Using Custom Residential Content

Alek King of SC4 · November 20, 2006, 02:39:21 PM

This is a little thread/tutorial i have wanted to do, this site seems like a good home as it will
assume knowledge of SC4 and custom content and is intended for semi advanced palyers.

repetition in a skyline is a big no no, but when it comes to housing my biggest complaint
are neighborhoods with randomly mixed styles and little or no continuity. In real life neighborhoods have personalities and homogenous characteristics that make them unique.

http://www.fileden.com/pview.php?fid=78196&fname=untitled2.JPG

an example of a city with many different residential neighborhoods.

Getting your buidings to grow in groups is really quite easily done.

1. be aware of what buildings grow on what lot size, many downloads come with more than one
.lot file, i usually deleate all but one and size for each tile set, and wealth level. so for each lot size say 3x2 you will have exactlty 12 possible buildings Euro $,$$,$$$ houston $,$,$$$ and so on. Remember to keep the .model file and dat files.

2. Download DTs no maxismod makes getting custom content to grow a walk in the park

3.learn to manipulate taxes, lets say u want goobers row homes set new york only, jack up $$ and $$$ taxes and they will grow like weeds.

4. understand if you lower $$$ taxes buildings will upgrade so get used to making them historic.

5. use the build one tile set only option, DTs lofts, Goobers buidings, and SFBT and Bixel residentials can all be grown very easily by manipultaing taxes, zoning the right size and have the proper tile set selected, play around and let me know of your success.

TheTeaCat · November 20, 2006, 02:50:31 PM

Thank you Alek

Nice, clear, concise information, in plain language and easy to understand steps

Alfred.Jones · November 20, 2006, 04:01:36 PM

Thanks for the tutorial Alek. It is very helpful

bat · November 21, 2006, 05:24:48 AM

Also a thanks from me! It's very helpful!

jeronij · November 21, 2006, 06:04:23 AM

HI Alek, this is a great and useful tutorial indeed

!!! I can make good profit of this one

Thanks for sharing it wiht us

EDIT: The pic is still loading....but....

... OMG !!!, simply fantastic !!!. Yes, great picture and great city

!!!

(the only thing I miss are some more trees near the railroads...nothing I cant live without

)

Alek King of SC4 · November 27, 2006, 06:38:04 AM

here is another small trick, i know most SimGoober residentials (pry all BSC) come with a DAT file and often multiple lot files. If you want different neighborhoods of SG homes for example
install one, grow a block, then delete those lot files (or move them) and install another. or have one that grows on a 2x2 and one a 2x3, try and experiment it is really easy to get pretty much any residential to grow where you want with some of these tricks.

oh yeah and use the make historical option it is there for a reason preserve those neighborhoods

mjig_dudy · November 29, 2006, 09:16:42 AM

Great tutorial AK! very helpfull.

Quote from: Alek King of SC4 on November 20, 2006, 02:39:21 PM4. understand if you lower $$$ taxes buildings will upgrade so get used to making them historic.

It is possible to make a modd that stops unabandoned buildings upgrading. I rencetly put together a modd that increases the time after abandonment that building becomes dilapidated, like rapheal ninja's, but that increases the time by a lot more so that it is almost forever, and found it is very easy to set it so that inhabited buldings cannot be upgraded.

I have attached to this post a zip file containing two .dat files one that makes buildings almost never dilapidate(Never_Abandon_Don't_Overbuild) and one that sets it to 1 year (1year_Abandon_Don't_Overbuild). Both should stop occupied low wealth buildings being replaced by higher wealth buildings

I haven't had time to fully test this, and so it may confilct with other modds.

Alek King of SC4 · November 29, 2006, 12:59:34 PM

Tthis sounds interesting i have tried that mod i think before but i will try again. My issue is as follows lets say i want SFBT prefabs $ 4x3 to grow so i zone from a block of them 8x6 giving me for, i set tile set to Euro only zone for plots 4x3, raise $$and$$$ taxes and voila, then lets say somewhere else in the city, i want DT's apartments $$ 3x4 do the same but set tile set to houston lower $$ taxes and raise $ taxes again they grow easily but preventing the low wealth from upgrading too is the issue. right not making this historical works best but i will experiment

BigSlark · January 07, 2007, 10:14:21 PM

Alek,

I am unable to find the "no maxis" mod on the STEX or SimPeg. I remember it being developed for SimMars some time ago but never downloaded it. Could you point me in the right direction?

Thanks,
BigSlark

Rayden · January 08, 2007, 10:15:05 AM

Block ALL Maxis Buildings By DuskTrooper - Just click it

spacez52 · January 26, 2007, 02:51:29 PM

Quote from: Alek King of SC4 on November 27, 2006, 06:38:04 AM
If you want different neighborhoods of SG homes for example install one, grow a block, then delete those lot files (or move them) and install another.

THAT WORKS?! I always thought that removing a file that was in a city would cause it to crash and such I haven't actually done that. It has actually led to restarting several cities as my Plugins folder/SC4 style changes.

Thanks so much for the info, I had found a No Maxis Modd on another site but couldn't figure how to proceed from there. Thanks!!

M4346 · January 26, 2007, 03:24:44 PM

Thanks! This has always bugged me and I would REALLY like to see those row homes grow!

Very useful indeed!

KooriSim123 · January 29, 2007, 04:56:58 AM

yet again another informative tutorial good one Alek

Alek King of SC4 · January 29, 2007, 11:37:17 AM

Quote from: spacez52 on January 26, 2007, 02:51:29 PM
THAT WORKS?! I always thought that removing a file that was in a city would cause it to crash and such I haven't actually done that. It has actually led to restarting several cities as my Plugins folder/SC4 style changes.

Thanks so much for the info, I had found a No Maxis Modd on another site but couldn't figure how to proceed from there. Thanks!!

it sure does work, however you need to keep the model file, the extra lot size files you can delete

spacez52 · January 30, 2007, 04:31:00 PM

SWEET!! Thanks so much! That might be the single greatest piece of information I have learned about SC4 to date. Much appreciate Alek... you are definitely the King of SC4 !!

rooker1 · February 08, 2007, 07:19:03 AM

Now this is some great info. What an awesome tutorial. Thanks for sharing some of your great secrets.
By the way what a fantastic picture.

fantnet · April 22, 2007, 09:00:25 PM

Alex,

Does changing a specific residential building's density level or even growth stage value causes the building not to grow when the growth stage raises? I have edited some specific residential building like R$ to only grow at low density and a particular tileset. Sometimes I edit the growth stage. They grow early on but when my population reachs a certain point say, 150K growth stagnates. I have max damand I dont know if you way will stop this problem can you help? or anyone else?

wouanagaine · April 22, 2007, 11:43:46 PM

QuoteDoes changing a specific residential building's density level or even growth stage value causes the building not to grow when the growth stage raises?

If you lower down a stage 8 to stage 1, without changing the capacity, it won't grow
as stage 8 useally provide around 6000 res, and stage 1 grow when you have low population.
This is an extreme example, but you get the figure

fantnet · April 23, 2007, 06:21:38 AM

What happen when you change the density level? to only low? Thanks for the reply

wouanagaine · April 23, 2007, 06:57:59 AM

then you have to zone for low.
But not very realistic to have a skyscrapper in a low density for example