Returning after a long while

[Omnis Arcanum 7]

Hi everyone,

I was a member from a long while back and used to frequent around Simtropolis, Sc4 devotion, Simpeg, and a few other places. 

I've now decided to return to re-visit my love for SimCity. I was particularly invested with the realistic airports, waterfront mods and lots as well as the CAM mod.
 

With that said, I have recently bought a vanilla version of SimCity 4 on Steam and would like to inquire if anyone has any advice on how to get started again. Dependencies that need to be downloaded, or must-have game mods, etc.

I've already downloaded the NAM and CAM mods again but thats about it.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

[CorinaMarie 29,869]

Hiya, Omnis Arcanum. Welcome back to Simtropolis.

First thing you'll want to find is how to tell the Steam version to set the -CPUCount:1 as part of the start up. (Mine's not Steam so I'm not sure how you have to go about it, but it's really, really important.) You will not need the Maxis patches EP1 and Nightlights because those are already baked into the digital version you have.

What you'll want next will depend a lot on your play style. Do you play it as a game? Do you create cities more as an artistic expression? Here are a few things you might want to look into:

• Fixes and Mods to get After a Fresh SC4 Install. I list this one first because it's a short list of fix type addons peeps have made.
• CAROL'S LIST - An index of SimCity 4 Tutorials and Resources by @BC Canuck
• Expanding your SimCity 4 by @chfzdn
• My own About Me page with linkys to terrain related mods

For generalized questions we have the SimCity 4 General Discussion forum where you can create new topics. Even this new thread you've created here in the New Members Information could go there just as well. (Might even be a better place for it cause more peeps will see it and reply. Any of the staff could move it there if you like. Just let us know if you'd prefer it to be there.) Here are a couple of current sample threads where peeps have asked their own getting started type of questions:

• Prepping my First Region by @That Retro Guy
• My Personal Questions. by @Tristy100

[Cyclone Boom 17,031]

Hi there, welcome back to the site and community!

Having already been familiar with SC4 custom content previously, I'm sure you may know this already. But in terms of dependencies, these will (or at least should) be stated in the descriptions or readme documents of each content item.

For this reason it's quite hard to recommend any of the MEGA packs specifically, as they'll each depend on which BATs and lots you choose to install. Some players like to do this in advance, others prefer being more selective. Usually those in sets (like the IRM, CDK and MTP) will keep to a core group of props and textures, and then it becomes more efficient since they're used on not one but multiple items. It can be easy to lose track since there's so much choice, and so many options.

The dependencies I would recommend for starters would be the Building as Props files. These aren't always listed in descriptions, likely since many creators assume these have already been installed. They're available to download on the Maxis Files page, along with the other landmarks if interested. Or alternatively there's this file by @T Wrecks which does the exact same job, along with correcting the prop hover names on custom lots.

 

As for using command-line switches in Steam, this is possible through the game client application as my post here explains.

Copying over the most relevant part:

Quote

Set Launch Options

1. Right-click on the game title under the Library in Steam and select Properties.
2. Under the General tab click the Set launch options... button.
3. Enter the launch options you wish to apply (be sure to separate each code with a space) and click OK.
4. Close the game's Properties window and launch the game.

----------

As @CorinaMarie said above, let us know if you'd like this thread moving over to the General Discussion forum. Or equally it's perfectly fine in here too. The same goes should you wish to ask any other questions about the game. This can be done in here, a new topic, or even an existing one should you prefer.

[Omnis Arcanum 7]

Hi sorry for the late response. Internet is a bit difficult in my area.

Thanks for the warm welcome.

To answer CorinaMarie's question, I tend to play the game mainly for the aesthetics of making a city and I had used to contribute in creating a city journal in the past. I always enjoyed creating sci-fi themed cities and also dabbled in the past with BAT and was quite keen with the SimMars project (is that still here somewhere?). 

Nowadays I want to focus on the funcitonality of the city in gameplay while still going for an aesthetically pleasing look.  I will be looking out for walls by jeronji, the wharfs projects by sim peg as well as his ports and a few others, as well as the realistic airports project. 

I used to have a blast downloading and creating those things with the tools provided by the community and findly remembered the massive amounts of space it had occupied my previous computer, but it was lost throughout my various transitions in life.

Thanks for the advice on the command line switches in Steam. I have done so as instructed.

I hope to contribute more in the near future instead of just leeching from the STEX as well. In this regard i wanted to ask to anyone who may be able to answer. I was also interested in STEX collections 2017, but wanted to inquire if there was another way to contribute the funds asides from PayPal. I've had a terrible experience with the service and would like to refrain from using them again. Is there an alternative?

Thanks a bunch.

[CorinaMarie 29,869]

15 minutes ago, Omnis Arcanum said:

I was also interested in STEX collections 2017, but wanted to inquire if there was another way to contribute the funds asides from PayPal.

I'm not sure it this would be an alternative you'd like, but @_Michael posted how to use a credit card. It does use the PayPal interface, but you do not need an account there. (In this post.)

 

Spoiler

This does not need a PayPal account.

Think of it as buying on Amazon, with ST getting the money - PayPal just acts as the intermediary.