I followed the instructions of the Origin reset tool, but the same problem kept occurring.
Then I created an additional admin account as you suggested and tried downloading the base game there. It actually worked! Now I am wondering if there is any way to make the installment work in my main admin user, or do I have to keep this second admin user in order to play the game?
@puzzlezaddict So I entered my original admin user again, to check if the installment of "The Sims 3 (64-bit and Metal)" would finish and work like in the other admin account. It did not, shocker.
However, I began to run through the "The Sims 3 – How to do a clean uninstall and reinstall on a Mac"-guide again. I still found that I had deleted all the files. BUT, I did discover a new application hidden in the application folder: "The Sims 3"! I only noticed it because I specifically searched for "the sims 3" in the search bar. I had checked my application folder several times, and no "The Sims 3" was placed there, and as I checked again (after finding "The Sims 3" application though the search bar), there still was no icon for "The Sims 3".
I opened "The Sims 3" and it worked like a charm. I then proceeded to close the application, and open my Origin application. NOW the play button is active and the game seems to be fully playable.
As I made sure to make an alias for "The Sims 3", the application icon is now visible and clickable in my application folder. I have never experienced something similar before, and I am not quite sure exactly what fixed the problem, but I am very happy to announce that the game is finally working 🙂
Thank you for all the help! Fingers crossed for hoping the installment of the expansion packs goes smoothly!
@Saratustrar The Sims 3.app being hidden is a current issue, although not really a problem since it doesn't stop people from playing the game. When in a Finder window, you can click cmd-shift-. (period) to see hidden files and folders. This will hopefully be addressed sooner or later.
The new user account on your Mac doesn't share the user Library folder (the one that opens from the Go dropdown menu) with the old account, so if there's something in there in the old account that's blocking Sims 3 from installing, it gets removed in the new account. Since the game was apparently installed into your main Applications folder, there's nothing else you need to do to move it over, although that wouldn't be an issue either: you can drag an app from the user Applications folder to the main one if you want, and the same goes for the Sims 3 Packs folder. Just make sure they're in the same place as each other.
