The Sims 3. 2008 was the first time it arrived on the scene, and it has now become a classic. EA, its producer had Windows and Mac available from the launch. How did they manage this? Sandboxing. Sandboxing involves takes a Windows game and putting it into a Mac wrapper. Unfortunately, the Sims 3 has what we call an open world set-up. On Windows, this led to many bugs and performance issues. If the Windows version had these issues, well then, the Mac version has it in spades. Here is how to have a much better experience on Mac OS.
The Sims 3 came out at a time when the video games were still on discs with product codes. EA now have Origin. EA also have a product redemption scheme. This means you input your product code from your discs and then you are eligible for the digital version. It may be a nightmare to download them one by one, but it’s worth it. EA Origin on Mac runs a lot better than the original sandbox Mac version for Mac, it compiles the expansions for you. There is also the reality that most Macs no longer have Optical disc drives.
The second thing you must do to enable the smoothest performance is to update. On Windows, this process is automatic, on Mac, it is best if you do it yourself. The best way is to use the Sims 3 super patcher which you can find online. The file starts with the name ‘Tor-‘. You can find the step-by-step instruction on https://help.ea.com/en/help/the-sims/the-sims-3/the-sims-3-super-patcher/. Once you have done this, the version number of the Sims 3 launcher, should now display Version 1.67. If you have the latest version of the Sims 3, that is one of the crucial things that you can fix.
The third thing is to set up a mods folder. Occasional gamers tend bulk at mods. The Sims 3 though, would not have survived had the mod creators not stepped in. First, access your Sims 3 folder in your Documents. Create a ‘Mods’ folder. In the ‘Mods’ folder create ‘Overrides’ and ‘Packages’ folders. Now if you leave the folder like this, the game will not recognise that it exists. The simplest solution is to download the latest ‘The Sims 3 resource configuration file’. The Sims 3 is still very popular despite its age, so finding the file online should be straightforward.
The best mod creator for the Sims 3 must be none other than Nraas. Here is his website: https://www.nraas.net/community/home. Unlike most mods, Nraas has made his website set up very clear. You will find that there are many mods here that can enhance your game. The most important mods remain ‘ErrorTrap’ and ‘Saver’. The Sims 3 is notorious for its bugs. ‘ErrorTrap’ quashes these bugs before they can cause your game to lag or outright crash. ‘Saver’ is an automatic saver. With this, you can be sure that you will not lose hours of gameplay if the worst does happen.
The Sims 3. It had a grand idea which ended up having a poor execution. The Sims 3 though, developed a major gaming community. It was thanks to this community that the Sims 3 could function. The Sims 3 was when mod creators thrived. Once upon a time game developer spent time testing their products. Now, games are often pushed out before they are ready. It was the mod creators that saved the Sims 3. They were the ones that fixed things that developers often overlooked. And without them, Mac users may have given up with the Sims 3.