I play both. I can play Sims 4 for a few hours and have fun; I can play Sims 3, look up after awhile, and realize that 8 hours have passed and I think need to turn off the game and try to get at least a couple of hours sleep.
But with Sims 3, it was not designed for modern computers and for me, I have to do a few things to get it to run properly. I use an FPS limiter because Sims 3 does not come with one. I run both Sims 3 and 3booter (the FPS limiter I use) in Windows 7 compatibility mode -- if I don't, Create a Style lags. I use the NRAAS suite of mods, and I also use Awesome Mod, but I don't recommend Awesome for newbies to modding because the people at that website are, well, hostile and proud of it. The people at NRAAS are great, though, and incredibly helpful.
I always am confused by people saying Sims 3 sims have no emotions -- they're not in your face, and they are governed by moodlets, but they're far more subtle. For instance, if a Sims 4 sim catches her spouse cheating, she may get jealous, she may get angry, or perhaps the house will make her happy. In Sims 3, a nice atmosphere will lead to increased mood, but if a Sim 3 sim gets cheated on and knows it, no matter how high the mood is, the Sims will be mad/hurt/whatever at their partner. It's possible they'll breakup without the cheater doing a lot of work to try to make up. You definitely will not have a betrayed sim smiling and chatting or getting over it in a few hours.
I play both. I can play Sims 4 for a few hours and have fun; I can play Sims 3, look up after awhile, and realize that 8 hours have passed and I think need to turn off the game and try to get at least a couple of hours sleep.
But with Sims 3, it was not designed for modern computers and for me, I have to do a few things to get it to run properly. I use an FPS limiter because Sims 3 does not come with one. I run both Sims 3 and 3booter (the FPS limiter I use) in Windows 7 compatibility mode -- if I don't, Create a Style lags. I use the NRAAS suite of mods, and I also use Awesome Mod, but I don't recommend Awesome for newbies to modding because the people at that website are, well, hostile and proud of it. The people at NRAAS are great, though, and incredibly helpful.
I always am confused by people saying Sims 3 sims have no emotions -- they're not in your face, and they are governed by moodlets, but they're far more subtle. For instance, if a Sims 4 sim catches her spouse cheating, she may get jealous, she may get angry, or perhaps the house will make her happy. In Sims 3, a nice atmosphere will lead to increased mood, but if a Sim 3 sim gets cheated on and knows it, no matter how high the mood is, the Sims will be mad/hurt/whatever at their partner. It's possible they'll breakup without the cheater doing a lot of work to try to make up. You definitely will not have a betrayed sim smiling and chatting or getting over it in a few hours.
I also like how you can’t have any romantic interactions with a sim who just broke up. You can when it’s an active sim (which is good, the player being in control), but as far as I know it can’t be done with an inactive sim. I like that detail, that it takes time to recover from heartache.
i definitely don't recommend it. i tried playing ts3 after ts4 and the graphics are really bad compared to ts4. not sure if this is a problem for anyone else but i have another issue and it is that ts3 is super laggy for some reason. im also just not a fan of the layout for cas and ingame in ts3 compared to t34. to me it looks sorta tacky. overall i think that ts4 is a better choice and is way more worth it, but do whatever you feel like <3
Why graphics are horrible ? I have the game and my graphics are very nice👌
Sims 4 graphics indeed are way better. I actually understand why people have a hard time going back to that.
Why play a game that looks like this:
When I can have this:
Well, apart from the fact that my sim can take her scooter up to those houses in the distance of course.
(yes, I'm being sarcastic here, but only because I genuinely can't follow the graphics argument)
(apart from the fact it baffles me how 'graphics' are presented as an argument in the first place to choose a game and I think it's a bit tiring people keep bringing it in as the only argument; to be honest, if I didn't know both games that would make me suspicious)
Why graphics are horrible ? I have the game and my graphics are very nice👌
Sims 4 graphics indeed are way better. I actually understand why people have a hard time going back to that.
Why play a game that looks like this:
When I can have this:
Well, apart from the fact that my sim can take her scooter up to those houses in the distance of course.
(yes, I'm being sarcastic here, but only because I genuinely can't follow the graphics argument)
(apart from the fact it baffles me how 'graphics' are presented as an argument in the first place to choose a game and I think it's a bit tiring people keep bringing it in as the only argument; to be honest, if I didn't know both games that would make me suspicious)
I agree. Blocky, low polygon count graphics aren't a convincing argument to put TS4 over TS3. It's such a weak argument. Plus I really hate the bright cartoony artstyle (does it also have a lower color palette count that everything is so bright?1??) and goofy "stepford wives" smile every TS4 sim has. They all seem to have an incurable mild case of that infection from the latest game pack. And who cares about the scenery in TS4 if you can't even go to those areas and explore them or play in them or even build lots on?
What do TS4 players do with TS4? Just stare at the graphics and admire the CAS layouts??? Because there isn't anywhere near as much gameplay as TS3. The TS4 CAS doesn't have a colorwheel (TS3 CAS colorwheel gives you the full color spectrum to choose from and not just a few colors) and you can't even pick any patterns for your objects or install your own custom patterns (TS3 of course has this, and even has a Create a Pattern program for it!).
If I wanted to just look at graphics or a "pretty" (purely subjective by the way) interface that lacked useful features (purely objective by the way), I certainly wouldn't look for it in a game such as TS4 - that's not the main reason why anyone buys and plays a game. It's the GAMEPLAY. That's why TS3 still sells and sells well and why less and less people are buying the lame arguments against it.
EA shouldn't fight this. They should promote TS3 just as much as TS4 since TS3 still sells so well among the new games coming out currently and continues to make the best seller lists at Amazon and Steam. And then maybe the simming community wouldn't be so divided anymore (before TS4, it wasn't like this!).
I think TS3 is the best way to go (just to help you get back into the groove of things) Also because all of the expansions for TS3 are already out.
If you stick to 3 you can then wait until all of the expansions for TS4 are out and you dont have to wait
We've gone there so many times (the graphics debate) so I will just say the only way that I think someone would think Sims 3 graphics are a downgrade is if they have a computer unable to handle the game on high settings.
And yes, original poster, if you are still here, buy Sims 3. Just prepare yourself for a serious addiction and lack of time for other things.
Honestly, at the end of the day this is simply a game. A very fun, very addicting game where an entire world is your sandbox.
It’s all up to you which you prefer. Personally, while I don’t play nor own Sims 4 (I have my opinions but I’ll keep them to myself lol) I enjoy seeing other’s gameplay or house designing in the game. The colors are pretty, the build mode seems really nice and the clutter selection looks amazing!
But Sims 3...that’s a game I have a soft spot for. I’ve spent hours playing and investing in families, days building/ decorating houses, and months in my recent project of filling an empty world with my own stuff. I love the aesthetic of Sims 3. You can go for the urban city feel (like the awesome world of Boroughsburg) or - which is my preference - a cozy and country feel in your worlds.
In Sims 4 there truly are some fun moments, but in Sims 3 you can design to your hearts content. Heck, I made this cow pasture/apple orchard on a whim and my sims can go to it and enjoy with no loading screens.
And the sims are always entertaining to watch and control as well. I choose the odd traits on purpose because I’ve noticed that my quirky sims tend to exude more attitude that makes you attached.
These are only examples of the types of things you can do in Sims 3. There are so, so many more fun activities that despite my years of gameplay in this game I haven’t even tried out yet.
So yes, I recommend it. But at the end of it all, it’s up to you
@Amphora That is beautiful. How did you get the cows loose in the pasture?! I thought they were tied to the little shed?!
Thank you!
A talented modder on tumblr made this handy mod. Here is where you can find it.
It’s wonderful because you can make what looks like a herd of loose cows in a pasture and it just looks like they are simply enjoying the day and grazing on the grass. It’s almost calming to watch lol
You have to arrange the loose cows just right so that your sims can milk the cows, play tic-tac-hoof, or tip them over but the hassle is worth it
I played Sims 1 extensively but never tried Sims 2 as my old laptop couldn't handle it. Then I went directly to Sims 3 when I got a new laptop. When Sims 4 came out I bought the base game and played a family for several weeks to try to give it a fair crack of the whip. I HATED Sims 4. I felt it was an awful step backwards to go back to the limited world view. I didn't like no longer being able to customise colours and patterns and having just a fixed limited selection. I didn't like the cartoon quality lots. I didn't like returning to the loading screen just to get from home to boring nightclub. I LOATHED the constant noisy demands to achieve this that or the other for my sims. Didn't like them in Sims 2 either. Sims 3 is more discrete with it's "do this" noises. I detested the constant challenges when having a party. A party is supposed to be fun, not an endless shopping list of "achievements". I also hated the fact that I could no longer make my sims immortal so that they could work on skills points at leisure. I don't know if any of that has now changed since the early days of Sims 4. I could not stand the moping and scowling and silly walks when the sims got moody. I really don't care to micromanage my sims' looks, so the extra controls don't interest me. I did appreciate how quickly the game loaded but wasn't sure if that was simply because I had only the base game. TS3 loads faster when you have nothing but the base game.
I actually hated Sims 3 when it came out as the colours were less vibrant (loud) than Sims 1, starting over penniless in a tiny house was not much fun, and having sims age and die was horrible, but the game grew on me. You cannot play Sims 3 easily without sundry mods. I have many NRAAS mods installed and yet I regularly have to save my family and start them over in a new world because of corruption, glitches lags and sundry annoyances as the game file grows. I have burned out a video chip, destroyed a screen and have to use a fan cooling pad to play Sims 3 on a notebook. I insure my notebook, get free repairs, money towards replacement machines and carry on with TS3.
TS3 has the best world scenery IMHO. You can't beat the beauty of a winter sunrise or sunset, the views of the city from Bridgeport apartments in winter. It's the most "natural" game with the open world. You can play all your family at once and progress faster. You can recolour almost everything you want. The "wishes" and "goals" are not so intrusive or noisy or demanding. Yes it takes forever to load. I read while waiting. Yes you should save when something important happens in case of crashing. Yes you should back everything up regularly in case of computer or game death. Yes, EA should have fixed the game properly but instead they dumped it for Sims 4. It was a bridge too far for them. I still play it every evening for relaxation. I start up Sims 4 from time to time, look at it for a few minutes and then decide no, and go back to Sims 3.
I bought a lot of my expansion packs from Instant Gaming for next to nothing. If you did that and didn't like Sims 3 you'd have wasted far less money. For an old game that doesn't work without mods I think EA is charging far too much for TS3.
It's up to you. I have TS3, and personally, it's okay, but it's lacking in many areas mainly in performance. As you can see in my signature, I have a really powerful over the top gaming PC. When I play the game, it lags and freezes too much, while on the other hand TS4 runs perfectly even with all the packs installed. The graphics are really hard to get used to if you are coming from TS4. It's really pixelated and looks pretty bad compared to TS4. And the camera controls are really funky, unless you've been using TS3 game camera in TS4. It's slow, choppy, and hard to use in my personal opinion. If you don't mind all that, then sure go ahead. It has more content compared to TS4, and you get a pretty good deal when you buy The Sims 3 Starter Pack, as you get Late Night EP and High End Loft Stuff. All the expansion packs are pretty good, but some of the stuff packs are pretty trash. I would play the game for a while before buying any DLC though.
It freezes and lags because it's an old game. A new, fancy, top of the line computer will not run an OLD game. An old game will run like an old game because new technology is not part of (programmed into) the old game.
To the orginal poster - Wait for a sale. Steam has the sims on sale from time to time for about 5 bucks per expansion.
It's up to you. I have TS3, and personally, it's okay, but it's lacking in many areas mainly in performance. As you can see in my signature, I have a really powerful over the top gaming PC. When I play the game, it lags and freezes too much, while on the other hand TS4 runs perfectly even with all the packs installed. The graphics are really hard to get used to if you are coming from TS4. It's really pixelated and looks pretty bad compared to TS4. And the camera controls are really funky, unless you've been using TS3 game camera in TS4. It's slow, choppy, and hard to use in my personal opinion. If you don't mind all that, then sure go ahead. It has more content compared to TS4, and you get a pretty good deal when you buy The Sims 3 Starter Pack, as you get Late Night EP and High End Loft Stuff. All the expansion packs are pretty good, but some of the stuff packs are pretty trash. I would play the game for a while before buying any DLC though.
It freezes and lags because it's an old game. A new, fancy, top of the line computer will not run an OLD game. An old game will run like an old game because new technology is not part of (programmed into) the old game.
To the orginal poster - Wait for a sale. Steam has the sims on sale from time to time for about 5 bucks per expansion.
@BradyGalaxy @KatyFernlily I have a Asus Rog gaming computer and it is now 3 yrs old, I have all of the Sims 3 Exp, and stuff, you name it I have it and I have never had any trouble running the Sims 3, It does not run like a old game. It even runs with Win 10, I do not have any CC or mods. I never have. I have never had any lag, freezing, and I am still playing it on this computer. I do not have a choppy camera nor slow or hard to use. I also have sim 4 and also plays well on my computer. To be truthful I like the sims 3 graphics and they look more realistic, and I also like sims 4 graphics because I like the cartoon look also. I play both sims 3 and 4, I play sims 3 the most. Only because Sims 4 seems want you to play their way. I have a hard time with teens as they look more like college kids. and I love playing with the teens in sims 3, I have never sent my kids to school in any of the sims games, except sims 4 because I have no choice, so I have to wait for the time to go to school and delete it. sometimes I don't make it. Their are some things I like best about sims 4, like building houses, but I do not like the clothes and the fact that I cannot put my own colors on things. There are a lot of good in both games. and It is up to the player as to the one they like best. I am not sure what kind of computer you have but I am sorry that you have had so much trouble with the sims 3. I have played the sims from 1 to 4 and have not had any trouble with any computers that I have ever played them all. You are right to suggest that people wait for a sale. Also go on line and watch simmers play the sims 3 and the sims 4, and you will get a better idea as to what one you like the best. Have fun simming. Love the sims
Why graphics are horrible ? I have the game and my graphics are very nice👌
Sims 4 graphics indeed are way better. I actually understand why people have a hard time going back to that.
Why play a game that looks like this:
When I can have this:
Well, apart from the fact that my sim can take her scooter up to those houses in the distance of course.
(yes, I'm being sarcastic here, but only because I genuinely can't follow the graphics argument)
(apart from the fact it baffles me how 'graphics' are presented as an argument in the first place to choose a game and I think it's a bit tiring people keep bringing it in as the only argument; to be honest, if I didn't know both games that would make me suspicious)
I agree. Blocky, low polygon count graphics aren't a convincing argument to put TS4 over TS3. It's such a weak argument. Plus I really hate the bright cartoony artstyle (does it also have a lower color palette count that everything is so bright?1??) and goofy "stepford wives" smile every TS4 sim has. They all seem to have an incurable mild case of that infection from the latest game pack. And who cares about the scenery in TS4 if you can't even go to those areas and explore them or play in them or even build lots on?
Took the words right out of my mouth, you and the person you're quoting. Graphics don't make the game, the game itself does. There are plenty of games that came out even before TS3 that have much better gameplay and superior storylines than a lot of games today. There are even 2D games with pixelized graphics that can provide tons of fun and an interesting story When I play a game, I'm looking for how fun and engaging it is and for me, TS3 is superior in that regard. So OP, assuming you're still reading this thread, feel free to disregard the "don't play it because its graphics sux" argument posts.
To me, for gameplay, TS3 wins, although I admit TS4 does some things better, such as superior Vampires, if you're into that. The biggest problem you'll have is the stability of the game, though.
This is coming from someone who plays both games, TS3 and TS4. The TS4, I can play for a bit while I'm busy doing something else as a neat little distraction, only rarely do I get invested into the game. TS3? I've developed an addiction to the game after playing it for just a few days now.
Why graphics are horrible ? I have the game and my graphics are very nice👌
Sims 4 graphics indeed are way better. I actually understand why people have a hard time going back to that.
Why play a game that looks like this:
When I can have this:
Well, apart from the fact that my sim can take her scooter up to those houses in the distance of course.
(yes, I'm being sarcastic here, but only because I genuinely can't follow the graphics argument)
(apart from the fact it baffles me how 'graphics' are presented as an argument in the first place to choose a game and I think it's a bit tiring people keep bringing it in as the only argument; to be honest, if I didn't know both games that would make me suspicious)
I agree. Blocky, low polygon count graphics aren't a convincing argument to put TS4 over TS3. It's such a weak argument. Plus I really hate the bright cartoony artstyle (does it also have a lower color palette count that everything is so bright?1??) and goofy "stepford wives" smile every TS4 sim has. They all seem to have an incurable mild case of that infection from the latest game pack. And who cares about the scenery in TS4 if you can't even go to those areas and explore them or play in them or even build lots on?
Took the words right out of my mouth, you and the person you're quoting. Graphics don't make the game, the game itself does. There are plenty of games that came out even before TS3 that have much better gameplay and superior storylines than a lot of games today. There are even 2D games with pixelized graphics that can provide tons of fun and an interesting story When I play a game, I'm looking for how fun and engaging it is and for me, TS3 is superior in that regard. So OP, assuming you're still reading this thread, feel free to disregard the "don't play it because its graphics sux" argument posts.
To me, for gameplay, TS3 wins, although I admit TS4 does some things better, such as superior Vampires, if you're into that. The biggest problem you'll have is the stability of the game, though.
This is coming from someone who plays both games, TS3 and TS4. The TS4, I can play for a bit while I'm busy doing something else as a neat little distraction, only rarely do I get invested into the game. TS3? I've developed an addiction to the game after playing it for just a few days now.
My problem with the vampires is, that though the mechanics are great, they’re still Sims 4 sims. I played an evil vampire and it was fun to teach her stuff and see her become more powerful in some ways (and more vulnerable in others), but at the end of the day she was still an evil sim who spontaneously kept hugging her sister and making selfies with her (on a really low relationship bar). For me it shows that a solid and complex basegame is everything. Same with toddlers. They’re awesome. But then you realize there’s still the parents to play and toddlers just don’t make up for their flaws.
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.
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....
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.
Sims 3 crashes on a lot of "newer" computers precisely because your computer has more than it can use. It was designed to use a certain amount, but it tries to tap into what is actually available, can't, and crashes.
Mac users have been aware of this issue since Sims 3 came out, because Macs upgraded sooner than Windows did. Complaints were all over the Mac forums about how the game always got errors and crashed because of this and EA didn't care.
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.
Not that I would recommend the Mac version of the game anyway, and it is a heck of a lot more difficult to get it installed on some modern Macs for other reasons, but from most reports it's still playable for many on Mojave. When the next OS comes out, probably later this year, that will likely change for those staying current.
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.
Comments
But with Sims 3, it was not designed for modern computers and for me, I have to do a few things to get it to run properly. I use an FPS limiter because Sims 3 does not come with one. I run both Sims 3 and 3booter (the FPS limiter I use) in Windows 7 compatibility mode -- if I don't, Create a Style lags. I use the NRAAS suite of mods, and I also use Awesome Mod, but I don't recommend Awesome for newbies to modding because the people at that website are, well, hostile and proud of it. The people at NRAAS are great, though, and incredibly helpful.
I always am confused by people saying Sims 3 sims have no emotions -- they're not in your face, and they are governed by moodlets, but they're far more subtle. For instance, if a Sims 4 sim catches her spouse cheating, she may get jealous, she may get angry, or perhaps the house will make her happy. In Sims 3, a nice atmosphere will lead to increased mood, but if a Sim 3 sim gets cheated on and knows it, no matter how high the mood is, the Sims will be mad/hurt/whatever at their partner. It's possible they'll breakup without the cheater doing a lot of work to try to make up. You definitely will not have a betrayed sim smiling and chatting or getting over it in a few hours.
i tried playing ts3 after ts4 and the graphics are really bad compared to ts4.
not sure if this is a problem for anyone else but i have another issue and it is that ts3 is super laggy for some reason.
im also just not a fan of the layout for cas and ingame in ts3 compared to t34. to me it looks sorta tacky.
overall i think that ts4 is a better choice and is way more worth it, but do whatever you feel like <3
Sims 4 graphics indeed are way better. I actually understand why people have a hard time going back to that.
Why play a game that looks like this:
When I can have this:
Well, apart from the fact that my sim can take her scooter up to those houses in the distance of course.
(yes, I'm being sarcastic here, but only because I genuinely can't follow the graphics argument)
(apart from the fact it baffles me how 'graphics' are presented as an argument in the first place to choose a game and I think it's a bit tiring people keep bringing it in as the only argument; to be honest, if I didn't know both games that would make me suspicious)
I agree. Blocky, low polygon count graphics aren't a convincing argument to put TS4 over TS3. It's such a weak argument. Plus I really hate the bright cartoony artstyle (does it also have a lower color palette count that everything is so bright?1??) and goofy "stepford wives" smile every TS4 sim has. They all seem to have an incurable mild case of that infection from the latest game pack. And who cares about the scenery in TS4 if you can't even go to those areas and explore them or play in them or even build lots on?
What do TS4 players do with TS4? Just stare at the graphics and admire the CAS layouts??? Because there isn't anywhere near as much gameplay as TS3. The TS4 CAS doesn't have a colorwheel (TS3 CAS colorwheel gives you the full color spectrum to choose from and not just a few colors) and you can't even pick any patterns for your objects or install your own custom patterns (TS3 of course has this, and even has a Create a Pattern program for it!).
If I wanted to just look at graphics or a "pretty" (purely subjective by the way) interface that lacked useful features (purely objective by the way), I certainly wouldn't look for it in a game such as TS4 - that's not the main reason why anyone buys and plays a game. It's the GAMEPLAY. That's why TS3 still sells and sells well and why less and less people are buying the lame arguments against it.
EA shouldn't fight this. They should promote TS3 just as much as TS4 since TS3 still sells so well among the new games coming out currently and continues to make the best seller lists at Amazon and Steam. And then maybe the simming community wouldn't be so divided anymore (before TS4, it wasn't like this!).
If you stick to 3 you can then wait until all of the expansions for TS4 are out and you dont have to wait
We've gone there so many times (the graphics debate) so I will just say the only way that I think someone would think Sims 3 graphics are a downgrade is if they have a computer unable to handle the game on high settings.
And yes, original poster, if you are still here, buy Sims 3. Just prepare yourself for a serious addiction and lack of time for other things.
It’s all up to you which you prefer. Personally, while I don’t play nor own Sims 4 (I have my opinions but I’ll keep them to myself lol) I enjoy seeing other’s gameplay or house designing in the game. The colors are pretty, the build mode seems really nice and the clutter selection looks amazing!
But Sims 3...that’s a game I have a soft spot for. I’ve spent hours playing and investing in families, days building/ decorating houses, and months in my recent project of filling an empty world with my own stuff. I love the aesthetic of Sims 3. You can go for the urban city feel (like the awesome world of Boroughsburg) or - which is my preference - a cozy and country feel in your worlds.
In Sims 4 there truly are some fun moments, but in Sims 3 you can design to your hearts content. Heck, I made this cow pasture/apple orchard on a whim and my sims can go to it and enjoy with no loading screens.
And the sims are always entertaining to watch and control as well. I choose the odd traits on purpose because I’ve noticed that my quirky sims tend to exude more attitude that makes you attached.
These are only examples of the types of things you can do in Sims 3. There are so, so many more fun activities that despite my years of gameplay in this game I haven’t even tried out yet.
So yes, I recommend it. But at the end of it all, it’s up to you
A talented modder on tumblr made this handy mod. Here is where you can find it.
It’s wonderful because you can make what looks like a herd of loose cows in a pasture and it just looks like they are simply enjoying the day and grazing on the grass. It’s almost calming to watch lol
You have to arrange the loose cows just right so that your sims can milk the cows, play tic-tac-hoof, or tip them over but the hassle is worth it
I actually hated Sims 3 when it came out as the colours were less vibrant (loud) than Sims 1, starting over penniless in a tiny house was not much fun, and having sims age and die was horrible, but the game grew on me. You cannot play Sims 3 easily without sundry mods. I have many NRAAS mods installed and yet I regularly have to save my family and start them over in a new world because of corruption, glitches lags and sundry annoyances as the game file grows. I have burned out a video chip, destroyed a screen and have to use a fan cooling pad to play Sims 3 on a notebook. I insure my notebook, get free repairs, money towards replacement machines and carry on with TS3.
TS3 has the best world scenery IMHO. You can't beat the beauty of a winter sunrise or sunset, the views of the city from Bridgeport apartments in winter. It's the most "natural" game with the open world. You can play all your family at once and progress faster. You can recolour almost everything you want. The "wishes" and "goals" are not so intrusive or noisy or demanding. Yes it takes forever to load. I read while waiting. Yes you should save when something important happens in case of crashing. Yes you should back everything up regularly in case of computer or game death. Yes, EA should have fixed the game properly but instead they dumped it for Sims 4. It was a bridge too far for them. I still play it every evening for relaxation. I start up Sims 4 from time to time, look at it for a few minutes and then decide no, and go back to Sims 3.
I bought a lot of my expansion packs from Instant Gaming for next to nothing. If you did that and didn't like Sims 3 you'd have wasted far less money. For an old game that doesn't work without mods I think EA is charging far too much for TS3.
@BerryCharming wow, and I thought this WAS the sims 3 Discussion forum.
It freezes and lags because it's an old game. A new, fancy, top of the line computer will not run an OLD game. An old game will run like an old game because new technology is not part of (programmed into) the old game.
To the orginal poster - Wait for a sale. Steam has the sims on sale from time to time for about 5 bucks per expansion.
@BradyGalaxy
@KatyFernlily I have a Asus Rog gaming computer and it is now 3 yrs old, I have all of the Sims 3 Exp, and stuff, you name it I have it and I have never had any trouble running the Sims 3, It does not run like a old game. It even runs with Win 10, I do not have any CC or mods. I never have. I have never had any lag, freezing, and I am still playing it on this computer. I do not have a choppy camera nor slow or hard to use. I also have sim 4 and also plays well on my computer. To be truthful I like the sims 3 graphics and they look more realistic, and I also like sims 4 graphics because I like the cartoon look also. I play both sims 3 and 4, I play sims 3 the most. Only because Sims 4 seems want you to play their way. I have a hard time with teens as they look more like college kids. and I love playing with the teens in sims 3, I have never sent my kids to school in any of the sims games, except sims 4 because I have no choice, so I have to wait for the time to go to school and delete it. sometimes I don't make it. Their are some things I like best about sims 4, like building houses, but I do not like the clothes and the fact that I cannot put my own colors on things. There are a lot of good in both games. and It is up to the player as to the one they like best. I am not sure what kind of computer you have but I am sorry that you have had so much trouble with the sims 3. I have played the sims from 1 to 4 and have not had any trouble with any computers that I have ever played them all. You are right to suggest that people wait for a sale. Also go on line and watch simmers play the sims 3 and the sims 4, and you will get a better idea as to what one you like the best. Have fun simming. Love the sims
I think it got moved.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuW44b3uCMtCSaq4gwC8EZg
Took the words right out of my mouth, you and the person you're quoting. Graphics don't make the game, the game itself does. There are plenty of games that came out even before TS3 that have much better gameplay and superior storylines than a lot of games today. There are even 2D games with pixelized graphics that can provide tons of fun and an interesting story When I play a game, I'm looking for how fun and engaging it is and for me, TS3 is superior in that regard. So OP, assuming you're still reading this thread, feel free to disregard the "don't play it because its graphics sux" argument posts.
To me, for gameplay, TS3 wins, although I admit TS4 does some things better, such as superior Vampires, if you're into that. The biggest problem you'll have is the stability of the game, though.
This is coming from someone who plays both games, TS3 and TS4. The TS4, I can play for a bit while I'm busy doing something else as a neat little distraction, only rarely do I get invested into the game. TS3? I've developed an addiction to the game after playing it for just a few days now.
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....
Sims 3 crashes on a lot of "newer" computers precisely because your computer has more than it can use. It was designed to use a certain amount, but it tries to tap into what is actually available, can't, and crashes.
Mac users have been aware of this issue since Sims 3 came out, because Macs upgraded sooner than Windows did. Complaints were all over the Mac forums about how the game always got errors and crashed because of this and EA didn't care.
Not that I would recommend the Mac version of the game anyway, and it is a heck of a lot more difficult to get it installed on some modern Macs for other reasons, but from most reports it's still playable for many on Mojave. When the next OS comes out, probably later this year, that will likely change for those staying current.
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.
NRaas has moved!
Our new site is at http://nraas.net