Even more crashes...

INDIABOL · January 2019

I don't see why my computer can't handle this game, and it's really become a pain. I'm currently playing in Sunset Valley, so there should be minimum crashes at that. I lowered my settings after my game crashed earlier today to medium thinking that would help, yet I just crashed a couple of minutes ago. I know the crash report isn't the best tool, I checked anyway and it's telling me memory is the issue.

Are there any more precautions I could take to limit this issue?

igazor · January 2019

Is it that your computer cannot handle the game, or the game itself cannot handle what you are throwing at it?

We've covered this in the past but it's been a while so let's review. TS3 is a 32-bit application. It can use no more than 4 GB of RAM on any system, no matter how much you have to work with. The actual upper limit is around ~3.7 GB due to some overhead, and 3.5 GB begins the danger zone for most of us beyond which the game will crash or refuse to save. Again, on any system. In addition, the game can only work with 800 MB of video memory no matter how strong your graphics card is. There is no way to improve upon these things, all we can do is give the game the best environment possible in which to run.

Sunset Valley itself is not going to add to the overhead very much, it's one of the most gentle worlds to play. But we've chatted before about other custom worlds that are just too large and complicated to really play properly or for very long. Then you have gone on to discuss HQ mods and what seem to be large amounts of CC in other threads. Somehow I am getting the sense that the instance of Sunset Valley that is now crashing on you is not the same as the simple(r) and lightly populated one EA shipped out with the base game and you have since added many things for the game engine to attempt to handle.

Would this be so, or have you since reverted to a more vanilla game without all the fancy third party additions?

ciane · January 2019

Generally, you can delete the cache.package files in your sims 3 folder that deal with CASparts, script, and compositor files. These can get quite large in file size over time, and you don't need them to play. You can also move out screenshots and videos to another location if you want to keep them.

The dccache folder often makes .tmp file that duplicate your .ebc files. These can be deleted as well.

In game, I always turn off all the weather, occult, and pet options. This keeps the game from spawning unnecessary sims and animals or troublesome weather. (Just turn on snow for the holiday and then turn it back it off.)

I've actually read that lowering settings can cause more problems for high-end machines, so that is something you have to adjust a bit at a time to find what works for you.

Never play on-line, and turn off everything you don't need on while you game. If you can disconnect from the internet and turn off your antivirus and auto-updating software, then you have less change of that causing a crash.

I turn off memories as well and on-line notifications of any kind.

The other thing is to "save as" instead of using "save" so that you have an uncorrupted backup, if needed.

INDIABOL · January 2019

*Sigh*

A combination of a lot of those things. It’s just when I see so many other people literally pump their game with cc, I cannot understand why I have such bad luck at doing the same. The HQ mod didn’t change much. In fact, my game didn’t even blink at it.

I was also frustrated earlier after two crashes back to back, so that was where I was coming from earlier. In the chances that I play this game without cc (exceptions of skins and eyes), would I still experience as many crashes as I’m getting? I swear it feels like I’m walking on eggshells playing this game, but it’s fun so I keep stressing myself out.

Also this is just a thought. I’ve read lots of threads where desktops are always recommended. I’m not really in a place to purchase one but would that also take strain of the computer if it were a desktop instead of a laptop? I ask this in the case that maybe then I’d be able to add all of these cc’s that I spent hours downloading and can’t use now. 😑

INDIABOL · January 2019

I have also played with memories on since I like to look back at what’s happened. I turn the store off, clean out my folder religiously, click save as instead of just a simple save.

I will also keep that in mind about the selections. Thank you.

igazor · January 2019

CC: I don't know of anyone who can indiscriminately add huge amounts of CC to their game and never suffer any side-effects. Most of us proceed cautiously and test things out in very small batches first. Not all CC is created equally. A nice looking wood grain end table will add practically no overhead to the game. A high poly count hair or extremely intricate outfit, or an exceedingly complicated lot with far too many trees, lights, columns, etc. might be a different story. And of course some CC is just plain broken by design and has the capacity to ruin games entirely. Maybe TS3 is just an entirely different beast from other games but yes, it is delicate on any system and there are never any guarantees. Just well thought out suggestions (including mods) to improve performance.

As soon as we add our first nice looking end table (that by itself causes no harm and whose impact is so small that it cannot even be measured), we are bucking the system and giving the game more to contend with than EA planned for when they released it. It all goes downhill from there.

Scrapbook Memories: Always thought I was in the minority here, but I like those too. But we can't have sims all across town (if rotational play is invoked) or generations of sims all with the maximum 300 memories each as that will bloat up the game saves like crazy, and many of these memories are repeated and/or trivial. I use this method to control them, a small number of very important life changing memories per sim tends to be fine.
http://modthesims.info/d/446281/no-or-fewer-automatic-memories-with-custom-tool-to-make-your-own-mod-edited-01-16-2014.html

Desktops: It is not required to have a desktop to play TS3. But where this is coming from is that the exact same (or equivalent) sets of specs on a desktop will generally outperform that on a laptop. Laptops have more overhead to contend with and require stronger components to get the same results, again speaking generally.

More performance preserving and enhancing tips can be found here:
http://www.nraas.net/community/TIPS-FOR-BETTER-GAME-PERFORMANCE

INDIABOL · January 2019

Thanks for the mod suggestion. That is silly how going to the park is even a memory. Maybe for kids or something, but to each its own player, I guess.

I'm so stubborn when it comes to this game, I swear. I'm going to keep my sliders, makeup and things of that nature for CAS (no hair, and clothes since I have a good amount of store cc I can live with). That amount is about 3 GB, and I can't cut that down anymore since it's all packaged. That's the entire amount of my mod folders including NRAAS and that's about it. Thanks again.

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