No night time lights

[dentonfire 7]

What you saw as the title you will read here. The buildings i download as mods dont light up during the night. Its unfortunate because i would like to see my towns actually awake in the night too. Are the lights in pictures that people post just photoshopped? Or are they really supposed to light up?

 

 

[Samerton 833]

Hi,

In order to get the nightlights in custom buildings to work, you'll need to update your game. There's a guide on how to do this here:  click on Spoiler 3 to view the guide.

 

-Sam.

[GeometryMath Algebra 614]

What you saw as the title you will read here. The buildings i download as mods dont light up during the night. Its unfortunate because i would like to see my towns actually awake in the night too. Are the lights in pictures that people post just photoshopped? Or are they really supposed to light up?

First off, you posted this in the wrong forum section. This should've been in the 'SC4 Bugs & Technical Issues' section. And second, to get the custom BATs to light up, download the EP1 update and the BAT update. (Be sure you've got the EP1 patch install before installing the BAT update. )

[dentonfire 7]

It said the file was found but doesnt match the new file trying to be installed.

[GeometryMath Algebra 614]

It said the file was found but doesnt match the new file trying to be installed.

Are you using a no-cd crack to play the game? It will not update on a no-cd because the checksums are different. And also, don't you know that is also illegal?

[dentonfire 7]

I have no idea what that is. Maybe it would help you if i told you instead of Windows i have Linux instead, im using a "wine" application to get simcity 4 to work. And i bought the game brand spanking new off Amazon.

[GeometryMath Algebra 614]

I have no idea what that is. Maybe it would help you if i told you instead of Windows i have Linux instead, im using a "wine" application to get simcity 4 to work. And i bought the game brand spanking new off Amazon.

A no-cd crack is a hack on the EXE, which bypasses the need to insert a disc to play. Since you bought your game from Amazon, it looks like it's a legit copy. Try updating with the SKU2 patch instead, the patches differ from region to region. If that doesn't work, I don't have knowledge on Linux, try seeking help by PM'ing A Nonny Moose, since he runs SimCity 4 via Wine in Linux.

[Cyclone Boom 17,031]

Is your game a digital (download) version or a boxed CD? The digital versions sold at Amazon, GamersGate and Steam are already fully updated (1.1.641.0). If so, running the patches isn't required, and won't change anything.

For the issue, it might be that the lights haven't turned on yet. Maybe try toggling the game from night to day. Then after waiting a few seconds, back to night time. I've known the lights on custom BATs to sometimes get stuck (on or off), and this can help to reset the sequence.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Let us set the record straight here.  If you have a digital download and are running under wine, you don't need any patches.  However, CycloneBoom is quite right.  Try hitting F5 for day time, then F6 for night and wait for the lights to turn on.  Also you should know that some developers do not put the proper night light textures in their BATs, with the result that the don't light.  You can switch the night scene back and forth a few times to try and force it.  F7 restores the day/night cycle.

 

Which version of wine are you running and on what Linux decor?  I am running Ubuntu 13.10 with wine-1.7.8

[dentonfire 7]

Let us set the record straight here.  If you have a digital download and are running under wine, you don't need any patches.  However, CycloneBoom is quite right.  Try hitting F5 for day time, then F6 for night and wait for the lights to turn on.  Also you should know that some developers do not put the proper night light textures in their BATs, with the result that the don't light.  You can switch the night scene back and forth a few times to try and force it.  F7 restores the day/night cycle.

 

Which version of wine are you running and on what Linux decor?  I am running Ubuntu 13.10 with wine-1.7.8

I have a boxed version. Brand new too. Like unopened to begin with. Looks like i have 1.4. So the game has been updated with the latest update? I tried to download the NAM mod but it said i needed the new update to get it.

[dentonfire 7]

So everyone has talked about the Digital copy of Simcity 4 off Amazon, now what about the CD copy?

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

If you have a CD copy of the game there are three possibilities: SimCity 4; Rush Hour (requires SimCity 4); Deluxe.  In all cases patches must be applied.  SimCity 4 + Rush Hour = Deluxe.

 

There is practically no custom content for SimCity 4.  99% of all custom content is for Deluxe.

 

Deluxe requires at least the proper EP1 patch for the region of issue.  After applying EP1, the patch4BAT can also be applied for night lighting on custom content.

 

The build level of the game can always be found with windows explorer.  Simply find the SimCity 4.exe file and hover your mouse over it.  NTFS will report the "version" number as 1,1,6xx,y.  if xx < 38 no patches have been applied.  xx = 38 ep1 has been applied.  xx = 40 both patches have been applied.  y is irrelevant.  If you are running windows below Vista, you have to open the version tab by right clicking on the exe file.

 

The play disk is required to be in an optical or virtual drive to play with this version.

 

Cracked versions of the CD game, or copies obtained from streaming sites not authorized to sell the game will not accept the patches and therefore cannot use custom content.  Generally the security on the CD versions of this game is pretty good.

[dentonfire 7]

Okay i got the update with the European version. And i got the NAM mod as well. Only one problem though, the cities take a very long time to load, i read this in a message during the NAM download.

The controller compiler failed to build a network compiler. Therefore, a standard, full-featured controller will be used. The only disadvantage this has over the custom controller created by the compiler is that the game loading time may be somewhat longer, and time returning from the Zone and Subway building views may be longer as well.

 

The usual reason for this error is that you do not have Java installed. If this is the case, you can install Java when the installation completes and run the NAM installer again. You will then get a custom-built network compiler as part of your installation.

[dentonfire 7]

What the message says is wrong, i actually downloaded Java last night before i installed the NAM. Then i re-installed it after i downloaded the NAM, then tried re-downloading the NAM again. Still the same message showed up. The city lights turn on and everything but it just takes a while for the city to load, if a small city region takes several minutes to load i can only imagine how long it would take a medium....or even a large city region to load.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

This is in the wrong forum on the wrong site.  Come join the party at SC4Devotion.  If you haven't, you should register over there.  It is free.

 

Now this is an error I am currently working on for Linux/wine with z1.  If you are on Windows, it is interesting to me in that it might just be a simple scripting error.

[dentonfire 7]

Im using linux. I quit using windows because it was getting slow on me

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

OK, what version of the game do you have?  If you loaded from CD, you have to have installed both patches, EP1 and the patch4BAT to get night lights. 

 

I don't have a problem with this on Ubuntu 13.10 with wine-1.7.8. 

 

Open a city and push F6 (permanent night) and wait a while.  F5 for permanent day, F7 to restore the day/night cycle.  Moment while I just check this ... just loaded the biggest city I have and it has full night lights.  I have NAM 32-PR1.
 

[Lost Realist 762]

Let me join in here and give you guys a very daring stab in the dark: Did you use the "fightthepower" cheat to power your city? If I recall correctly, that will also lead to no nightlights at all.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Let me join in here and give you guys a very daring stab in the dark: Did you use the "fightthepower" cheat to power your city? If I recall correctly, that will also lead to no nightlights at all.

Now that you mention it, I think that's correct.  I don't think any custom content can see that at all.

[wasso38 10]

please update your game to 1.1.640. your BAT night lights never work. but before we install this 1.1.640.0 patch. install EP1 or 1.1.638.0 patch. and than. your BAT night lights are now working! please note this update will never work in Mac or digital versions.

[GeometryMath Algebra 614]

please update your game to 1.1.640. your BAT night lights never work. but before we install this 1.1.640.0 patch. install EP1 or 1.1.638.0 patch. and than. your BAT night lights are now working!

He tried that, but he gets the 'Old file not found' error. I guess he has either a digital copy, which is fully patched out of the box.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

 

please update your game to 1.1.640. your BAT night lights never work. but before we install this 1.1.640.0 patch. install EP1 or 1.1.638.0 patch. and than. your BAT night lights are now working!

He tried that, but he gets the 'Old file not found' error. I guess he has either a digital copy, which is fully patched out of the box.

 

Or he got his game off a torrent site and it is cracked.