CitiesXL Mod FAQ

[GlobexCo 33]

This FAQ is open to everyone.

All questions (frequently asked of course) related to modding and how to use mods should be posted here, feel free to post a comment with your Q&A. When the main page will be updated with new questions, comments will be deleted to keep the thread clean.

This is not a place to ask something... useless comments will be removed (and please do not answer to those questions). If you need a better explanation, open a new thread.

CitiesXL Mods FAQ

Q: How do I install a mod?

A: Step by step: 

1. Download the mod (.patch) or the archive (.rar / .zip).

2. Extract files if you downloaded an archive.

3. Put all the files in your "paks" folder (CitiesXL/Paks)

Q: I've downloaded Unlocker Mod v2, what should I do now?

can helps you.

Q: Game crashes after login.

A: You have something not compatible in your pak folder. Please read carefully the readme included or the instructions you found in the download page, you should see something about compatibility. Try to empty your paks folder from all the other mods (be sure you didn't delete MC files).  If you can't find the answer in the download page or if the game crashes also with a "clean" folder, send a private message to the author. (same thing if you find a new mod that is not compatible)

Q: Game crashes while playing.

A: Probably that crash is a known bug (you'll find a list in the download page). If you think that your error isn't listed there, contact the author.

Q: What should I ask when I send a private message to the author?

A: Please respect this list, it will be easier to solve your problem:

1. I've got Limited Edition / Standard Edition (choose).

2. The version of my game is number 1.0.#.# (top right in login screen)

3. Issue I found: ... (explain)

3b. (if you want, you can add a picture)

4. I've got these mods in my folder: ... (list only mods)

Q: Can I help modders / How can I mod CXL?

A: tutorials coming... just wait, wait, wait...

[GlobexCo 33]

[empty slot] 

[Romaq 18]

I'm wondering about some sort of 'Best Practices' document. Ok, so a given mod works, it may even be highly desirable. But what about 'Best Practices', or things that someone can do on the meta level (not directly with the mod itself) to have it be more useful?

1) Should the mod be zipped from the .patch file?

I would say yes, because that would allow 'meta-data' in addition to the mod.

2) What should the mod name/ zip file name be?

I would suggest something like CXL11-Romaq-Map-TableLand v1.0 for both the .patch and the .zip, though inviting comment allows people to scare up better ideas. I'm looking at this from the enduser. With a filename like that, I know it is CXL11 'ready', I know the author, I know what I should expect it to do, the specifics of what it is called, and then what version it is. I would suggest this for both the .patch and the .zip, keeping them the same because I will have those questions both when I look up the .patch in the /mods folder and when I have to muck about in the archive where I keep the zip. BTW, at LEAST having both filenames be the same saves a great deal of pain. The exception, of course, is when the .zip contains more than one type of file such as for lo-rez or hi-rez versions of something, or other packages where one or more .patch files inside the zip would be in use. Also, uploading the .patch file as a .zip just keeps everything consistent, even if there is only one .patch file.

... On thinking about it, perhaps 'CXL' should be enough so you don't run into problems with 'This works with CXL09 OR CXL11, BOTH, or NOT BOTH, and then CXL13 comes along. Does this old .patch work with CXL13? Maybe this should be put in the README-en.txt commented on below.

3) What all goes in the README-en.txt?

I would strongly suggest a README-en.txt file, at the very least. We could have in the forum here a 'standard README' posted so people could just copy it, edit to suit and run with it. So I'm looking at this collection of .zip files I downloaded last year now mixed in with fresh CXL11 stuff I just fetched. I would love to have something in the .zip file with the following information

3a) Where did I fetch this file from? https://www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm?id=25212 would be handy to know, as I believe you can do updates of the same mod to that same link.

3b) Who wrote it? Romaq (asmith@mik-maq.com) tells me who at that location to credit, and an email would be skippy if you don't mind providing me that.

3c) What is it/ Version info (I had that in the filename, having that as part of the README-en.txt would be happy also. Toilet Factory v. 1.0

3d) License - Permission to redistribute on any fan site/ only allowed to distribute on *MY* fan site, building exclusive to members of the STEX who bought the DVD, I don't care what you do just keep this README-en.txt intact...

This would be very good for someone on http://www.citiesxs.net to explicitly allow redistribution on the STEX, or to explicitly DENY distribution as it is something of a reward only for those who are members or donated to a fan site.

3e) Description/ Instructions/ Details. This would be what you normally would put on the stex page.

4) What's a thumbnail.jpg?

That, of course, would be the same image you would upload to the stex that goes with your file. What I'm really thinking of is that if I have the .zip file, I should not have to go to the .STEX to see the image that could be packed right along with the file.

There may be more, and perhaps some would argue that what I've given is already too much. However, that is why this is 'best practices' rather than something required. I *WANT* to see the collection of mods for CitiesXL provide much of what we enjoy with SC4, and I would like to see gigs of such mods. But we need a way to wade through it all when it's sitting on a hard drive or DVD collection. Creating a 'Best Practices' document gives moders a common format for this stuff and provides a common frame of reference for people who wish to use the mods. One of the recent mods does not have the .patch filename the same name as the .zip file, so I had to make note of it in case I have to go back later and straighten things out. But I don't want to nag the fellow or discourage a new up & coming SOMY for CitiesXL. If a 'Best Practices' document were out there that made sense, could be upgraded/ changed over time, and gave people a place to start, perhaps we could have gigs of CXL mods and have it not be a train wreck when CXL13 or CXL20 comes out. I'm really trying to think long term with this thing.

Also note I used a 'README-en.txt'. SOMY didn't speak English at all, and as I recall some people were able to get permission to upload his work on his behalf, and they had to translate for him. In such a package I would expect to see both a README-jp.txt and a README-en.txt. Some of my mods are originally German (README-DE.txt). If the license explicitly said it could be uploaded to the STEX, and if a README-en.txt were not part of the file, I would then be free to translate it then upload it to the STEX where the mod could get some STEX love, and the original author would get credit as well as the link to the source.

Would anyone else see a 'Best Practices' document as a good thing to promote both here and on the other CXL fan sites? I'm just looking at the year 2013 when the new version of CXL is released and we already have several Gig of CXL mods. All those mods are dumped on a single DVD... now *what* should I see in the file directory listing? And if I look at any single mod (.zip?), what will let me know everything I need to know about the mod without installing it, and what will lead me back to the main source for that mod where an upgrade is waiting, if only I knew where to look?

Thanks for taking the time to consider my proposal.

[Edimauro santos 0]

Ou usar o gerenciador de mod listados acima (recomendado) ou se você estiver interessado em fazê-lo sozinho (não há nada difícil, desde que você entender como funcionam os sistemas de arquivo), então siga estas instruções:

• Certifique-se de que o jogo não está em execução.
  
• Baixe o Mod que você quer.
  
• Se é um zip / rar arquivo em seguida, extrair o ____. Patch de arquivo (s) no interior.
  
• Mover o arquivo _____ patch (s).:
  

64 bit sistema operacional C: \ Arquivos de Programas (x86) \ Focus Home Interactive \ Cities XL 2011 \ Paks ou 32 bit sistema operacional C: \ Arquivos de Programas \ Focus Home Interactive \ Cities XL 2011 \ Paks

Se o arquivo é um arquivo de mod. ____ Exe (Mod A Ex. Unlocker 5), então você precisa apenas executá-lo como faria com qualquer programa e siga as instruções de instalação ...