Summary
- A newly released mod adds a fully 3D camera to SimCity 4.
- While the 2003 game already offered multiple perspectives, its camera angles were limited for performance reasons.
- Many SimCity 4 fans have praised the mod for breathing new life into the cult-classic game, though some were initially suspicious that the add-on was an April Fools' joke.
A recently debuted SimCity 4 mod adds a fully functional 3D camera to the game, thus giving it a whole new look. This add-on is yet another example illustrating how SimCity 4 continues to attract both player and modder interest more than 21 years following its launch.
Originally released in January 2003, the fourth mainline entry in the SimCity franchise is still touted as one of the best city-builder games ever made. Public data available via the Steam API reveals that hundreds of players continue to enjoy it on a daily basis as of early April 2024. SimCity 4 has also long boasted a healthy modding community, which keeps churning out all kinds of add-ons quite regularly.
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The latest example of its efforts arrives in the form of the 3D Camera DLL mod by Simtropolis user Memo. Much like its name suggests, this modification allows players to make much more granular changes to the game's camera angles. Back in the early 2000s, Maxis opted against using a free-moving three-dimensional camera in favor of fixed trimetric orthographic projection allowing only a few angles for performance reasons. But with modern PCs being fully capable of handling more flexible solutions, Memo put together a DLL plugin that helps unlock the full potential of the SimCity 4 3D engine.
SimCity 4 Fans Thought 3D Camera Mod Was An April Fools' Joke
The add-on has been making the rounds on social media since early April, garnering quite a bit of praise from the fandom. And while hundreds of players have already downloaded it over the past week, this custom-made 3D camera plugin still had to overcome some initial skepticism. Specifically, Memo dropped the mod on April 1, which immediately led some SimCity 4 fans to wonder if the add-on wasn't an April Fools' joke, judging from the early reactions to this release posted on Reddit and Simtropolis.
How To Install and Use Memo's SimCity 4 3D Camera Mod
Installing the mod itself is as simple as downloading its 46kB DLL file and moving it to the game's mod folder, which defaults to C:\Users\[$USERNAME]\Documents\SimCity 4\Plugins on Windows. With that out of the way, players can tweak the game's camera angle using either CameraPitch or CameraYaw commands in the cheat console. Both of those are meant to be followed by space-separated numbers representing exact angle values: "CameraPitch 85," "CameraYaw 45," etc. The add-on has been developed as an open-source project, allowing tech-savvy users to even compile their own DLL from its source code, which is hosted in the memo33/sc4-3d-camera-dll GitHub repository.
Many players have already taken to social media to praise the 3D camera mod for breathing new life into the 21-year-old game. Its release has also inspired some new discussion among the fandom about what a shame it is that the SimCity franchise is effectively dead nowadays.
SimCity 4
- Released
- January 14, 2003
WHERE TO PLAY
SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition includes the bestselling SimCity 4 and the all-new SimCity 4 Rush Hour Expansion Pack. Create the most massive region of cities ever, with a farming town, bedroom community, high-tech commercial center, and industrial backbone. Take complete control of your city's transportation system, and solve U-Drive-It missions — from fighting crime to tackling disasters. Watch your population skyrocket as you get your Sims on the go and create the ultimate living, breathing megalopolis — the most expansive SimCity 4 compilation ever.
Create an Entire Region of Cities — Weave together a tapestry of cities linked by a fully integrated transportation network and watch them share and compete for resources.
Wield God-like Powers — Sculpt the landscape to create a world based on your imagination, then summon volcanoes, tornadoes, meteors, and lightning.
Be a Responsive Mayor — Build a world-class city with stadiums, airports, universities, and real-world landmarks. Deploy emergency vehicles and join in the action as they battle blazes, mobs, and more.
