CAM - General Discussions

[RippleJet]

I have the Super Demand Ordinance from the STEX; a while now, it's been used, 'n I just wanna know if that affects this mod. I also just checked the manual 'yall have, and the Super Demand Ordinance is just not in it. So....tell me, is somethin' wrong, here? Am I missin' somethin'? Do I have somethin' extra?

The Super Demand Ordinance, just like all Ordinances are fully CAMpatible (if you really want to increase the demand, that is).

Note that my Simcity 4 Rush Hour game is now runnin' even slower than usual, even since bein' loaded right after gettin' the CAM installed 'n all the dependencies. Well, all that's missin' is the Industrials, will add them later on. But, for the major point, I'm talkin' 'bout' those logos, by EA GAMES, and Maxis, plus the Rush Hour theme, yep...they ran a little slow 'n blocky for the first time. I don't get it. Help me? 

The CAM itself shoudn't lag the game, and definitely not during start-up.
The size of your plugins folders and number of files in there is probably the biggest cause of the game slowing down...

[platyfish124]

The 16000 was not a typo, I had downloaded a mod to increase the range of the demand screen from -6000 to 16000, but as it turns out, I took it for granted and that kept the screen from changing the limit from 16000 to the CAM limit of 24000. Also, the fact that no stage 9 and up Commercial CAM buildings grew was probably due to all of the building dependencies I downloaded for the CAM (So ironic!). Do I have to destroy the buildings and get rid of the SC4Model files or can I keep the buildings?

[BigSlark]

Well...I played with CAM last night and I am impressed with how different the game play is. It will require old school SC4 players who can grow a city of 15,000 without thinking twice a whole new challenge.

Thank you, BSC, for breathing new life it the most deficient part of the game. Now I have to actually work to get those pretty, high stage BATs to grow.

Cheers,
Kevin

[RippleJet]

The 16000 was not a typo, I had downloaded a mod to increase the range of the demand screen from -6000 to 16000, but as it turns out, I took it for granted and that kept the screen from changing the limit from 16000 to the CAM limit of 24000.

Which mod was it that extended the demand range to 16,000? Obviously a mod that needs to be added to the inCAMpatible list.

Also, the fact that no stage 9 and up Commercial CAM buildings grew was probably due to all of the building dependencies I downloaded for the CAM (So ironic!). Do I have to destroy the buildings and get rid of the SC4Model files or can I keep the buildings?

Downloading the megapacks and having the same building model twice won't block any of them from growing, but the startup will take longer.

With each megapack you downloaded, you should have used Cleanitol with the enclosed txt-file to remove all old model duplicates.
If you haven't done so yet, I recommend doing it now

If the demand settles at reasonable levels and won't be all negative, I don't see why you couldn't continue with your current setup.

The reason for stage 9 buildings being blocked, is that most old stage 8 buildings have occupancies that exceed the density limits originally thought of by Maxis.
Thus, since existing stage 8 buildings probably have a much denser population (people per tile) than the stage 9, 10 (and mabye 11) CAMeLots, the old stage 8 buildings will continue to grow if the demand for the population they contain still is there.
Those stage 8 lots won't be able to upgrade to stage 9 or 10, if the density already is larger than those stages.

In due time lots of stage 9 and above will grow, but you will most likely always have a surplus of stage 8 buildings.

[platyfish124]

I did use the cleanitol files, but I was pretty much guessing as to how to use it, so I'm not sure. I am also honored to have found another incompatible mod, mostly because this is the first time this happened to me. Almost like using my game as a guinea pig. I found the graph mod. It is called Graph Maximum Mod by crazykid4simcity which is available on Simtropolis's STEX. The files are (there are multiple options) graph_1000.dat, graph_2000.dat, graph_4000.dat, graph_8000.dat, graph_10000.dat, graph_12000.dat, graph_14000.dat, and graph_16000.dat (the one I used). I demand (no pun intended) a mention on the readme too.

[mcarch]

I was wondering.... if there is a way to stop Maxis' landmarks from growing (the ones you included in the CAM)?  I mean, it should be an option if you want them to grow in your cities... as you (some of us) don't want the CN Tower or the Empire State Building to grow in every region (city) you create.  Just a thought.

Also... are the mods that you listed in the manual/read me the only ones that are not compatable with the CAM?

[JoeST]

if you dont want them to grow, dont install them

[Wyldone]

Thanx for the quick reply Ripple, but the problem was my Virus scan software was on, and when I cancelled it, I made a LOT more progress. Anyway, just one more thing: I keep tryin' to download the CO$$$ CAM lots, but since I've dl'ed it 4 times already (had to 'cause when I tried openin' the zips inside, gave me an error), and I can't anymore 'cause of just that. I'm missin' the Golden Bank buildin', Stage 11. Please help me, and also, if there's anythin' else missin' that's worth notin'...let me know again? Thanx.

[DuskTrooper]

So, does anyone have any notable photos of CAM at work yet?

[beskhu3epnm]

Would they be MORE notable because your buildings are splattered all over the place?

[bendy]

Whoo! Congrats on finally releasing guys. Can't want to get a chance to try this all out. Unfortunately you had to release 2 days before I go to a conference for 10 days so I won't get much of a chance. Maybe for a few hours on the plane until my laptop batteries run out. A pity work won't shell out for business class......

Any idea how long it will be until the Camelot counter is released? My stats obsession will soon be demanding to know how many Camelots I have.

[RippleJet]

Good morning all!

It is called Graph Maximum Mod by crazykid4simcity which is available on Simtropolis's STEX.

I had a look at that "mod". It doesn't change the demand range at all, that is still ±6,000.
The only thing it does, is that it changes the numbers of the graph. The program still plots the graph as if the maximum value would be 6,000.

I was wondering.... if there is a way to stop Maxis' landmarks from growing (the ones you included in the CAM)?  I mean, it should be an option if you want them to grow in your cities... as you (some of us) don't want the CN Tower or the Empire State Building to grow in every region (city) you create.  Just a thought.

No, currently there is no way to remove them from the mod. They are like in-game growable buildings at the moment.
We might update the BSC No Maxis mod to include an option to stop them from growing as well though.

Also... are the mods that you listed in the manual/read me the only ones that are not compatable with the CAM?

No, not at all. Most mods are CAMpatible. Those are the ones that have to be loaded after CAM if used.

Any idea how long it will be until the Camelot counter is released? My stats obsession will soon be demanding to know how many Camelots I have.

All in due time!

[RippleJet]

So, does anyone have any notable photos of CAM at work yet?

The picture below is from the beta testing, courtesy of MAS71.
He was running the same city without the CAM and with the CAM:



Note especially the difference between the population growth as shown in the graphs.
The Rush Hour city quickly grew to a R$$ population of 200,000 but then stopped.
The CAM city grew constantly to a R$$ population of 400,000 and never stopped.

[vester]

It looks like a more naturally development with CAM, than without.

[zspace]

I downloaded this two days ago and I have to say this great. i will never play sim city with out this mod again. With that said I would like to express some of the best and not so great things about this mod.

Resedental:
This makes a difference like I have never seen even with delapadation mods. I already have a city with 250k people and I have no delapadated build once so ever. I beleave this is because the mod will not allow a building to build in areas with low deserability, but also because it will not allow buildings to exceed the demand for at building type.
Also not only does the trasistion take place more gradulaty from low density to high density. This at the sam eime seems to correct the games tendancy to leave a build in a simi upgraded for (lvl 4 building with room to grow in a area capable of supporting lvl 6 buildings). The mod make all the building continue to devolpe untill there is no more room or the job demand falls to nothing.
As for the bad things it makes it very hard in the begining of a city that has been even slightly preplaned (such as avanunes insterad of roads in increaded population later) to balance a buget simply because stage 3 houses (quad housed I call them) will not grow untill 6-10 blocks (I was using a grided 6x6 block) have devloped into stage 1&2 buildings

Industry
Again a problem with stage one and 2 it almost forces you to zone freely (so you get nothnig buy one square industy lots) untill you have enough industry to begin devloping biger factories, at which point you have to rezone the area to perve single lot industry. this makes it increasingly diffacult to start cities out (I play in medium mode most of the time, and well you just dont have enough cash).
I have already began to see some the the higher stage factories and I must admitt I am very impressed. These factores shadow everything maxis devloped, in sheer size and jobs pervided

Trafic.
I have found that CAM allows you to force more people into a smaller area if you allow the game to run long enough (I ran up to year 135 on a small city) wich turns trafic into a living nightmare. I found that it can be solved easly by reinstallnig NAM with 10 speed 5x capisity mod, wich makes this less of a problem and more of a warning.

I know this does not help much but I will taking some photos tonight and posting them up here tommorrow.

[RippleJet]

Thank you zspace for your report!

You've pointed out a few of the basic things I had in mind when the CAM development started half a year ago.

1. The CAM should smooth out the development throughout all stages.
2. The CAM should still be a challenge, it wasn't created to be a cheat.
3. Industry should develop through stages, just like residentials and commercials.

Admittingly, there are rather few stage 1 industries in the basic CAM. More custom content CAMpatible stage 1 industries are needed.

Traffic can be handled with NAM's 10×speed 5×capacity as well, if you do not want to use any of those that are developed for the CAM and are not quite as radical.
Otherwise, the idea is that you will have to plan your mass transit thoroughly if you're aiming for stage 15 buildings!

[Pat]

You know Ripple Jet after much DL'ing and installing CAM yesterday and getting over my little phobia of CAM
I first installed all farming stuff for CAM and then played.... WOW needless to say i got some farms i have
never seen before but i knew i had....  Then CAM indy again wow building i knew i had but never
seen grow at all and they grew  now or later i will finish installing rest of cam and i can gurantee i will
see the same results... Stuff i have but never seen.... THANK YOU to you and all the testers and BSC 

[le_harv]

Hello CAM people,

I took a 'gap year' away from SC4 and amazed at the development that happened in this time. Just before I start playing again I just wanted to clear something in my own mind and I think (if correct) will help some of those who are a bit rusty understand how the future of simcity is going to be defined by this mod (no really it will completely change the way in which we play, it will become a necessity, that is plain to see from the ideas behind it).

1) So basically you spool up simcity with CAM installed and the recently released CAMeLot packs to get started.

2) Keep an eye on updates and new packs coming out from various sources.

3) Use the new X-Tool (when available) to update your own content to be CAMpatible? Effectively downloading a new growable lot from say the LEX or STEX, running it through the X-Tool and then just plugging it into your game? That sounds far too easy are you sure? lol (Is it a an automatic process?)

4) Repeat step 3 with each piece of new growable content you get.

5) Run Civic and Transport lots through X-Tool to make them CAMpatible too?

A little nudge to say, yep you are on the right track would be great, or a nudge to point out some other things I would need to do to get the full use out of implementing non-CAMpatible lots into a CAM orientated game.

Cheers, Le_Harv

[JoeST]

i dont think campatability matters with transport buildings

though of course i may be wrong

Joe

[shoreman905]

Quite correct, or civic buildings either.