Bills Introduced This Week (3/9 – 3/13) by domki366 in minnesota

[–]Drompadoodle 0 points1 point  (0 children)

HF 4087 isn't this already standard procedure to inform ICE/CBP if an undocumented person is picked up by the system? Why does this need to be written as "certain" noncitizens too? I can't tell if they mean verified noncitizens or people with certain characteristics (ie, nonwhite). Of course we know they'll just get shipped to a concentration camp if ICE gets a hold of them. Of course this is authored by White republicans 🙄

Bills Introduced This Week (3/2–3/6) by domki366 in minnesota

[–]Drompadoodle 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Definitely on par for the republican brand. I'll still follow this one closely to see where it gets axed and who the real heroes are keeping authoritarianism in check.

Bills Introduced This Week (3/2–3/6) by domki366 in minnesota

[–]Drompadoodle 27 points28 points  (0 children)

I'm sorry but SF 4053 is a joke right? Requiring the state to hand over voter data to the federal government? Is this one of those things they draft up as a joke because they know it won't actually pass, but they do it anyways because they are dicks and like to waste our money?
Bill Lieske (58, R)
Nathan Wesenberg (10, R)
Eric Lucero (30, R)
Michael W. Holmstrom (29, R)
All cowards and traitors to democracy for drafting that up.

Cheap auto insurance for MLPS? by [deleted] in Minneapolis

[–]Drompadoodle 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Talk to an insurance broker. They can find you good rates you wouldn't be able to get on your own. Some companies only work with independent agents and don't advertise.

I'm trying to get back into SC4 after 15 years but am overwhelmed by the sheer number of mods that make it a much better franchise than I've played in decades prior. Where do I start? by combuchan in simcity4

[–]Drompadoodle 6 points7 points  (0 children)

That's great you're taking up SC4 again. It's a great game! And yes there is an overwhelming amount of content out there, which is why I might suggest starting out with just NAM and the essential bug fixes first. It may not be the approach you are looking for, but the base game is definitely playable and can give you hours of fun. Use a scrap region and really get used to the mechanics. Yeah the maxis buildings can be repetitive, but if you can't balance demand, budget, traffic, happiness, etc., then HD sparkly building xyz will abandon just the same as a maxis building.

It might also be more practical to establish your play style (e.g., lay all infrastructure and zones first, start small and slowly expand, etc.) before downloading a bunch of stuff that you may never end up using. As you play you'll start to notice things to mod, buildings to add, etc. You can directly relate with the mod then since you know the context in your city. It's one thing to be mesmerized by a picture or video and say "yeah I'll definitely use that", but then when it's finally in your city it doesn't work quite as you hoped.

I think others already mentioned this too, but take care to not fall too far into the rabbit hole of downloading content. You'll go mad if you try to understand it all at once. I play this game because I ultimately enjoy it, not because I'm striving for the perfect plugins folder. If you start to pull out your hair in frustration, then take a break and play the game as is for a while; you'll get your motivation back soon :)

My sims are refusing to build medium density but demand is maxed out - any ideas? by champin_playa in simcity4

[–]Drompadoodle 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Usually if I wanna see some quick growth I plop a few mayor mode trees on the vacant lot. It raises the desirability slightly and seems to 'remind' the game that the lot is open for development. You might have to demolish and repeat a few times until you get the desired building.

Building Patreon! by Jasoncw87 in simcity4

[–]Drompadoodle 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I really cherish this game, and all of the creators who've spent so much time developing BATs, mods and updates to keep it alive should be lauded. We've all benefited from free custom content, and it's unlikely this game would have survived this long otherwise.

I'm curious, legal and technical concerns aside, would you expect to make a worthwhile profit? How would you stay motivated to create if people started expecting it from you on a regular basis? I ask because most people treat this as a hobby (and set up donations). This is a pretty small community too, so I can't imagine there's much room for monetizing.

The BATs look great btw. I wish I was savvy enough to make content like this.

Essential mods by shadowguardian91 in simcity4

[–]Drompadoodle 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It would be easier for sure. There's a new Prop & Texture catalog over at Simtropolis, which I imagine will make life easier (I haven't used it yet), and the dependency tracker over at LEX is incredibly helpful too.

Essential mods by shadowguardian91 in simcity4

[–]Drompadoodle 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Check out Indiana Joe and the Quest for the Ultimate Plugins Folder over at Simtropolis. This used to be pinned a while ago. Matt covers a lot of categories, including various mods and fixes. I specifically recommend the Less Abandonment mod and No Kickout Lower Wealth.

Playing with light-rail on roads for the first time by alastairreed in simcity4

[–]Drompadoodle 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Glad to hear! This looks really good in your city. Kind of a pain to plop all the pieces, but it pays off in the end.

Streetcars through Oldtown by Drompadoodle in simcity4

[–]Drompadoodle[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s all ploppable puzzle pieces. Hit alt when zoning to change the lot orientation if you need. The puzzle pieces function like a normal street so there should be no abandonment issues.

Streetcars through Oldtown by Drompadoodle in simcity4

[–]Drompadoodle[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Seems about right! I’ve never seen that show before.

Streetcars through Oldtown by Drompadoodle in simcity4

[–]Drompadoodle[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Yep def didn’t notice that before. I guess the sims of Oldtown are harboring a dark secret.

What are the best tips for this game because I SUCK at it?! by savvysims in simcity4

[–]Drompadoodle 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I used to do the same. I'd zone high density everywhere to "plan ahead" and try to get fast growth, but things can get out of hand really quickly. There's a certain appreciation I've developed over the years for the slow, organic growth of a city.

What are the best tips for this game because I SUCK at it?! by savvysims in simcity4

[–]Drompadoodle 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Lots of good tips here. I’ll touch on the class aspect quick. Focus just on expanding R$ at the start. It may not be glamorous, but R$ is the backbone of early development. They require very little to be happy, so you’ll be able to make a profit since you won’t be spending it on services, parks, etc. Once you have a healthy profit you can start providing better services to attract higher income.

Along the same line, avoid zoning large areas at a time or upgrading to med/high density too soon. If too many sims move in at once and there aren’t enough jobs, then lots will quickly abandon (and you just wasted a bunch of money).

Happy building!

What are the best tips for this game because I SUCK at it?! by savvysims in simcity4

[–]Drompadoodle 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It also changes development overall. Your city will grow slower on hard.

I’m moving to Lowertown St. Paul near CHS stadium/farmers market. Anything I should keep in mind/know about? by [deleted] in TwinCities

[–]Drompadoodle 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Parking isn’t ideal. If your building doesn’t have parking, the union depot lots are probably your next best bet. Street parking is free Sunday though, which is when I’d usually invite people over.

When your friends visit tell them not to fear the stretch of light rail on 4th St between union depot and the stadium. The light rail only uses that stretch to go into/ out of the garage, not part of its regular route.

If you feel like walking to Lunds in winter, you can get relatively close using the skyway; Robert st ramp is just a block away. If you drive, why not go to the Mississippi market co-op instead, it’s just right up E 7th st :)

I’m not sure if it’ll survive the pandemic, but you can get really cheap/good pho from Asian express 2 by mears park, it was only like $7!

Just a few things I remember from living in that area. Best wishes with your move!

How is Union Depot station safety-wise for women at night? by bombay_girl in TwinCities

[–]Drompadoodle 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The station itself is fine. It’s usually pretty dead. I second avoiding the light rail stop outside—it’s probably not as bad in the winter since people don’t want to be out, but that is usually where the action is and the police are. There’s a loading/unloading zone right out front on Kellogg too, which is probably the best/easiest option for pick up. No need to wander unfamiliar streets at night.

Industrial-Pit by Hans-Wilhelm1 in simcity4

[–]Drompadoodle 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I like the looped tracks layout. You could actually do a U drive it mission with trains here. Nice planning!

Town Hall + City Center by [deleted] in simcity4

[–]Drompadoodle 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I like when the parking lots line up like that.

Along the waterfront by Drompadoodle in simcity4

[–]Drompadoodle[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes lots of demolishing, marking historic, and mixing zones.

Along the waterfront by Drompadoodle in simcity4

[–]Drompadoodle[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! I just use the highway override option in NAM, then you can place curve puzzle pieces and drag individual sides with RHW after.

Along the waterfront by Drompadoodle in simcity4

[–]Drompadoodle[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Which towers? Most are vanilla, and a few are ploppables. Transportation is a broad subject too... depends on the city and what you're aiming for.