How do people deal with the frequent updates breaking mods all the time?

[NNS10]

How do people playing TS4 with mods tolerate it long term? Every time there's an update, you need to check what mods still work vs. what mods are broken and need an update (which may take time for the mod author to get to). And it seems TS4 updates very frequently... maybe at least every month.

 

In the earlier days of Skyrim SE and FO4 with the Creation Club, this was also pretty annoying but at least there were mod managers to help with checking for updates on nexus. I don't think there is anything like that for TS4, especially since mod authors all seem to self host their mods.

 

For anyone that's been keeping up with all the game updates with a modded game, is there any better way to do this? Or is there no other choice but to check manually every time there's an update?

[Guest]

> When I played S3 too often updates that sometimes did more damage than good pissed me off. Since I loved some mods that depended on the new update I had to install that update.I had a program that checked my mods and recommended necessary updates. So I did it manually. My husband did the same for Skyrim LE.

[Onionstarz]

I turn off auto updates in origin then use offline mode and wait until the mods i use get tested/work then i update. I did the same for skyrim and fallout 4.

[Nomint]

Probably because most people playing The Sims 4 don't get automatic updates. Because their version of the game doesn't allow for it.

[2cool4u_1]

1 hour ago, NNS10 said:

And it seems TS4 updates very frequently... maybe at least every month.

 

There have been 114 patches in 84 months. That averages to 1.4 updates each month. Very frequent indeed. So another question is "who's crazy enough to update all their mods over 100 times?"

https://sims.fandom.com/wiki/The_Sims_4/Patch

[Felicat82]

Yeah I'm in the don't auto update boat.  If my game is running fine with no issues, I see no need to update it.  Typically I only update for major bug fixes, new packs, or QoL freebie updates, such as toddlers and pools.  Since I don't see any benefits to playing with Origin online, I just leave it offline.

 

@2cool4u_1

The answer to your second question lines up with that.  I don't, and haven't, updated my mods over 100 times, since I only download major updates and update my mods at the same time.  I haven't used every single patch version of every mod.  Additionally, not every patch interferes with mods in the first place.  The latest update did nothing to mods AFAIK.

 

@NNS10  The official sims 4 forums do a pretty good job of keeping track of outdated vs updated mods.  I personally do a combo of Deaderpool's Discord server plus knowing what's in my folder to check for updates.

 

@Nomint I hope you're not referring to pirated games.  They are not supported here or on any other modding forums I'm aware of.  Admitting to using them often gets you banned.

[LittleRedSonja]

2 hours ago, Nomint said:

Probably because most people playing The Sims 4 don't get automatic updates. Because their version of the game doesn't allow for it.

Most people playing sims 4 have an original non pirated game that allows for automatic updates, but are smart enough to turn off the auto update and go in offline mod when its update day. Then you wait until your main mods are updated. Even if you play a 100% vanilla, no mods, no cc, you should not auto-update your game on patch day until you see what EA broke this time. Sometimes updates literally destroys peoples saves or make them unplayable because of bugs (we have seen several examples this year) so i always wait at least a few days before i update. Also, starting a new save (i mean saving your game in a new slot) after an update is always a good practice. 

[GreyMouse]

Yeah, I always wait a few days after the update to see how bad it was. I also know whats in my Mod folder, which is probably tiny in comparison to most everybody elses folders. I have all of two script mods and usually the updates don't scare me.

?

[Kashked]

I just play occasionally, but intensively, since picking up the game after a time of abscence is usually a 2-3 hour endevour before I have everything updated and working again. So I avoid the game entirely for 2-3 weeks after a patch, then clean it up and update all my stuff and dive back in. Sometimes a second patch will pass before I'm back, but keeping up with mods in any activly developing game is always going to be a pain, no way around that really. Except playing vanilla... but... you know...

[Xenon93]

I get fucked more by CC unwished from external sims that I download than the updates because the body of my sims get weird and sometimes I got CTD due to outdated mods. I literally have been days complete to check whats wrong and testing new content on my game. I have fun mostly but sometimes its a pain.

[LittleRedSonja]

1 hour ago, Xenon93 said:

I get fucked more by CC unwished from external sims that I download than the updates because the body of my sims get weird and sometimes I got CTD due to outdated mods. I literally have been days complete to check whats wrong and testing new content on my game. I have fun mostly but sometimes its a pain.

Yeah, that is how i ended up with 40 Gb of cc chaos before i learned a few lessons on how to to deal with cc the hard way ?

[NNS10]

  

21 hours ago, HappyerbS said:

I turn off auto updates in origin then use offline mode and wait until the mods i use get tested/work then i update. I did the same for skyrim and fallout 4.

 

20 hours ago, Felicat82 said:

Yeah I'm in the don't auto update boat.  If my game is running fine with no issues, I see no need to update it.  Typically I only update for major bug fixes, new packs, or QoL freebie updates, such as toddlers and pools.  Since I don't see any benefits to playing with Origin online, I just leave it offline.

 

So turning off autoupdates seems to be the answer. But what if you have the Steam version of the game?

 

Steam still launches Origin, so there's still a need to disable autoupdates on Origin. But the update normally happens through Steam first. And in Steam, there is no option to disable updates; only to delay the update until launching the game.

 

For Skyrim, launching through SKSE would bypass the forced update on Steam. But I'm not sure how you'd do that for TS4.

[LittleRedSonja]

7 hours ago, NNS10 said:

  

 

 

So turning off auto updates seems to be the answer. But what if you have the Steam version of the game?

 

Steam still launches Origin, so there's still a need to disable auto updates on Origin. But the update normally happens through Steam first. And in Steam, there is no option to disable updates; only to delay the update until launching the game.

 

For Skyrim, launching through SKSE would bypass the forced update on Steam. But I'm not sure how you'd do that for TS4.

For steam you change settings to update your game only when launching it AND start steam in off-line mode. That disables the auto-updates until you start in online mode AND launch the game. As a routine i always check discord before i play the sims so i always see if there is a new update. Otherwise you can change to offline mode when you know there is a new update in the next few days, so you do not forget. Even if you use steam do not forget to change settings in origin too.

[Oops19]

One soon learns which mods break with every update. There are alternatives which don't break, anyhow not for all mods.

 

A properly implemented mod does usually not break with an update.

Years ago Scumbumbo has explained at MTS how to properly inject interactions and most of his mods still work.
As long as mod authors still edit and override tuning files instead of injecting their interactions with Python it's guaranteed or one could say intentionally that their mods break.

[erplederp]

As many others I just disable the updates and play in the offline mode. It kind of sucks one does not get to use the Gallery (or at least not in an easy way) and other online features and sometimes downloaded sims won't work in the game, but oh well. I let the game update once in a year or so while making sure it is not just after a major patch to let the modders catch up first. Typically, only a handful of gameplay and GUI mods needs to be updated. The vast (vast!) majority of CC works without issues.

[FauxFurry]

I do so by keeping my mod folder relatively light (especially on scripted mods) and not auto-updating. That makes for fewer mods that need updating, less frequent updates and a reduced chance that I will be saddled with something that will never be updated again.