I actually forgot how absolutely amazing this game is. The gameplay is phenomenal. The only thing I miss from TS4 is the graphics/CAS and some parts of build mode. The graphics for TS3 aren't great, but the gameplay makes it so worth it.TS4 is incredibly boring and I literally only use it for creating sims and building homes. So, I have pretty much all the EP's for TS3, but I don't have ambitions or Into the Future. Would you recommend either of these?Also, I'm having trouble using CC in TS3. Whenever I have the mods folder in My Documents / Electronic arts etc. it is giving me an error message and won't let me open the game, does anyone know why this is? (I'm also a mac user)

Did you download the mods framework? Refer to the tutorial on that page to double check your installation.I love ITF and frequently use the skills and self-employed career options from Ambitions. I would recommend both. However, you are on a Mac and if you are playing the Mac version then the game is limited to using 2 GB of RAM. ITF is one of the more demanding EPs (behind Seasons, Pets and ... maybe IP). You might not want to add ITF depending on how well your game is performing.

I agree with ya, I find TS4 lacking.Though I do wish TS3 had restaurants to dine out at and mutli-tasking, but still love TS3 better.Out of those two, I like Ambitions better, I love the careers you can play.

I recommend both EPs. I love ambitions.i love the careers, the ability to be self employed, I like the town . The new skills are fun.

"TreyNutz;c-16300809" wrote:Did you download the mods framework? Refer to the tutorial on that page to double check your installation.I love ITF and frequently use the skills and self-employed career options from Ambitions. I would recommend both. However, you are on a Mac and if you are playing the Mac version then the game is limited to using 2 GB of RAM. ITF is one of the more demanding EPs (behind Seasons, Pets and ... maybe IP). You might not want to add ITF depending on how well your game is performing.@TreyNutz I did indeed, I know mods and CC used to work fine for me, I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually!Ahh, I see.. I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to the finer details of computers, but I'm wondering if I got external memory for my mac would that help? This is the one reason I always regret getting a mac. Sure, it's lasted me 5 years but that's because I legit only play the sims and watch netflix haha. "puzzlezaddict;c-16300826" wrote:I play TS3 on a mac as well. I have Ambitions and would never want to play without it. It's fun to track earnings in self-employed careers, but more importantly, the Inventing and Sculpting skills are so much fun to play with. And the Consignment Store has its uses. I don't have ITF installed, but from what I've read, some people love it, and others just want it for one or two items, or to say they have all the EPs.If you're playing on a mac, you absolutely have to read BluebellFlora's comprehensive guide to mac-related issues. It's a collection of tips and troubleshooting techniques, not to mention actual understandable explanations of why these problems arise. Her own website has everything you need to properly manage TS3 on a mac, including descriptions of the reasons behind and fixes for the "unknown error" messages that Ambitions and Late Night often cause. (The short version is that the folders of those EPs aren't getting copied to where they need to go; there's a youtube video of how to transfer them manually.) I definitely don't have any useful computer-related skills, but I fixed my own game twice after following her instructions.I don't use CC (although I have a handful of nraas mods), so I can't tell you anything about that, but the mac discussion board in the TS3 help center is still active. BluebellFlora will respond if you tag her, and igazor is around as well; they're both happy to walk you through whatever fixes you need. But one thing they'll tell you is that no matter what you do, TS3 on a mac has a hard limit of 2 GB RAM—that's all that Cider (the "wrap" around the game code that translates it for mac) can use at any given time. It therefore might be effectively impossible for you to play with all of your EPs for any length of time, even if you try to avoid taxing the game and constantly purge RAM (another thing you can learn how to do on BluebellFlora's website). Your best bet (and mine, although I've been dragging my feet on doing it) is probably to Bootcamp your computer, unless you want to severely limit the features of your game.@puzzlezaddict wow, thank you so much for such a detailed response! I will definitely look at BluebellFlora's site. That UN is quite familiar, so I think I've been there once before. Hmm, I'm actually downloading LN right now, I'm debating whether to uninstall or not.. I feel I'm already pushing it as I have UL, Pets, Generations, Island Paradise and Seasons installed. I'm partially tempted to buy a fairly cheap regular windows laptop purely for playing sims. I must look into costs etc.

"Springfairy556;c-16301427" wrote:I agree with ya, I find TS4 lacking.Though I do wish TS3 had restaurants to dine out at and mutli-tasking, but still love TS3 better.Out of those two, I like Ambitions better, I love the careers you can play.@Springfairy556 Yeah, there's certain aspects missing from TS3, but theres SO much more missing from TS4. Although I'm annoyed I can't have both installed at once so I can use TS4 whenever I want to build.

Recently started playing TS3 again..

19 Replies

TreyNutz2
8 years ago
Did you download the mods framework? Refer to the tutorial on that page to double check your installation.

I love ITF and frequently use the skills and self-employed career options from Ambitions. I would recommend both. However, you are on a Mac and if you are playing the Mac version then the game is limited to using 2 GB of RAM. ITF is one of the more demanding EPs (behind Seasons, Pets and ... maybe IP). You might not want to add ITF depending on how well your game is performing.
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
8 years ago
I play TS3 on a mac as well. I have Ambitions and would never want to play without it. It's fun to track earnings in self-employed careers, but more importantly, the Inventing and Sculpting skills are so much fun to play with. And the Consignment Store has its uses. I don't have ITF installed, but from what I've read, some people love it, and others just want it for one or two items, or to say they have all the EPs.

If you're playing on a mac, you absolutely have to read BluebellFlora's comprehensive guide to mac-related issues. It's a collection of tips and troubleshooting techniques, not to mention actual understandable explanations of why these problems arise. Her own website has everything you need to properly manage TS3 on a mac, including descriptions of the reasons behind and fixes for the "unknown error" messages that Ambitions and Late Night often cause. (The short version is that the folders of those EPs aren't getting copied to where they need to go; there's a youtube video of how to transfer them manually.) I definitely don't have any useful computer-related skills, but I fixed my own game twice after following her instructions.

I don't use CC (although I have a handful of nraas mods), so I can't tell you anything about that, but the mac discussion board in the TS3 help center is still active. BluebellFlora will respond if you tag her, and igazor is around as well; they're both happy to walk you through whatever fixes you need. But one thing they'll tell you is that no matter what you do, TS3 on a mac has a hard limit of 2 GB RAM—that's all that Cider (the "wrap" around the game code that translates it for mac) can use at any given time. It therefore might be effectively impossible for you to play with all of your EPs for any length of time, even if you try to avoid taxing the game and constantly purge RAM (another thing you can learn how to do on BluebellFlora's website). Your best bet (and mine, although I've been dragging my feet on doing it) is probably to Bootcamp your computer, unless you want to severely limit the features of your game.
graceymanors
Legend
8 years ago
I agree with ya, I find TS4 lacking.Though I do wish TS3 had restaurants to dine out at and mutli-tasking, but still love TS3 better.Out of those two, I like Ambitions better, I love the careers you can play.
MidnightAura86
Seasoned Ace
8 years ago
I recommend both EPs. I love ambitions.i love the careers, the ability to be self employed, I like the town . The new skills are fun.
staygoldxox
8 years ago
"TreyNutz;c-16300809" wrote:
Did you download the mods framework? Refer to the tutorial on that page to double check your installation.

I love ITF and frequently use the skills and self-employed career options from Ambitions. I would recommend both. However, you are on a Mac and if you are playing the Mac version then the game is limited to using 2 GB of RAM. ITF is one of the more demanding EPs (behind Seasons, Pets and ... maybe IP). You might not want to add ITF depending on how well your game is performing.

@TreyNutz I did indeed, I know mods and CC used to work fine for me, I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually!

Ahh, I see.. I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to the finer details of computers, but I'm wondering if I got external memory for my mac would that help? This is the one reason I always regret getting a mac. Sure, it's lasted me 5 years but that's because I legit only play the sims and watch netflix haha.

"puzzlezaddict;c-16300826" wrote:
I play TS3 on a mac as well. I have Ambitions and would never want to play without it. It's fun to track earnings in self-employed careers, but more importantly, the Inventing and Sculpting skills are so much fun to play with. And the Consignment Store has its uses. I don't have ITF installed, but from what I've read, some people love it, and others just want it for one or two items, or to say they have all the EPs.

If you're playing on a mac, you absolutely have to read BluebellFlora's comprehensive guide to mac-related issues. It's a collection of tips and troubleshooting techniques, not to mention actual understandable explanations of why these problems arise. Her own website has everything you need to properly manage TS3 on a mac, including descriptions of the reasons behind and fixes for the "unknown error" messages that Ambitions and Late Night often cause. (The short version is that the folders of those EPs aren't getting copied to where they need to go; there's a youtube video of how to transfer them manually.) I definitely don't have any useful computer-related skills, but I fixed my own game twice after following her instructions.

I don't use CC (although I have a handful of nraas mods), so I can't tell you anything about that, but the mac discussion board in the TS3 help center is still active. BluebellFlora will respond if you tag her, and igazor is around as well; they're both happy to walk you through whatever fixes you need. But one thing they'll tell you is that no matter what you do, TS3 on a mac has a hard limit of 2 GB RAM—that's all that Cider (the "wrap" around the game code that translates it for mac) can use at any given time. It therefore might be effectively impossible for you to play with all of your EPs for any length of time, even if you try to avoid taxing the game and constantly purge RAM (another thing you can learn how to do on BluebellFlora's website). Your best bet (and mine, although I've been dragging my feet on doing it) is probably to Bootcamp your computer, unless you want to severely limit the features of your game.

@puzzlezaddict wow, thank you so much for such a detailed response! I will definitely look at BluebellFlora's site. That UN is quite familiar, so I think I've been there once before. Hmm, I'm actually downloading LN right now, I'm debating whether to uninstall or not.. I feel I'm already pushing it as I have UL, Pets, Generations, Island Paradise and Seasons installed.
I'm partially tempted to buy a fairly cheap regular windows laptop purely for playing sims. I must look into costs etc.
staygoldxox
8 years ago
"Springfairy556;c-16301427" wrote:
I agree with ya, I find TS4 lacking.Though I do wish TS3 had restaurants to dine out at and mutli-tasking, but still love TS3 better.Out of those two, I like Ambitions better, I love the careers you can play.

@Springfairy556 Yeah, there's certain aspects missing from TS3, but theres SO much more missing from TS4. Although I'm annoyed I can't have both installed at once so I can use TS4 whenever I want to build.
staygoldxox
8 years ago
"MidnightAura;c-16301476" wrote:
I recommend both EPs. I love ambitions.i love the careers, the ability to be self employed, I like the town . The new skills are fun.

@MidnightAura , yes! I love that about the Get To Work pack for TS4 so I feel I might be better off getting Ambitions. I genuinely thought I already owned it but obviously not :disappointed:
TreyNutz2
8 years ago
"dancingindior;c-16301520" wrote:
I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to the finer details of computers, but I'm wondering if I got external memory for my mac would that help? This is the one reason I always regret getting a mac. Sure, it's lasted me 5 years but that's because I legit only play the sims and watch netflix haha.

I have no idea (I play on PC). You should ask on the Technical Help/Mac forum.
igazor
8 years ago
"dancingindior;c-16301520" wrote:
Ahh, I see.. I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to the finer details of computers, but I'm wondering if I got external memory for my mac would that help? This is the one reason I always regret getting a mac. Sure, it's lasted me 5 years but that's because I legit only play the sims and watch netflix haha.
...
I'm partially tempted to buy a fairly cheap regular windows laptop purely for playing sims. I must look into costs etc.

Hi there.

The 2 GB RAM restriction is built into the way in which TS3 for Mac was arranged. It's not a proper port into the Mac OS like all of the other sims games were and unfortunately, for reasons known only to EA, it was never redone properly. Windows users had the 2 GB restriction in the beginning as well, but got relief when Patch 1.17 came out just over a year after release. The Mac version cannot be improved upon that way, unfortunately. If your Mac has 4 GB or less now, adding more RAM to it may very well help performance in some ways but it still cannot lift the game usage restriction. If you already have 8 GB or more, then adding more certainly isn't going to hurt but it's probably not going to do a thing for the game either.

There really isn't any such thing as a "fairly cheap" Windows laptop to run TS3 with all EPs (plus CC and other forms of added content). Cheap is of course relative, but we're usually talking about $900 and up (US dollars), desktops will run cheaper and require slightly less component strength. Corners can be cut to bring the price down a bit, but not really into the bargain basement or web surfing/email machine levels if one expects the entire game to perform properly.

May I ask what you have for a Mac? Which model (year, processor, RAM, graphics card, drive space used vs. free) -- most of this can be found on About This Mac under the Apple Menu.
graceymanors
Legend
8 years ago
"igazor;c-16301570" wrote:
"dancingindior;c-16301520" wrote:
There really isn't any such thing as a "fairly cheap" Windows laptop to run TS3

This.I paid around 1400 for my MSI Laptop.I paid about $1000 for my new laptop, but that one's being sent back, it has a defected system.Couldn't even browse the web without it freezing and telling me to insert a media desk.Laptops are convienent, but if I had the space I would much prefer a desktop tbh.