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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 20th Dec 2013 at 4:02 PM

This user has the following games installed:

Sims 3, World Adventures, Ambitions, Late Night, Generations, Pets, Showtime, Supernatural, Seasons, Island Paradise
Default Isla pradiso still lagging
Ever since I first installed Island Paradise I've had serious problems with lag but only in Isla Paradiso. Everything is constantly stopping and starting and occasionally freezing, but in my other neighbourhoods things are running more or less normally.
Someone on the Sims 3 fourms sent me this:

""I have my Isla Paradiso running pretty much perfectly, I never get any lag in it anymore, but it took a bit of work to get it that way.

General cleaning tips- Clear your caches each time before you start your game up.
Delete everything from your DCbackup folder EXCEPT the ccmerged file. Never delete that.
You can get Razer Game Booster that closes all unneccesary programs when you're playing a game too.
Download Overwatch from NRAAS and use that, it automatically removes unused cars, fixes stuck sims and other stuff.

Isla Paradiso's lag comes mainly from the many routing issues in the game. You can download the resources from here http://modthesims.info/d/513265 and import them with S3PE which fixes many lag issues. If you've never used S3PE before, the creator also has a pre-fixed world file, but I imported the fixes myself so I don't quite know how it would go. You do have to start a new game for these fixes to take effect.

With those fixes, there was still some occasional lag- Rubisel Ichtaca was lagging my game immensely, it seemed the houseboat he was in was quite bad so I moved him into another house and demolished his old houseboat (so nobody else would move into it) and since then my game works like a dream. (although looking over those resources again, I think that more fixes were added to it since I imported everything, so the remaining lag issues I experienced might have been fixed already)

There is also the cheat to discover all the hidden islands too, the cloud cover causes a lot of lag.

It sounds like a lot to do, and EA really shouldn't have released a world with as many problems as this to paying customers, but it's worth it IMO. Isla Paradiso just has so many features that dont work as well in the older worlds. ""

I have tried everythis she suggested except the game booster, which looks to me like it cloud be spywhere, and it hasn't made the slightest improvement.

Does anyone here have any suggestions?
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Top Secret Researcher
#2 Old 20th Dec 2013 at 5:58 PM
IP has been a royal pain in the butt from the beginning. In some of the homes refrigerators were backwards, doorways blocked, objects within routable paths, doors and windows not "snapped" in place, premade sims which were faulty, etc. etc. Here is a very reliable link from Crinrict that has several suggestions : http://sims3.crinrict.com/en/2011/0...nt-freezes.html. These suggestions and having the NRaas mods worked for me and continue to foster on-going automatic cleanup within the game. Among many other features that clean up your game, Master Controller will also allow you to reset your town. Here is a link to the FAQ's for the NRaas Mods which will answer most of the questions you might have: http://nraas.wikispaces.com/Documentation. The Forum members over there in Chatterbox are also an excellent resource if you are having problems understanding how to use the mods. They can be a bit intimidating at first but once you get used to them, they are invaluable to cleaning up and playing your game almost lag free.

The link for the prefixed world file with the fixes already imported as mentioned above works well. I was able to use that with no problems.

Here is another handy tool I would not be without. It is Over at Simlogical by Kuree: http://www.den.simlogical.com/denfo...hp?topic=1532.0

Another step I have taken is to demolish the large resorts and built my own using the IP Resort rug by Margaret Pendragon here at MTS: https://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=507907.

Lastly, cleaning out unused CC as well as making sure the inside of your computer is not full of dust which will clog fans and cause overheating of your equipment, which also causes lags and freezing. If your game saves are getting huge that can also cause your problem. Cleaning out Cache files is really only necessary when installing new EP's and patches, or when file size has reached unreasonable limits. The up side of these cache files is faster game loading.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#3 Old 20th Dec 2013 at 10:17 PM
I've installed Overwatch and Mastercontroller: nothing

I installed that routing fix here on MTS: nothing
By installed I mean I extracted it and put all the files in the exact specified place.

I've cleaned out the caches: Nothing

This os the town I want to play most and it's the only one that's giving me grief!
I need help!
Top Secret Researcher
#4 Old 20th Dec 2013 at 10:41 PM
Eccentricgentleman, Have you read how to use MC and the other NRaas Mods that were suggested? Just installing them is not necessarily enough. They have layers of functions that can be a great deal of help but you need to set them or request an action.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#5 Old 20th Dec 2013 at 10:53 PM
as I understand these mods are to unstick sims and vehicals but I don't seem to be having that problem. The lagging begins the moment I start playing so these things don't have time to build up anyway. I already have Narrs so I could make the "Born of Nature" sims. I tried clicking on a sim and reseting him but it came to nothing.

Is it my PC? The video card is a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470 with 1233 MB of Dedicated Memory.
Top Secret Researcher
#6 Old 20th Dec 2013 at 11:31 PM
Ok, but please keep in mind these mods do more than unstick sims and vehicles. Stuck Sims and vehicle build up caused by inactives will create lags. You can reset a whole world with them and that often helps among many other features. Do you have Error Trap Installed? That mod cleaned out a lot of crap that was broken in my game. Are you by any chance using NRaas SP. If you do, you might want to try removing that one. OR better yet, have you tried a "Clean Folder" game to see if your game lags after ALL mods are removed?

Did you check out the link for Crinricts causes and solutions? There is also additional links at the bottom of that page that offer up some solutions.

I wish I could offer up some advice on your PC's video card but I am not familiar enough with graphics cards to provide any credible direction for you.

Let me know how you make out trying a Clean Folder game. It might be easier to narrow down the cause after trying that.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#7 Old 21st Dec 2013 at 12:28 AM
How do I reset the whole world?

I do have Error trap, is it automatic or do I have do use it myself? If so how do I do that?

What's NRaas SP?

What's a clean folder game?

Yes I did check Crinricts causes and solutions but I don't know which ones are responcable.
Top Secret Researcher
#8 Old 21st Dec 2013 at 1:53 AM
Because everyone’s games and systems are set up differently it can be difficult to zero in on the definitive cause of lags and freezing for another gamer. I’ve been playing since Sims 1 and find that Island Paradise was one of the most difficult to correct. Where you indicated IP is the only world you are experiencing these problems I would try the clean folder approach first. I have included your questions and answered all of your questions below, including providing information you requested on the Clean Folder Method.

How do I reset the whole world? That function is within Master Controller. You go into MC, click on town then click on reset everything. It is not a sure fix for your lags, just one of the things you can try. I have used it to successfully resolve many in game issues. I strongly suggest you read the information on these mods over at NRaas. There is a ton of information within each of the pages the mods are provided. Here is the link for MC: http://nraas.wikispaces.com/MasterController (see Documentation)

I do have Error trap, is it automatic or do I have do use it myself? If so how do I do that? Error trap will automatically do clean up but it also generates script errors to your The Sims game folder. Here is the page with more detail: http://nraas.wikispaces.com/ErrorTrap#MOD and this link explains how to read the files to determine if you need to upload a script error http://nraas.wikispaces.com/ErrorTrap+Reading+Logs

What's NRaas SP? – It is Story Progression. If you do not have this, just as well as it can use a lot of resources and cause lags. I only mentioned it thinking you might have it and might want to remove it for the time being.

What's a clean folder game? Here is a description of a clean folder game http://nraas.wikispaces.com/Clean+Folder. When I do a clean folder I just rename my current game folder, i.e. The Sims 3 to another name like Original Game Dec 20. Or Just Move the entire folder to your desktop. Close out of the Windows Game folders and start a new game. A new The Sims 3 folder will automatically be generated. It will not contain any mods, CC , lots or Sims you have in your original game folders. Play the game for several Sim days and see how that goes. If you play without major issues you will need to do some clean up and review of CC and any mods you have.

Yes I did check Crinricts causes and solutions but I don't know which ones are responcable. You will not know what is causing your problems unless you go through these possible causes and take suggested steps to try to identify the cause. The Further reading at the bottom of the page should provide more insight into these issues.

One more suggestion - have you tried lowering your in game graphics settings?
Test Subject
Original Poster
#9 Old 21st Dec 2013 at 1:35 PM
Ok, I've tried the clean file thing, no help.

My NRaas does not appear to have SP or the Town reset.

And the first thing I tried was to upgrade my graphics card and put all the games settings to their lowest values.

If it is one of the things on Crinrict's list, why is it only effecting IP? It mentions something called Register but it doesn't have a link to it.
Top Secret Researcher
#10 Old 21st Dec 2013 at 6:51 PM
Ok, I've tried the clean file thing, no help. RESPONSE: If that is the case than your problem may beyond what I can help you with and you need to verify with someone with technical expertise that you have met all the system requirements to run the game. Have you checked your system stats against what is required? However, as I mentioned above if IP is the only world you are experiencing these problems at least one of the suggestions/tips should have brought you some relief. When you tried the Clean Folder game were all of your Mods, Package Files, Saved Sims, Saved Games, Libraries and DCCache files out of the Clean Folder game? Did you clear your cache files? What steps did you take? How long did you play and what is your sim doing when these lags become obvious?

Also, do you have the latest patch installed? What NRaas Mods are you using and do you have a lot of .package files and other mods?

My NRaas does not appear to have SP or the Town reset. RESPONSE: As I mentioned above you do not need SP right now and Town Reset in within Master Controler.

And the first thing I tried was to upgrade my graphics card and put all the games settings to their lowest values. RESPONSE: Did you upgrade your actual card or just adjust the settings within the game? I'm not sure setting EVERYTHING to the lowest setting will bring you the results you want to see. This link is a guide to graphics and performance settings and number 10 in the Index has the recommended settings for the game: http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/G...ms3performance/

If it is one of the things on Crinrict's list, why is it only effecting IP? It mentions something called Register but it doesn't have a link to it. RESPONSE: The things on Crinrict's list can also be applied to other instances of lags in other EP's. IP has been the most problematic EP because of the way it was built. Register is an NRaas Mod and some of the features within that mod can bring partial or full resolution. Again, I suggest you go over to NRaas and check out the Mod FAQ'S.

Eccentricgentleman, It might not be just ONE thing that is causing all the lags. The game is flawed to begin with and it can be a combination of things on top of that causing your problems. That is why it is important to check everything out. There is generally no single step to take or one "easy" answer. It can be a combination of corruption within the game, a bad install, fans that need to be cleaned, mods and patches that were not updated, CC that is no longer compatible. Everything needs to be checked out and reading available resources by the experts and from players who have gone though and resolved the issue is key.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#11 Old 22nd Dec 2013 at 12:09 PM Last edited by Eccentricgentleman : 22nd Dec 2013 at 12:21 PM.
I have checked the minimum requirements against my PC, it seems to meet all the requirements.

When I tried the clean folder method my CC was still there.

Is the DC backup the only cache I need to clear.

It was obvious right from the start of play that there was lagging.

My game is up to date.

I found Reset town and it didn't help.

I upgraded my card AND lowered the settings.

One of the things on Crintict's list was the number of spawners and someone else said that lag can be casues by all the different thins that are spawned acrros the expansion packs. If it is that it's going to take time to remove them.

I do have some custom content but not a large amount, I only have the mods Master controller and the ones that we've discussed here.
What is a package file?

I have a few player created towns but I can't seem to remove them and for some reason I have 2 Monte Vistas.

Also: How could EA do this? How could they release something so poorly constructed and do nothing to fix it?
Top Secret Researcher
#12 Old 22nd Dec 2013 at 1:51 PM
I will get back to your other questions later today. In the mean time re: "When I tried the clean folder method my CC was still there" - The purpose of a Clean Folder (also called a vanilla game) is to play the game in its original form as if it were brand new with nothing added. I explained all of this above. Please try again. Do this: Cut and paste your The Sims folder to your desktop. Close out of windows. Start a new game. The game will take a bit to load because a new The Sims 3 folder is being recreated. You will now be playing a "vanilla" game free of CC or mods (package files); just like you were a brand new player playing a brand new game. Play the game for several sim days (I do at least a week sending my sims all over town and having them do as many interactions as possible) with a few different families and see what happens. Are there lags? Many? What were your sims doing when problems started?

Once you have done this we can clean up the world and start adding your CC/Mods back a little at a time. I know it is a time consuming process but the only way to fix.

Again, will be back at you later. Have much to do this morning and early afternoon so won't be logged in for awhile.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#13 Old 22nd Dec 2013 at 4:16 PM
I did exactly what you said, I removed the folder marked The Sims 3 and put it on my desktop. When I started up the game it was as if I was playing it for the first time.
But the CC was still there.
Field Researcher
#14 Old 22nd Dec 2013 at 8:29 PM
The family of ghosts (I forget the name) tends to lag up people games, don't know why.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#15 Old 22nd Dec 2013 at 10:02 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Kawab
The family of ghosts (I forget the name) tends to lag up people games, don't know why.


Which family is that? Is there more than one?
Field Researcher
#16 Old 22nd Dec 2013 at 10:26 PM
I think there's only one. Dreggs or something? I may be getting the lag with them confused with the dudes who live in the big castle thing. I honestly don't remember their names as I haven't stayed in Isla Paradiso for more than 5 minutes lately. I'll have a look later :3
Top Secret Researcher
#17 Old 22nd Dec 2013 at 10:42 PM
Yep. Those are the Dreggs. I bought a house near theirs and whenever the gost Dregg guy walks by my house whole game lag for few minutes. It even crashes someimes!
In the Arena
retired moderator
#18 Old 23rd Dec 2013 at 12:22 PM
Default MTS2 Staff Reply
  • General - Post System Specs
    We need more information before we can help with your issue.
    • Please post a Quick summary of your System Specs
      Instructions on finding them are here: Game Help:System Specswiki.
    • If you have Dual-graphics, please post your complete DxDiag report in your thread. And put in between [ spoiler ] specs here [ /spoiler ] tags (remove the spaces).

  • Sims 3 - Freezes and Lags
    If you encounter any freezes or lags in gameplay, try the suggestions in Game Help:Intermittent Freezeswiki.
    If issue persists, please provide the answers to the questionnaire when you post in the Help forum.

@Eccentricgentleman,
did you ever install CC in the "old way" i.e into the Program Files path?

There shouldn't be lag with any of my fixes right away in a clean user folder with a NEW game based on the default worlds. If they do that on your machine on Sim week 1 day 1 at 8.00am Sunday, I'd need to see specs. Sorry, no write-off of machines meeting requirements if I don't see the DxDiag.
If the lag appears not right-away but after some game time, then answer that along with other questions from the questionnaire.

I would normally lock a Help issue as you'd been warned by the Announcement this is not the place for getting Game Help, but I don't want to lose all this backstory.
Having said that, if you had an issue with one of my fixes, would have appreciated a heads up on the download thread. There are various other Lots and Households that I never touched or spots that I may have missed, which could use more reports from the community if there are still issues for me to correct.

But anyways, appears this is an issue specific to your system, so to Game Help it goes. If we're to dig deeper into this issue, I also need the questionnaire from the Freeze wiki answered.
Top Secret Researcher
#19 Old 23rd Dec 2013 at 2:25 PM
Thank you ellacharmed. I was hoping a MTS moderator would see this thread. After seeing the results of the vanilla game the only other thing I could come up with is the CC is installed the "old" way. I am fresh out of suggestions and will step back and hope those with more tech/systems expertise look at the problem. Thanks again.
In the Arena
retired moderator
#20 Old 23rd Dec 2013 at 3:35 PM
Oh, I guess I should also mentioned that after 4 years, many many patches and 20 add-ons, just meeting requirements is no longer sufficient. One now needs to exceed it. And a single component that exceeds it, is also not ideal. A "GREEN GPU" (based on our SysReq wiki) is not the only thing that goes into exceeding this recommended requirements.

@barbarat, I thank you for sticking so long with the issue and following up with the OP.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#21 Old 23rd Dec 2013 at 4:08 PM
Ok I'm going to try and post my DXdiag as you said...



I'm sorry for putting this in the wrong forum, I thought this was the appropriate place.
In the Arena
retired moderator
#22 Old 24th Dec 2013 at 5:09 AM
OK, system does exceed recommended requirements.
Now, awaiting answers to my questions...and to the questionnaire.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#23 Old 24th Dec 2013 at 3:02 PM
I've been using the TSR Merlin for installs. I'm not sure what you mean by questionnaire.
Top Secret Researcher
#24 Old 24th Dec 2013 at 3:21 PM
I'll jump in just once here. Just informational only: I used TSR Merlin for a long time and loved it however, after one of the newer EP's and Patches (can't remember which) Merlin no longer installed correctly and I had some files corrupted. When I researched the problem I learned the creator left TSR some time ago and other creators were not able to update as they had no record of how the installer was created. TSR has not offered that download for some time. This might not be the reason for my corrupted 3pks or your problem but it might be worth mentioning here as after you resolve your current issue you might want to consider using a different installer to be on the safe side.
In the Arena
retired moderator
#25 Old 24th Dec 2013 at 3:27 PM
And, where does TSR Merlin install CC to?
Check if you need to do this Game Help:Installing Sims 3 Package Files/Old Way to New Waywiki.

The questionnaire mentioned here...
Quote: Originally posted by ellacharmed
  • Sims 3 - Freezes and Lags
    If you encounter any freezes or lags in gameplay, try the suggestions in Game Help:Intermittent Freezeswiki.
    If issue persists, please provide the answers to the questionnaire when you post in the Help forum.
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