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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 15th Oct 2020 at 12:27 PM
Default Do default replacements take up less space than cc?
I've seen players say several times that they install defaults instead of cc to save space but every default I've downloaded had at least like 3mb? How exactly does it take up less space?
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Mad Poster
#2 Old 15th Oct 2020 at 1:14 PM Last edited by simmer22 : 15th Oct 2020 at 4:27 PM.
Not really, no. Only if you can manage with just the amount of hair colors and clothing colors the game offers. Other than that it's not that much different from using regular CC. These just happen to replace the default items.

Default replacements are more of an esthetic choice, especially if you don't want townies and newly generated sims running around in EAxis clothes/hairs/skins, or want to fix textures and meshes that you otherwise don't use because you don't like the meshes or textures.

Maybe some of it takes up less space, but usually because you get fewer color options than a full custom set. The large files you see are probably because all the textures and the mesh are put into the same file, where in a custom set they're usually separate files (and more recolors, but you also have the option to leave out the recolors you don't want, so there's that).

Besides, default replacements are CC. Anything player-made that doesn't ship with the vanilla game is CC. It's still a custom mesh and recolor, and doesn't magically transform into "not CC" just because it replaces an ingame item. I think some people tend to forget that.
Alchemist
#3 Old 15th Oct 2020 at 2:54 PM
I think it only "takes up less space" in the the sense that all the default CC loads, anyway, so it might as well be something you use, because if you don't use it, then you load the defaults AND CC.
Scholar
#4 Old 15th Oct 2020 at 9:07 PM
I think the only space defaults might save me is I download less straight CC items, so I have to scroll through less. That is the theory anyway it certainly hasn't worked with hair. LOL
I have gone to almost complete recolors for in game items though and have very few new mesh CC for things like furniture and so forth. I don't think this saves me much space as far as folders go even with the fact I've kept the recolors to one creator and 5 colors.
Instructor
#5 Old 16th Oct 2020 at 4:36 AM
I second Clashfan in that the only way I see it "taking up less space" is that by defaulting everything I possibly could that I have much, much less CC than I used to. I kept a backup of my alpha folder in case I ever decide to switch back from maxismatch and the Downloads folder in that is 18.5GB. My new Downloads folder is 6.3GB. I'm not sure what % of that is CAS stuff and how much is hacks of buy/build but regardless that is a whole lot less. I have very minimal extra hair and clothes, mostly things I felt I needed a few more of like underwear, outerwear, etc. But that was my goal to have less over all.
Alchemist
#6 Old 16th Oct 2020 at 5:38 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Clashfan
...I've kept the recolors to one creator and 5 colors.

Only five?! That's not even enough for all the colors of the rainbow--and that doesn't even include black and white. You must have some strong willpowers. I find myself downloading Anna and Pooklet and Hunting Pony colors, and at least half of all those are the same or very, very similar. Then I need Yeti colors, and then AL woods, and of course MALM and LACK, too. Before I know it, I've got at least 30 recolors of a thing.

Anyway, to the OP, nah, defaults don't really take up less space. And depending on the mesh/item you're using, theoretically you could still be making the game work hard because you're replacing low poly meshes with detailed, high poly ones. As other simmers have mentioned, simmers who use defaults tend to make a conscious effort to use less cc overall, and that's why they've got smaller Download folders.

Me, I'll keep my 15 recolors of the same jacket-hoodie mesh, thank you. My sim guys need options! Hmm? Oh, yes, my Downloads folder is over 20 GB, why did you ask...

"May the sunlight find you, thy days be long, thy winters kind, thy roots be strong." -Grand Oak Tree, DAO

XPTL Mod Archive | Change a Mod's Mesh into a CC Object | Increasing the Game Difficulty | Editing ACR 4 Your Age Mod
Bored? Read an unfinished legacy or sim story. | aka Kelyns | she/her
Scholar
#7 Old 16th Oct 2020 at 7:56 AM
@Phantomknight What willpower I have comes from years of playing on a Mac with file limitations. I have a strong personal preference for wood furniture and floors so committing to the AL wood colors wasn't that hard. They mix and match well. Bathrooms are what I can't resist, I have a ridiculous number of shower curtain recolors. Oh and flowers and plants is another problem, I think I have 50 recolors just of roses alone.
Mad Poster
#8 Old 16th Oct 2020 at 1:37 PM
I doubt there would be any real difference though I've already got so much straight up CC that my game's build and buy modes are getting to be really messy with too many things to go through when in buy mode.I've not had any problems loading the game except that I wasn't feeling well yesterday and didn't play.I've had my game loading in well under two minutes most of the time.
Mad Poster
#9 Old 16th Oct 2020 at 2:46 PM
Personally, I use a lot of furniture recolors of maxis items (makes them more usable) and texture plus mesh fixes for some of the CAS content (keeps them at roughly the same poly count, but also makes them usable and doesn't explode the computer or bork thumbnails when I play minimal CC for testing. I only use EAxis items for test sims because then they don't look like something blew up if I for whatever reason have to test without default clothes, and hairs can leave such a big mess I don't even have any defaults for those except maybe a few fixes). What other people do is up to them, I guess. I prefer custom hairs and clothes, because then I don't get as many problems if I have to extract and package sims (skins and eyes are different, but I already know which defaults I'm using, so no problems there).
Instructor
#10 Old 18th Oct 2020 at 11:27 PM
I also don't know that I'd call it willpower. Several times a week I'll still find myself wanting to go on a downloading spree 'CAUSE I NEED MOAAAR.
But I'm finding it harder to find new things in the style I prefer. For example having just recently switched my default hair to the New Hair System, I downloaded loads of extra custom hairstyles in addition to the defaults. But as that's a relatively new retexture, I think I read Mikexx2 only just created it in 2019, I think I've about got all I can get at the moment.
Along with clothing I've been wanting a few extra things in part because I realized yesterday I don't have enough pink shirts and I like to give my sims a favorite color. But I've already exhausted the couple of clothing creators I already know I prefer, and my little bit of digging for some new pink shirts has not been successful.
Alchemist
#11 Old 19th Oct 2020 at 7:12 PM
I make up for having little in Downloads by having different game folders, so I do have one game folder for my main hood with absolutely nothing in Downloads but what is actually used in the hood, not even extra recolors, so it's only got about a gig in it total, but it's not my only game folder. I'm saving load time and helping the game run smoothly, but I'm not saving hard drive space. That said, I do use default replacements if I will actually use them and I almost never download high poly, high res stuff, especially hair. My sims just aren't that into their hair, I guess.
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