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cydonianmystery

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Everything posted by cydonianmystery

  1. Possible "OpenSC4" ?

    cydonianmystery posted a topic in SimCity 4 General Discussion

    I apologize in advance if this has been covered before, but I'm genuinely curious. With other older classic games such as Morrowind and Rollercoaster Tycoon, the modding communities addressed their games' older engines and limitations by making new and open source engines for the game; OpenRCT2 and OpenMW. Both are quite amazing for what they do, and OpenMW addresses a lot of the engine-level bugs and issues TES IV had. OpenRCT2 also has things like modern resolution options, which are not available in base RCT2. So I'm wondering if the community has ever considered a potential "OpenSC4" or similar to address this game's various engine-level issues like single-core limitations, no passenger/el train "cabooses", and other issues I've seen brought up over the years that just don't seem to have any possible solution. I decided to make this a new topic in case this might lead to further discussion.

  2. DSC - Rail - Maxis Passenger Trains Remake

    cydonianmystery reviewed dragonsteincole's file in Automata

    Amazing! I was always a fan of the default trains, and this is a perfect and faithful recreation of them!

  3. 20yearsSC4 SC4: 2023 (20th Anniversary)

    cydonianmystery replied to SIM-ple Jack's topic in SimCity 4 General Discussion

    Happy 20th anniversary, SimCity 4! 🎉🎊🎉🎊 Here's to another 20 years? 👀

  4. Possible "OpenSC4" ?

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

    Amazing work! This looks really promising!

  5. Possible "OpenSC4" ?

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

    I'm not an expert on game engines, but something like UE5 would be massive overkill for a game with SC4's scope. The engine alone would probably be bigger than all of SC4's game files, which comes just over a gig. Gonna agree with @rsc204 about Unity though, as someone who's sunk over 1,200 hours into Cities Skylines. With all major expansions CSL needs at least 16gb of RAM, and that's with no custom assets or mods. Unity is probably the last engine you want to use for a simulator game, but was probably the best Collossal Order could license at the time. If the rumors of a CSL2 are true (they've been ongoing for years, so make of that what you will), I'd expect CO to ditch Unity. EDIT: Oh I seem to have missed a whole page of additional replies. Ignore me.

  6. Can't find it?... Ask here!

    cydonianmystery replied to JakeMD's topic in SC4 - Custom Content

    Thanks for the answer!

  7. Can't find it?... Ask here!

    cydonianmystery replied to JakeMD's topic in SC4 - Custom Content

    Okay so apologies in advance if this is the wrong place to ask, but I reckon it's on-topic enough. When installing the newest version of NAM, it says that 'legacy support for Maxis rail is available seperately'. Where can I download this legacy support at? I don't have anything against RRW, it's great! But I'm trying to make a 'vanilla+' style region and I wanted to use Maxis rail, as I'm also using Maxis highways and just the bare essentials of NAM features.

  8. Possible "OpenSC4" ?

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

    Sorry for the necro, but apparently a small project exploring an OpenSC4 is being looked at on Reddit:

  9. Can't find it?... Ask here!

    cydonianmystery replied to JakeMD's topic in SC4 - Custom Content

    These stations are seriously cool! Thanks for pointing them out! *runs off to grab the latest NAM*

  10. Can't find it?... Ask here!

    cydonianmystery replied to JakeMD's topic in SC4 - Custom Content

    Thanks!

  11. Can't find it?... Ask here!

    cydonianmystery replied to JakeMD's topic in SC4 - Custom Content

    @ncamferdam @SIM-ple Jack These are just what I was looking for! Thanks!

  12. Can't find it?... Ask here!

    cydonianmystery replied to JakeMD's topic in SC4 - Custom Content

    Sorry if this has been asked before, but I was reading the amazing post on the hidden superpowers of the vanilla bus stop the other day, and it had me wondering; are there are any "bus station" or "terminal" lots, as opposed to ones that cosmetically look like a "stop"? I don't really care about stats, I'm just looking for something bigger than 1x1 in size. I guess, kinda like how SimCity 2000 bus stations worked? 4x4 or the like, or even larger.

  13. Possible "OpenSC4" ?

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

    So looking at the linked thread, the issues seem to mainly boil down to a fear of EA's legal team (very understandable), using existing assets (this is usually not an issue with open source engines, but I don't know enough about SC4's engine to comment), and that it'd probably be a better idea to just make an entirely new, open source simulator that is SC4-like. And to the latter point, I actually think that'd be a good idea. In spite of its age, SimCity 4 offers a lot of major advantages over more "modern", 3D games like Cities Skylines. CSL blew SC13 out of the water, for sure; but it's still a far cry from the region-based gameplay SC4 offers and the sheer size of maps. The isometric style of SC4 just allows you to do more stuff than full 3D rendering. And (I'm much more knowledgeable of the RPG side of video games than sim games) we've seen a resurgence in isometric RPGs in the last few years (Shadowrun Returns, Pillars of Eternity, Pathfinder Kingmaker) because like SC4, RPGs can just do more when they ditch the "everything must be 3D" approach. So if anything, it's proof that something like this could not only work, but be popular.

  14. Politics of SimCity Series

    cydonianmystery replied to Propfam's topic in SimCity 4 General Discussion

    Honestly, I think the SimCity series' tropes and systems are more a result of basic assumptions (Maxis was from California, and it assumed an American audience) than any kind of actual political commentary. Obviously it's something of a god game in that it gives the player absolute power and they don't have elections, or have to deal with a city council or anything. But that's another gameplay concession more than anything else. The real political bit of the series was in Will Wright's very clear anti-nuclear stance, and how nuclear plants have had meltdowns in every iteration of the game as a major thing. It's not a stance I agree on personally, but it is what it is. Besides that you could say there are elements like hospitals and public transport that have become politicized, in the context of America's current (absolute) state of politics, but those were not meant to be political. Really, the actual political sides of the games aren't touched on that much at all, especially when compared to something like CityState where you can actually run the policy gamut from full on libertarianism to trade unionism to total state ownership. That's just my two cents.

  15. Monorail Advice?

    cydonianmystery posted a topic in Cities: Skylines General Discussion

    So even though I've owned Cities Skylines for years now, I've actually only just started really getting into it due to going for two years without a PC that could actually play it. And what I had before could only *barely* play it, at that. Now I have great framerates, and I'm enjoying the game a lot. In the recent Paradox sale I picked up the Mass Transit DLC, and I'm really liking the monorail network, but I was wondering if people would be willing to give me some advice on how to use it most effectively. Specifically, I was wondering about the best niche for it to fill, how far I should be spacing apart stops, and how to handle making smoother curves. Sofar, my thoughts on the monorail network have been the following: The Monorail/Train/Metro hub is really useful, and I want to use that to directly offload passengers from intercity trains, distributing them via monorail and metro. The over-avenue network strikes me as incredibly useful, as existing avenues can be upgraded directly, leaving no 'footprint' for the network Yes, curves have been giving me a bit of an issue due to how in some instances, the tracks spaghettify (yes, I'm using Road Anarchy), and while I could just build over-avenue tracks, there are instances like the aforementioned hub has to be connected with standalone tracks. I'd generally like to avoid overly tight curves, due to how they make the trains come to a near-halt. At least from my SimCity 4 experience, monorails are supposed to be really fast, so having trains struggling to negotiate really tight curves and slowing down is kind of a problem. But I'm starting to feel like that's kind of my problem, and not the game's... I'm more used to how SC4 worked, and this isn't the same game. Sorry if this comes off as overly-noobish or is something people have answered a thousand times before elsewhere. I'll delete the topic if I'm being a nuisance. -_-

  16. Monorail Advice?

    cydonianmystery replied to cydonianmystery's topic in Cities: Skylines General Discussion

    Since nobody ever bothered answering, I'll just post observations I made from my own playtesting. The network honestly works best as a more space-efficient replacement for regular rail networks, as they seem to favor the same kind of distance between stops and need long, straight runs of track to reach full speed. So basically, hub-to-hub over long distances, with bus or metro feeding off of them. With over-avenue runs, this makes monorail basically space neutral and capable of being integrated into existing development. Spaghettification of curves is avoided by ending avenues and continuing the track standalone, with curves of more than 25 x 25 desirable so trains won't slow down. That way you can continue to take advantage of the network's speed as much as possible. Summary of observations: Monorail can replace regular rail in role but not metro, so it won't be your primary transport option. Monorail is best used in creating high-capacity transport infrastructure with zero footprint. (over-avenue tracks and stations) Unlike rail, monorail cannot be run underground or through tunnels so plan accordingly. Avoid tight curves, especially the built in curves on the over-avenue network because they kill trains' built up speed. Ending over-avenue stretches and continuing as standalone track is needed to avoid curves bugging out. Avoid putting monorail near residential, because it's really loud. (an oversight on CO's part, because monorails are very quiet IRL) Use of TMPE is needed to remove the network's speed limits, otherwise it's uncompetitive with standard rail. (another oversight on CO's part) I hope this helps someone, because I actually really like the monorail network (especially paired with bsquikelhausen's Alweg trainset for additional vintage charm) and enjoy using it. It's a tempramental network with some flaws, but it can be made to work really well with enough practice and patience.

  17. Plaza-Parks

    cydonianmystery reviewed Terring's file in Parks & Plazas

    This is an incredibly convenient park filler set, while also remaining quite vanilla-like. I love it.

  18. Can't find it?... Ask here!

    cydonianmystery replied to JakeMD's topic in SC4 - Custom Content

    I'm very curious as to whether these vintage car and bus props have been released to the public, or if they're just something korver made for personal use.

  19. Can't find it?... Ask here!

    cydonianmystery replied to JakeMD's topic in SC4 - Custom Content

    I know this answer is kinda technical, but... these actually aren't two different kinds of tram/el train. One is a tram (el train), one is a passenger train. See, for whatever reason, passenger and freight trains can run on el rail (ELR) networks, and whoever made this setup is deliberately taking advantage of that. The el train I recognize as the BART Talent, but I'm not sure about the passenger train.

  20. Ikke Norge

    cydonianmystery reviewed REDbyCarter's file in Maps

    A good map overall, with lots of varied and interesting terrain. I like it.

  21. Can't find it?... Ask here!

    cydonianmystery replied to JakeMD's topic in SC4 - Custom Content

    Thanks for the help, that's just what I needed!

  22. Can't find it?... Ask here!

    cydonianmystery replied to JakeMD's topic in SC4 - Custom Content

    I'd like to ask for help finding the old seagull and pigeon remover mods. I haven't been able to find it with site or Google search, so I don't know if they got removed, or something. I, uh, have a really weak CPU, and these effects are notoriously CPU-heavy. <.<

  23. Ortho Rail, Bus and Subway Station Transport Hub

    cydonianmystery reviewed mattb325's file in Transportation

    A beautiful but refreshingly simple rail station in a small form factor, making it easy to fit just about anywhere. No dependencies, no big cluttered lots, and I definitely appreciate the longer platform, which works just beautifully with Vester's North American passenger train automata. Classy! This will be the go-to station for my rail network, going forward.

  24. Animated London Mounted Police Automata

    cydonianmystery reviewed justforfun's file in Automata

    I remember seeing mounted police on the sidewalks in SimCity 3000, and kind of missed that aspect in SimCity 4. So this is definitely a welcome followup to the carriage mod.

  25. Animated horse-drawn carriage automata Pack 1

    cydonianmystery reviewed justforfun's file in Automata

    This is amazing! It's rare to see many automata mods anymore, and it's nothing short of revolutionary. I would have never imagined anyone could make actual carriages in SimCity 4, and it's a complete game changer for players wishing to create historical and retro style cities. Not only are the automata themselves of incredible quality and detail, they add fun new possibilities to the game itself. In terms of actual technical achievement, I don't feel like it's much of an exaggeration to say that this is possably the most impressive automata mod in SimCity 4's 16 year long history. It honestly makes me wonder what else might be possible in terms of automata mods.
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