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Field Researcher
Original Poster
#1 Old 10th Feb 2019 at 3:05 AM
Default How to lower lag in the sims 3
Well, something happened one day.

It was lagging, I paused it and left it for a bit, maybe 30 seconds?
After i left it for possibly 30 seconds, when i played it was non-laggy. It functioned and I liked it, when i played a little more it got a tad laggy so i tried again, it didn't get as good as before. you guys should also consider less mods and/or less quality as high quality in your sims 3 game can cause lag, i know this and have experienced it happening from the sims 4.

You could also not use some expansion packs as ea did say that it can cause lag if you use many of them.
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Mad Poster
#2 Old 10th Feb 2019 at 3:33 AM
Less mods? Reduce settings?
Good joke.

insert signature here
( Join my dumb Discord server if you're into the whole procrastination thing. But like, maybe tomorrow. )
Mad Poster
#4 Old 10th Feb 2019 at 10:05 AM Last edited by igazor : 11th Feb 2019 at 3:10 PM.
"Doctor, doctor, it hurts when I do this!"
"Then don't do this."

While reducing the load on a machine will make some programs work better, I think many of us prefer to push things along and seek other solutions to lag issues when we can provided that we are running on a strong enough potato computer and not playing in design-flawed worlds to begin with. Different players' experiences with TS3 will vary. But all 11 EPs and a full complement of properly made game fixing and in some cases enhancing mods should be fine on strong enough hardware provided the player takes some time to fix things up where needed and maintain their game files.
http://www.nraas.net/community/TIPS...AME-PERFORMANCE

I'm sorry if it seems like we are mocking the OP in places. I'm sure they honestly meant well. But some of us have been at this game and player support for a very long time now and being told we are using too many mods (yes, after a certain impossible to define point this can contribute to overload depending on the mod types and how they were made) and too many EPs doesn't really match the advice we choose to give in all instances, and not without learning more about the player's system environment and how much they are throwing at it all at once.
Scholar
#5 Old 10th Feb 2019 at 5:06 PM
Unless your computer is bad having all the expansions doesn't cause any lag. And if you're using mods it depends on the mod(s) itself if it will cause lags. You should post your computer's specs for more information.

If you like my mods. Consider supporting me on Patreon
Check out my website for updates on my mods and other work PuddingFace.wixsite.com
Check out my Youtube channel for tutorials(modding tutorials) and other content Youtube

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Mad Poster
#6 Old 10th Feb 2019 at 5:32 PM
@CuteCuteSimChild

Check this guide by Anime_Boom out:
http://modthesims.info/showthread.p...818#post5462818
Field Researcher
#7 Old 10th Feb 2019 at 8:58 PM
Mods have absolutely saved my game, especially the NRAAS suite ones. If I played Isla Paradiso without any mods, forget it. That world will not run without EllaCharmeds fix. And I have a beefy machine. Using mods should be strongly encouraged when it comes to sims 3.

Quote:
You could also not use some expansion packs as ea did say that it can cause lag if you use many of them.


I find it hysterical that EA is suggesting simply not having some EPs. Did they ever issue any warnings about this BEFORE a player bought an EP? Or is their idea that you can buy but then just uninstall everything and install the base game and the EP? and if you want to play some other EP uninstall everything and reinstall again? If a machine can't run all the EPs then it is safe to assume reinstalling is going to take a large chunk of time. We sure know they didn't provide us with any programs to disable certain EP if we wanted to.

So let's take EAs "advise". I want to play Island Paradise. I only install the base game, that is required, and then the Island Paradise. No mods, no CC any kind. I go to the game, Play maybe 5 sim minutes (or simutes, anyone?) and notice my gameplay freezes regularly. When not even 1 sim day has passed I would have probably rage quit by that time. It is that bad.

So what now, that's only one EP I'm trying to run? EA's probably going to say leave it on the end table by your bed and have sweet dreams of playing it.

That's why Sims 4 is not getting one cent from me. Also, I actually do not seem to be missing out on absolutely anything.
Lab Assistant
#8 Old 10th Feb 2019 at 9:27 PM
Quote: Originally posted by MeowMixPls
We sure know they didn't provide us with any programs to disable certain EP if we wanted to.

Actually, they did. It's called "Patch 1.69". It's that infamous Origin-exclusive patch that not only require Origin to run while playing, but also will not allow you to bypass launcher (though some later versions of Sims 3 did the same), which makes some utilities unusable. In that patch, the launcher has ability to disable any EP or SP. And the first time you'll launch it, this is the exact advice you'll get, that having too many EPs and SPs may affect your game performance. And that's probably also why all the EPs and SPs are disabled in default and why, from time to time, they'll get disabled automatically. It was real pain to play with that patch. Thank goodness I don't have to play with it anymore because I was able to get disc versions of the two EPs I stupidly bough only on Origin (for Origin-exclusive items that weren't even worth it). It's way better to play the disc version now. Especially since it allows me to use AnyGameStarter, which allows me to use different profiles for different language and/or EPs and SPs settings which also allows me to use different mods in different profiles. That's just perfect for me.
Lab Assistant
#9 Old 10th Feb 2019 at 10:54 PM
Well, in Sims 4, it sure helped that newest EPs, SPs and GPs require 64 bit OS Windows 7 or newer and 4 GB RAM. That sure eliminated the number of potatoes with newest packs
Mad Poster
#10 Old 10th Feb 2019 at 11:11 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Gargoyle Cat
...but EA thinks everybody was born under a rock.

Hey, let's not get personal. Do you actually have something against those of us whose parents were under-rock dwellers? The important thing is that we managed to evolve from that and arrive in town on the next available turnip truck. (I think I'm getting my metaphors for the same thing a bit mixed up here...)

The Patch 1.69 Launcher doesn't uncheck or hide EP/SPs strictly because it thinks the player has too many. It's just poorly implemented. I didn't really mind having to make sure all 20 of mine were checked off on startup, it was counting them every single time to make sure one or two didn't go into hiding on me again and were not even showing up for selection that was painful. The novelty of that wore off after a year or so of putting up with it and am happy I switched over to Steam/1.67 where we don't have to worry about such things and can bypass the Launcher entirely just as with disc installs.

Although I have to commend those of you who have been able to transition to or stay with all-disc installs. Every single optical (CD/DVD) drive I have ever come in contact with has broken shortly thereafter, including those on A/V setups that have nothing to do with PCs. It's a hidden trait, or something.
Field Researcher
#11 Old 11th Feb 2019 at 3:10 AM
Quote: Originally posted by peno
Actually, they did. It's called "Patch 1.69". It's that infamous Origin-exclusive patch that not only require Origin to run while playing, but also will not allow you to bypass launcher (though some later versions of Sims 3 did the same), which makes some utilities unusable. In that patch, the launcher has ability to disable any EP or SP. And the first time you'll launch it, this is the exact advice you'll get, that having too many EPs and SPs may affect your game performance. And that's probably also why all the EPs and SPs are disabled in default and why, from time to time, they'll get disabled automatically.


So that's what that patch was for. I always clicked NO when asked if I wanted to install origin.

If I remember correctly this patch came after Sims 4 was released. Yup, just checked. Over 1 year later after sims 4. Get to work, the first EP, was also released before Sims 3 players were warned that maybe don't buy all the EPs - correction- have all the EPs installed at the same time. I mean, always buy EA games, always.

Now, did it actually fix anything? Did the game run more smoothly after disabling some EPs or not? Also, what is their official excuse and "fix" for the mess that is the isla paradiso world?

Quote: Originally posted by Gargoyle Cat
No, and as person that owns most things TS3 via disc either because I bought them or had them gifted to me, I've never once saw such a stupid message prior to any installation of any given EP.

This is EA once again trying to throw TS3 under the bus while stabbing themselves in the throat in the process. As I've already said, they can put the same exact message on Origin for TS4 as people are trying to play with all the packs on computers equal to a potato and are having the same problems. They won't of course as doing so would look bad for TS4, but EA thinks everybody was born under a rock.


Spot on. Of course they wouldn't put that warning since it would negatively impact sales. What's the point having EPs if you can't even play them at the same time? Picture having to choose if you want rain or dogs in your game today. Yeah, I'd keep my money.
Mad Poster
#12 Old 11th Feb 2019 at 3:31 AM
Quote: Originally posted by PuddingFace
Unless your computer is bad having all the expansions doesn't cause any lag.

Not to take a big dump on the party but this is factually not true. Expansion packs DO cause lag, and having more than a few installed WILL make the game slower. It's just that it affects high-end systems a lot less than low-end ones.

insert signature here
( Join my dumb Discord server if you're into the whole procrastination thing. But like, maybe tomorrow. )
Field Researcher
#13 Old 11th Feb 2019 at 3:42 AM
To be fair, maybe it is because of my new computer but If I didn't know any better, I'd also say that having no EP vs all EPs would not make one lick of a difference. But I still think the average computer that is used to play the sims is still not powerful enough for all the EPs.

I wonder if there is a machine powerful enough to run isla paradiso lag free without any mods? Mine sure can't.
Mad Poster
#15 Old 11th Feb 2019 at 7:06 AM
Ripping disks isn't rocket science, no, but it's the simplicity of popping your disks into a disk drive.

insert signature here
( Join my dumb Discord server if you're into the whole procrastination thing. But like, maybe tomorrow. )
Mad Poster
#16 Old 11th Feb 2019 at 8:28 AM
I play on an about 7 year old desktop i7 with Windows 7 and have everything except K Perry installed as did not get it. My game plays beautifully. But I do manage it with overwatch and some other Nraas mods, clean caches, and so on. Without those, who knows what would happen? But I am not removing them to find out. It ain't broken...... so I am leaving it all alone.

I use the EA story progression. I stayed on 1.67.
Scholar
#17 Old 11th Feb 2019 at 1:16 PM
Well the OP's first post will probably be the last post here

Without knowing which mods and guides can help you improve game performance, it is very easy to make TS3 lag. Just install all EP's installed, a bunch of CC and then play on Isla Paradiso. But ofc everyone knows this here, except for the OP it seems (and I suspect most other TS3 players who do not visit this forum). I think the OP was trying to help? But without knowing how to actually fix the many problems TS3 has.

I like that at least one person showed the OP a guide. But sure, guys. Protect your bubble and act as if everyone and their aunt should already know all the ins and outs of modding TS3 to make it run smoothly.
Mad Poster
#18 Old 11th Feb 2019 at 1:38 PM
Quote: Originally posted by mithrak_nl
I like that at least one person showed the OP a guide. But sure, guys. Protect your bubble and act as if everyone and their aunt should already know all the ins and outs of modding TS3 to make it run smoothly.

I think part of the point here is that when approaching a well-established community engaged in a game that is coming up on ten years old on a site that attracts the most sophisticated of players and mod/content developers, many of us quite friendly and eager to help those somewhat newer to this iteration of the game, it's fine to ask questions and confirm what one might suspect from one's own experiences.

The OP telling us all what to do comes off as a bit uninformed and that's what is triggering many of the responses.
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#19 Old 11th Feb 2019 at 4:46 PM
This is just advice, for those whose games are laggy, I told my own experience as far as I knew,
It's only a suggestion, none of you guys have to do it, and btw, if my game is broken and someone told me what to do to help I'd try to do it, not that you have to.
What I did worked for me, and I hoped it'd work for others.
I never want to lower the quality, visual quality, but if I needed it to get my game on track I would. I'm sorry for offending any of you guys here but I'm only trying to state what worked for me at the moment.
MY game lagged a lot and it wasn't good as I've been wanting to make videos on it but with it's lagging it's impossible to make a good one.
And it was a load of frustration.
Field Researcher
#20 Old 11th Feb 2019 at 4:58 PM Last edited by MeowMixPls : 11th Feb 2019 at 5:08 PM.
Yes, very frustrating but luckily this community has come up with heaps of fixes. It can take a couple of hours to go through everything but the end result will be amazing.

So what have you done so far? I'm asking as there still might be some tricks left to get your game to run better even if using an older computer!
I take it you tried to run all the EPs but couldn't. Which ones do you have now?
Do you play EA made worlds or custom worlds?
Are you using NRASS overwatch and Errortrap?

This one was linked before but it is worth its weight in gold: http://www.nraas.net/community/TIPS...AME-PERFORMANCE

If I had not gotten Ellacharmed's routing fixes (can be daunting to install but so worth it!) and NRAAS mods, my computer that can play latest AAA-games on ultra, would not give me a lag-free playing experience while playing Sims 3, a game, that is now 10 years old.

My advice is to never play sims 3 vanilla. Minimum stuff that everybody should do is install Ella's world fixes and get at least NRAAS Error Trap and Overwatch.
Inventor
#21 Old 11th Feb 2019 at 6:55 PM
Quote: Originally posted by AGuyCalledPi
Not to take a big dump on the party but this is factually not true. Expansion packs DO cause lag, and having more than a few installed WILL make the game slower. It's just that it affects high-end systems a lot less than low-end ones.


I strongly disagree. Base game only or every EP/SP + CC, it didn't change a thing. Loading times more or less the same (less than a minute), and in-game performance exactly the same (95-99% smooth, no FPS drops whatsoever, clock runs at full speed even on ultra speed). It's definitely possible to run everything and don't affect performance at all. Now, mods do affect performance a little. I'm trying to keep only the mods I NEED because the more mods you have, the more it'll game to be responsive upon loading.
Mad Poster
#22 Old 11th Feb 2019 at 7:04 PM
What kind of PCs are you guys running? My game runs like absolute shit compared to how you're describing it. Mine's way overpowered for the job and I used to think TS3 ran really well, but it doesn't even come close to being smooth.

insert signature here
( Join my dumb Discord server if you're into the whole procrastination thing. But like, maybe tomorrow. )
Inventor
#23 Old 11th Feb 2019 at 7:25 PM Last edited by Naus Allien : 11th Feb 2019 at 7:49 PM.
Quote: Originally posted by AGuyCalledPi
What kind of PCs are you guys running? My game runs like absolute shit compared to how you're describing it. Mine's way overpowered for the job and I used to think TS3 ran really well, but it doesn't even come close to being smooth.


You overload your game with enhancements and you also use an injector + shaders. If I'm not mistaken you also have a lot of questionable custom content. CC can make your game lag if not done correctly (proper LODs).

This is how it runs on my PC with every EP, SP + CC and using Island Paradise content on an empty large world. It's literally the worse case scenario for me:
Mad Poster
#24 Old 11th Feb 2019 at 7:39 PM
Quote: Originally posted by AGuyCalledPi
What kind of PCs are you guys running? My game runs like absolute shit compared to how you're describing it. Mine's way overpowered for the job and I used to think TS3 ran really well, but it doesn't even come close to being smooth.


How much CC do you have, and have you run Process Monitor & merged your packages yet?
Mad Poster
#25 Old 11th Feb 2019 at 8:07 PM Last edited by AGuyCalledPi : 11th Feb 2019 at 8:20 PM.
Huh, that looks pretty great. I had to look it up but I'm really only running with about 3 gigs across 700 package files, some of which may very well be broken in some way (would explain why Windows lists them as having been last modified in 1986, I find that files from before 1995 usually tend to cause trouble) and no, I don't like merging packages because it's a lengthy process and you can't easily reverse it. Not sure what Process Monitor is.

I've also considered disabling part of my postprocessing regime but so far, it's just really not been worth it. The shaders have been causing me some issues lately, though, and if I can't find a way to make those issues tolerable I might consider getting rid of part of it anyway. It looks absolutely fantastic standing still, but the moving part needs work.
I've been experimenting with a much lighter shader set lately which only does the necessary ambient occlusion, depth of field and glare work, and aside from the horrendous input lag it's really quite nice actually. I might see if I can make a version for the '88 set of worlds. I could just do all the extra effects in post, really.

insert signature here
( Join my dumb Discord server if you're into the whole procrastination thing. But like, maybe tomorrow. )
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