THE HORROR on Mac OS X - no need to download any other crack

[Marhis]

YAY! It seems to work!

The only problem is that the keygen requires Windows, but it should be not too difficult to run in a virtual PC, or maybe a kind Windows user may provide some generated keys for us Mac users.
Anyway, once you have your serial number, disable the internet connection (just in case), install TS3 on your Mac the usual way, paste/type your serial when it asks for and then quit, because at this point the game will throw a hissy fit because it can't connect and verify the authenticity.

Now the yummy part.

1. Go in Macintosh HD/Applications/The Sims 3/ folder.
2. Right-click on The Sims3.app (or The Sims3, if you didn't enable the file extensions in your System Preferences - DO IT) and choose "Show Packge Contents".



You'll open the application like it were a regular folder. Well, as a matter of fact, it is.



3. Go to Contents/Resources/transgaming/c_drive/Program Files/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/Game/Bin/.

4. See the TS3.exe file in there? Yes, from now on the procedure is the same like in Windows. Rename it in TS3.exe.securom or whatever - you need to disable it. Don't delete the origianl exe, though: you could need it when you'll have to apply patches etc.

5. Place in there the TS3.exe you find in the Crack folder on the iso, right next the installer.

6. Now go to Contents/MacOS/. Make an alias of the cider file and put it somewhere on your Desktop or whatever you want.
VERY IMPORTANT: cider is the file you'll have to double click to start the game. Don't start it clicking on the The Sims3.app, or it'll bring up the launcher, SecuROM and demons.
Just before the splash screen you'll briefly see a Terminal window with gibberish: it's normal, cider is a Unix executable and it works that way; just ignore it.

7. Play

[Solowren]

Here are some CD Keys if anyone needs some:

JZ4U-7X74-JY4C-PJY2-GRLD
5AH9-DAL5-B6AQ-EB6T-TRLD
3WRR-6P8Q-BNXB-VBNF-FRLD
LYE6-5RNM-TSPT-ZTSM-XRLD
HJ5D-TFHG-8Y7N-R8Y4-SRLD
WC2A-ADVQ-AT72-EAT5-6RLD
HPCL-MHXP-WT94-AWTL-8RLD
W3D5-7XRP-TW4V-ZTWK-YRLD

[vagabondher]

Yeah, I've been playing since the 19th? Or the 20th, I can't remember. The ease in which you install it surprised me. It's the same exact process as on Windows but just translated into Mac terms. And it runs fabulously well on my Macbook Pro.

[wes_h]

4. See the TS3.exe file in there? Yes, from now on the procedure is the same like in Windows. Rename it in TS3.exe.securom or whatever - you need to disable it. Don't delete the origianl exe, though: you could need it when you'll have to apply patches etc.

You won't be patching this particular executable, because it is not the release version.
Build 1.0.631.00107 is the release that is coming next week.

[vagabondher]

4. See the TS3.exe file in there? Yes, from now on the procedure is the same like in Windows. Rename it in TS3.exe.securom or whatever - you need to disable it. Don't delete the origianl exe, though: you could need it when you'll have to apply patches etc.

You won't be patching this particular executable, because it is not the release version.
Build 1.0.631.00107 is the release that is coming next week.

I didn't think that was officially confirmed yet.

[J. M. Pescado]

Official enough for you?

[vagabondher]

Official enough for you?

Yay for this development! I'm glad it's finally been cleared up.

[TashaYarrr]

After some testing on a MBP it seems to run better when booted into Windows XP via bootcamp instead. The windows emulator implementation is interesting, though.

[nanacake]

Terribly upset 10.4 isn't supported now, but that was to be expected. 

[vagabondher]

It reminds me every time I boot up the game that I should update my system, but it plays nicely on what I have right now. I'll update eventually. 

[nanacake]

Really? You're using 10.4? I can't possibly update it because there is too much software I'd lose that doesn't work on 10.5 as well as the lack of ram I think it'd run so terrible with boot camp there's hardly any disc space left. Will wait til the offical release (and re pirating) so be it, I'm not too impressed with everyone's experience with The Horror so far it doesn't seem worth the trouble. Though it's annoying it's just a port, that's also a good thing because it means Mac version should be able to handle any mods made for windows version provided the user knows how to access the files which Marhis already showed how to in this thread. I already run windows applications using CrossOver and it's pretty much the same method of how they ported Mac versions for TS2 and my recent addiction of CoH. The only issue is bad correspondence with hardware in some apps (ie no sound outputs detected).

[vagabondher]

Oh, no, whoops, looks like I'm at 10.5.6. but still require an update to whatever it is at now (I think I'm just one behind). The pop-up seems to be more of just a "Hey there, maybe you could do this?" kind of suggestion instead of an actual requirement.

Edit: I'm no expert on the whole port thing or whatnot, but it runs perfectly fine on my MBP, so I think you've hit the mark on it being a good thing. Means we can hopefully get ourselves some mods, while not sacrificing the quality of the mechanics of it, or whatever. 

[rohina]

If you are worried about the game phoning home, just go into your system preferences, and in Security, configure your mac so that it only lets authorised applications use the internets.

[DigiGekko]

Are any Mac users getting shadows in their game? Look for trees casting nice, long shadows. I've installed the Mac version on both my Mac Pro and Mac Book Pro, one with ATI, one with Nvidia, and no shadows. So I'll be playing on boot camp till that crap is fixed.

[vagabondher]

I'll check it out the next time I play (which reminds me of one thing I do enjoy about this game: fast loading times. I can be in and out of this game like that).

[rohina]

I have some weird-ass graphics glitch with things that are supposed to be shiny and metalic showing up matte black. But then, I am pushing the parameters of my macbook running it at all.

[malianx]

Which MB do you have? It runs great on my 2.0 unibody, she gets hot though.

[Marhis]

I can haz regular shadows. I can't haz - as usual - the smooth edges. Grrr how much I hate the DirectX vs OpenGL/Quartz porting crap.

Oh,

iMac Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz
4 Gb DDR2 SDRAM 667 MHz
Ati Radeon HD 2600 Pro 256 Mb VRAM
Mac OS X 10.5.7

[witch]

I can haz regular shadows. I can't haz - as usual - the smooth edges. Grrr how much I hate the DirectX vs OpenGL/Quartz porting crap.

I don't think it's just that, even with everything turned up high and a good video card I'm getting jagged edges. Very disappointing.

[Marhis]

I don't think it's just that, even with everything turned up high and a good video card I'm getting jagged edges. Very disappointing.

There's a specific slider in the game options; on the BootCamp side it turns out ok, but in the MacOSX side it doesn't exist at all, just like it was in TS2.

[witch]

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I meant on a PC rather than a Mac. The game's not clear and un-jagged even on a PC.

Is it the anti-alias slider you're missing?

[Marhis]

Is it the anti-alias slider you're missing?

Yep, exactly that. It wasn't there in TS2 and still isn't in TS3 (on Mac).

[witch]

You are really, truly, not missing much. I am very disappointed with the graphics quality of TS3. I bought myself a video card for Xmas but it can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

[professorbutters]

It seems to be working fine on my MacBook Pro.  Your directions worked well, Marhis, and I just turn off my Internetz before I start to play.

[seelindarun]

You are really, truly, not missing much. I am very disappointed with the graphics quality of TS3. I bought myself a video card for Xmas but it can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

I'm hoping (in vain, no doubt) that the final will be better.

In TS2, I was willing to take a performance hit for the ability to play on the mac side, because there were other activities I did in support of playing that are much easier in OS X. Ironically, the performance hit is much smaller in TS3, but I don't see much in the way of stories or neighbourhoods that I'll be able to make my own, so that debate is moot.  I don't feel invested, so if this turns out to be substantially what ships in the final, I'll leave it in bootcamp and wipe it in a month, the way I did with Spore.