Author Topic: Issues with Origin and the game - Play Offline and Culling (Solved)  (Read 3823 times)

Offline ModHunter

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Hello.

I did start to talk about this in the other thread but in all honesty it were more of an "Off topic" discussion that was not very relevant or even correctly presented. So I start this thread instead to focus on this topic that I did get after the (mandatory  :( ) update of Origin and the game. The text below is a copy from a "journal" I did write on DeviantArt in an attempt to  get help from the Sims 4 players that are on there. But so far no answer (a bit early really). I did write on EA answers but the only "help" I did get from there were a request to update my unupdated game and Origin client. And that will not happen...

Quoted text:

Hello.

I'm not familiar to doing things like this so I don't know how it will end. But it does not hurt trying I suppose...

What it's all about is that the TS4 game install on my, now upgraded, laptop does not work at it used too and now I'm desperately try to find a solution to this. I will not tire you out with details here but it mainly breaks down in two separate issues. For reference, I do have the game installed on this laptop Computer "A", and an desktop, Computer "B".

The first thing is that the game do not launch correctly.  On Computer "B" Origin is outdated. So when I double click the TS4 icon it brings up a menu asking what I want to do. I say that I don't want to update Origin  and stay offline. After the log in the game continues to launch, only bringing me a quick note that Origin have been kicking me out (due to a needed update).  And the game is offline. Good!

On Computer "A" a double click on the TS4 icon brings up the log in but now I'm in the Origin client and must put myself offline. But this short time is enough for Origin to grab the game updates. Updates that I don't want and if they are in the client they can only be ignored a few times before I'm forced to install them. Even though automatic game updates in disabled.  And just because I put myself offline do not mean that I'm offline totally, I must log out afterwards. And I must launch my game from here, not from the TS4 icon.

The other thing that don't seem to work is the so called "culling" system. In the not updated version of my game  (it's been about two years now) my sims are all safe and sound. Whatever happen, my little sims are carrying on with their life, untouched by dangers like accidents, weather, and what not. Heck, I had a teenage girl getting hit by lightning right before my eyes and she is perfectly fine today! But in my updated version of the game sims seems to be "culled" left and right. It does not matter if it's sims from "my families" or from the "other families". The game engine does not care, it just "deletes" them. Last time I did try to play the game even called me into a family just to show me that it was about to turn one om my beloved sims to ice. Yeah, like something from a terror movie or such...

And as you sure can understand this is not something I can or will play with. So my hope is that there is someone out there with deep knowledge about Origin and/or the Sims 4 that can tell my A: How to launch my game offline and stay offline,  and B: How to make the updated game NOT "cull" my sims.  Neighborhood stories is OFF but I do not trust the setting. The sims is set not to be effected by the temperature but in the not updated game the setting is ON and so far I have not lost a single sim because of low temperatures.

If you ask me about mods the answers is yes, I have them. But it's about the same mods in both installs... 

End quoted text.

Any input to this is welcomed. As it is now I  can not play the game on my laptop as I don't know who of my sims will get "culled" and why or who are not in the game since last time. As I did tell MrsFlynn in our PM conversation, I had a backup from before the massive update. I could had used that but now I have some new gameplay to the save. And I can not merge that save into the desktop computer game.
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Offline MrsFlynn

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Re: Issues with Origin and the game (New thread)
« Reply #1 on: July 04, 2022, 07:12:50 PM »
I moved this thread from Sims 4 Tech Help to 4 Gameplay Help in hopes it may get more views from the players who are a bit more familiar with the gameplay. Specifically the Culling or deleting of Sims.

I've answered the Origin questions to the best of my ability, so if there are any further questions you might try asking over at Origin Tech Support.

Origin Client/Web – Technical Support:
https://answers.ea.com/t5/Origin-Client-Web-Technical/bd-p/origin-technical-issues-en

  ----

Here's some information about Culling. Not sure how much of it is still accurate since Sims 4 has had many updates to the game. Namely the Neighborhood Stories being introduced to the game in Nov. 2021. 

Culling Questions
https://answers.ea.com/t5/General-Discussion-Feedback/Culling-Questions/td-p/8175684

There doesn't seem to be any new information on the culling system since 2019?

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Offline ModHunter

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Re: Issues with Origin and the game (New thread)
« Reply #2 on: July 05, 2022, 12:56:46 PM »
I did look but I did not find anything useful about the culling system. I did search for "offline" in the Origin section but there were 83 pages of matches. Looked at some of them and the best I found was this: https://answers.ea.com/t5/Origin-Client-Web-Technical/How-can-I-play-my-game-sims-4-offline/m-p/5970277#M52786 I did try to send a PM to EA_Kristi but did get an error. And the forum did not understand my question the last time I did try so I better let it be.
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Offline ModHunter

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Re: Issues with Origin and the game (New thread)
« Reply #3 on: July 09, 2022, 02:18:42 PM »
Hello.

Now I give up on the Ea forum. The member who wanted to "help" me just wants to misunderstand me. Not very satisfying... But if you want to read: https://answers.ea.com/t5/Game-and-Mod-CC-Issues/I-had-enough-I-want-the-control-over-my-game-back/td-p/11587773


On the other hand, I did get a very nice talk with MrsFlynn. By PM. (I hope she don't mind that I borrow a pic from that conversation).  The TS4 icon now work as intended but instead Windows ask for permissions. I'm do not try to run Origin as administrator so I don't know why. But that's a small problem. The main Issue is that I can not go completely offline. In the install that I have on my desktop the Origin client is outdated. That presents me this dialog when I try to launch the game.



That's very fine with me. It's what I want. Selecting the last alternative makes Origin disconnects me and I'm offline to play my game. The updated Origin don't do this, I must be online and must "go offline" from Origin itself. Yes "" because I have to log out after gameplay. That's not what I want. Everything that I have found in the settings about interactions between Origin and the game is turned off But the game still greets me with my Origin alias and that means I'm online. The "sim-bud" is also ready to give me 400+ MB of new stuff and the "new" main menu looks very "online" if I may say so. Do I have to wait a year before I can play offline?
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Offline MrsFlynn

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Re: Issues with Origin and the game (New thread)
« Reply #4 on: July 09, 2022, 07:52:30 PM »
Thank you for the update on the issue. I don't mind you using the photos. :) 

I do need to clarify a few things - I don't always get the Origin Requires an Update prompt.

Now that Origin has updated, it opens up into My Game Library, as that's what I have it set to and will do so until there is a new update for Origin.

Otherwise you will need to manually select Origin from the menu and Go Offline.  Or take your computer offline before launching Origin. 

Note:  If you do this method, Origin will prompt you to login using your username and password, with a notice Online is currently unavailable. This is normal. It will also show an offline notice in the upper right corner of the screen. And first flash a You're offline popup message. This is also normal.

Click images to see larger view.

 

If you're not sure how to take your computer offline, you will need to search for instructions.
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Offline ModHunter

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Re: Issues with Origin and the game (New thread)
« Reply #5 on: July 10, 2022, 04:19:18 AM »
Oh OK, thank you for the clarification.  :) Well, As I see it there is only on solution to this issue: I need to close down the internet connection, then I can play offline. I don't know when Origin will update next time but it's a good solution until then.

That sort one of the problems out. The next thing is to prevent my sims from being "deleted" left and right. The member who answers in my thread on EA answers seems to  defend Neighborhood stories as much as possible and try to tell me that sims can pass away for many reasons. Well, there is no doubt about that. But I see what I see and that is that the sims that I have in the desktop version of the game (an offline game at a very low patch level) seems to be untouched by everything life throws at them. Things like accidents, weather, low hygiene and such can make them annoyed but nothing more (they do get very annoyed if it's cold inside). It does not matter if it's my sims or the auto generated ones (the NPC's). And aging is turned off for all so no sim will pass from old age).

The game won't hurt them. But in my updated laptop game sims seems to be "taken down"from everything. Neighborhood stories is turned off (as well as aging for all) but I can not trust it. Not as the game do throw me into a family of my sims only to show me how it turn my poor sim into ice. I did not pick that family for playing. The non updated game always start up (I always chose "Continue" from the main menu)  in the last played world. And ask me if I want to continue to play the last played family.  The updated game seems to have a (evil) mind of it's own. OK, I can chose to load a save but that's not so "convenient" as the other method. I have also been told that the every family must be played within a save or else the game will get rid of them. It's not how it works in the game that I have that's not updated. And that's not how I play my game.  If they did change the coding of the game so it works like that then I can not play anymore. If it can not be altered that is...
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Offline MrsFlynn

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Re: Issues with Origin and the game (New thread)
« Reply #6 on: July 10, 2022, 01:46:46 PM »
I'm not sure what to do about your Sims being deleted.  It does seem like the updated game on your laptop does act differently than on your desktop that has an older game patch and older version of Origin.   

This is to be expected due to Sims 4 getting various new updates every month or so and new features, packs or content added to the game on a fairly frequent basis. There isn't anyway to go back to a previous patch level.

If you find that you don't enjoy the game as it is currently, it may be best to go back to your older offline game and play that.
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Offline ModHunter

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Re: Issues with Origin and the game (New thread)
« Reply #7 on: July 11, 2022, 03:45:21 AM »
Yeah, you're right I'm afraid. I was hoping that someone would step in here presenting some sort of miracle solution but maybe that's not even possible. Oh well, I should try to play with no internet connection.  If the (updated) game works to weird I have to find an other solution (like merging the save into the not updated game). But let's leave that for now.  :-\

OK, so that did kid of worked. I did disconnect the WiFi but Origin did not notice or say anything about it. Now even if NS is set to off I, my sims, still do get phone calls and that's a function from that game system. The member at EA answers wrote this:
Q: "NS means you may get phone calls from sims you know if they should date/have a child/pet, get married and so on. The outcome depends on what you answer.
It may also move sims into empty houses". End Q.
 No, last time I had a sim get a phone call it was because someone have passed away. So I don't care to answer those. I hope that's enough to keep my sims safe. 
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Offline MrsFlynn

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Re: Issues with Origin and the game (New thread)
« Reply #8 on: July 11, 2022, 10:44:19 AM »
I don't know if your Sims will be safe or not. It seems once the bugs/glitches are introduced to the game, it's either permanent to that specific save file or worse - could affect the whole version of the game. Regardless if you play online or offline.  It's up to game devs to fix it or not. If it gets fixed it will come in a game patch.

You could try a new test-save on your laptop to see if things work out better. Quit without saving after awhile of playing. - This will give you an idea if the bugs/glitches are save file based or affecting the whole game.

Please keep in mind that merging your save files from your laptop that has a newer patch level to your desktop's game that has an older patch level may not work. As most of the time the game is not backwards compatible.

However, something you could do is re-create your current Sim family and their house that is on your laptop in a save on your desktop. 
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Offline ModHunter

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Re: Issues with Origin and the game (New thread)
« Reply #9 on: July 12, 2022, 09:07:20 AM »
Yeah, I should have been playing without saving but  I (maybe falsely) thought It worked so fine so I saved anyway. Sorry.  :-[ Anyway, the first family I did play was a single girl and her dog. Everything went well but she did get a call from Katarina Caliente that I did not care about. As told: the last time I did let my sim answer and that resulted in a message about sims "so and so" who had passed away. I did not see any ghosts in the list of sims that my sim did know this time and when I did open up the lot of the Calientes, Katarina did not have any ghost in her list. I did play some more and changed to an other family and I still have 118 sims. So no one is lost so far. But my sims do get boatloads of phone calls. What I can see is that all my sims is still alive. They may not always be home but the are still there. The strangest thing that did happen during my play session last night was that a book written by my sim was renamed ****DEBUG**** in the royalty payout message. I do think this is a old bug though because I have seen similar things before. So I dare to call this issue solved (for bad or for worse). 
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Offline MrsFlynn

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Re: Issues with Origin and the game (New thread)
« Reply #10 on: July 12, 2022, 11:30:53 AM »
It sounds like a new save seems to be working so far. Meaning no deaths. That's good!! :)
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Offline ModHunter

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Re: Issues with Origin and the game - Play Offline and Culling
« Reply #11 on: September 15, 2022, 06:33:42 AM »
Hello.

So, it's been a while now. Does anyone know if the Origin client is updated yet? (If so, I may get the promt as I want)Sure, I can always go online and try but I'm afraid to do so as I don't want Origin to start collecting updates (I still have not found out how to deny the client internet access through the antivirus or the firewall).
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Offline MrsFlynn

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Re: Issues with Origin and the game - Play Offline and Culling
« Reply #12 on: September 15, 2022, 11:00:04 AM »
It looks like there might be an Origin update. This is what I get when I open the Origin Client.



Your results may be different, depending on your settings within the client. I've got it setup to disable automatic updates. This disables the Origin client from automatically updating.

It doesn't seem like there's nothing really new in the patch notes. (As of Sept.15th 2022)
https://secure.download.dm.origin.com/releasenotes/10.5.115/en_US.html
- Other than bug fixes.

You may need to login with your EA account info. Username and password.
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Offline ModHunter

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Re: Issues with Origin and the game - Play Offline and Culling
« Reply #13 on: September 15, 2022, 01:44:19 PM »
Thank you.  :) I will check it out this weekend. If I see the same box then I can let the laptop connect to the internet again so I can do other things with it and know that Origin will stay offline. 
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Offline ModHunter

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Re: Issues with Origin and the game - Play Offline and Culling
« Reply #14 on: September 17, 2022, 11:11:42 AM »
Yes, I did work! Now I can mark this thread solved:)
Unpopular opinion: I like the Sims 4

 

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