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Numerous Issues making game unplayable

So I've got QUITE a few issue with my game, and so I'll list them in order.
  1. My Sim will stand still for ages to change clothes, I do not use that much custom content outfit, and I also pause the game to let them change, but it causes the game to become tiresome. It still happen after using 4GB/8GB of my Ram.
  2. The game often saves forever, I save each night, but occasionally it is a save where it never ends (no error 13 either) and I use Nraas mods like overwatch and saver, but it still occur not matter how small or big my progress was.
  3. My Sim often use LOD models like here
    Ub396QD.jpgimg
    if I zoom out slightly, and like outfit changing issue, it lasts a long time, and also happens to my house residents even if I zoom out the smallest amount from my house like the 2nd floor.

So these all issue are here, and they only seemed to happen after I came back from playing TS2 for a few months, despite not adding any custom content since, and using a fresh save.
L9q8VGi.png

Comments

  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    Sims taking forever to respond to a change outfit command could be a sign of bad CC.

    But taken together with the other symptoms, and assuming the game ran better than this in the past, it sounds like something else is going wrong here. Could we get a dxdiag report on this computer? It will tell us about the hardware set and drivers you are working with and if anything stands out as being problematic or in need of adjustment.

    How to run one: https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/pc/how-to-gather-dxdiag-information

    What to do with it: The easiest way to provide it is to send it up to Pastebin.com (the free version is fine) and provide a link so we can read it.

    This all assumes you are running the Windows version of the game. If on a Mac, that would require a different conversation.
    o550pjoa47rpxo63g.jpg
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  • Sorak4Sorak4 Posts: 3,934 Member
    edited October 2018
    igazor wrote: »
    Sims taking forever to respond to a change outfit command could be a sign of bad CC.

    But taken together with the other symptoms, and assuming the game ran better than this in the past, it sounds like something else is going wrong here. Could we get a dxdiag report on this computer? It will tell us about the hardware set and drivers you are working with and if anything stands out as being problematic or in need of adjustment.

    How to run one: https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/pc/how-to-gather-dxdiag-information

    What to do with it: The easiest way to provide it is to send it up to Pastebin.com (the free version is fine) and provide a link so we can read it.

    This all assumes you are running the Windows version of the game. If on a Mac, that would require a different conversation.

    Alright, here is a DXDIAG. https://pastebin.com/AGfFNrE5

    Have not used much CC
    L9q8VGi.png
  • puzzlezaddictpuzzlezaddict Posts: 1,877 Member
    edited October 2018
    Before dealing with your game directly, there is one glaring issue that must be addressed. Your C drive, where Windows is presumably installed, has only 6.7 GB free storage. That's not even close to enough space for your OS to operate. Windows 10 needs at least 35-40 GB free, or you'll get all kinds of issues, perhaps including the ones you're seeing in-game now. As it's only 128 GB, you really can't have much more than Windows itself and maybe a firewall on C.

    I don't know on which drive you've installed TS3, but if it is on C, uninstalling and reinstalling on E, and then redirecting your Documents folder to E as well, would help tremendously. Of course, you won't have a whole lot of space on E either after you do this, but perhaps there are other files you can move to external storage.

    Your drivers are also a year old. You should be able to download new ones from the computer manufacturer's website, or Nvidia's site if the manufacturer isn't offering them.

    When you're ready to play TS3 again, the next question is whether you're using an fps limiter for TS3. The game has no working fps limiter of its own, and an Nvidia GTX 970 is strong enough to damage itself if your frame rates aren't capped. The first tool to try would be the built-in Nvidia Control Panel. But CP doesn't always work, and never works in windowed mode, so the next step would be to download Nvidia Inspector (free). Here are screenshots for the settings for both tools, under the spoilers:

    https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/16540301/#Comment_16540301
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited October 2018
    Hang on a moment, I have something to add here. Note that the OP's Nvidia card is showing twice on the dxdiag. They are using Miracast to broadcast their display over HDMI wirelessly to what I believe is a television. I have no experience with that kind of wireless display simulcasting setup myself and am not sure I've ever seen TS3 deployed that way. @Sorak4 - am I reading this correctly and has exactly this setup worked for you in the past? If so and/or if this is more common than I'm realizing it, then of course I withdraw the concern but if this is something new to your setup unless @puzzlezaddict can also comment on that, there are others here we can page in for their input.

    But first and foremost yes on the drive space issue whether that C drive is carrying Windows only or both Windows and the game, either way that has to be "fixed," and yes on the one year old drivers needing to be updated as well. After that, I also think we should see a DeviceConfig log to make sure the game is really using the GTX 970 and not the also present Intel integrated graphics chip as the latter would not function properly in this setup at all.
    o550pjoa47rpxo63g.jpg
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  • puzzlezaddictpuzzlezaddict Posts: 1,877 Member
    @igazor I've only seen a handful of dxdiags with the same card listed twice (or three times, once), and it's been about 50/50 whether the dual monitor setup is part of the problem or not. I figured since the drive space was a clear issue and the old drivers easily addressed, and OP had played TS3 successfully in the past, I'd wait until the other fixes didn't help to suggest getting rid of the second screen.

    But of course, I don't have a large enough sample size to know when dual monitors are likely to be a problem, let alone the technical expertise to explain why, or to distinguish between setups that pose issues and those that don't.
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    @puzzlezaddict - With a GTX 970, my suspicion is that simulcasting to a second monitor might be okay maybe sometimes as you have seen and agree that's the next thing to ask about after what you have already said, it's the wireless HDMI that's throwing me off. And perhaps needlessly, but yes the drive space allocation is the big issue to take care of first.
    o550pjoa47rpxo63g.jpg
    NRaas has moved!
    Our new site is at http://nraas.net
  • Sorak4Sorak4 Posts: 3,934 Member
    Before dealing with your game directly, there is one glaring issue that must be addressed. Your C drive, where Windows is presumably installed, has only 6.7 GB free storage. That's not even close to enough space for your OS to operate. Windows 10 needs at least 35-40 GB free, or you'll get all kinds of issues, perhaps including the ones you're seeing in-game now. As it's only 128 GB, you really can't have much more than Windows itself and maybe a firewall on C.

    I don't know on which drive you've installed TS3, but if it is on C, uninstalling and reinstalling on E, and then redirecting your Documents folder to E as well, would help tremendously. Of course, you won't have a whole lot of space on E either after you do this, but perhaps there are other files you can move to external storage.

    Your drivers are also a year old. You should be able to download new ones from the computer manufacturer's website, or Nvidia's site if the manufacturer isn't offering them.

    When you're ready to play TS3 again, the next question is whether you're using an fps limiter for TS3. The game has no working fps limiter of its own, and an Nvidia GTX 970 is strong enough to damage itself if your frame rates aren't capped. The first tool to try would be the built-in Nvidia Control Panel. But CP doesn't always work, and never works in windowed mode, so the next step would be to download Nvidia Inspector (free). Here are screenshots for the settings for both tools, under the spoilers:

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

    It is on E Drive.
    igazor wrote: »
    Hang on a moment, I have something to add here. Note that the OP's Nvidia card is showing twice on the dxdiag. They are using Miracast to broadcast their display over HDMI wirelessly to what I believe is a television. I have no experience with that kind of wireless display simulcasting setup myself and am not sure I've ever seen TS3 deployed that way. @Sorak4 - am I reading this correctly and has exactly this setup worked for you in the past? If so and/or if this is more common than I'm realizing it, then of course I withdraw the concern but if this is something new to your setup unless @puzzlezaddict can also comment on that, there are others here we can page in for their input.

    But first and foremost yes on the drive space issue whether that C drive is carrying Windows only or both Windows and the game, either way that has to be "fixed," and yes on the one year old drivers needing to be updated as well. After that, I also think we should see a DeviceConfig log to make sure the game is really using the GTX 970 and not the also present Intel integrated graphics chip as the latter would not function properly in this setup at all.

    It has, and it also performed even better before I switched to a 970, I also have it installed on the E:Drive which should be enough space.
    L9q8VGi.png
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited October 2018
    If your C drive is carrying Windows, it needs more free space. Best practice is 35 GB or 15% of the drive, whichever is larger but Win 10 might need a bit more still. Is your page file (Windows virtual memory) on C as well? That would be painful if it didn't have the space it needs to expand and contract properly. Or is there something else installed or residing on C that can be shifted over?

    We can't really move forward with other forms of troubleshooting if this is the case, the operating system needs more room than that to function properly. Or, is it the case that you really have Windows running from E as well?

    As already noted though, you don't have tremendous amounts of free space left on E as well so it's not really our intent for you to switch the problem from one drive to another. Are all of these files, whatever they are, necessary to keep on the computer itself rather than external to it?
    o550pjoa47rpxo63g.jpg
    NRaas has moved!
    Our new site is at http://nraas.net
  • Sorak4Sorak4 Posts: 3,934 Member
    igazor wrote: »
    If your C drive is carrying Windows, it needs more free space. Best practice is 35 GB or 15% of the drive, whichever is larger but Win 10 might need a bit more still. Is your page file (Windows virtual memory) on C as well? That would be painful if it didn't have the space it needs to expand and contract properly. Or is there something else installed or residing on C that can be shifted over?

    We can't really move forward with other forms of troubleshooting if this is the case, the operating system needs more room than that to function properly. Or, is it the case that you really have Windows running from E as well?

    As already noted though, you don't have tremendous amounts of free space left on E as well so it's not really our intent for you to switch the problem from one drive to another. Are all of these files, whatever they are, necessary to keep on the computer itself rather than external to it?

    Most of them seem necessary, I have very little of programs over 500MB on my C:Drive, not many other files like .AIF and .MP4s to use it room, and trying to free up space doesn't work too much, no Sims 3 backups around either since they used up so much room
    L9q8VGi.png
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited October 2018
    Perhaps you have lots of Restore Points the number of which could be cut back on? Am only guessing now though, but you are using up 115 GB on C alone on something. Win 10 is a space hog, but it alone does not take up 115 GB. Small C drives like that aren't meant to have anything installed on them beyond the operating system and related utilities like anti-virus and other forms of protection.

    And you are using up 717 GB of your E drive, which is why I said that's a lot of storage for a machine that doesn't have the local space you need it to and mentioned potentially seeking external storage.
    o550pjoa47rpxo63g.jpg
    NRaas has moved!
    Our new site is at http://nraas.net
  • Sorak4Sorak4 Posts: 3,934 Member
    igazor wrote: »
    Perhaps you have lots of Restore Points the number of which could be cut back on? Am only guessing now though, but you are using up 115 GB on C alone on something. Win 10 is a space hog, but it alone does not take up 115 GB. Small C drives like that aren't meant to have anything installed on them beyond the operating system and related utilities like anti-virus and other forms of protection.

    And you are using up 717 GB of your E drive, which is why I said that's a lot of storage for a machine that doesn't have the local space you need it to and mentioned potentially seeking external storage.

    I've barely managed to free up an extra 10GB after removing a lot of less important files for my C:Drive and also a 100GB from my E:Drive, however issues still remain with LOD sims from short distances, the endless save issue and sims taking forever to change outfits with little CC
    L9q8VGi.png
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    The next steps to move onto would be updating your graphics card drivers and examining the frame rates you are getting in game, capping them using the tools that @puzzlezaddict already described and linked to if that has not been done already or is no longer being effective. But I'm sorry, I cannot offer support for a game when Windows is running on a drive that does not have enough free space and will have to withdraw from this thread if that cannot be addressed. It's really that important.
    o550pjoa47rpxo63g.jpg
    NRaas has moved!
    Our new site is at http://nraas.net
  • Sorak4Sorak4 Posts: 3,934 Member
    igazor wrote: »
    The next steps to move onto would be updating your graphics card drivers and examining the frame rates you are getting in game, capping them using the tools that @puzzlezaddict already described and linked to if that has not been done already or is no longer being effective. But I'm sorry, I cannot offer support for a game when Windows is running on a drive that does not have enough free space and will have to withdraw from this thread if that cannot be addressed. It's really that important.

    I do have 30/119 GB and 140GB/811 on my both my harddrives left, which should be higher than 15% and perfectly able to run, I have also been using frame limiters like 3Booter for a long time, yet the issue has only surfaced recently.
    L9q8VGi.png
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited October 2018
    30 GB free is much better than 6 GB where we started. And...perhaps working on updating those one year old drivers? Assuming your OS is getting updated, they need to be as well as much as possible best done from the manufacturer's site or Nvidia directly otherwise.
    Post edited by igazor on
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  • Sorak4Sorak4 Posts: 3,934 Member
    Alright, updated with correct driver for my OS and card and space was increased, but the issues are marginally decreased and still occur but my Sim also spends slightly less time standing there, also it seems that it also froze pretty early while playing.
    L9q8VGi.png
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