top_dog

I still play CitiesXL I was kind of straying away from it, but once custom content became easier to make, add and download, it's peaked my interest again! I'm currently in the middle of making a huge city on a custom map, at the moments it's just under 6 million inhabitants, I'll hopefully have be making a city journal about it soon

Instead of saying why 'no one' loves Cities XL, it would be better to say why 'a lot of people don't like Cities XL'. For the most part Cities XL started off bad, it was full of bugs and stuff missing that would have made it better than SimCity4, but half way through production it changed companies (from Monte Cristo to Focus Home Interactive), it was rushed and thus didn't reach its full potential, there was also the issue of it not being able to run the game on a lot of computers, users would complain after 15 minutes or so of city building the computer would start lagging to as little as 2 frames a second, as far as I know Focus Home Interactive never resolved this issue and actively removed complaint threads on their official forum mentioning the lag. So unlike SimCity4 you could only really get the most out of the game if you could afford a powerful gaming computer The second reason is simply the custom content, SimCity has a thriving community for decades (literally) that has created more custom content than I can count, it's practically infinite because more is being created everyday. Cities XL in comparison is still very young and originally is was near impossible to create custom content for the game (not until 2012 so it's only been having custom content made for it for about 2 years, in comparison to SimCity4 which would be well over 10 years! Maxim even dished out special custom content creating software for users!). Both SimCity4 and CitiesXL's survival are both based purely on the custom content created by their fans, without it the games would have died out in popularity years ago. Hopefully the CitiesXL community will last long enough for it to thrive and build up a steady flow of quality custom content, CitiesXL is hands down one of my favourite city building sims and I definitely won't be leaving it anytime soon

Here is my city of Clearwater, a former industrial city that, in the last 40-50 years has replaced it's factories and mills for offices and high street shops, but it's past still remains!

So I'm aware that there are a lot of buildings in Cities XL that are landmarks and are given their respective names and titles (e.g San Francisco is a landmark but also acts as the townhall of your city when plopped). However, I have noticed that there are several buildings that have been put in the game that are either exactly or closely modelled to buildings in the real world, like how they're not doing the job you think they would be doing (like how a townhall is actually working as a commercial building instead of...well...a townhall!) Here are a few that I've found, I'm sure regular players of the game will immediatly recognise them =P The first one is this one, an office found in the specialised section of the office department, simply named "office". And I knew I'd seen it somewhere, one quick scan of San Francisco in Google Earth and I find this. The Shell Building in San Fran, I came across it while walking through San Fran when I visited my friend back in February. Staying in San Francisco, there is also this building in game, also called an office building. But in real life, it's known as the Russ Building, also in the Bay City, and here it is! (Notice that 3 pronged feature on the back) And here's a front view too, I couldn't find a good one but here's a model of it I found. Also, you know that one building with no actual name or origin that has lots of versions of it and costs 60,000 to run? You know, this one. Yep! Turns out this one exists in the real world too, and it's a little closer to home (for me anyway) This is 20 Cabot Square on Canary Wharf, London. Turns out it's just a regular office building. Next we have a favourite of mine, the Peace Hotel Although it has a name, and the features on it's roof suggest Asian origin, it does not actually tell us where it's from. Well search no longer, for I have found it...in Shanghai! It even has the bell room and tables like in the game (Although I like it better in the photo!) ...Ok so we all know this one, it even says Bellagio on the front, but for those who may not know where it is, it's in Las Vegas and holds spectacular water shows at night! And here's a good one, people in Canada will be happy to know a place of bureaucratic authority in one of their cities has been reduced to nothing more than a commercial center in Cities XL. I'm talking about this building, known in the game as the 'Convention Center ' I actually first saw this building in the Movie 'Resident Evil', it's the building at the end that the main character runs down. We also get to see it get nuked along with the rest of Raccoon City. But after some hunting on Google, I found out this building is not in Raccoon City but is actually the City Hall in Toronto! So that's all of them so far! I hear you saying already "Top_dog, you stallion and perfect role model for men everywhere, I already knew about these places! And still, Monte Cristo had to model the buidlings from SOMEWHERE" This is true, but I mean, come on...these are pretty much EXACT replicas, I certainly didn't know about them, and certainly it was a suprise when I did, so I'm sure there's lots of other people out there who thought the same! I'm sure there's a lot of other buidlings in the game that you know exist in the real world, but have not been named or labelled where they're from IRL. So if you know of any, post them here and post a photo of its real life counterpart so we can all learn a bit more about geography and buildings I do know this building also exists, but I can't remember where I've seen it, if you know, let me know!

I think that means EA was allowed to make it without infringing on any legal grounds. However I think the Space Needle in Sim City 4, the space needle in this case was actually from Berlin. (If my memory serves me right!)

True, but these aren't 'based' they're pretty much just taken from the real world and put into the game, you'd usually try to mix it up, but they're so familiar I could pass these buildings in the street and instantly recognise them, it's not they're obscure buildings in obscure places, they're landmarks and notable buildings in well known areas. I'm not saying it's bad, just interesting. It's always nice to know where there references come from

woah wait what? World Trade Center? Where can I get me some of those? @A@ Also a nice looking town, I really like your roads!

Wasn't sure wether or not to make a CJ of this, I mean I will definite write up one for this city. Here's the city of Clearwater, population: 1 500 000 I drew this up in Flash using only the line tool, here are some WIPS to show I also decided recently to have it made into a mug

Ok, I thought I'd do something different instead of just throwing a city at you and blabbing away about it. I thought I'd show you each city and let you decide which one you'd like to know more about Just vote for the one you'd like to know about and the city with the most votes will get it's own city journal! I do plan to show each city, but I will them in the order they come in the poll So here are your choices: You have the Oil Producing Capitol of Howlek The quite city of Perkston The British capital, Kensington Or the German city in the valley, Weissheim So if you see a city you want to know about, be sure to vote! VOTE WILL RUN FOR 2 WEEKS I WILL TALLY THEM UP WHEN I GET FROM MY TRIP TO VIENNA.

There is already a city that exists on the map that you can't play as, but you can trade with it. It's called Omnicorp, it has a nearly unlimited amount of money and supplies to trade with to help your cities get started, however, it is a little expensive. And to your second question you can download pre-made cities by other people. You can go here for some http://www.generation-city.com/citiesxl/index.php/telechargements/villes, and Im sure you can download other cities somewhere on this forum However, Cities XL is a city building game, so don't forget that actually making the cities is part of the fun

(This is my first city journal and the first time I've posted anything about the cities I actually create and run, If this gains enough interest, I will post more about this city, and maybe even make more journals for my other cities in the future ) First of all, if you are reading this brochure, then may I say congratulations, you're not dyslexic! It also means that you have chosen the beautiful tropical island that is Joya del Mar as your holiday destination! Located in the Atlantic, south west of Spain, this British-owned island is home to some of the best sun, surf and nightlife in Europe and over the last few decades has become rich in both culture and fun! During your stay you'll find an almost endless amount of things to do for the whole family, wether you want to party the night away or work on your perfect tan, explore the natural history of the island or explore the city - it's all here waiting for you. Who knows what you may find. HISTORY For most of the Joya del Mar's history, it was very much empty, only when Spanish settlers began using it as a trading post for merchants and a rest stop for sailors travelling from America and England, in the early 19th century did the island we know today begin to take shape. Many of the goods going in and out were fish, cotton, food, salt and of course, slaves. But as bigger and faster ships beagan to emerge, the ports began to decrease in productivity and the small town, back then know as San Sebastion (named after the first mayor) began to become deserted, suffering from it's losses. In 1916, the island was sold to the British as a military training ground and safe haven for soliers during the first world war. Many refugees were also stationed here. When the war ended 2 years later, the soldiers left, but the refugees loved it so much there that they decided to stay, learning to work along side the remaining locals, rebuilding the towns that got attacked there. San Sebastian was re-elected as mayor and spear headed the movement to encourage more people to come to Joya del Mar. When word got out about the tiny island's paradise setting and lifestyle. More people began to take trips there, the first hotels srpung up along the beach (sadly only one still remains) and by the 1930's the island was well established as an ideal holiday spot. Then world War 2 broke out and the island quickly converted back to it's military history as yet another taining area and base for British soldiers. During the war the island got bombed many times by the Germans, but the British refused to give up the island and was able to hold off an invasion and were succesful. But the damage had been done. An area of what is now known as Bosvigo, laid to ruin during one of the first bombings to the island by the Germans. It wasn't until the early 1950s when Joya del Mar got back on it's feet and people were able to visit the island again. By 1958 the town had quickly grown into a thriving city. Pretty soon the coast line filled with hotels of all sizes, and Sol Beach went through a massive rennovation, turning it into the paradise you see it as today. Joya del Mar is still growing at an allarming rate and shows no signs of stopping. Before we dive any further into the virtual tour guide, be sure to take a look at the maps provided to ensure you know your way around the city and island before you get there. For larger version, go here http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5771367/Joya%20Del%20Mar%20Road%20Map.png Joya del Mar boasts a great transport and road system,with buses running regularly from all major attractions and areas. Fo quick transport around the island (and you're not fortunate to be rich enough to own a helicopter, be sure to hop onto the La Joya Expresseway. The La Joya Expressway is the long main road running around the whole island. Suring the 1800s it was nothing more than a small road that connected the small fishing and farming towns to the ports on the west and north sides of the island, as the population grew, so did the demand for a bigger road, and Perro Sebastion, the first mayor of Joya del Mar City, spear headed the construction of the La Joya Expressway. The expressway runs through the middle and the coast of the city, doubling as the main through road for the Holiday District. So if you get lost out there, follow the expressway and you'll find the city. Don't forget to be here on the 12 of June each year for the Joya del Mar TT, where the entire expressway is closed off and converted into a motor GP race track for a whole week! Larger version: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5771367/Joya%20Del%20Mar%20District%20Map.png Joya del Mar City is divided into 12 different districts and boroughs, from the serene suburbia of Greenslade to the towering luxury condos and shimmering aparatments of San Sebastian, to the mansions in the hills of Rica Vista, down to the gritty streets of Bosvigo, every kind of person and place can be found here. Your main areas of interest however, will be the Holiday District, the Shopping District and China Town, all with their own atmosphere and life. Please take some time to read through the printable tourist map provided here, and be sure to keep it on suring your stay so you always know what's just around the corner! Larger version: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5771367/Joya%20Del%20Mar%20Tourism%20Map.png We hope you enjoy your stay at Joya del Mar, and we can garuntee you'll find something here for you. If you are interested in learning more about Joya del Mar, it's history and what it has to offer YOU, please continue to the virtual tour...

Ok here are the statistics and figures for my city, I'll let the images do the talking We'll first look at the population of the city POPULATION WEALTH EMPLOYMENT SHOPS OVERALL SATISFACTION And what about the roads and services getting the people from A to B? OVERALL TRAFFIC BUSLINES BUS CAPACITY I am currently working on a metro system too for the more built areas that are having trouble getting the offices of thhe city center and the industrial district. Lets also take a look at the services provided by the city SECURITY HEALTH FIRE EDUCATION CITY SERVICES LANDMARKS EFFECTS HOLIDAYS (a lot of the red comes from areas occupied by hotels) LEISURE And lastly, the enviroment. AIR POLLUTION NOISE POLLUTION ENVIROMENT You've probably noticed as well the huge amount of income my city has generated. Allow me to break it down for you I have a lot of services in the city providing tradable tokens, I also ship off a lot of my workers to other cities, my biggest investor being Omnicorp. My biggest income comes from my workforce and holiday tokens which at some point ended up with me having an insane amount of cash tokens and thus an insane amount of money!

Great city layout! I wasn't sure about that map but you've given me some good ideas for when I do decide to use it

Thanks! The stadiums and a load of other hidden content in the game came from an unlocker mod (not sure which though, I downloaded a whole bunch or stuff at one time!) but it unlockes a beach resort pack in the game as well as a load of other stuff in liesure and landmarks It should be in the Custom Content part of the forum.

Thanks! I apologise for the lack of photos in the last post, but this one should be much more appealing In this post, I will talk about Joya Del Mar City, a city teaming with life, boasting a happy population of over 1 million inhabitants. Joya Del Mar City (orignally called San Sebastian) is the huge city located on the south of the island and is the center of everything on the island. However, the city is not just one big entity, it's split into several areas and districts, each one with it's own personality and history. Here I will show each district and tell you a little about them. Here is a quick reminder of where each district is: Go here for larger printable version: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5771367/Joya%20Del%20Mar%20District%20Map.png Holiday District If someones says "Joya del Mar" to you, the first image that comes to mind will probably be of the Holiday District. The District that Never Sleeps, the clubs are awake 24 hours a day and the occupants, even longer! This district is world famous for it's night life, hotels, casinos, bars and parties. The district also includes the shimmering sands of Sol Beach, a 2 mile stretch of sand with it's own volley ball stadium. While here, be sure to check out Splash Island, a huge water park that's perfect for all ages! And of course, those that don't like the sea. Don't forget to be in the area in mid July, when the expressway is closed off as part of the Del Mar Parade, a huge street party that lasts for 2 days to celebrate the prosperity of the island. Shopping District: A short walk away and second in popularity to the Holiday District with tourists. The district boasts 2 malls and several smaller shops, producing items from designer labels to local produce and wares.Not a lot to say about this area, if you love shopping, you'll spend a got part of the day in this area. Chinatown: As you walk through the historic China Town gate, it will be like you've been transported to Asia! Originally built as a small village to house the Chinese refugees and workers at the ports, this area is now a thriving district, another block in the structure that makes up the whole city. This little China is a lovely holiday from your holiday, with it's diverse architecture, food and culture. Relax in the Zen garden and talk to the pidgeons, sample the chinese food in the resturants or spend your hard earned money on useless nik-naks in the many shops and the town square's market place. Don't forget to be here in January and February for the mesmerising Chinese New Year festivals. Financial District: Not high on tourist attractions, but if you love towering skyscrapers, walls of glass and big business, then this place is for you! The hub of all that goes on in the city and the island, it's also home to the iconic city hall, which stands proudly opposite the Discovery Column in Discovery Square. On the top of the column stands the Angel of Discovery, which faces towards the north when, at the time it was built, was still undiscovered, symbolising the potential and benefits of exploration and what can be found. So those are the districts and areas popular by tourists. But what about the people of Joya Del Mar, where do they live and how? This next part will take you to the residential districts of the city. Bosvigo: The largest residential district, Bosvigo houses the residents of lower wealth, gritty apartments and flats huddle together near the wooden framed and shakey houses of the suburbs. Despite it's famous biker bars and greasey spoons, it is highly recommended that you do not delve too far into this area alone, however, this area is home to the Del Mar Football Club Stadium, and during the football season, this place is alive with fun and excitment, teeming with community where everyone in the city comes together to support their home team....just...don't stick around for the after party if the home team loses, the riots are rather notorious. Garrimen: Similar to Bosvigo. Nearer the center, it's a collection of large arpartments and high rise council flats surrounding the Island Hoppers baseball stadium, but further out, it's a ghetto, full of old trembling shacks and bungalows. Unlike Bosvigo, however, there is a strong sense of community here, everyone knows everyone, the local skate park and local mall are great hang out spots and are where most of the locals meet. Park District: includes the blocks around Central Park aswell, neatly lined with a mixture of old and modern apartments, that replaced old apartments after the bombings of WW2, on never ending streets and condos overlooking the park. For tourists though, the large central park acts as an oasis amidst the sea of flats, with serene, peaceful foot paths and cycle tracks, not forgetting Ferdinand's Rotating Resturant and Observatory, the tallest building in town, boasting breath taking views high up above the city while you enjoy fine Italian cuisine. Greenslade: A picture perfect suburbia, with quaint, cosy homes nestled amongst trees , with architecture ranging from victorian wooden structures to post modern European styles, it is the most peaceful and tranquil district in the city. In the middle of Greenslade lies Greenslade park, the ideal place for a quiet stroll, a picnic or an all out paintball war at Dennis' Paintball Palooza Park. Prince: Named after it's designer, Arthur.K.Prince, who planned the strange but famous ring streets that center towards a small park and shops (At the time the city was on a pretty poor shoe string budget). A peaceful place who's subruban silence is crushed by the occaisonal roaring jet engine from the near by airport. San Sebastian: Known by the locals as the 'Empire District', San Sebastian is home to the hard working exectuvies and elites of Joya Del Mar where the rich glittering condos and apartments reach high into the sky. This heavily gaurded district is paved with money, even the lamp posts have gold plated bases! Also in this area you can find the theatre district, with the famous Lucia Castra Opera House and the glamourous Kodak Theatre! On the beach lies the Sandy Green Estates, where the current mayor lives. Only the priviledged of the priviledged get to live here in this gated community. Costa Rica: Where do the world's rich and famous go when they retire, or if they need a second-fifth holiday home? Joya del Mar of course! But they don't just go anyway here, they go to the coast of the rich - Costa Rica! Mansions nestle warmly here between and over the rocks on the West of the island,being so close to Bosvigo, it has security at all hours and high gates to keep unwanted people from entering. Over the last few years the residences have complained of the growing number of factories in the nearby Smith Industrial District, and are campaigning to have the entire districct moved futher up the island. Insane and impossible? You never know what can be acheived when lots of rich people get together. Smith Industrial District: The home to the second largest income to the island - the first being tourism of course. Just north west of Bosvigo where most of the workers live, this grimey smoke filled part of the island has been the subject of many campaigns, from health and enviroment, to spoiling the views of the rich on the hills. However it's safe to say that the island would surely crumble economically without this blemish on an otherwise beautiful face. So that's all the districts covered, hopefully by now you will have a clear understanding of all the gears that keep this island and city running so beautifully. In the next part of the tour, we will look at the mechinitions of Joya del Mar, and find out just how the city ticks, stay tuned! Editor's notes: So far everything I've said about this city is true, it does have over a million inhabitants and its largest income is tourism (trading holiday tokens!), second only to heavy industry and retail. In the next journal I will hope to cover all technical stuff of the city so that you can see this is a proper functioning city as well as one that's made to be aesthetically pleasing I also apologise for any typos, it is 4am here!

Hello all, I wish my first ever forum post wasn't about an issue with the game, but here it is :C So I've made a city, one of many, and I put a blueprint down but it doesn't build NOW I figured I could rectify the problem by clicking on the "manage blueprint" option, but this has happened for some reason I have no idea how it happened but I can't move the box down, and when I click on "see layer" or "search tokens", nothing happens. I'm hoping someone can give me a hand here

Yes I am. And you're right it does only do that with certain blueprints, if anyone finds a solution, or if maybe Globexco could work out a fix for it (if they're not already on it) that would be a great help =) As for now, it looks like my observatory is going to remain unbuilt.

Haha no I have nearly 300,000 people living in the city, I just started the game and had it paused, so it didn't load up how many people are actually there (I'm not making 3 million on nothing XD). Also I tried the screen resolution change and it did nothing

Hi Hyperwolf, thanks for sharing those interstate mods! Unfortunately I put both files in my paks folder and the interstate junction still have boundries on them. Is there something I'm not doing right? =(

Brilliant! I love the skip too! I never thought about it, but I see a lot of those in the drive ways of people's houses! I think that will do, Mntoes, I couldn't possibly ask you to take any more of your time to make more of these. I'm really happy with these ones and I am dead excited to get them in my towns x) Thank you so much for everything you've done!