OKAY
This is what I've done twice now to get it to work. It's irritating, but... it works.
1.) Restart Steam in offline mode.
2.) Run the game (I did this as Admin and launched the trainer alongside it.)
3.) Get into your save game and fail miserably to successfully activate the trainer (two times, this part is important. Do steps two and three TWICE.)
4.) Finally, launch the game and trainer for the third time and, if you are having the same experience I am, you get a "general error communicating with steam or some crap" at the bottom of the main menu. This is your golden ticket to trainer heaven.
5.) Load save, activate trainer, ENJOY!
Pain in arse, but works for me. Hope it helps!
(Note: Can probably not worry about launching the trainer or even loading your save the first two times. This is just a theory, but I'm willing to make a ... rather small bet that just launching the game twice with steam in offline mode will cause that general error ya need to see on your third attempt.)
Third time's the charm!
[Edited by MCS_1989, 9/5/2020 5:20:33 AM]
No joy with this workaround
It's a STEAM EA Game. Been playing since its release with CH. Now, it doesn't work! Very disappointed with CH, especially since I just joined LIFETIME PLUS.🙁
Dude, their trainers work 99.9% of the time. They have a problem with a trainer and the only thing you can say is how disappointed you are? You should be disappointed in yourself for not being appreciative. The game was on hold and after a request they took it off hold and released an updated trainer asap. I to am experiencing this same error. I think most people are but it is what it is. All they can do is go off people's feedback and try to resolve it. How about being more appreciative, sheesh.