If you are installing from Steam or Origin/EA App, the game is likely already patched to the latest official version (1.04 or similar). If you are installing from a vintage disc, patch the game to the latest version first.

However, playing offline allows you to experience the story without the anxiety of a disconnect. You can finally watch Kane’s final ascension at your own pace. The "best" way to play is simply the way the developers should have allowed in the first place: alone, uninterrupted, and offline.

C&C4 has a notorious bug where it tries to phone home for voice chat data during cutscenes, causing stuttering.

. These tools effectively simulate a local server on your machine so the game "thinks" it is connected to EA.