Couple of questions

[phatlad 0]

Bought the game last week during the Steam Summer Sale. I have devoured all the stickies here; thanks for everyone who has contributed in some form or fashion; it has really helped me and has cut way down on the many stupid $%&^! questions I'm sure I would've asked.

But I still have a few questions I hope will be answered (and I apologize if they actually were answered in any of the aforementioned stickies; there is just so much to digest, something may not have stuck in my brain.)

Everyone says install NAM and that it is essential. So I did. But what does it actually do? Basically just "fix" the AI so default sim transportation is more fluid?

Is there a way to turn off the driving missions completely?

What is the difference between game difficulties? I have been playing exclusively on easy; tried a few maps to try different things to get my feet wet. Currently have a region of more than 300k with two cities with more than 100k — but on easy mode. Read many people here say start slow on hard difficulty on turtle mode. (I have always played on turtle mode, too, so at least I got that going for me!)

 

Is there a way to move buildings/stadiums/schools/etc.? Or do you have to destroy and rebuild?

 

What's a good way to get familiar with mass transit? Also, the same with highways. Just trial and error? Do you build the infrastructure first or tear down what you already built once the need arises for mass transit?

 

Will I ever lose the urge to have EVERY SQUARE OF MY CITY filled with something? Right now, a blank square seems like such a waste to me. Does this feeling erode over time (hopefully?!)

 

I think that's all I have for now. Thanks in advance for the help!

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Welcome to Simtropolis.

 

If you took the default NAM installation it expanded your program by including a lot of new stuff besides fixing the traffic controller.  NAM is a collection of transportation packages and has hundreds of features.  Sorry, but I am going to direct you to the documentation for that which is in your Network Addon Mod folder in your Plugins, where you will find the main installation readme and several manuals.  Take your time on this, and play while you learn.  Two of the packages that are in there that are very specialized are the Ground Light Rail (GLR) package and the Real HighWays package (RHW) each of which has a considerable learning curve.  Some of the other stuff improves the game play no end.

 

To turn of the driving missions (silly balloons) press F3, click on the bottom icon in the menu, then click on the bottom icon in the sub-menu.  Press F2 to get back to mayor mode.

 

Easy - 500,000 in the treasury and a lot more hints from the never to be sufficiently damned advisors.

Medium - 300,000 and less advice

Hard - 100,000 and even less advice (this is the original difficulty from the basic game)

 

Once it is built, it is there.  No moving.  Destroy and rezone elsewhere.  Do not plop residential buildings, they abandon because of a game problem that cannot be fixed.

 

The learning curve for the transit networks consists of trial and error.  Don't be afraid of urban renewal, it happens all the time in real life.

 

Eventually you will lose the urge to build pin-cushion cities full of high-wealth this and that.  Not only is this unlikely to be done, the game militates against it.  Best play is regional play.  Each tile (city) in a region should start as a village, be connected to adjacent tiles and the whole thing grown slowly into a regional municipality of some sort.

 

Here is a current example I am working on.  This is on a private version of the NYC layout and is entirely fictional.

 

[phatlad 0]

Awesome, thanks nonny! I can't wait to get off work and dive into NAM readme and manuals.

 

Only question I have is when you said not to plop residential buildings. I'm not sure what you mean by that. (I think you mean just plopping down a residential house like you can a park or a stadium or whatnot, but as far as I can tell, I don't have the ability to plop businesses or industry or residential? Am I wrong?)

 

Thanks!

[AcronShinra 60]

He had in mind custom residential ploppable buildings that can be be find on STEX here for example, mostly older lots. But most of modders is aware of problem with ploppable residentials, so they prefer to offer their creations as normal growable lots or landmarks.

[infamousjbe 592]

While you're going through the diggin' phase, you'll come across little gem, which does allow you to plop residential bats, if it worked properly. But 99% of the time, plopped residential will abandon.

[Snugies 91]

yep I think i'm gona have to get nam too. as I want those streetcars and high speed rail it offers, however do I need to download the original nam or can I download the latest version? I'm also waiting for my CD's to come via mail. I suggest you buy the simtropolis CD's they will give you access to all the best buildings ever made on simtropolis.

[KevinPaul06 57]

Is it possible to put different types of buses and trains in the game?

[Ganaram Inukshuk 906]

however do I need to download the original nam or can I download the latest version?

NAM's a singular package. There's no real dependency or initial download for it (other than a fully-updated game). Everything that has been separate (NWM, RHW, RAM, HSRP, RuRP, etc) is under that package.

[infamousjbe 592]

Is it possible to put different types of buses and trains in the game?

Yes.

 

You can add automata bats to your plugins folders that either, ADD more types of vehicles that can be spawned, or some REPLACE the default vehicles. Just make sure to pay attention to the read me files with each instance.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

And do pick up the extra cheats dll as recommended by the poster in #5.  It is the developers debug package and has a much very useful stuff.

[Snugies 91]

oh ya what nonny said LotPlop is extremely important and Mollah. Moolah  is the money cheat you get absolutely necessary if you want to be creative with your city. LotPlop is absolutely necessary as you can plop any building made in the game, I can't explain the many buildings I've seen in lotplop that I never saw playing the game for 10 years or so, never seeing a commercial skyscraper or large commercial shopping mall. I'm having fun now placing these large shopping malls that make your suburbs look much more realistic now all I need is those parking lot but soo many dependencies ugh! 

[phatlad 0]

Man alive learning how to build a highway infrastructure sucks.

 

Another quick question: What are the max capacities for high tech industry jobs? My demand is 6000, yet none of the high tech buildings are expanding higher than 73, and most are in the 20s. They are all in highly desirable "green" areas on the map.

 

Is it even worth it to have it if it doesn't go above 73?

[Ltw 401]

Man alive learning how to build a highway infrastructure sucks.

 

Another quick question: What are the max capacities for high tech industry jobs? My demand is 6000, yet none of the high tech buildings are expanding higher than 73, and most are in the 20s. They are all in highly desirable "green" areas on the map.

 

Is it even worth it to have it if it doesn't go above 73?

 

The capacity of industrial lots is much lower than the capacity of commercial lots. I thought I've seen a capacity of around the 300 or something like that but that probably was I-D or I-M. Hightech doesn't supply that many jobs normally. You could download custom content on the STEX with more jobs, there are certain lots available.

 

If it is worth keeping industrial zones is up to you. I think it is, normally when a city ages the industry changes from dirty to hightech and manufacturing. The undesirable effects of those industries are much lower. And it is true that the number of jobs provided by industry is much lower than the jobs provided by commercial skyscrapers but industry is usually zoned outside the city center and not very close to the CBD. If you develop commercial zones in the same area it probably won't develop to skyscrapers anyway.

 

Lets assume that you've zoned that specific area with commercial zones. There probably will be commercial services and low density commercial offices be established at this place. Those buildings will provide about the same amount of jobs as hightech industry. The big difference is that those commercial jobs are probably low to medium wealth, hightech industry is high wealth. With hightech industry you are making the city more desirable for people with higher incomes.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

If you hunt around on the exchanges you can find I-HT buildings with thousands of jobs.  These are mostly car or aircraft manufacturing plants and tend to take up a lot of space.  Remember that industrial tends to spread out, not up.  I tend to limit my industrial pods in size and ignore the demands.

[Turjan 1,048]

Here is a current example I am working on.  This is on a private version of the NYC layout and is entirely fictional.

 

"Cloaca Maxima", ha! I wonder who would move there . Is that your garbage processing center?

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

 

Here is a current example I am working on.  This is on a private version of the NYC layout and is entirely fictional.

 

"Cloaca Maxima", ha! I wonder who would move there . Is that your garbage processing center?

 

No, it is the big sewer at the end of that river.  By the time a river reaches that point it is probably thoroughly contaminated.  Would you suggest the name "Ostia" instead?

[Turjan 1,048]

I guess both works . I was just curious whether the name had also functional implications, but your reasoning works as well.

[phatlad 0]

Found the Industry 40 X employment. It would be perfect if it worked for I-HT only. However, I am killing it from my files, because having the I-D is beyond ludicrous.

 

I'll keep digging around in the STEX until I find something I can live with.

 

Thanks!

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Sounds like you want to micromanage too much.  It is one of the distractions that prevents good city development.

[libellibicus 396]

Sounds like you want to micromanage too much.  It is one of the distractions that prevents good city development.

Agreed. Look at the bigger picture to start with.

[phatlad 0]

That's probably true. Like I said earlier, I'm still in that MUST-FILL-EVERY-SQUARE mode since the game is still new to me. The great thing is I can just start all over!

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Just put it in Turtle, and enjoy the animation.  Take your time, and you will be rewarded.  This is a leisure time pursuit, not a hurry-up-and-win game.  There is no way to "win" because there is no final goal.

[jeffabes 10]

Man alive learning how to build a highway infrastructure sucks.

 

Another quick question: What are the max capacities for high tech industry jobs? My demand is 6000, yet none of the high tech buildings are expanding higher than 73, and most are in the 20s. They are all in highly desirable "green" areas on the map.

 

Is it even worth it to have it if it doesn't go above 73?

BTW, do you have this?  Before you install it, I-HT doesn't have enough $$$ jobs.