Get the mod
csii modpacks has a free game mod that installs packs for you. Subscribe to it on Paradox Mods, in the game or on the website, and it turns on with your other mods. You don't need any other tools.
Install a pack
- Find a pack you like on this site and press Install. That copies the pack's link.
- Start the game. In the main menu, press Modpacks in the bottom left.
- The mod finds the link on its own. If it doesn't, paste the link into the box and press Find pack.
- Check the pack: its mods, size, game version and any DLC it needs. Then press Install.
The mod makes a new playset for the pack and switches to it. It takes a few seconds, plus download time for big packs. Your other playsets stay as they are.
Keep up to date, or keep a copy
Packs shared from a Paradox playset give you a choice. With Keep up to date with the curator on, you get the curator's fixes and changes automatically. With it off (the default), you get a copy of the pack as it is today, and it never changes.
To change your mind, remove the pack and install it again. Packs made from a list of mods are always copies.
Going back to your previous playset
Open Modpacks, press Installed packs, then Back to your previous playset (the button shows its name). The mod switches you to the playset you were using before you installed a pack.
Then restart the game: switching away from a pack needs a restart to finish, and the game doesn't always say so. If the game shows an error before you restart, press Continue. It's safe.
Removing a pack
Open Modpacks, press Installed packs, then Remove next to the pack. If you're playing that pack, the mod switches you back to your previous playset first.
Removing a pack deletes its playset but doesn't unsubscribe any mods, because your other playsets may use them. To free up disk space, unsubscribe from mods you no longer use in Paradox Mods.
Checking compatibility with Skyve
Skyve is a free mod manager that checks your mods for known problems. You don't need it for csii modpacks, but it's a good second check, especially on big packs. Every pack page also has Copy for Skyve if you'd rather install that way.
Your first load
The first load with a new pack can be slow while the game downloads and sets up the mods. Big packs can be several gigabytes. Mods start working straight away, without a restart.
If a mod in the pack is gone from Paradox, the mod skips it and tells you which one.
A city saved with a pack's mods may not load properly without them, so keep each city on the playset you built it with.