Just to pass on what I've learned so far: I did need to reinstall GRM because I had not told it to load the plugin for SC4 the first time I installed, since, at the time, I didn't know that was a thing. GRM does use the main SC4 folder where the graphicrules.sgr file is, not the App folder where the exe is. SC4 log still insists it is using my Intel integrated card though, even though every setting elsewhere says Nvidia. Sigh.

I did the 4gb patch over again on the desktop just in case, but nothing changed with that either. The little success popup says it did it, it appears to change the exe and adds the backup, but the log for SC4 does not change from 1GB. Maybe I just don't understand something about the log. :P

I may have to use a wrapper for SC4 but I don't want to and, honestly, it looks better than it did on my old laptop before I knew I could change the resolution, so....

I play SC4 and have started making terrains. Apart from the GRM, I also use the Win10 function as described here: https://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=667347
(Hope it helps).

^ If you have a separate graphic card (I know this works for Nvidia, not sure for others), you can go into its settings and manually choose for the program to auto-run with the card every time you open the program.

Hmmm, I had actually done that with SC4 but it never occurred to me to do it with BS, even though I had changed the graphicsrules and applied the 4gb to BS, so cool beans on that.

For the launch options, are you talking about adding parameters to the target in the shortcut because I did that for the resolution, CPU, and intro off. But like the other poster on the thread you linked, my card just doesn't show in the log.

As for setting the Nvidia options, I had already set those to be used with SC4, Sims 2, and BS. Incidentally, I added 4gb patch to SimPE, too. Seems like it loads faster but haven't tested too scientifically.

@Justpetro would you mind sharing your SC4 graphicrules so I can maybe see if I just made a mistake with it somewhere?

Sunrader, don't know if this is helpful at all, but on this computer (Win 10) I couldn't get the OS to stop overriding my graphics card settings. I resorted to right clicking on the Sims 2 icon and choose "Run with -> High functioning Nvidia graphics processor" every time I start the game. This at least makes Windows run the game with the dedicated graphics card and it has solved some issues I had before.

I used to do this in Win 7, too (never had Win 8 - 10), but I can't find any similar command on Win 11. I did change it in the Win 11 Settings/Graphics and in the Nvidia Control Panel, though.

I uploaded the graphic rules and the video cards for you : https://simfileshare.net/filedetails/3487298/ and https://simfileshare.net/download/3487297/ -

I have SC4 Deluxe and my exe is in the main folder along with the sgr files. I do have an APP folder with another exe, but that is not what starts the game. Maybe the issue is you are using CFF on the wrong exe? If you edit the graphicsrules.sgr to a larger resolution, do you have that larger option? Mine is at 1600x1200, which is the max, and it won't accept anything larger.

I have w11, and it installed fine and it runs as usual. Although, I don't have a log in documents after using it.

Thank you! There are slight differences, you are missing a quotation mark at the end of a string and you have the device number. I added my device number just in case, although none of the others in the database have it, but it did not seem to make any difference. Helpful, though. One odd thing is that if I let GRM make a graphicrules, there is no "fast card" area included in it at all. That doesn't seem right, so after trying that, I resorted to changing it myself as people did before GRM. Nothing seems to matter, anyway.



Interesting that you have another exe. The only exes I have in the directory with the sgr files are the uninstall, a sc4_inifix, and a language setup. There is a launch shortcut but I have another on the desktop. The exe in Apps is definitely the one running the game. My install is the offline version from gog.com, perhaps there are different configurations.

My resolution is being increased not with the graphicrules but with a parameter on the target for the shortcut that points at that exe in Apps. The target is
"C:\GOG Games\SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition\Apps\SimCity 4.exe" -CPUCount:1 -intro:off -CustomResolution:enabled -r1920x1080x32

This does increase the resolution but it does not change the options in the graphics settings for the game. I have the same ones as usual, top is 1600x1200 as you say, but in mine, none of the options are checked. Since you brought this up, though, I tried changing them in graphicsrules but nothing changed in game. It makes me wonder if my graphicsrules is being read at all.

I might try updating the GPU drivers, but it's working fine, so I kinda hate to try that.

Other than that, seems like a wrapper for SC4 is the next step, but not sure I want to bother. SC4 runs and looks pretty good. I don't play the game. Only use it for terrains. So this may be good enough. I see such nightmares on simtropolis where people have terrible times getting it to work at all, so may just leave well enough alone.

Thanks y'all!

I just heard about how Origin is going to be shut down and they are going to go with this new EA app. I play Sims 2 UC on Origin and never could get it to work without having to be on Origin (which has been fine by me so far). Has anyone downloaded the new EA app and has The Sims 2 UC?

Oh great, so they are going to make it worse than it already is.

From what little I saw it should be a simple install EA app (which uninstalls Origin) and everything *should* still be there. All your games, as they were. I seriously hope so and that The Sims 2 UC and The Sims 3 will still be there. I recently bought the last stuff pack I still needed for Sims 3!

Wait, WHAT?
Oh, my, I hope they do their homework well. I mean, I'm sure they will be careful with stuff you bought on Origin, but this was a freebie...
I don't know about you but I haven't kept my DVDs ever since I got the UC :/

I've kept every single CD/DVD of my game because I don't trust EA as far as I could throw them.
They've shut down entire lines without much fanfare, and some of them being very well-loved.
Like these:
https://gamerant.com/nhl-games-servers-shut-down-when/
Or these:
https://gettotext.com/ea-is-pulling...-server-access/

Don't throw out any hard physical disks you have for any games. EA will shut down their servers, even though players still access them.

EA is replacing Origin with the EA App:
https://www.ea.com/ea-app

You will still be able to play the games you have, but you must download and install the app to do so with.

You don't get me to sell any of my CDs! Only reason I'm currently using the UC for TS2 is because my new laptop didn't have a disc drive, but I even bought an external one just in case. I have TS3 on discs, and I even have TS4 (BG) on disc (but then they stopped selling those on discs, only sold them as codes in a box, and I kinda knew it was about time to stop...)

We believe that April Hutchins-Capp is pregnant (a rare enough event in my game!). The father is her husband Consort Hutchins-Capp.

My stupid question is, is it safe for her and Consort to move to another house while she's pregnant? She would probably have to move twice: first to a cheap house (under §20,000), and then to 95 Bard Boulevard (the mansion with a maze in the back garden), after Juliette transfers the necessary funds to Consort for him to buy it. Juliette Capp for one would prefer the new baby not to be born at Capp Manor. She feels that it might jeopardise her inheritance if he/she is born there. She has always seen Capp Manor as her personal inheritance, and if she lost it, she fears she might also endanger her position as Grand Duchess. But she wouldn't want to do anything that put either the mother or the baby at risk. She has come to rather like Consort's new (well . . .) consort. (A few hours ago they were enjoying a pillow fight together!)

I'm sorry to ask an "is it safe?" question, but this game can make us a bit paranoid. And in my case I would regard the death of either the mother or the baby as about as bad as our arch-bogey -- corruption.

Although I've been playing for almost ten years, I've very little experience of pregnancy -- about one a year in my whole game.

No, it's fine! We all move pregnant ladies all the time. Seasons adds a family with a pregnant member to the family bin, and though in the beginning there were problems, they had nothing to do with her being pregnant and moving house and in any case the weaknesses in the code revealed since then have been patched.

I see it in my EA App but any attempt to download it throws an error. So EA will need to fix that.

Thanks @Peni Griffin ! I presume that's the Ottomai. I've heard a lot about them.

One thing too: if Consort and April stay at Capp Manor till the birth, Juliette and Hermia will doubtless ensure that all April's needs are met throughout the pregnancy. Even though Juliette knows it's not in her interest to have the baby born there. Moved to another house, April would only have Consort, and Consort is old and, frankly, a bit erratic. But they are thinking about that problem too, and trying to think who else they might ask to move in to help during the pregnancy -- preferably a townie, as that wouldn't disrupt another household. One name that comes to mind is Downtownie Seth Almassizadeh (Ian Byall in the game files and in the Sims 2 Fandom Wiki). Both April and Consort are friends with him: Consort knows him well a work colleague, and April is best friends with him.) I don't know him well, but they do, and he'll probably be quite helpful. The Wiki says he's got a modified Face 1, so he's probably quite good looking too. I'm quietly hopeful that he'll be helpful, but of course they do say that you don't know somebody properly till you live with them.

------------------------------

Peni, I don't know if you've seen my recent post in the What's happening in your game right now? thread, where I'm trying to see if I can offer a little help with your current Simming problems. I should have tagged you.

According to what I saw you shouldn't have to download it again. If you already had it downloaded before installing the EA app you shouldn't have to do anything according to what they said. It should all be there exactly the same as it was.

I know that, but I specifically uninstalled it to check if there's anything new and how EA App handles it. Also, for at least one player I talked to, trying to download TS2 using EA App gave them The Sims 2 Store Edition. I'm thinking that EA somehow messed that up and instead of UC it tries to download Store Edition, but it can't since I don't own that on Origin.

Question~
My ceilings turned invisible, but the outlines of the floortiles above are still there. How do I turn it back to normal?
I have Honeywell's default replacement for ceilings but it's meant to just remove the popcorn ceiling effect and not make my ceilings invisible.

Crap. They need to fix that!

Oh, crap. I have trouble installing Origin on my laptop with my email and password. I know they are the right ones but Origin wants to send me a code and I don't remember the password to my email. I know the EA app will give me problems. So I got on amazon to order the few stuff packs and expansion packs I didn't have. Amazon told me I ordered Mansions & Gardens in 2009, and I can't find it no where. So I re-ordered it and the few stuff packs I didn't have. All of them were cheap because they were pre-owned. Got my fingers crossed, though.

Sorry if its obvious, but I assume you have toggled the ceiling to be on?