simmars-forum-threads Rewards And Parks Workshop

[Sam 163]

Sorry, it can't be done with the churches. Tab is only possible for network pieces.

House of Worship, if its in the Lot Editor should be under RW... since its a reward.

As to the modding, I'd suggest you read Daeley's tutorial, How to Mod Your Own Rewards. It is available in the Tutorials section on SC4 Devotion.

[timcravey 169]

Sam - Isn't a reward chain a network of sorts? Could we dis-enable the transit option so that the piece no longer needs to be attached to a path or for that matter relot a transit piece with the church on it, leave it transit enabled and allow it to join to the street.

[Sam 163]

No, rewards aren't networks at all. Rewards function via LUA scripts and various properties in the building exemplar (the tutorial I mentioned will explain how all that works).

I know very little about transit modding as it is very different to lot modding. I do know that this was looked at previously, as having a tab option would be ideal but I'm pretty sure it was found to be not possible, which is why other avenues (if you'll pardon the pun) were explored for keeping menus clear, such as MML and the DAMN which are not at all network related. The MML is reward related, and I think the DAMN has some similarities but I'm not sure how it works exactly.

However, the Houses of Worship are definitely available in the Lot Editor (I checked last night, they are indeed under RW), but as they are rewards you can only use Save not Save As ie your new lot will override the ingame one. For your purposes this is probably exactly what you want to have happen anyway.

Although I've heard that rewards are disabled in SimMars I'm not sure how this was done, so I'm not sure if custom rewards would still work, or if all reward functionality was somehow removed.

I would suggest you start by reading through Daeley's tutorial however (https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=1010.0), as that should explain much of the work that is ahead of you. You would also need to look at the part of the SimMars mod that removes the rewards, as that should give you an idea of what might work and what won't.

[timcravey 169]

I wonder who kept a record of the changes.

Here is proposed Tourist Trap - The Llama of Mars Contemplating the Wu-Hsing.  Is it a natural rock formation or was it created by ancient intelligences?  No one knows.  It was essentially vandalized by Art Punks during the Revolution when they attacked the site and put  the wu-hsing apparatus up as a prank.  Everyone bowed down to it in mock worship and then danced all night.  Raves are held there in inflatable canopies even generations after.

Sam - I did find tutorial and the lots.  I saw a post between Andisart and Karaku that seemed to suggest they had simply removed the rewards icons from the menu without disabling the requirement-satisfaction trigger that causes pop-ups - if they also removed the lots from the plug-in folder then any attempt to place one of the rewards would cause a crash.  Maybe by overwriting the original lots we can restore functionality to the beta. 

We need a Zoo - I imagine a large covered park where Bushmen (the sound effect of the pigeons sounds like !Xhosa) and Elephants live in recreated earth environments .  That's not one I can do myself because I'm having trouble rendering.

And while we're just sharing ideas - What about that Enclosure of Tokamak!  (see gamenomad  thread on nuclear power) - I can't even imagine what it looks like but it sounds sinister.  Maybe it could be associated with the rise of Cyborgism and tap into the technophobia meme.  It could replace the Dr. Vu reward.

I also envision a reward that would allow instantaneous inter-planetary communication - this would have a health benefit.  Something psychic, maybe.  To replace the Disease Research Center?

[TimeMaster 4]

Hmm, that tourist trap looks ok. Now, about the Disease Research Center (Garmuth Center) We already have an Advanced Research Center, That is the Plymouth Center. As for the Zoo, that isn't a top priority, we just really need to get the earlier rewards done. But if you BAT a zoo, then it should look like a reddish glassy metal domey thing. With something inside. As for the Mayor's House (Colony Leader Palace) I suggest BATing a yellow and brown building with just a few windows, maybe you could some gates, and stones in the yard. That Tourist Trap is fine, I think it looks kinda cool.

[timcravey 169]

Here is an update on the soccer park -

I'm trying to get the inflatable walls to work still - the glass just doesn't do it for me.  But I feel better about the daytime lighting.  I'm reading Jason's thread about how he worked out his glass texturing.

[TimeMaster 4]

Wow, right on the spot!! Looks great, put in the game, next to some houses and see how it looks!! What do you mean by inflatable walls though? Sorry I am not a very experienced BATer. Please try to get a plaza, and a Colony Leader Palace done.

Time

[timcravey 169]

Here is an improved 'church' --

It's much more modest than the mosque and will fit well into any size city.  I also think it should be a non-religious building - "seperation of church and state" so to speak.  I have dubbed it a Public Forum. 

While we're on the subject of rewards - I'm having little luck so far at converting these buildings to in-game rewards.  The Maxis reward lots have their Save As buttons greyed out and the original building can't be replaced by the usual method.  Any ideas how these files can be overwritten?  The BSC tutorial on making your own rewards requires that you list a BSC file as a dependency and I want to avoid that if possible. 

[TimeMaster 4]

Wow... That looks wonderful!!

-Time

[timcravey 169]

Here is a large (4x4) park -

And a first go at the Mayors House -

I'm thinking I'll upload a package of parks soon - sort of a supplement to the beta.  I'm still not getting anywhere with the rewards but I have put the word out in the forums that I'm working on it.  If I don't get an answer before long I'll try posting my question at SC4D. 

Also, notice the underground parking ramps?  Why aren't they underground?  I've shot this sort of BAT before and had no trouble but the last two I've done had this same issue.

[Evillions 552]

uuummm...

Your mayor's house BAT needs some work on it. It looks like only one room. There's more to a mayor's house you know. Try doing this kind of thing:

(repeat it again but when doing two pencil towers, have a walkway and make sure it's glass.)

/========\

/==========\

===========

===========

\=========/

\========/

And get Genni's simmars textures. I use them in every BAT I make. And also I have a dance club for Simmars. It's compact like a army crawl walkway. And a walking enterance to the domes(dance clubs). Inside it there's those bar counters you normally see in a club. And a second floor. Rest you can add yourself. I'm going to release it soon.

[timcravey 169]

Well, Evillions, it IS essentially one big room - it's a large yard with a patio, flowers and a tree. If you spin it around a little you'll see more of the details. The house itself is about the same size as the other high wealth houses near it although part of it is not visible because it's enclosed in the canopy.

I really wasn't sure about the design when I made it. I may lot it out as a R$$$ instead of a reward.

I do use Glenni's textures sometimes, but I'm experimenting with higher resolution textures and I'm introducing a wider ( and lighter) palette based on actual pictures from Mars. I find the present palette in the beta to be too dark and too saturated. I prefer sandier, browner tones and more greens and blues. I also think that since ceramic will be one of the primary building materials on Mars, we ought to use more tile and brick.

Post some pictures of your Dance Club! Did you see my Tea Room - the L0vⁿ? But that conversation belongs in the BAT Workshop thread and not here. BTW Have you thought about making a freight shuttle port out of the Seaport? Also there are no train stations - I may have to do that one myself because I'm playing the beta right now and I desperately need trains.  Also, did you see that Chinese rocket on the STEX - I wonder it we could use that at our space port?

Time - I'm trying the BSC Reward chain for the Church and Mayor's House but I still can't get it to work.  It pops up when the reward requirements are met, but the message box says it can't find my LTEXT files (which contain the actual pop up message).  I also reshot some of the parks with better textures and lights.

I think next on our list ought to be a Cemetary - maybe a catacomb or an urn field.  What do ya'll think? 

The Zoo is coming along nicely;  it's a bugger though.  It'll probably take 12 hours to render!

[timcravey 169]

Here is a shot of the Zoo - the Yuànzi Gè - the Garden of the Revolution.

It actually took 30 hours to render and I'll have to reshoot it because the texture mapping sucks.

[TimeMaster 4]

Great job on that zoo!!! I love it! That mayors mansion will need some work though...

[Evillions 552]

Also when making the "House of Worship". You may want to be muticultral about that. Because not everyone in the world is Chistain or I think thats how you say it. There's Jewish people, Hinduism, Buddisim, etc. in the world. So you may want to make more of those.

[TimeMaster 4]

Well in normal sc4 it is christian, so I think that a church would be best, but really call it Martian Praying House.

[timcravey 169]

Here is a shot of a pool, plaza, and library.

You can also see the 1x1 flower and fountain parks.

[Evillions 552]

You may want to try not doing a dome over something you'll find on Earth. Somethings , yes you can. But not a plaza, no need. Because in 2040 NASA and scientists are going to make Mars with trees, mabey some water life form might have a chance of turning into a river, ocean, etc. Think it over. The rocks can stay. But really, is the future is going to have our kind of techonlogy?

[timcravey 169]

By 2040?! I don't think so. No country could afford to terraform so quickly and the geological and ethical ramifications of drastically altering the ecology of another planet are mostly unknown. The future WILL have our present technology just like we have and use the technology of the past. Each artist should imagine for e'self how the architects of the future will receive their cultural and technological inheritance. I am designing with the notion in mind that we will need to live in closed environments on Mars for many generations and on the Moon forever.

Here are two more medium sized parks.

[TimeMaster 4]

Hello, I'm so sorry about being gone so long. Tim those great maybe you could combine that house thing and pool plus a little green and fairway and it could be the Country Club. Great work on that plaza, and the independant pool. please keep working on the Mayor's Mansion!

[Shoji_sim 9]

Originally posted by: Evillions I'm fished making the airport it just it taking too long to export in the plugin manager. It aleast takes 20 minutes to get to 13% while exporting. And plus it freezes in 13%. So I need someone to take the file in email. I'll put it in a zip folder with the airport file so you can export for me. After you have exported just put "Spaceshuttle Port" in airports. If there is three differnet subsections in airports. Put it in Muncipil Airport. (Sorry for wrong spelling but you should know what I meant).

Then fill all the things out the little chart out. Then do the thing in the lot editor to make it stand out. Then give the flie to me. REMEMBER: the file after you have done the lot editor, the file we be "Spaceshuttle Port". Then put it in a zip folder then give it to me.quote>

I could do the job for you. My memory is huge (Over 100gb. Seriously.), and my computer is fast (I can just establish a city in the time to download 1mb-files). Send it to me. I'll show my email adress, and make sure you show me yours. Thx. 

[timcravey 169]

Here are some props I'm using as a police station but considering as a substitute for the Reward Army Base. I may try to animate them and use them as automata, but not anytime soon.

[JakeMD 107]

Those look great! I suggest you make a few thousand more of those and create an army of police robots!

[timcravey 169]

Here's an improved Zoo model and the Club Privat (country club) Reward suggestion.

[JakeMD 107]

The rewards can be done. On the Zoo, is it possible to add some "Mars Props"? That would make it so much better!

[TimeMaster 4]

I think the Country Club is OK but try to diversify the different BATs that are in there. I agree with swat on the zoo.

[timcravey 169]

If I use these BATs as the country club, they will no longer appear as seperate parks. I may try to add a Biosphere-like structure for golf but we'll see. That should effectively double the lot size making it closer to the original.

As for the zoo - 'mars props' isn't very descriptive. The lot will probably have ramps down to parking on either side of the ornamental entry structure and flower cases lined up here and there. Hopefully I can get the glass and lighting right to show the details inside the canopy - animals, trees, stairs and rails, people . . . What would you like to see?

[TimeMaster 4]

A canopy... that'd be nice! Possibly some more detailed things like tables in the main room.

[timcravey 169]

Here is a proposed Minor League Stadium

edit:  image removed

It needs work, but I just had to show off this new glass.  In reality it would be air-supported plastic.

[Blazerhawk 162]

The plastic look is good but I'm a little concerned as to dimensions, could you give those? Also in the base game the minor league stadium is a soccer stadium.