Can't stay focused .

[Bdub01 201]

I have a little problem. I start on a region then halfway through I get bored and want to try new things so I start a new region then get bored again. It's a vicious cycle . How do y-all keep your regions fresh and want to stay and work them all the way through to the end?

[Cyclone Boom 16,852]

Instead of making a whole new region, try starting some new cities. Inter-city play is key to enjoying the game, and progressing your region. Once you start making connections between cities, the region will begin to grow and flourish. You can try new things in each city, such as experimenting with building styles. This will eventually lead to greater variety, making each city unique in its own way.
 
A good idea is to use a custom region map. This can create more focus to your regional planning, as well as making the terrain more interesting. There are many available on the STEX, under the maps category. To install them, you'll need to use SC4 Mapper (requires LEX registration to download). A guide on how to install maps can be found

[Turjan 1,048]

I just use several regions. If I get bored with one, I switch to the next one. I may return to the first one later.

[SimCoug 5,972]

I used to jump from region to region as well, then I decided to try and grow a region naturally.  It's been almost a year since I started and with only a handful of towns and a regional population under 10,000, I'm still hooked and my interest hasn't waned yet.  Starting a CJ has also played a big part too. 

[Prophet42 1,500]

I've been playing the same region since 2006.  There seems to be always something to plan, to build, to redo.  One thing you could try is to develop a region naturally (like SimCoug stated).  Start with mainly farm land and small communites.  Grow each individual communty and eventually they will grow together.  You can chose to keep some small, or some mainly farming communities, while others grow into a large city.  This will help to keep things interesting.

[packersfan 666]

I understand your problem. I've nearly scrapped my latest region due to changing desires to build a LARGER TALLER city like New York, but I don't because of the commitment for over two years and a long city journal. I would suggest either a natural region approach or when building a big region, feel free to start a new style city in a different section (I understand this can be hard when you want to start a new-style central focus type city).

[lhrob 213]

I have a little problem. I start on a region then halfway through I get bored and want to try new things so I start a new region then get bored again. It's a vicious cycle . How do y-all keep your regions fresh and want to stay and work them all the way through to the end?

 

First of all, I can't believe you posted this thread.  There have been several times when I have wanted to come in here and post these exact same thoughts, but I never did because I was afraid people would think I was crazy.  But suffice it to say, I know exactly what you're talking about.  I'm glad you had the guts to do it.

 

There are times when this game bores me to tears.  I can literally start the game, click open a city, and then immediately exit the game to go watch TV.  I simply have no interest in messing around with it, probably because my mind is on other things and I'm not feeling inspired.

 

But if I really stop to think about it, the reason I'm getting bored is because the city looks good enough to me, and I don't want to do anything to mess it up.  So I don't try to improve upon it.  That usually happens because I've allowed myself to slip into mayor mode, trying to create a functional city that conforms to the game's parameters and rules which dictate how a city will grow.  But to me, functional cities are rather boring, because the "perfect" SC4 city consists of precisely placed zones in a grid pattern.  How dull can you get?  At those moments, I kinda forget the reason why I started playing this game to start with, which was because I saw the game as a creative outlet which could allow me to design something I would like to see in real life.  I don't want to see boring city grids in real life, and I couldn't care less about wasting my time tinkering around with tax rates, or thinking about whether or not I'm zoning the proper amount of low, medium, or high density zones to accomodate the RCI demand.  In real life, I'm a traveler who is captivated by what's up around the next bend in the road, or what's over the next hill.  It propels me forward, and motivates me to explore.  So in my creative endeavors, whether it's my photography, architectural designs, or my attempts to build a city in this game, I strive to express my creativity in a way which draws people in and makes them want to explore around.  The thing is, when I slip into mayor mode, and I try to manage things in order for zones to develop, my sense of creativity is replaced by something that bores me, and I get frustrated.  I'm generally not the kind of person who believes a game should be so challenging that it becomes frustrating.  Games are meant to be fun and relaxing, not boring and annoying.  Otherwise, what's the point?

 

So anyway, I'm rambling right now.  I guess I just wanted to encourage you to think about what it is you're trying to achieve by playing the game.  If it's to play as a mayor, creating the perfect city, then don't allow yourself to think that what you do in this game is good enough.  It's never good enough.  Otherwise, everyone would constantly be growing the perfect city, with millions of Sims working in towering skyscrapers, and a perfect balance of wealth accompanied by a mayor rating that is always sky high.  So to keep yourself from getting bored, even though you might cringe at the thought of doing this, you might try destroying entire sections of your map in order to rebuild them a different way.  When you start seeing how things turn out differently, it captures your imagination and makes you think about what else you could do to make things better.  And then you stop being bored.

[Bdub01 201]

Okay thx for all the positive feedback guys . My problem is that I will watch a 'let's play' video and want to try what I see but not in the region I'm on. So I make a new region and after a few months I see something else then forget about the region I'm playing and fire a new one up!!!

So I decided to have two very different regions. One where I plan nothing out the cities just grow however my imagination takes it. The other region will have uniformity and be very meticulously planned out. All the little squares will be farming units that are all the exact same, dirty I cities grown to exact per portion to demand. All my highways will connect perfectly to the others. It sounds boring so when I'm tired of that I will go to my 'free range' region and be creative as I want to be.

So I'm hoping between the two regions I can finish them out without being too bored with either one!

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

I go through cycles.  I don't even have the default regions in my folders any more because I deleted them.  If I want one I can always get it back from the game residency.

 

Currently I have three active regions plus my sandbox and Timbuktu (if you delete it the game puts it back).  All are custom maps.

 

Regions
├── Downloads
├── Houghton
├── NewHarbour
├── NewYorkCity
├── Sandbox
└── timbuktu
 

 

You do not need either Terraformer or Mapper for all custom maps.  Only those that come with a .sc4m file.  Otherwise you use the game renderer to set your region up.  All of my maps on the STEX are game render maps.

 

Currently all three of my regions are free from empty tiles.  I just open one of them and work on any city that is out of balance.  This can be a lot of fun as adding new stuff to the city often swings the balance the other way.  It is very relaxing. 

 

I don't expect to get excited by play after 10 years, but with the new NAM, I will be avidly trying out the new features.  This will probably mean I will add a new region but time will tell.  I won't be picking up the new stuff for a while.  I'll sit in the weeds and watch until I think the traffic has died down a little.

[libellibicus 396]

I have a little problem. I start on a region then halfway through I get bored and want to try new things so I start a new region then get bored again. It's a vicious cycle . How do y-all keep your regions fresh and want to stay and work them all the way through to the end?

 

First of all, I can't believe you posted this thread.  There have been several times when I have wanted to come in here and post these exact same thoughts, but I never did because I was afraid people would think I was crazy.  But suffice it to say, I know exactly what you're talking about.  I'm glad you had the guts to do it.

 

There are times when this game bores me to tears.  I can literally start the game, click open a city, and then immediately exit the game to go watch TV.  I simply have no interest in messing around with it, probably because my mind is on other things and I'm not feeling inspired.

 

But if I really stop to think about it, the reason I'm getting bored is because the city looks good enough to me, and I don't want to do anything to mess it up.  So I don't try to improve upon it.  That usually happens because I've allowed myself to slip into mayor mode, trying to create a functional city that conforms to the game's parameters and rules which dictate how a city will grow.  But to me, functional cities are rather boring, because the "perfect" SC4 city consists of precisely placed zones in a grid pattern.  How dull can you get?  At those moments, I kinda forget the reason why I started playing this game to start with, which was because I saw the game as a creative outlet which could allow me to design something I would like to see in real life.  I don't want to see boring city grids in real life, and I couldn't care less about wasting my time tinkering around with tax rates, or thinking about whether or not I'm zoning the proper amount of low, medium, or high density zones to accomodate the RCI demand.  In real life, I'm a traveler who is captivated by what's up around the next bend in the road, or what's over the next hill.  It propels me forward, and motivates me to explore.  So in my creative endeavors, whether it's my photography, architectural designs, or my attempts to build a city in this game, I strive to express my creativity in a way which draws people in and makes them want to explore around.  The thing is, when I slip into mayor mode, and I try to manage things in order for zones to develop, my sense of creativity is replaced by something that bores me, and I get frustrated.  I'm generally not the kind of person who believes a game should be so challenging that it becomes frustrating.  Games are meant to be fun and relaxing, not boring and annoying.  Otherwise, what's the point?

 

So anyway, I'm rambling right now.  I guess I just wanted to encourage you to think about what it is you're trying to achieve by playing the game.  If it's to play as a mayor, creating the perfect city, then don't allow yourself to think that what you do in this game is good enough.  It's never good enough.  Otherwise, everyone would constantly be growing the perfect city, with millions of Sims working in towering skyscrapers, and a perfect balance of wealth accompanied by a mayor rating that is always sky high.  So to keep yourself from getting bored, even though you might cringe at the thought of doing this, you might try destroying entire sections of your map in order to rebuild them a different way.  When you start seeing how things turn out differently, it captures your imagination and makes you think about what else you could do to make things better.  And then you stop being bored.

'm so glad that it isn't just me.  Maybe we should start a "Can't Always Be Arsed To Play Properly" Group

[longhorn 25]

I've been playing the same region since the original release date.  I did expand the region on a massive scale around 2006.  My original core city is still the main core city and has been renovated a bunch of times since then.  My playing style has also changed.  I initially played a single core, NYC style city.  I've since moved to a multi core, Tokyo style city.  If I get bored with my old cities, I start a new city on a remote area of the map and eventually connect it with the rest of my cities.

 

Really, I can't imagine starting another region after putting 10 years into this one.  For that reason, it would take a hell of a lot more than what I have seen from SC5 for me to make the switch.

 

At this point I have a little under 10 million sims with the rail infrastructure already built to support probably 30 million.  My region could support over 100 million if I played that long.  I've played about 75 cities, maybe more, and have probably 70 transit lines.

[Superbacon 380]

I have the same thing going. And I'd always wondered if other people did, too. I can only really keep myself entertained with one region til it has about 500k people in it. Then I want to try something new or start a new building method. Or if I've downloaded a new massive mod. 

 

But that was before I downloaded my first custom region. Now things are quite a bit more interesting since I can build and expand my Tokyo-like cities around mountains, hills and rivers and conform the transit networks and farms and neighborhoods naturally into the land.

 

I suppose one thing you can try is start a City Journal. Start a region as a whole nation from scratch and build its history up. Incorporate real-world themes and building styles into your cities. Make your cities seamless in the region view while still making each one unique in its own way. Using your imagination to keep things interesting.

[Lukav Minaev 2]

  i've tried to build with smallest cities. i've got that good "finished"feeling when i got stuck. and my cities grow healty ...
and because i build enough connector to its neighbouring cities (since its small city), i can build others small cities and got that good "finished" or "mission cleared" feelings again. and then after thos "level" cleared. I then build larger city to larger city. and e got those "mission cleared" and "one region done" feelings when i see all comuter rode arround inside my city and all sims dont have problem and advisors only spoke praises

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

There is always something to do if you have enough cities to play.  Today I added an almost free standing industrial pod to my port city of Cunegonda because it needed about 10,000 more jobs. 

 

Before anyone asks, Cunegonda is the heroine in Leonard Bernstein's comic opera Candide.  Seemed like a good city name because in the opera she gets raped by the entire Hungarian army.  I try to pick city names with a sense of humour.  On one of my current regions I have cities named Katishaw, Ko-ko, Yum-yum, and Nanki-Poo, all, of course, Gilbertian characters.  Needless to say, probably, that Yum-yum is a farming city.

[lhrob 213]

LMBO!  Nonny, sometimes you're a riot. 

 

I've never really named my cities funny names, but I do have some mayors with humorous names....Mr. Haha, Groundhog, Robster.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

All my cities are run by Mr. Nonny.  You have to see the humour of the situation.  When working on a new region, I try to get names for all the tiles in alphabetic order.  You know, Abergevenny, Broadhurst, Cunegonda, Dragomera, Ekberg, Flatulence, etc.

[cromabianca 158]

Uh... can someone explain "natural growth"? 

 

I mean: what do you mean by that? 

[Essex 322]

Uh... can someone explain "natural growth"? 

 

I mean: what do you mean by that? 

https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?PHPSESSID=306e7d3e48120a7663b559385babcd65&topic=9440.0

[Pobs 24]

Uh... can someone explain "natural growth"? 

 

I mean: what do you mean by that?

https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?PHPSESSID=306e7d3e48120a7663b559385babcd65&topic=9440.0

 

Now that's an interest concept. Does anyone on here follow this to the letter?

 

Currently I'm not running any regions as I am just discovering Mods, BATs, Lots and the NAM and so on, so I am trying to get my head around everything else first. Also, I need a decent region to play on, so am looking into SC4Terraformer. However, when I get going again (eventually) I like the idea of not planning and letting things just flow.

 

I think I have seen A Nonny Moose say a couple of times already in my short time here to just make a simple crossroads and let it go from there.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

If you want some regions, none of mine require terraformer.  You use the built-in renderer in the game.  Be sure your resolution when you render is less than 1200 vertical and all will be well.  You can go to any resolution after this is finished.  To activate the renderer navigate to the new region and press CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+R.  Navigate to the gray-scale bit map, press OK, and stand well back.  Very delicate.

 

You might like this one: 735 downloads in about 3 years.  Not for everyone, but a good starter.  You can use that page to get to the rest.

 

The resolution trick will avoid a known problem in the program.

[Pobs 24]

If you want some regions, none of mine require terraformer.  You use the built-in renderer in the game.  Be sure your resolution when you render is less than 1200 vertical and all will be well.  You can go to any resolution after this is finished.  To activate the renderer navigate to the new region and press CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+R.  Navigate to the gray-scale bit map, press OK, and stand well back.  Very delicate.

 

You might like this one: 735 downloads in about 3 years.  Not for everyone, but a good starter.  You can use that page to get to the rest.

 

The resolution trick will avoid a known problem in the program.

 

Ah, you have solved a question without me asking it. I had a problem when I renderer a map last night, and now I think my resolution would be to blame!

 

Thanks for the map link. I like the habour, except I would probably want an island somewhere towards the bottom left. Think I will try this one as my first proper "go" wants I sort out new mods, etc.

 

I was going to use Terraformer to create regions - do you do your's by hand?

 

 

 

EDIT: Apologies for the slight thread-jacking  

  Edited March 4, 2013 by Pobs  

[Bdub01 201]

Lol no problem I always learn new stuff!

[cromabianca 158]

https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?PHPSESSID=306e7d3e48120a7663b559385babcd65&topic=9440.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ow! That's awesome!

 

Thanks, man!!

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

If you want some regions, none of mine require terraformer.  You use the built-in renderer in the game.  Be sure your resolution when you render is less than 1200 vertical and all will be well.  You can go to any resolution after this is finished.  To activate the renderer navigate to the new region and press CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+R.  Navigate to the gray-scale bit map, press OK, and stand well back.  Very delicate.

 

You might like this one: 735 downloads in about 3 years.  Not for everyone, but a good starter.  You can use that page to get to the rest.

 

The resolution trick will avoid a known problem in the program.

 

Ah, you have solved a question without me asking it. I had a problem when I renderer a map last night, and now I think my resolution would be to blame!

 

Thanks for the map link. I like the harbour, except I would probably want an island somewhere towards the bottom left. Think I will try this one as my first proper "go" wants I sort out new mods, etc.

 

I was going to use Terraformer to create regions - do you do your's by hand?

 

 

 

EDIT: Apologies for the slight thread-jacking  

Sorry for copying the whole shebang here, but I will answer the issues you have raised.

 

You want an island, open the space in god mode and raise one up using the god mode tools.  There is nothing sacred about a rendered region.  I consider mine to be templates.

 

For region work I use Greyveil's A nice external tool that has many uses.  On the face of it, it creates random regions, but can also be used to work on a gray-scale map (your own or created by it) by displaying the map in false colour.  You can work on your map manually, and flip it back into LD to see how you are doing.  When your are happy with it, it will help you make your accompanying config.bmp file (the tile layout).  It is then possible to save the whole works as a region, then render it in the game using the internal renderer.

 

What I often do is generate a map that I like, then work on it either in an editor (GIMP) or render it, and terraform the template into what I want for play.  I have no compunctions about cutting in rivers, adding islands, or changing the land using the god or mayor mode tools.

 

Remember you can always go from mayor mode to full god mode by pressing CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+<click the god icon>.  If you switch after building stuff in a city be careful.  God mode terraforming can cause earthquakes.

[Pobs 24]

 

If you want some regions, none of mine require terraformer.  You use the built-in renderer in the game.  Be sure your resolution when you render is less than 1200 vertical and all will be well.  You can go to any resolution after this is finished.  To activate the renderer navigate to the new region and press CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+R.  Navigate to the gray-scale bit map, press OK, and stand well back.  Very delicate.

 

You might like this one: 735 downloads in about 3 years.  Not for everyone, but a good starter.  You can use that page to get to the rest.

 

The resolution trick will avoid a known problem in the program.

 

Ah, you have solved a question without me asking it. I had a problem when I renderer a map last night, and now I think my resolution would be to blame!

 

Thanks for the map link. I like the harbour, except I would probably want an island somewhere towards the bottom left. Think I will try this one as my first proper "go" wants I sort out new mods, etc.

 

I was going to use Terraformer to create regions - do you do your's by hand?

 

 

 

EDIT: Apologies for the slight thread-jacking  

Sorry for copying the whole shebang here, but I will answer the issues you have raised.

 

You want an island, open the space in god mode and raise one up using the god mode tools.  There is nothing sacred about a rendered region.  I consider mine to be templates.

 

For region work I use Greyveil's A nice external tool that has many uses.  On the face of it, it creates random regions, but can also be used to work on a gray-scale map (your own or created by it) by displaying the map in false colour.  You can work on your map manually, and flip it back into LD to see how you are doing.  When your are happy with it, it will help you make your accompanying config.bmp file (the tile layout).  It is then possible to save the whole works as a region, then render it in the game using the internal renderer.

 

What I often do is generate a map that I like, then work on it either in an editor (GIMP) or render it, and terraform the template into what I want for play.  I have no compunctions about cutting in rivers, adding islands, or changing the land using the god or mayor mode tools.

 

Remember you can always go from mayor mode to full god mode by pressing CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+<click the god icon>.  If you switch after building stuff in a city be careful.  God mode terraforming can cause earthquakes.

 

Thanks for the tips. I have the mod installed so I have the God Mode function next to the Major in the menu, however I didn't know about the earthquake risk.

 

Off to design a map I go!