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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 14th Nov 2019 at 6:57 AM
Default Should I switch from Sims 3 to Sims 4?
I can't get Sims 3 running smoothly no matter what I try. Everytime I start the game I need to wait like 2 minutes before fps goes up and I can move freely. But even still I have immense lag. I've installed all Nraas mods. I have a pretty decent laptop with the game installed on a ssd. Also have both Sims 3 and 4 in my library. i5 9300h, gtx 1650, 8gb ram. Should I switch to Sims 4?
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Mad Poster
#2 Old 14th Nov 2019 at 7:18 AM
You own it already so must have played it before. Give it a try and if you like it then play it and if not, then you will know you are not interested in it. You are the only person who can determine if you want to play it or not.
Alchemist
#3 Old 14th Nov 2019 at 9:53 AM
Just play both. I switch between all 4 games depending on what kind of experience I want

what does his name even mean?
Mad Poster
#4 Old 14th Nov 2019 at 1:21 PM Last edited by SneakyWingPhoenix : 15th Nov 2019 at 2:42 PM.
Who is there to stop you? Į would have suggested TS2 overall, but since you do have the two games already so why not play what you already own and whether it's capable on running. Though just like with backup, keep your disk save in case you lose them but decide to jump back in TS3. Providing more specifications of your computer would help us identify if your machine can run it (isn't too demanding for average working PC, but just in case..).

Btw, hopping onto TS3 people would be willing to help you salvage the cause of and remedy the lag, just as here for the Sims 4. Worth a try though before switching to a different game.

Maybe your asking for technical assurance, which is a better question overall than "what game is best?". Hopefully you get the information you need and make the decision from there.

P.S. Sorry for my bad english.
Mad Poster
#5 Old 15th Nov 2019 at 1:37 AM
I have both and play both. I prefer 3 but still play 4 now and then.
Lab Assistant
#6 Old 15th Nov 2019 at 10:38 AM
I prefer Sims 3. It's more fun to play. Sims 4 feels like a throwback... the neighborhood screens look like Sims 1!!!! You don't walk around like you did in Sims 3.

It also is harder to customize, you can't change the colors of things the way you did in Sims 3. I like HIGHLY customizable worlds, I tend to make medieval, victorian, or Harry Potteresque fantasy worlds. In Sims 3 a lot of the clothes could be made to look old fashioned by switching the materials or textures. Not so in this world.

There are all these extra objects and houses they throw in there, so you're looking at your lot and there's a whole bunch of houses next to it you didn't put in there, houses you NEVER would have put in. WAY more than other Sims game which also had some annoying objects but not nearly so many. You can't make your neighborhood the way you want at all!

There also isn't as much custom content. Looks like people have gotten bored and can't be bothered as much.

Also the teens look like adults. I know in real life teens are as tall as adults, but I liked having a life stage between kid and young adult. These teens look more like 19 than 13. I miss having a younger group.

I am playing it because my new computer has no disk drive and I don't want to go out and buy one just for Sims 3. I paid for Sims 4, and its ok, it's fun, but not as good as Sims 3.
Lab Assistant
#7 Old 15th Nov 2019 at 10:42 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Chax
*I find TS3 sims to be really ugly. I'm comparing VANILLA games here. I find TS4 sims to be really beautiful, you can make beautiful sims even without trying...


I find this to be the only advantage of the Sims 4. The sims are better looking. When I played Sims 3, I really missed the faces you could choose from Sims 2.

I don't like the clothing, as I tend to play historical neighborhoods and find customizing way too hard in Sims 4.
Lab Assistant
#8 Old 15th Nov 2019 at 10:51 AM
Quote: Originally posted by NicoleShields
I prefer Sims 3. It's more fun to play. Sims 4 feels like a throwback... the neighborhood screens look like Sims 1!!!! You don't walk around like you did in Sims 3.

It also is harder to customize, you can't change the colors of things the way you did in Sims 3. I like HIGHLY customizable worlds, I tend to make medieval, victorian, or Harry Potteresque fantasy worlds. In Sims 3 a lot of the clothes could be made to look old fashioned by switching the materials or textures. Not so in this world.

There are all these extra objects and houses they throw in there, so you're looking at your lot and there's a whole bunch of houses next to it you didn't put in there, houses you NEVER would have put in. WAY more than other Sims game which also had some annoying objects but not nearly so many. You can't make your neighborhood the way you want at all!

There also isn't as much custom content. Looks like people have gotten bored and can't be bothered as much.

Also the teens look like adults. I know in real life teens are as tall as adults, but I liked having a life stage between kid and young adult. These teens look more like 19 than 13. I miss having a younger group.

I am playing it because my new computer has no disk drive and I don't want to go out and buy one just for Sims 3. I paid for Sims 4, and its ok, it's fun, but not as good as Sims 3.


Question. When you say there's not a lot of custom content, are you referring to Sims 4? I have 5.6 GB of custom content. There's tons out there, depending on what you're looking for.
Top Secret Researcher
#9 Old 15th Nov 2019 at 11:51 AM
Custom content can't be measured because both games still have users all over the world uploading their creations daily on various sites and tumblr blogs. I wouldn't count that as either a pro or a con. CC is just an overall optional individual user experience and there's something for everyone.

The fact stands however that in order to have some level of customizability in sims 4, you need a lot of CC. Swatches are the most limiting system since sims 1.

Stick to all the games, like everyone else said. I generally didn't like playing sims 4 but now I find it useful as a mid-stage short play thing between sims 2 and sims 3, when I eventually get bored of one or the other.
Lab Assistant
#10 Old 15th Nov 2019 at 2:35 PM
Quote: Originally posted by xordevoreaux
Question. When you say there's not a lot of custom content, are you referring to Sims 4? I have 5.6 GB of custom content. There's tons out there, depending on what you're looking for.


I find there is less than there was for Sims 3. And this is after 5 years. I don't have all the expansion packs, though.
Mad Poster
#11 Old 15th Nov 2019 at 2:46 PM
Whether TS4 is boring up to player to decide. Though yes, many do seem to find that resonation when playing it. If you like both games but dont wanna strain your machine with TS3, than I think you know the preferable option and answer to that. Don't quote on me, but I don't think TS4 is capable of killing your computer/laptop, since I never heard of that happening but I could be wrong.

Regardless of which game you stick to and consider switching, say purchase packs or more, it best to play around with just base game alone before getting things. Seeking for affirmation, I'm certain you can make informed decision by reevaluating other's opinions, over/reviews (not just from game changers, since they're salespersons of EA's program, with the intend to sell you a pack) or playthroughs/letsplays, etc.

P.S. Sorry for my bad english.
Lab Assistant
#12 Old 17th Nov 2019 at 9:55 AM
I do more gameplay in TS3 and more building in TS4. If I have hours to spend on gaming I would go for TS3, otherwise I would go for TS4. TS4 runs smoothly on my 5-year old laptop with an old dedicated graphic card.
Field Researcher
#13 Old 17th Nov 2019 at 11:44 AM
Quote: Originally posted by NicoleShields
There also isn't as much custom content. Looks like people have gotten bored and can't be bothered as much.


Incorrect. There is a ton of custom content for this game. It tends to be over on tumblr than here on MTS. I have a mods folder with 19.5 GB of content and as a bonus my game runs super smoothly.

Since you have the Sims 4 already OP, you should just give the game a try and see if you like it or not. It's really the only way to tell.
Field Researcher
#14 Old 17th Nov 2019 at 4:55 PM
Sims 4 is more casual than 3. It’s fun factor lasts approx 30-60 min for myself. Not the type of game I can sink hours into at once, it’s good for short spurts of play where you go in with an idea already to execute that idea and then move onto something else.

The kind of situational stuff that draws you in and stimulates your creativity is gone. Without a solid story to tell going into the game, crafting one on the fly is near impossible in 4 with the simplistic, predictable nature of live mode simulation and it’s god awful AI.

I say give it a try since you already have it. Most of the DLC is lackluster IMO, but that again stems from me thinking the underlying game is extremely weak in all respects.
One Minute Ninja'd
#15 Old 18th Nov 2019 at 11:31 AM
I got TS4 when it was first released. Played it for less than a day and returned to 3. Fast forward 4 years, I got a new laptop and when migrating things from my desktop realized I still had it. I'ts not a gaming one,but pretty decent with an 8th gen i5 4 core, Intel graphics (but no separate video chipset), 16 Gb RAM, an SSD and a 2nd HD for storage of photos, video and stuff. I decided to see if TS4 worked, and sure enough it ran butter smooth, which it should given that was a primary design point. Now that there's a mature base of custom content and mods to wrangle the game into something playable, and lots of sales on EA packs as I refuse to pay the full price on these things, I have a fairly decent looking game with 10 GB of cc and mods, and all the EPs (except Uni) and most of the SP/GP (I'm not a vampire, magic player type) and it runs great with everything still set to high or very high. It's superficial enough to play for short periods of time, it's not exactly immersive, and I'm not tied to my gaming desktop with it.

Still, if I had not bought it when it first came out from a sense of testing it myself in comparison to TS3 way back when, it's doubtful I would have embarked on buying it from scratch this go around.
Lab Assistant
#16 Old 18th Nov 2019 at 7:59 PM
Quote: Originally posted by GardenData61371
I can't get Sims 3 running smoothly no matter what I try. Everytime I start the game I need to wait like 2 minutes before fps goes up and I can move freely. But even still I have immense lag. I've installed all Nraas mods. I have a pretty decent laptop with the game installed on a ssd. Also have both Sims 3 and 4 in my library. i5 9300h, gtx 1650, 8gb ram. Should I switch to Sims 4?


Did you make sure the game recognized your graphics card and enable vysnc (through your graphic card, not the game. I don't think EA was thinking about today graphics card in 2009). That should solve your problems with S3.

I'm not the biggest fan of Sims 4 I like to fiddle with it from time to time mostly playing through the jobs and skills and sometime CAS.
Theorist
#17 Old 19th Nov 2019 at 5:02 PM
I play Sims 2 (lately), 3 (taking a break), and 4 (just bought my first EP so I'm getting into it). Play what you want, download free stuff from reputable CC makers, watch a few shopping videos--have fun!

As for CC I have found TONS and TONS of it. I like to make "Black Sims" (not being racist here so chill) and there is so much GREAT free stuff for "urban" sims.

"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." Will Rogers
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