Three important things to keep in mind when you want to upgrade to play a new game:

- Memory: Make sure you have plenty of memory to run the game with. Most machines nowadays run at least 1 to 4 GB of RAM. If your machine can be upgraded to handle at least 1 GB, then you can probably play Sims 3 with a few performance tweaks to make the game run more smoother.

- Hard Drive space: Make sure you have at least 5 to 10 GB of free space on your hard drive for the paging file system or virtual memory usage since the machine uses the virtual memory or paging file system to run the game with. It's sort of an extra amount of memory on top of the actual memory you have.

- Video Card: If your machine can pass the test for Sims 3 but feels weak  because of the video card, maybe it is time to go out and plunk down about $50 USD for a decent video card. Both nVidia and Radeon cards are equally good with a few differences in the tools used with the video cards to improve the quality and performance of the video cards. Get a video card with at least 512 MB onboard memory if you're tight on cash.


Now is about the right time to do major maintenance on your machine in preparation for Sims 3. Few things you can do to clean up your machine and tweak it for top performance:

- Clean up the registry with a program that you can use easily to clean out the registry and clean up the junk files, browser cache and old temporary internet files.

One of the programs I use is called CCleaner, which is a free program found on cnet.com to clean up the registry, cookies, history, junk files, cache and temporary internet files.

Use google to search for registry cleaning programs and find one you like to use.

- Defrag your hard drive. Time spent defragging the hard drive is time well worth for ease of installation and ease of use of efficient hard drive space. For those of you not familiar with computer terms, defragging means basically rearranging your hard drive for better use and more space essentially.

- Uninstall any old programs you don't use anymore. This frees up a lot of space on your hard drive for more virtual memory or paging file system to be used efficiently.

- Run your anti-virus program for anything lurking about on your machine. You don't want nasty surprises while you install Sims 3, do you?

- Update your Windows version, video and sound drivers.

- Back up anything important that you want to save. Nothing is as nasty as finding out your machine has a corruption somewhere on the hard drive and forcing you to reinstall Windows.

Those are, at minimum, the things you can do to ensure that you and your machine are ready for Sims 3. I understand that the game will be a memory hog and probably a space hog as well. So be really prepared to do a lot of work if you want to play Sims 3 with minimal problems.

PM me if you have other suggestions you want to see here to help improve performance or prepare the machine for Sims 3.

This mod prevents sims from autonomously turning off the TV.

No EP Required.

NeverTurnOffTV - Prevents the TV from being turned off!

Both mods should prevent butlers or nannies from turning the TV off.

Provide feedback for Mr Squinge if you can. These mods are still experimental!

NOTE: Uploaded for Mr Squinge at his request. All credit goes to him and please offer greasy chicken or beer to him as thanks instead.

This mod allows sims to gain creativity skill while writing in their diary.

Requires Bon Voyage.

NOT backwards compatible with previous EPs. If you want a mod like this one for previous EPs, make a request in Squinge's Mod Request section please.

Compatible with Mac version of Bon Voyage unless noted.

Uploaded for Mr. Squinge at his request.

Please, for the love of all things good, read the rules available for the Mod Requests section.

Or your requests will not be honored (and either locked or deleted) until you adhere to the rules listing all and any information that will help with your mod requests in the future.

We do not possess telepathic or psychic abilities to read your thoughts or minds to learn what your latest expansion packs or stuff packs are.

Are your Sims dreaming of becoming DJs, but they're too hip to spin their tunes for less money?

No more lousy wages!! They can make more money than any rapper! More than any singer! More money than ever!

Your musically-inclined Sims can now spin cool tunes as DJs for a lot of simoleans.

Mod Description:

Both mods modify the money earned by a Sim working the DJ booth. The monetary values are based on the Sim's Creativity skill - low, med or high. They get paid about 3 times per Sim hour, give or take. How many times they get paid is not the same as the wages paid out to cafeteria workers or bartenders.

Payout:

Low Skill: $50 (up to about 4 skill points)
Med Skill: $75 (about 4 to 7 skill points)
High Skill: $100 (about 7 skill points or higher)

Tip:

If your Sim gets the 4th or 7th skill point while working the DJ booth, have him or her stop working the DJ booth and start up again to start earning money at the next wage level or go to a different lot with either DJ booth to start making money at the next wage level too.


The NL version uses the black DJ booth often seen at community lots such as Crypt O' Nightclub, Midnight Flows and so on.

The FT version uses the blue-and-orange DJ booth often seen at the secret hobby lot for Sims with music as their hobbies.

Nightlife and/or FreeTime is required to use each mod. In other words, if you have Nightlife as your latest EP, use the NL mod. If you have FreeTime as your latest EP, use the FT mod. If you have both EPs, you can use both mods at the same time.

Do not upload anywhere.

As per request by diesel2370, I built a reasonably large mansion with the basic amnesties for rich or large families to accommodate their needs and wants.

Can't have enough bathrooms, bedrooms and closets for your Sims!

10 Sunset Boulevard:

The exterior and interior walls were bathed in soft and bright stucco colors with a swirl concrete finish to part of the lot with the burnished stone and brick layout for the driveway to achieve that breezy desert look. The floors inside the mansion are done with a polished wood look except for the bathrooms which were done with a tiled Moroccan theme to have that bright and airy feel.

#1,4,9,11 and 15 - 4 Bedrooms - One large Master Suite with individual walk-in closet rooms for the man and the woman
#3,5,12,13 and more - 7 Bathrooms - One private Master bathroom attached only to the Master Suite with a built-in hot tub
#7+8 and more - about 9 Closets - All walk-in closets
#19 - Media Room
#17 - Foyer with elevator and company area facing the fireplace
#18 - Dining Room
#20 - Kitchen and Family Den - open space for family activities
#2 - Pool Room - Ideal for company and parties
#10 - Spare room - Ideal for either office or workshop
#16 - Library
#21 - 3-car Garage with exit to the side of the house and entrance into the kitchen
#14 - Elevator For 1st and 2nd Floors

Outdoor Swimming Pool

Not included:

Sims, vehicles, furniture, decorations, pets

Included:

Basic Maxis Fire and Burglar Alarms, Telephone in Kitchen, Lighting, Hot Tub, Closets

Total Lot Cost: About $230,000 to $240,000

Must have ALL of the Expansion Packs up to and including Apartment Life. No Stuff Packs were used for building or decorating outside.


Links and Policies:

Recommended to get for full effect and enjoyment of the lot:

You will find that the windows in the mansion were done by MaryLou, and if you don't have her windows, the windows will either appear as flashing blue objects or as Maxis objects however she did them. Here is the direct shopping list:

Expansion Set - Doors and Arches
Expansion Set - Part I
Expansion Set - Part II
Expansion Set - Part III

MaryLou's Policy

*I did not include any of her meshes and/or recolors for the windows, doors and arches to cover my arse, but I provided a link to her policy for full disclosure.

The driveway was beneath the invisible driveway mod done by roddyaleixo.

Some Lafenetre Window Expansion Set windows were done by tbudgett.

His profile and policy are there for full disclosure.


Screenshots:


Packaged with Clean Installer and then with Izarc. Use a program to unzip/unrar the packaged lot and then use Clean Installer to install the lot.

Did your Sim dream of making extra money moonlighting as a bartender? But the pay was so lousy your Sim wouldn't touch a bar with a 10-foot stick and shudder at the thought of earning 80 bucks an hour?

Dream no more, put that 10-foot stick away and stop shuddering! Your Sim can now moonlight as a bartender and make decent money!

Modding Info:

The modification was made to increase the amount of money a Sim earns working as a bartender.

Maxis Formula:

12 Minutes Per Unit (MPU)
16 Simoleans Per Unit (SPU)

60 Minutes / 12 MPU = 5 Units
16 * 5 Units = 80 Simoleans (Per Hour)


Chaavik Formula:

12 Minutes Per Unit (MPU)
40 Simoleans Per Unit (SPU)

60 Minutes / 12 MPU = 5 Units
40 * 5 Units = 200 Simoleans (Per Hour)


If your Sim works as a bartender for 5 hours, your Sim will earn roughly about $1000.


NEW NOTE (5-17-09):

The new package, Better Bartender Duty Wages, contains all of the BCONs for every EP the new bartender counter came out with. So if you only have one or all EPs, you can still use the newly repackaged mod no matter what EP you have. The game will ignore other BCONs for the EPs you don't have.

Refer to TwoJeffs' Stuff Packs For Dummies Guide to find the appropriate version to download.

NOTE: There were no new bars from the stuff packs.

Are your college students saddled with electrical, phone, tuition, classbook and dorm bills? So much your college student's practically slaving over the hot stove in the cafeteria to cook lousy food and earn meager wages to pay off those bills that just keep coming every Tuesday and Thursday?

Or are they too lazy to drag themselves off to their lousy jobs or do they have hot dates across town with a need to make quick cash before going out? Then the hot stove is right there to make a quick simolean!

Want a little stash of cash for your Sims to burn on silly things like cars (like they can find parking spots at the dorms), sculptures and other junk as well as spring breaks? Look no further than the hot stove in the cafeteria where your Sims can now make decent money cooking lousy cafeteria food!

Modification Info:

The mod increases the amount of money the Sim earns at the stove from $10 to $40 per 12 minutes, and in 5 hours, the Sim will earn $1000 in total cash with little effort.

Math Formula (Maxis):

Take into account that the Sim gets paid 5 times per hour (5 periods), and the wages was $10 per period.

60 Sim minutes / 12 minutes = 5 periods * $10 = $50
5 hours * $50 = $250 net cash


Math Formula (Chaavik):

Take into account that the Sim gets paid 5 times per hour (5 periods), and the wages was $40 per period.

60 Sim minutes / 12 minutes = 5 periods * $40 = $200
5 hours * $200 = $1000 net cash


Better Cafeteria Wages - University is compatible with the following mods by:

Ancient Highway:

College Isn't Free series

*This mod will also help reinforce your Sims' ability to earn extra cash outside their jobs in the dorms.*

Squinge:

Mega College Pack - AL
Mega College Pack - FT

Requirements:

University IS required! Works with any EP/SP.

This mod curbs the behavior of both toddlers and children from asking teens and older to be read to. Does not nuke the "Ask To Be Read To" interaction.

The mod does NOT require any EP or SP.

Do not upload anywhere.

**NOTE**

This is a separate mod from Squinge's original mod that has two interactions: No Autonomous Diary and No Autonomous Ask To Be Read To.

This mod only nukes the autonomous behavior of both toddlers and children from going to an older Sim (teen and up) to ask to be read to. Does not nuke any interaction with any diary and other book interactions.

It is a personal choice for those who don't mind Sims writing diaries on their own or read books by themselves on their own, and for those who prefer most autonomous interactions but a few.

Are your toddlers demanding for attention from your parents? Are they asking for attention so much you want to tell these kids to go find something else to do?

This mod curbs the behavior of toddlers from asking their parents or other older Sims (teens and up) for attention constantly despite their motives being fully green or not. Does not nuke the "Ask For Attention" interaction between the toddler and older Sims.

Do not upload anywhere.

Does NOT require any EP to use the mod.

This mod allows you to throw any party at any time on any lot. I also enabled golden anniversary for adults & I enabled throw party for children.
 
Only download one version.
CommunityLotParties-FT.zip(FreeTime)
CommunityLotParties-AL.zip(Apartment Life)

CAUTION: These mods are considered as BETA, meaning they are as is for the time being until we get reports back from people using either version for FT or AL.

Keep in mind that the mod(s) may or may not be compatible with Pescado's, TJ's or anyone else's Visitor Controller mods. If you see BV people (tour guides, massage folks or the like) visiting these community lots, then don't be alarmed. This issue was already addressed before Squinge took his sabbath.

Please let us know if either mod is compatible or not with the Visitor Controller mods. Also, let us know if the AL version works with Mansion&Garden.

Thanks in advance for your help and feedback.

Don't thank me. Thank Squinge for his work and please offer him chicken, chicken grease and beer as tokens of appreciation.

This mod boosts the Fun and Social motives of the teen going out. Go Out is the same as Sneak Out, but the teen has the parent's permission to go out. This outing lasts about 4 hours, and by then, the teen should have a significant boost to both Fun and Social motives.

No EP is required.

If you have any problem with this mod, please address the issue in Mod Help section and not here. Thank you!

The pack, Mansion & Garden Stuff Pack, is itself not a stuff pack but a mini expansion pack that requires you to use the CD/DVD to start up the game if you bought the CD/DVD from a physical store or end up loading Mansion & Garden by icon if you download digitally.

New mods for Mansion & Garden will be placed in the EP8 Section - Apartment Life, BUT keep in mind that the new mods will NOT be compatible with Apartment Life unless noted.

This mod curbs the autonomous behavior of Sims stopping to smell the flowers constantly. Does not nuke the interaction to smell when directed to do so on the plants and flowers.


Mansion & Garden only. Not backwards compatible with previous EPs and SPs.

If you bought Mansion & Garden Stuff Pack recently and discovered that some mods aren't working correctly with this new stuff pack, you will want to read to find out what to expect and what to do.

The information is from a post Twojeff wrote at his site:


Generally install the version of a mod compatible with the highest Expansion Pack you have installed. The Stuff Packs throw a slight monkey wrench in the works though. If you have a Stuff Pack installed that was released after your highest Expansion Pack you might need a different mod version...

Here's a list of the order the Expansions came out and then the SPs and which EP they are based on. For the Stuff Packs, you need to use mods for the EP in parenthesis unless you have a higher EP than that installed.

Expansions
University
Nightlife
Open for Business
Pets
Seasons
Bon Voyage
Free Time
Apartment Life

Stuff-It Packs
Family Fun Stuff (OFB)
Glamour Life Stuff (OFB)
Celebration Stuff (OFB)
H&M (OFB)
Teen Style Stuff (Pets)
Kitchen & Bath Stuff (Pets)
Ikea Home Stuff (Pets)
Mansion & Garden Stuff (Apt Life)

So...if you have the Pets or any higher EPs, no SPs except M&G Stuff will affect your mods since they are all based on OFB or Pets. If you only have Nightlife (or Deluxe or whatever) and you add Ikea, you'd then need to use Pets versions of mods instead of Nightlife versions. Get it? Good.


In other words, if you have FreeTime installed (and no Apartment Life) and then buy Mansion & Garden Stuff Pack to install, you will end up having to download the EP8/AL mods and give up EP7/FT mods in order to have what you want with your game.

If you think there is an issue with a mod not working properly with Mansion & Garden Stuff Pack, please open an issue thread in the Mod Help section so we could verify and address the issue.