Island Paradise and Low Graphics Settings

[flootiebeauty]

I was wondering if anyone knows how well IP runs when your in-game graphics are set on the lowest settings. Specifically, I want to know if the scuba diving/ snorkeling skill is affected if you have draw distance set on low. My assumption is that this EP is more graphically intense than the ones before it, and with my 4 year old laptop, I have to pick and choose which EPs I can install. I really want IP, but I don't want to waste my money on it if having my graphics settings on low will make certain aspects of the game hard to play.

So, anyone out there who has their graphics settings very low, let me know what you think (or anyone else who just wants to chime in!)

Thanks!

(Also, feel free to move this to the Technical Help board. I wasn't sure if this topic was better suited here or there!)

[Shirin]

The graphics shouldn't affect the skilling at all. What it would affect would be attempting to complete some of the challenges, if anything (specifically, the collections that sit on the sea floor bottom).

[MarianT]

I have some but not all of my graphics on the lowest settings and haven't had play affected at all. I play on a laptop, and all is going well so far in Island Paradise. (Dragon Valley, however, can crash to the desktop when I send a sim upstairs, and Bridgeport is a headache -- just to give you an idea of my computer's limitations).

[Wai]

I have been having a problem with this EP, so I tried reducing my graphics to minimum.  It did not solve my problem, but gave me a good idea of how the game looks with everything on lowest setting.  Not too pretty, but, I could see no obvious reason why the game would not play perfectly well with these settings.

[flootiebeauty]

Thanks everyone for your feedback! It sounds like it should still be playable for me, even if it's not super pretty (like most of the worlds are for me anyway!)

[Blue Rose]

On the topic of graphic settings, which ones/settings should I increase to better improve the underwater scene/experience? I just want to make it less grainy and easier to spot things.

[aenito]

On the topic of graphic settings, which ones/settings should I increase to better improve the underwater scene/experience? I just want to make it less grainy and easier to spot things.

The lower the graphics, the better you will see underwater. Each and every water effect only make it blurriest.

[Louise56]

The lower the graphics, the better you will see underwater. Each and every water effect only make it blurriest.

Really? Which graphics affect the water?

[Frey]

I have everything set to medium/low, including high detailed lots to 1, which was annoying at first but I got used to it... and it made a huge difference with lags and freezes. I haven't been able to find any collectables while diving though, and sometimes it's difficult to see fish. I hadn't thought about it but maybe Shirin is right and the low settings make it difficult to see them.

But I have to say, I also have a 4-year-old laptop (with increased RAM though) and I have an almost lag-free game. I prefer to sacrifice graphics and make my game more playable than have great graphics and struggle with it.

[DanBrunetu]

I was wondering if anyone knows how well IP runs when your in-game graphics are set on the lowest settings. Specifically, I want to know if the scuba diving/ snorkeling skill is affected if you have draw distance set on low. My assumption is that this EP is more graphically intense than the ones before it, and with my 4 year old laptop, I have to pick and choose which EPs I can install. I really want IP, but I don't want to waste my money on it if having my graphics settings on low will make certain aspects of the game hard to play.

So, anyone out there who has their graphics settings very low, let me know what you think (or anyone else who just wants to chime in!)

Thanks!

@flootiebeauty, if you can run Seasons or any other S3 expansion, for sure you can run properly the IP expansion also !  But just remember, if you add more and more Sims3 expansions, the game will become hard to play due several content installed. So, it's up to you what expansions you will choose to have among with the new IP. 

[flootiebeauty]

@flootiebeauty, if you can run Seasons or any other S3 expansion, for sure you can run properly the IP expansion also !  But just remember, if you add more and more Sims3 expansions, the game will become hard to play due several content installed. So, it's up to you what expansions you will choose to have among with the new IP. 

Yeah, I have Seasons, and it runs pretty well (except for Map View while snow is falling). I skipped Supernatural because I didn't want to bog down my game with stuff that I wasn't completely in love with. Now it sounds like I just need IP to go on sale!

I have everything set to medium/low, including high detailed lots to 1, which was annoying at first but I got used to it... and it made a huge difference with lags and freezes. I haven't been able to find any collectables while diving though, and sometimes it's difficult to see fish. I hadn't thought about it but maybe Shirin is right and the low settings make it difficult to see them.

But I have to say, I also have a 4-year-old laptop (with increased RAM though) and I have an almost lag-free game. I prefer to sacrifice graphics and make my game more playable than have great graphics and struggle with it.

I too have a 4 year old laptop, but no increased RAM. It was a great laptop when I bought it, and it's still okay, but I know that for TS4 I will definitely have to buy a new laptop. But yeah, I'm in the same school of thought as you as far as smoothness vs. low graphics settings goes. I would much rather have a smooth game that isn't visually stunning than a laggy game that looks pretty. Although if I could have both, that would be perfect!

[Frey]

Yeah, that's why I upgraded my RAM instead of getting a new laptop... I won't buy a new one until TS4 is released haha. It really made the difference, although I'm still playing with low/medium graphics (which I don't mind), my game hasn't crashed once since the upgrade and it runs as when I only had the base game installed  . Best spent money ever! I haven't tried what happens if I change the settings to all medium though, maybe I will have a look at it today.

I have a question though: which settings should I change to be able to see better underwater? By better I don't mean having a spectacular view, just being able to find collectables and fish.