Realistic City 101

[Denon333 0]

Here is the problem. I've always been able to build a huge city using a strategy I used for a city. Now, I'm trying to grow the place without connections for the moment. And yes, I've heard that cities will stagnate without neighbours, but I'll try to build up this city without neighbours first.

So, an even bigger problem. I also want to build a realistic city in the way cities do in real life, but how? FYI, I'm using NAM atm, but what else would I need?

[froelich131 13]

It depends on how realistic you want to get..

I build realistic, like, starting with a nice downtown, then slowly moving to medium, then finally the burbs..

Along the way, i build realistic sized parks, schools, hospitals, colleges, ect..

Along with highways (RHW).

I don't get down and dirty with realistics, like some people spend hours making single neighborhoods, all i want is to make it look pretty..

Anyways..

Some Park pieces are needed, the Real Highway Mod (RHW) Network Widening mod (nwm) uh.. and maybe a few skysrapers for downtown, and a few houses for the burbs?

~Joey

Also, don't alway build grid.. When you are in the inner part of the city it is always fine, but when you get to the outskirts, build more random neighborhoods.. Looks more realistic..

[Denon333 0]

I want it to be as realistic as possible.

[tkuelker 2]

I usually play with the game on pause and plop everything (even growables using the extra cheats .dll). Therefore I get a realistic city but don't have to worry about problems you have with the game unpaused.

[Denon333 0]

Oh, just great! Cheats! The world was not built with cheats!

[z1 566]

Yes, but it wasn't built with the rules of SC4, either.  SC4 is a rather primitive simulation; if realism is your highest priority, and "cheats" are the only way to get it, what's wrong with that?

Actually, part of the world was built with cheats, anyway.  Just a slightly different kind...

[Denon333 0]

Oh, I think I know what you're saying. But no cheats. I know how to get it done..... I guess. But I'm also busy with doing other things, I'm still quite a newb when it comes to how the simulation works.

[Nlogax 0]

Dude, read the omnibus articles.

Study maps on google maps. Note the layouts of cities, how the highways connect the metropolitan, etc.

go for a walk in your own town, see how things are organized.

read some city journals here.

SC4 wont give you a perfectly realistic city in terms of simulation but from the birds eye view they can look almost photographically real. 

[Tysons4 68]

if you want a realistic city without neighbors you need to have a seaport or rail connection to get the industry out of the city... industry needs to get to simnation or it won't work

[z1 566]

Originally posted by: Tysons4

if you want a realistic city without neighbors you need to have a seaport or rail connection to get the industry out of the city... industry needs to get to simnation or it won't workquote>

Road connections (including highways) also work fine for this purpose, as freight trucks will take them.

[Livin in Sim 83]

Sure, it never hurt to cheat a bit, did it?  Especially the "endowments" that are generously supplied by the moolah cheat, since I insist upon putting the infrastructure in first.    Just between you, me, and the wall.  I'm sure it can be done gradually and organically as well.  You definitely can build realistic cities without plopping everything.  For study, I recommend searching the nic "aleking".

[kolnikov inc 1]

..download google earth....its as real as it gets...or is it as real as it is..?

[philishappilylivingonmars 1]

 Erm... I'm sorry to say that yes, the world has been built with cheats. Or how else would you describe wars and colonial empires?