EPs and System Requirements

[Starpoo]

I was wondering how much the system requirements actually differ (and I still didn't look at them yet. Must. Do. NAO!) between EPs, if I can run Seasons, could I run AL? ...Performance for Seasons...Adequate. I don't have the best of a laptop, so if I do want to buy MOAR! EPs (which I kinda do), it would be nice to know what I'm getting myself into.

(Looking at requirements now.)

ETA: This is what I was worried about. Processor:1.8 Ghz processor (2.4 for Vista)
I have Vista, and my processor is a... 1.73 GHz Pentium (significant?) Dual core. AND TS2 doesn't have dual core support. I remember Seasons, I believe, needed a 1.7 GHz CPU, so I just made it there. But I had Seasons on this other computer and that has only a 1.6 GHz SINGLE core. And it ran fine. Could the Minimum actually be they're recommended? I also feel like I'm thinking too fast.

EATA: On site, it says 1.3 GHz, but on the label on the case it said 1.7 (I think, it was a long time ago...), for Seasons, I should mention. And I also think anything past Seasons has SecuROM, right? The base of my question is: Is 7/100 of a GHz going to make a difference in performance? Although that is going to make quite a difference at the minimum. Hmmm. I am finished. Consider!

[rufio]

Well, you could just install an arred version and find out.  But I'm going to guess that if your computer doesn't live up to the system requirements, it either won't work or will be too slow to be worth it.  Get yourself a better computer - my laptop has 2 Ghz and I bought it years ago, which probably means you can get for $100 now.

[J. M. Pescado]

YOU NEED MOAR COMPUTAR.

[Starpoo]

YES I KNOW! And a laptop like that wouldn't sell for 100 dolla (heh), more like 300. Besides, I have other games too, like Source games, and I want to play Fallout 3 and L4D2. Yes, a laptop that can't even run TS2:AL is REALLY, BAD! I just don't know if I want to arr some of those, all the rest have SecuROM don't they?
 ...Maybe I'd just buy AL, and arr the rest...

[rufio]

IIRC, SecuROM was only on BV/FT/AL (and some stuff packs, maybe), so you at least need a no-CD for AL.  It only installs itself if you run the executable, so if you have a no-CD from gamecopyworld or the like the only difference between buying and arring is whether or not you give EA your money.  I mentioned arring because if you're not sure the game will actually work, it's a free way to confirm or deny it, even if you intend to buy it if it does.

[Starpoo]

Here's an update for you. Can You Run It says I can run AL with extreme ease. But Freetime (how do you abbreviate that, FT?, F?) and BV are in the lower range in between minimum and recommended. Does BV have dual core support? Because it also said my pathetic dual core processor was rated at 2.5xx GHz (it's actually 1.73 if you were paying attention).

[J. M. Pescado]

Computers haven't really improved in clock rate for at least 8 years or so now. They hit the wall around 3 GHz years ago, and since then, improvements have been based on getting more done in a single Gigahertz or slapping on more core/cache/etc, rather than simply faster clockage. This has made life difficult for people who used to rely on it as a performance metric.

[Starpoo]

...People like us? So you're saying I should disregard CYRI?

[J. M. Pescado]

Pretty much.

[Starpoo]

I wonder if I should continue to arr BV then?

[J. M. Pescado]

If it doesn't work, you'll be out all the money you paid for it. Won't that be such a tragedy?

[wizard_merlin]

EATA: On site, it says 1.3 GHz, but on the label on the case it said 1.7 (I think, it was a long time ago...), for Seasons, I should mention. And I also think anything past Seasons has SecuROM, right? The base of my question is: Is 7/100 of a GHz going to make a difference in performance? Although that is going to make quite a difference at the minimum. Hmmm. I am finished. Consider!

I believe H&M Fashion Stuff was the first with Securom, but as you didn't use that disk to play, you still used the earlier EP disc, it didn't pose a problem, then BV came out with Securom and you used that disc to play, unless you were using no-CD cracks, and that was when the securom problems surfaced.  I also believe that as EAxis released the game again in the different bundles, securom was added to these games then.

It isn't just CPU speed that affects game performance, the graphics card plays a major part also.

[Starpoo]

A bit of a bump here, but I was never expecting a response again... But I learned that I think I have SecuROM from RCT3 Soaked, the damn thing doesn't work on Vista anyway. Oh well, hopefully I won't be stuck with this laptop for long and I never had problems with SecuROM AFAIK.

[Starpoo]

OK so BV seems to work quite fine. But I do have some problems that I should just post here anyway...? Maybe just the more complicated one, the 24 hour clock is easy to find. When my Sim gets in a car, he/she steps on the driveway, then it cancels and is replaced with "W4tch 0ut zomg!!11one" Then the car becomes useless, and says is in use.

ETA: About the clock, I must have downloaded a European torrent.