Time Freezing (...with Island Paradise newly installed?)

Requiemforasim · February 2019

I had been playing with Sims 3 up to University, without Supernatural and Island Paradise installed, and have only recently reinstalled Fast Lane stuff pack and Island Paradise. I have only Sims 3 store CC and no mods.

The World with Island Paradise keeps freezing at random Sim hours, then plays a little, and freezes again.

What is causing the freeze?

I had been playing Sims 4, so I don't think it's system requirements.

Thanks in advance,
Megan

igazor · February 2019

The Isla Paradiso world that comes with the IP expansion is design-flawed. It will lag and freeze on just about any system unless it's fixed up a bit first. There have been around 20,000 posts (slight exaggeration) about this going back to when the EP was released but those are a bit more difficult to find now as the Expansions section of this forum got all merged together.

The easiest way to fix it is to use ciane's saved game to start out where she has done it all for us. Or, more challenging, follow her pages of instructions for those who prefer the Do It Yourself approach.
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/811253/removing-ip-lag/p1

Requiemforasim · March 2019

Thank you for the info, igazor!

In researching, I had read that Island Paradise was a big EP, as well, and had been able to play without it...until now; Sunlit Tides won't save! My first male alien baby, and all!

igazor · March 2019

Now we would have to ask the specs of the system you are playing on. TS4 is a very different game, that you can run it properly (with as many EPs?) is not really relevant. I can find a dxdiag of yours from five years ago on this forum, but hopefully you have a stronger system than that now?

Requiemforasim · March 2019

Yes, that is my computer specs. Except Windows 8.1. My fiance built this computer years ago.

Any suggestions?

igazor · March 2019

This is the one I found: https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/12704824/#Comment_12704824

Your graphics card would have been produced in 2007 or so (wow). It was mid-range at best back then but really only ever strong enough to carry the TS3 base game and maybe a couple of the earliest released EPs. Pets and Seasons are the heaviest hitting ones, ITF and IP would be next, and your card would never really have been up to the task for any of these. Now with the passage of time performance would tend to degrade from where it once was, these components never improve with age. I'm afraid you may be expecting a bit too much out of that system generally.

Edit: And sorry, just noticed the 32-bit version of Windows but maybe you have addressed that already.

Requiemforasim · March 2019

🐸🐸🐸🐸.

Read: Thanks for letting me know!

So where do I find the best requirements in order to run Sims 3 with the EPs, etc.?

igazor · March 2019

I typed this out recently for a player looking to purchase (not assemble) a new laptop rather than a desktop, but perhaps it helps?
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/16942725/#Comment_16942725

Requiemforasim · March 2019

Thanks for the info!

I understand a desktop set-up is more money than a laptop, but I'm not into laptops. Are the required specs the same for that type? What price range am I in now, in this case?

In the meantime, which Worlds should I steer clear of other than Island Paradise world and Sunlit Tides? Is Aurora Skies too big?

igazor · March 2019

That would most definitely be the exception, not the rule. Desktops are almost always much cheaper than laptops when comparing those of equally strong components even when factoring in the need for a monitor and laptops actually require more strength to deliver the same performance. When it comes to TS3 though, we are talking about giving the game the best environment (it can actually use) in which to run.

We used to say an i7 processor was practically a requirement for a laptop, but some of the newer i5s are fine too as they are for desktops. We also used to say that laptops require a stronger graphics card, but the GTX 1050 desktop and mobile variants are also both fine for the game (though in each case a 1050Ti or 1060 would be a bit stronger).

If you are in the US, new desktops suitable for TS3, the entire game, should start around the low to mid $700s range. Laptops would start in the $900s plus or minus some for sales. Prices in other countries are of course very different. When we start adding in large Solid State Drives (SSDs) and power that the game cannot use but other games and programs can, then of course the prices go way up from there. Also by reputation desktops last longer than laptops (of similar build quality) because their components can be more spread out inside of the case and they tend to not need to be carried around all the time.

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Time Freezing (...with Island Paradise newly installed?)

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