Reticulating Splines 0.3.0-rs.5 - Water, presentation and multiplayer improvements

Reticulating Splines 0.3.0-rs.5 is a public preview based on Nicholas Ochoa's OpenSC2K 0.3.0.

Changes since rs.4

• Corrected dark underwater triangles, submerged terrain beneath buildings, water and sediment transitions at map edges, and elevated highway reflections.
• Improved water motion, reflections, bridge water edges and marina water; reduced Vulkan shader varying usage.
• Fixed water curtains, sign text entry, classic UI scaling and rotated terrain cross-sections.
• Added Classic Mac presentation, photo mode, reduced idle rendering while paused, and additional water, shoreline and artwork controls.
• Added optional deterministic forest growth. It is off by default, saved with the city and controlled by the host in multiplayer.
• Added multiplayer continuation lobbies, explicit city takeover confirmation and compatibility checks before joining. Use the same version for all players.
• Added online city and population counters with deduplication across saving and rehosting. Offline singleplayer cities are not counted.
• Retains the classic singleplayer cheats and earlier improvements from rs.4.

Downloads

Windows and Linux: x64 or ARM64. macOS: Universal DMG for Intel and Apple Silicon.
Packages contain the project's freely licensed replacement graphics and audio, required license notices and corresponding FluidSynth sources. Original SimCity 2000 files and personal data are not included.

Preview limitations

The macOS app is ad-hoc signed and is not Apple-notarized. Gatekeeper may require explicit approval. The separately reported macOS terrain rendering issue remains unresolved; this release does not claim to fix it.
Native package startup checks cover all six platform/architecture combinations; they do not establish graphical compatibility on every system. Brief frame-time spikes during first setup or zoom transitions remain under investigation.

Built with Codex assistance; existing source, rendering and native validation was reused for the identical product source. Release packages are checked separately on each target platform.

Reticulating Splines 0.3.0-rs.4 - Classic cheats and UI corrections

Reticulating Splines 0.3.0-rs.4 is a public preview based on Nicholas Ochoa's OpenSC2K 0.3.0, with the fork's improvements and reviewed upstream fixes.

Changes since rs.3:

• Classic desktop cheat codes and Easter eggs: type a code directly while the singleplayer city view has focus; no input box or Enter is needed. Includes money and reward codes, the Debug window, bond and disaster commands, a skydiver and a dancing arcology. See the code list and adaptations.
• Singleplayer protection: cheats are rejected for multiplayer sessions and multiplayer save files. Text fields and dialogs do not consume cheat input; incomplete sequences return to normal shortcuts.
• Classic interface corrections: crisp pixel fonts across UI scales and a corrected window close button.
• Light theme: blue accents and selections with readable white primary-button text.

The multiplayer deployment helpers have also been adjusted locally for the moved server-script directories. This is an operational path correction; it does not change the game protocol or ship private server/deployment files in the desktop downloads.

Downloads share one source commit:

• Windows x64 / ARM64: extract the complete ZIP to a writable folder.
• Linux x64 / ARM64: extract the complete tar.gz and launch the included executable. Native startup checks use Ubuntu 24.04; other distributions may need compatible system libraries.
• macOS Universal: Intel and Apple Silicon in one DMG. Drag ReticulatingSplines.app to Applications. Replacement packs stay inside the app; personal data stays in the user profile.

macOS signing: this preview is ad-hoc signed, not Apple Developer ID-signed or notarized. macOS may require approval under System Settings > Privacy & Security after the first attempted launch. A reported terrain-display issue with the replacement graphics on macOS remains under investigation; this release does not claim a fix for it.

Multiplayer uses direct TCP connections and remains experimental. Hosts must be reachable; optional UPnP depends on router permission and does not bypass CGNAT, DS-Lite or firewalls. The directory uses HTTPS; game traffic is not encrypted. Use the same release on all participating computers.

Replacement graphics, music and sounds are included. No original SimCity 2000 imports or personal runtime data are included. Code remains MIT; replacement assets retain their CC BY 4.0 and existing CC0/Public Domain notices. Classic fonts include CC BY-SA 3.0 attribution. Dependency notices and corresponding FluidSynth sources are included.

SHA256SUMS.txt and build-info.json record archive hashes and the source commit. The release workflow verifies all six platform/architecture combinations with package inventory, replacement-pack and isolated headless startup checks. These do not replace graphical playtesting on every operating system.

The About dialog shows 0.3.0-rs.4. The current updater tracks stable releases; check GitHub manually for preview updates. Implementation and release preparation used Codex assistance.

Reticulating Splines 0.3.0-rs.3 - Classic UI and Internet multiplayer

Reticulating Splines 0.3.0-rs.3 is a public preview based on Nicholas Ochoa's OpenSC2K 0.3.0, with the fork's integrated improvements and reviewed upstream fixes.

This release brings the changes since rs.2 together:

• Classic Windows and Classic DOS interfaces: saved theme selection, pixel fonts, compact tools, classic window frames, matching dialogs and chat. Select them in Settings > UI.
• LAN game discovery alongside manual address/port joining.
• Internet game directory with direct host connections. The directory lists games and short status updates; cities, commands and ongoing game traffic travel directly between host and guests. Existing connections continue if the directory is unavailable.
• Optional automatic UPnP forwarding for the host's TCP port (default 20000), with temporary rules and cleanup of rules created by the game. LAN-only games do not publish online or request router changes.
• External reachability check: reachable, unreachable and check unavailable are shown separately, with a retry button.

Internet hosting requires a reachable host. UPnP depends on router support and permission; CGNAT, DS-Lite or firewalls can still prevent incoming connections. The game does not change operating system firewall rules. Guests do not need port forwarding. Multiplayer remains experimental; direct TCP game traffic is not encrypted. Directory connections use HTTPS. Use the same release on all participating computers.

Downloads share one source commit:

• Windows x64 / ARM64: extract the complete ZIP to a writable folder.
• Linux x64 / ARM64: extract the complete tar.gz and launch the included executable. Native startup checks use Ubuntu 24.04; other distributions may need compatible system libraries.
• macOS Universal: Intel and Apple Silicon in one DMG. Drag ReticulatingSplines.app to Applications. Replacement packs stay inside the app; personal data stays in the user profile.

macOS signing: this preview is ad-hoc signed, not Apple Developer ID-signed or notarized. macOS may require approval under System Settings > Privacy & Security after the first attempted launch.

Replacement graphics, music and sounds are included. No original SimCity 2000 imports or personal runtime data are included. Original assets can be imported from your own supported installation. Code remains MIT; replacement assets retain their CC BY 4.0 and existing CC0/Public Domain notices. The classic fonts include their CC BY-SA 3.0 license and attribution. Dependency notices and corresponding FluidSynth sources are included.

SHA256SUMS.txt and build-info.json record download hashes and the source commit. The release workflow checks package inventories, replacement-pack references and headless startup on all six platform/architecture combinations. The native libraries were built successfully for all five targets in the native build run. These checks do not replace graphical playtesting on every operating system or testing from a second independent Internet connection.

The About dialog shows 0.3.0-rs.3. The current updater tracks stable releases; check GitHub manually for preview updates. Implementation and release preparation used Codex assistance.

Reticulating Splines 0.3.0-rs.2 - Windows, Linux and macOS preview

Reticulating Splines 0.3.0-rs.2 is a public preview based on Nicholas Ochoa's OpenSC2K 0.3.0 with the fork's integrated improvements and reviewed upstream fixes.

This release adds native Linux and macOS downloads alongside Windows. All platforms are built from the same source commit.

• Windows: x64 and ARM64 portable ZIPs. Extract the complete archive to a writable folder.
• Linux: x64 and ARM64 tarballs. Extract the complete archive and start the included executable. Native startup checks run on Ubuntu 24.04; other distributions may need compatible system libraries.
• macOS: one universal DMG for Intel and Apple Silicon. Drag ReticulatingSplines.app into Applications. Replacement packs stay inside the application; personal cities and settings stay in the user profile.

macOS preview signing: this build is ad-hoc signed, not Apple Developer ID-signed or notarized. Gatekeeper may block the first launch. After attempting to open it, use macOS System Settings > Privacy & Security > Open Anyway if you choose to trust this download. No global security settings need to be disabled.

The included replacement graphics, music and sounds allow play without importing SimCity 2000. No original SimCity 2000 files or personal runtime data are included. Optional imports use your own supported installation. Code remains MIT; the supplied assets retain their CC BY 4.0 and existing CC0/Public Domain notices. Dependency licenses and corresponding FluidSynth sources are included.

The retained features include visual and quality-of-life improvements, enamel signs, city preview details, custom-music album labels and experimental multiplayer. Simulation and game mechanics are unchanged by this packaging update. The in-app About dialog shows 0.3.0-rs.2. The current update checker tracks stable releases; check GitHub manually for preview updates.

SHA256SUMS.txt and build-info.json identify the downloadable files and source commit. The release workflow verifies package contents, referenced replacement assets and headless startup on Windows and Linux (x64/ARM64), plus macOS (Intel/Apple Silicon). These checks do not replace graphical playtesting on every platform.

The cross-platform packaging and macOS bundled-pack discovery were implemented with Codex assistance.

Reticulating Splines 0.3.0-rs.1 - First public preview

The first public preview of Reticulating Splines, developed by Daniel Gimmer (Realm667) and based on OpenSC2K 0.3.0 by Nicholas Ochoa, with reviewed later upstream fixes.

0.3.0 identifies the OpenSC2K base; rs.1 identifies the first Reticulating Splines preview.

Download and play

1. Download ReticulatingSplines-0.3.0-rs.1-windows-x64.zip below.
2. Extract the entire ZIP into a writable folder.
3. Run ReticulatingSplines.exe.

Replacement graphics, music and sounds are included. You can also import your own supported SimCity 2000 installation for the original presentation. Original game files are not included. Settings and saved cities are stored in the portable data folder; back up that folder before replacing an existing installation.

This release provides Windows x64 binaries. The accompanying SHA-256 file lets you verify the download.

Included in this preview

• Replacement artwork, 19 music tracks and 30 sound effects, with independently selectable packs.
• Day/night lighting, weather, seasons, reflective water, smoother decorative traffic and pedestrians, and configurable visual effects.
• Subtle Tilt Shift, compact enamel city signs with smooth lettering, and vehicle artwork that follows road slopes.
• Updated interface, city previews, music favorites, package management, and a verified predecessor backup for manual single-player saves.
• Saved-city details beside the preview: single-player/multiplayer mode, map dimensions, year, population, treasury and municipal bond debt, with separate multiplayer budgets identified.
• Musicbox album labels from MP3 metadata, with folder-name fallback for missing or mixed album information.
• Experimental multiplayer, additional map sizes, scripting and mod support.
• English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese and Korean interfaces; Korean coverage is still being expanded.

This is a pre-release. Multiplayer remains experimental, and very large maps can require substantial memory and preparation time. Visual enhancements preserve the underlying single-player simulation; multiplayer has separate shared-control and account rules.

The optional in-game update check looks for stable releases only. Download preview updates directly from the GitHub releases page.

Credits and licenses

Thank you to Nicholas Ochoa and the OpenSC2K contributors, sc2kfix and the other projects credited in the included notices. Reticulating Splines is an independent project and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Electronic Arts or Maxis.

Code remains MIT licensed. Daniel Gimmer's replacement artwork, music and sound contributions are CC BY 4.0. Existing CC0/public-domain audio entries, fonts and dependencies retain their own terms. See the included licenses and provenance records. Corresponding sources for the bundled FluidSynth library are included.

AI assistance: Codex assisted with release preparation, documentation and validation; artwork generation and processing are described in the asset provenance.

Project website · Source and documentation