Make sure you do a complete uninstall (See Mac User's Best Friend thread for details under BlueBellFlora's link). Next install just the base game. Then download the super patch which is also stickied at the top of this thread. Do NOT use the Launcher to install the Super Patch. Let the game update and start up just the base game to make sure that the patch was correctly applied and the game works. Then you can install any of the EPs and SPs you wish to.
Second Star to the Right and Straight on 'til Morning.
I am hoping you can be of help to me because this is just beyond frustrating! I have a brand new mac laptop (2016 12 inch with El Capitan) and I am experiencing major issues with getting my Sims game to play.
I downloaded TS3 from Mac Games Store, and then downloaded all of the expansion packs via Origin. Initially the game would not even load, however, thanks to BlueBellFlora's helpful guide, a super patch, and 6 hours of installing/reinstalling, I got the game to launch.
The game looks perfect when launched. When I am in Create a Sim, however, the game begins to do one of two things. 1). Crash completely; or 2). Some of the backgrounds disappear for menus and the game begins to freeze, forcing me to quit myself. The game will not run for more than 20 minutes.
This is incredibly frustrating as I plum bought 4 new EPs on Origin, assuming I would not have any trouble! Please help!!!
@naschkatze - Hi there. I could be missing something here, but the only current model Mac laptop I see that is 12" is the MacBook (not MacBook Air, not MacBook Pro). All other issues with the TS3 for Mac program notwithstanding, and there are quite enough of those, I would never recommend trying to play TS3 on what is in 2016 called a "regular" MacBook. Their processors are nowhere near strong enough and they have no fans. Not limited cooling, no fans at all. If you deploy any techniques to force the game and its EPs to run, you will be risking overheating and permanently damaging the device.
Or maybe I am confusing what you have with a different model?
@naschkatze - Hi there. I could be missing something here, but the only current model Mac laptop I see that is 12" is the MacBook (not MacBook Air, not MacBook Pro). All other issues with the TS3 for Mac program notwithstanding, and there are quite enough of those, I would never recommend trying to play TS3 on what is in 2016 called a "regular" MacBook. Their processors are nowhere near strong enough and they have no fans. Not limited cooling, no fans at all. If you deploy any techniques to force the game and its EPs to run, you will be risking overheating and permanently damaging the device.
Or maybe I am confusing what you have with a different model?
Hi Igazor,
Wow, thank you very much for your response! I had no idea that I was not able to run it on a 12" Mac. I still have my old Macbook Air with Mountain Lion from ~2012. Do you reckon I would have better luck running it on there if I wipe the hard drive clean and use it solely for swimming?
It might, but you may not be able to play with Pets or Seasons as those are the most graphics intensive EPs. You can certainly try though and keep us posted.
Second Star to the Right and Straight on 'til Morning.
Hate to add to your troubles here but most of the earlier Macbook Airs were kind of weak for simming though not as dire as the current Macbooks. We're talking base game and maybe a couple of the early EPs here. Players' mileage may vary. Also as I recall Origin for Mac became totally incompatible with Mountain Lion in particular.
These are both great devices for what they were designed, web surfing, light office tasks, portability, OS X, but not really graphics intensive games I'm afraid.
Hi, I'm new to this. I am thinking of buying the Sims 3 starter pack for my Mac but am weary that it will not work.
I have had El Capitan installed on my computer for a while, will the disk download and work properly?
I do not want to purchase a game and have it not work. I love playing sims and look forward to being able to play again on a working computer.
Advice? Should I invest in the game and try it out?
Thank you!
Ugh no, turn back now while there is still time! This game will take over and ruin your life. I was a young man with a full head of hair and no signs of acid reflux at all when I started playing TS3 and now I'm a complete mess! (granted this was probably going to happen anyway, but that's beside the point...)
TS3 will run on some newer Macs, it will not run on others. Which Mac do you have? -- model, processor, RAM, graphics card from About This Mac on the Apple Menu.
El Capitan is not supposed to be an issue, but I believe for most if not all players on that and on Sierra, the discs won't authenticate so the install has to be Origin digital. You get a code for Origin installs whether you purchase the game and its EP/SPs on discs or through Origin itself. If you have prior TS3 purchases registered or that which can be registered, then you shouldn't have to repurchase them.
And there is also the issue of TS3 for Mac not being a proper port into OS X. Even with everything working properly, this version of the game can only utilize 2 GB of RAM no matter how much the player has installed. That can be very limiting for some players, others still manage to have fun with it. I switched to Bootcamp years ago and play TS3 on the Windows side now.
I have an iMac 2010 (Mid 2010) with an ATI Radeon HD 4670 256 MB Graphics Card, a 3.06 GHz Intel Core i3 processor, and 16 GB of 1333 MHz DDR3 memory running Mac OS X El Capitan 10.11.6. Will my game run on the highest graphics settings possible, or do I have to set specific graphics settings for my current sims 3 game, like lot detail, Mirror and Water visibility, etc...?
I have an iMac 2010 (Mid 2010) with an ATI Radeon HD 4670 256 MB Graphics Card, a 3.06 GHz Intel Core i3 processor, and 16 GB of 1333 MHz DDR3 memory running Mac OS X El Capitan 10.11.6. Will my game run on the highest graphics settings possible, or do I have to set specific graphics settings for my current sims 3 game, like lot detail, Mirror and Water visibility, etc...?
See the last paragraph of my post above. TS3 for Mac is a mess generally and cannot use more than 2 GB of RAM no matter how much the player has installed. On that graphics card and with the inflexible RAM restriction, although there isn't much wrong with your Mac, I would expect the base game and the lighter EPs to perform okay up to a point on medium to low graphics settings. The heavier EPs (Pets, Seasons, IP, ITF) may prove to be too much for it, but that will also depend on your style of play.
Very high graphics settings with or without the heavy EPs may be out of the question, but you will have to experiment with them to see what kinds of results you get.
If you have the capacity to set up a Windows partition by way of Bootcamp, you may want to consider playing TS3 for Windows on that. Then there will be no 2 GB restriction and, for most of us who play this way, the game does perform much better throughout.
Comments
I am hoping you can be of help to me because this is just beyond frustrating! I have a brand new mac laptop (2016 12 inch with El Capitan) and I am experiencing major issues with getting my Sims game to play.
I downloaded TS3 from Mac Games Store, and then downloaded all of the expansion packs via Origin. Initially the game would not even load, however, thanks to BlueBellFlora's helpful guide, a super patch, and 6 hours of installing/reinstalling, I got the game to launch.
The game looks perfect when launched. When I am in Create a Sim, however, the game begins to do one of two things. 1). Crash completely; or 2). Some of the backgrounds disappear for menus and the game begins to freeze, forcing me to quit myself. The game will not run for more than 20 minutes.
This is incredibly frustrating as I plum bought 4 new EPs on Origin, assuming I would not have any trouble! Please help!!!
Or maybe I am confusing what you have with a different model?
NRaas has moved!
Our new site is at http://nraas.net
Hi Igazor,
Wow, thank you very much for your response! I had no idea that I was not able to run it on a 12" Mac. I still have my old Macbook Air with Mountain Lion from ~2012. Do you reckon I would have better luck running it on there if I wipe the hard drive clean and use it solely for swimming?
NRaas has moved!
Our new site is at http://nraas.net
These are both great devices for what they were designed, web surfing, light office tasks, portability, OS X, but not really graphics intensive games I'm afraid.
NRaas has moved!
Our new site is at http://nraas.net
I have had El Capitan installed on my computer for a while, will the disk download and work properly?
I do not want to purchase a game and have it not work. I love playing sims and look forward to being able to play again on a working computer.
Advice? Should I invest in the game and try it out?
Thank you!
TS3 will run on some newer Macs, it will not run on others. Which Mac do you have? -- model, processor, RAM, graphics card from About This Mac on the Apple Menu.
El Capitan is not supposed to be an issue, but I believe for most if not all players on that and on Sierra, the discs won't authenticate so the install has to be Origin digital. You get a code for Origin installs whether you purchase the game and its EP/SPs on discs or through Origin itself. If you have prior TS3 purchases registered or that which can be registered, then you shouldn't have to repurchase them.
And there is also the issue of TS3 for Mac not being a proper port into OS X. Even with everything working properly, this version of the game can only utilize 2 GB of RAM no matter how much the player has installed. That can be very limiting for some players, others still manage to have fun with it. I switched to Bootcamp years ago and play TS3 on the Windows side now.
NRaas has moved!
Our new site is at http://nraas.net
Very high graphics settings with or without the heavy EPs may be out of the question, but you will have to experiment with them to see what kinds of results you get.
If you have the capacity to set up a Windows partition by way of Bootcamp, you may want to consider playing TS3 for Windows on that. Then there will be no 2 GB restriction and, for most of us who play this way, the game does perform much better throughout.
NRaas has moved!
Our new site is at http://nraas.net