General GRV II Discussion

[soulchaser]

Maybe I didn't choose my words right, cause I thought it was a vote for the smaller one, but it's allready 4:1, so I don'T see any chances right now! 

Nevertheless, I would participate.

[mrbisonm]

Good to hear that life is back in this thread.......I was starting to worry.
Anyways, on the bigger C map it would have been a little more logical to start on the coastline instead on Tile E, but since tile E has  a riverjunction and an island, well a couple of islands, and since it is a Bordertown, it would look just right to start on tile E. Besides, we have plans in advance and they wouldn't work out right, if the town/city would start elsewhere.

Thanks for commenting. How about the rules, do they all seem fair, easy and understandable?

mrb

[JoeST]

yo mrb

its great to see a new project here I know im "a bit late" but I havent had time to post, (i know, crazy isnt it)

cant wait

Joe

[wouanagaine]

Fred, can we have an idea of what kind of plugins we'll need ?
I'd like to sort out my plugins and want to know if for example I'll need SNM or any heavy harbor related lots ?
It could be better for me to hunt for good lots before a challenge start if I don't have any kind of lots to at least give a try to the challenge
I for now don't have any airport related stuff, so if we'll be ask to build an airport, I'll go from download airport pack now ( and try them to be more effective when the challenge will be running )

[BarbyW]

I am going to sort out two plugins_compressed files. One for rural and one for urban. That way I can keep the two sides as I want them to be and also keep loading time down. By doing things that way I will keep the X-Ports folder separate and so will have the availability of the functional seaports and airports in both cities. The SNM compressed dat will be kept separate too so when asked for I can add it to the appropriate set of plugins. If GRV II is anything like GRV I all of these will be asked for at some stage. 

[mrbisonm]

wouanagaine , Barby is right, there will be a time when almost everything possible in SC4 will be asked for. Here are some ideas of what is upcoming without giving it all away:

- building of an airport on a specific tile
- building of a seaport on a specific tile
- building of a highway on specific tiles (can be different from one player to another.)
- army, navy, airforce etc will also be asked for.
- etc

Now, how big you want to build all these depend on your plugins or what you have in mind to build . It will be all up to you. Let me tell you that smaller constructions can be as much attractive as larger ones if they are well organized. We don't look at the massive construction of things but more at the quality how, where and why it is built so.

Here is what I do and Have in my plugins folder:
All (withotu any exceptions) of my mods are in the (ex:NAM,terrain/water/cheats etc) C/Programfiles/Maxis/Simcity4/Plugins folder. That is just to keep myself organized and load the game a little faster. Then all the basic LOT files that I use everyday are in MyDocuments/SC4/Plugins folder. Outside of the plugins folder I have these folders containing from dozens to hundreds of other files:

- airports
- seaports
- Industrial pack
- Commercials
- Highrisers
- Farms
- Parks and special lots

All these above I will, when needed, put into the pluginsfolder at one time and take them out when not needed anymore. Here is an example of how I work this out.
Let's say I am starting building my city with all my basic plugins like Res/Com and Industries, then I want to go the neighbor and build more and some intensive industries, so I take the Industrial Pack and put it into my pluginsfolder. When having built all the stuff that I wanted, I save and exit that tile. Now I am going south in another tile and want a seaport in this one, so before entering the tile I exit the game, take out the Industrial Pack from my Plugins folder and put the seaport folder into my plugins and then return to the tile I want to build my seaport.......and so on with all the other. Remember that I only have the basics in my Plugins folder, so loading time of the game is not that painful.

You see what this does is keeping my Main pluginsfolder at around a constant size all the time,( in my case it is 3.2gb,  meaning the game will be handling it just fine and then by adding the others only when you need them is just an organized way of playing the game without creating a mess nor complications. ( I used to have a plugins folder of more than 14 gb before)
Sometimes I have an x-tra large region ( Nexis of Genesis) that only has one certain lot in one tile of the whole region, so why keep it in my Pluginsfolder all the time I am playing in all the other tiles. And I have hundreds of those around.

Simple, easy and practical, that is how I play my simcities.

To give it a visual how I organize my folders, here's a picture





So, to answer your question about the pluginsfolder, just do it like this or upload what you think you gonna be needing for the challenges. Almost everything in the game will be asked for at its time.

mrb

[mrbisonm]

The official map is on the LEX right now and can be downloaded here:
http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=1993
I haven't been able to upload it to the STEX for it seems out cold again, but I will as soon as it comes back.

Now, don't you go and start playing like crazy on it right away. We will ask you pictures of your beginnings and the first developments and so on, so make sure not to finish the region right away.
If you can't wait to play on it or just want to practice while we all wait for the official opening, you may make a copy of the region and play as much as you want on it.

Later this weekend I will open another thread where you will be able to officially give your name so that BarbyW can open a private gaming thread for every individual player.

Good luck

mrbisonm

[cameron1991]

If it isn't too late, I'm thinking about joining and playing this game. I have a few plans for my region and I'd love to do something challenging in SC4.

I have one question though, will our cities have to be profitable? ie use taxes, or just use the moolah cheat for unlimited cash. Personally I'd prefer to use unlimited cash as I think it would be difficult to play and create two distinctly different towns with financial limitations.

[superhands]

If it isn't too late

can i sign up to?

dave

[mrbisonm]

cameron1991 , no it isn't too late to join at all since it hasn't officially started yet. Just look out for the thread *Joining the GRV II Challenge* that will be created soon. You will have two weeks or so to join. Glad you decided so.

As it is mentioned in the Rules and Restriction Section, you will be able to use any cheats you want to, including all money cheats. This year no restrictions to that the city has to be profitable. Good news, no?

bighead99 , of course, just wait for the Joining thread to open and leave your name there. A sub-thread in your name will openend for you to play the GRV II region. See ya there.......

[newsimaddict]

Sounds fantastic Fred. Shall be waiting for the join thread to open up and I'm there!

[cityspade]

Hey, this is looking really good! I just might jump on board.

Is it too late to comment on the map? I really like the version you picked, but I have a concern about the city tile configuration. Wouldn't it be more appropriate if the tiles were separated as close to the center of the river as possible? (As opposed to tiles that straddle both sides) My initial thoughts as far as the game was concerned was to have a well-educated country vs a not-so-well-educated country (simply speaking). But if I'm playing on one of the center tiles, any lot I plop that gives a city wide EQ boost would give it to both countries. This could make it hard to create two distinctly different countries as the rules set forth.

I don't want to suggest that the map be changed (especially since its already been uploaded) but I thought I'd bring this up to see if anybody else might see it as a concern. Any thoughts?

-Spade

[newsimaddict]

Only thing is that you wouldn't be able to join roads etc. From memory, if you control the radius of the school bus funding and make it smaller plus choose your location wisely, you shouldn't have any dramas with spillage to the other side of the river. Of course this means a lot more/less schools need to be built for both sides etc.

[cityspade]

Only thing is that you wouldn't be able to join roads etc.

What if there were little 1 or 2 tile "nubs" that could be used for bridges and such.

From memory, if you control the radius of the school bus funding and make it smaller plus choose your location wisely, you shouldn't have any dramas with spillage to the other side of the river. Of course this means a lot more/less schools need to be built for both sides etc.

That would probably work for most schools and such, but the other types of education buildings don't have bus funding (i.e. university, opera house, museums). I'm not 100% sure, but I thought these buildings gave an EQ boost over the whole city with no way to control the "radius" of this effect.

[mrbisonm]

You got a point there cityspade and I have realized it before, but because of some challenges it will needed to have both sides in one tile. But I am sure that you all will think of something that will clear this educational problem in some way, right? Hm.....is that a part of a challenge?

Anyways. maybe plopping on one side and growing on the other, maybe using different differences, or maybe......Whoa! I wouldn't give that idea away here since I am playing too. (sorry)

I will open the *Join Here* thread in a day or two. We (lynncanox and I) are finalizing the preparations for the challenges, regulations, pointage sheets etc .....you know , all that paper work.

mrb

[Splime]

I've read through the rules, and what I'm about to ask about seems legal, but I just want to make sure: Will we be allowed to post updates that do not have to do with the challenges? Like, extra pictures of things that look interesting?

[mrbisonm]

I've read through the rules, and what I'm about to ask about seems legal, but I just want to make sure: Will we be allowed to post updates that do not have to do with the challenges? Like, extra pictures of things that look interesting?

Yes you may , just make sure that you always follow the rules though, especially  those ones that say: " You may not build......."
The pictures and the story that you will update in between challenges will not in any way effect our judgement nor the points you'll be getting for each challenge.
Also , if in any case you have built a challenge without knowing that it is gonna be a challenge and showed us the picture of it, once the actual challenge comes , you may NOT use the same for a completion of the challenge.

Example: Let's say a challenge in the futur is to build a church and you already have built one in between the challenges, then you may not use the same church in the same place to build for this challenge to come. You may use the same model and lot of course, but not the same spot in the same manner.

mrb

[mightygoose]

is there a population limit this time, is it mean to be rural as before?

[mrbisonm]

No population limit, you can create a Megacity if you want to, but take it easy in the beginning please, we want to see the developments of your region and not see the final product all of sudden. 
Also leave some rural area, because we have an agricultural and countryside challenge.

mrb

[SlimShady]

All modds like the Cam and Nam we can use right?

I am a fan of playing without plopping buildings or using money cheats so would this effect me playing this comp in any way because I think this is an awesome idea.