tutorial Rob's Guide - the Network Addon Mod for Beginners

[rob_mtl 434]

Hey kids!

After many requests in the YouTube comments section I've finally gotten around to making my Network Addon Guide for Beginners. This tutorial video will probably be a bit basic for many of the Simtropolis habitués, but I hope that new players will find it a good starting point. I know that when I first downloaded the NAM, I was completely lost in the acronyms, tooltips and puzzle pieces! 

As always, let me know what you think. I'll be doing follow up videos (at some point) on more specific topics--suggestions are welcome

Cheers,

Rob

 

[SIM-ple Jack 17,444]

22 hours ago, rob_mtl said:

As always, let me know what you think.

I laughed, I cried. The film America needs right now. The rare sequel that surpasses the original. The feel good film of 2020. Does for SimCity4  what Jaws did for the ocean.

Well, the background music is somewhat similar to what they play when I call my doctor, but mercifully briefer at a mere 47 minutes.

I  did actually learn a few things(mostly about that traffic simulator), so you were effective in that area. Keep up the good work.

Disclaimer: This post is partially funny, partially serious.

[rob_mtl 434]

1 hour ago, SIM-ple Jack said:

I laughed, I cried. The film America needs right now. The rare sequel that surpasses the original. The feel good film of 2020. Does for SimCity4  what Jaws did for the ocean.

Well, the background music is somewhat similar to what they play when I call my doctor, but mercifully briefer at a mere 47 minutes.

I  did actually learn a few things(mostly about that traffic simulator), so you were effective in that area. Keep up the good work.

Disclaimer: This post is partially funny, partially serious.

Glad you enjoyed the video @SIM-ple Jack. High praise indeed!

Side note: Background music is a constant struggle on YouTube because of copyright strikes. I would love to throw in a Martin Scorcese-style worth-buying-the-soundtrack-on-LP playlist in these videos, but I'd just get nailed for it. And the various librairies of royalty-free music are... hit and miss.

I'll be looking into some good tunes to dump into the "Radio" folder of SC4 at some point though. I quite like the game's soundtrack, but at this point I've heard it more than Michael Jackson's Thriller.

[zetterbeard 3]

Helpful video, thank you!

[andymoz 3]

where can i find the NAM 36 please ? 

[Eggman121 1,035]

1 hour ago, andymoz said:

where can i find the NAM 36 please ? 

NAM 36 has been discontinued for some time. So you can't get a copy and I for some reason you do, There will be 0% support. Only the latest NAM edition are supported. The SC4D LEX, STEX and MOD-DB all have a copy of the latest Network Addon Mod. NAM 39 as of time of writing.

If there is an issue or a specific request We are willing to help but will not give access to previous NAM editions!

-eggman121 (NAM Team Member)

[AsimPika3172 1,129]

Thanks for tutorial! 

[andymoz 3]

8 hours ago, Eggman121 said:

NAM 36 has been discontinued for some time. So you can't get a copy and I for some reason you do, There will be 0% support. Only the latest NAM edition are supported. The SC4D LEX, STEX and MOD-DB all have a copy of the latest Network Addon Mod. NAM 39 as of time of writing.

If there is an issue or a specific request We are willing to help but will not give access to previous NAM editions!

-eggman121 (NAM Team Member)

Ok thank you for the response. I have an origin version of SimCity 4 will the current NAM run with this version  ??  

[Tarkus 6,932]

Technically speaking, the Origin Store version of the game is Version 1.1.610.  Version 1.1.610 is not officially supported by the NAM, and never has been. 

The NAM has always had Version 1.1.638 as a requirement, ever since the release of NAM 1 in April 2004, due to the major stability improvements and some transit network-related fixes that Version 1.1.638 provides.  The Origin Store version is Version 1.1.610, and due to Origin changing the checksum on the executable, the patch that upgrades Version 1.1.610 to 1.1.638 (known as "EP1 Update" or "EP1 Update 1") cannot be applied, nor can the BAT Nightlighting Patch (which ups the game to Version 1.1.640). 

This means that the Origin Store version is permanently stuck at Version 1.1.610, with all the inherent issues and lack of functionality that entails.

Most NAM releases of the 2010s--including NAM 36--had a "version check routine" as part of the installer, which actually prevented the NAM from being installed on Version 1.1.610 copies of the game, including the Origin Store version.  This was in large part due to a number of users attempting to blame the NAM Team for issues that were actually caused by their game not being patched.

The new installer system we switched to for NAM 37 (in use with the current release, NAM 39, and will be used again for the forthcoming NAM 40 release) does not have the version check (and does not have the ability to add one, at least easily).  In theory, it's possible to install the NAM on an Origin Store copy now, but again, until/unless Origin starts giving its paying customers a patched version of the game (again), it's not recommended or supported. 

The NAM Team officially encourages everyone with a Version 1.1.610 copy from the Origin Store to seek a refund from Origin, given that you've effectively been sold a defective product that can't receive stability patches that EA/Maxis themselves released in 2003.  Reportedly, users who have cited the disclaimer about the patch on this page here at Simtropolis have had success getting such a refund.

All other digital retailers of the game, including GOG and Steam, sell a fully-patched (Version 1.1.641--effectively identical to Version 1.1.640, just digital) copy of the game.  Origin Support actually has Version 1.1.641 tucked away, as they had been giving it free to customers who were redeeming keys from older CD copies, but for some reason, the paying customers on the Origin Store are getting 1.1.610. 

For a time from 2014-2015, I actually managed to shame them into switching to a patched version (PC Gamer covering it helped a ton), but in November 2015, I suspect they thought no one was looking anymore (particularly with Maxis Emeryville folded and Cities: Skylines out there), and they reverted back to 1.1.610.  Apparently, they even issued an "update" that downgraded user's games, and they've ignored any efforts to get them to fix it since.

-Tarkus

[andymoz 3]

4 hours ago, Tarkus said:

Technically speaking, the Origin Store version of the game is Version 1.1.610.  Version 1.1.610 is not officially supported by the NAM, and never has been. 

The NAM has always had Version 1.1.638 as a requirement, ever since the release of NAM 1 in April 2004, due to the major stability improvements and some transit network-related fixes that Version 1.1.638 provides.  The Origin Store version is Version 1.1.610, and due to Origin changing the checksum on the executable, the patch that upgrades Version 1.1.610 to 1.1.638 (known as "EP1 Update" or "EP1 Update 1") cannot be applied, nor can the BAT Nightlighting Patch (which ups the game to Version 1.1.640). 

This means that the Origin Store version is permanently stuck at Version 1.1.610, with all the inherent issues and lack of functionality that entails.

Most NAM releases of the 2010s--including NAM 36--had a "version check routine" as part of the installer, which actually prevented the NAM from being installed on Version 1.1.610 copies of the game, including the Origin Store version.  This was in large part due to a number of users attempting to blame the NAM Team for issues that were actually caused by their game not being patched.

The new installer system we switched to for NAM 37 (in use with the current release, NAM 39, and will be used again for the forthcoming NAM 40 release) does not have the version check (and does not have the ability to add one, at least easily).  In theory, it's possible to install the NAM on an Origin Store copy now, but again, until/unless Origin starts giving its paying customers a patched version of the game (again), it's not recommended or supported. 

The NAM Team officially encourages everyone with a Version 1.1.610 copy from the Origin Store to seek a refund from Origin, given that you've effectively been sold a defective product that can't receive stability patches that EA/Maxis themselves released in 2003.  Reportedly, users who have cited the disclaimer about the patch on this page here at Simtropolis have had success getting such a refund.

All other digital retailers of the game, including GOG and Steam, sell a fully-patched (Version 1.1.641--effectively identical to Version 1.1.640, just digital) copy of the game.  Origin Support actually has Version 1.1.641 tucked away, as they had been giving it free to customers who were redeeming keys from older CD copies, but for some reason, the paying customers on the Origin Store are getting 1.1.610. 

For a time from 2014-2015, I actually managed to shame them into switching to a patched version (PC Gamer covering it helped a ton), but in November 2015, I suspect they thought no one was looking anymore (particularly with Maxis Emeryville folded and Cities: Skylines out there), and they reverted back to 1.1.610.  Apparently, they even issued an "update" that downgraded user's games, and they've ignored any efforts to get them to fix it since.

-Tarkus

Thank you Tarkus. Guess I will see if I can get a refund.. Although depending on how much the steam version is I may have to play the game without any mods... Again thank you for the reply 

[Lucario Boricua 7,027]

4 hours ago, andymoz said:

Although depending on how much the steam version is I may have to play the game without any mods... Again thank you for the reply 

Steam and GOG sometimes sell SimCity 4 Deluxe under heavy discounts, typically to $4.99 / €4.99, and occasionally on GOG to $2.99 / €2.99. 

[andymoz 3]

Thank you for the information Lucario

[Propfam 2,286]

4 hours ago, Lucario Boricua said:

and occasionally on GOG to $2.99 / €2.99. 

Are you sure? I don't even get another giveaway of a game I owned.

[rsc204 21,806]

13 hours ago, chfzdn said:

Are you sure? I don't even get another giveaway of a game I owned.

Certainly it does go lower than 5€, but not very often. For example Steam were selling it for 3,99€ late last year, when I bought my Mac copy. I think I paid only 2,49€ for my GoG copy a number of years back, I even got a copy of SC2K for free with it. But certainly it's more typical to see it for around 5 ($/£/€). Frankly if I have a problem with the digital pricing, it's that the sale price reflects a more reasonable price for old games. In fact outside of sales, you are basically being ripped off. When EA re-published the DVDs in 2012 for SC4, partly to fuel momentum for SimCity (2013)'s release, the RRP was £10 in the UK, it didn't take long to find copies for £5 either. So why on earth is this still £20 normally, the simple answer is because some people are willing to pay more, so why loose out on their money?

Sucks though that certain parts of the world get a raw deal on games/hardware costs, if anything Digital just gives the publishers/sellers even more control. But this is nothing new, I used to import a lot of games at one time, but less because of price and more because many brilliant Japanese and even US releases, never made their way to Europe. Most publishers try to block these things from being possible, because they know rip-off pricing exists.

But are you saying you can't re-download a game you previously paid for? If so, that's definitely not how GoG operate in Europe. Not that I've needed too, but if I wanted to re-download SC4, i can any time.

[Propfam 2,286]

12 hours ago, rsc204 said:

But are you saying you can't re-download a game you previously paid for? If so, that's definitely not how GoG operate in Europe. Not that I've needed too, but if I wanted to re-download SC4, i can any time.

No, I can redownload my given-to-me game anytime. But, there's no equivalent giveaway for SimCity 4, for instance.