SimCity 4 YouTubers

[deezedgod 177]

A picture is worth a thousand words, and a video is worth a thousand pictures. As much as I like City Journals, I've always enjoyed watching YouTube videos of cities coming together. SC4 cities are living things and I feel like the medium of video does them the most justice.

There's been hundreds of SC4 YouTube channels, but I wanted to show off my favorite, as well as showcase channels still uploading content semi-regularly. (No decade-old content here.) If you know any good channels to add to this, please let me know and I'll add it to the list.

Active Channels

These are channels that have still uploaded SC4 videos in the past year (as of 2022). If you'd like to subscribe to channels that are still posting, check these channels out.

saus tartar - Small-medium sized cities with lots of breathing room.
Rafael Zeratai - Cities with lots of realistic details.
doormysh - Lots of great city timelapses.
Wibbs Builds - Curvy cities and a few good tutorials as well.
Misk - Gigantic regions. Includes commentary as well if you're into that.
Haljackey - @Haljackey's classic skyscraper jungles. If you want to push the RHW to the limit, watch this.
redbycarter - Lots of streams on YouTube as well if you're looking to watch live.
TheCouncill0r - @TheCouncill0r's channel. A few SC4 videos from a NAM member.
Ulisee Wolf - @ulisse's channel Frequent videos and livestreams from a NAM member.
Lucario Boricua - @Lucario Boricua's channel. Not much content, but contains some SECRET NAM development.

Inactive Channels

These are channels that have stopped uploading SC4 videos for whatever reason (as of 2022). You can still find lots of great videos by digging in the archives, though.

Rob's Red Hot Spot - Iconic SC4 YouTube channel with commentary.
MGB NAM - @MGB's channel. Lots of classic NAM tutorials from a NAM developer.
TarkusSC4 - @Tarkus's channel. Lots of NAM content from a iconic Simtropolis member.
Strictoaster - Home of one of the greatest SC4 series of all time. Has lots of other good series from similar games as well (e.g. Cities Skylines, OpenTTD).
Raymond Lee - @Raymond7cn's channel. Not much content, though.
Ganaram Inukshuk - @Ganaram Inukshuk's channel. Some old NAM content.
sc4jenx - @xannepan's channel.

 

[TheMurderousCricket 5,096]

I know that there have been a number of some SC3000 timelapse vids but never really searched for SC4 materials. I actually didn't know any of these except for Haljackey's content. 

[Ulisse Wolf 4,454]

I had done a census on youtubers and streamers who carry SC4 and the list I think needs to be updated

• Rob's Red Hot Spot
• NineTailedBraixen (Twitch)
• redbycarter

Of course we can't forget to add NAM members' youtube channels

• Tarkus
• Lucario Boricua
• Ulisse
• MGB
• TheCouncill0r

[Terring 6,476]

Let me contribute in the topic not only by adding new and less popular channels from beloved SC4 members, but also by taking you back to the past like AVGN and check some really old channels that sadly now are full of dust. Keep in mind that most of them are not SC4 exclusive, and that some of the following YouTubers have been stopped making SC4 videos but they haven't removed them, so you might have to dig a bit to find them.

Raymond Lee - @Raymond7cn's channel. Only a few SC4 content that show some of his older projects and experiments.
Strictoaster - Lots of sandbox and city building games videos, including SC4.
Ganaram Inukshuk - @Ganaram Inukshuk's channel with some really old NAM videos
sc4jenx - @xannepan's channel with his old but legendary projects, such as Poseidon and Aurora.
MandelSoft - @MandelSoft's channel with some old NAM and SC4 videos.
dwyrin - He mostly post videos with him playing Go, but he used to make some really neat SC4 videos.
PanamaMatt - @threestooges's channel. It has some old interviews with @noahclem and Casper, but that's all.
Jamie6737 - A really old channel with some really old school SC4 videos and BAT showcases.
ErwinNegentigNo2 - Probably the ultimate all-time-classic SC4 channel, with some really old and nostalgic tutorials. This specific channel is just a backup. The original one, which had been removed because of copyright strikes back then, had more videos but they have been lost. Ewrin Negentig was my door to Simtropolis back in 2008. I really hope he's still alive and kicking.

[SIM-ple Jack 17,450]

14 hours ago, deezedgod said:

A picture is worth a thousand words, and a video is worth a thousand pictures.

And a GIF is worth a thousand videos, as it needs no external hosting like YouTube, requires a mere fraction of animation cells and comes without that cheesy royalty-free public domain music. And it still can be converted to a video if it so behooves you.

 

 

2 hours ago, Terring said:

Let me contribute in the topic not only by adding new and less popular channels from beloved SC4 members,

Although not beloved, I also have a YT channel with content from my animation days. Thought about deleting it because video-making has changed so dramatically over the years since XP that it's really not as much fun as it used to be. Who knows....

[Haljackey 17,385]

16 hours ago, Terring said:

ErwinNegentigNo2 - Probably the ultimate all-time-classic SC4 channel, with some really old and nostalgic tutorials. This specific channel is just a backup. The original one, which had been removed because of copyright strikes back then, had more videos but they have been lost. Ewrin Negentig was my door to Simtropolis back in 2008. I really hope he's still alive and kicking.

I used to be in contact with Erwin every now and then but sadly I haven't heard a peep from him since the pandemic began. I certainly wish him the best and hope he's still doing ok!

----

Just wanted to post this comment I recently got on my latest vid. Hit me right in the feels.

Direct link:

-----

I do get comments like this a lot, and sometimes they randomly appear on some really old vids from time to time as well. While most city building videographers have moved to Skylines, there is still niche demand for SC4. Getting into video making is much easier these days compared to when I started back in 2007 (15 years???? Geesh!).

I'd encourage more to try video content, or perhaps get into the streaming side of things where SC4 really lacks content.

[TogaMasterJohn 711]

Cities Skylines is fun, don't get me wrong, but (most likely) nothing will ever beat SimCity 4!

To me, SimCity 4 is the much better game. I grew up with SimCity 4 (that's a story for another time). When I saw Cities Skylines on sale once for dirt cheap last year at Christmas, I picked it up out of curiosity... after realizing that the game felt rather primitive without any additional content, I picked up a few of the expansion packs. It made it better, but then it hit me: you pretty much need most (if not all) of the expansion packs to enjoy the game for what it is... a good but not great city simulator. If anything, it made me love SimCity 4 even more! I haven't touched Cities Skylines in quite some time.

While I rarely watch any gaming related content on YouTube, I do like to watch some SimCity 4 content from time to time. I agree that it would be nice to see more SimCity 4 related content, especially considering that the game will be 20 years old next year (which is hard for me to believe...).

SimCity 4 is by far the best city simulation game of all time in my book. I really hope that the development of OpenSC4 continues, as I imagine that it will make the game more popular (especially once it gets to a playable state).  

[TheMurderousCricket 5,096]

And what do you guys think about narration videos?

There are many people who don't like video creators actually talking to them.  I believe the exploits of PewDiePie and others like him have antagonized many viewers and sparked some sort of opposition against the idea.

I'm somewhat undecided on the issue. In city building - themed scenarios this might actually work out well, as a form of a guided tour!

In all honesty though, the only narrated city-building channels that I know of are those of rsc204 and a guy who makes a Cities: Skylines CJ. Unfortunately, in case of the latter, it has only been two entries and he's been silent from this time on so I can't really make up my mind.

[MarkShot 631]

I do like CS better when the urge to build as opposed "blow s**t up" strikes me.  This is mainly graphics and UI.

But CS is a utopia builder; with traffic being the one great challenge.

SC4 truly represented (non necessarily realistic), but more of a diverse and multi-income social phenomena cities really are.  I think if you have been with the SC4 from the start than a better UI in CS is not a big deal.  But I only casually drop in twice/year and it takes me my entire build time just catch up on NAM notes and tricks.  I must say NAM is way improved in the 40's and much more dynamic, but it is not precision engineering and traffic manager.

The other big thing SC4 has going for it is you can really build huge with an average PC due to the statistical implementation.  CS will swallow your PC whole like an amoebae engulfing its prey.

Lastly, SC4 is one of the great releases before gaming really went corporate and innovation was still a key aspect of our video game hobby.  CS is definitely mainstream corporate entertainment.  Innovation is now pretty much stifled in favor of shaders and FPS.

If you YouTube SC4, it also says that you are not targeting 1M+ subscribers and the $$$, but sharing a love.  Which makes you a legacy YouTuber.  We live in a world where that which cannot be monetized has no reason to exist.  Very sad ... art and human creativity are being replaced by AI love poems. 

[kkffoo 259]

The only simscity 4 youtuber I have watched extensively so far is Rob's Red Hot Spot . Unfortunately he hasn't put out a SimCity 4 video for over a year due (I think?) to work commitments.
I previously watched many City Skylines videos, before I realised that I wasn't enjoying the traffic management aspects of that game, which seemed to over dominate my play time.

I really like a good, clear, knowledgeable and entertaining voice over. I get distracted by the opposite (for all videos, not just game based).
For short, tutorial type videos then I feel much more tolerant of any kind of presentation if the information provided is useful.

It is usually the case that I am not available at the 'peak' times that streamers tend to broadcast 'let's play' style material, but I do rewind these at times, if the content is good.
I will look through the links provided in this thread, it is really useful to get recommendations as anything with SimCity in the title is a little hard to search for successfully on youtube due to the AI there.
 

[rsc204 21,865]

6 hours ago, MarkShot said:

We live in a world where that which cannot be monetized has no reason to exist. 

Actually if you think about it, the opposite is true, YouTube gives everyone a platform to share content for free, regardless of its popularity. Left to the worlds of capitalism or broadcasting, nothing that was so niche would ever have stood any chance of existing, except perhaps if someone paid for it themselves.

Sure, city building and specifically with a 20 year old videogame aren't exactly hot trends, but the unique way the internet developed means there is a still a place for those who wish to make content, to distribute it without having to stomach the literal costs of hosting/bandwidth.

Consider how not so long ago, users like Paeng had to stump up large monthly payments, just so people could view his CJ and its images, because they were so popular! I know this was not cheap either, since he kept having to upgrade his plan - at one point his CJ was among the most popular in the community. So despite some downsides, without a free service like YouTube it would have been unthinkable for me and I'm sure others, to distribute any videos at all. Sure, if you do SC4 on YouTube you aren't going to make money or generate fame, but at least it's an option that I for sure have taken advantage of and am glad exists.

[Ulisse Wolf 4,454]

The SC4 community is more rooted on Youtube than on Twitch. On youtube you can upload videos of UDI, speedbuilding and more as well as stream content. On Twitch instead it is only stream and it is more difficult to earn on twitch bringing SC4 content.  In addition, twitch is penalizing small channels a lot by making youtube a safe haven.

The discussion can go on but I think we can say that having Youtube open to everyone is a useful thing for the community.

 

[TheEstGuy 721]

I think this guy should be included as well. He's last SC4 and last in general video was 9 years ago but he has one of the most viewed SimCity 4 video on Youtube despite it being 13 years ago. Also his other SC4 videos have quite a lot of views too. And his SC4 content is superb and all of it is vanilla as well. This channel has inspired me very much in creating my SC4 regions. Quite unfortunate he stopped uploading.

 

[MarkShot 631]

As Naomi Brockwell (technology of modern life expert) recently said on YouTube that which is free on the Internet is not free.  >>> YOU <<< are the product and that is how you are paying for it.

I agree with her.

I grew up in a different time and place, but now I live on the set of Truman Show.

[Lucario Boricua 7,049]

4 hours ago, TheEstGuy said:

I think this guy should be included as well. He's last SC4 and last in general video was 9 years ago but he has one of the most viewed SimCity 4 video on Youtube despite it being 13 years ago. Also his other SC4 videos have quite a lot of views too. And his SC4 content is superb and all of it is vanilla as well. This channel has inspired me very much in creating my SC4 regions. Quite unfortunate he stopped uploading.

 

 

That's Cycledogg / C. P. one of the early SC4 legends. A lot of this content here is vanilla, but he later moved on to create much of our terrain modding content!!

[Tarkus 6,933]

8 hours ago, Lucario Boricua said:

That's Cycledogg / C. P. one of the early SC4 legends. A lot of this content here is vanilla, but he later moved on to create much of our terrain modding content!!

I'm certain that this "C P" is not the same as c.p./cycledogg.  cycledogg's original round of terrain and tree mods were from 2005 or so, some 7-8 years before these videos, and his style of city-building was always about rural and historic content.

-Tarkus

[kkffoo 259]

On 13/11/2022 at 11:47 AM, rsc204 said:

YouTube gives everyone a platform to share content for free, regardless of its popularity. Left to the worlds of capitalism or broadcasting, nothing that was so niche would ever have stood any chance of existing, except perhaps if someone paid for it themselves.

Sure, city building and specifically with a 20 year old videogame aren't exactly hot trends, but the unique way the internet developed means there is a still a place for those who wish to make content, to distribute it without having to stomach the literal costs of hosting/bandwidth......

Youtube certainly has its upsides and downsides.
My nephew landed his dream presenting job after polishing his skills on his own channel there.
I''ve also seen creators driven to mental health crisis by the pressure of dealing with the endlessly shifting youtube search algorithm, especially when the person depends on any income provided.

In a way SimCity 4 content creators are at an advantage, they know from the start that this is not a route to stardom and riches!
Also, the SimCity 4 community seem like a motivated and persistent bunch (in the nicest possible way) so winkling things out of youtube's backwaters seems more a more realistic scenario than it would be finding viewers for some other topics.

My recent interest in the non capitalist 'federated internet' way of organising things has led me to look at Peer Tube, and this has been a reminder of how things used to be, before youtube got themselves organised. (Peer Tube is an alternative to Youtube, in the way that Mastodon is an alternative to Twitter, though less well known, and from a short period of research, somewhat odder and less useful on the whole)

As @Lucario Boricua and @Tarkus are here in this thread together, it might be a good opportunity to thank you both for the really enjoyable 'masterclass' videos that I watched which were collaborations with Rob from Rob's hot spot. It might be totally unrealistic, and you are all three probably ridiculously busy, but it would be really great to have more of these.

 

[Tarkus 6,933]

On 11/16/2022 at 12:51 AM, kkffoo said:

As @Lucario Boricua and @Tarkus are here in this thread together, it might be a good opportunity to thank you both for the really enjoyable 'masterclass' videos that I watched which were collaborations with Rob from Rob's hot spot. It might be totally unrealistic, and you are all three probably ridiculously busy, but it would be really great to have more of these.
 

Glad you enjoyed those!  I definitely had a good time doing that video with Rob.  And while my channel's currently listed under the "inactive" here as of now, I'm planning a possible revival of it here soon.

-Tarkus

[Durfsurn 539]

Durfsurn - YouTube

I still post the occasional timelapse video or UDI too! I'm keen to make some more videos over the holiday period!

[bhmantan 2,106]

Hi!
I saw this while visiting your profile from the CAM revival thread, and thought that maybe I could plug myself here.
To my surprise, I was already on the list. Thank you so much for including me!
Since I'm new here and the SC4 community as a whole, I think I should introduce myself a little bit.

So, my channel is Saus Tartar, and as described above, I enjoy building a city that's not too dense with buildings.
I love building rural towns and have a little bit sweet spot for farms, railways (especially steam engines), water plants, and overall village scenery.
I also love doing some MMP work involving water like making a lake, pond, or river scenery.
I've posted some pictures of the lake that I made before here, and I do have an upcoming episode of making a pond if you're interested in that too.

I do non-commentary gameplay on my channel and sometimes I stream too.
And just a few days ago, I started making videos highlighting mods that I enjoy using in my gameplay. Called it mod recommendation/highlights, but I'm not really sure about that name yet lol. My goal is to promote the mods and maybe hopefully it'll give more recognition to the creator.
I have a plan to do a commentary SC4 gameplay in the future but haven't executed it yet.
And last, I also play some other games too but SC4 is my main content.

Ok, that's too much already lol
Come visit and say hi!

And again, thank you so much for including me on the list! 🙇🏻‍♂️

[porty23 2]

@Moonraker0

https://youtube.com/@Samgoogolplexian

 

[jonnboy1976 219]

On 11/22/2022 at 8:37 PM, bhmantan said:

Hi!
I saw this while visiting your profile from the CAM revival thread, and thought that maybe I could plug myself here.
To my surprise, I was already on the list. Thank you so much for including me!
Since I'm new here and the SC4 community as a whole, I think I should introduce myself a little bit.

So, my channel is Saus Tartar, and as described above, I enjoy building a city that's not too dense with buildings.
I love building rural towns and have a little bit sweet spot for farms, railways (especially steam engines), water plants, and overall village scenery.
I also love doing some MMP work involving water like making a lake, pond, or river scenery.
I've posted some pictures of the lake that I made before here, and I do have an upcoming episode of making a pond if you're interested in that too.

I do non-commentary gameplay on my channel and sometimes I stream too.
And just a few days ago, I started making videos highlighting mods that I enjoy using in my gameplay. Called it mod recommendation/highlights, but I'm not really sure about that name yet lol. My goal is to promote the mods and maybe hopefully it'll give more recognition to the creator.
I have a plan to do a commentary SC4 gameplay in the future but haven't executed it yet.
And last, I also play some other games too but SC4 is my main content.

Ok, that's too much already lol
Come visit and say hi!

And again, thank you so much for including me on the list! 🙇🏻‍♂️

@bhmantan I discovered your Youtube channel just over a week ago.  I prefer SC4 videos with commentary over those without, and I have enjoyed your videos with narrative very much!    

[Zeratai 84]

On 21/4/2023 at 11:26 AM, porty23 said:

@Moonraker0

https://youtube.com/@Samgoogolplexian

 

I’m going to sound very bad here, but 90% of my playstyle was taken from him. I was utterly obsessed with samgoogolplexian to the point I was very mad (real mad 🤣) when he announced he was moving to cities skyline. I haven’t found any other YouTuber that make realistic cities like he did.