I started playing the sims with the sims4, I have played the sims3 for a while but I have a hard time playing it because of the loading times and the lag.
There are several other things that I just find so odd with the sims3 too:
Like the romance letters that I receive every day from literally every sim in town, or that sims autonomously heckle each other, point fingers at each other and laugh at each other. They also autonomously flirt with each other for no reason. I receive phone calls daily from sims that I do not know who wants to go on a date.
I have had sims who have insulted each other several times, only to directly after give each other flowers and looking surprised when they were denied. I have had parties where all my friends walked around and booed loudly at each other. I have had a sim doing things like watching tv, or using the computer while all their needs are in the red and even when they complained about starving they did not go to the fridge and did not eat any food.
I'm sure a lot of people like the sims3 but I have a very hard time playing it for a longer amount of time.