Dependencies!

[0ri0n1 1]

Someone should really re-think the whole mods, bats, lots etc. system.

It's really annoying to get files that have dependencies. 1 or 2 dependecies

isn't bad if they're easy to find. But it really sucks when there's 10-20 dependencies

often posted on various sites, needing to log-on to each site. And some dependencies

are really hard / impossible to find making the mods/bats unusable.

why not include all the dependency files and the bats/etc... in one package ??

then there's the problem of having all that clutter in plugins folder.

  Edited January 21, 2013 by CaptCity  
Edited title.

[Haljackey 17,303]

This has been discussed several times and resulted in the "Dependency Debate". Credit must be given where credit is due... You can't just use someone else's props as it violates fair use agreements.

Read here for more info:

[T Wrecks 10,209]

Also remember that you're talking about a system that has grown to its current stage over the course of 10 years, with the inevitable changes. Being able to choose from such an abundance of readily available mods for a game that's equally old - and that without any official repository or even support of any kind! - is nothing you can expect or demand, but an immense gift. Yes, "gift" is the appropriate word, because unlike add-on content for The Sims, you don't have to pay a penny to enjoy all this.

I know that some people don't use dependencies very sparingly, and I also know that some dependency packs in themselves are nonsensical or flawed in terms of concept, but that's just the trade-off you'll have to deal with. Rest assured that the time you spend to hunt dependencies is a ridiculously tiny fraction of the time people around the globe have spent to make stuff for you, without charging anything.

EDIT

By the way, the rather crude and primitive way of handling dependencies is also owed to the architecture of SimCity 4... while it allows for great flexibility, it is lousy in terms of package management. Can't do much about that without the source code of the game itself.

Oh, and I don't think you have even the faintest idea of how big an all-in-one pack would be... not to mention the file conflicts it would cause. One-week download and full HD for an immediate crash to desktop, that's what would happen.

[Cyclone Boom 16,875]

T Wrecks is absolutely right.

Dependencies are so fundamental to custom content, yet are so often frowned upon. Yes, the system isn't great, but now 10 years later, it's not possible to change things. Would you rather take the liberty to download them, or be limited to the standard models and textures? The choice is yours.

All I can recommend is to be very selective in the files you download. A BAT / LOT can look great at first, but if the dependencies aren't listed, you may end up with endless fields of brown boxes in game. A good upload provides a clear description of its content (or readme documentation), and accurately lists any required dependencies. If an upload doesn't include this information, there is a high chance of running into problems.

Actually, the majority of uploads only use a select portion of all known dependencies. These are mainly the BSC MEGA Props series. Once you have downloaded these, you'll have covered a large portion of the most commonly used ones. A list of them can be found here for easy reference.

As well as your plugins, organisation of your installed dependencies is also highly recommend. Personally, I try to keep them structured by type, creator, and series. I also keep a reference list of the ones I've installed. Therefore, it's easy to check whether I require a particular file, or have it already installed. Keeping a system like this greatly minimises the risk of conflicts, and makes it easy to update any, should new versions be released.

[MandelSoft 2,769]

Actually, the majority of uploads only use a select portion of all known dependencies. These are mainly the BSC MEGA Props series. Once you have downloaded these, you'll have covered a large portion of the most commonly used ones. A list of them can be found here for easy reference.

That's true. Although dependencies are widely used, you often see the same dependencies coming back. I think somewhere around 30 large dependency packs are really common, especially the BSC Mega Packs, BSC Textures, CP's Prop packs, CP Textures and SG Props.

[Wiecher 192]

And it only takes a few extra minutes for you to install those dependencies, while the developers of them often put days if not months of work into it.

If no-one would use the dependencies on their lots, we would have less variety in our cities. The little extra work you have is more than worth it and a good prop pack adds more to a city than a single good BAT.

[SimCoug 5,972]

Or you can just make your own lots with maxis props and the BATs that you download. But a city without custom props (even with custom buildings) will look pretty... vanilla.