowl (2+)
- Go-Go Cage (2+)
- Club Code Thrill Light (4+)
- Pool Table (1)
- TV (1)
- Furniture, such as couches, for the Comfort rating (5+)
- Dining Table (2+)
- Toilet (6+)
- Hot Tub (1)
- Pool (1)
===============================================================================
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [6] Preparing Your Sims for a Wild Party |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Here is a checklist of things you should do with your Sim(s) leading up to
the party. This will ensure their in the best of moods:
8:00am to 9:00am - The Sim with the highest cooking skill should "Serve
Breakfast"
9:00am to 10:00am - Have your Sims partake in a Fun Group activity (TV,
Pool, Hot Tub, etc.)
10:00am to 11:00am - Send Sims to improve the Hygiene and Bladder motives
11:00am to 12:00am - Nap (either on bed or couch for four hours)
4:00pm - 5:00pm - Wake up your Sims just before 5:00, and take care of any
motives that are less then half, then call the Caterer.
5:00pm - Use the phone and select the option "Throw Party". Five random
guests from the neighborhood will show. Although some may ring
the doorbell, don't greet them; they will walk in within the hour.
6:00pm - Make sure your first set of guests are eating (if not, grab
something to eat, as they almost always follow the hosts' actions)
7:00pm - Use the phone and select the option "Throw Party". Five new
random guests will come. After each hour, choose the same option,
as new Sims are brought when the hour passes.
8:00pm - Purchase a Fancy Feet Cake Treat and hire an Entertainer.
8:30pm - Look for unhappy guests and dismiss them, as they drag down the
party score.
10:00pm - Start asking your guests to leave, so the house will be quiet
before the cop arrives. Unless, of course, you don't care about
the fine, in which case let your guests stay.
11:00pm - Caterer will approach the Sim who phoned him and will tell him he
is ready to leave.
After 11:00pm - Your house is a mess. Phone the Maid (if you don't already
have one), use the bathroom, take care of any other red
motives, then go to bed, dreaming of your next party.
===============================================================================
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [7] How the Game Scores Your Party |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
As soon as your house has five Sims (not including the resident Sims) and a
Caterer, the game engine activates a toggle that tells it a party is underway
and to begin keeping score.
The game bases your party mood on the overall mood of all the guests in the
house, including the resident guests. HINT: Buy the Moosehead and place it in
the party room. The position of the antlers gives you a rough idea of how the
party is. The higher the antlers, the better the mood.
When 90 minutes game time have passed, the engine decides whether or not to
send the Mime to your house. If your party score is 20 or less (there is no
in-game way to determine the numerical value of your party) the game will send
the Mime. As soon as your party is above 20, the game will tell the Mime to
leave.
When 120 minutes game time have passed, the engine decides whether a party
crasher will make an appearance. If your score is 40 or higher, a crasher may
show (sex of crasher is random). You can boot a crasher from the party by
asking him/her to leave, and they will, but not without making a nasty remark
to you first. If your score drops below 40, the crasher will leave on his own.
When a party is going on, the game will drop the Fun factor of each sim by two
points every five minutes, in addition to the regular drop. When there is less
then five Sims in the house, the game says to itself "Okay, the party is over,
so I'll stop tracking." and your score is no longer counted.
The game refreshes your score every 20 game minutes, which is how it tells
whether to send an NPC or not. The game adds two mood points per guest, so the
more sims you have, the harder it is to keep your party score going up, as on
unhappy sim can seriously deter the party score. However, having more guests
who are happy increases your party score.
===============================================================================
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [8] Keeping You and Your Guests Happy |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
This is a no brainer. Use the motives of your Sims to determine the needs of
the guests. If one of your Sims is hungry, then there's a good chance some or
all of the guests are. Getting low on Comfort? Sit down, watch TV and invite
someone to join you, as they are getting tired too. Need some fun? Play pool
go in the hot tub, and invite the guests to join, because they most likely need
some fun too.
===============================================================================
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [9] Frequently Asked Questions |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Q: I call the Caterer, but he stands outside my house, doing nothing, and I
can't dismiss him. What's wrong?
A: You do not have a Buffet Table or a Punch Bowl, or you have them, but they
are positioned so that no one can access them. Flip the items around and
wait one Sim-hour. The reason you can't dismiss him is because he's not
activated yet, since he has nothing to work on. Your Sim will have the
option to "Dismiss", but as soon as you select it, it disappears from your
action queue. This is also a bug, which you can find below.
===============================================================================
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [10] Bugs |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A) Caterer won't work, and just stands outside.
Please read the FAQ above for the common solution. However, this is also
a bug, and if the solution presented in the FAQ section doesn't work, you
have to exit to the neighborhood screen (without saving), then reload
your house.
===============================================================================
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [A] Contact Information |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
To contact me, send an e-mail to the following address:
jpaterson000 [at] msn [dot] com
Replace [at] with @ and [dot] with the period. I've obfuscated my e-mail so no
spam bots, mail bots or other mailing list bots use it.
When e-mailing me, include the name of the game, or an abbreviation of the game
in the subject. Most other e-mails will probably end up not being read, and
immediately deleted. Thank you.
If your e-mail contains any of the following, I will not respond to it:
- Help for something that's already covered in this FAQ; please look over it
before e-mailing me
- Help for something that has nothing to do with this game; do not ask me how
to kill the final monster of a game if you're reading my MVP Baseball FAQ
- Serial numbers, CD keys, registration codes, or where to find a pirated
version
Please do not e-mail me requesting help with international versions of a game.
I can only help you with the NTSC version, which is released in North America,
which is the United States and Canada. If you are playing the PAL version of a
game, I'm sorry, but I can't help. If the game is identical, I can probably
help, but any changes and I'm clueless. Also, I only speak English, so please
do not e-mail in a different language. No offense to anyone, but I can only
read and understand English, so you'd just be wasting your time.
Lastly, I cannot offer help for any problems relating to your game. That's the
job of the technical support team of the game you are playing. Will it not
start properly? Does it crash on you? Are you getting a confusing error
message? Don't tell me; send an e-mail to the developers of the game for
technical support. I may be able to point you in the direction of the tech
support team, or provide you with an e-mail, but if I can't, I won't be able to
respond.
===============================================================================
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [B] Webmaster Information |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Due to the majority of websites not bothering to update FAQs, no websites,
except GameFAQs and Cheat Happens, will be allowed to host this FAQ, under any
circumstances, so please don't bother to e-mail asking for permission, as it
will not be granted.
===============================================================================
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [C] Where This FAQ May be Found |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
GameFAQs http://www.gamefaqs.com/
Cheat Happens http://www.cheathappens.com/
If there is a website other than these two hosting this FAQ, they are hosting
it illegally. Please send me an e-mail so I may deal with them. Thank you.
===============================================================================
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [D] Other FAQs Written |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
There may be a FAQ or FAQs here you won't find on GameFAQs, and that could be
because it hasn't been added to the website yet, it's been approved but not
added, or it's been rejected. If a game is listed multiple times, it means I
have written more than one type of FAQ and/or guide for that game. You can
find them all at my website, listed at the top of this guide. For my FAQs that
have been added to GameFAQs, you can find them at my GameFAQs contributor page,
found here:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/8939.html
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
@ GAME || GUIDE TYPE @
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
@ || @
@ Clock Tower 3 || File List @
@ Deus Ex: Invisible War || Strategy Guide/FAQ @
@ ESPN NFL Football || Strategy Guide/FAQ @
@ ESPN NHL Hockey || Strategy Guide/FAQ @
@ Grand Theft Auto III || Strategy Guide/FAQ @
@ Grand Theft Auto III || Song Guide @
@ James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing || Strategy Guide/FAQ @
@ Madden NFL 2004 || Madden Challenge Checklist @
@ Madden NFL 2004 || Team Rosters & Player Ratings @
@ MVP Baseball 2004 || Player Ratings @
@ MVP Baseball 2004 || Unlockables Guide @
@ MVP Baseball 2004 || Strategy Guide/FAQ @
@ Nocturne || Strategy Guide/FAQ @
@ NHL 2004 || Team Rosters & Player Ratings @
@ Red Faction || Strategy Guide/FAQ @
@ RoadKill || Song Guide @
@ RoadKill || Strategy Guide/FAQ @
@ Serious Sam || Strategy Guide/FAQ @
@ SimCity 4: Rush Hour || Object Guide @
@ Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic || Item Guide @
@ The Sims: Complete Item Guide (PC) || Item Guide @
@ The Sims: Complete Item Guide (console) || Item Guide @
@ The Sims: House Party Expansion || Strategy Guide/FAQ @
@ The Sims: Ultimate Strategy Guide || Strategy Guide/FAQ @
@ Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2X || Song Guide @
@ Tropico || Strategy Guide/FAQ @
@ Unreal Tournament || Strategy Guide/FAQ @
@ WWE RAW 2 || Strategy Guide/Move List @
@ || @
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Total Number of Other FAQs Written: 28
(Depending on the FAQ you are reading, the "Other FAQs Written" section may not
be completely up to date.)
===============================================================================
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [E] The Sims: House Party Copyright |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
© 2001 Electronic Arts Inc. The Sims, EA GAMES, the EA GAMES logo, Maxis, the
Maxis logo, and Electronic Arts are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All rights reserved.
EA GAMES and Maxis are Electronic Arts brands.
===============================================================================
This document is copyright by US and Canadian copyright laws. This FAQ is for
personal use only. This FAQ may not be reprinted or reproduced, in part or in
whole, in any form, including, but not limited to, electronic transmission and
magazine publication, unless prior consent is given by the author. This FAQ
may not be sold to anybody, commercial or otherwise. Referencing or altering
of this FAQ is expressly forbidden.
The following publishers and/or publications are strictly forbidden from using
this FAQ under any circumstance:
- Ziff-Davis Video Game Group
- IDG Media
- Brady Games
- Prima Games
===============================================================================
End of The Sims: House Party FAQ/Walkthrough.
Copyright 2004. All rights reserved.
The author of this FAQ is in no way affiliated with Maxis, Electronic Arts, or
any member of the The Sims: House Party development team.
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