[CURRENT ISSUE] sims 3 64 bit & metal keeps crashing?

@lizaaaaaaaaa9  Please list the full specs of your Mac: everything under About This Mac except for the serial number.  Please also list the packs you currently have installed.

And if you have a laptop, please play while it's plugged in, not simply running on battery, and let me know whether that makes a difference.

@puzzlezaddict This is everything under about my mac other than the serial number:

MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports): Mac OS Catalina Version 10.15.3

Processor: 3.1 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5

Memory: 16 GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3

Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650 1536 MB

I have all the packs installed except for Town Life Stuff, Pets, Showtime, and Movie Stuff (still in the process of getting the 64 bit versions of those processed).

I always play plugged in because it drains the battery so fast if I don't, but I've double checked and it still crashed after about 3 minutes when plugged in.

@lizaaaaaaaaa9  Please update to the newest version of Catalina. which is 10.15.7.  I wouldn't recommend installing Big Sur though—Sims 3 seems to run worse in it, at least anecdotally.  Please also restart your computer and take it offline immediately before playing.  You can sign into Origin and put it in offline mode, then disable wifi before pressing Play.

If you get another crash, please repeat the process, except in a new admin user account on your Mac.  You shouldn't need to redownload the game, but you won't have access to your current user data, e.g. saves and other content you've created in-game.

@puzzlezaddict ok playing completely offline worked but only for sunset valley. Glad I can play again at all though. Thanks for your help 🙂 I might try some of the other worlds in a different account.

After not being able to play for months. I finally found a solution that works for me! My game would freeze when it got to a certain time like 11:30AM on the starting Sunday doing whatever task. I can hear the background playing and still able to click buttons but screen would remain frozen.

After looking through all the threads, everyone's first thing is to lower the graphics. What I noticed when people who faced similar problems kept on was "Advanced Rendering". I turned that off and lowered all graphics towards low. I restarted and was finally able to get through a sim day and fast forward etc.

I then thought maybe keeping advanced rendering on was the issue. I brought up just the graphics off of low to medium with Advanced rendering off.

My game still works perfectly even with mods and a custom world.

I finally found a solution that works for me and might be able to help others since everyone seems to keep Advanced Rendering on. Let me know if you try and if it also helps.

I play on a 2019 13inch MacBook Pro w/ Touch Bar. 

Graphics - Intel 645

Expansions- Late night, pets, seasons, generations, world adventures

Hello,

• Operating System: MacOs Monterey 12.0.1
• Mac model: Macbook Air M1, 2020
• Processor: Apple M1
• Memory (RAM): 8 GB
• Display Type: Built-In Retina LCD
• Are you running any antivirus? NO
• What Expansion and Stuff Packs do you have installed? Every expansion/stuff pack available on Origin.
• Do you use CC/Mods? NO

My game does not crash but keeps freezing - everything freezes (NOT the Mac, just the game) for a few seconds every few seconds, then comes back but as you can imagine it is pretty frustrating. Do you have any idea for a solution?

Thank you!

@iremakakca  What world(s) are you playing in, and does the same thing happen in Sunset Valley?  Do you play with mods or custom content?  It's fine if you do; it just needs to be taken into account.

@iremakakca  The world of Isla Paradiso has been broken since the pack was released, and the game can freeze or crash there on even the most powerful systems.  It's not about RAM either, more the game engine falling all over itself trying to reroute stuck sims and the like.  The workaround is to either play elsewhere or use a fixed version of IP like the one you can find here:

https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/811253/removing-ip-lag

You can also apply the listed fixes to your own save.

The issue with color blocks sounds like something within the game engine—a rendering function, clearly, I just don't know what the technical term would be—is failing.  This is more likely to happen when the engine has too much to do, as would be the case on the festival grounds if there's a lot going on, including a relatively large number of sims.  The fog that covers IP's hidden islands is also quite taxing: I've panned across the horizon and seen a 40% decrease in fps as the camera centers on one of the fog banks.  So I'd guess that the rendering part of the game engine is just giving up.

As far as graphics options go, it seems that lighting and tree detail cause more problems than other settings; many people with integrated graphics need to put both of these on low.  I don't necessarily think this is your issue, but if you see problems in Sunset Valley, it would be worth changing those settings.

P.S.  Long answers are a good thing, that is if they have useful information, as yours does.  It saves us both the time of all the extra replies needed to clarify the situation.