How far away will people travel to work?

[infamousjbe 593]

Yeah, so I guess power only flows from power lines to zones, or zones to other zones, not to neighboring cities. Water and transportation are easy, to connect to other cities. But, it looks like if I want to share power with mechana I'm going to have to tear down a building to put up a power line connection.

 

 

 

Think you might have misunderstood what Z1 stated. All you have to do is drag the power line past the edge of your city tile. This will bring up a prompt that will ask if you want to make a neighbor connection with your power lines. If done correct, you should see a small yellow arrow pointing towards the edge of the city tile, just like any transport network, water pipe line, rails, or even subways. 

 

All you need is either 2 or 3 blank grid squares to add the power line neighbor connection. It does not have to be directly connected to the power plant itself, unless there are no zones within 6 tiles away from the power line. Power lines have a radius similar to the water pipes. there can be blank spaces from the power line to the zone without actually touching the zone and it will still receive power.

 

The thing to remember though, the supplying city has to have enough power to spare for the receiving city, and the receiving city must have enough in the coffers to afford buying power from the supplying city. 

 

Hope that clears it up for ya. 

[simcityerr 2]

Comment: I hope you are aware that if some glitch resets the tutorials, your cities will be gone.  It does happen occasionally.  Playing on Timbuktu is not recommended.

 

What about if I made a copy of it, renamed it to TImbuktu 2, and deleted all the cities that are learning scenario's?

 

Yeah, so I guess power only flows from power lines to zones, or zones to other zones, not to neighboring cities. Water and transportation are easy, to connect to other cities. But, it looks like if I want to share power with mechana I'm going to have to tear down a building to put up a power line connection.

 

 

 

Think you might have misunderstood what Z1 stated. All you have to do is drag the power line past the edge of your city tile. This will bring up a prompt that will ask if you want to make a neighbor connection with your power lines. If done correct, you should see a small yellow arrow pointing towards the edge of the city tile, just like any transport network, water pipe line, rails, or even subways. 

 

All you need is either 2 or 3 blank grid squares to add the power line neighbor connection. It does not have to be directly connected to the power plant itself, unless there are no zones within 6 tiles away from the power line. Power lines have a radius similar to the water pipes. there can be blank spaces from the power line to the zone without actually touching the zone and it will still receive power.

 

The thing to remember though, the supplying city has to have enough power to spare for the receiving city, and the receiving city must have enough in the coffers to afford buying power from the supplying city. 

 

Hope that clears it up for ya. 

It made me wonder if the neighbor deals selling power, water or garbage are worth it. They make you money, yes, but they will require you to turn up your water, power and garbage burning capacity as well, which costs you money. As long as the costs for capacities are lower than the income from selling it will be worth it. But, sometimes I've thought just to simply turn down the capacity I'm not using to save money would be better.

 

Yes, that was exactly my point, I do need a unoccupied square to put the power line on, if all of the squares on the edge of the map are occupied, I'd have to tear something down to put a power line up. I guess water is the only one you don't have to worry about with it, since it's underground.

[simcityerr 2]

Ok, I'll install NAM then. Just when I installed a mod for a game once, like I said it integrated itself into it, and there was no way to de-integrate it without reinstalling. Good thing that's not the case with NAM.

 

But, I really don't want cheat (I have in other simcity games before) some bug fixes would be good like this seems to do, however.

[GrijzePilion 10]

There are lots of programmed animations in the game that have no relation to what's actually happening. 

You mean parks filled with Sims in cities without R-zones?

[APSMS 1,893]

But, I really don't want cheat (I have in other simcity games before) some bug fixes would be good like this seems to do, however.

 

The NAM is definitely not a cheat. Primarily, it makes your transportation networks function like they should, and allows you to control how Sims travel, rather than having the Sims determine the main roads (which is frustrating when they ignore your 6-lane super-highway and instead pile 2000 people onto a side-street). Any complaints of the greater capacity of the NAM modified networks is easily remedied by using the MAXIS network capacities in the TCSC tool that installs with the NAM package.

 

Those highways you built should get some proper usage once that area develops. I know my highway and monorail got almost zero usage before the NAM, and just sat there, mocking me.

[simcityerr 2]

Ok, so I tried to install NAM, but it said I must first patch my game, by downloading and installing SKU1 here

 

https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?page=16

 

When I tried to install that I got this error

 

[infamousjbe 593]

It made me wonder if the neighbor deals selling power, water or garbage are worth it. They make you money, yes, but they will require you to turn up your water, power and garbage burning capacity as well, which costs you money. As long as the costs for capacities are lower than the income from selling it will be worth it. But, sometimes I've thought just to simply turn down the capacity I'm not using to save money would be better.

 

Yes, that was exactly my point, I do need a unoccupied square to put the power line on, if all of the squares on the edge of the map are occupied, I'd have to tear something down to put a power line up. I guess water is the only one you don't have to worry about with it, since it's underground.

 

 

It sort of comes down to whether or not you want to pay for clean power, or have to build a dirty plant in your city. If your city has a large income, paying more for clean power than building a plant is certainly worth it IMO. 

 

I personally have some kind of power/water/garbage deal across multiple city tiles and it doesn't really effect the budget to a point it's not worth it for me.

 

Guess I never had a problem with the complete edge of any of my cities being zoned like that. My region is not flat and I prefer to "break the grid" with my networks, so there's never a place I couldn't make a neighbor connection for power. 

[z1 566]

Ok, so I tried to install NAM, but it said I must first patch my game, by downloading and installing SKU1 here

 

https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?page=16

 

When I tried to install that I got this error...

 

That looks like a hacked version of the game.  Where did you get your copy?

[simcityerr 2]

I bought one copy in a store, just the vanilla version, no rush hour, then another on Amazon or ebay or something, can't remember exactly. The CD-Key works just fine from my manual.

 

But, how can you tell I myself have a hacked copy from that website? Or, maybe you're refferring to the screenshot I posted.

 

I did also download landscape designer, but that just creates maps that can be imported into the game, correct? Should that do anything to it?

[z1 566]

But, how can you tell I myself have a hacked copy from that website? Or, maybe you're refferring to the screenshot I posted.

 

Yes, I'm referring to the screenshot.  You have a file with the correct name, but incorrect contents - that's almost invariably due to a file that's been changed, and now has a different checksum.

 

 

I did also download landscape designer, but that just creates maps that can be imported into the game, correct? Should that do anything to it?

 

Correct.  That's not the problem.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Check the version number in your SimCity 4.exe file.  Find it with windows explorer and hover your mouse over it.

 

1,1,2xx is the original SimCity 4 without Rush Hour

1,1,610 or 613 is Rush Hour/Deluxe

610 requires the SKU 1 update to 638

613 requires the SKU 2 update to 638

638 need to be updated to 640 for night lights

641 is the Deluxe, fully patched, diskless digital download.

[simcityerr 2]

Ok, so I upgrades to 640, and installed NAM. Rather, it is installing NAM right now, it is at the step where Cleanitol is running, and I have the step in NAM saying

 

Execute- C:\Users\Administrator\Documents\Simcity 4\Plugins\Network Addo Mod\BSC....(it doesn't show me anything further)

 

It asked me to please be patient while it installs, but in the last hour the progress bar has not moved it all, which makes it think it is frozen/hangup/crashed. Unless, maybe I am supposed to click quit on cleanitol right now.

[Cool_Z 1,547]

Check the version number in your SimCity 4.exe file.  Find it with windows explorer and hover your mouse over it.

 

1,1,2xx is the original SimCity 4 without Rush Hour

1,1,610 or 613 is Rush Hour/Deluxe

610 requires the SKU 1 update to 638

613 requires the SKU 2 update to 638

638 need to be updated to 640 for night lights

641 is the Deluxe, fully patched, diskless digital download.

 

There are two different versions of the unpatched game ? 

[simcityerr 2]

Well, I'm gonna discontinue it and hit quit, since I'm pretty sure it's frozen. Unless, it takes, say a day or more to complete. Ah...........that was exactly what I needed to do

[Sims21 2]

Wow, I saw the date on Flatburg, 1/24/374, that's a long time, I was always wondering what happens when the date reaches 12/31/99...  I thought it went 1/1/00. 

[simcityerr 2]

Wow, I saw the date on Flatburg, 1/24/374, that's a long time, I was always wondering what happens when the date reaches 12/31/99...  I thought it went 1/1/00. 

 

I keep the it running at full speed when I have a budget surplus to horde money.

[simcityerr 2]

NAM hasn't made a real different sofar. Maybe did you mean the Traffic Simulator Configuration Tool? That allows you to control what paths sims take to work in the game? Usually the game takes up the whole screen, I'm a little confused, is this program part of the game/integrated into it, or separate from the game?

[z1 566]

The Traffic Simulator Configuration Tool is not necessary to get the benefits of the NAM traffic simulator; the TSCT merely allows you to customize things a bit to your taste.  If the NAM hasn't made a real difference yet, I'd imagine that you're playing in a small city, where the default traffic simulator does a better job than it does in bigger cities.  The NAM itself is integrated into the game; the TSCT is a separate program that should be run only when the game is not running.  I would also not recommend changing the TSCT values until you see how the unmodified NAM traffic simulator works in your cities.

[simcityerr 2]

The Traffic Simulator Configuration Tool is not necessary to get the benefits of the NAM traffic simulator; the TSCT merely allows you to customize things a bit to your taste.  If the NAM hasn't made a real difference yet, I'd imagine that you're playing in a small city, where the default traffic simulator does a better job than it does in bigger cities.  The NAM itself is integrated into the game; the TSCT is a separate program that should be run only when the game is not running.  I would also not recommend changing the TSCT values until you see how the unmodified NAM traffic simulator works in your cities.

 

Yeah, just wish I could know why exactly those industrial zones will not fill up (there are some lots left undeveloped) Mechana has nothing but industrial zones, and some water pumps, power and garbage cleanup (incinerator and landfill) it exists to supply Flatburg with jobs

 

I don't think it's pollution, the whole city is smog filled, like you'd expect with an all industrial city. Demand in Flatburg is pretty wild, all of them go up and down rapidly, between positive and negative, but I'm running it on the fastest speed, so it's happened over the course of months really. Have any of you had a situation like mine, with my cities, where the industrial zones did fill up, despite being as far from residential as they are in my region? Also, the city to the south called itus, is also having trouble getting industrial zones filled, for some reason. I'm guessing you also try to do what I do, not to have any industry in a city with residential, at least not non-high tech, non-polluting industry.

[z1 566]

Yeah, just wish I could know why exactly those industrial zones will not fill up (there are some lots left undeveloped) Mechana has nothing but industrial zones, and some water pumps, power and garbage cleanup (incinerator and landfill) it exists to supply Flatburg with jobs.

For large numbers of Sims to travel long distances, the game requires rapid transit, and generally a lot of it..  This was discovered by experimentation, and is not something we have control over.  That's why when you have widely separated zones (as I do), putting in an extensive subway network with plenty of stations can make a huge difference.

 

 

 I'm guessing you also try to do what I do, not to have any industry in a city with residential, at least not non-high tech, non-polluting industry.

 

I just tax dirty industry out of existence; the way I run my cities, most of what's left is high tech, and the medium industry doesn't pollute all that much.  So I have no problem having all zone types in one city.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Take it out of Cheetah.  That speed is really for quick spurts of development when necessary IMHO.  I generally run in either Turtle or Rhino depending on how big the city is.  On cheetah you miss a lot of the animation because it goes by too fast.  All my cities are in surplus almost at once, and I simply use the moolah command if there is trouble fiscally.  Sometimes I run the treasury down to get the Army Base for military towns.

[simcityerr 2]

For large numbers of Sims to travel long distances, the game requires rapid transit, and generally a lot of it..  This was discovered by experimentation, and is not something we have control over.  That's why when you have widely separated zones (as I do), putting in an extensive subway network with plenty of stations can make a huge difference.

 

 

So, highways don't really count- in my case. Or, I need more than just those highways.

 

I just tax dirty industry out of existence; the way I run my cities, most of what's left is high tech, and the medium industry doesn't pollute all that much.  So I have no problem having all zone types in one city.

 

 

Don't you need dirty industry? Well, it seems like in this game, you can't get rid of/alter something, without it effecting something else. I'm guessing dirty industry has some advantage, but the disadvantage is it pollutes. But, maybe (just guessing) it provides more jobs to less educated sims, or something.

[z1 566]

 

For large numbers of Sims to travel long distances, the game requires rapid transit, and generally a lot of it..  This was discovered by experimentation, and is not something we have control over.  That's why when you have widely separated zones (as I do), putting in an extensive subway network with plenty of stations can make a huge difference.

 

 

So, highways don't really count- in my case. Or, I need more than just those highways.

 

Testing results are somewhat ambiguous about highways.  A large part of the problem is that you would need way too many of them to duplicate the coverage of an extensive subway system, so even if they did help, it's not a practical solution.

 

 

Don't you need dirty industry?

 

No.  A lot of people tax it out of existence.

 

 

Well, it seems like in this game, you can't get rid of/alter something, without it effecting something else.

 

That's true, but sometimes getting rid of something has a positive effect on other things.

 

 

 I'm guessing dirty industry has some advantage, but the disadvantage is it pollutes. But, maybe (just guessing) it provides more jobs to less educated sims, or something.

 

It does, but there are plenty of other ways to get jobs for less educated Sims that don't have have these disadvantages.

 

In my recreation of central Chicago, I have six large tiles with a total of 8 million Sims, and no dirty industry.  It doesn't seem to have hurt anything.

[simcityerr 2]

What's your alternative/alternatives to dirty industry then?

[z1 566]

What's your alternative/alternatives to dirty industry then?

 

Since my recreation of Chicago is as faithful as I can make it, I just try to build whatever is in the real city.

[simcityerr 2]

 

What's your alternative/alternatives to dirty industry then?

 

Since my recreation of Chicago is as faithful as I can make it, I just try to build whatever is in the real city.

 

 

I meant in general, for the game. In this case, I mean, I guess getting lower EQ sims jobs without dirty industry.

[Ltw 401]

 

 

What's your alternative/alternatives to dirty industry then?

 

Since my recreation of Chicago is as faithful as I can make it, I just try to build whatever is in the real city.

 

 

I meant in general, for the game. In this case, I mean, I guess getting lower EQ sims jobs without dirty industry.

 

 

You could zone low density commercial zones, that is a cheap way to get low wealth jobs. But actually it doesn't really matter that much, even the high wealth commercial offices are mostly low wealth (in a company there are always people that earn less money, like the janitor, secretary, intern etc.) The only difference is that in high wealth offices there are more high wealth jobs available.

[z1 566]

You could zone low density commercial zones, that is a cheap way to get low wealth jobs. But actually it doesn't really matter that much, even the high wealth commercial offices are mostly low wealth (in a company there are always people that earn less money, like the janitor, secretary, intern etc.) The only difference is that in high wealth offices there are more high wealth jobs available.

 

Very true.  And the zones don't even have to be low density.  You can look at the second chart in to guide you.  But mostly, the game takes care of things automatically.  If you have a lot of low EQ R$ Sims, you'll tend to see a lot of CS$ buildings sprout.  Once you get past EQ1 (the first quartile), there are a lot of jobs in IM as well.  Farms will also soak up as many EQ1 R$ Sims as you want to send to them.  You only need dirty industry if you don't have farms and have a whole city full of completely uneducated poor Sims.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Alternative to I-D is indeed R$ jobs in CS$ and CS$$ as well as CO$$ and even CO$$$ (hard to get early).  Also consider I-Ag.  Farms can be easily cannibalized into a city later.  If you use SPAM farms you won't have as much trouble with ground pollution.