This may be a stupid question, and maybe I am misunderstanding something, but as I understand it, after every single update you have to go through your mods folder to check for updates. The only way I know how to do this is to individually go to each item's website and see if the creator has mentioned that it is updated. For this reason, I only use a few mods, and I skip out on tons that I really want, not to mention the cc. But I see people mentioning all the time having hundreds or even thousands of cc items! How are you making sure your stuff if good? Am I unaware of a simple solution? I find keeping up on just the small pile I have tedious when EA has an update every few weeks. Plus so many creators just say, "mod/cc is up to date." Up to date when? Which date? When was that posted? :#

Well, first, CC that is just plain old CC almost never needs to be updated unless the game makes a change to the asset type. So generally CC is not something that has to be worried about updating. I keep all my CC organized by type of CC so that if that kind of change is made, I can easily just move all of that type out of my game (or do a batch fix with Sims 4 Studio when applicable).As for mods, those also don't generally need to be updated "every game update". But it is something that needs to be paid attention to. I use hundreds (literally over 400) individual mod package files in my game, but worrying about "updates" and troubleshooting problems is something that takes only about an hour after each game update, following the below general principles.To facilitate easy updating, what I do is I keep all my mods separated into folders with the name of what modder made the mod and have bookmarks in my browser for the main update page of each of those modders. That way when troubleshooting problems, I can quickly narrow it down to which modder has a mod that 'needs' an update and quickly check their web site. It also lets me just move that one folder out, temporaly, while waiting for said updates.I also follow a general rule of not using any mod that is likely to need updates often. Examples of this would be some of the cooking/baking related mods that directly override the functions on stoves and refrigerators in order to do what they do. Those end up needing to be updated every single time the game adds new recipes...which is far too often for my tastes. The good news is that there are generally modders that provide similiar mods without doing that kind of override. If a mod that I use breaks on a game update several updates in a row, I generally remove the mod entirely and just won't use it anymore, ever, flagging it as more trouble than it's worth. I also have, over the years, made a mental list of which modders do that the most, and don't use any of their mods. While at the same time, I have a mental list of which modders do a great job of making their mods small, modular, and who update quickly when needed. I favor their mods.The community also provides a lot of assistance, such as the thread here in this section of the forum that provides information on what mods are broken and what (and when) mods get updated after a game patch. @Luthienrising maintains these threads currently, and deserves a freaking trophy from the community for just how helpful those threads are.And I guess the last thing that, imo, is helpful is having some understanding of basic modding oneself. Knowing how to open a mod and look specifically at what it is doing means that 1. If needed, I can provide my own 'update' of a mod in the short term until the actual modder fixes it and 2. I have a better idea of what the mod all 'touches' so that when I do have a problem in my game, it's easier to quickly make a mental short list of which mods are most likely to be causing the problem based on that knowledge and reading the patch notes."Chaotic_Moira;d-998837" wrote:I find keeping up on just the small pile I have tedious when EA has an update every few weeks. Plus so many creators just say, "mod/cc is up to date." Up to date when? Which date? When was that posted? :# Regarding this question, it's the internet, generally posts like that have a date on them. And most modders also specify specifically which patch version number they are referring to.

Thanks for the callout, @Stormkeep ! And for your support for people in my threads :) I'd add a few more notes. One, if you use 18+ mods (plus a few modders that for other reasons aren't in my Forums coverage), you need to follow lists off these Forums to get info about them. Two, organize your mods by creator to help you keep track. You can pull a creator's whole folder back into your Mods folder when they clear their mods, for example. Three, have an alternative no-mods, no-CC save for when you still want to play but you have mod/CC issues to figure out or there was a really big patch and you're in the "modders still checking their stuff" time, which can be a good week or two overall.Four, follow elsewhere if that's where you are. If you're mainly an email person, follow Patreons to get update news sent to your email inbox. Lots of active modders these days have a Discord server for support and announcements, and those can push notifications. Those two are my faves because info gets pushed out to you. If you're more a Discord person than a Forum type, you can get general update feeds there two; lots of servers pick up the mod update feed from Deaderpool or Sims After Dark, and some pick up the CC update feed from Creator Musings (which is otherwise a forum for creators supporting each other). Five, start out slow. You don't have to have all the things just because someone made another cool one. Pick up the ones that relate to your gameplay as it is now, plus bugfix mods that fix things you're likely to encounter. The fewer mods you have, the less you need to keep track of. Six, when you can't figure out what's broke and have tried everything, including a proper 50-50 with deleting localthumbcache every time, take advantage of the amazing bots and knowledgeable Simmers on Discord over at Deaderpool and Sims After Dark. They can use your error files to help you solve what's broken for you, if it's a mod problem not a game problem.

"userafw;c-18090215" wrote: ... core script mods like MCCC and Kawaii Stacie slice of life because they make major changes to the interactions in the game. These are 99 percent likely to require updating with every patch, and removal has worse consequences than any other mod type. You also should never use more than one core mod ever, or they will conflict. How do you know if a mod is a "Core Script Mod?"I use MCCC, why would removing it have consequences? I actually just took it out to check out EA's Sp, but I assume all that would happen is the functions it provided are gone.

@Chaotic_Moira, "core" mods had a specific meaning in TS3 that doesn't apply in TS4. Based on his last sentence, It appears that @userafw isn't aware of that.As for MCCC, it is perfectly safe to remove it at any time and it won't damage your save game.That said, doing so can have some devastating consequences depending on the MCCC settings that you use. For example, if you have lifespans extended with MCCC, then a TON of sims will age up immediately on loading a save after removing it. And if you had extended the elder life stage, a ton of elders will instantly die as a result.By comparison, the MCCC equivalent for TS3 was indeed a core mod, and if you removed it, your save would be badly corrupted and become unplayable. The reason mods were called "core" mods in TS3 is because they replaced the core file of the game. That's also why you could not use more than one at time. That's not a thing for TS4.

I don't know if this is helpful advice, but I use a spreadsheet to track my mods. The columns are as follows:- Name of Mod- Version- Creator- Status (Updated, Outdated, Unsupported)- Last Updated (This is the time I last updated the mod, not the last time a modder pushed an update out. This distinction is important as I don't immediately update my game, so sometimes I'm running a mod that's not the newest version.)- Link to page where the mod is hostedThen, every patch/update, I use the MCCC Discord server & Luthienrising's forum threads to check on the mods that I have & see if they've been updated/which mods have become obsolete. This entire process takes me at least an hour or so but I never update my game right away after patches/updates so I can take my time.

How do you update 100s of Mods and CC?

47 Replies

PurrfectMediocre
Seasoned Ace
4 years ago
"haneul;c-18111025" wrote:
@FurAndYarn You download 15,000 files approximately every two months? Doesn't that take hours (not in Internet speed), but it sounds like a lot of time spent on CC/mod shopping.

It sort of accumulates over the weeks. I like to browse CC every morning as part of my wakeup routine.
HaneulFier
Seasoned Ace
4 years ago
"FurAndYarn;c-18111062" wrote:
"haneul;c-18111025" wrote:
@FurAndYarn You download 15,000 files approximately every two months? Doesn't that take hours (not in Internet speed), but it sounds like a lot of time spent on CC/mod shopping.

It sort of accumulates over the weeks. I like to browse CC every morning as part of my wakeup routine.

Okay. I was just surprised because that's almost 2,000 items a week (300 items daily). I honestly couldn't handle adding and removing that much so frequently.
PurrfectMediocre
Seasoned Ace
4 years ago
"haneul;c-18111074" wrote:
Okay. I was just surprised because that's almost 2,000 items a week (300 items daily). I honestly couldn't handle adding and removing that much so frequently.

I always tell myself I'm going to cut back but then I see a cute CAS collection by one creator or a stylish living set by another. Then several mods are made up multiple files and all the little fixes from modders like Bienchen and LittleMsSam. I also do have a couple folders from retired creators that I just can't part with and those get moved back from my backup drive after every clean out. I'm always a bit surprised when I realize how much has added up in just a few weeks. :D

I think I enjoy the "shopping" for CC almost as much as the game. It's just part of playing for me, so I don't find it overwhelming... in fact, it's quite relaxing and cathartic for me.
ChaoticMoira
Seasoned Ace
4 years ago
@FurAndYarn :o Holy cow! Yeah I was thinking the same as @haneul... Just kinda confused about the deleting and reaccumulating. That sounds so overwhelming to me. I do enjoy when I find mods or cc I really need, or I see something really creative. I enjoy clutter mostly, or new modded bb objects that impress me. I have gotten lost in the pleasure of finding things I like. But I think dealing with the maintenance of it all just sort of spoils the pleasure for me. Whenever an update comes it's like I am 12 years old again and I am being told, no more games for you until you do your chores..

I couldn't remove my cc like that though. If I did, when I loaded my game all my sims would be bald. It would be a nightmare, lol.
ChaoticMoira
Seasoned Ace
4 years ago
"haneul;c-18110756" wrote:
My process is to backup my saves by copying them to another folder, update the mods, remove the mods folder, delete cache files, update the game, repair the game, run it once, and then put my mods back. Some patches are more troublesome than others, so I won't necessarily exercise this much care every time, but it's generally what I do.

This thread has been a big help for me. I didn't realize before that I could keep playing without patching immediately. And the Wedding pack was a lesson for me on not getting the packs right away. I won't be installing a new one again until I see how things are going with it. I should write down the steps everyone takes so I just follow the steps each time or something, otherwise I forget little steps. Like I kept forgetting to remove my mods folder before updating, and then I kept forgetting to delete my cache...

Luckily, like you I have never actually had any problems despite my missing these things. I did once have an issue with my game crashing, and I went through and found the offending cc. It wasn't difficult..

So you repair the game even when you haven't been having problems?
ChaoticMoira
Seasoned Ace
4 years ago
"MsDSweets;c-18110917" wrote:
O-M-G!!! You guys are awesome. This is a great convo. I am a guilty mod hog. My current mod folder is 200gb. :# I need intervention - mod rehab.

On another note - I'm reorganizing my mods folder. Decided to create one folder that is CAS (with individual creator folders inside); one that is B&B (with individual creator folders inside) and then one for FOODs. Already have one for jobs, traits, holidays. As for SCRIPTS - They will be the only folders directly in the mods folder.

As far as updating goes, I use Discord and the Sims Forum, waiting about a week to allow modder updates to be posted.
The only mods that are must haves - just can't play without: MCCC, UICheats.

Also, I have a vanilla save for those desperate times.

See I can't play without mods, so I don't have a vanilla save. As much as I LOVE MCCC and UICheats, most the ones I can't play without are by LittleMsSam and Bienchen. And there are a good handful. I could get by without MCCC or UICheats for a little while if I HAD to.

I only just learned I can play without updating the game, so that will be my method moving forward for sure. I will only be updating for new game play updates, or patches where I personally have experienced the glitches.. That means less maintenance for me. I currently did not update with last one.
HaneulFier
Seasoned Ace
4 years ago
"Chaotic_Moira;c-18111362" wrote:
"haneul;c-18110756" wrote:
My process is to backup my saves by copying them to another folder, update the mods, remove the mods folder, delete cache files, update the game, repair the game, run it once, and then put my mods back. Some patches are more troublesome than others, so I won't necessarily exercise this much care every time, but it's generally what I do.

This thread has been a big help for me. I didn't realize before that I could keep playing without patching immediately. And the Wedding pack was a lesson for me on not getting the packs right away. I won't be installing a new one again until I see how things are going with it. I should write down the steps everyone takes so I just follow the steps each time or something, otherwise I forget little steps. Like I kept forgetting to remove my mods folder before updating, and then I kept forgetting to delete my cache...

Luckily, like you I have never actually had any problems despite my missing these things. I did once have an issue with my game crashing, and I went through and found the offending cc. It wasn't difficult..

So you repair the game even when you haven't been having problems?

@Chaotic_Moira Forgetting to delete cache or to remove mods really shouldn't cause you any problems (hopefully :)), so I think it's generally fine to forget those steps. You can delete the cache files at any time and I remove my mods out of extreme caution/to remind myself to back things up. Updates really shouldn't mess them up.

I find that little bugs or odd things begin to show up if I don't repair my game every few months (e.g., a bald townie Sim). I think my playstyle is really computer intensive (Reshade, lots of CC, lots of mods, lots of Sims, lots of objects, maxed settings...), so I do what I can to keep the game running quickly and lag-free. I use big patch updates and new pack installations as a time to repair my game. I won't repair for every little patch.

@FurAndYarn I'm still impressed by how quickly you accumulate CC. I like CC shopping too, but unless it's something I never use, I don't want to remove it. I just keep it and add more and more... until my game becomes "spot the EA/Maxis item."

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How do you update 100s of Mods and CC?

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