Are resorts the only source of affiliations?

[Norm35]

The idea of reserving venues exclusively for the travelers by affiliating them eliminates the problem of worker Sims taking on impossible distances to attempt to reach traveler venues.

However, the resorts are so expensive that they are not desirable for most tourists. It would be better if the affiliations could be made to a building which has no other purpose. Locate this building in the center of the tourist area, make the affiliations to all the venues in that area and the job is done.

Right now, using a resort almost guarantees unused accommodations.

I believe it was Rizzla who mentioned setting up something like this. If anyone has done this, please describe how you did it. There is no point in reinventing the wheel.

[rizzla]

You could mod any building to have that function, I believe. Here's the line from the beach resort which is responsible for the action:

<BuildingAction type="activated_immediate" Resource="money" amount="1000" action_object_name="BACT_ResortAffiliation" param="radius=25;category=All" />

You can change the amount of money or even the radius.

You have to fiddle around with it. Maybe the building will also need to be classified as a resort, which would require

<Type>Resort</Type>
<GalleryType>Venue</GalleryType>

(and delete the line <Type>Venue</Type>)

Only thing I am uncertain about is if you need to make another change so the affiliation sign is used - or wouldn't it be even better if no sign were used? Midrealm?

The last change I made to my city was to delete all accomodations, just place the three resorts on my island, the airport had to go, too, and delete all the bridges. I didn't like it at all and I'll return to my previous save game.

[Norm35]

Originally Posted by rizzla

You could mod any building to have that function, I believe. Here's the line from the beach resort which is responsible for the action:

<BuildingAction type="activated_immediate" Resource="money" amount="1000" action_object_name="BACT_ResortAffiliation" param="radius=25;category=All" />

You can change the amount of money or even the radius.

I was able to do this and am presently testing. So far only travelers have shown up in the tourist area, no worker Sims.

Originally Posted by rizzla

You have to fiddle around with it. Maybe the building will also need to be classified as a resort, which would require

<Type>Resort</Type>
<GalleryType>Venue</GalleryType>

(and delete the line <Type>Venue</Type>)

I had to do this to get it to work.

Originally Posted by rizzla

Only thing I am uncertain about is if you need to make another change so the affiliation sign is used - or wouldn't it be even better if no sign were used? Midrealm?

I don't understand. Please elaborate.

Originally Posted by rizzla

The last change I made to my city was to delete all accommodations, just place the three resorts on my island, the airport had to go, too, and delete all the bridges. I didn't like it at all and I'll return to my previous save game.

I am not using any resorts. They are too expensive and don't really offer anything special without the affiliations.

Most of my accommodations are Time Shares and some B&B's at the low end.

Why did you have to eliminate the airport and bridges?

[MidrealmDM70]

Originally Posted by rizzla

Only thing I am uncertain about is if you need to make another change so the affiliation sign is used - or wouldn't it be even better if no sign were used? Midrealm?

Best guess (having not toyed with it)
Without defining it somewhere their would be no affiliation sign, but the ability should still function without a sign present.
Worst case scenario you would have a small white cube indicating a missing or undefined model.

For game balance, I would at least use a smaller radius on the smaller buildings. More realistic in that they would have a smaller area of influence.

Keep us posted on how this works out!

[Norm35]

Originally Posted by MidrealmDM70

Best guess (having not toyed with it)
Without defining it somewhere their would be no affiliation sign, but the ability should still function without a sign present.
Worst case scenario you would have a small white cube indicating a missing or undefined model.

For game balance, I would at least use a smaller radius on the smaller buildings. More realistic in that they would have a smaller area of influence.

Keep us posted on how this works out!

I widened the radius so one building placed in the middle of the tourist area can reach all the venues.

My modified tent seems to perform the affiliation in all ways but one. It does not put a sign on the affiliated venues.

I have looked through the resort xml file and cannot find anything that seems to have anything to do with a sign.

There is one line that puzzles me, "<Use TFLP>".
I've looked but can't find any answer as to what is TFLP?

[MidrealmDM70]

Originally Posted by Norm35

I widened the radius so one building placed in the middle of the tourist area can reach all the venues.

My modified tent seems to perform the affiliation in all ways but one. It does not put a sign on the affiliated venues.

I have looked through the resort xml file and cannot find anything that seems to have anything to do with a sign.

There is one line that puzzles me, "<Use TFLP>".
I've looked but can't find any answer as to what is TFLP?

TFLP is a model file that distorts the ground the building is placed on. It tells the game how to shape the ground for buildings that must have specific shaped terrain under them. I'm not sure what the FLP stands for but the T is for terrain.

There are different affiliation signs for each resort, so somewhere in the game are instructions on which sign to use for which resort. You just have to find that and add your new resort to the list.

If you look at most venues you will see a line that reads <Propset>CC_Resort</Propset> or something similar.
I believe it is defined in the propsets - but I may be wrong,
Look for a folder called Propsets (or maybe props) in the DataXP1\XMLdb\Game\

(Make sure you are looking in the DataXP1 directory structure)

[Norm35]

Originally Posted by MidrealmDM70

TFLP is a model file that distorts the ground the building is placed on. It tells the game how to shape the ground for buildings that must have specific shaped terrain under them. I'm not sure what the FLP stands for but the T is for terrain.

There are different affiliation signs for each resort, so somewhere in the game are instructions on which sign to use for which resort. You just have to find that and add your new resort to the list.

If you look at most venues you will see a line that reads <Propset>CC_Resort</Propset> or something similar.
I believe it is defined in the propsets - but I may be wrong,
Look for a folder called Propsets (or maybe props) in the DataXP1\XMLdb\Game\

(Make sure you are looking in the DataXP1 directory structure)

This opens up a whole new area I know nothing about.

It also leads to a question I did not even realize I could ask.

For some time I have been aware that if certain buildings (like the hiking trail and mountain bike path) are placed and then later demolished they leave the ground so distorted that it cannot be used again for another type building.

It never occurred tp me that it might be possible to remove the distortion from the ground with a program. I tried using the ground flattening tool but that messed it up even worse.

In time I might be able to figure out how to use a propset to do this but I will take a shortcut and ask.

Is there a program I can run to undo the ground distortion caused by a previously installed building that will make it flat again and usable for another building?

I can't simply place another building over it because the ground distortion prevents the icon from turning green while the icon is over it.

The folder you were referring to may have been one of the following:

C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\SimCity™ Societies\Data\Graphics\Models\Props,
C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\SimCity™ Societies\Data\XMLDb\Art\Props,
C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\SimCity™ Societies\DataXP1\Graphics\Props\Models,
C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\SimCity™ Societies\DataXP1\Graphics\Props\Textures,
C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\SimCity™ Societies\DataXP1\XMLDb\Art\Props.

I did not find Hiking Trail in any of these so you may be talking about another folder altogether.

I know you said to use DataXP1 but I did not find a Props folder under Game.

I sure wish your accumulated knowledge about SCS were written down in an encyclopedia somewhere.

[MidrealmDM70]

Originally Posted by Norm35

For some time I have been aware that if certain buildings (like the hiking trail and mountain bike path) are placed and then later demolished they leave the ground so distorted that it cannot be used again for another type building.

It never occurred tp me that it might be possible to remove the distortion from the ground with a program. I tried using the ground flattening tool but that messed it up even worse.

In time I might be able to figure out how to use a propset to do this but I will take a shortcut and ask.

Is there a program I can run to undo the ground distortion caused by a previously installed building that will make it flat again and usable for another building?

Not that I am aware of - but if you go into the hiking trail xml file and find a line that says "<Use TFLP>TRUE</USE TFLP>"
And either remove the line or change it to FALSE it should prevent the ground from being changed in the first place, but of course the hiking trail will look 'wrong' without this ground distortion.
I agree, It would have been nice to have the terrain go back to normal if such a building were demolished.

Originally Posted by Norm35

I can't simply place another building over it because the ground distortion prevents the icon from turning green while the icon is over it.

Yep - that Sucks. If I remember right, you can't even place a copy of the building that was there either, so once you demolish it, the land area becomes useless.

Originally Posted by Norm35

The folder you were referring to may have been one of the following:

C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\SimCity™ Societies\DataXP1\XMLDb\Art\Props.

I believe that this one is the correct one

Originally Posted by Norm35

I did not find Hiking Trail in any of these so you may be talking about another folder altogether.

You won't find Hiking Trail - Sorry I wasn't clear about that
You are looking for a defined set for the resorts, not the venues. It is a resort prop that gets placed on the venue, that is how the game tracks it so that a different sign is used for each resort.

I believe it was called "CC Propset"
It should have a list of resorts and which signs should be placed at a velune associated with that resort. If you can't find 'CC Propset' - try searching for one of the resort building names.
If you can't find either let me know and I will see if I can find it again this evening. I am probably remembering the wrong file anyway.

Originally Posted by Norm35

I sure wish your accumulated knowledge about SCS were written down in an encyclopedia somewhere.

Me too, oftentimes I will be looking for one thing and discover another. Then later, such as now, when I need the information, I forget exactly where it was that I saw it.