Census Repository Facility, Version 2

[RippleJet 36]

EDIT October 29th, 2008:

Version 3 of the Census Repository Facility has been uploaded.

Download it here or read more about it in this post further down on page 2.

---

The Census Repository Facility is one of my favourite buildings on STEX, uploaded in june 2004 by RalphaelNinja.

Ever since I downloaded it, it has been my prime target for modding the GUID (query window), adding more content to it, pleasing my ever increasing needs. I have six "alpha" versions of it dating back almost a year.

Lately, there have been numerous questions about RCI caps, cap relieves, demands, unemployment, inter-city commuters, and general discussions about city development and driving forces. Thus, I have decided to upload my latest version of the query window as a beta for you to evaluate.

First of all, all credit for the masterpiece that the building is goes to RalphaelNinja, and you will need to download his original version. From that upload you will need ONLY the file CensusRepository-0x6ad0e817_0x5ad0e817_0x6dd414f2_0x30000.SC4Model. You will not need any of RalphaelNinja's original .SC4Lot files, they both have the same TGI (address) as the .SC4Lot file attached to this post and they would overwrite each other when loaded by SC4.

The file attached to this post is CensusRepository_Version2_Beta2_NoConditions_dd41d65.SC4lot. The lot itself is not changed from the original one by RalphaelNinja, only the query window (GUID) has been (extensively) changed. Place that file, together with the model file mentioned above, into a subfolder under your plugins folder, eg:

C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name\My documents\SimCity 4\Plugins\Census Repository\

I guess, the best way to explain what the new query includes, is to show a picture of it:

I am not going to explain every number seen on this screen here and now. They all contain an explanation in-game if you hover with your cursor above any one of them.

However, there are a few items I would want to see more testing upon:

1. The IR CAP is initially 30,000. There is however no way of providing IR CAP relief. Has anyone ever been able to have more than 30,000 farmers working in a single city?

2. Do the number of commuters give reasonable results even for regions where cities are separated into pure residential, commercial and industrial ones?

In addition to that, all comments and questions are more than welcome!

I would also appreciate if modders with deeper knowledge would want to take a look at it. Some formulas in the query might however be difficult to understand, so I will try to provide explanations if needed, especially for the formulas calculating drives and commuters.

Finally, although RalphaelNinja gracefully has shared his work to the community for further use, I humbly ask for his permission, before I'll upload a final version 2 to the STEX.

[wouanagaine 83]

YOU ROCK

[Indisguise 0]

seems to work, but i got disturbing numbers in my some of my specilized cities:

http://img107.imageshack.us/my.php?image=001crfversion2yh0.jpg

http://img116.imageshack.us/my.php?image=002crfversion2am1.jpg

http://img122.imageshack.us/my.php?image=003crfversion2vo1.jpg

http://img107.imageshack.us/my.php?image=004crfversion2md0.jpg

[RippleJet 36]

Indisguise, thanx a lot for your testing!
Those disturbing, huge numbers were caused by zero division (when residential capacity = 0 or workforce = 0).

A corrected version, Beta 2, is attached.
Please continue testing!


EDIT:
Beta version removed, since version 3 is now uploaded.

[Indisguise 0]

ok...seems to be fixed

new screen shots of the same cities

http://img48.imageshack.us/my.php?image=006crfversion2beta2oa1.jpg

http://img48.imageshack.us/my.php?image=007crfversion2beta2tt2.jpg

[IGGYMAN 101 1]

I really determine the complicated data for my city whichever the problem will be solve. Thats good!!

[RippleJet 36]

i have received a question relating to why the regional population reported by the Census does not match the regional population seen in the game's regional view.

All experience so far indicates that the population reported by the Census is higher than the one seen in regional view.

I have myself also noted that newly founded, isolated cities may get commuters to/from SimNation, even if there are no other cities to commute to/from. This is, however, the only way to simulate commuters in a game where each city can be played individually. The simulation would be a lot more difficult if both the source and destination for intercity commuters would need to be known, when only one city is loaded.

My logical conclusion regarding regional population is that the game simulation includes commuters to/from undeveloped areas of SimNation and that these commuters are included in the regional census.

Another problem with intercity commuters is that the game information available for modders only gives the additonal number if commuters each month. However, that information is stored for every month since the founding of the city.

Since you cannot define your own functions for LUA tokens in queries, the formulas for counting commuters is a long addition of quantities. They are now counting 1200 months (100 years) backwards in time. If there is a big need for counting further backwards I might consider extending those years...

The longest fomula is the one counting available vacant jobs, since that one has to include residential commuters, commercial commuters and industrial commuters 1200 months back, making the formula over 3600 quantities long.

---

Finally, I have received a PM from RalphaelNinja confirming that all his creations are for sharing and re-use. Thank you Ralphie! Unless more requests or any other strange behaviour is found, version 2 of the Census will be uploaded to STEX early next year.

[tommiej 0]

i just downloaded the beta version, it's another very good extension for Simcity, because now you have a lot more info about demand.

THANKS RippleJet and RalphaelNinja!!!!!

[Moretz 0]

Good work! Gona try it out. Would be good to know what the requirements for the building are.

Another question. In your link "Ever had a problem with growing empty lots in your city?" there is a screenshot of a Modded info screen that changes info shown with "?" in SC4. All the info on that screen is in another language. But there is an english mod for that info with Demand(Active) info and all that. Do you by any chance know the name of that mod i cant seem to find it again.

[RippleJet 36]

RCI Query Upgrade Mod by Equinox.

[Moretz 0]

https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=42&threadid=85151&startpage=1

LOL Thanks again Mate!

[Shingure 56]

Does anyone have the link to it. I need it badly.

[RippleJet 36]

Hi Shingure!

The beta version is attached to my first post on this thread.

The final version is still being finalized, but will soon be ready. Watch this thread for updates

[Nenitosoyyo 19]

So does this help improve no more abandon buildings for residential, I always seem to have that problem because no one moves into the building when they have jobs waiting for them, right beside them. So would this solve this problem, or am I getting confussed?

[Tolomar 5]

not directly...this is more of an informational type mod....it won't cure the problem for ya, but will give you the information on the city and the region so you can determine where and what to build in your region, gives info on what you have in the city and region, and what the demand chartdesire for the city/region....so you know what to zone for ...

[Nenitosoyyo 19]

Oh cool, so it comes in handing for me after all!! excited to try it now

[SimNation 139]

Love these mods you keep making RippleJet..the demand mod you made works flawlessly so far. Tested it quite a while. Hope to be able to use this one with equal sucess. Keep up the good work Cheers!

[RippleJet 36]

Thank you, SimNation! I'll keep modding as long as I feel there is something I can contribute with

And it's encouraging to read comments like yours and blue's! Even seeing your avatar puts a smile on my face...

Regarding the Census, I have recently come across something I hadn't noticed before. While testing it on an agricultural city I realized there are people living (not just working) in the farms too. These are included in the total residential capacity, but not reported separately as R$, R$$ or R$$$. They are however included in the CAP status percentages, at least for R$$ and R$$$! Obviously the farmers themselves are not as poor as the workers out there...

I plan to add one more line reporting the number of these farmers. This will delay the final version of the Census somewhat, since I will have to run some testing too.

Keep testing and reporting whatever you feel for!

[Vandy 110]

Hi, RippleJet.

It does my heart good to see that there are people who still love SC4 enough to contribute to making it even a better experience for us.

Thank you, very much, for taking on this excellent project and thank you, very much, for this wonderful update to the Census Repository Facility.  Not only an update but -- an on-going project that you are continuing to "touch" and update even today.

With people of your talents, quality products and caring attitude, It is my opinion that this wonderful game we call SimCity 4 will be with us for quite some time yet.  Not only that, it is people like you and your willingness to continue to expand SC4'scapabilities that makes the game stay fresh and a joy to play.

Regards,

Vandy

[Silur 3,297]

Excellent work - very helpful !!!

Waiting final version ...

THANKS !!!

[alexr15 2]

I love this!! Excellent job on this! Where can I download your demand mod?

Thanks!

[RippleJet 36]

SimNation is referring to Buggi's Super Demand mod, which I extracted into a mod containing one separate ordinance for each commercial and industrial type of buildings.

The mod is attached to one of the posts in this thread, together with a couple of other mods relating to it.

[Jhaville 0]

Gold!

[PolytAffe 0]

Very cool. But i dont see the reason for making it so expensive (15k

[RippleJet 36]

Originally posted by: PolytAffe Very cool. But i dont see the reason for making it so expensive (15k§ to plop or maintain, or why it creates a good amount of jobs. Most just wants it for the census part. And not everyone knows how to change it. But no matter what: Very very nice quote>

Yes, I tend to agree with the cost being too high and the jobs being too many and too wealthy. I decided not to change those from how they were set by RalphaelNinja, but I might reconsider before making a final version.

[Patience 0]

How about making a new (free) version of the Census Repository that would be known as the "Neighborhood Post Office"? It could be a free, smaller-scale facility with just a handful of jobs available.

A free version would be especially useful for those of us who don't use money trainers and don't have the simoleons to spend on the facility, but are obsessively interesed in our SimStatistics. I would love a version of the repository that could work from outside SC4, for example.

[RippleJet 36]

Originally posted by: Patience How about making a new (free) version of the Census Repository that would be known as the "Neighborhood Post Office"? It could be a free, smaller-scale facility with just a handful of jobs available.

A free version would be especially useful for those of us who don't use money trainers and don't have the simoleons to spend on the facility, but are obsessively interesed in our SimStatistics.quote>

Yes, I am considering a cheaper version without jobs. That has been requested also for farming communities, where 150 middle- and high-wealth jobs are not appropriate.

[lorenzo48 0]

Good work, Ripplejet. I was referred to your thread here by a guy who posted on one of my threads. It seems my first and main city has pretty well capped at around 80,000 Sims.

I'll get your MOD now.

[lorenzo48 0]

Good work, Ripplejet. I was referred to your thread here by a guy who posted on one of my threads. It seems my first and main city has pretty well capped at around 80,000 Sims.

I'll get your MOD now.

[megalopolitan 0]

The original query was very lacking, this is very cool, thank you