Disable Single Packs
Introduction
There’s a few scenarios in which it would be useful to be able to disable certain packs from certain save games.
- Your computer can’t handle all packs but you like them all and want to at least play with some of them but not always the same ones.
- Certain packs like the Vampire pack bring features you don’t want in all of your save games.
- …
Unfortunately with EA App, it’s rather difficult to uninstall certain packs cause EA app likes to just reinstall whatever you have uninstalled next chance it gets.
There is a however a way to disable certain packs.
Be aware that you do this at your own risk . Always keep a backup of your saves. I would recommend when playing a particular save to not disable any packs that the game has previously been saved with
I also recommend to refrain from playing saves with content that you’ve disabled.
Since Patch 1.117.221/2.18 you can directly disable packs within the game. A restart is needed if you make changes. The same warnings that were valid for disabling through EA app still apply. It’s best not to play a save that you have saved with certain packs with them disabled.
This method can of course also be used for troubleshooting. Make sure to keep backups if that’s why you are disabling them.
Steps
Start the game
On the main menu, click on the three dots in the upper right corner
Choose Pack Selection
Choose which pack you want loaded. You will see all available packs but packs you don’t own are grayed out.
Select All ticks all packs owned
Deselect all unticks all packs. This will only load the base game.
Revert will revert the changes you made this session. So if you have previously disabled Vampires and loaded the game like that, clicking on revert will go back to just having Vampires disabled.
Once you are happy with your changes and click on OK, the game will ask you to restart the game so the changes can take effect.
This method only works if you add the arguments in online mode. Command line arguments can’t be added while you’re offline. They do work if you add them in online mode and then go offline.
The command line arguments do not work if you start the game through the desktop shortcut. Please use shortcut instructions for that method.
Instructions
Start EA app and Login
Find the game in the library
Click on the three dots in the upper right corner of the game and choose View Properties
Under Advanced Launch Options put the arguments and click Save
If you want to add multiple arguments, separate them with a space.
Instructions
Start Steam and login
Find the game in Library
Right-Click on the game and choose Properties
Choose General
In the field under Launch options add the command line arguments and click enter
If you want to add multiple arguments, separate them with a space.
This method only works if you start the game through a specific shortcut. They are ignored if you start the game via EA app, Origin or Steam
Instructions
Right-click on the shortcut on your desktop
Choose Properties
Add the command line arguments after the program in target (make sure to add a space after the closing quotes)
If you want to add multiple arguments, separate them with a space.
Click on OK
This method only works if you add the arguments in online mode. Command line arguments can’t be added while you’re offline. They do work if you add them in offline mode and then go offline
Instructions
Start Origin and Login
Find the Game in My Game Library
Right-Click on the game and choose Game Properties
Click on the Tab Advanced Launch Options
In the field under Command line arguments put the argument and hit save.
If you want to add multiple arguments, separate them with a space.
First you need the numbers of the packs you want to disable. You can find the numbers on the Pack Number list.
A convenient way to get the correct string to enter is to use James Turner’s Web Tool. Simply select the packs you want to disable and then copy the string the tool gives you to EA app.
In the Command Line Arguments, type the following -disablepacks:pack,pack,pack,pack…
(example: -disablepacks:GP01,SP03)
Start the game
You can now play the game as if the pack was not installed.
The packs are numbered by release order. EP = Expansion Pack, GP = Game Pack, SP = Stuff Pack, FP = Free Pack (the holiday pack). So EP01 would be Get To Work and GP04 would be the Vampire Pack and so on.
For EA app Method: To activate certain packs again, simply remove them form the command line command.
If you want to reactivate them all, remove the line
EA App is not affected by this. You will still see all your packs as owned
The Your Collection in the Main Menu of the game is not affected by this. You will still see all your packs owned.
If you hover your cursor over the disabled pack you will see the message: Restart to use or Download to use.
For EA app Method: You will most probably get a message saying Pack download in progress.
You can safely ignore this message. It doesn’t do anything.
If you load a save game that was saved with a pack no longer present, you will get a Items Removed dialog or even an Game Data Incomplete message as the game strips the save of all content no longer present in your game. This may lead to undesired effects.
Find a way to make sure you know which save needs which packs so you can disable the right ones before loading a certain save. You will get a warning when trying to load a certain save that was last saved with packs you disabled. You will get the load dialog if you click resume.
Downloading Households/Lots from the gallery that need content that is currently disabled in your game will lead to replacement/removal of said content.
If you add arguments through EA app and then start the game through the shortcut on your desktop, the game won’t recognize them. Always start the game through EA app.
The settings are saved in your usersettings.ini file, if you use the official method to disable packs through the game itself.
packstoskipmount= lists all the packs that are disabled. I’m not really sure which number represents which pack but they might just be numbered by release order.
This is important to keep in mind for when you’re troubleshooting your game. To make sure to have the same state, you also need to backup/put back this file to have the same state (you can also just redo everything in the game)
