Origin and discs

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "use" the discs? Are you wondering whether you can install the expansions you own physically despite having the rest of the game digitally on Origin?

If that is what you're asking, you can. I'd recommend registering your physical copies through Origin. Doing this will give you digital copies of all the physical expansions you add. So they'll all be on Origin and easy to install all at once.

To add them, you open Origin and go to your game library. There, you'll see in the upper right corner "(+) Add A Game," then "Redeem Product Code." A dialogue box should open with a spot to type the CD Key. Put the CD Key in, add it, and repeat this for all of your physical copies.

"Emily4331;c-17083351" wrote:
I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "use" the discs? Are you wondering whether you can install the expansions you own physically despite having the rest of the game digitally on Origin?

If that is what you're asking, you can. I'd recommend registering your physical copies through Origin. Doing this will give you digital copies of all the physical expansions you add. So they'll all be on Origin and easy to install all at once.

To add them, you open Origin and go to your game library. There, you'll see in the upper right corner "(+) Add A Game," then "Redeem Product Code." A dialogue box should open with a spot to type the CD Key. Put the CD Key in, add it, and repeat this for all of your physical copies.

Yes that's what I meant. Thats great so pleased i can use them. Thank you for the advice.

I have a mix of digital and disk registered.

When Sims 3 was ending the local stores were selling disks cheaply so I purchased all of the expansions and stuff packs I had originally bought digitally with new disks.

When I got my new laptop in early 2014, pre patch 1.69, I installed Origin and installed my game using mostly the disks as it was faster that way.

I did not register any of the disks. So I still have the unused codes for all of the disks I purchased.

Later on we got patch 1.69 and I didn't want to be forced to patch to that level so I lived in constant fear that Origin would one day just do the update for me without my knowledge.

When I got my new computer in 2017 I did not install Origin. I did install all of my Sims 3 game using my disks.

The game works perfectly. Everything is just as it was previously on older computers.

"Karritz;c-17083598" wrote:
I have a mix of digital and disk registered.

When Sims 3 was ending the local stores were selling disks cheaply so I purchased all of the expansions and stuff packs I had originally bought digitally with new disks.

When I got my new laptop in early 2014, pre patch 1.69, I installed Origin and installed my game using mostly the disks as it was faster that way.

I did not register any of the disks. So I still have the unused codes for all of the disks I purchased.

Later on we got patch 1.69 and I didn't want to be forced to patch to that level so I lived in constant fear that Origin would one day just do the update for me without my knowledge.

When I got my new computer in 2017 I did not install Origin. I did install all of my Sims 3 game using my disks.

The game works perfectly. Everything is just as it was previously on older computers.

Thank you for the advice. I have read about a lot of people trying to avoid the 1.69 patch, what does it do to the game?

If you decide to use Origin and version 1.69 then it does nothing to the game other than make it an all digital installation. If you have disks registered at the point you will not need them again and you will be unable to do a disk installation again using Origin should you ever want to use version 1.67.

The advantage of 1.69 is it still maintained and supported by EA. Instead of the launcher you will get a screen which allows you to pick and choose which of your EPs and SPs you want to load. Although it says you should load only a couple of EPs at a time loading all of them will still work. However you should be aware, because Origin is a digital service there is a possibility EA could really restrict the number of packs you can play with.

Version 1.67 is not maintained or supported by EA. Steam users and all disk players are on 1.67. Certainly with an all disk installation you have ready access to your game at all times, even offline and there are no limits on what you can have installed. As someone who enjoys building I wanted to stay with an all disk installation to have the freedom to use whatever I wanted from my packs. I am not a Steam user so can't comment on that digital service.

@Bessieboo I have managed to avoid the patch but many have repurchased their entire games from Steam to avoid it.

Basically, it means you need to play through Origin. It recommends you don't enable all of your expansions and stuff packs and you need to check a lot of boxes to enable the ones you do want to play with each time. Often it unchecks them again and you end up having to relaunch the game. If you open a save and don't have the expansions and stuff packs used in it enabled it will apparently corrupt the save. People generally seem to find it very frustrating and game breaking. There was nothing in it to fix any game related problems so all mods still work. Some mods that have the version number in them will pop up a message saying you have the wrong version but I think most, if not all, of them have got versions with the 1.69 version number available now.

Patch 1.69 is only for the PC version of the game launched through Origin. If your disk version of the base game was purchased before before September 2012 you ought to be able to avoid it if you install it without the EADM or Origin link. But if your base game is a later version, or is a digital version, then you'll find you need to patch to 1.69 unless you got it from Steam. That's why so many people have repurchased their entire games on disk through Steam when there are sales on.

Someone else who actually plays with the 1.69 patch will undoubtedly give you a better idea of what's right or wrong with it. I've just basically outlined the bits of it that I wanted to avoid.

EDIT: This thread might give you more insight.

https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/868889/update-to-sims-3-on-origin-caw#latest

@Karritz you have explained it so much better than me :) I was under the impression though that version 1.69 was being maintained. If it isn't then there is even less reason to move to it.

"Bettyboop55;c-17083959" wrote:
@Karritz you have explained it so much better than me :) I was under the impression though that version 1.69 was being maintained. If it isn't then there is even less reason to move to it.

If it is being maintained it would be just to lock it down to Origin even more as it appears to be only about forcing the game to be played through Origin. As far as I'm aware, it didn't do anything to fix any game issues. @igazor knows more about the details than I do though.

"Karritz;c-17083952" wrote:
@Bessieboo I have managed to avoid the patch but many have repurchased their entire games from Steam to avoid it.

Basically, it means you need to play through Origin. It recommends you don't enable all of your expansions and stuff packs and you need to check a lot of boxes to enable the ones you do want to play with each time. Often it unchecks them again and you end up having to relaunch the game. If you open a save and don't have the expansions and stuff packs used in it enabled it will apparently corrupt the save. People generally seem to find it very frustrating and game breaking. There was nothing in it to fix any game related problems so all mods still work. Some mods that have the version number in them will pop up a message saying you have the wrong version but I think most, if not all, of them have got versions with the 1.69 version number available now.

Patch 1.69 is only for the PC version of the game launched through Origin. If your disk version of the base game was purchased before before September 2012 you ought to be able to avoid it if you install it without the EADM or Origin link. But if your base game is a later version, or is a digital version, then you'll find you need to patch to 1.69 unless you got it from Steam. That's why so many people have repurchased their entire games on disk through Steam when there are sales on.

Someone else who actually plays with the 1.69 patch will undoubtedly give you a better idea of what's right or wrong with it. I've just basically outlined the bits of it that I wanted to avoid.

EDIT: This thread might give you more insight.

https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/868889/update-to-sims-3-on-origin-caw#latest

Thank you for the advice.

@Bessieboo You don't have to do anything with it. You will have two separate codes in your Origin account, your original digital copies and your new disc copies. That is, if the codes for the discs you were given have not been used yet. If those codes have been used, you won't be able to register them to your Origin account. That is only a problem if you have store content. Just make sure when you are installing to not allow the EA download manager or Origin to install. It will give you a choice and you have to select not to install it with each disc.