Rewards

[annabellelin]

Hello.

I usually play in what is called 'sandbox' style, making towns and villages and farms and generally having fun.  I also cheat,  , so I can have everything to play with immediately.  I don't usually build big cities or try to make them grow or anything.  I also give myself lots of money so I can create and destroy anything I don't like.  I'm justifying myself for the question:  Is there a way I can use the rewards more than once in a city?  I love the old, English houses and would like to use them in different villages, but apparently once used they cannot be used again. 

Thanks.

[RippleJet]

You would have to learn some very basic modding in order to achieve that.
Have you ever used any of the programs SC4Tool or iLive's Reader?

[Vario80]

Hi Annabelle, i think the following method could work, but i have not tested it.

Open the cheatbox and type "you don't deserve it" (without the quotation marks) then quit the game.
Next time you load your city again open again the cheatbox type in "you don't deserve it" and the rewards should be unlimited, so you can build them more than once.

[annabellelin]

Vario80, that doesn't work.  Everytime I load the city again the rewards are faded and unusable.

RippleJet, I haven't used either of those, but if you have the time to write it out step by step, so I could print out and use it, I could do it.

[RippleJet]

"You don't deserve it" works only with in-game rewards (I think)...

If you want to enable custom rewards, you need to download SC4Tool here: http://kurier.simcityplaza.de/details.php?file=315
You should also download the SC4Tool images here: http://kurier.simcityplaza.de/details.php?file=313


Install the Sc4Tool and read the Readme.

0. Make a backup copy of the file you want to edit (it's either a .SC4Lot file or a .DAT file).

1. Start the SC4Tool program.

2. At the opening screen, select the last button, labelled "Edit all properties of BATs and lots in a user-friendly editor"

3. Click the folder button on top and select Open. Locate the .Sc4Lot file or .DAT file that contains the reward you want to enable.

4. Click the + to the left of the lot file name

5. Click the + to the left of Building

6. Click the + to the left of the building name

7. Browse down till you find a property called "Conditional Building"

8. Select that property and change the Yes to No

9. Save the lot and exit the program


Now this building should be available to build as many times as you'd like.

[MIncroabl]

If I remember correctly, there is a way to build multiple rewards by holding shift when plopping the reward or by plopping them by right-clicking.

EDIT: Yup, holding shift works, at least for the default Maxis rewards.

[Travis]

"You don't deserve it" works only with in-game rewards (I think)...

Nope, it works with all rewards, I use it quite often. 

Thanks for the useful tutorial RJ, it will definitely come in handy. 

[RippleJet]

Nope, it works with all rewards, I use it quite often. 

Thanks Travis!

(I never cheat)

[annabellelin]

Thank you all so much!     Play time!

[annabellelin]

I tried to play, but the shift key thing didn't work.  So I have downloaded and installed SC4Tool Manager, and have the printed instructions in front of me.  But because of my stupidity, or probably the pills,  , I can't find any of the mansions in the Plugin Folder.  Sorry to be such a trial.

[BarbyW]

The mansions should all be in a CSX folder and in a subfolder named CSX Mansions. Each mansion has its own subfolder in there.

[RippleJet]

I tried to play, but the shift key thing didn't work.

The shift key only works if used when plopping a reward after being offered to build it (the first time you decide the build it).
That allows you to plop several instances of it, but only that single time.
Once you've plopped the ones you want (and released the shift key), the button will be grey again.

[annabellelin]

I don't have any folder called CSX.  Or CSX Mansions.  My folder goes from cs$$$6_6x3 Alexander Plaza to CSX Agricultural College, and then, father down, from CSX Lodge-Mopani to CSX Park-Heritage Garden.  The mansions are in the game, but not in the Plugin folder.

[BarbyW]

Try a Search for Miramar and that should tell you which folder they are in.

[annabellelin]

OK.  I tried that and the path shows:  CSX: CSXLots: CSXMansions: CSXMansion-Miramar.  All the other mansions are there too.  But I can't open any of them from search and they're not in the plugin folder.  But it shows up in the game!  Maybe the computer is on my little pink pills too. 

[RippleJet]

OK.  I tried that and the path shows:  CSX: CSXLots: CSXMansions: CSXMansion-Miramar.  All the other mansions are there too.  But I can't open any of them from search and they're not in the plugin folder.

When talking about the plugins folder, we include all subfolders as well.
Thus, the folder Plugins\CSX\CSXLots\CSX Mansion - Miramar\ is part of your plugins.

Make a backup copy (away from your plugins) of the file CSX Mansion - Miramar_afec5409.SC4Lot which is found in the "CSX Mansion - Miramar" folder.
Start SC4Tool.
Open the file CSX Mansion - Miramar_afec5409.SC4Lot (in the "CSX Mansion - Miramar" folder), and follow the steps outlined above.

Then do the same with the other mansions you want to enable (they are all .SC4Lot files).

I hope you'll manage with this now. I'm off to bed and won't be back until five hours from now.

[annabellelin]

I had to go to bed too.  They make me have a bedtime like a child.  But anyway, that's what I'm talking about too.  The same path:  Plugin/CSX/CSXLots/etc.  But since I never seem to be clear about anything on the computer I'll try again.  There is no CSX folder in my Plugin folder.  When I search for Mirimar, it finds it in C/ProgramFiles/Maxis/Plugins/CSX/CSXLots,etc.  Except CSX or CSXLots or CSXMansion is not to be found in my pugin folder.  It's just not there.  The mansions are in the game, but their folders do not show up in Explorer, so I can access them to make the changes.  I have checked the show hidden folders, show all folders, show folders with strange names or whatever and still nothing.  Search says it's where is should be, but it's not there.

[RippleJet]

When I search for Mirimar, it finds it in C/ProgramFiles/Maxis/Plugins/CSX/CSXLots,etc.

There are two plugins folders used by the game:

C:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4\Plugins is where official landmarks are installed, but is usually not used for other custom content. I take it that was where you found the Miramar?

My Documents\SimCity 4\Plugins is where most custom content is placed. All BSC installers put the files into subfolders of that plugins folder.

Anything not in any of those two plugins folders, or their subfolders, will not be loaded in the game.
Thus, if those mansions are available in the game, you will have to find them under either of the plugins folders.

Do you have the exact names of all mansions you want to convert? Maybe I could help you with locating the other files based on their filenames?

[annabellelin]

Thank you, thank you, thank you.    They were all there.  It shows how pathetic I've become.  If I ever knew the special things were in My Documents, I've forgotten it.  There they all were, the cute little devils!  Now I will begin with the Sc4Tool.  Don't go anywhere.   

[annabellelin]

I think I must be mad.  Or all the blame must be laid at the feet of my Vista system.  I downloaded the Windows thingy on the SC4Tool site, installed it, downloaded, installed, uninstalled, downloaded and installed SC4Tools, and it still won't work.  I can open SC4Tools, I select the last button, labeled "Edit, etc.", and the Exempler Editor opens.  But then when I click on the folder and select 'open' the program goes crazy, according to my bottom toolbar tries to open like 5 or 6 'opens', and the taskbar says 'program not responding'.  I tried opening the file with notebook.  Now that was interesting.  A whole page of code.  So is there a way of editing the file without using SC4Tool?