More Awesome Than You!

First, I'm really sorry if my post isn't in the right section... I wasn't too sure. I posted this on MTS too but got no answer :( So I'm hoping someone on here can shed some light on this crap!

I've been trying for days now to fix this one issue I have with my game but nothing works!

Issue:
Sim pauses for an average of 10-15 sim minutes (sometimes 5, sometimes 30) before doing an action, like using the toilet, interacting with another sim, cooking, etc. I also noticed after the sim is done with an action, it takes some time before the action icon is removed, moving on to the next action... Something else I noticed, my sim was cooking, cutting vegetables on a board. He cuts then stops, and you see the bits of vegetable flying in the air, then he starts cutting again, stops, then you see the bits of vegetable flying again o_O Instead of the vegetables flying everywhere WHILE cutting the vegetables... Weird...

I tried many different families in Sunset Valley, Twinbrook, Bridgeport and Barnacle Bay (I don't have Riverview) and it happens everywhere.

I have all EPs and SPs installed... And all my CC is from the Sims 3 Store, nothing from other users. Well, they are downloaded here, on MATY...

I have installed the framework for CC, I have about 10 .package files in my Mods/Packages folder. I packaged everything myself with s3pe, so 1 package holds many many objects. I tried removing my CC but it doesn't change anything.

I searched the internet for days, about this issue... I've tried Overwatch, MasterController, AM, Auto-sim autonomy fix. Nothing works... I've tried decrapifying my saved game, library, preset file, CC .package files... Nothing...

I have to admit I'm not too sure how Overwatch and MasterController can fix my problem, but I tried...

I downloaded the AM configuration for dummies with only the LessIdleGoofOff enabled and it didn't change anything

I am out of options... I have a new Mac OS X. I have no idea how to fix this anymore... Do you have any idea of what I could try to fix this problem?

These are my specs, if it can help:

Mac OS X
Version 10.6.7
Processor: 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory: 2 GB 1067 MHz DDR3
Hard drive capacity: 195.29 GB
Available: 28.5 GB

This has been discussed to death several times.  Learn how to search.

I know! And I have searched! Everywhere! I Googled my problem, I checked MTS, MATY... Every solution I found did not work for me... :-[

Did you forget to check your own post? The answer's right there.

Did you try lowering the graphics setting to minimum? Those specs are pretty terrible, and apparently the system requirements (http://www.thesims3.com/game/systemreq) on a Mac are a fair bit higher.

Also try it with no CC at all, see if that does anything.

I did lower the graphic settings but not all to Low, some Medium and a few on High... :-\ I tried this just now, I removed all CC and renamed my Sims 3 Folder, restarted the game. And it seems like it solved parts of it. But I still get a long pause in Bridgeport. But then I tried in Twinbrook and it seemed fine. The vegetable thing worked fine...

Bare minimum specs provide mediocre performance on lowest settings.  Try playing with anything on high, and performance will suffer.  The best answer you'll ever get is to upgrade your machine or put up with crappy game performance.  Simple as that.   

Thanks Narmy and Darby. I didn't know I didn't have the minimum requirements :( So I re-added my CC and kept the graphic settings at the lowest, or almost, and it's running much better! Ok it doesn't look as perfect but it's fine for me. I'll try and see if I can upgrade my Mac. Thank you for your help. It was so simple, I didn't even think of it ::)

It still baffles me that Apple would sell something so shitty as "new", almost as much as it baffles me that people actually buy it for $1000+.

:-\ We got it like a bit less than a year ago... From Future Shop/Best Buy (Canada)... And according to MTS, my Mac meets the minimum requirements. But yeah, they are the minimum... Sucks. Other games run fine! It's just that The Sims is becoming way too "heavy"... I'm assuming adding all EPs and SPs on top of that doesn't help... *sigh*

This is a standard problem on Macs. So far I have found no work around, you just have to put up with it.

Or, you know, pay less for a better computer that will actually run games.

Pah! You don't even need to do that. Just replace MacOS with Windoze XP and you'll get a 200% performance boost* right there.

*Not a guarantee. Figure may be speculative and/or plucked out of thin air. Still, it's a Mac. What did you expect?

Why do people buy Macs unless they are in the publishing industry?

The only real difference between a Mac and a PC is the OS, and as a result the software that is compatible with that OS. However, Windows has plenty of software that can do the exact same things, even for an industry professional. Hell, even Linux could probably do the same things too, the open-source community is huge these days.

The thing is, people have been conditioned to believe otherwise by multi-million dollar advertising campaigns that appeal to the less technically knowledgeable people, and deceiving them with clever wordplay and often inaccurate statistics.

Ok, you know what? I am sick to death of constantly having to defend my choice of computer on these boards. It's one thing to tussle with jezzer, his hatred of the A-word is well documented, and besides he is just jealous of my hipster weave. But to be insulted by some randomer? Yeah, fuck off. I have not been hoodwinked by Apple's shiny advertising campaigns. It turns out the reason I like Macs is because I prefer OSX to Window's shitsville systems, especially Vista and Seven. I am not alone.

I have been using macs for the last two years, but bought a windows netbook for my Australian adventure because who wants to cart £1000 worth of equipment round dodgy hostels? For two years I haven't encountered any problems I couldn't fix myself. Suddenly, upon my reluctant return to Windows I discovered a host of issues. Wireless didn't work, dongle didn't work, windows firewall as per usual was running around everywhere mooning and generally cocking things up. Granted, this is just one unfortunate experience, but it is an example of why I prefer Macs.

I know Macs are overpriced, and I know Apple are evil bastards hiding under a veneer of 'hey we're so cool and charming' but you know what? I like Macs. If I can afford to buy a computer I will actually enjoy using, what's the harm in that? I paid a similar price for a high end laptop before I bought my pro and it was beset with issues from the get go. If i have to pay the price of a lesser gaming experience, then so be it. Obviously if I were a hardcore gamer, I wouldn't use a Mac. I am not some rabid fan girl, I am well aware macs have their limits. I am just sick to death of constantly having to watch the baying hordes of MATY sit around and have group wanks over how much Macs suck.

So no, I am not a moron. I have not been 'deceived by clever wordplay'. I am just a consumer who prefers Macs to PCs.

Hee.  She said "dongle".

(http://i51.tinypic.com/2uyn688.gif)

Meh.  I couldn't care less about the Apple/Microsloth debate.  They BOTH suck for various reasons, so it's just a matter of choosing your poison.  What chaps my ass is when Sims 2/3 fans whine about the computer they just bought not running the game well because they neglected to do their homework about specs first.   :P

Am I the ONLY one who finds Windows easy to use, intuitive, and reliable; who has never had a major problem with it; and who has almost never wanted to bash his PC to smithereens?

Only since XP in my case. Windoze 95 and 98 were steaming piles of shit, and Vista's a bloody nightmare. Windows 7's ok once you have God Mode enabled, but SP1 is shit and buggers up internet access.

I miss the old days of my Amiga and Workbench 1.3.

AMEN! I love my Mac and wouldn't back to PC!

You obviously don't use it enough.

Sorry that you're insulted by the opinion of some randomer. I honestly don't care about your preference, use whatever you like the best.

That doesn't make the Apple commercials "Mac can do anything better than a PC" any less of a lie, though.

Some people don't need their hand held by their OS.

Macs are like FWD/SUVs.

For every informed decision made RE: owning one and using one, there's a dozen folk who have one because they're shiny.

So then, dear Nellynell, you do agree that macs suck?

Oh dear, Narmy can't follow a conversation. I was trying to point out to jeebus that perhaps finds 7 easy to use because he doesn't use it much. I fight with 7 all the time but prefer a windows machine since it's mostly for gaming and ARRRING. Why the fuck would I want my hand held by an OS? Again, if it wasn't for the gaming aspect I'd be on linux.

I use Windows 7 all the time for gaming, photo editing, video editing, and anything else that needs doing, and I don't have any problems with Windows 7 and don't fight with it at all, Visat was a different kettle of fish.  I got my Windows 7 as soon as it was publicly available.  Perhaps if you are fighting with it constantly, it might be something else you're running that maybe disagrees with Windows 7? 

Windows 7 is no different to any other OS, from any company, there are always people who see it as a dream and easy to use and never have a problem with it, while other people seem to have no end of problems with them.  I know people who use and hate Windows and seem to have no end of problems with it.  I also know people who use Macs and absolutely hate them while having problems that they can't get sorted.

Personally I prefer windows, and always have, I simply hate how closed the Apple systems are to customising to your own use, and how limited and restricted hardware upgrades are.  Before building my last windows machine I fully investigated Macs and settled on a windows machine as a better solution for myself.  Many years ago Windows was gaming and business, while Macs were multimedia and business, these days they both perform all functions quite well without many problems, which makes brand choice a personal preference.  The problem is that underspec'ed Macs won't work any better than underspec'ed windows machines when it comes to running games, or any other program for that matter, and the OP that started this is using a borderline spec'ed machine which means TS3 will perform poorly, and would would behave much the same way on a similar spec'ed windows system.

I've had major problems with Windows. I've had my fair share of breakdowns and problems. I've found Windows to be extremely complex, convoluted, and abstruse at times. But, not once have I felt the need to go to an Apple dominated web forum and say, "Can someone please help me figure out how to run your software on my Windows computer."

It sounded to me like a sarcastic comment like "Windows 7 sucks, you just don't know it yet." I'd think that the more you use an OS, the more familiar and easier it is to use, right?

There's always so many conflicting reports between people having tons of errors and problems, and people having no problems at all. The most logical explanation I can think of is that user-error is more of a factor than computer-error.

Nope. Well, Windows 98, sure, but XP was fine, and Win7 has been lovely. I don't understand the people who freak out over how crash-prone, awful, unreliable, and so on Windows 7 is. It's performed brilliantly through both normal use and my occasional floundering about with advanced settings, obscure emulators and other poorly-documented piracy. Hell, the one time I was deliberately trying to make it crash, it wouldn't.

My problem with Microsoft OS's is the ever increasing bloatware each new one comes with.  Even if easy to use, I resent having a bunch of shit I didn't ask for and can't easily remove being part of the install. 

Since Windows 3.11 and all the way to 7 8) 

(well, ok, I did skip Vista)   ::)


What's the trick?  dunno...  <shrug>
I can only guess that it's because I have always used an over-sized swap file, instead of a system managed swap file.

Same here, except I skipped 2k/Millenium (I went from 98 to NT until XP came out), and the failure that was Microsoft Bob.  I did run Vista for a couple of years, but that was because an old system's hardware went into a string of catastrophic failures, and I had to have a replacement quickly, so in came a bargain PC that shipped with Vista.  Even Vista didn't give me too much trouble, outside of whining about the "features" that I disabled.

I found Vista mostly tolerable except for its habit of hanging at inopportune moments (which has thankfully disappeared in 7).

I've gone from '98 lite to XP. I will have to go to 7 when I make a new machine, but for now, it's fine. Windoze mostly behaves itself for me and I mostly know how to fix stuff. MAC OSs are really pretty, but all the bouncing and zinging and 'OMG, look at me' stuff make me want to smack it.

Nah. You don't even technically need the page file if you have enough RAM (8GB+), but of course it's nice to have in certain situations. I recommend leaving it on system managed, or you're just wasting hard drive space.

My current set of issues related to 7 thinking I didn't have authority to change certain folders on a secondary drive. After trying to set permissions and having fun in safe mode I took the easy way out and reformatted the damn drive. In my experience people who do normal day to day things on their PC don't normally have issues. It's when you start trying to kludge stuff and get certain programs to do different things that you get to really mess with the OS. Plus it is also fun trying to fix win 7 machines that my customers break.

I work with Windows all day every day. I work in tech support for a living with a generally Computer-illiterate user base. After four years of supporting Windows machines, I went out and bought a Mac laptop and I haven't regretted it for a moment. I've still got my Windows pc which runs Windows 7, but I use my Mac for everything barring gaming. Macs aren't great for gaming but if someone is only a casual player, it seems pointless to have a second machine just for gaming if you're happy using your Mac for everything else.

We place far too much emphasis on the Mac Vs Windows debate and it's largely nonsense. Mac, Windows and Linux each have their own strengths and weaknesses. Linux is outstanding from a security point of view, if it matters to you to be able to upgrade your graphics card/RAM etc, it's much better to buy a Windows machine and Macs are extremely easy to use for creative tasks. IMHO, people should do some research before they get their machine and buy the machine that suits their needs.

But as to your comment about Mac users liking them because they are "shiny", I haven't met a Mac owner who has bought their machine for that reason. Most Mac users buy them because they're easy to use and they don't want to waste time figuring out how to use a machine when it's not their priority, which is their right. Computers are not an endurance test and it is not a badge of honour to struggle with an OS or a piece of software because someone tells them that they "should" do so.

While I am not particularly interested in getting involved in the whole debate, here is some more super-useful anecdotal evidence for you: I have in fact several friends who will happily admit that they bought their Macs because they were 'pretty' or 'looked more fun' -> shiny. If you don't really know what you need a computer for, or indeed you know that you don't need it for something like gaming, and so aren't really looking into specs etc., it is very easy to make choices based on marketing or something as simple as which product you prefer the look of. The fact that you don't know anyone who has done that doesn't really mean anything at all - it is a recognisable effect.

Pretty much what Seqkat said. Like one of my favourite lecturers likes to say, "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence."

From some of the comments I've seen from Mac users, I don't think they were aware that it wasn't a good choice for gaming when they bought it.  Apple doesn't exactly highlight that feature in their advertising.

cannedsarcasm and seqkat, I would point out that there are many Windows users who go into Harvey Norman and buy a machine because it looks shiny as well. You only have to look as far as the BBS, there are generally no end of computer users with many different kinds of systems who don't have a clue what they're doing. An illiterate user is an illiterate user, regardless of what type of system they've purchased.

There are large numbers of doctors and allied health professionals (some of my user base at work) who buy Macs, purely because they find them easy to use. I've worked out why this is, you will often hear them say that they love their Mac because "they just work". They're intelligent people, they're just not all that interested in computers, their whole lives are people focused and in the half an hour or so a day they spend on their machine, they don't want to fight with the machine to get it to work.

Most Mac users I know swap information because you want to get the most out of your system. I started thinking about getting a Mac a while before I went out and bought the machine. I was warned by friends who've used Macs for years to run XP from Boot Camp and install the Windows version of the Sims because trying to install a game through the Mac OS doesn't work too well. Mac users know the limitations of their Mac, we put up with it because we get so much more out of it in other ways. For one, the Apple versions of Photoshop and Office (Aperture and iWork) are far more user friendly than the equivalent Windows product.

Again, people should be talking to someone who they trust and getting advice to buy a system that suits them and which is in their price range. It doesn't matter much whether that's Windows, Mac, Linux or even a crappy ex-Government machine, as long as it suits your needs.

You're obviously passionate about the subject matter. To put it bluntly, I'm not. I'm pretty sure that we aren't even disagreeing about anything major - but I didn't really finish reading your post. I know that there are plenty of people out there who make informed decisions about what they buy, I said that at the start. There are a lot of people who don't. That's how humans are, the end.

Feel free to write another bunch of paragraphs on the topic, though. It's possible that someone around here has a remote interest.

saraswati wasn't laying into you or getting on a soapbox. There's really no need to respond like that, cannedsarcasm. If you want to contribute to a conversation, then you should actually read what you're replying to. Otherwise, we don't fancy listening to your lazy, I'll informed replies. If you don't care about a subject, why chime in? Or were you just showing off your edumacation, in which case *golf clap*.

I wasn't taking the response as an aggressive or soapboxy one, because it isn't. I'm sorry if it came off that way?

Based on the ratio of paragraphs to post, it's pretty obvious that sarasati has strong feelings about the issue, but the point of my post was that I don't want to debate with them, and I'll not be lured in by a bunch of paragraphs about the topic at hand. They have their opinion and I have mine, both of which are derived from personal experiences with people and their selections.

I don't think saraswati is wrong, and I'm quite aware that there are oodles of noodles with systems that were purchased because they didn't do the research, didn't want to do the research, or didn't know that they should. I knew that beforehand and learnt it quite some time ago: since saraswati's post appeared to be a case of preaching to the choir, I elected to skip over the rest of the post. I'll use better judgement next time, 'spose. As to my choice to contribute (or in your opinion, fail to contribute), I generally respond when I'm directly addressed - otherwise, I lurk. That's been the for the past few posts in this topic, and that's really all there is to it.

FWIW I don't really care to debate with anyone over much of anything, so if you want you can take this post as a concession or a yield. Forum squabbles are not my thing.

You'll inform what, MacSooze?

Best thing about a PC over a Mac. You can upgrade it whenever you need to.

Mine is about 10 years old (well the case and FD and CD drives)  and currently runs XP, (I did not upgrade to a more recent OS - so I can stilll play older games etc.).  But I change parts when needed, Motherboard, Graphics card etc.

I have no problems with the Sims  3  game or its add-ons.

If I need a better Graphics Card or more memory, no problem.

Can you do this with a Mac. ?

In all fairness most Mac users have no idea what you're talking about or have no idea how to do what it is that you're taling about. Most not all.

It's not really true that all Mac users are retards.  For instance, my CS major brother (and his friends, it seems) greatly prefers Macs to PCs, although it seems that it is more the quality of the hardware, not so much the OS, that he is the real attraction for him.

When the PC vs. Mac WOAR first started, Macs targeted the computer illiterate in their ads, with a campaign focused on how PC users had to connect their components (HORRORS!) and install an OS (OH NOES!), while a Mac was ready out of the box.  It's only fairly recently that Mac has switched to targeting the terminally smug.

Which one am I, jezbeans?

Not to get in the way of a good fight, but he only commented on where the advertising was targetted, not on the actual buying demographic.

It seems that Mac users are easily offended.

Lolzers, I wasn't offended. I was teasing jezzer. Perhaps I should have included a jaunty smiley. Jez is just jealous coz he couldn't get his fixie bike to work, and all the hipsters in his local cafe laughed when he could not fit his Goliath pc monstrosity on the spindly little table.

Honestly guys, does Norton install a sense of humour bypass when you buy a PC? :P

There are still people who think Norton is a valid choice to make?


Mac vs. PC got a bit dull. What can I say.

When I got my current PC it was BSOD right from the start randomly for no reason. It was the preinstalled Norton trial.

Sadly yes. I know them. Of course, they are also dreadfully far right Republicans, so there is obviously a correlation between stupids and Norton.

Microsoft licensed and gave away everything good Norton ever did with DOS 6.2. Sense then Norton has produced nothing but buggy useless crap. The fact that they stay in business is just a testament to how ill-informed most consumers are.

The very first thing I did on my new computer was uninstall Norton and install Avast.

Avast used to scare the living daylights out of me when suddenly, in the middle of the night, a disembodied robot voice would announce 'virus database has been updated'. Not cool, Avast. Not cool.

I don't know about robot voices, but why do they need to advise of these at all. When Vet started giving me pop ups to announce that it had updated itself I almost changed virus protection program.

You can disable both popups and sounds in Avast.

Mine does it in 'pirate'. On Talk Like a Pirate Day, Avast offered the pirate version and I've kept it ever since. :)
/me is smug

"Arr, matey! Yer list of scurvy seadogs be safely aboard."

I love Avast, but that is even scarier to hear at 2am when I've forgotten to turn off my speakers at night.

Don't people actually switch off their computers at night? Unless you're running a server or torrenting dodgy porn, I don't see the point in wasting all that electricity, really.

Don't people torrent at night? Otherwise you are paying for internets you aren't using!

I haven't shut off my computer since I discovered the Wonders of Torrenting.

I can't afford to torrent non-stop, I pay a base rate, then data on top. This is still a good deal for me as it's a torrent-friendly ISP, has naked DSL and has good speed both up and down. I wouldn't have time to watch or play everything anyway, if I were downloading constantly.

However, apparently turning on or off computers is when they do their hardest work. I had always thought it was best to turn a PC off when not in use, both because of the power usage and the wear and tear on components, but both Pescado and my techie-ex explained it's better to leave a PC turned on because of all the different metals it contains which expand and contract at different temperatures and rates, which can cause problems over time.

I still turn mine off if they won't be used for the next 4-5 hours, or if I'm out, otherwise they pretty much stay on.

I almost always have my computer on.  If I don't have a power cord available for my laptop, I will hibernate it.

I never turn any of my computers off, only if I'm travelling or something. The only time I've ever had issues with Windows since XP came out has been more of a physical issue, rather than software related. My Acer's hinges seized up, so the screen begran to split apart. I also had the fan seize up on the piece of shit Compaq I have. I haven't had malware in years since I stopped using shit like Limewire and Kazaa, and I usually try to stick to Demonoid for torrents.

I never used to hate Mac users, but the douchebag I work with makes me stabby. He manages to crash his Windows work machine at least once a day, and basically quotes the Mac commercials and Steve Jobs constantly. He is a smug asshole, and owns literally every iDevice out there, including an iPad. He also treats his electronics like shit, and walks on them. The amount of derp with the kid is strong. There's also an elderly gentleman who is a Mac user, who is almost as bad as the younger one. Both of them still expect me to fix their computer issues because they are too damn lazy to learn how to themselves. Sometimes I think the younger Mac user is purposely sabotaging his computer just to say Microsoft is crap. I don't give a shit what computer you use, just stop trying to push your lifestyle choices on me, and call me stupid when I disagree with you, or feel like I've decapitated your grandmother and fed her corpse to your cat.

Shutting your computer on and off adds more wear and tear to it than leaving it on.  The only time mine turns off is when an update requires a reboot, I'm going to be gone for more than a day, or when the weather is bad.  As for Macs and Apple in general, I would totes have one if I could afford it.  I like using something different every now and then.  This is why one of my computers is running Ubuntu.