CAMmed SPAM

[dwelln8hss32]

Here we go again, another SPAM vs. CAM discussion!    I've been using SPAM since it came out, and so was hesitant to load CAM. I just did so recently, but first needed to experiment by testing compatibility. Last year, Jmyers pointed out that by removing IR developer exemplars from PEG's SPAM mod, CAM and SPAM are somewhat compatible (link: http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12947.0). And thanks, Jim, by the way for showing how this could be done! 

I followed Jim's example using iLive's Reader, also removing cohorts, as suggested. In that discussion, Lowkee33 explained that some of the cohorts in PEG's mod were shared by Maxis farm buildings. However, I don't use Maxis content in my cities, so I trust no harm done. So far, so good: both mods seem to operate successfully in my cities! Job demand is stable, and appears healthy, so far. But my cities are not yet above stage 5.  One immediate effect of removing the IR exemplars and cohorts was that PEG's farms packed up and left, leaving BSC farms (from my plugins folder) to develop in their place. It seems a natural result, since PEG's farms no longer have 'development access,' if you will, in the simulation.

Not everyone will want to try this out, but it was important to me. I'd like to know if anyone else has played around with these two mods, and what results you are seeing? What problems are coming up?

[vortext]

While I don't have first hand experience using SPAM I did do the opposite a while back for a friend of mine, i.e. Maxis-fied the SPAM so he could enjoy the variaty in farms without altered simulation. It seemed to work without mayor problems occuring.

One immediate effect of removing the IR exemplars and cohorts was that PEG's farms packed up and left, leaving BSC farms (from my plugins folder) to develop in their place.

By IR exemplars and cohorts above, do you refer to the IR developers used for the simulation or to the RCI exemplars used by lots? If the latter is true, it isn't any wonder SPAM left town since you removed it alltogether and effectively only have BSC farms, hence the outcome. What I would like to know if SPAM stage 5 farms will actually develop while using the CAM.

[jmyers2043]

Hi  dwelln8hss32

Removing the cohort exemplars in my game had the affect of making the SimCity1.dat exemplars active once again. In other words, Peg's exemplar/cohorts overwrite the Maxis SimCity1.dat exemplars when loading. My question is whether you are using a 'block maxis farms' mod of some sort? That may be the reason for the disappearance of the SPAM farms. My intention when making farms is to add to Maxis farming. The SPAM approach is to  replace the maxis building with his.

My game today? I still have the SPAM models and props. But that's all. I took all of Peg's models and made new farm buildings using the Xtool. These new farm buildngs now have the same criteria for jobs, pollution, and consumption as the rest of my BSC farms. I made new lots, although they are very close to the SPAM originals in appearance. I then BTE'd them so that, as an example, the Peg wheat field adds to the BSC reward system and is counted by SimGoober's Farm Bureau query. I lost the PEG farm sounds during the process. But I could get them back with iLives reader and some time.   

You can get the resource files only, at pegs. That file contains the models without the SPAM mod. It just means you'll spend about a weeks worth of evenings creating buildngs and making or altering lots which is about how long it took me. You need to be organized. I had a pen and paper and kept notes as I went along .... Silo Barn - red - Breezy Acres - stage 4. 

I wanted to BTE Peg's farms. I wanted them to be counted by SimGoobers Farm Bureau. I have a set of timber farms that grow on very steep slopes. Peg's farms were also growing on steep slopes which is a conflict for me and I wanted to change that. So I had three good reasons (in my mind) to start from scratch.

Good Luck



- Jim

[dwelln8hss32]

By IR exemplars and cohorts above, do you refer to the IR developers used for the simulation or to the RCI exemplars used by lots? If the latter is true, it isn't any wonder SPAM left town since you removed it alltogether and effectively only have BSC farms, hence the outcome. What I would like to know if SPAM stage 5 farms will actually develop while using the CAM.

@Vortext: as far as I know, pretty much all the RCI lot exemplars, and main IR developer file were removed (simulator file?).

@Jim: I do have a BSC block Maxis mod installed. I admit not knowing my way around PEG's mod, but it makes a lot of sense, that of SPAM overwriting maxis farms, and then deleting the maxis-shared cohorts. I suppose I took your example a bit out of context, in regard to your farming variety goal.   But thanks for putting your process into perspective.

I suppose my goal is to add SPAM farms to BSC farming. I saved the original SPAM .dat, so perhaps I could mess around a bit. Sounds like I didn't need to delete the cohort exemplars afterall.  Oh well. We'll see if stage 5 SPAM farms actually appear...

Jake

[Lowkee33]

Hmm, just fug back into SPAM a little.  Deleting all of the cohorts was bad advice. Removing 0x1cdd51ee will probably break your fields, no fields, no buildings.  Sorry about that.

All of the others appear to be Maxis Cohorts.  Cohorts are a way to pass properties down to more than one exemplar.  If a bunch of exemplars point to a cohort (by the parent cohort property on the top), and that cohort says "Exemplar Type: Prop", then all of those exemplars will be prop exemplars.  However, if the exemplars had "Exemplar Type: Building", then the exemplar property would override the cohort property.  The exemplars would be buildings.  If you have a whole bunch of things that all have the same properties, then cohorts make life a little easier (though just running a building through PIMX is also pretty quick).

If you do run the buildings through PIMX (recompute properties based on filling degree), then all of the missing properties will be added to the exemplar, and you wont need any cohorts at all.

If you want to use CAM and SPAM, then I would highly recommend at least recomputing the properties.  Some of the fields have ID jobs, some have IM jobs, and some have IR, ID, and IM jobs. No small amount either.

Didn't mean to rant.  I think Jim has it right though, keep the models re-make the descs.  If you're handy enough with Reader you can change the Instances of your new descs to whatever you replaced, this way you wouldn't have to re-lot.