Using whole region as a city?

[metallicarox2009 0]

Hi, kind of a newb here, but is there a way to make the entire region one giant city? I was hoping to try to make something similar to the Millau Viaduct (google it, its cool) but i need a huge area for the valley, and even 5X5 doesn't cut it.  Is this possible?

[Vandy 110]

Hi, metallicarox2009.

SC4 allows three region (Oops!  My mistake...) city sizes - small (1 x 1), medium (2 x 2) and large (4 x 4).    Unfortunately, you won't be able to make an etire region one city other than having one large (4 x 4) city as your region.

The best I could suggest is to make your region a series of large city tiles up to the size you'd like.

Regards,

Vandy

[metallicarox2009 0]

Ok, cuz i got this one region that was modeled after Estes Park, CO, and i made it so it had 25 cities, and they are big, but not near big enough for what i want to do.  How do you make it so it has the biggest cities possible?

[Vandy 110]

Hey, metallicarox2009.

(Hmmm...  You must like Metallica, right?)

The short answer to your question is to have you read the Config.bmp: How to Make It Yours article in the OmniMaps section of the Simtropolis Omnibus.

The somewhat longer answer is as follows:

Let's say that you want to create a region that is 16 x 8 pixels in size (that is, the size of the config.bmp file).  This means that your grayscale JPG image would be 1025 x 513 pixels in size.  (Rather than reproduce the formula used get get these results, read through the article referrenced above.)

Since you want to have all large city tiles, you would make sure you color the config.bmp file all blue (RGB = 0,0,255 ; Hex = 0000FF).  This will result in all of the cities in your region being large city tiles (4 x 4).

Good luck.

Regards,

Vandy

[+Guest]

I'll tell you what I'd do, I would try a different tactic. All you need in order to reproduce something similar to the Millau is to have an obscenely long bridge. This can be accomplished by simply making the long valley you need to span, and then in each city square build up a small block right at the edge of the map that is as tall as the highest point on each side of the bridge. It'll look a little goofy having an earth pillar at the edge of each map (it'll take some work to get the pillar the right size to allow for what I assume will be a highway connection). You might be able to make a couple of bats that make those earth pillars look a lot more artificial.

Of course, I assume you're doing this for coolness factor alone. You'll have to make tunnels to get roads to cross under the bridge line (I don't know of a way to get roads to go under bridges) and if the bridge spans a city it's really not going to be "used." This concept won't be a very effective or efficient city design feature.

[SmartRoss1 0]

Originally posted by: Bihlbo(I don't know of a way to get roads to go under bridges)quote>

 

You can't, it's one of those annoying SC4 glitches.

[Hahayoudied 3]

SC4 has limitations, and for the giant city tile, not possible. If there was a city large as the region, not one consumer computer would handle a city that large.

Even today, many computers lag when running a large SC4 city, even my laptop does.

[metallicarox2009 0]

Vandy- Yes i like Metallica (Rock on \../) any who, my grand idea was a very large area with rolling hills filled with mainly farmland, and small villages (max 1,500 people) and then for the big thing, we would have a very deep valley with a River through the bottom, with a fairly good size town (15,000?) in the pit.  It would start out, a Ground Highway running the length of the area, straight through, however, to get down to the valley town (Millau basically) it has to become 2 lane highway, to traverse the steep valley walls (just like real life, i think) then it passes through Millau as a 4 lane avenue, then back to 2 Lane up the other side, back to Ground Highway, this creates a heck of a Bottleneck situation, so thats when the Viaduct comes in, take that Ground Highway, stretch it across the Valley, and boom, no more bottleneck, keep the other route, for access to Millau, this may cut traffic to Millau, but i don't see it as much of an issue.  As u can tell i'm not a Hardcore Sim City 4phile (new word?) I build my cities with cool road systems, and get mad when it bugs me cuz i have too much traffic on my beautful systems, and i have to make it practical.  Gah!! lol, but in order for this grand scheme to work, i have a have a big area to work with.  I'm not sure if a big city tile is big enough.....

[dogma555 187]

Originally posted by: SmartRoss1

Originally posted by: Bihlbo(I don't know of a way to get roads to go under bridges)quote>

 

You can't, it's one of those annoying SC4 glitches.quote>

pretty sure i saw a mod for it

[tungston 19]

Originally posted by: dogma555

Originally posted by: SmartRoss1

Originally posted by: Bihlbo(I don't know of a way to get roads to go under bridges)quote>

 

You can't, it's one of those annoying SC4 glitches.quote>

pretty sure i saw a mod for itquote>

 

You might have seen a "nonfunctioning" lot to go under a bridge.  It is a lot with an offset prop that looks like it goes under the bridge.

[metallicarox2009 0]

I'm sorry (being the Newb that i am) What? What is this about "non functioning lot"? I would really like to make this work.  Thanks!

[tungston 19]

It doesn't work because two transit enabled items, or two lots can't occupy the same tile.

[metallicarox2009 0]

Well, shoot, looks like i need to make my own game or something lol, i'll see what i can do to make this idea work, i've been trying some prototypish maps, no success yet, but i'll get there!

[Mr. Random 3]

well if hes also going for asetectics a non-funtioning lot would be just as effective