Playing with no expansion in a post CoT time.

[Rufus Honker IV 100]

I'm sure there are a few others like me out there - waiting on the expansion due to finances/Christmas/waiting for the bugs are ironed out, etc.  I've been naming my cities with an Amish theme.    Making this thread because the gameplay experience of not having the expansion may lead to some interesting things.

 

So far I'm finding people in regions aren't upgrading their town halls for utilities - are they getting large-scale water from elsewhere?

 

I do get notices that things have been unlocked that aren't unlocked for me - like a solar array, etc.

 

Are the other cities building the standard transportation stuff like train stations, bus stations etc?  Because I'm not noticing connections to future cities through those.  Are there future transport connections that I can't connect to?

 

Oh, I didn't get that chance to check it on cheetah speed, but one of my futuristic neighbors helped me out with a fire.  I was to slow to check it, but was wondering if a hovering fire truck had arrived in my town, or if it drove (If they drove, I must have some sort of "no hovercars in city limits" ordinance.)

[Ocram's Razr 964]

1. Academy research unlocks the Sewage Sanitizer (turns sewage into water) and can unlock a special module for wind and solar plants (these modules should be available to nonCOT users but you would need to import ControlNET, which should be possible).

2. OmegaCo can take over your factories and shops, which should increase revenue for both parties.

3. Emergency drones can be sent over to neighboring cities just like emergency vehicles.

--Ocram

[Xenocity 343]

Yeah you can benfit from playing in a region with CoT players.

 

Sadly you won't get the Launching Arcos, because they were a preorder bonus (A great way to rid yourselfs of homeless and criminals).

[Griffon 19]

@OcramSeattle how do you send drones to other cities?  I know the drones shop at other cities sometimes but I don't know how to send the service drones to other cities or do they just do it on their own?

 

I don't build any transportation buildings except for the MagLev now and that's usually all I need.  The MagLev is kinda like the streetcars because they help people move in your own city, but can't connect them to other cities.  I think they should consider adding MagLev city connections though.  I sometimes build a ferry or train station just to connect with other people though.

 

Btw I can't usually get all the water I need from the sewer sanitation stations.  I have more water than sewer needs and they only produce as much water as sewer going into them, so I still use the old fashioned water/sewer system until I run out of water or sewage then I build one (sewage goes to the sewer sanitation stations fist then to any other sewer stations in the city).

 

Also what would be really beneficial to CoT cities would be the university.  My Omega City has MAJOR health issues.  I have a fully upgraded hospital and it's completely full so the hospital research would be helpful.  Also in Academy cities the solar arrays (not solar farm) need to be researched at the University to have the solar crown on the elite megatowers unlocked.  I used two solar crowns on regular megatowers in an OmegaCo city and that's all the power I needed, but the elite solar crown is suppose to give you more power and I like the solar crowns better than fusion plants or the power levels in the megatowers since they both take up valuable room.

 

Not that your always gonna build a University in your non-CoT cities but they would be the most help to CoT players.

[Ocram's Razr 964]

I tend to build Universities in all my cities which have any sizable amount of industry (sometimes I use Community Colleges to cut costs). In my Academy City, I have a fully upgraded University and a mostly upgraded Academy (I am researching the last upgrade last now). I don't know much about drones personally because I started with an Academy city (and it is self-sustaining with over 400,000 population). I am just starting to build an OmegaCo city. I don't think Shop Drones can be sent to non CoT cities (since they would probably have to be manufactured in a Drone Plant in each city they are used) but I read somewhere that drones can be used just like regular emergency vehicles, only better, and that sometimes they volunteer their services for free but most of the time you have to send them to your neighbors.

--Ocram

[Griffon 19]

I tend to build Universities in all my cities which have any sizable amount of industry (sometimes I use Community Colleges to cut costs). In my Academy City, I have a fully upgraded University and a mostly upgraded Academy (I am researching the last upgrade last now). I don't know much about drones personally because I started with an Academy city (and it is self-sustaining with over 400,000 population). I am just starting to build an OmegaCo city. I don't think Shop Drones can be sent to non CoT cities (since they would probably have to be manufactured in a Drone Plant in each city they are used) but I read somewhere that drones can be used just like regular emergency vehicles, only better, and that sometimes they volunteer their services for free but most of the time you have to send them to your neighbors.

--Ocram

Buy drones just buy commercial goods and can buy the goods from any city just like your people can get in their car and buy goods from another city.  I know buy drones visit other cities because I get a message at the top of the screen telling me how many drones are shopping where and some of those cities are non-CoT cities (at least I think they are cause they didn't have any futuristic buildings).  I don't think the service drones can be sent to other cities though.  When I go to my region services menu there is no drone option.  Also drones are one use only; once they're used for whatever they're used for they break or self-destruct or something, but either way are rendered useless after they get used once.

 

One more thing, how do you have room for a fully upgraded University?

[Ocram's Razr 964]

I always make room for universities. On flat plots (like Giovoni Woods abd Figaro Forest) with 8 MegaTowers, I can get a massive population (though I have yet to reach 600,000).

Also, OmegaCo heavy trucks can be sent over to neighboring cities just like emergency vehicles, bringing Omega to factories.

--Ocram

[Griffon 19]

@OcramSeattle

I knew about the Omega trucks but you can only send them to other cities once you have it unlocked at the HQ.  That's about the only way non-CoT cities can have OmegaCo in their city.

 

I haven't reached 600,000 population yet either but I was impressed to reach 200,000 in a mostly high wealth city (since there are less high wealth people per building of the same density).  I have however reached 400,000 population in a mostly low wealth city and that was with industry and commercial buildings.  I'm sure if I add megatowers to those cities I could get it to 600,000 population.

 

I am curious if any CoT buildings are available to non-CoT cities, like the solar/wind amplifier or any other building that says it's unlocked in the overhead message bar.

 

EDIT: I was watching the twitch broadcast and they said the solar/wind amplifier can be built in non-CoT cities as well as the ControlNet facility, I think.  I'm guessing so you could sell it to CoT people, provide your high wealth people jobs and power your other Academy tech that non-CoT people can use.  Also if someone has OmegaCo you can get advanced extraction pads for your regular mines or oil wells in non-CoT cities (I didn't know they had upgraded for regular mines and oil wells).

[SockoJr53 51]

One thing that's been bothering me, I posted in this thread about how after Update 8.0, everyone sees the futuristic trains regardless of whether or not you have CoT. I am wondering now if that was intentional, as you could be playing in a region where some people have CoT and some do not, but everyone has to see the same train? I dunno...but I just want my original trains back.

[Griffon 19]

One thing that's been bothering me, I posted in this thread about how after Update 8.0, everyone sees the futuristic trains regardless of whether or not you have CoT. I am wondering now if that was intentional, as you could be playing in a region where some people have CoT and some do not, but everyone has to see the same train? I dunno...but I just want my original trains back.

There are a few mods on this site you can download to change the way your trains look in the game and since only you see them differently and it doesn't affect gameplay it is safe to use them (I'm assuming only one train graphic mod at a time).  I haven't really noticed the trains looking differently, I only use MagLevs now for the most part.

[Xenocity 343]

@OcramSeattle

I knew about the Omega trucks but you can only send them to other cities once you have it unlocked at the HQ.  That's about the only way non-CoT cities can have OmegaCo in their city.

 

I haven't reached 600,000 population yet either but I was impressed to reach 200,000 in a mostly high wealth city (since there are less high wealth people per building of the same density).  I have however reached 400,000 population in a mostly low wealth city and that was with industry and commercial buildings.  I'm sure if I add megatowers to those cities I could get it to 600,000 population.

 

I am curious if any CoT buildings are available to non-CoT cities, like the solar/wind amplifier or any other building that says it's unlocked in the overhead message bar.

 

EDIT: I was watching the twitch broadcast and they said the solar/wind amplifier can be built in non-CoT cities as well as the ControlNet facility, I think.  I'm guessing so you could sell it to CoT people, provide your high wealth people jobs and power your other Academy tech that non-CoT people can use.  Also if someone has OmegaCo you can get advanced extraction pads for your regular mines or oil wells in non-CoT cities (I didn't know they had upgraded for regular mines and oil wells).

Ah my main City can barely get above 120k with 7 mega towers( 6 are the elite towers) that is due to a damn hill that is narrow at the top which takes up 1/3rd of the land.

 

Though these Mega Towers make my city profits go between -20k to 20k+ an hour depending on the hour.

Over all I am wildly profitable.

 

I also found out you can build new Arcos on the launch pad for 200k after the first one lauches.

The launch pad also gives you information on your Arcos journies.  

[Rufus Honker IV 100]

So what buildings aren't very likely to be built by people using the expansion?  Are train, plane and bus stations the way of the dinosaur?  Do you build city halls?

[Ocram's Razr 964]

I still build trains for intercity connections. I only use planes in tourism cities with a lot of flat land and no coast/shore. Bus and light rail is mostly replaced with Maglev. City Halls are a requirement for building MegaTowers.

--Ocram

[Griffon 19]

I always build a city hall even if I don't add anything to it and I build trains and boats to connect my city to others only sometimes.

 

These are probably what people won't build (from my experience of playing with other people):

• Any type of transportation other than MagLev most likely won't be built.
• Any non-CoT specialization buildings except for: ore mine and oil well until they get the combo extraction mines for OmegaCo factories and any tourism buildings to attract more tourists for the launch arcology and tourism crowns.
• Most people I play with don't research the Solar/Wind power amplifier, although it is really good if you have that with the advanced solar panels.  I used it in one city and fully upgraded was producing as much as about two solar crowns, but it did take up more space than a megatower and required a ton of ControlNet.
• I personally bulldoze the fire station, police station, and all schools once I start a megatower because I can get service and school levels there.  I just found out that health drones only heal injured sims so if they get sick they still need a clinic or hospital to go to and if you have OmegaCo a fully upgraded hospital will eventually be required.  Omega has no negative short-term effects, but after a while all Omega users will become sick from using it.
• Some people only use the sewer sanitizer which doesn't require the city hall utilities building and buy the extra water needed from other people.

That about covers it.

 

Other info:

I've started building the University in all my cities now to unlock the Gen V Solar Crowns for elite megatowers and the hospital buildings.

 

Another thing I found is most people favor the Academy Cities.  Every successful CoT city needs drones, so I build OmegaCo for them, but I'm fine with that, I like OmegaCo and it increases the happiness of everything using Omega or drones.

Also trade buildings aren't needed once the commerce division of OmegaCo is unlocked.  VTOL flies in and delivers all the resources the factories need.  I don't really like using the Omega factory extraction mines anymore because they take up too much space when I can just get the resources flown in which takes up no space.