Modding and Mass Transit

[warrior 169]

Just wondering, people have already modified the game, also proving there are no checks to see if the game has been modded, so as the Mass Transit must be a plugin to only be available to online players, whats to stop some with PO uploading the files to an exchange and so allowing SP people to download and use Mass Transit?

[GlobexCo 33]

The answer is very simple and it's in the .exe file. While in SP the exe use the informations of your PC (allowing custom contents); in PO the exe search datas that are in MC servers. So in your PC, under documents folder, there are only some information regarding your name, your online cities and where they are. Patches and other things that are released by MC for PO, are upgrades for their server and for your .exe file. In SP these pathces aren't used, so why MC should release something that can be used to bypass the SP limitations? So if you find the way to mod servers, maybe you'll find police at home very soon...

I think that things that can be modded or added are only for SP (if they let us do it) and they said that the best custom contents will be available also as a patch for PO.

[warrior 169]

But there are these .pak files which this guy modified and it opened access to all sorts of things, like a GEM, cheats.

[GlobexCo 33]

Yes, that's true. But he removed from your PC files the protections of the exe file. In fact on the server there's the beta version and the demo version. The beta has some programmers-related things (debug, Gem tutorials, cheats) that you shouldn't be able to see. These things are already implemented by MC and they'll be part of the PO (the beta is something like a PO version).

[USA_Pride 49]

Wish as hard as you may, but you won't see MT in the single player.

Simtropolis is a great community of resourceful people, but I would imagine that Dirk would not host and support a site that is illegally modifying and distributing software.

As evil as EA, they were very good with the Simptrop community.

[LivingInThePast 364]

Originally posted by: USA_Pride

Wish as hard as you may, but you won't see MT in the single player.

Simtropolis is a great community of resourceful people, but I would imagine that Dirk would not host and support a site that is illegally modifying and distributing software.

As evil as EA, they were very good with the Simptrop community.quote>

EA was not evil, at least, not at first. I'm guessing some "management problems" happened between 2003 and 2007 (SCS's debut). And it's bad form to call a company "evil" just because they betrayed fans (not that's a good thing, mind you).

I can foresee some bad things if someone tried to mod CXL. MC would not quite be as forgiving as EA, let's just leave it at that.

[JakeMD 107]

Originally posted by: USA_Pride

Wish as hard as you may, but you won't see MT in the single player.

Simtropolis is a great community of resourceful people, but I would imagine that Dirk would not host and support a site that is illegally modifying and distributing software.quote>

You are very correct.

And I hope this thread does not turn into a place to discuss illegally modifying the game. That doesn't mean thats what people are implying here.. Just a warning.

[sthudig 0]

Unlike piracy and copyright infringement, modifying software for personal use violates no law here in the US. Not sure what the statutes are in other countries, though. Seeing as we all mod Sim City 4 here, I find it unlikely it is illegal anywhere.

[Craig-Abcvs 1,595]

Discussion Regarding Pirating, Copying, Hacking, Cracking, Reverse Engineering... 

Please be very mindful of this stickied topic when posting in this thread.

Until we know exactly what tools for custom content or modding that MC will allow for the game we need to err on the side of caution when discussing anything regarding changes to the game.

This thread is currently borderline as to whether it will stay in the forums. 

[autumnsolace 0]

I find it bizarre in this day and age when a developer thinks it's better to deny all the possibilities of allowing modification and user-made content to flourish. it gives the player their money's worth and makes for real replay value. and the fact it has an online element does not change anything. it could still be implemented, and probably in a more organized fashion.

[deanej 2]

MC wants you to buy the replay value from them. That's why. I suspect that Cities XL wouldn't even have a single player mode if MC had acted like a US company and not announced the game until it was nearly done.

[warrior 169]

Until we know exactly what tools for custom content or modding that MC will allow for the game we need to err on the side of caution when discussing anything regarding changes to the game.quote>

I'm not suggesting piracy, nor so I support it, but did Maxis give us the tools that are used to make mods for SimCity? Only the BAT, not the reader or SC4Tool.

People have modified the game have told MC they have modifiied the game (by this I mean .pak files) and MC haven't done anything about it(well not when I looked last)

Maybe not Mass Transit, because you have to pay for that, so i think that would piracy, but if we could create something totally new, or improve upon something that MC doesn't charge for. And only on Single Player, then I don't see a problem with modifiying aspects of the game. If someone buys a disc but not PO it's theirs they can do what they like with it

[geek12 0]

Originally posted by: USA_Pride

Wish as hard as you may, but you won't see MT in the single player.

Simtropolis is a great community of resourceful people, but I would imagine that Dirk would not host and support a site that is illegally modifying and distributing software.

As evil as EA, they were very good with the Simptrop community.quote>

Exactly, and wasn't there a topic stickied about not talking about hacks, cracks, etc?

[JakeMD 107]

Originally posted by: geek12

Originally posted by: USA_Pride

Wish as hard as you may, but you won't see MT in the single player.

Simtropolis is a great community of resourceful people, but I would imagine that Dirk would not host and support a site that is illegally modifying and distributing software.

As evil as EA, they were very good with the Simptrop community.quote>

Exactly, and wasn't there a topic stickied about not talking about hacks, cracks, etc?

quote>

Yes, it is at the top of this forum.

[deanej 2]

Originally posted by: warrior

Until we know exactly what tools for custom content or modding that MC will allow for the game we need to err on the side of caution when discussing anything regarding changes to the game.quote>

I'm not suggesting piracy, nor so I support it, but did Maxis give us the tools that are used to make mods for SimCity? Only the BAT, not the reader or SC4Tool.

People have modified the game have told MC they have modifiied the game (by this I mean .pak files) and MC haven't done anything about it(well not when I looked last)

Maybe not Mass Transit, because you have to pay for that, so i think that would piracy, but if we could create something totally new, or improve upon something that MC doesn't charge for. And only on Single Player, then I don't see a problem with modifiying aspects of the game. If someone buys a disc but not PO it's theirs they can do what they like with it

quote>

There's a difference - SC4 had this stuff in data files that we were free to modify and create plugins with.  For Cities XL, we would have to hack the exe, which is illegal.

[Craig-Abcvs 1,595]

Well one of the big problems is that we have a whole bunch of talented custom content creators just itching to get to work on this game, but we are all pretty much in the dark as to how custom content will happen for CXL. 

It all depends on how much control over custom content MC expects to maintain and at the moment I think it is fair to say they are being a little cagey on the issue.

[sparky66 0]

When i (and i am sure many other people) pre-ordered the game there was the promise of a comprehensive bus system, to be released free to everyone, even non-PO subscribers, after the game has been released. now it seems that, after reading the interview with MC that we won't be getting that. below is a quote from that  interview:

"Mass transportation (including buses) will be part of the future features and, as such, will only be part of the Planet Offer."

but wait a minuite. MC knew buses wern't going to be ready for the games release, thats why they said we would all be getting them free after the game was released. so how can they just change their mind like that? we were promised buses, the official website said so, and then they just decide that, for no good reason, we can't have them. isn't that false advertising? so they are basically saying that important game features weren't ready when the game was released, so you will have to pay a subscription to get them, and if you stop paying you will loose them! how can they treat customers like that?

just another broken promise by MC.

This is the exact same text that you posted in the Preorder thread.  Please do not copy and paste multiple posts.  If this happens again, duplicates will be removed.

--Liv

CXL Forums Moderator

[sparky66 0]

This is the exact same text that you posted in the Preorder thread.  Please do not copy and paste multiple posts.  If this happens again, duplicates will be removed.

--Liv

CXL Forums Moderator

quote>

sorry but i wasn't sure which one to put it in

[JakeMD 107]

read