Which rewards are NOT worth using?

[zwr100 2]

Quick reminder of what reward buildings do:

 

-YIMBY/NIMBY commercial and/or residential effects and radius

-cap busters

-initial cost, monthly fees

-take up space

-other effects

I'll leave the exact numbers and details up to you to find rather than sharing information I've found and used but don't know to be entirely accurate.

[zwr100 2]

I use no cheats and very little custom content, so my cities heavily depend on reward buildings.  I use medium tiles, and like to play on hard.  I don't like some of the little cheap tricks like selling water to a neighbor who's never going to use it.  I try to make my tiles mostly independant.  I somewhat work towards maximum numbers of residential, high tech and commercial so I use almost every space.

Any tile I intend to make a nice high population city I go out of my way to get the farmers market.  The building has a nice residential and commercial effect and radius, but much more importantly it increases health, and is a HUGE cap buster.  I don't use the state fair since it requires tons of farms, and doesn't have that great of an effect while taking up tons of space.

The cemeteries and house of worship are totally free and have a positive residential effect, plus they're easy to earn early when I really need them, so I always use them.  I accept the space they fill since zoning every bit of the map creates it's own problems.

I like the idea of the mayors house and statues but they're not exactly cheap for their effect.  I force myself to use them for the character they add.

I like to use the two stadiums since they have nice commercial effect and radius and are huge cap busters while adding some character to the monotony of maxis buildings. Since they have big negative residential effects I keep them in the middle of a big commercial area.  I use similar placement for the bureau of buracracy, tourist trap, disease reserach, TV, and convention center. I flip-flop on the value of an airport, but I like the look of the convention center

I like the university since it has positive effects and busts some caps while providing education.  I don't use city colleges at all.  I tend to place it between commercial and residential areas.

I shove the advanced reseach center away in a corner far from residents if I use it.

I take the city hall, court house, and stock exchange only when my city is pretty much full since they don't seem to have much effect, and carry costs.  I often put the main library, opera house and major art museum nearby to create a municipal service area that isn't concealed by skyscrapers which are usually developing by the time I place them.

I don't use the Country Club since it takes up lots of space and encourages the problematic R$$$ sims.  I definately don't use any of the real negative effect buildings like toxic waste dump, federal prison, army base, air force base, Dr Wu, etc.

I'm really on the fence with the Zoo and Movie studios.  I can never decide where they fit in.  And I'm not real happy with their beneifts for their size.

[Retep Molinari 68]

I don't tend to use the Space Launching Pad or whatever that is. When is the last time you saw a shuttle launch in New York, Sacramento, or Toronto? Dumb!

[zwr100 2]

I didn't even think to mention that one.  The requirements to get it are fairly steep, so by the time I even qualify my medium sized tile is pretty full. And as you said,  it would look absurd!

[citiesxlfan42 27]

I think any tourism reward is garbage. BTW, what does the bureau of bureaucracy do? Also, space ports aren't cool.

[21blue64 0]

Originally posted by: citiesxlfan42

I think any tourism reward is garbage. BTW, what does the bureau of bureaucracy do? Also, space ports aren't cool.quote>

I think the Buera of Bureaucracy is a Commercial increaser. I duno.

[jmusacha 2]

If you want to talk lame rewards I have two words for ya:  Tourist Trap! 

I love sticking that one in the middle of some dirty industry and letting the tourists come and gasp for breath!

[Coastercraze 1]

Originally posted by: jmusacha

If you want to talk lame rewards I have two words for ya:  Tourist Trap! 

I love sticking that one in the middle of some dirty industry and letting the tourists come and gasp for breath!quote>

Wow now that's something I didn't think of! Thanks for the idea lol.

The rewards I don't use are Toxic Waste, Space Port, Rocket Tester, Army Base and a few others that would adversly cause your city to just like kill itself.

[Cougar2004 127]

I actually find that I can very easily place any of those rewards that you listed into a healthy city, and it will not hurt it (without cheats, i might add). Having good education and health and low pollution and a good traffic system seems to make the hurtful rewards docile and then the city can just reap the monthly payments.

[SC4BOY 20]

That's true.. and I tend ot use a "reward" if it fits into my plan for the city.. I have nothing against any game reward, though I might not seek them all out.. There have been some good points made, but I'd just accept or reject any reward at a given time, depending on what I'm trying to do.. There are very few rewards that I seek out, and several that I rarely use.. I don't put Universities in many cities, I almost never use the golf course, I don't use many "custom" rewards either... I tend ot find that custom rewards really are rather poorly timed and "clump" all around the same time.. I don't know how many times I've been playing along and BAM! like 8 reward "queries" pop across... I often don't use airports either if I'm not planning to develop the city.. I'm sure all can think of their own biases..

I do use a lot of mod's however.. especially those that better balance my view of the intended workings of the game.. for example I love the Regional Census or whatever its called.. I love the NAM only because it grants such a wide range of "convenience" options and I don't class it as a "cheat" by any stretch of imagination.. I also like the new NAM's custom view for traffic .. but it has pro's and con's.... and of course the range of simulators is virtually infinite, each side having their "loyal team" .. 

I am currently using the CAMeLot but it does carry a BIG overhead, and I think the game is perfectly enjoyable without it.

I am definitely against any mod that I think serously distorts the game's intent as I see it, but I still love to read of the many investigations and experiences of all who dig into these things.. and I really enjoy the appearances of a number of great custom lots.. but I also think the game is perfectly playable with very few of those as well.. in fact they become an end in themselves for many players... I am using a ton of them now.. (approachiing 5G plugins) but its my first time.. and I now see the many traps and sidetrips these things can lead you down..

[bsee2 0]

I have a problem with the House of worship and cemeteries. They become available early on, when the city is sill too small. And you must plop them as soon as they become available, otherwise you lose them. The 2nd church becomes available immediately after you plop the 1st cemetery, and the 2nd cemetery immediately after you plop the 2nd church. I don't know if this is specific to my installation or not (how about yours?). And due to the risk of losing them, you must plop them immediately. You may end up with having all them plopped close to each other. so I have to "plan ahead", and reserve space for them. This is one of the things I hate most in SC4, actually I would prefer the 2nd church and cemetery placed far away from the 1st ones. But this is not possible when your city is still small (you may want to build a highway there, for example).. You may not even have decided yet what that area will be (R, C or I). How do you cope with this?

[how_deep 2]

With most rewards, w/o modds, you have the opportunity to plop 2 of each. When the ticker offers the item, and on the rewards menu. Try it out. With the Rewards menu, you can plop the HoWs and cemetaries anytime.

[Sam 163]

I think you can hold shift click to place it several times, as long as you don't let up the shift key.

Also normally you don't have to place the rewards straight away, if you don't want to place them when they are offered, just close the dialog box. They will stay in your reward menu until you place them. However if once having met the conditions for the reward your city then slips below the conditions you will lose the opportunity to place it. I generally don't place the churches and graveyards straight away, if at all.

Some rewards are useful, I like the Army Base, Stadiums, and University, but mostly I use custom rewards, as they look nicer, fit better into my cities and have some interesting effects. I like the BSC, Simgoober and Cal Hospitals, they look good and are useful.

[zwr100 2]

I don't seem to have the cemetary/house of worship issue.  I grow my cities fairly slow and steady since it's on hard without cheats...the spacing works out okay for me.  I grew up in a very small town that had a whole bunch of churches, so it kind of makes sense to me that you get them so early.  I do spread them evenly around the city.

Usually my commercial areas are a big square grid.  I clump the rewards with a residential nimby together filling 4 8x8 blocks in the very middle:

1) minor league stadium

2) major league stadium

3) convention center

4) bureau of bureacracy, tv studio, disease research, radio, etc - and there's usually room for the tourist trap here

I guess I could leave the university out of my cities, but it has a nice yimby for commercial and res, while educating, and I think it's a cap buster for HT!!  It opens up some other rewards if I remember correctly.

I don't use any of the 'rewards' that pay, since I don't think the profit is worth it.

The zoo has a cost to place and a monthly fee so I'm leaning away from it - though a lot of real cities have zoos in urban areas.  The movie studio isn't bad, but it doesn't seem appropriate in a totally developed city.  I think ultimately I will place the zoo.

 

The movie studio will only get used if I set out with the purpose of making it fit - or if I stop caring.  As I surpass 300k Sims I start to bulldoze poorly developed areas to create open areas with parks and increase desirability and demand.  The city looks less and less real as I need very ideal spacing, traffic, civics and parks to grow and maintain stage 8 buildings.  Given the loss in realism and need for space without people/jobs the studio may become an interesting option late in the life of my city.

[LivingInThePast 364]

Army bases are totally off the mark. Don't know where EA got the idea of making them "evil"...

My only guess would be Fort Hood, but come on, Fort Hood isn't really a bad place...and Killeen would be crappy without it.

[SteveMSim 275]

My guess to why army bases are "evil" is that there must be some pacifists at Maxis. I place rewards depending on the type of city I want. If a city I'm playing is not going to be a government center, I would not use the courthouse or the Bureau of Bureaucracy. I'd use the Country Club only in residential suburbs. I stay away from the definite NIMBYs such as the Toxic Base Dump and the Missile Base. As in the case of the Missile Base having accidents, I think it must be the product of pacifists who consider anything military evil.

[zwr100 2]

Originally posted by: SteveMSim

My guess to why army bases are "evil" is that there must be some pacifists at Maxis. I place rewards depending on the type of city I want. If a city I'm playing is not going to be a government center, I would not use the courthouse or the Bureau of Bureaucracy. I'd use the Country Club only in residential suburbs. I stay away from the definite NIMBYs such as the Toxic Base Dump and the Missile Base. As in the case of the Missile Base having accidents, I think it must be the product of pacifists who consider anything military evil.quote>

Some flexibility in the rewards would have been nice.  Perhaps they could have made it a yimby or no effect at normal funding, but you could get more profit from running a corrupt or poorly run base which then would have a nimby?

The lack of funding options throughout the game is really frustrating.

[617squad 52]

whichever ones that have profit for you, don't use thouse. they tend to be a bit of a crutch for (ahem) inexperienced players. (looks around). anyways, custom reward lots anyone?

[SC4BOY 20]

Use "pay lots" or don't whatever you want.. they are hardly "cheats".. they are a mechanism for you to do more development while the city is smaller.. you can also wipe em later.. If anything I have just the opposite problem once my city gets started.. I start accumulating millions with nothing to do with it... this is kind of handy though in a way.. since I always have to experiment with building big interchanges before I get em right.. I may blow 800k just screwing around with it to get a major transport center and interchanges made. .. LOL

A "cheat" is only cheating one person.. YOU.. if you feel you're cheating given what you're trying ot do, you know it.. About as satisfying as cheating at solitaire.. who'd you cheat? Even people who want to put various "super mod's" in to get something done is of no bother to me.. as long as they don't post it and try to claim they didn't use it... otherwise .. *yawn*

[BKPB58 1]

Here are the benefits:

House of worship and Cementeries do good morales to residents said by poster above

Statues of Mayor,Description says so.

Tourist Trap,Well as it says,it puts tourist in my city and traps them.But its really hard to get it.

Casino gives me money.I use the Godfather ordinance and that ordinance is one I downloaded.

Here are the Downsides:

Some of the rewards such as the Diesiese blah blah blah building cause me strikes even though its a good thing

Some Reward buildings such as Zoo,I can't really see any improvement to my city.

Some Rewards also waste space.

That's all I know about it.

[scifanata 1]

Well, all my reward usage depend on what type of city i want. Of course, i'll build the mayor's house, a church, and city hall. But, universities are TOO easy to get.

Farmers Markets, Tourist Trap, Courthouse, Disease Research Centers, Bureau of Bureaucracy, State Fairs, I can take or leave...again, depending on the city's setup and atmosphere.

Opera Houses, and Country Clubs, Casinos, the rich stuff i'll take about anytime.

Minor league stadiums go great next to high-schools.

Some gifts i haven't even gotten yet, ex. (Cruise Port and Space Shuttle) bcuz i play SC4 without mods or cheats.

[Dutchluke 0]

I normally use most of the rewards that i recieve.

The only rewards i don't use are the rewards that take a lot of space. (Like cementeries, Country club etc.)

I really love the school rewards and the stock exchange because of the huge commercial boost it gives.

[Keegan V50 15]

Normally usefull rewards that i use is Cemetry,City Hall,Bureau Of Bureaucracy,House Of Worship,City Zoo,Advanced Research Center and Stock Exchange.I do believe this buildings is among the most usefull ones in game.

My second ones will be based on which types of city or town i build,like Resort Hotel,Cruise Port,Private School and Disease Research Center.

The ones which isnt really usefull to me is the Tourist Trap,Space Shuttle Port and Casinos.

[mythmonster2 0]

Maybe doesn't fit here, but I just want to know. I recently got the Disease Research Center and... what does it do? Going by description, I'm guessing it improves the life expectancy, but anything else?

[Cougar2004 127]

Originally posted by: mythmonster2

Maybe doesn't fit here, but I just want to know. I recently got the Disease Research Center and... what does it do? Going by description, I'm guessing it improves the life expectancy, but anything else?quote>

You're right, it doesnt really fit the topic exactly, but ill answer it. 

The Disease Research Center (Lab) provides a great boost to Commercial desirability, and a little mayor rating increase that streches across the entire city.  It gives a little boost to Sims Health Quotient over the entire city, and serves about 6,000 sims.  It gives jobs to Medium and High wealth sims, and uncaps to allow a bunch more low and medium weath sims in to live in your city.  It is VERY different in effect from the Advanced Research Center which instead boosts High Tech Industrial, residential hates it, and it drops your mayor rating a bit.

[zwr100 2]

Why all the hate for the tourist trap?

It gives 50 commercial effect with a 36 radius, and it's 100,000 R$ cap buster.  In the same 6 tiles you could put a medium plaza and two small plazas, but they only have a radius of 15.  They also provide 4,000 of each $ R cap busting, but isn't it pretty commonly accepted that poor sims are better?

It also increases traffic right?  Since I put it in the very middle of commercial areas (it has a residential nimby) the traffic is actually helpful since traffic is lower as you get further from residential areas

It's free with no monthly fee right?

I realize it's a tiny drop in the bucket, but every bit counts.

Am I missing something?

[jmusacha 2]

Yes, the tourist trap looks ridiculous.  Benefits aside, I mean why would anyone voluntarily place something that looks like that in their city? 

[SC4BOY 20]

Obviously you haven't been to one of the hundreds of cheesy tourist traps around the world.. LOL

[LightSkinnedPisces 71]

what about the radio station? how u guys feel about that one? where would I place that?? 

[CorinaMarie 29,571]

3 hours ago, LightSkinnedPisces said:

what about the radio station? how u guys feel about that one? where would I place that?? 

The benefits of the Radio Station are raising the CAP for Industrial Manufacturing so location doesn't matter for that part and then it also adds 25 Landmark Effect (which is good for commercial) over 17 tiles so for that it can go where you have (or want) more commercial development.

In one of my city tiles I just placed it at the edge of town: