Where to put the NAM plugins?

[tonyfv 23]

I've downloaded and unpackaged the NAM 41 files. They ended up in the folder shown in the attached image. I have no idea where to move them to so that when I launch the game they work. I've spent an hour looking online and could not find a straightforward answer - way too much info!

[Tarkus 6,932]

Are you on the App Store version?  My understanding, from what I've heard, is that it should go in /Users/{username}/Library/Containers/com.aspyr.simcity4.appstore/Data/Documents/SimCity 4/Plugins/.  That looks relatively similar to that, however.

When you were unpackaging the NAM 41 files, did you run the installer (NetworkAddonMod_Setup_Version41.jar, in the case of the Mac version)?  Unless you followed the manual install procedure in the "read first" document included in the download (0-read-first.html), then you'd need to run the installer.  Here's a link to the "read first" document:

https://www.sc4devotion.com/namdoc/0-read-first.html

-Tarkus

[tonyfv 23]

Thanks for the prompt and kind reply Tarkus. Yes from the App Store two weeks ago. I've been playing but missed the mods I had when I last played it before the 32 bit version was made obsolete.

That's the first item I read, and it's one of the documents I referred to when I wrote "too much info". The Windows and Mac instructions are intermingled and sometimes unclear. Bullets would be so helpful in that document, alas.

I did run the .jar file and it unpacked the files, but have not yet seen the option to install the full or limited version referred to in the documents.

I don't have a folder with the /Users/{username}/Library/Containers/com.aspyr.simcity4.appstore/Data/Documents/SimCity 4/Plugins/. path so I tried to manually create it and move the Network Addon Mod folder into it, but as soon as I created a new folder in the Containers directory the OS told me the folder already exists. I did a search to find out where, and it is in two or three other locations. See the screen shots below.

 

[Tarkus 6,932]

The App Store version is a little bit odd, and unfortunately, those oddities make the installation quite a bit more difficult than the Steam version.  If I recall correctly, you may need to open up that first one and actually stick the files inside of there, because the App Store version is sandboxed, and doesn't have access to things outside of its container.

-Tarkus

[tonyfv 23]

I copied the unpackaged Network Addon Mod folder and all its contents to both locations, and when I launched the game my Timbuktu Region was reset (I lost 4 cities), but the mods are not showing on the menus. The menus still only have the original options, so there is something else going on. Ugh.

I wonder if I should ask Apple to reimburse me for the App Store game and then instead download from Steam...

 

  Edited July 4, 2021 by tonyfv  
To show the container with the long folder name /.com.aspyr.simcity4.appstore

[Tarkus 6,932]

There's one last thing I'd try--create a Plugins folder inside of com.aspyr.simcity4.appstore, move the Network Addon Mod folder in there, and see if that does the trick.

-Tarkus

[tonyfv 23]

Nope, that didn't work. 

Notice in the screen shot that the folder name com.aspyr.simcity4.appstore is automatically changed to SimCity™4 Deluxe Edition when I add the NAM folder from the .jar file. I manually changed it to com.aspyr.simcity4.appstore and it kept the name, then tried running the game again and the new mods are still not in the menus.

Surely there are Mac users who have successfully installed the mods – I'm not a "gamer" so modding apps is foreign language to me. I am running the latest macOS so that's not the issue.

Yesterday, while waiting for replies, I ran the .jar file again and tried everything from scratch. I took screen shots of all the steps and saved them. If you think that would be helpful I'll upload them so you can see if and where I messed up.

Meanwhile I will continue to explore the Forums for solutions. I really love this game and want to continue to play it, but without the mods the game is just not as fun.

Thanks again for taking time to help me.

[rsc204 21,808]

4 hours ago, tonyfv said:

I am running the latest macOS so that's not the issue.

I wouldn't assume that to be the case, in fact if anything the newer your version of MacOS, the more hoops you have to jump through. Ultimately all of these problems are a combination of Apple's continual changes to the OS and the need for anything on the AppStore to conform to these changes. The Steam edition, like Steam itself doesn't use the AppStore and therefore the sandboxing rules don't apply to it, even though the actual game is the identical Aspyr version, it is able to access the regular User\Documents folder.

The last time I remember dealing with this, Big Sur wasn't really a widespread thing, it's totally possible something there has added more hurdles to jump. On one side you need to find the right place to put Plugins, that's coded into the game and no other location will work. But you also need to ensure that the game has permission to read the contents of that directory, you'd think that would be automatic, but that's not necessarily the case. For non-AppStore apps, you can configure all this manually:

For example in Catalina you must manually give Steam access to the Documents folder or the system will refuse access. This shouldn't be necessary however with anything from the AppStore. But if that were the case, then you simply can't be using the right folder for Plugins.

On 03/07/2021 at 11:57 AM, Tarkus said:

Are you on the App Store version?  My understanding, from what I've heard, is that it should go in /Users/{username}/Library/Containers/com.aspyr.simcity4.appstore/Data/Documents/SimCity 4/Plugins/.  That looks relatively similar to that, however.

5 hours ago, tonyfv said:

Notice in the screen shot that the folder name com.aspyr.simcity4.appstore is automatically changed to SimCity™4 Deluxe Edition when I add the NAM folder from the .jar file. I manually changed it to com.aspyr.simcity4.appstore and it kept the name, then tried running the game again and the new mods are still not in the menus.

Now this bothers me, why would it change the folder name? That said, it could be because the folder is using an alias, i.e. a user friendly name you see in Finder that isn't the actual folder name. But if I had to guess, I'd say this may be key to your problems.

On 04/07/2021 at 9:36 AM, tonyfv said:

I wonder if I should ask Apple to reimburse me for the App Store game and then instead download from Steam...

If this is an option, yes yes yes, trust me life is going to be much simpler this way.

SC4 is not a Mac game, it was built for Windows and because Mac's all run x86 processors (well until recently), the code was ported to run on a Mac. In 2003 on a PC the idea of just placing mods in a specific folder was perfectly normal, but it's not how things tend to work today. Now these things are typically handled by launchers like Steam, but of course SC4 just wasn't set up to work like this. The location of the Plugins folder that the game will read is absolutely fixed, it can not be customised. Ultimately without access to either Big Sur and the AppStore version of SC4, there is really no way for us to identify the exact solution. Your screenshot looks like the right folder, but I just can't say because I've no way to see what you are seeing. Frankly, this is one for Aspyr support to answer, they should be able to tell you how their software works, right? Otherwise I suspect you need to find someone who's run into and found the solution to the same problem.

[tonyfv 23]

Thank you rsc204 for the thorough explanation .

I decided to give up on the App Store version (which cost me about $20 and I'm not going to fight them for a refund when they don't even have a Contact Us or Support link on the App Store app), and looked at Steam and it's only $5 there. I wish I had done that before. I deleted all the SimCity related files downloaded the last few weeks, and purchased it on Steam.

I installed Steam, but it would not run. Deleted it and reinstalled it, no better. Restarted the Mac, same thing. Searched the net and found a very important item you should be aware of: MacOS Big Sur will not run Steam without "code surgery".

On Reddit I found a thread (https://www.reddit.com/r/MacOSBeta/comments/kgkwvz/steam_doesnt_work_after_updating_to_macos_big_sur/ and it has a line of code to run on the Terminal app that allows Steam to start up. 

rm -r ~/Library/Application\ Support/Steam/Steam.AppBundle

After entering that command I started Steam from the Applications folder and it went through the setup process. I was able to start SimCity. I then installed NAM 41 (I'm a pro at it now), restarted the game and YES! the mods are there. 

PLEASE put a notice out for Mac users here. I have spent countless hours trying to get SimCity mods installed and I see in the community that I am not the only one struggling.

1. Mods will not run in SimCity 4 Deluxe from the App Store (Steam version is 75% cheaper and will allow the mods to install)
2. Must run the Terminal command rm -r ~/Library/Application\ Support/Steam/Steam.AppBundle to allow Big Sur to run Steam

Another thing to warn Mac users is that the .jar file will not open by double-clicking on the Finder window - a malware warning comes up that can't be overridden. Must use right-click on the filename then select Open, then a dialog that allows you to continue comes up.

I took a whole series of screen shots of the process over the last couple of days. Maybe a step by step post in the Mac users forum would be good. Yes?

 

[CorinaMarie 29,605]

7 hours ago, tonyfv said:

Maybe a step by step post in the Mac users forum would be good. Yes?

Yes indeed!

With so few Mac players we need guides / tutorials to help them out.

[Cyclone Boom 16,876]

In case anyone checks here and wonders where the now posted topic is...