11 minutes to load SC4

[VitroOliveira 17]

Hello, I have to wait 11 minuts to load SC4, 7 to load Regions Map and 4 to load the Map i choose, incredible... maybe are some way to descend this times for load, or I have to eliminate some plugins... but how I can do it safety...

[jeffryfisher 2,176]

1) Get a solid-state drive for your computer and use it for your personal SC4 files.

2) Dat-pack some plugins.

[matias93 7,535]

Also, that's really far from a record waiting time. I've easily waited half an hour to load the game. That's why I'm rebuilding my plugins folder without throwing everything inside this time

[VitroOliveira 17]

But how I can do it safely...

[matias93 7,535]

1 hour ago, VitroOliveira said:

But how I can do it safely...

The safest way is starting with a clean region, to avoid removing plugins that are being used. I'm doing that right now.

Another option is to remove selectively things from your cities, and only after removing them, uninstall their source files from your plugins folder. That's a much slower process, and one on which you can make several errors. If you aren't patient at zen monk levels, I strongly recommend you to use the first method.

[Duco 546]

3 hours ago, VitroOliveira said:

But how I can do it safely...

Another option is to start from zero. (I did, I disliked it, but now I'm glad.).

The benefits for me are:

- I only have the the things I really use

- I have kept (this time) all the read me's and zip files (separated)

-There is a folder structure

So when that question comes again, now I don't mind.

 

 

 

 

 

[VitroOliveira 17]

Thanks for reply... sorry my ignorance in English... how I can make Dat-pack some plugins...

[Duco 546]

17 hours ago, VitroOliveira said:

how I can make Dat-pack some plugins...

Can't help you with that, because I haven't used it (yet), although I have a big pluggin folder.

Below is a link to the tool, maybe it will help you more.

And another one, maybe this is something.

As mentioned, ssd helps a lot.

https://www.sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=26

 

  Edited May 22, 2018 by Duco  
another link

[matias93 7,535]

I use this convenient tool to manage the plugins folder: it creates an alternate folder system to allow you to modify your plugins normally, but to play with them DATpacked. Otherwise, you would find problems when trying to modify or fix an already DATpacked installation. It also helps you to plan the way your folders are organised, to maximise the time-saving effects of packing.

http://sc4tools.co.uk/sc4t_downloads.asp

[markussaage 762]

I do use this little tool to datpack almost everything in my plugins folder...

https://www.sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=26

A couple years ago I was up to 20 minutes waiting time, before I finally could play the game... That ain't no fun...

Kind regards!

[boundegar 3]

Wow. Mine loads in seconds. My computer is a few years old, and it wasn't the Cray Blitz when it was new.

I guess it helps I don't like mods. I run SPAM, NAM, and Industry Doubler. Nothing more.

[VitroOliveira 17]

Thanks for try help...

 

[dogma555 187]

Truth is there is nothing you can really do.. Hardware upgrades will yield no noticeable results because the game's early 2000's architecture itself will be the bottleneck. Maxis simply never foresaw the sheer amount of modding that this community would bring to the table .. You can delete all the image files in your plugins folder (.jpg preview files that come with most BAT files) to shave off a minute or two at best..

All you can really do is wait. I have a 12GB plugin folder, and it takes about 8 minutes  to load the game. I've found that NAM is the main culprit with long load times, but the game is obviously far too primitive without it. Just find something else to do in that time and then hibernate the computer with SC4 still running instead of shutting it down so you can just  ALT+TAB right back in whenever you need to.

 

[Prophet42 1,503]

Read a good book while it is loading.  I usually brush up on Prima's Offical Strategy Guide Simcity 4 Deluxe Edition.

[markussaage 762]

On 23.5.2018 at 4:47 PM, boundegar said:

Wow. Mine loads in seconds. My computer is a few years old, and it wasn't the Cray Blitz when it was new.

I guess it helps I don't like mods. I run SPAM, NAM, and Industry Doubler. Nothing more.

I'd name NAM and SPAM mods, big time...

@VitroOliveira The only thing that really helps, is to organize the your plugins, use a DATPacker tool and an SSD, where SC4 is installed.

But the first thing is to keep your files organized. And to understand, how SC4 loads the files. Therefore I highly recommend the use of rivit's SC4DataNode tool to determine, what's going on. And after analysing it,organize,clean and optimize the plugins folder. You'll find the SC4DataNode tool here:

I refer to the manual in the installation folder to get to know the basics how to use it. But the only way really is learning by doing while you use it. After you used it and cleaned out your plugins, I recommend using a DATpacker tool like

https://www.sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=26

and a free software called Clone Cleaner to detect duplicate files within your plugins. The lite version is free for private use.

http://heatsoft.com/

In the end the SC4Datpacker bottom window should look like this (see example screenshot): no entries there, nothing... Everything, that shows up there during the packing process indicates to duplicate files somewhere in your plugins. A path is shown then in the bottom window. Work with it!

I am not going to tell you here, that this is going to be an easy job for you, and that you'll be done in five minutes with it. Nope... It took me days in the beginning to get started, to figure out, what is what and how to read the amount of data you get. I started from scratch 5 years ago, piece by piece, got distracted by modding stuff, now I have only 4,5 GB in my plugins, datpacked, and it loads in 30 seconds... Game crashes? Gone... and my game is 5% vanilla, 95% mods... But I still have around 20 GB files waiting to be redone, to get back into the game...

Kind regards!