Difference between revisions of "The Sims 3"
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==Essential improvements== | ==Essential improvements== | ||
===Patches=== | ===Patches=== | ||
− | {{ii}} [https://www.patches-scrolls.de/patch/4321/21/ Patch 1.67.2] | + | {{ii}} [https://www.patches-scrolls.de/patch/4321/21/ Patch 1.67.2] is the latest patch available for the DVD and Steam game versions. |
− | {{ii}} Patch 1.69.43 | + | {{ii}} Patch 1.69.43 is the latest patch available for the Origin game version (Windows and macOS 32-bit). |
+ | {{ii}} Patch 1.70.305 is the latest patch available for the Origin game version (macOS 64-bit). | ||
{{ii}} The patch notes can be found here [https://sims.fandom.com/wiki/The_Sims_3/Patch#List_of_The_Sims_3_patches here]. | {{ii}} The patch notes can be found here [https://sims.fandom.com/wiki/The_Sims_3/Patch#List_of_The_Sims_3_patches here]. | ||
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}} | }} | ||
− | {{Fixbox|description=Launch the game from TS3W.exe|ref= | + | {{Fixbox|description=Launch the game from TS3W.exe|ref=|fix= |
{{ii}} This only works for a retail disc install patched to 1.67. If on 1.69 or higher (Digital), this method will not work and you'll need to use the one listed above. | {{ii}} This only works for a retail disc install patched to 1.67. If on 1.69 or higher (Digital), this method will not work and you'll need to use the one listed above. | ||
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===Increase how much RAM the game can use (Windows only)=== | ===Increase how much RAM the game can use (Windows only)=== | ||
{{ii}} By default, the game limits itself to 2 GB of RAM. On 64-bit installations of Windows, it is possible to make it use 3 or 4 GB RAM instead. | {{ii}} By default, the game limits itself to 2 GB of RAM. On 64-bit installations of Windows, it is possible to make it use 3 or 4 GB RAM instead. | ||
− | {{Fixbox|description=Edit <code>Sims3.ini</code><ref>https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1131162350</ref><ref>{{Refcheck|user=Dandelion Sprout|date=2021-10-31}}</ref>|fix= | + | {{Fixbox|description=Edit <code>Sims3.ini</code><ref name="Steam guide">https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1131162350</ref><ref name="Dandelion Sprout 31Oct2021">{{Refcheck|user=Dandelion Sprout|date=2021-10-31}}</ref>|fix= |
# Open <code>{{p|game}}\Game\Bin\Sims3.ini</code> in a text editor. | # Open <code>{{p|game}}\Game\Bin\Sims3.ini</code> in a text editor. | ||
# Change <code>MemoryUsageLimit</code> from 20000000 to 40000000. | # Change <code>MemoryUsageLimit</code> from 20000000 to 40000000. | ||
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===Increase how much VRAM the game can use=== | ===Increase how much VRAM the game can use=== | ||
{{ii}} By default, the game limits itself to 2 GB of VRAM. It is possible to make it use the full amount of VRAM the graphics card has. | {{ii}} By default, the game limits itself to 2 GB of VRAM. It is possible to make it use the full amount of VRAM the graphics card has. | ||
− | {{Fixbox|description=Edit <code>GraphicsRules.srg</code><ref | + | {{Fixbox|description=Edit <code>GraphicsRules.srg</code><ref name="Steam guide" /><ref name="Dandelion Sprout 31Oct2021" />|fix= |
# Open <code>{{p|game}}\Game\Bin\GraphicsRules.srg</code> in a text editor. | # Open <code>{{p|game}}\Game\Bin\GraphicsRules.srg</code> in a text editor. | ||
# Change <code>seti textureMemory</code> from either 2048 or 32, to the GPU's VRAM multiplied by 1024. For instance, 6 GB = 6144. | # Change <code>seti textureMemory</code> from either 2048 or 32, to the GPU's VRAM multiplied by 1024. For instance, 6 GB = 6144. | ||
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===Increase how much CPU power the game will actively use=== | ===Increase how much CPU power the game will actively use=== | ||
− | {{Fixbox|description=Edit <code>GraphicsRules.srg</code><ref | + | {{Fixbox|description=Edit <code>GraphicsRules.srg</code><ref name="Steam guide" /><ref name="Dandelion Sprout 31Oct2021" />|fix= |
# Open <code>{{p|game}}\Game\Bin\GraphicsRules.srg</code> in a text editor. | # Open <code>{{p|game}}\Game\Bin\GraphicsRules.srg</code> in a text editor. | ||
# Change both <code>seti cpuLevelMedium</code> and <code>seti cpuLevelLow</code> from 2 and 1 respectively, to 3. | # Change both <code>seti cpuLevelMedium</code> and <code>seti cpuLevelLow</code> from 2 and 1 respectively, to 3. | ||
}} | }} | ||
− | ===[https://www.nraas.net/Overwatch-FAQ NRaas Overwatch]<ref | + | ===[https://www.nraas.net/Overwatch-FAQ NRaas Overwatch]<ref name="Dandelion Sprout 31Oct2021" />=== |
{{++}} Contains bugfixes for Sims that have walked into spots without outside path routing, empty cars that stand still in the road, superfluous/corrupt caches, NPCs stuck in-between life ages, and a bug involving a police station mission that can't be won, among other things. | {{++}} Contains bugfixes for Sims that have walked into spots without outside path routing, empty cars that stand still in the road, superfluous/corrupt caches, NPCs stuck in-between life ages, and a bug involving a police station mission that can't be won, among other things. | ||
{{ii}} Replaces ''Sims 3 Seasons''' moon cycle with a more detailed one. | {{ii}} Replaces ''Sims 3 Seasons''' moon cycle with a more detailed one. | ||
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==Video== | ==Video== | ||
+ | {{Image|The_Sims_3_video_settings.png|Video settings}} | ||
{{Video | {{Video | ||
|wsgf link = https://www.wsgf.org/dr/sims-3 | |wsgf link = https://www.wsgf.org/dr/sims-3 | ||
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|60 fps notes = | |60 fps notes = | ||
|120 fps = true | |120 fps = true | ||
− | |120 fps notes = | + | |120 fps notes = At ≥120 FPS, the item previews spin faster, elevator shafts are harder to snap in place, and Buy/Build Mode scrolling may be janky.<ref name="Dandelion Sprout 31Oct2021" /> |
|hdr = false | |hdr = false | ||
|hdr notes = | |hdr notes = | ||
+ | |ray tracing = false | ||
+ | |ray tracing notes = | ||
|color blind = unknown | |color blind = unknown | ||
|color blind notes = | |color blind notes = | ||
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==Input== | ==Input== | ||
+ | {{Image|The_Sims_3_general_settings.png|General settings, including camera invertion}} | ||
{{Input | {{Input | ||
|key remap = false | |key remap = false | ||
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|invert mouse y-axis = false | |invert mouse y-axis = false | ||
|invert mouse y-axis notes = | |invert mouse y-axis notes = | ||
− | |touchscreen = | + | |touchscreen = limited |
− | |touchscreen notes = | + | |touchscreen notes = Moving the camera around in the neighborhood, would require either mouse cursor emulation, or right mouseclick emulation. Entering cheat codes requires a keyboard. |
|controller support = false | |controller support = false | ||
|controller support notes = | |controller support notes = | ||
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==Audio== | ==Audio== | ||
+ | {{Image|The_Sims_3_audio_settings.png|Audio settings}} | ||
{{Audio | {{Audio | ||
|separate volume = true | |separate volume = true | ||
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|fan = | |fan = | ||
}} | }} | ||
+ | {{ii}} After the initial installation, further language changes must be done in the Windows registry at <code>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Sims\The Sims 3</code> → Locale (On 32-bit Windows installations it's at <code>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Sims\The Sims 3</code>). The process is explained at [https://sims3.crinrict.com/en/2013/04/change-the-language.html Crinrict's Sims 3 Help Blog], although its listing of <code>en-GB</code> is not a valid code.<ref>{{Refcheck|user=Dandelion Sprout|date=2021-11-14}}</ref> | ||
}} | }} | ||
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|opengl versions = | |opengl versions = | ||
|opengl notes = | |opengl notes = | ||
− | |glide versions = | + | |glide versions = false |
|glide notes = | |glide notes = | ||
|software mode = | |software mode = | ||
|software mode notes = | |software mode notes = | ||
− | |mantle support = | + | |mantle support = false |
|mantle support notes = | |mantle support notes = | ||
|metal support = true | |metal support = true | ||
|metal support notes = Requires macOS 10.13 (High Sierra). | |metal support notes = Requires macOS 10.13 (High Sierra). | ||
− | |vulkan versions = | + | |vulkan versions = false |
|vulkan notes = | |vulkan notes = | ||
|dos modes = | |dos modes = | ||
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===Mod resources=== | ===Mod resources=== | ||
− | {{mm}} [https://www.thesims3.com/exchange The Sims 3 Exchange] - The official website for sharing user-made content (sims, households, clothing | + | {{mm}} [https://www.thesims3.com/exchange The Sims 3 Exchange] - The official website for sharing user-made content (sims, households, clothing, etc.). The website uses the Sims 3 launcher to download and install custom content. Both the exchange and Sims 3 launcher require the same account. |
{{mm}} [https://www.modthesims.info/browse.php?gs=2 Mod The Sims] - Also hosts mods for The Sims 2 and The Sims 4. | {{mm}} [https://www.modthesims.info/browse.php?gs=2 Mod The Sims] - Also hosts mods for The Sims 2 and The Sims 4. | ||
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====Unofficial==== | ====Unofficial==== | ||
− | {{ii}} More tools can be found [https://www.modthesims.info/browse.php?f=139&page=1&showType=1&gs=2 | + | {{ii}} More tools can be found on [https://www.modthesims.info/browse.php?f=139&page=1&showType=1&gs=2 ModTheSims]. |
===Better performance=== | ===Better performance=== |
Revision as of 22:25, 14 November 2021
Developers | |
---|---|
The Sims Studio | |
Expansions | EA Salt Lake |
macOS (OS X) | TransGaming Inc. |
Publishers | |
Electronic Arts | |
Engines | |
The Sims 3 Engine | |
Release dates | |
Windows | June 2, 2009 |
macOS (OS X) (Cider) | June 2, 2009 |
Reception | |
Metacritic | 86 |
IGDB | 83 |
Taxonomy | |
Monetization | Sponsored, DLC, Expansion pack |
Modes | Singleplayer |
Genres | Life sim, Sandbox, Building |
Series | The Sims |
Sports | Fishing, American football, Water sports, Horse, Table tennis, Football (Soccer) |
Vehicles | Robot |
The Sims | |
---|---|
Subseries of Sim | |
The Sims | 2000 |
The Sims Online | 2002 |
The Sims 2 | 2004 |
The Sims Stories (series) | |
MySims | 2008 |
The Sims 3 | 2009 |
The Sims Medieval | 2011 |
The Sims 4 | 2014 |
Key points
- Strong modding community
- Lacks native V-sync functionality. It is advised to force vertical sync via the graphics control panel to lessen the strain on the GPU.
General information
- The Sims 3 Official Forums
- Answer HQ for The Sims 3 at EA.com
- Answer HQ for The Sims series at EA.com (OS X)
- Steam Community Discussions
Availability
Source | DRM | Notes | Keys | OS |
---|---|---|---|---|
Retail | SecuROM 7 and SecuROM PA DRM, unknown machine limit. A De-Authorization Tool is available. Dropped starting with patch 1.2.7. Later expansions add Origin DRM. |
|||
Origin | Included with EA Play. | |||
Steam | Included with EA Play (Steam). |
Version differences
- List of all different versions and regions can be found on Wikipedia.
DLC and expansion packs
Name | Notes | |
---|---|---|
World Adventures | Expansion 1 | |
Ambitions | Expansion 2 | |
Late Night | Expansion 3. Included with EA Play. | |
Generations | Expansion4 | |
Pets | Expansion 5 | |
Showtime | Expansion 6 | |
Supernatural | Expansion 7 | |
Seasons | Expansion 8 | |
University Life | Expansion 9 | |
Island Paradise | Expansion 10 | |
Into the Future | Expansion 11 | |
High-End Loft Stuff | Stuff pack 1. Also known as Design and Hi-Tech Stuff in Europe Included with EA Play. |
|
Fast Lane Stuff | Stuff pack 2 | |
Outdoor Living Stuff | Stuff pack 3 | |
Town Life Stuff | Stuff pack 4 | |
Master Suite Stuff | Stuff pack 5 | |
Katy Perry's Sweet Treats | Stuff pack 6 | |
Diesel Stuff | Stuff pack 7 | |
70s, 80s, & 90s Stuff | Stuff pack 8 | |
Movie Stuff | Stuff pack 9 |
Microtransactions
Type | Notes |
---|---|
Cosmetic | SimPoints are spent on additional clothing and furniture. |
Currency | Real money is exchanged for SimPoints which are spent in the Sims 3 Store. SimPoints are not available to be earned in-game. |
Unlock | Stuff Packs are sold which consist of additional clothing and furniture. Additionally, other maps and gameplay elements are sold piecemeal on the Sims 3 store. |
Essential improvements
Patches
- Patch 1.67.2 is the latest patch available for the DVD and Steam game versions.
- Patch 1.69.43 is the latest patch available for the Origin game version (Windows and macOS 32-bit).
- Patch 1.70.305 is the latest patch available for the Origin game version (macOS 64-bit).
- The patch notes can be found here here.
Skip intro videos
Skip intro videos[1] |
---|
Download and install this mod. |
SMAA injector
- Universal fix for most D3D9 and later games. Should provide better anti-aliasing especially with objects that use alpha effects e.g. hair and foliage; the default FSAA implementation unfortunately does not cover such effects.
Bypassing the launcher
Rename the executable[2] |
---|
|
Launch the game from TS3W.exe |
---|
|
Increase how much RAM the game can use (Windows only)
- By default, the game limits itself to 2 GB of RAM. On 64-bit installations of Windows, it is possible to make it use 3 or 4 GB RAM instead.
Edit Sims3.ini [3][4]
|
---|
|
Increase how much VRAM the game can use
- By default, the game limits itself to 2 GB of VRAM. It is possible to make it use the full amount of VRAM the graphics card has.
Edit GraphicsRules.srg [3][4]
|
---|
|
Increase how much CPU power the game will actively use
Edit GraphicsRules.srg [3][4]
|
---|
|
NRaas Overwatch[4]
- Contains bugfixes for Sims that have walked into spots without outside path routing, empty cars that stand still in the road, superfluous/corrupt caches, NPCs stuck in-between life ages, and a bug involving a police station mission that can't be won, among other things.
- Replaces Sims 3 Seasons' moon cycle with a more detailed one.
- The mod will show in-game notifications when it has taken action to resolve the tasks above.
Game data
Configuration file(s) location
System | Location |
---|---|
Windows | <path-to-game>\Game\Bin\Sims3.ini[Note 1] <path-to-game>\Game\Bin\GraphicsRules.srg[Note 1] <path-to-game>\Game\Bin\Default.ini[Note 1] |
macOS (OS X) | |
Steam Play (Linux) | <SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/47890/pfx/[Note 2] |
Save game data location
System | Location |
---|---|
Windows | %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Saves |
macOS (OS X) | ~/Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/Saves |
Steam Play (Linux) | <SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/47890/pfx/[Note 2] |
Save game cloud syncing
System | Native | Notes |
---|---|---|
Origin | ||
OneDrive | Requires enabling backup of the Documents folder in OneDrive on all computers. | |
Steam Cloud |
Video
Graphics feature | State | WSGF | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Widescreen resolution | |||
Multi-monitor | Use The Sims 3 FOV tool. HUD Position Affects Gameplay. | ||
Ultra-widescreen | Vert- scaling.[5] | ||
4K Ultra HD | UI does not scale with resolution and is extremely small in 4K. | ||
Field of view (FOV) | Use The Sims 3 FOV tool. | ||
Windowed | |||
Borderless fullscreen windowed | The Sims 3 Smooth Patch gives the option to enable borderless windowed mode. | ||
Anisotropic filtering (AF) | See the glossary page for potential workarounds. | ||
Anti-aliasing (AA) | |||
Vertical sync (Vsync) | See the glossary page for potential workarounds. | ||
60 FPS and 120+ FPS | At ≥120 FPS, the item previews spin faster, elevator shafts are harder to snap in place, and Buy/Build Mode scrolling may be janky.[4] | ||
High dynamic range display (HDR) | See the glossary page for potential alternatives. | ||
Ray tracing (RT) |
Input
Keyboard and mouse | State | Notes |
---|---|---|
Remapping | See the glossary page for potential workarounds. | |
Mouse acceleration | No mouse acceleration. | |
Mouse sensitivity | ||
Mouse input in menus | ||
Mouse Y-axis inversion | ||
Touchscreen optimised | Moving the camera around in the neighborhood, would require either mouse cursor emulation, or right mouseclick emulation. Entering cheat codes requires a keyboard. | |
Controller | ||
Controller support |
Controller types |
---|
Audio
Audio feature | State | Notes |
---|---|---|
Separate volume controls | Voices, Sound effects, Music, Background noises, Sound quality | |
Surround sound | 4.0 and 5.1 can be chosen for when zoomed in. Tries to force sound through individual speakers that have been set in the Windows sound settings as being non-present.[6] | |
Subtitles | No intelligible dialog. All in-game dialog uses the fictional Simlish language. | |
Closed captions | Sound effects accompanied by visual effects. | |
Mute on focus lost | Can be turned off |
Localizations
- After the initial installation, further language changes must be done in the Windows registry at
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Sims\The Sims 3
→ Locale (On 32-bit Windows installations it's atHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Sims\The Sims 3
). The process is explained at Crinrict's Sims 3 Help Blog, although its listing ofen-GB
is not a valid code.[7]
Language | UI | Audio | Sub | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
English | ||||
Czech | ||||
Traditional Chinese | ||||
Danish | ||||
Dutch | ||||
Finnish | ||||
French | ||||
German | ||||
Greek | ||||
Hebrew | ||||
Hungarian | ||||
Italian | ||||
Japanese | ||||
Korean | ||||
Norwegian | ||||
Polish | ||||
Portuguese | ||||
Brazilian Portuguese | ||||
Russian | ||||
Spanish | ||||
Swedish | ||||
Thai |
Issues fixed
- Various fixes can be found in this Steam Community Guide.
- Many performance issues can be fixed with mods. These include Overwatch, ErrorTrap, Traveler, Mastercontroller and DebugEnabler
Poor performance
Turn off online functionality |
---|
|
World Adventures Region Error
- Incorrect Region Codes can be fixed with a simple registry tweak.
World Adventures Region Error[citation needed] |
---|
Region Codes
|
Other information
API
Technical specs | Supported | Notes |
---|---|---|
Direct3D | 9 | |
Metal support | Requires macOS 10.13 (High Sierra). | |
Shader Model support | 2.0 |
Executable | 32-bit | 64-bit | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Windows | |||
macOS (OS X) |
Mods
- The Sims 3 attracts a large modding community, allowing further customization features. Unfortunately, even properly designed mods could increase the chances of crashes and errors in the game. Mods have a major impact on loading time and stability, and should be used with discretion if you are having issues with the game.
- AwesomeMod - A large compilation of mods and small tweaks. More information can be found at The Sims Wikia and Matywikka (archived)
Mod resources
- The Sims 3 Exchange - The official website for sharing user-made content (sims, households, clothing, etc.). The website uses the Sims 3 launcher to download and install custom content. Both the exchange and Sims 3 launcher require the same account.
- Mod The Sims - Also hosts mods for The Sims 2 and The Sims 4.
Tools
Official
- These tools were created by EA and are hosted on the games official website.
- Create a World (Beta)
Unofficial
- More tools can be found on ModTheSims.
Better performance
System requirements
Windows | ||
---|---|---|
Minimum | Recommended | |
Operating system (OS) | 7 | 10 |
Processor (CPU) | Intel Pentium 4 2.4 GHz AMD Athlon XP 2400+ | |
System memory (RAM) | 1.5 GB | |
Hard disk drive (HDD) | 7.1 GB | 32 GB (with all DLC) |
Video card (GPU) | Nvidia GeForce FX 5900 series ATI Radeon 9500 series Intel GMA 3000 series 128 MB of VRAM DirectX 9.0c compatible Shader model 2.0 support |
- For computers using built-in graphics the game requires an Intel Pentium D 805 2.66 GHz or a Core 2 Duo 1.8 GHz CPU, and 2 GB RAM.
- VRAM requirements do not apply to integrated GPUs.
- GeForce 6100 and 7100 cards are not supported.
macOS (OS X) | ||
---|---|---|
Minimum | Recommended | |
Operating system (OS) | 10.5.7 (Leopard) | 10.13 (High Sierra) |
Processor (CPU) | Intel Core Duo | Intel Core i5 |
System memory (RAM) | 2 GB | 8 GB |
Hard disk drive (HDD) | 7.1 GB | 18 GB |
Video card (GPU) | Nvidia GeForce 7300 GT ATI Radeon X1600 Pro Intel GMA X3100 128 MB of VRAM | Nvidia GeForce GTX 680 AMD Radeon RX 560 Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 |
- VRAM requirements do not apply to integrated GPUs.
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below
%PROGRAMFILES%
,%PROGRAMDATA%
, or%WINDIR%
might be redirected to%LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore
on Windows Vista and later (more details). - ↑ 2.0 2.1 Notes regarding Steam Play (Linux) data:
- File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data.
- Use Wine's registry editor to access any Windows registry paths.
- The app ID (47890) may differ in some cases.
- Treat backslashes as forward slashes.
- See the glossary page for details on Windows data paths.
References
- ↑ Verified by User:Aaronth07 on 2019-10-10
- ↑ https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1697342394
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1131162350
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Verified by User:Dandelion Sprout on 2021-10-31
- ↑ Anyone here playing Sims 3 on 3440x1440 ? - last accessed on 2020-05-30
- ↑ Verified by User:Dandelion Sprout on 2021-11-13
- Tested by using the AUX twin-pair speaker guide I added to Glossary:Surround sound#Discrete surround sound.
- ↑ Verified by User:Dandelion Sprout on 2021-11-14