March 29th - It's time for our Friday Highlights! You can check them out here!
Forum Announcement, Click Here to Read More From EA_Cade.

Thread for new members to post their Sims 3 game issues

Comments

  • MJJB99MJJB99 Posts: 19 Member
    @puzzlezaddict I'm trying to go through it but I have no idea what I'm doing lol If you could go through it that would be so wonderful.
    I think I've settled on paying a little more for a single SSD. If the 512GB would be cheaper and you think it would be enough, that's good for me. The extra 8 GB RAM is good. I'm not worried about brand unless you think I should be. I don't need a mouse or headphones or anything. And as much as I love the word free I will literally never play those games lol They will just sit there and take up space
  • puzzlezaddictpuzzlezaddict Posts: 1,877 Member
    @MJJB99 With a 512 GB SSD, you probably won't ever to worry about space, unless you have a lot of music or movies, or a bunch of stuff related to your use of Microsoft Office; or if you plan to add more later. With a 1 TB SSD, you definitely won't ever have a problem. You can think about it if you want; these links will be valid for 7 days:

    500 TB version: http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/saved/1LCB6X
    1 TB version, for $38 more: http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/saved/1LCB6U

    You're right that you don't really need to upgrade the brand of RAM—it would only be critical if you planned to mess around with overclocking. As for the games, I believe the deal is you get codes to register and download them. So maybe you sit on those codes and never use them, or maybe there's some child in your life (or an overgrown child) who would be delighted with the gift.

    And if you have any other questions, you know where to find me.
  • MJJB99MJJB99 Posts: 19 Member
    @puzzlezaddict Thank you so so much for your help! And your patience. And the education lol I really appreciate it!
  • SuitcaseLoafSuitcaseLoaf Posts: 3 New Member
    I don't have the patience for computer problems nor going through 92 pages of this forum. Apologies. Link me to the page if this was a problem already solved. Plus this is an old game and Google doesn't help you with outdated, non applicable, dead forums.

    I started my game up today and got a graphics error. Now I know that I have a 🐸🐸🐸🐸 computer and its not, nor will ever be, the best. My saved games were gone and when I went to my documents folder everything was updated to today. I'm really disheartened by this and wish to have everything back. Is there any hope or way? By the way. I am NOT a computer savvy person (not good with any technological jargon) and I did not do anything to cause this except startup my game that I last saved in January.
  • puzzlezaddictpuzzlezaddict Posts: 1,877 Member
    @SuitcaseLoaf I doubt anyone would have the patience to read all 92 pages of posts here. I don't think this forum is nonapplicable or dead though—this particular thread gets plenty of traffic, and it doesn't include the regular members who can start their own discussions.

    What it sounds like is that your game folder was uploaded to cloud storage, perhaps after a system update reset your cloud preferences to defaults. Both Windows and mac OS will do this on occasion, and both OneDrive and iCloud (respectively) are designed to store the contents of your Documents folder, rather than leaving it on your hard drive where the game can find it.

    The solution is relatively simple: go into OneDrive/iCloud, find your TS3 game folder, move it to your desktop, and then disable cloud storage, or at the very least automatic uploads. OneDrive can be stubborn, and it's best to turn it off completely unless you really need it for something else. On a Mac, iCloud storage can be customized easily enough.

    disable OneDrive in Windows 10: https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/how-to/windows/remove-onedrive-3664769/
    customize iCloud settings in mac OS: https://bluebellflora.com/2017/02/06/sims-3-and-sims-4-not-loading-save-games/
  • SuitcaseLoafSuitcaseLoaf Posts: 3 New Member
    @puzzlezaddict I want/wish this to be the case but upon looking/searching hard, I found nothing.
  • puzzlezaddictpuzzlezaddict Posts: 1,877 Member
    @SuitcaseLoaf Are you running Windows or mac OS? Macs usually store previous versions of iCloud data, if you know where to look. I'm not as familiar with whether/how OneDrive archives data, but you could always search your PC for TS3 files. Look for any files labeled "deviceconfig" and see where the path takes you.
  • SuitcaseLoafSuitcaseLoaf Posts: 3 New Member
    @puzzlezaddict My deplorable computer stats are:

    Processor: AMD A4-6210 APU with AMD Radeon R3 Graphics 1.80 GHz
    RAM: 4.00 GB
    System: 64-bit
    I run Windows 8.

    IDK if that makes any difference but there.
  • puzzlezaddictpuzzlezaddict Posts: 1,877 Member
    @SuitcaseLoaf I'm sorry, but I don't know of any other place your game folder could be. If it's not in OneDrive and not in your trash, and you (or someone else) didn't move it manually, it's in all likelihood gone. It's also worth saying that, given the age of your system, this could be due to a problem with your hard drive

    There are certain data recovery programs that could help in theory, but there's no guarantee that you'd be able to get everything back. And those programs have a bit of a learning curve, so I don't know whether you'd want to go that route. I wish I had something better to offer, but there really isn't a whole lot you can do at this point.
  • ArcadeLackeyArcadeLackey Posts: 9 New Member
    Do you still have a The Sims 3 folder? If so, you can try right-clicking on it and going to Properties. Select the Previous Versions tab and see if there is a previous listing you can roll back to.
  • MJJB99MJJB99 Posts: 19 Member
    @puzzlezaddict So, I'm back (: Unfortunately, a few days after we talked, I went to look at the laptop again and the base had sold out so I can't get that computer. I wanted to wait until I actually had the money to order before I came back to try again. I should have it today or tomorrow. I also looked on Amazon again with my newly acquired knowledge thanks to you! I know I could probably get something a bit cheaper elsewhere but honestly I'm willing to pay a little more if I can get it through Prime and have it before the weekend. I think I might have found a good one. I was hoping you would take a look at it when you have some time, if you don't mind! https :// www. amazon .com/ Leopard-i7-8750H-GeForce-Notebook-Computer /dp/ B07CY3RF1S
  • ArcadeLackeyArcadeLackey Posts: 9 New Member
    I took a look at that laptop and it doesn't look bad in the slightest. So if it's within your price range, I'd say go for it, personally. It's got twice as much RAM as my pc does and I only have lag when I come back from leaving it minimized for several hours, which is more an issue with how the game is coded.
  • yoashmoyoashmo Posts: 528 Member
    I just have a quick question.
    I'm finally reinstalling Sims 3 on my new laptop and I was just wondering do I run the superpatch for 1.67 after the base game and each Ep and SP install or do I just apply it after the base game or after my last episode is installed?
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    yoashmo wrote: »
    I just have a quick question.
    I'm finally reinstalling Sims 3 on my new laptop and I was just wondering do I run the superpatch for 1.67 after the base game and each Ep and SP install or do I just apply it after the base game or after my last episode is installed?
    If you are doing an all-disc install with no Origin involvement and using a base game disc manufactured prior to Sept 2012, the usual path to follow is to Superpatch the base game and make sure it's working, then begin installing the packs and Superpatch again at the end -- at which point it might tell you that there is nothing to update but you can make it run anyway. It should not be necessary to keep applying the Superpatch after each pack install.
    o550pjoa47rpxo63g.jpg
    NRaas has moved!
    Our new site is at http://nraas.net
  • yoashmoyoashmo Posts: 528 Member
    edited March 2019
    Thanks @igazor.

    I just finished install the base game and did a test run. I got the unrecognized video card message and my frame rate is between 400 and 700 fps. I know there is a way to get it to recognize my card and a way to limit the fps I just can't seem to find it right now. Could you point me in the right direction please.

    I have a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 if that helps you in guiding me.
    Edit: I didn't get the unrecognized card message after superpatching the base game, does that mean it okay now?
  • puzzlezaddictpuzzlezaddict Posts: 1,877 Member
    edited March 2019
    @MJJB99 The laptop you linked has great hardware, even overkill for TS3. You'd pay a premium for the large SSD and the even larger HDD, not to mention the 32 GB RAM. This computer is also upgraded by a third party, which is less of a worry when you see "Fulfilled by Amazon," of course, but you're still taking a bit of a risk. Regardless, I think you could get what you want for less money.

    It's too bad that the model you liked is sold out. CyberpowerPC usually has a much wider selection, but for the past month or so, they've been out of stock of most laptop models. I've been wondering if they're planning to introduce a new line and are clearing out old inventory. But that's not helpful to you right now.

    What you could do is get the same laptop as before, except with an Nvidia 1050 ti, which would still run all TS3 packs on high settings. The price would be a bit lower, even with the upgrade to 16 GB RAM: $1176 for a 512 GB PCIe SSD, or an extra $38 for the 1 TB version. (And other add-ons if you want them.) This is the base model:

    https://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Tracer-III-15-Slim-100

    It looks like that model would ship on Friday, which is maybe not soon enough for you. But there are a couple of options I found that you could get by the weekend. For example, Best Buy has a deal today for a laptop with an Nvidia 1060 3 GB, 16 GB RAM, and a 512 GB PCIe SSD, plus free shipping for delivery by Thursday, at least in my zip code. It's $1000 currently, although I don't know if the offer will expire at midnight (Central) or roll over to tomorrow. The 3 GB version of the 1060 is a bit weaker than the 6 GB model, but it's still significantly stronger than a 1050 ti and will handle everything TS3 can throw at it.

    https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-tuf-gaming-fx705gm-17-3-laptop-intel-core-i7-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1060-512gb-solid-state-drive-black/6293624.p?skuId=6293624

    If you're still interested in adding more storage, Amazon's third party sellers offer better models to customize, although you may not get the benefits of "Fulfilled by Amazon." For example, you can play with the configurations on this model:

    https://www.amazon.com/LED-Backlight-i7-8750H-Six-Core-GeForce-Keyboard/dp/B07KKCF1SK

    But if you're willing to spend over $1500 for the computer you want, you can to some degree pick the parts. For example, if you really need a lot of storage, let me know and I'll look for something that works. A 1 TB SSD in combination with a 2 TB HDD is probably much more than you'll ever use, but you know your needs better than anyone. (You could check the storage situation on your current computer as a comparison.) Plus, you'd probably save a lot of money by using an external drive for nonessential files.

    On a similar note, it's pretty hard to run out of RAM if you have 16 GB. (I've never been above 12.5, at least as far as I know, and that was when I was testing something with TS3 while having two browsers and about 20 tabs open, and not having shut down my laptop for a couple of days.) Still, if you do want 32 GB, it would be a lot cheaper to buy an extra 16 GB for $100 or so and install it yourself instead of paying $250 to get it preinstalled. You'd need to match the model of your existing RAM sticks exactly, but that shouldn't be difficult at all.

    Anyway, I'm happy to keep looking for you, today or whenever you're ready to buy. Just let me know what you're looking for.
  • puzzlezaddictpuzzlezaddict Posts: 1,877 Member
    @yoashmo That fps is way too high, as you clearly already know. The first tool to try for an Nvidia card are the built-in Control Panel, and if that doesn't work (it won't work at all in windowed mode), Nvidia Inspector (free download). When setting up the game's profile, make sure to use TS3.exe for an Origin/1.69 install, or TS3w.exe, with the "w," for a disc or Steam install. SimplyJen posted some helpful screenshots of the settings for both CP and Inspector, under the spoilers:

    https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/16540301/#Comment_16540301

    If neither tool locks down fps, you can try RivaTuner Statistics Server (also a free download). Unlike the other tools, it does need to be running in the background to work. But it's been great for my AMD card.

    As for the unrecognized video card message, you only get that the first time you launch the game, or when you remove your options.ini file. A 1070 is going to remain unrecognized until you add its info to the game's .sgr files. If you're interested, igazor can help, or I can if he doesn't have time. Either way, please provide the first 40 or so lines of your deviceconfig, up until the list of game options starts. You can delete your user and machine names if you like (about 25 lines down); there are no other identifying details in the file.
  • yoashmoyoashmo Posts: 528 Member
    edited March 2019
    @puzzlezaddict and @igazor

    The card is being recognized now. It also list it in my device config. I'm on my phone bc in trying to do an all disc install for the Sims 3 to stay at 1.67. So I can't copy it to share at the moment.

    I'm starting to get cyclic redundancy errors so I may end up having to just install through Origin. On 1.69 I will always have to start my game through origin correct? Will I still need the CD to run the game? And I read somewhere (maybe here) that the 1.69 patch should effect any mods or CC, is that also correct? Are there any other big drawbacks I'm missing with having 1.69?
    I read on crincits blog that I can copy the disc to my computer and install from there, but that seems like more work saying I only got 3 games in.

    Also thank you for the link.
  • puzzlezaddictpuzzlezaddict Posts: 1,877 Member
    edited March 2019
    @yoashmo Just because your graphics card is listed in your deviceconfig doesn't mean TS3 has properly recognized it. What you're looking for is a [Found: 1, Matched: 1] entry about 35 lines down. If the values are zero, it's not recognized. This isn't really an issue in itself; the game will still run fine without formal card recognition. But you may want to at least fix the 32 MB texture memory override issue, if you have it; that definitely improves the graphics, although the effect can be subtle.

    The cyclic redundancy check error has several causes. One of them is a dirty or damaged disc; you can try cleaning it to see if it helps. This could also be an issue with your DVD drive, although that's unlikely if you're only getting the error with one or two discs.

    Another cause is leftover game files from a previous TS3 install. If you didn't clean your computer's registry after you previously uninstalled, the remnants of the previous install may be getting in the way now. Whether you want to try another disc install or are going to switch to Origin, it's a good idea to clean the registry now, either manually or with a tool like Piriform's CCleaner.

    If you install entirely through Origin, you won't need a disc to play. You'll also be on patch 1.69, which comes with the mandatory Origin tie-in and the pack selector. For some people, these are mere nuisances; for others, they're enough of a headache to justify buying the entire game again on disc or Steam. If you're curious, google should turn up pages and pages of complaints.

    Almost all mods and cc work equally well on patches 1.67 and 1.69, as the game's program files are exactly the same. The only exception is core mods, and even they only throw an error message because the internal build numbers don't match. The only NRaas core mod is ErrorTrap.
  • yoashmoyoashmo Posts: 528 Member
    @yoashmo Just because your graphics card is listed in your deviceconfig doesn't mean TS3 has properly recognized it. What you're looking for is a [Found: 1, Matched: 1] entry about 35 lines down. If the values are zero, it's not recognized. This isn't really an issue in itself; the game will still run fine without formal card recognition. But you may want to at least fix the 32 MB texture memory override issue, if you have it; that definitely improves the graphics, although the effect can be subtle.

    The cyclic redundancy check error has several causes. One of them is a dirty or damaged disc; you can try cleaning it to see if it helps. This could also be an issue with your DVD drive, although that's unlikely if you're only getting the error with one or two discs.

    Another cause is leftover game files from a previous TS3 install. If you didn't clean your computer's registry after you previously uninstalled, the remnants of the previous install may be getting in the way now. Whether you want to try another disc install or are going to switch to Origin, it's a good idea to clean the registry now, either manually or with a tool like Piriform's CCleaner.

    If you install entirely through Origin, you won't need a disc to play. You'll also be on patch 1.69, which comes with the mandatory Origin tie-in and the pack selector. For some people, these are mere nuisances; for others, they're enough of a headache to justify buying the entire game again on disc or Steam. If you're curious, google should turn up pages and pages of complaints.

    Almost all mods and cc work equally well on patches 1.67 and 1.69, as the game's program files are exactly the same. The only exception is core mods, and even they only throw an error message because the internal build numbers don't match. The only NRaas core mod is ErrorTrap.

    Oh okay, you're right. It is listed but it says found 0 matched 0. Could you point me in the right direction of fixing the 32 Mb texture memory override issue.
    I wiped my disc and was still getting it. I am using a cheap external CD drive and just noticed I have to unplug and plug it back in between installs, so that is working now.
    I used the pic from the link you gave me to set vsync and am now getting a framerate of 90-142 fps in game. Which I think is okay bc my laptop screen is 144 but correct me if I'm wrong.

    Thanks for the info about what 1.69. I have just one other question about about patch levels. Is it possible to redownload and install CAW and CAP and have them work on either patch or do they only work on 1.69?
  • MJJB99MJJB99 Posts: 19 Member
    @puzzlezaddict I think I'm going to go with the Best Buy one. I probably won't be able to order until tomorrow but even if it's not on sale I'm good with the $1400. Thank you again so much for everything!
  • puzzlezaddictpuzzlezaddict Posts: 1,877 Member
    @yoashmo For the card recognition, I would need to see the first part of your deviceconfig file. You could send it by PM if you want, and I could give you the instructions for editing the card. If you only want to fix the texture memory override, you'll need to edit graphicsrules.sgr in TS3's program files. The full path will look something like this:

    Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts [or something]\The Sims 3\Game\Bin

    Inside graphicsrules, find this, 8-10 lines down:

    if ($textureMemory == 0)
    seti textureMemory 32
    setb textureMemorySizeOK false

    and change it to this:

    if ($textureMemory == 0)
    seti textureMemory 1024
    # setb textureMemorySizeOK false

    So you're changing the 32 to a 1024, and adding a hashtag and a space on the third line, immediately before "setb." Your card has much more than 1024 MB VRAM, but TS3 can only use 800 MB anyway.

    If you're using Nvidia Control Panel, then yes, the fps is what you'd expect. CP is supposed to lock the frame rates to the refresh rate of your monitor, although TS3's rates will drop frequently because of the suboptimal way the game is programmed. A 1070 will have no trouble maintaining those rates, and you won't be risking damage to your card as you would if fps was uncapped.

    CAW actually works better on 1.67 than it does on 1.69, or rather, Edit in Game works better. (Sometimes EIG doesn't work at all on 1.69.) Just make sure you've downloaded the CAW version that goes with 1.67. As for CAP, I've never used it, but I think it's fine too, since it predates 1.69. But if you have trouble, you can ask in general discussion; some players use the tool quite often.
  • puzzlezaddictpuzzlezaddict Posts: 1,877 Member
    edited March 2019
    @MJJB99 I'm glad you like the computer; ASUS makes excellent gaming laptops. If the sale ends and you'd like to find something a bit cheaper, just let me know; otherwise, I hope you enjoy it.

    And when you do get TS3 installed, please make sure to cap your in-game fps rates. An Nvidia 1060 will also throw excessively high rates if you don't limit them manually, as will any card powerful enough to run the game on high settings, but doing so shouldn't be difficult. Once you have the game running, you can test to make sure fps stays locked in at all times.
  • AleksandraAleksiaAleksandraAleksia Posts: 20 Member
    Hello~
    I'm in desperate need of some PC tech advice if any are willing to give it?

    I have a 6 year old laptop that can play any game besides Witcher 3 and Sims 3 (Gabe was right, Threequels are a curse). Everything runs smoothly on medium, and I'm happy with that. As long as the game runs, I couldn't care less about how good it looks.
    But the Sims 3 doesn't run, not even with everything on low.

    I can't make a Sim in CAS. It takes 2 hours, and not because I'm indecisive, but because it takes way too long to load into the next clothing tab, and heaven forbid I want to customize the colors. Even with the NRAAS mod that helps shrink the clothing list, it's a no go.
    I can't play with any Sim(s). I've stopped going into CAS for anything, and just choose to play with the premades. But that's also a no go. Every 20 to 30 seconds it'll lock up for 4 or 5.
    I originally had all the packs, thinking my great laptop could run them. After finding out it can't, I chose only the ones I really needed (Ambitions, Generations, University, High End and Fast Lane). I knew Seasons, Pets, Late Night (Bridgeport), and Island Paradise (Isle Paradiso) were the worsts for performance, so I specifically cut them out first. But even though I cut back this much, that did nothing to help the lag. Sure, CAS loaded slightly faster now, even more with the NRAAS, but it was still too long of a wait.

    Could anyone give me an idea or two about what prebuilts could handle Sims 3, and what prices? I'm not actually thinking of getting a prebuilt, but figuring out which ones could handle the game will help me think about how to custom build mine better.
    And I'm not too worried about my other games. If my laptop can handle them on medium easily, then I know any PC that can handle Sims 3 will run them even better.
  • AleksandraAleksiaAleksandraAleksia Posts: 20 Member
    Oh, also, I do have the NRAAS mods that help with lag, but not even they can fix this
This discussion has been closed.
Return to top