Adding downloads

[downloderfl]

Hi,
I have have had tons of fun with SC 2000 and SC3000, so have moved up to SC4 deluxe.  Now am experiencing a steep learning curve!
I've spent many hours reading tutorials, forum reads, and playing the game tutorials,  but still am at a loss as to how to make things work.
AND, am real confused about all the abbreviations...... ie:  CTD, NAM, SPAM, LEX, etc.
I downloaded a PPond cottage, and Murimk Farm addon for SPAM vol 02 (which was listed as a Dependency), But don't know where to put it to use it.
Is there a SIMPLE tutorial for this?  I guess I am overwhelmed with all the features SC4 is capable of.
Sure would appreciate any guidance, places to read more, and/or plain language tutorials. (Most seem to assume lots of knowledge of the operation of the game).

Thanks

[Lowkee33]

Welcome to SC4D Downloaderfl

You can check out Realistic cities for Dummies, or play the Maxis tutorials for more game play things.

Power plants are necessary.  Residents won't move in until you have jobs, so I build Industry until there is no more demand for it.  You can also build farms, but if you don't have mods, this can be a little boring.  You are going to have a fire soon, so you want to get your city making the upkeep for a fire station as fast as possible.  I don't build fire stations until my first fire, then they never happen with in the radius of the station.  Schools are going to increase education, which in turn makes demand for better jobs.  These jobs make demand for higher wealth residents.  Thats basically how the game works.  There will always be demand for low wealth residents.  Police make people feel safer, but well educated people don't cause as much crime.  Health systems increase the workforce of your city (which I think will increase demand for jobs.  Your city will grow without having to zone more things.)

Density (low/mid/high) is another way of saying stages.  As your population increases, you will cross a stage limit, and density will increase.  If all of the sudden your low wealth residents start building new houses, you have reached the next limit.  If you haven't seen a stage increase in a while, you may be lacking utilities.  As well as changing zones to mid-density, you will also want to make a water system.  Eventually, stages need to be within fire, police, park radius.

Common acronyms can be found: HERE.  The Wiki is a little outdated, so SPAM isn't there.  SPAM is a farm mod from SimPeg.

Network Add-on Mod is the first thing I would get.  In fact, I was quite happy with only that for a while.

Things you download from the LEX (the file exchange for this site) generally have installers, meaning that they go to the correct place by default.  Mods go into My Docs\SimCity 4\Plugins.  There are some things to learn about that as well, but that can wait.

[downloderfl]

Thank you, Lowkee 33,
Your explanation helps make some sense of how to do things. I appreciate the links, also.
One other thing.......The 'Area 49's PPond Cottage' had several dependencies. Do I need all of them for it to be placed on a lot? and where would I put that .sc4lot file?
I did DL the Murimk Farm addon,(one of the dependencies), thinking it was needed for scenery or textures, or whatever. There are several .dat files. Put them in the 'plug-ins' folder?
I also did DL the NAM, and just installed it, so we'll see what it does.

Thanks for the help. Looks like this is going to be a challenge compared to the other SC programs.

[jmyers2043]

Hi Downloderfl

Put them in the 'plug-ins' folder?

Yes. The very basic is to put them all in MyDocs\Simcity4\Plugins   but you will soon find that you have a lot of files. It's a good idea to have some organization beyond just the 'plugins' folder. 

BSC members use installers that place game files where 'we know' they will work. Generally speaking MyDocs\Simcity4\Plugins\BSC\name of creator ...

I like installers. I think it is easy to click 'install' then I'm done. I don't have to drag and drop into different folders. But others have their systems and that's fine. Some creator-authors do not use installers and the gamer needs to decide. I put all of Pegasus files in MyDocs\Simcity4\plugins\Peg\name of lot. My filing system is determined by the creator. I don't have the Area 49 but I'd put all those files in MyDocs\Simcity4\plugins\Peg\Area49   if I did.

Hope this helps.

- Jim

[downloderfl]

WOW, Lowkee33, THANK YOU, THANK YOU...... Exactly what I need! (Realistic Cities for Dummies) (That's me)
And Thanks, Jim for that advice. OK on the adding names for the "plops" (??). 
And the 'PPond Cottage':? It  had several dependencies. Do I need all of them for it to be placed on a lot? and where would I put that .sc4lot file which is the house?
In the plug-ins? I only ask that because the older SC games had a folder with the various cities, etc in it, seperate from the actual game folders.

BTW, I go by Chris   

Thanks guys for the help. It is very good to have experts to help this newbee.

[Lowkee33]

Hi Chris,

OK on the adding names for the "plops" (??).

The more you learn about this the more fun you will have. 

The name of the file doesn't matter for SimCity reading it.  However, it may change the order at which it is read.  The order is alphabetical, and read files before entering a folder:

Plugins\C.dat
Plugins\A\B.dat
Plugins\Z\A.dat

In this case, C.dat will load, then B.dat, then A.dat.  If A and C have the same things in them, then A will override C (to the extent that they are the same, anything unique will not get overwritten). The name of the file doesn't effect anything inside the file.

In 99% of the cases, file order does not matter.  When it does, we often give it a folder that starts with the letter "z" (or three or four of them).  It's important to read readmes.
 

And the 'PPond Cottage':? It  had several dependencies. Do I need all of them for it to be placed on a lot? and where would I put that .sc4lot file which is the house?

Not sure how those dependencies are set up, but it's safe to say you will want them all.  I checked out the dependencies for that lot, and it may seem like too much.  However, those are pretty common, and so there are many lots that use them also.

The .sc4lot can go anywhere in your plugin folder.  You may find it helpful to make your own folders though (plugins\plops\PEG\...., plugins\grow\residents\small....)

There should perhaps be a .desc in there too.  Keep that with the lot.

-Carl     

[downloderfl]

Thanks Carl, for that info. Makes sense now.
Following the "Realistic cities for Dummies" 'tutorial' I have drawn out a town I wish to make. SO, we'll see how it all goes.
LOL, I KNOW it'll be slow, but we can always 'nuke' the city if it doesn't work.
Thanks again,

Chris