Weird seaport-related bug

[MayorTim 16]

A little preface: I'm running the aspyr mac re-release, but I'm not sure whether or not this is a mac-specific bug.

 

I've had some problems with Peg's seaports since installing them a few weeks ago, though I wasn't able to isolate the problem to them until yesterday. Before I knew what was causing the problem, I'd randomly get a CTD every time I tried opening my port city, which forced me to restart twice.

 

So, I figured out that it was the seaports (the actual ports, using Peg's master seaport controller) and bulldozed them. They were replaced by totally empty (no props or anything) blank lots that can't be queried, are classified as occupied even though they're not, and still highlight with the same footprint as the seaports.

 

Changing elevations, even putting them underwater, doesn't destroy them, and since all I did was bulldoze them and there are no props left, I don't think it's the overhanging-building bug, bug I could be wrong.

 

 

Now this is where things get really, really weird. Once my seaports were gone (no seaports in the city whatsoever) my seaports budget was to the tune of $2,400,000,000ish. Yes, a 2.4 billion dollar a month seaport budget with no seaports. The only fix I could come up with was to turn funding for seaports all the way to 0, which "fixed" it. I resolved to never download actual ports again and went on playing.

 

Today I opened an adjacent city, and was somewhat puzzled because my r$ and r$$ demand was in the tanks (I use the XX_Turbo mod). I did everything one would normally do to fix that, but nothing budged. Then I checked all of my other cities, and it was the same situation.

 

Using extra query information, I found that that was because my demand for r$ and r$$ is currently at around -2,400,000,000, the same number from my seaport budget in the seaport city. Yikes. Removing the port city tile from the region completely (as in, taking its file from the region folder) fixes the problem for all of the other cities, but then obviously I have a big black hole in the middle of my region. Removing the peg files but leaving the port city in place, and just playing other cities, doesn't fix anything.

 

Anyone have any clue? I'd really rather not restart the port city again, as it's pretty much completed at this point.

[Indiana Joe 1,750]

That's a whole lot of bugs.  Unfortunately it sounds like you may have gotten the city or region corrupted, in which case you're screwed.  Now whether this is a Mac problem or not isn't clear.  I can tell you the Aspyr port is a huge mess though.

 

In Windows, there is a way to roll back any files (in this case your region folder).  I don't know if or how a similar feature works on Macs, but you should look into it.

[Sabretooth78 808]

If you're using Time Machine or some other comparable backup utility you would be able to roll your region/individual city(s) back to some prior date.  Otherwise unfortunately your only real option is to ditch the whole thing and start over.

[MayorTim 16]

That's a whole lot of bugs.  Unfortunately it sounds like you may have gotten the city or region corrupted, in which case you're screwed.  Now whether this is a Mac problem or not isn't clear.  I can tell you the Aspyr port is a huge mess though.

 

In Windows, there is a way to roll back any files (in this case your region folder).  I don't know if or how a similar feature works on Macs, but you should look into it.

 

I'm guessing it's the (port) city, not the region, as when it's removed the region is fine. Is that a fair assumption? Needless to say I won't be using the Peg ports in any of my other cities. 

 

Interestingly enough, the port city has flat residential demand (RCI chart), and positive demand when queried. It's only the other cities that see the huge loss of demand, but only when the port city is also there! 

 

I back things up manually, but unfortunately the port was one of the first things I built, so I don't have a backup that predates it. It may have something to do with me recently installing a few airport packages, but who knows.

[Compdude787 916]

It may have something to do with me recently installing a few airport packages, but who knows.

That could be the problem actually. I think functional airports and seaports have a tendency to conflict w/ each other.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

The Aspyr re-release apparently does not include the EP1 bug fixes from 2003-2004, nor the fix for night-lights, but is a recompile for OS/X of 1,1,610.  I shouldn't expect any plugins to work properly if they require Windows level 1,1,638 (NAM for instance).

 

You should ask Aspyr about this.

[MayorTim 16]

It is rather... difficult... to use, but I like the fact that it can use multiple cores, unlike any other version of Simcity. And actually, I've barely run into any issues installing plugins, NAM included. I'm currently at about 3.5gb and 9,000 files (before datpacking), all of which have worked flawlessly.

 

Still haven't come up with a solution on my own, so I suppose I'll be restarting that city once again. Ah well, I knew it would occur at least once or twice. Tis the nature of the beast.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

It is not clear just what Aspyr did to the original Deluxe game.  Did they install the bug fixes from EP1 in the actual code.  That is the critical point.  Do you get night lights on your custom content?  If so, they've also incorporated the second patch.  Would make their version equivalent to 1,1,640 or 1,1,641. 

 

Multiprocessing also implies a lot of work.  If they did that correctly, then what you really have is something like SimCity 4.8.

 

If this is all so, then EA should think about the extra income they would get by doing likewise for Windows 8.  This would be the best apology they could make for the SC 2013 fiasco.  I would pay for the game again if they did that.  They could even call it SC5.

[Compdude787 916]

It is not clear just what Aspyr did to the original Deluxe game.  Did they install the bug fixes from EP1 in the actual code.  That is the critical point.  Do you get night lights on your custom content?  If so, they've also incorporated the second patch.  Would make their version equivalent to 1,1,640 or 1,1,641. 

 

Multiprocessing also implies a lot of work.  If they did that correctly, then what you really have is something like SimCity 4.8.

Nope, they did not apply the two patches to the game. They did not seek permission from EA/Maxis to do this, for whatever reason.

If this is all so, then EA should think about the extra income they would get by doing likewise for Windows 8.  This would be the best apology they could make for the SC 2013 fiasco.  I would pay for the game again if they did that.  They could even call it SC5.

I would actually be really surprised if EA actually did this! But if so, that would be amazing.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

 

It is not clear just what Aspyr did to the original Deluxe game.  Did they install the bug fixes from EP1 in the actual code.  That is the critical point.  Do you get night lights on your custom content?  If so, they've also incorporated the second patch.  Would make their version equivalent to 1,1,640 or 1,1,641. 

 

Multiprocessing also implies a lot of work.  If they did that correctly, then what you really have is something like SimCity 4.8.

Nope, they did not apply the two patches to the game. They did not seek permission from EA/Maxis to do this, for whatever reason.

<snip>

Makes it kind of fraudulent then, eh?  EP1 at least is supposed to contain some serious bug fixes.  On the other hand, if they were reworking the code, maybe they fixed them anyway.  Is there any evidence of this?

[Compdude787 916]

It is not clear just what Aspyr did to the original Deluxe game.  Did they install the bug fixes from EP1 in the actual code.  That is the critical point.  Do you get night lights on your custom content?  If so, they've also incorporated the second patch.  Would make their version equivalent to 1,1,640 or 1,1,641. 

 

Multiprocessing also implies a lot of work.  If they did that correctly, then what you really have is something like SimCity 4.8.

Nope, they did not apply the two patches to the game. They did not seek permission from EA/Maxis to do this, for whatever reason.

<snip>

Makes it kind of fraudulent then, eh?  EP1 at least is supposed to contain some serious bug fixes.  On the other hand, if they were reworking the code, maybe they fixed them anyway.  Is there any evidence of this?

You'd have to ask about this on the NAM boards. Tarkus has mentioned that one of the things Maxis fixed in the EP1 patch (v1.1.638) is the paths on the Avenue x oneway road T-intersection, among others. Also, they fixed the Avenue-Highway interchange to allow vehicles to turn left onto the avenue. One of the NAM team members who uses a Mac has bought the re-released Aspyr port, so maybe he's done tests on this.