FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions on selected topics
-
Expansion and Stuff Pack Manager
Introduction Surprisingly, Maxis has decided to give us something new for Sims 3: An expansion and stuff pack manager that allows you to active and deactivate expansion and stuff packs as you please. No more uninstalling stuff just because you don’t want supernaturals in a certain save game. This update also seems to trigger our games to become registered on thesims3.com again (not sure if true for everyone) which gives you the base game (and WA if you have) Simpoints again. You might need to logout and back in (there’s login issues atm because of an expired security certificate) There’s…
-
Expansions get a new home in Origin
Content Where do I find my expansions ? How do I install expansions ? How do I uninstall expansions ? Why are some of the expansions greyed out ? [/themify_box] Where do I find my expansions ? All expansions are now shown as extras on the base game. Click on i on the base game to see all expansions. All available expansions are shown here whether you own them or not. Some expansions even show twice since Origin thinks of the limited edition and the standard edition as two different expansions. Expansions that have a green +-sign are the ones you don’t…
-
Sims 3 and the Windows Registry
What is the registry ? The Registry is a database which is needed by Windows to manage your configuration of your operating system and the installed programs. When you install a program, the installation routine will write all necessary entries to the registry. If you uninstall a program, the reference should be deleted but that’s most often not the case. Because of this, you will find various programs around the net – like CCleaner or RevoUninstaller that help you clean out your registry. What to consider Incorrect changes in the registry can lead to programs or even windows not working…
-
Sims 3 Base Game Versions
Introduction There Sims 3 Base game exists in different variations Version before September 2012 The older version can be installed without Origin and it’s possible to bypass the launcher. The registration is optional and Origin does not need to be on your computer to work properly. The ingame store and automatic updates won’t work if you don’t have Origin installed. You need to patch manually. On top of that you will get a message that the launcher can’t connect to Origin. You can click OK on the message and process normally though. You will get 1’000 free Simpoints with this…
-
Exchange – Please update your game
My game is updated. Why does it say Update your Game ? When you download Sims and Houses from the exchange, the website shows you which Store-Items and which Add-Ons are necessary for the download. Sometimes it says please Update your Game. This notice is there for everyone as soon as the download needs a certain patch to install. Some Store content only works if you have a certain patch level. This message means nothing if you are patched to the newest patch level. The browser does not check your installed game version.
-
Tips & Tricks
Are there things I should keep in mind ? Save your game on a regular basis. Use different save game names so you can go back more than one save game. Twallan’s Saver helps you with save prompts in certain intervals that you can choose yourself. The mods saves in cycles by adding a number to your savegame name and then overwrite the first one. Backup your user files on a regular basis Do not keep the Cheat BuyDebug activated when you go traveling (vacation towns, University, Future) Special Seeds seem to be the cause of many bugs. If you notice…
-
Interactive Loading Screen
Introduction This feature was introduced with patch 1.63. The interactive loading screen gives you the possibilty to play a little game while you wait for your game to load. Your active family get lifetime reward points this way which will then be equally split among all members. Turning off You can turn the interactive loading screen off in your options. Next time you load your game, the screen will be back to normal. Issues Unfortunatley this can lead to longer loading times and some people have even reported it to be responsible for lags ingame. If you experience lags, it’s…
-
Dragon Valley
What is Dragon Valley ? Dragon Valley (DV) is a world which you can buy in the Sims 3 Store. The theme is medieval and has baby Dragons. How do I buy Dragon Valley ? Dragon Valley can only be bought as part of a Simpoint bundle on thesims3.com. In August 2013 it will also be released retail on DVD and through Origin. There is no option to gift Dragon Valley or buy it with Simpoints. What’s the difference between the versions ? Dragon Valley is offered as gold or as standard bundle. The standard bundle costs $25.00 and contains…
-
Ingame Store
Introduction The ingame store is a feature which lets you buy Store content from within the game. Since patch 1.29 you also get special deals directly inside the Build and Buy mode as well as in CAS Steps To be able to use the ingame store, you need to turn it on first. Activation You can set the ingame store in two ways. You can either check the option Enable Shop Mode in the options in game or you can turn it on/off in the options: Open the file [user data directory]\Options.ini with notepad (or any other editor) Search for…
-
How to turn on Advanced Rendering
To turn on advanced rendering, set a check next to Turn on Advanced Rendering in the game options ingame. Another option is to edit the options.ini file in the user data director Open the file in a text editor like NotePad and look for the following line. advancedrendering = To turn on advanced rendering, set the value to 1. This means, if there’s a 0 right now, change it to 1, save the file and you’re done.
