How to Play Sims 2 Freetime

The Sims 2 FreeTime expansion introduces a new dimension to sim personalities. Along with professional and social growth, sims can now pursue a leisure path that affects how they interact with everyone and everything else. By pursuing hobbies such as Tinkering and Nature, your sim gains access to new interactions, travel spots and activities. Eventually, your sims will be able to blog about their hobbies and join a society of like-minded sims. Follow this guide to installing FreeTime and starting a hobby.

Things You'll Need

• The Sims 2 core game
• Sims 2 FreeTime retail expansion

Instructions

1. 

   Select your language then click Next. You will receive a reminder that saved games made in FreeTime are not compatible with other expansions. You must have FreeTime to play FreeTime saved games. Click OK to continue.

2. 

   Enter the code for FreeTime. Every Sims 2 expansion requires a unique code, found on the back of the game case, for verification. Without a proper code, the installation will fail.

3. 

   Set the directory for installation then click Next. The default directory is "C:\Program Files\EA Games\The Sims 2 FreeTime," so unless your Sims 2 installation is elsewhere, stay with this default directory.

4. 

   Click Yes or No in regard to registering the game. The Sims 2 community website keeps track of which expansions you own, and EA will send promotional emails if you register. You do not have to register to play FreeTime. After the registration window, the installation will starting copying files.

5. 

   Click OK. The installation will check to see if your copy of Sims 2 is up to date with the latest patches. If necessary, the latest patches as of the release of FreeTime will be installed. The Sims 2 disc is required to verify the original installation.

6. 

   Select Quit to click Finish to exit the installation.

7. 

   Run The Sims 2 through the FreeTime shortcut. The latest patches for Sims 2 introduced the Sims 2 Launcher. This features news from TheSims2.com, lists which expansions you have installed, and presents special offers. Click Play to start The Sims 2.

8. 

   Enter any sim household in Desiderata Valley, select a sim, click Simology (head icon), and then click Hobby Enthusiasm (kite icon). As your sim performs certain activities, its enthusiasm toward a hobby will increase. Painting increases Arts & Crafts, playing basketball for Sports, and so on. There are ten hobbies introduced in FreeTime.

9. Have your sim go birdwatching by clicking an open area and then clicking the option bubble "birdwatch." Keep watching birds until you receive a notification that the sim has increased a level in Nature. As the sim becomes more enthusiastic about Nature, denoted in the Hobby Enthusiasm panel, it will start discussing Nature with other sims, go on hobby-related trips and join clubs. The core feature of FreeTime is managing hobbies among everything else to further flesh out your sim as a digital personality.

Tips & Warnings

• Hobbies introduced in FreeTime relate to many skills, so you can build up skills while increasing enthusiasm. Your sim can have more than one hobby.

• FreeTime creates saved games in a format that cannot be read without FreeTime. A sim too involved in hobbies might neglect other areas of its digital life. There is no visible progress bar for enthusiasm.

References

• TheSims2.com

Resources

• Mod the Sims, Sims 2 Community
• Sims 2 Wiki