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Announcement
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Simtropolis Returns! 05/26/2026
See here for details about our site recovery efforts.
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Showing results for tags 'simtropolis'.
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A read-only topic to view FAQs, latest information, and key progress updates for the Simtropolis Recovery Project. Quick Links Simtropolis Returns! Initial topic commemorating the return of our beloved home. Calling All Volunteers! Interested in helping out with the project? If so, we invite you to post and join the SRT! Delete My File Message Banner! Have you updated a file and need the banner removing. Post here and we'll take care of it. Project Updates A list of posts noting important milestones about ST's road to recovery. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Q: What measures are you taking to ensure such data loss never happens again? A: This is of utmost importance. Dirk has already setup a full daily SQL database dump which is copied externally. We will be implementing full backups of all site content, which is synced to an offsite cloud location I've purchased. Additionally, Cori and I will be making regular local copies of this, which we'll keep updated. We can assure you there are harsh lessons learned from this ordeal. We will not let this happen again. Q: So what data is missing, and what do we have preserved? A: To understand what's safe and what needs recovering, there are three time periods: All Lost: After 28 February 2026 to 26 May 2026: Unfortunately, because 28 Feb corresponds to our most recent database backup, any new member accounts, posts, or files created during these final three months are lost entirely. At best we'll be able to re-post files, and possibly some other site content. Text Only: 17 June 2024 to 28 February 2026: The text-based details of the site are safe. This means all forum posts, member accounts, and the actual STEX description pages are intact. However, the physical download files (e.g. zip) along with image attachments were lost, meaning we will need to restore them manually or programmatically. All Safe: Before 17 June 2024: Everything is completely intact. This includes all forum posts, member accounts, PMs, images, and STEX files. Q: How are we going to rebuild all the missing files? A: This is already in progress, but there's much more to do. Some authors have been diligently working to re-upload their own files, and we estimate ~20% of the files lost have been restored. Then for additional missing files, I'm currently working on a dynamic list known as the Restoration Tracker, which will help us view what still needs doing. This will be revealed soon, and we'll have a dedicated discussion topic where you can ask questions and post feedback. Q: If I see one of my own uploads missing from the STEX, should I just re-upload it myself? A: You're most welcome to re-upload your own content yourself, but please feel under no obligation to. The Recovery Team will be working to go through files and restore as much as we can. Other harder to find items we might need to make a community appeal for. If you do restore your own content, that all helps as part of the process. If you'd like any assistance or unsure what to do, please let us know! Q: I have backups of files but I'm not the original author. Can I still share them? A: Given these unprecedented times, yes. But best hold off for right now, as the Restoration Tracker will have a way to notify us of any files you have. Then as the volunteers begin the restoration, they will contact you if they need your copy. (We have big zips already offered which may or may not cover everything.) Q: Can you tell me about the new host? A: We've since acquired a new server from Hetzner (in Germany), which is at least 10 times more capable than our old one, with twice the RAM and a much more powerful processor. All this too for no more than our old host cost per month, which makes it excellent value for money. Additionally, Hetzner's tech support have been outstanding. When Dirk reported the instability issues, they presented a range of options. When we asked for the hardware replacement, the technicians completed the process within mere minutes (and free of charge). This gives us confidence we're on a much more robust platform. Q: How can we support Simtropolis financially to help cover costs of the new server? A: We want to emphasise how this isn't a crisis, but if you wish to help Dirk fund the hosting, there are 2 options: Donate via Gumroad which gives you access to download the STEX Collections. Donate via PayPal either as a one-off or recurring monthly amount. All donations are appreciated! They each help keep Simtropolis open and freely available.
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From the album SANTANA ISLAND
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Hello everyone!! First and foremost I just want to say that I'm so glad and it's such a relief to see Simtropolis back online - I was so sad to see the site go down back in April. Thanks so much to the staff's tireless work in saving Simtropolis!! To celebrate the occasion I'll be sharing a few scenes from my first ever city journal, Oakridge Heights. I'm fairly new poster but I've been working on this city over the last year or so. It's a huge metropolis dominated by Art deco and modern skyscrapers in it's downtown core with sprawling suburbs in all directions. After this quick preview I'll be showing off more of the city so make sure you stay tuned Welcome back Simtropolis!!!
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Hi everyone! Initial progress has been productive in restoring content, but we really need your help. We're seeking volunteers who are able to assist our recovery efforts in any capacity (big or small). We extend this invite to all active Simtropolis members. The Simtropolis Recovery Team (SRT) will be spearheaded by site staff (and led by Cori and me), but this will understandably be a task of mammoth proportions. At first it might seem like progress is slow, but then again we might surprise ourselves? There is absolutely no limit to the number of places on the team at any stage. Every little helps, and we'd be thankful for whatever you can assist with. What can volunteering involve? The main task will be to restore everything missing from after 17 June 2024 to March 01, 2026. That's 622 days of missing content. Logically, the primary focus will cover STEX content for SC4 and the other city-building games. SC3000 files won't be forgotten about here either, as there were a number of new uploads since the cut-off period (June 2024). There are also more niche files from Clubs, including for Banished. Depending on your comfort level and ability, you may request to help with any/all of the following: A) Sharing: Uploading content you have downloaded between the aforementioned time period. There are no worries about sharing files someone else might've already uploaded. It might be your copy is an older version which can later be restored. Having more files gives us a stronger baseline to work from. There might be clutter and chaos initially, but in time order will become more orchestrated. B) Processing: This will be the bulk of the work, spearheaded by staff. We'll be coordinating with volunteers to help physically upload files, ideally as the author originally had them. Instructions will be provided for anyone unfamiliar with the board software tools. C) Verifying: Making sure updates are valid, or if there's anything else which needs fixing or amending. Verifiers will have access to a "Verify" button added to the File Actions menu, which then marks a file as completely restored. I'll be developing a "Restoration Tracker" page to serve as a real-time index of progress. This way we can identify files which need finding, editing, and checking. Additionally, recovery efforts will extend to the forums, CJs, Gallery, and other areas. There will be a number of attachments (images, zip files, etc) which we'll be hoping to restore, many of which will require manual intervention. Every file is a small piece of the jigsaw puzzle. It's important to remember this will be a marathon not a sprint. For this reason, it'll be more important we restore files correctly and accurately as possible. Also we won't frown upon mistakes. This is a shared united effort, so we'll work as a team to ensure everything is done the best it can be. Please reply below, briefly explaining how you'd be able to help (as a Sharer, Processor, or Verifier), or even in other ways not listed. And it goes without saying, there are no rewards for volunteering, other than the humble moral satisfaction of helping rebuild our community. -CB & Cori
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Firstly, welcome back! As many of y'all know, ST went down on 16 April, 2026 due to a billing error 2 days prior to that. The pathetic host decided to not only suspend the server, but to immediately delete it entirely, including the live site and both daily backups. There was no forewarning or communication about this sent to Dirk. From initial correspondence with the old host, they claimed the server was merely suspended and data was kept for 6 months. It seemed like the billing issue only needed correcting. However, once Dirk heard back from a higher level support, to our complete shock and dismay it was confirmed the server had been wiped. They offered to restore it if we had backups. But what use were those when they were on the server?! Everything was gone. A full offline backup was about 187 GB last time CB downloaded it and he had to do it in pieces (due to a very slow internet connection in his teeny, tiny town) and it took several days. This contains all the objects (which are all the files and pictures anywhere on the site including attachments and within the STEX) as well as the board software and the forums. There was also a separate full account backup from 2020, but we didn't need that in the end. Now, separately, the database is all of the posts in the forums, STEX, omnibus, and so forth. That comes in around 6 GB and is backed up and downloaded more often. However, the offline download was just a fallback which should never be needed since we always had full backups run online every single day. (We never anticipated the host would fucking delete everything on the server!) Ofc, in hindsight we'd've kept separate online daily synced backups too, even if those come at a cost. Without any local backup, Simtropolis as we know it would be lost forever to the infinite voids of cyberspace. Thankfully this isn't the case, so it could've been much, much worse. Anyhow, what this means for us now is we have the forums and text of the STEX restored as it was on 28 February, 2026, but all files and pictures (both as forum attachments and in the STEX) are missing from 17 June, 2024 and after. We can recover! (But, we'll need a lot of help.) CB and Dirk have rebuilt the site on a new host. There are some nice positives as a result: Already an outpouring of support from people on Discord and Reddit. We appreciate the encouragement and support. Thank you! We've moved fully away from our old host. They will get nary a nickel from ST anymore ever again (from now till the end of the universe). The hardware is at least 10x more capable, and is no more expensive than our old host. (Depending on your internet connection, the site should be more responsive.) We've got a much more economical and cleaner home (way less server side clutter). We're in more control over the server to manage all aspects of it from the ground up. CB has separately purchased a 1 TB storage cloud for online, but offsite daily backups going forwards. Future potential to upgrade the IPS board software to a newer version, but we're not in a rush to do this. However, a few bad things will be immediately apparent when y'all start looking around: Any pictures or attached files after 17 June, 2024 are missing. Any STEX files added after 17 June, 2024 are gone. All avatar updates or changes after 17 June, 2024 are lost. --------------- All topics have lost any replies after 28 Feb, 2026. Any STEX entries added or updated after 28 Feb, 2026 are gone. Any STEX downloads history since 28 Feb, 2026 is lost. Any new sc4pac tokens since 28 Feb, 2026 are lost (and will need regenerating). Any PMs after 28 Feb, 2026 are missing. Any members who joined after 28 Feb, 2026 will need to re-join Simtropolis. Initial Recovery Efforts: Topic Divider Messages We've added a Topic Divider message to all forum threads which were active as of the last database backup. That's so when reading along now and in the future it'll explain why any given subject might seem disjointed and incoherent if the same peeps aren't able to re-reply. I know one topic in which I'm now the last to reply and my answer was only partially right. I remember at the time someone replied soon later with the real answer. That's lost, but they might re-state it when they have time. Or it could stay missing. (For that particular topic, I'll reply with what I remember of it.) So the divider message serves to explain why many topics might seem choppy for a little while. An example can be seen here. Original Image and File Names for Attachments Since the database info is way more recent than the objects (files and images), we'll often know the name and size of images and files because of their pointer entries in the database, but we won't have the item that points to. So, CB has worked his magic such that a missing pic will show the ST Logo as a placeholder while also showing the original file name for the image or attachment. This will make it easier for peeps to identify and re-upload them. Note: If your image name originally contained spaces, those will be stripped out in the file name which appears as the Original Pic Name. Sample for an image: ^ Original Pic Name: Cori'sWidget.jpg Sample for a file: Attachment Missing (Cori's Exemplar Viewer Output - 2026.02.17.09.37.zip) Additionally, you can go to your own list of attachments and find anything missing. CB plans to add a feature for clicking and re-uploading files directly from that page. STEX Files and Pics (Needs figured out...) We have a separate method for recovering STEX files. That'll be a new forum (or topic) or something where anyone can post a linky to the STEX entry and then also attach the missing files and/or pics. We want to be careful here to not duplicate each other's efforts so searching in there first is a good idea. Then staff (and other peeps recruited to help) will patch up the STEX entries and then move the topic for that item to a Done forum. Or such. We'll reveal more details once we've figured out a battle plan. Also we'll be opening a topic where anyone interested to assist can register as a volunteer to help. Your Own Files and Pics Ofc, any missing STEX entry that you created can be fixed (re-adding files and pics) or recreated (if totally missing) anytime you get a chance. Same for any missing attachments in your posts or elsewhere on the site. When you repair your own STEX entry there is one additional step needed and that is to delete the message banner. (There's some fancy code in it which hides the download button and displays the File Unavailable message.) See this topic to have staff remove the file message banner after you've restored the missing content. Other Notes: Restoration Priority (From CB in Chat) 1) STEX Files 2) STEX Screenshots 3) Attached Files 4) Attached Images 5) Gallery Images 6) Homepage Feature Images 7) Member Avatars 8) Anything Else This order we believe makes a suitable priority for what we'll look to restore first. STEX Screenshots are likely going to need uploading from in-game pics, but for some we might be able to salvage using the Internet Archive (but that depends on which files have been saved to there). Closing Words (for now) We're very glad to be back. We're also pleased to see y'all back. The past month (and a bit) have seemed like many months, and we've missed ST too. While this has been a setback for the community, the key thing is Simtropolis Has Returned. We're determined to rebuild our city stronger than ever before. Oh! One final thing: We might have to put the site in offline maintenance mode for brief periods as some of the tweaks CB is working on cannot be implemented while the site is live. -Cori & CB & Dirk
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probably useless to make it generic for others, but doubt it'd hurt plus I had multiples anyway, lol So, to start, what exactly are the "Clubs" on this site, and how do they work? And wondering due to the Discord stuff. Also, how often are some of the other menu/features used? Like, I typically just use: home, forums, ST Exchange. Though, I do imagine that the city journals tab is used regularly. Though, I was browsing through them a bit today just checking them out. I feel a couple might do well being merged into other pages, but idk, hard to say really.
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Version 1.0.0
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G'day Viewers! Presenting the AMP Sydney Tower in Australia. Also known as the Sydney Tower Eye, Westfield Tower and formerly albeit still commonly as Centrepoint Tower, this is located in the centre of Sydney CBD between Pitt (Pitt Street Mall), Market & Castlereagh Streets. It was completed and opened to the public in 1981. It stands at 309 metres with the Observation Deck at 250 metres above ground (the second highest in the southern hemisphere) and a revolving restaurant for everyone to enjoy the 360 degree view of Sydney's northern beaches up to Palm Beach and the Central Coast, out to the Blue Mountains, down to the South Coast and over towards Botany Bay. It also has The Skywalk which is known as Sydney's highest outdoor adventure. This is a static landmark which has a lot size of 4x2. This is available in both Maxisnite and Darknite versions. The attached night images are of the Darknite version. The only dependency you'll need for the Darknite version (should you choose to accept it) is the Simfox Day and Nite Modd. (NB: This was originally available from SimCity Central which is now offline and the Web Archive does not have the zip file. The AMP Sydney Tower was created by simnic in the Maxisnite version. Thanks for providing the info "Simmering"). A HUGE thanks to @CorinaMarie, @Cyclone Boom, @rsc204 and @Kel9509 for all the help, tips and assistance in the process of creating Darknite versions! Enjoy to your heart's content. Much more will follow. Cheers. -
Hi, I came across this problem where many Images & Thumbnails on this website failed to load properly. It happened sporadically here and there. I tried to refresh the page but to no avail sometimes. I didn't use any extensions at all. I tried to wait until the image to load for few minutes but it still won't show up. I also check my internet connections, it was all fine and all other websites work perfectly fine. Did anybody face the same problem?
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Merry Christmas everyone. Today’s update is about general improvements that completed in many areas of the capital, Penthesili. The purpose of these interventions is to improve parts of the city that are quite underdeveloped, offering residents a better quality of life. The interventions include new parks, the restoration of historic buildings, upgrading of public transportation, and the creation of new jobs. Enjoy Before After Before After End of part I
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From the album Arujá
A cidade criada não reflete as características da cidade real de Arujá, apenas o que eu teria em mente se fosse o responsável pela urbanização de uma parte de uma grande metrópole.© Danilo Veras
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He misses you, man! Don't leave your city infrastructures unchecked! #SimCity #simcity3000 #simcitybuilditgameplay #simcitybuilditandroid #simcity2013 #gusoddman
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I am implementing a comprehensive program of urban redevelopment, with the goal of improving both the functionality and the aesthetics of the city. The plan focuses on three main pillars: the creation of new parks and green spaces, the expansion and modernization of public transportation, and the development of essential infrastructure. Parks and recreational areas are designed to enhance the quality of urban life, providing residents with open spaces for relaxation, exercise, and community activities. Public transportation projects aim to reduce traffic congestion, lower pollution levels, and ensure that mobility within the city is both efficient and sustainable. At the same time, investments in modern infrastructure strengthen the city’s foundations, supporting long-term growth and resilience. Together, these initiatives contribute to a city that is not only more attractive, but also more functional, sustainable, and better suited to meet the needs of its citizens.
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Hello everyone, after quite some time I’m uploading new photos. Enjoy!!!
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Hi all, I thought this might be fun: Combine your Reputation and Rank and share it here. We all started as Clean Slate Freshman here on Simtropolis. Over time, we share our posts which count towards the RANK and fellow members react to them, which counts towards our REPUTATION. Both comes with a label and the combination of them makes me smile and sometimes laugh. For example, it makes me currently a Xyzzy Resident. - I do hope it is not pronounced "sissy". Anyway, we all have a long way to go until we reach the much revered @A Nonny Moose's Iconic Pillar of Simtropolis. But while we aspire to that shining example, maybe you too would like to share your (current and new) Reputation and Rank?
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Hello everyone, Who's behind simtropolis' banner where we see a snapshot of a region ? I alwayys recognise it as I've seen it somehere in some City journal if I'm not mistaken. Would love to know. Thanks.
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Hello everyone, sorry for the out of the blue post from a complete newbie. I have a Google news alert for Asheron's Call, an older MMORPG that is now defunct (although it lives on in player ran servers). Today I got an odd hit on it... an Obituary. Lee Sojot, who I believe is Odainsaker on this website and known to the SimCity community, passed away earlier this month after a year long battle with... some form of illness. His IRL name is mentioned over here in a reply to Odainsaker, and he created a thread about AC after the game was shut down here. His obituary is available here: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sanantonio/name/lee-sojot-obituary?id=57356776 I do not have any additional information than this, but since he was very active in the community over here I felt I should let you all know.
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I'm running a poll on my YouTube channel to find out everyone's favorite SimCity version.
Colorado posted a topic in New Members Information
Is it okay to share my channel here? About Me: - Moderador (Superuser) - Forum EA Sports - I enjoy doing live gameplay streams. - My first city building game: SimCity 3000 Unlimited. - I have Cities Skylines, but for me SimCity 4 Deluxe is the best city builder. - I'm a big fan of 60s, 70s, and 80s music, and I really enjoy listening to Alan Jackson and Alabama. - The Coruscant Project (Star Wars) is currently in progress, with almost 9 million people spread across 5 large cities. -
Hello everyone, a few days ago, @Tyberius06 dropped me a line at Simforum.de, asking if I'd find some time to dig into my archives for retrieving files that might have been lost due to the demise of our German SFBT homebase SimCityKurier. Unfortunately, our admin and site owner, Matthias "spocky" Ludwig suddenly passed away last year at the age of 63, so the webspace account got cancelled and the site vanished. Last Christmas, I was able to provide the entire SFBT content and sent it over to @Tyberius06 , and he was slowly uploading the stuff under my name both here and at SC4Evermore. I was knocked down with a bad flu (probably covid) soon after, and that concluded my return to the game for yet another year, sending me into hiatus once more. Now that the year is almost over, I decided to check my archives, found out that I couldn't log into my EA account anymore to retrieve the digital copy of SC4 since my e-mail address from SimCityKurier doesn't work anymore either, and EA doesn't have any other recovery method than sending an e-mail to the registered address. Fortunately, the game was on discount at GOG for just 9 bucks, so I got another copy and installed it on my current computer, copying all the data, and finally logged into Simtropolis in order to see what's going on these days, getting a recent version of the NAM and such, checking if there were some more bugfixes and whatnot. It's amazing to see that our beloved SC4 is still going strong, and I was really blown away when I saw what modders were able to achieve within the last few months. I remember the good old SC4Fix DLL that repairs a few nasty bugs, but then I discovered all the other DLL mods, such as the "Water View Bug" transparent texture fix, loading speed fixes, custom building styles finally made available, and probably the best off all things: custom submenus! Back in the old days, such a thing was deemed impossible, and now the impossible has been made available for the game after all that time. That's really a glorious development, more than 20 years after the game was released. I spent the last 12 hour or so browsing the DLL mods section of the STEX, tried a number of DLLs, installed a DirectX wrapper so the game would support my UHD monitor, installed all the modding tools, and even made some new custom submenus for the good old BSC and SFBT stuff with @smf_16's command line tool. I'm glad that I still remember most of the modding knowledge, so it wasn't all too hard to get a grasp of everything again. Over all those years, I always wanted to play SC4 again now and then, but never really found the time, but now that most, if not all those annoying bugs that were remaining like forever got fixed, I really wonder if I'll find some time eventually. Naturally, RL was interfering all the time over the past few years, and I doubt I'll become a regular here again, but I still remember the good old times and the endless amount of fun that I had with the game. Fortunately, the game seems to run fine on my current PC, I need to make some more extensive tests with my old plugins folder and all the old regions that I was playing ages ago. Back then, it was such a heavy toll on the system, but nowadays, the hardware is finally able to run smoothly even with loads of custom content, and I was hugely surprised, that after the first start, booting up the game again after some modding was really fast, since everything was still in the cache, I presume. So now I'm facing the same problem that I had back then: Lots of things need to be modded and adapted to the current state, I see bugs and errors in the custom content again, there's the urge to translate everything into German, make new menu icons and all that - I guess I've been doing that for way too long, and it always stopped me from actually playing the game. Well, we'll see about that, now that so many time has passed, I guess I'll have another 20 years or so until I retire once and for all. It would be nice to give the custom content yet another polishing, and maybe I can dig up some stuff that people are still looking for after all that time... Best regards, Andreas
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Hello, just bought the STEX discs, but having trouble viewing. The site says to contact simtropolis.com staff with any questions but the "contact us" button doesn't work. Maybe you could just mail me the discs? Thank you for your help. Sara
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Is something changed with the forum search, or is it just me who can't make it work. ?
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Welcome to the second and final part of the city. I would like to thank each and every one of you for the wonderful comments,the likes and the support. You are amazing!!!
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Hello everyone. This entry is about the third-largest city in Dimland, Pergamos. The city is built amphitheatrically on the Gulf of Sargasso and is surrounded by beautiful mountains. Human presence in the area dates back to 7500 B.C. and has continued uninterrupted to this day. It is the most important urban center in eastern Dimland, with a population of 3.6 million residents and significant landmarks from antiquity to the present. The city has two university campuses, one focused on humanities and the other on the science, including an excellent school of medicine. Many technology companies are headquartered here, and some of the most important research centers provide the city with high-paying jobs. The ancient city 1949
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