THE HORROR: The REAL TS3 Scoop As It Unfolds

[Insanity Prelude]

One of the tips on the loading screens mentions being careful about hired help, because some of them don't do their jobs properly. Maids as the new nannies is apparently a feature.

On that note, I like that grumpy Sims have the option to troll forums, and the robofish is pretty cool. Note to self: Have Jocasta fish for a bit after she harvests the Omniplant.

Edit after looking at the rest of Zazazu's screens: I didn't even think of using the sprinkler on plants! I thought it was for kids to play in. Oops.

[vagabondher]

One of the tips on the loading screens mentions being careful about hired help, because some of them don't do their jobs properly. Maids as the new nannies is apparently a feature.

On that note, I like that grumpy Sims have the option to troll forums, and the robofish is pretty cool. Note to self: Have Jocasta fish for a bit after she harvests the Omniplant.

I'm not understanding how the Maid-as-Nanny feature works. I've just been calling a babysitter every time my Sim heads off and leaves her kid. If I were to leave the baby and the Maid alone, would the Maid play the part of Nanny? Is that how this works?

[VeilSethekk]

I'm not understanding how the Maid-as-Nanny feature works. I've just been calling a babysitter every time my Sim heads off and leaves her kid. If I were to leave the baby and the Maid alone, would the Maid play the part of Nanny? Is that how this works?

I think he/she was refering to how Nannies sucked in TS2, in terms that they sometimes do the most ridiculous things, as well as them not doing their job.

[Insanity Prelude]

Yep, that's what I meant. Fail Maids are fail.

[vagabondher]

I see now! And I completely agree, nannies were just a big annoyance for me. The maid in this version left for the day while a dirty plate sat next to the door. The babysitter has yet to do something to piss me off, but is it wrong that I'm disappointed they're all teenagers and therefore off-limits for flirting with the dad while the mom's at work? Ahem. 

[TashaYarrr]

Couple things:

--Seems like the 'stay the night' romantic option is as retarded as it was in TS2--I could never get the guest to actually *sleep* and the same thing happened when my Sim had her boyfriend stay over. He just wandered around and kept throwing up the bed thought bubble because he was so tired.

--If, like me, you have ADD and try to alt-tab as soon as the game starts loading, it seems like sometimes it will hang at the final progress bar and never finish (fullscreen mode).

--Why did they make babies into some kind of larvae? I don't even like kids and I miss the babies from TS2, which were way cuter and more interesting. Larval babies in swaddling clothes suck.

[vagabondher]

Couple things:

--Seems like the 'stay the night' romantic option is as retarded as it was in TS2--I could never get the guest to actually *sleep* and the same thing happened when my Sim had her boyfriend stay over. He just wandered around and kept throwing up the bed thought bubble because he was so tired.

--If, like me, you have ADD and try to alt-tab as soon as the game starts loading, it seems like sometimes it will hang at the final progress bar and never finish (fullscreen mode).

--Why did they make babies into some kind of larvae? I don't even like kids and I miss the babies from TS2, which were way cuter and more interesting. Larval babies in swaddling clothes suck.

Wow, I read that first part as him throwing up on the bed and thought, "Wow, I kind of what to get in on that."

[Soggy Fox]

Neat tip - apparently, you can age a sim at -any- time.  Just put down a cake and have them blow out the candles.  I'm playing at epic, but I don't normally even like toddlers and babies - got the toddler all his toy skills maxed, taught him his toddler skills, and then I tried to age him - worked great.  Now if only someone could explain the blond head on the kid [unfortunately, a game crash lost him and his progress.  Wish I knew why it crashes so damn much.

[DrNerd]

Couple things:
--Seems like the 'stay the night' romantic option is as retarded as it was in TS2--I could never get the guest to actually *sleep* and the same thing happened when my Sim had her boyfriend stay over. He just wandered around and kept throwing up the bed thought bubble because he was so tired.

Do you use the Smarter Beds hack?  I noticed during an Asylum that if a Sim doesn't have "their" bed as assigned by the hack, they won't sleep in a bed at all.  I imagine that would apply to "guest" Sims as well.

[Sigmund]

--Seems like the 'stay the night' romantic option is as retarded as it was in TS2--I could never get the guest to actually *sleep* and the same thing happened when my Sim had her boyfriend stay over. He just wandered around and kept throwing up the bed thought bubble because he was so tired.

This was the first thing I noticed too. My sim had just finished woo-hooing her boyfriend, and had previously invited him to spend the night. Right afterwords she fell asleep, but he got up, ambled around the house for awhile, then laid down on the couch and slept for a few hours (?), eventually waking up and leaving for good. He's willing to woohoo her, but apparently, sleeping next to her was too much.

[vagabondher]

Neat tip - apparently, you can age a sim at -any- time.  Just put down a cake and have them blow out the candles.  I'm playing at epic, but I don't normally even like toddlers and babies - got the toddler all his toy skills maxed, taught him his toddler skills, and then I tried to age him - worked great.  Now if only someone could explain the blond head on the kid [unfortunately, a game crash lost him and his progress.  Wish I knew why it crashes so damn much.

Can you? I though the same but immediately after aging up my baby to a toddler, I tried to do the same from toddler to kid, but when I chose the age up/have birthday option (whatever it's called) on the cake, the toddler wasn't included in the list.

[Soggy Fox]

It might be you need to wait a day or so first.  But the toddler still have 70 days or something to aging up, when I used the cake.  PErsonally, if I do have families, I'll do everything skill-wise before aging a toddler.  And make the baby happy before aging to toddler too.

[selzi]

--If, like me, you have ADD and try to alt-tab as soon as the game starts loading, it seems like sometimes it will hang at the final progress bar and never finish (fullscreen mode).

I noticed the very same thing. It worked fine for me in windowed mode, though.

[DJKID]

I'm positive that this has been asked but I can't seem to find it.
Is there any kind of in-game progress bar that shows weight and muscle? Similar to the fitness bar in TS2. It irritates me that I can't find the exact stats of my sim at any given time.

Also, my chick is in the Criminal career track, and whenever I send her off to work I tell her to workout. I hovered over the skill for awhile to try to monitor progress, but nothing happened. She was taken to jail, so I once more told her to work out. Same thing. Is it possible that once you reach a certain level you can no longer practice skills at work? I know it was working before.

TS3 sims have horrid levels of computer addiction as well. I cannot get my chick's girlfriend off of her damn laptop. One time, she came over and started using my sim's personal computer, broke it, and then wandered over to a table to pull her laptop out of her ass. She is not a computer whiz either.

--Seems like the 'stay the night' romantic option is as retarded as it was in TS2--I could never get the guest to actually *sleep* and the same thing happened when my Sim had her boyfriend stay over. He just wandered around and kept throwing up the bed thought bubble because he was so tired.

I tried to see if there was a "go to sleep" type option, but no such luck. Seems like it would have gone nicely with the new "stop doing that" option

[snowluv]

New album, 45 images.

Awesome pics. Thanks so much for showing some of the positive aspects of the game.

[vagabondher]

It might be you need to wait a day or so first.  But the toddler still have 70 days or something to aging up, when I used the cake.  PErsonally, if I do have families, I'll do everything skill-wise before aging a toddler.  And make the baby happy before aging to toddler too.

This is probably true, but it's kind of a moot point in my case, as 'testingcheatsenabled' allows me to just age up with shift+mailbox.

[snowluv]

Cheers for those Zazazu. Interesting viewing for those of us still lacking in TS3.

Here are mine, if you'd like to look at more screenies.

Great pics. Thanks for sharing them. Are the Sims in your pics yours or pre-mades. If they are yours, you did a very good job. I am thinking I will get used to the new look. But we really, really, need new hairs and make up. 

[Zazazu]

Couple things:
--Seems like the 'stay the night' romantic option is as retarded as it was in TS2--I could never get the guest to actually *sleep* and the same thing happened when my Sim had her boyfriend stay over. He just wandered around and kept throwing up the bed thought bubble because he was so tired.

Do you use the Smarter Beds hack?  I noticed during an Asylum that if a Sim doesn't have "their" bed as assigned by the hack, they won't sleep in a bed at all.  I imagine that would apply to "guest" Sims as well.

Hon, we're talking about Sims3. No Smarter Beds for Sims3. TashaYarrr, I've had the opposite problem. Guests tend to beeline for the bed and don't interact any further.

[Heinel]

*That* needs fixing!

Hrmm. Well that bites.  I only used it once, on a gal who was average weight and very athletic.

Well, it still works to keep a sim fit, as with that perk you need only an hour or two on the 'mill to go back to super-lean (by the way I use quick burst).  Or alternatively just start your families with skinny sims.  I guess they're just trying to be neutral about weight issues, so no get-rid-of-the-fat buttons.


I do think that there are other features that seem problematic, like slobs can lick dish and it's pretty much like a full meal?  I guess that can can be justified since there are quick meals now.  Then if anyone had played the Goth family for any amount of time, one would probably notice the annoyance of ghosts taking up all the beds, and you can't shoo them away or sleep beside them.

[BigFatLady]

I love the pics.  Thanks everyone.  With the reports of limited items and difficult to navigate catalogs it would be neat to see pics of the catalogs and stuff. Anyone?

Buildmode:


buy mode by category:


buy mode by room:


I prefer it by category for buy mode - a lot less cartoony and easier to work with!

[jriggs]

Thanks.  Very interesting.  I am loving all the pics. 

[vikitty]

Oh my god that looks so fab!

[BigFatLady]

the problem, vikitty, is that there's not a lot in there! 5 kitchen counters, 15 sofas/loveseats - bare minimum of stuff

I guess I'm just digustingly spoilt for choice with Sims 2 with all the fantastic custom meshes and whatnot out there, but I want MOAR choice

[Jorganza]

I found out something pretty cool: you can change the individual board colors on some of the wood floors.
I got a nice wicker floor pattern in one of my houses.

[vikitty]

That's pretty cool too, Jorganza!