Tutorial: Applying the I-HT Bug-Fix correctly

[cogeo 960]

Be sure to read and follow the procedures carefully and make backups of the affected files as suggested.

As many players already know, the game has a bug that does not allow R$$$ sims to work in I-HT (High-Tech Industry). It does create demand for R$$$ (10% of the I-HT jobs) but does not actually employ them. Checking the I-HT buildings (with the Route Query Tool) can verify this. If the city does have neighbour connections, these R$$$ sims might be able to find jobs in other connected cities, otherswise you will get "No-Job" zots at your R$$$ areas.

What causes this problem, seems to be the wealth-level breakdown of the I-HT jobs: 10% $, 80% $$ and 10% $$$. The algorithm appears to not work correctly if two of the above percentages are equal. The bug affects all I-HT buildings (Maxis AND custom content), as well as the Medical Clinic, the Solar Power Plant and the Nuclear Power Plant.

The fix can be found on the STEX. Click on the link below:

- IH missing $$$ jobs fix (update!) 1.11

It works by setting the I-HT jobs as follows: 10% $, 78% $$, 12% $$$, instead of the original 10/80/10 (which caused the problem). It has a small impact on demand (+2% $$$, -2% $$ - of the I-HT jobs only), but this is really unimportant.

The problem with this fix (as well as all other mods that modify the RCI-type exemplars) is that it causes another incosistency: some regional statistics (regional jobs, regional residents etc) are double-count. It is unknown what effect this has on total demand, gameplay, city growth etc, and I doubt if anyone has carried-out any testing/evaluation, so it would be best to have this problem sorted-out as well.

For some reason, the problem is caused if there are two copies of an RCI-type exemplar in the installation. As with all other exemplars (and other file-types too), the 2nd exemplar will override the 1st one, however some calculations appear to run twice. The solution is simple, have only one occurence of the above exemplar in the installation, and the correct place to put this is of course in its original place, namely simcity_1.dat (a Maxis file, located under the Simcity main installation folder (typically C:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4). Easier said than done, as iLive's Reader (the community's main modding tool) can't modify and save correctly a file as big as simcity_1.dat! (otherwise the fix could be applied in-place). The workaround is to use wouanagaine's SC4 DAT Packer. To apply the fix correctly, follow the steps below.

Installation Procedure:

- Download and install wouanagaine's SC4 DAT Packer.

- Make sure you have the latest SC4/RH or Deluxe versions plus Patches. Right-click on the simcity executable and check the version number. Mine is 1.1.640.0 (SC4+RH+Patches). Refer to other threads to find which is the latest version for your installation.

- Backup simcity_1.dat! (Copy this file somewhere else - outside of Simcity's folders, eg under your My Documents folder).

- If you are unsure about the SC4 DAT Packer's operation, or you are afraid of possible user errors, better backup your plugins folder too. This may take some minutes if you have a multi-GB installation. Alternatively you can temporarily "move" the Plugin folder contents under another folder - if the folder is in the same drive and volume, moving the files will be virtually instant, as it is technically a "rename" rather than a real "move" operation (no file transfer actually takes place).

- Create a new folder under your My Documents/Simcity 4/Plugins folder.

- Copy simcity_1.dat under the above folder.

- Copy the fix (IH_census_10_78_12.dat) under the above folder and rename it to z_IH_census_10_78_12.dat. This specifies the loading order, and causes the exemplar in the fix to replace the exemplar in simcity_1.dat, as z_... is alphabetically "after" si...

- Run SC4 DAT Packer. Initially all folders in the list are selected (highlighted). Find and highlight ONLY the folder you created. This will limit DAT Packer's operation under that folder only. Click on the Start button, wait for the operation to be completed and close SC4 DAT Packer.

- DAT Packer should have created a new datfile, containing simcity_1.dat plus the fix. This is located under a folder by default named Plugins_Compressed. Rename this file to simcity_1.dat, and copy it under Simcity's main folder, overwriting the original - you have made a backup, haven't you?

- Go back to the Plugins folder and delete the Plugins_Compressed subfolder. Also delete the folder you had created (containing simcity_1.dat and the fix). Alternatively you can move it outside of the Plugins folder and backup it, to remember the operations you performed (for future reference) - you may want to modify it again at some point, eg add more modified RCI exemplars, or "stuff that goes into simcity_1.dat" in general, like some LUA fixes or mods.

- If you had (temporarily) moved the Plugins folder contents in step 4, get them back.

- You are done!!!

Some notes:

- It is suggested that you keep the original simcity_1.dat, you may want to apply additional patches in the future. The backup wan't only for safety.

- You may want to make similar fixes for the other files affected by the bug, ie the Medical Clinic, the Solar Power Plant and the Nuclear Power Plant. Refer to the modding forums to find how to modify civic buildings correctly. The fixed versions can be inserted in simcity_1.dat as well, or instead placed in a separate plugin (these are normal Building-type exemplars, not RCI ones, so having a 2nd copy will simply override the original, without causing any problem). It is highly suggested that before installing or applying the fix to the above buildings, you enter your cities and bulldoze all instances of them, in all of your cities (save them before exiting). You can replop them after applying/installing the fix.

Hope you find this tutorial useful.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Thanks for this. I can't run Datpacker due to some hiccup in my system. But one can run ilive's Files2Dat to accomplish the same task. In fact, with this program you have slightly more control over it. Do read the download page and the instructions that come with the program.

[Mister Giggles 310]

Note: This same method can fix the doubled workforce bug in the Colossus Addon Mod (Which is also caused by altering RCI exemplars). Just replace all instances of IH_census_10_78_12.dat and zIH_census_10_78_12.dat with ColossusAddonMod_1.0.dat and zColossusAddonMod_1.0.dat respectively.

Thanks to Cogeo for making people's lives easier.

  Edited March 31, 2012 by Mister Giggles  

[Tramwhet 53]

So if we pack zIH_census_10_78_12.dat + zColossusAddonMod_1.0.dat + simcity_1.dat

it will fix the cam bug + the I-HT bug ?

[Mister Giggles 310]

Two birds with one stone, yes.

[sei_erio 0]

I applied the fix as stated above however it seems to have blocked the nam from working. Does anyone have any suggestions as to fix this?

[z1 566]

There's no reason this fix should affect the NAM. Could you please clarify what you mean by "blocked the nam from working"?

[BelgradeSim 9]

I just placed IH_census in my Plugins folder and it seems to work correctly. Do I have to do all this in order for it to function correctly?

[BrokeDiamond 2]

If you've already packed the original SimCity_1.dat and the IH mod together, and then want to pack the CAM in too, can you pack the CAM mod and the already-packed SimCity_1.dat together, or do you have to start all over using the original SimCity_1.dat, the IH, and the CAM at the same time?

Can altering SimCity_1.dat cause NAM to duplicate itself in any way? I've noticed that NAM keeps showing two options in the menu for everything, and I've tried replacing it with the original SimCity_1.dat, reinstalling NAM, uninstalling CAM, but it keeps doubling up.

[Pudgy 2]

I noticed the I-HT bug in my game. Thanks to various i read on this site, I did recognize High wealth sims not getting hi tech jobs within my main cities. That being said the stats show that they are getting jobs in my other support cities. I am not saying its not a bug because people more savy than I say it is. I will say whatever is going on is actually working in my favor. There are no unemployment problems in any of my cities. Which means local economy right now is offsetting the bug. I conclude right now that i will leave my current version of the game alone and i will not install anymore patches.

[Mister Giggles 310]

If you've already packed the original SimCity_1.dat and the IH mod together, and then want to pack the CAM in too, can you pack the CAM mod and the already-packed SimCity_1.dat together, or do you have to start all over using the original SimCity_1.dat, the IH, and the CAM at the same time?

Can altering SimCity_1.dat cause NAM to duplicate itself in any way? I've noticed that NAM keeps showing two options in the menu for everything, and I've tried replacing it with the original SimCity_1.dat, reinstalling NAM, uninstalling CAM, but it keeps doubling up.

Very late response, but: If you already packed SimCity_1.dat with the I-HT fix, there's nothing preventing you from packing it together with another file AS LONG AS the file name starts with z (So its data takes priority in the merging).

The reason NAM (And everything else, probably) is showing two of everything is because you didn't follow this step:

<quote>- Go back to the Plugins folder and delete the Plugins_Compressed subfolder. Also delete the folder you had created (containing simcity_1.dat and the fix). Alternatively you can move it outside of the Plugins folder and backup it, to remember the operations you performed (for future reference) - you may want to modify it again at some point, eg add more modified RCI exemplars, or "stuff that goes into simcity_1.dat" in general, like some LUA fixes or mods.</b>

I applied the fix as stated above however it seems to have blocked the nam from working. Does anyone have any suggestions as to fix this?

See above. Need to follow ALL the steps, silly.

  Edited July 10, 2012 by Mister Giggles  

[Rilex 0]

I just placed IH_census in my Plugins folder and it seems to work correctly. Do I have to do all this in order for it to function correctly?

I may have missed it, but I didn't see an answer to this question. Can this just be dropped in the Plugins folder directly or does it have to be packaged properly?

[CaptCity 4,754]

The problem arises with some regional statistics when using the mod (the same is true with CAM). As Cogeo explained:

The problem with this fix (as well as all other mods that modify the RCI-type exemplars) is that it causes another incosistency: some regional statistics (regional jobs, regional residents etc) are double-count. It is unknown what effect this has on total demand, gameplay, city growth etc, and I doubt if anyone has carried-out any testing/evaluation, so it would be best to have this problem sorted-out as well.

Whether or not it is a noticeable problem might depend on the environment that exists in the particular cities being played.

[Hellken 1,658]

Which should I check for best results?

(Note: Removed image)

  Edited September 12, 2012 by Hellken  

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

You should read the documentation. The choices are yours. Be very careful what you pack. Do not pack the NAM nor any of its add ons.

[7238320 77]

Don't pack your a_cam or Network Addon Mod. I wouldn't pack the Remove Maxis either.

Only tick "Force Repacking" if you are repacking.

Have you checked out WorkingMan Productions Download & Installation Catalogue? I find it makes using the Dat packer much easier.

[Hellken 1,658]

A Nonny Moose,

7238320 Ignore the screen cap, it's misleading. I always make it a point to read the documentation.

I am simply referring to this:

If you check the Force repacking option, SC4DatPacker will recreate the mega pack even if nothing has been changed in the folder since last packing.

If you check the optimize space option, SC4DatPacker will convert all Textual Examplar to Binary Examplar, and will try to compress as much as possible all non compressed entries.This will take a bit longer to create megapack, but worth the time.

If you check the Include only useful TGI option, SC4DatPacker will only include what is needed for the game to work, anything that is used by the LotEditor or the Plugin Manager is removed. You will gain extra space on your HD.

Just to be safe, I will NOT check any of the above. Will that be OK?

  Edited September 12, 2012 by Hellken  

[7238320 77]

Yes that would be ok... but if you are packing for the first time - do check the Optimize space and Include only useful TGI option. If you are repacking then you would use all 3.

PS Be very careful which files are packed. Packing the wrong files can cause undesired results.

  Edited September 12, 2012 by 7238320  

[Hellken 1,658]

Thank you very much for your fast reply.

[jf9vp100 0]

This is CAM ??? lol .....................

I think ..............it makes HT developed as a CAM that I've ever used except that it does not encroach most with ID, IM. etc etc. R $ $ $ as well as development and an unusual way ..The same one you feel that a speaker is the policy of the city: | I then also learned to play still do not know the feeling and now you know what I really hate it ....

SR I speak bad English i am VN

Thanks

  Edited October 7, 2012 by jf9vp100  

[Crash2 1]

Tried to apply this fix and ran into problems with my Windows operating system user account controls. It would allow a copy of data file to be moved to My Documents but would not allow me to move it back to the original folder. I believe the copy was somehow corrupted by the system when it was copied. Spent hours trying various work arounds to move the good data1 file back. End result had to reinstall SimCity 4. My operating system is old, protective and cranky. Are there any other mods that apply this fix without changing too much else? What happens if I dont use IHT in my cities?

[7238320 77]

Tried to apply this fix and ran into problems with my Windows operating system user account controls. It would allow a copy of data file to be moved to My Documents but would not allow me to move it back to the original folder. I believe the copy was somehow corrupted by the system when it was copied. Spent hours trying various work arounds to move the good data1 file back. End result had to reinstall SimCity 4. My operating system is old, protective and cranky. Are there any other mods that apply this fix without changing too much else? What happens if I dont use IHT in my cities?

I'm sure there will be more than one opinion to follow.

My interpretation of the game engine is that as long as you 'satisfy demand', it doesn't really seem to 'matter' if the demand is satisfied by what. ( CO$$$, CS$$$, or IHT)... as long as the demand is satisfied,

It may make it trickier to have your city / region grow in the way YOU would like; it becomes about satisfying the programmer's design.

Not about being the right way... just my thinking.

  Edited October 13, 2012 by 7238320  

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Because the files are installed in a protected folder (Program Files) that is considered administrator territory only, you may actually have to boot up in safe mode to get this done if you are running an old version of Windows (which one?). You are the owner of the box unless you are on a school network or something similar, so you can do whatever you damned please. You just have to find out how. Try it from your administrative account, and make a backup of any file you touch before you do anything.

This fix consists of carefully manipulating some data files. It is not as if you are being asked to write code (programming).

  Edited October 13, 2012 by A Nonny Moose  

[Crash2 1]

Sorry about being so long to reply, sometimes life gets in the way. I have a Vista operating system, home desktop with an administrators account (doesn't mean much in Vista). I agree it is my computer and should be able to do what I want. Vistas file protrection has been one of the issues I have struggled with since 2007. Some files aren't a problem others are much tougher. I have spent so much time searching the internet and trying different things I decided to ask for work arounds. The tutorial is clear and easy to understand its the file permissions that caught me by surprise though and have given so much trouble. Since teenage grandchildren use the computer I have been hesitant to turn off UAC and dont think it would help that much probably just open the door to a flood of other problems. The other work around might be to try to take ownership of the data1 file only may try that and see if it will be allowed or cause the program to be unstable. Thank you for the prompt replies. One other question is there a spellcheck I can spell but my typing is terrible.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Well, Vista isn't that old. It is really a beta for Windows 7 and I think it was a bit of overkill on security. As for turning off UAC, I don't recommend it when there are other users. I hope these other users don't use your account and that you have a separate account for each of them. With separate accounts, culprit identification threat can be a great pacifier.

Probably what you need to do is find the time to spend learning more about the permissions aspect of the file system with respect to what are considered "system" files. If necessary you may have to mark the Maxis directory in Program Files with the appropriate general permissions for yourself (do they still use the term ACL - Access Control Lists?).

As an admin user on my Linux system, I get included in the sudo group, and that gives me permission to enter super user mode on a command by command basis if I need to do so. However, each such command needs to be preceded by the keyword sudo so you really can't do anything by accident. Sudo stands for "super user do" and beats the heck out of having to log into root, where you can do a lot of damage by a carelessly formulated command. This is equivalent to being in "safe mode" and I stay out of there unless something is really messed up, which is hardly ever.

As an admin user on Vista, you may have more clout than you've found so far, so it is worth exploring. There is probably an equivalent to the sudo command. You do, in all likelihood, have to run this kind of thing from a console or terminal emulator.

[Crash2 1]

I got it to work . Wasn't able to get permission for the whole SimCity folder just the data_1. Wealthy sims are traveling to HT.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Congratulations. Any idea why you are shut out of the hierarchical structure?

[Platypus5 2]

Is there a way to solve the bug without installing anything..... I do not have the admin password needed to install this. (It is also risky for me to learn the password due to impulse control issues.)

[jason leo 485]

Is there a way to solve the bug without installing anything..... I do not have the admin password needed to install this. (It is also risky for me to learn the password due to impulse control issues.)

What do you mean with 'this'? The I-HT missing jobs fix or the dat packer or something else?

[Platypus5 2]

I mean the...... the glitch that causes only 1/2 of available jobs to register with the program......

(I was told that this bug also led to the symptom described above)