Switching between two or more game folders

Silvakristiina

Hi,

I've been wondering for years but have found no clear answer, if one could have two or more actual game folders, aka The Sims 3 folders without messing things up really bad.

Without a folder named The Sims 3 it creates a new one when the game is launched, tada, and if you copy one, the Store content you had won't be installed with the new copy. I've been switching folders and have seen no severe consequenses, but that was when my game and computer were already a complete disaster and I had nothing to lose. The game was so buggy that it didn't make a noticeable difference, so I'm asking if anyone who knows better, what are the risks of this or is it just ok? I think people would be using it like crazy if it worked just how I'd like to imagine, so there has to be something more than just reinstalling Store content once

puzzlezaddict

There's no reason you can't have several separate TS3 game folders and swap them out whenever you choose. (They're specifically supposed to be moveable without any negative effects.) Lots of players do this, for reasons ranging from wanting different content and settings in different games, to playing with cc but building without it—other players might not want to download sims3packs with attached cc.

The only reason to be careful is if you're moving saves between folders. If a save contains certain content that isn't present in its new folder, the save could be corrupted. Or it could be impossible to load at all, like if, for example, the world in which it takes place isn't installed in the new folder. But even the potential corruption is avoidable as long as you don't end up saving and overwriting the old file. Still, having lots of backups is always a good idea, since there's so much that can go wrong even if you're not swapping around game folders.

Silvakristiina

Thank you @puzzlezaddict! I knew that if I ask this before going to bed, some sweet person has answered when I wake up

You really made it clear what I was wondering. How cool is it, that they're designed to work that way? Really? How have I not known this before, after, umm, nine years of playing...? What else have I missed... Well, of to create a medieval folder beside my normal game! Thank you so much @puzzlezaddict!

Odonata68

@Silvakristiina thank you for starting this thread. I also wanted to create a "medieval" only folder. It's funny we had the same idea.
And thank you to @puzzlezaddict for your answer.

ciane

The only thing to watch out for is if you use ccleaner to clean up your files. It likes to remove duplicate files.

I do switch between different sims 3 folders a lot! But mostly now that I have a newer computer, I leave all store stuff installed and just move my old saves out.

For a medieval themed world, I'd install the cc I want into the mods/packages/medieval folder. Then, when I want to play a regular world, I can just move that medieval sub-folder out and place it in a folder with the medieval save. When I want to play that save again, I'd put the medieval cc sub-folder back into the mods/packages folder and put the medieval save back in the saves folder.

It means you don't have a lot of duplicate files taking up room on your hard drive.

Of course, if you find sims 3 challenging with too much loaded in it at one time. One sims3 folder could be saved in a safe place and used to just for your medieval save and content.

Silvakristiina

@Odonata68, we have to share more ideas! As always, I was supposed to collect the sources of my CC somewhere nice and neat, but got so carried away while searching and downloading and testing, that I forgot to do that... Well, luckily the all the files are named so well, that I can find them again if I just go through them. Maybe I should do that next...

Oooh thank you for the information @ciane! (And nice to meet again! Long time no see ) I use CCleaner! Oh noes, what if it has already done some damage to my double files... I need to check if there's a way to prevent that.

I wanted to have two completely separate games, because there's just tons of stuff in both and it's a pain to go through decorations... I didn't even want all Store items to the medieval game, 'cause I would never use them. I didn't even realize I could just put all different style CC to separate folders in the Mods folders... But to be honest, I don't think I'd remember to switch the folders, I'd damage the save files

ciane

Forgetting to switch the mod files should be obvious as soon as you load the save. Exit your game without saving and put the correct mod and save folders in (and out) to make everything appear okay on the next load.

I THINK if you save your other sims 3 folder in another spot on your hard drive, ccleaner won't get rid of the duplicate files. I have two drives - one SSD and one HD. So I can keep a full sims 3 folder in both locations.

Back up your old and new sims 3 folders on the internet or an external drive just in case.

There are only a few files and folders that would differ between the two sims 3 folders; but as long as you have the room, it is easier to just have separate Sims 3 folders.

It's great seeing you again too!!! I'm so happy you are enjoying your sims 3 game still and I know this will make it easier for you too.

I hate sorting through all the deco too!!! At one time I thought of redoing lots of sims 3 folders depending on the world I want to play; but some things from one world, I'd still want while playing another world. And, as long as my system plays well with everything, I was too lazy to do all that. Maybe, I still will.

Good luck with your project!

Silvakristiina

Thank you @ciane! I'm really exited to finally have a computer running this game... Or not, I got massive lag yesterday and couldn't play at all, and it might have something to do with my exploding Mods file... I have some unfinished business from the past years building competitions, and I just have to get them done. I also have a story in my mind and for that I need some thousand new stuff more.

It's terrible when you get a fixation like this!

ciane

Did you clear all your caches after installing the new stuff? Maybe that will help (if you didn't already do that).
There might be a troublesome spawner location that has trapped a pet or sim inside a fence, hedge, or other unrouteable terrain.
To cut down on lag, you might limit your community lots, turn off weather, celebrity status, pets and occults. So only the pets and occults you create are spawned and it will only snow or rain if you want it too.
I hope you can find the troublesome lagging causes.
Do you use Overwatch? That helps fix a lot of problems.

Silvakristiina

Haha, I never get that far @ciane! I only build and create sims, and hardly ever have the time or inspiration to actually "play" the game. My PC was running the game perfectly without any lag or loading, so it must be something I did, maybe added too much package files or something was corrupted, I don't know. I'll have to try to go through everything I just installed.

I tought I'd learn how to merge packages with CC Magic to help with the lag, but realized, that it may not work that way if I have two game folders, or would it? Does some one know?

But no, I don't use Overwatch and have to google that. I only know it's a popular video game... Overwatch seems like something I should know something about. NRaas' wiki site will be closing in eight days, btw

ciane

NRaas will just be moving to their new site, so you should have them around for a long time to come. Overwatch is the most important NRaas mod for cleaning up the game. It finds sims that been idle for too long, which might mean they are stuck somewhere, and resets them. It cleans up all left-over food that's been left out and spoiled as well as any abandoned cars at 3 a.m. every sim day unless you change the time you want that done. It turns off stereos and t.v. in all non-active households too. It isn't a core mod, so it's safe to add or remove without damaging a save. NRaas also has a core mod that is very good at preventing problems, while Overwatch cleans up problems that weren't prevented like pets that spawned where they can't route. That is a common cause of lag, and resetting them clears up the lag until the next time a sim or pet is spawned there.

Having two different folders for merged packages should not be a problem at all, especially if the files you are merging are going into your active Sims 3 folder.

igazor

Silvakristiina wrote: »

NRaas' wiki site will be closing in eight days, btw

If anyone thinks that NRaas is going to go quietly into the night and disappear without a fuss just because our soon to be former landlords at Wikispaces are going out of business, then I would have to say that they do not know us very well.
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/946829/nraas-is-moving-action-needed-update-aug-18-2018

But I also have to admit that if the user has no intention of actually playing the game and is intending to use it strictly as a design platform, then most of our mods are probably not going to be necessary. Maybe ErrorTrap and Selector, to help troubleshoot content issues, but if the game's timeline never moves forward much then the player might not even be concerned about the issues they help solve.

Silvakristiina

Oh that's good news @igazor! I don't know what would we do without you! I was shocked when I first read it, because I though YOU were going away, not the Wikispace. I may not be there yet with my game that I could actually play it, but I have your mods anyway for so much easier life and realistic game (like the famous Woohooer, ehm...). Knowing a little more English would also help sometimes if there's something more I should know or do than just download and put to the Mods file Feeling stupid, I have to admit.

Thank you @ciane, I'll get that mod right away after I find out what caused this sudden lagging. I have my fingers crossed that it's something I downloaded, a sim or platform shoes maybe (I'm recreating my childhood in the 90's...)