The error really is that you don't have the mesh installed. It occurs if you try to install a recolor (.sims3pack) when the mesh (contained in a .package file) IS NOT installed in the mods > packages folder. To the Launcher files placed in the mods>package folder are game files. So if it tries to "match" a recolor with the mesh and doesn't find it "assumes" you are not up to date with EA created game files.

Thanks Laure. I will just go back to where I save my downloaded zip/rar files and check in them for the mesh files. It is quite possible that I did not put the Mesh files back after I removed all of my package files. Like most other simmers I had to move and remove lots of files.

The ones I tested was still the old ones, but thanks for the warning. I will delete and wait for your update. They are really lovely curtains to have in the game.

You're welcome Oumamea - I should add I have also gotten that error when trying to install floors (.sims3packs) and I don't have the needed texture/pattern (.package) installed. I think it the same problem the Launch is looking for something in the game folder that isn't there.

Backing up a bit - This is my WA experience.

I installed both the mac and windows versions of the game.

In both cases I played the game vanilla for awhile - no problems.

Added CC (sims3packs) through the Launcher ( a couple gigs worth) - again played without problems (both versions).

Added CC (.packages) into the mods>packages folder (about 300 items - totally about 500mb. Played. On the windows side I noticed a slight slowing. Mac side was slower to start by a minute or two. Nothing terribly annoying. Playing on the mac side I started to get some strange errors. I read of problems associated with some .package files so I removed them from my mac game .app - Errors stopped. I played for a couple days. My sim went on several vacations etc. No problems.

Then I decide to try adding the .packages files back minus certain plant files. I tried placing the resource file and folders in wa folder in side the mac versions .app - The game started to load but was loading so slowly (the loading bar moved about an half inch in 30 minutes) I forced quit it. I then tried placing the folders in the base game folder. The game loaded in about 10 minutes and game play was dramatically slowed. I exited. Took everything out again.

Ok, the odd thing here is that I was playing with fewer files than the first time I installed the CC in package form when I had the dramatic slowdown.

Since, then I have been adding a few things a time (no more than a hundred ) and there has been some slowing but nothing as dramatic and game is still "playable".

I'm just finishing them off now. Thanks.

I like the little star too, hehe. There's a lot I like about sims3packs but the most important thing that I dislike, and it's what makes packages more appealing is the ability to rename and organize. I'd be happy to have either at this point, Sims 3 is very boring without all my CC.

I am another one having problems with Package files after installing WA
My Game took forever to load. Then the Game was not playable
Slowed to a crawl. Read some of these posts. Took out all the Package files.
(Left all my sim3pak CC in. ) And my game Loads fine. And runs fine..
I miss my CC and So Many of the things I really like are Package files. I have been sniffing around TSR looking at free stuff just to get more CC in sims3pak files.

Thinking way back to the days of Sims 1 - Objects that came with game were in .far files. CC was in the .iff file format. For the mac there was neat little utility called FarMaker by David Baum that allowed one to pack .iffs into .far files. There was a windows version too called FarOut - I'm not sure who created it. One could sort things into groups, as one liked, and then stuff them into fars. Putting iffs into fars sped up the load time plus it was easier to deal with a small number of fars than it was too keep track of thousands of iff files. Perhaps, something similar could done for Sims 3?

Pescado, I'm nowhere near the amount of ram I have. I don't even keep all my cc in one folder, I have one for builds and one for cc. With me we're talking about a tiny amount of cc.

I wanted to ask you something so I hope you see this.

Could this possibly be a location thing? The fact that we're trying to run them from program files when the game reads its own content from my docs? I was thinking about that last night when I was supposed to be out having fun with my friends, lol.

I know there's already a downloads folder in the documents folder and I'm sure you all tried that, this EP makes the game a different animal though. I'm just wondering if we would have a different result if we changed back to having the cc in my docs like in sims 2, even if we had to have a different folder e.g. custom content (folder). I have no clue how this works and how you people manage to get the game to read files but was just wondering if the location could have any bearing on the strain it puts on the game.

Laure, would that not just be the equivalent of converting .package files to sims3.packs?

Not really, when a sims3pack is installed into the game the contents are put into the "giant disorganized blob" that Pescado refers to in his post. What I am hoping is possible that there is way to create somewhat smaller more organized blobs of files. For example one could stuff all the package files from a certain site into a separate cache file rather than into the huge cache file that the launcher installs sims3packs into.



Inge Jones brings that issue up in post #120.

May I first of all apologise for my "lag" in reading this thread only found it today and trawled thro' all 9 pages.
Anyway, my knowledge of PC's and software is nothing, zero, !£$& all, nowt. However, I read somewhere that EA have used a different code to write WA from the base game. For instance, we can now recolour stairs etc. So is it possible that the cc that does'nt work is simply its age? I have had all sorts of problems trying to load "Riverview" (after a clean install) and had the same error that others have had about not having the latest patch altho' I was patched up. When I first loaded WA i had all sots of problems and went for a complete reinstall of everything. I deleted the Base game, Monkey helper and the game launcher. and reistalled the base game and WA. I then put the cfg. thingy back where it was and my packages folder ( I don't use sub folders). and everything (FOR ME) is working ok. I left out the Monkey Helper and now place packages manually.
Now, the point is, after the reinstall of both Base and WA "Riverview" suddenly appeared when I first stated a game altho' I hadn't really tried to load it?? I went into "Riverview" and started a new game. I like to update some default lots and build my own so I tried to modernise a default lot and couldn't recolour the stairs so I deleted the stairs and replaced them with the very same stairs and was able to recolour them. So, is a lot of our problems simply the age of some of our cc??
Please don't abuse me if this is all rubish or doesn't make sence, I'm only trying to help.

I found that if you take out all the sub-folders in MOD/package/ folder and

put all your custom content in the package folder in a lump, the same as the

sims3pack does , the game will improve dramatically. (Of course, some will

have to reduce c.c. depending on your computer, after installing WA.)

"For me.... all custom content worked great"

It sure improved the game for me 100%.

Cheers!

See Post 203 for more info.

Hi Laure, Just want to report back about the above. I placed the mesh packages in the Mods/Package folder and then installed the sims3pack files with the launcher and there you go - problem solved. You were so right. Thanks for your help.

That's interesting - that's what I've always done in my base game anyway, I've never used subfolders, and I did the same for my WA installation as well, and so far (touch wood!) WA runs pretty much as fast for me as the base game did.

It's good to see that someone else has had the same experience. I really hope this is not just coincidence and that installing cc in this way really does solve the slowness issues, at least for some (hopefully most) people!

SIMS3 suck without CC. Enough Said!

I am not one who can sacrifice the beauty of CC just to keep playing the game.

I've been doing some testing all morning...
a LOT of swearing...
a bit of screaming...
and shit loads of reloading the game...
over and over and over!


Out of all the things that I have tried...

Putting allllllllll your cc into one big dirty nasty ass folder IS unfortunately AMAZING!


I have TS3 patched to 1.79 and i Do not have the new WA EP! I'm currently testing with about 300 files all in one folder. Loading is ok and play is rather smooth!


I'm going to keep adding more and more to see if there is any change load/play!

You're welcome Oumanea. Glad it worked for you.



Unfortunately, I have never had any subfolders and I'm experiencing a slow down even with as few as 75 .packages files. But, hey I'm happy it worked for you.

I had made this test (same creations, different formats) with CC I've download from All About Style (female clothes). They did work fine when in .sims3pack and .package, but they lagged more to load on CAS when they were .package.

I made this test "accidentally": was moving my cc back after WA and started with All About Style CC because I knew my favorite sim outfits on a saved game were from this source. The problem with my test is that I did only have a few CC - not more than 10 - at this time, so I might not be the most appropriate tester at this point either.

I've never used subfolders and my lag was horrible... anyway, good this solution works for some simmers.

I'm curious, I went to All About Style and I couldn't find individual items in both a .package file and .sims3pack. I may be blind, could link me? I like to do a side by side test too.

eta: I have been doing tests as Echo suggested of splitting my downloads into various categories -patterns, hairs, clothing, & objects (I don't have any mods/hacks) But, since I have unequal numbers of each, I'm doubtful of the usefulness of that test in my case. The bottom line for me is in every way I have tested that my game(s) run(s) noticeably better without .package content.

After suffering intolerable load times and slowdowns, here's what did it for me:

1- I backed up all my saves, packages and sims3packs.
2- I uninstalled Sims 3 WA and Sims 3
3- I reinstalled Sims 3
4- I Updated Sims 3
5- I reinstalled Sims 3 WA
6- I updated Sims 3 WA
7- I reinstalled the framework in the WA directory
8- I reinstalled all my custom content

I have 779 files/1.51 GBs of .packages, 1113 files/1.84 GBs of .sims3packs. I have no more slowdowns, the game load almost as fast as a clean install, all custom content works fine.

Zeero, what framework did you install to the WA directory and where in the directory did you install it to?

Oh ya i forgot to mention that too...

I also reinstalled everything this morning when i was having trouble.

But i also didnt get WA yet so having all my .packages in one folder may only work for Pre-WA players. =/

That's exactly what I did (see post 167 of this thread) - am glad to see that method worked for someone else too! I'm getting the idea that a total uninstall and completely clean reinstall is the way to go.

But, having said that, there are people who've reported that they've tried that too and that it doesn't work for them - it's all so baffling and frustrating.

Because

a) there are a million different reasons for game lag and we're all just assuming everyone in this thread has the same cause. Very large odds are that's not the case.

b) not everyone is reinstalling things completely. After WA, people need to be more thorough than just add/remove programs. *cough*

c) people are ignoring/not reading part of the instructions.. like with copying the framework

I have to say, I've gotten rid of at least the bulk of my lag with a clean install. I had originally reinstalled and kept my Documents folder, but I proceeded this time without any of that.

I installed the base game, installed the expansion, and then added my sims3packs and my non blue-lotting packages. No mods at all, just objects and patterns. Then I re-used an old save to load all my houses and sims into the game library.

The game went from taking under 2 minutes to load a vacation to over 5, but once it's done, things are at least playable. Can't say the performance is good (or as good as it is without any CC), but I can live with it.

Before I did the clean re-install, it was unplayable.