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The Sims 3, Upkeep, and You!

mizuru007mizuru007 Posts: 1,085 Member
We all know that TS3 can be an absolute monster to run when you have all of the expansions in your game, as well as any stuff packs or store content that you chucked in while in a frenzy.

I want this thread to be an easy place for people to go to learn tricks on getting their games to run well without having to resort to taking out precious, precious content. (For those that are okay with having their game forget certain expansions or Stuff packs, I recommend this baby here: http://modthesims.info/d/499140)

To start off, some basics:

1. Deleting caches can really help when it comes to cleaning up your game! CASPartCache.package, compositorCache.package, scriptCache.package, simCompositorCache.package, and socialCache.package are all 100% okay to delete. Your game will remake them when you start the game up again.

2. If you run any of the Nraas mods, your Documents folder may have a bunch of .xml files that start with ScriptError in it. Those are also okay to delete; they're just documentation of the times when your game has had some script hiccups.

3. You can delete EEEEEVERYTHING in DCBackup except ccmerged.package. DO NOT TOUCH CCMERGED.PACKAGE. NO. DON'T.

4. Mushing together your mods can be a huge relief to your Sims game if you happen to have a lot of them. You can do so using a program like s3pe, but be sure that you read instructions on how to use it and write down what you put into each bundled package. I also highly recommend keeping the originals of the mods that you merge into giant packages because you can use those to take the mods out of the giant mod if you don't want it anymore. Just stuff them in a safe folder somewhere. C: EDIT: This should probably be done with cosmetic mods like hair and objects, not with script or core mods!

5. NRAAS MODS CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE. Okay, maybe not your life, but certainly your game. I recommend Overwatch, as it takes care of a lot of issues your game may have behind the scenes, especially things that cause lag. Like the game infinitely spawning cars.

6. Are you having hanging in your game? Moments when your Sim will stop moving and everything will come to a halt, but the little plumbob above their head keeps spinning and the audio keeps going for the radio/tv? Type "resetsim *" into the cheat console. Your game may freeze up for a second, but after that, it should run nice and smooth again. Why? Chances are it's because that hanging was being caused by a rogue Sim somewhere trying to do something that they weren't supposed to. "ResetSim *" resets every single Sim in your town! It's great! HECK YEAH!

7. Did your game run nice and smooth at the start, but start to run into trouble the further into the series you installed? It may be your graphics card! Sad to say, as the expansions and stuff packs piled up, some of the graphics cards that were deemed a-okay in the beginning became insufficient to run TS3. Which is horrible, but that's the way it goes. I recommend checking this list to see where your graphics card lies and see if that may be part of your problems. Read the stuff at the top of the chart first!: http://modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:TS3_System_Requirements#Desktop_Graphics_Card_Compatibility_and_Recommendations
You can find your graphics card information (on Windows, at least) by searching "dxdiag" in the search utility for your computer, opening up the program, and going over to the "display" tab. Ta-dah! :D

8. If you have any unnecessary programs running in the background (do you really need Firefox running while you're playing The Sims? ',:T), close them! This can help with lag! But please be sure that whatever programs you close are actually unnecessary. Don't fiddle around with Task Manager unless you know exactly what you are doing.

That seems like enough to start... So, folks! Got any sweet tips that weren't mentioned here? Wanna make it so more people can enjoy TS3 without GROANING IN IRRITATION because of lag? wanna help me not have to pick and choose expansions because i want them all? THEN POST YOUR SWEET TIPS 'N TRICKS!

EDIT: Tossing in some feedback on this post regarding clean-up! C:
igazor wrote: »
Do you mind a small amount of feedback?

2 - While okay to delete those script logs, it's not really necessary. They will begin rotating out by themselves after around 10-12 of them accumulate.

4 - Script and core mods should never be merged together or with other content. It's not really great to do that with tuning mods either as it makes updating and removing them more complicated. And all three types could potentially not work correctly when merged.

6 - For those using NRaas MasterController, an MC reset of a sim, lot, or the entire town is much more thorough than the built-in testingcheatsenabled resetsim version.

And of course we have our ever popular Tips for Better Game Performance page. Not all of it is mod related.
http://nraas.wikispaces.com/Tips+For+Better+Game+Performance
Post edited by mizuru007 on

Comments

  • lovespandas1lovespandas1 Posts: 635 Member
    Lots of nice info here!
    Yes, NRAAS mods are very, VERY helpful for managing lag and making sure everything stays where it should be.
    I use SP and Overwatch, SP mostly for keeping my game alive and not a deserted old western ghost town :cold_sweat:

    And Overwatch for resetting for me, getting sims unstuck from those pesky fly traps I dropped on the hills one day. (It's a long story..)
    you've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    Do you mind a small amount of feedback?

    2 - While okay to delete those script logs, it's not really necessary. They will begin rotating out by themselves after around 10-12 of them accumulate.

    4 - Script and core mods should never be merged together or with other content. It's not really great to do that with tuning mods either as it makes updating and removing them more complicated. And all three types could potentially not work correctly when merged.

    6 - For those using NRaas MasterController, an MC reset of a sim, lot, or the entire town is much more thorough than the built-in testingcheatsenabled resetsim version.

    And of course we have our ever popular Tips for Better Game Performance page. Not all of it is mod related.
    http://nraas.wikispaces.com/Tips+For+Better+Game+Performance
    o550pjoa47rpxo63g.jpg
    NRaas has moved!
    Our new site is at http://nraas.net
  • mizuru007mizuru007 Posts: 1,085 Member
    igazor wrote: »
    Do you mind a small amount of feedback?

    2 - While okay to delete those script logs, it's not really necessary. They will begin rotating out by themselves after around 10-12 of them accumulate.

    4 - Script and core mods should never be merged together or with other content. It's not really great to do that with tuning mods either as it makes updating and removing them more complicated. And all three types could potentially not work correctly when merged.

    6 - For those using NRaas MasterController, an MC reset of a sim, lot, or the entire town is much more thorough than the built-in testingcheatsenabled resetsim version.

    And of course we have our ever popular Tips for Better Game Performance page. Not all of it is mod related.
    http://nraas.wikispaces.com/Tips+For+Better+Game+Performance

    Thaaaaaaaank you for your post! Very important things that I didn't mention there, so I'm gonna see if I can grab it and put it in the first post, if that's okay with you.
  • JoAnne65JoAnne65 Posts: 22,959 Member
    I'd like it if they made a sticky of this topic, so we can find it when we need it. Thanks!
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  • mizuru007mizuru007 Posts: 1,085 Member
    I certainly went back and did all of the things I could on @igazor 's post. Took a little while, and I'm going to have to start most of my saves over, but BY GOLLY, here's to hoping that things are a little speedier. Didn't know about the fixed routing worlds until today.
  • lovespandas1lovespandas1 Posts: 635 Member
    mizuru007 wrote: »
    I certainly went back and did all of the things I could on @igazor 's post. Took a little while, and I'm going to have to start most of my saves over, but BY GOLLY, here's to hoping that things are a little speedier. Didn't know about the fixed routing worlds until today.

    Good to keep your info up-to-date!
    Wouldn't want to cause any problems.
    you've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?
  • slynnskislynnski Posts: 2,316 Member
    This is very handy. Thank you for making this thread. And as @JoAnne65 said, I also hope this gets stickied.
  • mizuru007mizuru007 Posts: 1,085 Member
    I also hope it gets stickied.
    It's the kind of information that's said over and over again, but it's frequently all over the place. I feel like having it in one place (on the official forum, no less!) would make things a lot easier.
  • Juliee101Juliee101 Posts: 479 Member
    My game can be quite a lag fest, even though I have every Nraas Mod.
  • moonandsixpensmoonandsixpens Posts: 553 Member
    Juliee101 wrote: »
    My game can be quite a lag fest, even though I have every Nraas Mod.

    StoryProgession mod can actually make your game laggy, you might want to set the manage cycles longer.
    tumblr_noncvdlzEI1unxm84o1_540.png


  • TadOlsonTadOlson Posts: 11,380 Member
    I've got 88 NRaas Mod files and dozens of other Mods from MTS along with tons of CC and my game almost never lags.I've got all of the packs installed except for Ambitions and Showtime though I'm looking at having those added in soon.I use empty custom worlds or emptied out saves of EA worlds for most of my games because those work better than the crowded worlds EA designed.
    44620367775_0442f830c1_n.jpg
  • TeresitaTeresita Posts: 630 Member
    One thing that I could add is for everyone who have high-end PCs to adjust the Sims3.ini file since the game was only 32bit and change the following:

    [ResourceSystem]
    MemoryUsageLimit = half of your RAM (1gb=1000)

    If the game were 64bit then this step will never be necessary as the game will automatically adjust itself. Also since the game was so old, the highest it can default for is 2000(2gb) of memory. So for everyone with 6gb of RAM and higher, I strongly suggest you do this.

    I'm pretty sure I did some more for this game prior to investing on a gaming laptop but I can't remember them anymore. It has been a long time for me.
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited June 2015
    Teresita wrote: »
    One thing that I could add is for everyone who have high-end PCs to adjust the Sims3.ini file since the game was only 32bit and change the following:

    [ResourceSystem]
    MemoryUsageLimit = half of your RAM (1gb=1000)

    If the game were 64bit then this step will never be necessary as the game will automatically adjust itself. Also since the game was so old, the highest it can default for is 2000(2gb) of memory. So for everyone with 6gb of RAM and higher, I strongly suggest you do this.

    I'm pretty sure I did some more for this game prior to investing on a gaming laptop but I can't remember them anymore. It has been a long time for me.
    Sorry, but I would recommend not doing that. Although 32-bit, TS3 was made Large Address Aware as of Patch 1.18, the one that came out alongside Late Night. It can utilize up to 4 GB (practically speaking, ~3.7 GB) of RAM and will do so all by itself when needed if the game is patched and the user has enough memory to devote to it. It can never use more than that.

    Only players on the Mac OS are still stuck with the 2 GB limit which, for them, cannot be overcome.
    o550pjoa47rpxo63g.jpg
    NRaas has moved!
    Our new site is at http://nraas.net
  • mizuru007mizuru007 Posts: 1,085 Member
    I remember getting that "change the .ini file" advice before.
    Despite giving it exactly half of my computer's RAM, it lagged HARD and it lagged A LOT. The above explains why.
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    The .ini file in question is actually set to something absurdly high like 20 GB by default -- someone miscounted the zeros long ago and took it to mean 2 GB. Somehow the advice got spread all around and it became one of those urban legends. But I can't blame players for trying to get more resources to their game in any way they think possible. It's a shame that it's not that simple, though. The game has so much more potential than what it can live up to on higher end machines in that regard.
    o550pjoa47rpxo63g.jpg
    NRaas has moved!
    Our new site is at http://nraas.net
  • xBob18xBob18 Posts: 7,893 Member
    It's a shame players have to end up having to resort to fixes when stability should be given in any game, but thanks for the info! I'll make sure to follow this thread.
    oh3cjs.jpg
  • mizuru007mizuru007 Posts: 1,085 Member
    Added a link to the graphics card chart. I realized a lot of folks may not realize that their starting graphics card may not be enough to finish the series with as much of a bang. More like a....pffffffffffff....

    Also added how to find that information.
  • ARRenschARRensch Posts: 694 Member
    My game was lagging so much it was pretty much unplayable. There were several programs running in the background, stopping them from doing that took out almost ALL the lag. BTW, I have WA, Generations, Ambitions, Seasons, Pets, and the Town Life sp. Also have lots of store content. I don't have everything so I'm not sure how much this will help someone who does.
    Wearing a gas mask to flex on the coronavirus.
  • mizuru007mizuru007 Posts: 1,085 Member
    ARRensch wrote: »
    My game was lagging so much it was pretty much unplayable. There were several programs running in the background, stopping them from doing that took out almost ALL the lag. BTW, I have WA, Generations, Ambitions, Seasons, Pets, and the Town Life sp. Also have lots of store content. I don't have everything so I'm not sure how much this will help someone who does.

    I'll tuck that into the main post! C:
  • mizuru007mizuru007 Posts: 1,085 Member
    edited June 2015
    Out of curiosity, how would I go about getting this thread stickied?
    Should I ask the new guru? @SimGuruDrake ?
  • bshag4lvbshag4lv Posts: 9,374 Member
    Great info! Thanks for reminding me. ;)
    In my house, dog hair sticks to everything but the dog.
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