Anyone here who DOESN'T use custom content?

[lhrob 213]

Okay, aside from the fact that what you said goes WAY over my head (I simply don't understand that kind of math, nor computer programming, at all)   I nevertheless understand the general gist of what you're saying:  I need more custom content in my plugins folder for the game to choose from....which, as I indicated above, I already thought I had.  But maybe it's still not enough.  So how much would be a lot?  My plugins folder is 1.45GB, which contains 2,500 items.  Naturally that's not ALL custom buildings, as I have a lot of parks, trees, and other pretties.  But I mean how many actual custom building files would I need to get more randomness?

[MandelSoft 2,775]

Well, it's advised to download more generic sets rather than single buildings. Often small lots seem to have the most effect.

For instance, this set is good for more variation in suburbs:

https://www.sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=2822

You can also try things like this:

https://www.sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=2480

https://www.sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=2473

It's also worth to check out Mattb325's, jMyers' and Spa's stuff on the LEX.

More variation in commercial buildings? Check out these sets from MadHatter106:

Better industrial lots? Check out the IRM:

Those are a few of my great recommendations

Although large characteristic buildings may play a title role in your city, they would be nothing without the extras, the generic buildings

Best,

Maarten

[Cob92 360]

Let's just say that trying to play without any sort of custom content is just as boring and repetitive as trying to watch paint dry with 30 or 40 clones of yourself.

 

I understand that, and totally respect what you're saying.  But even with custom content, I'm still getting a lot of clones.  I'm just not sure I understand why.

 

EDIT:  Everyone bear in mind, I'm not talking about mods when I refer to custom content.  Instead I'm referring to all the custom buildings that are growable.  I absolutely believe mods are an essential part of the game.

 

What you need are a lot of different buildings that have similar properties. In other words, have 5 different skyscrapers that all grow under identical conditions, so when the game is selecting a building to fill that particular slot, it doesn't have just one obvious choice to use. This problem also occurs when you download custom content buildings that grow in places that have no Maxis equivalents (all my repeated downtown skyscrapers are custom content).

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Well, I download many of sets of lots.  I tend to keep my Plugins folder down.  At present it has 576 directories, 2627 files and occupies 733.8 MB.  This is pretty much pruned of all overhead files like readmes and other junque.  I keep that stuff someplace else.

 

Bear in mind that this contains the NAM folder of 120.5 MB.  Notice that I am talking Megabytes here.  I generally only use prop sets from BSC and avoid all the resulting duplication of props that are nearly the same in the other groups work.  219.7 MB is taken by BSC Props and Textures, and that's enough, thanks.

 

Oh, yes, Linux does give you all these nice numbers if you ask the Disk Usage Analyzer.

[Gannet 34]

I never use plugins. Even though they look cool, they never even work when I put them in my plugins folder. They are really all of low quality. I have Deluxe,maybe this is why they don't work.

Even the NAm does not work!  ​ 

[lhrob 213]

I never use plugins. Even though they look cool, they never even work when I put them in my plugins folder. They are really all of low quality. I have Deluxe,maybe this is why they don't work.

Even the NAm does not work!  > ​ 

 

Have you updated your game?  In order for any of the custom plugins to work, including the NAM, you must be updated to at least version 1.1.638 or higher.

[Turjan 1,048]

I never use plugins. They are really all of low quality.

 

Sure. There cannot be any other reason.

[_marsh_ 1,118]

I once tried to make a city 100% vanilla. That almost happened, I used a grand total of one mod - a water mod because I hated the maxis water that much. I probably would have played the city more, and enjoyed it for a bit, however my house got struck by lightning at the time and fried pretty much all the electronics in my house. Either way here's what I made.

 

This was the region. I grew it all 100%. I didn't use any cheats while building it either. I spent a LOT of time perfectly growing every single thing in the city though. Grow. Destroy. Grow. Destroy. Grow. Mark Historical. Move onto the next.

 

You may ask how I got skyscrapers so fast. I pretty much grew an entire city until the growth stage was higher, and then  Iwent back through where I was planning the actual city, and grew it building by building while finally destroying the temporary structures.

 

I got a few updates out of it before my pc crashed, only covering the region of Velero however.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a fun change of pace from my usual 6gb (that was my largest plugin folder for Gansbaai) and it helped some nostalgia from when I first played the game with tons of lag years ago.

[Lukav Minaev 2]

When i play with Mod, I play City Designing

When i play without Mod, I play Money Managing

Well, I download many of sets of lots.  I tend to keep my Plugins folder down.  At present it has 576 directories, 2627 files and occupies 733.8 MB.  This is pretty much pruned of all overhead files like readmes and other junque.  I keep that stuff someplace else.

 

Bear in mind that this contains the NAM folder of 120.5 MB.  Notice that I am talking Megabytes here.  I generally only use prop sets from BSC and avoid all the resulting duplication of props that are nearly the same in the other groups work.  219.7 MB is taken by BSC Props and Textures, and that's enough, thanks.

 

Oh, yes, Linux does give you all these nice numbers if you ask the Disk Usage Analyzer.

 

Lol, how much minuete you loading a city sir?

(I installed NAM 31, i got 2.05 min loading)

[rkade79 12]

I love designing my city to make it realistic looking everything down to little props i use mods love them.Vanilla is boring to me im not a fan of the vanilla civic buildings *ughh .I have over 1.8 gb of mods and still collecting : )

When i play with Mod, I play City Designing
When i play without Mod, I play Money Managing

Well, I download many of sets of lots.  I tend to keep my Plugins folder down.  At present it has 576 directories, 2627 files and occupies 733.8 MB.  This is pretty much pruned of all overhead files like readmes and other junque.  I keep that stuff someplace else.
 
Bear in mind that this contains the NAM folder of 120.5 MB.  Notice that I am talking Megabytes here.  I generally only use prop sets from BSC and avoid all the resulting duplication of props that are nearly the same in the other groups work.  219.7 MB is taken by BSC Props and Textures, and that's enough, thanks.
 
Oh, yes, Linux does give you all these nice numbers if you ask the Disk Usage Analyzer.

 
Lol, how much minuete you loading a city sir?
(I installed NAM 31, i got 2.05 min loading)

I have 1.8gb of mods my city only takes 30 seconds to load game takes about 1 minute to start.Lol it sound like your computer is strugling lol what are your specs ? Might be time to upgrade your computer lol

[Pobs 24]

I never use plugins. Even though they look cool, they never even work when I put them in my plugins folder. They are really all of low quality. I have Deluxe,maybe this is why they don't work.

Even the NAm does not work!  > ​ 

 

I have Deluxe, I haven't had a problem with any plug-ins, bats or anything as of yet. Including NAM, which is excellent (though I am still rocking v30 until they've ironed the creases out of v31).

 

As Ihrob said, you probably need to update your game version.

[Lukav Minaev 2]

I have 1.8gb of mods my city only takes 30 seconds to load game takes about 1 minute to start.Lol it sound like your computer is strugling lol what are your specs ? Might be time to upgrade your computer lol

 

ItsNB300 netbook with Atom processor and GMA3150 graphic

[rkade79 12]

I have 1.8gb of mods my city only takes 30 seconds to load game takes about 1 minute to start.Lol it sound like your computer is strugling lol what are your specs ? Might be time to upgrade your computer lol

 

ItsNB300 netbook with Atom processor and GMA3150 graphic

 

I have 1.8gb of mods my city only takes 30 seconds to load game takes about 1 minute to start.Lol it sound like your computer is strugling lol what are your specs ? Might be time to upgrade your computer lol

 

ItsNB300 netbook with Atom processor and GMA3150 graphic

When you get the chance get a nice computer so you can enjoy sc4 to it's full potential

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

SC4 has run on an old pentium under Windows 98 with no problems.  If people are having trouble with it on their current systems they need to give this legacy game a little TLC.  It was released 10 years ago and hasn't had much fixing since.  Except for milking the revenue, EA/Maxis hasn't given it anything but lip service for a long time.

 

To get SC4 to run on a more modern piece of hardware you need to dumb-down your machine somewhat, and take care of a few compatibility problems.

 

1. You should be running SC4 Deluxe patched to a minimum of build level 1,1,638 and preferably to 1,1,640 if you have the CD version.  If you have the digital download version, you have 1,1,641, so no patches are necessary.
    
2. No-cd cracks prevent the updates in 1.  They are illegal, and we will not discuss them.
    
3. If you have a machine with more than one CPU core, you need to add the option -CPUcount:1 to your shortcut's target line.  All such options have a single space preceding them.  Put them after the final quote in the game path.
    
4. If you have a monitor that has a resolution different from the choices in the game's control panel then you need this option to set your screen up properly:
   
   -CustomResolution:enabled -rhhhxvvvxdd
   
   where hhh is the horizontal resolution of your monitor in pixels, vvv the vertical, and dd the colour depth value 16 or 32.  With modern machines always take 32.
   
   Example: -CustomResolution:enabled -r1920x1080x32
    
5. You need to also check your GPU settings to make sure that all 3D options are set to "program selected" or equivalent.  SC4 doesn't use any hardware 3D options because they didn't exist at the time of game release.

 

For a complete review of all possible command line options look here.

 

This discussion applies only to SimCity 4 with Rush Hour or SimCity 4 Deluxe.

 

---

 

And back to the topic.  I can't believe that anyone with a current game, as described above, doesn't use at least NAM.  Free expansion packs are hard to come by.

[Lukav Minaev 2]

When you get the chance get a nice computer so you can enjoy sc4 to it's full potential

after i checked it, it is just first load region, when i back to city selection and open another city, its just 3 sec like usual , maybe it is just NAM loading its features.

[longtimepcgamer 227]

Ihrob......Don't forget that you can hold down the Ctrl key when laying down residential in order to encourage a certain size lot.  This may help avoid the duplicate building problem somewhat. 

 

Also...I could never imagine playing the game without all the mods.  I have about 7 gigs in my plug in folder and even after playing the game for several years I have at least one building grow each time I play that I've either never seen before or haven't seen it in so long that I've forgotten it.  This is one of the things that makes the game just as much fun to play now as it was 2 years ago.

 

Kev 

[Prophet42 1,503]

I don't think I would still be interested in the game without the custom content.  I don't think I could live with the NAM.  Also all the excellent buildings available on the STEX and LEX really give my cities the variety that I want keeps them interesting.

[Jim14409 448]

I don't think I would still be interested in the game without the custom content.  I don't think I could live with the NAM.  Also all the excellent buildings available on the STEX and LEX really give my cities the variety that I want keeps them interesting.

(I assume you meant to say you could NOT live without the NAM (?) ) Anyway...

 

And the game certainly does not look to be ten years old. Even in the pics using vanilla it still looks quite new to me and preferable to the looks of most new stuff. The point is SC4 has a good foundation built on vision. Few new games have any vision beyond the bank account it seems especially when big producers are involved. Without the foundation they crumble in time.

[Prophet42 1,503]

Your right Jim14409, I could not live without the NAM.  Thanks for the catch

[klingonfederation 1]

Thanks for the links MandelSoft. Where can I find the download links at the SC4 devotion website? I can't see any download links. Edit: OK, I figured I just had to register on the SC4 devotion website.

[Nielsen 10]

All my lots and buildings are default by Maxis. However, I do use different textures for water and cliffs and the rest are mods that basically fix issues.

[Metalpuritan 161]

If I did not have access tot he Internet with this computer(I do), I would use a different computer to get my downloads and transfer the downloads via a flash drive to my computer.  I bought this computer a little over 6 years ago and have upgraded it only a few times since.  Sim City 4 was among the very first two games I bought when I bought the initial parts for this one 6 years ago.  Back then you could still find a copy of it on the shelves at the PC hardware store(good luck finding a copy ont he shelves these day, HA).

 

Compared to many I use very few modds/lots on my copy, the majority do not fit witht he style I want for my cities or they just feel llike cheating.  Some folks have 4 gigabytes or more modds/lots installed on their copy of the game, I come in a paltry 1.2 gigs myself.  I run NAM31 now, I downloaded practically everything mattb325 has up here, practically every dependency there is, a few of simgoober's lots, (I like having brand name stores in my cities), Peg's pond kit, added frieght stations, highway lights, the Simfox day n night mod, all lot/map editing applications, the Industrial revolution mod(despite the fact it does not work well with the CAM, which I am not currently using), Peg's SPAM mod, maxis building blocker and a few others.  The NAM 31 eliminated my need for RHWY, the bridge leveler, SAM and a coupel other mods/lots too.  basically I have allt he modds/lots that are widely considered to be "esential" by most.

 

Everything I got can fit on event he smallest of flash drives.

 

I do not look down on those who do not have any mods though, everyone has their own idea of what fun is, who am I to say what their version of fun should be....

[Ro-Bo 183]

I downloaded almost 1GB of custom content. But my plugin folder currently only 90MB.

 

@Metalpuritan: your Origin name....lol

[Gannet 34]

I never use plugins. Even though they look cool, they never even work when I put them in my plugins folder. They are really all of low quality. I have Deluxe,maybe this is why they don't work.

Even the NAm does not work!  > ​ 

 

Have you updated your game?  In order for any of the custom plugins to work, including the NAM, you must be updated to at least version 1.1.638 or higher.

 

 

I never use plugins. Even though they look cool, they never even work when I put them in my plugins folder. They are really all of low quality. I have Deluxe,maybe this is why they don't work.

Even the NAm does not work!  > ​ 

 

I have Deluxe, I haven't had a problem with any plug-ins, bats or anything as of yet. Including NAM, which is excellent (though I am still rocking v30 until they've ironed the creases out of v31).

 

As Ihrob said, you probably need to update your game version.

I have updated my game!   Right now I have a bunch of .rar and .zip files in my plugins folder but they don't work. HELP!

[Pobs 24]

 

I never use plugins. Even though they look cool, they never even work when I put them in my plugins folder. They are really all of low quality. I have Deluxe,maybe this is why they don't work.

Even the NAm does not work!  > ​ 

 

Have you updated your game?  In order for any of the custom plugins to work, including the NAM, you must be updated to at least version 1.1.638 or higher.

 

 

> 

I never use plugins. Even though they look cool, they never even work when I put them in my plugins folder. They are really all of low quality. I have Deluxe,maybe this is why they don't work.

Even the NAm does not work!  > ​ 

 

I have Deluxe, I haven't had a problem with any plug-ins, bats or anything as of yet. Including NAM, which is excellent (though I am still rocking v30 until they've ironed the creases out of v31).

 

As Ihrob said, you probably need to update your game version.

I have updated my game!   Right now I have a bunch of .rar and .zip files in my plugins folder but they don't work. HELP!

 

 

You need to unzip / unrar the files for them to work. The contents will need to be placed in the Plugins folder (excluding Readme files and any other non-essential files). Generally, when you are downloading from the STEX the page will tell you if there are any special requirements, or will just say "download, unzip, etc".

 

Also, if the zips/rars do contain Readme files, read them as they will generally have commentary on installing/uninstalling.

[Gannet 34]

I didn't know I had to unzip for plugins to work. Thanks. They all work now. 

[xonedl 342]

Don't think I can live without custom contents   

- those NAM curvy roads pieces

- Mayor mode items (not restricted to grid, all it needs is space to "paint" it on), things like trees, grass, food stalls, junks, etc...

- decorative eye candy plops- canals, road signs, fencing, etc

- sometime there no such item that I have to create/mod them manually...

- not much into buildings, most Maxis buildings are quite nice, can plop them manually with the extra-cheat dll...

 

Though, the latest NAM31 caused huge delay in loading time, even if there are no other things in the plugin folder other than NAM31... 

Seldom play SC4 nowadays, it took a great deal of creativity, brain-power & time to come out with a good looking scene... 

[SilverCyric 131]

Gotta have custom content I say, otherwise the game is just too monotonous and repetitive. The point one community member made about making a fancy road work in tight quarters and the sims clog up the half capacity road 200 feet away, that was nuts... The NAM makes the game playable, it's like don't even boot it up until you install the NAM first. After that, it's a choice, how detailed and what direction you want to build. But, really take the time to understand how the different files work whether it's an .desc file, a model file, a dat file, how the game loads the files and in what order, so when you do decide to download a lot or a bat or a mod, you can be prepared. I've never really had a problem with dependencies, and if I ever get a brown box, 99% I can do a hover query and find the missing file by double checking the readme. But the trick is to not go too fast, if you load 50 new things into your plugins, you're most likely not going to test them all before you load another 50 things. I've found over the years, and many restarts of plugins, that you want to build a core set of lots you've learned and enjoy. I have a certain set of power stations, and parking lots, civics that I always use, but I added them in one at a time. I would start a new section of a region and need a new power station. Have an idea and look for 1-3 lots, bats, or mods that fit your need. There will never be a shortage of items to download, hehe

Test them out, maybe even learn to mod or edit a little to get that base texture right or transit enable some of your favorite lots. Just don't upload as yours if you mod someone else's stuff... BTW, SOMY's Giant Hospital, awesome bat to TE, really cool!!

 

As far as growing too many, there is what dude said about poorly modded files that just grow too easily, but some lots, if you don't pay attention, come in 15 different lots when they install, try deleting some of the nearly redundant lots.

Also, as another dude was saying, there are the awesome sets, by Spa, Mattb325, and I really like Madhatter's commercials, but the one I wanted to mention was to look at DEDWD's small shops and other sets like that. Look for group family lots, that have multiple building faces and colors that will give you dozens of varieties with much fewer lots...

 

NAM 31, yeah it's causing some delays, and I get CTD's everytime I exit to region and many more in game CTD's than I used to, but it's sooooo sweet!! With the draggable curves, the speed of access and how it's blending together so seamlessly, I can build much quicker with these new options and features. I can't let go of it, I won't... Hehe

[Bdub01 201]

Gotta have custom content I say, otherwise the game is just too monotonous and repetitive. The point one community member made about making a fancy road work in tight quarters and the sims clog up the half capacity road 200 feet away, that was nuts... The NAM makes the game playable, it's like don't even boot it up until you install the NAM first. But the trick is to not go too fast, if you load 50 new things into your plugins, you're most likely not going to test them all before you load another 50 things.

For the past three days I have gone crazy downloading stuff. Not 50 but 100!!!! However after I download into my plugins I start a city with lots of simoleans and plop each new building I have. So far things seem to be working pretty well though it seems some of my building won't light up at night even though I have dark night installed. But there's a thread somewhere for that do I won't continue on about that . Also since I installed NAM 30 ( tried v31 but game kept crashing) I have had no NJZs and the roads WOW they look awesome. I love when two avenues cross and I see the little turn arrows on the roads. There was never so much detail without the custom stuff! I now play really close up cause the details on all the new buildings are so awesome. I can actually make a realistic town!!!

[zorkman 25]

I  don't, but then I have only just got back to playing the game. I am sure I will eventually.