Speculation & Discussion

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

As a mod user rather than a modder, I have just one big wish: NO MORE DEPENDENCIES, please!

Integrate everything needed into the model. That would be nice.

If there is a single, central repository this is entirely possible. It means compiling the mod before downloading it, and doesn't exclude using the OOD/OOP paradigm. A single repository will also make it much easier for custom content creators who would have to be on-line in order to complete and post their item.

  Edited March 17, 2012 by A Nonny Moose  

[NCGAIO 562]

WELL if anyone thinks the experience of moding in the new game will have some resemblance to what was possible to do in SC4 recommend a careful reading of what is already available.

Unless I'm very much mistaken is even remotely possible to modify the game as the community changed in this decade! Surely new buildings will be possible and perhaps substitutes for automatons ... to have more the way the game is being released the rest becomes impractical.

The engine of the experiences of modifications made ​​by the community in SC4 was precisely the challenge of discovery and desire to overcome the flaws that the game had. This happened in another season ... Today I find it very difficult to go up again.

Who knows if anything goes wrong in the new EA does not release the executable code of the old and let the community make it a SIMcity5! Miracles happen ...

  Edited March 29, 2012 by NCGAIO  

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Everybody cool your jets.

Don't expect modding to be possible on the initial release.

New tools for modding will probably follow on as the community builds, but remember it was a few months after release of SC4 that the Lot Editor showed up.

Modeling wasn't available until after the launch of Rush Hour, and this time if there is one, it will be 3D with quite different requirements. As I understood the documentation released so far, each model must have three stages showing its various states during building, and probably additional states for fire and other destructive things including full dilapidation. So several derived models will be needed. And this for growables.

If ploppables are allowed to be modeled, there is the additional complication of "add-ons". Many more bits and pieces, and considerations of adding things to various menus. Don't expect this anytime soon after release because some refinement of the knowledge base will be needed first.

We don't know enough about this product to decide if it is worth modding.

[anglev 0]

thank you

[NCGAIO 562]

As for not knowing much about the game as Nonny Moose said ...I think they have not quite sure how will be with so many comings and goings in the statements as we have seen.

But one thing you can be sure ... is an EA game so just read on the internet to know how will be treated!

  Edited March 31, 2012 by NCGAIO  

[chrsnck 3]

Can someone attempt to answer this question for me? Im not a modder but a mod user so I know nothing about creating the amazing mods I DL off here and SC4devotion so please forgive my ignorance.

Since EA has already made it clear that its going to be made for modding how will user created mods be affected with this being an online game connecting to EA servers? What I mean is that for the last ten years SC4 has been all about the mod however SC4 wasnt online and didnt connect to an EA server. Anything we DL is at our own risk as we are DL it to our own computers. We all run the risk of DL something that could harm the computer and or crash the game. However with the set up of the new Simcity will maxis/EA allow anyone to create a mod that will be used in game? It seems that it would be risky for EA to allow us to add/change something within our program/plugin files and then connect to their server thus potentionally harming their servers and everyones game play? Can something like that even happen?

Also what about SC4devotion and Simtropolis? It seems to me that Maxis/EA would create a simcity websit monitored by them in which they can scan and control everything just to make sure no one is doing something they arent suppossed to, they protect thier servers and all users would have access to the same mods/updates. Plus this may solve the issue of multiplayer since if I have mod type 1 tunnel going into my neighbors city and he has mod type 2 tunnel then when we visit we wouldnt be able to see the tunnels correctly as we have two different versions of the mod.

Again excuse my ignorance in this matter as I dont know all the ins and outs of modding so maybe this isnt even and issue.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Too soon to even speculate. We have no idea what is in the new game or what its deficiencies may be that could be fixed by modding. We also don't know anything about the rules for modding.

[nukeu123 307]

noticed earlier in the simcity series maxis reveled a cheep modding tool of some kind, urban renewal kit for simcity 2k building architect plus and scenario creator for 3k lot editor and BAT gamx addon for sc4 so i wouldn't assume automatically that maxis will say no to mods.. as will wright co founder of maxis leader of the spore and simcity projects had always said "our goal is to create two games purchased seperatly and be able to merge the files created by one game" as close as i can remember the sc2kse tv however since this is a online game mods can screw things over with the server or what not so the future is unknown

  Edited April 11, 2012 by nukeu123  

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

I fully expect a set of custom content tools available to players. I do not necessarily expect them with the initial release. Our resident historian has already posted the SimCity 4 tools time line in this thread.

So let's sit tight until at least E3, and see what hype comes out of that.

[mittfh 7]

Actually, it makes sense from a modders' perspective to initially release the game without modding support, then add it at a later stage. It gives people opportunity to play with the 'raw' game, get the 'feel' of it, and thoroughly assess its capabilities / limitations before being allowed to run amok with modding tools. It of course also gives them plenty of time to roam around the game files and speculate on how it's built.

[Mark Waybill 242]

I definitely believe that if a good solid complete set of tools for adjusting any area of gameplay is made, that they will be able to achieve the micromanaging that only a minority of players expect/wish for in the release, as well as to create by a person or small group new tilesets or NAM style generally accepted additions/expansions that could be done in alliance/agreement of some kind with EA/Maxis. I would especially like an official page for downloads, or if EA/Maxis and the modders worked in alliance and could actually help improve the game itself, rather than just add expansion packs and optional addons.

[nuyokcity 22]

I apologize if it may seem like I'm copying and pasting some of my words but I'm still trying to figure out where is the best thread to make certain posts. That said, I had in the question thread there which asked about the moddability of the game when it comes out. You can read them there, or I'll quote the general ideas here:

Maybe now the developers can allow the players to mod the game to suit their vision of what urban cities can look like?

For example, we're most familiar with the modern industrial style city, but what about historical modern pre-industrial and current post-industrial cities, or even alternate methods of urbanization? Some people might want to build a low-populated cultural and artistic "ecotopia" while others might want to build a special infrastructure and industry for the eventual goal of a spacefaring civilization.

Some of these ideas were explored in SimCity Societies but as players we were restricted to what the game gave us, instead of being able to create our own vision of what a city could be like - either based in history, alternate and "what if" history, as well as our own imaginations. So it would be interesting if we could pick and chose paths from various urban planning schools of thought.

Will we see cities transition through phases and cycles of boom and bust, sprawl and decay in a historically natural way?

For example, parts of cities become abandoned and overgrown with ruins - take Detroit as a real-life example, or the massive rapid construction projects of Dubai and China's ghost cities which stand empty. Another example of a city abandoned and overgrown is Prypiat in Ukraine, which was abandoned in 1986 after a nuclear meltdown, same as the recent Fukushima disaster in Japan. Seeing and helping the citizens adjust to various challenges as well as playing the game within those ever-changing situations would be interesting.

My main point is that there is a lot of potential for a new type of game, or at least the potential to mod inside the game. Besides the Rise of Nations and Empire Earth series, which were primarily military rts games, there doesn't seem to be a city builder game that has spanned several historical urban time periods. There are the classic ancient city builder games like the Impressions city building series and the modern industrial age SimCity series, but it would be interesting to see a city building game that spanned more eras - such as pre-Industrial Revolution up till the present day and alternate post-industrial scenarios of collapse and adjustment, or future space exploration and colonization.

So there could be military rts/city builder hybrid games, economic/merchant/city-builder hybrid games, artistic/monument-building/city-builder hybrid games; or any combination of these set across any span of historical time. I posted a list of for anyone interested in exploring the genre more.

  Edited April 15, 2012 by nuyokcity  

[mittfh 7]

As a side-issue to that of modding the game, a couple of related technical things it would be nice to see:

a) a better exception handler! If the code's robust enough to avoid a CTD if something goes awry, it would be great!

b) if a base texture is unavailable, treat it as transparent: display the ground texture rather than the 'out of bounds' texture (in SC4, the blue 'graph paper' that usually appears outside the city boundaries).

c) if a plugin's missing, display the filename / exemplar name rather than an ID number, so you've got a better idea of what you accidentally deleted (or failed to reinstall)...

d) terrain reconciliation between two 'Mayor Mode' cities that doesn't destroy half the infrastructure of your city! Ideally the damage should have a radius dependent on the altitude change of the boundary, or cities are separated by a 'buffer zone' of tiles through which infrastructure runs and auto-reconciles - you'd be prohibited from making altitude changes significant enough to extend the impact beyond the buffer zone.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

a) a better exception handler! If the code's robust enough to avoid a CTD if something goes awry, it would be great!

I don't believe in programs that crash to anywhere. I've been a programmer since 1962 and I always had a gentle, if rather verbose, tear down when there was some kind of panic. Programs that just up and crash are simply lousy quality assurance. You should at least get a reasonable reason and a full trace-back that you can send in for adjudication.

Maybe it was OK to do this in the SimCity 4 time-frame, but is most surely unacceptable now.

There are millions of reasons for crashing, but not one excuse.

[Ocram's Razr 963]

I think that a Lot Editor (change prop families and swap out buildings and/or textures) and a Building Architect tool that lets you create buildings that have the same statistics as a preexisting and similar building, would be ideal to be released as soon as possible, even for online mode.

  Edited April 18, 2012 by OcramSeattle  

[nashville nelson 51]

As a mod user rather than a modder, I have just one big wish: NO MORE DEPENDENCIES, please!

Integrate everything needed into the model. That would be nice.

If there is a single, central repository this is entirely possible. It means compiling the mod before downloading it, and doesn't exclude using the OOD/OOP paradigm. A single repository will also make it much easier for custom content creators who would have to be on-line in order to complete and post their item.

You mean a package system like the one Linux have? With an automatic dependency resolver and version controller like pacman or aptitude?

This would be awesome!

[jdenm8 362]

We already have a system like that. It's the Maxis Exchange which nobody uses any more because it's a terrible implementation.

[DavidB_ 83]

^ And the old SimCity 4 website was shut down recently in favour of a new Facebook page... Remember that technology and social networking is much more developed now compared to even 10 years ago, so I'm sure EA/Maxis are considering a number of ways to implement multi-player modes and (hopefully) the much-requested "Mod Stop".

[alex macnamara 139]

guys...

Is there an element of user-created content and sharing in city customization?

We’re not committing to any of that at this time, but we know that is part of Maxis. In SimCity 4, a lot of those tools were released pretty much a year after launch. So, definitely on our minds, but I can’t promise that we’re delivering on any of that right now.

source

http://www.gameinfor...spx?PageIndex=2

[cirugo 1,889]

We don't know enough about this product to decide if it is worth modding.

not looking too good...

[Indiana Joe 1,750]

This discussion has sort of trailed off as everyone takes for granted what Maxis has told us. But if you carefully read the statements by the developers, they never directly promise that the game will be modifiable. They simply express their fondness for the modding community. I think that one of the most disliked parts of the game affects all this: it's always online. If this is an online game, how can you have custom content? Sure, textures can be modified and appear different to different users, but how can you have custom buildings or lots in a multiplayer game? You wouldn't be able to play someone's region if you didn't have the same plugins that they did. I have a feeling that sometime, maybe not until after the games release, Maxis will break it to us that SimCity can't be modded.

[aparrot7 82]

This discussion has sort of trailed off as everyone takes for granted what Maxis has told us. But if you carefully read the statements by the developers, they never directly promise that the game will be modifiable. They simply express their fondness for the modding community. I think that one of the most disliked parts of the game affects all this: it's always online. If this is an online game, how can you have custom content? Sure, textures can be modified and appear different to different users, but how can you have custom buildings or lots in a multiplayer game? You wouldn't be able to play someone's region if you didn't have the same plugins that they did. I have a feeling that sometime, maybe not until after the games release, Maxis will break it to us that SimCity can't be modded.

Or we can just visit other's cities and see those nice gift boxes everywhere.

I think they will release the modding tools, but not at release. It is an issue how they will appear to other players.

[Gen. Hammond 7]

I suspect modding will be released about one year after release: right around the time EA shuts down the servers and, if we're lucky, Maxis scrambles to put together an offline patch, which is when I might consider buying the game.

  Edited July 30, 2012 by Gen. Hammond  

[Darth Hudig 10]

I suspect modding will be released about one year after release: right around the time EA shuts down the servers and, if we're lucky, Maxis scrambles to put together an offline patch, which is when I might consider buying the game.

Well Said!

[Ltw 401]

I suspect modding will be released about one year after release: right around the time EA shuts down the servers and, if we're lucky, Maxis scrambles to put together an offline patch, which is when I might consider buying the game.

Why would they? They make the Glassbox Engine modable from the beginning. It would only cost more if they change it first and then change it back after a year. Besides, I don't know whether I would buy it if I could add mods after a year, not to mention the lower price for which it would be sold after a year.

[VeritaScientia 150]

I think something like this could work:

Set up an online cloud-based clearinghouse for lots, that way we all don't have to download separate buildings. Oh how I could go to the City-Building forum and ask so many people "Where did you get this building? or this one? and those three? no not the one you took the pictures of, the three in the background"

It'd also solve the problem of viewing people's cities and not having the buildings they have on our computers.

This, I could get kicked off the board if I were to ask everyone for their cool buildings LOL

[pschlik 0]

That is SO true, the only reason I still play Sim City 4 is becuase I have mods! I can see why they would want Sim City 2013 to be moddable.

[Hopethisworks 0]

That is SO true, the only reason I still play Sim City 4 is becuase I have mods! I can see why they would want Sim City 2013 to be moddable.

Exactly if they hadn't decided to make this new one i'd still be playing Sim City4 in 10 years, in fact I'm going to keep all my cities n mods to show my kids, n not even had them yet. lol

What would be a really good idea is to let the community have a sniff at how it's going to work, so we can have mods ready as soon as the game is released, as I'm from the UK and to think when I buy this game I have to deal with roads, bus stops and motorways n buildings like houses & shops which don't look right is not enticing....

The only reason I started playing SC4 again about 3 years ago was when i found this site n I realised there was a 3 bedroom semi like i grew up in, so i created my own British suburbs, then got addicted....

I used to design my own buildings in Sim City 2000, i bought SC4 and it took me years to realise this community existed, so only started playing again about 3-4 years ago, have just started to learn how to design and mod myself, but the work life balance keeps getting in way so i have never finished a building or underpass to contribute.

Now I know there is another one soon to be released, I hope we get a sniff first and we can get my roads, bus stops, underground stations, motorways and underpasses for the UK or each country specific ready for the release....

  Edited September 21, 2012 by Hopethisworks  

[mbm1101 0]

Hello.

I have suggestigetaion to the first mod for Simcity 2013 to be modded please if you can mod it so mod it. The ploppables mod it should allow you to place building by building and no zoning. I really hate zoning!!

It mod should also to allow you to switch between zoning and building.

Please mod it when the Simcity 2013 will be released i want this mod so much.

Thank you

  Edited October 6, 2012 by mbm1101  

[Hellken 1,658]

Do you realize that it is impossible to mod any game that has NOT yet been released?