@clumsy972 Please go back to using Origin. Windows users absolutely do NOT need to use the EA App, and in fact store content often doesn't work in the App. You can download the Origin installer from here:
For Dragon Valley, it wouldn't show up under Expansions & Stuff: that's only for expansions and stuff packs, not Sims 3 Store content. If you downloaded the world through the store, you need to install it through the launcher's Downloads tab, and then it should show up as one of the options when you choose to start a new save at the Main Menu. But again, it may not show if you're using the EA App.
If you open the launcher's Downloads tab and see a box icon rather than a thumbnail for DV, go into Documents >Electronic Arts > The Sims 3 > Downloads, delete the Dragon Valley Sims3Pack, and download a fresh copy.
@puzzlezaddict I have been using only the EA app and have no problems. All the owned store items are available in the open downloads dashboard ingame option. . Even thesims3.com user profile is now an ingame option. 3 weeks ago I did a clean install on 2 new machines only using the EA app. All the store items were downloads from the open downloads dashboard option and my sims that ere in the exchange were available in cas. Using Origin pc users are redirected to the EA app but going back and forth between Origin and the EA app seems to break the game. Downloading from the dashboard is easier then before as the item downloads AND installs through the downloads tab of the launcher in one click. Therre is a back door to thesims3.com store but EA seems to be working on it and there is a none working (yet) tab in the upper left with a simoleon sign and a bubble that says store. Sooner or later (more then likely sooner) EA is going to pull the plug on Origin for pc users and I think thesims3.com won't be far behind.
@roberta591 Strange, switching between Origin and the EA App hasn't broken my game. It does break my store content, but that's it.
I'm glad your store content is working now, but I've seen enough complaints about the EA App not recognizing store stuff, and absolutely none about Origin, that I'm not going to tell someone to switch if they have a choice. Why invite trouble? We'll all need to switch soon, obviously, but in the interim, it seems more prudent to stay with the more stable option.
@puzzlezaddict Right now I only see a few issues in the EA app. I have a couple of duplicate worlds in the Downloads Dashboard. Barnacle Bay -for some reason I've always had an issue with but it plays, Hidden Springs and Dragon Valley. All these worlds play except there is a double entry in the Download Dashboard. This is not a game breaker. Sometimes (rarely) when I start the game my expansion packs are not selected in the welcome page - all I have to do is select the packs and start the game. I seem to think this happen before EA app. Again not a game breaker. No ingame access the the exchange although I was able to recover my sims in cas. There is a tab in live mode the bubble says store that doesn't work. There is a back door to thesims3.com store ingame but I'm not sure if it's working right. The Downloads Dashboard is a little touchy but so was thesims3.com purchase history. I get a login bubble when I access the Downloads Dashboard sometimes when I'm already logged in. None of the above affect game play. Actually I like the Downloads Dashboard better as you click the install now and the item downloads to the launcher downloads tab AND installs the item - one click. About three weeks ago , pc users were getting redirected to the EA app but it didn't seem to work right. IMO switching between the EA app and Origin broke the game. Also when you instrall the EA app Origin gets uninstalled. Most of the function for pc users in Origin don't really work right anymore. Let's face it - EA going to pull the plug on pc users using Origin sooner or later (probably sooner). Now that pc user can access thesims3.com user profiles (and wall) and I thought the exchange was supposed to go away some time ago - the only thing left is the store and thesims3.com can go away. And imo mac user will not be far behind. When the game was released the DRM was SecuROM. SecuROM was never that good (actually pretty bad) so when Microsoft and Apple dropped support for SecuROM there was a rush to get Origin up and running. EA must have some good reason to reinvent the wheel, we'll just have to wait to see why. I did notice that DRM seems to be tighter with the EA app.. Maybe something to do with Sims 5? Maybe but I think it's more then that. It's strange that EA would do this now without a good reason.To conclude my store items are staying installed and the game is very playable (again) and I don't think the EA app is going away anytime soon.
