Sims/Actions getting stuck

[greyblueeyedgrl]

I've been having issues with actions being delayed or getting stuck.  At first changing the game speed would unstick the current action but even that isn't working anymore.  After reading through the forum I tried removing all mods, moving "The Sims 4" folder to my desktop and starting a new save, repairing the game, lowering the graphics settings (they are now set to low), uninstalling/reinstalling, disabling origin in-game, and setting the game to offline mode.  The issue has only gotten worse.  I'm getting so frustrated, please let me know what I can do to fix this.  Below are my computer specs:

• Operating System (Version) - macOS Catalina (10.15.6)
  
• Mac model - MacBook Air
  
• Processor - Dual-Core Intel Core i5 1.6GHz
  
• Memory (RAM) - 16 GB
  
• Graphics - Intel UHD Graphics 617
  
• Are you attempting to play the normal version of the game or the Legacy Edition? Normal
  
• Are you running any antivirus? Sophos
  
• Have you tried to repair the game in Origin? Right click on the game in My Games and select Repair Game. Yes
  
• Do you use CC/Mods? If so, have you tried removing them and seeing if that fixes your problem? I don't use CC, mods have all been removed
  

[Bluebellflora]

@greyblueeyedgrl

There are several bug reports of severe lag - https://answers.ea.com/t5/Bug-Reports/READ-FIRST-Compiled-list-of-reported-Issues/m-p/6374094#Lags3

It can also be down to low spec. hardware which MacBook Airs are. Have you tried disabling your antivirus to see if it helps?

[greyblueeyedgrl]

I thought it could be low spec which is why I lowered the graphics settings, but I have been playing on this computer for over a year on high graphics settings without a problem until recently.  Also, after resetting everything and playing the new save for a bit I noticed that everything worked fine for a few minutes and then suddenly the sims will get fully stuck and I can't get them to do anything so this really seems like something other than a spec issue.  I will try disabling the antivirus and see if that helps.

[greyblueeyedgrl]

Disabling the antivirus didn't help.  Everything was fine for about 30min and then all sims got stuck.

[greyblueeyedgrl]

Now it's happening after just a couple minutes

[Bluebellflora]

@greyblueeyedgrl

It could be a spec. issue. Each patch and pack adds more to the game which eventually will simply be too much for the CPU and integrated graphics in the Mac. It could also be an app or process running in the background on your Mac causing the issue. Even an OS update could be the culprit.

You could try a new user account on your Mac and see how well the game plays in that account. Also, make sure Origin in-game is disabled.

[greyblueeyedgrl]

It could be, I'm just saying it doesn't seem likely based on what's going on.  I could move past the action freezing by switching the game speed before, then after reinstalling the game it started freezing all sims entirely and changing the game speed doesn't fix it.  Everything else has remained the same.   Origin in-game is disabled.  I tried moving "The Sims 4" folder to the desktop and starting a new save again and was able to play for over an hour without an issue so far.  This time I just went with the default settings, so it definitely seems like one of the settings is causing this.  I'm wondering if it's the accessibility setting since ever since that was released I always move it down to just above the red line so I can see more on the screen.  I'll try changing other settings one at a time to see if that could be the culprit.

[greyblueeyedgrl]

I'm pretty convinced it's a resolution issue at this point.  I've left the accessibility setting alone but at one point I changed the screen resolution setting from the default of 2,560x1,600 to 3,360x2,100 and sure enough after about 20-30 minutes the sims froze.  I've since put the resolution back to the default and have modified some gameplay and graphics settings and have been able to play for hours with no issue.

[Bluebellflora]

@greyblueeyedgrl

Great feedback, thanks It makes sense because higher resolution requires a more powerful graphics card to maintain smooth performance.