The rail topic for beginners

[Major_Al 0]

Since I'm a beginner in the wonderful world of SC4 modding, can you please explain and/or add links to tutorials on how to effectively use any kind of "extra" rail which was not included in the original SC4? A couple of questions:

- what do GLR, HSRP, GHSR and other similar acronyms stand for?

- how are they related to the standard network?

- how can I test things out?

- why the sc4 wiki says that glr does not connect to subways, since it's supposed to be a replacement for el-rail, which connects to subways?

P.S.: I dowloaded NAM 31 yesterday, but crashes (I already posted it somewhere else).

Thank you

[Revenger 13]

If you haven't yet install the latest NAM 31 and read the documentation and experiment ingame and watch google videos on nam if you are unsure how to build stuff.

 

These pages should help you understand the terms for networks and components.

 

http://www.wiki.sc4devotion.com/index.php?title=SC4_Glossary

 

https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=15114.0

 

To test install the cheat plugin dll then start a new large city for example in the cheat textbox press 'ctrl-alt-x' type moolah 9999999 for 9999999 simoleans or any amount you want.

 

And build and test away at your will without having to save up by normal means.

 

As for nam crashes try a fresh plugins folder and a new city and do a full install of nam if all else fails try a fresh simcity folder and fresh region or one that hasn't been used with mods.

 

if you are crashing placing stuff like rail like rail over road next to the elevated rail over road station for example do not mouseover other placed nam objects with a nam objects in your hand as you will crash instead move the mouse to slot it next to the object without touching.

[Lukav Minaev 2]

P.S.: I dowloaded NAM 31 yesterday, but crashes (I already posted it somewhere else).

Thank you

NAM crash has nothing to do with their "not ordinary" transit system, if you want to ask that. They have fix that ancient time ago. The only people usually complain nowaday is txtures and cosmetic.

Maybe someoane with better english than me and with better experience using NAM will explain the abrv and yheir funcyion to you

[Major_Al 0]

Is there a specific reason for the new NAM 31 to crash? What could it be? And again, can it be possible that the new NAM still requires external fixes? Do you think that, if I completely wipe out my SimCity 4 from the PC and then reinstall it, it will work?

[Revenger 13]

Is there a specific reason for the new NAM 31 to crash? What could it be? And again, can it be possible that the new NAM still requires external fixes? Do you think that, if I completely wipe out my SimCity 4 from the PC and then reinstall it, it will work?

 

NAM requires no dependencies so it will run stand alone with the latest standard or with rush hour 1.1.6 or higher.

 

Make sure you also update to the latest patch before installing NAM.

 

If you want to re-install install name and check then each other mod one by one till you work out the cause.

 

Also if you haven't download the maxis simcity extras they can be found around the place especially the bldgprop_vol1.dat and bldgprop_vol2.dat files.

[jason leo 485]

Is there a specific reason for the new NAM 31 to crash? What could it be? And again, can it be possible that the new NAM still requires external fixes? Do you think that, if I completely wipe out my SimCity 4 from the PC and then reinstall it, it will work?

I suggest you to look at the report about all identified and solved NAM v.31 bugs here.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Be aware that solved does not mean the solution is distributed as yet.  There will be a new version when this happens.

 

I created a test account on my machine and cloned my SC4 environment to it.  Then I installed NAM 31.  I am on Linux, so it was necessary for me to delete NAM 30 and friends before the installation.  I've only had time to do a minor bit of testing, but so far, so good.

[Major_Al 0]

Sorry, I haven't found anything regarding continous crashes about NAM 31 in the bug list. Could a fresh install solve the problem? The latest patch available for my language is 1.0.638, can this be the problem? P.S.: how can I run sc4 on linux?

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Well, I don't think NAM 31 is the crash culprit.  You may have a plugin conflict.  I found it necessary to delete the old NAM before I installed this one.

 

You run SC4 (Windows version) using the Windows Executive (wine).  You might want to have a browse through thread.

[jason leo 485]

Sorry, I haven't found anything regarding continous crashes about NAM 31 in the bug list. Could a fresh install solve the problem? The latest patch available for my language is 1.0.638, can this be the problem? P.S.: how can I run sc4 on linux?

I suggest you to have the BAT Update as well, so your game's version is 1,1,640 (the fully patched game).

 

 

Well, I don't think NAM 31 is the crash culprit.  You may have a plugin conflict.  I found it necessary to delete the old NAM before I installed this one.

So, the new version will not automatically replace the previous version ?

[Ganaram Inukshuk 906]

So, the new version will not automatically replace the previous version ?

No, it will.

[Essex 322]

So, the new version will not automatically replace the previous version ?

No, it will.

Yes, it won't?

[Ganaram Inukshuk 906]

Yes, it won't?

The NAM Installer's designed to remove any previous version of the NAM. It's now part-Cleanitol.

[Major_Al 0]

Thank you all, I'll try everything exposed here ad soon ad I can, now I'am unable to do that. Where can I find this BAT Upgrade and what actually does to the game? Why there's nothing about it in the offical download page of SC4 on the EA site?

So, back to the topic, can someone link some good tutorials about rails?

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

I don't think that there is a comprehensive tutorial on rail covering all the options included with the NAM v31.  I am just starting to play with that release (in a separate userid on my machine).   

 

I did a search in the Omnibus for "rail" and I got two pages, mostly irrelevant, but some rail related tutorials.  However, nothing turned up that could be comprehensive.

 

What topics would you like to see in such a tutorial?

 

Do you have specific problems with rail?

[jason leo 485]

Thank you all, I'll try everything exposed here ad soon ad I can, now I'am unable to do that. Where can I find this BAT Upgrade and what actually does to the game? Why there's nothing about it in the offical download page of SC4 on the EA site?

The official site is already dead since long time ago. However, it is still possible for you to get the patch here (scroll down to find the link).

[Major_Al 0]

I don't think that there is a comprehensive tutorial on rail covering all the options included with the NAM v31.  I am just starting to play with that release (in a separate userid on my machine).   

 

I did a search in the Omnibus for "rail" and I got two pages, mostly irrelevant, but some rail related tutorials.  However, nothing turned up that could be comprehensive.

 

What topics would you like to see in such a tutorial?

 

Do you have specific problems with rail?

 

Ok, some questions

 

1) How can I test rail networks as well as other networks to be sure they work?

2) If the answer is "use the U-Drive-It", assuming I can effectively drive through puzzle pieces and NAM-related things, how does the game behave when I try to enter a station that connects two different rail networks (e.g. slow rail to monorail, I think there's a station doing it)?

3) How are the different rails meant to be effectively used in the game? I mean, what are the main differences in characteristics and  destination of use between all the rails? When is necessary or recommended to use slow rail, GLR/El-rail/subway or monorail/ghsr/hsr?

4) Again, is it correct to use slow rail just for trading between industries, el-rail/glr/subway to move people in town and monorail just to connect far places in the same city or between cities?

 

Thank you for helping me

[jason leo 485]

1) How can I test rail networks as well as other networks to be sure they work?

Run the game for some simyears, then check the amount commuters using the rail. If the amount is less than 1, the rail network you use can be considered as a failure.

 

2) If the answer is "use the U-Drive-It", assuming I can effectively drive through puzzle pieces and NAM-related things, how does the game behave when I try to enter a station that connects two different rail networks (e.g. slow rail to monorail, I think there's a station doing it)?

Based on my experience, the type of transportation you use will be gone when it reaches the transition. But, it doesn't mean the system is failed, the only way to check that is by using the route query tool and click the network.

3) How are the different rails meant to be effectively used in the game? I mean, what are the main differences in characteristics and  destination of use between all the rails? When is necessary or recommended to use slow rail, GLR/El-rail/subway or monorail/ghsr/hsr?

Each type is better to be used in the different place. The heavy rail is better to be used around rural areas and intercity network, while GLR/El-rail/subway is better to be used in cities because they can be made into one network and they are designed to be existed in cities. Monorail is another network with faster speed than light rail but also takes more space than light rail (subway can be considered as light rail and it is not place consuming), I think it is better to be used together with light rail.

4) Again, is it correct to use slow rail just for trading between industries, el-rail/glr/subway to move people in town and monorail just to connect far places in the same city or between cities?

I don't think so, it is true that heavy rail is useful for industrial areas because they can send the freights faster than trucks, but at the same time, it is also easier for commuters to use this one as an intercity network. And both light rail and monorail can be used for transportation between cities.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

If you have the extra cheats dll (developer's debug commands) you can check your rail with the Drawpaths request.  Hidepaths is the converse.

 

There are only two rail systems:

 

Heavy rail for freight and passenger service (single or dual tracked).  Default is dual tracked.

 

Light rail for Elevated Rail and Subway.  There is an in-game connection for El to subway.  The rest are modds, many of them in the NAM.  I think with NAM v31 I can say nearly all of them in the NAM complete with stations.

 

The two systems are really not interoperable.  Imagine a freight train trying to cross an El bridge!  Some players have forced this, but it is not very bright.

 

As for usage, horses for courses.  Rail of any stripe is faster than roads.  Freight rail can be spurred through an industrial pod when adjacent industries will load freight directly on the trains.  I suggest a collector freight station on the rail path and a road adjacent to any industrial pod to catch any stray freight trucks for plants that can't reach the rails.  Rail will be used for freight if:  It is the quickest exit path for the freight to either a seaport (PEG seaports are rail enabled); or to the edge of the city map with a neighbour rail connection.

 

Because of the convertibility, I prefer elevated rail/subway systems to monorail as people movers in town.  Sometimes, where there is a considerable intercity traffic I use monorail.  Of course there are monorail derived systems as well as elevated rail derived systems.  I consider GLR (TRAM) and the high speed rail system (HSRP) to be advanced systems and one should study these carefully.

[Major_Al 0]

If you have the extra cheats dll (developer's debug commands) you can check your rail with the Drawpaths request.  Hidepaths is the converse.

 

There are only two rail systems:

 

Heavy rail for freight and passenger service (single or dual tracked).  Default is dual tracked.

 

Light rail for Elevated Rail and Subway.  There is an in-game connection for El to subway.  The rest are modds, many of them in the NAM.  I think with NAM v31 I can say nearly all of them in the NAM complete with stations.

 

The two systems are really not interoperable.  Imagine a freight train trying to cross an El bridge!  Some players have forced this, but it is not very bright.

 

As for usage, horses for courses.  Rail of any stripe is faster than roads.  Freight rail can be spurred through an industrial pod when adjacent industries will load freight directly on the trains.  I suggest a collector freight station on the rail path and a road adjacent to any industrial pod to catch any stray freight trucks for plants that can't reach the rails.  Rail will be used for freight if:  It is the quickest exit path for the freight to either a seaport (PEG seaports are rail enabled); or to the edge of the city map with a neighbour rail connection.

 

Because of the convertibility, I prefer elevated rail/subway systems to monorail as people movers in town.  Sometimes, where there is a considerable intercity traffic I use monorail.  Of course there are monorail derived systems as well as elevated rail derived systems.  I consider GLR (TRAM) and the high speed rail system (HSRP) to be advanced systems and one should study these carefully.

 

Thank you.

 

In a quite big, developed and ideal city, what is the real utility of heavy rail? How can it make sense? I mean, at first I place it as a fast alternative to roads and it works, people use it to go to work and industries use it to send freights, but as soon as I build some subway/el-rail, some road connections to neighbor cities and maybe an highway, the freight and passenger usage of rail sharply decades towards zero, especially freight usage. I found the only way to make freight usage decent is to cut off any road connection to other cities and force Sims to use it.

 

Anyway, I reinstalled everything and the game does not crash anymore, thank you all!

[Cob92 360]

If you have the extra cheats dll (developer's debug commands) you can check your rail with the Drawpaths request.  Hidepaths is the converse.

 

There are only two rail systems:

 

Heavy rail for freight and passenger service (single or dual tracked).  Default is dual tracked.

 

Light rail for Elevated Rail and Subway.  There is an in-game connection for El to subway.  The rest are modds, many of them in the NAM.  I think with NAM v31 I can say nearly all of them in the NAM complete with stations.

 

The two systems are really not interoperable.  Imagine a freight train trying to cross an El bridge!  Some players have forced this, but it is not very bright.

 

As for usage, horses for courses.  Rail of any stripe is faster than roads.  Freight rail can be spurred through an industrial pod when adjacent industries will load freight directly on the trains.  I suggest a collector freight station on the rail path and a road adjacent to any industrial pod to catch any stray freight trucks for plants that can't reach the rails.  Rail will be used for freight if:  It is the quickest exit path for the freight to either a seaport (PEG seaports are rail enabled); or to the edge of the city map with a neighbour rail connection.

 

Because of the convertibility, I prefer elevated rail/subway systems to monorail as people movers in town.  Sometimes, where there is a considerable intercity traffic I use monorail.  Of course there are monorail derived systems as well as elevated rail derived systems.  I consider GLR (TRAM) and the high speed rail system (HSRP) to be advanced systems and one should study these carefully.

 

Thank you.

 

In a quite big, developed and ideal city, what is the real utility of heavy rail? How can it make sense? I mean, at first I place it as a fast alternative to roads and it works, people use it to go to work and industries use it to send freights, but as soon as I build some subway/el-rail, some road connections to neighbor cities and maybe an highway, the freight and passenger usage of rail sharply decades towards zero, especially freight usage. I found the only way to make freight usage decent is to cut off any road connection to other cities and force Sims to use it.

 

Anyway, I reinstalled everything and the game does not crash anymore, thank you all!

 

Rail is good for intercity commuting. I use it to link my major employment centers and suburbs together (kind of like Amtrak in the Northeastern U.S.). It's also good if you have industry at the center of a city tile, because it takes too long for the freight trucks to get to the edge of the tile IMO.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

If you want freight to work you simply have to ensure that the route for rail is better than the road route.  If you find freight trucks exiting the city, it is time to re-evaluate your rail route and capacity.  I use a rail enabled seaport wherever I can and try to arrange my industry close to the port, which then moves the freight to the port, usually by rail.  Since freight goes to the big bit bucket in the sky when it leaves the city, it is good not to have it cluttering up your intercity roads.