MeMyself&I

You mean the lane arrow pieces? That would make sense since they were the last thing I did to that stretch of highway.

I'm not sure if this is the cause of the problem you're having or not but it seems like it may be worth considering and looking into. This is copied from the manual in the Marrast Embankment Set download: Before You will use this set, I'd like to tell you about some limitations. Yes, this set has some limitations. Rather, one limitation - at the zoom levels 1 and 2 it looks quite ugly. It's because of custom LODs. The game uses custom LODs at the zoom levels 3, 4 and 5 only. At the zoom level 1 and 2 all custom LODs become a simple box.

Mmm, maybe, but at least you always have something to say that's worth listening to Congrats!!

That's a great point! I've only been using mods for a few months but I've noticed a huge difference, not only in aesthetics but also performance by using the right mods. Certain things (NAM and SPAM are prime examples) really make me understand how broken some parts of the game really were right out of the box. And we're talking about a game that has been one of my all time favorites for years before I even knew mods for it existed. It's even better when things work the way they should or, at least, better than they did before.

Is this an Apple thing? I see a lot of comments from people on downloads both here and over at SC4D about .exe instead of .zip files. I assume it's a compatibility issue for MAC users mostly? I've never used a MAC so I really have no idea. Just curious.

And it does! Which is one of the many reasons I like it so much But yeah, @Jasoncw just mentioned that he thought they were "unrealistically gigantic" and I wholeheartedly agree but I've never heard anyone else say that so I thought I was being blasphemous for thinking it. Imagine my relief! Yes, yes you have. I have definitely seen that Cori-ism in another post and I probably should've mentioned that too. Believe me, I completely understand how you feel about skyscraper cities, me being a country boy myself I pick up on that sentiment fast , but now I can also call you comrade in the whole high-density-buildings-are-too-big line of thinking. Our numbers are swelling! Also, it's not only the skyscrapers that are too big but many of the HD res and ind buildings as well. Some look proportionate and some simply do not. I actually think a lot of the BATters and LOTters concur on this too (secretly, perhaps) because many of the HD mods for buildings I've seen seem to take proportion into account much better than the vanilla programmers did and they look way better in game than the originals - IMO

I don't recall you ever saying that you think the high density buildings are too big. Just that you don't like them Then again, I'm pretty certain I haven't read ALL of your posts either

I've tried to start games with high or medium density but it never worked for me. Not that the game itself didn't work but moreso that I just didn't like the way it developed. I honestly don't think I could even run a city into the ground anymore unless I actually tried to and I can always adapt and make it work but it's just never been what I want when it starts out that way. I've never been a big fan of the huge metropolitan scenarios anyhow, preferring suburban sprawl and rural settings, especially with all the great mods available now. I totally agree about the way-too-big high density buildings. Some are pretty cool but, overall, they're simply too much and I'm glad to see someone else thinks that too because I've always felt I was the only one. I really like your comment on using zoning density for artistic control. That's an interesting perspective but, in actuality, I'd wager that a lot of people who have played as long as you have probably are the same way. It is an artistic game, after all. It's all about designing and building and then making it into a working, functional model. The aesthetics are what I crave mostly now but you still have to have income to make it work unless you use buggy's extra cheats to fill your coffers. I've never done that but it could be interesting just to see what I could do with unlimited resources right from the start. I like to watch things grow, both physically and financially so, I've never entertained the thought before. Just to set up an entire infrastructure, sparing no expenses, zoning it all crazy high and seeing how it develops right out of the gate. . . could be very entertaining! Absolutely! Thanks for clarifying that. Never thought about putting down the specifics for water to growth stage. I guess I tend to take that for granted now because water is something I always put in right away pretty much everywhere so I just never think about it any other way.

To be honest, I never zone anything medium right from the beginning except maybe some industry. Start low and let it grow. You'll be surprised how well low density residential will sustain you and for how long but you have to have water for them to grow denser. Couldn't agree more. This is very good advice and the truth of the matter is that the vanilla game's traffic controller is all but broken. Installing NAM, even if you do a custom install and ONLY use the traffic controller and nothing else, your sims will move about sooooooooo much more efficiently, especially when you do zone denser. I would even suggest holding off on med res along avenues until you've got some good income and a stable work force in place. Keep it low density for a time but make sure they have water and aren't too far from jobs - both commercial and industrial. This advice is gospel. Also, don't forget you need fire protection as well but don't worry about police right away until you have lots of industry or large lots like transit stations, airports, stadiums or malls. Don't underestimate a well placed park, playground or beach either. Even a garden or two in a backyard cul-de-sac will entice people to move in AND to stay. Sims want to have fun and you'll be amazed at how a neighborhood will take off building if you plop a park in the middle of it, regardless of how dense it's zoned. The real good message here is don't spend too much on stuff you don't need - including ordinances. Some are good to start with, especially if they have to do with education or healthcare. The rest can wait. So true. Start low and let it grow - there it is again! You'll be surprised at how well low density residential will sustain your city and for how long. Some of my best cities still have upwards of 50% or more low density residential, even with populations approaching a million, as long as the infrastructure is there. Highways, subways and all that can come later when you have lots of money to build them without worrying about cost. Your advisors will try to bully you into building things you don't need but you can always build them later, regardless of how much stomping and sputtering they do. Bottom line is; if you try to force the zones to grow they usually won't, and then you'll be stuck with a whole bunch of medium residential lots that your hard working sims simply can't afford to build on. That's when they head off to the next city tile. Population and income need to be high to get more density but it will get there even zoned low for a while if you give them plenty of the basics - but don't overextend your resources. Education and healthcare are the things to focus on if you want your city to grow quickly and densely. Definitely! Keep us posted!

I'm fascinated by this whole concept! See? This is exactly why I love this site! Thanks for sharing!

First off; Thank you for your service in the Navy! That is greatly appreciated! Second; don't rush too much - I'd like to see you really put something sweet together with all this great stuff but only when you're ready. Keep up the updates though when you have time, please. It seems as though a lot of people like your work so, keep it coming!

Very impressive work, @Deionn. I really like that transit stop "square". Functional and nice texture too. Your buildings look good too and I like the variety of styles, colors, angles. I'm no modding expert by any means but I know what looks good. You have a great eye for detail and apparently some great skill as well. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your work, maybe in a nice CJ when you get things put together. Thanks for sharing!

Looks great! I like your choices of buildings and the main drag is getting a lot of use. What is that roundabout in the forefront around the monument? Did you make that? It's wicked cool!

That is a sharp looking building! Dense residential so I'm guessing it's a condo with a rooftop pool? Sweet . . . and big too! Is that a kite flying in the foreground?

I haven't seen those stopper before so that's interesting but I think there is also a way to place a road piece discreetly in between two SAMs too to disconnect them but I haven't played with it enough myself yet. @rsc204 has a lot of great info on using and controlling SAM networks in his youtube tutorial. You've probably already seen this but I always go back to them when I have any questions or hangups with anything in the NAM. Priceless!

That is interesting. Maybe people just really want to live there but there aren't enough farming jobs available so they want some other kind of honest work? I wonder if that will make more R$$ demand though. Before you know it you'll have developers coming in and trying to raze the landscape for a concrete jungle!

Actually, I spent a lot of time last night going through your earlier entries having never seen them before and I can honestly say it was time well spent! You put a lot of work into the detail and, as I said, I love mountains so, it was definitely an enjoyable trip! I didn't get to all of them but I will. I asked about the rock mod because I thought it looked like Peg's Weathered Granite which is what I'm currently using too but I don't have mountains as big as yours where I'm working yet so there is more rock to see in your cities. I like it a lot and I really like it with this setting - the pine trees and water you use all work well together so, thanks! I saw in one of your other entries you were discussing your tree controller with someone and I like that too although, I don't remember what it is right now but I will go back and look again. Getting the rail bridge to look the way it does is just really awesome! Pics 44 and 45 look really cool with the depth and detail and I like the tunnel in the lower foreground too. I keep looking at it, trying to figure out how much terraforming you really must have done but it's one of those things that make the game so great! Uniqueness in design and execution. I'm still amazed at how incredible some of the mods for SC4 really are! I'm pretty new to the whole modding thing, even just using them, nevermind making them. I haven't gotten that far yet but hope to soon. I'm still enjoying being wowed by what you guys who are more experienced with them can do. Very inspirational and I can understand how satisfying it must be for you as well. I am looking forward to experiencing it myself someday! I agree with the traffic circles. They are definitely more efficient and they're starting to show up more and more in all kinds of places in the U.S. I spend a lot of time on the road so I see a lot IRL and I've noticed that even here in Central NY they have been replacing some suburban and rural intersections with roundabouts, especially in the Finger Lakes Region. People complain but I don't see why. How is keeping traffic moving a bad thing? They look nice too. People just don't like change, I suppose or perhaps they just need to be told to stop and go Thanks for the info on the MMPs. I'm always on the lookout for stuff like that and some of it just really makes all the difference. I'm enjoying your region and, again, thanks for sharing!

Yes. If you're unsure about what you want you should choose to not replace your highways or railways just yet. You can always go back and install the new ones later if you decide to but overall you'll be glad you did, judging by what you're looking for in your first post because they're simply better, period. It might be a challenge to get used to at first but there are manuals in the download that explain everything and plenty of help online here. I'm sure one of the NAM gurus will be along soon to add to this thread as they look for stuff like this so keep an eye out for responses.

NAM shouldn't replace or remove anything other than previous NAM files but it will replace your Maxis Highways with Real Highways (what you see in the picture you posted) unless you choose not to. Extract it straight to the plugins folder in SC4 and it should be labeled as z___NAM so it loads up last and doesn't conflict. If you do download it though, be sure to take your time going through the checklist for what you do and don't want installed at the beginning. If there is something in the list you don't like or aren't interested in then make sure it's unchecked. You can always go back and re-install it later if you want it. Read the readme file carefully so you know what you're getting. Nothing hidden in it but there are a few things you just need to be aware of before you install it. The NAM team goes to great lengths to make sure everything you need to know is there but you have to read it to understand it. It's a must have for anyone who is serious about the game. It makes so many things so much better.

You should have the NAM installed anyway for a number of reasons, not just roads and highways. The Traffic Controller alone is worth the download. If you're looking for what's in the picture you posted above then NAM 35 is where you will find it. Plenty of tutorials and helpful people around if you have any questions or issues with it but it's pretty simple to install and run.

200k is a steady climb! I'm duly impressed with how you've grown your farming region, Cori! I also see that Cranky Corner is apparently the place to live with a whopping 23.4k residents. I hope they don't decide to move over to Hop Bottom because we have Amo's Premium Sandwiches. We like it nice and quiet here. I would say that you definitely have the fire protection sealed up nicely in the region, which will certainly help keep insurance costs minimal but, what is your health clinic to sandwich shop ratio, I wonder . . .

That is absolutely gorgeous! I love mountains, myself, so I'm truly enamored with this CJ! The bridges alone are a work of wonder. Do they look stacked like that because of elevation vs span distance? I really like the whitewater MMPs too. They give a feeling of movement and really add to the realism. I feel like I could hear the water if I were standing on the bridge above. I also really like the way you used roundabouts in this setting. Not what you'd expect in this type of region but they work well, I think. What is the rock mod you're using here? I have a zillion questions but I won't tie up the thread with them. I feel very inspired right now! I'll be coming back to look at this again. Thanks for sharing your hard work and great job!