Essential Sims 3 Mods

On 11.09.2019

The Sims 4 is a great game, in part because of its thriving mod community. You can use mods to give your Sims eyelashes, expand your makeup options, or get luxurious new furniture. You can even alter the fundamental gameplay, and here are the 7 essential mods that will let you do just that.

Sims 4 Murder Mod

These are the essential mods but there are many more in each set, get the one for your last EP. All these mods is included in the FFS Director's Cut download so you don't have to go search for each one for your EP setup. Nossrespawn Helps stop the bloat. Nodormieregen Helps stop the bloat. Lol.yeah i have those as well, also the naughty GXTC and GMAR body meshes, which is what i meant by asthetics and more adult and or visual mods to play with. But for game optimization alone, the 4-5 NRAAS suite mentioned in the above posts are a must-have for anyone playing sims 3 imo. The male maternity meshes sure keep the game looking better.

I currently have over 700 Sims4 mods installed right now. It’s hard to resist, because modding Sims 4 is so easy: all you have to do is download the mod and drop it into the folder called “Mods” that EA helpfully puts in every copy of the game. The Sims’ team has even provided a forum for modders and mod enthusiasts to talk about that they want to do and what they’re looking for, and to troubleshoot their builds.

Given how easy it is to mod Sims 4, the scene is robust. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and not be able to find what you’re looking for. This will be the first in a series about the essential Sims mods that most players will find useful, and I’ve tested all these mods to make sure none of them conflict with each other. To begin with, I’m looking at mods that change the way the game works. Some do some fine-tuned background work. Others overhaul core systems. All of them make The Sims 4 even more fun.

MC Command Center

The essential, all-purpose gameplay mod.

MC Command Center, by the creator Deaderpool, does so much it’s hard to sum up exactly what it is. Want your Sims to have a chance of getting pregnant every time they WooHoo, regardless of whether or not they’re trying for a baby? MC Command Center does that. Want to forbid all non-player Sims from wearing goofy sunglasses? MC Command Center does that. Want to move all your Elder Sims out from their houses? MC Command Center does that, you monsters.

Because this mod does so many things, it comes in a series of modules, allowing you to mix and match. If you want to make changes to WooHooing, but don’t care about Occult Sims at all, you can get the WooHoo module and not download the Occult one. I’ve always downloaded all of them, however, as each part of this mod makes background changes to the game that I find makes the game flow more smoothly, and my stories more interesting. I don’t ever touch the pregnancy settings, for example, but when I play the game without MC Command Center, the Sims I’m not playing won’t get pregnant. With the mod installed, they do. It just makes The Sims 4 feel a tiny bit more real.

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Create A Sim Overhaul

Change the backgrounds, lighting, and get rid of those pesky eye specs.

The Sims 4’s Create A Sim is incredible, but still needs a little fine-tuning. Creator LuumiaSims’ mod Overhaul makes it easier to simply see what the heck you’re doing. The unmodded game’s lighting in Create A Sim had blue and green highlights, which is fine, but changes colors of skin, clothing, hair and eyes very slightly. The original game also gave eyeballs a shiny specular reflection, or “eye specs.” It’s supposed to look realistic, but some people think it makes Sim eyes look like plastic.

Create A Sim Overhaul gives you a couple different options for lighting, removes eye specs, and allows you to change the background from its default gradient. It has packs for both Sims and their pets. Like MC Command Center, this mod comes in separate modules so you can download as much or as little as you like. I went ahead and got them all, though. I didn’t know how much I wanted a different Create A Sim background til I downloaded this mod. It offers a clean white for the purists, but I went with a pink gradient. It’s just cute.

Teleport Any Sim

Gives you the power to just make Sims go away.

It’s happened to everyone. Your Sim is laying in bed after a hard day’s work, and then Vlad the Vampire shows up to suck their blood, ruining their next workday. Scumbumbo’s Teleport Any Sim allows players to buy an object which can bring any Sim in the game to that location, but more importantly, introduces a command called Just Go Away. With this mod installed, the next time Vlad shows up, click on him and select Just Go Away. He’ll turn around and leave. It is a godsend, and I wouldn’t play without it.

Don’t Wash Dishes Where You Angry Poop

Stops Sims from washing the dishes in the bathroom sink like a bunch of assholes.

Sims make a lot of weird, dumb choices. Why is that teen doing their homework on the bench outside instead of their desk? Who knows. Why is that Sim grilling burgers for breakfast? It is a mystery. Why did that Sim take the trash out of the trash can and play around in it? Couldn’t tell you. By far the most annoying autonomous decision Sims make is washing their dishes in the bathroom sink. There’ll be a perfectly good kitchen sink to use, or even a dishwasher, but they’ll insist on going to the bathroom, walking in on their mom pooping, and then getting embarrassed. Wouldn’t have happened if you had just washed the dishes in the kitchen, Randy. This very important Scumbumbo mod allows you to individually select which sinks can Sims can wash their dishes in. Problem solved. If only I could stop them from using the grill before 10 a.m.

True Happiness

Fine-tunes the emotions system for more lifelike gameplay.

Emotions are new in The Sims 4. In previous games, Sims would kinda just… be. In 4, Sims can be happy or sad, mad or tense, reacting to stimuli in their lives. It works, and can be very cool, but the way that roBurky has changed it makes the game feel a little more like how emotions work in real life. Happiness in The Sims 4 is pretty much your Sim’s default state of being. It’s an optimistic outlook on life, but honestly, not that realistic. In the True Happiness mod, the default state is Fine, and Sims can then experience moments of true happiness if particular good things happen to them. Have your first kiss? That’s a happy sim! Sims will also passively earn aspiration points when they achieve happiness, which gives the emotions system a bit more of a purpose in gameplay.

Other mods like Uncomfortable Overhaul, which makes changes to how the Uncomfortable state works, Variable Emotional States, which adds a bit of randomness to emotional states, and Emotional Inertia, which allows Sims to get in emotional “moods” for a couple days, are all also worth checking out, but True Happiness is my favorite of these mods. roBurky is also planning to package all of these mods, plus a couple more, in a “Meaningful Stories” pack, which will make huge changes to emotions and gameplay.

Monster Guards

Sims 4 Murder Mod

Stops kid Sims from having nightmares.

Sim children in The Sims 4 will sometimes have nightmares. They’ll wake up, see a monster under the bed, and rush to get their parents. It’s interesting the first couple of times, but gets old quick. K9DB’s Monster Guards eliminates that problem, in the form of a plush toy that you can buy for your Sim. These cute little stuffed animals can be “put on watch,” so that monsters won’t show up in the middle of the night. It’s also nice that these come in the form of an object, so it’s not just a binary choice across the game. One Sim might have had an easy childhood, while another might be more susceptible to waking their parents up in the middle of the night. I tend to play with these almost always, though. Just go the fuck to sleep, kid. Mommy needs to troll teh forums.

UI Cheats Extension

Integrates the game’s built-in cheat commands into the UI.

I know a lot of Sims cheats by heart. My fingers hover over Control + Shift + C, which opens up the cheat console, like the way other gamers automatically place their fingers over WASD. Some of them repeat game after game, like the money cheats “rosebud” and “motherlode.” Other change just enough that I end up trying their Sims 3 version instead of the Sims 4 one a dozen times before I realize.

Weebsu’s mod UI Cheats makes these cheats a part of the UI, rather a code to type. You can get a thousand simoleons just by clicking on the household’s total money in the bottom-left corner. You canchange how much Sims like each other by right-clicking on their relationship bars, similar to how it worked in The Sims 3. It’s terribly convenient for perennial cheaters like me. If only it worked on my own bank account.

In future entries of this series I will round up the best Create A Sim mods—meaning all the best hair, make up and clothing—and the best Build and Buy objects. I’ll also post the most popular user suggestions, so make sure to star some in the comments.

Comments

I would say Seasons because weather happens in the real world and Sims 3 doesn't feel as real without weather. It's a very good expansion; the weather is realistic and varied. Also, you can set the length of the seasons and even turn some of them off, if you want to.
I'd also say Pets because literally everybody I know has pet/s. A house is not a home without a pet
I would agree that Seasons is essential. Besides it's my favorite EP and within the last year was voted here as the best EP.
After that it is hard because there are so many ways to play this game that effect which EPs and SPs are essential. What the initial household's age(s) are and what life span and age cycle lengths are used also effects how people play their game and determines which EPs are essential.
I like to have my sims acquire skills, acquaintances and lifetime happiness points by traveling since I play on a 'normal' life span so World Adventures and/or University Life are essential to me.
I like self employed professions so Ambitions is essential to me.
I like household members jamming together and going out to bars and vampires so Late Night is essential to me.
If I Iiked to play a lot of supernaturals then Supernatural would be essential to me. Even though I don't like to play that many kinds of supernaturals in one game I wouldn't do without the Supernatural EP.
When I want to play horses and/or ranches and/or farms then Pets is necessary.
When I want to play beach/island life, diving and boating then Island Paradise is necessary.
Even when I concentrate on family life I don't find Generations necessary while others do. And it is nice to have.
Seasons because it makes every day different and just gives a whole new level to the game. Also generations because it makes the sims feel like family.
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I would say Seasons is essential. Beyond that it's personal preference as to play style. If you love families and interactions with children, Generations. Pets and Supernatural if you love (duh) pets and supernaturals. World Adventures if you like to travel, and so forth.
I finally bought all the expansion packs yet could live without University and Showtime. I mean, I'm glad I have them but in no way find them essential.
Seasons. I got a lot of use out of World Adventures too. Even if you don't travel, WA has some good stuff in it you can use. If you're one of those people that run families then Generations is probably a must. Ambitions as someone mentioned is also essential for expanded careers, sculpting, inventing, self-employed.
Seasons and pets, for obvious reasons. University for the extra traits, social groups and modern young adult life.
I'd also have added generations but only if it didn't have so many annoying actions such as pillow fights for adults and creepy imaginary friends, so it's supposed to be essential but I personally have mixed feelings about this EP. It's just my personal opinion of course.
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edited January 2017
Essential... Mmm , definitely Seasons I agree with the others. And Generations (even when it's not my favourite one). I couldn't miss Showtime because of genies, can't live without genies anymore, but to call them essential in general, no. World Adventures is also essential for me, even when there are entire generations I don't use that expansion. Pets.. They're all essential to me I think

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I think there are some mods that are essential for playing Sims 3! Overwatch and Errortrap definitely help the game run smoother and helps with lag. They are both Nraas mods. So is StoryProgression! That helps with making your game feel more alive and active. For expansion packs, I would say Seasons, because no matter how you play the game or what your play style is, it will always be affecting your game in some way, much like in real life. Weather is just absolutely necessary for a life simulation game!

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Ambitions for me. I love creating artistic sims, its my favourite thing, so the extra skills and self-employment options there are essential to me.
Also world adventures, Sims need a break from work sometimes don't they?!
And late night, i like my sims going out and partying, plus the apartments and it's nice to have an option of a City instead of towns all the time.
I think i'd have to include University Life too, i adored all the clothes that came in that one, plus i love the option of my Sims getting a degree, i never let my sims become a doctor before they've been to university for example. Also the social groups are fun.
..i would have included Island Paradise, as it is actually my favourite sim EP ever, if it weren't for all the problems that come with it.
Like @Candyd i too have mixed feelings about Generations, I love the added schools and some other features but I don't always want my Sims to have an imaginary friend, they were fun the first time but when every child has one it gets too much of the same in my opinion
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for me get the following expansion packs ambitions,late night,pets,seasons,university life these 5 expansion packs are the best for the buck and are soo good! and i reccomend you to install nrass mods like overwatch and traffic etc. which trust me you cant live without them and get your self a simpoints bundle the sims 3 store offers alot of stuff! and be sure to take time to check some vids to keep your game smooth and check that your graphics card is recognized and thats what i have to offer GL and happy simming and caution the sims 3 can get addicting espicially with these packs i mentioned
have a simtastic day
my top 5:https://store.thesims3.com/myWishlist.html?persona=adamzaid#
All of them.
No seriously, they all offer something - wether it be a simply object or a whole occult type.
My wishlist! Give items if you want!!! (RANDOM ORDER)
Ultimate cc-list
My top 5
All of them.
No seriously, they all offer something - wether it be a simply object or a whole occult type.

And that's why EA has all my money i've bought EPs before just for a 'bonus' feature. Like my favourite part of Pets is the snakes and turtles..
It was so hard to limit myself to answering this question with just 4, but they're the one's i'd never uninstall
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Generations and Ambitions would be my absolute essential ep's, though I love them all.
But from being self employed,the professions and Twinbrook to kiddies in strollers and driving lessons, prom and not forgetting Daycare, those are the 2 I'd never uninstall.
Late Night and Supernatural really flesh out the game too, in fact for me they're pretty essential too.
Don't forget a host of Nrass mods!
Thanks everyone. I'm noticing a lot of people saying seasons is the best or an essential actually. I should probably buy it one day, I've wanted it since it came out. I will mention the mods, I hear a lot of good things about nraas. I'm a little torn on Generations myself. I love certain parts of it, do not love others.
I would hesitate to make a YouTube video claiming Pets was essential, just because that EP (and Seasons) is considered to be the most computer intensive of all the EPs. Then again, I'm probably one of the few players that has done without Pets for most of my Sims 3 experience and don't feel I'm missing out on anything. If you are going to recommend Pets, I'd do so with a heavy qualification regarding computer specs.
I would probably go with Generations and Ambitions as 'essential.' They add a lot of little things to the game which really fill it out. Late Night is probably the next most 'essential' EP to me due to the bars and clubs it brings to the open world experience.
If you have the computer specs, then yes, I'd say Seasons is right up there too on the 'essential' list.
All the other EPs seem to me to be fairly focused on different types of gameplay and would not all appeal to everyone.
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I agree with @pandabear1836; the NRAAS suite of Mods are an absolute essential if you want your game to run properly - especially if you play Legacy-style, like I do. At the minimum everyone should use Overwatch, Master Controller and Story Progression (Story Progression keeps your neighborhood from dying out). The NRAAS mods are very well tested and work great.
As for EA/ Maxis stuff, I agree that Seasons is one of the best EPs available. I would list Generations as a 'Must Have', too - most of the content *should* have been in the base game, but since it wasn't, get Generations to fully flesh out all ages. Frankly, the directed play of World Adventures and Ambitions really turned me off - I actually stopped playing TS3 for a while because of them (I am a proud sand-box-style player). Late Night adds some much needed activities for community lots, and it has Bridgeport, the only 'City' neighborhood - but celebrities and vampires were completely broken, so you must update the game with later patches to make that EP playable. I loved Island Paradise because of the houseboats, etc., but I wouldn't call it a necessity. University, Pets and Showtime are the same - great if you like those features, but not necessary to have a fun game (I thought TS2's University was much better than TS3's). I still haven't bothered to buy 'Into The Future', it just doesn't appeal to me - I would have preferred an 'into The Past' EP instead.
Which leaves Supernatural - this is actually a great EP, even if you aren't into vampires, werewolves, witches or faeries. It has some amazing objects and the furniture styles are really attractive. Not a 'Must Have', but I highly recommend it anyway.
As for the Stuff Packs - none of them are necessary to enjoy the game. If you are going to get them, buy them on sale or through eBay because they are overpriced and really lack content. That said, I do have three: 'Town Life Stuff' (which I got as a free give away), 'Master Suite Stuff' and 'Fast Lane Stuff' - Master Suite probably has the best objects, but Fast Lane adds some nice new cars.
Instead of Stuff Packs, I would recommend getting things from the Store. If you like Supernatural you really have to get Midnight Hollow - it is much better than Moonlight Falls. Monte Vista, Dragon Valley and Roaring Heights are all well designed and really attractive, too. You can buy some of them online, others are only available through the Store (get free Sim Points by watching Ads or just beg for gifts on the boards). Riverview, of course, is free - and it has some really great houses.
As for Premium Content - Grandma's Canning Station is my personal favorite, with the Wood-fired Oven and the Multitab 6000 coming in a very close second place (they are tied). The Savvy Seller's Set and the Industrial Oven are sad attempts to make open businesses and restaurants - if you get them (and I do NOT recommend that you do), get the appropriate NRAAS Mods so that they actually work as promised. The Dragons are fun, and the walker and playpen are useful, but the rest of the Premium Content is just 'meh' in my opinion.
And then there are the sets - these are great for filling out and diversifying your decorating options - but only if you are using points to get them. And if you pick up one of the neighborhoods, the associated decorating sets are really nice to have.