Bumdark

Let's just hope they've got it entirely under control this time... Last time a plant leaked Radiation (talking about the one in Ukraine), contamination (to some level) spread up to England and stuff, which is pretty damn far away...

Uh, you're wrong there, Mr. Monorail Man, Tsunamis and Tidal Waves, both in their proper tense, are very different things. A Tsunami, created by various things (displacement, tectonic activity, impact, etc.) is basically a large wave, but it does end - it has both up and down to it (although the down can be long in the coming). When the wave nears shore, it becomes a nearly-vertical wall of water, dozens of feet high at times, and you're guaranteed to get a headache for a while, if you're not killed. A Tidal Wave is more like a sudden elevation in water level. Not really a wave, or series of wave, but a uniform raise. This is why it can be even more devastating that Tsunamis - those killer waves only go so far inland before retreating, yet Tidal Waves, since the water simply raised, just about covers any and all land that's below the raised levels, and stays there for a very long time, sometimes even days (happened once in the Netherlands). Also, they're much less vertical walls when they approach - more like a huge rounded watery hill that's coming towards you. Of course, both inflict massive damage, yet I believe its important to differenciate them. Just so you know. And while I'm on topic, may I agree with those disasters suggestions... Although, if I could add a few (just for my sadistic pleasure): - Lightening storms (to wipe out electrical grids, send your Sims in the Dark Ages for a while) - Sinkholes (what's worse than having a neighborhood suddenly sink beneath the ground...?) - Oh, and parallel to your Nuclear Explosions, I'd add... Nuclear Winter / Nuclear Holocaust. M.A.D. (Mutually Assured Destruction), basically. - And if I may be crazy enough, Solar Storms - the kind that could wipe out all electrical systems on Earth and keep us in the dark for years. Saw this on TV recently, quite creepy.

*Drowns in drool* It's breathtaking! I'm breathless! I need to breathe! *GASP* Holy crap, you guys are good... I gotta admit, you're really giving Maxis & EA a run for their money. They're probably sweating like pigs looking at this trailer. The buildings and graphics are flawless IMO (why does everyone keep complaining about "brown" textures? It doesn't seem any more brown to me than in real life...), and I was pleasantly surprised at the rendering speed - no glitchy or jumping camera can only be a huge plus for the game. This is probably the first time ever I've ever wanted to buy a game right then and there without it even being complete...! Keep it up guys!

Geez, CltcDrgn, calm down... Everyone's entitled to their opinion. Personally, I have to admit I nearly smiled when I read they had prepared to fire arrows at the aircraft... I know it's wrong, but it's still a bit funny to me, the mere idea that firing wooden arrows could down millions of dollars worth of machine... Ah well. Also, I think that we shouldn't interfere with their lives. Last time we interefered with "unknown" tribes, we frickin' wiped them out. Let's not let it happen again, no matter how "advanced" or "civilized" we believe we are. We should neither protect them nor assimilate (or worse, crush) them - we should just let them be. Say, allow a wide perimiter around them and leave them their woods or something...

NOTE – While most are (painfully) aware of the events that unfurled only a few days ago, many newcomers, or old members who haven't been here for a while, are wondering why ST is acting all wierd and glitchy, and why it has been for several days now. This is for them. So, you're finally able to access ST after several days of it being down? Or, you're wondering why, for a while, most sections were restricted or simply unavailable? Quite simple, really – SimTropolis was injured in a hacker attack. About a week ago, some Chinese Hackers spread some malicious code on the net, intended for any sites that were based on a particular source code type. ST happened to be, along with roughly 10,000 others. Well, it worked, and all these sites, dear ST along with them, suffered a catastrophic crash and burn, basically. Ever since, urgent repairs have been under way to repair the damage, as the site had suffered a "semi-catastrophic" (just plain catastrophic IMO) loss of data – basically, roughly 90% of the site was affected, with some threads getting completely mangled, longer posts being cut and severed mid-sentence, and etc. This his CJ's, the Omnibus (most articles were actually destroyed or mangled), etc. Now, it's really expected that during this repairs the servers, and the site, would be down often as the site was basically reassembled. This is simply why most of the site has been buggy, or simply down, for the last few days. Now, recently, repairs seem to have been nearly completed, with most of the site back in perfect order. This is actually the second time only I've been able to log on, today. So, if ST is down or buggy, now you know why. Just wait a bit and it'll be up like a Phoenix. Sorry for those who know all this, but as stated previously, many are simply unaware and have been asking around for a while, so this is just to answer them all. If any Mods think this thread is unnecessary or should be altered, feel free to do so (though I fail to see why).

... Yes, that's kinda the point.

Me, personally (don't flame me, will you?), I have nothing against Torrents and Limewire and stuff... But you see, I do have some rules and ethics that come into this. When I really want something (an album, a movie, a game, a program, whatever) and I can get it quickly (there's a shop nearby, say) and I can afford it, I'm GLAD to pay whatever it takes and make the drive to and from. Keeps the economy moving. When I really want something, yet am either unable to afford it (you don't get many great-paying jobs at 16 you know...) or can't get to it without it taking several days or weeks (say, I'd like a game that's only sold in Japan, for example), then I'm NOT gonna economise weeks and months, just to get one piece of software. I'm heading over to a torrent site and I'm gonna download it in 2-3 days TOPS. For example, take my favorite program on Earth, Sibelius 5 (the top music editor, period). It's over 500$ just the basic program, and if you want any add-ons (G7 for Guitar players, or new Sound Libraries for additional sounds), then that can quickly climb much higher, say 800$. Now, forgive me, but I just don't happen to be able to dish out 800$ just like that. Never have been, probably never will be. So, although I love it and would be honored to help fund and pay back Sibelius (the company) for their wonderful work, I'm simply unable to, yet I absolutely need the program. What do I do? Torrents! I also use this sort of approach regularly, say for discographies. I'm probably one of the biggest U2 fanatics on this green planet, yet I probably wouldn't be able to afford their entire collection any time soon. That's why I got it, free (well, paid for Internet but that's a no-brainer) and in less than 24 hours, with a Torrent. Rest assured, I intend to legally buy their next album (if it ever comes out in our lifetime, can't wait!). In short, if I can afford it, I'll gladly pay it. If I want it bad enough but can't pay, than I'll get it another, less legit, way. Sure, I know the risks of getting caught (insert angry rant here about my hatred for those "cyber-cops"), but I think I'm well-enoughed versed in technology to hide myself enough... But I digress again. And also, well said, Lerker, in your original post. Same frame of mind am I in. (And in case anyone asks, YES, my SC4 copy is LEGIT. Spend my whole savings just for it. It's that good .) Seeing as piracy is nearly taboo on this site, LET THE FLAMING BEGIN! ... Really though, please don't. I've got IMDB if I want to try and reason with brain-dead trolls.

Non, toxicpiano, I think he was referring the the previous post ("is he a real baddie?"). Although, personally, I don't find that sick at all... A little improper perhaps, but nothing "sick".

Uh... you are joking with this "renaming to Freedom Fries" bit, right? I know I'm not as up-to-date on current events as most others, but if this is true... I'd better get a cast ready for when I splinter my ribs laughing like a maniac.

Well said, GMT. Back on topic, I just find this so absolutely ridiculous... Of course, it can't be that the scarf may just look good and be comfortable, and make a nice fashion accessory... Unthinkable! It has to be terrorism supporter symbol! This is paranoia to a whole new level... and it was high before already. This just keeps getting worse and worse... I pity the day when we start banning scarves... (Not that it would affect me, however, I never wear the damn things.) *Sigh* What the hell kind of world are we living in? (Oh, and may this Michelle Malkin be stoned! Stupidity at that level shouldn't be allowed to live. It'll be Jim Jones all over again.) (Yes, that last part was (a feeble) attempt at humor.)

Geez, joedowd72, you're gonna have to be a lot more precise than that about what you need help with... Just saying "my city needs help" - are you talking about traffic? Financial problems? Fluctuating (or diminishing) population levels? Deteriorating buildings? Please say what exactly your problem is (or problems are) so we can help you... Although, seeing from your pics, your cities seem fine enough... you may want to distance your clean zones (Residential and Commercial) from your Industry though, as pollution can greatly ruin land values and your Sims' healths. Other than that, everything seems all right... Hope to hear from ya soon.

Well, at least it doesn't sound anywhere near as crappy as Societies... Glad to see they learned a few good lessons, such as keeping (at least part of) the formula that makes SimCity, well, SimCity. Graphics look all right (considering this is definately far from finished as of yet), and glad so see the 3D camera isn't absolutely 3-point perspective, with some Fish-Eye going on. We'll have to see how this goes along as it gets built, shall we?

For any newcomers, or those that just aren't on here very often, a week or so ago ST experienced a hacker attack and suffered a devastating loss of data - many things such as the Omnibus, CJ's, etc. were either partially or completely destroyed. Ever since, repairs have been underway to repair them all, and as of now things seem to be running rather more smoothely. It's to be expected, with this amount of repairs going on, that servers should be down periodically, so just wait a few days and soon ST will be back strong.

Dang, actually thought it was the real scumbag... too bad. Sad the creature had to be killed, though I have to admit, something that size and with that strength goes amuk, there isn't much else you can do to stop it destroying everything in its path... Another reason to switch to cars, folks! Fords and Chevy's don't start rampaging through the streets! lol

Archive.org's Wayback machine is definately your best bet. I still regularly head into sites that have been off the net for years and years, and apart a few minor glitches, it's still as though you're back in time to when it still worked. This probably should work for ST and any lost data. Thanks for getting this up and running... Starting to wonder what the hell was going on, maintenance couldn't take that long... (Did like the cat, though.) May the cracker(s) who did this suffer a long, bloody, gruesome death IMO... How dare they. *Notice I said Cracker, not Hacker. HACKING is beneficial, it's to increase systems and test them. People just get it confused with CRACKING, the actual act of tearing down sites and all. Rather disgusting.

Here's a twist worthy of this thread... My top 10 things I wish I could do to alter history! 1 - Assassinate Hitler. One way or another. Who knows how many millions would still be alive today...? 2 - Assassinate Bin Laden. Hey, who doesn't? 3 - Beat the crap out of my schoolday bullies. Too bad I didn't know how to fight back then... Might be less screwed-up today, guhhhh... 4 - (Something positive for a change) Prevent Martin Luther King's murder 5 - Prevent J.F. Kennedy's murder (he was such a good President IMO... so naturally, he had to be murdered by a madman.) 6 - Prevent the Titanic's sinking (wait, that would cost us James Cameron's flick - UNDO! UNDO!) 7 - Somehow, prevent the Rwandan Genocide... or at least, hit the lazy bastards at the UN around the face a few times (read "Shake Hands With The Devil" for explanation for my distaste for those lazy bastards). 8 - Stop David Angel's death on 9/11... perhaps "Frasier" would have gone on even longer! 9 - Stop Teri Bauer's murder... Whoops, wrong field here. Quickly running out of ideas... 10 - All right, all out of ideas now. Wow, short history. Finally, my last Top 10 list: Things I'd like to know. 1 - Is there a God or not? 2 - Are We Alone? 3 - Who would be the best deserving to be elected in Government... If any... 4 - All the secrets and lies uncovered and blown out into the open that the government have been force-feeding us since our births... 5 - What REALLY happened, exactly 2008 years ago, in the "Holy Land"...? What's the real story? 6 - The true reason(s) why US forces are so bent on dominating Iraq and surroundings. 7 - All my enemies' secrets and fears... so if they tried to piss me off, well, I'd make them crawl under a rock and cry. How oddly satisfying. 8 - If SimCity Creator will be any good, or another colossal bag of crap like Societies... PLEASE EA, REDEEM YOURSELVES!!!! 9 - Know if Cities XL will be as good as it seems to be. (Possibly better than SC4, a task that's still on developers' To-Do list.) 10 - What I would NOT want no know: the Future. Particularly, MINE. That's all, folks!

How can a place so beautiful as Africa (not just South Africa) always be ridden with these sorts of problems? Civil wars, guerrilas, mass criminality, terror all the time... Can't they find a way to live in peace? (Though granted, that would be as feasible as asking for a Utopia...) Isn't this similar to how the horrific Rwandan Genocide of '94, leaving roughly a million dead, started out as well - just general unrest? Things really snowball like hell around the world, people in charge should really start to use their power to help others once in a while... Once again, totally not feasible...

Top 10 movies ('cause I really can't think of anything else... ) 1 – Titanic (1997) 2 – I Am Legend (2007) 3 – Perfect Storm (2000) 4 – Balto (1995 – a kid's film, sure... Doesn't stop it from being a classic in animation IMO.) 5 – Jurassic Park (1994) 6 – Gladiator (2000) 7 – White Fang (1991) 8 – Princess Mononoke (1997) 9 – Casino Royale 007 (2006) 10 – Flicka (2006?) Took me forever to find them all in my jumbled memory... How can a memory be shot without having taken a single bit of drugs...?

... How the hell could they be more worried about iPods and volume levels and that stuff, when a HELICOPTER crashed into the poor bastard? I mean, I think someone should take notice whenever a several-ton-hunk-of-metal falls from the sky when it's not really supposed to... If it was an RC chopper, then of course it wouldn't be as important concerning the chopper itself, but if it's full-size, then we're talking Air Crash Investigation here... Apropos, does anyone know if the chopper's story itself is being mentioned in another story? I'm thinking maybe this news story has two parallel sides - one with the kid getting crushed, and another with the actual helicopter and why it went down, or who went down along with it? Just curious. And BTW... How bloody unlucky does one have to be to be crushed by a falling helicopter, anyway? I've heard about loads of dumb and pointless deaths, from falling into laundry chutes to going aligator-baiting (though then they're stupid enough to die, in my opinion...), but being crashed into by a full-sized heli... Also, finally, I don't think any amount of iPod and volume combination would have been able to block out the extreme decibels the chopper would have been making when it descended catastrophically onto the guy, so this part's fishy. Anyone who's ever seen or heard a chopper taking off in real life knows how incredibly loud those things are, comparable to a full-throttle jet engine, so how could even a powerful iPod block that out...? Beats me. Maybe it was just an easy target...

I feel they had a just goal, yet happened to go about it in a very heavy-handed way... I respect and totally follow their main goal of respecting all living things (be it plants or animals, etc.), yet they just take it too far, that's all... And if I can post an irate comment for a moment - could people please stop saying "what about HUMAN killings and famine / various human (and humane) problems / war/ etc." and variants if this stuff, whenever some countries try to save a bit of wildlife or plantlife or whatever? Human suffering and killing is just one of the many problems that afflict us. I'm not sure if this is clear, I just hope I get my point through... Not blasting anyone, BTW. That ain't me.

This is incredibly stupid and ridiculous... How could even a bunch of hormone-crazed girls get the idea to blow up half the neighborhood...? I'm starting to see why some governments are trying to get our Internet activity monitored... If it stops wild, stupid acts like this... Eh. They say boys will be boys... But who looks at girls these days!? Hope they find them and send them to Juvie for a while... though I don't know how it works in England...

You may or may not have found the answers in the two-day period before this post (sorry), but here goes anyway, for anyone else... To post a picture, very simple. Take your picture, and upload it to an image hosting site (either Photobucket.com or Imageshack.us) - you may have to create an account first. Don't worry, it's free and takes about 5 minutes tops. Then, once your picture is uploaded, simply take the "Embed" text (a sort of long URL) and paste it in your Reply or Post, and that's where it'll appear. You can post a variety fo types: thumbnails, fill-size, or even links. As for image size limits, if your picture is shown full-size in these forums, the max you can get is 800X600. Any larger than that, and it will either be resized for you by a Mod (they are pesky, aren't they... j/k lol) or, worse (and far more likely), deleted without warning. Better stick to the rules. However, if you just post a thumbnail that itself leads to the full-size picture on another site (such as on the image's hosting site), then it can be any damn size you want... As long as modern computers can render it . And by the way, you may notice you didn't get many replies? This is because, while I'm one of the more patient ones out there, most are frustrated when newcomers don't read the Omnibus and it's articles. Example, an entire, detailed tutorial on just this is in there. I don't mind answering, but next time just ferret around to find the info before asking anyone, all right? Or you'll get off on the wrong foot around here. That's how it is, unfortunately... See ya!

Woah... pretty wierd stuff. Let's see if I can help here... It's known that upgrading from Vanilla to Rush Hour can seriously mess up fundings, but you say this happens every month so that can't be it... I may have an idea. Are some of your Police or Fire stations downloaded from the Net? You see, I've got a similar problem. I've downloaded a bunch of Hospitals, yet the funding is glitchy, and whenever I modify the sliders in the main "Health and Education" panel even ever so sligthly, all funding goes immediately to 0 - causes some major damage until I notice this. Perhaps this is happening to yours? Tell me if your buildings are downloads, this may be the answer... Other than that, do you have any game-altering mods? Not just textures and terrain mods, but stuff that modify how the game works, in any way? God knows faulty mods are at the center of about 50% at least of all the problems on this forum... Other than that, I'm unfortunately out of ideas. Try to use the "Plugins Division" method to see if it's any of your Plugins that cause this. The Plugin Division method works simply: Take your plugins, and Cut and Paste them all somewhere else, away from your Plugins folder, leaving it effectively empty. If this particular problem still occurs, then it's not the Plugins' fault. If it doesn't occur anymore, than one or some of your Plugins are to blame. Now, if it's the case: 1 - Divide them in half; keep one half in the Plugins folder, paste the second somewhere else. If the problem still persists, then it's in that half. If not, it's in the other half... Keep dividing the halves in half to find the problem once and for all. Wow, that was long... Hope it at least helps!

Hey, nice one, patrikdonosti! Glad to see your very first post is to help others... It makes a rare change around here! Unfortunately, I also used the DatPacker, but it didn't change a damn thing... The game still crashed as much as ever (and still does, but I now know why... and am waiting to get the money to fix it!).