Ways to Improve A City (Question)

[Rex12345 11]

Hello,

I was building a region mostly using default Maxis Buildings. I want to install new buildings and also not cheat. Is there a way? Which buildings are popular?

Thank you for reading this topic.

[Cefien 361]

Is there a way?

This thread might help you: https://www.simtropolis.com/omnibus/

Which buildings are popular?

There are many popular buildings out there. Too many, and we can't simply post all the direct links. Search through the STEX is the best option.

[Rex12345 11]

Um, I can look it up right? So like you can say a building you particularly enjoy using and tell me the name.

[Cefien 361]

So like you can say a building you particularly enjoy using and tell me the name.

Well, there are no particular building i like to use, cause i love variation.

But if this is the first time you want to install custom buildings, then i suggest you to read the link to Omnibus i posted before. There is a thread entitled Night Lighting for BATs in there. You'll find out soon why you have to read that.

Note: Please confirm your game version before downloading the patch update. if your game shows 1.1.640, then you don't need the update patch.

[thehandyman 11]

https://community.simtropolis.com/files/category/2-buildings-bat/page__dosort__1__sort_key__file_downloads__sort_order__desc__filter_key__all

I already found a set of buildings that I liked on the 1st page

[Cefien 361]

Good for you, but i highly recommend that you check your game version first.

[BLANKBLANK 4,414]

Hello,

I was building a region mostly using default Maxis Buildings. I want to install new buildings and also not cheat. Is there a way? Which buildings are popular?

Thank you for reading this topic.

Look for something called CAM, it has hundreds of additional buildings for RCI and if you install them all (and the prop packs and various dependencies), you will be amazed at how diverse your city begins to look! The link below is a good place to start.

https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?board=3.0

But I must warn you that using CAM can cause the game to become rather crashy, and brown boxes will appear over downloaded buildings if you have not installed all the texture and prop packs, and if you want the full shabang it will take dozens of hours downloading the various files, buildings, packs and so forth.

[MandelSoft 2,769]

Don't forget the NAM. It's not a building, but it alters your infrastructure, adding more options, even more realistic and challenging ones. You can also download associated mods to the NAM, like the NWM and RHW.

Also, I would recommend using a slope mod. You may call it a reverse cheat: it actually makes the game harder to play, because it disallows you to build very steep roads and railways. But slope mods make your infrastructure networks look more smooth and realistic.

Just my two cents.

[clarkjordan12345 108]

Trees, trees and more trees! They make any city 10 times as beautiful!

[Rex12345 11]

Hello,

I was building a region mostly using default Maxis Buildings. I want to install new buildings and also not cheat. Is there a way? Which buildings are popular?

Thank you for reading this topic.

Look for something called CAM, it has hundreds of additional buildings for RCI and if you install them all (and the prop packs and various dependencies), you will be amazed at how diverse your city begins to look! The link below is a good place to start.

http://sc4devotion.c...x.php?board=3.0

But I must warn you that using CAM can cause the game to become rather crashy, and brown boxes will appear over downloaded buildings if you have not installed all the texture and prop packs, and if you want the full shabang it will take dozens of hours downloading the various files, buildings, packs and so forth.

CAM is actually pretty good. THX GUYS! I will be sure to check the omnibus!

[atsummerlin53 47]

Something else to think about is how 'real' you want your city to look. The NAM, CAM, and slope MODs all add to the realism of your city. So does adding trees. But, other people find the idea of a 'real' city to be not as fun to create as cities that stretch their imagination and ability to build spectacular city-scapes. Do you want a city of skyscrapers? Mid-rise office buildings? Do you want to create a mostly rural city with a wide variety of agricultural scenes? Some of the best City Journals out there don't involve cities, but focus on towns, farming communities, forests, recreational trails or the player's ability to create really cool 'cities' based around water features. 

 

As you explore the STEX (and you really do need to explore it, there are THOUSANDS of BATs and LOTs), you'll see that there are whole collections that you can take advantage of. One of the most recognizable is the New York Bat Team (NYBT). I don't use their buildings because I have a different vision for my cities. I tend to use a lot of Hong Kong Bat Team (HKBT) buildings (well, I will once my city reaches that level of development), so I don't need to use NYBT files, even though they have done some absolutely exquisite work. I chose my region file to allow me to build what will eventually be some mammoth sea- and airport areas. So I've downloaded an absolute ton of related files that are just waiting for a chance to be used. Rail is also a major component of most cities.

 

Two other important points to remember about downloads. If you find yourself downloading a ton of files, eventually it will have a noticeable effect on the speed of the game. You have to decide which files you really need and which ones you just want. A simple mid-size office building might require you to download 10 other files to fill in flora, a mailbox, cars on the street, building textures, or .dat files that have key information that allows the one file you want to work in the game. All of those downloads add up eventually. 

 

Second, it's easy to lose track of all those downloads if you don't start organized, and stay organized. I never install files into the directory that the install program wants it to go. I have my own set of directories, and I put each downloaded file into the directory I want it to go. That way, when I'm checking to see if I have all of the necessary dependency files, I can go to my dependency folder and see if it's there or not. It also means that I can download files today, and move them into my plugins folder when I'm ready to use it in the game.

 

Hope this helped, and it might be too much info, but that's how I go.