The Mac version of the game is admittedly a crippled mess and a royal pain to get installed and running on modern Macs, but I am surprised to hear that 32-bit backwards compatibility is the reason it cannot run on the current operating system. Apple was originally supposed to drop 32-bit app support when Mojave (10.14) came out and many of us thought that will be the end of it, but Apple then delayed that event to the next mac OS -- so that would be 10.15 (as yet unnamed). Mojave should be throwing warnings when users continue to access 32-bit apps, actually High Sierra does as well although it's not difficult to tell it to stop doing that, but the end of the road shouldn't have come and gone already.
I had read that here in the forums, that people were still playing they just had to deal with the warnings. For whatever reason, after I updated, I didn't just get a warning, I couldn't play. No amount of messing around made it play, and believe me, my husband and I both tried for several days before I reluctantly uninstalled it. Either way, the end is coming even for those who still can. That's the point of the warnings. So if the OP is a Mac user, I wouldn't advise they buy it.
My prediction is that Windows will continue to run 32-bit apps for quite a long time. They still have three 32-bit consumer desktop operating systems that are deemed current even if that user base is shrinking, though of course 7 has its end of life pretty soon, early next year, and then 8.1 will follow in 2023. I don't think anyone purchasing a computer running Windows 10 64-bit today or contemplating acquiring a 32-bit app like TS3 to run on a 64-bit Windows OS really has to worry about backwards compatibility for many years, probably longer than the lifespan of their computer will be. It will happen eventually to be sure, but there are far too many 32-bit products still in very active usage including components of somewhat older but still supported versions of Office for MS to move that quickly on cutting the backwards compatibility cord.
You're probably right. It just seems like everyone else has moved on already, so it seems odd from that standpoint. But, Windows does have a lot more users in general to worry about.
3 is the best but is quickly becoming more trouble than it's worth - I have an Alienware Aurora with 16gb of RAM and I STILL get sudden memory/crashing issues.
While fully appreciating people may have different experiences than me (I know Sims 3 is trouble for many players), I have to object against the factual tone people sometimes use when discussing the game. Sims 3 does not necessarily ‘quickly’ become more trouble than it’s worth.
In the first place, apart from the occasional bug, I’ve never had memory issues (I suppose like Error Code 12, never had it) and crashes are a rarity in my game. And apart from that, no matter the bug (and I’ve had some annoying ones), the game actually has always been worth going through trouble for. Never, not even one split second, have I ever considered to quit playing. I solved the problem, saved my family and continued.
Sims 3 is totally worth fighting for at all costs, for me. What a game is worth is a personal matter, nobody can decide for others if the game is worth the trouble. If that wouldn’t have been the case, modders like Twallan wouldn’t have bothered in the first place.
I think we can talk about the virtues of Sims 3 all day. Objectively, it seems worth buying. BUT I still think the bottom line is the OP's computer.
Is it 32 bit? Is it 64 bit with backwards compatibility? How old is it? How long do they think they will have it? Is it Mac or Windows? The OP never answered those questions, and it matters.
If you have an older Mac that isn't updated, you can still play Sims 3. Mine is a 2013, and I managed to hold off updating until a few weeks ago. After I updated, I lost 32 bit support and Sims 3. And now it's looking like I'll need a new laptop soon anyway. You can only hold on for so long.
For now, Windows is still backwards compatible even if you have a newer machine. But for how long? Pretty much everyone else has dropped their support for 32 bit, and games are all 64 bit. Even Sims 4 has always been, and they are dropping 32 bit support in June. So Windows is likely to move along with everyone else in the next year or two. Maybe three if you're lucky.
So, if you have Windows, the question is how much is it worth it to you to spend the money on it not knowing how long you can play it? If you find it for cheap, you might be okay with a year. If you pay full price, then Windows decides to phase out 32 bit, will you feel cheated? If you decide to hold off updating for awhile to extend your gameplay, how long will that work for?
Something else to consider is EA's support for Sims 3. As of right now they support and sell it. But, they don't sell or support 1&2. They gave UC to everyone who already owned it, then dropped it. And they haven't supported 1 in any capacity in a very long time. And knowing that they are dropping 32 bit support in June, and Sims 3 is 32 bit....
Will that affect playing Sims 3?
(edit: I think igazor answered that question, sorry, read your post after writing this one)
I agree with JoAnne65...but, I am a diehard fan of the franchise...minus TS4. I just couldn't get into it. Maybe because I have stopped buying for it. When TS2UC was offered up for free when I had an issue with TS3, I jumped on the chance, so I have both of them on my computer as well as TS4. It really depends on the style of play you wish to achieve.
Is there a support group for Simming Addiction? I think I need it...
I think the Sims3 is miles ahead of the Sims4. The graphics for the Sims4 are cartoony and the Sims are more stupid if possible. I hear things like "in the Sims 4 you can have group conversations," but the Sims in Sims 3 do that and they actually LOOK at each other. Or I hear how the creators were saying, "your Sims will be smarter and won't get stuck waiting in line." Yeah now they teleport right through other Sims, which when the cars in Sims 3 did that, everyone said was a cheap cop out. (If you played the original Sims, cars blocking Sims was a huge problem).
The open world is awesome and if you have a computer with a dedicated graphics card and use NRAAS overwatch and errortrap, you have eliminated almost all the lag.
A huge problem with the Sims3 is the builders used cheats to build the towns and that was causing Sims to get stuck everywhere. Add to that, Night Life, Into The Future, Seasons, Island Paradise need a separate graphics card, and I understand the frustration. But you can play the Sims4 on a weak dual core laptop which tells you how far back they had to move to go to the Sims4.
If you have a computer bought since 2010 and have at least 4g of ram with a dedicated graphics card, your game will run. And it's so cheap there's no reason not to player.
Sorry to be such a hater on Sims 4, but I do play it now and then if I'm on a bed with a weak laptop and it's OK but there's still too much missing.
I play The Sims 3 (after a break of many years) and have tried out The Sims 4 for a few hours. I think that if you choose to go backwards it depends on your adaptability and also on your preference and gameplay style.
I think that The Sims 3 looks more realistic (people, environment, etc) in comparison to 4 and the interface seems more straight forward in my humble opinion. I find 4 to be very reminiscent of digitally drawn, CGI cartoons or anime (which I detest, it's like looking at The Polar Express) and quite frankly I don't like it. Meanwhile in The Sims 3 the graphics can be more realistic to the point of entering the uncanny valley, again just in my opinion.
Having said this, it took me about 100 hours of gameplay separated by about 5 years before I didn't find The Sims 3 disgustingly ugly anymore. I think that I've played The Sims 4 for about 5 hours max and quite frankly most of that was just me building a house for my sister with the excessively s**t UI and controls.
I think that 3 is smoother and easier to play and I think that if you're the kind of player who likes to feel like a god then it's better because you can actually see how the sims could be real people. But if you just want to direct your own anime or whatever then stick the Sims 4.
I would say that you should probably disregard my comment though because you said:
"i still find the game lacking, and i know they're coming out with more stuff over the years, but i just need more gameplay NOW"
The way that I play is that I make up stories and scenarios for myself. I rarely if ever play the premade sims or situation so I don't know or understand what you mean and don't think are modus operandi are condusive with me advising you. I think that you should play games which have some sort of hard enforce plot rather than games which don't actually have an objective because in The Sims players create their own gameplay based on their imagination. No matter how much you buy, if you can't make up things to interest yourself it won't be enough.
Maybe you could try doing some challenges or something like that?
No one can really tell you if it's worth it since only you'll actually know if it was worth it once you try. For me ts3 has it pros. Being able to control multiple sims at once and have them all spread out across the world is very nice and allows you to get more done. Con the world feels dead as in not enough ppl at least in areas you may like. Parks and gyms seem to always have sims but bars, clubs, beaches, and some others usually only have a handful sima so they end up feeling dead. Personally for me ts3 sims themselves only look good if you use cc to make them look realistic othetwise they usually look like pudding. One thing I now hate about ts3 is how difficult it was to edit the sims themselves. In ts4 you can go to manage households and edit them easily and can manipulate most of their features but in ts3 i believe you had to go one by one and you needed to cheat if you wanted to edit their face and body.
Overall I would just wait for a sale but if you can't the starter set isn't that much like mentioned before. Also if you end up buying EPs go one by one. Don't want to overwhelm yourself with content and not know where to start. That's what happened with me. I ended up buying several packs at the start and ended up not knowing where to start that I felt lost.
Do you ever go into the settings in create household (or whatever it's called) and modify the features like you can do on the Sims 4? I mean CC is ok but I only personally use it for hairstyles since you can easily make almost any face you want in the create a household before you make the sims and if you do use testingcheatsenabled true later to change their looks you can de-age sims, change their sex, looks, natural hair colour and basically DNA etc with no additional mods.
The reason this thread took a sharp turn in the kinds of comments generated is that it started out on a TS4 forum board then got moved to TS3 mid-stream. Different players coming at the games from different perspectives and sharing our experiences with them is a discussion, not a battle.
It should be noted (again) that the OP hasn't logged into the forums since they started this thread. But that's okay, some of us have been enjoying the discussion anyway.
Maybe it should be moved to the TS2 section next on its tour of duty so we can get yet another perspective. Things can be quite lively down there as well, from what I've seen.
Maybe it should be moved to the TS2 section next on its tour of duty so we can get yet another perspective. Things can be quite lively down there as well, from what I've seen.
That would be quite a rabbit hole to go down! I could probably go on forever about what Sims 2 had going for it...
I don’t think buying Sims 2 is an option anymore though? This topic wasn’t meant to be a comparison topic, just trying to get some advice whether to buy Sims 3 or not. It’s a shame the OP never showed up to read the advice, but indeed, it’s enjoyable to do a bit of promotion for this game we all love
I bought the Sims 2 basegame and a few expansion packs (new) just last year, so it´s definitly possible!
Had to download a program that lets the game work with my graphic card, but all in all it runs pretty well. I just don´t like it that much (although I do appreciate a lot of the interactions and animations), I´m still on the "buy Sims 3" team.
Also, having ventured into the depth of the Sims 4 threads on this site, this discussion is indeed very calm and polite.
I'd say definitely. Each Sims game has both good and bad things about them but Sims 3 has a ton of content and a lot of replay value.
There’s also that, indeed. I was really glad I got the chance to download Sims 2’s UC and try it. It’s just a good thing to be able to feel for yourself what different Sims games have to offer, regardless which one is your favourite.
3 is the best but is quickly becoming more trouble than it's worth - I have an Alienware Aurora with 16gb of RAM and I STILL get sudden memory/crashing issues.
While fully appreciating people may have different experiences than me (I know Sims 3 is trouble for many players), I have to object against the factual tone people sometimes use when discussing the game. Sims 3 does not necessarily ‘quickly’ become more trouble than it’s worth.
In the first place, apart from the occasional bug, I’ve never had memory issues (I suppose like Error Code 12, never had it) and crashes are a rarity in my game. And apart from that, no matter the bug (and I’ve had some annoying ones), the game actually has always been worth going through trouble for. Never, not even one split second, have I ever considered to quit playing. I solved the problem, saved my family and continued.
Sims 3 is totally worth fighting for at all costs, for me. What a game is worth is a personal matter, nobody can decide for others if the game is worth the trouble. If that wouldn’t have been the case, modders like Twallan wouldn’t have bothered in the first place.
The issue, as far as I understand it, is people trying to play TS3 on computers which are not up to spec. I have been caught out this way and in the process destroyed 2 laptops. A tip for those in the same position, make sure you get rid of the burnt laptop smell by opening windows, but only after you have put the fire out and carefully disconnected the electricity supply. What people forget to do is take into account not only the specs for the base game, but all the expansions, store content and cc. Fortunately most medium to high spec computers can cope with this but it is a case of shopping carefully. Advice can be sought here on the forum on that very subject.
As for bugs I always remind people no game is bug or glitch free. As TS3 has been around for so long most are known and there are at least work arounds. I play vanilla, and apart from the two occasions when I have dealt with blue screens and smoke, I can count the number of times my game has crashed on one hand. Not bad in 10 years. Yes both W8 and 10 caused problems with freezing and rendering initially but adjusting my graphics settings and my fps fixed that.
So the advice is don't buy in fear and trepidation that the game won't work on your computer. Arm yourself with the knowledge of what you need from your computer and there is no reason why you shouldn't fully enjoy this game. Incidentally I have a mid range ASUS. Not a gaming machine, but with i7, 12GB RAM, Geforce GTX 950m with dedicated 2GB RAM, 128GB SSD and 2TB HDD.
I no longer use Origin or My Page. You can find me on YouTube or Twitter as Bettyboop711000. You are welcome to contact me as I explore options for a PC sandbox life simulation game.
Wherever I am friends call me Betty
[quote="AHolyToilet;c-17033635"][quote="dfxblock;c-17033558"]Please Can you stop ? She just asked if she should build Sims 3 but it turns into a battle ?😅[/quote]
What battle? It's been quite calm in this thread. [/quote]
Everyone is debatting about Sims 3. It's a battle !
All conflict aside, I think if you're curious about the sims 3 it's worth trying out. I will say It does takes some adjusting to return to the sims 3 style after getting accustomed to the sims 4 style, but the sims 3 does have a lot more to play if you invest in the expansion packs, and etc. If you take a look at the sims 3 store online they have a bunch of stuff there too
Please Can you stop ? She just asked if she should build Sims 3 but it turns into a battle ?😅
What battle? It's been quite calm in this thread.
Everyone is debatting about Sims 3. It's a battle !
So...you wish for us to stop politely discussing and sharing our experiences about the game we love to play on a forum board devoted to the game we love to play? Sorry, not really understanding what other players would be expected to talk about, then.
I guess we could just have answered Yes/No in each case, but that wouldn't be nearly as interesting.
We do have the capacity to disagree with each other here, again politely and respectfully.
Please Can you stop ? She just asked if she should build Sims 3 but it turns into a battle ?😅
What battle? It's been quite calm in this thread.
Everyone is debatting about Sims 3. It's a battle !
If there was a battle going on in this thread, I can guarantee you that one of the community managers would had already been in here telling others to be polite to one another and/or locked the thread due to the fighting.
The OP wanted to know if they should buy Sims 3 and we're just explaining our experiences with the game. This thread is in The Sims 3 General Discussion section, so it is a good probability that TS3 players will chime in to give the op pros and cons about the game. So no, there isn't any battle taking place.
What I see is that you only defend your interests instead of helping the author of this post. Personally, it is obvious that she is overwhelmed by the events. Please change just the turn of this discussion. I read in this topic messages like: No, you're wrong, The Sims 4 is better because ... No, go on the Sims 2 ... What is the role of the poster? Just answer his question which is: Should I buy The Sims 3? And one more battle is not only with insults. Any kind of debate is called a fight because it is the opinions that fight. If you want to debate, open another simple subject. It's just a suggestion, not an obligation
Comments
My studio: http://www.thesims3.com/mypage/WatrDragon/mystudio
Just assume that every edit I make is because of typos.
I had read that here in the forums, that people were still playing they just had to deal with the warnings. For whatever reason, after I updated, I didn't just get a warning, I couldn't play. No amount of messing around made it play, and believe me, my husband and I both tried for several days before I reluctantly uninstalled it. Either way, the end is coming even for those who still can. That's the point of the warnings. So if the OP is a Mac user, I wouldn't advise they buy it.
You're probably right. It just seems like everyone else has moved on already, so it seems odd from that standpoint. But, Windows does have a lot more users in general to worry about.
In the first place, apart from the occasional bug, I’ve never had memory issues (I suppose like Error Code 12, never had it) and crashes are a rarity in my game. And apart from that, no matter the bug (and I’ve had some annoying ones), the game actually has always been worth going through trouble for. Never, not even one split second, have I ever considered to quit playing. I solved the problem, saved my family and continued.
Sims 3 is totally worth fighting for at all costs, for me. What a game is worth is a personal matter, nobody can decide for others if the game is worth the trouble. If that wouldn’t have been the case, modders like Twallan wouldn’t have bothered in the first place.
(edit: I think igazor answered that question, sorry, read your post after writing this one)
The open world is awesome and if you have a computer with a dedicated graphics card and use NRAAS overwatch and errortrap, you have eliminated almost all the lag.
A huge problem with the Sims3 is the builders used cheats to build the towns and that was causing Sims to get stuck everywhere. Add to that, Night Life, Into The Future, Seasons, Island Paradise need a separate graphics card, and I understand the frustration. But you can play the Sims4 on a weak dual core laptop which tells you how far back they had to move to go to the Sims4.
If you have a computer bought since 2010 and have at least 4g of ram with a dedicated graphics card, your game will run. And it's so cheap there's no reason not to player.
Sorry to be such a hater on Sims 4, but I do play it now and then if I'm on a bed with a weak laptop and it's OK but there's still too much missing.
I think that The Sims 3 looks more realistic (people, environment, etc) in comparison to 4 and the interface seems more straight forward in my humble opinion. I find 4 to be very reminiscent of digitally drawn, CGI cartoons or anime (which I detest, it's like looking at The Polar Express) and quite frankly I don't like it. Meanwhile in The Sims 3 the graphics can be more realistic to the point of entering the uncanny valley, again just in my opinion.
Having said this, it took me about 100 hours of gameplay separated by about 5 years before I didn't find The Sims 3 disgustingly ugly anymore. I think that I've played The Sims 4 for about 5 hours max and quite frankly most of that was just me building a house for my sister with the excessively s**t UI and controls.
I think that 3 is smoother and easier to play and I think that if you're the kind of player who likes to feel like a god then it's better because you can actually see how the sims could be real people. But if you just want to direct your own anime or whatever then stick the Sims 4.
I would say that you should probably disregard my comment though because you said:
The way that I play is that I make up stories and scenarios for myself. I rarely if ever play the premade sims or situation so I don't know or understand what you mean and don't think are modus operandi are condusive with me advising you. I think that you should play games which have some sort of hard enforce plot rather than games which don't actually have an objective because in The Sims players create their own gameplay based on their imagination. No matter how much you buy, if you can't make up things to interest yourself it won't be enough.
Maybe you could try doing some challenges or something like that?
Do you ever go into the settings in create household (or whatever it's called) and modify the features like you can do on the Sims 4? I mean CC is ok but I only personally use it for hairstyles since you can easily make almost any face you want in the create a household before you make the sims and if you do use testingcheatsenabled true later to change their looks you can de-age sims, change their sex, looks, natural hair colour and basically DNA etc with no additional mods.
I really don't see any battling going on in this thread as it's been pretty civil in this thread.
http://store.thesims3.com/myWishlist.html?persona=lisasc360
My stories on this site:
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/991317/my-sims-stories/p1?new=1
What battle? It's been quite calm in this thread.
It should be noted (again) that the OP hasn't logged into the forums since they started this thread. But that's okay, some of us have been enjoying the discussion anyway.
Maybe it should be moved to the TS2 section next on its tour of duty so we can get yet another perspective. Things can be quite lively down there as well, from what I've seen.
NRaas has moved!
Our new site is at http://nraas.net
That would be quite a rabbit hole to go down! I could probably go on forever about what Sims 2 had going for it...
Had to download a program that lets the game work with my graphic card, but all in all it runs pretty well. I just don´t like it that much (although I do appreciate a lot of the interactions and animations), I´m still on the "buy Sims 3" team.
Also, having ventured into the depth of the Sims 4 threads on this site, this discussion is indeed very calm and polite.
My studio: http://www.thesims3.com/mypage/WatrDragon/mystudio
Just assume that every edit I make is because of typos.
There’s also that, indeed. I was really glad I got the chance to download Sims 2’s UC and try it. It’s just a good thing to be able to feel for yourself what different Sims games have to offer, regardless which one is your favourite.
The issue, as far as I understand it, is people trying to play TS3 on computers which are not up to spec. I have been caught out this way and in the process destroyed 2 laptops. A tip for those in the same position, make sure you get rid of the burnt laptop smell by opening windows, but only after you have put the fire out and carefully disconnected the electricity supply. What people forget to do is take into account not only the specs for the base game, but all the expansions, store content and cc. Fortunately most medium to high spec computers can cope with this but it is a case of shopping carefully. Advice can be sought here on the forum on that very subject.
As for bugs I always remind people no game is bug or glitch free. As TS3 has been around for so long most are known and there are at least work arounds. I play vanilla, and apart from the two occasions when I have dealt with blue screens and smoke, I can count the number of times my game has crashed on one hand. Not bad in 10 years. Yes both W8 and 10 caused problems with freezing and rendering initially but adjusting my graphics settings and my fps fixed that.
So the advice is don't buy in fear and trepidation that the game won't work on your computer. Arm yourself with the knowledge of what you need from your computer and there is no reason why you shouldn't fully enjoy this game. Incidentally I have a mid range ASUS. Not a gaming machine, but with i7, 12GB RAM, Geforce GTX 950m with dedicated 2GB RAM, 128GB SSD and 2TB HDD.
Wherever I am friends call me Betty
Sim enim est vita
What battle? It's been quite calm in this thread. [/quote]
Everyone is debatting about Sims 3. It's a battle !
I guess we could just have answered Yes/No in each case, but that wouldn't be nearly as interesting.
We do have the capacity to disagree with each other here, again politely and respectfully.
NRaas has moved!
Our new site is at http://nraas.net
If there was a battle going on in this thread, I can guarantee you that one of the community managers would had already been in here telling others to be polite to one another and/or locked the thread due to the fighting.
The OP wanted to know if they should buy Sims 3 and we're just explaining our experiences with the game. This thread is in The Sims 3 General Discussion section, so it is a good probability that TS3 players will chime in to give the op pros and cons about the game. So no, there isn't any battle taking place.
http://store.thesims3.com/myWishlist.html?persona=lisasc360
My stories on this site:
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/991317/my-sims-stories/p1?new=1
No, you're wrong, The Sims 4 is better because ... No, go on the Sims 2 ... What is the role of the poster? Just answer his question which is:
Should I buy The Sims 3?
And one more battle is not only with insults. Any kind of debate is called a fight because it is the opinions that fight. If you want to debate, open another simple subject. It's just a suggestion, not an obligation