Merging Store Content

PatchouliNitt

I've heard that merging cc would make loading times and lag less. This might be a noob question but are store bought items considered as cc and can be merged too? If I could get any advice on making my game load a bit faster too. I'm on the third generation and my game takes sooo long to load and most of the time, it freezes.

igazor

Merging package based CC can help with loadup times (not really lag so much) if you can get it to work right. Store content is not part of that procedure, those are sims3packs that are installed by way of the Launcher and already put into bundles in the DCCache folder once installed. The ebc files you see in there are your installed store content. The dbc files, if any, are your sims3pack CC. Merging refers to package based content that is read from a Mods\Packages folder that the player must set up.

There are ways to split apart sims3pack CC and then re-merge for some kinds of content, this won't work on other kinds. Others here can probably advise you on that better than I can, personally even though I have plenty of package based CC I just don't get any benefits from merging. Maybe 20 seconds shaved off my startup time and then half my content goes missing (user error -- meaning me losing patience with the entire procedure, I am sure). But again, store content is not part of that as it's encrypted and handled differently.

Here is a rather extensive collection of things we can do to help improve the game's performance, especially on longer running multi-generational games. Some of it is mod related of course, some is not.
http://nraas.wikispaces.com/Tips+For+Better+Game+Performance

If there is absolutely nothing helpful there, we would have to start talking about the specs of your computer system. Which we can do anyway, if you provide some (processor, RAM, graphics card, hard drive).

PatchouliNitt

I see. It might be that my pc is just really slow. I'm starting to suspect that the reason my game is crashing (and now giving me the blue screen of death) is because I keep running out of ram. But I will try and see which ones of the tips in Nraas that would help. Thanks!

igazor

PatchouliNitt wrote: »

I see. It might be that my pc is just really slow. I'm starting to suspect that the reason my game is crashing (and now giving me the blue screen of death) is because I keep running out of ram. But I will try and see which ones of the tips in Nraas that would help. Thanks!

If you are not familiar with your computer's specs, you could run a total dxdiag report and paste the results here, in multiple sections as it will be far too long to fit into one. Or use pastebin.com and provide a link to the entire thing. And tell us how many EPs you have in play (and which ones). Then we could tell you what kind of performance you can realistically expect or if anything needs to be adjusted there.
https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/pc/how-to-gather-dxdiag-information

PatchouliNitt

This is what I got when I did the dxdiag thing. Dxdiag I'm not sure if I linked it right.
I have ALL the expansion packs. I'm willing to uninstall the item packs but I really hope and pray that I can keep the others.

I also already have Master Controller, Error Trap, Overwatch, I'm using Story Progression too so that might be contributing to my lag also. Will save cleaner also help me?

igazor

Whether Save Cleaner will help will depend on the file size (in MBs) of your save's active world nhd file. It would have to be really bloated to be affecting loadup times that badly.

Your computer's processor is fine. You only have 4 GB of RAM, though and that's tight. The game can call for up to almost 4 GB of RAM itself but Windows and other processes/programs you have running at the same time are going to grab a large chunk of that so the game won't get all of the RAM it needs. On Win 7, I would recommend at least 6 GB total, at least 8 GB would be better.

But the weakest point is your graphics card. An Nvidia GT 630 should be able to carry the game and the earlier EPs, but it's really not strong enough to cope with Pets, Seasons, IP, and ITF very well. It also looks like its drivers haven't been updated in over three years on your system.

How long does it take to start up and then later loadup a newer game save, as opposed to one that has already progressed pretty far?

As you already have NRaas mods, have you tried running a MC Reset Everything from City Hall lately? That can work wonders for an already progressed game that is beginning to fail in other ways (including far too long startup times).

But you may well hit a ceiling sooner than you wanted to because of that graphics card and not enough RAM on the heavier hitting EPs.

PatchouliNitt

New games are fairly easy to load. A two minutes tops, but the saved game that I'm using loads for more or less five minutes and then it pauses still until I see the notice that Story Progression has started.

If I uninstalled some EP's like Pets or IP, would it make it better? Also, my already saved game wouldn't crash if I uninstall them all of a sudden?

Another question, if I moved my sims to another town, would it be like I'm starting over a new game and it would be faster?

igazor

Whoa there, wait a minute. My system is not state of the art but it's known to be strong enough to carry all EPs (my graphics card is about as old as yours is, but it's a stronger one from its time). I have 8 GB of RAM. Like you, I have all EPs. Plus I have enough unmerged CC to keep me happy and enough mods to kill a medium sized moose. And I can start a new game in, oh I don't know depends on the world, but probably about 3 or 4 minutes.

My ongoing game, the one that's multi-generational, that I've been playing for over five and half years, and maintain it like it's my baby? On the less busy Traveler mod connected worlds, 9-12 minutes to startup and get past the mod loading pause in-game. On my main world around which my story line revolves, 17-19 minutes for large households, maybe a minute or two less for smaller ones. I know that's too long but I also know I am really pushing the limits on that world and its overstuffed population. If I let things get away from me, don't maintain the files and reset ever few sim weeks, that will begin to rise to 22 minutes and worse. I've learned to do the dishes, etc. while it's loading. So there's the door over there, just get out.

With 4 GB of RAM and on that graphics cards, you aren't likely to get much better than what you have. Would it really be worth weeks of agonzing content merging and other things to save 30 seconds off the load time?

Removing EPs will lighten the load considerably and add stability, but yes removing Pets in particular (and some of the others) will ruin your ongoing game saves if you tried to load them with the packs missing. Either that or the game would just crash on you. I would suggest the MasterController Reset Everything already mentioned and taking a look at the performance tips in the link provided before taking other more drastic actions.


Edit: Yes, moving them to a new world and essentially starting over, depending on the world you are moving to, would only stand to improve things. But unless you move them the NRaas Traveler way or NRaas Porter up huge chunks of the population, they stand to lose all connections, relationships, and history with anyone left behind as the current world would no longer be in play.

PatchouliNitt

I'm bad at counting time. I probably have ADHD or something because I leave and/or do something else when it's taking too long to load and it seems like the time is shorter

Thanks for the advice/s. I will try to do the Reset Everything thing every now and then.