Citizen_DonM3

Hmm... In conjunction with the article linked above, I'm wondering if EA wouldn't "split the difference" as it were: While I can see this sort of thing being implemented, I can also see some problems with connectivity between users. Neighbor Connections mainly. But what if EA allows suburbs through Broad Strokes, that is specially purposed "suburbs"? Here is how I could see it happening: Each player is allowed a medium sized city, and the medium cities are basically catercorner to each other. Like this (cities directly-player controlled are X): XX12XX12XX XX34XX34XX 12XX12XX12 34XX34XX34 XX12XX12XX XX34XX34XX 12XX12XX12 34XX34XX34 XX12XX12XX XX34XX34XX Now, pick any "X-block". That's the area of your direct control. Once you get to certain RCIGPS (RCI + Government, Parks, & Simoleons) "points", you could then modify one of 4 (out of 8 ) numbered squares adjacent to you: Plan A: The "4" to the North, the "3" to the East, the "2" to the West, and the "1" to the South Plan B: The "3" to the North, the "1" to the East, the "4" to the West, and the "2" to the South. All "suburbs" would start at some basic level, depending on topography: If it's along a coast, it starts as "natural coastline". If it's in a flat area, it could start as "small farmlands". If it's in a mountainous area, it could start as "untamed gorges". If it's semi-flat or semi-hilly, then it could start as "wild forest". By allocating "points" to a suburb region, and depending on the types of neighbor connections you have with it, you could "upgrade" that region: i.e. The mountainous area could become a mining colony, the forest land could be partially cleared, the farms would become a satellite village, etc. I guess it's not so coincidental that the 4 types of topography that I cited were used before in Sim City 2000 in the determination of the Type of Military Base you'd get if you'd allow the government to establish one. (Granted, instead of a missile base, the mountainous region would instead house a "Special Operations Training" center.) Allowing a military base as a suburb would be the "easy path" to developing a satellite center, but you would be unable to change it again unless the Government drops your base in BRAC Hearings (read: your total RCIGPS points fall below half of the original threshold allowing the base initially.) Certain satellite developments based on Sim City 4's Business Deals (i.e. Regional Landfill Zone, Regional Power Plant Sector (Nuclear or Coal), Nuclear Waste Storage Mountain, etc.) would be even harder to back out of. In addition to the topography and the points-tree allocation, a suburb would be defined by the types of transportation connections you decide to put in. Road, Highway, and Rail connections could pass between suburbs while Mass Transit (Subway or Elevated Line in the main city, becomes Tram Line at the boundary) would only have a branch line terminating at the suburb. Example: Say 2 cities are adjacent East-West with the 4 suburb fields between them. Let's also assume "Plan A", wherein the City to the West has control of the SW suburb (of the 4-suburb block, i.e. #3), the City to the East has control of the NE Suburb (#2) and other adjacent cities have control of the other 2 suburbs (#1 & #4) If West City has a Rail or Highway connection on the North Side of its eastern boundary (connecting to #1, under North City's control) and East City has the same type of Neighbor Connection on the North side of its western boundary (connecting to #2, under its control) And: A: If North City Also has that same type of connection to #1, then: There is a junction in Suburb #1, which could be a 4-way Junction if South City has the same type of neighbor connection with #3 regardless of what connections West city has with #3 (excepting Mass Transit: all connecting cities must have Mass Transit for a connecting network). B: If North City does not have the same type of connection to #1, then: The railline/highway goes through #1 with a station/interchange but does not sprout its own spur to either North City or to #3 (Regardless of whether South City has the same sort of connection, see C below) Also: C: If 2 cities adjacent to the same suburb (e.g. West and North for #1) have the same neighbor connection to that suburb, yet a cross-partner (South for North and East for West) does not have that same connection on that side, then the rail/highway line "curves" through the suburb connecting the two cities until such time as a cross-partner makes a connection of the same type to the respective adjacent suburb. D: Mass Transit: Mass Transit spurs to suburbs would end at a common station near the center of the suburb (i.e. a "town station" for a bedroom community, a "transit center" for an Airport, etc.). No Mass Transit systems would connect between each other. E: It is assumed that all suburbs in the same "block" are connected to each other by roads (which would be upgraded to Highways as warranted in Case A). Rail thruways and junctions per Case A are in addition to these roads. I don't know if EA would do it this way, but it's the way that makes the most sense to me: Mainly as Sim City 2000 except that the Military Bases or major Air/Sea Ports are not in your main city. By dedicating the suburbs to specific functions (transportation, special industry, bedroom community, etc.) you'd free yourself to develop the core of your city more efficiently.

I'll have to review my U.S. Highway Capacity Manual (2000 with revisions to 07/2005) to get the academic answers to the questions you asked on the top of Page 2. (My gut check answer to the question to OWR vs Roads & Avenues is OWR = Avenues > TWR, and by that roughly 3/2 ratio you cited earlier. The short answer is "You should always be able to pass on an Avenue or a OWR, but aren't always able to do so on a TWR.) EDIT: Forgot about the signal timing difficulties on two-way roads (all) vs OWR. That does contribute an advantage. Nevertheless, so long as the roadway is at LOS E or better, an Avenue should always be faster than a TWR for the simple reason that passing slower vehicles is easier. Perhaps the ratios in Classic should be spread to all models, i.e. OWR = 3/2 TWR and Avenues a rough average of the two. But a quick question here and now: How does the Network Widening Mod factor into the traffic simulation? Are there different capacities that can be programmed into these tiles? Or are they coded as Roads and Avenues?