SimCityPak help, BOC issue and feedback

[Mayor Magnus 1]

Greetings Simtropolis community,

 

First issue:

I have tried to use SimCityPack to edit properties files to no avail.  I keep getting an error about reflection in .NET.  It is originating from PropertyFile.cs.  Lines 155, 69, 79, and then it hits the System.Reflection lines in the stack trace.   It is triggered anytime I click on a property entry in the left list to view it on the right.  Being a CS major I figured I would try to build my own version on my local machine to see if I could get around this.  Unfortunately it made no difference.  I was wondering if anyone has found a way around this issue.  I would really like to be able to contribute, but I am not a .NET expert and don't know where to go from here with this error.

 

In case you are curious about my build environment:

Windows 8.1 x64

VS 2012 x32

.NET 4.5 x32

 

Second issue:

I play in 'strict' mode, not sandbox, and I am using BOC.  When I try to build a trade depot I can't get three different lots on a depot to unlock the Trade HQ because of double counting of lots.  I was wondering if someone could look into this.  Please.

 

Third issue:

I would like to say thanks to the very recent upload of the BOC for Megatowers (foxtrot08).  This is not a small difference.  This lets us put potentially hundreds of thousands of people outside the city border.  The next best thing to being able to zone outside the box.  This is a game changer.

 

Have a nice day

[Moonraker39 17]

 

Second issue:

I play in 'strict' mode, not sandbox, and I am using BOC.  When I try to build a trade depot I can't get three different lots on a depot to unlock the Trade HQ because of double counting of lots.  I was wondering if someone could look into this.  Please.

 

 

Have a nice day

There is a work around. Make sure you have the second coal lot selected and go ahead and plop all 4.(after the second, it will tell you your maxed but you can plop 2 more.) Then go back and destroy them 1 at a time and put whatever type you want. Hope that made sence. Sorry can help with the other stuff.

[ProcsKalone 294]

Greetings Simtropolis community,

 

First issue:

I have tried to use SimCityPack to edit properties files to no avail.  I keep getting an error about reflection in .NET.  It is originating from PropertyFile.cs.  Lines 155, 69, 79, and then it hits the System.Reflection lines in the stack trace.   It is triggered anytime I click on a property entry in the left list to view it on the right.  Being a CS major I figured I would try to build my own version on my local machine to see if I could get around this.  Unfortunately it made no difference.  I was wondering if anyone has found a way around this issue.  I would really like to be able to contribute, but I am not a .NET expert and don't know where to go from here with this error.

 

In case you are curious about my build environment:

Windows 8.1 x64

VS 2012 x32

.NET 4.5 x32

 

Second issue:

I play in 'strict' mode, not sandbox, and I am using BOC.  When I try to build a trade depot I can't get three different lots on a depot to unlock the Trade HQ because of double counting of lots.  I was wondering if someone could look into this.  Please.

 

Third issue:

I would like to say thanks to the very recent upload of the BOC for Megatowers (foxtrot08).  This is not a small difference.  This lets us put potentially hundreds of thousands of people outside the city border.  The next best thing to being able to zone outside the box.  This is a game changer.

 

Have a nice day

I will be taking some time off starting wednesday and should be updating to fix your second issue. With offline mode theres also a way to completely fix this issue but doing that will take a tedious amount of work as it involves recreating each plop into a new prop and im not sure if I want to bother with that approach though it would mean it will be patch independent at that point.

[Mayor Magnus 1]

@Moonraker39
Thanks for the advice.  That does get around the problem.

 

@ProcsKalone

Thanks for all your hard work on this mod, it is appreciated.  With offline mode delivered now, would zoning outside the box be worth trying again?

 

Update:
So after fiddling around with the source code of SimCityPak it has become clear what is causing the error.  Microsoft.Xna.Framework.dll is not being found.  It is in what looks like the appropriate folder, but this is apparently not good enough.  Whenever the property manager tries to use reflection to get a list of types in its own assembly, it keels over when it gets to this one.  Anyone have any thoughts?  I know this is getting somewhat technical.

[grahamdunstan 10]

Welcome back Procskalone. this is great news that you are going to be working on an update of what I think is the best mod for the game to date and if zoning ever gets added it will be of all time. do you think it would be possible to have the add on mods for your boc put into your mod so only one file is needed ie the add on that lets you have the mega tower in boc.

Well its great to know that an updated version is on the way to us I currently have it uninstalled due to the double plop count so im excited about this update from you thanks for all you hard work and effort.

[Mayor Magnus 1]

Well, I finally figured out why I could not run SimCityPak without getting the aforementioned error.  Someone posted at CodePlex that you need to have http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=20914 installed.  Apparently the XNA DLL that comes with the program is not the final solution.  Now I can finally view property files.  

 

So now here is my new problem -- understanding property files.   Does anyone have any advice to cut down the learning curve?  Has anyone compiled some notes or a cheat sheet they would like to share?  Thanks in advance.

[tomtomsim 0]

Hi, cant add second anex to academy when outside box, tried del first but not multiple plops, so any fix plz?

[Mayor Magnus 1]

Hi, cant add second anex to academy when outside box, tried del first but not multiple plops, so any fix plz?

I have encountered the same problem.  Tried to make a fix for it.  It allowed more annex plops, but broke the University menu.  Not sure what went wrong as I am still new at this.

[tomtomsim 0]

Hi, cant add second anex to academy when outside box, tried del first but not multiple plops, so any fix plz?

I have encountered the same problem. Tried to make a fix for it. It allowed more annex plops, but broke the University menu. Not sure what went wrong as I am still new at this. small workaround for now researching all options under one anex and then buldoze and replace anex with another still give acces to previous researched items but not for combined reasherch; requiers both anex's

[Mayor Magnus 1]

I was able to make my first mod recently.  A major breakthrough based on a little bit of research and thinking about why the package files have numbers at the end.  Moreover I was able to fix the Trade Depot, Trade Port, and University for issues with plopping things.  Of course then Procs showed up with some more of his fine work and made my little change obsolete.

 

With that said I would like to report that a Metal Smelter that I have placed outside my most recent city is not consuming coal.

The connecting road for a Trade Depot could also not be deleted after I destroyed the building.