CAM - Colossus Addon Mod

[RippleJet 36]

The Colossus Addon Mod has been released today.

Development of growable (RCI) lots in SimCity 4 is based on a property called Growth Stage.

In SimCity 4 (Vanilla and Rush Hour) residential and commercial lots are available in growth stages 1 through 8.

Industrial (including agricultural) lots grow in stages 1 through 3.

The Colossus Addon Mod extends these growth stages to:

·         Residentials:            1 through 15         (9 through 15 are new)

·         Commercials:           1 through 15         (9 through 15 are new)

·         Industrials:              1 through 10         (4 through 10 are new)

·         Agriculturals:           1 through  7         (4 through  7 are new)

---

For questions and downloads, please visit the CAM Board

[SlimShady 1]

What do you suggest the best way to approach this awesome new mod?

Should we start with a clean slate, reinstalling SC4 and removing all dolwloaded buildings we all might have as well as the NAM? Or are we safe to leave these buildings alone and use the cleanitol tool to help with the removal of buildings?

Also should we download the CAMeLot packs that are on sc4devotion in order to get the most from the mod? The ones for the RCI and farms.

[RippleJet 36]

I think you got your questions answered at the CAM board and from the manual, SlimShady!

Good luck with the CAMming!

[Shoreman905 1]

Get this game changing mod and have all your questions anwered over at SC4Devotion. This mod will take your game to a new level. The mod, help and all the lots required are up and accessable. Take it up.

[Bluebeard 0]

If your looking for SC5 well your search is over because the folks of SC4D have done it with this awesome Mod.

[lipman0 0]

Can u show us some buildings we can grow with this mod before i download it because i dont wanna take any risks with my cities. I like the mod though sounds cool

[Bluebeard 0]

I think if anyone has a question they should register over at SC4 D.The folks at SC4D are very helpful and friendly.

[Glenni 1,444]

Saying it's like SC5 is stretching a bit far though, yes it's very good but not that fantastic...

[Shoreman905 1]

The reason Ripplejet released the manual here is because CAM may not be for everyone. It is complex and commands an understanding of the game at it's most challenging level. You should read how it works and what it can achieve before you download and use. Bluebeard is correct in advising a visit to SC4Devotion and reading the thread concerning CAM. CAM will change how you play the game and what goals you set for yourself and your game. Help is always available. If you want to go to a higher level, then consider CAM, but buckle up, its a ride.

[Bluebeard 0]

Glenni:

   You will "Never" see this kind of work come EA/TM/Maxis.These folks broke the rule book on this game so why can't you and rest just download the Mod and be thankful.

[Simfan34 11]

Well, you posted it here, so I expected that you will answer questions here!  If not, why do you torment us so?  And all this  does is make the stages more realistic, right?

[Shoreman905 1]

Torment is not the idea. Space to explain is the problem. CAM has been developed over time and all the machinations have been discussed at SC4D. We will try and answer your questions, but, much time and bandwidth would be conserved if you would kindly refer to the project in it's home station. The invitation has been issued, all are welcomed, we want all to enter the world of higher stages and greater goals.

[Jasoncw 11,840]

I agree.

The STEX upload includes a manual, but you must download the CAM from a different site, which presumably also has the manual.  The upload is essentially advertisement for the other site.

This thread here is a support thread (?), where all support is to be directed to the other site, essentially making it an advertisement for the other site as well.

I think the CAM is an impressive piece of modding, but I think this pseudo-release on Simtropolis is shady.  And if (whether or not this is the case) this modd is being used to promote the other site, I think that it turns its back from the good spirit the modd was originally created in.

I think that the release of the modd should follow the same good spirit it was created in.  That doesn't mean it needs to be released on Simtropolis, but I think it means it shouldn't be used as a tool (whether or not this is what is being done) to promote its mother-site.

[dedgren 830]

Folks, it's not like we're charging admission or anything.  It's just hard for those with a whole bunch on their plate to be two places at once, or duplicate a whole bunch of posting.  That's what this thread is for- to keep everyone informed.

Jason, you have my complete respect as someone who listens carefully and takes considered positions.  If we were advertising SC4D, wouldn't we be charging something for it?  Wouldn't we be gaining something?  Folks at SC4D have developed something that has community-wide potential to be of tremendous benefit.  I'd think ST's members would be appreciative that they've gone out of their way to keep ST "in the loop" through the posting of some "official" information here.

We (SC4D) aren't competing with anyone for anything in the release of the CAM.  This. Is. Not. A. Zero. Sum. Game.  Please, please, PLEASE stop looking at it that way.

David

[Shoreman905 1]

Agreed, no advertisement, this is for the good of the community. It just makes more sense to contain the relevant information in one place, if it seemed to anyone that I was advertising, my apologies. I wanted to inform fellow SC4 players that something new existed. My excitement over CAM, I hope can be understood. There is no competition here, this is a friendly announcement. Please excuse my exuberance!!!

[Jasoncw 11,840]

Some of the key people at SC4D, and some members in general loathe Simtropolis, and would rather see its importance reduced than get paid money from a pay-site.  That's why I see the shadyness, but I understand that at the same time it could be good spirited, so I'll just take it as an well-intentioned announcement.

Nothing I've written in this thread is against you RippleJet, or Dedgren, or anyone else, they're just general observations, so please, nobody be offended.  My intention in posting in this thread is to articulate what I (and probably what other people) think, so that it's brought out into the open, and can be addressed like it has.

[Simfan34 11]

It's a great mod though!

P.S. The file was locked.

[ilikehotdogsalot 308]

this looks like a very good mod, i'm still a bit a bit confused with its functions so i'll be taking my time reading the manual to see how it works.

will it be possible to see the manual attached to the first post of this thread, and the cam uploaded to the exchange? thank you for your time and to all the members who have worked to make the cam

[dolphin66 5]

You know..I just have to shake my head in total disbelief. The makers of this awesome Mod have worked for months on it, community members have tested it for months, it took months to package lots and they choose to make the announcement here that it's available, even upload the manual to the STEX, which they sure didn't have to do but they wanted to "share" it with the entire community!!!! The makers of this Mod are at a certain site and they do have a life outside of this game. They do not have the time, the energy nor should they have to monitor two sites. I just don't understand why some of you have to constantly have this conspiracy theory regarding SC4d and/or BSC. Thank you to all that do appreciate their efforts at bringing this Mod to the "entire" community and shame on those of you that can't get past your conspiracy theories.

"

[Jasoncw 11,840]

I'll say, it's only an announcement.

[JanYpe 17]

There's nothing wrong at all with exuberance over a project of this size. And I doubt anyone minds that there's a thread announcing it's arrival. It was just a bit odd to see only the manual uploaded. Sticking with this announcement, maybe combined with a newspost, would have gotten the word out just as well and with fewer raised eyebrows. But hindsight is 20/20, no sense in making a colossal issue out of it now.

[Jasoncw 11,840]

^ I agree.

[SimRabbit 48]

The Manual is locked, why? I really need it before downloading the CAM.

[RippleJet 36]

I'm sorry for the turmoil my CAM manual caused.

I was first going to include it as an attachment to the first post in this thread, but the size of the manual would have drained almost all remaining space of my 1 MB allowance.

As it turned out, it wasn't a very good idea to upload it on the STEX.

The manual is still available as a separate file in the CAM board, and it is of course also included in the CAM itself.

I still hope anybody downloading the CAM takes his/her time to read through the manual thoroughly.

I will be checking this thread, but not as often as the CAM board. You may ask questions here as well, but I might not be able to reply immediately.

[dolphin66 5]

I wasn't trying to make an issue out of anything... I was making a point.

[Bluebeard 0]

RJ you and the rest of SC4D didn't do anything wrong.:-)

[SimRabbit 48]

What's going on in here? I'm cofused. On the other hand, if the manual file is locked, it shoul be deleted as it only serves as advertisment to another. It's like me posting a readme file on the lex, lock it and post a link to the actual file on another site. Just a tought.

[ssc4k 1]

well im not going to worry about it know. im not sure this is whaty i want and ill justwait for others to tell me if its good enought ot download.

sounds good though.

[jmyers2043 5]

Hello SSC4K

The CAM is good news for Sim Farmers. It is very cool and those that play the rural country side will not be disappointed. The most noticeable difference of rural play between the CAM and Rush Hour is the variety of farms. You’ll recognize this Rush Hour scenario. Start a new region. Some stage 1 farms grow. A small number of stage 2 farms will grow. Then you get to a point where stage 3 farms will grow 70% of the time. I’ve dealt with this in the past by loading up my plugins with a lot of stage 3 farms. The down side is that some farm buildings grow nicely at the beginning of a new region then virtually disappear until you begin another new region. That was Rush Hour. The CAM makes all stage 1 through 3 farms grow equally. My country side has sooooo much variety. Plus some pesky farms grow reasonably.

Secondly I now have some control of what grows where. Stage 1 through 3 farms will grow anywhere from the start. But one must provide water and have a small amount of easily achievable industrial capacity to grow a stage 4 farm. Water you say? Some of SimGoobers irrigation canal pieces provide water. This means that they now have purpose and are not just eye candy. And I also dot my country side with Deadwoods wind mill water pumps in the hopes of growing stage 4 farms.

More control. I’ve done some bats (Not released yet) of some high tech hydroponic greenhouses. During CAM beta testing period I made them grow as a stage 5 farm. One must have a regional industrial demand over 5,000 and fire protection for a stage 5 farm to grow. I can now cluster some specialized farm buildings. This opens up the possibility of growing some oil fields on a flat piece of land over in a corner or near my small rural town? How about growing some Catfish ponds on a small spot of land near a stream or by the lake? A timber industry on a steep hillside. All I need are the right conditions. That is some of the thinking on my part as I was play testing. 

The real difference between the CAM and Rush Hour will be how the game works with big cities. All of those stage 8 skyscrapers that you’ve downloaded over the years (by NDEX and others) will continue to grow at stage 8 whether you have the CAM or Rush Hour. But what is so fun about that? I’d rather try to get the Empire State Building to grow as a stage 14. Big cities to me were always about 75K Sims. But then that first stage 9 grew at around 100K Sims. I said “how about that”. I then set my sites on stage 10. That one grew and I felt a sense of accomplishment. Onward and upward to stage 11 (well, still working at it)

 

One Caveat: It is best to start a new region with the CAM. A large existing city may be in for a bit of a roller coaster ride as the game adjusts to new building occupancies, path finding, power, and water consumption. (perhaps 10 or so game years) And that ride will be more wild if you have a lot of plop skycrappers.

I don’t want to oversell the CAM because it is not SimCity 5. Perhaps the CAM plus the NAM elevates the gameplay to 4 1/4. Nevertheless, it is fair to say that this game has been around for a few years now. The CAM is making it fresh and slightly new. It is somehow the same but … different as well. 

Rush Hour? I’ll not be going back. Does that mean it is good enough to download? Only one way to find out.

[1ajs 49]

interesting mod... have to check it out... hopefuly it will run under cedega