Install Simcity 4 through steam on Ubuntu 14.04.3.

[FooFox 8]

Wow!!

I read on this forum years ago when I last played this game.
Great to see this game still gets so much attention these days.

Anyway, I'm one of the unlucky ones who bought this version of Simcity 4 through steam.
So I realized, no problem! Simcity is supported, and I know steam is also supported on Linux, and since Simcity 4 is supported through steam, everything should just work out.

It doesn't.

I got Wine and steam installed and logged into my Steam account.
When I "install Steam" i get a message box saying "Simcity 4 Deluxe is not available on your current platform."

I suppose steam is confusing itself, or I don't know how to command it installing something into Wine, and that creates this particular error message.

I cant find answers to this question online, the only guide that explains a installation procedure in linux is from a cd/dvd box. I hope that doesn't mean I can't install the game. So I hope it can be done, one way or another.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Well, I don't think Steam supports anything that runs with Linux/wine.  They can't put their little paws into the wine environment because it pretends to be Windows.  If you can, I'd get a refund from Steam then purchase the game (watch for sales) on one of the non-DRM vendors such as GamersGate, GOG, or Amazon.  I got mine from GamersGate several years ago, and it has been just fine.

I am currently running SC4 with Ubuntu 14.04.3 (LTS) and wine-1.7.55.  I have separate scripts to run with all three rendering methods and if you would like to see them, PM me.

<rant>  Steam is just a third party DRM profiteer and general security hole in the universe exactly like Origin.  SC4 is not a DRM item, so they have no business selling this game.  They just take the time to hoax the yokels. </rant>

  Edited February 15, 2016 by A Nonny Moose  
spelling

[FooFox 8]

I didn't really know this, I hardly game, except for some simpler/arcade like Unity written games that run directly on Ubuntu without assistance from Wine.

I am very confused however, because if Steam is supported for Linux, and i.e. even has website pages dedicated to guiding it's use and installation procedure, then why have Steam for Linux at all if you can't install any games with it? I'm sure Steam can be used for some things, otherwise there wouldn't be a Linux version. As you may have picked up by now, I'm new to gaming through wine/steam on Linux. But I'm just very confused by what purpose Steam has on linux if you can't install games with it, lol.

I'm going to hunt for one of the non DRM versions, and as I've been browsing, I'm very, very, very shocked by the price they ask for this particular game, simcity 4 is very old. But that's probably explainable since it still gets attention these days, atleast the "Simcity 4" subsection activity still shows plenty of SC4 activity. And I'm sure the corporate gaming industry still profits heavily from the never ending trend.
I am looking for sales, I have found a low discount sale, not any major ones.
Steam has a big Sale on simcity 4, atleast it's much cheaper there then anywhere else.

Maybe the hoax goes like this, "Oh we have no right to sell this item" ... "let's sell it for a 2nd hand price and hope the yokels keep their mouths shut"

Well, I'm not a yokel haha, and I think it are a buch of money fraudulent fools,
To topp it all off, you require loads of time to install mods to finish the Simcity 4 game which is imho unfinished in it's vanilla form.

Yes I'm going to ask for a refund, hopefully I get one, either way they're criminals imo.
I didn't know there were 3 ways of rendering, I'm not that much into games anyway, but I assume one of 3 ways will work best for me, so yes I'm willing to see those scripts, so I'll pm you.
Anyway, once I get a non-DRM version delivered to my doormat I'll spend enough time by poking and tweaking until it works to my desires.

Sad it can't work, but thanks for explaining it to me.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

As far as picking up Plugins goes, for a new player beware.  Don't go on a downloading binge as not all plugins play nice together.  Some will cause a crash when run with others.  The only way you can tell is by testing because everyone has a different set of plugins.

For openers you need to look for the bug fixes that have been done by members.  Generally they will have the word 'fix' in the title.  The only one I know of that does not is called 'crime doesnt pay' [exactly that, no apostrophe], and it fixes a deficiency in police coverage.

If you decide to pick up the NAM (you should), when you install it, use the custom install mode and select only what you want to use.  RHW has a learning curve that is probably larger than the game itself, so you may want to either avoid it, or take only the lower level parts of it.  The nice thing about the NAM is you can run the installer as often as you like to add and remove features at will.  The main feature of the NAM is actually the general fix for the traffic system.  You could start with only the controller, then go from there.  You might want to take a walk through the NAM support threads.  This area is so large it has its own forum.

Create a sandbox for testing.  Don't use a new plugin in a city you've been working on without testing it first.  And be sure you get all the dependencies.  There are two sort of hidden dependencies that some BAT authors take for granted and don't list.  These are BldgProps_Vol1 and BldgProps_Vol2.  They are the buildings from the base game as props and can be useful for building other lots.  You can find them on the page for the Lot Editor.

When you test, add the new plugin to your existing set, then try it out in your sandbox.  If you crash, move it out of plugins until you can solve what happened.  Remember you can always ask for help in the forums.

[FooFox 8]

I remember from back in the day when I used to play SC4 more often that the MOD dependencies have to be met, and that there are indeed conflicts around. Eventually this made me use only a few mods, because it has already gotten to my attention in the past that a mod Binge is asking for trouble.

I will probably spend a whole day alone on testing and mixing until I have a desired collection of mods around.
I also know about NAM and it being essential rather then optional (your opinion may vary), and have actually had success in the past with all the RHW mod pieces, and know many terrain elevation tricks like the use of single road terrain equalizer method, and how to make intersections, tunnels and such. Relearning will probably be part of the deal after a few year abstinence, thanks for reminding about the barriers in front of me, I know this is not a out of the box shoot and kill kind of game.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Have fun.  Remember this is a leisure time game, and with saves, it can be resumed at any time.  If you have a machine faster than a Pentium 4 (don't we all?), you may want to train your left hand to press CTRL+s about every 10 minutes to save regularly.  The program has some rather nasty habits of pulling a crash to desktop if you run too long without a save especially if you are building something.