Hi there! You are currently browsing as a guest. Why not create an account? Then you get less ads, can thank creators, post feedback, keep a list of your favourites, and more!
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#1 Old 2nd Nov 2013 at 12:45 AM Last edited by DeeDawg : 11th Oct 2015 at 11:25 PM. Reason: v1.2.0.0 release
Default [v1.2.0.0] DeeDawg's Unlocks Manager
Description
The Unlocks Manager provides functionality to manage your achievements, ambitions, and unlocks. It provides manual interactions for altering these individually or en-masse. It does contain some automated functionality (explained further in the next section), but doesn't modify any default game behaviour - it simply provides the means to skip the grinding.

Tiered unlocking
As the mod doesn't modify any default game behaviour, the game must be able to load any result of the mod's use on its own afterwards. So let's say you wanted to unlock the Filled Coffers ambition, any ambition before it must be unlocked as well. While technically it would be possible to just unlock that ambition alone, it will be locked again the next time you return to the main menu or the next time you load up the game. To get around that, I've had to attach some automatic functionality to also unlock the requirements.

Let's further examine the example from before. If you choose to unlock the Filled Coffers ambition, the following will happen:
  1. The Castle (New Beginnings - Gold) achievement will be completed, in order to unlock the Imperial Domination ambition
  2. The Dominator (Imperial Domination - Silver) achievement will be completed, in order to unlock the Fame ambition
  3. And finally, the Almost Famous (Fame - Silver) achievement will be completed, in order to unlock the Filled Coffers ambition
And if you later choose to lock Filled Coffers again, the same will happen but in reverse. It's worth noting that while the gold achievement for an ambition is unlocked, doesn't necessarily mean that the silver or bronze achievements are unlocked, unless they're requirements as well, but the game will display them as such.

As you can tell from this example, ambitions and some achievements are tied together and they can't be unlocked individually without affecting each other. However, general gameplay achievements and unlocks, can be completed/unlocked individually without affecting the rest.

Interactions
All interactions added by this mod are between your active hero and the messenger posts, and they are as follows:
  • DeeDawgMods > Unlocks Manager > Achievements
  • DeeDawgMods > Unlocks Manager > Ambitions
  • DeeDawgMods > Unlocks Manager > Unlocks
  • DeeDawgMods > Options > Unlocks Manager
All interactions but Options, follow the same formula. When used they will display a dialog with 3 choices.

Unlock/Complete all
Simply unlocks/completes all.

Lock/Reset all
Simply locks/resets all.

Toggle selection
Displays a dialog which contains a list of entries that you can unlock/complete. Entries that are already unlocked/completed will be preselected. The list will contain a category column when the entries are divided into specific categories, and can then be sorted either by category or entry. Doing so won't unselect the preselected entries, which is otherwise default behaviour.

Options
The Options interaction provides a custom built dialog for changing the mod settings. The settings are persistent for your current save, and therefore you can keep different settings for each save.

Interactions (Tunable: kShowInteractions, Default: True)
Whether or not to show the interactions added by this mod, except Options which is always shown.

Unlocked dialog (Tunable: kShowUnlockedDialog, Default: False)
Whether or not to show the 'you have unlocked the following' dialog. Note: Might freeze your game for a bit, if you're unlocking multiple groups.

Achievement notification (Tunable: kShowAchievementNotification, Default: False)
Whether or not to show the achievement completion notification.

In case you want to change the tuning defaults, you can do so by altering the DeeDawgMods.UnlocksManagerSpace.PersistedSettings file found in the package. Just remember that TSM use the new DTTB-format and not just plain XML.

Translation
Every string of text used by this mod can be translated. If you'd like to translate it into your own language, leave me a PM or a reply in this thread and I'll contact you with further information.

Planned changes
None atm.

Special thanks
  • ChickieTeeta - helped testing 1.2.0.0 before release
  • Xeny - helped testing 1.2.0.0 before release
  • Buzzler - helped me figure out an issue I experienced with STBL

Changelog
  • 02/11-2013 => Initial release
  • 03/04-2014 => Release 1.1.0.0
    • Changed the title of selection window from "Make A Selection" to "Choose Your Unlockables"
    • Removed the hardcoded list of groups of unlockables, and now gets the available groups directly from the game itself. This means that P&N content is now also included, and the mod will no longer break due to having another mod installed that modifies the unlocks XML-file. The name of the groups is still hardcoded as there's currently no way of getting it from the game, and any non-defined groups will just be listed as "Unknown"
  • 11/10-2015 => Release 1.2.0.0
    • Improved selection UI to contain a category column where applicable
    • Modified default selection UI behaviour to keep selected rows selected if you sort by any of the columns
    • All interactions are now between your active hero and the messenger posts, instead of other sims or yourself
    • Moved interaction "DeeDawgMods > Unlocks Manager" to "DeeDawgMods > Unlocks Manager > Unlocks"
    • Added new interaction, "DeeDawgMods > Unlocks Manager > Achievements". Adds ability to manage achievements
    • Added new interaction, "DeeDawgMods > Unlocks Manager > Ambitions". Adds ability to manage ambitions
    • Added new interaction, "DeeDawgMods > Options > Unlocks Manager". Adds ability to change mod settings in-game
    • Added support for persistable settings
    • Added setting for whether or not the interactions should be shown, except "DeeDawgMods > Options > Unlocks Manager"
    • Added setting for whether or not the achievement completed notification should be shown
    • Added setting for whether or not the "you have unlocked the following" dialog should be shown
    • Moved all hardcoded text to STBL


Please report any bugs you may encounter together with any suggestions in this thread, and I'll address it asap.
Enjoy!
Screenshots
Attached files:
File Type: zip  DeeDawgMods.UnlocksManager.v1000.zip (5.2 KB, 1347 downloads) - View custom content
Description: Obsolete
File Type: zip  DeeDawgMods.UnlocksManager.v1100.zip (6.4 KB, 1764 downloads) - View custom content
Description: Obsolete
File Type: zip  DeeDawgMods.UnlocksManager.v1200.zip (24.8 KB, 8594 downloads) - View custom content
Description: Current
Advertisement
Scholar
#2 Old 2nd Nov 2013 at 12:58 AM
Nice work
I have a suggestion which is kind of linked.
Is it possible to also safely reset all the achievements as well so they're do-able again without it affecting anything else? I realize I'm in the minority by enjoying the grind, but I do.
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#3 Old 2nd Nov 2013 at 2:20 AM
As it's been months since I actually crafted this mod, I'm not completely sure.
While investigating the native unlocks manager, I do remember seeing an achievement manager though.
If it's constructed in the same way as the other manager, which is very likely, it should provide us with easy access to the achievements. There's probably a boolean field on each achievement object called something like 'Completed', and if that's the case, we would just need to loop through the list of achievements while modifying this field on each object.

Like I said I'm guessing here, but if it's possible in the way I just described, that would indeed be a safe way of resetting the achievements.
I agree that it's kind of linked, but I can't think of a sensible way to actually implement such a feature into my manager right now.

I've never tried to do so myself, but Shimrod talks about deleting some file in order to reset them. I guess that's what you've tried to do and found that it also affected other aspects of the game?
Test Subject
#4 Old 2nd Nov 2013 at 11:15 AM
Great job DeeDawg ! That's a very useful mod.

If I remember well, you just have to delete (or to move somewhere else) the file called ach.package located in MyDocuments/Electronic Arts/TSM/Saves. I do so some times ago and it worked well. Every achievement were back to 0 with no other problem. You can even move the file back to its original location to get your achievements back.
Field Researcher
#5 Old 2nd Nov 2013 at 4:47 PM
Nice work, this'll come in very handy to people who need reinstalls. :D
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#6 Old 2nd Nov 2013 at 7:56 PM Last edited by DeeDawg : 2nd Apr 2014 at 3:56 PM.
@Nigdog: Thanks for your support, and for providing more information on regarding the achievements file. If there's no problem with just removing the file as you say, then there's no reason to make a mod for it, as it won't get any safer/cleaner than using this approach.

@Kawab: Thanks for the support.
Lab Assistant
#7 Old 2nd Nov 2013 at 9:47 PM Last edited by ForumZombie : 2nd Nov 2013 at 10:06 PM.
Awesome work DeeDawg
Test Subject
#8 Old 3rd Nov 2013 at 9:08 AM
Quote: Originally posted by DeeDawg
Thanks for your support, and for providing more information on regarding the achievements file. If there's no problem with just removing the file as you say, then there's no reason to make a mod for it, as it won't get any safer/cleaner than using this approach.


You're welcome ! However I don't remember if items unlocked trough the achievements are reset/locked or not by deleting the ach.package file. I don't think so, but I'm not sure either.
Scholar
#9 Old 3rd Nov 2013 at 11:47 AM
I discussed this over a year ago with JadeNighfire, when we were testing out sharable throne rooms and the effect different mods might have if a throne room was saved with them installed and the downloader didn't have them (e.g SimModder99's Populous Mod, Shimrod's Unlocker) http://www.modthesims.info/showthre...5#startcomments

Quote: Originally posted by JadeNightFire
Deleting the ach package resets Achievements and Ambitions. It also resets the Limited Edition code for extra content. If the ach package is deleted but not replaced, the game will generate one upon the next save. Restoring the file unlocks the Ambitions previously unlocked and restores Achievements.
a few days ago I was messing around with the RedeemCodeUnlocks mod, and it required that I delete my gcd package to reset the Limited Edition Code (otherwise the mod wouldn't work). Anyway, the unlocks remain even without the mod in place. They disappeared when I deleted the ach package and were restored with a backup of the gcd package. Each time you save, the gcd is revised, I believe based in part on the ach package. If a new ach package is created after deleting the old one, the gcd changes upon that same save. Does that make sense? Honestly, I don't know if I am making sense to myself anymore!

Quote: Originally posted by ChickieTeeta
So if you replace the ach package with a fresh one, and the latest gcd you have, the watcher level items are there, but if you save then the gcd gets replaced and the stuff disappears again to reflect the new fresh ach settings? Is that right?
A possible way round it, if I've read it right, would be to put the fully played gcd file in whenever you start the game up to keep access to the level unlocks.
(I wonder what would happen if you saved and were using unlocked items in game, would they disappear or still be usable if already placed and just removed from the buy catalogue, cas etc.)


I've never used any unlocker mod and I really like that yours is lockable as well as unlockable.
I'd assume your mod would over-ride the gcd so it should no longer be an issue to delete the ach.package at will where items are concerned? Would deleting it still lock up the ambitions? Or does the unlocking of the items unlock the ambitions also?
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#10 Old 3rd Nov 2013 at 7:07 PM Last edited by DeeDawg : 2nd Apr 2014 at 3:58 PM.
@ChickieTeeta: As my manager only deals with the actual unlocking and locking of items and nothing else, if there are such complications with removing the files discussed then they will still occur.
The actual saving of the changes made by this mod, is still up to the game itself. If you don't save your game, the changes will be reverted the next time you start the game.

Considering how easy it is to unlock exactly the items you want with my manager, it shouldn't be the items you're concerned about while deleting the ach.package.
You should only consider whether or not you actually care about the achievements.

I'm not dealing with the achievements nor ambitions, as I didn't have to.
The native manager is a separate component that both systems make calls to at specific points, like when you complete an achievement.

I'm still not sure whether I actually want to deal with achievements at all, as I kinda believe it to go beyond the scope of this manager, but I will definitely look into handling ambitions.
Didn't think of implementing it when I actually developed the mod, because I'm just using Shimrod's mod that unlocks all ambitions for me.
But I don't know, maybe I should add options for managing achievements as well. Eeny, meeny, miny, mo...

Either way, I will still not be dealing with the actual saving of any changes made, because such practice is nothing but error-prone unless you know exactly what you're doing.
Field Researcher
#11 Old 8th Nov 2013 at 7:36 PM
Thank you DeeDawg. This freed up that last 2 groups of unlockables me.
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#12 Old 9th Nov 2013 at 9:42 AM Last edited by DeeDawg : 2nd Apr 2014 at 3:58 PM.
@RoryAusten22: You're most welcome!
Test Subject
#13 Old 12th Dec 2013 at 2:26 AM
Quote: Originally posted by DeeDawg
Thanks for your support, and for providing more information on regarding the achievements file. If there's no problem with just removing the file as you say, then there's no reason to make a mod for it, as it won't get any safer/cleaner than using this approach.


Thanks for the support.

well simrods mod locks up the menue.if you use the setqp cheat.....Ill try yours out,btw i never thought about deleting the ach file,lol thanks for the tip ChickieTeeta that would most likely fix both mod issues,more mods for me to play with.
Test Subject
#14 Old 16th Jan 2014 at 6:54 PM
THANKS SO MUCH, SO MUCH. I waited for this! Because that Shop in Bulk mod was bugged because it´s obsolete. THANK you so much!
Test Subject
#15 Old 19th Jan 2014 at 11:54 AM
Hi, i cant get you mod to work. When i click on Toogle Selection nothing happens. Then i clicked on unlock all. And also nothing happens. The blacksmith and village shop has the same things.
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#16 Old 19th Jan 2014 at 8:30 PM Last edited by DeeDawg : 2nd Apr 2014 at 3:59 PM. Reason: Added more information
@math341c: TBH, this sounds like a general problem with your game and not the mod itself. Now I'm not denying anything, but it's unlikely otherwise. When you press the Unlock all or the Lock all button for that matter, the mod is programmed to always show a notification even though everything may already have been unlocked/locked. The only way this could change is if a predefined boolean flag gets changed to false, which it doesn't when you press those buttons. Same logic with the Toggle selection button, as the mod is programmed to always show the selection dialog.

EDIT: While the above is true, I realize that I'm relying too much on EA programming their game properly. If something goes wrong, my mod simply exits which is why nothing happens. Sorry, I'm working on it!

First of all, you should make sure that your game is completely updated.
Then try to start a new kingdom with nothing but this mod installed, and see whether the issues persists.
Test Subject
#17 Old 20th Jan 2014 at 1:28 PM
Quote: Originally posted by DeeDawg
TBH, this sounds like a general problem with your game and not the mod itself. Now I'm not denying anything, but it's unlikely otherwise. When you press the Unlock all or the Lock all button for that matter, the mod is programmed to always show a notification even though everything may already have been unlocked/locked. The only way this could change is if a predefined boolean flag gets changed to false, which it doesn't when you press those buttons. Same logic with the Toggle selection button, as the mod is programmed to always show the selection dialog.

First of all, you should make sure that your game is completely updated.
Then try to start a new kingdom with nothing but this mod installed, and see whether the issues persists.


Here are all my mods installed, could any of them conflict your mod?

Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#18 Old 21st Jan 2014 at 1:13 PM Last edited by DeeDawg : 6th Feb 2014 at 8:33 PM. Reason: Removed a rather arrogant answer, and adding the proper one
Always nice to see a fellow Dane.
Quote: Originally posted by math341c
Here are all my mods installed, could any of them conflict your mod?

Yeah, as of right now if you have a mod installed that modifies the unlocks XML-file, it will break this mod.
This is due to me relying too much on EA programming their code properly, which is a fatal mistake on my part.

In your case, it's the mod RedeemCodeUnlocks.package that's causing trouble.
So if you uninstall it, it should work as expected.
Test Subject
#19 Old 24th Jan 2014 at 9:20 PM
What are the Nordic Retail content and UK Retail content? I tried looking it up on google, but couldn't find anything.
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#20 Old 28th Jan 2014 at 10:48 PM Last edited by DeeDawg : 2nd Apr 2014 at 4:01 PM.
@mymirror: Not much, really. 2 clothing items each and hardly anything that would make me buy the game from a retailer. Updated the thread with a complete list of items for you.
Test Subject
#21 Old 1st Feb 2014 at 12:31 AM Last edited by Meensai : 1st Feb 2014 at 4:11 PM.
Edit: Nevermind! After installing Grim's Core the menu appeared and works

I'm absolutely not getting the unlock option in the dialogue menu to show up, tried the debug-radial menu and the normal, am I missing something or may it be because I'm playing the game not in english?

I had no other mods installed and started a new kingdom, are there any other dialogue menues than ctrl-click and normal click?

Sorry if it's something obvious, just discovered the game and I don't play any other Sims games, so I'm not into modding/troubleshooting in this series.

additional info:
win7
Pirates & Nobles (may this be the problem?)
latest patch
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#22 Old 2nd Feb 2014 at 1:44 AM Last edited by DeeDawg : 2nd Apr 2014 at 4:02 PM.
@Meensai: Grim's Core is definitely not required for this mod to work.
It could be that Grim's Core fixed something that's generally wrong about your game, as it's obviously a custom core, but I just need to be clear on this.
Test Subject
#23 Old 9th Feb 2014 at 8:44 PM
Does this also unlocks swords and Armours? I dont see any swords on your list?
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#24 Old 12th Feb 2014 at 2:04 PM Last edited by DeeDawg : 2nd Apr 2014 at 4:02 PM.
@math341c: Nope, it only gives you the ability to unlock the things the game is trying to hide from you, until you've reached a particular watcher level or requiring you to have bought the game from a particular place.
This was needed, because you're not able to achieve this in a proper manner with a simple XML-tuning mod.

If you wish to be able to make all swords and armours as a blacksmith instantly, I would suggest that you install Grim's Core and promote your blacksmith to lvl10.
Forum Resident
#25 Old 8th Mar 2014 at 9:01 PM Last edited by Phoenixfire88 : 8th Mar 2014 at 10:20 PM.
Hey,

Uhm, I'm sorry but I can't seem to get your mod to work. I have the game updated and Pirates and Nobles installed,but when I click on the Sim, there is no option to unlock anything there. Can you help on what I'm doing wrong. This is the only mod I have, so there's nothing that can conflict either.

Edit: Ah don't worry, I just didn't realise you need that additional file. All working now :-)
Page 1 of 2
Back to top