SC4 Custom Content I want to see ported

[Romaq]

I've not read anything yet about custom content, but I don't get told no unless I ask. So until we get a definite 'no', I plan to state the case for as much openness as possible for Custom Content until features firm up, and we get told 'yes' and some things and 'no' on other things.

SC5 would be a smaller place for me without the Pegadyne Oceanographic Institute (http://simpeg.com/forum/index.php?action=tpmod;dl=item25)

SimGoober really makes me laugh, and I would sorely miss his content, such as a 'farm' he made: http://simpeg.com/forum/index.php?action=tpmod;dl=item597

There's no amount of transportation that the SC5 dev team can cook up that the NAM couldn't cook up better, given enough time and allowed hooks into custom game content: http://sc4devotion.com/nam.html?option=com_facileforms&Itemid=59

I would dearly miss Gshmail's The Black Hole Water Tower (http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?id=11789) if it couldn't be ported over.

SOMY's incredible work: http://members3.jcom.home.ne.jp/somy000/p5.htm

I could spend lots of time pointing out buildings of custom content I want ported to SC5, and I invite others to post 'killer' custom content shots in this thread. I also recognize that only 'raw' textures and models still in GMax can really be 'ported' over, if at all. I also realize some SC4 modelers may refuse to permit their GMax models to be ported, should it be possible to do so.

But I hope I’ve made the case that custom content should be strongly considered as part of SC5’s features, and I look forward to hearing news to confirm to what extent we can ‘port’ the hard work that’s been done and enjoyed by SC4 fans.

Who else has examples of ‘to die for’ SC4 content we want to see in SC5?

--Romaq

[MarkDuffy]

I am not a SimCity fan, but I recently re-started to play SimCity3000 unlimited that is still on my computer to get a feel & bond with the SC4 community.

What I hear are posts about "no zones". I'm beginning to get a feel (as a clueless new player) for what zones are all about.

Let's assume for the time being, that SCS has no zones. If SCS DOES have the ability for "custom content" (I'm still hazy on what this all means ~ apparently it is a bit different from standard "modding?), would it change how the SC4 community feels?

Could you live with just custom content?

[bosiydid]

I am not a SimCity fan, but I recently re-started to play SimCity3000 unlimited that is still on my computer to get a feel & bond with the SC4 community.

What I hear are posts about "no zones". I'm beginning to get a feel (as a clueless new player) for what zones are all about.

Let's assume for the time being, that SCS has no zones. If SCS DOES have the ability for "custom content" (I'm still hazy on what this all means ~ apparently it is a bit different from standard "modding?), would it change how the CS4 community feels?

Could you live with just custom content?

Mark,

I'm not sure what custom content is? What I can explain though is how I personally viewed zones.

It gave me the ability to say develop these kinds of structures, and the computer would go ahead and build them. This is significant because the cityscape always changed. It felt like a living city with building going up and being demolished new bigger structures appearing.

If the buildings are indeed only plopable here, and do not evolve in any way. The micromanaging would be out of control.

Zones were all about making the city DYNAMIC! It changed the look and feel of the city depending on factors such as crime, health, education etc. You were directly responsible for this aspect. So you could influence a particular area and the game would give you feedback based on the structures going up or coming down.

With us having zero information on this aspect of the new game, I only hope that it will function in some similar manner in the new game. Otherwise it will be a very very static city.

[MarkDuffy]

Zones were all about making the city DYNAMIC! It changed the look and feel of the city depending on factors such as crime, health, education etc. You were directly responsible for this aspect. So you could influence a particular area and the game would give you feedback based on the structures going up or coming down.

OK, thank you for that, Bosiydid! :) I kinda understand that so far.

But where does the custom content come in? My guess is that the game has an internal build menu & IT chooses whether or not to have a custom content building show up somewhere if conditions are correct? Custom content just changes or adds to the internal build menu & you don't really control if your beautiful new building shows up or not?

[Gil]

"Growable" custom buildings increase the variety in your city. Without custom content you have a LOT of the same buildings in your city, with CC you have that problem less.

[NappySick]

To Mark ,Custom content on my prioty list is a 10 where as zoning maybe a 5 .Custom content , if applied to Caesar would give you 30 hippodromes to choose from, 1000 temples , Forts , bulwerks, towers, 1000 ,s fountains ,gardens labyrinths to choose from , custom 8x8 gardens , custom plaza s of all sizes, 100 differant statues,walls , tree s , fishing harbours ,docks , road textures etc etc . I think it would be best to apply all custom content to scs as maybe eye candy only , as not to interfere with the society , or a way to link a custom building to a society .

[MarkDuffy]

To Mark ,Custom content on my prioty list is a 10 where as zoning maybe a 5

Thank you, NappySick. This is kinda what it sounds like.

.Custom content , if applied to Caesar would give you 30 hippodromes to choose from, 1000 temples , Forts , bulwerks, towers, 1000 ,s fountains ,gardens labyrinths to choose from , custom 8x8 gardens , custom plaza s of all sizes, 100 differant statues,walls , tree s , fishing harbours ,docks , road textures etc etc .

So, in SC4 your cities now have more buildings to choose from? The game actually can choose from a list of 30 hippodromes at the same time? 1000 Temples at the same time?

WOW !!! :eek:

I think it would be best to apply all custom content to scs as maybe eye candy only , as not to interfere with the society , or a way to link a custom building to a society .

That's a whole different ballgame. While 3D will probably be harder to do, if custom content is in SCS, then you all will do amazing things!

[NappySick]

To Mark ,The cities have alot more to choose from x 1000 more to choose from .Some grows , some are plopped , i found i can comfortabley play sc4 with about 800 mb of extra content in a large city , even though i play with 800mb in game i have maybe 3 gb to choose from . So you must manage little files we know as plugins files , you cant just download everything and play ,you must have alittle care and learn to manage the folder. And yes the game would list all 30 if you choose to put all 30 in your current pluginns file , but you would never build a city with 30 hippos , again a 1000 temples , you play with 10-20 temples is one city , change the pluggins and have 20 differant temples for you next city , you wouldnt actually try to play with all 1000 temples in the game at the same time, although if your machines good enough it should still load up .Amazing things for sure my friend , more so it all gets distrubited to everyone at no cost , or obligation.Just think you could have a half built hippodrome with roman scaffolds that works , or the ruins of the hippo ,its as far as your imaganition can take it.

[Romaq]

And Custom Content isn't *only* a much wider selection of buildings, flora, and ground textures to choose from. Custom Content may also affect behavior. The NAM drastically affects transit options, such as making turnabouts, diagonal streets, curved and S-roads, ‘puzzle pieces’ for connecting between different transit-types, and altering public transit use and the game’s perception of how fast traffic travels, and how much traffic appears to be on the road.

Original Maxis landmarks do not have bus stops or jobs. Imagine the Sears Tower, but nobody works there. It just sits in place. Custom Content gave jobs to appropriate landmarks. You can alter demand for industrial or commercial jobs. You can have the menus on buildings reveal more information about internal game mechanics, for those who are curious. Some custom content has its own reward system. You can only get certain custom buildings when you meet other conditions, including growing other custom content within the game. And there is custom content to hide other content from the menus, unless a ‘construction lot’ is plopped, simply to cut down on the amount of menu options.

There are certain consistent fundamentals, such as the limitation in views, city sizes, zones, the structure of menus, and so on driven through the game’s engine, and can not be changed. But it is surprising what *can* be changed, and those changes keep SC4 fresh and growing as a game.

--Romaq