a sim newb

[rhino120 2]

Hi oneday13, welcome to Simtropolis!

Traffic congestion is a major problem for a lot of players so you're not alone.  However, if you check in the modding files section of the site you will find a download called the network addon mod (NAM) which can definitely relieve some of the problems you're experiencing.  It has quite a bit of functionality and rather than giving you everything here, my suggestion is read the readme that comes with the download.  It should help you tremendously.  The NAM should help with the long commute times also.

 

As far as where to place highways/avenues, that depends on where you're having the most congestion.  Personally, I don't use many highways and avenues, but I don't normally create skyscraper jungles and high population cities.  My suggestion is that before you start building and zoning, you think about where you're going to have your city center and densely zoned areas.  This gives you an opportunity to plan ahead for highways and avenues and you can leave open areas where you know you're going to need them later.  The other thing to consider is mass transit (buses, rail, subway, etc), which can be used to alleviate alot of heavy congestion.

 

The commercial zones do provide jobs for the sims.  Commercial zones can be placed next to or near residential zones and, in fact, you don't want them too far away because sims don't like to travel too far to get to them.  Exactly where you place them is a matter of personal preference.  I like to place them along routes that I know are being used by my sims (typically along routes that they are using to get to their jobs).  Check the volume section of the traffic view and it should give you an idea of what routes their using.

 

Finally, I don't think this was the correct forum to place this thread so I'm pretty sure it is going to end up being moved.  Just for future reference, there is another section of the forums to post regarding game questions.

 

Good luck,

 

rhino

[oneday13 0]

now i realize that this simcity thing is all about creativity and it is impossible to hab like a strategy guide for the game, like Final Fantasy for example.  however, as i keep playing this game, which is about tenth days since the day i bought it now, i keep finding myself getting frustrated because of the traffics....

is there anyone out there who thinks that traffics is one of the hardest trouble to deal with building a city?

i mean...i switch streets to roads to one ways but then now...what? avenues that destroys half of the block that my rich residents live in?

 

or...if i am to do it anyway...how do i know which part of the city i place the avenues or highwayz?

right in the middle of a city or by the sides?

 

when the industrial work places say that the freight trip is long, then do i have to just simply deal with it, because nothing i do will fix the damn problem...and eventually i begin to see these ruins among my sim residents with the number one reason abandoned due to the freight trips... or due to the commute time...

 

nothing can stab on my heart harder than seeing my beautiful(?) creation of a city becomin full of haunted houses...

so do i build the commerical zones next to those houses? do commercial zones even provide jobs at all?

 

gawd!!! help me gentlemen!!!!!

[jacqulina 162]

Oneday13, welcome aboard to simtropolis. its a wonderful place to spend time and leisure and meet new people who are very nice and exstremely talented people. I hope you stay with us, enjoy and be awed by what these SIM ENGINEERS CAN CREATE FOR YOU! hOPE TO YOU AROUND ON THE SITE! 

[rustalot42684 0]

Well, first off, a bit of real-word advice (my grand father was a traffic enginner) building more roads doesn't help in the real world, because more people take cars due to less traffic, and then you are back where you started. I am not sure if that [not building roads] works in sc4, but my suggestion would be building a subway system, and having lots of options (road, rail, seaport) for your industry.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Take some time to browse around. You will find all kinds of answers. Try the Omnibus for openers.

[Compromise 1]

Welcome to Simtropolis. PM me or others if you need help.

 

Here are some good tips that will help you...

• Use public transport it's a wonderful congestion killer.
• When planning your cities think about leaving a space for later road upgrade's.
• Explore this site and visit areas such as the omnibus on the left menu which will have some other great tips.
• Download the NAM (Network Add On Mod) from modding files. There's a lot of things in there that will really help your transit networks.

[Reno_Schrecklish 0]

Rustalots advice is great. Subways are awesome in reducing traffic, so are bus stops in a way.

Be careful when building your Subway, or bus system. I didn't really know how a subway system worked until I went to Montreal this July. I actually got on a subway for the first time and checked out the map, and trust me there are LOTS of stops.

I'm not saying you have to makes alot of subway stations, just start out in the mainly high traffic areas. My first successful subway involved one line of subway pipe and four subway stop. I placed one right by the main residential zone, one by the smaller Comercial area, one by the larger comercial area, and the last one by the large industrial area.

It worked like a charm