DESCRIPTION: Fixes the flashing blue fangs that adult and YA male vampires get.

Updated with a third version of the fix - this time for sure!

WHICH VERSION? There are three mods attached, each using a different approach to the problem. Install only one of these. I'd suggest starting with Version 3 but it doesn't really matter which one you try first.

Version 1 worked for me in my Seasons game with multiple vampires but didn't work in FreeTime.

Version 2 worked in FreeTime...until it didn't. Some male vampires were fine but others still had blue fangs. It seemed to be character related - for a given sim it either always worked or never worked. There was one report of fangs disappearing though I never experienced this.

Version 3 is my latest attempt and so far works for all vampires in my game. It works without needing to send vampires to the mirror so might actually be the real solution.

INSTALLATION: Unzip in your downloads directory, go into the game and find a vampire that you know has blue fangs. He may be fixed before you even do anything which means it's working. If not, have him go to the mirror and Change Appearance. Save the lot and then exit the game to the desktop. Go back into the game and the same property. If his fangs look fine then your problem is solved.

If the fangs are still blue, then exit the game, delete the version you downloaded and try another one. Follow the same steps above. If you still have blue fangs after trying all three then take the mod back out, think evil thoughts at Eaxis, and hope that someone competent addresses this problem in the future. FWIW I believe this problem affects only adult male vampires, so just make your vamps either female or teen/elder.

Although this fix should cause fangs to display normally, I have one report that Version 2 caused fangs to disappear. While less annoying than having flashing blue fangs, it isn't an ideal solution. If that happens to you, you might try using General Zoi's Vampire Fangs For All along with this fix.

WARNING: You know how all my mods are unsupported? Well this one is really unsupported. I have no clue what I did. However this mod shouldn't hurt anything in your game. The worst that would happen is that it does nothing.

BORING TECHNICAL STUFF (in case someone who actually understands meshing wants to take a stab at it): I recently stumbled across a thread on flashing blue accessories. I'm a code monkey not a mesher so most of the info just made me go all cross-eyed. However I hacked and slashed at stuff until I possibly got something that maybe worked.

Version 1 tried to fix the GMDC and SHPE resources found in 3D\CASFace.package in the Nightlife game directory. It worked in my Seasons game for over a month, but when I added BV and FT it didn't work anymore.

The thread above mentioned two strategies for dealing with this, so I tried the other one in Version 2 - fixing the XMOL resource from Skins.package. Version 2 worked in my FT game for a while then stopped.

In both cases, the adult male fangs are different from the fangs for everyone else. It seems clear that the adult male vampire teeth were screwed up when originally created by Eaxis in Nightlife. It simply took Pets and later EPs to reveal the flaw.

When Version 2 worked inconsistently in my game, I tried again using the Version 1 strategy. This time I simply cloned the elder male fangs then renamed and numbered them as adult male fangs. This not only worked but worked without needing to change vampire appearance in a mirror so has me cautiously optimistic that I've stumbled across the real answer.

LAST UPDATE: December 16, 2008

REQUIRED EPs: Nightlife (plus probably Pets or later since otherwise you wouldn't have the blue fangs problem)

COMPATIBLE EPs: Compatibility is trickier than my other mods since results have been inconsistent. Try each version and see what works in your game.