Can't type in cheat box and families appear in fragments

[jewaukeela]

I have two problems, but I have a bad feeling that they might be connected.

The first problem is that when I call up the cheat box, I cannot type in it. Obviously, as I am typing this, my keyboard works fine out-of-game. In-game, I can still use keyboard shortcuts. For example, I can still press "p" to pause the game and I can still press F3 to toggle build mode. It's just in the cheat box and in storytelling mode that whatever I type doesn't appear on-screen.

The second problem is that in the family loading screen and while playing families, people appear in fragments, either only their face or their entire body. The weird thing is that it doesn't always happen to maxis-generated people. For example, a few weeks ago I spawned a child for one of my bachelors using the tombstone of life and death, and that girl is not glitched, but when he adopted another toddler girl just now, she looked fine but her icon was glitched. I have some pictures below.

I'm on a mac running just the base game, if that makes any difference. All these problems still occured with the CC out, by the way. Any ideas? :help:

==System==

* Operating System: Mac OSX (version 10.6, which is leopard)
* System Manufacturer: Apple?
* System Model: Mac mini 1.1
* Processor Name: Intel Core Duo
* Processor Speed: 1.66 GHz
* Memory: 1GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
* Page File:
* DirectX Version:

==Display==

* Name:
* Manufacturer:
* Chip Type:
* Approx. Total Memory:

* Main Driver:
* Version:

==Sound==

* Name:

[julianarosalia]

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Please do all the steps in the Game Problem faq and post your system specs. Since you have a Mac, I'm moving it to that subforum.

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[rhiamom]

Which video card do you have? If you have the Intel GMA 950 - and from the sound of your other system specs you probably do- your card is not, nor ever has been, supported by Aspyr for The Sims 2. It lacks certain internal capabilities that the game needs. If you have a really fast processor to pick up the load it can work, but you don't have that, either. If you can't buy a newer Mac, then consider buying Windows and the Windows version of the game. Your video card will never let you run the game on anything but the lowest settings, even then, but it will play.

Next you are going to tell me that it used to work fine before the Leopard upgrade. So it did. You lucked out for a while.

[jewaukeela]

I don't know how to find any other information, including what video card I have - and I already tried taking out the SavedSims and Downloads folders and it still occurs, but I can't take out the neighborhoods folder because this problem only occurs in my custom neighborhood. It still occurs even if I take all CC out, though.

You're right, it did work fine before the Leopard upgrade - in fact, it worked fine for an entire year (i got in in December of last year) and then yesterday I upgraded to leopard and suddenly it doesn't work anymore. :(

Does this mean that I have to uninstall Snow Leopard? Or should I buy something that lets me run windows on a mac and then buy the windows version of the game? What should I do now?

[rhiamom]

Go to the Apple menu, and choose About this Mac. Click on More Info. On the left hand side, click on Graphics/Displays. It will give the name of your video card on the very top line on the right side. Look for the line that begins VRAM, too. Post back here and and tell us which video card and how much VRAM you have.

[jewaukeela]

I have 64 MB of shared system memory, and the name of my model is Intel GMA 950. Does that sound about right?

[rhiamom]

Your video card is not supported in the Mac version of the game. Aspyr is not likely to fix this. Your options are to downgrade to the previous operating system when The Sims 2 worked, buy a new Mac, or try to buy and install Windows using boot camp and buy the Windows version of the game. Your choice. Be aware that your video card is the minimum spec for even the Windows version of the game, so you will have to continue playing the game on the lowest settings.

[jewaukeela]

Where can I get a new video card?

[rhiamom]

In a new computer. The video card on a Mac mini is not replaceable. Nor is the video card in an iMac.

[rhiamom]

Oh, and using VMware or Parallels to run Windows programs on your Mac will not work. It doesn't work because the Windows version of the game needs Direct X, and the Mac operating system doesn't even know what Direct X is. You'll get a Direct X error message when you try to play the game if you use emulation software like Parallels or VMware.

[jewaukeela]

Wow. My computer really sucks. :(
I guess I'll get a new computer at the end of this year, is that all I can do? Do I have to get a Windows computer or can I just maybe get a much better version of a mac with a better video card? Or will I end up having the same problems? Can I run stuff like Homecrafter and SimPE on Parallels or VMware? I'd rather not get a PC if possible.

[rhiamom]

Well, you do have an older, bottom of the line Mac, the mini. It's the first kind of Mac I ever owned, too. If you buy any newer Mac, you should be able to play The Sims 2 again. I'd even bring my Sims 2 disc and key into the Apple store and install the game on the type of Mac you are thinking of buying, testing to see how it plays. You'll have to delete the game when you are done testing, but you'll be sure to have a Mac that will play the game! You should look at the system requirements for new games like The Sims 3, too. If you get something that barely meets the requirements now, in a year or so you won't meet the minimum specs anymore for a new game, and you'll be in the same situation you are in now.

Homecrafter doesn't work in Parallels or VMware, but SimPE does!

[jewaukeela]

I think I'll stick with my mac mini until the end of the year, and maybe get either Parallels or VMware for my birthday in January, so I can run SimPE. Then... Maybe when I get a laptop for graduation at the end of this year I can do that. Thanks for the advice!

[rhiamom]

That sounds like a good plan, Jewaukeela. Congratulations on your graduation, too!