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NAM 33 Pre-Release - General Information

Started by The NAM Team, July 29, 2015, 09:53:45 PM

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The NAM Team

As the NAM 33 Pre-Release has been superseded by the official release of NAM 33 as of 26 November 2015, this thread has been locked and remains in place as an archive.

The NAM Team is pleased to announce the public pre-release of the 33rd edition of the Network Addon Mod, NAM 33.

The pre-release version is not the final, full release version of NAM 33, which will come later, but is instead designed to give the general public an opportunity to try out the new features and improvements, and provide feedback and report any issues that may arise, allowing us to produce a better final product.  This subforum is designed specifically for such purposes.

Disclaimer

Pre-release builds are not finished products.  While the team engaged in a lengthy alpha testing phase and has attempted to iron out any glaring instabilities, some issues may still be present.

Availability

The NAM 33 Pre-Release (PR) build is hosted here at SC4 Devotion, on the LEX.  The finalized official release of NAM 33, when complete, will be hosted at all three official English-language NAM distribution sites (SC4 Devotion, Simtropolis, and ModDB).   

The PR build is packaged in the traditional NAM installer, and the installation experience is identical to that offered by NAM 32.

Download Link
SC4D LEX (Windows)

Details on a Mac version will be forthcoming.

Installation Instructions

For Windows users: To install the NAM 33 Pre-Release, first run the self-extractor (NetworkAddonMod Setup 33-PR SFX.exe) to extract the installer, and THEN locate and run the installer (NetworkAddonMod Setup 33-PR.exe), which should be located in the same directory by default.

The reason for the extra layer of self-extraction is designed to reduce the size of the download (251MB vs. 1.06GB) while also allowing the installer to run faster.  Simply running the Self-Extractor will not install the NAM, nor will sticking the files directly into your Plugins folder.

For Mac OS X users: A Mac version of the NAM 33 Pre-Release is anticipated.  Further details will be announced shortly.

Support

As the NAM is very much a forward-looking project, the team's primary function during the pre-release phase will be in supporting and improving the pre-release builds, toward the goal of the full official release of NAM 33.  Until the official, stable NAM 33 release is available, the NAM Team will continue to offer NAM 32 and the Mac-only NAM 32.1 release at Simtropolis and ModDB, but technical support for NAM 32.x releases has been discontinued, effective immediately.  Like all other old NAM versions, NAM 32.x releases will be promptly discontinued upon the full release of NAM 33, and will not be supported or sanctioned for distribution again.  The NAM 33 Pre-Release is at least as stable as NAM 32, and more people using the NAM 33 Pre-Release means we get more feedback, which ultimately makes the official NAM 33 release a better product

Documentation is included in the PR builds, though much of it has not been updated since NAM 31.2.  Note that some features have changed since this documentation was written.  and new features may still require additional documentation.  Some video tutorials of new functionality will be available, however.  We are transitioning toward more flexible means of documentation to combat this backlog, and apologize for any inconvenience in the meanwhile.

Technical Requirements

The NAM 33 Pre-Release, as per standard NAM Team specifications, ispackaged in using the Nullsoft Installer System (NSIS), and is designed for use with both the Windows and Mac OS X versions of SimCity 4 Deluxe, though it is also compatible with Linux, provided one is using WINE.

The minimum configuration required to run the Network Addon Mod (NAM) with SimCity 4 is the same minimum configuration required to run SimCity 4 itself.  Either the original version of SimCity 4 in combination with the Rush Hour expansion pack, or the combination version included in SimCity 4 Deluxe is required.  Both are equivalent.  In any case, the EP1 patch that brings the version number up to 1.1.638.0 is required.  Digital versions of the game, including those provided by Steam, Origin, and GOG.com, should be pre-patched to 1.1.641, and do not require patching.  If your game is not up to date, the NAM installer will guide you through the installation of that official patch.  You must also have a valid game configuration.  If you have simply installed the game from a valid CD or from an authorized download, there will be no problems.  However, it is important that the game's file name not be changed from "SimCity 4.exe".  Modified executables, including "no CD" patches, will not be recognized by the installer as valid installations, and thus, the NAM cannot be installed in such a case.

Note that with the minimum configuration, or something close to it, it will not be possible to use most of the NAM.  The Traffic Simulator and its associated files can definitely be used, as these take up a very small amount of space and merely replace existing data in the game.  The game will work much better simply with the addition of the NAM Traffic Simulator.  However, although the extra efficiency of the NAM Traffic Simulator allows you to build bigger functional cities, the speed of your game will likely slow to a crawl as the size of your cities increases.  The reason is that the CPU time required by the traffic simulator grows exponentially with the size of your city.  This is true of the Maxis Traffic Simulator as well (both traffic simulators use the same software engine), but it is much more difficult to build successful large cities with the Maxis Traffic Simulator, so this problem is seen less frequently there.

For further information, please read the Information Page on the NAM 33 Pre-Release installer.

Note to Left-Hand Drive (LHD) Users

Due to the fact that very few NAM Team members run the game in Left-Hand Drive (LHD) mode, where vehicles drive on the left (as in the United Kingdom, Japan, etc.), support for LHD mode may be more limited than that of Right-Hand Drive (RHD) mode, especially in earlier pre-releases and with newer features.  Thus, feedback and issue reporting from LHD users is especially appreciated, and will help the team ensure the best possible LHD support with the full release.

NOTE: The NAM does not change drive side.  Unless one has a clear idea of the consequences, do not attempt to change the drive side options in the installer, as all those will do is simply give one a broken NAM installation without actually changing one's drive side.

Brief Overview of New Features

Please note that the pre-release process is not the time to request additional new features.  The feature list for NAM 33 is effectively frozen.


  • Massive update to the Draggable Ramp Interface (DRI) and FLEXRamp systems in the RealHighway (RHW) Mod.  90% of all previous static puzzle piece ramps have been given easier-to-use FLEX and/or draggable counterparts, and a plethora of new ramp interfaces for elevated RHW networks are now available, Wealth textures are included for ground level versions.
  • The RHW FLEXFly system has been completely overhauled, and now includes 90-degree and 45-degree versions, in single and dual-lane configurations, at Ground Level (L0), 7.5m (L1), and 15m (L2) heights.
  • The double-decker RHW-4 (DDRHW-4) has been lowered one level (from L2/L3 to L1/L2), increasing ease of use.
  • Disconnector added, to simplify demolition of FLEX-based RHW pieces.
  • A super-secret feature has been hidden in the RHW.
  • Stability improvements to the FLEX Height Transitions.
  • Major improvements to the RealRailway (RRW) plugin, which now supports most crossings.
  • Transit station functionality and compatibility has been further improved.
  • Minor fixes to other NAM components.

Note: Some newer items, mainly the newer RHW ramp interfaces, have not yet received Euro textures, due to lack of manpower.  This is something we hope to address in the near future.

The NAM Team would like to thank the entire SimCity 4 community for its continued support over the past 11 years, and we appreciate your participation in the NAM 33 Pre-Release.