Insimenator.org

I start the Sims 3, I choose city and then it loads for about 20 minutes...
What should I do?

Mine does too, It is probably loading new cc that wasn't there before? Mine is way faster when I haven't downloaded since the last time.

:/

Same here, only less than twenty minutes. The length seems to be proportional to the size of the save. It takes around twelve minutes for a 110MB town with three world-based vacation properties. Then about six minutes for a large family, 40MB or so in size, and the standard four minutes for every other town I play.

When loading a town, the progress bar gets stuck at the very beginning and stays there hogging CPU for roughly nine minutes. Process Monitor shows the game to call open and then close the JazzData.package, which is when it stalls while using 99% of CPU. After some nine minutes pass, the game starts reading .package files again and loading up RAM, which is the normal or at least the expected behaviour. I also noticed the same pause occurs when loading a vacation land. The game opens and closes UI.package and stalls, doing nothing but extreme computing processes for a while before loading the rest.

Most often lenghty loading times can be attributed to bad custom content .package files, however the behaviour is different in that it would stall while performing disk activity and would show the game executable to be reading this bad .package thousands of times, thus creating the slow load.

Could be a problem with your system specs as well. Having a computer that's at, or beneath, the minimum requirements can cause dramatically longer load times. Since you didn't really give us any details, we can't give you much help.

What are your system specs?
Do you have any EPs?
How much CC are you running? 

...you get the idea.

As for specifications and game set-up, it's a full TS3, World Adventures, Hi-End Loft and Ambitions game in a notebook with Core Duo T7500 2.2GHz, 4GB RAM, NVidia 8600M GT (512MB), WinXP Pro 32bit. I know I should install the 64bit version of the operative system but I still fear equipment/driver incompatibilities. Regarding custom content, the game is loaded with Awesomemod and Nraas Master Controller, ten extra body sliders, two vehicles, a pair of window collections from MTS and realistic skins. The Mods folder totals 59 objects including the mods, at around 120MB in size.

The delays were incremental as the town grew older and the family lot larger/more cluttered, which is why I didn't think much of it, but then again I haven't found more people experiencing the same issue except when it's an obvious mod/package problem, so when finally reading about someone having something similar I decided to put this forth.

I have NO IDEA what the problem is. Im using Windows 7. Sims3pack files works fine...but when I put a .package file in Documents>Electronic Arts>Mods>Package it runs so goddamn slow....I have the second latest version of Sims3 and I have Ambitions and World Adventures...I really really want to use mods though...its just not the same without them.

Illuminati, you've solved your problem already. If removing the .package file makes the game run normal, then it's that .package that's causing an incompatibility. Lucky you, 'cause I still can't find out if my game is uniquely doomed or if it's normal for this to happen in low-end equipment.

No thats not the problem. The problem is that I can't have any .package files at all!

Have you tried deleting the cache files?

I only have up to World Adventures and my game loads up in a few minutes. I have some Custom Content. About 500MB worth. No Mods or Sliders. Just Sims 3 packs and package files.

Did you double check to see if your Resource.cong file is right? I know when a ne EP/SP comes out, it changes.

I tried deleting the cache files. Doesn't work.

Hm..I downlaoded my resource file from MTS2, in some tutorial(I think its called "Old way to the new way")..so I have no idea.

If the problem is bad cc, then I'd download Delphy's Dashboard over at MTS. It helped me a lot, when my game took forever to load. Or you could also try combining your .package files. If none of that works you should check if you have your .packages in correct placement. --> http://www.simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Installing_Sims_3_Package_Files (http://www.simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Installing_Sims_3_Package_Files)

I hope I helped.  :-\

*sigh*
I've already tried all that...it doesn't work. I have no idea what Im doing wrong.

Did you over-write that one .dll file?

o.O What .dll file?...

bump

Illuminati, make sure you have the Mods folder placed in the right path, because your previous post is missing a folder in the middle. You wrote "Documents>Electronic Arts>Mods>Package". Instead, it should be located at:
  ...\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Mods

The folder containing your .package files should have this path:
  ...\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Mods\Packages

Mind that it should be named Packages, in plural, unlike your previous structure which is singular unless you change the Resource.cfg file.

The Resource.cfg file can be customized for sub-folder structures, simply for the user's neatness. Mine is as follows:
Priority 500
PackedFile Packages/*.package
PackedFile Packages/*/*.package
PackedFile Packages/*/*/*.package
PackedFile Packages/*/*/*/*.package
PackedFile Packages/*/*/*/*/*.package

I would respectfully suggest that you read about the procedure for activating custom content in the TS3 game again, because you seem to be confused.

I actually wrote that wrong.
It's placed in >Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Mods\Packages
Sorry for that..
I have no idea about the .dll file..
My version of the game is 4.0.87.006001 and the Resource is following:

Priority 501
DirectoryFiles Files/... autoupdate
Priority 500
PackedFile Packages/*.package
PackedFile Packages/*/*.package
PackedFile Packages/*/*/*.package
PackedFile Packages/*/*/*/*.package
PackedFile Packages/*/*/*/*/*.package
Priority 499
PackedFile Test/*.package
PackedFile Test/*/*.package
PackedFile Test/*/*/*.package
PackedFile Test/*/*/*/*.package
PackedFile Test/*/*/*/*/*.package
Priority -50
PackedFile Probation/*.package
PackedFile Probation/*/*.package
PackedFile Probation/*/*/*.package
PackedFile Probation/*/*/*/*.package
PackedFile Probation/*/*/*/*/*.package
Priority 500
PackedFile DCCache/*.dbc

To make sure your packages are properly installed use this:  Framework Installer Tool (http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=384014)   from MTS2.

I had confused this with the helper monkey (which hasn't been updated for any EPs).  This is not that.

This a framework installer updated to Ambitions.  To make this clear: It does not install CC for you but it makes sure all the necessary folders needed to use CC/mods are installed i.e. set up properly.  It is simple and easy to use and answers to what folders, cfg, or .dll files are missing or not placed properly are quite easy to understand.

I had been unable to get my (base-Ambitions) games to run properly and this pointed out the error (missing file).



If you still have issues after that it may be cache files or file bloat as you suspected.  You could check MATY for threads related to your issue. I had an identical problem ages ago but can not remember exactly what thread gave me the answer. Also awesomemod resolved most of the game lag.  

Be sure to do a solid thread search over there before asking for help. It will take some legwork but I'm sure you'll find the solution to your issue somewhere in there.  Just a suggestion.

I'm a bit late to the party, but please refrain from bumping your posts, OK?

Sorry for bumping.