NAM Team's Super Special Thread for the month of November!!

[noahclem]

Thanks for everything! You guys rock    And thanks for the snapshot jondor, I can only imagine the number crunching that went into that 

[Tarkus]

Glad everyone is enjoying the first "secret weapon" reveal!  There's more from whence that came . . .

Curious though - are we going to be able to run rhw-related networks under l1 to l2 etc transitions?

As far as I am aware, not in this build. However, the way they have been designed allows us to implement this functionality in the future.

I'll officially confirm what JD and Ganaram have said.  It is actually possible to set something like that up now, but those possibilities won't be explored until at least NAM 32.

Can you say that you already have an alpha build 5 or still too early for that?

Alpha Build 05 is still in the works, though it's close to being ready for the NAM Associates.  It really depends on how much more I want to add this build.

You took the words right out of my mouth. That statement summarized my weekend because I suffered a magnitude 4.3 earthquake Saturday at my house in Campbell County, Tennessee (~40 miles N. from Knoxville, along I-75 corridor). I'm ok, but I still can't believe that I suffered my 1st earthquake, "Now I've seen everything" summarizes my weekend.

Glad to hear you're okay . . . that's a decent-sized quake.  First one I experienced was the 1993 Scotts Mills Quake (the so-called "Spring Break Quake"), which was a 5.6.  Fortunately, we had just done an earthquake drill in school, so I was well-prepared.  Definitely a weird sensation.

-Alex

[Wiimeiser]

If you don't add anything more I'm guessing it'll be around Christmas then. On another note are you planning Flex S-curves for sometime?

[Indiana Joe]

NAM 31 would be the best Christmas present ever.  I know release dates are taboo for the NAM...but just sayin....

[Tarkus]

If you don't add anything more I'm guessing it'll be around Christmas then. On another note are you planning Flex S-curves for sometime?

NAM 31 would be the best Christmas present ever.  I know release dates are taboo for the NAM...but just sayin....

I was referring more to the Alpha Build, not the release, in which case it's not so much "adding" as much as "finishing implementation".  We already have a fairly strong sense of what will be going in there, though it's possible there might be a couple little things that make it in, which won't significantly impact the amount of time spent preparing the release.

We've actually tried to set Christmas as a "target date" before.  Why do you think we've ended up with so many January releases?

As far as FLEX S-Curves, they're definitely under consideration, but not for this release.

-Alex

[Wiimeiser]

By the looks of things i take it you still have to do the menus, right? I made a suggestion on ST before, you can use a modified version (I know regular interchanges won't work with Symphony but that's how I think you should set the order exemplars if possible)

[GDO29Anagram]

(I know regular interchanges won't work with Symphony but that's how I think you should set the order exemplars if possible)

Okay, an idea:
List the buttons like this:
RHW itself, Draggable network
RHW Starters/Fillers
RHW Ramps/Transitions(FLEXRamps should keep things a bit smaller. If not, keep the two separate)
Smooth Curves
FARHW
Cosmetic Pieces
NC Pieces
DDRHW Pieces
GHW
EHW
Parallel & Perpendicular ramps, Maxis default
Single-side GHW Ramps
Single-Side EHW Ramps
Tbone & Cloverleaf Interchanges, Maxis default
Custom Interchanges
Symphony
Controller Version

Yeeeah,...

That kind of thing is set by RUL-0, and I personally see no need to deviate any farther than what we already have.

As I stated before, that's already the order things already exist in for RHW (except for DDRHW, which will likely be with the starters). MHW items will still be left untouched, especially since there's a way to disable the MHW interchange buttons.

[Tarkus]

There's also a good possibility that due to "secret weapons" and such, we'll be able to reduce the number of buttons on the RHW side.  "Secret Weapon #1" alone accomplishes with one FLEX puzzle piece what would have required at least 30 conventional puzzle pieces.

-Alex

[jdenm8]

This isn't a 'secret weapon' and some people at Simtropolis have seen it before, but here's a small something new that should be making it into the next NAM.
This isn't an override, these are ploppable puzzle pieces that are used like this to demonstrate that they can be plopped over existing intersections.


(Click to enlarge, there's also a OxO piece, not pictured)

At the moment it's just Road (No OWR or Avenue just yet), but that may change in the future as I get more time to do this.

[MandelSoft]

(I know regular interchanges won't work with Symphony but that's how I think you should set the order exemplars if possible)

Okay, an idea:
List the buttons like this:
RHW itself, Draggable network
RHW Starters/Fillers
RHW Ramps/Transitions(FLEXRamps should keep things a bit smaller. If not, keep the two separate)
Smooth Curves
FARHW
Cosmetic Pieces
NC Pieces
DDRHW Pieces
GHW
EHW
Parallel & Perpendicular ramps, Maxis default
Single-side GHW Ramps
Single-Side EHW Ramps
Tbone & Cloverleaf Interchanges, Maxis default
Custom Interchanges
Symphony
Controller Version

Yeeeah,...

That kind of thing is set by RUL-0, and I personally see no need to deviate any farther than what we already have.

Well, I would break up the Cosmetic Pieces into about three tabs (for single tile, dual tile and triple tile networks). Since there are 192 of them stuffed up in on TAB-Ring (112 more than in the current version), this ring is practically endless and a hassle to work with...

[Gugu3]

Amazing jdemn8!!!that piece would be very useful!!
@NAM team:your work is just amazing!!!the 1st secret weapon is amazing by itself....curious to see what else we have to expect!
Cheers
just another thing...I remember SA showing some more diagonal on slope transition pieces for L1-L2 avenues,roads...are these going to be included in the next cycle?
cheers
Gugu3

[Paul 999]

Good innovation NAM team, i like that new secret weapon!

[ivo_su]

I series for something clever, but I'm sure that you thought about this idea. It's about more functionality with fewer puzzle pieces and lighter rotating rings. So with Fly FLEX technology can create pieces as high L-1 (7m) for any network and must be exactly 3 pieces. In 1 tile intersection of two tiles and three tiles crossings. Which means that this Flex Fly piece of length 1 tile for RHW -2 could be applied over: rails, street, road, NRD-4, OWR -1, OWR -2, OWR -3 and AVE-2, TLA-3 and ARD but also to all one - tiles RHW networks. Similarly piece for RHW -2 and length two tiles will be placed above all AVE-4 two tiles NWM and RHW networks.
In general I think you grasped my point and you would be helpful ..

[mike3775]

I like the secret weapon, great job

[Tarkus]

just another thing...I remember SA showing some more diagonal on slope transition pieces for L1-L2 avenues,roads...are these going to be included in the next cycle?

SA's been occupied with RL as of late.  He's passed along some FARHW stuff he had laying around, which will be in the next release, but I don't know how those other pieces fare at present.

-Alex

[Tarkus]

Over.



(And yes, I'm aware of the color mismatch.  Ignore that for now.)

-Alex

[noahclem]

Very nice    It's a shame Daniel is too busy right now. I've always loved his Grid Reaping

[Gugu3]

Very nice Alex!!!great work!!!More FARHW pieces???sounds interesting!!!I think exactly the same as Noah regarding Daniel!!!It's a pity he is busy with RL....but RL is much more important than SC4 by the way!
Anyway great job!!!

[Tarkus]

The RHW's current widest network gets a little "boost" . . .



It's worth noting that 7 years ago today, at 1:59pm PST (UTC-8), what was then called Version 0.12 of the Rural Highway Mod was released.

This was a stretch of the very first RHW I ever built . . . in the days before I even used a slope mod.



It's crazy how much things have changed.

-Alex

[Swordmaster]

Congratulations Team! What a blast!

Cheers
Willy