Compatibility Guide + List of Great Mods

Simple easy guide to help get this game working on newer machines, plus details on the best mods to install (with links)

Let's Get the Game Working!

You want a fast and easy way to get this game running, you came to the right place.

Ok to cut a long story short, this game came out a number of years ago (10+) and wasn't designed with current hardware/graphical advances in mind, namely being multiple cores and threading. So a large percentage of those who initially run SimCity 4 may experience problems. SimCity 4 is still the best city building game there is, and the number 1 reason it is voted down on steam is because of technical issues. Let's fix this!

This guide is intended to get this game working for you as fast and easily as possible. I am not saying this is the best method for results, if you delve deeper into websites like Simtropolis, you may find an "external launcher" will grant you better performance. However, such launchers can be tricky/fiddly to setup- this guide is a hassle free way to get this game up and running.

Step 1: Make it Compatible with Windows XP

Assuming you are running the steam version of Sim City 4, go into your steam folder and access your SimCity 4.exe ; located at C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\SimCity 4 Deluxe/Apps.
Right click on the icon, go to Properties, select Compatibility, make sure windows XP is selected in compatibility and the box is ticked for running the game in this mode.

Step 2: Adjust your Steam Launcher

On your steam account go to your Library page where all your games are kept. Down the left hand you should see SimCity 4, right click, select Properties, click on the Launch Options button; in this paste in the command

-CustomResolution:enabled -r1920x1080x32 -intro:off -CPUCount:1

Step 3: Adjust the in game options to remove the graphic issues

In the game, select the Options icon that is located at the bottom of the screen. Then select Graphic Options, go to Renderer and select Software, make sure shadows is also set to low.
Now restart SimCity 4.

Some Very Good Mods

Ok that's the boring part of the guide over, we have got the game working, now lets get some epic Mods installed and make things really interesting. Here is a list of probably the best Mods for Sim City 4. Remember to put mods into your folder located at

USER\My Documents\SimCity4\Plugins

NAM

http://www.moddb.com/mods/network-addon-mod/downloads

BSC Funding Mod

http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=621

Money Tree

http://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/25138-money-tree-v1/

Garbage Chute

http://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/4569-peg-garbage-chute/

Water Tower

http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=1469
http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=101

Fire and Police

{LINK REMOVED}http://www.mediafire.com/download/f5spl1dd51o27hh/PoliceAndFireStation.zip

Hospital

{LINK REMOVED}http://www.mediafire.com/download/4ngkeym1mnn/Hospital.zip

Bank of Simcity Plaza 2

http://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/2579-bank-of-simcity-plaza/

PEG Random Woods

http://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/4526-peg-random-woods-v206/

Super Demand

http://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/21299-super-demand-ordinance/

Radical Ordinance

http://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/21318-radical-ordinance-v20/

Large Hospital

http://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/19996-ndex-its-st-addielines-hospital/

Mega Hospital

http://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/11175-somy-consolidated-hospital-complex/

Police HQ

http://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/1193-simcity-police-headquarters/

Radius Doubler

http://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/13696-radius-doubler-mod/

High Wealth Estates

http://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/16345-hk-estates-medium-wealth/

Asphalt Highways

http://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/20509-highway-restyling-mod-asphalt-texture-set-complete/

Power Plant

http://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/17610-nob-power-plant/?tab=comments

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Copy of Prima Guide

http://www.emuparadise.me/magazine-comic-guide-scans/SimCity_4_Rush_Hour_Prima_Official_eGuide/1910

The links to the Fire and Police, and the Hospital have been removed by Steam because they are in a zip format. Steam's security settings automatically disabled them, however they are available on the youtube video.

Hope this guide helped you. enjoy

[infra-dan-accelerator unit 84725]

Nice i dont even know if my game will run now i got so many mods

[You like Jazz?]

For those having trouble launching the game:
-Right click the game in your library
-Properties
-Paste the following into your launch options without the quotation marks
"-d:soft -intro:off -CPUCount:1 -f -CustomResolution:enabled -r1920x1080x32"

If you're still having trouble, do this AND run compatibility for Windows 8.

[A Lonely Prince]

This guide is honestly laughable. Doing any of the steps at the top DOES NOTHING. It will not launch on Windows 10 and newer. You need to install patchers for that. Terrible guide.

[I Fart In Public]

Is having mods for this game permitted? The EULA states that we can not modify the game. Does that still stand or not (for example, XCOM 2 states the same thing, yet the game has a modding workshop. So I am not sure how this all works)?

[relichuntingmouse-uk]

yup, can't get it to work, I get as far as the screen beyond the intro video and then boom, crashes and closes everytime.

tried the very unhelpful tips shown here, but it just doesn't work.

[FreeZe]

I just purchased the game, followed all the guides above, and it still won't launch at all.

[Just Jeff]

Anyone else having trouble actually finding some of the mods now?

[Reginald]

im gonnsa

[Yani Dude]

The 5th guy below me is 100 right, the next one, ehhhhh

[meduza65]

Where do you install the freaking mods?! I have tried both the stream directory and the windows my documents, Nothing nada zip