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Mad Poster
#26 Old 20th May 2018 at 8:40 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Squidconqueror
I don't know I just wish that I would one day get to play a sims game that would rival Sims 2 and 3 in terms of content and gameplay using the most groundbreaking technology but the way things are now that's just a distant dream that wouldn't be accomplished until a long time from now. I'm still really grateful that we still have Sims 2 and 3 although 3 is still in an unfinished state.


That two though. TS2 is very also corruption-self-tempting game. Both really need fixing.

P.S. Sorry for my bad english.
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Mad Poster
#27 Old 20th May 2018 at 9:04 PM
Quote: Originally posted by tizerist
I think it’s a fair comparison. Not in terms of quality but they are both 3D and a have a closed-world environment. That makes them the most closely related of the series imo.

Yeah that's true, on a basic level they're very comparable. But considering the 10-year gap between the two, and the fact that TS2 had great graphics, detail and complexity for its time...,.TS4 is also a lesser game in those ways in an absolute sense as well as a relative one, and that makes it an unfair comparison to me.

And for the record, no, TS4 does not have better graphics than TS2. It has a better lighting model and more detailed Sims. But it does not have 10 years of graphical improvements. It has lesser models, lesser textures, lesser LODs and lesser mipmaps, and it lacks a whole lot of minor visual details that would have made perfect sense even in a cartoonish aesthetic.

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( Join my dumb Discord server if you're into the whole procrastination thing. But like, maybe tomorrow. )
Instructor
#28 Old 21st May 2018 at 1:33 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Squidconqueror
It's such a shame that EA left this game in the state it's currently in because there is still a lot that they could have done with this game such as adding more social options and improving the gameplay and now they're acting like this game had never existed or even just straight up disown it even though they're the ones who are responsible for its development. That's just sad because this game has a lot of potential to be as good or dare I even say better than 2 if they had just put more work it to making the game playable for people with lower end computers,fixing the game breaking bugs that run rampant in the game and put back in the best features of Sims 2 such as clothes shopping. In spite of all that I still think it's still a pretty good game but it could have been much better if there was more love and compassion put in it. Sometimes I wonder why they're even still in business when they keep on doing stuff like this.


I have to agree. Mainly with the bug and routing issues the game has. They should not have left the game how it was. I feel like I need NRAAS overwatch and errortrap to fix things in my game And I use story progression because it's way more in depth than the game's built in one. As far as content the sky is the limit lol so of course they could have added more lol but the same can be said about any sim game.

Recently they seemed to have insulted their own product which I found hilarious because it shows them for who they are. Funny how I've heard ts3 get even more bad talk since 4's release but simmers are going back to it. I mean actions speak louder than words 🤷
Top Secret Researcher
#29 Old 21st May 2018 at 1:38 AM
I think a comparison of Sims 2 and Sims 4 is reasonable enough. Sims 2 is clearly the superior product.
Scholar
#30 Old 21st May 2018 at 10:54 AM Last edited by CatMuto : 21st May 2018 at 1:43 PM.
Quote: Originally posted by SusannaG
I think a comparison of Sims 2 and Sims 4 is reasonable enough. Sims 2 is clearly the superior product.


Yeah, that's what I thought a bit when I watched gameplay videos or trailors for Sims 4. The return to closed-world, loading screens when going to public places, and said public places being quickly filled with random town NPCs to interact with, it's very reminiscient of Sims 2. There's also other aspects that make it feel very much like Sims 2, but with a minor polish added to it. The graphic-style for Sims 4 doesn't bother me, I rather enjoy it. But the point stands that Sims 4 felt very... bland when compared to Sims 3 or even Sims 2. Even in terms of basegame.

Sims 2 basegame is dated by now, sure, but you could still have fun and do the life simulating thing. With wacky things happening. Sims 3 had the open world and you still had a lot to figure out at first with basegame. I generally don't play without Seasons anymore, but I have done so before and it was still enjoyable enough. And with Sims 4... it's just missing 'something'. But it's one of those things where I can't put my finger on what that something is.

I think something I said was a downstep with Sims 3, and now Sims 4, is that it got too 'kid-friendly'. Recall in Sims 2, you had stuff like pinching your partner's butt or rather intense, dramatic making out. Goofy, but still kind of realistic. And in Sims 3, the pinching option has been removed, and the making out is now just... more and longer kissing. It seems so clinically clean now, it's kind of boring.
Mad Poster
#31 Old 21st May 2018 at 1:23 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Mspigglypooh
Recently they seemed to have insulted their own product which I found hilarious because it shows them for who they are. Funny how I've heard ts3 get even more bad talk since 4's release but simmers are going back to it. I mean actions speak louder than words 🤷

To me, it comes across as a sort of insecurity. Anyone who has to loudly and consistently badmouth something or someone else.....well, they usually don't have any better ideas or solutions than that thing they're so insistant on criticizing. When TS4 was coming out, I very much had the impression that they were talking shit about TS3 because that was easier than praising TS4 for its many supposed virtues instead.

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( Join my dumb Discord server if you're into the whole procrastination thing. But like, maybe tomorrow. )
Field Researcher
#32 Old 21st May 2018 at 7:07 PM
Sometimes, I think that EA was too quick to move on from TS3 to TS4, and this is because they ended up making TS4 into something that had a lot of stuff taken out of the basegame, such as toddlers and swimming pools. I followed what was going on with TS4 when it was first being released, and thought I might try playing it myself at that point, but when I found out that a lot of things were taken out of the basegame, I decided not to play it. Sometimes, I have thought of playing TS4 since, but the fact that you have to have Origin to install and play it, even with getting it on disc, has been a deciding factor for me to not play it, but to stick to TS3. I say this because I had TS3 on Origin originally, and was affected by the 1.69 patch as a result. This meant that I had to uninstall Origin, and get TS3 (basegame, expansion packs, and stuff packs) on disc in order to stay on the 1.67 patch, and not be affected by 1.69.

That said, given the way TS3 can run slow at times, adding more expansion and/or stuff packs might have slowed it down further, and made it much more unplayable for some people than it already was. Just my two cents.
Scholar
#33 Old 21st May 2018 at 7:46 PM
Yea there was a lot of other stuff I wanted. Like into the past expansion where we meet ancestors instead of descendants and the sims of that time won't have cellphones or cars but simply use horse carriages. A proper OFB expansion would've been great, they cut ofb content between different expansions and store content. another pet themed pack with Zoos and safaris. So much could've been done.
Mad Poster
#34 Old 21st May 2018 at 7:55 PM
Yeah I feel like the Store really ruined that theme, because they split the OFB-style gameplay up into various sets so that it couldn't really be made into a full-sized EP anymore.

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( Join my dumb Discord server if you're into the whole procrastination thing. But like, maybe tomorrow. )
Scholar
Original Poster
#35 Old 21st May 2018 at 8:33 PM
Quote: Originally posted by magdalenepoet
Sometimes, I think that EA was too quick to move on from TS3 to TS4, and this is because they ended up making TS4 into something that had a lot of stuff taken out of the basegame, such as toddlers and swimming pools. I followed what was going on with TS4 when it was first being released, and thought I might try playing it myself at that point, but when I found out that a lot of things were taken out of the basegame, I decided not to play it. Sometimes, I have thought of playing TS4 since, but the fact that you have to have Origin to install and play it, even with getting it on disc, has been a deciding factor for me to not play it, but to stick to TS3. I say this because I had TS3 on Origin originally, and was affected by the 1.69 patch as a result. This meant that I had to uninstall Origin, and get TS3 (basegame, expansion packs, and stuff packs) on disc in order to stay on the 1.67 patch, and not be affected by 1.69.

That said, given the way TS3 can run slow at times, adding more expansion and/or stuff packs might have slowed it down further, and made it much more unplayable for some people than it already was. Just my two cents.

I agree,Sims 3 takes forever to load on my laptop which is probably the main reason why I prefer playing 2 over 3. The load times just make it a pain to test out new content and mods in case I would like to get into stuff like that but the load times are just too unbearable to do simple stuff like that so until they decide to make a better and more optimized version of 3 I guess it's just 2 for me.
Top Secret Researcher
#36 Old 21st May 2018 at 10:07 PM
Yes and no. I don't think we need more stuff, however the stuff that exists needs fixing and updating and some improvement. My main wish at this point is 64-bit, everything else, I can handle. Mostly.
Since EA is not in the business of improving existing games, not even the current ones, I've long accepted that I whatever NRAAS does to improve it will be best. Probably better that way anyway. EA would just mess things up. Again. See Patch 1.69 for the last example.
So, in a way, I'm glad EA has abandoned TS3. At least it won't make things worse. Always a possibility with EA.
Mad Poster
#37 Old 21st May 2018 at 11:32 PM
Okay, stupid question, but is NRaas at this point in time still making any noteworthy improvements? Are they actively developing their mods and if so, are any of them at all related to game performance?

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Top Secret Researcher
#38 Old 22nd May 2018 at 12:31 AM
As far as I know, yes, yes, and not sure. I'm sure @igazor can be more specific.

There is a mod in development that targets the attraction system, the latest GoHere version has been released fairly recently and I think the next Overwatch release is in testing at the moment.

If you check out the Update History/Testing, you see the recent updates.
Mad Poster
#39 Old 22nd May 2018 at 12:47 AM
We also recently released full version updates to MasterController and Tagger.

Not counting Chemistry, the attraction system mod that is too early in its development to be listed anywhere, these are the mods that currently have beta testing versions in place but are not yet ready for full release: http://nraas.wikispaces.com/Update%20History%20Testing

Development will pretty much stall except for emergency fixes (if required) until the move to our new site later this year. There may be another pre-alpha stress test of Chemistry in between now and then for those so engaged.

I really don't understand why one member here keeps asking this question repeatedly in various places here. The mods are open sourced. If they would like to develop them further and faster than we are able to for their own use, they are more than welcome to acquire the necessary skill set and do so.
Scholar
Original Poster
#40 Old 22nd May 2018 at 1:17 AM
Quote: Originally posted by 310175
Yes and no. I don't think we need more stuff, however the stuff that exists needs fixing and updating and some improvement. My main wish at this point is 64-bit, everything else, I can handle. Mostly.
Since EA is not in the business of improving existing games, not even the current ones, I've long accepted that I whatever NRAAS does to improve it will be best. Probably better that way anyway. EA would just mess things up. Again. See Patch 1.69 for the last example.
So, in a way, I'm glad EA has abandoned TS3. At least it won't make things worse. Always a possibility with EA.

It really does indeed. Just the other day it overheated my laptop while my sister was trying to play it. It was loading Isla Paradiso,she gave up on it again after the town still kept loading which was probably over an hour. I think it's trying to kill my laptop. Yep EA doesn't care about making quality games. They're too blinded by greed failing to realize that their empire could crumble down any moment either it's tomorrow or years from now.
Mad Poster
#41 Old 22nd May 2018 at 7:05 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Squidconqueror
It was loading Isla Paradiso,she gave up on it again after the town still kept loading which was probably over an hour. I think it's trying to kill my laptop.


You are killing your laptop and not the game when you let something that your laptop clearly cannot handle run for an hour. If something in 3 does not load in IMO 5-10 minutes at the most it is not going to load and you need to shut the game off. If your hardware cannot handle the game it cannot handle it. If your laptop is overheating there is a problem and letting something run for an hour will not solve it.

And yet you think they should have added more content. (?)
Scholar
#42 Old 22nd May 2018 at 8:20 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Squidconqueror
It really does indeed. Just the other day it overheated my laptop while my sister was trying to play it. It was loading Isla Paradiso,she gave up on it again after the town still kept loading which was probably over an hour. I think it's trying to kill my laptop. Yep EA doesn't care about making quality games. They're too blinded by greed failing to realize that their empire could crumble down any moment either it's tomorrow or years from now.

Is your laptop cooling fan working right?
Scholar
Original Poster
#43 Old 22nd May 2018 at 9:59 AM Last edited by Squidconqueror : 22nd May 2018 at 10:24 AM.
Quote: Originally posted by daisylee
You are killing your laptop and not the game when you let something that your laptop clearly cannot handle run for an hour. If something in 3 does not load in IMO 5-10 minutes at the most it is not going to load and you need to shut the game off. If your hardware cannot handle the game it cannot handle it. If your laptop is overheating there is a problem and letting something run for an hour will not solve it.

And yet you think they should have added more content. (?)


Actually my laptop handles the game fine and it doesn't overheat anymore. Even my old Intel i3 laptop could run the game and Isla Paradiso at ease. I just don't know why all of a sudden the game took forever to load and overheated my laptop a couple weeks ago but it must the custom content. I could run the game smoothly now without all the heat and like I said I maybe it was for the best that they didn't. Oh and I was just joking when I said it was trying to kill my laptop. I could run Skyrim perfectly on it too without it overheating. Even it couldn't handle it I wouldn't mind because I like 2 way better.
Quote: Originally posted by skydome
Is your laptop cooling fan working right?

It works fine now. I think I'll just get 3dbooter to prevent the game from overworking my graphics card.
Scholar
#44 Old 22nd May 2018 at 10:29 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Squidconqueror
Actually my laptop handles the game fine and it doesn't overheat anymore. I just don't know why all of a sudden the game took forever to load and overheated my laptop a couple weeks ago. I could run the game smoothly now without all the heat and like I said I maybe it was for the best that they didn't. Oh and I was just joking when I said it was trying to kill my laptop. I could run Skyrim perfectly on it too without it overheating. Even it couldn't handle it I wouldn't mind because I like 2 way better.

It works fine now. I think I'll just get 3dbooter to prevent the game from overworking my graphics card.


Some of the store content and CCs make load times very high. The bakery increases load time for me. But I really like it so I can't uninstall lol. The cow and chicken also increase load time. I deleted those.
Scholar
Original Poster
#45 Old 22nd May 2018 at 10:41 AM
Oh I have the country living store content installed. I don't know how to find out what the poly count of the custom content are.
Mad Poster
#46 Old 22nd May 2018 at 10:45 AM
Quote: Originally posted by skydome
Some of the store content and CCs make load times very high. The bakery increases load time for me. But I really like it so I can't uninstall lol. The cow and chicken also increase load time. I deleted those.

Since load time is brought up, I noticed that if each fullbuild.package from each individual The Sims 3 [EP/SP]\GameData\Shared\Packages directory is moved to the The Sims 3\GameData\Shared\Packages directory it speeds up load time, as doing that then allows game to load most of the game content from the same folder instead of searching for it in 20 different folders.

Because the earth is standing still, and the truth becomes a lie
A choice profound is bittersweet, no one hears Cassandra Goth cry

Scholar
Original Poster
#47 Old 22nd May 2018 at 10:50 AM
Quote: Originally posted by HarVee
Since load time is brought up, I noticed that if each fullbuild.package from each individual The Sims 3 [EP/SP]\GameData\Shared\Packages directory is moved to the The Sims 3\GameData\Shared\Packages directory it speeds up load time, as the game now loads most of the game content from the same folder.

How did you find that out? I might just try it. If it messes up the game I could always reinstall it.
Scholar
#48 Old 22nd May 2018 at 11:00 AM
Quote: Originally posted by HarVee
Since load time is brought up, I noticed that if each fullbuild.package from each individual The Sims 3 [EP/SP]\GameData\Shared\Packages directory is moved to the The Sims 3\GameData\Shared\Packages directory it speeds up load time, as doing that then allows game to load most of the game content from the same folder instead of searching for it in 20 different folders.


...I'll have to test that out.

I rarely use sims3pack stuff anymore, and even less Store content. I do have Roaring Heights, but I deleted everything from there, except for the fixer-upper car. Because most of the stuff is just not something I care about. And the worlds I have installed, all custom, tend to be small-to-medium-sized, and empty, so they should be pretty small? I look at the Store content and think some of that is nice, but a lot of it is not something I absolutely need. I like the It's Not Gross shower option because it's cheap (cheaper than the cheapest shower) and gives the good shower moodlet. Downside, can't use it for Woohoo, from what I've seen. And the dance bar for ballet is nice, but something that is really not necessary.

If I had to separate the Store conent, it would be...
Worlds
Stuff that, when put together, would make a great EP (or SP)
Stuff that you can do without, it will barely make a difference
Stuff that should have been in the game to begin with (Most clothes and hair options)

And I love IP, but it's one of the EPs that is the toughest on the computer, and as much as I like the idea behind Isla Paradiso, the world is just horrendous to play in. I've tried, even with the ellacharmed route fixing, and it was... difficult to enjoy. Even Bridgeport, which used to be practically unplayable for me, was at least tolerable and working when I got the fixes.

PS: There's a new MasterController version out? ...I have to see if that might have to do with an issue I've been having.
Mad Poster
#49 Old 22nd May 2018 at 11:00 AM Last edited by HarVee : 22nd May 2018 at 11:14 AM.
Quote: Originally posted by Squidconqueror
How did you find that out? I might just try it. If it messes up the game I could always reinstall it.

I was digging through the game file directory and noticed how all of the packages that contain the game content resources (OBJD, IMG, XML, AUD, etc.) started with the title "fullbuild". The base game Resource.cfg is set up by default to read any .package file located in The Sims 3\GameData\Shared\Packages that starts with fullbuild. So essentially moving the EP/SP fullbuild files from their directories into the BG directory reduces the amount of time the HDD has to search for the files.

From my testing it has reduced initial game load time on my machine, and the EP/SP content still functions correctly. There has also been a minor reduction to load times in CAS and the Deco>Misc section of the buy catalogue. YMMV of course.

Because the earth is standing still, and the truth becomes a lie
A choice profound is bittersweet, no one hears Cassandra Goth cry

Mad Poster
#50 Old 22nd May 2018 at 12:49 PM
Interesting idea. I'll have to try that out.

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