But as others have mentioned, Sims 2 in full glory really needs some raw processor power. You can have the latest and greatest video card, but if you run with a slow processor the game will crawl. So if you look to play the game and have a low budget see if you can upgrade CPU and perhaps memory. These seem to affect frame rates the most.
A Pentium III 800, although the absolute minimum, doesn't really offer good game play, even with everything on low and shadows off. Yes, the game can be played, but you are very limited, not only with the lag on your system as your CPU/memory tries to keep up with the gazillion instructions per nanosecond. I overclocked mine to run at 1ghz, which made it somewhat playable. I was able to actually enjoy the game when changing to a And Athlon 64, 3200+ and 1 gig of dual memory.
A bit of a warning though. When I write about the game I will share some game experiences that I have had which may contain spoilers.
I haven't played Sims 1 for a long time, though I did buy the first two expansions and played with friends and family. One thing that annoyed me about Sims 1 is the macro-managing of your every Sims need, including the ever annoying bladder. In Sims 2, you still need to manage your Sims and watch their needs, but they're smarter and now don't just keep yelling at you and waving while wetting themselves, but instead just go to the bathroom. Nor do they fall over dead if you forgot to feed them, they actually go and have a snack.
Take care tho, if you're sloppy and you left some decaying snacks on the floor there is a high possibility for your Sim to grab that greenish fly infested dish and eat and gag at the same time.
Yes it sounds similar to Sims 1, but your Sims really do take better care of themselves then before. You still need to keep an eye on their needs of course, but it's not as demanding as it was in Sims1.
If you found it hard to get started because you didn't know what to do for your Sims, fear not. Now your Sims have aspirations and fears that will drive them through their ages. Some aspirations are very easy to do (like getting a kiss/flirt/more from the one they're involved with) to something tricky like woohoo with at least 3 Sims, and did you know she was married? So really as soon as you start the game, your Sim is quite capable of telling you what he/she wants and needs.
The game has become more deeper and can be quite complex if you end up with a big family. Say you start out with a little family, the parents have an OK career, plenty of kids, and become elders. Now the magic actually begins, because of the options you have for your kids as they grow up. The second generation will be better able because they get far more options and opportunity to study and fill up that all so important aspiration bar. How? As a baby they receive the love and care of parents, the more love they receive the higher their bar. As a toddler, they already can learn skills (aside of learn walk/talk/potty training), they can learn logic/creativity through the use of the toys you can buy. As a teenager they can enter schools, or better yet private schools and are then eligible for better jobs/careers. If you have The Sims2: University, their lives are getting even better! better lives, better jobs, more fun for us.
The Sims can drive you mad when the full house goes wild and nothing seems to work well, and you slowly see everything turn red. Then finally like a domino effect things fall together and it works and that's just magic the things that happen then. Specially the things you didn't plan but happen. And that's what makes this game so great.
It's a great game, but there are some issues. One is path finding. Although the AI has had a huge haul-over, the Sims don't always move logically. If you have a big party sometimes you'd wish you had two doors or something, because very often they will start to idle talk right in front of the door, and half the party members are 'partying' outside.
Placing items. The Sims (and that was also the case in Sims 1) love space, hate objects and don't always take the shortest route. The indication of what's the front of an item isn't always helping in deciding where to place it so you still end up with 'surprises' if you place an unfamiliar item, and for some reason, your Sims cannot use it.
Traveling outside your house is not encouraged. Why? Because it just takes too long. Remember, time travels fast in the world of Sims, so the Sims should travel faster ;).
Why can't they multitask? Why can't they eat and study at the same time. Why can't they hold their toddler and clean at the same time?
What I hate: They can die. I know that the Sims is suppose to be semi-realistic, but I hate it when a Sim that I spend many hours on dies. OK, one time it was an accident (well not really, I knew she never could fix that TV with only 1 mechanical point), but when one died at old age I was kinda ... upset. Guess death struck a hit too close home.
A Pentium III 800, although the absolute minimum, doesn't really offer good game play, even with everything on low and shadows off. Yes, the game can be played, but you are very limited, not only with the lag on your system as your CPU/memory tries to keep up with the gazillion instructions per nanosecond. I overclocked mine to run at 1ghz, which made it somewhat playable. I was able to actually enjoy the game when changing to a And Athlon 64, 3200+ and 1 gig of dual memory.
A bit of a warning though. When I write about the game I will share some game experiences that I have had which may contain spoilers.
I haven't played Sims 1 for a long time, though I did buy the first two expansions and played with friends and family. One thing that annoyed me about Sims 1 is the macro-managing of your every Sims need, including the ever annoying bladder. In Sims 2, you still need to manage your Sims and watch their needs, but they're smarter and now don't just keep yelling at you and waving while wetting themselves, but instead just go to the bathroom. Nor do they fall over dead if you forgot to feed them, they actually go and have a snack.
Take care tho, if you're sloppy and you left some decaying snacks on the floor there is a high possibility for your Sim to grab that greenish fly infested dish and eat and gag at the same time.
Yes it sounds similar to Sims 1, but your Sims really do take better care of themselves then before. You still need to keep an eye on their needs of course, but it's not as demanding as it was in Sims1.
If you found it hard to get started because you didn't know what to do for your Sims, fear not. Now your Sims have aspirations and fears that will drive them through their ages. Some aspirations are very easy to do (like getting a kiss/flirt/more from the one they're involved with) to something tricky like woohoo with at least 3 Sims, and did you know she was married? So really as soon as you start the game, your Sim is quite capable of telling you what he/she wants and needs.
The game has become more deeper and can be quite complex if you end up with a big family. Say you start out with a little family, the parents have an OK career, plenty of kids, and become elders. Now the magic actually begins, because of the options you have for your kids as they grow up. The second generation will be better able because they get far more options and opportunity to study and fill up that all so important aspiration bar. How? As a baby they receive the love and care of parents, the more love they receive the higher their bar. As a toddler, they already can learn skills (aside of learn walk/talk/potty training), they can learn logic/creativity through the use of the toys you can buy. As a teenager they can enter schools, or better yet private schools and are then eligible for better jobs/careers. If you have The Sims2: University, their lives are getting even better! better lives, better jobs, more fun for us.
The Sims can drive you mad when the full house goes wild and nothing seems to work well, and you slowly see everything turn red. Then finally like a domino effect things fall together and it works and that's just magic the things that happen then. Specially the things you didn't plan but happen. And that's what makes this game so great.
It's a great game, but there are some issues. One is path finding. Although the AI has had a huge haul-over, the Sims don't always move logically. If you have a big party sometimes you'd wish you had two doors or something, because very often they will start to idle talk right in front of the door, and half the party members are 'partying' outside.
Placing items. The Sims (and that was also the case in Sims 1) love space, hate objects and don't always take the shortest route. The indication of what's the front of an item isn't always helping in deciding where to place it so you still end up with 'surprises' if you place an unfamiliar item, and for some reason, your Sims cannot use it.
Traveling outside your house is not encouraged. Why? Because it just takes too long. Remember, time travels fast in the world of Sims, so the Sims should travel faster ;).
Why can't they multitask? Why can't they eat and study at the same time. Why can't they hold their toddler and clean at the same time?
What I hate: They can die. I know that the Sims is suppose to be semi-realistic, but I hate it when a Sim that I spend many hours on dies. OK, one time it was an accident (well not really, I knew she never could fix that TV with only 1 mechanical point), but when one died at old age I was kinda ... upset. Guess death struck a hit too close home.