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EA strikes again!
We are allowed, in the settings on Origin, to choose whether we want automatic TS4 updates or not. In theory, this implies we may select what updates we want, and if we choose not to, then play at the game version prior to the update. After the disaster of the June update, which I had no control over, I opted to take up the option.
Wrong!
Have just discovered that updates are mandatory. Unless I bow to the almighty EA, choose update, the game will not be playable - even at the prior level. This is, at best, dirty pool. At worst, words are not adequate - though tyranical control by an evil and egotistical self-appointed elite will do for now. Perhaps EA has forgotten that at the present the US of A is still a country where freedom of choice is permitted, and in some states even encouraged. Perhaps they have forgotten (or choose to ignore) that game customers are not their peasants, that they are at liberty to choose what games they play and where to spend their gaming dollars.
Guess what, EA? No more of my gaming dollars for you. And no more TS4, either. Since I refuse to kow-tow to your imperious desire to control me, my TS4 is not playable. So, why keep it on my PC any longer? Do nye svidania!
Wrong!
Have just discovered that updates are mandatory. Unless I bow to the almighty EA, choose update, the game will not be playable - even at the prior level. This is, at best, dirty pool. At worst, words are not adequate - though tyranical control by an evil and egotistical self-appointed elite will do for now. Perhaps EA has forgotten that at the present the US of A is still a country where freedom of choice is permitted, and in some states even encouraged. Perhaps they have forgotten (or choose to ignore) that game customers are not their peasants, that they are at liberty to choose what games they play and where to spend their gaming dollars.
Guess what, EA? No more of my gaming dollars for you. And no more TS4, either. Since I refuse to kow-tow to your imperious desire to control me, my TS4 is not playable. So, why keep it on my PC any longer? Do nye svidania!
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Comments
Despite the loading screen, this update isn’t too terrible. None of my mods/cc broke. But I get it if the loading screen causes you any problems as it has to some other players.
Oh and I agree that it's messed up if you can't play the game without signing in.
Vlad The Dad: A 100 Baby Challenge, Vlad as ‘matriarch’ *COMPLETE*
Breed Out The Weird *COMPLETE*
The best solution to the forced updates would be to separate these updates into three parts. One part for the bug fixes, one part for updates to the base game such as adding pool slides, whims, additions to features from past packs, etc. and one part for added content such as color swatches for various assets. Each one of those has it's own team. Whenever one of those teams runs into time contraints, the update is postponed until all three teams are finished with their tasks, and the update is then released. Why should we have to wait for the bug fixes if the team working on color swatches is running a bit behind, for example. And as far as the color swatches being added so often to these updates, why can't we have the option not to install those? I couldn't care less about adding color swatches to old meshes that have been in the game for years. I would much prefer the game to be a whole lot less glitchy than added to with more stuff to look at. I do not mind the players who do not use CC are able to enjoy having new color swatches. But to be fair to everyone who owns the game, adding new meshes, for free, would be rather nice. But, again, I should be allowed to choose what I add to my game. The Sims franchise has always been advertised as one that allows the player to make his/her own choices in how he/she plays the game. That is so not true now. And quite honestly, I have had enough of it.
As for pushing the patches, maybe the bug fix team said "we likely won't be able to fix these bugs for the next patch" so they chose to instead left it till the next patch.
This is the game industry we're talking about. I'm sure you've heard at least some stories about the crunch times and such. They don't sit around playing solitaire all day.
But why don’t they just disable the gallery for people who are out of date in terms of sims updates? Plenty of other games disable network features if you don’t want to update, such as Red dead redemption 2, gmod and Skyrim just to name a few, so why is the sims any different? Like you said, this is the gaming industry we’re talking about, and that is how the gaming industry is supposed to work.
Like I said. No update means players can't buy expansion packs. Say you've decided not to update but suddenly you got 40 euros to spare and want to get that one EP you don't have. But oops you can't because your game is not up to date. That's 40 euros lost for EA.
I get your point. But with a game that relies on DLC as much as the sims 4 it just doesn't make sense.
I'm very sorry to hear you're having woes. It's frustrating when you wish to do something and for some reason you're prevented from doing so. Trust me, my game has been in complete havoc since the StrangerVille patch struck. I'm just now back to being able to play and it's been how long? Oi!
My best advise: Just keep swimming.
http://www.getfreeebooks.com/star-trek-original-series-fan-fiction-trilogy/
edited to get hyperlink to go to top of thread not bottom! I hope.
The problem is that you can't go online at all if there is an update. Because once you log into Origin, it detects the update and won't let you play until the game is updated. So even this method can fail unless it's done prior to an update.
@IceyJ my game lets me play after it detects an update (so long as I go offline). When an update comes in I am usually online in Origin and when I try to play TS4 the ‘play’ button is replaced by an ‘update’ button. I then switch to being offline and the ‘update’ button is again replaced by a ‘play’ button, and I then just play the game.
Vlad The Dad: A 100 Baby Challenge, Vlad as ‘matriarch’ *COMPLETE*
Breed Out The Weird *COMPLETE*
Agree...They should not make you update in order to play.
Especially as it seems like updates now break more than they fix so I certainly understand not wanting to update. I wish I could go back to before the Pre-Island Living update. That has caused me so many issues. And I hate the new color scheme of the re-brand as well. I don't typically use mods, but I guess I will have to learn how. The game is unplayable for me right now without them.
I'm sorry for your trouble.
Ah, then it changed at some point. Origin used to prevent the game from launching until it updated.
If true, then I don't see any reason why the OP can't continue playing his game.
Once you start the game offline you cannot go online in game unless you exit and start the game again. That's the message they give me if I try it in game.
I've taken Origin off my laptop Startup list, (have you noticed it there)? That's giving EA too much control and wastes startup time and there's no reason I want it there anyway.
So for me it looks like go offline, startup Origin, start game, go online, ok.
You still have access to the gallery, you just can't download anything uploaded since the last patch you skipped. Log into origin, switch to offline mode to load up the game, and then once in the game, hitting the gallery icon will prompt a box asking you to go online. You hit yes and it will connect you, and you'll have access to the gallery again. I really only patch if an ep/gp comes out that I want, so I'm usually behind on 3/4 patches at any given time lol
Also, my 'offline' mode in Orgin never works to log in, so I always log in online and then switch to offline mode once loaded, and I've never had a problem with it forcing me to update the game in order to play.
Oh neat, I always assumed that if you went inline for the gallery your game would start trying to get you to download the latest patch. That’s very good to know, thank you!
Vlad The Dad: A 100 Baby Challenge, Vlad as ‘matriarch’ *COMPLETE*
Breed Out The Weird *COMPLETE*
I have one in the process of being published, supposed to be out near the end of the year. There are 7 more in the wings, provided copyright issues can be resolved. The material is all new, but part of the setting and a couple of the characters are under copyright.
Indeed you can, which leads to an update to my comment.
Upon getting that note, I got thoroughly ticked off, went directly to the forums to post my protest, and then back to the game screen to close it out. Discovered that during my brief absence EA did the update anyway, even though I had said 'no'! Great twirling plumbob! Talk about impereious control! Curious, and wanting to give my a/c more time to cool the bedroom down, I clicked the not supposed to be there play button. Update was there in all its eye hurting glory. Observations from the testing:
Difficult to tell what's what with game icons. I'm partly color-blind which probably contributes, but had no problem before.
What's with the leapers in the bottom right corner? They are useless, annoying, and infantile.
The shade of blue chosen is bad! The redone rotating plumbob makes it worse, necessitating looking away until the loading screen is done.
The interrogation, a/k/a their 'story' feature:
Appears only when starting a new game. New sims in existing game don't get the treatment.
Results in terms of traits, aspirations, skills, job, etc. don't necessarily agree with what one expects from one's answers
Those results can be contradictory within themselves - test sim got aspriation of being best selling author; but the skills, job, and a trait were focused on acting, music, and comedy. Split focus does not lead to success in any of it. Bad job, EA!
Am overall not favourably impressed with the patch. Other than possible benefits to my few and seldom played vampires this patch is of no use to me. Did not try that cheat, but why bother giving objects that are simply art, not something useful?
EA's Origin spyware will search in vain for any games. They are living on a machine that is not connected to the internet, though it is capable of being so should I choose. My prized TS2 UC is completely safe from EA's grubby, controlling claws. It and TS4 run just fine over there. If I use Orgin at all, it would be to give TS3 another try. It still has a lot of fans here, so maybe finding out why would be instructive.