macOS Mojave - Sims 3 won't start [ Edited ]

[LizzieSimmer01]

I just got a new computer with the latest version of Mojave. (pictured)

Game: Sims 3

Explanation: After installing and reinstalling Origin and sims 3 with all of my expansions/stuff packs numerous times, I still get the same error message (pictured). It will either come with the Sims 3 icon or the into the future icon. I was told by EA that the only way to solve this is either waiting for the Sims 3 to be fully compatible with Mojave or downgrade my software to High Sierra. I was going to downgrade, but it is becoming too complicated and difficult. I was wondering if anyone found another way to solve this. 

Expansions: All

Stuff Packs: Diesel, Master Suite, Outdoor Living, Town Life

[puzzlezaddict · Accepted solution]

@LizzieSimmer01  Having 16 GB RAM is great for other reasons, and I would totally recommend it.  But it won't help TS3 at all.  The game is programmed to only use 2 GB at a time, no matter how much you have installed.  Even in Windows, it can only use ~3.7 GB before the same issues appear.  This is because TS3 is a 32-bit app, meaning it can only use 4 GB memory, i.e. 2^32, at any one time.  (There's some overhead, which is why the real limit is lower.)

TS4 is 64-bit in macOS and always has been.  So you wouldn't have that problem.  But you'd still be somewhat limited by the fact that your computer only has an integrated graphics card.  Among Mac laptops, only the 15" MacBook Pros have dedicated cards, which have their own video memory and can process more data at once.  Even reasonably strong integrated cards won't be able to keep up.  This is true for TS4, it's true for TS3 in macOS, and it would be true if you partitioned your hard drive and installed Windows to run TS3 as well.

Bluebellflora has said to other people with the same laptop you have that medium settings are fine, and high settings may or may not be, depending on how many expansion packs you have installed and which ones, as well as your expectations for performance.  I would absolutely take her word for it.  You could help your computer by not running anything else while playing and by keeping it elevated to allow it to cool as much as possible.  But there's no way around the limitations of the integrated card.

[puzzlezaddict]

@LizzieSimmer01  I've split your post into its own thread because the master thread is for Mojave-specific issues, and this one has been around since El Capitan.  Also, it makes it easier for me to help you without any other conversations going on in the same thread.

Yes, there's a solution, the same one that's been around for years, and which doesn't involve downgrading to High Sierra.  (EA help doesn't always know quite what to make of Macs.)  Actually, there are two workarounds, which need to be applied together.  First though, run the Super Patch (digital download version) to manually patch the game to 1.67.  The launcher doesn't always do a thorough job of patching on its own.

https://bluebellflora.com/sims-3-manual-super-patch-for-mac-1-67/

Next, you'll need to create an alias for each pack that doesn't already have one in Applications, alongside the alias for the base game.  For you, that list is likely Ambitions, Late Night, and Outdoor Living.  (The other affected pack is Fast Lane.)

https://bluebellflora.com/sims-3-packs-not-showing-as-installed/

Then you'll need to copy a folder from each of those three packs into a folder that corresponds with Into the Future, your newest pack by release date.  This video shows you exactly how to do it:

https://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-Mac/CURRENT-ISSUE-Sims-3-Unknown-Error-in-El-Capitan-Sierra-High/...

If you still get an unknown error, you'll need to do a clean uninstall and start over.  (Annoying, I know.)  In addition to uninstalling the normal way, you'll need to manually remove TS3's hidden library files, or the game may not launch going forward.  Here's how to find those files:

https://bluebellflora.com/how-to-do-a-clean-uninstall-and-reinstall-on-a-mac/

Then run the Super Patch and try to launch the game.  If it works, install your packs and apply the two workarounds for the affected packs.  If it doesn't work, let me know, and I'll write out how to apply the third workaround, which is usually not necessary on your model of computer.

One thing I want to say though is that you're going to have some trouble running the most demanding packs—Pets, Seasons, then IP and ITF—on this computer.  You don't have a dedicated graphics card, which is practically required to run Pets and Seasons.  Additionally, unlike the Windows version, TS3 in macOS can only use 2 GB RAM before crashing or failing to save.  The more packs you have, the more memory the game requires to run even a brand new save.  I'm not sure if you'll be able to play the way you'd like, and it may turn out that you can barely progress a save before it becomes unplayable.  Unfortunately, there's no workaround for this, and those of us who have Macs often end up partitioning our hard drives and installing Windows on one side just so we can play.

[LizzieSimmer01]

So if I upgraded my memory to 16GB, do you think this laptop would be better hold it? Would it be able to hold Sims 4 and its components?

[puzzlezaddict · Accepted solution]

@LizzieSimmer01  Having 16 GB RAM is great for other reasons, and I would totally recommend it.  But it won't help TS3 at all.  The game is programmed to only use 2 GB at a time, no matter how much you have installed.  Even in Windows, it can only use ~3.7 GB before the same issues appear.  This is because TS3 is a 32-bit app, meaning it can only use 4 GB memory, i.e. 2^32, at any one time.  (There's some overhead, which is why the real limit is lower.)

TS4 is 64-bit in macOS and always has been.  So you wouldn't have that problem.  But you'd still be somewhat limited by the fact that your computer only has an integrated graphics card.  Among Mac laptops, only the 15" MacBook Pros have dedicated cards, which have their own video memory and can process more data at once.  Even reasonably strong integrated cards won't be able to keep up.  This is true for TS4, it's true for TS3 in macOS, and it would be true if you partitioned your hard drive and installed Windows to run TS3 as well.

Bluebellflora has said to other people with the same laptop you have that medium settings are fine, and high settings may or may not be, depending on how many expansion packs you have installed and which ones, as well as your expectations for performance.  I would absolutely take her word for it.  You could help your computer by not running anything else while playing and by keeping it elevated to allow it to cool as much as possible.  But there's no way around the limitations of the integrated card.