https://bugs.winehq.org/show_bug.cgi?id=46948
--- Comment #6 from Paul Gofman gofmanp@gmail.com --- A modified version of the patch was accepted to Staging (commit bfdd49203c7c427f90a8a7651fa2d63b8511bde1).
For the record, the details of the issue for future reference.
The Sims (all the flavors appeared in bug reports, not just The Complete Collection) are using Directx 4 and create software (RGB) device. Render targets and depth buffers are all created with DDSCAPS_SYSTEMMEMORY. This is the reason why it doesn't start with mainstream Wine now and needs Staging patches in this area.
This particular bug is about the way this version sets the textures. The game passes offscreen surfaces (DDSCAPS_OFFSCREENPLAIN | DDSCAPS_SYSTEMMEMORY) to _SetTexture(). Wine sets null texture if the texture doesn't have DDSCAPS_TEXTURE. I've tested that the texture without DDSCAPS_TEXTURE is actually set on Windows with ddraw4 and software device. It still sets null texture with hardware device or with ddraw7 regardless of device type.
The patch adds a test for ddraw4 and allows setting of textures without DDSCAPS_TEXTURE for ddraw4 software devices.