INFO: Getting Up and Running
Greyveil's Help Thread
Because my signature would be too long if I included all this info in it, I have decided to post this topic and then link it to my sig for newbie help. Feel free after this initial post to add you own newbie tidbits as well.
NOTICE:
These instructions will assume you have the basic SC4 game installed with no patches and will take you through the process of upgrading to either Deluxe or Rush Hour. I don't recommend the vanilla SC4 because of the game play issues.
I will provide descriptions of files and detailed install instructions where I can.
These links are provided in a step by step fashion (i.e. whenever possible the files should be installed in the order given)
Part 1: Game Required File install
Aside from the game itself, there are several files that need to be downloaded and installed from various places in order to successfully play the game. This will be broken down into 2 sections.
Section A files are REQUIRED to play the game. Section B will include mods and files that either add features to the default game or fix certain issues with the game.
Section A.
1. First, depending on the version of SC4 you are installing;
a. Rush-hour: do a normal CD install to upgrade from SC4 to Rush-hour.
b. Deluxe: do a full install to install SC4 and Rush-hour at the same time.
2. Once you have Rush Hour or Deluxe installed, use this or this link to download the EP1 update (select the correct version for your game's region).
3. The next 2 updates are required for using custom content and certain mods in the game.
a. BAT Nightlights fix [Other Link] This will fix the BAT nightlights not appearing problem. You want the one under "Recommended Downloads".
b. Buildings as props updates: bldgprop_vol1 [Other Link] & bldgprop_vol2 [Other Link] , these fixes allow original game content to be used on custom lots. (I also recommend while you are here to download the lot editor).
This covers the required installs. In the next section I will detail files that are required for the game to run as intended. I will also be including a list of helper apps programs that help you do certain things for the game and helper websites. You do not need to install these files, but it is recommended.
Section B.
a. by Thalassicus Description: This mod increases the detail visible for the data views on the high end of the color spectrum for the Desirability, Mayor Rating, and Land Value data views, giving useful data where areas of a city used to be just solid green. It also increases the max value on the Mayor Rating Graph from 100 to the game max of 128.
b. by redlotus
Description: This mod eliminates nearly all of the useless 'news items' that keep popping up in the news panel so you can concentrate on playing the game and not have to read useless info. c. by toroca
Description: This mod fixes the Opera House, which has a capacity MUCH too low for large cities in SimCity 4. Currently, the Opera House can go over capacity and inhibit city growth, and you'd never even know it because the Opera House doesn't report its usage statistics. This mod changes that. Please see the readme for full details, including installation instructions.
Part 2: The Network Addon Mod.
Rush Hour/Deluxe - even with all the patches and fixes installed - has a few bugs that are related to commute time and the way it handles traffic. This issue has been discussed in too many forums to mention here. If you would like to get details of these issues I would recommend doing a search in the forums for commute time or traffic. Now that we've got that out of the way, a mod exists that fixes many of the problems you may have with transit networks. That mod is...
The NAM.
The Network Addon Mod (NAM) includes full traffic and pathfinding fixes, along with new custom intersections and interchanges. It also includes pedestrian malls and ground light rail (stations not included).
a. , (Simtropolis Community Effort) Description: This is a community effort to combine all previous transit and pathfinding fixes and to improve the overall game play when it comes to transit networks.
Part 3: Frequently used mods.
This next set of apps and mods are used regularly by most players, to either help in game or to create content (like maps, regions and lots):
1. Lot Editor [Other Link] Description: This program allows you to create custom lots for your city.
2. SC4 Terraformer by Wouanagaine Description: This program allows you to load or create regions. The hand terraforming tools used in SC4 itself are available here. Plus, it's in actual 3-D.
3. Hole Digging Lots by or Shadow Assassin Description: This package contains special lots that have been modded to dig holes, and one that does the reverse by lifting the ground level up. The hole digging lots have been designed to dig entrances for tunnels, but they can be used in many ways (digging a ditch for a sunken highway, or for an underpass are examples). New hole digging lots include an avenue digging lot and a lot for sunken highways.
4: by equinox Description: (by: equinox)
This is a mod I wrote after becoming frustrated with the demand cap situation in one of my cities. I realized I had no idea what the cap status was until the desirability began to fall and buildings began to dilapidate and abandon. As a result, I took the game's three primary developer queries (residential, commercial, and industrial) and added some details and statistics to them, and that's what you have here.
The most important information this mod features relates to the demand caps. These caps limit growth in your cities, and the percentage you have filled is shown in all 3 'upgraded' queries. For complete information on how demand caps work, and how to read the data in the queries, consult the enclosed HTML readme file. It explains them all in depth, based on information from the Prima Strategy Guide. Also found in the queries are somewhat simpler stats like the number of each density zoned in the active city, and the demand for the developer type, but reflective of your cap status.
5. Region Census by sawtooth Description: Region Census is a program that allow you to get pictures of full regions without pasting pics together. It also has region stats.
Part 4: Your Ideas, Please.
Anyone wishing to recommend additions or changes, please post here and I will update this. Please do not post radical mods, or files that are not for everyone. I am trying to keep this limited to files and mods that you feel everyone should have and use. Also links to step by step helper threads are encouraged.
Appendix: Update Log. This is the first draft (Dated 12-26-04) Updated (6-13-05) with new NAM links. Updated (6-17-05) with new NAM links. Updated (6-20-05) with new Landscape Designer link (Thanx BarbulaM1 & BigJoe) Updated (9-20-05) edited NAM links. *UPDATED TO ST 5.0 STANDARDS BY HORDIJK* Updated (04-26-06) edited all links to meet ST 5.0 standards Updated (August 4th, 2010) to fix broken links and a few other minor matters. Editor: Astronelson. Updated (September 1st, 2014) to correct links & add minor formatting changes. -Cyclone Boom
Because my signature would be too long if I included all this info in it, I have decided to post this topic and then link it to my sig for newbie help. Feel free after this initial post to add you own newbie tidbits as well.
NOTICE:
These instructions will assume you have the basic SC4 game installed with no patches and will take you through the process of upgrading to either Deluxe or Rush Hour. I don't recommend the vanilla SC4 because of the game play issues.
I will provide descriptions of files and detailed install instructions where I can.
These links are provided in a step by step fashion (i.e. whenever possible the files should be installed in the order given)
Part 1: Game Required File install
Aside from the game itself, there are several files that need to be downloaded and installed from various places in order to successfully play the game. This will be broken down into 2 sections.
Section A files are REQUIRED to play the game. Section B will include mods and files that either add features to the default game or fix certain issues with the game.
Section A.
1. First, depending on the version of SC4 you are installing;
a. Rush-hour: do a normal CD install to upgrade from SC4 to Rush-hour.
b. Deluxe: do a full install to install SC4 and Rush-hour at the same time.
2. Once you have Rush Hour or Deluxe installed, use this or this link to download the EP1 update (select the correct version for your game's region).
3. The next 2 updates are required for using custom content and certain mods in the game.
a. BAT Nightlights fix [Other Link] This will fix the BAT nightlights not appearing problem. You want the one under "Recommended Downloads".
b. Buildings as props updates: bldgprop_vol1 [Other Link] & bldgprop_vol2 [Other Link] , these fixes allow original game content to be used on custom lots. (I also recommend while you are here to download the lot editor).
This covers the required installs. In the next section I will detail files that are required for the game to run as intended. I will also be including a list of helper apps programs that help you do certain things for the game and helper websites. You do not need to install these files, but it is recommended.
Section B.
a. by Thalassicus Description: This mod increases the detail visible for the data views on the high end of the color spectrum for the Desirability, Mayor Rating, and Land Value data views, giving useful data where areas of a city used to be just solid green. It also increases the max value on the Mayor Rating Graph from 100 to the game max of 128.
b. by redlotus
Description: This mod eliminates nearly all of the useless 'news items' that keep popping up in the news panel so you can concentrate on playing the game and not have to read useless info. c. by toroca
Description: This mod fixes the Opera House, which has a capacity MUCH too low for large cities in SimCity 4. Currently, the Opera House can go over capacity and inhibit city growth, and you'd never even know it because the Opera House doesn't report its usage statistics. This mod changes that. Please see the readme for full details, including installation instructions.
Part 2: The Network Addon Mod.
Rush Hour/Deluxe - even with all the patches and fixes installed - has a few bugs that are related to commute time and the way it handles traffic. This issue has been discussed in too many forums to mention here. If you would like to get details of these issues I would recommend doing a search in the forums for commute time or traffic. Now that we've got that out of the way, a mod exists that fixes many of the problems you may have with transit networks. That mod is...
The NAM.
The Network Addon Mod (NAM) includes full traffic and pathfinding fixes, along with new custom intersections and interchanges. It also includes pedestrian malls and ground light rail (stations not included).
a. , (Simtropolis Community Effort) Description: This is a community effort to combine all previous transit and pathfinding fixes and to improve the overall game play when it comes to transit networks.
Part 3: Frequently used mods.
This next set of apps and mods are used regularly by most players, to either help in game or to create content (like maps, regions and lots):
1. Lot Editor [Other Link] Description: This program allows you to create custom lots for your city.
2. SC4 Terraformer by Wouanagaine Description: This program allows you to load or create regions. The hand terraforming tools used in SC4 itself are available here. Plus, it's in actual 3-D.
3. Hole Digging Lots by or Shadow Assassin Description: This package contains special lots that have been modded to dig holes, and one that does the reverse by lifting the ground level up. The hole digging lots have been designed to dig entrances for tunnels, but they can be used in many ways (digging a ditch for a sunken highway, or for an underpass are examples). New hole digging lots include an avenue digging lot and a lot for sunken highways.
4: by equinox Description: (by: equinox)
This is a mod I wrote after becoming frustrated with the demand cap situation in one of my cities. I realized I had no idea what the cap status was until the desirability began to fall and buildings began to dilapidate and abandon. As a result, I took the game's three primary developer queries (residential, commercial, and industrial) and added some details and statistics to them, and that's what you have here.
The most important information this mod features relates to the demand caps. These caps limit growth in your cities, and the percentage you have filled is shown in all 3 'upgraded' queries. For complete information on how demand caps work, and how to read the data in the queries, consult the enclosed HTML readme file. It explains them all in depth, based on information from the Prima Strategy Guide. Also found in the queries are somewhat simpler stats like the number of each density zoned in the active city, and the demand for the developer type, but reflective of your cap status.
5. Region Census by sawtooth Description: Region Census is a program that allow you to get pictures of full regions without pasting pics together. It also has region stats.
Part 4: Your Ideas, Please.
Anyone wishing to recommend additions or changes, please post here and I will update this. Please do not post radical mods, or files that are not for everyone. I am trying to keep this limited to files and mods that you feel everyone should have and use. Also links to step by step helper threads are encouraged.
Appendix: Update Log. This is the first draft (Dated 12-26-04) Updated (6-13-05) with new NAM links. Updated (6-17-05) with new NAM links. Updated (6-20-05) with new Landscape Designer link (Thanx BarbulaM1 & BigJoe) Updated (9-20-05) edited NAM links. *UPDATED TO ST 5.0 STANDARDS BY HORDIJK* Updated (04-26-06) edited all links to meet ST 5.0 standards Updated (August 4th, 2010) to fix broken links and a few other minor matters. Editor: Astronelson. Updated (September 1st, 2014) to correct links & add minor formatting changes. -Cyclone Boom
