SimCity 4.5

[Schizoslayer 6]

Regardless of what I think of SCS it strikes me that we may be nearing the end of an era for Sim City 4.

I only discovered the mod scene for SC4 recently and I have many friends who love SimCity 4 who never even knew there were any new buildings for it.

My biggest problem though was the SC4 mod scene is incredibly hard to navigate, tracking down dependencies and even just finding the good looking buildings that were also balanced with gameplay has eaten up entire weekends.

I see the Simtropolis 1000 project and I'll watch it but there seems to be a far more immediate thing that the entire community can accomplish.

SimCity 4.5 - Collate the best, brightest and most ambitious bats, lots, plops and mods into a single installer.

I don't mean the Stex I mean taking the very cream of the crop, rebalancing and tweaking them all to work together and presenting a community expansion for the greatest game in the world.

What I believe should form the rules for what makes the cut (subject to change natch and my own opinion):

• To Qualify for inclusion a mod must do one of the following:
  • Fix an inherent bug in the game.

  • Fix an inherent imbalance in the game.
  • Fills a gap present in the game (IE High Capacity Bus Stations, RTMT).
  • Look really really awesome.
• In addition the following rules apply:
  • Only one of it's kind in the expansion (IE there is only one Urban Train Station not 4).
  • Must have standardized menu graphics and fits sensibly into men u organization.
  • Must be balanced for gameplay.
  • Must be easy to use.
  • Include all dependencies within the SimCity 4.5 expansion.

Something of this format would require file mirrors (as I imagine it to be huge) in the same way that big mods for other games do. Fortunately these can all be used easily and the expense of hosting such a large file can be shifted off of places like Simtropolis. Let Fileplanet deal with the load

It would be horrible for SCS to pull a community apart (some will stay, some will go but a new game always fractures communites) and the all the modders should be seen to put something together that might be considered the pinnacle of the community.

I would hate to see all these wonderful buildings, mods and lots all just dissappear into the depths of the net as people wander off and Site slike Simtropolis lose the funding to maintain the huge archives.

SimCity 4.5 would fill whatever gap there is between now and SCS or SimTrop1000.

That is all.

[gml_josea 2]

We already have that. The STEX collector's CD you get when donating money.

[patriots_1228 51]

yea its win win for you.

you get great custom content no dependencies all on one disk, and your money goes towards mantaining and running this site.

[Dirktator 2,328]

I think Schizoslayer is talking about something more than the two collectors' discs. Something along the lines of a Simtropolis Mega-Expansion (We probably can't use the SimCity name ourselves)...

The vision would be to create a single cd - more likely a dvd - with an installer that will install not only all the top-rated but game-balanced buildings and lots, with all necessary dependencies to make them work, as well as essential mods like the NAM. (The collectors discs, allow you to just install a la carte from a selection of the top-rated files.) I think this is a great idea and it's something I've been kicking around, too. I'm willing to help make this a reality if we can get a committee to plan this out, collect the needed files, and to help make the installer and so on.

[jeronij 13]

A new revolution called CAM is coming to SC4. This will expand your SC4 cities development posibilities to new spectacular levels. Using this new mod and the NAM you do already have a SC4.5

Btw, CAM --> Colossus Addon Mod

[Alkaola 18]

Can you tell me more about that Jeronij

[solidflux 0]

CAM and the new collectors disc both sound very promising, and much more feasible than a simtropolis 1000. Any more details on CAM?

[BarbyW 40]

Visit SC4Devotion and read all about it there.

[+Guest]

Originally posted by: dirk I think Schizoslayer is talking about something more than the two collectors' discs. Something along the lines of a Simtropolis Mega-Expansion (We probably can't use the SimCity name ourselves)quote>

Considering the majority of the most popular and best quality custom content is no longer available at Simtropolis (BSC, PEG, Wouanagaine's tools) I hardly think using the Simtropolis name is appropriate either

[munchkin5 0]

I would very much like to support this aswell, it would be out before ST1000 and could potentially make the new SC look rather like just another game.

[Dirktator 2,328]

Originally posted by: Bak4More

Originally posted by: dirk I think Schizoslayer is talking about something more than the two collectors' discs. Something along the lines of a Simtropolis Mega-Expansion (We probably can't use the SimCity name ourselves)quote>

Considering the majority of the most popular and best quality custom content is no longer available at Simtropolis (BSC, PEG, Wouanagaine's tools) I hardly think using the Simtropolis name is appropriate eitherquote>

Why yes, that's very insulting of you.

Actually I was referring to stuff found on the Simtropolis Exchange.  Created and collected by Simtropolis members. 

[dev 47]

That sounds like a marvelous idea, and I would love to help on a committee or whatever that chooses the products used. I've been around for a while, and a lot of outstanding BATter's work has been forgotten. I would love to help with this, it really could help tons of new users, and old users alike out..

And also, I think that the SimTropolis exchange holds the most amazing stuff. You just have to dig deep. The great thing about SimTrop is that it isn't exclusive...so you can find literally anything on the exchange. A community effort would be great...Dirk's collector's discs are great...but this would be something more along the lines of "The Essentials" something that greatly improves SC4 gameplay.

And Bak4more, I strongly disagree with you. There are good things at those sites too, but the core of the awesome stuff is at SimTropolis.

As I said, I would love to jump on board with this.

[JakeMD 107]

Ide love to help as well, i haven't been around that long, but i love to help, mabye i can help out

[ILL Tonkso 1,239]

Originally posted by: dirk

Originally posted by: Bak4More

Originally posted by: dirk I think Schizoslayer is talking about something more than the two collectors' discs. Something along the lines of a Simtropolis Mega-Expansion (We probably can't use the SimCity name ourselves)quote>

Considering the majority of the most popular and best quality custom content is no longer available at Simtropolis (BSC, PEG, Wouanagaine's tools) I hardly think using the Simtropolis name is appropriate eitherquote>

Why yes, that's very insulting of you.

Actually I was referring to stuff found on the Simtropolis Exchange.  Created and collected by Simtropolis members.  quote>

Agreed, plus all of these sites and BATters have spawned FROM simtropolis. And how about the NDEX stuff? thats all here. and mine lol!

[Aragorn 21]

If you make this i would buy it sure, this is what we need!!!

[Hanson784 165]

I support this project also. I'm for anything that makes the SimCity franchise better.

A little while ago I made a list of custom content creators who have been making quality BAT's so I could keep track them but, if it would be helpful I can pass it along.

[dev 47]

Should we pull a team together?

[FlyHigh 181]

I think this is a great idea and i would love to help out whith whatever is needed. I think the sooner we set a team of 'Searchers' the better. Plus, with the help of THE LORD (Dirk ) the project has a verry good chance of taking of. I was thinking if it was possible to guether the STEX-Collections in a single cd or dvd. Beacuse then we could produce the pack in just one or two cds/dvds. what do you think?? A team right here, right now??

[Explodingsims 3]

You have my support for this, it sounds like a great Idea. I'd love to help out in any way I can

[agregoli 2]

Fantastic - where is this idea on the devotion forum? Couldn't find anything approaching this idea.

[KurtangleTN 10]

Awesome idea, yeah It would be great to see something like this. Especially if you are new or have left the community for a bit.. all this new stuff can be overwhelming. I'd pay for it.

[jknoke 0]

Yeah I'm new to modding out my SC4. I am having an amazing amount of fun because of the intricacies of my citites now. There is so much stoff spread out over so many places. A lot of the things I download don't quite work. Its hard finding a builging that serves a specific theme and then the dependancy for it.

I would definitely pay for something like you guys are talking about. It would be infinitely more valuable than SC:S. It is up to the community to keep Sim CIty great.

[stepper77 0]

I think this is great idea especially since I could care less about 3d. There continues to be some great additions to SC4 created by all the incredibly talented people on this board. Plus I am still working on some regions that I am not ready to give up to play some sim city brain dead edition. Whatever (non technical) support I could give for this, I would.

[TheSixCents 0]

Such could include NAM also, along with Most of mods we mostly use.

[Schizoslayer 6]

Sorry I've not responded to the thread sooner but I've been very busy since the initial post and unable to spend time on forums.

I'm glad at the positive response to this idea and I hope it can make the transition to a reality. I'm not an active member of the community myself. I only really check thing son occassion but I was hoping to spark into action a project I think should exist even if I don't have the time personally to devote to it that it needs.

I'm also not aware of how the relationship between the different exchanges operates. It's clear that at some point there was some kind of schism in the community that meant Simtropolis didn't get the latest updates of certain mods and bats. Again I hope this isn't something that would stop a project like this I would love to see the NAM and CAM projects included in this.

I'm happy to be part of a selection commity for this but I can't lead it.

However that said a project like this will require some actual code support from somewhere. Specifically a proper configuration utility that can be used to switch the geographic theme of your game and manage the mod folders for the inexperienced. The ability to change from a Hong Kong theme to a Paris theme easily would be required for example. Essentially I see this as a first step. A piec eof tooling that can manage the mods folder effectively users can add files to a Mod definition (such as putting all of Pegs MTP files into a single definition that can be activated or deactivated at the click of a button).

With such a tool generating an expansion would be made much easier.

It does require somebody to have the time and knowledge to create such a tool though.

[Albatross Domain 2]

I don't think SC4, will die anytime soon folks... according to many of the Japanese fansite's (SOMY's Especially), just got thru finishing up their SC4 Photos contest again... and have been very critical on the newest Sims2 expansion packs as well as the "Rogue" SC...

According to their newsletter, the newest Sims 2 expansion pack Fluff and stuff, whatever its called, is actually insulting many of the Japanese that want to buy it, simply bc the characters look "too American and European" but wearing Kimonos.

Here's the link: (note IE will not translate into English, however Firefox and Mozilla will)

www.homepage2.nifty.com/kamurai/simcity/

[Albatross Domain 2]

I also forgot to mention, to translate into English using Mozilla or Firefox (anything thats not IE), right click on page, scroll down to Yahoo, and click on "Translate to English" Tab

[Silur 3,309]

Well. well, well ...

And what about Russia, China and SNG ???

This project only for Canada, USA and West Europe ???

[Albatross Domain 2]

By the way, the HEX program, that was featured on the website: www.hide-inoki.com/ (another Japanese SC4 Fansite) also is giving 'prop' to ST... Way TO GO ST!!!!

[Albatross Domain 2]

Check out this link.. the contest winner for Sim Force's SC4 Photo contest (and it is not a photoshop photo either)

http://66.218.71.231/language/translation/translatedPage.php?lp=ja_en&text=http%3a%2f%2fkamurai.sakura.ne.jp%2fSim4Contest3%2f74bojobo.htm