Hi faytheful 🙂
Just to be clear for anyone reading this: there are TWO different versions of the base game available for direct download from origin. One works with Edit in Game and one does not (the post-Showtime Go-Social version).
The solution would be for Origin to allow those with a license for the later base game to download the ealier version of the base game instead. We have paid for a license to the base game and should be able to do this. The post-Showtime version opens up the launcher instead of the game, and if you have your requirements set to make you sign into origin, it will ask you to do so. You can change your preferences in Origin to by-pass the Origin sign-on screen, but that does not will not solve the problem of EIG getting stuck at the launcher.
I repeat, the solution would be for Origin to allow those with a license for the later version of the base game to download the original version.