is isla paradiso the laggy part or is it the whole expansion pack? [ Edited ]

[katelynk005]

sorry i don't really know how to word the topic, but i heard that island paradise is the most laggy expansion pack for sims 3, i have it already, but i don't use it. i don't really care too much about the new town, i just want to know, if i install it, will it make my game lag more even if you don't live in isla paradiso? or is it just if you go and live in the isla paradiso town? i hope i explained this correctly(:all i really want is the stuff it comes with, like mermaids, clothes, hair, furniture, objects, nothing really with the town.

[puzzlezaddict]

@katelynk005  I've moved your post to the Sims 3 PC tech section.

The main problem with the Island Paradise pack is the world of Isla Paradiso, which is so broken that it's almsot unplayable even on the strongest computers.  But all of the features work just fine in any world that has space for them and deep enough water.  A lot of players use those features in Sunlit Tides, or they download a player-made world.

There's also a fixed version of IP offered by a player who edited out all the most problematic issues.  It comes as a save—you drop it into your Saves folder, and it doesn't influence your other content.  You can download it here, or read about her edits and copy them into your own game.

https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/811253/removing-ip-lag

The other potential issue is the strength of your computer.  Island Paradise is the third or fourth most demanding pack (far behind Pets and Seasons), and even without not running the world itself, the other features are still taxing enough.  If you'd like an opinion on how your computer might be able to handle the pack, you can list your specs and the other packs you already have.  Or, if you want to be more thorough, run a dxdiag, which will cover other issues besides the hardware itself.

https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/pc/how-to-gather-dxdiag-information/

[katelynk005]

would it work for sunset valley with a lot of stuff added? to be honest i never remember having issues with isla paradiso, and i dont have the best computer. i just want the mermaids and the scuba diving and the boats, and was hoping i could use that, but i dont think scuba diving works in sunset valley, and i dont think you can add diving spots personally.

[puzzlezaddict]

@katelynk005  You can definitely add dive lots yourself, or you can build them.  The only requirement is that the water is deep enough—I do think Sunset Valley qualifies, although Riverview does not.  This tutorial by karritz is quite popular:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQYREabahSE&list=PLFT4tKkKX8Wvc78leOoIOzOBOtemfqERG&index=3&t=0s

I can't tell you how your computer might run with Island Paradise installed unless I know its specs.  Sims 3 doesn't require a beast of a computer, but the most demanding packs simply won't run very well on low-end systems.  You could also experiment, and uninstall if necessary.

[katelynk005]

here are my specs:

[puzzlezaddict]

@katelynk005  Those specs don't include the graphics card, which is the most important factor in determining how well TS3 will run on a computer.  But from the processor model, I'm guessing you have a laptop with only integrated Intel graphics (an Intel 520, to be specific).  Unfortunately, that chip is probably not strong enough to handle Island Paradise.  For that matter, the processor might not be either, but that's a closer call and would depend on what other packs you have installed.

If you want to get a rough sense of how well your graphics card is handling the game already, check your in-game frame rates.  Open the cheats console (crtl-shift-C) and enter "fps on" without quotes.  A number will appear in the upper right corner of your screen ("fps off" makes it go away).  If it's around 30-40, that means your card is already struggling to handle what the game is asking of it, and adding IP would probably be too much for it, even if you were playing in Sunset Valley or some other less-demanding world.

There's no reason you can't try though, and uninstall the pack if it doesn't work out.  Keep an eye on your fps, and make sure your laptop can cool properly while you play.  (Keep it elevated—put books under the corners or something—or get a cooling pad.)  What constitutes "playable" is different for everyone, and you might find that the features of IP are worth the performance hit.  There will definitely be a performance hit though.