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Re: sims 3 neighbourhood problem

@jordantan05  Again, I've never seen a link to a video; this sort of thing is usually just written out by whoever's trying to help.  The fact that you're on a mac doesn't make a whole lot of difference in this case, although there are other mac-related issues that you should know about (I'll get to those).

  • When you get to the Main Menu, you can choose to load any save that's in your game folder—pictures of each of them will appear across the bottom of the window.  You select one by clicking on it and then hitting the play button.  But it sounds like you've never created a backup of this game on your own.  So here's what you need to do:
  • Open your Documents folder, then Electronic Arts, then The Sims 3.  Inside, you'll see five cache files: CASPartCache, compositorCache, scriptCache, simCompositorCache, and socialCache.  Delete them all.
  • In the same folder, open Saves.  Here, you'll find a folder labeled with the name of your save.  This is the one that won't load.  You can remove it or leave it.
  • You'll also notice another folder with the same name as the one above, except it will have .backup tacked onto the end of its name.  So if the save above is labeled SunsetValley.sims3, this other file will be labeled SunsetValley.sims3.backup.  Delete the .backup part of the name and change the rest of the name slightly, so maybe SunsetValley1.sims3.
  • Right-click (or control-click) on this relabeled folder (SunsetValley1) and select Copy, then right-click on your desktop and select Paste.  This is your extra copy of your backup save, in case something else goes wrong.
  • Launch the game.  When you get to the Main Menu, click on the picture that's labeled SunsetValley1.  The label will be at the top of the screen after you click on the picture.  Then load that one.  If it works, you can play it forward.
  • If this backup save doesn't load properly, then unfortunately you're out of luck.  There's nothing else you can do to recover this save.

The biggest issue with playing the Sims 3 on a mac is that the game can only use 2 GB of RAM (memory) at a time.  If it goes over the limit, it could crash.  But even if it doesn't, some of the information that's been loaded into memory—the info the game is using to keep track of your sims and their world—will be lost or corrupted.  When you then save the game, even if your RAM use is back under the limit, the new save file will have incomplete data, since it will have lost some of that data when the game went over the memory limit.  When you try to load the save again, one outcome is that you can't properly load your sims' household, as you've seen.

There is no way to get around the RAM limit on a mac.  You can monitor memory use in the Activity Monitor, and purge RAM occasionally, but that will only help a little bit.  When your game gets to close to the 2 GB memory limit, the only thing you can do is save, quit to desktop (in two steps—never use "Save and Quit), and reload.

https://bluebellflora.com/resetting-ram-during-gameplay/

The other thing you should start doing is using "Save As" instead of "Save."  Rename your game slightly (maybe SunsetValley2, SunsetValley3, etc.) each time, so that you're not overwriting the older file, and you'll have lots of backup saves to use should anything else go wrong.  After a while, you can delete the oldest ones—either go into Saves as described above and drag the folders to the Trash, or delete them directly from the Main Menu.  I always keep 4-6 saves at any given time.  There's so much that can go wrong with this game, having backups is essential.

16 Replies

  • jordantan05's avatar
    jordantan05
    7 years ago

    ok i might try to do it but why does my game suddenly make me put more pet lots and theres no way to go back to your household in world editor anymore?

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    7 years ago

    @jordantan05  It's doing all that because it's corrupt and missing critical data.  You can't go back to your household because the game no longer has enough info on the household or its sims to offer it as a choice.  It's asking you to place lots because it "thinks" it's a new game, or a new world, or close enough, that it's sort of reverting to setup mode.

    That's why I've been saying that this save is broken beyond repair.  The data that you're trying to recover doesn't exist anymore, so the only option is to go back to a previous file where that data is still intact.

  • jordantan05's avatar
    jordantan05
    7 years ago

    yeah i guess you're right since i went back to my household to build it in world editor and all my family members are differently named

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    7 years ago

    @jordantan05  You're not going to break anything by using the backup save, as long as you rename it (so you don't have two entries with the same name).  But I'd copy the backup before playing with it, just in case you need to use that copy later.  Also make sure to delete the five cache files I mentioned earlier, even if you've done so already.  They'll have data from your broken save in them, and it's better not to expose your backup save to that data.

  • jordantan05's avatar
    jordantan05
    7 years ago

    wait how does it use the backup save as your main save do i have to delete the other save folder? i did it and it used my old folder

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    7 years ago

    @jordantan05  I already explained how to allow the game to read your backup folder:

    In Saves inside your game folder (the full path is Documents\EA\TS3\Saves), you'll see a folder for your save game (say, SunsetValley.sims3), and another folder with the same name but a backup extension (SunsetValley.sims3.backup).  Delete the extension and rename the folder (i.e. SunsetValley1.sims3), and that save will be avaliable to load from the Main Menu.

    And no, you don't have to delete your original save.  You can have a number saves available at once at the Main Menu.  Just click on the one you want to load and press the check mark.

  • jordantan05's avatar
    jordantan05
    7 years ago

    i already changed the extension but it still uses my old save (sunset valley 13 for example) my new save is paul taken from my sim's name do i have to delete the extension for the sunset valley 13 save?

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    7 years ago

    @jordantan05  Your new save should be available to load as long as it's still in your Saves folder, inside your game folder in Documents, and its folder has a label ending in .sims3.  For example, if you look in saves and see Sunset Valley 13.sims3 and Sunset Valley 14.sims3, both should be available to load.  At the Main Menu, you should see both options along the bottom of the window.  But you can take the bad save out if you want, and then the older save will be the only one showing.

  • jordantan05's avatar
    jordantan05
    7 years ago

    ah i see i thought it was going to replace my broken save apparently it made a new save so i got confused so thanks

  • jordantan05's avatar
    jordantan05
    7 years ago

    now i got a another problem my time machine keeps making sounds even though im not even using it and its off its * irritating and when i go to the future the loading is always stuck this game is broken as hell 

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    7 years ago

    @jordantan05  Traveling is always a bit precarious in an unmodded game.  The travel transition is fragile and breaks easily, in both directions.  There are ways to cut down the risk of game-breaking issues, but there's no guarantee of success.  Still, minimizing the other demands on the game engine may help:

    • Quit to desktop right before traveling, and clear your cache files (again)
    • Turn off the hidden object interactive loading screens and the in-game shop mode
    • In fact, try playing completely offline.  If you play through Origin, sign in and then go into offline mode
    • Temporarily turn down your graphics options to the minimum settings.  You can turn them back up when your sims arrive safely
    • Keep your sims' personal inventories as empty as possible.  A handful of items is fine; a hundred is not

    It's also a good idea in general to keep memories off, since they add significantly to the amount of data contained in a save.  And you can clean out your FeaturedItems folder inside your game folder in Documents—the files in there are just ads from the game's shop mode.  Plus, if you have anything in your CurrentGame folder, delete it.  That folder should always be empty when you're not playing.

    The only other thing you can do is keep trying.  If the travel transition fails, quit to desktop, delete your cache files (and anything in CurrentGame), and reload.  Hopefully it works the next time around, but there's never any guarantee.

  • jordantan05's avatar
    jordantan05
    7 years ago

    wait does "traveling" in your reply refer to all form of traveling? going to university,traveling to egypt or china because when i go back from egypt it cannot load

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    7 years ago

    @jordantan05  Yes, the travel transition is the same whether your sims are going on vacation, to university, or to the future (or back home).  It breaks just as easily no matter the destination, and the procedure to try to fix it is the same.

    If you continue to have trouble, though, the only reliable solution is to use mods.  Many players prefer not to use them, and I completely understand if you're one of those people, but unfortunately, the unmodded game just does not handle travel very well, even if you do everything right.  Should you decide to try mods out, you can ask about them at NRaas.  People there would be happy to walk you through the basics of installing mods (it's very simple) and help you pick out which ones you want.

    https://www.nraas.net/community/chatterbox

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    7 years ago

    @jordantan05  Sign into Origin, then click Account in the upper left corner and select Go Offline.  Next, take your entire computer offline—turn off wifi and/or yank the ethernet cable.  You won't be able to sign in at either the launcher or Main Menu, but that's the point; those functions take resources.  Even just being online while you play adds stress to the game engine.  I always play with wifi turned off, so my computer has no active internet connection at all.

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