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: https://www.dm.origin.com/download/legacy
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

Click Next


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

Click Next


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

Click the Checkmark to apply


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: