CitiesXL 2011 beta

[GlobexCo 33]

Hello community.

Three weeks ago few members from Simtropolis, Generation City and CitiesXs have been contacted by Focus Home Interactive to discover all the bugs that still have to be solved. Now the beta is near the end, and we are allowed to talk about the game (but not to show pictures).

I'd like to start a thread to share the impressions of the group that played the test version...

So here's what I found:

* new content

- The main feature is probably the metro system. you can build stations underground (and yes, you can explore the station at zoom 1) or build bridges to connect stations... Three types of subway trains; the whole system is very similar to the bus one...

- Two new packs (since you probably already know the medieval one), with Chinatown buildings (including a park, many buildings and a dedicated road) and USA buildings (that you can build both on water with pilotis road or on the ground).

- Fully working blueprints... they added stages for each megastructure.

- New trade system...  you can trade tokens with Omnicorp or other cities.

- New maps... All the maps from the PO plus some good thing: Hollywood (yes, there's the sign on the hill!), Hong Kong and Krakatoa (with volcano effects).

- new roads and textures. Before creating a map you choose the type of roads you want to use (default, USA, German, English or French) and texture will change.

- new cool buildings. I think that the most interesting ones are the Carrefour supermarkets set... very useful!

* many cool details added

- Lots of new details... such as red street lights when the car stops, flying airplanes, ...

* many bugs solved

- decoration fills are easier to place (you just need two roads)

- Bridges are easier to place too

- few memory problems (still some little problems when doing too much things at the same time)

* the planet is yours

- a special new feature is the planet view... it's the same of the Planet Offer, but now the world is yours!

* more things to unlock

- as the creator of the Unlocker Mod, I can say that I saw many interesting things to unlock! The skiGem is quite ready(animations and simulation is very cool!). New packs locked (the beach one for example). New blueprints to discover...

and (surprise) all the tracks have been updated...

so prepare yourself to push the game to the limit with lots of new content!

we can answer you questions...

as usual, questions or comments we don't like will be simply removed - keep it clean!

Thank you.

[hotChocolate 95]

As a beta tester, I can say one thing that Globex didn't: the game will absolutely change our perspectives of the game. The new stuff may seem to be too few to truly make CXL 2011 a good game, but trust me, it totally does.

Congratulations Focus.

HC

[Damastius 5]

Great I can't wait for it to be released.

So with the subway system you can only make tunnels and bridges?

[ACEH 0]

In the official forum of the game they said that subway stations are only underground. This will be very sad if stays like this in the final game. Are there any words of onground and elevated station? GlobexCo, please give us more details for the subway system, I think it's the most interesting thing of all - how many types of different trains, how the lines are built, is there a subway depots, things like this. Also how did you find the ambient sounds - did the trains make any sound? I asked that in the other forum - is there a possibility to place trees?

Thanks!

[MandelSoft 2,770]

Some exciting news here! Still have a couple of questions...

Originally posted by: GlobexCo

 Three weeks ago few members from Simtropolis, Generation City and CitiesXs have been contacted by Focus Home Interactive to discover all the bugs that still have to be solved. Now the beta is near the end, and we are allowed to talk about the game (but not to show pictures).

quote>

Are there still well-known bugs present, such as the freeway-to-freeway-bridge bug? If so, I hope these will be resolved soon.

* new content

- The main feature is probably the metro system. you can build stations underground (and yes, you can explore the station at zoom 1) or build bridges to connect stations... Three types of subway trains; the whole system is very similar to the bus one...quote>

Do you mean 3 kinds of trains in means of capacity (like the bus system) or function (passenger, freight)? I guess it's the first one, but it's OK to question things you don't know for sure

- Two new packs (since you probably already know the medieval one), with Chinatown buildings (including a park, many buildings and a dedicated road) and USA buildings (that you can build both on water with pilotis road or on the ground).

quote>

An USA set? Not sure what to expect here...

- Fully working blueprints... they added stages for each megastructure.

quote>

Glad they make these fully functional.

- New trade system...  you can trade tokens with Omnicorp or other cities.

quote>

Great! Just like SimCity (with exception that you can trade with any other city instead of the neighbouring ones).

- New maps... All the maps from the PO plus some good thing: Hollywood (yes, there's the sign on the hill!), Hong Kong and Krakatoa (with volcano effects).quote>

Got to build a city on Krakatoa 

- new roads and textures. Before creating a map you choose the type of roads you want to use (default, USA, German, English or French) and texture will change.

quote>

Cool! I was thinking about modding a set for the 2009 version, but I see that FHI thought ahead.

- Lots of new details... such as red street lights when the car stops, flying airplanes, ...

quote>

So the stoplights now visually work? Great!

- a special new feature is the planet view... it's the same of the Planet Offer, but now the world is yours!

quote>

Excellent! Now I have a whole planet to build on!

Hope to see more news soon!

Best,

Maarten

[roberto_valverde 0]

Carrefour, that sounds good, I missed that in the first game.

And could this mean that we can buy the game in a Carrefour supermarket?

[GlobexCo 33]

Originally posted by: ACEH

In the official forum of the game they said that subway stations are only underground. This will be very sad if stays like this in the final game. Are there any words of onground and elevated station? GlobexCo, please give us more details for the subway system, I think it's the most interesting thing of all - how many types of different trains, how the lines are built, is there a subway depots, things like this. Also how did you find the ambient sounds - did the trains make any sound? I asked that in the other forum - is there a possibility to place trees?

Thanks!quote>

The metro system:

first step: placing the company building (just like with bus... but another building). Now the subway station is unlocked.

second step: plan carefully the line... it's very expensive and you can't modify it when you finished it!

third step: place all the stations... they will be linked with a tunnel, or you can use shift to modify the height (tunnel > road level > bridge).

At the moment there are only underground stations... but I think Focus is working on it, since we pointed it as the main needed feature.

Once you placed the line, go to the transport panel... under bus costs there will be a new panel, for metro system.

There you can manage trains to be used:

- small train, low cost but low capacity

- medium train, medium cost and good capacity

- big train, big cost and very good capacity

You'll see trains in tunnels and on bridges... the model changes of course if you change settings in the management tab. It's really great in my opinion... and of course it will be more useful with other stations!

Sound system:

in my opinion sounds are a bit annoying... not much variety. However they works - and so they can be modded to have more variety. A good addition is the sea sound when you're on the sea, and the sound of cars and people at street level. There were some minor bugs in beta... I hope they'll solve it.

Are there still well-known bugs present, such as the freeway-to-freeway-bridge bug? If so, I hope these will be resolved soon.quote>

I forgot to try that thing... however it should be solved (I think I read something in beta forums).

An USA set? Not sure what to expect here...quote>

it's difficult to explain... remember the houses you see on water in one of the first screens by Focus? That houses are in the usa pack and can be placed both on water and ground...

---

Probably Focus will publish new screenshots from the beta... they took our cities.

EDIT:

I forgot to add that yes, you can play CitiesXL 2009 cities in 2011... the only problem will be modds.

A city created with 2009 + modds can be used in 2011 only if you have got the same mods in paks folder.

[ACEH 0]

Thanks for the answers, GlobexCo. By saying that you cannot modify the metro line does that means that you cannot make any further branches or increase its length?

[danny_1990 0]

Wow! I'm excited! Thanks for the info GlobexCO! Can't wait. But the release date is quite soon! Just three weeks away.

[GlobexCo 33]

No, once it's placed you can't modify its lenght...

However (and here's a thing I forgot) you can place many lines starting from the same station... You can also add two or more lines to the same station: the tunnel will pass under the first one, and the stations (at different height) will be (virtually) linked.

EDIT: yes, the highway bridge works... it can be connected to the highway.

[Kingdom of Hispania 4]

great news! i'll surely be buying

[hotChocolate 95]

Some other stuff:

- In the planet there are multiple dots for the same map!

- Avaliable in two new languages: Spanish and Italian!

- You are able to save manually!

- You can choose to load different saves, eg. you save, you make a big mistake, and you exit the town. You are then able to load the save before the mistake!

- Advanced options to adjust on all zones (Linear, now on the base game, also) such as road with, on which way the lots are placed, etc...

Will post more soon.

HC

[ACEH 0]

Great! I can't wait for more

[danny_1990 0]

omg awesome!

[GlobexCo 33]

Originally posted by: hotChocolate

Some other stuff:

- In the planet there are multiple dots for the same map!

- Avaliable in two new languages: Spanish and Italian!

- You are able to save manually!

- You can choose to load different saves, eg. you save, you make a big mistake, and you exit the town. You are then able to load the save before the mistake!

- Advanced options to adjust on all zones (Linear, now on the base game, also) such as road with, on which way the lots are placed, etc...

Will post more soon.

HC

quote>

Oh, yeah! So many new features that I easily forgot them...

New localizations are very accurate (I personally suggested many corrections of Italian one... and other beta testers helped too!) and well done.

There's a new panel to zone buildings... if you right-click on the square, free or linear tool a panel will open to help you choose settings (a 3x2 square can become a 6x1 with avenues and so on).

[LivingInThePast 364]

Wow, a Carrefour! Cool!

[Dannibee 138]

I hope you can make the traffic LHD by modding or some other means...

[GlobexCo 33]

Originally posted by: Dannibee

I hope you can make the traffic LHD by modding or some other means...quote>

Oh, that's another interesting feature. I saw that the traffic is lhd if you choose English roads!

[The_City_Builder 299]

This questions been bugging me for AGES...

Have the ambiance sound been fixed?

[danny_1990 0]

Yes it has been fixed!

Though it's not perfect, there are ambient sounds such as cars, the ocean (coastal cities) and people on street level.

I've read this from the BETA testers on the Cities XL forum.

[The_City_Builder 299]

Ok thanks...

How about the Packs? Do you have to pay for them or do you download them free from the site? (once everythings released)

[GlobexCo 33]

Originally posted by: 1701adguru

This questions been bugging me for AGES...

Have the ambiance sound been fixed? quote>

mmm... you can ear sounds now at street level... however there's already something about sounds in previous posts

[The_City_Builder 299]

Yea, i realized that after i posted...i was too excited

[Asheroo 53]

I'll just copied what I posted on the official CXL2011 forums here...

Ok, I admit as well, I was a beta tester as well.

Must I say, before the beta, I was starting to drift off CXL, which was why I never posted anything much about it or my cities. However, after being part of the beta test, I can say that I'm back onto it again. The additions in CXL2011 are really useful when creating realistic cities, and make it something more exciting. With the additions, mainly talking about the 3 continent packs (Europe - medieval buildings, Asia - Chinatown buildings, America - Harbour and seaside buildings) which also include the blueprints, the different and new types of roads (loving the left hand drive on the English roads and the markings), and of course the subway system (which has underground stations, but you can still build the railway on the ground and elevated). I'll most certainly be back playing CXL(2011) once it releases and continue work on my cities.

Just like GlobexCo, I love some of the new small details of the game. You can also actually go into the underground metro stations as well if you follow the railway from above ground in first person view. Also, when you do decide what road set to use (American, English, French, German), it also themes up the service vehicles (fire truck, ambulance etc.), the buses and the trains.

Be on the lookout for some upcoming new screens, of some of the cities we created in the beta (you could imagine me making some realistic city of some sort).

[danny_1990 0]

Great! I'm looking forward to the new screenshots.

[Walden95 8]

From what's being said, I feel exited and slightly disappointed at the same time. I'm really enjoying reading all of the new features; I was afraid that Cities XL 2011 would just be the fixed Cities XL 2009 version that just added the now finished unfinished gems + one or two things extra. I'm now thinking that Cities XL 2011 will be a substantial upgrade with quite a few new pieces of content. However, I feel disappointed too. The transit systems truly do add much to a city builder so I didn't think that it would be so limited in this game. I see that there have been some additions since the 2009 version from what's being said, but it seems incomplete to not allow for any sort of elevated or ground rail system to be possible without going underground. Please clarify if I'm wrong. It still looks interesting and I will defiantly try to get it when it comes out. Hopefully it's much improved; would you think so?

[VMIUJcadet09 250]

poss stupid question.....

Will this game be released in the US? I only ask this because I did not see CitiesXL around where I live (DC) at all....

[Asheroo 53]

As I said Walden, you can with the railways (just like you can with the road bridges) make the railway go above ground and elevated. There just aren't any elevated or ground stations (though Focus are going to look into it). What would be great is if a modder can make a railway connection with the Los Angeles Station (a landmark in the game, and was in CXL09), kind of like the road connection (how there needs to be a road connected to a certain part of the building for it to operate).

By the way, as for modding, it is in doubt that Focus will release tools at release, but the are committed to opening up the game for modders soon after release.

[masochist 111]

Originally posted by: VMIUJcadet09

poss stupid question.....

Will this game be released in the US? I only ask this because I did not see CitiesXL around where I live (DC) at all....quote>

Yes it will be.  It'll be available in November.  But I'm not sure if CXL ever made it to stores in the US; I think you either had to ship it, or download it from online.

[Asheroo 53]

Originally posted by: masochist

Originally posted by: VMIUJcadet09

poss stupid question.....

Will this game be released in the US? I only ask this because I did not see CitiesXL around where I live (DC) at all....quote>

Yes it will be.  It'll be available in November.  But I'm not sure if CXL ever made it to stores in the US; I think you either had to ship it, or download it from online.

quote>

October that is (October the 14th is the main release date, around other parts of the world from Europe it will probably be just a few days later).