Announcing: The Massive Multiplayer Online Sim City 4 from Blue Hope

[Need4Camaro 50]

I've configured a robust system that will allow users to participate in online region play, but unlike before, you can also import your own Region and Plugins for other players to view and develop upon so players are not limited to one main region.

 

It works by syncing the Region and Plugin files through a FTP Hosting service as known as Adrive which allows 200 Gigabytes to be shared at a cost of $7.99. I will NOT charge users but donations to keep BlueHope running are much appreciated. Users will only need to sync the regions they wish to play, so not everyone will be sync'ing the entire shared folder. With the folder shared, a special shortcut command is used to re-direct SimCity 4 into loading from the specific shared directory which will sync with a FTP sync'ing client tool upon saving any work.

 

I require users either have skype or yahoo messenger.

 

The project has launched.

 

If you wish to join, visit the Blue Hope MMO forums by clicking HERE

[feeroz123 461]

Brilliant !! I am in !

[Need4Camaro 50]

Brilliant !! I am in !

 

Welcome aboard. Just go to our forums by clicking here and read the Join Forum Sticky and when you've decided how you wish to contribute, start a new thread with your information. If you want to contribute to the BlueHope region (Because I haven't yet posted it on the thread) just use the region name of BlueHope.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Uh ... What about the intellectual property rights attached to custom content?  By this sites rules, at least, this is less than legal.

[feeroz123 461]

Need4Camaro, you might need to answer him !

[feeroz123 461]

Uh ... What about the intellectual property rights attached to custom content?  By this sites rules, at least, this is less than legal.

 

I really want to play Multiplayer in SC4 !! I wish its not illegal and there is a way out !

[Need4Camaro 50]

Uh ... What about the intellectual property rights attached to custom content? By this sites rules, at least, this is less than legal.

It depends. I am not 100% sure how this would violate given that your plugins are not automatically uploaded by joining but only by choice of sharing your region with the system. Even with that how would it violate as this isnt a download site but a shared region multiplayer system. Individuals plugins are still simply accessible via SimTropolis and users participating would need to download them either way whether it be synchronized from one users PC to allow others to participate in his region or they selectively decided to download it themselves. Why would the source matter in such a case?

 

I should restate, the plugins used are not used by "BlueHope" - they were already pre-downloaded by the users from Simtropolis and are only shared between multiple users who are sharing the same regions.

[Need4Camaro 50]

I got some more information, yeah I could see how this could be an issue. I have a work around that I will have to implement into the scheme and that would be to contact the makers of each mod used in the system and ask for their approval. This is going to be a major pain and I may just end up erasing my current set of plugins and mods and start over again but I'll see.

 

On the side note, what if I made a pledger for general mods like NAM and RHW making users pledge that they have downloaded these on ST, technically it wouldnt be redistrubutiing if they already downloaded it on ST to begin with would it?

[Cob92 360]

You could restrict it to the NAM, and perhaps a handful of other common mods based on creator approval.

[Need4Camaro 50]

You could restrict it to the NAM, and perhaps a handful of other common mods based on creator approval.

 

Well, I am in process of receiving approval from major mod designers such a BSC, SimGoober, CAM ect to use all of their plugins. I will keep a database of those that are approved and those that are denied as well as credits on the Forums,.. For those users who want to contribute their own region, they will need to check the list to see if their plugins are approved, or if the owner of the mod approved all of plugins are approved. If the plugins are not on the list then one of two things must be done. The user must contact the maker of the plugin(s) and if they are approved then advise me with a quote from the owner of the plugin. I will confirm and allow the plugin(s) to be sync'd.  If the request is denied then all lots related to the denied plugin MUST be destroyed and the plugin be removed before the region can be sync'd.

 

Unfortunately this means alot more work than I hoped for as I wanted to keep this simple but I see no other way.

[Need4Camaro 50]

I have another question. Would you see a problem with redistributing the plugins in their "installed" form? As in without the .exe files and just the bare plugin itself?

[Indiana Joe 1,752]

Well the problem is that all content uploaded to the various exchanges is the intellectual property of the creator.  In order to redistribute it legally in any form, you need express permission from the creator.

 

But I think you could host a "master" plugins folder.

 

Now, many file ReadMes include a handy phrase along the lines of "you may share this work, as long as you credit the author."  As long as you stick to mods/lots/BATs with ReadMes that include this phrase, I don't see why you couldn't do it.  For the cases where said phrase is missing, you can try to track down the author of the work and ask them to contact the Simtropolis staff, explaining that you have their permission to host their work.  My advice for this part is to find popular content creators with large portfolios of work, and ask for permission for everything at once.

 

It is highly unlikely that anyone would sue you over SC4 content, but the main reason for doing all this is to ensure that you can advertise this service on places like Simtropolis and SC4Devotion (and almost any other moderated website; most have similar rules).

 

And of course to fulfill your end of the deal, you would need to provide a list of credits.

[Janbiya 71]

This may be an unpopular opinion but I think that using the word "illegal" here is something of a wild hyperbole. I'm pretty sure that a modder's so-called intellectual property rights would never hold up in court, especially when it comes to a game like SimCity 4. EA has exclusive rights to the game after all, and I'd be surprised if there isn't text addressing this issue in the lot editor's EULA.

Of course distributing custom content without the creator's permission is a serious violation of site rules and SC4 community norms and doing so will quickly lead to backlash, but that's a different issue entirely.

[Need4Camaro 50]

Well in either case as to keep things cool I am going to get approval from as many modders and batters as I can.

[feeroz123 461]

Well in either case as to keep things cool I am going to get approval from as many modders and batters as I can.

 

I appreciate your honesty and willingness to make it legal and fair to all. Hope there is an easy way out and everyone can play together. At the end, we all want to play !

 

However, I have created Mega account, Mega sync tool is running. Skype account is ready (feeroz123 is my username). I have to install DAMN (I gave up on it few months back because of inability to create menu items properly). Do I have to register on Blue Hope forum as well?

[APSMS 1,893]

This may be an unpopular opinion but I think that using the word "illegal" here is something of a wild hyperbole. I'm pretty sure that a modder's so-called intellectual property rights would never hold up in court, especially when it comes to a game like SimCity 4. EA has exclusive rights to the game after all, and I'd be surprised if there isn't text addressing this issue in the lot editor's EULA.

Of course distributing custom content without the creator's permission is a serious violation of site rules and SC4 community norms and doing so will quickly lead to backlash, but that's a different issue entirely.

Actually, it's not. EA holds monetary rights to the game, and users are restricted from making money off of Custom Content, but copyright always belongs to the creator. Will it hold up in court? Yes. Will the court do anything about it? Probably not, since the is no monetary damage (no money was lost, since all the stuff is free to begin with).

 

That said, there is a legal basis for all the rabble, and interestingly enough doing the same thing the OP suggested but on a private level (e.g. among friends, etc.) is perfectly legal. I guess that might be because the files aren't being redistributed, but I'm not 100% sure.

 

For the OP, what considerations will be made regarding the impact of asynchronous simulation that SC4 is slightly infamous for? I am speaking of the consequence of editing city tiles that are nearby to one another on different machines at the same time, since any changes to the city affect nearby city demand levels, and if the city next door is being edited at the same time, then this information isn't updated until both cities are saved and returned to the cloud; using up the same regional demand capacity at the same time could have unintended and disastrous economic effects if it isn't controlled properly.

 

For more info, see this thread for info about an already existing multiplayer region and the precautions taken against such things happening.

[ROFLyoshi 1,760]

Okay just to settle this from a moderator point of view.

We have had these types of multilayer games set up with mixed success, and yes the issue of plugins has come up before. Upon discussion, we believe that is NOT ILLEGAL to redistribute plugins in a master folder to members of the multiplayer mode. This does not qualify as malicious redistribution of someone else's content.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Nice to have this clarified.  As a BATter of some times past with some items still on the STEX, this is formal permission to use them.

[Need4Camaro 50]

 

Well in either case as to keep things cool I am going to get approval from as many modders and batters as I can.

 

I appreciate your honesty and willingness to make it legal and fair to all. Hope there is an easy way out and everyone can play together. At the end, we all want to play !

 

However, I have created Mega account, Mega sync tool is running. Skype account is ready (feeroz123 is my username). I have to install DAMN (I gave up on it few months back because of inability to create menu items properly). Do I have to register on Blue Hope forum as well?

 

 

I will add you in a few minutes on skype. Yes you do need an account on the forums and to post a join request in the join Forum, Read the template in the sticky thread in the join Forum for information on how to. Would prefer if you could keep it the same username as your ST username aswell.

 

Okay just to settle this from a moderator point of view.

We have had these types of multilayer games set up with mixed success, and yes the issue of plugins has come up before. Upon discussion, we believe that is NOT ILLEGAL to redistribute plugins in a master folder to members of the multiplayer mode. This does not qualify as malicious redistribution of someone else's content.

 

So in this case the plugins are okay to distribute as long as contained within the master folder without permissions from their creators? Master folder means the sync folder correct?

[ROFLyoshi 1,760]

Yes, and distribution is for the purpose of the game only, not to upload to another file sharing site. (Ie. Putting a STEX only file on the LEX)

[Need4Camaro 50]

Awsome thanks very much you just saved me alot of trouble.

[Need4Camaro 50]

Please dis-regard the MEGA Sync option, I have found a problem with it so I am looking for an alternative sync option. I will keep you posted.

[Need4Camaro 50]

I found another Sync Option that provides us with 200 GB's and 10 users with the option of adding users and space as we go, unfortunately it is not free. Although for users who wish to participate I will provide this service free of charge with a donation option available to help me support BlueHope.

 

The option is ADrive and it will host the Regions and Plugins for our users regions. We will be using FTP Sync clients such as Allway Sync to sync the files from the FTP server and back much like a normal sync client. This makes the process a bit more involved but not impossible.

 

BlueHope is fully online and ready to load. Check out the Blue Hope forums to join.

[eugenio1982 6]

dudes , i'm in !

tell me whenever gonna starts!

[zahrul3 472]

How are the cities divided? How many tiles could one player take over? I loved the old Blue Hope, but how would this work for players?

[eugenio1982 6]

by the way how city junctions work

 

eg:, if a have a street connected to another city what happen the second i deleted it?
1) none till the other player press the "border re.ordering "

2) the new mismatch hit some trigger and i got a banner adivse me i have  to "update" my city connections?

3) or what?

[feeroz123 461]

by the way how city junctions work

 

eg:, if a have a street connected to another city what happen the second i deleted it?

1) none till the other player press the "border re.ordering "

2) the new mismatch hit some trigger and i got a banner adivse me i have  to "update" my city connections?

3) or what?

 

dudes , i'm in !

tell me whenever gonna starts!

 

How are the cities divided? How many tiles could one player take over? I loved the old Blue Hope, but how would this work for players?

 

The setup is up already. I have synced it with Need4Camaro. We are doing initial testing.

 

If a road connecting to neighboring city is deleted, it behaves the same way as in your local machine. Vehicles will disappear after crossing your city tile. And after some time there should not any more traffic heading that way.

 

Anyone who wants to start with us can follow the steps mentioned in Blue Hope site. Link is given by Need4Camaro above.

[Need4Camaro 50]

dudes , i'm in !

tell me whenever gonna starts!

 

It already has, check out our forums by clicking HERE and then enter the Join Forums. Read the first sticky.

 

How are the cities divided? How many tiles could one player take over? I loved the old Blue Hope, but how would this work for players?

 

It depends on how user's decide to play. We have two modes of developing. The Region Forum will tell you which method of development is acceptable for the region in question.

 

Free Build Mode: All users contribute to every city or a single city and there are no city limits perse for the user's side, you can develop anywhere you like much like a sandbox with no limits or rules.

 

Structured Build Mode: User's have their own entities that they're in control of, but this does not always mean your entity is a city tile, you can also control corporations, franchises (want to build Wal-Marts or Malls?), utilities (provide the region with power and water), department of transportation, and more. As for "city tiles" per say, The limit of tiles per user depends on the Region owner's preferences. In my region I typically limit 2 per tile until your city expands to the point of needing more space. There's also another option in Structured Build Mode that allows a single (or group) of players to control a metropolis and other players to build suburban entities around that metropolis.

 

by the way how city junctions work

 

eg:, if a have a street connected to another city what happen the second i deleted it?

1) none till the other player press the "border re.ordering "

2) the new mismatch hit some trigger and i got a banner adivse me i have  to "update" my city connections?

3) or what?

 

Depends on the Region, if DOT is enabled then it is DOT's job to ensure it's corrected unless the mayor corrects it first. If not then it's the mayor's job. If it's free build mode then any user can replace it.

[feeroz123 461]

For your information, the city tile size is HUGE !!   Bigger than I have ever seen! So space won't be any issue.

I would like to play in a separate City tile.

 

@Need4Camaro

Question - How is the LHD and RHD handled? Are we asking everyone to follow only one direction drive?

[MandelSoft 2,775]

There is one issue with bordering tiles. You see, when SimCity 4 saves a city tile, it doesn't only save the city tile itself, but also all bordering tiles. This has to do with neighbour connections, but also contracts and demand modeling. With this in mind, you should keep a two-tile space around each tile that's "occupied by a different player": one for the tiles that border the other city and one for the tiles that border your city. This prevents possible clashes.

My two cents from my own experience with mutli-player regions (NORO)

Best,

MandelSoft