Re: the sims 3 mac high sierra

@jacindaham  Okay, since you've started to uninstall, you'll need to go through with a clean uninstall.  The regular uninstall process leaves behind hidden library files that can prevent the game from launching going forward.

https://bluebellflora.com/how-to-do-a-clean-uninstall-and-reinstall-on-a-mac/

Install the base game only, no packs yet.  Run the Super Patch to manually patch the game to 1.67.

https://bluebellflora.com/sims-3-manual-super-patch-for-mac-1-67/

Try to launch the game.  You'll probably get an unknown error still.  (If you don't, you'll get the license server error.  That's fine and can be bypassed.)  An unknown error with just the base game installed means you'll need to add your graphics card to the game's database.  There are two files you'll need to edit: graphicscards.sgr, and graphicsrules.sgr.  To find them, right-click (or hold down the ctrl key and click) on the Sims 3 base game icon in Applications\The Sims 3.  From there, the path is:

Contents\Resources\transgaming\c_drive\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Game\Bin

Open graphicscards.sgr (TextEdit works fine), and cmd-F to search for 8086.  That will take you to these lines:

vendor "Intel" 0x8086
card 0x0042 "Havendale"
card 0x0046 "Havendale"

Create a new line under the "Intel" 0x8086 line, copy this text, and paste it in the new line:

    card 0x0A2E "Intel(R) Iris Graphics 5100"

So you should now see this:

vendor "Intel" 0x8086

card 0x0A2E "Intel Iris Graphics 5100"
card 0x0042 "Havendale"
card 0x0046 "Havendale"

(with indents from spaces that this site isn't displaying properly).  Save, quit, and open graphicsrules.sgr.  Cmd-F and search for Havendale, which will take you here:

if (match("${cardName}", "*Havendale*"))
seti cardLevel $cardLevelMedium
seti isCardMatched true
elseif (match("${cardName}", "*4?00*"))

Create a new line under the "true" in the third line above, and add this:

    elseif (match("${cardName}", "*Iris Graphics 5100*"))
seti cardLevel $cardLevelMedium
seti isCardMatched true

Add a tab before each seti, to match the formatting with the other entries.  Save, quit, launch the game, quit, and check deviceconfig for your graphics card.  You should now see a [Found: 1, Matched: 1] next to the name.

Let me know if it doesn't work, and we can tweak the edits a bit.  If it does work, please list the packs you'd like to install, because some of them need help to get installed properly.

P.S.  Please edit or remove your screenshot—it's showing your serial number.  I got the information I needed anyway.