STEX DVD query

[Lextar 0]

I havent seriously gotten into playing SC4 yet, but would like to, considering I've spent days, downloading 100+ lots and aligning the stats, ordering them, sorting out the description and I havent even build a city yet!!!

So I'm looking at the DVD that are on offer. I'm wondering what the stats are like, Are these all sensible values??

Also the ordering of them in the menu, are these all sensible too? So all the schools are grouped together and the museums grouped together in the civic menu? or is it all a mess.

Because if both queries are positive ones, I'm seriously tempted.

[Mikeaut1 261]

Wow, seems like you're really on your way to building a nice city with a lot of custom content! That is never a bad thing, just plain Maxis seems to get boring after a while!

Are you talking about the STEX CD? I wouldn't know much about the CD since I lack one. I just download from the STEX itself. As long as you are organized (which it sounds like you are), go ahead and load the game!! As you said, all your school lots downloaded should be in your school menu, hospitals in the health menu, parks/tennis courts in the park menu, and your skyscrapers/other civic buildings in the landmarks menu.

You do know the difference between ploppable and growbale right? Depending on the download, it will either be a ploppable building (you can plop it) or it will be growable (it will grow with everything else). I personally prefer ploppable, and most downloads are ploppable, but some are only growable, or both.

Any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask! And you sound as if you're ready and organized, so go ahead and play!

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

....And hop over the Bugs and Technical Issues and read the sticky titled "Plugin Mania".  It will help you get organized, if you haven't read it already.

[Lextar 0]

The problem with the downloads I've been doing are a mess.

Some of them have default stats or 0 maintanance cost or high capacity/radius. I understand some people want to make the game easy, but sometimes I don't understand why a school lot has a radius cost of 2 billion (it was an extremely high number) so if you wanted the school to have a even one square radius, it'd cost you the city.

Then there are some lots with incorrect occupancy, so they appear in the wrong menus or in multiple menus that they shouldn't belong to.

Some don't bother with description either.

Hence thinking abiout STEX CD. So anyone purchased them?

I've still not started plating SC4 proper, I rather get all the downloads I want before and sorted out before beginning. Its the way I am Chances are when I'm done, I'll probably find something else to play. It was the same with the Sims. Downloaded 2G worth of downloads, sorted everything out and then gave up and packed everything away. Well... Sims 2 came out, but refused to buy it lol

[Mikeaut1 261]

The STEX CD is the same thing, and many of the lots are the same I'm sure. So what you're downloading off the STEX is the same as what you're getting on the CD.

It seems like you're worried about money. I use the Simolean RH Modd that gives me unlimited money each month. Then you won't have to worry about costs and stuff...

I don't recommend downloading in bulk before starting your first city. You should really just start out with the NAM and some little downloads. Also your computer better be able to handle everything you've downloaded. Don't expect to have a fully functioning game with a HUGE amount of plugins on 512mbs of RAM and an old graphics card.

I recommend download the NAM first, since that is your essential download, and maybe a few BATs here and there. Try a few cities at first with the plugins you have, then when you feel confident in your city, restart again with more plugins. Too many plugins at first could overwhelm you really easily.

[Lextar 0]

With computer prices dropping the way they are, I think my 3.5GHz 1G RAM and a 256MB PCI-E graphics card probably can handle it.

I do rather play SC4 without any cheats though. And the reason I was thinking about the CD is because some texture packs I want seemed to be locked by admin. And also sorting out the stats taking up a lot of time. Even though I like number crunching, the lack of keyboard short cuts in the tools means a hell of a lot of mouse clicking, so getting RSI.

So I guess if the stats of the lots on the CD are no different to the downloads, I guess I'll be giving it a miss

[Sam 163]

Some of the texture packs may have been locked by their owners because they have been superceded or combined into larger packs to make downloading easier. You need to make sure you are getting the most up to date pack. You don't want to be downloading obsolete files.

My suggestion would be to first play the game for a bit, then find out what you need or want to download. There is so much custom content out there that you will be downloading forever and never get to play the game.