Play Style: Mods or Clean Game

[jeanamariex3]

So, since the discussion of game modifications came up, I've wanted to do this poll for the longest time. Since our building contest coordinator samoht04, has a poll like this on cheats, I think it would be good to share and discuss our personal preferences on mods, why we use them, and how they're helpful to our game, maybe those on the fence can learn from others that do use them. Since mods, like cheating, is a personal preference, and we have our own individual reasons for them, I think it merits a fruitful discussion.

Forum staff, if this poll is too frivolous, I will gladly delete this. I personally, think it could benefit new TS3 players, and members the helpful information they need.

For me personally, I love using my mods, as they are very helpful for me in game play, with game performance, and changing certain aspects in the game. However, I feel like, because some people want those same features (examples: No curfew mods), but want a clean game, and they should be able to have those features without a mod.

Anyone who voted, I'd like to hear feedback from you, regarding your personal preferences, instead of just voting. Your feedback could help other members in our friendly community. 

[TheTripWasInfraGreen]

I gave three answers!

It's a little hard to live without them. If I'm ever playing in Bridgeport, I need some of Twallan's mods to make it anywhere close to playable. However, I've lived without them for Metro's challenges and it's not as bad as I expected. EA's story progression still is vastly inferior to third-party options, though.

And lastly, it would be cool if EA got around to fixing the problems instead of the modders. Less clutter in my mods folder, for sure.

[Pam]

Forum staff, if this poll is too frivolous, I will gladly delete this. I personally, think it could benefit new TS3 players, and members the helpful information they need.

We normally reserve the use of polls for Moderators and Administrators to gather needed information.  I don't know if we'll really get much from the poll itself because there are so many possibilities that it starts to get a bit vague and then defeats the purpose of the poll.  But let's leave it up for now and see how it goes. 

Edit:  I voted that I prefer to keep my game clean and also that I want my game clean for Metro's challenges.  I guess I'm a bit of a purist.  I want my game to be the way EA designed it.  Sims 3 is my first experience with the Sims franchise, so it was all very new to me three years ago and it's been a massive learning experience.  I've got my hands full with just what EA releases without trying to juggle mods on top of it.  And, frankly, I just don't trust them.  (No offence intended toward mod builders, especially Twallan.)  I guess it's just not my thing.

[jeanamariex3]

Thank you, Pam. I understand why, but I figured since samoht04 came up with a cheats one, I figured, discussing our mod use could easily help members. I figured since it's not one of those "Vote for the Immortal Dynasty founder..." polls, or other such beauty contests, it would be cool to use it to help others learn how mods can impact their games.

@TheTripWasInfraGreen: I am that way too. But I think overtime, EA does eventually add them, which I think that's how it should be. Even though I used MasterController for Edit in CAS cheat long time ago, I thought it was great that Generations came up with that option, because there were so many people that wanted to do that, but for whatever reason, couldn't because they wanted a clean game.

[Saltypaws]

I had never used them until recently.  I use overwatch and storyprogression and it has been really helpful, especially getting rid of unwanted cars.  I have had the mod get rid of as high as 80 cars and it does make the game run alot smoother.  Also turning off radios and tv's in the neighborhood helps alot.  I can't say I must have them, but it has helped quite a bit.  I only have the two mods that help my gameplay and while I can play without them, I have really enjoyed having them in and have had no problems since installing them.

[Lasnien]

I chose "Depends on the situation," mostly because my current Sims 3 playtime is focused on my Immortal Dynasty, which is mod-free. I have a modded version of the game where I run almost exclusively NRaas mods (Error Trap, Master Controller, Overwatch, Saver, and Story Progression), but I haven't touched that folder since late March.

[grimsoul]

I use most of Twallans mods. I don't even update my game until he has updated his mods to work with the new patch.
But the one I can't play without is Overwatch. Without it keeping my game clean of all the cars the pile up in townies inventories and resetting stuck sims every day my game gets so lagged I can't play.

[xFezIsAFreakx]

I voted both "It depends on the situation" and "Yes, but I'd like it if EA gave us the options instead". I do only use ErrorTrap and Overwatch in the non-dynasty files I have, because I can't be bothered with the size of mods that add actual extra gameplay (Okay, really it's because I don't think I've even tried out enough stuff in the unmodded version nevermind a version with new features - With every EP comes a whole heap of things to add onto the list of Things Fez's Sims Haven't Done Yet) but I feel that the cleanups that Errortrap and Overwatch do are so absolutely mandatory that I was genuinely considering not bothering to go for HoF in my Immortal Dynasty because I didn't feel it was right to be playing a game so atrociously buggy without these lifesaving mods.

There's always going to be a part of me, especially as my immortal dynasty - in which generation 2 is only a teen - is already beginning to get glitchy, that will wonder what happened if I did an unofficial one with my lovely trusted mods. Would I be able to complete it? Hopefully I'll survive the curse of Hidden Springs without needing mods but if my dynasty fails as a result of something that could have been fixed so simply by EA, I will be so very bitter and upset and not just because I've failed a dynasty.

Mods I'd love to try include Story Progression, Traveller, and the recent Vector (I won't trust anyone apart from Twallan) but I barely get any playtime and I just feel there's no point in installing anything but the game-fixers if I don't technically get to play to the full potential with what I've got never mind with added stuff. Also, most of my time is dedicated to my dynasties which I can't mod anyway.

I do wish so many features that come with mods could be picked up by EA. Such obvious things. Tiny things, like a "delete all" button for the memories. A good portion of things mentioned in the "Things that annoy you" thread we have here can be fixed with mods. My main beef is that I feel so obliged to have these mods just to play the game properly, though. That.. Shouldn't happen.

[jeanamariex3]

Fez, I'm the same way. I love my mods, and can't live without them. I remember when I first used mods and I thought, "OMG, this is so cool!" As I got more into them, and saw how many people wanted those certain options, I slowly thought, and still think, "this is so unfair for people that want their games clean..." And too many mods will take up disk space, when you're trying to play TS3+EP's+SP's+Store Content. I'm not saying ALL mods take up disk space, Overwatch and ErrorTrap reduce lag a lot. Just that unless you have the best gaming rig out there, you realistically cannot play with too many package files, plus all EP's and SP's.

[Zyffyr]

I primarily use mods that are there to correct problems in the game. There are a few I use that add extra options, but I could easily live without those.

[MrsFlynn]

I have quite a few of Twallan's mods in my game, it helps the game play be tollerable for me. One of them I recently installed limits the stalkery ice cream truck from coming to residential lots. It's really nice not to have the ice cream truck hanging around your home lot all the time.

MrsFlynn

[alex51299]

Right now I'm only using ErrorTrap and Overwatch just because they help my game so much and without them I don't know how much I'd be able to play. But lately I've been thinking of adding other ones just for fun. I agree with Fez on the part that there are so many small things mods will fix or add that could so easily be done by EA. If there are people out there who can make these (and they actually work) then there is really no reason why EA shouldn't be able to option them for those who want to keep their game clean. I would love to do an official dynasty but I know that my computer would never be able to manage it without the mods, which is more frustrating than sad to me.

[Twinmum]

When I played Sims 2, I used to have heaps of different mods. When Sims 3 came out, I did use a few, but mainly kept my game clean of them. Once the challenges started here, I cleaned out the few I did have and have never looked back really. I did try error trap and overwatch when I downloaded Union Cove because it crashes, but they didn't help, so I removed them. I do have two separate folders - one for mods and one for a clean game and honestly, I can't remember the last time I played a modded game.

[jeanamariex3]

I still play TS2, and even though I'm quite good with computers, I think in this case, I'm a little leary of TS2 mods, only because, I went back to TS2 this time last year, (I played, but I didn't have a copy at home), and have the complete collections, which were released after Apartment Life and Mansion and Garden Stuff, so the game recognizes them as later versions, so I'm afraid it'll mess up my game for that reason.

[RaiaDraconis]

I love Twallan's ErrorTrap and StoryProgression mods. ErrorTrap has saved my bacon a few times, and I love being able to see the goings on with the townies, their jobs and romances with SP. I also use a mod (I can't recall whose it is) that limits memories. That way I don't have to manually go in and delete "went to the park!" memories to make room for the important things like having a baby.