The Sims 3 Patch

It is difficult to describe or review "The Sims 3 patch," as there have been 33 game updates since the first release of The Sims 3 on June 2, 2009. Each patch makes changes to the main program. Some of these can be major, effecting the entire function of the game, while others can make minor tweaks or fix problems users have reported. Players of The Sims 3 are urged to use precaution when adding an update by backing up the hard drive (especially The Sims 3 "Saves" folder) and disabling any custom content or game modifications before adding the patch.

Patching is simple for Sims 3 users: simply start the game, and under the Updates tab in the Launcher, check to see if the launcher labels the game as updated. If not, the user should select to update, and wait until the game lets them know the update is completed before beginning game play.

The most recent patch for the popular "strategic life simulation video game" was version 1.67, released on 1/24/14. EA also offers what it calls a Super Patch, a single program that updates a game with all patches, starting from the first and ending at 1.67. Some users find this a more effective option than figuring out what their current version is, whether they have all updates, and helps if they do patching manually rather than through the launcher.

While the manufacturer considers this a small update and encourages downloading it (or the Superpatch), some users find the updates inconvenient, unnecessary, and that it can even interfere with game play.

Pros:

• This patch was designed to fix a problem many users were having with their launchers getting signing into the EA server during play.
• Before this update, some users were unable to use the Sims 3 store at the official site through the launcher.
• This version was intended to make tracking game developments, such as towns generated in-game, smoother and more correct in the launcher.

Cons:

• Some users report the launcher would open, but it would then give them an error message saying “There was an error during startup. Please see the log for more information.” Multiple re-installs were unsuccessful in fixing the issue. The only thing that allowed them to play was rolling back to the game back up before updating.
• Users have said that the update made certain store brand launchers freeze or crash.
• A number of players reported that once the patch was installed, game play would freeze or crash after 5-10 minutes of game play.
• Depending on the computer system and the version the user was updating from, any number of issues flared up, including the inability to use previously created characters, various function and startup errors, and loops asking for reinstall over and over again.
• Despite the cons, most users have a positive experience using the most updated version of The Sims 3, finding game play and communication with the main server smoother and more reliable than staying with earlier versions. Some will no longer work at all with the launcher if they have too old a version running.

Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sims_3

http://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-3/FAQ-Current-Patch-1-67-Manual-links-and-more/td-p/67858