I run Sims 3 on a 2009 Macbook Pro with bare basic specs. In the past, I've downloaded Custom Content only to find that hair disappears and clothing makes bodies disappear. Recently, I've been searching for a skin that is nicely done and doesn't run my game into the ground. Is there a limit for how much CC can be used? Do Core Mods such as NRaas and AwesomeMod effect this? How do I choose CC that won't cause these problems?

(I think this is the right place, I looked at all the forums and I couldn't find something related to what I'm asking. I'm also fairly new posting wise, please bare with me.)

I don't think there is a limit on what CC you can run, only what your computer can handle. And I would think that CC files with smaller sizes are less likely to affect your game speed.

The best way to get non-buggy custom content is to download from people who have a good reputation with other users, and particularly from sites where you can see comments from previous users. That way you can find out ahead of time if there's a problem. Over time you'll learn which creators make consistently reliable CC.

The Exchange is NOT a good place to get CC, since anybody can upload anything there and there is no quality control whatsoever. Unless it's a creator you have experience with previously, of course.

As for game performance, for object mods, clothes, and hair, the main factor that affects that is the number of polygons (polys) the object has. Simple, square objects don't have a lot; complex, curved objects do. Here at MTS we require meshers to include that info in their post; and any mesh that has way too many polys for the type of object it is won't be accepted. You can read our submission guidelines to find out what we think are reasonable limits for different kinds of objects. At other sites, some creators publish that information, others don't... be cautious with any CC you don't have that information about. Naturally the most detailed objects are likely to have the most polys, so once you get some experience you may be able to tell from looking at an item whether it's likely to be an issue or not.

As for gameplay mods... first, note that NRaas mods are NOT core mods, though AwesomeMod is NRaas mods are script mods, and they don't necessarily conflict with core mods.

Gameplay mods COULD potentially have an impact on performance... script mod programmers tend to be sensitive to that, and a number of them will make your game faster, not slower (by addressing issues with EA's game design that cause lag). Just depends what a particular mod does; there's no way to generalize.

Besides the whole polygon issue, the main issue with mods and game performance has to do with the number of separate CC files you are loading. Once you get over about 200 you can get slowdowns, due to your computer having to keep track of a whole lot of small files on disk. There are solutions to that issue that work for the PC; but the ones I'm familiar with won't help you on a mac, sorry :/ You could head over to the OSX forums in the Help section and see if you can find any advice there.

Thanks so much, both of these post were very informative. I feel like I know so much more!
I'll head over to those forums now, thanks again!

There probably is no way short of not using custom content at all. There are many gamers who opt for that solution.

A less drastic solution is to remove cc which is causing problems. Although it can be difficult at times to find the offending piece of cc. But in other cases, it is quite obvious.

Sometimes it may behoove one to "clean house," that is, delete your dbc files and reinstall the stuff you really want. Also look at your packages folder and remove the stuff you really aren't using. If you are like me, you clutter you game with all sorts of stuff you don't use.

IMHO, the problems with cc are much overblown. Most experienced creators don't make defective cc. Many of the pitfalls of cc creation are pretty well known. Some of the commonly used tools, like Milkshape, place a limit on the number of vertices and polys. However, when someone announces that the item in question is their first upload, you should probably treat it with a degree of caution.

Also if a creator indicates they have been using the item in their own game, it is a pretty good sign it works. It's sort of like the old Roman practice of having a bridge builder stand under his own bridge while wagons are driven accross it.