Edit: This workaround is currently not working. It has been flagged, and EA is looking into it. This thread will be updated as soon as there is any news.
@_mevan51_ Start by running the Super Patch (digital download version). The launcher doesn't always do a thorough job patching, and if it tries to patch again later, it will undo the workaround for this problem.
https://bluebellflora.com/sims-3-manual-super-patch-for-mac-1-67/
Once the Super Patch as run, right-click (or hold the control key and click) on the green Sims 3 icon in Applications\The Sims 3 and select Show Package Contents. From there, follow this path:
Contents\Resources\transgaming\c_drive\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Game\Bin\Packs\TS3
Right-click on the paul.dll file inside the TS3 folder and select Move to Trash. Then go back one level, to the Packs folder, and open TS3EP03. Right-click on the paul.dll file inside this folder and select Copy, then go back to the TS3 folder, right-click inside and select Paste. (All this right-clicking is necessary because Macs are particular about how you move files from within Applications.)
Now your game should get past the connection error. Let me know if it doesn't.
@froglars If you install Late Night, the license server error should go away on its own. (This is true for any pack except HELS and World Adventures, the oldest two.) However, you'll need to manually create an alias (icon) for LN in Applications\The Sims 3, alongside the alias for the base game. Here's how:
https://bluebellflora.com/sims-3-packs-not-showing-as-installed/
