Manless factories... and offices!

[Framling 1]

(please skip this intro paragraphs to get to the beef below)

Since this is my first post here, let me offer some introduction.

First of all, I have been an avid fan of Simcity ever since we discovered each other - though somehow I had a FIVE YEAR delay in acquiring SC4 - not enough time to play computer games and other excuses, and suddenly I just got hold of one of the last extant copies of SC4 Deluxe lingering at the bottom of some online retailer's warehouse (the name was Kane Tiberium or something ).

Anyhoo, it's a blast. WOW. So much time has passed, and Simcity is now better than ever. More than that - in acquiring SC4 Deluxe, I got more bang for the buck than they promised. Not only Rush Hour (how was gameplay before it, anyway?), but this fantastic site I discovered browsing the net just after installing SC4. I don't know if browsing the vast contents, reading CJs and all isn't more involving than SC4 itself, lol

Anyhoo, thanks guys for keeping the SC4 alive, for all the mods, the knowledge, the CJs and all the fun! My only problem is that the site is vast I might have not found the obvious answers to the questions below, even though I am sure they could be found somewhere....

(this is the beef)

OK, so I have started to play "extreme" games - i.e. normal gameplay and rules, only NAM (tried both Perfect Pathfinding and Standard), but some "extreme" city plans, not just normal step-by-step development. What I have suddenly come accross are entire sectors of Commercial and Industrial buildings showing NO WORKERS ARRIVING at all (when using the transport query tool, or whatever it is called in the original / English version).

WHAT GIVES?

Is there a mod / alternative routing algorythm that doesn't allow the I/C buildings to remain "occupied" without an appropriate number of sims arriving?

(question on the side)

Was there ever an attempt made at a mod that would make "Residential Sims" require going not only to work, but also school, shopping and "points of interest" (tourist attractions and such) SIMULTANEOUSLY? For those playing other city-building / transportation sim games, it might be obvious where I got the idea

[simcityplyr100 2]

Well first of all, welcome to Simtropolis. I'm assuming you have the same feelings I did when I first got here, overwhelmed by the large community and a little bit shy. Don't worry though, because I have a feeling you will fit in very well here. However, I'm not sure if I can completely answer your question. Do you have enough residents in your city to supplement the commercial and industrial need for workers? If you do not, then you will need to zone for more residential otherwise your buisness's will have no employees.

[Framling 1]

Thanks a lot! I am afraid I am not shy enough, but this community seems large enough to bear with me

(back to business)

Now, that's fairly obvious. What I said is that e.g. I have a city FULL of residential areas, some of which start to develop "no work" zots, and still NOBODY (like Miss Patti LaBelle, I say nobody, nobody, nobodyyyyyy) would work in either my commercial or industrial areas.

I've made a little experiment in the meantime (having reverted to NAM with "Standard" pathfinding). The industrial zone in a city with no connections (to existing cities, it had a connection to an empty lot) WOULD develop a bit, but then stall with the obvious reaction of the RCI graph. I guess this is the behaviour necessary for the employee-demand-driven algorithm of R tile generation (first demand, then residents).

I guess the effect is mostly present in cities with connections to comparably-sized counterparts with developed industry and/or commerce. Whatever I do, people prefer to work "abroad", crowding whatever connection I have. This works especially for industry, but in case the city has no industry, it would work for commerce too.

I guess I must offer a better explanation of the phenomenon:

1. I've got a city with a connection to another city/cities

2. There are RCI areas in the original city

3. The development of RCI corresponds to what the RCI demand graph shows.

4. BUT in some such cities when I click with the transit query tool, I find that there are NO workers in some commercial and/or industrial buidlings, although they seem to prosper well (no abandonment, decay and all, demand stays put etc)

5. This mostly concerns ENTIRE zones, mostly industrial - I have a city with a fairly developed high-tech industrial quarter, showing no further demand for industry, everything's fairly fine BUT for the fact that nobody goes down the "industrial avenue", the only traffic I get in the area are trucks etc.

Again - wazzup?

Oh btw - I've had the transit query bring up more fun stuff, such as people going from residential buildings to... other residential buildings! Somebody explain it to me, please...

[simcityplyr100 2]

Are you plopping all your buildings? I have noticed that if you use the Building Ploppable Mod, sometimes the residential citizens will not go to work. I also noticed that while using this mod Commercial and Industrial buildings will not abandon or dilapidate. Other then that, I believe that it could be a glitch with the Network Addon Mod (You said you have that installed right?). If you think that this is a glitch with the Network Addon Mod visit the Network Addon Mod General Discussion Thread.

[Framling 1]

Well, nope, I am playing without any "enhancements" like plopping RCI - I only plop the regular ploppable plops

I guess what I need know is to be directed to a thread explaining

1) the routing/pathfinding mechanism (and NAM's enhancements thereto)

2) how the "lot developer" works

Any directions? Suggestion?

[simcityplyr100 2]

Well, seeing that I have never modded lots or transit networks, experienced this problem, or been a part of any Network Addon Mod creation, I don't know if I can help you. But, here are links to a few more Network Addon Mod threads.

Network Addon Mod Development

Network Addon Mod General Discussion

Network Addon Mod Requests

Network Addon Mod Showcase

Network Addon Mod Traffic Simulator Help

Understanding The Traffic Simulator

That's about it. From here I can't help you. You may want to contact someone who knows alot more about the Network Addon Mod, such as Andreas Roth or Tropod.

[Framling 1]

Woweee, thanks a LOT!!! That's lorra lorra interesting reading!

Now, I gathered one important thing already - it seems that lot development is NOT dependent on the traffic simulator, so C & I will develop and only later Sims would find their way to get there, but (apart from the "traffic" requirement/preference of C), the lot development/abandonment for C & I is not dependent on whether Sims can get there or not.

Right?

[simcityplyr100 2]

Unfortunetly, as stated in my previous reply, I can't help you from here. If you still have questions, open up a thread in the Modding-Transportation Network forum. I'm sure they would be glad to help you there.

[Framling 1]

I gather you mean SC4Devotion Forums, as I cannot find any other forums here (but I am not overly "academic", if you know what I mean, so I might have missed them). I was also hoping somebody else would read that/reply - tough luck, so thanks for not leaving me alone with my issues