Sim City 4 Custom Resolution Help

[JeteTheDef 0]

How's it going everyone. I've never had an issue with this before, but lately I can't add my custom resolution (1920x1080) to my Sim City 4 shortcut. I keep getting a "Problem with Shortcut" error as if I had written something incorrectly in the target box. This however can't be, seeing as I've tried all different methods. I've tried several other resolutions, also tried with -w, -f, -r, tried with custom resolution enable... I've look up all possible ways to write this into the target box and nothing works. I've read numerous similar question, read multiple threads all over the net. I feel like I've exhausted all my options. I'm perplexed, baffled by this actually, I can't even begin to fathom what it could be. Any help is appreciated, thank you!

[Cyclone Boom 17,032]

First of all, welcome to Simtropolis!

It would assist the diagnosis if you could provide a clear screenshot of the target shortcut. Hopefully the problem can then be identified. Remember, it only takes one out of place character to prevent it from working.

[Indiana Joe 1,752]

It should look like this, I've marked all the spaces with red underscores:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe"_-CustomResolution:enabled_-r1920x1080

[Jim14409 448]

Sometimes you just need to delete the shortcut and create a new one. Be sure it is from the directory where your game is installed.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

The syntax is very easy and not at all hard to understand. The call for the program is enclosed in quotes because it has spaces in it. This is the first word of the command to launch the program. All the other words are separated from it by spaces, so that there is one space before each option hyphen.

If it will help you, here is mine:

"C:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe" -intro:off -CustomResolution:enabled -r1920x1080x32 -f -CPUcount:1

Sorry for the tiny type, but this has to be all on one line.

  Edited January 14, 2013 by A Nonny Moose  

[Indiana Joe 1,752]

Sorry for the tiny type, but this has to be all on one line.

Since JeteTheDef's screen resolution is apparently 1920 x 1080, that will definitely fit on one line in bigger font. Doesn't even make it halfway across my screen.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Sorry for the tiny type, but this has to be all on one line.

Since JeteTheDef's screen resolution is apparently 1920 x 1080, that will definitely fit on one line in bigger font. Doesn't even make it halfway across my screen.

One size fits all. The reduced size was developed by trial and error. My screen is 1920 x 1080. If you need it larger press CTRL++. The font size was deduced to fit into the page with all the features present.

[lotherius 16]

The syntax is very easy and not at all hard to understand. The call for the program is enclosed in quotes because it has spaces in it. This is the first word of the command to launch the program. All the other words are separated from it by spaces, so that there is one space before each option hyphen.

If it will help you, here is mine:

"C:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe" -intro:off -CustomResolution:enabled -r1920x1080x32 -f -CPUcount:1

Sorry for the tiny type, but this has to be all on one line.

These two fixes should be in a sticky.

Seriously, I've spent years in frustration thanks to the CPUcount isue which I only _just this month_ found as a fix.

Seriously. I pre-ordered the original Simcity 4 a decade ago. Installed it, upgraded memory on my old Athlon XP (I think it was), could kinda play the game okay. Was one of the first people on some forum way back when (it was popular at the time, forget which forum it was, heck I've been on THIS forum since April 2003) to post shots of a city with more than 1 million inhabitants that was a fully functioning and "normal" city. Traffic was HORRIBLE... Then Rush Hour came out and fixed that! But, alas, the game always ran too slowly so I never could build the cities of my dreams. Crashes weren't really an issue because I got sick of the incredible slowness of any city over a couple hundred thousand population. But I do seem to remember it would get crashy also on those large cities, probably still running out of memory (I had upgraded to 2gb)..

So in 2005, I upgraded to a new, more powerful machine. An Athlon X2 3500+. Dual Core. I played the game for a bit, experimented with mods, but it ALWAYS would end up crashing after I had done lots of work. I tried savegame reminders, but it still crashed out all the time. I gave up SimCity. I tried again in 2008 with an Opteron 170 dual core, tried again in 2010 with my Athlon II X3 440 (unlocked to X4) and the game was even crashier yet.

So I still have the quadcored X3, and decided to give SC4 another go in preparation for sc 2013 coming out soon, since I've NEVER really been able to really play the game to its potential. This time in looking for the resolution fix, I found the CPUcount fix! I don't know how long the fix has been out, but I always missed it before!

It should be REQUIRED READING for anyone entering the forum. Most folks have two or more cores these days, and SimCity just doesn't play nice with them.

With the CPUcount fix, I've only had ONE unexplained CTD in 8 or 10 hours of gameplay, which is incredibly remarkable considering this game's checkered past.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Neither of these is a fix. They are simply the original command line options that didn't get published anywhere by either Maxis nor EA. This is one of the great failings of game programmers. They do not document worth a nickel. You should probably book mark this link:

http://sc4devotion.c...13280#msg113280

Oh, and you can see from this kind of thing that operating a computer like a home appliance only works if all you do is web stuff and simple apps. If you want to do something more than that, like play this game, you have to have a certain level of understanding. When this game came out, everyone who had a home computer was much more geekish than people are now. For one thing, most of them had run DOS.

[Jim14409 448]

The syntax is very easy and not at all hard to understand. The call for the program is enclosed in quotes because it has spaces in it. This is the first word of the command to launch the program. All the other words are separated from it by spaces, so that there is one space before each option hyphen.

If it will help you, here is mine:

"C:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe" -intro:off -CustomResolution:enabled -r1920x1080x32 -f -CPUcount:1

Sorry for the tiny type, but this has to be all on one line.

These two fixes should be in a sticky.

Seriously, I've spent years in frustration thanks to the CPUcount isue which I only _just this month_ found as a fix.

Seriously. I pre-ordered the original Simcity 4 a decade ago. Installed it, upgraded memory on my old Athlon XP (I think it was), could kinda play the game okay. Was one of the first people on some forum way back when (it was popular at the time, forget which forum it was, heck I've been on THIS forum since April 2003) to post shots of a city with more than 1 million inhabitants that was a fully functioning and "normal" city. Traffic was HORRIBLE... Then Rush Hour came out and fixed that! But, alas, the game always ran too slowly so I never could build the cities of my dreams. Crashes weren't really an issue because I got sick of the incredible slowness of any city over a couple hundred thousand population. But I do seem to remember it would get crashy also on those large cities, probably still running out of memory (I had upgraded to 2gb)..

So in 2005, I upgraded to a new, more powerful machine. An Athlon X2 3500+. Dual Core. I played the game for a bit, experimented with mods, but it ALWAYS would end up crashing after I had done lots of work. I tried savegame reminders, but it still crashed out all the time. I gave up SimCity. I tried again in 2008 with an Opteron 170 dual core, tried again in 2010 with my Athlon II X3 440 (unlocked to X4) and the game was even crashier yet.

So I still have the quadcored X3, and decided to give SC4 another go in preparation for sc 2013 coming out soon, since I've NEVER really been able to really play the game to its potential. This time in looking for the resolution fix, I found the CPUcount fix! I don't know how long the fix has been out, but I always missed it before!

It should be REQUIRED READING for anyone entering the forum. Most folks have two or more cores these days, and SimCity just doesn't play nice with them.

With the CPUcount fix, I've only had ONE unexplained CTD in 8 or 10 hours of gameplay, which is incredibly remarkable considering this game's checkered past.

I agree. I enjoy Simtropolis for the most part but at the same time find it incredibly frustrating at times. In my opinion helpful, even needful information is often scattered or lost, sometimes it is hiding a hundred pages back. I don't think the current "Sticky" method is the answer either as it nearly always requires one to read long transcripts only to find that the desired information is not there or it is so piece meal and full of abbreviations that it is useless to a novice or anyone who has not been in the thick of things all these years. My eyes tend to glaze over sometimes at the long lists of "Stickies" knowing I could be there for hours and not find any useful info for my situation in spite of titles or catch phrases a search provides.

It would be much more helpful if useful information were gleaned from posts and stated concisely under an appropriate title. Then players could actually solve their problem and get back to playing or interacting with commentators and content providers on the site. Sometimes I wonder if the present system is not set up to make everyone "pay their dues" but I don't seriously think anyone intends this.

This is my opinion and not intended to offend but to possibly give food for thought on improving an already helpful site. Thank you.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

The basic problem is the rapid turnover of active members and the accretion of new members. We try, but have you any idea what kind of burn out occurs for many people who find themselves answering the same questions over and over?

This game was written when computer users where more technically aware of their machines than now, when computers are treated like another home appliance and are expected to be no more complicated than a TV controller. Sorry, but that is not the case.

To run this game with modern gear you need to know something about running the command processor (cmd on Windows), and to have a more than passing acquaintance with the file system. What was expected of users in 2003 is more than most users have learned in 2013.

To make matters worse, new things are continually being found out by the deep custom content workers like the NAM team. Keeping up with them is difficult, if not impossible for many users. However, simple stuff like the command line format is well documented and referenced by many different posts on this site. For the benefit of current readers, here is this reference again: https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=3683.msg113280#msg113280 Please note that this is on the SC4Devotion site where you probably have to register (free) and note that the exchange there (LEX) also requires separate registration, also free.

Some readers of this post may be new members, well and good. However, many of us are jaded old members who have been around since the above link was published in 2008. I've been here now for about 10 years, and since I am retired, it is one of my make-busy activities to keep from going ga-ga, so I'll be around as long as I can still make any sense.

If someone wants to engross all this in an article for a sticky, be my guest. When you get it done, post it and send a PM to an Administrator for consideration.

[Jim14409 448]

The basic problem is the rapid turnover of active members and the accretion of new members. We try, but have you any idea what kind of burn out occurs for many people who find themselves answering the same questions over and over?

This game was written when computer users where more technically aware of their machines than now, when computers are treated like another home appliance and are expected to be no more complicated than a TV controller. Sorry, but that is not the case.

To run this game with modern gear you need to know something about running the command processor (cmd on Windows), and to have a more than passing acquaintance with the file system. What was expected of users in 2003 is more than most users have learned in 2013.

To make matters worse, new things are continually being found out by the deep custom content workers like the NAM team. Keeping up with them is difficult, if not impossible for many users. However, simple stuff like the command line format is well documented and referenced by many different posts on this site. For the benefit of current readers, here is this reference again: http://sc4devotion.c...13280#msg113280 Please note that this is on the SC4Devotion site where you probably have to register (free) and note that the exchange there (LEX) also requires separate registration, also free.

Some readers of this post may be new members, well and good. However, many of us are jaded old members who have been around since the above link was published in 2008. I've been here now for about 10 years, and since I am retired, it is one of my make-busy activities to keep from going ga-ga, so I'll be around as long as I can still make any sense.

If someone wants to engross all this in an article for a sticky, be my guest. When you get it done, post it and send a PM to an Administrator for consideration.

I don't know if you were addressing my comments or not. If you were then I have to disagree because I see the "basic problem" as one of organization and incomplete information when addressing an issue. If, as I suggested, information were gleaned from the posts (now past), organized and concisely and clearly stated there would be no further need to answer such questions over and over infinitum. Then it would not matter how much turn over occurred. New members would be directed to the information as a condition of membership and ignored if they were too lazy to read what had been provided. Everyone ends up better informed and happier.

It seems to me the job of "gleaning" would fall to moderators and then all of them or a knowledgeable committee could compile the information. Old or outdated information should be REMOVED or noted as being such. (The same should be done with plugins and dependencies but seldom is). A huge task perhaps.

A new game is about to come out and NOW would be the time to put such a system into practice for that game if it is to become a part of ST.

Like I said before, just my opinion and not intended to offend or say a good job has not been done in the past. I'm just saying I think a different method might prove more useful, that's all.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Every once in a while, I make a general remark on a one reply fits many basis. The one is a general remark about the qualification as computer users of many players and goes on to explain the essential knowledge needed to run a game of this complexity in view of the paucity of documentation from the developers.

Anyone who wants to just be a button pusher should stick to consoles.