Using the query tool to improve your city in SimCity 3000

Contributor/author(s): José Luis Poveda

Have you ever wondered how to use the query tool to its full potential? If you want to squeeze the full potential out of the game, you have to know how to use it.

When you choose the query button (or use the shortcut key "Ctrl"), your cursor changes to a '?'. Then, when you click any tile, its information will appear. This maybe not as useful as you think, but keep reading and you'll learn more.

When any building has been abandoned, you can't know why it occurred, but if you have SimCity 3000 Unlimited, just query it, and it will tell you why. If it was lack of demand, rezone it. It could be anything, so check every now and again.

For any mass transit system, if you query it, it will tell you how many passengers used that station the last day. If the number is below 100, you should consider demolishing or relocating.

When you query any road, there's a part where it says "amount of traffic". If it says "heavy", you should consider building a bus stop, subway or train station. Tip: Put bus stops in corners. Subways stations aren't effective when you are beginning the game, but they will help you later.

Query a power plant or any water utility, and it tells you how much pollution it is producing, how much of the plant you are using, and its age. If you're usage is in the red, you should build another power plant. If it's getting too old (nearing 50 years), you should change it or replace it. If you don't believe me, take risks and your sims will be out faster than you think. Tip: To change a power plant without blackouts (water utilities aren't that critical) pause the game, demolish it and build the new one where it was the old one. Turn the simulation on and voilà!

Query a landfill to know how much garbage has been disposed there, and the percent of fill. If you see it's more than 90%, consider making a deal to sell garbage, build incinerators and recycle centers, or enact any anti-garbage ordinances.

Schools and hospitals need to be checked every now and then. Query them to know how many students or patients they have. If the number is in red, you'll have to build a new school or hospital. Other important info is the grade its receiving. If your funding is adequate and if there are more beds than patients or seats than students, it'll be graded an 'A'. If not, build a new school or hospital and/or increase the funding for health and education in the budget window.

Query any park, playground, pond, zoo, marina or ballpark to change its name. This works also with the mayor's house, and other rewards and opportunities buildings.

Query any building (residential, commercial or industrial) to see its name, architect (maybe it's you), land value, zone density, type of zone, watered status, powered status, etc. If you are interested in changing that building for one of yours, click the "change building" button (requires BAT/Unlimited). There's also the "make historical" checkbox. If you check it, the building won't be changed to another building, but it can be abandoned. Once conditions improve, it will revert to the way it was.

Note: TAX RATE * POPULATION OF SECTOR * AVERAGE LAND VALUES * CONSTANT = TAX REVENUE. If you have bigger buildings with more land value, you'll receive more taxes. While diversity is a good thing, you may want to demolish some low-density areas and convert them to higher-density, higher-value areas. Improve land value by adding parks, trees, water, etc (see related articles below). But do retain some low-density areas so that you have housing for those that demand that type of housing, businesses, and industrial areas, etc.

See also
Land value vs. density tables
Increasing land value: more than just trees
The beauty of trees
More parks and recreation
Raise land value to Astronomical
Problem with the query tool: fix