NAM General Support

[Tarkus 6,932]

I have the same exact problem as the user you where responding too and I got my copy directly off maxis website digital download not CD nams installer refuses to accept that the game is the most updated verison for myself I bought rush hour two months ago off digital download off simcity website many users are running into this problem and I am starting to think NAM will not work with the latest versions os SC bought directly from orgins website as the installer no matter what you do claims you have a old version of SC and you must patch it ( I have tried every patch out there and they all same the same thing you already have the latest version but NAM refuses to accept that I hope they rewrite the installer as NAm simly wont install

 

 

It does indeed not work with whatever version Origin (the official EA (and thus, Maxis) digital service) is selling.  It's not stock 1.1.638 (disc with EP1 Update), 1.1.640 (disc with BAT Nightlight Update), or 1.1.641 (digital copies sold by all retailers except Origin), which the NAM installer recognizes as valid.  The installer also blocks installation on pirate copies with NoCD hacks, as the checksums don't line up with the legitimate retail copies.  From what we've been told, Origin is essentially selling 1.1.610, the unpatched version, but with some sort of NoCD hack, giving it a different checksum, thereby preventing it from being patched properly, and thus, preventing the NAM from being installed.

 

That said, none of us are running that version or have access to it, and we'd like to get a truly reliable answer as to just what version Origin is actually selling.  If you could go into C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\SimCity 4, and find the file named "SimCity 4.exe" (if the folder is set up like the disc copy, it'll be in an "Apps" subfolder), right click it, go to "Properties", and under the "Details" tab, look up the version number, that would be very useful.  We're getting Origin issue reports constantly, and it would be nice to truly get to the bottom of it.

 

-Tarkus

[cullennp 1]

1.1.610.0 in details

purchased by me off simcity website this june via digital download

[cullennp 1]

 

 

That said, none of us are running that version or have access to it, and we'd like to get a truly reliable answer as to just what version Origin is actually selling.  If you could go into C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\SimCity 4, and find the file named "SimCity 4.exe" (if the folder is set up like the disc copy, it'll be in an "Apps" subfolder), right click it, go to "Properties", and under the "Details" tab, look up the version number, that would be very useful.  We're getting Origin issue reports constantly, and it would be nice to truly get to the bottom of it.

 

-Tarkus

 

 

You are right that is the verion orgin is selling to general public and nam in its current state apparently wont work, hopefully a work around can be found as this sucks for new users to SC4 who are legal buyers and bought from makers website only to be told NAM wont work

[Tarkus 6,932]

I definitely sympathize with you, cullennp, and all the others who have picked it up off there.  It's absolutely mind-boggling that they're selling a version that's not only unpatched, but unpatchable.  The NAM is the most popular SC4 mod out there, and you would think that they would appreciate the fact that a side-effect of our installer's version check (the NAM's been designed for use in 1.1.638 and higher all along) is that it blocks pirates.

 

-Tarkus

[cullennp 1]

I definitely sympathize with you, cullennp, and all the others who have picked it up off there.  It's absolutely mind-boggling that they're selling a version that's not only unpatched, but unpatchable.  The NAM is the most popular SC4 mod out there, and you would think that they would appreciate the fact that a side-effect of our installer's version check (the NAM's been designed for use in 1.1.638 and higher all along) is that it blocks pirates.

 

-Tarkus

 

Tarkus while I respect you guys trying to help orgin combat pirates, it should not be at the cost of legal new users perhaps you could provide ppl like us a version that does not check checksums if we email our prof of purchase to you? this is major loss and punishes new users who without SC will not grow thank you

[cullennp 1]

Also as frustrating as this is and a waist of money Tarkus please provide a link if you can to the correct version we all should be buying if not from orgins website then where? where do we all get this  1.1.638 ??? I am willing to start over and lose the money I spent on SC4 do a a delete and get the correct version even thou this completely puts me off orgin as a responsible company. So where do those of us who where mislead by orgin into believeing buying from them was the safest route to the most accepted version go for the nam compatible version to buy? 

[jdenm8 362]

The problem is that 1.1.610 has broken stuff in it. People see this broken stuff, then blame us for it being broken.

 

When we instituted this compulsory check, Origin was distributing 1.1.641, which is the version that can be found on Steam and GOG.com.

 

If you have purchased SimCity 4 through Origin recently and found that it is version 1.1.610, contact support and request a refund calling it 'unfit for purpose'.

 

Then go to Steam or GOG and buy it there. At time of writing, SC4 is currently on sale at GOG for US$7.99.

 

This should work in most countries as, last time I checked, they don't sell their goods as-is.

[cullennp 1]

The problem is that 1.1.610 has broken stuff in it. People see this broken stuff, then blame us for it being broken.

 

When we instituted this compulsory check, Origin was distributing 1.1.641, which is the version that can be found on Steam and GOG.com.

 

If you have purchased SimCity 4 through Origin recently and found that it is version 1.1.610, contact support and request a refund calling it 'unfit for purpose'.

 

Then go to Steam or GOG and buy it there. At time of writing, SC4 is currently on sale at GOG for US$7.99.

 

This should work in most countries as, last time I checked, they don't sell their goods as-is.

 

Jdenn8 it is Origin is selling 1.1.610 currently I fell victim to it *thinking the most reliable version would come from them not a third party seller like stream that's what streams me , usually you try to get your stuff from the maker itself and avoid 3rd party sellers like steam how odd that the least stable and accepted version comes from the maker and your telling us to go to a 3rd party I will do as you advise I am out some money on this but will request a refund. I wonder if  Origin is doing this deliberate selling a unpatchable version and incompatible with major mods to push new users off SC4 and encourage more sales of Sc2013? either way intentional or careless mistake its pretty nasty to do this to new users just trying to get into SC thank you I will re buy SC off steam now

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

 

• A Nonny Moose

If you don't have the CDs, where did you get it?

 

I have the same exact problem as the user you where responding too and I got my copy directly off maxis website digital download not CD nams installer refuses to accept that the game is the most updated verison for myself I bought rush hour two months ago off digital download off simcity website many users are running into this problem and I am starting to think NAM will not work with the latest versions os SC bought directly from orgins website as the installer no matter what you do claims you have a old version of SC and you must patch it ( I have tried every patch out there and they all same the same thing you already have the latest version but NAM refuses to accept that I hope they rewrite the installer as NAm simly wont install

 

 

GamersGate (1,1,641,0).  On sale today at GOG.com.  The version Origin is selling appears to be 1,1,610,0 with a no-cd crack.  This will not update.  The digital download 1,1,641 is fully patched, diskless and ready to go.  I've had it since Feb 9, 2012 according to my file system.  Beware of the Maxis site which transfers you to Origin.

[jdenm8 362]

The version Origin is selling appears to be 1,1,610,0 with a no-cd crack.  

 

It's not. SafeDisc has been swapped out for the libraries needed to validate ownership with Origin. 1.1.641 at Steam does exactly the same thing, but for Steam instead of Origin.

 

Swapping out SafeDisc is enough to get the EXE to fail the patcher's checksum.

[Nique 291]

There is a bug within the NAM32 Installer (Windows).

I have a custom user folder. So within the installer i always do 'custom install' and set the destination folder to (in my case C:\GameData\SC4). I do that because when developing a plugin i want a clean user folder. 

Also, i have one Solid State Disk and thats the C drive. The windows users (and documents) folder are setup on the D drive (which is not a solid state disk). To get maximum peformance i want all plugins on the Solid State Disk so this is another reason why i put the files in a custom user folder map. I run the game with arguments -UserDir:"C:\\GameData\\SC4\\" and works totally fine.

So when you do 'not' install NAM to the default documents/simcity 4/plugins folder the following bug appears:

- Everything that is in the z___NAM map will be installed to the default, unwanted (and apparently hard-coded) folder instead of the given one. I checked the log:
(Uitvoermap = Destination folder)
(Uitpakken = Extracting)

(...)

Uitvoermap: C:\GameData\SC4\Plugins\Network Addon Mod\Hole Diggers and Ground Raisers
Uitvoermap: C:\GameData\SC4\Plugins\Network Addon Mod\Hole Diggers and Ground Raisers
Uitvoermap: C:\GameData\SC4\Plugins\Network Addon Mod\Hole Diggers and Ground Raisers\Auto-Destruct Lots
Uitpakken: JENXMOD_Hole_Digger_and_Raiser_v3.dat
Uitpakken: jenx_raiser_digger_puzzle_pieces.dat
Uitvoermap: C:\GameData\SC4\Plugins\Network Addon Mod\Hole Diggers and Ground Raisers
Uitvoermap: C:\GameData\SC4\Plugins\Network Addon Mod
Uitpakken: NetworkAddonMod_HighwayInterchanges.dat
Uitvoermap: C:\GameData\SC4\Plugins\Network Addon Mod\Cosmetic Addons
Uitpakken: NetworkAddonMod_OneWayRoad_Arrows_Half_Reduction_Plugin.dat
Uitpakken: RealHighway_OneWayRoad_Roundabout_Arrows_Reduction_Plugin.dat
Uitvoermap: C:\GameData\SC4\Plugins\Network Addon Mod\Cosmetic Addons
Uitpakken: NetworkAddonMod_OneWayRoad_Roundabout_Arrows_Reduction_Plugin.dat
Uitvoermap: C:\GameData\SC4\Plugins\Network Addon Mod\Real Highway Mod
Uitpakken: RealHighway_Regional_Transport_Map.dat
Uitvoermap: D:\Users\Nique\Documents\SimCity 4\Plugins\z___NAM\Cosmetic Addons\RHW Single Median Barriers
Uitpakken: RealHighway_CosmeticPieces_SingleBarrier.dat
Uitpakken: RealHighway_L0_RHW-6C_SingleBarrier.dat
Uitpakken: RealHighway_L0_RHW-8C_SingleBarrier.dat
Uitvoermap: D:\Users\Nique\Documents\SimCity 4\Plugins\z___NAM\Road Textures\Euro Cosmetic Re-Texture Mod
Uitpakken: z0_ADC_Madison_Wells_Station.dat
Uitpakken: z0_JENX_Bourse_de_Commerce.dat
Uitpakken: z0_Marrast_Road_Overpass.dat
(...)

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Well done.  I suppose as a work-around you can simply copy the folder to the correct spot.

[Tarkus 6,932]

I think our installer master is aware of this one.  In the meanwhile, I'd say the best approach to install to the default directory, and then just move things over.

 

I've also ratched up the pressure on Origin to sell a properly updated copy like everyone else.

 

-Tarkus

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Wow!  I hope this gets their attention.  They'll probably try to sue you.  However, truth will out.

 

Trying to make SC4 a DRM game is one of the stupidest tricks they've ever pulled.

[Tarkus 6,932]

Trying to make SC4 a DRM game is one of the stupidest tricks they've ever pulled.

 

It's not the DRM that's the problem--Steam's has a form of DRM and is fine, coming pre-patched.  It's that Origin has applied it to an unpatched copy of the game, and not provided any mechanism through which to patch it properly.

 

-Tarkus

[Wiimeiser 444]

EA's done this before:

 

Tuatha's Garden/Temple of the Sky door glitch

 

The Simpsons Game Warp Glitch:

 

Go to Springfield and jump into the water. Right before you hit the water, open up the map and warp. When you warp you'll end up in an unusual place near where you chose, drown in land, and end up back near where you warped from.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------

 

Those executives don't even know what they're doing. They're probably not even aware there's an updated version.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

I don't think the problem is with EA.  It is with the business unit called Origin who clearly have some smart-ass hackers who think they know what they are doing.  Clearly they don't.

[Tarkus 6,932]

Well, they're definitely aware of the issue now.  My blog post has gotten close to 10,000 hits in the past 18 hours, and it's spurring a lot of discussion on Reddit.  An Origin employee commented on the /r/simcity x-post and said they were going to check with the team that was responsible for putting SC4 on Origin.

 

-Tarkus

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

With any luck, someone at Origin will get fired and they will have to publish an apology and retraction as well as replace the silly download they've been foisting off on people.

[Tarkus 6,932]

With any luck, someone at Origin will get fired and they will have to publish an apology and retraction as well as replace the silly download they've been foisting off on people.

 

Having my blog post get featured on PC Gamer will only keep the fire on them.

 

-Tarkus

[rsc204 21,808]

Well done for getting this noticed Tarkus, I hope your efforts are not in vain and a solution can be found as a result.

[JessiLaurn 183]

You know, it'd almost be worth buying a copy of 641 just to not have to have my CD-ROM drive involved to play the game.  I'll have to ponder this.

[rsc204 21,808]

You could just make an ISO from the disk, then have it mounted as a virtual CD to get around this problem, that's what I do.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Yes, that works. 

 

I used to do that, but when I switched over to Linux I found it easier to have 641 because of all the wine prefix rebuilds I was doing.  You have to install the program every time you make a new prefix (windows environment), which takes less than five minutes with 641.  Besides, my CDs quickly became unusable.

 

I have a stable environment now, but I also have three different wine prefixes, so ...

[Tarkus 6,932]

Mission accomplished.

 

-Tarkus

[MandelSoft 2,769]

NAM Team 1 - 0 EA Games

 

They really just had to fix this utterly stupid error.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Let's not gloat.  Someone could well be looking for a job today.  It's probably the wrong person, too.

[Jorge_carrillo 140]

Hi there.

 

I am building a real highway and a side to it a High Speed Rail, but it happens that we have this problem, when a derivation of the Highway goes under the HSR both systems collapse, ¿can I do something to solve it with puzzle pieces? ¿Are those puzzle pieces included in NAM or in any other package which I sall download?,

 

thank you

 

 

[kbbk 0]

Hey, I've got a serious issue with NAM's Draggable Elevated Road Viaduct tool

I've got the latest version of NAM, and followed tutorials on YT... Here You've got the video showing what's going on:

 

 

If someone could help me I'd be extremely gratefull

[rsc204 21,808]

 

Hi there.

 

I am building a real highway and a side to it a High Speed Rail, but it happens that we have this problem, when a derivation of the Highway goes under the HSR both systems collapse, ¿can I do something to solve it with puzzle pieces? ¿Are those puzzle pieces included in NAM or in any other package which I sall download?,

 

thank you

 

There is no RHW compatibility with HSR whatsover (except you can build over MIS or RHW-4 Ortho crossings only). Looking at the network you've built, there aren't a whole load of good solutions to your problem. 

 

Off the top of my head, I'd use these lots to make the HSR tunnel under the RHW intersection with a Subway line. You will need to factor in some new slopes for the HSR to make it happen though. Also bear in mind you need a really deep hole for doing this with HSR, it would be better to transition to GHSR for the tunnel if there is space.

 

@ kbbk - I know I'd really appreciate not having to open up YouTube to watch a video of your problem... perhaps you can change this setting?