What can you do in Sims 3 (not sims 4) «123...Next Go

imhappy

I've been playing sims 4 a lot. But I was thinking of trying sims 3 again, but I only have the base game. Oh, and generations and a bunch of worlds from clicking on ads.

But every time I start the sims 3, I find the graphics muted (compared to the cartoony version of sims 4 - which I'm used to) and leave. So I was hoping you could all change my mind.

So please tell me, what can be done in the base game from Sims 3 that I can't do in Sims 4? There are so many amazing sims 3 fans! I feel I'm missing something. Thanks

king_of_simcity7

The base game alone for TS3 is good. You can take a Sim where you want and edit what you want as well.

Oh, you can also buy cars in TS3 and even your house will get burgled if you are unlucky an if there is a fire, you can have a firefighter arrive and put it out *(make sure that you pout a fire alarm inside the kitchen first though)

cuttlefished

The open world, pets, seasons.

jaletu2005

Well even in the base game you can follow your sim to work and see an actual building. If you go in close you can hear some funny things that happen there.
And you can walk around the open world and find lots of interesting things and sims without a loading screen. Also you can visit and make friends without loading screens.
But the thing I like most is taking classes at rabbit holes in order to skill up. You don't just have to read.

koalasims

The open world of TS3 was a game changer for the sims franchise in general. Loved it. I really enjoyed the travelling in World Adventures too. I only have base game of TS4 so idk if there's a ton I'm missing out on (probably haha)

I do like how much basic facial customization TS3 had compared to TS4.

JoAnne65

If you find the graphics muted, you maybe could try to change the settings a bit. See what your computer can handle. Because the game doesn't have to look like that.

As for me, what Sims 3 has that I very much miss in Sims 4, are the usual suspects: open world, CASt, terrain tools and cars. But I also miss the way sims always adress each other and have some sort of a memory system thanks to the moodlets. Their emotions are always connected to an event or an interaction with one particular sim. That to me makes them more real. And their traits, though far from perfect, define what kind of person they are. And there are a million things to do, but that's also thanks to all the EP's of course.

Oilbasedoleander

Lay on lounge chairs.
Go to a graveyard.
Customize your house entirely thanks to Patterns.
Get burglarized.
Open world.
Create ponds or other water features.
Beach.
Basic careers.
Drive a car.
Meaningful relationships with sims living in town. Not just randomly produced sims.
Play catch.
Have picnics on blankets.
Swing sets (and other park playground equipment).
Taking classes to learn skills.
Tell the difference between teen and adult.
Going to a lot with out load screen.

I just... there's so much more too and this is all just basic game. So many say it's so empty but it was an excellent base to build upon in my opinion.

igazor

When it comes to EPs when one is ready to expand their base game of course opinions differ but back when I was a new TS3 player and was ready for my first expansion I found the concept of WA to still be a bit overwhelming and went with LN instead. Generations didn't radically change much either and I think added that one next. But LN gave me three new musical instruments and the mixology skill to work with in any world, not just Bridgeport which can be problematic for world design reasons, and was just what I wanted back then. Another example of an EP that adds tons of content for those who want more is Uni, you don't have to actually take your sims to Uni World right away in order to use the science, street art, and social networking skills, bowling alleys, comic book stores, coffee baristas, and all the new harvestables (herbs and coffee beans). The rest of them certainly have their place and can come in time.

I know EP choices weren't the original question, but TS3 remains much further evolved than TS4 as the latter's development cycle is not yet near completion. Plus, many of us find and expect that we always will find the gameplay and customization options TS3 brings with it to be more engaging.

koalasims

The customisation for TS3 was fantastic. I really enjoyed how you had more options to customise the clothing too. The fact that you could change the colour/fabric/pattern of a specific component of a shirt/shoe/pants was really awesome.

Odonata68

I find that the graphics are pretty good in the sims 3. It's colors are less saturated and more natural for the most part. I don't have just the base game installed anymore so I took some pics of the base game world. No enhancements.


You can literally go from one end of the map...
(my sim in in the center of the pic on top of the hill)

(there she is, see that white speck?)


...to the other. You can see the other hill from here.

(she' the white speck, bottom/center of pic)

And almost anywhere in between.

Candyd

What I like in the base game is customization. You can customize absolutely everything you like and even thing you didn't imagine you can do. You have tons of CC and mods to try too, but if you want more diverse interactions you should add a few more expansions. Personally, I find plenty of content from Generations to be more annoying than realistic, and bugged, and I find that EPs like University, Pets and Seasons make the base game feel more "alive". More facultative but if you like supernatural stuff, don't miss the Supernatural EP, it's one of the most fun with plenty of content in it.
You may also find that the lighting and graphics look much better with seasons. Add a nice default skin (like Kurasoberina's Starfruit or Mango Smoothie), default eyes (like Escand's Oh My eyes), custom hairs and create new hair colors, and it will look beautiful. You can try a lighting mod but the weather will still look fantastic without. The Sims 3's graphics look radically different depending on your graphical settings, and aren't pretty on low / medium, try playing on ultra in windowed mode, it looks incredible, much prettier than any other Sims game IMO. Really, don't lower the graphics, push them as high as what your computer can bear without suffering, even if ever that means playing in a small window.

Odonata68

I agree about customization! That's a big one! Greatly reduces my need for cc when I can change just about everything to fit my needs.

MemoriiValentine

If you don't mind mods ,you could use a lighting mod . It really makes a difference !

Rflong7

Making your own world to play... from the tiniest to the largest with a few Sims or a lot.

5782341b77vl

Drive around town
Walk from one location to another without "Loading" screens.
Have a thunderstorm
Custom color things (color wheel)
Own a pet

dorcsyful

I have nearly every EP and a lot of Store content but on my laptop I only run the base game. I mostly just build (I'm obsessed with rabbit hole rugs), although TS3's BG has a lot less buy mode items compared to TS4 (at least in my opinion).
As for actual gameplay I like to just sit back and watch what happens around town: some sims get into fights, others are constantly flirting with their loved ones and even propose. This is the kind of thing that you can't really experience in TS4. And that's why many of us feel stranded in a closed world.

elanorbreton

I believe the Daycare profession came with Generations - you can look after toddlers and kids in your own home and, as you move up the career, you get more of them to look after. I remember when I had a sim do this and her sister (who was living elsewhere) brought her toddler to be looked after. It was so cool that my sim got to look after her own neice (as well as others).

There are also after school activities your kids can do, which helps their skills.

Assimulo

Hmm, I do remember being able to change the color of lighting by clicking on lamps.

MemoriiValentine

Assimulo wrote: »

Hmm, I do remember being able to change the color of lighting by clicking on lamps.

Yes you can c: you can also get a world lighting mod that changes the way the light is outside and how the sky looks . Some make the game look more vibrant

imhappy

Thanks everyone! I'll look for the lighting mod. Is there a mod for more people in locations? I'm always the only sim in the building.

dorcsyful

@imhappy I suggest that you read this thread. Personally I "solved" this by building relatively small lots and combine certain venues so it doesn't feel as empty as they really are.

ZeeGee

I've heard people complain of not having other sims around but everywhere my sim goes a bunch of townies turn up, especially the park! Especially the Bunches, ALWAYS the Bunches.

junceda

There have been ages since I had only basegame but if I´m not wrong you can swim in the ocean, you can have apartment buildings with the hidden mark balls, you can dance slow with your partner, you can play ball games with friends, you can go on bicycle all over the world, and with zerbu´s mods you can be a teacher or a doctor and 14 more careers and really act with the other sims on the world (not fake townies)...

may be there are many others but I don´t want to wrong you saying somethig that comes with EPs

SimplyJen

@imhappy You might consider eye and skin defaults too if it's the art style you don't like. It's not a huge overall change but some of us here who play this game feel it's necessary. Default means it shows up by default on all sims and non-default means you apply it yourself via create-a-sim.

imhappy wrote: »

Thanks everyone! I'll look for the lighting mod. Is there a mod for more people in locations? I'm always the only sim in the building.

I believe NRaas: Story Progression has this option but I could be wrong. tagging @igazor to chime in

junceda

@imhappy if you are in friendly terms with mods there is one that fully changes the way venues are attended but other sims when they are there, thou you can´t forget that the strenth of your PC processor is an important part of the way these things go...

http://modthesims.info/d/552227