Drederick_Tatum

I am running Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit). I downloaded the game from Steam. I haven't had any luck getting it running. Here are my various problems. I have submitted a ticket to the Cities XL tech support, but they haven't responded (it's been about 36 hours). When I tried to install the game from Steam, it attempted to install Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0. I got an error message saying that this application would not run on a 64-bit system. Fine. I click through the error message and find that WIndows Vista is supposed to include .NET Framework 3.0. However, I do try to download .NET Framework 3.5 from Microsoft. I haven't been able to get it installed yet due to errors which I cannot identify -- the autopatcher says that Framework 3.5 is finished installing, but it doesn't appear in my Programs. This may or may not be causing the following problems. 1. If I try to start the game from Steam, the box appears giving me my CD Key and the "Launch" button. I press "Launch" and nothing happens at all. Incidentally, I took the CD Key and was able to register on the Cities XL site, and login there. So the CD Key doesn't appear to be the problem. 2. If I attempt to start by going to the installation location in Applications and clicking "CitiesXL.exe", I get the following series of errors. First: Clicking OK leads to this: Clicking OK leads to this: Finally, Clicking OK leads to this: The full text of this error message is: See the end of this message for details on invoking just-in-time (JIT) debugging instead of this dialog box. ************** Exception Text ************** System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. at csNetCommon.cuServerConf.SetTarget(String _Target) at CXL_Launcher.UpdateForm..ctor(Form _Owner) at CXL_Launcher.BackgroundForm.BackgroundForm_Load(Object sender, EventArgs e) at System.Windows.Forms.Form.OnLoad(EventArgs e) at System.Windows.Forms.Form.OnCreateControl() at System.Windows.Forms.Control.CreateControl(Boolean fIgnoreVisible) at System.Windows.Forms.Control.CreateControl() at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmShowWindow(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.ScrollableControl.WndProc(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.ContainerControl.WndProc(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.Form.WmShowWindow(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.Form.WndProc(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam) ************** Loaded Assemblies ************** mscorlib Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.3074 (QFE.050727-3000) CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v2.0.50727/mscorlib.dll ---------------------------------------- CitiesXL Assembly Version: 1.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 1.0.0.0 CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/cities%20xl/CitiesXL.exe ---------------------------------------- System Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.3053 (netfxsp.050727-3000) CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll ---------------------------------------- System.Windows.Forms Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.3053 (netfxsp.050727-3000) CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows.Forms/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Windows.Forms.dll ---------------------------------------- System.Drawing Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.3053 (netfxsp.050727-3000) CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Drawing/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Drawing.dll ---------------------------------------- csNetCommon Assembly Version: 1.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 1.0.0.0 CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/cities%20xl/csNetCommon.DLL ---------------------------------------- System.Xml Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.3074 (QFE.050727-3000) CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Xml/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Xml.dll ---------------------------------------- System.Configuration Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.3053 (netfxsp.050727-3000) CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Configuration/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Configuration.dll ---------------------------------------- ************** JIT Debugging ************** To enable just-in-time (JIT) debugging, the .config file for this application or computer (machine.config) must have the jitDebugging value set in the system.windows.forms section. The application must also be compiled with debugging enabled. For example: When JIT debugging is enabled, any unhandled exception will be sent to the JIT debugger registered on the computer rather than be handled by this dialog box. If I click on "OK" from this box, I get some Cities XL artwork in the middle of my desktop, but nothing else happens, and the only way to make this go away is to end the "CitiesXL.exe" process in the Task Manager. 3. The third thing I tried was to open "CitiesXL_Game.exe" in my Applications folder. Finally, progress! I get one of the Cities XL splash screens, I see the Monte Cristo studio "logo movie," and I get to a login screen. But the login screen always says "Connection Failed." I put in my CitiesXL.com login information but this doesn't help. I have also disabled all firewalls as suggested on the CitiesXL.com tech support page. It just won't find a server. (Maybe this is connected to the "Unknown Default Host" message I am getting.) HELP!! I am about to give up, but I love city building!

In the Broome County CJ, the author described a way to organize plugins by numbered folder so that they load in a certain order. Does that really help with load times/stability?

Those round farms would look great using the desert terrain mod, so it would appear that the circles were really center-pivot-irrigated and the rest of the terrain was really dry.

There is also a graphics option called "building render speed" or something like that -- you can set it low to reduce lag, but sounds like you should make sure it is set to high. Also, something that might help is to scroll more slowly!

Those interested in developing more realistic farming communities might be interested in the following link: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3 It is a series of satellite photos of farming patterns in different areas around the world. So, for example, the U.S. Old Northwest is large squares, the Midwest is center-pivot (circular farms), Europe is small, irregular fields, etc. There are lots of ways to create realism!

Build farms first! They require almost no services -- basically, only power and roads -- and they pay taxes. One small village with an elementary school, a water tower and a few shops will support enough residential for a large number of farms. Then, once you have a little profit coming in, you can use it encroach on the farms with more development. As a bonus, it feels realistic too!

Yes, I like the Tourist City idea too. Not just tourist buildings, but for example beach communities -- places that can get to high wealth, low density or have high wealth condos but don't need to be close to commercial/industrial. I am thinking of the barrier islands of N.C. and S.C. where you can have one long highway all the way down the island and only see "small shops" type commerce every few miles. Boy, we're not really on the Las Vegas topic anymore.

I agree -- nice use of canals. You must be very practiced with them to integrate them so well into the city.

DFNVA -- Nice work! I am in NOVA too and I think you've done a nice job of capturing some of the highway-dependent, medium-density suburban sprawl with all your mid-rise offices and condos and your complicated interchanges. Keep it up!

If you go to the "Modds and Downloads" tab at the top of this page, you can see a list on the right of the top 50 downloaded mods. I went through that and had just about everything I needed to "upgrade" from Rush Hour to STEX-enhanced SC4! Once you do that, you can search for specifics on the STEX (for example, "rock mod", "water mod" will get some of the files you seem to want). From there, it's just a question of finding what you want to make your city great!

Kevster, that would probably work. Is there any order to do it in so I can be sure that each tile ends up where it's supposed to in the new region?

Some of my favorite aesthetic CJ's are Digby and Kilkenny, and those by jeronij. They have really turned me around on play style and I am now going much more for aesthetics than density. You can "zone" for aesthetics right away with creative road layout, farms, and trees. Also for aesthetics, I would recommend looking on the STEX for parks & rec buildings/lots -- there are many interesting parks that will give you a lot more aesthetic variety. Basically, if you have ideas about how you want your city to look you can find helpful files on the STEX!

Now that you have a simtropolis account, you can download addons from the ST-Exchange. Most of the addons have a "readme" file that contains instructions.

I zoned out a region that is 4x4 large squares, in order to build from a group of rural communities up to a major city in the center. But now I think 3x3 large squares would support the community just fine. Can I edit my config.bmp file to reduce the size of the region map? If so, how does it know which cities to remove? Thanks for any advice! edit: I should add that I have begun cities in the 9 squares (a 3x3 region) that I want to keep, and there is no development in the other 7 squares that I want to get rid of.