NAM General Discussion Thread

[Antipex 0]

Well for some things it's just obvious how they work...there's no reason why ped mall tiles shouldn't work for residential zones as well as commercial and industrial! It's really stupid to work that way...I'm smart enough to figure out how things work without reading a damn README file, but when something doesn't work that by all means SHOULD, I usually assume it's a bug...

[The Great Chozo 34]

Date:7/22/2004 8:30:18 PM
Author:Antipex

Well for some things it's just obvious how they work...there's no reason why ped mall tiles shouldn't work for residential zones as well as commercial and industrial!  It's really stupid to work that way...I'm smart enough to figure out how things work without reading a damn README file, but when something doesn't work that by all means SHOULD, I usually assume it's a bug...

quote>

Slow down mate, no one called you stupid.

You obviously don't know how they work, here is a passage from the Read Me :

 NOTE: Ped Mall Tiles can NOT be used as a replacement for Street/Road access for direct access to Residential Zones. Residential zones must still have Street/Road/Avenue/OneWayRoad at the front of their zoning arrow in order to develop. Also; if Sims do not use the Ped Mall Tiles [i.e no usage], &/or buildings lining Ped Mall Tiles do not have any commuters, then it

[Cactaur55 0]

Well, Tropod, I don't udnerstand what you're saying if it will be an option or will it be fixed.

First you said:

Now THAT, is interesting!!..........how you'd see this as a problem, I don't know.

Which made me think it won't be fixed.

But this one:

About this being an option........don't count on it happening.

Made me think it will be fixed...


If it's going to be fixed, would you duplicate the puzzlepieces and ped malls to have an udnerwater choice?

This is another of my strange and possible good ideas!

Oh, and one more post for Tropod, then he'll have 1,337 posts! Just wanted to say that.

[The Great Chozo 34]

Cactaur,

 

You already have the option to build them underwater or not. Look at the pic that you posted, it seems to me that you were able to build them both on land and in the water.

 

All you need is some good terraforming under the water, and you can have you underwater walkway.

 

This isn't and wasn't a problem, it is just a very interesting result of some great modding.

 

So basically it will be left as is, because currently you can have both on land and underwater ped tiles and puzzle pieces.

 

Does that make sense to you?

 

TGC

[builderman 3]

This should be fun to play with

[zdog720 74]

Has any of the stack interchanges been modded or completed? I don't mean to be a pest, its just I'm really looking foward to using them so I can build Los Angeles.

[The Great Chozo 34]

Date:7/22/2004 9:58:09 PM
Author:zdog720

Has any of the stack interchanges been modded or completed? I don't mean to be a pest, its just I'm really looking foward to using them so I can build Los Angeles.

quote>

Patience young grasshopper.

[Ryan B 35]

Patience is a virtue, my friends.  Give our modders the time they need to do a good job and they will amaze you with wonderful interchanges that will make your Sims' commutes a breeze!

(Psst - NAM team?  Any word on the stacks?  LOL j/k)

 

What I'm really looking forward to is the Y-interchange.  Not just the one for highways, but the one for avenues too.  I have so many places where I could use these interchanges that are being developed right now . . . .

[Cactaur55 0]

Well, thanks TGC! When he said About this being an option........don't count on it happening. I thought he meant it going to be taken out and won't be available...

Thanks again for clearing it up!

Great mod(d)!

[RodneyMullen03 5]

Isn't somebody else doing LA? Yeah, well, if your doing LA, I can help you out, I live just outside of LA, and I've been through there enough to know the place pretty good. And there aren't too many intersections that look like the stack, just a few.

[Tropod 144]

I know I have said all along, that what we do in this thread has absolutely nothing to do with LOTS at all, and [that] currently this will continue to be the case [for various reasons]; I see it fit though to make mention of a LOT that has been made specifically for the NAM, specifically Ped Mall Tiles;

 

Pedestrian Mall Connector

 

The Lot is not by me, therefore don't be asking me anything about it. Direct any questions you may have about the Lot at the creator thanks. I only make mention of it here incase anyone might find it of value/interest, seeing as how it was specifically made for a feature belonging to the NAM.

 

On a related note; I'm still two-minds about the current format of the Ped Mall Tiles. At a minimum, they'll always need a MT-Based building to be able to use the PedMallTiles. What I wouldn't mind doing though, if someone were to help, is making some proper network based connectors; like Road/Street/Avenue/OneWayRoad >to> PedMallTile Connectors of some sort. This'd remove the necessity I would think of having to use MT-Based buildings as a stepping-link into the Mall Tiles [though using MT-based buildings as a connector isn't entirely that bad a use]. This'd just require some Transitional Textures I think, joining a network with a PedMallTile(s). Some variations could even be done I guess, if anyone is interested. But I'd like to see the PedMallTile stuff built upon some more.

 

 

@Antipex; All I'll say is this; we're modders, not miracle workers . We don't have the ability/legality to modify the EXE. Plain & simple. You may be right about one thing though; something being a bug. But that's totally outside the scope of this thread, & belongs elsewhere for discussion.

 

@Cactaur55; sorry for the confusion .

 

@zdog720 [& others]; we're aware that a number of you can't wait to get your grubby hands on some of this stuff, but as TGC has said; patience . It has been pointed out in the Q&A file, that some of these things can take quite awhile. Trust me, we'd love for you & everyone else to have these things now, rather than later, but it's just not as simple as that.

[Breeze646 0]

Date: 6/20/2004 1:36:40 AM
Author:

@Breeze646;

Since no one has decided to model that [yet], it hasn't been done. Pretty much most things need to be modelled first before the next step [Paths etc] can begin.

quote>

Okay and sorry I didn't reply I was away on a trip to England and France.

[Tropod 144]

Seeing as how something related to this had been mentioned, just thought I'd share something with you all, for those of you that may not of been aware of this;

 

R-Zones [sims] can actually access Ped Mall Tiles from their backyards, if they so choose to do so;

[image hosted: NAM Image Hosting  ]

 

As previously stated; R-Zones still have to have proper Street/Road/Onewayroad/Avenue access across the front of their zoning Arrow [otherwise they'll incur the NRZ] & must [still] have access to at least one job. I'm sure this can be exploited by players somehow, in someway .

[Member19922 0]

Well, here is just a thought about the naming of the one-way ramps...

 

instead of reverse01 (like in the pictures awhile back)...

you could say right out (as in right hand side off ramp, or you could say right off), and left in (or left on)...

and instead of forward01 (also in the pictures)...

you could say right in (or right on), and left out (or left off)...

 

if that's too long you could always go with r out, l in... r in, l out... but that could confuse people even if you put it in the Readme .

 

Well that's my $ 0.16 (couldn't forget tax )

[Dexter 40]

As I am creating two textures sets for the ANT: UK & USA, I was wondering if it would be a good idea to have a UK/Left Drive version, and a USA/Right Drive version?

[Arctic 0]

Date: 7/23/2004 3:20:43 PM
Author:

As I am creating two textures sets for the ANT: UK & USA, I was wondering if it would be a good idea to have a UK/Left Drive version, and a USA/Right Drive version?

quote>

It would because I'm sure people from the USA wanna use it

[The Great Chozo 34]

Date:7/23/2004 1:03:23 PM
Author:Tropod

 

quote>

This is good information, thanks Tropod.

Something funny about that pic, look very closely at the bus routes coming from the stop, (specifically the one that goes to the right). I laughed when I saw this, because that bus is driving on the wrong side of the road (based on the traffic flow) until it gets to the corner, after which it goes to the proper lane.

I wouldn't want to be coming around that corner at the same time as the bus .

 

[Antipex 0]

Just wondering if this has anything to do with the NAM, like a bug or something...About 9,000 sims are driving on a freeway from one city, into another, then another, then BACK to the first city, then to another city, and finally back to the third city. Why would sims want to leave a city, then return, going far out of the way, when a freeway links the other two in the same cities that would make it much easier?? Could this be fixed?

[Dexter 40]

Sometimes sims work in cities other than the one they live in. What could be happening is that after they they finish work, it is quicker to go round the highway than it is to drive back the way they came. Hope this helps,

 

Dexter

[Mr. Beer 12]

How about avenues, roads and one-way roads texture?
It is possible to make'em like the streets and the highway?
I think the street's light grey are more realistic than the black texture.
It would be great, no?

[A Killer Ewok 2]

@ Antipex

I don't think it's related to NAM, but here's a question for you:

 

HOW do you know the sims are taking that route?

 

It crosses several cities, but you can't query it good enough to know they take that route???

[frogface 352]

Date: 7/24/2004 6:23:16 AM
Author:
How about avenues, roads and one-way roads texture?

It is possible to make'em like the streets and the highway?

I think the street's light grey are more realistic than the black texture.

It would be great, no?

quote>

mr beer (lol great screenname )
it really depends where you live cos around here the street texture is unrealistic since few roads are concrete (although some are so worn down theyre practically concrete)
i'd say in the interests of keeping the game to appeal to a wider audience its best to keep it as it is.

[Antipex 0]

Date: 7/24/2004 6:59:31 AM
Author:

@ Antipex

I don't think it's related to NAM, but here's a question for you:

HOW do you know the sims are taking that route?

It crosses several cities, but you can't query it good enough to know they take that route???

quote>

I know for sure because I can query the vehicles from city to city, and they all keep going without stopping from place to place. (DUH)

[Tropod 144]

Date:7/24/2004 3:22:23 AM
Author:Antipex

Just wondering if this has anything to do with the NAM, like a bug or something...About 9,000 sims are driving on a freeway from one city, into another, then another, then BACK to the first city, then to another city, and finally back to the third city.  Why would sims want to leave a city, then return, going far out of the way, when a freeway links the other two in the same cities that would make it much easier??  Could this be fixed?

quote>

Unfortunately, the game has always had this problem, even without the mod. Personally I myself wouldn't consider it a bug with the game, but rather a serious flaw. Unless Maxis were to design & have a Regional File to handle stuff like this so that it doesn't happen; well this is always going to happen really. The best thing I can suggest, is to design your cities & Region & the connecting networks in such a way that it minimises this.

Ways that can minimize this include;

-use only highway connections for Cars, and only use them near the middle of a map, not near the corners. The more centered they are, the better.

-Keep to a minimum the number of cities that are grouped/connected next to each other together in a small area of a Region [Clusters in other words].

-Try keep neighbour connections running North>South OR East>West ONLY [or visa-versa] for a city. This way, they have to travel through a city in order to get to the next neighbouring connection.

-Keep in mind; that the more restrictive their inter-regional travel routes are, the less chance that this can happen.

There's one or two other things you could probably do along with these suggestions as well. But there's nothing that can be done really mod-wise, I believe, to completely prevent this from happening.

[Antipex 0]

Thanks Tropod - I'll apply your strategy and see if it helps .

Great work on the mod - I'm using just about every piece of it in my cities!

[Pooty 228]

I had an idea! How bout changing the avenue texture to look like streets instead of a black look. It'll be better for those large suburban areas...

[Dexter 40]

I like the black top avenues in the city, although grey would be nice in some places, we cannot make another network.  I don't want to see the black top avenue go.

[Cactaur55 0]

Well... Here comes another problem with the Pedestrian malls!!!

Sometimes roads cannot be placed next to the pedestrian malls, at least on slopes, but then with things like toll booths or a road taxi stand (got it from the LEX), it blows up halfway and won't allow me to rebuild it.



Next, I show something more specific... Almost the same as above.



Finally, this shows that without the ped malls, nothing self destructs or isn't unrebuildable.




Although this is avoidable by placing the Pedestrian Malls last, it is a little bit funky doing that... Hehe... This is also a nice layout, surrounding the station with the malls and using a taxi stand, if you have it. Without it, my stations would be next to the roads and 98% of my sims (poor and rich) would use the bus... What a LONG ISORE!

Thanks for listening!

P.S. Maybe I could be the official non modder beta tester??? Hehe I'm just kidding.
I kept spelling pedestrian wrong...

[kassarc16 4]

Looks to me like it's the Ped-malls and Taxi stand interacting like two transit enabled lots. You can't put them next to each other and be able to connect the network onto the lot. Try it with the monorail station too.

 

By the way, what are those construction tile icons in your first pic?

[Mr. Beer 12]

@ Frogface:

Uh? So, I'm from Switzerland, when the pavement is new and fresh, it's black, then the colour decline (right?) to the grey with the time... whe use macadam in my country...(stone with residue of oil raffinering, who the origin of the shape).
I found the black texture unrealistic, and the mix of the grey of the street and the black of the roads unestetic...that's my opinion, but it was just an idea...