Would you recommend this bundle?

musteni

Steam has a TS3 bundle with Base Game, Generations, Pets and Seasons for 23,22€. I have the starter pack of Base Game, Nightlife and Luxury House on Origin (got the code free). I would like to try the Pets pack and it seems like good deal compared to the pack prices on Origin.

The tricky part is that I mostly play TS4 and I have only spent like ten hours on TS3. Do you think it would get better for me with these packs instead of the ones I have? I know it's a subjective question but horses, open world and story progression sound like a good combo to me. Are the horses fun? Other things I should consider?

Odonata68

@luimistelija Personally, I love the horses. I've always wanted them in a sims game since the pets expansion came out for the previous sims games. The horses need a lot of room so open world suits them. The Pets expansion is pretty taxing on the computer so keep that in mind. Good luck with your decision and happy simming.

musteni

Yeah I found myself searching for games with horses and there are barely any that look good, so I thought that TS3 pets would be a good option I have a gaming desktop and the packs I currently have seem to run fine. I'm hopeful that pets would too, but I guess there's no telling.

DootLikeASkeleton

I bought that bundle. I really like it. Go ahead!

SimplyJen

It's good that you have a computer suited for gaming as Pets & Seasons are both demanding. Since you're new to Sims 3 and likely to have a dedicated card... It's important to turn on vertical sync with this game. Without it, framerate will be high which can cause issues so it's recommended to use v-sync locking it to your monitors refresh rate. Vertical sync can be turned on through the video cards control panel. If you tell me which card you have, I can help further.

Is it a good deal? Well, I remember paying full price for those packs back in the day. EPs go for $20 USD nowadays half the price they used to be. You're getting 3 EPs for nearly the price of one. Steam throws good sales but usually only during holidays for Sims so now is a good time. Generations adds things that are family oriented. Seasons adds to the whole game experience and really is a game changer in my opinion. I use mods (NRaas) so with Pets installed, I turn off strays and wild horses. As much as I love Sims 3... routing issues are a real pain. Wild horses especially like to get stuck in random places around the world. Pet horses are fun to play with but do require a decent sized lot as mentioned above.

If you're looking to see what these packs include...

• Generations Game Guide & Video Review
• Pets Game Guide & Video Review
• Seasons Game Guide & Video Review

musteni

Thanks for the helpful post @SimplyJen! I have GeForce GTX 960. The vertical sync setting is currently "use the 3D application setting".

Amphora

Those are all really great EP’s to start out with. They each add a lot of unique interactions and fun activities to the game.

• Generations is one of the more subtle (and one of my favorite) EP’s in that while it seems as though it doesn’t add much it goes in depth with the family interactions and the activities it brings.

• Pets, of course, speaks for itself. A great town, lovely objects for decor and activities and just an all around awesome EP. With my laptop though, the fur doesn’t show up in my game so I only allow a skeleton cat and a cranky unicorn in my game for pets. Lol.

• And Seasons is IMO the best EP of the series. Each weather type brings stunning scenery to the game (I’m all about good scenery lol) and each season brings such great activities.

Since you said your computer is a gaming desktop then I’m sure these EP’s should work well. Of course, Sims 3 is a wonky and temperamental game but once you learn how to handle it, it is very worth the hassle it brings. So yes, I very much recommend this bundle

SimplyJen

luimistelija wrote: »

Thanks for the helpful post @SimplyJen! I have GeForce GTX 960. The vertical sync setting is currently "use the 3D application setting".

no problem

Change vertical sync to On and while in-game, use the cheat fps on. Small numbers will appear in the corner. It should be hovering around your monitor/screen refresh rate. For most people, that's 60hz. If not and it's reaching much higher then let me know and I can give you instructions for Nvidia Inspector (free to use). The reason vertical sync is important with this game is because extra high framerate tends to overwork the video card causing performance issues and extra heat.

musteni

Thank you all! I'm hoping to play legacy style, perhaps finally complete 10 generations. Never managed to do that in TS2 or TS4, because I always play huge rotations. These packs seem very good for building a legacy.

Olivesplum06

luimistelija wrote: »

Thank you all! I'm hoping to play legacy style, perhaps finally complete 10 generations. Never managed to do that in TS2 or TS4, because I always play huge rotations. These packs seem very good for building a legacy.

Do you have nraas mods? I love legacies in TS3 because of them, I love still getting notifications on all of the family members that don’t live in the main house anymore.

TadOlson

I've got the entire Sims 3 collection and play heavily Modded though I have a legacy challenge going on in Evermore Falls and am currently building the town up.I've also got a 100 baby challenge in Storybrook County lite.I find empty custom worlds are best for longer term legacies as you can play the town and build that town up over the generations if you use the enire NRaas Mod file collection which is what I do and I configured that story progression for playing rotationally like Sims 2.

jillbg

A game without seasons seems bland to me! Go for it if you have the money!

JoAnne65

I don’t really understand the OP. Nightlife and Luxury House aren’t Sims 3?
Anyway, any Sims 3 EP blows everything Sims 4 offers out of the water for me so I fear my advice is of no use here I’ll say go go go any time.

igazor

Whenever a player talks about TS3 and Nightlife, I assume they mean the Late Night EP. Luxury House is probably High End Loft Stuff?

Satanu_Reeves

I assume you mean the Late Night + High-End Loft stuff pack bundle from Origin. I would suggest the Steam bundle over the Origin bundle. The expansions included in the Steam bundle lean towards wholesome family oriented game play and the atmospheric which showcases the series strengths well .That's the bundle that got me hooked after all. And the town included with Pets is one of EA's best, in my opinion.

JoAnne65

igazor wrote: »

Whenever a player talks about TS3 and Nightlife, I assume they mean the Late Night EP. Luxury House is probably High End Loft Stuff?

Ah, yes, maybe. I thought they got confused because Nightlife is Sims 2 and the last SP for that game is something with Mansion in the title?

musteni

igazor wrote: »

Whenever a player talks about TS3 and Nightlife, I assume they mean the Late Night EP. Luxury House is probably High End Loft Stuff?

My origin had the pack names in Finnish, so it wasn't really helping. I thought I got them right, but apparently not I bought the bundle on Steam, but haven't had much time to play yet.

musteni

I tested it, but the game didn't run very smoothly. I wasn't sure if I would play it much, especially if I would have to compromise the graphics. I took advantage of Steam's return policy, so it's all good. Before I quit I had a chance to adopt a foal from my sim's neighbour and I have to say they were adorable.

Avatarit

I like Generations, But Seasons and Pets aren't my favourite. That being said, these EPs would fit well together I think.