Create your own family in The Sims 3 and micro-manage everything from their daily tasks, clothes they wear, house they live in to parties, careers and marriage. Anything can happen to your family and everything will. Design each characters look, personality and age in a life simulation and social simulation.
Follow my step-by-step guide on installing, configuring and optimizing The Sims 3 in Linux with PlayOnLinux.
Note: This guide applies to the Origin version of The Sims 3. Other versions may require additional steps.
Tips & Specs:
To learn more about PlayOnLinux and Wine configuration, see the online manual: PlayOnLinux Explained
Mint 17.3 64-bit
PlayOnLinux: 4.2.10
Wine: 1.8
Wine Installation
Click Tools
Select "Manage Wine Versions"
Look for the Wine Version: 1.8
Select it
Click the arrow pointing to the right
Click Next
Downloading Wine
Extracting
Downloading Gecko
Installed
Wine 1.8 is installed and you can close this window
Download OriginSetup.exe
Go to: [url]https://www.dm.origin.com/download/legacy[/URL]
Navigate to your desktop
Click Save
PlayOnLinux Setup
Launch PlayOnLinux
Click Install
Click "Install a non-listed program"
Click Next
Select "Install a program in a new virtual drive"
Click Next
Name your virtual drive: sims3
Click Next
Check all three options:
- Use another version of Wine
- Configure Wine
- Install some libraries
Select 1.8
Click Next
Select "32 bits windows installation"
Click Next
Wine Configuration
Applications Tab
Windows version: Windows XP
Graphics Tab
Check "Automatically capture the mouse in full-screen windows"
Check "Emulate a virtual desktop"
Desktop size: 1920x1080
Click OK
Note: Set the resolution to match your Linux Desktop
Installing Packages (Libraries, Components, DLL's)
Check the following packages:
- POL_Install_corefonts
- POL_Install_d3dx9
- POL_Install_tahoma
- POL_Install_vcrun2008
- POL_Install_vcrun2010
- POL_Install_vcrun2012
Note: All packages will automatically download and install
Click Browse
Installing Origin Client
Navigate to your Desktop
Select OriginSetup.exe
Click Open
Click Next Again
Uncheck all options:
Click Install
Check "I have read and accept..."
Click OK
At this point the client will try to launch, but nothing will happen...
Origin will lock-down the Origin folder and is waiting
We can fix that, just leave Wine where its at for now
Origin Directory Permissions
Go to the Origin Directory
Path: /home/username/.PlayOnLinux/wineprefix/Origin/Drive_C/Program Files/
Right click
Select Properties
Click Folder Access Dropdown under "Owner"
Select "Create and delete files"
Click the File Access Dropdown under "Owner"
Select "Read and Write"
Click "Apply Permissions to Enclosed Files"
Click Close
Open the Origin directory
Delete these files:
- igoproxy.exe
- igoproxy64.exe
Origin Login will now appear in Wine
Login to Origin
Check "Remember Me"
Disable Overlay
Click Origin
Click Application Settings
Click "Origin In Game"
Uncheck "Enable Origin In Game"
Installing/Downloading The Sims 3
Click My Games
Select The Sims 3
Click Download
Uncheck "Create start menu shortcut"
Uncheck "Create desktop shortcut"
Click Continue
Check "I have read an accept..."
Click Continue
Sims 3 downloading...
When The Sims 3 is finished downloading, Origin may crash
Click Exit Origin
The Sims 3 Shortcut
Select "Sims3Launcher.exe"
Click Next
Name the shortcut: Sims 3
Click Next
Select "I don't want to make another shortcut"
Click Next
Close Origin
PlayOnLinux Configure
Select Origin
Click Configure
General Tab
Wine version: 1.8
Note: Click the + to download other versions of Wine. Click the down arrow to select other versions of Wine
Display Tab
Video memory size: Enter the amount of memory your video card/chip uses
Close Configure
Launch Origin
Note: Click Debug to see errors and bugs
Optimization
Launch The Sims 3
Once in game
Click the settings button
Click Options
Adjust:
- Fullscreen
- Screen Size
- Screen Refresh Rate
- Enable Object Hiding
- Reflection Quality
- Edge Smoothing
- Visual Effects
- Lighting and Shadows
- Tree Detail
- Animation Smoothing
- Advanced Rendering
- Draw Distance
- High Detail Lots
- Texture Detail
- Sim Detail
Conclusion:
The Sims 3 runs almost flawlessly on my GeForce 550 Ti. I've experienced a random crash, but its very rare. Loading and saving is fairly slow, so be patient. I was able to create several family, navigate in the world, save game, load games, adjust video settings and use the keyboard/mouse without issues.
Screenshots:
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