How do I fix my Pets? - Graphics Issue

[xFezIsAFreakx]

So, I installed Pets today and low and behold - a stray cat walks up to my door! I was so happy - my first look at a pet on the Sims 3! What I saw almost made me scream!  Not a cute furry cat, like I expected, but a strange mutant lizard sort of thing with a long jaggy tail and random spikes flying from it's body - it looked horrible! I've seen screenshots of this with cats and other animals from people with graphics issues on the forum, and I remembered that it helped to turn advanced rendering off and to lower your graphics - well, my graphics are all low (apart from sim detail, which is high - I refuse to play with anything lower, I just hate how it looks) and my advanced rendering has been switched off for as long as I remember. The only other thing is that the reflection is set on mirrors because, again, I dislike how it looks without that. So yeah - the majority of my graphics are low, yet this is still happening! Is there any other way to fix how my pets look?

[CreativeCrayola]

Sorry, Fez, I think you might have to get another Graphics card :/

[loveSims]

I'm realy sorry Fez, but it sound like the same problem Esther has. What is your graphic card?

[xFezIsAFreakx]

I was really desperate, so I just tried it with absolutely every setting at it's lowest but there was no change with the pets.

Sorry, Fez, I think you might have to get another Graphics card :/

We couldn't possibly afford one. The current laptop I'm using for TS3 is over five years old (I think I said it was 2 on another thread but it turns out we've only had it for two - the actual laptop itself had been used and is five, nearly six years old) so we'd need to get a new one completely as this one can't be upgraded with a new graphics card. I suppose I'll just never be able to have a pet.

I'm realy sorry Fez, but it sound like the same problem Esther has. What is your graphic card?

I thought it might be. It's the Mobile Intel 965 Chipset Family, according to the dxdiag. I don't actually know if I looked in the right place, but that sounds like a graphic card name.

[Pam]

Sorry, Fez, but I agree about the graphic card.  You've been exceedingly lucky that you've been able to play Sims 3 this far without it going wonky on you.  For a lot of people, Pets is the straw that broke the camel's back.  I use a desktop computer and I can upgrade and change parts easily.  In fact, I'll be upgrading my graphics card again hopefully within the next three months.

Also, be careful of using smilies that aren't part of the ones for the Forum.  If you type characters and they don't render into a smilie, it just shows up as the letters and doesn't make sense for translators and such.  I've edited some of your posts recently to remove them.  No harm done, just please be more careful in the future.

[Leto85]

Wow, a computer that's nearly six years old can be used to playbooks on? That's rather incredible. I have a laptop from 2008 and that one is mostly capable of handling the game but I remember having issues as well.
I agreed with the rest, perhaps it's indeed better to save for another computer.

[xFezIsAFreakx]

Sorry, Fez, but I agree about the graphic card.  You've been exceedingly lucky that you've been able to play Sims 3 this far without it going wonky on you.  For a lot of people, Pets is the straw that broke the camel's back.  I use a desktop computer and I can upgrade and change parts easily.  In fact, I'll be upgrading my graphics card again hopefully within the next three months.

Also, be careful of using smilies that aren't part of the ones for the Forum.  If you type characters and they don't render into a smilie, it just shows up as the letters and doesn't make sense for translators and such.  I've edited some of your posts recently to remove them.  No harm done, just please be more careful in the future.

We couldn't possibly get a new computer or anything, but if we got a used one and got it upgraded, would that work? Also sorry, I never knew they weren't allowed - I won't use them again.

Wow, a computer that's nearly six years old can be used to playbooks on? That's rather incredible. I have a laptop from 2008 and that one is mostly capable of handling the game but I remember having issues as well.
I agreed with the rest, perhaps it's indeed better to save for another computer.

As I mentioned above, saving for an old and used one then upgrading it would come out a cheaper option, as we really can't afford anything else, I'm just not sure if it is an option because I don't know if it'd work that way.. Hmm..


EDIT: I asked Mum and she said it should, but we're focusing on getting carpets for our house before anything else, so we'll probably only be able to begin saving up after a year. I'll just have to make do with what I have now, and as my legacy is my priority I'll just not have pets in it. Also, I plan on moving my family to a different town every few generations just to keep things running smoothly.

[Leto85]

Also, I plan on moving my family to a different town every few generations just to keep things running smoothly.

Smart move. Pitty I couldn't be more helpful than what was mentioned here. Software issues can be fixed with an ocean between us, but hardware problems are totally something else.

[jeanamariex3]

We couldn't possibly get a new computer or anything, but if we got a used one and got it upgraded, would that work? Also sorry, I never knew they weren't allowed - I won't use them again.

Upgrading a used PC, would defiantly be the way to go. I will tell you from experience. (I had the G33/G31 Express Chipset.) Not only will it work awesome on your pets, but your graphics altogether. I strongly recommend Nvidia too. I have a desktop, and have defiantly improved my Sims 3 (even Sims 2!) games (performance wise). Seabody got a graphics card installed on his fairly new laptop.

Also, your laptop has an integrated chipset (Pam I hope I spelled that write, sorry if I didn't), as appose to a graphics card. Chipsets are not intended for gaming, they are intended for office work and internet use. They are graphic chips attached to the motherboard. Chipsets are more for office work, homework and business. Sure they have their benefits, but the biggest problem, is that if you were to destroy your GPU, (graphic processing unit), your motherboard will be along for the ride, causing your laptop to be gone forever! You might be able to play graphically demanding games, but the chipset must be made the same time as the game iteself, as long as you kept your settings at their lowest (when I played with my Chipset, that's how it was when I played Sims 2). The reason why yours Esther's and my GPU threw in the towel, was because pets are rendered in a very complex and heavily detailed fashion. This isn't a SimBot, or an Imaginary Friend. I promise you, a new graphics card on a used, but fairly new, and certainly upgradable computer, will make a huge difference in your Sims 3 game, graphics and all! If you're interested, I upgraded to Nvidia GT 520. Fairly cheap, but if all you play is Sims 3+EP's+SP's, you really don't need anything too meaty. (The only other game I play besides Sims 3 is Sims 2).

[xFezIsAFreakx]

Also, your laptop has an integrated chipset (Pam I hope I spelled that write, sorry if I didn't), as appose to a graphics card. Chipsets are not intended for gaming, they are intended for office work and internet use. They are graphic chips attached to the motherboard. Chipsets are more for office work, homework and business. Sure they have their benefits, but the biggest problem, is that if you were to destroy your GPU, (graphic processing unit), your motherboard will be along for the ride, causing your laptop to be gone forever! You might be able to play graphically demanding games, but the chipset must be made the same time as the game iteself, as long as you kept your settings at their lowest (when I played with my Chipset, that's how it was when I played Sims 2). The reason why yours Esther's and my GPU threw in the towel, was because pets are rendered in a very complex and heavily detailed fashion. This isn't a SimBot, or an Imaginary Friend. I promise you, a new graphics card on a used, but fairly new, and certainly upgradable computer, will make a huge difference in your Sims 3 game, graphics and all! If you're interested, I upgraded to Nvidia GT 520. Fairly cheap, but if all you play is Sims 3+EP's+SP's, you really don't need anything too meaty. (The only other game I play besides Sims 3 is Sims 2). 

Thanks, Jeana. Like I said, we can't afford anything right now and my Mum isn't keen on spending more money on me and sims, either. Hopefully I will get a job as soon as I can and start saving up for what I'll need myself.

[xFezIsAFreakx]

Would getting a reasonably old computer, then upgrading it to a fairly high-quality card work? I am thinking of getting the card Jeana mentioned but the computer really, really needs to be as cheap as possible. Also, sorry for the double post but I just wanted to make sure people would see this.

[Saltypaws]

It would also depend on how old the used computer is.  Hopefully a new graphic card would be compatible with a used computer.  It is possible, don't get me wrong and hopefully where you get your used computer would be honest enough to tell you if a new graphic card would work.  I wish you good luck in finding something.  My computer is getting to the point of really slowing down and I am not use to turning my graphics down.  I still have a 32bit computer and some of my games do not work as well anymore.  I have only had a couple of times that my pets were deformed and usually it is my horses, but it only lasts a few seconds.

[jeanamariex3]

Salty, what card do you have? I have Nvida GT 520, which is designed for Casual Gaming anyways.

[Saltypaws]

Mine is the one right below yours, Nvidia 400 series, something like that.  I have always used Nvidia, I don't think I have ever used anything else.  It is suppose to be a good one.  My computer is almost 4 years old and was a gaming computer at that time.  I really have no other issues since I installed Pets, I just hope it holds out with the new SP and EP.

[Pam]

Would getting a reasonably old computer, then upgrading it to a fairly high-quality card work? I am thinking of getting the card Jeana mentioned but the computer really, really needs to be as cheap as possible. Also, sorry for the double post but I just wanted to make sure people would see this.

Not only would you have to make sure that the old computer can be updated with a new graphics card, but you'd also have to make sure that it meets all of the other Sims 3 requirements to run the game.  It can be done, but I'd suggest taking along a Computer Whiz when you go shopping for a used computer.  Another thing to consider is that the requirements for Sims 3 are only going to keep going up.  You may have this same problem with future expansions.