Anyone who's gone from console to PC game, just how different is it?

[Stormi71]

Hi guys, I'm hoping this is the right spot to post this. I've decided to get Sims 3 on PC. I ran that system requirement test and the green bar was right to the far right (way above minimal requirements), so I'm presuming it will play Sims adequately. Anyway, apart from the obvious differences like having Edit Town and being able to split families (I always get sad when my young adult moves out and I lose the rest of the family), I was wondering if game basics were different, like does the PC version have more furniture styles or are there more hairstyles etc (not talking about any EP's or Stuff packs, just the base game). I'm sure there must be a few people here who started on the console version and swapped to the PC that would know?
Thanks

[KRae]

I switched from the console to the pc when my daughter moved away and took her ps3 with her. I like the pc a lot better. The controls are easy to use right from the start. I think hair and clothing options are fairly similar in the base game. I really like the base game town, Sunset Valley, and the second town you can download for free, Riverview. There are no loading screens when traveling from place to place in town. To me, that is a huge plus. There's no karma which I personally don't miss and there are badges to earn instead of trophies. There are a lot of lifetime reward possibilities. Another big thing to me is no fire meter, so go ahead build away and have that big garden you always wanted. Also, of course, as you mentioned, edit town and the ability to control different families. When I played on the console, after a few generations saving got to be almost impossible. On the pc, if you use the save as option and rotate through several save files, you shouldn't have saving problems. Oh, and you can have 8 sims in your household instead of six.

I know you're only asking about the base game, and I personally only have a few expansions, it's good to have that option as a possibility for the future. Enjoy!

[Stormi71]

Thanks for your reply. I've always been cautious about getting it on PC as I played Sims 1 and I always had problems with that - obviously had too many EP's and not a powerful enough computer.
I'm definitely looking forward to no fire meter! Drives me nuts when I make a sim that likes gardening and they plant a few seeds and have some flowers and the fire meter goes right up. Even trying to build a large two story house and furnish it caused problems.
I'm just getting really fed up with issues on the console version. I think the family I have now is the furthest I have got as far as generations, I think they are 4th gen, but then I was playing previous gens on brief. I think the issues are more with how many sim weeks you are up to. It takes the fun out of it knowing that you're going to get to a certain point and it's going to glitch or worse. Plus a big draw card for me with the PC version is I love to build houses and decorate, so I can do that with a whole town.
Also, when I install it, I'll have to download some patches, too, won't I? Does the game automatically do that (like the ps3 automatically notifies you when there's a patch)

[Zyffyr]

The launcher will notify you of any patch that is available, and give you the option to download/install it or to wait for later.

[Stormi71]

Well I'm going to go get the base game today, and probably two of the stuff packs. I really want Late Night, but I might hold off until I'm sure my PC will run the game optimally.
Also, another question (sorry). When I do get Late Night, that will be the disk I need to use from then on to run the game, is that right? I know that's how it was with the Sims 1. My daughter loves to play the Sims, so I'm thinking she can then just play the base game on her laptop with that disk, while I use the Late Night disk?

[KRae]

Yes, after you get LN you will run the game from that disk and your daughter can play with the base game disk on her computer. I've done that with family members.

[Stormi71]

Thanks guys! I am waiting (impatiently) for the Sims to install. I also got LN, but I am going to wait and make sure the game runs efficiently first before installing that. Also got the High End Loft and Town stuff packs. I think I was kidding myself when I said I'd just be happy with the base game on PC lol. Thanks again for all your help.

[Audren]

Thanks guys! I am waiting (impatiently) for the Sims to install. I also got LN, but I am going to wait and make sure the game runs efficiently first before installing that. Also got the High End Loft and Town stuff packs. I think I was kidding myself when I said I'd just be happy with the base game on PC lol. Thanks again for all your help.

Just to make a further clarification: To play the game, you will use the disc for the game that was most recently released, stuff packs included. Therefore, if you installed LN plus High End Loft and Town Life, you would actually use the Town Life disc to play, since it was the most recently released of the four that you own. 

[KRae]

I don't have any stuff packs, so I didn't think of that. Good to know though. So Stormi's daughter could use LN too as long as she doesn't load the most recent stuff pack?

[Stormi71]

Well finally got it all installed yesterday, after a lot of fiddling around. Was having trouble with the patches but finally got the game to work, played for a while to see how well it ran, then put the stuff packs in, then played till 1.30am  Took me a while to work out all the command controls etc, and I still sometimes click the wrong thing, but it is sooooo much better than the PS3.
I will put it on my daughters laptop today, as yes, I do have to run the game with the Town Life disk.