St. Louis in SimCity 4

sc4mayor · PostJan 29, 2020#262020-01-29T04:23+00:00

^ You would just transfer your old region files into the new game folder. I’ve been using the same region files for 10 years and I’m on my 4th or 5th copy of the game.

The version you would buy from Steam (or GOG or Orgin provided its been patched) would be the same as the disk version you already have, nothing new would come with that. The new add ons would all come from the various fan sites and you can dive in at your own pace. The big ones like NAM have vast tutorials too.

Trololzilla · PostJan 29, 2020#272020-01-29T08:04+00:00

aprice wrote: ↑
Jan 28, 2020
I definitely prefer SimCity 4's graphics & buildings. Everything just looked so much cleaner and more refined. Much more urban too. I found myself crafting little spots around my city much more than I do with Skylines. Skyline's buildings are cheesy and rushed. It's like they wanted them to be slightly ugly.

SC does have some wonderful graphics, even today, and you're right in that vanilla C:S looks kinda... meh? Fortunately, there's tens of thousands of mods on the Steam Workshop that fix basically any issue with the game - including much more 'urban' looking/feeling assets and enhanced placement options. Unfortunately, there's really no St. Louis assets on the Workshop, and what few do exist are of pretty low quality.

Just as an example, here's the latest episode of 'Avalon' by Fluxtrance - one of the more popular (and talented) Cities: Skylines YouTubers - which is kind of an experiment with making a somewhat Bladerunneresque super dense city:

sc4mayor · PostJan 31, 2020#282020-01-31T02:36+00:00

Spotted this in the wild today:

https://community.simtropolis.com/files ... ank-plaza/

sc4mayor · PostJan 31, 2020#292020-01-31T18:27+00:00

I've been going through and reorganizing all of my game plugins, trying to cull out some of the duplicate files and whatnot. Anyway, in downloading some new stuff I found these. A bunch of Cupples Station buildings:

Last one is actually a building from KC's West Bottom's.

Also, for those (like me) still mourning the loss of the Buder Building...a loose recreation also lives on in Sim City:

rbb · PostFeb 05, 2020#302020-02-05T20:20+00:00

framer wrote: ↑
Jan 28, 2020
Speaking of SimCity4:

I have the old Maxis CD version of the game. Ever since I upgrade my PC to Windows 10, I haven't been able to get the game to open. Anyone out there have some ideas of what's wrong?

Have you tried running the game in compatibility mode?

First, try running the compatibility troubleshooter:

In the search box on the taskbar, type the name of the program or app you want to troubleshoot.

Select and hold (or right-click) it, and then select Open file location.

Select and hold (or right-click) the program file, select Properties, and then select the Compatibility tab.

Select Run compatibility troubleshooter.

If that didn’t work, you can try adjusting the settings Compatibility tab. Here's what to look for and what each setting does when it's selected:
Compatibility settings
Setting Description

Compatibility mode Runs the program using settings from an earlier version of Windows. Try this setting if you know the program is designed for (or worked with) a specific version of Windows.

Reduced color mode Uses a limited set of colors in the program. Some older programs are designed to use fewer colors.

Run in 640 × 480 screen resolution Try this setting if the graphics for the program appear jagged or are rendered incorrectly.

Change high DPI settings If your program isn't displayed correctly on a PC with a high-DPI display (its features are blurry or are too big or too small), select Change high DPI settings, and then try one of these options in the Properties dialog box:
Choose which DPI to use

In the Program DPI section, select Use this setting to fix scaling problems for this program instead of the one in Settings to use the DPI settings you want to use for this program.
Note
This changes the DPI only for the app you're adjusting. If you want to adjust this for all apps, select Start > Settings > Advanced scaling settings and follow the instructions.
For more info about changing the setting for all apps, see Fix apps that appear blurry.

For Use the DPI that’s set for my main display when, select one of the following:

I signed in to Windows Use the DPI that was set for your main display when you signed in to Windows. This is the default setting.

I open this program – Use the DPI that was set for your main display at the time you open the specific program.

Change the application's high-DPI scaling mode
In the High DPI scaling override area, select Override high DPI scaling behavior, and then try one of the following options:

Application – Disable all Windows scaling settings and only use the app developer's setting. This option was called Disable display scaling on high DPI settings in previous versions of Windows.

System – Overrides the program’s DPI settings and makes it run like it would on a low-DPI display. On a high-DPI display, this will make the program appear blurry.

System (Enhanced) – Windows will try to use enhanced DPI scaling for this program. As a result, some programs will display with crisp text on high-DPI displays. This won't work for all programs.

Run this program as an administrator Some programs require administrator permissions to run correctly. Sign in to your PC as an administrator to use this option.

Change settings for all users Apply the settings for that program to all accounts on the PC, and select

Change settings for all users. You might be prompted for an admin password or to confirm your choice.

-RBB

framer · PostFeb 05, 2020#312020-02-05T20:52+00:00

^I'll try that. Thanks.

PostFeb 07, 2020#322020-02-07T17:47+00:00

^Well, thanks for the suggestion, but it still won't open.

Trololzilla · PostFeb 08, 2020#332020-02-08T07:59+00:00

framer wrote: ↑
Feb 07, 2020
^Well, thanks for the suggestion, but it still won't open.

Have you tried redeeming the CD code on Origin? You'll probably run into the same issue as this person did with their physical copy of Spore in that it's such an old game CD that the original code doesn't work, but the thread seemed to suggest that you might be able to receive a new code that does work by contacting EA Support. Might not be what you're wanting to do exactly, but at least the Origin version should work on Windows 10.

framer · PostFeb 08, 2020#342020-02-08T17:33+00:00

Hmmm...the main problem is that I'm not very tech savvy. Origin? CD code?

sc4mayor · PostFeb 08, 2020#352020-02-08T19:44+00:00

^ Hey bud, I’m pretty savvy with the SimCity stuff, I’ve had the same issues over and over again myself and have always managed to get things working again. Feel free to reach out in a PM if you’d like. I’m more than happy to try and help, or at the very least point you to some pretty solid resources on Simtropolis.

This is the Bugs and Technical forum over there. Lots of threads about similar issues.
https://community.simtropolis.com/forum ... al-issues/

But if you got $20 bucks to spare, buy a new copy on Steam (I avoid Orgin, as I was warned on that aforementioned site, but it’s issues could be resolved by now). No disk required and if you still have your old plugins and region files simply move them into the new game files and your old cities should still load up. Hopefully this helps a bit, like I said, feel free to reach out if you’d like though, I’m more than happy to try and help.

sc4mayor · PostMar 06, 2020#362020-03-06T21:17+00:00

Not STL, but KC's H&R Block building was just released for SC4:

https://community.simtropolis.com/files ... -hr-block/

framer · PostAug 27, 2020#372020-08-27T05:10+00:00

Anyone have thoughts on Cities: Skylines, as compared to SimCity?

Even with the help of sc4mayor, I've given up on trying to get SimCity 4 to work on Windows 10. I'm looking to start fresh, and Skylines looks pretty cool. Do I just go to Best Buy, or is this something I have to download online (I'm really not good with tech stuff)?

Trololzilla · PostAug 27, 2020#382020-08-27T07:42+00:00

framer wrote: ↑
Aug 27, 2020
Anyone have thoughts on Cities: Skylines, as compared to SimCity?

Even with the help of sc4mayor, I've given up on trying to get SimCity 4 to work on Windows 10. I'm looking to start fresh, and Skylines looks pretty cool. Do I just go to Best Buy, or is this something I have to download online (I'm really not good with tech stuff)?

I love Cities:Skylines. It may be a bit more simplistic compared to SC in terms of city development as it literally tells you what "Zoning" is in demand in your city (i.e. Residential, Industrial, or Commercial) at any one moment, so you kinda just plop down a few roads and zone away and stuff pops up on its own. That said, it has a very solid infrastructure system to play with, particularly with DLC installed, and there's a lot of different infrastructure to play around with (even depending on the climate you choose to build your city in). The tools to do so are easy to use, intuitive, and pretty painless, even in the vanilla game. It also looks gorgeous, especially at night; there's few things as satisfying as watching your city's lights pop on slowly as evening turns to night. Lastly, there's an extremely active community that makes an enormous amount of content for the game on top of what you can find in the myriad DLCs. Oh, and watch out for traffic - it's kind of a b**** to manage perfectly.

I would recommend going here, clicking on "Install" on the top-right, and creating an account. Steam is the go-to digital platform for gaming (and I'm honestly not sure if C:S even has physical copies) and it's extremely easy to get this game (or any other that's on the platform). Just search for it in the store page, purchase it, and install. Any DLC can be purchased separately or bundled from the store page, and user-made content can be downloaded and added to the game with one mouseclick thanks to the Steam Workshop integration.

Steam should also have a version of SimCity 4 that works for Windows 10 available for purchase as well, should you desire to stick with it. Steam has a refund policy too, so you could purchase C:S, play it for a little bit (less than 2 hours is the cutoff still, I believe), and if it's not for you, simply request a refund and you'll get your money back with essentially no questions asked.

sc4mayor · PostAug 27, 2020#392020-08-27T16:07+00:00

They're both great games, but I always end up coming back to SimCity 4. Most of that is because that's what I have the most familiarity with (plus all the cities I've already built), but I also still prefer the look of SC4 over the other games. The others feel somewhat cartoonish to me compared to SimCity 4 which is incredibly detailed for a game that old. Skylines has come a long way though and does look pretty fantastic.

I would second this nearly to the letter for SimCity 4 too, I would just swap the letters DLC for NAM:

Trololzilla wrote:I love Cities:Skylines. It may be a bit more simplistic compared to SC in terms of city development as it literally tells you what "Zoning" is in demand in your city (i.e. Residential, Industrial, or Commercial) at any one moment, so you kinda just plop down a few roads and zone away and stuff pops up on its own. That said, it has a very solid infrastructure system to play with, particularly with DLC installed, and there's a lot of different infrastructure to play around with (even depending on the climate you choose to build your city in). The tools to do so are easy to use, intuitive, and pretty painless, even in the vanilla game. It also looks gorgeous, especially at night; there's few things as satisfying as watching your city's lights pop on slowly as evening turns to night. Lastly, there's an extremely active community that makes an enormous amount of content for the game on top of what you can find in the myriad DLCs. Oh, and watch out for traffic - it's kind of a b**** to manage perfectly.

There are two extremely active communities for SimCity 4, Simtropolis and SC4Devotion. Simtropolis also maintains sizable forums and download sections for Skylines and other games too.

If you're using SC4 on Steam one thing you'll want to do is open the Steam client, right click on SimCity 4 Deluxe, click Properties, then click Set Launch Options and type exactly the following into the dialog box: -CPUCount:1
SimCity 4 doesn't do multiple cores well. Doing the above will cut down on crashes and increase performance.

Here are a few shots from what I've been working on:

framer · PostAug 27, 2020#402020-08-27T18:41+00:00

Thanks for the info, guys. I think I'll join Steam and get started with Skylines. Aside from the Windows 10 issues, all of my SC4 cities seemed to peak, and then just stay at the same. I could never get a really impressive density like Mayor has above. I'm sure I was doing something fundamentally wrong.

Oh well, time for a fresh start.

Elek.borrelli · PostAug 28, 2020#412020-08-28T03:24+00:00

^^ No giant freeways cutting through the urban core?? Impossible! Skylines is definitely more cartoonish than SC4. Both are a lot of fun though

sc4mayor · PostJan 26, 2021#422021-01-26T20:05+00:00

St. Louis' stunning painted ladies will soon be available for SimCity 4. The user who created some Clayton buildings awhile back has taken a stab at some of our gorgeous Second Empires:

Slope tolerant, too!

quincunx · PostJan 26, 2021#432021-01-26T20:08+00:00

Nice!

sc4mayor · PostFeb 22, 2021#442021-02-22T00:38+00:00

These have been released!

https://community.simtropolis.com/files ... -st-louis/

framer · PostFeb 22, 2021#452021-02-22T03:06+00:00

I've been playing with Cities:Skylines for a while now. Seems odd that the Gateway Arch is referred to as "business park".

Trololzilla · PostFeb 22, 2021#462021-02-22T08:06+00:00

Yeah, that's always bothered me a bit too. I'd guess it was just a way to make it slightly harder to say it's just a bootleg Arch.

sc4mayor · PostMar 15, 2021#472021-03-15T16:03+00:00

Some of our pretty Second Empires are starting to sprout around my city:

Bart Harley Jarvis · PostMar 15, 2021#482021-03-15T16:54+00:00

sc4mayor wrote: ↑
Mar 15, 2021
Some of our pretty Second Empires are starting to sprout around my city:

What are the glass squares covering the street in the second photo?

sc4mayor · PostMar 15, 2021#492021-03-15T17:02+00:00

Bart Harley Jarvis wrote: ↑
Mar 15, 2021
sc4mayor wrote: ↑
Mar 15, 2021
Some of our pretty Second Empires are starting to sprout around my city:
What are the glass squares covering the street in the second photo?

Bus stop canopies made by Mattb325 (whom also made the Lafayette Square homes). They also come in a pedestrian variety, he's got a few different models:
Modern, which you see here. Green and leafy, Chinatown, and Party Lights.

symphonicpoet · PostMar 16, 2021#502021-03-16T03:27+00:00

Nice, sc4mayor! I got myself a local terrain map for Cities Skylines and started laying the town out and got sidetracked. I should really get back to that, but learning Skylines seems strangely intimidating. Maybe I should just do it in SC4.

Setting	Description
Compatibility mode	Runs the program using settings from an earlier version of Windows. Try this setting if you know the program is designed for (or worked with) a specific version of Windows.
Reduced color mode	Uses a limited set of colors in the program. Some older programs are designed to use fewer colors.
Run in 640 × 480 screen resolution	Try this setting if the graphics for the program appear jagged or are rendered incorrectly.
Change high DPI settings	If your program isn't displayed correctly on a PC with a high-DPI display (its features are blurry or are too big or too small), select Change high DPI settings, and then try one of these options in the Properties dialog box: Choose which DPI to use In the Program DPI section, select Use this setting to fix scaling problems for this program instead of the one in Settings to use the DPI settings you want to use for this program. Note This changes the DPI only for the app you're adjusting. If you want to adjust this for all apps, select Start > Settings > Advanced scaling settings and follow the instructions. For more info about changing the setting for all apps, see Fix apps that appear blurry. For Use the DPI that’s set for my main display when, select one of the following: I signed in to Windows Use the DPI that was set for your main display when you signed in to Windows. This is the default setting. I open this program – Use the DPI that was set for your main display at the time you open the specific program. Change the application's high-DPI scaling mode In the High DPI scaling override area, select Override high DPI scaling behavior, and then try one of the following options: Application – Disable all Windows scaling settings and only use the app developer's setting. This option was called Disable display scaling on high DPI settings in previous versions of Windows. System – Overrides the program’s DPI settings and makes it run like it would on a low-DPI display. On a high-DPI display, this will make the program appear blurry. System (Enhanced) – Windows will try to use enhanced DPI scaling for this program. As a result, some programs will display with crisp text on high-DPI displays. This won't work for all programs.
Run this program as an administrator	Some programs require administrator permissions to run correctly. Sign in to your PC as an administrator to use this option.
Change settings for all users	Apply the settings for that program to all accounts on the PC, and select Change settings for all users. You might be prompted for an admin password or to confirm your choice.

St. Louis in SimCity 4

Choose Display Mode