How about a collaboration?

[184072_1434460402 0]

Back with SC3K, I used to build cities in collaboration with a friend, where someone would start, then send the saved file over to the other and so on.

Now I have two questions:

Is it actually possible to do that with SC4? Granted we use the same lots and mods, obviousely, could you send the region folder around and it would keep all your progress, or would the other just wind up with the empty terrain, then?

And, would anyone be up for this? If it's not possible with SC4, would anyone be up for this with SC3K?

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

I won't participate, but I see no reason not to pass a region around.  It should be a small region otherwise the file size will get too big to send other than on a bit torrent.

The file should be very compressed.  I'd suggest RAR format, or if you can all do it, TAR.BZ.  There would have to be some rules about how long members of the group got to keep the file.  I'd suggest not more than one week each.  While the region was on circuit, you could play it, but when the new file came in, it would wipe out anything you had done.

Interactive play is, of course, out of the question.

[SimCity4IE 203]

 You could always use live mesh, and there would have to be just 1 plugin; NAM.

[joshriddle 29]

I would do it only if it came in a compressed folder. And what if someone else has plugins one other person doesn't have? And is it possible to attach compressed folders along with your forum posts pr private messages?

[Mootilda 76]

Originally posted by: Überschall

Back with SC3K, I used to build cities in collaboration with a friend, where someone would start, then send the saved file over to the other and so on.

Now I have two questions:

Is it actually possible to do that with SC4? Granted we use the same lots and mods, obviousely, could you send the region folder around and it would keep all your progress, or would the other just wind up with the empty terrain, then?

And, would anyone be up for this? If it's not possible with SC4, would anyone be up for this with SC3K?

quote>

"Is it possible?" Yes.  Simtropolis doesn't allow the sharing of cities, because of size, but there's no reason why it won't work.  The group could agree on a particular region, or else people could just import the city into a region of their choosing.  EA used to run something similar to this on their website: each person would become mayor of one city within a region for a specified amount of time; each city could be updated a fixed number of times.

You might want to set some rules, though:

1) Which plugins will be allowed?

2) Can people make connections with other cities?

3) Can people change the landscape?  How about the terrain at the edge of the city?

4) How long does each person get to work on the city?

Originally posted by: joshriddle

I would do it only if it came in a compressed folder. And what if someone else has plugins one other person doesn't have? And is it possible to attach compressed folders along with your forum posts pr private messages?quote>

Simtropolis doesn't allow the sharing of cities.  However, they might give special permission for something like this.  If not, it's simple enough to upload to a file-sharing website.

[joshriddle 29]

I guess a file sharing site would be the best way to go. I don't particularly want to participate, but it still sounds like a good idea.

[jim 546 43]

This idea has been attempted before. Blue Hope is a CJ based around a file shared region. think it's still going, although the CJ hasn't been updated since May. I think CSG also tried this with his Boston region.

[urmomology72 0]

That sounds like a neat idea. If somebody decided to start one, I might participate.  

[184072_1434460402 0]

Awesome to read that this would work and that there's interest in something like this.

I'll think of a way to make this possible, as in size of the region, number of participants, file sharing, rules and the lot, just to see whether I could get something like this running.

[joshriddle 29]

Then again, I may join! Actually I will! Just gotta find a file sharing site.

[Tysons4 68]

you can play the game over live mesh.

the players select a region and choose an area... they then develop the region map

they play from a live mesh folder... i do it and its really easy to create regions with other players

there is only 1 rule... no 2 people in one city or it won't save

[DPMorse 2]

Actually, two people working at the same time in connecting cities would create version conflicts if connections were made or destroyed. And how often do you play a city without making at least one new connection to a neighbor?

The only way it could really work would be if the region was passed around between the players, but only one player at a time could work on it. Which means that you might only get to play the region every week or so.

[BlackStar 0]

I do this with a pen pal of mine. We speak on MSN so we know what we're both doing with our cities, so we can decide what to build.

We have two synchronized folders for plugins and regions, using MS Office Groove.

Everytime we save our cities, the other player automatically receives the updated city when they turn the computer on. If they are IN SC4 at the time, they will have to F8 then re-enter to get new connections and neighbour deals, but it works very well indeed. 

Edit: Just to be clear, cities are updated in real-time. We stay in touch over MSN to avoid any possible saving conflicts. Generally speaking we each have our own city. For example, I say I'll work on suburbs to the east, and he'll work on a CBD.

[shanqiu2 0]

This is a good idea