Game Mod Discussion at Carl's Sims 3 Forum

[jeanamariex3]

Never thought of it that way. Spongebob is an awesome analogy. I'm sorry to you or anyone if I made you feel that way. I never meant to in a million years.

I know you didn't mean it that way, at all. I do have to say this though, you've been taking a huge risk while playing Sims 3 all along. Playing Sims 3+EP's+SP's+Store Content with a graphics chip is very risky. Graphics chips do not have the amount of memory required to play TS3, let alone pets, so it will have a hard time properly rendering something so detailed.

While you were (understandably) worrying about mods and how risky they are for your game, you've been dangerously playing Sims 3 all along, as was I, until a few days before Christmas.

[RunAmokSims]

I'm so glad this has come up. I've really waned to try things like story progression to keep my town populated and I didn't know what it would do to my game.  I trust the people here to know what is safe and what isn't.  I can't wait for this to go into effect!

[JudesSims]

Thanks, Wednesday21. That's good information.

[MoMoll]

Wednseday21 is right. Many mod creators tell you how to install. AND, as I said, Mod the Sims and NRaas will provide guidance. Sometimes the issue is not the mod, but if your computer is defragmented and clean. Clean out the cobwebs and you'll have better simming.

[JudesSims]

My laptop is brand new and still freezes for a minute or so quite often. My desktop works better but my health isn't good enough to play on it much of the time. That's why my son bought me the Sony Vaio.

[jeanamariex3]

I have that same deal with my new graphics card. I'm hoping Error Trap and Overwatch will keep the Graphics Card in good shape. It's brand new, and Nvidia.

Sometimes the issue is not the mod, but if your computer is defragmented and clean. Clean out the cobwebs and you'll have better simming.

I agree 100%! Several forum members were misled thinking a mod is risky and could damage your game, yet they've been taking dangerous risks by playing Sims 3 with physically dirty computers, and onboard graphics this whole time!

[birdy]

I'm so glad this has come up. I've really waned to try things like story progression to keep my town populated and I didn't know what it would do to my game.  I trust the people here to know what is safe and what isn't.  I can't wait for this to go into effect!

StoryProgression is my all-time favorite mod. I've played with it for over a year, total. (Took a long break from Sims 3 and I'm just now getting back into it.)

Overwatch is a wonderful clean-up utility and it's one of the first mods I recommend when a player (who is open to mods) says they're having trouble with their game.

I am excited to be able to talk about mods here. I didn't post much in the past because so much of my gameplay is influenced by mods like StoryProgression. I would think of something to respond with and then, half-way through, I'd realize that I'd have to mention a mod to finish my story. So then I just wouldn't post at all. I am very happy about this change; I hope it will be possible to keep it separate enough from non-modders that it doesn't make them uncomfortable or unhappy.

[bobbittx]

One thing to be careful about is the technical discussion of how the more complex mods work. I've seen other forums get very jaded because of having to repeat information and/or troubleshoot less technical savy users through mod usage. As a brand new member of your community it's not in my right to offer advice, so I hope I'm not overstepping but I can completely empathize with why mod discussion has been discouraged in the past.

[jeanamariex3]

Welcome to the forum!

Of course you can offer everyone advice. Advice is always a good thing to offer. Since you seem really experienced, you can really answer a lot of questions about mods, which is what our community needs. 

[Frey]

I agree 100%! Several forum members were misled thinking a mod is risky and could damage your game, yet they've been taking dangerous risks by playing Sims 3 with physically dirty computers, and onboard graphics this whole time!

I used to be one of them until 10 days ago, and it's an amazing difference now I have an Nvidia! My older laptop and this one had exactly the same specs except the older one had an integrated chipset... and it would heat to the point I would burn my hands slightly if I touched the left side of it, even when using a laptop cooler all the time. The new one barely heats at all, even when I run the game for hours. I am sure that the poor laptop would have been killed if I had kept on using it for Sims, specially with Pets. That would surely have been more dangerous than any bad mod I could have used!

[jeanamariex3]

Absolutely! At least with a bad mod, you could uninstall your game, using an uninstaller program that will delete the bad files with the game itself, defrag your hardrive and reinstall your game and remember next time not to use that mod ever again.

[Piggypox]

My laptop is brand new and still freezes for a minute or so quite often. My desktop works better but my health isn't good enough to play on it much of the time. That's why my son bought me the Sony Vaio.

You can ask him to help you uninstall the bloatware that comes with the laptop. For some reasons, all laptop companies love to pack their products with software we don't need. A fresh install of Windows 7 will free up the space and help with the freezing. Actually, it'll help for everything you need your laptop for. =)

[Seera1024]

You can ask him to help you uninstall the bloatware that comes with the laptop. For some reasons, all laptop companies love to pack their products with software we don't need. A fresh install of Windows 7 will free up the space and help with the freezing. Actually, it'll help for everything you need your laptop for. =)

More than just laptops, desktops fall victim to bloatware as well. But it generally isn't as noticeable since desktops tend to have better processors, RAM, etc.

[mumbiki]

I'm glad this rule will be changing too.  I am one of apparently many people who have been "lurkers" or "ghosts" on this forum because of not wanting to ruffle feathers or get in trouble.  I have a general outlook on this board that is not a place I could see myself becoming involved in other than the occasional question because of the elitist, cliquish, micro-managed feel it has to it.  But who knows, maybe that will change.  Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely NOT a fan of the Sims3 forums.  That place reminds me of an overcrowded zoo!  So, I agree there has to be rules in place to keep the riff raff out, but censoring the mod talk seemed silly to me. 

That being said, I'm kind of shocked to find out how many long-time forum members are coming out saying "oh I've been using that mod, but couldn't say anything" or "if it wasn't for "such and such" mod my Immortal Dynasty would be gone", "someone asked me what that was but I couldn't say anything".  Given how the challenges (a major draw to the forums) explicitly states no mods and then to find out people have been using them anyway is a bit disappointing.  One can argue that use of certain mods doesn't affect "game play" but I have to disagree.  Someone who loses a whole dynasty halfway through because of EA bugs and crashes has a serious disadvantage to someone who uses a mod to cut down or eliminate those errors.      To me, that solidifies my feeling that this board seemed/seems a little elitist. 

Kudos to lifting the mod talk ban.  I hope it brings more people who are knowledgeable and trustworthy to your ranks.   

[Twinmum]

Given how the challenges (a major draw to the forums) explicitly states no mods and then to find out people have been using them anyway is a bit disappointing.  One can argue that use of certain mods doesn't affect "game play" but I have to disagree.  Someone who loses a whole dynasty halfway through because of EA bugs and crashes has a serious disadvantage to someone who uses a mod to cut down or eliminate those errors.      To me, that solidifies my feeling that this board seemed/seems a little elitist. 

Well I'd like to think that the people who have been using mods are also running clean games for the challenges. And not everyone that has come out and said they use mods are players in the challenges anyway. I said that I have used mods, which is true, but I have removed them for challenges.