Aura specifics

Contributor/author(s): Kyle D.J.

Aura is a statistic that is calculated for each individual tile on the map. The aura value represents the level of contentment that Sims have with that tile. High aura is good. Note that aura is an independent statistic that is separate from concepts such as land value. It is possible to have high aura but low land value, and vice versa. (For example a giant roller coaster in your neighbour's yard may be good for aura, but the land value will likely be low.)

The city-wide aura statistic is the average aura value from all of the tiles on the map. The simulation updates the aura map every 50 days.

The remainder of this article describes what factors affect aura. The aura effects are additive if more than one factor influences a single tile.

Police coverage affects aura in a tile as follows:

  0   No police coverage.
+20   Optimal police coverage (100% funding).
-10   Maximum police coverage (oppressive).
Aura varies linearly between these values.

Many city statistics affect aura. The statistic for a tile is divided by a specific number, and the result is added to the aura. The specific divisors for each statistic are:

-  4   crime
+ 10   fire coverage
   0   noise factor (not used in game as released)
-300   air pollution
-200   water pollution

For example, if the crime statistic for a tile is 40, then the aura for that tile is reduced by 10.

Standing garbage on a tile reduces its aura by 20.

Radiation pollution on a tile reduces its aura by 100.

City-wide effects of ordinances:

+5   nuclear-free zone
-5   alternate day driving
-5   parking fines

City-wide effects of Education Quotient (EQ) and Life Expectancy (LE):

+ 40   EQ 120 or greater
- 80   EQ 70 or less
Aura varies linearly between these EQ limits.
+ 60   LE is 75 or greater
-120   LE is 60 or less
Aura varies linearly between these LE limits.

Many buildings affect aura in the tiles around them. The following table shows the effect upon aura in neighboring tiles, and the radius that effect extends as measured in tiles from the edge of the building. If the radius is 0 then the building only affects the aura in the tiles on which it stands.

Effect   Radius   Building
~~~~~~   ~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~

Rewards

 +30       30     Quigley Castle (secret reward from cheat code)
 + 3       20     City Hall
 + 3       20     Performing Arts Center
 + 2       20     Stadium
 + 2       15     Lighthouse
 + 2       15     Medical Research Center
 + 2       10     Mayor's House
 + 1       20     Geyser Park
 + 1       20     Military Base
 + 1       20     University
 + 1       15     Country Club
 + 1       15     Historic Statue
 + 1       15     Stock Exchange
 + 1       15     Theme Park
 - 2       10     Launch Arcology (not in game as released)
 - 2       10     Space Port

Business Opportunities

 + 3       30     GigaMall 9th Wonder of the World
 + 2       15     Casino Row
 - 2       20     Maximum Security Prison
 - 3       25     Toxic Waste Conversion Plant

City Services
 + 2       15     Hospital
 + 2       15     Library
 + 2       15     Marina
 + 2       10     City College
 + 2        8     Park:
                     Small Park
                     Big Park
                     Ballpark
                     Playground
                     Pond
                     Fountain
 + 1       20     Museum
 + 1       20     Zoo

Miscellaneous

 + 1        8     Historic building (query building and make historical)
 + 1        1     Flora (trees)

Penal System

 - 2       15     City Jail
 - 3       20     Penal (an additional effect for City Jail)

Trash
 - 6        8     Garbage:
                     Landfill
                     Recycling Centre
                     Incinerator (excluding Waste-to-Energy type)
                     litter (standing garbage on any tile)

Zones
 + 2        4     Agriculture (farm)
 - 1        0     Low Density Dirty Industrial
 - 2        0     Medium Density Dirty Industrial
 - 3        0     High Density Dirty Industrial
 - 1        1     Parking (I believe this is parking tiles in any type of zone)
 - 2        0     Airport
 - 2        0     Seaport

Transportation

 - 1        4     Bus Station
 - 2        8     Rail Station
 
Water System
 - 1        1     Water Pump
 - 1        1     Water Tower
 - 2        8     Water/Sewage:
                     Desalination Plant
                     Water Pump (an additional effect)
                     Water Tower (an additional effect)
                     Water Treatment Plant

Energy
   0        0     Power plant (default for any power plants not mentioned)
 - 1       10     Fusion Power Plant
 - 2       12     Microwave Power Plant
 - 3       20     Nuclear Power Plant

See also
More parks and recreation
Land value: one possible truth
Land value: the center of the equation
Redevelopment
Six things that boost land values