ScLu

Without further ado, here's the copy&pasted Readme: SCLU'S LONG TRAINS ELABORATION ON BIG RED FISH'S ORIGINAL MOD V 1.0 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS Move the DATs of your choice to the plugins folder of your choice to either My Documents\SimCity 4\Plugins[\<sub folder> (if you have one)] or C:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4\Plugins[\<sub floder> (if you have one)]. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER Neither me, Simtropolis (and its affiliates), nor Maxis is responsible for any undesired operation of SimCity 4 or any of its companion programs (ilive's Reader, Lot Editor, BAT, etc.). This mod is downloaded completely at your own risk and discretion (dis CRE shun) (look it up if you don't know what it means). I cannot guarantee compatability with any other mods that you, the downloader, may have, but I made an effort to ensure compatability between the DATs in this mod. IF you want more variety and/or choice, let me know at the corresponding thread titled: ScLu's Elaboration on Big Red Fish's Long Trains Mod. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- CREDITS Big Red Fish of Simtropolis deserves credit for the original mod. I just took his idea and elaborated on it to give you, the downloader, a more refined way of true customization. This mod does have a few extra options which will be discussed later in this readme, but I want to thank Big Red Fish and HIS Long Trains mod for inspiring me. Thus, this mod is actually OUR mod because he made an original, and I just elaborated on the idea. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- FIXES AND UPGRADES There are currently no fixes and/or upgrades with this mod because it's version 1.0. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- WHAT'S IN THIS MOD THAT IS INSPIRED FROM THE ORIGINAL MOD There are a number of DATs in this mod to be accounted for. NOTE: These changes were made in the Automata Simulator exemplar (25). 1. ScLu_BRF_LongTrains_Elab_Med What this DAT does is raise the minimum length of commute trains to 5 cars including the locomotive and freight trains to 17 cars including the loco. However, the commute trains would have the ability to reach 17 cars (including the loco) in length and the freight trains would have the capacity to reach a GARGANTUAN 65 CARS (countin the loco) IN LENGTH! This DAT makes no further changes. 2. ScLu_BRF_LongTrains_Elab_Long What this DAT does is raise the minimum length of commute trains to 9 cars (countin the loco) and the freight train to 33 cars (again, countin the loco). The maximum lengths will be the same as the last DAT. 3. ScLu_BRF_LongTrains_Elab_Gargantuan WARNING: DO NOT USE THIS DAT IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO OPEN A SMALL CITY TILE THAT HAS FREIGHT STATIONS AND RAILS! THE TRAINS WILL BE TOO DANG LOOOONG! Ahem. What THIS DAT does is raise the minimum length for commuters to 17 cars, maximum to 33 cars; and the freight train minimum length to 65 cars and the maximum to 97 cars. THIS DAT IS INTENDED FOR USE ONLY IN MEDIUM AND LARGE CITIES WITH THE NEIGHBOR CONNECTION ON THE OTHER SIDE FROM THE CITY FROM THE FREIGHT STATION! There. I'm done preaching to the choir. 4. ScLu_BRF_LongTrains_Elab_MedCap What this DAT does is raise the commuter capacity from 40 to 80. 5. ScLu_BRF_LongTrains_Elab_HiCap What this DAT does is raise the commuter capacity from 40 to 120. 6. ScLu_BRF_LongTrains_Elab_JapaneseCap What this DAT does is raise the commuter capacity from 40 to 160. The reason this DAT is named so, is because my mom has told me stories of the few years she has lived in Japan while her dad was stationed at an army base there. One of them was how packed the trains were. She said that they get SO FULL that the conductors and employees at the train stations literally have to push people into the train cars. That is why this DAT is named so. 7. ScLu_BRF_LongTrains_Elab_RealSpeed What this DAT does is lower the minimum train speed to 70KPH and the maximum to 75KPH from the normals of 140KPH and 150KPH respectively. 8. ScLu_BRF_LongTrains_Elab_FastSpeed What this DAT does is raise the minimum train speed to 280KPH and the maximum to 300KPH. Both this DAT and the previous DAT offer speed alterations within 50% from the game speed. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- WHAT'S IN THIS MOD THAT IS NEW AND NOT INSPIRED These are simple changes made in the Traffic Simulator Exemplar. 1. ScLu_BRF_LongTrains_Elab_HiHiSpeedSubway What this DAT does is double the speed of the subway. 2. ScLu_BRF_LongTrains_Elab_HiSpeedSubway What this DAT does is increase the speed of the subway by 50%. 3. ScLu_BRF_LongTrains_Elab_LowSpeedSubway What this DAT does is decrease the speed of the subway by 50%. 4. ScLu_BRF_LongTrains_Elab_HiHiSpeedEL What this DAT does is double the speed of the EL. 5. ScLu_BRF_LongTrains_Elab_HiSpeedEL What this DAT does is increase the speed of the EL by 50%. 6. ScLu_BRF_LongTrains_Elab_LowSpeedEL What this DAT does is decrease the speed of the EL by 50%. 7. ScLu_BRF_LongTrains_Elab_HiHiSpeedMonorail What this DAT does is double the speed of the monorail. 8. ScLu_BRF_LongTrains_Elab_HiSpeedMonorail What this DAT does is increase the speed of the monorail by 50%. 9. ScLu_BRF_LongTrains_Elab_LowSpeedMonorail What this DAT does is decrease the speed of the monorail by 50%. 10. ScLu_BRF_LongTrains_Elab_HierMaxCommTime What this DAT does is solve the problem of buildings being abandoned due to the commute time not being long enough. It simply doubles the Commute trip max time exemplar. 11. ScLu_BRF_LongTrains_Elab_EvenHierMaxCommTime What this DAT does is the same as right above, but it triples the value. 12. ScLu_BRF_LongTrains_Elab_SuperHiMaxCommTime What this DAT does is the same as the above two, but it quadruples the same value. Here are the relatively short Usage Instructions: Please see the README if you are confused by all the numbers. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- In the first part of the WHAT'S IN THIS MOD section Only one of entries 1, 2, & 3 can be used at a time. Only one of entries 4, 5, & 6 can be used at a time. Only one of entries 7 & 8 can be used at a time. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- In the second part of the WHAT'S IN THIS MOD section Only one of entries 1, 2, & 3 can be used at a time. Only one of entries 4, 5, & 6 can be used at a time. Only one of entries 7, 8, & 9 can be used at a time. Only one of entries 10, 11, & 12 can be used at a time. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The reason I used numbers is because I already wasted an hour making sure the README was free of typos, made sense, and included EVERY LAST BIT of vital information. So this document only took me about five minutes to type. However, the modding part will take me much longer. Big Red Fish! If you're reading this post, then please realize that your innovative mod is what inspired this one! I'm saying that this mod belongs in part to BOTH of us. You the original breakthrough design and the idea and me the elaboration. All I did was elaborate on YOUR original idea. I do not want to be snooty or demoralizing, but your original mod only had a limited choice. This one haowever, allows almost LIMITLESS possibilities! But you still deserve most of the credit for this mod.

!!!WARNING!!! This post is LOOOONG! !!!WARNING!!! I know, I know. It's a little big, but don't say I didn't warn ya. Okay, this post is a little long winded, but I kept puttin it off for about a month, and now I'm writing this while my dad is working on his truck (don't ya hate it when cars get 150,000 miles on em?). Annnnywayyyy... I have a few suggestions for the NAM (summary first): An eight way cloverleaf* One-way road overpass-intersection* New kinds of bridges (different support styles other than blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah) Different (more) ped-mall textures More puzzle-piece types (curves, diagonals, intersections, etc.) More puzzle piece networks More puzzle piece support textures/types (bricks, arches, trestle, suspension wires, etc.) Double-decker highway* Ped-malls as a dragable network ANT network needs faster speeds More kinds of intersections One-way highways The ability to drag one network under anotherSome of these suggestions are pretty CENSORED obvious, so I won't even think about mentioning them again. As for the others... 1. An eight-way cloverleaf Because of the sheer size of the pic, I can't even upload it as a zip. Oh well. I can describe it. Here goes... All eight highways converge onto a roundabout 12 lanes wide with an inner radius of 3 (three) tiles (what that means is that the roundabout is three tiles wide with four lanes in each tile to facilitate traffic). Because the inner radius of the roundabout is three tiles and the outer radius is six tiles, that only leaves two tiles for the perimeter to mess with. However, that description only tells you how to design the orthagonal inlets/outlets. This little pic shows how to do the diagonal inlets/outlets (only shows the corner, but I'll tell ya the rest). This color is the ground in SC4. This color (cyan (almost)) is the whole tiles in the corner. This color is the half-tiles in the corner (as well as the partials in the lower left). This color is the remaining half of the partials in the lower left (and part of the on/off ramps in the interchange). And this color (yellow) is the actual on/off ramps in the interchange. Black and white translation for the colorblind: This color (dark green) is the ground in SC4. This color (cyan (almost)) is the whole tiles in the corner. This color (blue) is the half-tiles in the corner (as well as the partials in the lower left). This color (dark/brick red) is the remaining half of the partials in the lower left (an part of the on/off ramps in the interchange). And this color (yellow) is the actual on/off ramps in the interchange. All the on/off ramps are on the outer edge of the roundabout (because it's one way) and are three lanes wide. All the highways converging on the interchange are on the same level (elevated or ground). However, due to a game engine glitch, the interchange must be placed before the highways are built. The reason the roundabout is so wide is to facilitate traffic from EIGHT DIFFERENT HIGHWAYS! (THAT'S TWELVE LANES HANDLING 24 LANES OF HEAVY TRAFFIC IN CONGESTED CITIES!) Talk about heavens-to-betsy-bottlenecked-backed-up-all-the-way-to-the-border-my-boss-is-REALLY-gonna-be-pissed-off-that-I'm-late-again gridlock! (whew!) O_O Also, this interchange is radially symmetric (except for the traffic). Well. Whaddya think? Did I describe it well? Yes? No? Maaybe? 2. One-way road overpass-intersection This is a simple one-way road variation on this suggestion made a while back by wicher on page 44. Nothing more, nothing less: 4. Different (more) ped-mall textures The name almost says it all. I was kinda thinking of like cracked or light concrete for slummy parts of town. Maybe dirt paths for rural communities. Or something a little ritzier for the R$$$ or CO$$$ areas. Or even something that looks clean and industrial for the high-tech areas! Yeah! All-in-all, just a bigger variety of textures, maybe even with overlays to simulate walking paths. 6. More puzzle piece networks Networks like sublevel highways (highways that are below ground surface, but are not completely buried), ground level monorail, sublevel, or even UNDERGROUND monorail. Or supersonic rail transport (useful for those multi-city or cross-region commutes). Maybe even double-decker rail (can handle twice as much traffic as std. rail, but each deck travels in one direction). 8. Double decker highway A double decker highway with two-way decks could easily handle twice as much traffic in the same amount of space as a single deck highway. Although I have yet to figure out transitions, I have figured out the most basic of elements: This is a cross section. The violet and green represent the individual lanes of the upper deck (three in each direction). Likewise with the red and blue. The cyan is the support structure. This is an onramp from the side. It's a perpendicular onramp that is the default seven tiles long by four tiles wide in the center. The violet and red represent the upper and lower decks respectively. Likewise, the two shades of green represent the on/off ramps. The blue strip is a road. The cyan bars are the supports. And the silver is the sublevel view. This is an orthagonal intersection from two sides. Green and red for one highway. Violet and blue for the other. Cyan is the supports, and the silver and grey represent sublevel. 1 2 I have not troubleshooted the intersections except the perpendicular on/off ramp. I'll just leave that to all you smart guys in the community (I do make A's, I just don't know how to BAT yet). 11. More kinds of intersections Road to highway. Ground/elevated hwy cloverleaf. Trumpet interchange. The possibilities are ENDLESS! 12. One-way highways Highways that are two tiles wide and have six lanes of traffic going in only one direction. One-way [super]highways have more than double the capacity of standard highways and can keep traffic running smoothly. Plus, if they can be developed into three and four lane packages as well, we could create realistic highways that diverge on hills, run adjacent to each other on plains, and even cross over each other to create MASSIVE interchanges! 13. The ability to drag one network under another Such an ability could allow five neighbor connections in a two tile width. Elevated highway on top. Road and light/freight rail next. And subway and water pipes on the bottom (subterranian). Just imagine an EL rail line that runs right over a road or avenue! Or a rail line right ON a road! I'm done. Long, ain't it? Although some of these suggestions are not doable at all and are probably just a waste of my air, but I just thought what the h***. I'll suggest them anyway. Besides, there's bound to be SOMEONE who might want to try it out just for the h*** of it. I don't care about what you say to put me down, I just said some ideas to put on the drawing board. If they get thrown out, then I'll know the game coding dosen't allow for them.

Perhaps, instead of making all four highways continuous, a central roundabout is substituted? I hand-drew something and used my dad's all-in-one printer to make a copy of it then scan the copy into the computer. I managed to fit the whole d*mn kit&kaboodle in the default 16*16 space. With a little room to spare (actually takes up less space than the Maxis clocerleaves). ANNNND...being a roundabout, all cars never travel up OR down to get where they're going, so the only UDI hassle it'd cause would be traffic jams in REALLY conjested cities. If y'all gimme till this weekend, I can have it posted as a zip (it's HUGE! the dimensions are in the 1000's). Just download, extract, and drool (okay, so I used a compass and ruler to draw it, but at least it's neat and readable). I'll also have a few more suggestions for the NAM (it'll be a LOOOONG post). -EDIT-I'm busting with ideas that I haven't had time to suggest yet, but this weekend could be it.

I will sign this petition. Even though I have noidea that these problems even existed.

How about making it a Double-Deck highway instead? That sounds more Los Angeles-ish.

Unfortuneately, I've had time to do a short test of this new file yesterday, but I won't have time, nor will I have time this upcoming week to post my pics. I will have to re-format all of them and re-size a few of them (their dimensions are 1024X768). An I won't have time for a while, but I plan to do it.

Tropod:I figured out my reluctant folder problem. I had it in so many sub-folders that it was basically locked in place. This time, I saved it to the desktop.

The actual Dimensions of the small pic is 60X60, but the SC4 grid dimensions are 30X30. So a small city tile would be out of the question, but I could try and come up with something smaller in a little while. For now, I'm gonna do some NAM testing. However, don't expect it to be very precise, but I'll provide as many pics as I can (I don't know if I can provide route query pics though). I think those click for cash lots are gonna come in handy after all. I'll first have to copy&paste Tropod's last reply right above me so I can get the objectives down. And yes, I don't keep many cities of mine, so a crash won't matter for this test as I'll just be testing the NAM, and not actually building the city. In my case, this mod will be tested in a virgin environment. ALL OTHER LOTS/MODS WITH THE CLICK FOR CASH RESET AS AN EXCEPTION WILL BE REMOVED FROM MY PLUGINS FOLDER! I am testing this mod in an un-modded environment (almost). No alterations to ANY part of SimCity except that which the NAM concerns itself with. I will ONLY test the NAM. Not the Automata Plugins or Transportation Plugins. Just the NAM. The DAT removals will not include and Maxis material as they don't mod for cheats. Maxis patches only fix game coding errors, so they will most certainly be left IN the plugins folder. Except for the NAM and the Click for Cash Reset park, all other non-Maxis lots/mods/BATs/etc. will be removed to create as natural an RH as possible. -EDIT-I decided to leave in the Graph Modd too so I can get more definitive info. I also apologize for raising my voice, but I wanted to convey my point clearly. -EDIT#2-I can't download the file. I just get a Page cannot be displayed message. -EDIT#3-Thanks for editing the link.

How about a cloverleaf that intersects four highways? Larger (4X) -EDIT-I spent an hour on this, so please look at it and consider it.

Date:7/13/2004 11:54:53 AM Author:Tropod 1. [it helps to] just make sure the downloaded file is Unzipped. You can't re-name zipped files [the files that are within a zipped folder.....something along those lines; least not that I'm aware of].2. The problem you're describing actually sounds like a Windows Explorer problem; nothing to do with the mod really [even though it does contain web-based type files]. I'd suggest you close any Windows that might be open; give it a few minutes and then try; I use to have this exact problem all the time with files/folders [of any kind] because WinExplorer [or something related to this] would cause havoke with things.3. If you still have problems...........I can only suggest to delete the whole thing; & download it again [as it's quite possible it's become corrupt in the download process]. quote> 1. The file is unzipped 2. What does Windows Explorer got to do with the mod except the Readmes 3. I'm gonna delete it anyway because of the update.