THE HORROR: The REAL TS3 Scoop As It Unfolds

[DrNerd]

I have to say, TS3 is more of a "game" than TS2 was. Unfortunately, GAMES have poor longevity. TS2 was a toy. You made your OWN games out of it. TS3 is a game: You play it their way, beat it, and dump it for the next shiny thing.

Thanks, Pes.  This just confirms how much of a DNW TS3 is for me.  If I can't make a story, or at the very least, have to base it on THEIR story, then what's the point?

I'll stick with my Vetinaris.  All the lovely hacks get rid of the annoyances, and I can be happy in the knowledge that the Sims I don't like spend eternity alone and unloved instead of finding ways to make themselves happy.

[jello]

The reloaded iso is the digital download version, as can be seen in the EULA that everybody clicks past without reading:

"ELECTRONIC ARTS
END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
FOR THE SIMS 3 GAME
(DISTRIBUTED BY DIGITAL DOWNLOAD)"

also

"B.  Technical Protection Measures. When you purchase the Software online via digital download (the "Digital Download Version"), you receive a Digital Download Version of the Software that uses SecuROM digital rights management technology provided by Sony DADC Austria AG.  The SecuROM technology is integrated into the Digital Download Version of the Software and is not a separate installation. For more information about SecuROM, visit www.securom.com and http:/faq.securom.com/.  By installing the Software, you acknowledge and agree to the Software's use of SecuROM.  An internet connection is required to authenticate the Software and verify your license ("Online Authentication")."

So that would explain the phoning home, no idea why it's on an iso though.

Heh, well, that EULA does confirm it then.

As for why it's on an iso--simple, it's the standard way to package releases. Remember, even most DVD games are not direct rips--they have to add a crack directory to the disc and then re-iso it.

[Pinstar]

Those are just the things that jumped out at me. Honestly, it's not quite as bad as I thought it would be, but I can't see it replacing TS2 for a lot of players.
I have to say, TS3 is more of a "game" than TS2 was. Unfortunately, GAMES have poor longevity. TS2 was a toy. You made your OWN games out of it. TS3 is a game: You play it their way, beat it, and dump it for the next shiny thing.

Not if I have anything to say about it. I already have ideas for challenges just based on the broad concepts we've heard thus far, some Legacy related, some completely different. I'll make a toy of it yet! Frammit!


*edited to fix quote*

[J. M. Pescado]

The reloaded iso is the digital download version, as can be seen in the EULA that everybody clicks past without reading:

"ELECTRONIC ARTS
END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
FOR THE SIMS 3 GAME
(DISTRIBUTED BY DIGITAL DOWNLOAD)"

also

"B.  Technical Protection Measures. When you purchase the Software online via digital download (the "Digital Download Version"), you receive a Digital Download Version of the Software that uses SecuROM digital rights management technology provided by Sony DADC Austria AG.  The SecuROM technology is integrated into the Digital Download Version of the Software and is not a separate installation. For more information about SecuROM, visit www.securom.com and http:/faq.securom.com/.  By installing the Software, you acknowledge and agree to the Software's use of SecuROM.  An internet connection is required to authenticate the Software and verify your license ("Online Authentication")."

So that would explain the phoning home, no idea why it's on an iso though.

That looks like generic boilerplate. Digital downloads DON'T HAVE ISOs. I know what a Reloaded rip of a digital download looks like. See Empire: Total War. It ain't an ISO.

I was going to try to DL from Pirate Bay or ISOhunt, but on both sites some guy named B_O_L_T has been posting a warning that the download contains a virus in the setup.exe file; it's a codec file. Actually, this is what this person says:

***contains virus***
The file Sims3Setup.exe is a self-deflating executable archive. It contains two files, the real "sims3setup.exe" and a file "codec.exe", the archive runs both when called by Autorun.exe. The file codec.exe is a virus dropper.

Before downloading from either site, I want to verify whether this is true or not. The Admin on PB says the DL checks out, but I"m leery of getting anyting on my computer that has a virus. Is there anyone who can verify this before I start?

This is true. To counter this, if your version behaves this way, you need to mount the ISO, copy all to HD not autorun it, and unRAR the executable archive and extract the "Real" setup and run that.

[jello]

Pescado: That's because ETW was distributed on Steam and contained no setup program--it was downloaded as the installed application. That's how Steam works.

Different digital distributors operate differently, and some of them require you to download the setup files first and install them yourself.

[J. M. Pescado]

Different digital distributors operate differently, and some of them require you to download the setup files first and install them yourself.

Can some schlub who has experienced EAxis digital downloading in the past verify this statement?

[HomeschooledByTards]

Different digital distributors operate differently, and some of them require you to download the setup files first and install them yourself.

Can some schlub who has experienced EAxis digital downloading in the past verify this statement?

I did have to install Splotch after downloading it from EA.

[J. M. Pescado]

I did have to install Splotch after downloading it.

And was it arranged in a directory someplace in a manner exactly like mentioned above?

[Marhis]

Could your people be autonomously ADOPTING while you're playing other people? If this is possible, I call EXTREME WTF and stupidity on EA's part and DNW O.o

I have a deja vu of Pets, when you had your playables autonomously buy critters in community lots, so when you go play their households again you find them buried in cat hair and dog poo.

FIRST hack to convert from TS2: Babby BBQ.

[HomeschooledByTards]

I did have to install Splotch after downloading it.

And was it arranged in a directory someplace in a manner exactly like mentioned above?

A search of my computer revealed the "C:\ProgramData\Electronic Arts\EADM\cache\{ 2267420097 }\spore_dd" folder with what appears to be setup files.

[Mixreality]

So...

Why exactly is this single-household-forced gameplay (apart from sims living on their own when uncontrolled, I don't mind, see below)? I've seen only promises vanish when going back to household #1 from household #2. Everything else remained as it was (skills, relations, that lifetime points thing, job level...) Of course, I might have missed something huge. Also, I only spent like a 1,5 day at household #2, so sim from household #1 didn't have quite enough time to spawn or die.

I think I can live with my speshul families falling appart while I'm busy elsewhere. It might be a good thing after all (if it's not absolutely horribly done, I still have no idea how it's done), it will certainly break us out of our routines.

[Zazazu]

Could your people be autonomously ADOPTING while you're playing other people? If this is possible, I call EXTREME WTF and stupidity on EA's part and DNW O.o

I have a deja vu of Pets, when you had your playables autonomously buy critters in community lots, so when you go play their households again you find them buried in cat hair and dog poo.

FIRST hack to convert from TS2: Babby BBQ.

I actually like that, but anyway...

No. Demon child is definitely the genetic daughter of Ms. Schmoe. She has the same hair color, down to the subtle blue streaks. She also is extremely ugly.

[phyllis_p]

Well, I've played for about 4 hours.  It actually is not as bad as I started to fear it was from listening to some folks' opinions.  I've only played one family, so I can't comment on what happens with multiple family play.  The Sims look different than what I'm used to, but I'm adjusting.  I'm still having navigation issues, but I'm adjusting, especially since I found the edge scrolling box to check.  I think the buildings and landscaping and everything are really, really nice to look at.  

I guess at this point I'm still just a little overwhelmed by the differences from TS2.  I was much the same when I started playing TS2.  And I also tend to proceed very slowly and cautiously with a new game.  Chosing locations on the map is stressful.  I wish I could choose from a list, like when calling the taxi in TS2.

I kind of like the way buy mode is organized.

I'm not sure what else to say at this point.  However, I'm thinking it may be hard to go back to TS2 after seeing TS3.  I may be wrong, though.  Guess I'll find out.

[Kyna]

Meant to post back earlier but I was too busy playing the game. It's pretty fun, but I can understand if the same people who are going of heresy already want to deem it a 'horrorshow'. Anyways, figured I would register to give people good news but I see that y'all are all just EA haters at heart and stuck on the thought that this game is trash, so I think I'll be going. It's just a shame I won't be around whenever you try the game for yourself and have to eat your words... Yes the game may have a few problems, but overall it is a good game and worth playing over TS2.

Ahh, the use of the word "haters".  So revealing.  A word that didn't exist when I was a 12, and a word that tends to be used by fanboys & fangirls when anyone dares to criticise their favourite whatever <insert "Leave Britney EA alone" macro here>.

As I already pointed out, we know the good stuff - that's what EA's marketing department has been telling us for ages.  We want to hear the rest of it, the stuff EA tried to gloss over or sweep under the carpet.

Ttech, you'll have noticed that there are quite a few player reviews in this thread (including generally positive ones, like the one phyllis just posted immediately above this post) and you'll also have noticed that YOU are the only person copping flak for their review.  Why?  Because the other reviews in this thread - even the positive ones - don't try to hide the fact that there are flaws in the game.

Take off your rose-coloured glasses and step into the real world.  No game is perfect, no game can be perfect.  Stop trying to convince us that the game is virtually flawless, because nobody here is naive enough to believe that.

[brownlustgirl]

@ Zazazu, did you see the father? Just wondered where those cheeks come from. Maybe she will grow to a descent teen? Hopefully.

[Khaleesi]

The cheeks don't scare me near as much as the jawline of doom. That is one very unattractive kiddo.

[Insanity Prelude]

No. Demon child is definitely the genetic daughter of Ms. Schmoe. She has the same hair color, down to the subtle blue streaks. She also is extremely ugly.
(pic snipped)

Holy crap. Those eyebrows. D:

[Insanity Prelude]

Maaaan. Now I kind of want to try it, but there's no way I'm dropping what little money I have on it, and I'm too scared to get caught to ARR.

[DaSpecialone]

Kaylynn Langerak just effing died. By getting struck by lightning 37 times at some lightning rod tournament, apparently. How did I find out about this? By having Cornelia Goth read the paper.

Well, that sounds cool

Feel free to throw rocks, but I'm all for unplayed sims living their lives, spawning, getting killed randomly... I've been trying to accomplish the very same in TS2, with randomizers and stuff, but this is just more natural. This could be a godsend. I just hope there's some kind of limit, and the towns people won't spawn when that limit is reached. Chances are there's no such limit, knowing EA

I'd only agree on the "coolness" if the screen flashed immediately from the sim you're playing to Langerak as she was being struck.

The cheeks don't scare me near as much as the jawline of doom. That is one very unattractive kiddo.

Odd part is her face approximates a rectangle....with ears.

[crunk]

Well at least Ugly Legacies (or however the hell they spell them) wont die out as more and more players switch games - I'd say that little girl would be an ideal founder. It'll be interesting to see how different the genetics play out - it seems like there are far fewer face templates/archetypes to start out with, and I haven't personally noticed whether or not the game tweeks them on the pre-existing sims.

[DrNerd]

...I sort of want Zazazu's demon spawn for my Uglacy.  I was gonna marry the next-gen spawnlet to an Ottomas-clone, but that kid has little piggy eyes and a square face and a mammoth jaw and a teeny little mouth...  And this is somehow supposed to be a step UP from TS2?  I mean, DAMN, I got alien kids in my game who look better than that, and they're seventh-generation Uglacy!

[maxon]

News is released about the first Sims 3 paysite (Sorry, Sims Store)

http://simmersnews.blogspot.com/2009/05/sims-3-store-set-prices.html

Some comments on there hint that perhaps the reason there is little content in the game people are seeing is because EAxis cut it back to enable them to sell it via the Store.  People are pissed.  Not exactly a surprise to cynics here but perhaps an indication that the copy of the game we're seeing is the final copy.

[jello]

As far as household switching goes... it's frustrating to lose wishes, yes. However, on the bright side, neighborhood saves are very small (25mb as compared to 500-1500mb in TS2, depending on buggy savegame bloating) and so it's very easy to start completely fresh and play new households. It's a simple matter of copy pasting a save, which you couldn't do previously.

So it doesn't really make up for it, but it might mitigate it a little... and since it seems losing wishes is a feature rather than a bug (they do tell you about it, after all) I think they could easily change that in the future. Who knows, maybe we can too? It does seem kind of a pointless "feature," I agree.

I understand the pessimism, but I have to say I am rather pleasantly surprised. I find it enjoyable and after the initial shock (I hate how rotating with the mouse is so bloody slow) I think there's more to like than to dislike. That doesn't dismiss valid concerns, of course, but I am wondering if the disappointment is a bit inflated.

[DigiGekko]

Cuddling in bed might also cause a freeze glitch. So far that's two I've found (the other being teaching toddlers to talk)

[Zazazu]

@ Zazazu, did you see the father? Just wondered where those cheeks come from. Maybe she will grow to a descent teen? Hopefully.

Oh, it's daddy's jawline. He's been around and is a coworker of the guy in the family I'm mostly playing. She and Nathan Finkle, my first intentional spawn, are best friends, so I get to see her all the time. She seems to also have the evil trait.

The need for way too much sleep really comes into play with babies and toddlers. About halfway through the night, they get dangerously low on social, so you have to wake everyone up to cuddle the dumb baby. Also, game likes to set them to sleep until well rested. I noticed sleep need maxxed out at 6:30, but status was still "sleep until 8:00AM". Watching them is necessary, because it seems that if they had it the way they wanted, they'd sleep half the day away, all while the kiddies scream from loneliness in their cribs and work goes on without them.

I miss macro-clean.

Good discovery: you can get new applicable skills at new skill levels. At around level 3-4 mechanically, you can repair sinks, toilets, and showers to be self-cleaning. Then you can supe up stereos. Then can make ovens self-cleaning, and at 5(?) can make items unbreakable. With gardening, when you meet certain criteria, you get perks. At level 10, you can plant something called the omni plant. After 650 plants are harvested, your plants need less water. Information about unlockable skills is under the skills tab, in this button on the right called the skill journal. You can only see it once you've gotten a point in a skill.

EDIT: Update on unrequested spawning: Keeping story mode enabled gives the same result. I went to check on that couple I'd made to figure out if I was having a bug regarding the romantic relationship trigger. They now have a toddler, and she's pregnant again. They hadn't even gotten busy when I left them.