Realistic skin

Warning: If you are a parent of an underage teen player of The Sims 3, you should be aware that the player community has developed many modifications to the game that are easy to find by anyone who can use Google to search the Web. Most of these modifications fit the "T for Teen" rating of the game, but some mods are more R- or M-rated. (Nothing X-rated is possible with The Sims 3.) The main intent of this article is to equip responsible parents with the knowledge and techniques to ascertain whether your children might be using any game mods that you might object to. Remember, the developers and publishers of the game, and the player community at large, are not responsible for protecting your children from material that you might prefer they not be exposed to. Only parental oversight on your part can ensure that your kids are playing game content that you approve of.

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Various high-quality skin mod packages for male and female Sims have now been created by fans of the game. These can be easily installed in a non-destructive manner and easily uninstalled if they are not to the player's taste. Tested skin mods include:

• (G-rated) Shiny skin textures that more realistically reflect the light than the default flat matte skins (for both male and female Sims)
• (G-rated) More detailed faces (for both male and female Sims)
• (R-rated) Subtle, tasteful nipples (for both male and female Sims) and realistic chest hair (for male Sims), but with barbie doll bottom halfs
• (M-rated) Fully realistic top and bottom skins for females

As with the No Mosaic mod package that removes the mosaic-blur effect when showering or using the bathroom, it's a matter of personal taste whether some of these more realistic skin options (designated above by the R and M ratings) are lewd or simply realistic and natural. Remember that The Sims 3 is played in many nations throughout the world and many cultures are not bothered by casual nudity being portrayed in their media or games.

For the adult players reading this article, this is a roadmap that enables sims players to safely and non-destructively mod their The Sims 3 games to remove all censorship features such as barbie-doll skins, or alternatively to as to improve the visual quality of the barbie doll skins without adding realism that the player might personally find offensive.

Steps to install the above-listed mod packages in order:

1. First, install the No Mosaic mod package as described in Mosaic-Blur Removal (The Sims 3). This ensures that the proper Resource.cfg file is in the proper place and that the Mods\Packages folder is in the proper place for the player to easily add all the .package files that compose the above-listed skin mods.
2. Download HystericalParoxysm's TS3 Skin Replacements (increased texture detail and shine), then extract and install the .package files according to his instructions. Note that each player can pick and choose exactly which features to install. Put the extracted .package files for the features that are chosen in the same Mods\Packages folder that the No Mosaic mod created.
   This step will install the two G-rated options above, and also the R-rated option if the player chooses the "more detailed bodies" options that use the keywords "nipples" or "hair"
3. Download Falcoknight's Nude Replacement Skin for Sims 3, then extract the package files and place them in the same Mods\Packages folder that No Mosaic created. Note that these files are direct replacements for some of HystericalParoxysm's files, so the player should not be alarmed if an overwrite notice is seen when these are placed in the Mods\Packages folder.
   This step will install the M-rated option listed above.
4. As a final step, the user must delete a particular cache file so that the skins on the game's existing Sims will be updated. If the player does not remove this file and lets the game rebuild it again at the next startup, only new Sims that are created will use the new skin overrides. Look in My Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\ and delete the file called simCompositorCache.package.

For Parents - How to determine whether any of these mods are in use by children

Parents cannot rely on the filenames of the .package files that are found by downloading the above-listed mods, because smart kids will just change the names and possibly even the location of the .package files by hacking the Resource.cfg file that points to the location of mod packages.

However, if a mod is installed they cannot hide the in-game results, and the following is the quick and easy way to tell what's what.

1. First, one must look for the existence of a mod packages folder. If it is not there on the child's computer, one must consider whether he or she wants to strain his or her child's trust by proceeding with the remaining steps. If the bold-highlighted folders shown in the following paths exist, then the child definitely has some type of mods installed. If the folder does not exist, it is not a guarantee that no mods are installed; resourceful kids can easily change the default folder used by mod packages.
   • On Windows: C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Mods\Packages.
   • On Mac: In the Applications folder, right-click the application and choose Show Package Contents. Then navigate to Contents > Resources > transgaming > c_drive > Program Files > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3 > Mods > Packages.
2. Go in-game and command one of the Sims to take a shower. If the pixellated mosaic-blur effect does not occur, they have the No Mosaic mod installed (or some equivalent anti-censorship mod).
3. If the shower has clear see-through glass, it wil also be obvious whether any realistic skin mods have been installed. Alternatively, one can click the Sim, choose Change Outfit, then select their swimsuit outfit or their sleepwear outfit slot and see what happens. At this time there is no everyday, formal, exercise, or uniform clothing that reveals underlying skin realism.)