Simtropolis Q&A about Cities: Skylines with Paradox Interactive

[Dirktator 2,320]

Hey guys! I'm talking with Jonathan, a community manager for Paradox Interactive to answer questions we might have about the upcoming Cities: Skylines.

 

First, thanks for taking the time to talk with us!  I'm going to kick things off with a few of my own burning questions...

 

Dirktator: Was there a deliberate intent to address feedback and criticism of EA's SimCity 2013 with Cities: Skylines? How closely were the developers following and listening to the SimCity community?

 

Jon: Our intent wasn’t necessarily a reaction to the success or lack of success of SimCity 2013, but rather a response to the overwhelming amount of passion and interest we saw from fans of the city building genre. When Colossal Order started development of Cities: Skylines, they weren’t just trying to make a better game. CO wants to make the best city building game possible, regardless of what other games in the genre are doing.

 

In order to do so, Paradox and CO are actively reviewing feedback from city building fans wherever it can be found. That’s part of the reason why we’re reaching out to Simtropolis, a community primarily dedicated to the SimCity series.

 

 

TL:DR - We hear you!

Dirktator: What do you think is the biggest demand for a city-building game today? What's missing from current city-building games? What do you think city-building players desire most?

 

Jon: In one word: flexibility. The freedom to create. We’re working with a sandbox type game, one that taunts your imagination and creativity. Players in this genre are builders and creators, and they all have unique ideas on how they want to make their own city.

A lot of game developers think it’s about the shiny features. But we knew from the beginning that we could never compete with the creativity, innovativeness, and sheer numbers of community content. So the goal of Paradox Interactive and Colossal Order was to make Cities: Skylines into a platform that was sturdy, yet flexible enough for you to build off of and make it yours.

 

This is your game, play it your way.

 

Dirktator: How much will Cities: Skylines cater to simulation players and to those who just want to craft beautiful cities?

 

Jon: Cities: Skylines offers a rich and engaging simulation that really makes your cities feel alive. We think this is important to gameplay even if you are more of a creative builder type who just wants to make a utopia. And when it comes to making the city of your dreams, well, we’re not going to get in your way. Paradox Interactive and Colossal Order have provided a solid set of systems and tools that should cater to your creative needs. With the community’s help, Cities: Skylines will become more and more diverse when it comes to buildings, decorations, and styles.
 

 

 

Dirktator: As a total city-building experience, what would you say is the one thing Cities: Skyline hopes to get right with the players?

 

Jon: A smooth launch that leaves you happy with your purchase, and excited for what lies ahead.

 

Buying a new game can be a bit of a gamble. Sometimes you aren’t sure if you’re getting a polished product that you can enjoy right from the start. That’s why Paradox and CO strive to make sure “what you see is what you get.”

 

We want you to get the game and think: “This is an enjoyable game, and it will be even more enjoyable as improvements are made and new features are added.” Not: “This game is broken, and will only be enjoyable once it is fixed and content is added in that was intentionally left out at release.”

 

There will certainly be things that you don’t like in the game. But Paradox and CO feel confident that you’ll enjoy the game at release. And we’ll be following feedback closely so that improvements can be made.

 

 

A lot of hard work has gone into making Cities: Skylines a great game from the start, because we know that we’re pitted against a decade’s worth of devotion to Simcity 4. We’re just starting our race, but I think you’ll like our starting point and the energy we’re bringing to this race!

 

Dirktator: Historically, SimCity players tend to get the shaft with post-release support. How does Colossal Order and Paradox plan to keep interest in the title alive and to support the players that want more from the game?

 

Jon: I think the best answer to this question is to review our track record with our other games. Paradox Interactive has a long history of providing continual upgrades and improvements to our games. I’m not just talking about DLC and expansions. We are constantly making free patches, content, and additions. Cities: Skylines is just going to get better and better the more we all put into it.

 

 

 

 

Dirktator:  How committed are the developers to provide tools for modders? Will modding be tied to just Steam Workshop or will places like our STEX (Simtropolis's Exchange) be able to share creations as well?

 

Jon: The phrase “will support modding” seems to be used over-generously by game developers these days. As you are probably aware, the term ‘support’ could mean as little as not getting banned if you modify things, so long as it doesn’t change the game too much. So let’s use some different terminology and paint a clear picture of what Paradox Interactive and Colossal Order mean by this phrase:

1. Fully functional modding tools will launch with the game.
2. Sharing mods and content is highly encouraged, and has been made simple and easy through the use of Steam Workshop.
3. Paradox Interactive and Colossal Order actively encourage modding, and our community management staff strives to answer all questions with straightforward transparency. We can’t promise that you can modify everything, but we won’t hide the facts from you.
4. Our developers are continually working with modders to make modding easier and better. It’s not plausible to get it all right the first time, but we love working with modders to open up new possibilities.

 

Or, if you want to hear directly from Colossal Order’s CEO, Mariina Hallikainen, check out this article: http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/news/a617010/how-city-builder-cities-skylines-is-being-made-with-player-freedom-in-mind.html#~p4Glbs9EtQLbfS

 

We’ll be releasing a lot of detailed information about modding and our asset creation tools very soon, so stay tuned for even more information!

 

As to the second part of the question: Yes, you can host and share your mods and creations on the STEX.

 

Dirktator: And lastly before I hand the thread over to the community for questions of their own, what might be something you would say to SimCity players feeling a little disenchanted with SimCity 2013 that might get them pumped for Cities: Skyline?

 

Jon: Paradox Interactive and Colossal Order are committed to making this the best city builder game ever. We’re out to prove it too! Our community managers are devoted to addressing your concerns and feedback. We believe in transparency, honesty, and open communication with our communities. You’ll be hard pressed to find a community team that operates the way we do at Paradox Interactive.

 

So in conclusion…

 

Bring it on!

 

 

 

PS - For more information about Cities: Skylines, visit our FAQ Guide at: http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?836421-FAQ-Guide

 

Dirktator:  Thanks!  I'll hand the thread over to the community for questions they might have, please post your questions below!

[RipRap 4,400]

Great Interview! Makes me really want to buy the game immediately even though I'm in the hole.

I really like how Paradox really encourage players to mod the game without worrying too much about policies, etc. Most of the innovative ideas came from people who really went out of convention, such as the NAM people, who worked in code to create a magnificent system.

EDIT: I was thinking about the questions, but only came up with one.

In Cities:Skylines, you said that the city can technically be expanded to build a larger metropolis, but at the same time I would get worried if I would be able to connect with other cities. Would it be possible to have cities side by side and have a so called "neighbor connection"? (Quite of like SimCity 4, where you can technically build another city on another tile but it looks like it's still part of the city.)

[JaWood 194]

One of the items I believe makes a great city simulator is having solid transportation tools. Such a huge part of city design lies in a dynamic, breathing, flowing network of streets, highways, freight rail, commuter rail, buses, subways, airports, etc. Sim City 4 really nailed this aspect of city simulation with its Rush Hour Expansion Pack(which in my opinion should have been included with the game from the start, but that's another discussion). Sim City 4 brought transportation simulation to a whole new level where you could see the exact commutes of individual zoned lots, exactly what transport network(s) they would use to get from A to B, and ultimately how those combined commutes affected the loads and capacities of those networks. What will Cities: Skylines bring to the table as far as transportation networks are concerned, and how much freedom will it give to the player?

[BLANKBLANK 4,414]

I only have two questions:

 

1. Is the industry resourced based? i.e. Do you need primary industries to extract minerals, food, wood and so forth so that secondary industries (manufacturing) produce finished products which are sold in tertiary industries (shops)- like the Transport Tycoon resource system?

 

2. Are there going to be any large industrial complexes: steel mills, chemical works, oil refineries, and will said complexes be modular to cater for parking, loading bays, assembly lines, storage of raw materials/finished goods as well as road and rail access?

 

I am a big fan of modded SC4 industry you see.

[Funky McBain 1]

My biggest question is around the transportation options available as well; will there be subways, trains, can I modify and add to freeways etc? Aside from the size that was my biggest disappointment with SC 2013.

[DomoTheRussian 68]

My biggest question is around the transportation options available as well; will there be subways, trains, can I modify and add to freeways etc? Aside from the size that was my biggest disappointment with SC 2013.

From Dev's FAQ topic:

 

What types of transit and public transportation networks are in the game?

Cities: Skylines will launch with the following types of transit:

- Pedestrian paths

- Gravel roads

- 2, 4, and 6 lane roads

- One-way road variants

- Highways and on/off ramps

- Train

- Metro

- Airplane

- Ship

- Bus

 

[iviaarten 533]

Getting more and more excited for this game

 

Short question though; will CO be looking at the off- and on-ramps for the highway post release? They're short and stubby right now. I'd really like the option to add long(er) merge lanes etc.

[Sandis_van_Great 346]

One thing im not liking already is that you MUST have a road and train connection with the edge of the map, which is fine as long as you dont want to play a map which is an island, and im a big fan of islands. But otherwise i am really looking forward this game and it seems like its gonna be a really good one. BUT to be honest, i still dont think its gonna overcome SC4. at least not yet.

[McMurray02 55]

I hadn't heard of this game until I saw an ad in my Facebook feed just yesterday, so kudos to the marketing team on gaining my interest. I came here to check it out, and it looks like it's the perfect timing.

First, I want to say "thanks" for listening to the core gamers of this genre. I'm fairly impressed by what I've been seeing so far. Looking at the Paradox community forums, I see that there's no set commuting schedule, or no "rush hour." Is this something you've thought about, and if so, will it be difficult to add this feature to the game?

[Azurespecter 506]

Great questions! I knew I could count on Simtropolis members to get straight to the point =)

 

In Cities:Skylines, you said that the city can technically be expanded to build a larger metropolis, but at the same time I would get worried if I would be able to connect with other cities. Would it be possible to have cities side by side and have a so called "neighbor connection"? (Quite of like SimCity 4, where you can technically build another city on another tile but it looks like it's still part of the city.)

 

Just to make sure we're clear, the 36km2 is all one simulated city area. Right now, Colossal Order wants to focus on your ability to create one amazing and fully functional city. SC4's region play is pretty fantastic, but that feature really only worked because it was just numbers, no real simulation. To properly simulate those inter-city connections would be much more complex for Cities: Skylines.

 

However, that doesn't mean we won't look into it if that's what we hear from players post-release. It's just not something CO could fit in for the initial launch. Hope that makes sense!

 

One of the items I believe makes a great city simulator is having solid transportation tools. Such a huge part of city design lies in a dynamic, breathing, flowing network of streets, highways, freight rail, commuter rail, buses, subways, airports, etc. Sim City 4 really nailed this aspect of city simulation with its Rush Hour Expansion Pack(which in my opinion should have been included with the game from the start, but that's another discussion). Sim City 4 brought transportation simulation to a whole new level where you could see the exact commutes of individual zoned lots, exactly what transport network(s) they would use to get from A to B, and ultimately how those combined commutes affected the loads and capacities of those networks. What will Cities: Skylines bring to the table as far as transportation networks are concerned, and how much freedom will it give to the player?

 

I completely agree! Hi I'm dOmo already quoted our FAQ which tells you which transportation options are available at launch (although it doesn't mention that Cities: Skylines has both freight and commuter rail! I'll have to update that). I think what you'll really appreciate are some of the infographics we have available. Go ahead and check out this Dev Diary: http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?833752-Cities-Skylines-%96-Dev-Diary-9-Info-Views&p=18811903#post18811903and let me know what you think. Especially the Public Transportation view and the Traffic view.

 

Concerning the exact commutes of citizens, I think Cities: Skylines actually takes a better approach. You can actually see where traffic problems are occurring because every citizen is simulated! Our citizens incorporate traffic into their route decisions, therefore they aren't static routes.

 

I only have two questions:

 

1. Is the industry resourced based? i.e. Do you need primary industries to extract minerals, food, wood and so forth so that secondary industries (manufacturing) produce finished products which are sold in tertiary industries (shops)- like the Transport Tycoon resource system?

 

2. Are there going to be any large industrial complexes: steel mills, chemical works, oil refineries, and will said complexes be modular to cater for parking, loading bays, assembly lines, storage of raw materials/finished goods as well as road and rail access?

 

I am a big fan of modded SC4 industry you see.

 

I love seeing big industry city journals, but I can never bring myself to pollute my cities so much, haha! Cities: Skylines is avoiding becoming a resource management game, so there are no resources that you have to manage. However, we do have industry specialization, and this is done through districts. You can designate an industrial district to be forestry, agriculture, mining, or oil production. Check out this Dev Diary for more info: http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?808920-Cities-Skylines-%96-Dev-Diary-3-Natural-resources

 

As for large industrial buildings, 4x4 is the max size for zoned buildings. We have quite a few reasons for keeping that to a moderate size, I'm sure you can understand. That doesn't mean that you can't make large ploppable buildings though. And if post-launch we feel that this size needs adjustment... we'll adapt!

 

My biggest question is around the transportation options available as well; will there be subways, trains, can I modify and add to freeways etc? Aside from the size that was my biggest disappointment with SC 2013.

 

Yes, yes, and yes.

 

Short question though; will CO be looking at the off- and on-ramps for the highway post release? They're short and stubby right now. I'd really like the option to add long(er) merge lanes etc.

 

Definitely! This was actually my biggest feedback as well. CO certainly realizes that real on/off ramps have merging lanes, and will be releasing improvements as soon as possible. Right now, the systems are in place and working. That's a good start, but we agree that we can do better.

[Cyclone Boom 16,875]

Some really useful insights, thanks for sharing with the community!

 

I'm really impressed by the concept of the game -- it's looking more and more promising. How the game has been developed, it stands out how focus has been driven by what people would like from a city building game. SimCity 4 has been successful because it was built as an open-ended toolbox, allowing modding to flourish for so long. There should be endless ways to go about building a city, and it's great to hear Cities: Skylines is intending to follow suit, providing freedom to be creative.

 

I've got a few questions:

 

1. Will it be possible for modders to create new content for the game (e.g. buildings), not just replacing existing items?
2. Apparently the game won't have a "night mode" at release. Is this technically possible to be added at a later stage, or are the models not rendered for night time?
3. I'm interested about how population density works in the game. For example, is it possible to create a transition between a rural / urban environment, such as suburbs, or more agricultural areas.

 

Thanks!

[Ocram's Razr 963]

Thank you so much for posting this! I am so glad that Paradox Interactive and Colossal Order gave you the interview. I have only skimmed this thread so far because I am busy at college but I will be sure to write more when I get home and read thoroughly. Anyway, I am so glad that you, Dirktator, have been proactive and taken the steps needed to keep Simtropolis relevant and remain the premier city building/simulating game fansite. I have been afraid that your site would fall to the wayside when new communities and subreddits open up for city building games besides SimCity 4.

 

 

--Ocram

[mrbrendano 0]

Hi PI,

 

Really looking forward to this game, 

 

Just a quick question,

 

In population terms what size cities have you managed to create?

[simcityplayer15 33]

I do have two questions.

 

1. Will you be able to build sunken highways, roads, and railways in CS, like in SC4? Well I think you had to use mods to make sunken highways, roads, and railways in SC4, but still I just want to know if it's possible through no mods or mods in CS.

 

2. Will there be different road textures in CS? From all the dev videos and pictures I saw, it seemed as the road textures are euro style. Will there be like North American road textures or East Asian road textures (like Japanese roads) etc?

[magitsu 1]

For everyone interested about transport-related questions, this is the holy grail of Cities:Skylines previews. It's an outside look that completely concentrates on the game's transportation systems.

http://www.cimexchange.com/page/index.html/_/articles/exclusive-csl-inner-city-transport-r124

 

"...it's also very clear the makers had worked with transport before, because that aspect works incredibly well under its limitations. What impressed us the most is that a (good) transport network will actually greatly influence your city."

[Prophet42 1,501]

Thanks so much for the answers to the questions.  They are very helpful and informative.  I do have a few of questions.

 

1) Will you be able to zone different densities for each developer type.  In SC4 you could do low, medium and high density which allowed for great diversity and smooth transitions in density.  One of the things I hate most in SC2013 is that zone density is tied to the road capacity.  Please don't tie road capacity and zone density together!

2) Also, if you bulldoze a road, do the buildings get destroyed with it?.  Again, this is one of my biggest grips about SC2013.

3) Will the game have development rewards, such as getting a city hall at a certain population or a university at a certain education level?  Also, similar to SC4 and SC2013, will power plant options get more technologically advanced with increasing time and/or education?

4) Will you have different building sets like in SC4? If so, will you be able to determine how long and when the building sets are rotated? 

 

Looks like an fantastic game.  I can honestly say that this is the first city simulator that I'm excited about getting since SC4.

[data7 98]

My only concern about CS is the ability to build highways as freely as NAM RHW mod let us in SC4 with realism and such (despite many limitations ofcourse). 

I get thrilled when I see pre build hwy in CS dev videos, after SC2013 failure in this particular matter. So, my question is:

When I buy ext tile for mi city - if there's a highway - can I rebuild the hwy for my liking? Or is that setup permanent?

I'd love to be able to build highways like in SC4 with RHW

[simsantos 27]

Thanks for posting this....I'm normally against pre-order games but this one is getting me so excited that I don't know how much longer I'll be able to hold myself from pre-ordering. LOL

 

Two quick questions:

 

1) Can we choose bridges types?

 

2) Is there tunnels in the game? Didn't see any so far...Even if not at launch will tunnels be added at all? Will be possible to build Underwater tunnels (like Seikan Tunnel or Holland Tunnel)??

 

[Trioxis 32]

 

Thanks for posting this....I'm normally against pre-order games but this one is getting me so excited that I don't know how much longer I'll be able to hold myself from pre-ordering. LOL

 

Two quick questions:

 

1) Can we choose bridges types?

 

2) Is there tunnels in the game? Didn't see any so far...Even if not at launch will tunnels be added at all? Will be possible to build Underwater tunnels (like Seikan Tunnel or Holland Tunnel)??

 

 

 

Bridge types are determined by the type of road. I would recommend reading this dev diary on roads for specifics. Tunnels won't be available upon release, however I've read they might be coming later. 

[Azurespecter 506]

1. Will it be possible for modders to create new content for the game (e.g. buildings), not just replacing existing items?
2. Apparently the game won't have a "night mode" at release. Is this technically possible to be added at a later stage, or are the models not rendered for night time?
3. I'm interested about how population density works in the game. For example, is it possible to create a transition between a rural / urban environment, such as suburbs, or more agricultural areas.

 

1) Yes. Check out this forum thread: http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?836585-Technical-Info-about-modding-available!!

2) This is correct. It is certainly a possibility, just not before launch. We've been closely following feedback about night mode and "rush hour" traffic, as they are very popular topics.

3) Districts and policies should help you achieve these gradual transitions, if used properly. For example, the "No Skyscraper" policy can be used to make that transition from city suburbs to city center. I'm not sure exactly how to make a good transition from rural to suburb, but I'm certain that those interested in doing so will find a way to make it look right.

 

In population terms what size cities have you managed to create?

 

Great question! I haven't actually made a city where I've focused on population size. I've got a 26,000 and a 15,000 population city, which I only now realize is quite low... and yet, they are actually pretty big cities area-wise! And they are full and bustling, very well simulated. My cities feel big! The more I play, the more impressed I am at how well CO has managed to simulate a city, despite everything not being completely realistic. I know a lot of people are worried about the 1 million citizen limit, but honestly I don't think very many people will hit that many citizens.

 

1. Will you be able to build sunken highways, roads, and railways in CS, like in SC4? Well I think you had to use mods to make sunken highways, roads, and railways in SC4, but still I just want to know if it's possible through no mods or mods in CS.

 

2. Will there be different road textures in CS? From all the dev videos and pictures I saw, it seemed as the road textures are euro style. Will there be like North American road textures or East Asian road textures (like Japanese roads) etc?

 

1) Yes, I've actually done this myself just to make sure it worked. You do have to do the terraforming in the map editor, so that will require some advanced planning. A talent that I think SC4 players are not short on.

 

2) Colossal Order is leaving road texture variety up to the community. We've aimed to make it an easy task for you though.

 

1) Will you be able to zone different densities for each developer type.  In SC4 you could do low, medium and high density which allowed for great diversity and smooth transitions in density.  One of the things I hate most in SC2013 is that zone density is tied to the road capacity.  Please don't tie road capacity and zone density together!

2) Also, if you bulldoze a road, do the buildings get destroyed with it?.  Again, this is one of my biggest grips about SC2013.

3) Will the game have development rewards, such as getting a city hall at a certain population or a university at a certain education level?  Also, similar to SC4 and SC2013, will power plant options get more technologically advanced with increasing time and/or education?

4) Will you have different building sets like in SC4? If so, will you be able to determine how long and when the building sets are rotated? 

 

1) We do have multiple zone densities. Check out this Dev Diary on zones: http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?804803-Cities-Skylines-Dev-Diary-2-Zoning

Density is not tied to road type.

2) If there is no road connected to the zoned buildings, they will despawn. Ploppable buildings will stay, but can't function.

3) We do have a system of progress unlocks, or you can cheat and unlock it all from the start for a sandbox mode =) Wonders are special rewards you can get access to building, if you achieve all the necessary requirements first.

4) Unfortunately not. Making that many buildings would drain a lot of time and work from CO away from bigger priorities.

 

My only concern about CS is the ability to build highways as freely as NAM RHW mod let us in SC4 with realism and such (despite many limitations ofcourse). 

I get thrilled when I see pre build hwy in CS dev videos, after SC2013 failure in this particular matter. So, my question is:

When I buy ext tile for mi city - if there's a highway - can I rebuild the hwy for my liking? Or is that setup permanent?

I'd love to be able to build highways like in SC4 with RHW

 

CO is aiming to have a highway system that outmatches RHW. The NAM is a pretty impressive collection of years worth of work, from a team that is actually bigger than CO's staff. Our goal is to launch with functional transportation network systems that are easy to build off of and improve later on. We'll make improvements, and the community should be able to make lots of improvements too... hopefully it will be much easier and faster than it was for SC4. Right now, our highways are definitely more versatile and flexible in terms of overpasses/underpasses and curves. And the traffic on them is actually simulated, that's a plus!

 

1) Can we choose bridges types?

 

2) Is there tunnels in the game? Didn't see any so far...Even if not at launch will tunnels be added at all? Will be possible to build Underwater tunnels (like Seikan Tunnel or Holland Tunnel)??

 

1) Bridge type is based on the road being used

2) No. But apparently Mariina (CEO of Colossal Order) has stated that tunnels are being added. I'll try to confirm that asap, and will reply again if I find out that the source quoting her was in error.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I must say, it's a little intimidating for me to be answering questions from all of you! Some of you I consider to be Simcity Legends, so I'm quite loving it. It's like Russell Crowe coming up and asking me for my autograph.

 

Now I just need Tarkus to drop in here. I've said it before, but the way he signs every post is just so classy!

[schwulermann33207 1]

Much about Cities: Skylines sounds fantastic.  I understand much of the city size concept, but I am curious if there will be a possibility to mod that aspect of the game.  Say, add a mod that allows a player to purchase more than 9 tiles in the game.  Even yet, have a region size larger than what the game's design gives.  Or is this a rigid part of game play that cannot be modified?  Despite this reservation on the limitations of city size, I'm very excited about the release.

[Prens 168]

Being an Admin here at Simtropolis and an all round great guy (modest too), will I be getting special early access to the game?     

Jokes aside I'm actually quite piss poor at thinking of some serious questions to ask... but I'll give it a shot.    

 

How well do zones and buildings align to the curvature of roads? I quite enjoy building suburbs with nonsensical winding streets all over the place in Cities XL, but am not such a big fan of these suburbs still coming out quite blocky because of it only having square zones.

 

Can roads have variable amounts of lanes each direction? For example a road that has 2 lanes going one direction but just the 1 lane going the opposite. If not possible at launch, will it be possible through modding?

Thank you for your time and pass on thanks on my behalf to the dev team for putting in all the hours of hard work

[rmjohnson144 39]

I had a some questions on mods.  I didn't like the lack of a mod UI for sc13.  

 

Will you have a separate mod section when starting games?  This way the mods are separate from the regular game and allow me to play a new game with mods then exit that game and play a game without mods, without having to remove installed mods?

 

Civilization 5 does it this way.  It saves the mod information in the game so when you exit the game, it removes all mods.  then when you load the next game, it will load whatever mods are needed if any at all.

 

I found it too confusing in SC13 switching in/out mods every time and worrying about borking my city by loading the wrong mod.  especially in online mode when it would sometimes destroy my city.  I finally gave up on mods from forgetting to remove a mod and going online and losing my city permanently.

 

Will there be modding of the game rules?  for example, I read there is a 1 million pop limit.  can this be increased?  Same with city size.  Can it be modded to use all 25 sectors?  maybe even more sectors?  What about adding new games rules ourselves?   Maybe a new agent type in the game?

[Jaymann220 0]

Hello!

 

I know there is a thread about this in the paradox forums, and i haven't seen any answers,

 

 

But the teleporting cars to avoid traffic problems,

 

I'd like to handle those problems on my own. It's my city, it's me building and it's my job to fix it. Don't like those kind of "cheats" to help run a city. Fine if you can enable it, then people can use it if they want and the rest can try and fix it. To me it's a shortcut to making the game too easy and I wonder what other parts of the game will have this kind of magic.

 

So to turn this rant into a question, is there any foreseeable option(s) for different levels of game play, Hard, easy.. ect.. that gives you the option(s) to enable things like "teleporting cars to avoid traffic problems" Or is this strictly for performance of the game?

 

Never the less i think Im more excited for this game than the SimCity hype, I hate to be picky but its just a question i had, Excited fan here! Thanks!

[fatbuster 44]

Hello!

 

I know there is a thread about this in the paradox forums, and i haven't seen any answers,

 

But the teleporting cars to avoid traffic problems,

 

I'd like to handle those problems on my own. It's my city, it's me building and it's my job to fix it. Don't like those kind of "cheats" to help run a city. Fine if you can enable it, then people can use it if they want and the rest can try and fix it. To me it's a shortcut to making the game too easy and I wonder what other parts of the game will have this kind of magic.

 

So to turn this rant into a question, is there any foreseeable option(s) for different levels of game play, Hard, easy.. ect.. that gives you the option(s) to enable things like "teleporting cars to avoid traffic problems" Or is this strictly for performance of the game?

 

Never the less i think Im more excited for this game than the SimCity hype, I hate to be picky but its just a question i had, Excited fan here! Thanks!

 

They posted an explanation to that yesterday. The answer was posted in this thread: http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?836809-Does-cars-disapears-even-not-in-traffic-jam&p=18900912&viewfull=1#post18900912

 

Essentially they said that this is something that this should only happen under extreme, potentially game-breaking circumstances. That particular case seemed to have been caused by really bad planning and an optimization issue with roundabouts.

[Jaymann220 0]

ahh ok

[Buggi 684]

I'm most excited about the dam-able rivers. Please tell me this mechanic is still in the game.

 

One last question, what system, precisely, is used to simulate the agents in the game? In my work and research into multi-agent systems there is a exponential cost in processing as the number of agents go up. So how do you simulate a million agents and not kill the frame-rate?

[wallacet 336]

A question about money challenges...I know often I would run out of money, and good ol' Dr. Vu would offer me the cash in exchange for this or that. Will we be able to drive around our own city like SC4, and if so, will challenges be offered for driving modes, like time race, sky writing with planes, etc?

[JaWood 194]

I am extremely excited to dive into this game. I haven't created new STEX content in years, partially due to family life and other RLS stuff, and partially due to the feeling that SC4 custom content has been pretty much saturated by now. But if this game is as versatile as it appears it will be, I will definitely be back on the scene creating custom architectural goodies for the STEX. Now if only I can get SimGoober back here too. 

[stevendshen 1]

I have one concern regarding traffic. In the videos cars seem to stick to one lane even when other lanes are empty. This was the same problem in CIM.

I think SimCity 2013 and Citybound do well in this regard. 

 

Also, I noticed when adjusting the budget, say from 100% to 150% for a specific public service, the game seems not to give a clear picture of what amount of extra public services capacity it brings.

 

Just my 2 cents