SimCity 4 Deluxe

[Eli]

I finally got the game, after forgetting that my computer can play it.

Any tips?

[Eli]

Btw, does anyone have a no-cd patch for the updated Deluxe version, 1.1.638? My CD drive makes suspicious noises. The last thing I need is it dying on me.

[Unspeakable Horror]

You have a PM that is completely unrelated to your request

[Eli]

Yes, I too think that it's a great game.

[snoopy369]

1. Simcity 4 is a buggy piece of $#%^#$.
2. Simcity 4 abuses system resources in ways that make Civ4 and Oblivion look like DOS games.
3. Simcity 4 does some things well, but it is largely a game with many abusive ways to play the game, particularly under the standard game. Also a lot of balance issues.
4. Simtropolis makes the game more palatable

[Kuciwalker]

5. SimCity 4 runs like a dog under SLI. Disable SLI if you use it.

[DRoseDARs]

Originally posted by snoopy369
4. Simtropolis makes the game more palatable

"He speaks the truth. "

[Eli]

What's SLI?

And what exactly on Simtropolis do you recommend?

[DRoseDARs]

The NAM mod (Network Add-on Mod) is hands down a must-have. There are mods that increase the jobs provided by farms and industry, which improve realism in many cases, so they're a good thing to get too. There are a bazillion mods that make up for the lack of a decent God-mode for terrain editing, but there are many ready-made terrains available as well.

I would suggest downloading the NAM, following its installation instructions (particularly if it requires the official game patch to be installed first) and getting a feel for the game under the NAM before proceeding to add other mods. It's really easy to become overwhelmed by the shear number of available mods and buildings people have for this game and it's even easier to create conflicts between them. Take your time, get to know the NAM-improved game, and browse through Simtropolis' files to see what interests you.

I played SC4 for a long time, but school and work became more hectic and I just didn't have much time for it any more. I've long-since forgotten the stuff I liked for my game.

[Adagio]

The NAM mod is a must-have, unless you want all your sims to drive down a small street instead of using the highway just next to

[Eli]

I actually got NAM before playing my first game. But I heard a lot about the Sims' stupidity when choosing routes without NAM.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Eli
What's SLI?

Scalable link interface. It's the nvidia technology that lets you use two video cards in parallel.

[Eli]

Since Simtropolis is down, I'll ask here:

1) What do I do if all the RCI demand indicators are negative?

2) I have a 13k population residential city, half in medium density blocks and half in low density houses. Attached to it is an industrial city, with roughly 80/20 Dirty to Manufacturing industry.

There are two avenues connecting the cities, traffic in both and in all the rest of the roads and streets is in the green and nevertheless homes get abandoned because of a too long commute time. Why? I also have bus stations plopped everywhere.

3) It's less important now, but as my citizens gain education, health, etc and since I build parks and stuff, they start becoming wealthier and want to work in high tech and rich commercial jobs. Is it possible to have a region built only or mostly on this? After the initial transition period, of course.

[snoopy369]

It's been a while since I played, but ...
1. Raise taxes or otherwise lower your population some for the moment.

2. Perhaps it's just too far to commute? No idea without seeing the cities.

3. Typically I think it is, yes. I have done it anyway. I think it is one of the more common strategies out there, particularly for medium to small city spaces.

[Eli]

Thanks snoopy, it's seems that the problem just sorted itself out.

And was replaced by another problem, of course.

So in my residential city the IM,ID demand is very negative, because I've built a ****load of stuff in the industrial city.

The C demand is negative, but not very.

Still, half of the city is jobless.

How can demand for C be negative with so many unemployed?

And no, I haven't hit any cap.