I have gotten to 100K population, but all demand is low

[Galfastanta 0]

There isn't much resident, commercial or work demand. Matter of fact, they are all in the negative.

This is my first time getting to a city this size. I'd like to make it bigger.

[GeometryMath Algebra 614]

There isn't much resident, commercial or work demand. Matter of fact, they are all in the negative.

This is my first time getting to a city this size. I'd like to make it bigger.

Try using a demand mod, search it in the STEX.

[Galfastanta 0]

How do you get higher demand without using a demand mod?

[Linoa06 1,374]

Very carefully?

 

Use neighbour cities and stuff.

[Galfastanta 0]

How does neighbouring cities affected demand?

I'm a complete newbie at Sim City 4, so I don't know.

[cogeo 960]

I would recommend that you reduce your taxes to 8.9%, if you haven't already, which is the neutral rate for your city size. Its effet on demand may take 6 game-months or more to become apparent.

 

If you want to increase demand and attract more residents is to create more jobs. One way is zone for more industry. However this won't take you very far, as it may prove unsustainable: industry pollutes, consumes a lot of power (yet more pollution), takes up very much space (for the amount of jobs it creates), offers a poor jobs mix, and most importantly, demand for I-D, and later on I-M, will start getting lower and finally turn negative, as education level increases. The other way to get more jobs is to get more CO (CO$$$ and CO$$) development, which requires CO demand, which in turn requires a more educated workforce. So what you need to do is provide your sims with full health and educational coverage: elem+high schools and libraries (local effect), college/universiy and museum (citywide effect) and finally opera (get the fix). Play with the sliders (esp bus and ambulance) so that the bill becomes affordable. Libraries, colleges and museums are very affordable if you adjust the sliders properly. After you put all this stuff, save and run your city for a few gamemonths. You will see EQ, and consequently CO demand rising slowly, but steadily from month to month. At some point it will become high enough to cause CO development (=more jobs). Another important issue is demand for poor jobs and residents, which many players appear to not want, and either "snub" them (refuse to turn to development), or even try to suppress (by increasing taxes). My suggestion is to try to satisfy (exhaust) all R and C demand, even R$ and CS$. Those poor jobs and residents are not "wasteful", because you can educate them and become the new precious educated workforce, which will fuel CO demand and development! And those humble Flea Markets and Grease Pits are useful too, they provide jobs for your poor sims, which without much industry will be in short supply.

 

A similar thread was opened in the forum recently, take a look

 

As for your second question, demand from neighbour cities is "extrapolated" to all other cities connected to it. Demand gets equalised between connected cities. So you can have jobs in one city and residences in another one (provided that you have set up the proper connections for commuting).

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Forget the demand mod.  They just skew the game to no real purpose.
 
Use the tools provided to see why your demands are low.  Especially check your desirability display, and population by age display and graph.  Also check your population versus jobs.  For a regular game without CAM the ratio of Sims to Jobs should be around 2:1.
 
It is important to keep a balance of Sims in the city as well.  You should try an discourage R$$$ and hold them to not more than 15% of the total number of Sims.  One way to do this is to avoid zoning in such a way that 3 x 3 and 4 x 4 lots are avoided until you are ready for them in residential areas, especially for single occupancy.  This is easiest to do by manually zoning 2 x 1 low density lots back to back.
 
Make sure all lots have water.  At 100K Sims, you definitely need it.  Here is one of my bigger cities and you can see the general mixed bag of properties:

Now there are something like 168,000 jobs in this city so far.  There is nothing wrong with my demand.  Also note that this is not a young city and has been running 251 Sim-years ++.  Most of the treasury balance is earned by now.  My early manipulation with moolah as a kickstarter has long since been removed using the same command.

 

Generally, if you keep a balance of Sims and properties in the city, it is almost impossible to not get to this sort of result.  In this region, I only have three small tiles left to create in the upper right corner, and the whole thing will probably get archived,.  Which brings us to your question on regional play:

 

Regional play is important.  The demands are propagated over the neighbour connection roads, so that they tend to even out over the whole region unless you decide to not connect some city tile.  At the moment, the region population is somewhat over 2M Sims.

 

My current playing style is to start with a rural aspect then allow tiles to grow naturally.  No planned grid, no planned CBD.  They are all like Topsy in Gone with the Wind, they 'jes growed.  I've been playing this region now since the beginning of September 2012, so don't expect an instant anything.  You have to develop your own playing style and seem to be on the right road.  Just fiddle with the environmental stuff and you should be OK.

 

My current goaling style is to look at a tile in the opening dialogue and determine whether the tile needs more jobs, more Sims, or is balanced and needs general enhancement.  Remember that balance is 2 Sims per job.  (Mama Sim stays home and raises the kids).

[APSMS 1,893]

Demand is calculated region wide, which is why the advisers bug you to make new cities when you start in an empty region.

 

The NAM, if you don't have it yet, is a must, because at the very least it fixes problems related to commutes, the mass transit stations, and the very annoying behavior of having all the Sims clog your side streets while your avenues and highways remaining completely empty (no. 1 reason why it is the only mod I will never consider getting rid of).

 

If you have the NAM, note that there are things called demand caps, where development will stop until the cap is raised. Landmarks, parks, schools/EQ buildings, Safety stuff/health, and various civics, as well as things like neighbor connections all raise demand caps, and will allow your city to progress further. Generally these also raise desirability, which may or may not affect demand.

 

I've never had a city that refused to grow RES, even in negative demand (though high pollution does prevent this); If you can bring in more residents, the other demand will go up from necessity.

 

Finally, region play is always good. Open up a city next door and play it for a few Sim decades. It should work wonders for your other city nearby (next door).

[azxcvbnm321 17]

I was able to get a city up to 1,000,000 without NAM or any mods a few years ago!  Lower taxes and build plazas, parks, and other rec stuff, just make sure your budget can handle it.  Place residential and commercial close together in blocks. NAM makes growth much easier as sims are much more likely to be able to find available jobs, even if not close by.  Regional play is a must if you want to get your city to 1,000,000.  Neighboring cities will help demand for all RCI.  

[Richie99 159]

Am glad to hear that people play this game without NAM.Such people are my mentors.I love the challenge the game poses.As for the question..I would recommend regional play.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

^ Good luck.  Let us know when your city starts having many abandoned buildings due to commute time.

[Richie99 159]

Yh I think am beginning to get that challenge now but am forcing my sims to take other mass transit options like subways by cutting off roads.I hope I survive.Am quite interested in the NAM but I heard my game has to be updated before that.Yet am not so inclined when it comes to all these.If someone can help me install NAM then I will be cool.