jamespetts

Interesting - thank you. Is there any documentation anywhere on these systems, or on storing new variables associated with individual cims?

I notice that there are very few mods (that I can find at least; do let me know if I am missing something) that interact in any significant way with crime. Is it because the game's crime mechanics are not readily moddable, because there is little interest in this aspect of the game, or is there some other reason for this (if anyone knows)? I should be interested to know what, if anything, that anyone has been able to reverse engineer regarding the crime mechanics in the game, and likewise the extent to which it is feasible to add persistent variables to each cim that affects her/his propensity to commit crimes and other economic attributes.

Date: 2/7/2006 7:48:31 AM Author: le_harv quote> Just to point out that the moment this is said by any thread starter the project is as good as dead, For a project to take off you need a leader, this doesn't have one nor will it have the drive to get one.

Date: 2/1/2006 10:09:21 PM Author: SamFlash I'd say it's possible. The only problem that I see is in getting enough programmers together with someone to coordinate and compile all their work. Most projects like that usually start with a few programmers and then others join in as the project grows. Good luck if you want to lead the parade.quote> I thought that somebody might say something like that... I don't really have enough experience programming to be able to start a project like that, nor, for that matter, enough time to co-ordinate it, although, if it was written in C#, I could probably help with some of the smaller aspects. If only there were people out there, knowledable and experienced in programming, who were able to assist in realising such a project... Perhaps any such people (if any exist) could post on this thread?

#1 The copyright aspect - most of the file formats are Maxis' stuff and I don't think that they will give their o.k. for common usage outside SimCity or The Sims. quote> Making a custom executable would not involve copying anything, and would therefore not violate anybody's copyright, any more than does making custom versions of data files. There is nothing different here than with Open TTD. People would still have to buy the game to use it (as with Open TTD), because the community would not be able to distribute the data files that came with the game. #2 This would be a lot of work for the 15-20 programmers around here who have to do the coding during their free time after work or school - nearly impossible in my opinion. quote> Why would it be impossible merely because it would take a long time? Entire office suites and operating systems are written by groups of programmers in their spare time. I am posting this message on a browser (Firefox) which, being open-source, is written by programmers in their spare time. Writing it in C# as I suggest would reduce considerably the amount of time needed to programme it. Why not Open SC4? If i look to sc4tool only this thing took most of my time after work and a nearly all weekends from its first release to now.quote> That'd be because it's just you working on it. I am suggesting a rather large group. #3 The coding of such a project needs to be well coordinated and conflated - nearly impossible. quote> It is possible for Open TTD, and for any other open source project that you care to name: why not Open SC4?

I have just realised that I have posted this in the wrong place, and that it should be in Modding: general discussion. Is there a moderator who can move it? Sorry: I didn't think of the custom content fora...

The modifications so far made for Sim City 4 - the Network Addon Mod in particular - have vastly extended the quality and longevity of the game. They are, however, always restrained by the coding in the executable. Has anybody ever thought of getting some programmers together and writing a custom (GPL) executable for Sim City 4, perhaps in C#, that can use the existing data files (models, textures, .dat files, saved games, etc.), but that can be expanded? As insane an idea as it initially sounds, it would not be the first time that such a thing has been done for a game: there is a community-created open-source custom executable for Transport Tycoon Deluxe that has been around for several years now that is based on the same concept: see http://www.openttd.org . Are there any people here who would countenance undertaking such a project?

I tried that. Here's a screenshot of it not working:

Not for me it doesn't.

I am not having any success with the avenue turning lanes mod that came with the latest NAM: I have installed the latest NAM files, as normal, as well as the left-handed plugin, and I have recently installed the above-posted update for the ATL, but I cannot find out how the Dickens to use it! There is no menu item for it, and I cannot find any reference to it anywhere. Has something gone wrong, or am I missing something?

Does that update work with the left-handed plugin?

How about a stack interchange for two avenues?

Another suggestion: 6. A multi-level road-avenue T and/or Y interchange, where two roads and one avenue meet, as in: RRR III RRR AA AA AA or R R R R R R I AA AA AA So that both carrigeways of both roads can access the other part of the road without passing an at-grade intersection, as well as accessing the avenue.

I am not sure whether any of these are possible, but I shall have a go anyway: 1. 'Bus lanes. There are a number of possible ways of doing this. Either (1) have a road where 'busses can travel in both directions, but cars can travel only in one direction; or (2) a road where only 'busses can travel in either direction, or (3) 1-tile roads with two lanes in each direction, one for 'busses, one for cars, and a corresponding capacity reduction for the cars (but where 'busses are not affected by car-related congestion). 2. Intersections without traffic lights. On a road:road interseciton, it would be useful if there was a choice as to whether to have traffic lights or not. Without traffic lights, the junction should have the same speed as an ordinary road tile, but a much lower capacity. With traffic lights, the intersection should have a higher capacity than a junction without traffic lights (but still lower than a non-intersection), but a lower speed than a straight road (say 1/3rd of the speed) to account for having to stop at the lights. 3. Traffic calming: a road or street with a lower capacity and speed than one without such measures applied, but one which produces, proportionate to the number of cars that use it, much lower traffic noise (and possibly with the same deterrant effect as with tolls). 4. A multi-level avenue T interchange (I seem to remember seeing this suggested somewhere, but I didn't see it in my brief glance at the things already suggested section - apologies if I missed it). 5. Restricted interchanges (such as no left turn): restriction of traffic flow through interchanges, but increases capacity slightly.

Let me clear up some confusion about hard drives. 1. SATA vs. PATA. SATA drives are not in any way a different type of drive to PATA drives: only the interface is different, that's the system that the drive uses to connect itself to the motherboard (or controller card). Everything else about the hard drive is exactly the same. It is therefore extremely unclear why the 7K250, which is available in both SATA and PATA versions, is listed as one of the top drives for SATA but not PATA. SATA drives are not any faster (or slower) than PATA drives at the present. The advantage of SATA is just that it is a better interface: smaller, easier to use cables, and likely to be compatible with systems long after PATA is obsolete. There may be speed advantages in the future, if hard drive mechanics ever surpass the 133Mb/sec limitation of PATA technology, but that is some time away yet. 2. The Raptor. Whoever suggested that this drives has heat and reliability issues, please cite a source. It really is not true: the drive is actually likely to be more reliable than ordinary desktop drives because it uses enterprise-grade mechanics (evidenced by its five-year warrenty, as compared with the three-year warranties of other drives). As to heat, it is slightly warmer than 7.2K drives, but nowhere near hot enough to endanger any other components. Furthermore, there is a genuine speed advantage in this drive over 7.2K RPM drives: whether it's enough to justify the significant extra cost/Gb is a matter of personal priorities. It is, however, the fastest desktop drive that money can buy (faster for desktop, i.e. non-server, applications than even SCSI drives). The Raptor is the only 10K RPM IDE (SATA) drive available at present, and comes in two capacities: 36Gb and 74Gb (the 74Gb drive has two 36Gb platters). 3. Capacities. I don't know whether 500Gb drives will be here any time soon (300Gb is the largest currently available, I understand, and that is a 7.2K RPM IDE drive), but there is no differential capacity limitation as between SATA and PATA: as noted above, the only difference between SATA and PATA is the interface, and this has no affect whatever on capacity.