Supported
About This File
Network Addon Mod Lite (NAM Lite) is a transportation mod for SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition (or SimCity 4 with the Rush Hour Expansion Pack), now offered as a standalone download.
A more compact version of the flagship Network Addon Mod (NAM), NAM Lite features just the most essential of NAM features, including the NAM's renowned Traffic Simulator Plugins, refining SimCity 4's pathfinding engine to work as it was originally intended, along with Automata Controller options, updated textures (including a Euro/International texture option), Roundabouts, Diagonal Streets, additional interchanges for the game's base Highway system (the "Maxis Highways"), and (optional) Hole Diggers/Ground Raisers, allowing for precise terrain alteration.
Compatibility and Installation
Before attempting to run the NAM installer, ensure that you have extracted the contents of the .zip download into a folder. Attempting to run the installer while it is still in the .zip will cause the installation to fail.
The minimum requirements for running the Network Addon Mod are as follows:
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A compatible retail copy of SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition OR SimCity 4 with the Rush Hour Expansion Pack
- Windows/Linux (via WINE): Any digital retail edition EXCEPT the EA App/Origin Retail Edition (see here for details regarding the EA App/Origin edition), or any disc copy updated to at least Version 1.1.638.
- macOS: Any recent digital edition of the Aspyr port for macOS (installation on the App Store version is more difficult, and the NAM Team is limited in our capacity to provide installation help to App Store users).
- The now-rare non-Deluxe/non-Rush Hour copies of SimCity 4 are not supported. Attempting to run NAM Lite on a non-Deluxe/non-Rush Hour copy of SimCity 4 will cause the game to immediately crash to desktop (CTD).
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A system with the following specs:
- Any system which can run SimCity 4, with 40MB available disk space.
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Java Runtime Environment (JRE), in order to run the installer. (The Java Development Kit, or JDK, will also work, but contains extra files not needed unless you're a Java developer.)
- Adoptium's open-source edition is recommended, though JRE and JDK can also be acquired in proprietary/commercial (but free to download) form from Oracle at Java.com.
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Additional Requirement on Mac (optional for Windows/Linux): JDatPacker by memo.
- JDatPacker is a tool for consolidating folders of SimCity 4 plugins. This can speed up the game's performance, and on macOS, this helps alleviate issues with the Aspyr port's known "number of files limit", wherein exceeding a certain number of files/folders within the game's Plugins directory can cause the game to crash.
To install Network Addon Mod Lite:
- Install the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) (if already installed, skip to Step 2).
- Remove any existing NAM installations, if present (simply deleting the "a_Network Addon Mod Lite" and/or "Network Addon Mod" folder from the Documents\SimCity 4\Plugins directory is the easiest way).
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Run the NAM Lite Installer.
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On Windows:
- Run NetworkAddonMod_Lite_Setup_Version4.jar, or, if that fails, run NetworkAddonMod_Lite_Setup_Version3.bat.
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On macOS:
- Run NetworkAddonMod_Lite_Setup_Version4.jar.
- If on the App Store version, the installer cannot directly install into the Plugins location the App Store version utilizes, which is inside the .app file (~/Library/Containers/com.aspyr.simcity4.appstore/Data/Documents/SimCity 4). Install to an alternate location first, then copy the resultant "Plugins" folder into that location. Note that the NAM Team is currently very limited in our ability to provide installation assistance to App Store users.
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On Linux:
- Run NetworkAddonMod_Lite_Setup_Version4.jar, or, if that fails, run NetworkAddonMod_Lite_Setup_Version3.sh.
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On Windows:
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Follow the installer's instructions, clicking on each tab on the top bar in order.
- Agree to the mod's terms on the initial "welcome" tab to proceed with the installation.
- select the options you would like to install under the "files" tab.
- Select the install location under the "location" tab. Unless you have set up an alternate location for your Plugins folder, or happen to be on the Mac App Store version of the game, this should
- Finally, move to the "install" tab. Click the "Start installation" button to begin the installation process. When the installation is complete, the progress screen will display a message, "All selected components installed!".
- Close the installer, using the "X" button or, on macOS, the red circular button, in the upper right corner of the window. You're all done installing the mod.
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Additional step for Mac users (optional on Windows/Linux): run JDatPacker to consolidate the mod's files.
- If on the App Store version, run JDatPacker over the resultant Plugins directory, then move the "a_Network Addon Mod Lite.dat" file into the container.
- On the Steam version (or if optionally using JDatPacker on Windows), run JDatPacker on the Documents\SimCity 4\Plugins directory (this will also consolidate your other plugins as well). Make sure you remove the original directories that were consolidated, and, if upgrading or reinstalling your NAM package at any point, ensure you delete the "a_Network Addon Mod Lite.dat" from your Plugins before running the new installation. It is recommended that you use a new subfolder (i.e. "Plugins\Compressed Files") instead of installing to the root of the Plugins directory, as this can help prevent mod conflicts.
- Load the game and enjoy the NAM!
For further details on NAM Lite and its features, visit our new website at https://www.sc4nam.com.
Celebrating 20 years of SimCity 4 (January 14th, 2003-January 14th, 2023!)
What's New 4 (rev1) View Changelog
Released
New Features for NAM Lite 4
- The issue with the Custom Interchanges button not allowing one to access more than just a single interchange type has been addressed (thanks to /u/Fart_Bard on /r/simcity4 for the report).
- NAM Lite's file architecture has been better harmonized with that of the full edition of the NAM.
- rev1 update: Fixes lingering issue (since NAM Lite 3) with the Avenue Roundabouts button and adds the Roundabout path fixes that were also incorporated into NAM 49 (rev1).
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