Some small reaction here. (ok, that's not going to be true ) We have been discussing content, graphics, roads and so on for 16 pages now. Don't you think it's time to get something on (digital) paper? And I very like the idea of Wilfried Webber, let's just make everything possible for later modification and for now focus on getting something running. It doesn't matter if we have only 3 types of roads, only some civic services, little different RCI buildings, lots and so on. The main thing should be to get our first key points together and think of a way to get those main things done, the rest is for later, it's what we have MODers and BATers for. So, as some have suggested, we need a seperate place to discuss seperate parts of our game. Using clear lists of arguments, like david did a bit above about the 3D question. We need to discuss things seperatly and pay attention to the most important points nescesary to get at least a very early part of ST-1000 running: - 3D, 2.5D or other options and include how to get this part done (as we can read from many post, we need a 3D engine or any other peace of code capable of handling this basic part). - gmax, 3ds max, high/polygon polygon and all other things concerning buildings, props, and other visual objects - traffic, but not the kinds of roads or what kinds of transport to use, no, we have to decide the way in which traffic will get simulated, so how will people go to their jobs and so on. - grid or not, if we choose to use full 3D I can conclude we won't need any grid (I am correct am I?) but if we use 2.5D or anything else, we probably need some king of grid. And if we want a decent, realistic looking city, I believe we should stick to buildings only having 4 different alingnments (or how do you call the directing of for example the entrance? in SC4 they can only point N-E-S-W and not even diagonal even though roads can which I believe should defenitely be possible) - transit, how to get this part done, many ideas have arised for both grid and no-grid (my idea was that you could give a road a grid and then everthing else will align with the local grid). - zoning, very important, will lots be difined as a building (directly to street or not) with a centain amount of ground around it (like somebody suggested) or will lots still be predefined and filled around by filler parts? Will we use the neighbourhood idea and other nice features people have suggested? - public services, how will those work? Will school just have the cirkel around them, or will they serve near neigbourhoods, will the only handle a certain amount of transit tiles away? - some more I guess... if you come up with one, send it to the forum admin who is in charge of the ST-1000 forum Ok, and I said it would be a short post ... still I have some preverences which I like to share (I did above already, but there is more) To start with, I believe we should go for 3D. We want ST-1000 to be special game and that means we go 3D. Another argument is that we don't really like the grid system, so hell with that and again we go 3D. Plus, in 3D we will be able to turn buildings any way we want and that way we can give a very varied look to our city and buildings will connect to roads in a betterlooking way. And while we are at the buildings, I prefer the system in which a certain building has a certain amount of land around it, that way many gaps can be filled without much trouble and I am sure there are programmers or other people who can come up with a very nice way to regulate the filling of an area in such a way the buildings have a path in front of their antrance and not somewhere in their backyard. Then we will also use the neighbourhood system, which brings us a lot of pro's, namely, a nice way to control specific parts of a city (so we can raise polluting industry taxes in a hood where we don't want them). Second we can assign fire departments, police and other services to one or more neigbourhoods (if you assign them to too many hoods the coverage will lack and crime or fires will arise). Third zoning can be regulated by hood and therefore create realisticly looking cities with skyscraper districts and at other places prevent any larger buildings which will help to decide what kind of eg. firedepartment you will plop. Then of course we also have the proposal system, very good idea and if worked out properly it will make the game perfect. If you could enter certain restrictions for real NOGO's and for possibilities you will get yourself a very well manageble city. And if we are doing nice things, we can add the construction mode in which you will have the possibility to test a new network before having to pay the big price (realistic prices should be implemented) and add a request of advice system which willl indicate a certain need or possibility in a hood, for example the request for a faster connection between a high wealth hood and a high wealth working area. And just a few more things to add, some realistic tranportation system which will make people travel even longer distances, here in the Netherlands people drive across the country to go to work (and I know the Netherlands aren't that impressingly big) and that means traffeling across the region of NY in SC4 or something. And my final addition, go for the expandable city area, so no more connecting seperate cites in order to get a metropole, but just be able to buy new land at the borders of your current city (this doesn't mean you won't be able to start multiple cities in a region which could even merge together). And I still feel there could be some things to add, but for now, a game lik this would make my day, week of even month
