Uninstalling CAM

[JetShadez66]

Sorry for being the downer, I know the world hates me, but I've downloaded CAM, and...well...I'm not really sold on it, so I went ahead and uninstalled it...and I went ahead and started the game back up...and the uninstall did nothing, I don't know what to do, I really don't want to have to reinstall the whole game, but why didn't the uninstall feature work? Help, please...

[RippleJet]

Did you use the Uninstall in the startup menu?



The only things that need to be removed are the folders a_CAM and z_CAM.

[JetShadez66]

I did follow those instructions, but I guess the cities that I ran it with the demand is all screwed up in them now...it's ok, no prob's, I started a new region and it seems back to normal...maybe when I'm ready I'll take another crack at it, it just seemed to make the whole downtown thing seem...well...too easy...if that makes sense...

[RippleJet]

CAM 2.0 will include a rural version, which might suit you better!
It is aimed at those who want the sprawling and farming, but not necessarily the skyscrapers.
I cannot promise any release date yet though...

However, even CAM 1.0 requires/allows a lot more sprawling than RH, before the skyscrapers start appearing.
Thus, to avoid skyscrapers, zone only low-density (and medium density in your downtown).

[BarbyW]

Well it won't be before February and that is as much as I know.

[chrisnhl]

Hi I just read this post and I also had the same problem.  I unistalled the CAM and I think everything is all messed up.  Is there a guaranteed way to have it uninstalled?  My actual goal is to have a realistic amount of commercial jobs in relation to my population.

[RippleJet]

Hi I just read this post and I also had the same problem.  I unistalled the CAM and I think everything is all messed up.  Is there a guaranteed way to have it uninstalled?

The longer you've been playing with CAM, the less successful any uninstallation will be... Due to the doubled regional residential capacity as seen by the demand simulator with CAM 1.0, you would probably get a negative commercial and industrial demand of -6,000 as soon as you remove CAM.

You would basically have to play all your cities without the CAM and save each of them, probably several times, before the demand would have any chance of becoming balanced again.

In the meantime you would certainly experience mass abandonment in commercials and industrials, while the residential demand at the same time should hit the ceiling at +6,000.

Since it hasn't really been throroughly tested, I cannot swear this would be the outcome when removing CAM 1.0.
However, similar results have been experienced when upgrading CAM 1.0 to CAM 1.05 (which is the current beta version on route to CAM 2.0).

Thus, the recommendation will certainly be that, if you want to uninstall CAM 1.0 or upgrade to CAM 2.0, you should start on a new region rather than try to keep playing on the CAM 1.0 region.

[chrisnhl]

The whole thing is that I have a absolutely rediculous amount of commercial zones and way more jobs than sims.  The commercial demand is through the roof and i just want my commercial zones to be more realistic.  I really really hope I can acheive this without starting a new city because I have worked so hard on the one I have now.  Do you think I might have something in my pluf in folder that needs to be removed?  Thanks for your help
Chris

[RippleJet]

Uninstalling CAM would certainly give you a massive abandonment in your commercial district, and it would take a long time for the simulator to find a balanced situation again (you would probably only see residential growth for quite some time without CAM).

However, I've seen other players solve this by setting aside some industrial cities only for the purpose of providing more jobs in the region, and thus reducing the need for other jobs.

Do you think I might have something in my pluf in folder that needs to be removed?

No, unless you do have anything increasing commercial demand....
Otherwise, the high job demand is a result of the fact that CAM 1.0 causes the simulator to think the regional residential capasity is indeed doubled.

[cogeo]

I have uninstalled CAM too, but for a different reason, CAM appears to restrain city growth considerably. Without CAM the city saw an increase in population of at least 20%, without additional zoning. I left the three "5% R$$ working in X$" mods installed, and installed the stand-alone version of Bones1's "Less Abandonment" mod. I got no any turbulence (as a result of un-installation) because I had installed the patched simcity_1.dat, and the region was developed with this from the start, so I didn't have the double R capacity problem (thanks for the instructions Tage). What I have really been missing is the corrected number of occupants in some lots (adjusted for growth stage, density and lot/bldg size).

The question that arises now, is: Can the less growth problem attributed to the more growth stages only? I mean except for the more growth stages, does CAM also drastically change the demand model too? Is it possible that some (logical) errors in the demand model have been introduced with (or exacerbated by) CAM?

I had tried in the past to figure-out the demand model (by examining the RCI exemplars), but I couldn't. Not only I miss the big picture, I have also problem understanding some basic concepts (eg what's the difference between "Drives" and "Contributes"). There are different types of exemplars (though all are "RCI"), like the "Census" or the "Cap" ones, but it's quite unclear how they are interrelated. Is there some document that explains this?

I don't say the Maxis model is correct, there are at least two features that I don't like at all:
- Say you have developed a low-wealth city fast (with a lot of R$, ID, CS$) - and surprisingly this is absolutely achievable financially, you take some loans, expand the city and the revenues are enough to cover at least the operational expenses plus interest. Then, as EQ rises, demand for ID becomes negative, and the city starts losing some ID jobs. Some offices are built, but the jobs created do not outnumber the ones lost. So the city starts losing population too, which in turn lowers ID demand further (ie something like "positive feedback"). Then many ID lots are abandoned, and if you don't take any measures like bulldozing abandoned ID lots (which is very costly too), the city can loose more than half or two thirds of its jobs and population. In a real city, educated residents would flee, and low-education newcomers would come to live in the highly available R$ housing and work in the low-paid jobs. If you bulldoze the abandoned ID lots, ID demand remains negative, however this makes room for IM and IHT development (IM may soon turn negative too), but the jobs created are again much less than before. Ie it looks impossible to reach the past jobs and population numbers. The above are more easily noticable in a region with only one developed city, otherwise "interpolation" blurs the image substantially.
- It seems very hard, if not impossible, to make a large diverse city, ie a city with positive I and C demand (all types and wealths). If EQ rises enough, ID (and soon IM too) demand turns down. On the other hand CO$$ and esp CO$$$ dmeand needs high EQ levels, otherwise the development you get is very little. I have experimented even with having varying educational caoverage, ie some areas with no education, some others with primary schools only, some others with both primary and high school, with and without college (though this covers the whole city), but to no avail. I wasn't able to have significant CO$$ and CO$$$ development without killing ID demand. Either EQ levels will be moderate (so CO$$ and CO$$$ development will be minimal) or ID demand will go down.

It would be nice if CAM 2.0 could solve the above problems (or else, "address the above issues", if you prefer so). Esp the "positive demand" issue, and negative ID demand if EQ rises. Imo it shouldn't be lowered by high EQ, if low-EQ workforce and housing is available. ID should instead either be ousted by IM/IHT or taxed-out by the player, if he/she wants so. Unfortunately the simulator (?) appears to very much base its calculations on the average EQ, rather than breaking down the simulation to the individual sim (or even groups') EQ. Pls correct me if I'm wrong. Still, I don't know if it is possible to change this without causing gross imbalances to the demand model.

Hope to see some improvements here.

[RippleJet]

I believe I would want to have you taking part in the development and beta testing of CAM 2.0, cogeo.
Interested?

[cogeo]

I could help, but I can't see how to help with development especially (I have no idea about these demand and supply exemplars, just posted what I have observed). One thing I could do would be utilities for generating reports and/or performing batch updates in datfiles, but wou has already done a great job here, and I'm not sure if this would be really useful (programs take a lot of time to be made, so making utilities that will be run once or twice doesn't justify the amount of the required work, I think).

As for testing, currently I only have a region with 15,000 pop, and only one developed city. I think it would make sense to take backups periodically, so that the effect of CAM in various stages of development can be evaluated.
Question: If you start a new city in a region with high population, but not bordering with any developed city, does "interpolation" affect this new city, or it will be like starting a new region?

One thing that I would like to have, and posted in another thread too (though it's not really "CAM") is a new civic building, to attach the query of the Census Repository lots. The information displayed is very useful, but the conditions to get them are a bit restricitve (you must have actually almost hit a cap). As for the BATs/lots, well not everybidy really wants a shiny and tall... toll booth. Sorry, but that's my opinion. I would try to do this myself, but I suck with civic buildings and nice facades. Maybe we should find a BATter (yes, this is a "request"  ).

[BarbyW]

We do  have a new building for the Census Repostitory but it lacks some finishing touches that we are waiting on vester for. I'll give him a nag and see if he is going to do his extra props.

[RippleJet]

I could help, but I can't see how to help with development especially (I have no idea about these demand and supply exemplars, just posted what I have observed).

Posting observations is what a beta tester should do...
You should now be able to access the beta testing board.

Question: If you start a new city in a region with high population, but not bordering with any developed city, does "interpolation" affect this new city, or it will be like starting a new region?

As long as a city has no border crossings, it is in fact isolated and considered a region on its own.

Also, only those cities that are connected, either directly or via any number of intermediate cities, are included in any city's region.
In other words, it is quite possible to have several independent "mini-regions" within one SC4 region.