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Space Pony
Original Poster
#1 Old 13th May 2020 at 11:40 PM
Default Steam/ discs and patch 1.69
Hi y'all,
So I'm tired of having to use the launcher and login to origin to play the game. I have all expansion packs, that I'm interested in, plus base game in disk form. The base game is from when the game first came out.
Anyway, I got town life for free, and I can't seem to find it in physical form from a reputable site. I'm thinking of buying it from Steam. But I have a few questions.

Would this bypass the 1.69 patch?
How would create a world be handled?
Since town life is the only sims game I have on steam, would I still have to launch steam in order to play? Even though my most up to date ep is island living,

Thanks for the help!
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Mad Poster
#2 Old 14th May 2020 at 1:03 AM
On the Steam platform, you must purchase/own the Steam version of the base game in order to obtain any Expansion or Stuff Packs. If you wish to install on Steam, you will need to repurchase everything as Steam versions. You can't go from disc/Origin to Steam without all of the repurchases nor can you mix them together. Steam delivers Patch 1.67 only, not 1.69, and after the first run to authenticate the game it can be started up without the Steam client or the Launcher running first.

Going in the other direction, if you purchase on Steam they do throw in Origin codes at no extra charge and those can be added to an existing Origin/disc install. But as soon as you do that for even one Expansion/Stuff Pack, you will be back on an Origin controlled game and Patch 1.69 with no way around it.
Space Pony
Original Poster
#3 Old 14th May 2020 at 1:42 AM
Well that's disappointing that I can't just install the disc versions of what I have and buy the steam versions of what I don't.
In retrospect it makes sense.
Glad I checked though! Thanks for the response, Igazor
What would happen if I used add game under steam?
Mad Poster
#4 Old 14th May 2020 at 2:01 AM
Not much. I mean, that would allow you to run the install you have now using the Steam interface/overlay, but it would still be the same disc install and not a Steam one and it would still not accept a Steam platform pack.

If it is really utterly impossible to obtain Town Life in disc form, and you may be right as that one having become difficult to find does sound familiar, then you have two choices. Install it by way of Origin and accept an Origin controlled game with Patch 1.69 all over again or repurchase everything (including Town Life) on Steam, uninstall, clean registry, and install the Steam version of the game and all of its packs instead.

That latter choice would be really expensive at regular prices, but like many others I switched over from Origin to Steam myself to get away from Patch 1.69 a couple of years ago during one of Steam's deep discount sales at 80% off or something like that and the whole thing cost me less than $100 (USD). They run these sales a few times a year, sometimes as a surprise but the next expected one would be the usual summer sale towards the end of June.
Space Pony
Original Poster
#5 Old 14th May 2020 at 2:08 AM
I was thinking of just waiting for the summer sale. Nice to know you and others have done it before.
Does the game get installed like normal, or is it under steamapps? Hoping if I go the steam route transfering my saves/ mods ect is as painless as possible.
Shame about the disks I currently have. Especially since my sister bought the disk form of supernatural, for me for Christmas.
Mad Poster
#6 Old 14th May 2020 at 2:19 AM
The Steam version gets installed under steamapps, but it runs exactly like any other Patch 1.67 game because the game files are identical except for the internal build number. This is why the two platforms cannot be mixed together, they each require a base game install in totally different places and with different kinds of registry keys. If your disc install is working well though and you aren't tied to Origin currently, this may be a lot of effort to go through just to chase down a Stuff Pack.

Changing over was easy, I pulled out my TS3 user game folder from Documents entirely first to protect it, then put it back in after testing the Steam install on a clean game folder and downgrading my Core Mods (there aren't many of this type, only six in popular usage) to their 1.67 versions. The one painful part was having to redownload and redo the Launcher install on all of my store content because even though my TS3 store account didn't change, the platform switch requires this. On the positive side, we get 1,000 store points for each of the base game and WA once the Steam versions are registered at the TS3 store as those offers are still being honored for new registrations.
Space Pony
Original Poster
#7 Old 14th May 2020 at 3:43 AM Last edited by ruffdog24 : 14th May 2020 at 4:21 AM.
Oh that makes sense now! See if it weren't for that one stuff pack I'd be origin free. Since all of my other expansion and stuff packs are on disks. If I could just talk myself out of town life I'd be set.

Recently I've been installing my games via origin for the convenience of just install and forget about it. Particularly after factory resets.

Good to know that changing over is easy. Minus store content.
I've installed my skyrim mods (150) only to accidentally delete them all. Immediately after, forcing me to have to go and redownload and install them.
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