CitiesXL 2011 beta

[Walden95 8]

Originally posted by: Asheroo

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.quote>

My apologies for not recognizing that fact in my post. I thought I did, but what you said was what I was thinking. Having an incomplete system in which you can just make an EL or ground based system without having to go underground to make stations does take away from creating your city in my opinion. But thank you for pointing that Focus was looking into it; I really hope it is considered as this probably is one of the main drawbacks to the transit system. Thanks. 

[mr. d 0]

if you've purchaced citiesxl (the 2009 version) are they gonna charge full price for 2011?

[masochist 111]

Originally posted by: mr. d

if you've purchaced citiesxl (the 2009 version) are they gonna charge full price for 2011?quote>

That we don't know.  We only tested the game; I imagine Focus is still figuring out exactly how to approach that particular issue, but we'll all find out at the same time when they do.

[soltangris 42]

OK, my hopes are up again! This is starting to look like a real SC4 rival now. And guys, I can't tell you how happy I am with the new locked content you noticed - more locked content means they intend to continue developing the game!!!!!!

[DICK60 0]

How about placing trees?

Is the memory-leak fixed?

[mayorsushi 0]

Do the game have elevated freeways?

[Oliver199 0]

No, there are no more highways. But with the bridge tool you are able to create them.

Placing trees will be only able with a mod (which also works in '11)

EDIT: Yes, I am also a beta tester.

[masochist 111]

Memory leak is fixed, as is that incessant cl-cl-clclcl-cl-clicking.

And yes, Focus definitely intends to continue development on this game, that much I gathered from the beta.

[LivingInThePast 364]

Maybe there's hope for Cities XL after all!

I'm feeling especially optimistic today.

[Damastius 5]

Great that the memory leak is fixed!! I thought they didn't fix it at all. This all sounds far more optimistic than I thought it would be.

[Herdervriend 46]

Interesting, now hopefully it will actually happen within a month.

[GlobexCo 33]

Oh, and talking about illegal copies of CitiesXL, rightsmgr.lua has been removed from scripts folder... so they have virtually stopped "easy" piracy!

[tornbacchus 0]

I am just wondering about one thing, which really bothered me in the 2009 game.

How is the zoning? I remember in the 2009 game that when you made a curved road, you could not zone tightly (as in there would always be empty spaces between each zone). Have they fixed this? do zones automatically shape to fit around a curved road to eliminate the empty space instead of only being in the shape of straight squares?

This is my main issue, other than transit.

Thanks!

[danny_1990 0]

Originally posted by: GlobexCo

Oh, and talking about illegal copies of CitiesXL, rightsmgr.lua has been removed from scripts folder... so they have virtually stopped "easy" piracy!quote>

What do you mean? That the game can't be illegaly copied anymore? Not that I was intending to do it anyway. Just a  simple question as I didn't really understand 100% what you just wrote.

[djlm91 1]

OMFG! This is far more than I've ever expected!

It's so good to see that CXL is now a REAL game and can be a rival of SC4.

I was just wondering: is there some animation to boats?

Is there a ferryboat transportation system like SC4?

Is there more variety of bridges, parks??

Can you see more people on the streets? (would make the game much more alive! ^^)

Do you know if people from different cities can come or go, just like SC4 with the regions... like a big region?

Well.... i think it's just this

Thanks!

[Finkle 14]

I don't like the blank lots on corners or bends in the road, like the first one had either (have not played it, just watched on youtube). I think a frieght/passenger system would be nice, maybe later.

I really like the whole planet thing, I always thought that was the coolest looking thing in the first one, also love resources that is one place simcty lacks. One question, I know in the first there was water, oil, energy but in the second is there rocks gravel and what not?

[Ocram's Razr 963]

I almost got into the beta but I was busy that week. I am glad to hear about all the fixes and new content. I would like to know if the original lot sizes made a comback. I am talking about how there used to be 4 lot sizes for low and medium density (20x20m, 20x40m, 40x20m, and 40x40m). I read this in several old previews of the game.

[soltangris 42]

Originally posted by: tornbacchus

I am just wondering about one thing, which really bothered me in the 2009 game.

How is the zoning? I remember in the 2009 game that when you made a curved road, you could not zone tightly (as in there would always be empty spaces between each zone). Have they fixed this? do zones automatically shape to fit around a curved road to eliminate the empty space instead of only being in the shape of straight squares?

This is my main issue, other than transit.

Thanks!quote>

Sorry to disapoint you, but I think there's no change in zoning. Although you seem to be confusing zones with lots:

- The zones in CXL could automatically take any shape imaginable, including irregular shapes. The engine then puts as many lots as fit into the zone, and fills the rest with grass/plazas/industrially looking areas. The problems lies with :

- The lots, which are (for now) only squares. Squares could never fit neatly into irregularly shaped zones, they would only fit in already rectangular zones. This problem becomes glaring especially when you border a curved road. That's what you're noticing.

It's very difficult to fix this - they have to start with inserting curved lots of various shapes and sizes (along with the necessary models for buildings, of course), which then the zoning engine could combine with the square lots for best fitting. 

I confess that the limited lot sizes and forms irritate me as well, but I prefer other things in the game taken care of first.  

[pcwhiz24 1,185]

How do you become part of the Beta? I want to be in the Beta, I have a great laptop to play it on (see my signature for specs)

*Edit: I have a question, will there be new roads like a 6 lane avenue (boulvard) with a grass median? or streets with grass between the road and sidewalks? (like the ones in found in most US suburbs)

[Ocram's Razr 963]

I hope so, especially because I requested them, but I doubt they will be included (maybe in the American road set). The Beta is [almost] over so you cannot get in now. I was just offered out of the blue, maybe because I had a unique and hopeful CJ (Mezaton) or because of my post count.

[Damastius 5]

You can't participate - only a few have been chosen to play in the beta and they had to keep it a secret until it was finished.

[masochist 111]

Yeah...beta's officially over. Hence why we can talk about it

[Shadow Assassin 336]

Hm, interesting stuff... I might actually consider getting this game after all.

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.quote>

Just a clarification: when you said that you can't modify its length... what about extending it? Does this mean you can't extend the tunnel manually, or do you have to plop a station in order to be able to extend the metro tunnel?

Also, is there heavy rail in this (eg. for freight, etc)? I'm not sure if this has already been mentioned.

[Asheroo 53]

Woah, some people are getting carried away here. Just make sure that you have read over all the other answers and the information about Cities XL 2011 on the official site, as it states the biggest changes. I shall answer your questions....

@ Tornbacchus & Finkle - It's the same as the original CXL. And also Finkle, no new resources have been added.

@ djlm91 - No for all of them, except I did notice an improvement in road and pedestrian simulation, and it is slightly more alive.

@ GeniusXL - Yes, there are new roads (one of my favourite new features). You can chose the type (default, American, English, German and French) and there are some extra wide avenues, some more posh ones and also streets with grass strips along the sidewalk like in the suburbs (in the default, English, German and American sets).

@ Shadow_Assassin - Once you build a route, you can't modify it after. You can create a new route with existing stations, but can't extend an already existing route. Also, there is no freight train. However, there is a double decker passenger train.

[lacivian 0]

About the roads, will there be turning lanes to? 

[ACEH 0]

Asheroo, I have read in the official forum that Bus and metro skins are different according to type of roads you select in the beginning - for example if you choose French - a metro will be the Paris metro, if you choose american - NYC metro. Is this true?

[ACEH 0]

Here you can find 7 new screenshots and an overview of the game:

http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://www.jeuxvideo.com/jeux/pc/00035929-cities-xl-2011.htm&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com&twu=1&usg=ALkJrhivLXiJkgrW4EjbWgipSc_cvnNC5Q

[Oliver199 0]

I will answer some of your questions.

@ACEH: Yes, this is true. But there is only one skin for the double decker subway at the moment.Short and long trains got several skins for every roadtexture.

The bus skins are also changing by choosing a new road type.

@lacivian: No, there won't be turning lanes. The streets are the same, except the few special streets which are added for every new road texture (extra wide avnues or streets with some grass beside them).

And here a little description for this what I found out about modding while the beta (copied from the official forums, so maybe some of you have known the text yet)

I unpacked the beta when I get it and I studied the new structure really well. What I can say: It's well structured now, in .class .layout and .sgbins are no changes, but what has really changed is the script (the .lua files). Some of the "dangerous" .luas are deleted (like rightsmgr.lua) and the complete scriptfolder is restructured. There are some new .luas, which weren't able before, but many others disappeared. The interface is also scripted in a other folder now - we don't know where at the moment. Maybe Globex knows a bit more.

[Asterion 3]

Just a couple of questions regarding maps:

Is there a London map?

Is there an integrated map editor?

Thanks.

[mikkamakka345 0]

My little questions:

- will modding be allowed as it is in SC4?

- did they get rid of that annoying auto-save?

Thanks,