No density restrictions?

[Supertask 29]

I've seen it stated that the new Simcity does away with zoning density restrictions, this is big change so I've searched to try to find an article or interview where this was said but can't find anything, anyone know if this has been confirmed and where if it has?

[The Avatar 1,089]

I've heard that SimCity (2013) will change zoning so that you can only choose the type of zone you want, not the density. Is this what you are talking about?

[Supertask 29]

I've heard that SimCity (2013) will change zoning so that you can only choose the type of zone you want, not the density. Is this what you are talking about?

Exactly, but I haven't been able to find an article or anything to confirm it.

[The Avatar 1,089]

Here ya' go! Read the fifth paragraph: "Density will be driven by the types of roads and general traffic around these zones."

[Supertask 29]

Thanks a lot, just what I was looking for. Seems we'll still have some control via road types, this is certainly an interesting change, have to wait until we know more details.

  Edited May 29, 2012 by Supertask  

[T Wrecks 10,210]

Odd change. If this means that main road + high traffic volume = big buildings, then it's a step back IMO. It's more or less the same as SimCity 4 if you zone all high-density: With enough traffic volume and demand, you'll get skyscrapers, without you won't.

However, densities allowed the player to plan for highrise development, mid-rise areas and so on - pretty much like a real-life city planner would. A busy main road with several lanes through a large area filled with low-rise commercials because it was in vicinity of an airport? No problem in SimCity 4! Imagine you didn't have that feature, and suddenly skyscrapers started growing there!

I certainly hope the solution they are about to employ is smarter than that.

[The Avatar 1,089]

I agree. I wish they hadn't removed this feature at all. Choosing the zone and density was one of the key features of SC4 that gave me that feeling of mayoral power that only SC4 can.

Here's another thing to think about: How will industry be affected? If we can't choose to zone between agriculture and dense industry, how will our cities demand and jobs be affected? One possbile solution to this would be the same to zoning R/C; the demand for each type of industry would control what grows. The more a city develops, the less it needs agriculture, which develops into ID or IM. When Sims become more educated, demand for IHT rises, and previous IM or ID zones change to IHT. However, how would this work? If ID and IM produce pollution, and are not desirable areas for IHT, how would those zones ever develop to IHT? This contradicts what we know about industry: IM/ID and IHT are two children that don't like to play well together, so we keep them seperate. Then we spoil the one with parks, healthcare, and education, while the other, we give a few train stations, and maybe some fire depts, or even try to get rid of it completely.

These are the questions that haunt me...

[Ocram's Razr 964]

They said that agriculture will be a separate zone from industry.

[The Avatar 1,089]

Ah, okay. Thanks Ocram!

[Cob92 360]

As for high tech industry, it may not necessarily be done the same way as in SC4. Clean industries in SC3K could and did grow in polluted areas.

[rweather5 22]

I think there should be a separate zone for retail and offices. I agree, they should keep density so you can control where skyscrapers come up.

[croxis 150]

You still can, but just through the road interface.

I don't think we know yet what other factors impact the garden. It may be that just because the zone ends up as high density it can still have low or medium density buildings due to other factors.

[iuri99 48]

Hope i will build my Mississauga copies with 'infinite suburba and paralel expressways.

[whiteshade 4]

Would it make more sense to introduce a type of difficulty setting? Not just for things like starting money, but levels of complexity. For instance, young and/or new players need not worry about things like zoning density or heavy traffic control until they are used to the basics.

[simfan 11]

Thanks a lot EA............sheesh............bye bye realism and the possibility that when I make a city it will not be a farming community full of morons without a diploma......

[The Avatar 1,089]

@simfan: Just because you cannot directly control the density of what you zone, doesn't mean that you cannot influence the density of what grows. If the new SimCity is like SC4, there are many factors that affect the density of what grows. Desirability, demand, education, healthcare, parks, and in the new SimCity roads and traffic all affect zone density. Have faith in Maxis; they know what they're doing.

[Ocram's Razr 964]

Supply and demand of goods also plays a roll in the economy and building. The developer stated that industry and agriculture were separate zones.

[The Bluejay 40]

@simfan: Just because you cannot directly control the density of what you zone, doesn't mean that you cannot influence the density of what grows. If the new SimCity is like SC4, there are many factors that affect the density of what grows. Desirability, demand, education, healthcare, parks, and in the new SimCity roads and traffic all affect zone density. Have faith in Maxis; they know what they're doing.

Yes, but influencing is very different from control. In SC4, you can control whether an area is highrise, midrise or low rise and lay it out exactly how in want. This looks set to be that if you want an area to be lowrise, you have to lay it out in the exact way the game wants you to, and likewise for midrise and highrise. That's dull and severely limits what one can achieve with the game, and also adds in an enormous amount of needless micromanagement.

[Mark Waybill 242]

I'm still out regarding the issue of road based zone density, but I wil add that one of my biggest gripes with 4 was the auto-road zoning. CXL had the right balance I think, allowing creativity, but also giving one the option to mass zone.

[duack 14]

If we can no longer limit density, then it should be affected by demand, and it should be difficult to get higher density buildings. If education, health etc affect density that would be annoying because then we'd end up with skyscrapers growing were they shouldn't be.

[hunkske 53]

On the other hand, in SC4 we could make all buildings historical if we didn't want it to change into something else anymore... Maybe in SC5 we can also do this? Then it really wouldn't matter anymore, the area's which we made historical would remain like that... even if density would change..

[jrm541992 17]

You have to remember that the original SimCity didn't have density restrictions either.

[cirugo 1,889]

You have to remember that the original SimCity didn't have density restrictions either.

yeah, this is not a positive move...

[astondb9 7]

Surely there must be some form of control for density other than just quality of services, suburbs have very good services, doesn't mean random skyscrapers grow in the middle of them.

Surely Maxis is aware not all areas of cities are highrise? At least have a low density/high density and scrap the middle?

[Azurespecter 506]

I see this as being a game mechanic that might see change before release. I just can't possibly see how Maxis would refuse to give players that control... either that or the game must have some option to restrict density.

Hope I'm not just being too optimistic.

[Essex 322]

Oh my this sounds really bad, the density zoning tool is one of the best parts of SC4. I'm building a city now that has about 12000 sims with no medium buildings yet, if the city expands more, I zone some of the commerce and residential in the city core to medium density so it builds up realistically (like in real life where generally when a city grows and grows the inside grows up and the outside out, clearly what I can see in my city of Brisbane).

  Edited June 17, 2012 by Essex  

[Supertask 29]

I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that they're just taking control away, from the sounds of it, density of zones is just being combined with the road density, though perhaps in a looser way than clear cut restrictions. You could still keep part of your city low density by simply building low capacity roads. It might actually lend more control in some ways, by letting you balance road type with other factors to determine the density more specifically than with 3 somewhat arbitrary levels. To take the example of the post above, rather than rezoning to medium you would simply upgrade the roads in the city centre.

[cirugo 1,889]

I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that they're just taking control away, from the sounds of it, density of zones is just being combined with the road density, though perhaps in a looser way than clear cut restrictions. You could still keep part of your city low density by simply building low capacity roads. It might actually lend more control in some ways, by letting you balance road type with other factors to determine the density more specifically than with 3 somewhat arbitrary levels. To take the example of the post above, rather than rezoning to medium you would simply upgrade the roads in the city centre.

And if you want higher density on lower capacity roads? like occurs in reality all over the world?

[meowza 230]

We still need to know the maximum building height and traffic capacity for each type of road. I'd expect it to be near or equivalent to real life. Just like the game's confirmed highest possible population density.

While for "density restrictions". My assumption is that certain structures, such as airports, could possibly have their own rule radius to limit building height. If not, then we would just have to layout our transport system more carefully.

[flowmotion 24]

And if you want higher density on lower capacity roads? like occurs in reality all over the world?

Presumably you would need good transit options, just like in reality.