I agree with this. I hope Delphy will figure out a way to do this.

We wouldn't have to redo our creations, just convert them. I know Inge is looking into a solution for that. I'm kinda agreeing with you here, though it would be good if a solution was found for the .packages too. If we want to use that format for mods, then the solution still has to be found. This is a lot of work for people like Inge, Peter and Delphy and I think I would have given up by now if I were them. We are lucky to have these people working for us.

I do suspect, however, that custom content will continue to be an issue with this game no matter what format we use

My language is not so good but why not create a converter like TSR workshop but a litle bit easyer something like the Clean Installer or so ,so people can convert what they like and they who don't have WA can stay using packages .I like to use packages because that launcher is a litle bit weirdo and the best stuff are packages but the way like I must play now is not so pretty so i have banned my mods map .

I believe Mods are fine as they are as they need to be loaded like core files anyway, and most people won't have many anyway.

As for CC I think a converter would be great, so that all the creators can move their creations over to the Sims3Pack format.

I suspect though that it is not any easy thing to write.

you are of course right, Peter, Inge, et all deserve a VERY big Thank You from us all for their hardwork!

I agree that this will take awhile and that we're lucky to have some hardworking developers on our team.

That being the case, I'd like to offer myself up for QA testing and tech writing. I'm no developer, but before the economy went bust, I was a tech writer for a software company. I'm more than happy to test scenarios, write the user manual, keep the release notes up-to-date, etc. We, as a community, are asking a big favor of these folks. I think it's only fair that I offer to chip in and do my part.

It doesn't make sense that .package files specifically would be the problem. The game uses .package format itself - what the launcher does is stuff all of the .package files that are contained within sims3packs (because the sims3pack is just a wrapper - just a bit of cellophane that has a label on it, that's it) and stuff them all together in one big uber-package. So it's not the format that's the problem, and while I guess it's -possible- the game slows down like mad at having to open tons of little files rather than one big one, it wouldn't account for lag when actually in-game which seems to be a lot of the issue people are having...

I'm running with about 475 mb of package files on top of whatever amount of Store content I have as .sims3pack and my game runs fine. If it was something fundamental in the way the game works, it would make sense that it would happen that way for everyone. More likely, it seems like it would be -specific- pieces of custom content since for some people (like me, and many others) it's loading fine. I think this needs more investigation in a very methodical way - hence I'm going to go ahead and move this to Game Help where I think we can investigate further.

Just thought I'd put my two cents in here (even if you probably don't need another story).
I had TREMENDOUS lagging problems after installing WA. It was totally unplayable.
After a breakdown I tried moving everything (around 1gb of CC + resource file) to the Packages folder in the WA directory instead of just TS3. And... voilá! NO Problems whatsoever. My loading times and game speed are back to what they were before WA and i can use all my CC. Although, I did remove my hacks. I don't know if they were the problem (no core mods, just the slider hacks and nomosaic) but I'd rather not try putting them in again, I'm just glad I can use CC again.

So I hope everyone tried that simple solution, just moving the folder.

EDIT: Oh forgot to mention - my skin/eye default replacements are working too!

Something Echo wrote in the help forum has kinda put this in my head. I've also been thinking about the cache files formats, but hasn't been able to see the co-relation until the new EP came out.

When you install sims3Packs, they are all lumped into dccache.
When you install Riverview, objects used gets transferred (in a sense) to Riverview_*.package in Worldcache.
And then there's the thumbnails cache of objects you've viewed or placed in the town. All of these are in each player's docs path, while .package files are treated as core files by the game, which is why it needs to be in the Program Files path.

So, the hypothesis here is that, instead of using Sims3Packs, can we create a caching system for .package cc? Like most, I'm thinking that the cache helps in the dynamic loading of objects only when it is accessed (thus allowing for the seamless n'hood?), while .package files are accessed at loading time and subsequent disk read/writes(thus causing lags?).

I don't know the internal workings of disk access and program calls or ever mod for TS2/TS3...so I could be barking up the wrong tree?

I just fixed my game. I got a new gaphics card and it didn't work. I had a backup of a fresh installed game so I renamed EA my docs and ea program files, then used the old back up and just copied the WA folder over. Game ran like a bomb, fast load and high graphics gameplay. I'm copying over the mydocs files two at a time, mostly just exported lots and running the game in between, I'll keep doing this till I have everything from my docs copied over, then do the same with program files. As soon as I hit a snag I'll know what the culprit was.

I know this won't help everyone but it might help some with the same issues as me.

Where to have you sent this email of yours? I could send another one, just to make clear to EA that there are more people noticing and complaining about this CC/WA slowdown issue.

If they do answer - I just emailed EA once (in good old TS2 times), never got an answer back - please let us now.

i think the same thing least so far in a way even on a different thread i made few days ago i said i thought it could have something to do with the rescouce .cfg

Over at customsims3forums they seem to be grabbing this by the horns, so we should give them as much support as we can (which does not mean posting "my game is lagging too. I removed all cc blah blah") so we will have to find a workaround till the community sifts through all the wreckage this has caused.

I also was having the problem of severe lag, and choppy, jerky game. No way could I play it.
"This happened in TS3 after installing the 1.6.6. patch".

I thought maybe it was because I didn't have WA.
Went out and bought it, installed it, and the patch 2.2.8.
When I installed it, of course, I removed my mod folder, all hacks etc... etc....

I have Vista, and my computer is:

IntelRCore 7CPU 920 @2.67 GHZ, 2.67 GHZ
Memory, 12278 MB
64 Bit Operating System
Video Card ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 (Updated all my drivers Nov.23/09)
1 Terabyte Hard Drive, of which 500 GB free

Opened it up played, everything was great. I downloaded the Rick's framework again,and installed the resource, .dll..... etc in the WA folder. Then put in my c.c. which I had no problem with TS3 before patch 1.6.6.

Its been hell for 3 days..... nothing worked, and continued to have the long loading and extremely choppy play,jerky etc...etc.

I then thought, well I have tons of Sims3pack content, and the game runs great, and that is all in a lump with no sub-folders.

So I took the c.c. in my mod folder and took it all out of the sub-folders and put it in the
WA/MOD/packages, WITHOUT any sub-folders.

So now in WA/Mod/packages folder, has about 1.13 GB, 1367 files in it and NO sub-folders. Yes, I have the resource cfg with the packages /*/*/* etc.....

I have in it now, all Peggy's stuff, SimNational stuff, SimLulaumi stuff, Marketplatz stuff, SimsTrastos, Newsea Hairs, MTS stuff,Exotic Elements, Simiversity, Games & Tools, Melissa's stuff, Sky sims, ATS, All about Style and some other c.c.
NRaas mods. I also have the booter and limiter and NRaas no cd.

Where before when I only put in the the WA/MOD/ packages... 3 or 4 sub-folders with a few items in it.....this still caused me huge lag times etc...etc...

So now for me, putting my c.c. in the WA/MOD/package folder in one lump and "N O" sub-folders. My game, so far, works good now, like night and day.

Hoping this helps someone.

No, it's not a preoblem with specific files and I can tell you why. I've tried loading the game with ALL the CC created by one of the creator (I don't remember who, but it doesn't matter). The game runs fine. Then I removed that CC and put other CC by another creator. The game was fine. So I've tried putting the CC of the first creator and the CC of the second one. The game lagged a lot. The problem is about the size of the Package folder, nothing more!

Out of curiosity what is the problem with using Sims3Pack files that makes everyone try to avoid using them so much?

There is a new tool to manage them over at TSR http://www.thesimsresource.com/prog...y/sims3/id/115/ that looks very promising:



It features filters to make finding and (un)installing much easier.

The only downside is it's a Java app.

TickleOnTheTum, to be honest, it's simply that sims3packs offer no evident benefit over package files (they're even stored in the same format eventually, and thus will load the same - as HP stated).
Plus, they're extra hassle to install; they require the use of either the launcher which isn't entirely reliable, or third party tools which, again, just overcomplicate matters; they get packaged with lots and sims and while we don't have the tools to scan lots and sims for content, this leads to the "viral downloads" issue ala Alienware PCs in TS2.

There is also, as far as I know, no tool which allows you to easily name your installed sims3pack content with the creator's monicker - an issue which is very important to lot creators, sim creators, and those who upload CAS stuff here. There have also been occasional examples of people being unable to uninstall previously installed sims3packs which have been installed with lots or sims.

To be honest, would there be any point in putting ourselves through all this extra aggro for no actual benefit?

Personally, I don't have nothing against .sims3pack, but some CC you can find only in .package...But above all that, MTS has no reason more to exist if we can't use .package, since all the CC here has been created with this extension and will be created like this. And personally, I love MTS and all the CC that creators upload here and I want to be able to use all of them and not to look out of what am I downloading or if my Packages folder can afford that item! I want ot be able to build a house choosing among several files, I want to create a Sim choosing among several hairstyles, make up, clothings, etc.!!!
(Sorry for my English)
Edit:
No, she didn't say that, on the contrary she said
As Claeric said the game seems to endless loading all of the .package we put inside. Making a big .package would let the game loading only one file instead of 100/200/300

My experience is this...I have hair packages in the mods file because they were not sims3packs. I have almost EVERY DOWNLOAD that isn't a lot from TSR that was a sims3pack, which equals about 2000 objects, etc., and the game runs great.

When I first installed WA I had ALL of my extras as package files. It took an HOUR to load the game (no kidding) and once in the game it stuttered like crazy. Just having 2 gigs of hair packages has made a huge difference. I have several gigs of sims3packs loaded and my game is super quick, WA works fabulously and even things that didn't work before WA are working again.

My final opinion - I think sims3packs are basically a necessity now.

Couldn't replicate that with a gig.

Probably was mentioned already but, before WA, with 3 gigs of CC, game ran fine (my PC is well over the recommended). With WA, it lags like crazy, so I removed the mods folder and ran WA. It ran fine, the only CC that worked was store bought or sims3packs of CC I've downloaded (like Liana's stuff). They all work, lag free. So if we can find a way to turn .packages into sims3packs and then install them, then CC will work just fine. What sucks is the inability to organize, which is really important to a lot of CC users (especially hacks).

Interesting. I must locate this thread. What progress have they made? I want to know where the community is on this.

The problematic CC has to be actually placed in a house to cause "blue lotting". So CC sitting in your Mods folder that you have not used yet could be a Blue bomb in waiting. It does seem to be objects cloned from particular EA objects.
It affects the game from Patch 1.6/1.7 and/or WA.

There are excellent threads here:

Verified "bad" CC that borks town
http://www.customsims3.com/forum1/Y...um=1258836562/0

"Good" CC that does NOT blue lot
http://www.customsims3.com/forum1/Y...?num=1258836766

CC Hair and WA
http://www.customsims3.com/forum1/Y...?num=1258936574

I also wonder if having the problematic cloned .package files just sitting in your Mods folder could be a cause of the game to lag as it tries to make sense of a conflicting file.

I also suspect insufficient RAM. I am using over 2GB in RAM (without WA) now I have decorated my lots to the "nines".

How in the WORLD is preventing constant lag and hour long loading times "no actual benefit"?

I believe there's a linked post earlier in the thread where you told someone, matter-o-factly, that CC doesn't cause lag and you had absolutely zero backing to this. You obviously think this still(despite lots of people's efforts and aggrivations proving otherwise), and you really don't seem to understand the situation(since you claim that stopping hour long load times and constant in-game lag is "no actual benefit), so why do you keep commenting as if you're helping?

Quoting Regina (Admin, customsims3forums)
"The tool programmers and modders are working on figuring out how to make everything work as it did before"

She stopped short of saying who was doing what though, probably to stop us camping outside that particular modders door.
Can't blame her for that.
So yeah, progress is happening. But thats all we know right now.

You seem to be on a crusade for the community to use Sim3pack as standard, let me remind you we are only in this mess because EA decided to shut down 3rd part custom creation by making it digital signed.

Oh yes, that is how much they like user creations ...

And another thing even IF Mod The Sims adapt Sims3pack format nothing says the rest of the community will, so your crusade is rather pointless.

Also your case is based on circumstantial evidence, we have no idea to why it lags and finding why is more important that dropping every effort and apply a band-aid solution that is the Launcher (NOT Sims3pack).

Also my performance suffer but I am more willing to be its caused by fact the game is now rendering objects that are inside rooms with windows in ALL lots that is what WA and the patch have done (now were are priorities, sims teleporting into cars/bikes that thenselves are teleported into street is less of a visual issue that showing the furniture on the window)