How to play TS4 when Steam is set to offline mode, or when I lose internet?

@thejeneral  Unfortunately, the Steam-EA App tie-in doesn't currently work well with offline mode, and not only for Sims 4.  So unless this gets fixed before Tuesday, and I don't think it will, you won't be able to stay offline as you'd like to.

I know it's not what you really want, but have you considered spending the time building or making new sims?  Those tasks don't necessarily require any mods to be present at all, and you can build the shell of a house without custom content.

I'm aware that I have other options for how to spend my time, but I don't particularly care for spending long periods of time building or in CAS. It's the interactions between the Sims that I enjoy. And the mods I use tend to add more to those interactions. 

Honestly, at this point I'm just hoping for a response from EA even ackowledging this issue and whether or not it's going to be changed back to how it was with Origin. I've seen a number of topics on the issue and yet not a single one that I found that mentions Steam has gotten a reply from EA.

I wonder how many days I'll have to wait until EA responds to me or anyone else about this issue.

Just like other people in this forum, have issues with EA app and offline mode. So far, EA has NO fix for the situation for the EA app. However if you are willing to try it, there is a chance you can still play offline mode with the Origin app.

You have to reinstall the Origin app after the EA app is installed, then follow the instructions from MayPanDay (#42) on this page below:

https://answers.ea.com/t5/General-Discussion/Why-am-I-getting-forced-to-install-EA-App/m-p/12331941#M137136 

That should help you get rid of the "Switch to EA app" popup and hopefully it will only verify the Sims 4 files and not update them. If all goes well, start Origins first before Steam, set both to offline mode, and run the game from ORIGINS a few times so Steam stops connecting with the EA app.

Update: EA broke it again so you will have to jump to page 9 (#87) and use the info that Mardoin69 posted in the page below. Have to do a few more steps, but it should help.

https://answers.ea.com/t5/General-Discussion/Why-am-I-getting-forced-to-install-EA-App/td-p/12120907/page/9 

@kaistyle2I know you're just trying to help, but what I want is for EA to actually let Steam users use their games in offline mode. Those who purchased on EA App/Origin can do it and Steam users used to be able to with Origin. I know how to do the bypass, but they obviously don't want us to use it or they wouldn't have broken it. They claimed that offline mode is now working, and yet Steam users are left completely in the dust on that. This is what I want assistance with. Either I'm doing something completely wrong (puzzle's response makes it sound like this isn't the case) or they need to fix it. Either way, I need actual assistance with the EA App. 

Yah seems for me the one cant live without the other, I mean if steam is offline and EA online then it don't respond, and visa versa, and worse offline mode doesn't work anymore as it used to for me. Like why did i buy the game and dlcs just to not be able to play the game offline. When i set to offline mode the play button for sims 4 doesnt respond. Very frustrating.

@BylineBelife  Do you play through Steam, or do you only use the EA App?  (I can't remember at the moment, sorry.)  If the latter, can you launch Sims 4 from its .exe even when offline?  I'd test both with the EA App open before and not.

The lack of offline functionality is something that EA is looking into, according to a few posts from EA community managers.  What that means for the future, I have no idea, but at least it's on someone's radar.  Because yes, some people live in places where the internet is unreliable, and they want to play too.

@puzzlezaddictI'm playing through the EA App disaster. I didn't know about starting from the .exe, so I never tried that. I played my old Sims 3 game instead since that I launch from TS3 Launcher, but I was boiling with anger when I discovered that EA had made it impossible to play through their crappy App when the internet is down for one reason or another. At this point it feel like they're just messing with us out of spite. I don't see any other reason. Thanks for your help though and I will remember to try an start my game from the .exe the next time my broadband goes out.

Edit. No, it does not work. The TS4_x64.exe opens up the EA App before launching the game, and the App from hell require you to be online to play. I'm old and lived though the old copy protection softwares of the early 2000, like the dreaded rootkit from Sony. This is worse.

@BylineBelife  So, just to clarify, if you launch from the .exe, then sign into the EA App, the game doesn't launch after the sign-in works?  (This used to work with Origin, at least for me.)  And if you're already signed into the App and then launch Sims 4 from the .exe, that doesn't work either?