Useful Information For Newcomers To Simtropolis!

[Mikeaut1 261]

Useful Information For Newcomers to Simtropolis

Having Trouble With Commute Times?
What are good downloads for my cities?
What should I do when I need help?

Have any of those questions? Read below! ...

First and foremost, welcome to Simtropolis! If you're looking at this thread, you are probably new to the community. I bet you're feeling overwhelmed with all the things that Simtropolis has to offer. Are you asking yourself "What do I download first? Where can I download this? What is the STEX? How do I download maps?" Hopefully this little article will direct you to all the essential downloads and great stuff you just can't miss on Simtropolis!

1. (Latest update June 2013 [NAM 31.2])

NOTE: The Network Addon Mod is available for download at SC4Devotion. You must register at the BSC LEX in order to download any custom content from SC4D!

What is the NAM? The NAM is the most essential download on Simtropolis. Are you having trouble with commute times in SC4? Often times, Sims don't like to travel to work, they may even be too lazy to travel to work across the street. The NAM replaces the paths your Sims take to work, find an alternate route, and basically make all commute times either short or medium.

If you want realistic commute times, when you download the NAM, select some of the better pathfinding tools that have come with the NAM June 2013 release. Some of these pathfinders include Simulator Z for instance. Read the readme to discover some of the pathfinding options in the new NAM.

During installation, you will see other options. Reading the readme that comes with the NAM will summarize it all for you.

Tired of the transportation options in SC4? The NAM will provide you with alternate transportation, including transport types such as the Ground Light Rail and Real Highway. Again, all this stuff is in the readme associated with the NAM.

2. THE STEX

The STEX is where you get all the juicy downloads for your game. Buildings, mods, lots, you name it. The STEX currently has over 10,000 files to download!

To make browsing files easier, the STEX has a search option. If you want a specific college or university for your city, and you're tired of the Maxis university, type in "university" or "college" in the search and see what comes up! A few BATted universities!

The best of the best on the STEX:

If you're building a supercity with a huge downtown, you may want to variate your buildings. Tired of a downtown filled with Maxis? (That Wren Insurance can be a pain in the neck to stare at)!

NDEX - One of Simtropolis' major BAT groups, NDEX has over 250 files on the STEX! The main production of the BAT group are realistic skyscrapers. All of which are recommended for download!

BSC - The BSC is another large BAT group on Simtropolis, with almost 2,000 files! The BSC is probably the most variated BAT group, with downloads ranging from nice looking farms, to midsized skyscrapers perfect for any downtown. Spruce up your suburban areas with some notable stores such as Rite Aid. The BSC has their own exchange over at SC4 Devotion.

Of course, besides these two BAT groups, there are several others. For more information on other BAT groups, and other uploaders to the STEX, check out The Sim City 4 Custom Content Forum

3. IF I NEED HELP, WHAT DO I DO?

If you need help navigating around the site, finding something to download, having trouble downloading or playing the game, or you just have a plain question for the site staff, please don't hesitate to PM us! ../..https://community.simtropolis.com/assets/emoticons/4.gif


- You can find a list of all the active members of the site staff. [ Staff ]

- You can receive some help from The New Member Information Area.

- Check out Simtropolis Related for some information about the site.


- Need help with understanding an Omnibus article? Post here!




Article written by Mikeaut1. Will be updated from time-to-time. [updated October 2013].

[smstevenms 7]

This is the first time I've seen this, which I had seen this sooner.

[Sim_Air 2]

Great work! It's looks really easy to read and understand as well....awesome

[Mikeaut1 261]

Thanks, glad you're enjoying it!

I've been noticing a lot in this forum especially that new people suffer from long commute times, and they want an answer for it. The answer, essentially, is the NAM. A lot of new people overlook the NAM; the NAM is the most important download from Simtropolis. You can do so much more in game realistically with the NAM than without it. Hopefully what I wrote can serve as a little notice for those new people who are playing without the NAM!

[Cleaner475 150]

hi mikeaut - nice work on this thread, do you mind I borrow the paragraphs on the NAM for my site, I will provide a link back to this page as well.

Thanks in advance,

Richard

[Mikeaut1 261]

Sure!! Feel free to use what you need.

[Cleaner475 150]

thanks Mike

Richard

[jacqulina 162]

great idea mike im sure this will help the newcomers a lot.

[geemcd 0]

Hi, does this patch work for SC4 or do I need rush hour? if so, can you recommend anything similar that works with just sc4?

thanks

Glenn

[Mikeaut1 261]

Originally posted by: geemcd Hi, does this patch work for SC4 or do I need rush hour? if so, can you recommend anything similar that works with just sc4?

thanks

Glennquote>

Unfortunately, you need Rush Hour to get this to work.

[Hahayoudied 3]

How do post treads on this website? I am new here and a lot of the links are confusing to me.

[Mikeaut1 261]

Sure! Welcome to Simtropolis!

Go to the forum you want to make the thread in. Go all the way to the top, and hit New Topic. It is located right near the Profile and Help links. Then you just fill out the post and the name of it, and you're done!

[BIWDC 2,296]

I agree this is a great idea for a thread as these questions are getting asked alot this should serve well.

[Silur 3,308]

Hi, Mike ...

This is great idea and beautiful thread ...

I hope someone will read it and follow this ....

[Hahayoudied 3]

How do I delete the NAM corectly, I downloaded it and I didn't like what it did to the game. It didn't fix the long and unrealistic  commute time. Even wosre, when I try to delete the NAM, it is still in my computer and I can't find it anywhere because all those new things the NAM added, they are still in the game and I hate the the left lane turn roads or avunue that is still in Sim city 4 deluxe edition. Also, I don't see how traveling in a max funded subway system  just to reach a workplace a few blocks away is consider a long commute.

[Hahayoudied 3]

Also, why is the spell check on the message text is disabled when I try to type a message?

[Mikeaut1 261]

Originally posted by: Hahayoudied How do I delete the NAM corectly, I downloaded it and I didn't like what it did to the game. It didn't fix the long and unrealistic  commute time. Even wosre, when I try to delete the NAM, it is still in my computer and I can't find it anywhere because all those new things the NAM added, they are still in the game and I hate the the left lane turn roads or avunue that is still in Sim city 4 deluxe edition. Also, I don't see how traveling in a max funded subway system  just to reach a workplace a few blocks away is consider a long commute.quote>

 

Hmm, I have a feeling you did not download the correct plugin associated with the long commute times. Are you sure you put the Radical Custom Special into your plugins? The NAM is supposed to radically change your region, with noticeable effects.

Try running your city on normal time for a few years, without building anything. Just let it sit there for a few years (sim years so the mod can fully take place. 

If you really want to uninstall it, you can go into your plugins and click the uninstall icon (it should prompt the uninstall wizard) that will remove all NAM-related downloads from your computer.

[KingTitan 6]

Somebody is getting a TRIXIE....ROTFL,,,Great Thread Mike. Very helpful. Many people need it...and it gets frustrating when i know how to help them, but sometimes have a hard time explaining. Im in my SCI-FI mode for my CJ.....so, Id end up lost. LOL Great Stuff Mike.

[Hahayoudied 3]

First, where can I find the plugin folders an Window xp home edition computer?

[Hahayoudied 3]

 I just found all the plugins by using the computer's search engine and is that the correct way to find the plugins, I think I found the NAM.

[Hahayoudied 3]

Dang it, I have to search 18 plugins that the search engine found and all those plugins lead me to  even more plugins,

[Mikeaut1 261]

I'm having difficulty understanding what exactly you need help with.

The NAM (if you're looking for it) is located here. There are no additional plugins associated with the NAM that you need to download.

If you are talking about regular downloads off Simtropolis, there are some files that require dependencies. And sometimes those dependencies require dependencies. That's the life of custom content!

[Pechla2 0]

In the original post you mentioned the NDEX collection. I would really like to download this collection, but I haven't found a download for the collection, just single buildings. Am I missing something, or do you have to pick and choose and download one at a time?

Sorry, obviously very new to the site, just eager to get some of this great work into the game.

[masochist 111]

Hello, Pechla2!

Yes, the NDEX buildings come individually, and to my knowledge there is no one single download of all of them. I suspect, however, that a good number of them come with the STEX Collection CD's that you receive when you donate enough money to this site; other than that, it's just pick and choose as you go.

[Hahayoudied 3]

NO, I meant how do I delete the NAM software correctly, not looking for one.

[masochist 111]

The NAM folder should be in your My Documents/SimCity 4/Plugins folder under the name Network Addon Mod. To get rid of the NAM, all you have to do is get rid of that folder.

[Hahayoudied 3]

I just found the NAM folder, but there is two, oh well, I am going to delete both of them.

[SC4BOY 21]

the NAM actually installs an "uninstall" program in its folder.. if you execute that it will remove itself properly and you don't have to search for anything..

[Hahayoudied 3]

Where can I get CAM?

   For some reason, whenever I try to post a message I  don't see my message posted on this tread.

     Which type of CAM should I get? Is there one that can fix my unreasonable rock bottom demand problem and is there one that can get the commercial and the industry buildings to employ workers?

[Camaron 1]

Originally posted by: Hahayoudied Where can I get CAM ?

quote>

 

You can only get it at https://www.sc4devotion.com/ I believe. This forum: https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?PHPSESSID=0244edb256aab92e35572b5b0e361208&board=185.0 contains a lot of information on it. Be warned, it is not the easiest of SimCity 4 custom content to install.