Best Version of SimCity 4

[dabadon6 12]

Hello everyone. I am looking to repurchase the game. I have the disc version of the game, but to my disappointment, It seems to not be working correctly. I have tried multiple ways to fix the problem but nothing seems to work. Luckily, I have enough simoleons to go around. So purchasing a digital form of the game is my next step. As you might've guessed I am looking to purchase from a source that will allow me to correctly update the game, mod it, etc just like the regular disc version. I know STEAM and GOG have it. I would like to hear everyone's take about the best way to continue my fun with this game,as I have played it since launch in 2003, yikes..... Thanks in advance.

[CorinaMarie 29,605]

In my opinion, GOG is the best way to go. Be sure to not use their Galaxy Thinger tho when installing it. The reason GOG is the very best is it is completely DRM free. Both the GOG version and the Steam version come fully patched so you won't need to do the EP1 and Nightlights updates. The key thing is do not get the Origin one.

[Cyclone Boom 16,875]

10 minutes ago, CorinaMarie said:

Be sure to not use their Galaxy Thinger tho when installing it.

Yeah, that's a good tip because then the GOG game can be installed standalone without the client application housing it. My post here explains how to do that, and I remember someone recently confirmed it's still the case even with said advice being a while ago.

The only thing with the GOG game is it can be worth purchasing when they run 75% off seasonal sales a few times per year.

If wanting to go this way, purchasing from the ST affiliate link provides the site with a small sales commission from the purchase price.

[Turnstyled 486]

@CorinaMarie and @Cyclone Boom are correct. Buying it from GOG is the way to go. Here are your options:

Origin - EA has been known to distribute an unpatched AND unpatchable version of SimCity 4 through their Origin client. Stay away from Origin.

Steam - There's nothing technically wrong with getting SimCity 4 from Steam. Your game will be downloaded through the Steam client and by default, it'll go in the directory where all the other Steam games go. If you create a desktop shortcut for SimCity 4 through Steam, then I'm pretty sure that any shortcut parameters (needed to run the game at a higher resolution than what was allowed in the in-game menu in 2003) will have to be entered as launch parameters in the Steam client.

GOG - Truly DRM-free. As Cori and Cyclone Boom had said, it can be downloaded separately from their client called GOG Galaxy. You'll be able to download the whole game as a setup executable that you'll be able to install to any directory that you'll so please to install the game to.

[luvs2draw 295]

Hi dabandon6,

I have to agree with above post. GOG is your best bet. And the problems with installing the GOG Galaxy version will cause the game to CTD when trying to zoom in or out using your mouse scroll key or trying to use the + - on the mayor window. Also the offline installer should let you download the SC4 Deluxe with a hotfix already installed. When installing the game for your system (Win 10 is what I have) just fellow the link here from Cyclone Boom on how to install to your system. Good luck playing the game. I have.

[nos.17 5,120]

I can't say for sure about GOG, but Steam usually sells SC4 on sale for $5USD a few times each year.

I use the Steam version and have never run into any issues with the game.

[Turnstyled 486]

1 hour ago, luvs2draw said:

And the problems with installing the GOG Galaxy version will cause the game to CTD when trying to zoom in or out using your mouse scroll key or trying to use the + - on the mayor window.

What is different between the standalone installer and downloading from GOG Galaxy?

[carlosmarcelo 975]

2 hours ago, Turnstyled said:

What is different between the standalone installer and downloading from GOG Galaxy?

I bought GOG version, without GOG Galaxy, the installation file is with me, it is mine. I can to install offline, wherever and whenever I want.t. I use to in a old notebook (2011), but I have other installation in new notebook (2019) just for modern video cards (NVIDIA) and RAMDisks tests (16GB). 

I maintain backup online of regions, cities and plugins in google drive, so, I don't need of no GOG Galaxy online resources. 

Unfortunately I couldn't get the discounts: I was too wishful to play it. 

[Turnstyled 486]

@carlosmarcelo

I understand; however, @luvs2draw had said that through GOG Galaxy, it'll cause CTDs. Anyway, SimCity 4 isn't a "modern" game, so it won't take advantage of GOG Galaxy's online resources.

Sorry if I've made things too complicated for you through our discussion, @dabadon6. As you've been able to see in this thread, the community tends to recommend GOG due to the simplicity and freedom that the standalone installer offers.

Edit: I just wanted to inform you that the discs do not work because of an update to Windows that removed support for the type of DRM that the discs had used. That update came to supported versions of Windows a little before Windows 10 was first available, so the discs will not work in all releases of Windows 10.

[CorinaMarie 29,605]

4 hours ago, Turnstyled said:

What is different between the standalone installer and downloading from GOG Galaxy?

The SC4 game itself is identical for both. The GOG Galaxy is like a game manager similar to what Steam has. The only trouble is Galaxy gets itself all confuzzled with this game so it's best to do the offline method.

[Cyclone Boom 16,875]

1 hour ago, Turnstyled said:

Anyway, SimCity 4 isn't a "modern" game, so it won't take advantage of GOG Galaxy's online resources.

Yeah, there might potentially be benefits with more modern titles. I believe similar to the Steam client that Galaxy is a way of managing multiple games one has digitally purchased from GOG online. Then it comes bundled with a download manager and access to social integration features.

Since I don't play other games and SC4 remains my focus, that doesn't appeal to me personally. For running SC4 standalone and it's advantageous how it doesn't come with all that wrapped around, and so the game can be installed and run independently while still being DRM free (unlike the Steam and disc based version). It sure sounds inconvenient for there to be possible CTD occurrences, but it might be Galaxy is an option for some who'd benefit from the convenience of having multiple games in a library to manage.

For SC4 there is indeed absolutely no benefit in Galaxy to make SC4 perform better, even though they push it as the recommended choice. I'm generally of the view how less clutter equals more convenience due to greater simplicity, but it does depend on how each of us see things for what might be useful (or not).

Edit:
I see @CorinaMarie just got in and posted before me while I was typing.

  Edited February 29, 2020 by Cyclone Boom  

[jeffryfisher 2,176]

20 hours ago, Cyclone Boom said:

purchasing from the ST affiliate link provides the site with a small sales commission

Yes, please support the (dwindling) community! Don't just choose GoG, but please use that link.

OMG, this Libertarian is turning communist!

[dabadon6 12]

Thanks everyone for the comments. Sounds like GOG is the way to go. 

[dabadon6 12]

On another note, I still have tons of BATs and stuff downloaded, would I need to delete those and just download them later ?

[Cyclone Boom 16,875]

13 minutes ago, dabadon6 said:

On another note, I still have tons of BATs and stuff downloaded, would I need to delete those and just download them later ?

It might be worth moving anything you'd like to keep for another time in a different location outside your Plugins folder. That way it'll save needing to re-download at a latter stage, since the game will only look for items extracted and in place within Plugins only. The tricky thing can be with knowing what items are when coming back to them at another time, and some content is named more clearly than others. Placing them in a subfolder structure may help to prioritise certain things for later use, though it is a lot of effort when going back to figure out when each BAT, lot, or mod is exactly. The main thing though is moving items outside Plugins will prevent the game loading them.

There are two Plugins folders also. One is in the game's installation folder structure, and the other (recommended) is in: Documents\SimCity 4

[mosonče 75]

Already stated above but GOG version is best, I got it along with Origin one in order to get rid of Origin client. Still I stumbled upon few free SimCity 4 steam keys at reddit ( https://www.reddit.com/r/SimCity )