Sims 3 Hiccups

Hello, sorry if something similar to my situation that has been fixed and I didn't notice, but I have been searching. I have also looked at the general lag fixing thread for some tips (didn't download overwatch or that other mod, but I did make sure my screenshots were cleared and the featured folder was empty). I have a strong gaming PC, able to run things that are more intense than Sims, and I don't have any mods installed. I've been having this issue since I started playing again (just a day ago), and I have all DLC installed, if that makes a difference. Anyway, what would typically happen is: while I'm playing, I have small bits of lag here and there, and then I'll have a long pause that is close to 10 seconds long. I've noticed that the long pause SEEMS to happen when a sim appears close to my home on the beach (currently living on Isla Paradiso) whether they're walking by, or sailing by. I've also tried changing the settings to their lowest and messing with resolutions to no avail. I would love someone to share a way of optimizing the game, or maybe I DO just need to get overwatch, I just didn't think I did because it seemed to be for many sims and them getting stuck, not one sim coming on screen.

Update: I installed both Overwatch and Master Control, and gameplay SEEMS to be better. There are still some hiccups, and it still has those long pauses, but they seem to be more spaced out now. Still, if anyone knows a way to COMPLETELY cure it, I would love to know

Hello,


Please be sure that you are following all of these steps:

5. Go to: /My Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/Screenshots.
If there is nothing in this folder, great.  If there is, the photos in here can be from 100kb upwards to 2-6mb each.  If you aren't using them, delete them!  If you're a storyteller, get them outta' there!  All they do is bog down your game.


6. Go to: /My Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/Mods.
Delete ANY mods or Custom Content you DO NOT use or need!  We can all be .package hoarders but remember that every file has a file-size and the more unnecessary files you have, the less acceptable your game performance will be.  My main suggestion with any mods OR custom content is to ORGANIZE them by CATEGORY!  Example: One folder is for 'hair' the other is for 'game mods', so on and so forth.Organize your hoards.  You will thank me later.
 
7. Go to: /My Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/DCBackup.
Delete everything in here EXCEPT the ccmerged.package!  These files are basically backup files of all your Custom Content.  These files are not necessary for a fully functional game, thus slowing it down.  Depending on your downloading habits, you may or may not have a lot of files here.  Some people have over 1000+ files in this folder;  I had 715 files and I'd only been playing my game for FOUR DAYS.
Note:  The ccmerged.package is NOT a cache file.  This file is required for the game to run and read premium content as it is the EA's hub for XML data. It wouldn't blow up your game if you accidentally deleted it - you may just mess up your save data/s and/or make your installations unstable. 
Okay yes, deleting this file sort of does blow your game up.  Don't do it if you can help it.
 
8. Go to: /My Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/FeaturedItems.
Congratulations!  You've found the most annoying files contained within the most annoying folder!  Delete everything in this folder.  EA places pictures of every Featured Item here and it is completely unnecessary for you to have!  I recommend you delete everything in this folder.  If you’d prefer not to check this folder every other day, you can actually make this folder totally inaccessible to EA (in other words, they won't be able to place anymore junk in this folder!)
Right-click on the FeaturedItems folder.  Choose Properties.  Go to the 'Security' tab. Click 'edit' - you might be prompted with administrator approval.  Click on the account YOU play The Sims 3 on.  Look lower for 'Write' and click on the first check box under 'Deny'.  All boxes should check themselves, then click 'Apply'.  Poof, no more invasive file dumping!


9. Install these two mods:  Overwatch  and  MasterController.
Link 1: http://nraas.wikispaces.com/Overwatch
Link 2: http://nraas.wikispaces.com/MasterController
The easiest way to use the Master Controller is to load up a family (perhaps even a family/save game that is acting slow or laggy), zooming out to 'Town View' and find your Town Hall.
Click on it and select the option 'NRass' then 'Master Controller'.  A whole menu should pop up for you.  At that point, click 'Town' and then 'Reset Everything'.  Let the mod and the game do its thing, as this may take a minute.  I suggest doing this every 12 hours (basically every day you play the game).  You can do this even after making a new family or save file!

I do realize that some/most have already been done, but go over it once more JUST be safe.     One thing I will ask you to do beyond this, is to try and load up a premade family in another neighborhood.  The Isla Paradiso neighborhood is large and it can cause a lot of delay because of how processor-demanding it is (with all the water surrounding you).  If you see a difference, I suggest you lower the quality of the water and also minimize the detailing of the lots surrounding you.  This helped me considerably - that, and it's just pointless to see your next door neighbor's house the same quality you see your own.  This is just my opinion, however.

If any or ALL of these steps fail to help you, I'd strongly suggest you try to run the game without any DLC - if by DLC, you mean the buyable neighborhoods, premade sims, furniture, etc.  You may find that there is a buggy one lurking within all of the other "okay" ones.  

Good luck, let us know your progress!

I made sure I had everything done on that list and I made a new game on Sunset Valley. I chose a lot with 4 sims and I messed around with them a bit. There were no hiccups that I noticed, so it must have been all that water. I probably would have come to that conclusion on my own eventually, fortunately you sped that up for me, thanks! Oh, and the DLC I was talking about are the ones that show up at the bottom of the Sims 3 launcher. Now I have to hope everything works good in Bridgeport

Awesome Jacket wrote:I made sure I had everything done on that list and I made a new game on Sunset Valley. I chose a lot with 4 sims and I messed around with them a bit. There were no hiccups that I noticed, so it must have been all that water. I probably would have come to that conclusion on my own eventually, fortunately you sped that up for me, thanks! Oh, and the DLC I was talking about are the ones that show up at the bottom of the Sims 3 launcher. Now I have to hope everything works good in Bridgeport

I was actually surprised too, when I found out my PC was lagging terribly and in that neighborhood.  Mine, however, was a combination of downloaded CC and then the neighborhood totally messing up my PC (darn that water).    Just make sure that if you do end up downloading CC later on, that you clear out the folders I mentioned earlier!  The Sims 3 tends to save A LOT of data without you knowing it and trust me, even high-end gaming rigs start tearing their hair out!

I'm glad it's fixed!  Happy Simming!