SyncCrate
Europa Universalis IV guide · Updated
Same EU4 mods for every nation.
An EU4 multiplayer campaign needs every player on the same checksum. SyncCrate copies the host's local mods, and saves if you want, to each friend, fixes mod paths that only work on one PC, and after the first time sends only what changed.
FreeOpen sourceNo cloudWin · macOS · Linux
// 01 Why
Why EU4 multiplayer mods need to match exactly
Europa Universalis IV shows a checksum for the game files and active mods, and in multiplayer everyone needs the same one. A friend with a slightly different version of a map mod or a hand-edited file ends up with a different checksum and an out-of-sync session.
Long campaigns make it worse. The group plays over weeks, the host tweaks a mod or adds a fix between sessions, and every player has to repeat each change before the next one.
SyncCrate copies the host's local mods to every PC, compares every file by content, and only the differences are copied. You see the list before anything changes.
// 02 What syncs
What SyncCrate syncs for Europa Universalis IV
| Folder | Path in the game folder | Files |
|---|---|---|
| Mods | mod/Local mods: each mod's folder and its .mod descriptor. Descriptors for Steam Workshop mods (ugc_….mod) are skipped, because they point at Steam's folder. | All files |
| Save Files | save games/Campaign saves (.eu4). Optional; the host decides whether friends may sync them. | .eu4 |
// Where it looks
- Documents folder
Paradox Interactive/Europa Universalis IVinside your Documents folder- macOS
~/Documents/Paradox Interactive/Europa Universalis IV- Linux
~/.local/share/Paradox Interactive/Europa Universalis IV- Anywhere else
- Point SyncCrate at the folder yourself, once
Built in for Europa Universalis IV
- Turn mods on and off. Disabled mods move to a
_Disabledfolder the game doesn't load. - Game-running warning. SyncCrate warns you before syncing while Europa Universalis IV is still open.
- Undo and history. Undo the last sync in one click, and put back any single file a sync replaced or deleted.
// 03 How it works
Sync Europa Universalis IV in three steps
Install and add the game
Install SyncCrate on every PC and add Europa Universalis IV in the Game Browser. Its folder is found automatically.
One PC hosts
The PC with the setup everyone should have clicks Start Hosting. The others pick it under Scan for Hosts on the same network, or paste its join code from anywhere.
Compare and sync
Check the list of new, changed and conflicting files, then Sync Now. Only the files that differ are copied, PC to PC.
TipEvery player needs the same game version and the same DLC. SyncCrate copies local mods and saves, not DLC or Workshop items.
// 04 Common problems
When Europa Universalis IV mods don't match
Different checksum
Any difference in the active mods, even one changed file, gives a player a different checksum than the host.
Everyone syncs the host's local mods before the session, so the files match byte for byte.
A mod path from someone else's PC
The launcher often writes the mod's full path, with the user name in it, into its
.modfile. On another PC that folder doesn't exist and the mod doesn't show up.The mod health check finds descriptors with a path that only exists on one PC and, on the host, makes them portable (
path="mod/<folder>") in one click. The old versions stay in File history.The campaign lives on one PC
The host keeps the save. If they can't make it one week, the group can't continue.
Allow the Save Files folder on the host, and whoever hosts next syncs the latest
.eu4save and the same mods.Mods on, playset wrong
Which mods are active, and in what order, is saved in the launcher's playset, not in the
modfolder.SyncCrate copies the mods. Set up the same playset in the same order on each PC once.
// 05 Europa Universalis IV
Good to know
- Steam Workshop mods are kept by Steam in its own folder, outside the game's folder, so SyncCrate can't sync them. The Content page says how many you have, and friends subscribe to the same items.
- Achievements. Mods that change the checksum turn off achievements, on every PC. That's the game's rule, not SyncCrate's.
- Real mod names. The Content page reads each mod's descriptor and shows its name and version.
- Your settings stay yours. Only the
modandsave gamesfolders sync.
// FAQ
Europa Universalis IV questions
Why does my EU4 checksum differ from my friend's?
Something in the active mods or the game files is different: a mod version, an extra mod, a changed file or a different game version. Syncing the host's local mods, and using the same playset, removes the mod part of it.
Where are EU4 local mods stored?
In Documents\Paradox Interactive\Europa Universalis IV\mod on Windows and Mac, and ~/.local/share/Paradox Interactive/Europa Universalis IV/mod on Linux. SyncCrate finds it automatically.
Does it sync Workshop mods?
No. Steam keeps them in its own folder. Everyone subscribes to the same Workshop items, and SyncCrate handles the local ones.
Can I move my EU4 saves to another PC?
Yes. Install SyncCrate on both PCs, host on the one with the saves, allow Save Files, and Compare & Sync from the other PC.
// Related game guides
All games · SyncCrate supports 100 games.
// Free · Open source · Windows, macOS, Linux
Same Europa Universalis IV setup on every PC.
Install SyncCrate on each PC, one of you hosts, everyone else joins. No accounts, no cloud, nothing uploaded anywhere.