Single Mod?

[cmdmd 0]

Greetings, Sims;

Is there a single mod that can be installed as a simple patch or program? I have installed mods for other games, but I wanted to know if there are simple approaches. I am relatively new to SC4, loving it.

Thank you kindly for your attention

[CaptCity 4,669]

Welcome to Simtropolis...

Originally posted by: cmdmd

Greetings, Sims;

Is there a single mod that can be installed as a simple patch or program? I have installed mods for other games, but I wanted to know if there are simple approaches. I am relatively new to SC4, loving it.quote>

If you mean patches made by the game's creators ot improve the game's function, then yes there are patches depending on if you have SC4 or SC4 Deluxe. The patches are available from the official site (Link). You will need to register your game. They are also available at SC4Devotion - use the 'Support' tab (Link)

If you are looking for items to add to the game, just take a look through the STEX

[cmdmd 0]

Ok, lots of things there....

What programs do I need? Many of those call for a few dependencies. Are those there too?

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Welcome.

If you have Deluxe or Rush Hour, then first and foremost is the Network Addon Mod.  This amounts to an extension of the game for more realistic road networks as well as some new features never envisioned by the game creators such as Ground Light Rail (GLR).  If you have original SC4, I would spend some time seeking a copy of the Rush Hour expansion pack wich will move you up to Deluxe.  Most of the stuff on the STEX require your game to be at the Deluxe level.

I would install this, then spend some time in a Sandbox region (just open a new region and call it Sandbox) learning about all the features.  You should also spend some time with the Omnibus.

After that, it is a matter of what you want from the game.  You'll need to develop this yourself.

A word of caution.  There are terabytes of downloads on this and other sites that you will discover.  Control your plugins.  Installing the NAM (it has an installer) will set up your structure, and you should use something like it always.  You do need to know where your downloads came from, and how to get them out of your plugins if they don't jibe with what you already have.  We have many contributors, and there is little real testing other than for viruses and plagiarism because the universe of dicourse for comprehensive testing is far too large.  I suggest you have two structures:  A Downloads folder separate from the game, where you put any and all downloads, SC4 or not.  Then a plugins folder structured in a similar manner containing only files relevant to the game omitting all documentation (leave that in the Downloads folder).

Here are file system compressed images of my two folders.

If these look a little funny it is because I am on Linux.  Notice that there are more folders in my downloads than in my plugins.  That's because I put everything I download here, SC4 stuff or not.  Believe me, you need this kind of set up.

[T Wrecks 10,209]

Most dependencies can be found on SC4Devotion. The problem is that many packages have later been merged into big "mega packs" to reduce clutter, but upload descriptions in many cases still point to the old, individual packages that are no longer available. Hence you often need to know which individual packages have been merged into which mega pack. In my signature you'll find a link to a pretty useful list that contains nearly all known dependency packs plus information about the content of the later mega packs. For example, you'll be able to see that "XYZ prop pack vol.08" has been merged into "XYZ Mega prop pack vol.02", and you'll be provided with a link to the latest pack that contains the dependency you are looking for.

There is also a tool called "cleanitol" that scans your plugins folder for obsolete packs when installing a newer mega pack; it works with "cleanitol files" (text files) that are contained in the package you download. This is purely optional, however.

The only standalone software you need to install downloads is a ZIP application; I'd recommend 7-Zip because it can handle a large amount of formats and is free open-source software. You either open the downloaded ZIP and extract the files into your plugins folder (cou can create, move and rename sub-folders as you see fit), or, if the ZIP contains an EXE file, double-click the EXE inside the ZIP to start the installer that will guide you through the installation.

You may also want to have a look into Boggy's guide to all things custom content - LINK.