The Long-suffering Dark And Eerie Lighting Problem In Sims3 Has Been Solved Thanks To @lazyduchess [TS3]

The Sims Community Census in a Nutshell

Sul sul!

As promised, here are the results of the survey that I put out for all of my followers. Please take these findings with a grain of salt; my following does not encompass everyone who plays The Sims. As such, it is possible that the results could be inaccurate to some degree.

Warning: the following post is very text-heavy.

Keep reading

Murf's Top 50 Mods - Part 3 (2020 - 2023 Edition)

I made a Top 50 list (Pt 1 and Pt2) back in 2016, talking about mods that I've used & love. But with all the goated content that the amazing TS3 community continues to churn out, I NEEDED to update my list! This one in no way diminishes or negates the other mods I've already listed--like, I shouldn't have to sit here and explain how NRAAS continues to carry TS3 on its freaking shoulders, ok. This is just MORE mods, the Top 50 most RECENT ones I've tried out since, like, quarantine.

I am a VERY niche simmer--I love fantasy gameplay, so my fave mods are the ones that not only offer general quality of life improvements, but also add new abilities and interactive objects inspired by different cultures, time periods, or genres. So y'all already KNOW which ones have earned my top spots. They're not based on which mods are "better," just which ones I personally have been using the most.

1: Smooth Patch, LazyDuchess

I've already gushed about this mod, but oh well. Like--I use an EFFTON of CC. My Live Mode gameplay itself doesn't tend to lag so much as my game's slow to LOAD, slow to save, CAS is a nightmare, I can do my taxes waiting for the Misc Decor section to open, etc etc. But the Smooth Patch loads everything so much quicker for me! 😭

One thing is that on the EA App version (curse you, EA) the Master Controller package didn't work on my end, so I took it out, but everything else has been great!

2: Search Mod, LazyDuchess

Speaking of the Misc Decor section -- HOW LONG did we ask EA for a Search function y'all? Only to be ignored. Then the second TS4 is released, it ain't got a effing thing in it, but it's got a Search function??? 🤔 ISTG it's like the simgurus were told to take all of the TS3 community's best suggestions, and poach them for TS4 (like vampire coffins--NO I'm not over it!). WHY do modders have to do your frikkin job for you, EA?! I call EA lazy all the time cuz EA you suck, so it's the most ironic thing ever that LazyDuchess is out here KILLING IT.

My ONLY "complaint" about the Search mod is the position of the icon. I use A LOT of Collection Files, and I noticed that the Search icon actually covers the Delete button when in the Collection viewer. So I can't delete items in collections with the Search icon in the way.

But this is a MINOR nitpick--I almost never delete items, it's just something I noticed is all.

3 - 8: OCCULT MODS: EVERYTHING by @puddingface1902

Y'all already know the Enhanced Witches mod is my favorite mod ever made. But PF1902 also made cool enhancements to the Fairies, Genies, Vampires, Werewolves, and Mermaids too! My sims are usually Nraas hybrids (e.g.: Sakura is a faery, witch & plantsim; Magnus Bane is a witch & genie; etc.), so it's FANTASTIC having so many new abilities for my magical occults. 😍

9 - 11: OCCULT MODS by xantak22

Even more occult mods at MTS are for enhanced Plantsims, Ghosts, and Mummies! I was dying for more Plantsim abilities, omg, they're my 3rd fave occult after Witches & Fae.

12: Sim Control Tools by Knight

Sooooo many quality of life mods have come out! ^0^

I've been ABUSING the Teleport To Me function, to quickly get sims off of lots & where I need them to be. It also lets sims unlock more Social/Romantic interactions. (Now all we need is a way to interact with sims from EA's useless thumbnails.)

13 - 18: @anitmb's mods

There are SOOOO many--most I've yet to even try. But so far newer ones I've been using are the Deck of Cards (FINALLY something other than EA's bulky AF poker table!), Farm Mod (look at all these CHICKENS!), and Hunting mod so my 8000 archer sims can actually hunt! (Ofc I've also used the Woodcutter and Anvil mods in my older gameplay posts, too.) And @mspoodle1's edit of the Cup of Tea mod is so pretty.

19: @mspoodle1's Poker table

Another excellent cards mod is this medieval style poker table I use a lot now, too.

20: @omedapixel's Wildflowers DR

I like EA's default wildflowers from SSNS, but Omeda's are just sooooo much nicer. (I haven't gotten around to trying out their Harvestable Plant DR yet.)

21: Swordfighting mod by CyrusBanefort

En garde! This mod is so freaking epic!

One thing I've noticed is that the game lags while it waits for the mod to boot up (a message has to first pop up saying it's running when you first launch your saves). But other than that this mod is excellent.

22 - 24: Yoga rugs

I've long been using the yoga rugs by Kitabalibar and the edited one from @mspoodle1. But now there's the newest one by @twinsimming, with brand new animations & features. The more the merrier I say, LOL. What's especially neat is the kids wobbling around as they try to do yoga! :3

25 - 30: TheSweetSimmer's mods--so cute! :3

Omg so frikkin many, I can't even catch up! The interactions are so freaking precious, like from the More Toddler Interactions (cuddle, look at, etc) & Biggest Little Mod (hug legs), I've never had so much fun playing with kids! <3 And I LOVE that they can Catch Butterflies and Pick Flowers--you'd think plantsim children would be able to do this by default, EA! Honestly, just grab everything by TSS, your kid sims will thank you!

31 - 33: @spheresims Medieval/Nature/Tribal mods

Y'all know I'm crazy about the Functional Fireplaces mod (the cauldrons, baby! 😈), but the One with Nature and Wildlife Hunting mods are great too, perfectly complimenting the off-the-grid realness.

34: @olomayasims/Cmomoney Smoking Mod Overhaul

The original smoking mod was on my first Top 50 list, so it's awesome seeing it get new upgrades, interactions & animations.

I've never smoked IRL, but sooooo many of my sims just puff-puff away; I'm such an enabler. U_U Now all we need is cigars and pipes!

35 - 38: Callia-Evergreen/Camkitty's CAS CC for animal hybrids at MTS

Not a "mod" per se, but whatever--my list my rules! I love ALL of their CC, but I get SO MUCH use out of animal-themed CC like the digitigrade sliders, wolf feet, lizard tails, and fae wings. Do check them out if you like to play with horror and monster-sims!

39: @greenplumbboblover's Sheep

EASILY one of the most incredible mods I've ever seen. Like....HOW? (Once @omedapixel's Goats are done I'm gonna start screaming someone do llamas pleeeeeaaaaase!!!)

40: Arsil's musical instruments mod

I used the sax most recently in my IWTV gameplay, and it was excellent, perfect for the NOLA vibes! However, although I use the flute A LOT more (for my Untamed gameplay--it's been such a GODSEND!), I really wish the hands were positioned better, preferably using the poses from Chisims' flute poseset. (But I don't eff with poses/animations, otherwise I'd do it myself. U_U) Ah well, it's still one of my fave mods though.

41 - 42: Flower Arranging mod by zoe22 + @mspoodle1's Florist Collection

Guys, I've been wanting this mod since FOREVER! ^0^ (I swear, the best thing about TS4 is all the 4t3 conversions, LMAO!) I just wish Teens could Dabble and use it, too--all they can do is stock the table.

43: Just Sit/Nap Anywhere by FloTheory

Sometimes you just want sims to fall asleep anywhere, DANG, EA!

44: @sweetdevil-sims' Toddler Food DR

Cuz EA's food is UUUUUUUUGLY~! I kept forgetting to install it, only to be rudely reminded every time I had to look at my toddler sims eating MUD.

45 - 46: @mspoodle1's mail pen quill DR and @omedapixel's pencil quill DR

I looooove quill pens IRL (ballpoint pens, not the fountain pens--I'm way too messy), so having mods that let my sims use them too is 👌

47: Fireflies Enhanced! by Canibal_MLO

I love anything that enhances the wildlife and collectibles/harvestables to be more dynamic and interactive. And I was JUST about to do a firefly catching scene for my IWTV insp. gameplay, so this came right on time! The falling leaves effect is delightful, but I kinda wish it was falling flower petals instead, cuz ofc I do. 🌸

48: Unicorn Aurora DR by Canibal_MLO

GORGEOUS. This mod replaces the unicorn mist with northern lights, like.... I love the genius ideas simmers have.

49: Custom Plumbbob Color tool by CrossTheMersey

What a neat idea! Although the default Maxis colors are ingrained in my psyche, with the iconic green plumbbob, as soon as I saw this mod I knew I wanted to at least try something different and play around with it.

50: @aa6x7's Teru Teru Bozu + other edits [Honorable Mention]

I rave about Cmomoney's Time/Weather Mod all the time, I use it constantly. AA6x7's Teru Teru Bozu (Japanese "Sunshine Monk" charms) is kinda like a simpler version of it, as it just resets bad weather back to Sunny. But it's such a cute idea and perfect for my gameplay. Plus, AA6x7 makes all kinds of neat edits/mods to EA's bulky AF meshes, so if you haven't checked them out already, DO!

And that's all the mods I've managed to try out recently!

I don't have anywhere near the kind of free time that I used to, so my simming has been put on the backburner and I've missed all kinds of cool and exciting releases. But trust: I am taking note, so that I know what to try once I have time.

All my deepest & sincerest gratitude & love to the entire sims community, for keeping The Sims 3 going--this year was the 14th anniversary! Here's to 14 more! 🥳 Happy Simming!

Default replacement hair for SP 70s, 80s & 90s

Required: 70s, 80s & 90s

Texture: @faerielandsims

TF-EF

afHairSP08GrownOut

Hair: Reina Sunny

Converting 4t3 @chazybazzy

Poly: 15,6K, looks nice! (reduced from 43,9K!!)

Download non default version 15K

afHairSP08MidMessy

Hair: S-Club 202123

Converting 4t3 @chazybazzy

Poly: 15K (reduced from 24K)

I always thought Aurora Skies was one of the better themed worlds that EA released, but it’s a huge shame that they never fixed the issues with snow- in a Nordic-themed world nonetheless!

I mean, this is just awful, right? (Original Aurora Skies)

I know that there’s already some cloned fixed versions out there, but I prefer fixing the original over getting a duplicate in the world selection menu. Anyways, this was something I had in mind for awhile, and I’ve finally gotten the time to fix it!

                                         World Information

Snow issues have been fixed.

A decrappified version of Aurora Skies was used as the base.

Very small tweaks here and there to consolidate props and fix pathing.

Reduced number of effects and spawners to improve performance.

New ‘bramble’ textures and ‘Iceland-esque’ flag for even better theming.

Routing has been refined to remove stray routing dots.

New ferry terminal lot. I found it strange that there was no way of getting to or off Aurora Skies- until now! A great use of the lot is to create a tour boat for sightseeing!

Expanded routing around the island- you can now drive that tour boat all the way around the island and far away as well. There’s no reason to restrict camera movement on an island anyways.

Check this thread out for lots to put into the world!

As with all EA worlds, I highly suggest you turn off stray animals.

                                      Installation Instructions

Back-up your original “Aurora Skies.world” file. This is located in the Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\InstalledWorlds folder. If anything goes wrong, restore this file to the InstalledWorlds folder.

Place the new “Aurora Skies.world” into the InstalledWorlds folder. You will need to start a new game to see the changes.

                                                Download

Download here.

Mirror here.

Special thanks to @mspoodle1 and @littlefrenchsims for testing the world!

Enjoy! If you want, you can help me with living expenses here!

How to deep clean The Sims 3. 2020 (Massive lag reduction.)

Deep cleaning your game will help your game run faster it will also reduce lag and prevent sims and saves from going corrupt.

Programs. CC Magic. Ts3pe. Sims 3 multi pack extractor. Sims 3 Dashboard cc cleaner Advanced system care

Recommended file types. These files are much easier for your game to process and when managed properly much safer to use then .sims3packs. How are they safer? Well sims 3 packs cane become corrupt and its much more difficult to find a broken sims3pack. Another reason is some are affected by the sims 3 evil doll virus. .WORLD .Package

Tips to avoid save corruption. Never save over a save file. Always use save as option. Save often. Keep sim inventories empty. World adventures chest are famous for corrupting saves. Keep family inventory empty. Move family out and save them to library before saving.

Preventing the deletion of what is important to you. Place these folders in a new folder on your desktop. Label it TS3Backup or somthing similar. \Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims\Downloads \Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims\Mods \Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims\Library \Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims\Saved outfits \Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims\Saved sims \Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims\Saves This step insures that all of your saved sims saved games and familys are all there once you boot your game up again.

Creating new and clean game files for a smoother and less laggy game. 1 - Navigate to \Documents\Electronic Arts. Once you open your Electronic arts folder delete the folder labeled The Sims 3. 2 - Start launcher (Do not press play yet.) 3 - Enable expansions. 4 - Navigate to the TS3Backup folder created earlier place the folders you placed inside TS3Backup and move them to \Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims. 4 - Install sims3packs via launcher. 5 - Delete files from DCBackup. 6 - Reapeat process as needed.

Deleting cache files. When you delete any or all of these files, as their nature is to regenerate, the next time you load Launcher or the game may take a bit longer as all these files need to be refreshed. This is normal and is by design.

Cache Files Location \Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims Files CASPartCache.package compositorCache.package scripCache.package simCompositorCache.package

Launcher Files. Location \Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims\DCCache Files missingdeps.idx

Location \Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims\DCCache Files dcc.ent

Location \Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims\Downloads \Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims\SigsCache Files *.bin

Location \Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims\SavedSims Files Downloadedsims.index

Location \Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims\IGACache Files *.*

Thumbnails Location \Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims\Thumbnails Files *.package

Location \Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims\FeaturedItems Files thumb_*.png

WorldCache Windows users only.

Windows \Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims\WorldCaches\

Mod free ways to fix lag. Manage town population keep under 100. Babies kittens and puppies cause lots of lag. Houseboats, docks, dive locations, resorts and subways cause lots of lag.

Settings Turn off strays. Turn off lost horses. turn off supernaturals. Turn off interactive loading screens. Turn off memories. turn off lessions. Dont use lots from the store.

Knitting Mod - Released!

Get yer needles ready. It's time.

Knitting! This mod adds a knitting interaction and skill to the game.

To get started, buy a pair of knitting needles. You'll also need to purchase yarn to knit with. The knitting bag can be used to store knitting needles and yarn, so if you have a family of knitters, or just a sim who likes to knit an awful lot, it's a convenient way to keep the items together.

You can knit items or just practise. Skill up to get better at making more advanced projects.

Traits will affect how fast, successful, and happy sims are at knitting, and there are 6 custom moodlets related to knitting.

There are few things I want to look into adding/changing, so there will likely be updates coming up.

Thank you for all the support and kind words! I really hope you like the mod <3

Read more and download at MTS!

Going for a hike in the mountains around Willapa Valley ⛰️🥾🎒🌲

How to throw a fancy dinner party in The Sims 3

You will need @flotheory's new dinner mod, download it here. Depending on what you want, choose either

Version 1: limited to 8 sims having dinner and sims will finish what they are doing before going to dinner -> best for family gameplay when you only want your active family to have dinner together

or Version 2: more than 8 sims can have dinner and sims will stop what they are doing and proceed to their chair once you direct them to do so -> best if you also want inactive sims as guests at your dinner party

Step 1: Assign each sim a chair

Click on the chair

Select "Join dinner…"

Select the sim you want to sit in this chair

Repeat for all chairs/sims.

Sims will now proceed to their respective chairs and sit down at the dinner table:

Step 2: Get them to eat dinner together

If you're doing this with more than one table, pause your game!

You will have to repeat these steps for each table! Do not switch to a different table before you have done them all!

Place the group meal in the middle of the table

Click on the group meal

Select "Serve for dinner…"

Click on the table

Select "Eat dinner together…"

Select the sims sitting at this table

Click OK

Without un-pausing the game proceed to the next table and repeat for every table.

Once all tables have been served their dinner and the sims have been directed to dine:

Press play and watch them all eat at the same time!

Additional tips:

I found it is best to place the group meals on the table after all sims have been seated. If you place them before, you run the risk of a hungry sim grabbing a plate and blocking one of the chairs.

Once all sims are seated at the dinner table you can leave them sitting and just chatting for a little bit, but don't wait too long or they will get up again.

If you want more than 8 sims to dine together, you will need either a custom table seating more than 8 sims (don't know if they even exist…?) or you will need to place several tables. If you want to push them together to make a bigger table, use the cheat "moveobjects on". Take care not to push the tables into each other, or sims may not have enough room to sit down. It's best to leave a small gap.

If you want several tables to eat the same food, either prepare the same group meal for each table or use icarus_allsorts mod "Cook with any ingredient" in order to make a group meal with up to 16 servings. When serving several tables from the same group meal you will have to move the group meal to the table you want to serve before repeating step 2!

Johnson Brothers "Indies Blue" Plate and Bowl Default Replacement

Kinda random, just a default replacement for the plate and bowl sims eat from.

I think it's such a pretty design IRL so why not let my sims have it too!

Textures are 512x512

The bowl looks a bit weird but I think that's the mesh's fault :p

Download (SFS)

Just a quick upload. This is my camper base I use for my trailer areas on a 10x10 residential lot. You’ll need Madayas Caravan Set for it to show up like that. Package file only, just put it in your library folder.

Download here: SFS MF