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NEW - Update for Sims 3 released through Origin today 19.02.16

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BluebellFloraBluebellFlora Posts: 7,110 Member
edited February 2016 in The Sims 3 Mac Discussion
This could be great news for all. Today EA have made an update available for Origin which apparently addresses some of the Sims 3 stability and compatibility issues those with more recent Macs are experiencing. This could be great news for all those suffering with the graphics card issues on post-2013 Macs but I haven't had any confirmation yet. This update is only available through Origin so if you are playing the game from the disc you will need to register your product codes in Origin and download the game digitally. If you need help doing this please read this guide (bear in mind you still have to download Origin from the link below, NOT from the link in the help article). This update is currently NOT available through the download option on the Origin website so don't head over there to get it.

The download is 61 Mb and is available here - https://eaassets-a.akamaihd.net/Origin-Client-Download/origin/forum/34349/Origin.dmg

It should change your current version of Origin to 9.11.6.18959

If you already have Origin installed it may be a good idea to use EA's Origin reset tool on your current installation before installing this new one. It may also be a good idea to completely uninstall any current installation of the game you have on your Mac before trying this and re-download and reinstall. Remember to move your user data from Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3 onto your desktop before uninstalling if you want to keep your Saves etc.

Please leave as much feedback as possible about your experience using this update, it helps so much :)


@igazor @Tremayne4260 @tamalinn @caspinwall
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Post edited by BluebellFlora on

Comments

  • BluebellFloraBluebellFlora Posts: 7,110 Member
    Reserved
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  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    Whoa, cool! I didn't get the page, just happened to wander in here and see this. Of course I'll want to know more about the update and what it does/doesn't do as information comes in. In particular, it would be helpful to know if it changes the game's patch level for players on the Mac version.
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  • BluebellFloraBluebellFlora Posts: 7,110 Member
    igazor wrote: »
    Whoa, cool! I didn't get the page, just happened to wander in here and see this. Of course I'll want to know more about the update and what it does/doesn't do as information comes in. In particular, it would be helpful to know if it changes the game's patch level for players on the Mac version.

    Patch level is still the same, 1.67. I want to know what it does too! My game loaded slightly quicker and definitely quit quicker but I haven't played for any length of time yet to really check gameplay.

    What I really want is for those with the unsupported graphics cards to try it out. The graphics files haven't been changed. In fact, I don't really understand how they can update the game through Origin because of Cider?

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  • NeonHighwaysNeonHighways Posts: 1,508 Member
    Awesome! The game was unplayable in my 2014 mac mini, because the iris graphics were unsupported. I hope it helps with that. Might try later.
  • kvil5324kvil5324 Posts: 1 New Member
    I have all of the sims 3 expansion packs and stuff pack they are all dics version. It sucks that I can play the sims 3 after I spent so much money on them. EA should really take this matter seriously. I have the Macbook Air early 2015 and it will not launch on my mac even after trying to down load this new update. Please EA contact me through my email kvil5324@gmail.com so I can get your assistant on how to finally get my sims 3 to launch.
  • BluebellFloraBluebellFlora Posts: 7,110 Member
    kvil5324 wrote: »
    I have all of the sims 3 expansion packs and stuff pack they are all dics version. It sucks that I can play the sims 3 after I spent so much money on them. EA should really take this matter seriously. I have the Macbook Air early 2015 and it will not launch on my mac even after trying to down load this new update. Please EA contact me through my email so I can get your assistant on how to finally get my sims 3 to launch.

    You should delete your email address, everyone reading this thread can see it.

    You need to play the game digitally for this update to take affect, not the disc version. Even then no one yet knows what it's actually meant to fix.

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  • Tremayne4260Tremayne4260 Posts: 3,126 Member
    I think it's meant to fix just Origin and not the game specifically. I saw the update on my game as a Store update, but to my knowledge it doesn't fix anything.
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  • BluebellFloraBluebellFlora Posts: 7,110 Member
    It's meant to be a game update and is only available through that link, you won't get notified for it through the Launcher or through the Origin app.
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  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited February 2016
    Okay, that's enough. Everyone stand back, igazor is going in. :)

    Mid-2014 MacBookPro Retina 15"
    2.2 GHz i7
    16 GB RAM
    Intel Iris Pro 1536
    OS X Yosemite 10.10.5

    This machine has never seen Origin or TS3 until now. Installed Origin and automatically got version 9.11.6. Checked out @BluebellFlora 's link above. It doesn't look like a game update, it seems to be the exact same file one gets when one installs Origin from scratch now, dated early in February. I "installed" it anyway, thus replacing my original Origin install and still had version 9.11.6.

    Installed TS3 base game with all its Cidery goodness (man, it's been a while), and got Patch 1.42. Went ahead and let the Launcher patch (was lazy) and landed on 1.67.2.

    Locked down Featured Items, rearranged Game Options (no interactive startup game, no online features or store in-game, the usual). Launched the game, started up one in Sunset Valley with a townie family, and it's fine.

    Played for a few minutes in windowed mode, used Edit Town, Build/Buy, CAS, all fine. The graphics options defaulted to the bare ugly minimum across the board, but hey Iris Pro is integrated after all. I moved some of them up to medium, sims on high, switched on Advanced Rendering, saved and reloaded the game. Still fine, all option changes were remembered. By then it was using 1.42 GB of RAM when I really wasn't doing very much and was beginning to run warm, fans on medium strength, but this MBP wasn't meant for gaming or at least not the unoptimized mess that TS3 becomes, so that seems normal.

    The DeviceConfig.log says:

    Name (driver): Intel Iris Pro
    Name (database): Intel Iris Pro [Found:0, Matched:1]
    ...
    Texture Memory: 1536MB

    Didn't bother trying to do anything with the sgr files to force recognition and was surprised to not get the usual texture override line.

    I'm not sure where exactly this setup is supposed to fail as I've never tried to play TS3 on one of these newer puppies. So what should I try next. A couple of EPs (which ones)? Store content? Mods?
    Post edited by igazor on
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  • BluebellFloraBluebellFlora Posts: 7,110 Member
    What a halepful guinea pig you are :) Try Late Night or Ambitions, they seem to be the nasty ones.

    We really need further clarification about this from EA. my Origin was up to date before I downloaded this specific update and the version was definitely different. Wish I'd noted down my previous version..... If this one is the same as the current one available on the website, they may have pushed it out officially rather than separately by now.
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  • BluebellFloraBluebellFlora Posts: 7,110 Member
    I've just checked the Origin download available through the website. The version is 9.11.6.18286, dated 29th January, whereas this new one only available through the link is 9.11.6.18959, dated 2nd February. I wonder if it's maybe a location thing?
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  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited February 2016
    I have 18959 dated Feb 2nd, through the special link. Didn't pay any attention to the final digits when I originally installed Origin, though I think it also said Feb 2nd (not sure now). But when finished with this grand experiment, I can uninstall Origin and install it again.

    Ambitions checked out fine, just about to add LN.
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  • BluebellFloraBluebellFlora Posts: 7,110 Member
    Ambitions was good? That's really encouraging! Try Island Paradise too. One thing I forgot to mention, I don't need Origin running to run the game which I thought may be introduced in this update.

    I'm still confused over how an Origin update has supposedly fixed some issues....
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  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    No issues with AMB + LN. I had been pulling the game folder out before each EP install, I put the original one I started with the base game only back in place and it's fine as was the saved game. Added the Framework and a few mods, still good. Loving the 20 second loadup time, but that's because of the lighter than usual load I'm throwing at it and the SSD -- had never launched the game with one in place before.

    Uninstalled and reinstalled Origin. You were right, the one from Origin's website is 18286 dated Jan 29, not the slightly newer one dated Feb 2 from the special link, but it still worked the same.

    If I didn't already know what would happen, I would install the rest of the EPs, my comparatively gigantic collection of mods, CC, worlds, and store items, and copy over my four year old ongoing game but the 2 GB RAM restriction is not that far away already. It's certainly playable as is, though, to an extent anyway.

    But again, I never experienced the failures almost everyone else did with Iris Pro. There isn't any way that my particular model MBP was exempted from all this trouble, is there?
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  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    Ambitions was good? That's really encouraging! Try Island Paradise too. One thing I forgot to mention, I don't need Origin running to run the game which I thought may be introduced in this update.

    I'm still confused over how an Origin update has supposedly fixed some issues....
    Ah, there's one thing I fogot to mention. I used Origin to start the game every time because I figured with 16 GB of RAM, what difference does it make. Let me go try with the shortcut to TS3w.

    But IP? Wow, really pushing things here aren't we. I suppose you want me to actually play in Isla Paradiso, unfixed, as well? May as well set my MBP on fire first... :)
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  • BluebellFloraBluebellFlora Posts: 7,110 Member
    Ha ha, don't fry your lovely Mac just load, play for 5 minutes then quickly close it and pretend like nothing happened :p

    Your Mac is definitely one of the affected ones, same Intel Iris Pro 5200 as the 21" iMac. But it has the Haswell CPU and I think those with the Broadwell CPUs encounter even more issues.

    This is so promising though. I wonder if the secret is to completely uninstall Origin and the game prior to trying this new update.
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  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    Bah, TS3w is a Windows only trick, isn't it. But I just started up using the TS3 base game icon, got the Launcher (no Origin) and the game started up just the same.
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  • BluebellFloraBluebellFlora Posts: 7,110 Member
    igazor wrote: »
    Bah, TS3w is a Windows only trick, isn't it. But I just started up using the TS3 base game icon, got the Launcher (no Origin) and the game started up just the same.

    You mean to bypass the Launcher? @Ashpeef has written great instructions which are in my help thread. Typing on my iPhone so navigating and searching for links is always an arduous task.

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  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    Yeah that's right, it's been a while. Don't really need to bypass the Launcher though as it's not causing any issues (yet). Was just trying to take Origin out of the picture and made it too complicated. Even though I'm all digital, I still have the pre-Sept 2012 base game box icon going.
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  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    Okay, hit my first snag but it was just a missing registration code on IP. Got that sorted out and it's installed. Isla Paradiso even played fine (for a few minutes).
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  • BluebellFloraBluebellFlora Posts: 7,110 Member
    Woohoo! Dare you risk adding in more? I would :D
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  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    LOL, I think I've had enough. Wasn't expecting even the base game to load up properly let alone 3 problematic EPs and mods. Guess we need to hear from someone with either processor who has experienced total game failure and is willing to uninstall/reinstall everything using Origin.
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  • Tremayne4260Tremayne4260 Posts: 3,126 Member
    I know there's been problems with older games (Sims Medieval specifically) that have had problems launching through Origin. I never registered my Sims Medieval with Origin, so it plays just fine.

    My problem is I can't download any CC (Store or otherwise) from the Launcher. Ah, well. Just have to wait until they fix that.
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  • BluebellFloraBluebellFlora Posts: 7,110 Member
    I know there's been problems with older games (Sims Medieval specifically) that have had problems launching through Origin. I never registered my Sims Medieval with Origin, so it plays just fine.

    My problem is I can't download any CC (Store or otherwise) from the Launcher. Ah, well. Just have to wait until they fix that.

    Yep, Medieval won't work for me at all, activation issues.

    Have you tried deleting the missingdeps.idx file? That seems to do magical things sometimes :)

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  • Tremayne4260Tremayne4260 Posts: 3,126 Member
    Always do. Doesn't help
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