Pedway lots - Most powerful part of NAM?

[pauljs75 0]

For the most part I've been a long time lurker. But for some silly reason, I held off on trying NAM until just recently. (Seemed like some aspects were too much like cheating.) Part of my giving in is probably because of trouble growing any city past 30K, thanks to commute time problems. Now that I have the NAM (latest release installed with the least cheat-like "recommended" setting) they actually commute a reasonable distance and even use mass transit.

Anyhow, to the subject of the topic...  The pedway lots that come with NAM, are they amongst its most powerful features? I have found with those, I can force usage of busing and mass transit for commercial and industrial zones. It even seems like walking/mass transit get improved probability for nearby areas that aren't restricted to pedestrian access. Not only that, but now I can actually have parking garages that do something besides get ignored. (Typically they're useless enough in the game such that there's a contention point of why they even exist.) So now I can get some money from traffic by funneling it. It's either use a bus or go to the parking garage, as all businesses in one area beyond them are only pedway accessable. I'm seeing usage of 10% on the parking garage already. The sims might even fill it when the commercial area develops further.

Also some of those pedways have an arrow on them when placing. Is there any particular importance to that, or can it be ignored? (Some parks and such have an arrow that's pretty meaningless.)

[Mikeaut1 261]

Wow, you've gone a long time without using the NAM!

It's good that you're using it. I don't really consider the NAM a cheat, but a required fix for the game to allow more realistic gameplay. To be honest, I haven't really messed around with ped lots, and I really didn't understand fully the reason to why they were there. But it's quite interesting that they have a powerful effect like that. My downtowns are doing quite well though because of the transportation fixes though with the NAM: roundabouts, turning lanes, etc.

I'm sure the game reads the pedway lots as parks or something, so I think when placing them the arrow doesn't matter.

[Joetropian1 1]

Yeah the arrow doesn't matter at all I'm prety sure.

I like using the pedways for parky areas for trails and stuff,and I'm pretty sure they boost desiribility or something like that...

JT1

[pauljs75 0]

Some actual screen captures...

The general area around the garage.

This shot is showing usage. Try not to mind the heavy bus stop usage (which is also good), but the parking garage is actually around 15% or so. With the pedway tiles, you can actually make a halfway decent "mall" area.

Would have had the stats too, but for some reason the camera was blocked from use whenever they were up.

[Framling 1]

The only problem with pedways is that they come in such limited selection of textures - e.g. you have to go for the lamp-posted one to get white pavement. It would be great if they could be had in a greater selection of textures, and also with less prominent props (there are propped malls available, but the props stick in the middle and are usually rather prominent, i.e. no single bench with a trash bin in the corner tile).

[TV-VCR 15]

Pedmall lots are pretty dang useful. In real life there are quite a few areas where the main transport is your feet.

[pauljs75 0]

I'm not too worried about props (more concerned about utility than it being purdy), but for some of those tiles (like the grass one) - I only wish there was a way to plop trees on them. Then it wouldn't look too obvious when there's a tree covered grass park tile nearby.

[tungston 19]

They are very usful little lots, you can plop them on coastal tiles, or even under water. They make fairly decent retaining walls, or serve as road connection when you can't actually use a road.

[0rion79 1]

You know what, I'm not sure if we are talking about the ones that come with NAM only, but I like very much the tiles from a mod that made poor, average and luxury 1x1 to 1x4 walking areas. MY only problem is that even large bus stops from the game are too small. 3.000 gets filled almost immediately and I'm often forced to use RoatToMassTransit stops even in rural areas or, worst, to use huge 10.000+ multi-stops (EG bus + subway).

My only doubt about NAM lots is the fact that I'm not very sure about how to link them each other... it is quite confusing and, for once, the loved TAB utility makes very difficult to see what's being ploped... at least, IMHO!

I'm never happy... LOL!

[psander5 198]

I agree with Framling, a version with white pavement and no centre tile is desperately needed in my opinion. That's my only gripe with them. They are extremely useful for making realistic looking shopping areas. Most towns and cities here in the UK have pedestrianised shopping streets. The NAM lots help to recreate them functionally.

Here's one I made earlier !!!




A street like this would look completely different with an avenue, street or road tearing up there.
(btw: I'm aware I have road texture issues - I don't know how it happened and haven't found a fix yet... maybe when the forum search is back up)


I didn't know they could be used under water!  I'll have to try that one out.  I was just thinking the other day that I was missing a 'paved beach' in this game.  (they exist in RL by the way... i've seen them somewhere - a paved slope that goes right into the water.  I think they're more common near lakes than oceans.)

[tungston 19]

They are the only thing I know of that can be plopped on a coastal tile, which would make the paved beach.

[Retep Molinari 68]

Originally posted by: psander5

(btw: I'm aware I have road texture issues - I don't know how it happened and haven't found a fix yet... maybe when the forum search is back up)

quote>

Maybe when you uploaded the NAM, you slected regular Maxis roads rather than the Eruo texture mod that you are using?

Anyway, this is the best use of a ped mall that I have seen... I've got to try making a commercial center like that!! I stayed at a hotel in japan, and right outside was an area just like this.

 

[qurlix 20]

Originally posted by: tungston

They are the only thing I know of that can be plopped on a coastal tile, which would make the paved beach.quote>

Well, all of the regular puzzle pieces can be plopped on coastal.  (Unless something has changed drastically since I last used the NAM, I believe all pieces but connectors, starters, and intersections)   But most of them aren't exactly useful beach scenery!

Originally posted by: Framling

The only problem with pedways is that they come in such limited selection of textures - e.g. you have to go for the lamp-posted one to get white pavement. It would be great if they could be had in a greater selection of textures, and also with less prominent props (there are propped malls available, but the props stick in the middle and are usually rather prominent, i.e. no single bench with a trash bin in the corner tile). quote>

This is just another instance of the NAM team trying to give everyone what they want, which they do surprisingly well for such an opinionated community.   Unfortunately with the menu structure as it is, there is just a certain limit to how many variations they can/will include of a specialized piece, like the pedmalls, without extreme clutter.

Making a texture/prop mod of the set you would prefer would be relatively easy. (ie changing existing tiles)  An independent modder could do it, but they would have to make it load-order-dependent.  If the NAM team did it officially (I believe their current policy is completely against load-order-dependence) they would have to split it into more options during install or optional plugins, which is a somewhat silly choice given the number of people who would utilize it compared to the number of people who would get confused by the extra options.

Would you guys actually want a texture replacement mod for the current pedmalls though?  Because I just so happen to be a bored modder with little to do. 

-qurlix

[Retep Molinari 68]

Those (near) white ped malls are my favorite, and not having the post would be a nice option. I donno if it's worth much effort, however.