With what I've just read here, I thought...what will happen to my game, if I finally decide to update it?
I am still on 1.63. Will it automatically send me to 1.69, known to be unstable according to what Nitromon said? Or will I still be able to stop at 1.67 and remain happy?

Thank you.

It's an odd split- 1.67 is updated through the game launcher. After that, the jump to 1.69 comes from an update through the Origins program.

What I've done is that I've run the patch through the Sims Launcher (which takes me to 1.67) but then I've not allowed Origins to update my game. You can turn automatic updates off through the application settings. I should also note that I always immediately go offline in Origins once it fires up.

Don't forget that if you do update to 1.67, if you use any mods they may need to be updated as well.

i Used to use this: http://modthesims.info/d/409829 'cause the launcher makes me mad and this solution is *much* faster.
if you're not afraid of beign "the violator"

Oh! I already Thanked it...Hey!!! I already Downloaded it!!!
I forgot I even had it.
Thank you.

if (but it's a big IF) the 1.69 is mainly a game file (particluar "exes") update, and maybe a throwing a few useless Origin infected libraries
and
update installer is checking the executable version through registry field only (not by data stored within exec file itself)
then "maybe"
if someone would try to fool patcher by editing version in the registry, maybe "version" file also.

But I doubt.

No, once you have been forced into 1.69 (as I was) you cannot bypass the launcher.

it's not the point in the case of updater/patch downloader because you enable process outside the Launcher completely. It's how it works the "old way". And it is the reason I used such solution.

The point is - how the particular update program recognises the game version. If it does just by checking some numbers in the registry (Win users) it's a piece of cake to deal with it. The worse case is a field inside the executable with version code, what is not so trivial for common user to check and change and also - obviously - breaks the license.
However, no matter what, there's always a danger of introduction severe game data inconsistency if the infamous "1.69" is messing* somewhere else than just main executables and simply origin libraries - which will completely break the program as the result of the process.

A risk to take for someone who is actually sentenced by The Origin for the 1.69 term to check this out.

*which I doubt because there's no new functionalities in the program except Origin calls and probably elements of its telemetry and local data harvesting machinery (Origin libraries). From the symptoms described by the these unfortunate ones the Launcher itself is at the 1.69 just a part of Origin in fact,but as separate executable.

So, if ever one day I decide to actually go from 1.63 to 1.67, I would do so downloading...no wait! I have it ; *running*, the patch downloader instead of using the launcher and in theory I should be ok.
Correct?
The only reason I would want to update to 1.67 is to be able to download all the pretty houses I see for download here, which is rather a silly excuse to change what's working perfectly now, if you ask me

if you're at the 1.63 you're safe from EA's generosity as long as you do not use it
But I strongly advise to download the whole patch execs (or the superpatch) for the game and the all EPs you have got, just in case at some day it becomes "unavaible".

Trust no one, ya know, hm?

Perfect then. I re downloaded . Good thing, I could not find it on my computer.
Then I'll re download all the ones my instalation need, and keep'em safe.

Thank you again.