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rob_mtl

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Everything posted by rob_mtl

  1. So I've been playing around with SC4Pac after a prolonged absence from the SC4 modding scene. The ability to use json files and to have a less conflict-prone load order is a definite win for the community! Also, the ability to have multiple profiles (especially for juggling NAM/CAM load orders) is a game changer. I have a few constructive suggestions to make SC4Pac more intuitive for beginners and non power-users: I don't love the "star"/"unstar" method of installing/uninstalling mods. In most apps, websites, interfaces, stars are used to indicate favorites, not install/uninstall. I would use a checkbox, radio buttons or other more standard UI elements instead. While the folder-based organization is useful for ensuring proper load order, it doesn't solve the problem of long load orders and not remembering what you have installed. My first install with NAM/CAM only had over 300 entries. I'm not sure how you solve this, but it might be useful to allow users to rename (or nickname) or put custom tags on modpacks or individual plugins. There should be an obvious way to clear the download cache, and more importantly to permanently delete the installed contents of a modpack or individual mod from within SC4Pac. There should be a right-click contextual menu displaying options for dealing with an individual mod or modpack. There should be a manual install procedure for individual mods downloaded manually. Let the user create their own metadata for mods they download manually within the software. I'm not sure if this is possible, but SC4Pac should handle placing .ini files without a manual manipulation from the user. In my years of creating Youtube modding tutorial content, I have noticed a few general things that cause confusion with new users. Anything that brings up a script or a terminal is liable to push people away. I would hide these in the UI under an "advanced view" toggle. Extensive requirements to navigate subfolders and move/copy/paste files is also a turn-off. Finally, manual edits to .ini and .cfg files will cause people to bail on the whole process. The bottom line is most people are mostly comfortable with a WYSIWYG GUI approach and are very apprehensive about anything else. The Nexus Mod Managers and Mod Organizer 2, used for modding many other game are good references for UI design (they have pros and cons as well of course). I'm not sure if some of these suggestions are already in the works, impossible or if they are already possible but I've misunderstood, so apologies for my own incompetence. I hope that they are constructive and helpful for the devs!
  2. Hey @memo! Thanks for the various detailed explanations! The design logic and intended use of SC4Pac is becoming more and more clear to me, and most of my above suggestions were mostly intended at pointing at what I suspect will be the biggest stumbling blocks for new users. As I gain more understanding of the setup, I'll probably do an SC4pac tips and tricks video for my channel at some point.
  3. Ok that makes total sense. Mod Organizer 2 has a feature that allows the user to open or preview .ini files in a text editor directly in the app. In that manager, .ini files can be stored in a mod folder that overwrites the root directory only when activated. I'm not sure if it would be possible to have a sort of root folder overwrite in SC4Pac, which would leave the original files intact but apply .ini changes on a per profile basis.
  4. I've been away from the SC4 community for awhile, so my old videos on mods, bugfixes and NAM installation are very out of date now. So at long last, here's a new, concise guide to installing and playing SC4 on a modern PC. To experienced modders out there, please let me know if there's any bad advice in this and I'll work to inform the general public! My goal is to get people into the game, keep the community vibrant and (hopefully) reduce unnecessary tech support queries.
  5. @CorinaMarie the mapmaking tutorial above may have some overlap with your CORIMAPS projects from a few years back!
  6. I made a mapmaking tutorial! How to easily import a and edit a greyscale heightmap, prep the region in SC4 Mapper, put finishing touches on in SC4 Terraformer. I've come up with a pretty solid method that should hopefully get people doing more mapmaking!
  7. I've been away from SimCity 4 for awhile, but I'm back! In the 4-5 years since I last played, my eyes have gotten older, and my screen resolution has gotten bigger. Has anyone come up with a way to implement UI scaling for SimCity 4?

  8. Any UI scaling mods?

    rob_mtl replied to rob_mtl's topic in SimCity 4 General Discussion

    Interesting stuff! For myself, I'm now using a 2K ultrawide monitor (so 3440 x 1440). Small icons are not a huge deal, but for the text I'll probably need to use some reading glasses. I wonder if a font change would be easier to implement? Part of this is a "me" problem as I have been resisting getting reading glasses. 95% of the time my eyes are perfectly fine. My "real job" does not require particularly good eyesight, and most text on screens can be zoomed or otherwise scaled these days.
  9. Lost in the forums and looking for a one-stop shop to get a better handle on SimCity 4? My tutorial is designed for beginner players or long-term players who want to brush up on game mechanics or who have maybe never understood certain aspects of the game. SimCity 4 is one of the most comprehensive city sims ever created, and there are as many ways to play this game as there are players. My Guide to SimCity 4 is certainly not the only way to play, but it documents in detail many of the tips and tricks I've picked up over the years on forums, wikis and by experimenting. This guide doesn't focus on aesthetic design of cities--it's not a power-gaming or min-max approach to the game either (ie. how to build a city of 10 million is an hour). It aims to illustrate a few of the central concepts and mechanics of the game which can be applied in different ways to a growing city. All you'll need is a copy of SimCity 4 Deluxe and a recent version of the Network Addon Mod to follow along. Each episode includes timestamps in the video description. There are four episodes in the series: 1) Basic Concepts, Zoning and Utilities for Your First City 2) Desirability Factors and Public Services 3) Transportation 4) Introduction to Regional Play Feel free to ask questions in the YouTube comments area. I'm thinking about doing a video where I answer user questions soon! I'd also love to hear comments/suggestions, etc here on Simtropolis. Happy city-building! -Rob EDIT: My latest video on essential mods provides you with a list of mods, tools and bugfixes designed to make the game more stable and fix glaring functional issues. Check it out! Added 2020-08-11: Finally got around to my NAM 37 install/upgrade guide!
  10. I finally got around to making a very simple tutorial to help folks load downloaded regions from Simtropolis into SimCity 4 using SC4Mapper There may be other guides up here, but this is something that my viewers have requested for a long time, so I hope it's relatively clear and useful!
  11. Announcing a new hybrid tutorial/let's play series on Rob's Red Hot Spot! I recently had the pleasure of making this first episode with @Lucario Boricua, who gave me an excellent tutorial on terraforming. Future videos will follow a similar model and feature prominent members of the SC4 community. I hope these will be fun and informative for beginner and more advanced players!
  12. And the latest collaborative NAM video is up! Was thrilled to work with @Haljackey on this stack interchange! Hope it's helpful and fun!
  13. Hey kids! Finally got around to posting another video in this series. It's a double-header with @Tarkus where we build an RHW 4-way interchange. It was a blast to make. Hope you enjoy! Part 2 coming out shortly.

  14. Show us What you're Working On

    rob_mtl replied to Haljackey's topic in SC4 Showcase

    Hey kids! I started up this collaborative tutorial video series with @Lucario Boricua and will be making more soon with other prominent members of the SC4 modding, player and development community. I'd love to hear your comments and also feel free to drop me a line if you'd be interested in participating in an episode. The idea is simple: we build a city together (well, okay, I build the city on my Youtube channel), exchanging tips and advanced strategies. I think there's a real benefit to this type of video dialogue for both new players and veterans!
  15. I eagerly await your review as always!
  16. My interview with Vittorio Banfi, developer of Skid Cities, a cyberpunk city-builder.
  17. I won't state specific amounts, but my YouTube channel does provide a small passive monthly revenue from YouTube ads. For the channel to be a full-time job, I suspect I would need roughly 20x my current subscriber base and viewing time. These numbers do grow over time as long as you keep posting videos. I have found (and heard from other Youtubers) that it is important to experiment with different types of content to keep people interested. So for me that means different games and different formats (tutorials, interviews, collaboration videos, livestreams). I will also say that the long-form Let's Play format (like my Honestville series) is not a particularly good way to gain new viewers. Twitch and Youtube Live streams have, to some degree, made that format less popular. Shorter, edited stream highlights and gameplay videos are more common and get better views these days. If you want to make a channel, plan on doing more perennial content like tutorials or shorter edited videos. The long form content is still good for your established viewer-base, but not particularly good for building your audience. I will be doing more Lets Plays at some point, but a little bit more selectively than before.
  18. Hey kids! After many requests in the YouTube comments section I've finally gotten around to making my Network Addon Guide for Beginners. This tutorial video will probably be a bit basic for many of the Simtropolis habitués, but I hope that new players will find it a good starting point. I know that when I first downloaded the NAM, I was completely lost in the acronyms, tooltips and puzzle pieces! As always, let me know what you think. I'll be doing follow up videos (at some point) on more specific topics--suggestions are welcome Cheers, Rob
  19. I highly recommend picking up a Logitech C920 webcam if you can swing it. They are usually not too expensive and do a great job. The other thing that makes this stuff easier is having a dual monitor setup, so that you can put OBS (which is the best way to do screen capture in my opinion) on the side and monitor the image as you're recording.
  20. Hey kids ! My production skills when I started my channel (and thus for some of my most viewed tutorial videos) were... rather lacking. But I'm not too worried about it and not easily offended (this attitude is in and of itself a "production skill" of sorts). YouTubing is a learning process and I think I've gotten considerably better from a technical standpoint over the past year. On that note, that's one of the best reasons to start a channel playing a game you love! As for what content you make, I'd say just start making videos and see what comes naturally to you. A NAM guide from start to finish is going to be very challenging and time consuming to make. You'll need video editing skills, but also a solid outline of topics, and a knack for explaining complex things while demonstrating them visually in-game. It wouldn't be my recommendation for a first YouTube video series--I would start with something a little more modest in scale and work from there--but don't let me discourage you! Most importantly, if you want to make videos, don't get stuck on a challenging project. If you do, switch to another topic that is a little easier to make so that you can get something posted. There's a feeling of accomplishment that comes with posting a video that is motivating for more ambitious work. Otherwise these projects tend to get shuffled into the "abandoned" pile. That's been my experience, anyway . Best of luck in this and let us know how it goes! P.S. Defacto is a great channel name!
  21. Thanks @Cyclone Boom! There are certainly a lot of questions about this here and elsewhere.
  22. The Southwest gets a regional master plan.
  23. Subway and suburban expansion continues as Honestville hits 500000 population.
  24. Good suggestion. Somehow I didn't think of that!
  25. Hey I'm going to bump this thread for a fairly relevant question. Someone pointed out to me on Twitch recently that the Ninja boulevard and kiosk stations that ship with the NAM create traffic problems because of their parking capacity, which I have found to be true. Can someone recommend some good subway stations with bus access that don't have parking capacity? It would also be nice to have some train/bus/subway stations with no parking for inner city transfer points (think Harlem 125th street Metro North station in NY, for example). I do find parking tends to create very... strange travel patterns. In terms of the "perfect" plugins folder: For transit, I like to have at least one station that fits every real-world situation (terminus, transfer points, inner city, suburban, etc), hence the above question!
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