NAM 45 Now Available

[Tarkus]

The NAM Team is pleased to announce the release of the 45th edition of the Network Addon Mod, NAM 45.


(image credit @EstGuy AKA Cheese)

Download Link

LEX (Cross-Platform)

RELEASE NOTES
Before you run off in excitement to install the new NAM version, please make sure to read this document first, to ensure the best Network Addon Mod experience.

Note to users of the EA App/Origin: Digital copies of SimCity 4 Deluxe purchased via EA.com, the EA App, or the Origin Store feature an unpatched executable that is below the minimum requirements for this mod. The same is true if playing the game via an EA Play or Xbox Game Pass subscription. For more details, read the Origin section in the 0-read-first.html or 2-installation.html documents included in the download.

New Features for NAM 45

• Traffic Simulator Updates: The NAM Traffic Simulator has been upgraded to Simulator Z 3.0, resulting in further optimizations to both the speed and accuracy of the simulation, and improved network utilization. The Low capacity version of the simulator is now the recommended version, as it provides the most optimized simulation. The Traffic Volume View Plugins have also been updated. The Traffic Simulator Configuration Tool (TSCT) has been discontinued and is no longer supported, as it was designed to work with the 2.x releases of Simulator Z, and because of the nature of the changes in the 3.0 release.
• Ploppable Interchanges for the RealHighway (RHW) System: The initial QuickChange Xpress (QCX) ploppable interchanges for the RHW have been incorporated, featuring 16 Road and Avenue Diamond Interchanges, which are FLEX-based, adding to their ease-of-use and post-plop customization potential. The QCX interchanges are at the end of the RHW QuickChange menu button on the Highways Menu.
• Pedestrian Revolution Mod (PRM) Midblock Crosswalks: The initial phase of the new Pedestrian Revolution Mod (PRM, or PedRev), spearheaded by developer Lucario Boricua has been added, featuring Midblock Crosswalk options for Roads, Avenues, and the two-way Network Widening Mod (NWM) override networks, in three sizes. These crosswalks calm traffic and allow for connections to the NAM's existing Pedestrian Mall (PedMall) features. The Midblock Crossings button can be found on the Roads Menu.
• NAMLite Package: The initial version of NAMLite, a bite-sized package for users looking for a minimal install has been added to the download, with its own installer. NAMLite Version 1 features the Traffic Simulator, Automata Controllers, bugfixes, One-Way Roads, Roundabouts, Diagonal Streets, and the option to install the Diagonal Street FLEX/Helper Pieces, Avenue Roundabouts, and Additional Highway Interchanges for the Maxis (Elevated) Highway and Ground Highway networks.
• Hybrid Railway (HRW) Features: L1 Diagonal support has been added, along with a number of new crossings.
• Left-Hand Driving (LHD) Improvements: The Left-Hand Driving (LHD) functionality of the NAM has been dramatically overhauled and improved, fixing numerous bugs and improving reliability for users playing the game with traffic running on the left side of roads and rails. Note that some RHW ramp interfaces and FLEX transitions may need to be reclicked as a result of their LHD reimplementation.
• Documentation Upgrades: The documentation has been thoroughly updated and now covers almost all NAM features to at least some extent, with the addition of feature guides for Hybrid Railway (HRW), the Pedestrian Revolution Mod, Ground Light Rail (GLR) and Tram Dual-Networking, the Elevated Road Viaducts, RealExpressway (REW), Utility Items (Network Eraser and Hole Diggers/Raisers), Underground Rail (URail), and the Canal Addon Mod (CAN-AM), alongside an updated glossary page.
• Euro Texture Optimization: As a result of the large-scale file cleanup effort undertaken following the release of NAM 44 (known as "NAM 44X"), the NAM's Euro textures largely operate independently, and no longer rely upon overrides of the default US texture set. This has decreased the size of a Euro Texture installation of the NAM by about 300MB, and along with other optimizations, has dropped the size of the NAM download package by about 150MB.
• New Bridges: A plethora of new bridges designed by IDS2 have been added this release:
  
  • Walnut Street (V-Shaped Girder) Bridges: Support for Road, Street, One-Way Road, SAM Sets 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, RHW-2, and RHW-4.
  • Antheor Viaduct (Brick Arch Viaduct) Bridges: Support for RealRailway (RRW) Dual-Track Rail (DTR) and Single-Track Rail (STR).
  • Additionally, the existing Cable-Stayed Bridge has been ported to cover Ground Light Rail (GLR).
• Additional RealExpressway Ramps: New Road-to-OWR-1 splits have been added to the RealExpressway Mod, and can be found at the end of the RealExpressway Ramps button on the Roads Menu.
• RHW MIS Ramp and FLEX Turn Lane Additions: L1 support for MIS 2-Lane FLEX Turn Lanes (FTLs) has been added, including a new combination upward height/width transition. Additionally, network support for the MIS 2-Lane FTLs has been improved, along with the ability to use the same draggable method used on the One-Way Roads (via transition to Road prior to an intersection) for SITAP (Signalized Intersection and Turn Arrow Project) support has been incorporated. The 3x3 90° Curves for the MIS have also been ported to L1-L4 elevations.
• RHW Model Improvements: Courtesy of Flann, the elevated versions of the RHW-6C and RHW-8C now feature a single median barrier, matching their ground counterparts, and eliminating the previous gap between the two halves/carriageways of the highways. Additionally, the elevated versions of the 2x2 MIS Short 90° Curves have also received further optimization. New barrier and pillar textures by Bipin have also been incorporated to coincide with these changes.
• Italian Translation: As a result of the efforts of ulisse99, the entirety of the NAM has been translated into Italian.
• Other Bugfixes:
  
  • The level crossings for Ground Light Rail (GLR) and RealRailway (RRW) have been properly color-corrected.
  • Adjacency issues involving the RHW-8S Type D1 and Type D1-Inside ramps have been addressed.
  • 3x3 Street circles have been stabilized.
  • The Ground Light Rail (GLR) pathing on the ulisse Transit Stations has been fixed.
  • The rotation of some intersections involving OWR-3 (esp. OWR-3 x AVE-2 +) has been corrected.
  • Various issues with the Maxis Highway and Maxis Highway Override crossings with the RealHighway (RHW) system have been addressed.
  • Fixes have been applied to the Elevated Light Rail and Monorail versions of the Cable-Stayed Bridge, the Steel Arch Rail Bridge, the High Elevated (30m) Monorail Bridge, and the L1/L2 RHW-8S and RHW-10S Viaduct Bridges.
  • Some stop point issues causing some signals on AVE-6 intersections with Avenue to remain permanently green have been addressed.
  • The model for the SimGoober-Style Canal Station in the Canal Addon Mod (CAN-AM) plugin has been fixed by Tyberius06.

INSTALLATION PROCESS, REQUIREMENTS AND COMPATIBILITY
Before beginning the installation process, if you have used a previous version of the NAM, make sure you remove it before proceeding further.
First off, ensure that you have extracted the contents of this .zip file--attempting to run it within the .zip archive can cause parts of the installation to fail. Also, make sure you have the following installed:

• Java Runtime Environment (JRE) - Available from Adoptium/AdoptOpenJDK, or, if you are on 64-bit Windows (and have extracted the .zip contents), there is an enclosed copy of the JRE.

NEW THIS RELEASE for users seeking a "minimal install" (i.e. just the Traffic Simulator and bugfixes): Included in the NAM 45 download is NAMLite 1, a separate, minimal package which includes the NAM's Traffic Simulator (which has just been updated to Simulator Z 3.0), Automata Controllers, bugfixes, the option to install Euro textures, and some of the most popular lightweight features, including Diagonal Streets, Roundabouts, One-Way Road Bridge Support, and Additional Highway Interchanges for the game's base (Maxis) Highway and Ground Highway networks, with any added menu buttons being optional, non-default items. To install NAMLite 1, simply run NetworkAddonMod_Lite_Setup_Version1.bat (Windows), NetworkAddonMod_Lite_Setup_Version1.jar (macOS or as an alternate option on Windows), or NetworkAddonMod_Lite_Setup_Version1.sh (Linux). Note that NAMLite still requires Java to run, but does not require the 4GB Patch. Note that the Traffic Simulator Configuration Tool (TSCT) has been discontinued--more details can be found in the New Features/Version Notes section below.
For the full release, use NetworkAddonMod_Setup_Version45.bat (Windows), NetworkAddonMod_Setup_Version45.jar (macOS, alternate option on Windows if the 4GB Patch has already been installed), or NetworkAddonMod_Setup_Version45.sh (Linux).
The requirements depend on which feature set you choose to install.

• NAMLite: Any system which can run SimCity 4, with 40MB available disk space.
• NAM with a LowRAM/NoRHW Controller option: Any system built within the last 15 years, with 750MB available disk space. (Users running this option cannot install the RealHighway (RHW) features.)
• NAM with a Full 4GB Controller option: Any system with a 64-bit operating system, at least 4GB RAM, and 1.2GB available disk space. If on Windows, the 4GB Patch must be applied to the game's executable.

Note, however, that Windows users attempting to run the "Full/4GB" Controller options without the 4GB Patch, on a 32-bit version of Windows, and/or have less than 4GB RAM, that the game will crash to desktop (CTD) upon attempting to load a city. Following the proper installation procedure and ensuring the contents of the download have been extracted from the .zip file will avoid this issue.
Additionally, the addition of any plugins to the game will have at least some effect on initial load times, when first booting the game or a city. The difference may be noticeable if you are going from an unmodded game to one with a large Plugins folder (a full NAM installation will exceed 1GB), especially on lower-end systems. Having at least 8GB RAM, running the game on a solid state drive (SSD), and/or having a CPU with a high clock speed (SimCity 4 was released in 2003, before multi-core CPUs were commonplace outside of servers) all help the game's performance.

The Network Addon Mod is compatible with the following versions of the game:

• A) Retail Windows digital copies of SimCity 4 Deluxe OR SimCity 4 with the Rush Hour Expansion Pack (Version 1.1.641), from most digital retailers (i.e. GOG.com, Steam), excluding copies from Origin, EA Play, and the EA app (which are perma-unpatched to Version 1.1.610).
• B) Retail Windows disc copies of SimCity 4 Deluxe OR SimCity 4 with the Rush Hour Expansion Pack, updated to at least Version 1.1.638 (note that disc copies generally do not run on Windows 10).
• C) Digital Windows copies of SimCity 4 Deluxe obtained by redeeming an existing CD key (not purchasing) through Origin Customer Support (Version 1.1.641).
• D) Retail Mac digital copies of SimCity 4 Deluxe, purchased through Steam or the App Store. (Note: technical support availability from the NAM Team is limited for Steam version users, and very limited for macOS Store version users.)
• E) Retail Mac disc copies of SimCity 4 Deluxe, running on macOS/OS X Version 10.6 (Snow Leopard) or earlier Note: technical support availability from the NAM Team very limited for Mac disc version users, and the ability to run Full 4GB/RHW-inclusive installation options is an unknown.).

The Network Addon Mod is NOT compatible with the following versions of the game:

• F) Retail disc copies of SimCity 4 Deluxe OR SimCity 4 with the Rush Hour Expansion Pack that have not been patched (Version 1.1.610 or 1.1.613).
• G) Retail Windows digital copies of SimCity 4 Deluxe purchased from the Origin Store or EA app (these are perma-unpatched to Version 1.1.610).
• H) Copies provided through EA Play (formerly Origin Access) or Xbox Game Pass (these are perma-unpatched to Version 1.1.610).
• I) Retail disc copies of non-Deluxe SimCity 4 (sometimes marketed later as "SimCity 4 Classic"), without the Rush Hour Expansion Pack (Version 1.0.272 or earlier)
• J) Pirated or cracked copies of SimCity 4 Deluxe OR SimCity 4 with the Rush Hour Expansion Pack.

What should I do if the NAM does not support my copy of the game?
The new NAM installer (introduced with the NAM 37 Release Candidate) no longer runs a version check. However, it is strongly recommended that users check the version they are running, as unpatched copies can be unstable. Version 1.1.610 and Version 1.1.613 are NOT supported.

In Case F, the solution is simply to install the EP1 Update 1 patch, which can be downloaded from EA (SKU 1-5), SimCity 4 Devotion (SKU 1-5), or Simtropolis (SKU 1 and 2 only). To determine the correct SKU version for your copy of SimCity 4, find the installation directory, and look in the subfolder named sku_data. Alternatively, one can simply try all the SKU versions of the patch, until one works.

For Case G and H, see the section about Origin in the enclosed 0-read-first.html or 2-installation.html documents.

For Cases D and E, again note that the NAM Team has little experience with the Mac version of the game, mostly restricted to the Steam version, and may be very limited in any ability to provide platform-specific technical support, including with the installation process (which is more complex on the App Store version). See the section about macOS here.

For Cases G, H, I, and J, it is recommended that you purchase a digital copy of SimCity 4 Deluxe (NOT from Origin).

What if my disc copy has simply stopped working with Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, or 10?
In 2015, Microsoft decided that secdrv.sys, the driver file used by the SafeDisc and other disc copy protection systems present in many PC games from the early 2000s, was a security threat. As a result, the driver was not included as part of Windows 10, and Microsoft issued Windows Update KB3086255, which disables secdrv.sys on Windows Vista, 7, 8, and 8.1. In the case of the older versions of Windows, secdrv.sys can be re-enabled when needed through the use of the command prompt or a batch file.

Aside from the advanced step of manually signing a device driver for Windows 10, the only viable courses of action are to either purchase a retail digital copy of the game, from a retailer who offers a fully-prepatched Version 1.1.641 copy of the game (i.e. GOG or Steam), or to get EA/Origin Customer Support to redeem your CD Key for a free digital copy of the game (unlike copies purchased via the Origin Store, the EA App, or EA Play subscriptions, CD Key Redemption copies are fully-prepatched to Version 1.1.641).

Note that cracked executables (i.e. a "No CD" .exe) are not eligible for tech support. The NAM Team does not support piracy, but understands the frustration with the game's original DRM system being blocked by Microsoft, forcing one to buy a new digital copy in order to continue playing. However, the reason why cracked executables are not eligible is for more practical reasons, namely the potential for version mismatches (i.e. a Version 1.1.638 crack with Version 1.1.610/613 .DAT files, or vice-versa), which can greatly complicate the team's efforts to provide useful technical support to users. The Origin issues played a role in our keeping the version check in place, until the recent installer change in 2020.

Please note that if you are attempting to use an older, 32-bit version of Windows (i.e. Windows XP) in order to still run your disc game, this will substantially hamper the performance of the game with the full NAM installed, and it is highly recommended that you run the game on a 64-bit operating system if you intend to take advantage of the full feature set. If you must run on a 32-bit OS, you will need to either install the new NAMLite package, or, for a mid-sized installation, select one of the "LowRAM/NoRHW" NAM Controller options. (The RealHighway (RHW) system is by far the largest part of the NAM.)

DOCUMENTATION

For more information about NAM installation and this release, please see the "Read First" document, enclosed in the download (0-read-first.html) and available online.

The remainder of the documentation can also be consulted online.

Please note that NAM 44 and earlier have been discontinued, and are no longer available for download, nor eligible for any form of technical support.

Thank you all for your continued support--hope you enjoy!

-The NAM Team

[TJ1]

YESSSSSSSSS    

[Mana-sama]

yeeah, Euro Texture Optimization                              

[AsimPika3172]

Oh yeah!!!!      Also you released as the death of Queen Elizabeth 2... 

[jeffryfisher]

I am saddened to learn that TSCT won't work with NAM-45+. My world depends heavily on a whole slew of TSCT settings, so here is where I bail out of the NAM "upgrade" train -- I shall remain at NAM-44 forever, or until TSCT is resurrected.

[LucarioBoricua]

@jeffryfisher In the short-term, this is my recommendation:

• Keep a back-up copy of your custom traffic simulator file and the Traffic Simulator Configuration Tool (TSCT).
• Make sure to install NAM 45, we have worked really hard to make this into an exceptionally thorough improvement over NAM 44. I'm sure there's gonna be some new content or fixes of your liking.
• Give a try to your choice of Traffic Simulator Z 3.0, and see how the your cities respond.
• If you dislike the new traffic behavior, swap out Traffic Simulator Z 3.0 for your previous custom simulator.

Over the last year we worked extremely hard on making a vastly superior, more versatile and capable traffic simulator for the mod. In the process, we discovered many of the variables which were modifiable through the TSCT do have narrowly-defined optimal values, and some others have essentially become redundant with how adaptable this new sim is. Most notably, sims are far more responsive to both rail transit and freeway/motorway network options compared to Sim Z 2.6.2. At present, only the transportation network maintenance costs, fares per tile, the park-and-ride option, and under limited circumstances the Mass Transit Usage strategies, are deemed safe to modify. If you truly want or need to modify any property, you can do so directly using either iLives Reader 0.93 or any of the SC4Reader versions. 

I wholly guarantee this as one of the members directly involved with its development and testing.

[z]

@jeffryfisher, I would like to second everything that @LucarioBoricua has said.  The new traffic simulator has undergone extensive testing, including a number of beta releases to the entire NAM Team.  So far, I have seen no complaints about the new traffic simulator from anyone who has actually used it - only positive reactions.

Please read the new documentation on the traffic simulator; it has been updated extensively and describes how to make the most of the simulator's usage.  And then try taking it out for a spin; I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

[jeffryfisher]

At present, only the transportation network maintenance costs, fares per tile, the park-and-ride option, and under limited circumstances the Mass Transit Usage strategies, are deemed safe to modify. If you truly want or need to modify any property, you can do so directly using either iLives Reader 0.93 or any of the SC4Reader versions. 

Aha! My two must-haves are "fares per tile" and "Mass Transit Usage"  (low-wealth sims using more mass transit while wealthy sims drive their cars). I also use a customized "slope" mod (which controls so much more than just slopes). As long as I know how to replicate those settings to which my cities are built, then I'll happily upgrade to Z3 

[z]

Yes, fares per tile can safely and easily be edited with the Reader; there is no downside to doing so.  Mass transit usage can also be modified, but the extensive changes in this area in the new simulator should make this unnecessary.  Specifically, rapid transit usage in the new simulator is much higher using the default settings than it is in the old simulator even at the highest mass transit usage setting - up to two orders of magnitude greater, and sometimes even more.  Leaving the mass transit usage settings unchanged can also make the simulator run significantly faster in many cases.

[jeffryfisher]

Efficiency is good, but with my mass transit settings I'm trying to model some socio-economic factors also, and then it's up to me as city-planner to accommodate the whims of my sims. That means that over half of my wealthy sims will enjoy the privacy and comfort of commuting in their luxury cars regardless of how fast and convenient the local mass transit is.

At the bottom, fully half of my low-wealth sims don't even own cars, so they can't even access mass transit unless there's a station/stop within walking distance of both home and job. If I forget to sprinkle bus stops all around my industrial and dirty residential, I'll get no-job zots even while factories are short on labor.

Solving these divergent cases while staying within budget is a large part of what makes the game interesting (to me).

[Jack_wilds]

a very well done version... 
do not know    what to point out first... 
Happy belated nam-day

[z]

I'm trying to model some socio-economic factors also, and then it's up to me as city-planner to accommodate the whims of my sims. That means that over half of my wealthy sims will enjoy the privacy and comfort of commuting in their luxury cars regardless of how fast and convenient the local mass transit is.

At the bottom, fully half of my low-wealth sims don't even own cars, so they can't even access mass transit unless there's a station/stop within walking distance of both home and job. If I forget to sprinkle bus stops all around my industrial and dirty residential, I'll get no-job zots even while factories are short on labor.

This is how the default travel strategies are set up.  They can be fine tuned by adjusting the number to rapid transit stations and/or bus stops.

At the bottom, fully half of my low-wealth sims don't even own cars, so they can't even access mass transit unless there's a station/stop within walking distance of both home and job.

Walking distance is essentially infinite.  The Sims will walk as much as they need to in order to get to work.  Usually, though, they have access to cars or mass transit that are faster for traversing long distances.