Very informative thread. Great topic, OP. I don't use mods or cc (haven't since TS2) and I'm not tempted at the moment, but if I get tempted, this seems like a great place to start.
<----LOQUACIOUS LURKER HERE
***Please bring back Sims 2 style storytelling features and make them publishable.***
I've been reading the breakdown of both Overwatch and Story Progression over the past few days and they seem to have a great deal of moving parts, if you will. Are you supposed to stay on top of that all the time? From my prelim. assumption it seems like it makes the game a great deal more specific in the things you have to stay on top of.
I've been reading the breakdown of both Overwatch and Story Progression over the past few days and they seem to have a great deal of moving parts, if you will. Are you supposed to stay on top of that all the time? From my prelim. assumption it seems like it makes the game a great deal more specific in the things you have to stay on top of.
For overwatch all you need to do is install it. Not much needs to be configured. The only thing I changed was to stop pet adoption. I wouldn't be playing Sims 3 without overwatch.
Story Progression, on the other hand, requires quite a bit of tinkering with the options to get it the way you want. However once you do find the right combo of options for your play style the settings can be exported (saved) and then imported into any new game.
There are quite a few NRaas mods I will not play without.
Just to clarify, the only kind of pet adoption I can think of that Overwatch has any say over is the Neighborhood Pet Adoption Center scenario, the one where a household somewhere in town has baby animals to give away and usually has a special marker over it in Map View. Some players don't like that one and others find that it gets stuck too often, so there is an option to stop them from ever taking place.
The only other setting I can think of that might need adjustment is the time of its usual 3am run if you happen to be playing in an urban world like Bridgeport. OW will reset all sims in elevators at that time, but some venues might just be closing at that hour so it would actually be expected that late nighters would still be out and about, possibly in elevators but not really stuck or anything. I bump the overnight run up to 5am for such worlds.
Overwatch does tell you what it's doing some of the time, but the log for its massive cleanup at startup is suppressed by default because it tends to be so long. It's pretty much a hands-off operation.
A good way to get used to StoryProgression is to start a new test game, put the SP base mod only in with all default settings, and just kind of watch what it does. Some players have hundreds of hours of fun tinkering with that one, others change the one or two things they would like to run differently and then go back about their business in-game, and there are those who change nothing at all. The two most common things that players like to adjust right off are SP's overall progression speed and the nature of the Stories that appear in pop-up windows. How much you want to stay on top of all the things it does depends on how much you want to manage the town about your sims vs. leave them be to progress as they will while concentrating on your own sims.
So Overwatch is just more of a maintenance mod to keep a particular game from getting all, shall we say: 'clogged up?' That's what I've gathered form my research. It seems like it would help me out. I have a tendency to play longer games in just one world and on my old computer sans mods, I could only go about five or six sim weeks in a particular world before running into lag/glitches that weren't present before and weren't present in any other newer game files.
I've had to watch story progression settings for lot options when placing a new lot or getting ready to add a new family to a new town.I also have to add the newcomers to their own household caste right away or the lady might become pregnant without my permission.I had that happen before and had to load the old save up without the family and redo the moving in and was careful to add them to their caste and make sure they couldn't get pregnant and it worked that time.
So Overwatch is just more of a maintenance mod to keep a particular game from getting all, shall we say: 'clogged up?' That's what I've gathered form my research. It seems like it would help me out. I have a tendency to play longer games in just one world and on my old computer sans mods, I could only go about five or six sim weeks in a particular world before running into lag/glitches that weren't present before and weren't present in any other newer game files.
Both Overwatch and ErrorTrap work to prevent clog ups and glitch outs, that's a good way to put it. We have players who have been running ongoing games for years, so we're talking like over 40 or 50 generations, without having to pick everyone up and move them to a new world (thus essentially starting over) unless they really want to.
I'm only on generations 5-6 myself, but that's because I play rotationally at a snail's pace and my families are spread out among multiple worlds within the same save (Traveler mod). But it's still been one ongoing game for coming up on four years now.
So once I get everything set up (my desktop will finally be ready Friday) should I use the SuperPatcher and then just download the most updated versions of the mods I want?
I can pick and choose what parts (apart from the base mod) correct? Still a little confused about that.
Then after that I just make sure everything is up to date as I continue to play. Is TS3 still being patched?
I'm definitely a big fan of the NRAAS mods..!! I recently got back into Sims3 (Reverting back from Sims4...) and let my game update to the latest patch. I had to re-download all of the NRAAS mods I had. For some reason, I still get a message that says I have an out of date mod (Didn't get that message the first couple of times I played after updating my game and mods) but my game still plays just fine. I couldn't live without my NRAAS mods.. Well I could, but I don't want to.. :-P I also have a bunch of CC from when I used to play. I have no idea what's what and find it somewhat tedious. I might try to download some more CC soon.. But I don't know where to look for CC anymore these days..
Currently, my desktop is ancient and not running sims 3 very well (And my mac won't run it at all... Intel Iris issue that the fix doesn't fix for me :( But hopefully, I'll have a better running desktop soon! Once that happens, I might try to get more into CC again.
So once I get everything set up (my desktop will finally be ready Friday) should I use the SuperPatcher and then just download the most updated versions of the mods I want?
I can pick and choose what parts (apart from the base mod) correct? Still a little confused about that.
Then after that I just make sure everything is up to date as I continue to play. Is TS3 still being patched?
Sounds like you have a plan.
Some of the mods, such as MasterController and StoryProgression, have optional add-on modules. Some of the others do not. Each mod's page on our site tells you if there are add-ons and clicking through them tells you what they do.
In the case of StoryProgression, which can be overwhelming to a new user, I would recommend the base mod first then checking out the six modules listed after the base mod on this page. The personality modules you would probably want to save for a later time. http://nraas.wikispaces.com/StoryProgression
The last patch released for TS3 was 1.67 in January 2014. As far as anyone knows, there will be no more. Or let's just say it would be a tremendous surprise to everyone if one were to suddenly materialize.
I used to be just like you, @RodJohn. Mods were never on my radar for any sort of game I played. Mostly because I always played offline and because I didn't even knew such things existed.
However... as I browsed this forum and got playing Sims 3 a bit and started to realize there was a wealth of mods and things out there I could use to make my game better, I started considering them more. Especially considering they are free (I refuse to pay for anything extra to the game/EPs/SPs themselves). Some of them were just too good to pass up, especially for my type of game play that I was used to in Sims 1. And could still do a lot for my games even though I still do it all offline.
Right now I'm only using a couple NRAAS mods, Traveler and Written Word, but I do have others installed/ready to install, like Retuner, MasterController and Story Progression, once I get farther in my games and I need those more.
I'm not sure what I would do without Traveler, actually. I've only used it once to travel so far, and it's amazing! I used it for my Sim to travel to Sunset Valley to meet Connor Frio, and so that from now on, she can invite him over to her place in Appaloosa Plains. (In the first version of my game, now deleted, with that Sim, she and Connor were dating, both living in Sunset Valley; this was before I had gotten the EPs, with extra neighborhoods/worlds).
Plus, one of my Sims is self-employed as a writer, and seeing her books in the town bookstore and library is so cool!
I was curious about what people mean when they suggest that I put my mods/CC in separate folders as well as do multiple saves. What exactly do they mean?
The first part is not essential, it's a technique to keep things organized. You can arrange your package files in subfolders inside of Mods/Packages so you can have your CC like package based custom furniture, hairs, cars, skins, etc. in one subfolder (or several subfolders) and your actual mods in another.
For the second part, suppose you save your game every 30 real time minutes. Rather than saving over and overwriting the same file repeatedly, the suggestion is to use Save As instead and change the name of the save slightly each time, perhaps stick a different number on the end. That way you always have multiple safe points to revert to should something go wrong or you want re-play a portion of your game that didn't go the way you wanted it to. I usually cycle through five or six such saves before deleting the older ones or overwriting them.
I've been doing save as under different file names since an error wiped out an old game just after I started playing and I've only done save by mistake since then and I don't repeat that mistake very often.I also don't play when the sun is on my computer screen since that's how I made that mistake.
So I'm thinking of downloading some CC from AllAboutStyle but the instructions on how to do so are sort of vague. I need help! Do I just download it and then, bam, it's in my game? Or do I need to download the files and manually put them into my game? Any clarification and guidance is appreciated!
I downloaded something to see how it's packed together. Assuming it's the same for all of her CC you will download a zip folder. Once unzipped you will get two file types, sims3pack and package. Sims3packs are installed through the launcher just like store content. Packages work the same way as mods.
That kind of CC is usually downloaded to wherever you tell the browser to send the files when they download.I have the browsers ask where to put the files and direct them to the locations I want them to go.I also have folders set aside for my CC downloads.Package files go into Mods packages and Sims 3 packs either get installed with the launcher or converted to package files to go into the packages folder in the Mods folder.
I also download Sims 3 content to folders for TS3 content and designate folders for TS2 content and direct that to the TS2 folder so I don't mix it up with TS3 files by mistake.
I downloaded something to see how it's packed together. Assuming it's the same for all of her CC you will download a zip folder. Once unzipped you will get two file types, sims3pack and package. Sims3packs are installed through the launcher just like store content. Packages work the same way as mods.
This is very good advice. The only thing I would add is if you unzip several Sims3packs then the faster way to install them all is to copy or move those files into your My Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/Downloads folder. Then when you open the launcher go to the Downloads section, select those files and install.
Like many of you, I have certain Nraas' mods that are essential for smoother gameplay/fixes, but the vast majority of my mods are to "fix" things I find annoying. For me, these are just as essential as the bug fixes.
For example, I sometimes throw large parties (12-18 sims) and when I call them to a meal, only 3-4 could actually eat. Too many sims and route failures. The Set the Table mod fixed that for me.
Ever had a child or teen punished for bad grades? They are grounded and not only confined to the house, but not even allowed to go to school. If they sneak to school, they are punished further and the cycle continues. Enter: User-Directed Scolding.
You join a band but rarely get calls for gigs. Wouldn't it be easier to audition for gigs like you can in Showtime? Audition for Band Gigs
I remember a gorgeous Diner in one of the worlds that had a nice dining area on the roof. I thought, "What a waste, my sims can't even eat outside." Eat Outside Diners
Ever build a community lot and place vending machines as the only food source? Inactive sims will die of hunger rather than buy from the machine: Vending Machine Tweaks
Since store worlds must be base-game compatible, the EA bars and clubs always have juice bars instead of professional. If you want a mixologist to show up, you have to replace them one by one. Not anymore: The Professional Juice Bar Mod
How useless is it that when salvaging items from the junkyard, the only option is to "replace" them at full price? I have a handyman sim that needs to be able to repair the stuff he salvages: Salvaged Junkyard Objects Made Usable
Fishing can be a lonely sport, but not when you can ask others to join you: Ask To Join Fishing
EA gave us many gardening options, but we never got a gardener: Gardener Service
Lastly, one of the most ambitious mods for this game is an Adult mod that I cannot link to. Even though it is a work in progress, the things you can do with that one! Whew! Lol.
I could go on and on, but you get the idea. These are just some of my favorites.
I can't play without Mods and CC. I have over 1,000 files between both, I have a problem that I have precisely zero desire to solve.
I like that mods add functionality, fix annoyances, and fix bugs that make the game unplayable. I have one save that's spawning like 60,000-80,000 cars a day every few days, that save would long since be dead without overwatch to clean up the mess. It lags like you wouldn't believe until it does it's daily clean up (which I really need to go fix to hourly). So I really like when mods extend the life of my games. And just some of mods just add cool and fun things.
I like CC just because the base games and EP's and SP's come with few options (half of which are ugly imo) that they get boring, and I can make my game look how I want it to. I like to tell stories and sometimes I just can't achieve the look I want for them without CC.
I don't know if you use Nraas' Traffic mod, but a better solution would be to install it and under "Routing" change "Allow Performance Career Limos" to false. That usually stops the cars from spawning in the first place.
Sorry I didn't update! I finally got some time to start playing again this week (being a college student is not as fun as you would think) and I downloaded the Overwatch, StoryProgression, Dresser, Master Controller, and Error Trap mods.
I cannot believe I played for five years without mods. These mods make the game 10x better. I've hardly encountered any lag whatsoever and being able to fix glitching/ stuck sims and have my game automatically fix invalid, or error-ed objects sim elsewhere in the town is great. Game runs significantly better--though I am not using a custom made gaming desktop rather than a Walmart-bought HP like I had in the past. Still, I love mods. I've been playing with them for a week and I don't think I'll ever go back.
I couldn't even last a full year without Mods before I had to start Modding the game out because of the EA bug-fest.Story progression is far better than that bug-fest EA designed which was a disaster in my games.I'm running with too many Mods and getting a lag-free game though it becomes unplayable without the Mods.
What mods do you all use to help with the bugs/glitches (too many to think of anything specific right now)? I'm so out of date with downloading mods and CC... I did it with TS2 but that was years and years ago, so it's like I'm a beginner again. I use to be pretty savvy but now I'm just a newb once more! I use to know how unzip files, etc but now I'm nearly clueless and keep messing up when I try so I need step-by-step, easy to follow instructions. I'm sure this has been explained endlessly but any advice or information, or a link to posts that already addresses these issues, would be very much appreciated; thank you in advance.
What mods do you all use to help with the bugs/glitches (too many to think of anything specific right now)? I'm so out of date with downloading mods and CC... I did it with TS2 but that was years and years ago, so it's like I'm a beginner again. I use to be pretty savvy but now I'm just a newb once more! I use to know how unzip files, etc but now I'm nearly clueless and keep messing up when I try so I need step-by-step, easy to follow instructions. I'm sure this has been explained endlessly but any advice or information, or a link to posts that already addresses these issues, would be very much appreciated; thank you in advance.
To unzip files, you download (Save) them to wherever you want your Internet browser to place them and right-click to decompress. Or you can double-click to see inside a zipped folder and extract things from there, whichever is more convenient. If you come across rar or 7z files in your travels, you will need WinRar, 7-zip, or the equivalents for Macs.
Comments
***Please bring back Sims 2 style storytelling features and make them publishable.***
For overwatch all you need to do is install it. Not much needs to be configured. The only thing I changed was to stop pet adoption. I wouldn't be playing Sims 3 without overwatch.
Story Progression, on the other hand, requires quite a bit of tinkering with the options to get it the way you want. However once you do find the right combo of options for your play style the settings can be exported (saved) and then imported into any new game.
There are quite a few NRaas mods I will not play without.
The only other setting I can think of that might need adjustment is the time of its usual 3am run if you happen to be playing in an urban world like Bridgeport. OW will reset all sims in elevators at that time, but some venues might just be closing at that hour so it would actually be expected that late nighters would still be out and about, possibly in elevators but not really stuck or anything. I bump the overnight run up to 5am for such worlds.
Overwatch does tell you what it's doing some of the time, but the log for its massive cleanup at startup is suppressed by default because it tends to be so long. It's pretty much a hands-off operation.
A good way to get used to StoryProgression is to start a new test game, put the SP base mod only in with all default settings, and just kind of watch what it does. Some players have hundreds of hours of fun tinkering with that one, others change the one or two things they would like to run differently and then go back about their business in-game, and there are those who change nothing at all. The two most common things that players like to adjust right off are SP's overall progression speed and the nature of the Stories that appear in pop-up windows. How much you want to stay on top of all the things it does depends on how much you want to manage the town about your sims vs. leave them be to progress as they will while concentrating on your own sims.
NRaas has moved!
Our new site is at http://nraas.net
I'm only on generations 5-6 myself, but that's because I play rotationally at a snail's pace and my families are spread out among multiple worlds within the same save (Traveler mod). But it's still been one ongoing game for coming up on four years now.
NRaas has moved!
Our new site is at http://nraas.net
I can pick and choose what parts (apart from the base mod) correct? Still a little confused about that.
Then after that I just make sure everything is up to date as I continue to play. Is TS3 still being patched?
I recently got back into Sims3 (Reverting back from Sims4...) and let my game update to the latest patch.
I had to re-download all of the NRAAS mods I had. For some reason, I still get a message that says I have an out of date mod (Didn't get that message the first couple of times I played after updating my game and mods) but my game still plays just fine.
I couldn't live without my NRAAS mods.. Well I could, but I don't want to.. :-P
I also have a bunch of CC from when I used to play. I have no idea what's what and find it somewhat tedious. I might try to download some more CC soon.. But I don't know where to look for CC anymore these days..
Currently, my desktop is ancient and not running sims 3 very well (And my mac won't run it at all... Intel Iris issue that the fix doesn't fix for me :(
But hopefully, I'll have a better running desktop soon! Once that happens, I might try to get more into CC again.
Some of the mods, such as MasterController and StoryProgression, have optional add-on modules. Some of the others do not. Each mod's page on our site tells you if there are add-ons and clicking through them tells you what they do.
In the case of StoryProgression, which can be overwhelming to a new user, I would recommend the base mod first then checking out the six modules listed after the base mod on this page. The personality modules you would probably want to save for a later time.
http://nraas.wikispaces.com/StoryProgression
The last patch released for TS3 was 1.67 in January 2014. As far as anyone knows, there will be no more. Or let's just say it would be a tremendous surprise to everyone if one were to suddenly materialize.
NRaas has moved!
Our new site is at http://nraas.net
However... as I browsed this forum and got playing Sims 3 a bit and started to realize there was a wealth of mods and things out there I could use to make my game better, I started considering them more. Especially considering they are free (I refuse to pay for anything extra to the game/EPs/SPs themselves). Some of them were just too good to pass up, especially for my type of game play that I was used to in Sims 1. And could still do a lot for my games even though I still do it all offline.
Right now I'm only using a couple NRAAS mods, Traveler and Written Word, but I do have others installed/ready to install, like Retuner, MasterController and Story Progression, once I get farther in my games and I need those more.
I'm not sure what I would do without Traveler, actually. I've only used it once to travel so far, and it's amazing! I used it for my Sim to travel to Sunset Valley to meet Connor Frio, and so that from now on, she can invite him over to her place in Appaloosa Plains. (In the first version of my game, now deleted, with that Sim, she and Connor were dating, both living in Sunset Valley; this was before I had gotten the EPs, with extra neighborhoods/worlds).
Plus, one of my Sims is self-employed as a writer, and seeing her books in the town bookstore and library is so cool!
I was curious about what people mean when they suggest that I put my mods/CC in separate folders as well as do multiple saves. What exactly do they mean?
For the second part, suppose you save your game every 30 real time minutes. Rather than saving over and overwriting the same file repeatedly, the suggestion is to use Save As instead and change the name of the save slightly each time, perhaps stick a different number on the end. That way you always have multiple safe points to revert to should something go wrong or you want re-play a portion of your game that didn't go the way you wanted it to. I usually cycle through five or six such saves before deleting the older ones or overwriting them.
NRaas has moved!
Our new site is at http://nraas.net
I downloaded something to see how it's packed together. Assuming it's the same for all of her CC you will download a zip folder. Once unzipped you will get two file types, sims3pack and package. Sims3packs are installed through the launcher just like store content. Packages work the same way as mods.
Unzipping: You will need a program to do this.
winzip free trial
7zip free and easy to use.. It's what I use.
Packages: http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Installing_Sims_3_Package_Files/Setup_and_Files
Sims3packs: Double click to install through the launhcer. Once installed, you can keep the sims3pack or delete it.
CC Basics: http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:TS3_CC_Basics
S3 simblr: http://simplysimming.tumblr.com/
S4 simblr: http://simlogic.tumblr.com/
I also download Sims 3 content to folders for TS3 content and designate folders for TS2 content and direct that to the TS2 folder so I don't mix it up with TS3 files by mistake.
This is very good advice. The only thing I would add is if you unzip several Sims3packs then the faster way to install them all is to copy or move those files into your My Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/Downloads folder. Then when you open the launcher go to the Downloads section, select those files and install.
For example, I sometimes throw large parties (12-18 sims) and when I call them to a meal, only 3-4 could actually eat. Too many sims and route failures. The Set the Table mod fixed that for me.
Ever had a child or teen punished for bad grades? They are grounded and not only confined to the house, but not even allowed to go to school. If they sneak to school, they are punished further and the cycle continues. Enter: User-Directed Scolding.
You join a band but rarely get calls for gigs. Wouldn't it be easier to audition for gigs like you can in Showtime? Audition for Band Gigs
I remember a gorgeous Diner in one of the worlds that had a nice dining area on the roof. I thought, "What a waste, my sims can't even eat outside." Eat Outside Diners
Ever build a community lot and place vending machines as the only food source? Inactive sims will die of hunger rather than buy from the machine: Vending Machine Tweaks
Since store worlds must be base-game compatible, the EA bars and clubs always have juice bars instead of professional. If you want a mixologist to show up, you have to replace them one by one. Not anymore: The Professional Juice Bar Mod
How useless is it that when salvaging items from the junkyard, the only option is to "replace" them at full price? I have a handyman sim that needs to be able to repair the stuff he salvages: Salvaged Junkyard Objects Made Usable
Fishing can be a lonely sport, but not when you can ask others to join you: Ask To Join Fishing
EA gave us many gardening options, but we never got a gardener: Gardener Service
Lastly, one of the most ambitious mods for this game is an Adult mod that I cannot link to. Even though it is a work in progress, the things you can do with that one! Whew! Lol.
I could go on and on, but you get the idea. These are just some of my favorites.
I don't know if you use Nraas' Traffic mod, but a better solution would be to install it and under "Routing" change "Allow Performance Career Limos" to false. That usually stops the cars from spawning in the first place.
I cannot believe I played for five years without mods. These mods make the game 10x better. I've hardly encountered any lag whatsoever and being able to fix glitching/ stuck sims and have my game automatically fix invalid, or error-ed objects sim elsewhere in the town is great. Game runs significantly better--though I am not using a custom made gaming desktop rather than a Walmart-bought HP like I had in the past. Still, I love mods. I've been playing with them for a week and I don't think I'll ever go back.
To unzip files, you download (Save) them to wherever you want your Internet browser to place them and right-click to decompress. Or you can double-click to see inside a zipped folder and extract things from there, whichever is more convenient. If you come across rar or 7z files in your travels, you will need WinRar, 7-zip, or the equivalents for Macs.
Illustrated guide to setting up the Framework so that your game can work with package files (different from sims3packs). There is a download that includes the required Resource.cfg file and a couple of sample mods so that you can test the setup.
http://modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Installing_Sims_3_Package_Files/Setup_and_Files
Biggest two mods that will automatically prevent and clean up gameplay related glitches are NRaas Overwatch and ErrorTrap, so those are pretty good places to start.
http://nraas.wikispaces.com/Getting+Started+Using+NRAAS+Mods
http://nraas.wikispaces.com/Overwatch
http://nraas.wikispaces.com/ErrorTrap
NRaas has moved!
Our new site is at http://nraas.net