CAM - General Discussions

[pkremer]

Any chance of seeing the new Bank of China as a CAMeLot?

[DutcHmaNinc]

Hi there, i just started again with SC4. Took me a damn long time to get CAM and nessecities installed, but i succeded and i'm on my way, so to speak, with all the joy the CAM brings me. I do encounter some strange happenings though with my schools. There are barely any students going there (goos for high and elementry schools). Also all my people in the city (even houses that are way out of range from my schools) have a high student grade (i was like O_O WOW!). My city now is about 50.000 souls big ...
I just feel like somethings wrong here. Can anyone help me out?

[RippleJet]

Since CAM doesn't influence the education in any way, you must have either plopped a highly efficient school (like RalphaelNinja's Mini Hogwarts) or enacted some ordinance giving your Sims instant education...
Could you take a look at your educational budget panel and your city ordinances first?

[DutcHmaNinc]

I already thought so but I'm kinda using a bare installation off CAM. Only schools i got installed are SimGoobers schools and bixels HKSAS Primary School. The only ordinance i use is the commuter shuttle service. Strange ... need to look into it ltrz today (@work atm). maybe i'll post some screenies as well. Thx for the quick reply, and if any other idea's come to mind please let me know.

[feitut]

another player got another problem, i also experience problem installing the right plug in so CAM can work properly.
I tried to install only CAM and depedencies its needed, but there is no CAM residential and commercial building  appeares even my main city population has reach 40 k someting... and yes i already check there are no incampatible mods in my plug in folder, and have 4 neighboring cities 

It would be great if someone can provide basic plug in bundle for CAM that works and tested..

Maybe too much work...

[RippleJet]

You need to let your cities spread out more before you will start to see CAMeLots.

For your information, the regional thresholds for stage 9 buildings are listed below:

R§	86,836	Regional Residential Capacity
R§§	97,655	Regional Residential Capacity
R§§§	108,545	Regional Residential Capacity
CS§	32,545	Regional Commercial Capacity
CS§§	43,360	Regional Commercial Capacity
CS§§§	54,200	Regional Commercial Capacity
CO§§	43,360	Regional Commercial Capacity
CO§§§	54,200	Regional Commercial Capacity

When these thresholds have been surpassed the chance for a stage 9 CAMeLot to grow is just 1-2% though.

[feitut]

Sorry for taking bandwith and thanks for the reply,

Its just i have been frustrated trying to get CAM working...
I have already reinstall the game and the plug in twice.
here is my screen shot of main city and CAM counter..
Industrial works fine but residential and Commercial wont grow...

Please help..

[RippleJet]

With a regional residential capacity of 96,742, you have the following chances of growing different growth stages:

RCI Type	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3	Stage 4	Stage 5	Stage 6	Stage 7	Stage 8	Stage 9
R§	1 %	3 %	5 %	16 %	19 %	23 %	20 %	11 %	2 %
R§§	2 %	4 %	6 %	19 %	22 %	25 %	16 %	6 %	0 %
R§§§	2 %	4 %	6 %	19 %	22 %	25 %	16 %	6 %	0 %

With a regional commercial capacity of 45,820, you have the following chances of growing different growth stages:

RCI Type	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3	Stage 4	Stage 5	Stage 6	Stage 7	Stage 8	Stage 9
CS§	42 %	14 %	10 %	9 %	8 %	7 %	5 %	3 %	2 %
CS§§	44 %	15 %	9 %	9 %	8 %	6 %	5 %	3 %	1 %
CS§§§	46 %	15 %	9 %	9 %	8 %	6 %	5 %	2 %	0 %
CO§§	1 %	3 %	5 %	16 %	19 %	23 %	20 %	11 %	2 %
CO§§§	2 %	4 %	6 %	19 %	22 %	25 %	16 %	6 %	0 %

As you can see, the chances for CAMeLots (stage 9 and above) to appear are still rather small.
Your region has reached a size where mostly stage 4-7 residentials and commercial offices are growing.

[xxdita]

There acually IS a basic bundle for CAM, with a TON of buildings in it, and that is prvided within the CAM itself. All of the Maxis buildings, including landmarks, have been reconfigured with the XTool, and are included in the CAM. So it's completely possible to play without any additional downloads, at least until you reach the upper stages, say past Stage 10 for R&C, and past Stage 7 for I, where the original Maxis content is lacking.

[feitut]

My city is still small tough, i understand.
But not even 1 single CAM residential and commercial building appeared, which i think is not normal.. 
there is something in my plug in folder conflict with CAM i presume, I even already run clean it tool with no result.

Any hints xxdita ?   

[RippleJet]

Fetuit, I have now posted the complete modding information for the Stage Limits vs. Thresholds here:
Stage Limits and Thresholds (CAM 1.0)

Since you didn't seem to understand my previous post with the information about the percentual chances that certain growth stages will appear,
I am not sure if you will understand the complete tables about stage limits and thresholds that I linked you to.

In that case I suggest that you stop asking about it and continue to play with your city.
Sooner or later (probably sooner) you will have your first residential or commercial CAMeLot.
The bigger your region grows, the larger the chance for a CAMeLot to appear will be.

[xxdita]

I think that feitut's problem is also an incorrect reporting of the Regional Capacity, which of course will be corrected with the release of CAM 1.1. But my advice is still the same as RippleJet's, just keep playing. Grow your region out some more, and you will be seeing the higher stage buildings pop up shortly.

[RippleJet]

I think that feitut's problem is also an incorrect reporting of the Regional Capacity, which of course will be corrected with the release of CAM 1.1.

Not really.
The Regional Capacity is correctly reported by the Census Repository Facility.
It is the very same variable that the simulator reads when determining which growth stage to choose from the Stage vs. Size properties.

When Fetuit's regional residential capacity surpassed 86,636, he reached a level where the first stage 9 R§ may (not will) appear.
The Regional Capacity is now reported as 96,742 and with that he still has a mere 2% chance that the next R§ growing will be a stage 9 house.
His region has not yet reached the thresholds where R§§ and R§§§ CAMeLots would appear (97,655 for R§§ and 108,545 for R§§§).

As soon as his regional residential capacity surpasses 108,545, R§ will have reached its next threshold.
If you check the information in the Stage Limits and Thresholds (CAM 1.0) you will notice that the chance for a stage 9 R§ will now have risen to 5%.

CAM 1.1 will lead to a correction in the doubling of the regional workforce, but the effect will not be the same on the regional residential capacity.
And if the regional residential capacity would be lower with CAM 1.1, that would even further reduce his chances of growing a residential CAMeLot.

[feitut]

Being frustrated with no CAM building appeared, i then plopped few residential and commercial building and then after population reach 80 k my first CAM building appeared....

So you are RIGHT  RippleJet just keep playing....

Is this condition the same with farming ? cos right now i only have apple and orange tree in my farm city. now i have no doubt on CAM ... 

It must be frustrating  for you always got same old question from a noob like me   

thanks everyone, off to my city now.

[xxdita]

Now that I know how to play in a window, that thread is going to always be right behind my game.

The only thing different with farms is that they don't upgrade, so you would have to demolish them, or zone for new ones as your regional industrial capacity grows.

[jmyers2043]

Hello Feitut.

Is this condition the same with farming ?

Some farming tips:

Look at your region and decide where you want to build your main city. Also look at your region and decide which cities will be farming communities. Do your rural areas first. Don't start your big new skyscraper city until you get done making the country side.

Do not place any education buildings like schools or libraries when you start to build your farm cities. Schools will educate the population and reduce the demand for farms. Schools increase education level, which creates demand for manufacturing or high tech industry, creates demand for wealthy commercial buildings and reduces the demand for farms.  NOTE: Remember that this is all regional!! Making the Sims very educated in one city will have a negative impact on the demand for farms in your next city.

You can build a fire house but I would discourage plopping reward buildings like the Mayors house, police, and parks for the time being.

Occasionally you may find that farms begin to grow but at a very slow pace? Have a look at your demand graph and see if dirty industry is higher than agriculture demand. Find a spot somewhere and zone a large dirty industry area. It should fill up quickly and the demand bar for dirty industry should drop and farms will begin to grow at a faster pace. 

Ok – you now have your rural country side done and you are happy with the farms? You may go back to your farm cities if you wish and provide schools and parks. Some higher wealth commercial services will grow, some homes will upgrade, and your small towns will take on an more affluent and attractive look. The other option is that you can go to your big city. The point I am making is that you can now do anything you want once you have your country side and farms done.

Two more thoughts:

Farms will dilapidate if there is too much traffic. So be creative in your roads and railways. Provide short trips to neighboring cities when possible. I personally don't create neighbor road connections during this first phase of the game and only provide rail connections. Rail spurs industry and farm growth. Rail also provides freight traffic relief that farms and industry generate. I usually place four or five freight rail around and about my farming cities. 

Farms will dilapidate to some extent if there is too much air pollution. Experiment with your zoning techniques. You'll come up with ways for dirty industry and farms to coexist side by side.

Specific CAM farming tips:

If you went to the link that RippleJet provided you will see that the farm stages depend to a certain extent on how much industry you have. You will not progress through the farm stages if you do no build out your industry at the same time. You obviously need to zone residential areas so that Sims can work in the factories. Fear not – this is not a difficult task. What it does mean is that you may not get a stage 5 farm in your very first city. The process is not difficult to achieve.  Farming is not a fast way to play the game. It takes patience.

Stage one, two, and three farms will grow at the beginning of your city. Stage four farms require a small amount of industry plus a nearby water source. A stage five farm requires even more industry and a nearby fire department. And so on.

Hope this helps.

[feitut]

Hi everybody...

Actually this all make sense now,

I thinks its how you played the game, cos i m always chasing for the green bar in every city i make,
thats why my main city got very hard to accomplish CAM building.

It's very important for player to aware about this threshold if not they will just abandon ship and blame
this or that, if you asked me do i read the manual ? oh yes i read it    ,
but too excited with CAM capable of, i want to hurry play the game, must play..... too much number  .

@ jmyers2043 : I will put your thought to my city farm, right now it's still a mess..
                      thanks for the great tips, thats sure helping me a lot.

[RippleJet]

Actually this all make sense now,

I'm glad to hear that, feitut!



To all of you:
I'm on my way to Brazil for a 2½-week vacation, and won't be back until February 6th.
I'm sure BarbyW and xxdita will provide answers to all questions you might have though!

[xxdita]

@pkremer and anyone else wanting a building CAMelotted, all you have to do is request it, and a blank lot can be created, ready for lotting. It would be nice to get even more CAMelots on the LEX, after a proper Candidacy. Maybe even finally a Stage 15 R$$$? 

[mightygoose]

Isnt the Cobb atlantic a R$$$15