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Non-Road Boards => Off-Topic => Topic started by: Zeffy on March 12, 2015, 10:15:56 AM

Title: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Zeffy on March 12, 2015, 10:15:56 AM
As the title asks, has anyone played Cities: Skylines yet? I have, and it's definitely one of my favorite games already. It is at least 500x better than what you could call the last SimCity (not SC4 - that's the last GOOD one!), and even better than the new CitiesXXL game that literally was a repackaging of their last game with a few UI change. Skylines feels like what a city simulator should be. It's not overly challenging and if you're coming from SimCity, you should be able to get going with relative ease. Of course, there isn't any tutorial in the game, minus a few helpful messages, so if you're struggling, it might help if you watched a getting starting guide.

Other than that though, the game is really amazing, and it's a good deal - $30! That's for a full game, with great modding and customization. Also, my laptop plays this game great, but I still have decent specs. Older computers will most likely choke on this game.

I was playing around last night with unlimited money and everything unlocked, and eventually, my game crashed. Before that happened though, I took a screenshot showing what happens when the water decides to become sentient and take over your town:

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fl4gOTH0.jpg&hash=0d613303e81fc9cfcfbdddbc94e191f7e53482e6)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: OCGuy81 on March 12, 2015, 12:45:42 PM
That looks like a great game! I haven't heard of it.

Last time I played a game like that was Sim City 4, which I really enjoyed, and still fire up every so often.  I may have to invest in this one, though.

My roadgeek part of me must ask, do you get to determine the type of interchanges you place?  How's the road design?  My favorite part of Sim City was always building my highway network.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Zeffy on March 12, 2015, 01:27:57 PM
Quote from: OCGuy81 on March 12, 2015, 12:45:42 PM
My roadgeek part of me must ask, do you get to determine the type of interchanges you place?  How's the road design?  My favorite part of Sim City was always building my highway network.

You have a road tool in the game that allows you to just point and click where you want segments to be. You can make straight roads, curved roads, or roads that have odd shapes all extremely easily. In the highway department, each highway carriageway is a separate entity from one-another; you have to place two highway pieces traveling opposite directions to have an actual highway. You can easily build elevated roadways by pressing page up, and you can build up to 5 levels. The only thing I don't like too much is how awkward the angles for merging and off-ramps are - they are more like exits that suddenly appear, with no acceleration/deacceleration lanes. Of course, with modding support, there's a chance a mod comes out that enhances the highways. For the most part, the massive map size allows you to really get creative with your transportation.

You can build your interchanges from scratch, or you can download pre-built ones in the Steam Workshop. Unlike the NAM/RHW mod in SC4, it's not a bitch to use - and it doesn't spaz out 90% of the time. The only problem is that technically speaking, highways are at the same grade as other streets, unless you preplan the highway network in the map editor - except you can only place highways there, not other things, but you also can terraform the terrain.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: ET21 on March 12, 2015, 02:01:07 PM
My cousin told me about this game yesterday, may have to look in it. Is it available in stores or on Steam?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vdeane on March 12, 2015, 02:36:20 PM
The problem RHW always had was the large amount of puzzle pieces needed, having to conform to the SC4 grid, and an obsession on the part of the developers of conforming to the stated 16x16 meter tile scale even though Maxis NEVER followed it for road, tree, or building design (or anything, really).  I would expect the Cities: Skylines highways to be much less annoying even though they're essentially the same thing because the game is actually designed for them (rather than hitching a ride on a dirt road system that was never used) and Skylines doesn't have a tile grid.  SC4's RHW is very much hurt by the workarounds it had to employ to even exist at all.

As for specs... they seemed really high when I looked at them.  Even the desktop I bought last year doesn't meet them, and probably still wouldn't even with a video card upgrade.  There's no chance that my laptop would be able to play it (especially since I only have a 32-bit copy of Windows 7; I can't even get a 64-bit version because my copy of 7 was a free upgrade from Vista; the video card and CPU are also both too old even though it was a high end laptop when I got it five years ago).  You definitely need a gaming system for this game.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Thing 342 on March 12, 2015, 03:47:11 PM
Quote from: vdeane on March 12, 2015, 02:36:20 PM
The problem RHW always had was the large amount of puzzle pieces needed, having to conform to the SC4 grid, and an obsession on the part of the developers of conforming to the stated 16x16 meter tile scale even though Maxis NEVER followed it for road, tree, or building design (or anything, really).  I would expect the Cities: Skylines highways to be much less annoying even though they're essentially the same thing because the game is actually designed for them (rather than hitching a ride on a dirt road system that was never used) and Skylines doesn't have a tile grid.  SC4's RHW is very much hurt by the workarounds it had to employ to even exist at all.

As for specs... they seemed really high when I looked at them.  Even the desktop I bought last year doesn't meet them, and probably still wouldn't even with a video card upgrade.  There's no chance that my laptop would be able to play it (especially since I only have a 32-bit copy of Windows 7; I can't even get a 64-bit version because my copy of 7 was a free upgrade from Vista; the video card and CPU are also both too old even though it was a high end laptop when I got it five years ago).  You definitely need a gaming system for this game.
How much did you pay for the desktop? My laptop could run it pretty well, despite being nearly four years old and priced under $1000.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Zeffy on March 12, 2015, 03:48:09 PM
Quote from: ET21 on March 12, 2015, 02:01:07 PM
My cousin told me about this game yesterday, may have to look in it. Is it available in stores or on Steam?

Steam, but I would also assume there would be physical copies available as well.

Quote from: vdeane on March 12, 2015, 02:36:20 PM
As for specs... they seemed really high when I looked at them.  Even the desktop I bought last year doesn't meet them, and probably still wouldn't even with a video card upgrade.  There's no chance that my laptop would be able to play it (especially since I only have a 32-bit copy of Windows 7; I can't even get a 64-bit version because my copy of 7 was a free upgrade from Vista; the video card and CPU are also both too old even though it was a high end laptop when I got it five years ago).  You definitely need a gaming system for this game.

The specs are a bit high, yes, but it's a modern game. My 2012 laptop, which I admit, is built for gaming, can run it on medium settings with shadows and anti-aliasing turned off. Here's my specifications:

8 GB Memory
Intei i5 Quad-Core @2.25GHZ
Nvidia Geforce GTX 525M
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vtk on March 12, 2015, 04:59:45 PM
My 2008 desktop was built to run Flight Simulator X, and indeed it runs that well.  (However, not so pretty since the nVidia card died.)

Cities: Skylines specs are significantly higher than my computer in all areas.  This will be the reason I get a new computer, though I have no idea when that will be possible.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vdeane on March 12, 2015, 09:57:48 PM
Quote from: Thing 342 on March 12, 2015, 03:47:11 PM
How much did you pay for the desktop? My laptop could run it pretty well, despite being nearly four years old and priced under $1000.
The desktop was a NewEgg combo bundle that cost just under $200 (not including shipping).  At the time I thought combo bundles were hardware pre-selected by NewEgg to create a system, for those of us who don't want to buy a crapware-laiden system but don't know anything about hardware selection.  I learned that combo bundles are actually a special kind of clearance sale where NewEgg dupes people like me into buying old stuff that they're trying to get rid of.  Now, the fact that the integrated video can't handle Cities: Skylines isn't too surprising, but the fact that even the CPU wasn't up to snuff was.

My laptop is a Lenovo Thinkpad W500.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Duke87 on March 12, 2015, 11:01:21 PM
I haven't played a simulation game in nearly a decade. I feel like as I became an adult and gained the autonomy to explore real cities, my desire to build fantasy ones just kind of dropped off.

Meanwhile I look at screenshots of this game and where everyone is raving about the graphics I... am not a huge fan. I feel like there's an uncanny valley (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_valley) problem here. It's realistic enough that it's clearly no longer a cartoon like earlier games were, yet at the same time it is imperfect. Look, the ramps on that trumpet interchange have no acceleration lanes and the merge geometry is weird and angular. Bleh.

Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on March 13, 2015, 04:30:55 AM
Zeffy, can you do something like the Big Dig in it? (And does it work 'offline'?)

Anyways, looks like I'll have to hold off for awhile before I can even consider getting it.  My video card is below the specs (ATI 4850).
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: riiga on March 13, 2015, 07:52:29 AM
Very fun game!

I have no problem running it in 1920x1200 on my 3 year old computer, though I've upgraded the graphics card once.
Intel Core i5 2500k (quad-core) @ 3.16 GHz
16 GB RAM
AMD Radeon HD 7950 (3 GB)

Here's a screenshot from my current city:
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/csl2.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Zeffy on March 13, 2015, 10:02:49 AM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on March 13, 2015, 04:30:55 AM
Zeffy, can you do something like the Big Dig in it? (And does it work 'offline'?)

Sadly, I haven't found a way to put tunnels in at all, which is shocking, because Cities in Motion 2 (the game the developers made before this one) had that feature. I'm sure it's planned to be added, or maybe even a mod can add that functionality. This game has extreme mod support, and I might try to make some accurate gantry models or other road sign objects as props (that is if I could actually learn to use 3ds Studio...highly unlikely...).

@Riiga: Nice city! Glad to see you haven't suffered Poseidon's Wrath yet.  :-P
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: on_wisconsin on March 13, 2015, 11:20:11 AM
I would totally get this game if my laptop could handle it.

Wonder how long it will take for a North American texture mod to pop up, especially for the roads.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Dr Frankenstein on March 13, 2015, 11:35:17 AM
Looks like I know what to look for when I build my new computer next month.

I've only ever played SimCity Classic though, so I'll probably have to relearn my city-building skills from scratch.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: riiga on March 13, 2015, 02:58:34 PM
Quote from: Zeffy on March 13, 2015, 10:02:49 AM
@Riiga: Nice city! Glad to see you haven't suffered Poseidon's Wrath yet.  :-P

Thanks! Some more progress:
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/csl3.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: DeaconG on March 13, 2015, 06:17:09 PM
Quote from: Zeffy on March 13, 2015, 10:02:49 AM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on March 13, 2015, 04:30:55 AM
Zeffy, can you do something like the Big Dig in it? (And does it work 'offline'?)

Sadly, I haven't found a way to put tunnels in at all, which is shocking, because Cities in Motion 2 (the game the developers made before this one) had that feature. I'm sure it's planned to be added, or maybe even a mod can add that functionality. This game has extreme mod support, and I might try to make some accurate gantry models or other road sign objects as props (that is if I could actually learn to use 3ds Studio...highly unlikely...).

@Riiga: Nice city! Glad to see you haven't suffered Poseidon's Wrath yet.  :-P

They are going to add tunnels with the first patch.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vtk on March 13, 2015, 06:47:37 PM
Quote from: Dr Frankenstein on March 13, 2015, 11:35:17 AM
I've only ever played SimCity Classic

That's not something you hear too often in 2015
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on March 13, 2015, 11:49:04 PM
Quote from: on_wisconsin on March 13, 2015, 11:20:11 AM
Wonder how long it will take for a North American texture mod to pop up, especially for the roads.

Maybe I could 'revive' this. :cool:

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv645%2Frickmastfan67%2FSC4%2Fconcrete_z6b.png&hash=a1d9f849537bee7286e8135fca8ca96f047b7736)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Stratuscaster on March 14, 2015, 03:24:09 PM
If you are wondering if the system you are on right now can run it:
http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/cyri?gameName=cities-skylines&itemId=12489&p=r

My own system, which is pretty beastly, fails the "Recommended" test because it only has 1GB of video RAM and 2GB is recommended. That said, the game runs fine on "high" graphics settings.

The biggest killer for most folks is that the game says there is no support for Intel Integrated Graphics of ANY kind - not even the latest and greatest available today. That said, it WILL run, but you will likely have to run it at LOW settings.

A couple of samples, but I think the titles are reversed. Judge for yourself - nVidia GTX770 and Intel HD4000:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiR_oYDGFdY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmufISntrNM
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vtk on March 14, 2015, 10:33:22 PM
Is there any chance it will run on a 32 bit machine / OS?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Zeffy on March 14, 2015, 10:43:29 PM
Quote from: Stratuscaster on March 14, 2015, 03:24:09 PM
The biggest killer for most folks is that the game says there is no support for Intel Integrated Graphics of ANY kind - not even the latest and greatest available today. That said, it WILL run, but you will likely have to run it at LOW settings.

When I first played it, it was using my Intel Graphics Pro HD 3000 card, which caused framerates that hovered around 15-20 FPS on the lowest settings - if I tried to bump it up any higher, it would not even load a map without crashing. Switching it to my Nvidia alleviated those issues, and the game runs anywhere from 45-60 FPS on medium settings with no shadows (which I turn off regardless, because IMO they are just a framerate killer).

Quote from: vtk on March 14, 2015, 10:33:22 PM
Is there any chance it will run on a 32 bit OS?

No clue, but is a 64-bit machine actually required?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Thing 342 on March 14, 2015, 11:09:01 PM
Quote from: Zeffy on March 14, 2015, 10:43:29 PM

Quote from: vtk on March 14, 2015, 10:33:22 PM
Is there any chance it will run on a 32 bit OS?

No clue, but is a 64-bit machine actually required?

Yes it is, as 4 GB is the minimum amount of RAM needed to run. 32-bit processors can only handle up to 3.2 GB.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Zeffy on March 14, 2015, 11:10:51 PM
Quote from: Thing 342 on March 14, 2015, 11:09:01 PM
Quote from: Zeffy on March 14, 2015, 10:43:29 PM

Quote from: vtk on March 14, 2015, 10:33:22 PM
Is there any chance it will run on a 32 bit OS?

No clue, but is a 64-bit machine actually required?

Yes it is, as 4 GB is the minimum amount of RAM needed to run. 32-bit processors can only handle up to 3.2 GB.

Oops, brain didn't parse that part. (That and I thought it was 3 GB ram minimum, but after looking again turns out I was wrong)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vtk on March 14, 2015, 11:58:32 PM
I still think it's fallacy to assume a 32 bit machine can't address more than 4GB of RAM.  System architects just aren't being sufficiently creative.  After all, 16 bit machines weren't limited to 64KB of RAM.  But then, I suppose EMS and XMS maybe weren't elegant solutions...
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Thing 342 on March 15, 2015, 07:47:52 AM
Quote from: vtk on March 14, 2015, 11:58:32 PM
I still think it's fallacy to assume a 32 bit machine can't address more than 4GB of RAM.  System architects just aren't being sufficiently creative.  After all, 16 bit machines weren't limited to 64KB of RAM.  But then, I suppose EMS and XMS maybe weren't elegant solutions...
There is PAE (Physical Address Extension), a kernel patch which allows you to use 36-bit addressing and thereby increases your maximum RAM to about 64GB. However, it only allows a a process to use up to 2GB of RAM, and breaks compatibility with NVIDIA drivers, rendering it pretty much useless for our scenario.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Thing 342 on March 15, 2015, 11:11:04 AM
So I finally decided to purchase and download the game and I get the black screen error that about half of all Linux users seem to be getting. Sigh...
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadrunner75 on March 15, 2015, 12:03:47 PM
Quote from: vtk on March 13, 2015, 06:47:37 PM
Quote from: Dr Frankenstein on March 13, 2015, 11:35:17 AM
I've only ever played SimCity Classic
That's not something you hear too often in 2015
I had SimCity for my Commodore 64.  That's the version I probably played the most, although I think I had an early PC version too.  Somewhere around here I have a newer version, still in the box, for whenever I get around to installing it.  I'll probably leave that to my son, for when he's ready to play with it.  That being said, this newer stuff here looks really cool, and I wish I had the time to try it out.

Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Dr Frankenstein on March 15, 2015, 12:15:44 PM
The game itself is probably compiled in AMD64 machine code anyway, in which case there's no way it'll run on 32-bit systems.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Thing 342 on March 15, 2015, 09:22:36 PM
Finally managed to get it running via a process that involved
The joys of gaming on Linux. Anyways, I built a medium-sized city, population 10,200:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesj.me%2Fimages%2Fphotos%2Flakevalley.png&hash=86b71256345a4efe48227f501fb857453b449522)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Eth on March 17, 2015, 10:32:46 PM
I downloaded the game Friday night and have been playing it almost non-stop since.

I just spent about half an hour replacing an underpowered cloverleaf with this...thing. You may get mildly seasick traversing this interchange (especially making the WB->SB movement), but it's effective.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ften93.com%2F2015%2Fcities%2Fpeachford-stack.jpg&hash=dfea150e21fce8ca1fe434b4ee18afda7e3e9f6a)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Zeffy on March 17, 2015, 10:54:49 PM
It's probably better functioning than this, which I spent $27k on to improve traffic flow in the area! Suffice to say - it didn't work. That roundabout that isn't the interchange is constantly jammed, and the interchange has TRAFFIC SIGNALS from the offramps, leading to even more jams.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FljtZUpr.jpg&hash=19892981495a0df8026799daa92f19d3ca3e36e9)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: algorerhythms on March 25, 2015, 02:00:40 PM
I downloaded the game a couple days ago and have been playing it quite a bit since then. I like it so far, though I miss some of the data views from SC4 (specifically I'd like to be able to click on a road and see where the people using it are coming from and going to).

Also I learned the hard way to never build a hydroelectric dam. That's just asking for trouble.

edit -- made a "SPUI" (though not really, because the right turns are signaled)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FeyRrCJW.jpg&hash=02e1fbf0024c7fab9bc1dcd279336187b974fd4b)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: kurumi on March 27, 2015, 12:01:24 PM
There's a nice FreewayJim-style driver's POV video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RAXo6lS4zk
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadrunner75 on March 28, 2015, 05:32:35 PM
Quote from: kurumi on March 27, 2015, 12:01:24 PM
There's a nice FreewayJim-style driver's POV video
That's really cool.  The only thing I don't like (which was mentioned previously) is how abrupt the on and off-ramps are.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vtk on March 28, 2015, 07:31:12 PM
SPUIs can have signlized right turns.

Are there 2-lane highway elements? I only see 1-lane ramps and 3-lane mainlines. Some types of interchanges would be rather awkward with only those options...
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Eth on March 28, 2015, 08:09:04 PM
Quote from: vtk on March 28, 2015, 07:31:12 PM
Are there 2-lane highway elements? I only see 1-lane ramps and 3-lane mainlines. Some types of interchanges would be rather awkward with only those options...

You could probably fake it with a one-way road, albeit at a lower design speed:

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ften93.com%2F2015%2Fcities%2Ftwo-lane-highway.jpg&hash=666b352a4663a44967be3999594ae3add1ca5c55)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vdeane on March 29, 2015, 04:09:53 PM
Quote from: algorerhythms on March 25, 2015, 02:00:40 PM
I downloaded the game a couple days ago and have been playing it quite a bit since then. I like it so far, though I miss some of the data views from SC4 (specifically I'd like to be able to click on a road and see where the people using it are coming from and going to).

Also I learned the hard way to never build a hydroelectric dam. That's just asking for trouble.

edit -- made a "SPUI" (though not really, because the right turns are signaled)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FeyRrCJW.jpg&hash=02e1fbf0024c7fab9bc1dcd279336187b974fd4b)
The local one I go through multiple times a day has signalized right turns.  They turn green when the NY 7 to I-87 left turns do.  It's a good thing the signal is there; traffic is heavy and trying to turn during the other phases is pretty much impossible (one trick to making a right on red is to do so between phases when all approaches have red).
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: algorerhythms on March 29, 2015, 04:18:51 PM
I guess you can have signalized right turns in a SPUI, then.

I played the game some more last night, and tried to build a Texas-style freeway with frontage roads, but I ran out of space because I annexed the wrong piece of land.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: froggie on March 30, 2015, 08:24:02 AM
Pretty lengthy write-up of Cities: Skylines on a DC-area urbanist blog.  They go as far as to say that it outperforms SimCity.

http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/26174/cities-skylines-takes-over-simcitys-mantle-as-top-city-builder/

(Disclaimer:  the article author is a friend of mine)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Zeffy on March 30, 2015, 09:52:44 AM
I've recently found the perfect balance of game-play mods that make this game infinitely more fun. Here's a list with some download links:

1. All Spaces Unlockable
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=403798635

I'm sure everyone has this one already, but if you don't, it's a mod that allows you to purchase 25 tiles instead of the 9 that the default game restricts you too. This in turn means you can make a pretty huge metro area.

2. Tree Brush
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=406723376

This one is good. It allows you to use the Numpad +/- keys while placing trees to turn it into a brush instead of individual placement. This allows you to decorate your city or roads easily.

3. Toggle Traffic Lights
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=411833858

This one is a must have, especially when building interchanges. At any intersection, you can toggle the display and function of traffic signals by pressing CTRL+T. This is extremely useful when trying to build interchanges that sometimes may place a traffic signal at the end of a ramp when it shouldn't be there.

4. Terraform Tool
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=411095553

This one is amazing. It allows you to use the map editor terraforming tools while in game. I have made great use of this to create more realistic highways that follow the grade of the land and not the other way around. It's not perfect, but it's still better than what you get originally.

5. Fine Road Heights
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=413678178

EXTREMELY useful for those who want more realistic looking roadways. It decreases the slope placement from 12->3 meters when placing roads, so you can build smoother transitions and more realistic looking interchanges.

6. Stricter Slope Limits
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=413311572

Ever wanted to make realistic looking interchanges in the game? Well, this mod will help (along with the above one). This mod makes it so slopes have to be pretty damn realistic otherwise you can't build it at all. Making stack interchanges just got a whole lot harder!
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: ce929wax on March 31, 2015, 09:58:02 PM
Can you make signs and put them in on this game?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: intelati49 on April 03, 2015, 04:20:36 PM
Quote from: ce929wax on March 31, 2015, 09:58:02 PM
Can you make signs and put them in on this game?

I don't think so. Yet anyways. I would think there will be some mods on that soon though.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: algorerhythms on April 04, 2015, 10:25:25 PM
Yeah, that's totally supposed to happen:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FP2FY9yN.jpg&hash=622a5916279880154b6451ec044bea6a6c055e05)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: lordsutch on April 05, 2015, 12:00:36 AM
Quote from: algorerhythms on April 04, 2015, 10:25:25 PM
Yeah, that's totally supposed to happen:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FP2FY9yN.jpg&hash=622a5916279880154b6451ec044bea6a6c055e05)

Hurricane Katrina was a bitch, what can I say?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: DeaconG on April 06, 2015, 07:48:38 PM
Quote from: lordsutch on April 05, 2015, 12:00:36 AM
Quote from: algorerhythms on April 04, 2015, 10:25:25 PM
Yeah, that's totally supposed to happen:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FP2FY9yN.jpg&hash=622a5916279880154b6451ec044bea6a6c055e05)

Hurricane Katrina was a bitch, what can I say?

Nah, just another day at Carnival Cruise Lines...
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: JKRhodes on April 07, 2015, 07:50:48 AM
My current laptop meets the minimum requirements, but I'd want to have something that runs it smoothly. I'll likely get the game in a year or two after I purchase a new laptop.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Thing 342 on April 07, 2015, 12:57:20 PM
Just found Cimtographer, a really cool mod that allows you to import and export cities to and from OSM files:  http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=416064574&searchtext= (http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=416064574&searchtext=)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: JoePCool14 on April 07, 2015, 04:52:32 PM
I bought the game and for me its my first city-sim game, and its pretty good. The ramps though are really awkward and I was trying to create a freeway through downtown with a one way frontage road, it looks awful because of it. Mods are the only hope at the moment.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on April 08, 2015, 05:37:48 PM
I had to buy a new PC to play it:

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F40TN0Qw.png&hash=59d15978cd528732a2577d643dfe102dfa959815)

Can't tell you whats in the above image because even I'm not 100% sure. I just started drawing roads and I came up with this.

FWIW, other than the freeways and in one small instance, I've used only two lane roads. I have a lot of one-way roads in the city centre.

The freeway-to-freeway junction in the bottom left is, while functionally complete, not to my liking. I'm going to change a few things and I'll post again here when I've finished.

I think the best way to build freeways in this game is to use frontage roads/express lanes. I'll go into further detail at another time.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Zeffy on April 08, 2015, 05:55:31 PM
^ Damn, nice job!

Is there any reason I'm noticing a grid of trees? In the top left corner, I can see "blocks" made up of trees. Farms perhaps?

Also, there is an American Roads mod on Steam which changes the road textures to much more American ones. I still have an ambition of perhaps making it so you can put your own signs in the game... and I know C#, it's just that I'm 99% sure it would require models, and I can't model worth crap.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: riiga on April 08, 2015, 06:32:12 PM
I've successfully put a sign I modelled in the game. Didn't work so well though since I have no idea how to make it ploppable anywhere like trees. If I import it as a tree it automatically has a swaying motion animation applied like all trees, which isn't something you'd normally find on a sign.  :-P

The only picture I have of it is this, which was from before I figured out how to apply textures correctly.
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/csl-p2.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on April 08, 2015, 09:00:36 PM
Quote from: Zeffy on April 08, 2015, 05:55:31 PM
Is there any reason I'm noticing a grid of trees? In the top left corner, I can see "blocks" made up of trees. Farms perhaps?

Yep, exactly. My plan is to have farms and those grids (along with the trees that were removed from them so I could place them elsewhere) are where they'll be.

Quote from: Zeffy on April 08, 2015, 05:55:31 PM
Also, there is an American Roads mod on Steam which changes the road textures to much more American ones. I still have an ambition of perhaps making it so you can put your own signs in the game... and I know C#, it's just that I'm 99% sure it would require models, and I can't model worth crap.

Only thing I want are crosswalks that are parallel lines, not zebras.

Quote from: riiga on April 08, 2015, 06:32:12 PM
The only picture I have of it is this, which was from before I figured out how to apply textures correctly.

Looks like good work so far. I think you might be onto something (beyond the swaying nature of the sign).
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on July 10, 2015, 08:43:40 PM
Reviving an old thread because I got C:S running again. The new mods allow some pretty awesome freeway interchanges, provided you have the "Precision Engineering" mod and understand geometry.

Sadly there's no real freeway "puzzle pieces" (so the merges are less harsh) like in CXL or SimCity, but I'm willing to overlook that given how much more expansive this game is in every other regard.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FWapPBOi.png&hash=538aaeda0ef6131da1675e6e5a5399bfe6ce517b)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on July 10, 2015, 11:50:18 PM
I'm definitely going to have to get that mod now!  I picked up Skylines back during the Steam Summer Sale, and I've had a lot of fun with it.  Too bad I need to upgrade my video card first if I really want to do more crazy stuff in it, since a small city lags on my system (still running an ATI 4850 512MB card here) and leaks like heck.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on July 11, 2015, 12:20:13 AM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on July 10, 2015, 11:50:18 PM
I'm definitely going to have to get that mod now!  I picked up Skylines back during the Steam Summer Sale, and I've had a lot of fun with it.  Too bad I need to upgrade my video card first if I really want to do more crazy stuff in it, since a small city lags on my system (still running an ATI 4850 512MB card here) and leaks like heck.

Actually, everything you see here can be done w/o mods. But getting the angles correct (so as to make perfect clovers) is very difficult without some reference.

As for the graphics, it is a very tough game to run. I have a GTX 970, so I don't have any issues (it runs at a constant 60 fps) but the vast majority of people have to resort to down-scaling mods so their computers can run it. So you aren't alone. :-D

Leaking is what killed Cities XL for me. It always gets laggier and laggier the longer you play it. Absolutely maddening.

EDIT: I re-read my original post. Not sure why I said "mods" (plural). The only mod I used was Precision Engineering.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vdeane on July 11, 2015, 04:54:40 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 10, 2015, 08:43:40 PM
Sadly there's no real freeway "puzzle pieces" (so the merges are less harsh) like in CXL or SimCity, but I'm willing to overlook that given how much more expansive this game is in every other regard.
I would consider that a plus.  IMO the puzzle pieces were always clunky and difficult to use, and a major part of why I never managed to master the RHW mod.  What's interesting is that, for all the puzzle pieces, RHW didn't have smooth merges either.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Zeffy on October 05, 2015, 06:18:44 PM
So I just built a new gaming desktop (worth $1.5k) and this game is amazing on max GFX settings while remaining at 60 FPS. The new day/night cycle makes this game look beautiful, especially at night.

Jake. how did you build that cloverstack interchange to that level of realism? I seem to always have a defect that pisses me off when building interchanges - though using the tunnel feature to depress freeways (thanks to fine road heights mod) definitely helps with the realism (not everything is a bridge), but I still can't get it down pat.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on October 05, 2015, 10:07:53 PM
What type of video card did you get Zeffy?  Need to get myself a new one since I can run the game on a ATI 4850, but once my city gets to about 10,000 people, I have problems since my card is only 512MB.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Zeffy on October 05, 2015, 10:47:44 PM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on October 05, 2015, 10:07:53 PM
What type of video card did you get Zeffy?  Need to get myself a new one since I can run the game on a ATI 4850, but once my city gets to about 10,000 people, I have problems since my card is only 512MB.

MSI Nvidia GeForce GTX 970. This is what my desktop actually looks like:

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1300.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fag88%2FZeffyboy%2FCPU1_zpsl7pngysv.jpg&hash=80098d4df8eba80170db7d5918cd40f632110142)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1300.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fag88%2FZeffyboy%2FCPU2_zps9rbt2uoh.jpg&hash=6ac59930c658f3b50ec13b89548329c42c45ea41)

100% pure custom build - had to order all the parts myself. It was an endeavor for sure, but I can easily say it was worth every penny. My old card (Nvidia GeForce 525M on the laptop pictured in the first photo) could run the game at about 35 FPS on medium, where the only slowdown was when it had to render a lot of things.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on October 06, 2015, 12:28:10 AM
Quote from: Zeffy on October 05, 2015, 06:18:44 PM
Jake. how did you build that cloverstack interchange to that level of realism? I seem to always have a defect that pisses me off when building interchanges - though using the tunnel feature to depress freeways (thanks to fine road heights mod) definitely helps with the realism (not everything is a bridge), but I still can't get it down pat.

Lots of trial and error. Getting the slip roads to approach at the correct angle is a bitch sometimes. On occasion, I have a glitch where if the slip road merges at an angle that the game considers too tight, there is some GFX bugging in the "merge area". You are left to re-draw the slip lane so that the angle isn't too tight.

The other point is that you need the "No Pillars" mod because pillars will always get in the way. To me, the in-game pillars are no more realistic than having no pillars at all, seeing as real-life ramp pillars have varying lengths between each pillar so as to pass over each carriageway, whereas C:S has a non-varying length. I never view my interchanges from the side, so I just don't give a shit about pillars. To me, it's all about the geometry. Parts of the interchange where there are elevated ramps can have the pillars, of course, but I leave them out when I draw the part of the ramp that passes over another roadway at anything besides a 90-degree angle.

Here are some interchanges in my most recent yet-to-be-published city journal, Takapuna (based on one of my favorite places, New Zealand):

Complex system of collector/distributor lanes:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FT3BbZBP.jpg&hash=c26a39cfdcf9f7c37eb5502da9c556d0c263b426)

Similar to above but with two freeway interchanges:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FueagXkU.jpg&hash=02c4258344a0abc3722b86a7e3f84d3281b56cc1)

Lid over freeway (inspired by the countless examples from WSDOT). Most of my railways run below-grade but I kept this one at-grade because the freeway approaches the roundabout below-grade just ahead, so it made more sense:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FKqTMMtP.jpg&hash=3a13ae721a82faa83fb2df9e861ac762434d34ba)

Quote from: Zeffy on October 05, 2015, 10:47:44 PM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on October 05, 2015, 10:07:53 PM
What type of video card did you get Zeffy?

MSI Nvidia GeForce GTX 970. This is what my desktop actually looks like:

That's the same video card I have, Zeffy, but I think I might swap mine for a 980, if only because the memory allocation issue of the 970 bothers me.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: riiga on October 06, 2015, 10:13:21 AM
Very smooth interchanges, Jake!

I started playing some again after the release of After Dark, here's what my city looks like so far:
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/csl17.jpg)

And the latest day view I have, not as up to date though:
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/csl15.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Zeffy on October 06, 2015, 09:16:13 PM
I haven't worked on mine yet, but here's some screenshots I took while playing the game for the first time on my desktop:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.akamai.steamusercontent.com%2Fugc%2F383161437199067656%2F35E1AD546E09A250195991FD01F7A826E32AC238%2F&hash=b730569131bb03c9f6c09265ab6d0890a170e099)
(ignore the shitty pre-built interchange that I didn't remove because at the time I had not unlocked highways!)

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.akamai.steamusercontent.com%2Fugc%2F380910272143220631%2FFC09BA3A6F74C5223B2EA2E7A6FBDB805C5C389F%2F&hash=d26b1533a81945f1ce02ba787aff30f1cc9f432b)

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.akamai.steamusercontent.com%2Fugc%2F383161437199067774%2F592DC5E8E051862FE3A75358C6A69B46337D5878%2F&hash=b5e84bd314a2b00a4e866a03a113e9863813b4f9)

So yeah, not much, but it'll definitely expand now that this game runs smooth as silk.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on October 06, 2015, 09:22:23 PM
Quote from: Zeffy on October 06, 2015, 09:16:13 PM
So yeah, not much, but it'll definitely expand now that this game runs smooth as silk.

Keep in mind that your game will slow down as your city expands. My game also runs very smooth from the get-go, but the more people you have, the slower it runs. x9 fast-forward slowly becomes x2. The killer is usually the number of cars that the game has to render. So do your best to encourage walking/biking/public transit. Seriously, it will be a lifesaver in time.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Thing 342 on October 06, 2015, 10:45:47 PM
Since this thread is active again, I'll post a city I've been working on recently :



*** WARNING - LARGE IMAGES ***




(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi766.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fxx304%2FThing342%2FHiresScreenshot%25202_zpsrpfpso1s.png&hash=729d715879c014f4736962775e9c10331b5a87f3) (http://s766.photobucket.com/user/Thing342/media/HiresScreenshot%202_zpsrpfpso1s.png.html)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi766.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fxx304%2FThing342%2FHiresScreenshot%25204_zpsuhuqdabn.png&hash=32b9ae5bef081190ae0059903a1dd6cb1b86af62) (http://s766.photobucket.com/user/Thing342/media/HiresScreenshot%204_zpsuhuqdabn.png.html)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi766.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fxx304%2FThing342%2FHiresScreenshot%25203_zpsq2hhiyh4.png&hash=dc96fc42b0351959737d6e00237f7cd092fca0fd) (http://s766.photobucket.com/user/Thing342/media/HiresScreenshot%203_zpsq2hhiyh4.png.html)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi766.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fxx304%2FThing342%2FHiresScreenshot%25205_zpsh7pn2hgf.png&hash=d9fb8f087fd669d5becac5e175b88be631e36508) (http://s766.photobucket.com/user/Thing342/media/HiresScreenshot%205_zpsh7pn2hgf.png.html)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi766.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fxx304%2FThing342%2FHiresScreenshot%25206_zps3gjfwj4s.png&hash=0e703ff08ac24f36d1ecc080b546a95b1397f743) (http://s766.photobucket.com/user/Thing342/media/HiresScreenshot%206_zps3gjfwj4s.png.html)

Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on October 06, 2015, 10:50:39 PM
Did they add any new bridge designs in "After Dark"?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Thing 342 on October 06, 2015, 11:03:53 PM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on October 06, 2015, 10:50:39 PM
Did they add any new bridge designs in "After Dark"?
No, unfortunately.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Zeffy on October 06, 2015, 11:16:50 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on October 06, 2015, 09:22:23 PM
Quote from: Zeffy on October 06, 2015, 09:16:13 PM
So yeah, not much, but it'll definitely expand now that this game runs smooth as silk.

Keep in mind that your game will slow down as your city expands. My game also runs very smooth from the get-go, but the more people you have, the slower it runs. x9 fast-forward slowly becomes x2. The killer is usually the number of cars that the game has to render. So do your best to encourage walking/biking/public transit. Seriously, it will be a lifesaver in time.

What's your processor speed? I feel like that may determine how the game runs under pressure, since the calculations for AI traffic and whatnot dramatically increase. I have an Intel i5 Devil's Canyon 3.5GHZ Quadcore, so I'm not sure if I would run into those issues. I know I experienced the same issue on my old i5 Dualcore, but the clock speed was only 2.5GHZ for each core.

@Thing: Nice screenshots! I got an Atlanta sort of vibe on the second shot, with the freeway running straight through the heart of the central business district.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on October 06, 2015, 11:53:51 PM
Quote from: Zeffy on October 06, 2015, 11:16:50 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on October 06, 2015, 09:22:23 PM
Quote from: Zeffy on October 06, 2015, 09:16:13 PM
So yeah, not much, but it'll definitely expand now that this game runs smooth as silk.

Keep in mind that your game will slow down as your city expands. My game also runs very smooth from the get-go, but the more people you have, the slower it runs. x9 fast-forward slowly becomes x2. The killer is usually the number of cars that the game has to render. So do your best to encourage walking/biking/public transit. Seriously, it will be a lifesaver in time.

What's your processor speed? I feel like that may determine how the game runs under pressure, since the calculations for AI traffic and whatnot dramatically increase. I have an Intel i5 Devil's Canyon 3.5GHZ Quadcore, so I'm not sure if I would run into those issues. I know I experienced the same issue on my old i5 Dualcore, but the clock speed was only 2.5GHZ for each core.

Right now, I'm running an Intel i7 4790 "Haswell" (http://ark.intel.com/products/80806/Intel-Core-i7-4790-Processor-8M-Cache-up-to-4_00-GHz) @ 3.6 GHz. But I also have a "realistic traffic" mod which spawns more vehicles than normal, which my be inhibiting my performance.

Quote from: riiga on October 06, 2015, 10:13:21 AM
Very smooth interchanges, Jake!

I started playing some again after the release of After Dark, here's what my city looks like so far:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/24401393/csl17.jpg


Thanks Riiga! I like what I see on your map, as well (though I am admittedly not a fan of grids -- I use them but they are more akin to the kind found in Milton Keynes, England (https://goo.gl/0hdnHR).
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vtk on October 07, 2015, 12:57:30 PM
Is there a district policy setting to use a specific color of street lights?  If not, there should be...
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: riiga on October 07, 2015, 01:30:12 PM
There isn't, the color depends on the type of road. Avenues with medians have orange lights while the others seem to have LED-like light.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: ET21 on October 07, 2015, 02:24:28 PM
I think I read somewhere that Skylines will be coming to consoles as well
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on October 07, 2015, 05:32:33 PM
Quote from: ET21 on October 07, 2015, 02:24:28 PM
I think I read somewhere that Skylines will be coming to consoles as well

I never would have guessed, but I'll be damned, you're right:

http://www.polygon.com/2015/8/4/9094763/cities-skylines-xbox-one-exclusive-first-console-premier-gamescom

I've always believed, however, that simulation games fit better onto PCs than consoles.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vtk on October 07, 2015, 11:55:38 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on October 07, 2015, 05:32:33 PM
Quote from: ET21 on October 07, 2015, 02:24:28 PM
I think I read somewhere that Skylines will be coming to consoles as well

I never would have guessed, but I'll be damned, you're right:

http://www.polygon.com/2015/8/4/9094763/cities-skylines-xbox-one-exclusive-first-console-premier-gamescom

I've always believed, however, that simulation games fit better onto PCs than consoles.

Yeah, Minecraft has a couple of slightly annoying limitations on XBox 360...
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: ET21 on October 08, 2015, 12:26:45 PM
Quote from: vtk on October 07, 2015, 11:55:38 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on October 07, 2015, 05:32:33 PM
Quote from: ET21 on October 07, 2015, 02:24:28 PM
I think I read somewhere that Skylines will be coming to consoles as well

I never would have guessed, but I'll be damned, you're right:

http://www.polygon.com/2015/8/4/9094763/cities-skylines-xbox-one-exclusive-first-console-premier-gamescom

I've always believed, however, that simulation games fit better onto PCs than consoles.

Yeah, Minecraft has a couple of slightly annoying limitations on XBox 360...

Still does, however the One version is much better (bigger maps, farther views)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Buffaboy on October 15, 2015, 11:05:51 AM
This game blows Simutrans out of the water. The problem for me is that if I got it, I wouldn't be able to stop playing it as I'm a big procrastinator. But that's another story.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on October 15, 2015, 11:23:34 PM
Quote from: Buffaboy on October 15, 2015, 11:05:51 AM
This game blows Simutrans out of the water. The problem for me is that if I got it, I wouldn't be able to stop playing it as I'm a big procrastinator. But that's another story.

I know that feeling. I have to be careful how much I play. I've played just short of 200 hours since I got the game in March.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: riiga on November 20, 2015, 11:54:34 AM
With the help of this fantastic mod (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=553184329) my interchanges now have smooth merges and not the horrible standard ones in CSL. Very useful for making the railroad look good too.

(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/csl32.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Zeffy on November 20, 2015, 12:51:58 PM
Holy shit, I'm totally getting that mod when I get home from work today.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on November 20, 2015, 06:33:33 PM
Sharp angles + Road Anarchy has allowed me to create this, something I couldn't have dreamed of even last week. It's not perfect, but it's good enough for me!

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FFWDT6yx.jpg&hash=269952c58adbd0d40574a166ac7b62059055b1c2)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on November 20, 2015, 08:56:04 PM
Quote from: riiga on November 20, 2015, 11:54:34 AM
With the help of this fantastic mod (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=553184329) my interchanges now have smooth merges and not the horrible standard ones in CSL. Very useful for making the railroad look good too.

Subscribed. :D
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Thing 342 on November 20, 2015, 09:14:36 PM
Somebody finally released a mod allowing one to label roads: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=558960454 (http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=558960454)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: noelbotevera on November 20, 2015, 10:23:16 PM
I'm waiting for payday on Thursday so that my dad can buy the expansion pack and the game. Deluxe seems tempting, although not really worth busting out more for five buildings. I wanna show the true designer of who I am (please don't reply with John Cena). Enough positive talk now.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vtk on November 20, 2015, 11:21:17 PM
A couple nights ago I dreamed I got tired of waiting until I had a new computer, and just bought C:SL and installed it on my 32-bit machine. It ran great, but the water simulation started doing weird things, and that distracted me from building a city. Then I think the dream morphed into something else entirely.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Zeffy on November 25, 2015, 10:11:33 PM
Jake and Riiga, how did you guys build things without ugly defects appearing while using that sharp junction mod? Everytime I try to build something, the road literally glitches out to the point where it's either in the ground or aligned in a way that looks incredibly ugly.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on November 25, 2015, 10:18:31 PM
Quote from: Zeffy on November 25, 2015, 10:11:33 PM
Jake and Riiga, how did you guys build things without ugly defects appearing while using that sharp junction mod? Everytime I try to build something, the road literally glitches out to the point where it's either in the ground or aligned in a way that looks incredibly ugly.

You have to make sure the roads aren't too sharp. There is still a limit to how big the game will allow a junction to be, even with this new mod. With the highways, the breakaway points (where the roads merge and diverge) naturally curve a little, so things can still look good.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on December 07, 2015, 02:54:28 AM
I built a diverging-diamond interchange. Almost all of the traffic goes to the left of this image, so it works good here. Only one signal for most of the traffic.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F7LRb55r.jpg&hash=84baa8658c0d7fee1e7fca4285dae326df6685df)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: noelbotevera on December 25, 2015, 07:08:56 PM
Bumping this thread. Has anyone tried making an express-local setup? That's how I might plan my city freeways. So pretty much, when you enter, all the traffic splits into express and local. All through traffic takes the express lanes, and only exit at major interchanges (freeways or major avenues). Local traffic handles all the minor stuff, and to help out traffic, I also have elevated frontage roads. I have no picture unfortunately.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on December 25, 2015, 10:54:19 PM
Quote from: noelbotevera on December 25, 2015, 07:08:56 PM
Bumping this thread. Has anyone tried making an express-local setup? That's how I might plan my city freeways. So pretty much, when you enter, all the traffic splits into express and local. All through traffic takes the express lanes, and only exit at major interchanges (freeways or major avenues). Local traffic handles all the minor stuff, and to help out traffic, I also have elevated frontage roads. I have no picture unfortunately.

All of my freeways have collector carriageways. I also don't have a photo but I will post one when I get the time.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on December 26, 2015, 10:19:13 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on November 25, 2015, 10:18:31 PM
Quote from: Zeffy on November 25, 2015, 10:11:33 PM
Jake and Riiga, how did you guys build things without ugly defects appearing while using that sharp junction mod? Everytime I try to build something, the road literally glitches out to the point where it's either in the ground or aligned in a way that looks incredibly ugly.

You have to make sure the roads aren't too sharp. There is still a limit to how big the game will allow a junction to be, even with this new mod. With the highways, the breakaway points (where the roads merge and diverge) naturally curve a little, so things can still look good.

How do you activate that mod in-game? I have it installed, but can't figure it out.  I did make a DDI, but it's like 3x-4x bigger than in your picture that you posted Jake.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on December 26, 2015, 11:14:04 PM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on December 26, 2015, 10:19:13 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on November 25, 2015, 10:18:31 PM
Quote from: Zeffy on November 25, 2015, 10:11:33 PM
Jake and Riiga, how did you guys build things without ugly defects appearing while using that sharp junction mod? Everytime I try to build something, the road literally glitches out to the point where it's either in the ground or aligned in a way that looks incredibly ugly.

You have to make sure the roads aren't too sharp. There is still a limit to how big the game will allow a junction to be, even with this new mod. With the highways, the breakaway points (where the roads merge and diverge) naturally curve a little, so things can still look good.

How do you activate that mod in-game? I have it installed, but can't figure it out.  I did make a DDI, but it's like 3x-4x bigger than in your picture that you posted Jake.

Apart from making sure the mod is activated (by going to Content Manager > Mods > and making sure that "Sharp Junction Angles" has a blue checkbox), in the game, make sure the chirpie (the blue bird) is "stretched" (literally). Ctrl+A activates the sharp angles mod (when it's activated, the chirpie is stretched). In addition, you have to turn off bending by pressing Ctrl+B. When bending is off, the game won't naturally curve roads that meet at 45 degrees or less (normally, if you try to draw a sharp angle, the game will try and draw the road slightly bent so as to meet where intended, but at 45 degrees or more).

Also, it does require some trial and error. There are still some angles that are too sharp for the game to handle. Experience will teach you which angles won't work.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: noelbotevera on December 26, 2015, 11:27:01 PM
I have no idea how to put screenshots on this website, so I'll just explain it in words.

It turns out trying to do an express-local-frontage road setup was somewhat of a bad idea. I placed 3 passenger train stations, and tried to connect them all. It was hard to go east, so I had to go over the highway. Luckily I had a wide median, but it was a pain to go over and under the highways.

Also, it does help out traffic. My downtown was congested, so I decided to carry the traffic to the setup. It worked, but now the right lane of my local lanes are forever clogged.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on December 26, 2015, 11:47:56 PM
Quote from: noelbotevera on December 26, 2015, 11:27:01 PM
I have no idea how to put screenshots on this website, so I'll just explain it in words.

It turns out trying to do an express-local-frontage road setup was somewhat of a bad idea. I placed 3 passenger train stations, and tried to connect them all. It was hard to go east, so I had to go over the highway. Luckily I had a wide median, but it was a pain to go over and under the highways.

My most recent city has all the freeways built below-grade. In theory, I have two grades: +24 metres is for main roads and trains, +12 metres is for freeways and subways (and train tunnels), and 0 is sea level. This seems to work well, because I can just lid over any portion of freeway that needs to have something pass over it. Here's an example of my collector lanes and some lids (below).

My collector lanes are just carriageways that run next to each other. Each outside carriageway exits at the next junction, and then rejoins again (unless there are three carriageways). There are lanes between the carriageways to allow traffic to switch to the main carriageway in case they aren't getting off again.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FWvEt42I.png&hash=63fb71110ab750e59ae8c90f0362760e0158a760)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: noelbotevera on December 27, 2015, 12:05:02 AM
Mine are structured below level. Except for the north-south highways, the express lanes are above level at 15 m.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on December 31, 2015, 10:32:27 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on December 26, 2015, 11:14:04 PM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on December 26, 2015, 10:19:13 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on November 25, 2015, 10:18:31 PM
Quote from: Zeffy on November 25, 2015, 10:11:33 PM
Jake and Riiga, how did you guys build things without ugly defects appearing while using that sharp junction mod? Everytime I try to build something, the road literally glitches out to the point where it's either in the ground or aligned in a way that looks incredibly ugly.

You have to make sure the roads aren't too sharp. There is still a limit to how big the game will allow a junction to be, even with this new mod. With the highways, the breakaway points (where the roads merge and diverge) naturally curve a little, so things can still look good.

How do you activate that mod in-game? I have it installed, but can't figure it out.  I did make a DDI, but it's like 3x-4x bigger than in your picture that you posted Jake.

Apart from making sure the mod is activated (by going to Content Manager > Mods > and making sure that "Sharp Junction Angles" has a blue checkbox), in the game, make sure the chirpie (the blue bird) is "stretched" (literally). Ctrl+A activates the sharp angles mod (when it's activated, the chirpie is stretched). In addition, you have to turn off bending by pressing Ctrl+B. When bending is off, the game won't naturally curve roads that meet at 45 degrees or less (normally, if you try to draw a sharp angle, the game will try and draw the road slightly bent so as to meet where intended, but at 45 degrees or more).

Also, it does require some trial and error. There are still some angles that are too sharp for the game to handle. Experience will teach you which angles won't work.

Jake, thanks for letting me know the shortcuts.  Finally got it working now. :)  Was able to shrink my DDI down by over half. :)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on January 10, 2016, 05:11:58 AM
Much to my chagrin (given the massive land take, I have been not-so partial to them in the past), the Parclo B4 is by far the most efficient freeway junction I've built in C:S so far. I have three A4s and one B4, and while all are exceptionally good at what they do, the B4 is just a hair more efficient. Here's an image of the B4 junction, which services lots of trucks going to/from the port:

(note: traffic drives on the left, and all movements are controlled by yield signs -- there are no signals)

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FvNMSYzd.png&hash=f6d70570d708839dfaee7713ed6b53258071144b)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on January 14, 2016, 05:57:42 PM
Nice job there Jake!  You should make some of these interchanges anx put them up in the workshop on Steam. ;)

On a separate note, I do hope they add toll highways/booths/gantries soon to the game. :)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: riiga on February 26, 2016, 01:13:33 PM
Trying out the new expansion, the winter theme looks really good to me, and the game is starting to feel more complete with all the mods as well as the new features.

(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/csl34.jpg)

(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/csl42.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: noelbotevera on February 26, 2016, 03:43:50 PM
On my side, I decided to scrap my last city and began a fresh one. I decided to do frontage road + double decker. The double decker is structured like I-35 in San Antonio (express lanes on top, local lanes on the bottom), and the frontage lanes are in the middle.  I decided not to move the frontage lanes so now it is gonna be a pain to do exits. I'm also terrible at trying to restack highways.

Example: https://www.google.com/maps/@37.9325752,-122.4077,3a,75y,300.62h,88.28t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s5F4htOH4HslXHcHeQMVw2w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

It always looks weird and I'm trying to improve that. But I forgot, I should have switched pillars.  :banghead:
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on February 26, 2016, 08:28:27 PM
I just want them to add in support for toll booths and I'll be a happy camper. :)  (Yes, I know I sound like a broken recorded, but seriously, this is something that they need to add!)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: noelbotevera on February 26, 2016, 08:33:34 PM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on February 26, 2016, 08:28:27 PM
I just want them to add in support for toll booths and I'll be a happy camper. :)  (Yes, I know I sound like a broken recorded, but seriously, this is something that they need to add!)
There's a toll booth mod (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=487175904)  :biggrin:.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on February 26, 2016, 08:36:06 PM
Quote from: noelbotevera on February 26, 2016, 08:33:34 PM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on February 26, 2016, 08:28:27 PM
I just want them to add in support for toll booths and I'll be a happy camper. :)  (Yes, I know I sound like a broken recorded, but seriously, this is something that they need to add!)
There's a toll booth mod (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=487175904)  :biggrin:.

I have that already downloaded, but it doesn't allow you to get money from tolling a road. :(  Plus it doesn't discourage drivers like a 'real' toll highway would. :(
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: on_wisconsin on March 03, 2016, 01:35:03 AM
Now if only they had an "Suburban mod" which removed lot size limits and introduced a ton of new low density houses.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: JoePCool14 on March 05, 2016, 02:55:19 PM
Today I was trying to see if I could just import some simple signs onto some simple "billboards". I've been trying to get Props working on the Asset Editor but am having troubles. Has anyone else tried messing around with that before?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: authenticroadgeek on March 14, 2016, 05:49:16 PM
Quote from: Zeffy on March 12, 2015, 03:48:09 PM
Steam, but I would also assume there would be physical copies available as well.

Sigh, STEAM. I frickin' hate Steam, but I still have to use it to play some of my computer games. For example...
And now I'm gonna have to use it for this. Sigh, and this looks like a really AWESOME game too.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on March 14, 2016, 06:14:48 PM
Quote from: authenticroadgeek on March 14, 2016, 05:49:16 PM
Quote from: Zeffy on March 12, 2015, 03:48:09 PM
Steam, but I would also assume there would be physical copies available as well.

Sigh, STEAM. I frickin' hate Steam, but I still have to use it to play some of my computer games. For example...

  • Goat Simulator
  • Scribblenauts Unlimited
  • Team Fortress 2
And now I'm gonna have to use it for this. Sigh, and this looks like a really AWESOME game too.

What's the problem with Steam? I've never experienced any issues with it, and I cannot recall the memory take ever being a notable amount where it might affect an active game. Steam has really good sales, it's easy to manage your games, you can gift things to people, keep track of stats and achievements, etc. I can't think of any downsides, other than how the games are stored on the system, which is slightly different from where a hard copy game might be installed, which may present issues when modding a game. But even then, there's almost always a way around.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Zeffy on March 14, 2016, 06:16:39 PM
Steam isn't the greatest with lower-end computers. By lower-end I mean a computer that should not try running Skylines. On my old laptop it runs fine - except when updating games, when the CPU and disk usage spikes constantly, but that's only when it has to update, so otherwise, yeah, no issues.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: noelbotevera on March 14, 2016, 06:48:58 PM
Creating double decker interchanges with double decker highways is hard. I always end up with Spaghetti Junctions, even when I try to be realistic (for example all right merges and exits).
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: authenticroadgeek on March 15, 2016, 09:23:54 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on March 14, 2016, 06:14:48 PM
Quote from: authenticroadgeek on March 14, 2016, 05:49:16 PM
Quote from: Zeffy on March 12, 2015, 03:48:09 PM
Steam, but I would also assume there would be physical copies available as well.

Sigh, STEAM. I frickin' hate Steam, but I still have to use it to play some of my computer games. For example...

  • Goat Simulator
  • Scribblenauts Unlimited
  • Team Fortress 2
And now I'm gonna have to use it for this. Sigh, and this looks like a really AWESOME game too.

What's the problem with Steam? I've never experienced any issues with it, and I cannot recall the memory take ever being a notable amount where it might affect an active game. Steam has really good sales, it's easy to manage your games, you can gift things to people, keep track of stats and achievements, etc. I can't think of any downsides, other than how the games are stored on the system, which is slightly different from where a hard copy game might be installed, which may present issues when modding a game. But even then, there's almost always a way around.
I just don't really like it that's all.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on March 15, 2016, 05:33:04 PM
Quote from: authenticroadgeek on March 15, 2016, 09:23:54 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on March 14, 2016, 06:14:48 PM
Quote from: authenticroadgeek on March 14, 2016, 05:49:16 PM
Quote from: Zeffy on March 12, 2015, 03:48:09 PM
Steam, but I would also assume there would be physical copies available as well.

Sigh, STEAM. I frickin' hate Steam, but I still have to use it to play some of my computer games. For example...

  • Goat Simulator
  • Scribblenauts Unlimited
  • Team Fortress 2
And now I'm gonna have to use it for this. Sigh, and this looks like a really AWESOME game too.

What's the problem with Steam? I've never experienced any issues with it, and I cannot recall the memory take ever being a notable amount where it might affect an active game. Steam has really good sales, it's easy to manage your games, you can gift things to people, keep track of stats and achievements, etc. I can't think of any downsides, other than how the games are stored on the system, which is slightly different from where a hard copy game might be installed, which may present issues when modding a game. But even then, there's almost always a way around.

I just don't really like it that's all.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F2Mfay.gif&hash=b25a3f6faea0f136f67f1d5701f01acc47c20378)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: authenticroadgeek on March 16, 2016, 09:32:55 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on March 15, 2016, 05:33:04 PM
Quote from: authenticroadgeek on March 15, 2016, 09:23:54 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on March 14, 2016, 06:14:48 PM
Quote from: authenticroadgeek on March 14, 2016, 05:49:16 PM
Quote from: Zeffy on March 12, 2015, 03:48:09 PM
Steam, but I would also assume there would be physical copies available as well.

Sigh, STEAM. I frickin' hate Steam, but I still have to use it to play some of my computer games. For example...

  • Goat Simulator
  • Scribblenauts Unlimited
  • Team Fortress 2
And now I'm gonna have to use it for this. Sigh, and this looks like a really AWESOME game too.

What's the problem with Steam? I've never experienced any issues with it, and I cannot recall the memory take ever being a notable amount where it might affect an active game. Steam has really good sales, it's easy to manage your games, you can gift things to people, keep track of stats and achievements, etc. I can't think of any downsides, other than how the games are stored on the system, which is slightly different from where a hard copy game might be installed, which may present issues when modding a game. But even then, there's almost always a way around.

I just don't really like it that's all.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F2Mfay.gif&hash=b25a3f6faea0f136f67f1d5701f01acc47c20378)
I love it.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: BamaZeus on May 31, 2016, 02:38:37 PM
I don't play myself, but I saw this article on my Facebook feed.  This guy created all of Seattle in the game, and would have done the suburbs if not for building limits

http://www.pcgamer.com/cities-skylines-player-constructs-central-seattle-using-50000-buildings/?utm_content=buffer4f189&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=buffer_pcgamer
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on May 31, 2016, 03:06:19 PM
Quote from: BamaZeus on May 31, 2016, 02:38:37 PM
I don't play myself, but I saw this article on my Facebook feed.  This guy created all of Seattle in the game, and would have done the suburbs if not for building limits

http://www.pcgamer.com/cities-skylines-player-constructs-central-seattle-using-50000-buildings/?utm_content=buffer4f189&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=buffer_pcgamer

If he used less row homes, he could have filled out the rest of the city.

All in, not bad. There's room for improvement, but I still get the whole Seattle "vibe" from the pictures.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vtk on June 02, 2016, 10:07:32 PM
Now downloading Cities:Skylines, which by the way is more than half off in the Steam Store through the 6th.  Happy birthday to me!
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: noelbotevera on June 02, 2016, 10:09:04 PM
Creating double decker interchanges is hard, when both are double decker highways.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: ET21 on June 03, 2016, 12:04:16 AM
Quote from: vtk on June 02, 2016, 10:07:32 PM
Now downloading Cities:Skylines, which by the way is more than half off in the Steam Store through the 6th.  Happy birthday to me!

Yes! Glad I saw this post
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on June 03, 2016, 01:14:59 AM
I've been working on the same city since February. I just hit 100k about a week ago. Here's a shot of some hills and the skyline, along with one of the 6 motorways that enter the city (which is two more than the game normally allows, but, well, mods).

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FK3wZTV9.jpg&hash=7415d260ca38c1566181c9573c1973e04d18f418)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vdeane on June 03, 2016, 01:30:24 PM
Quote from: vtk on June 02, 2016, 10:07:32 PM
Now downloading Cities:Skylines, which by the way is more than half off in the Steam Store through the 6th.  Happy birthday to me!
Guess I'm gonna miss the sale.  My current computer can't play Cities: Skylines, but I was hoping to get it when I set up my new computer... which will run Linux Mint 18, which doesn't come out for another 2-4 weeks or so!
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on June 03, 2016, 05:36:30 PM
Quote from: vdeane on June 03, 2016, 01:30:24 PM
Quote from: vtk on June 02, 2016, 10:07:32 PM
Now downloading Cities:Skylines, which by the way is more than half off in the Steam Store through the 6th.  Happy birthday to me!

Guess I'm gonna miss the sale.  My current computer can't play Cities: Skylines, but I was hoping to get it when I set up my new computer... which will run Linux Mint 18, which doesn't come out for another 2-4 weeks or so!

You can still buy the game. You don't have to download it upon purchase.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vdeane on August 20, 2016, 05:00:17 PM
OK, I'm thinking of getting Cities: Skylines this weekend, and I have a question.  Should I get the expansions from the get-go, or should I wait until I learn the game?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: noelbotevera on August 20, 2016, 05:12:35 PM
Quote from: vdeane on August 20, 2016, 05:00:17 PM
OK, I'm thinking of getting Cities: Skylines this weekend, and I have a question.  Should I get the expansions from the get-go, or should I wait until I learn the game?
You could, and the game is easy. It just adds a bit of challenge (it's actually hard to lose at the game).

Note: Don't fret if you miss out on buying an expansion pack full of content you like. You get the major stuff for free.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on August 21, 2016, 11:26:17 AM
Quote from: noelbotevera on August 20, 2016, 05:12:35 PM
Quote from: vdeane on August 20, 2016, 05:00:17 PM
OK, I'm thinking of getting Cities: Skylines this weekend, and I have a question.  Should I get the expansions from the get-go, or should I wait until I learn the game?
You could, and the game is easy. It just adds a bit of challenge (it's actually hard to lose at the game).

Note: Don't fret if you miss out on buying an expansion pack full of content you like. You get the major stuff for free.

Well, the trams are in a DLC that isn't free. lol.  But, if that isn't a deal breaker, I'd wait till a Steam sale on it before you get it (the DLC that is).
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on August 21, 2016, 12:42:56 PM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on August 21, 2016, 11:26:17 AM
Quote from: noelbotevera on August 20, 2016, 05:12:35 PM
Quote from: vdeane on August 20, 2016, 05:00:17 PM
OK, I'm thinking of getting Cities: Skylines this weekend, and I have a question.  Should I get the expansions from the get-go, or should I wait until I learn the game?
You could, and the game is easy. It just adds a bit of challenge (it's actually hard to lose at the game).

Note: Don't fret if you miss out on buying an expansion pack full of content you like. You get the major stuff for free.

Well, the trams are in a DLC that isn't free. lol.  But, if that isn't a deal breaker, I'd wait till a Steam sale on it before you get it (the DLC that is).

I really don't get the obsession with trams. I've always found buses to be more efficient, and less likely to block roadways. If I need the extra capacity, I tend to use railways.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vdeane on August 21, 2016, 05:31:16 PM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on August 21, 2016, 11:26:17 AM
Quote from: noelbotevera on August 20, 2016, 05:12:35 PM
Quote from: vdeane on August 20, 2016, 05:00:17 PM
OK, I'm thinking of getting Cities: Skylines this weekend, and I have a question.  Should I get the expansions from the get-go, or should I wait until I learn the game?
You could, and the game is easy. It just adds a bit of challenge (it's actually hard to lose at the game).

Note: Don't fret if you miss out on buying an expansion pack full of content you like. You get the major stuff for free.

Well, the trams are in a DLC that isn't free. lol.  But, if that isn't a deal breaker, I'd wait till a Steam sale on it before you get it (the DLC that is).
That's probably what I'll end up doing.  I always thought After Dark and Snowfall were like expansion packs, but reading about it more, they're a LOT smaller than I expected - the core feature of After Dark was added into the base game as an update, and winter only applies to some special maps in Snowfall.  They seem to be a lot like glorified mods.  Makes me wonder of the natural disasters will only be on specific maps too once that DLC comes out.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vdeane on August 29, 2016, 01:42:00 PM
Was playing around with it yesterday.  The starting tile feels quite small relative to the maps I'm used to from SimCity 4 (always played with the large tiles).  Biggest issue, though, is that the highway ramp tool doesn't seem to be easy to use; it's constantly trying to curve the wrong way and whatnot, and as a result my attempts at a simple folded diamond looked like this (https://www.google.com/maps/@23.0721006,-82.3992579,238m/data=!3m1!1e3) (but worse).  How do people manage to build realistic-looking interchanges?

Plus the default three-way interchanges look like junk.  Someone needs to show the developers what real freeways look like.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on August 29, 2016, 02:08:40 PM
Quote from: vdeane on August 29, 2016, 01:42:00 PM
Was playing around with it yesterday.  The starting tile feels quite small relative to the maps I'm used to from SimCity 4 (always played with the large tiles).  Biggest issue, though, is that the highway ramp tool doesn't seem to be easy to use; it's constantly trying to curve the wrong way and whatnot, and as a result my attempts at a simple folded diamond looked like this (https://www.google.com/maps/@23.0721006,-82.3992579,238m/data=!3m1!1e3) (but worse).  How do people manage to build realistic-looking interchanges?

Plus the default three-way interchanges look like junk.  Someone needs to show the developers what real freeways look like.

You're gonna need some mods. I currently have 85 mods installed, and I use every one of them.

Some of my favorites:

- 81 Tiles: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=576327847&searchtext=
- Fine Road Tool: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=651322972&searchtext=
- Traffic Manager: President's Edition: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=583429740&searchtext=
- Network Extensions: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=478820060&searchtext=
- Precision Engineering: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=445589127&searchtext=
- Sharp Junction Angles: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=553184329&searchtext=
- Unlimited Outside Connections: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=497033453&searchtext=
- Network Nodes Editor: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=658653260&searchtext=
- No Radioactive Desert and More (removes ground coloring near polluted sites): http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=666425898&searchtext=
- Traffic Report Tool (it'll work in English, don't worry): http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=561123946&searchtext=
- Prop and Tree Anarchy: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=593588108&searchtext=
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: noelbotevera on August 29, 2016, 03:50:27 PM
I also have some mods too, and I use road anarchy  and some other mods to help me with building tall interchanges. I think one of my tallest interchanges is 393 feet high  :-D
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on October 31, 2016, 01:13:03 AM
I've been comparing the advantages of the Parclo A4 to the B4 using Cities Skylines, and its in-depth traffic management tools. Keep in mind that my roads are RHD (traffic drives on the left).

I can't seem to find a configuration for the A4 that I like. None of the traffic managers are able to spread traffic out enough that the backup doesn't become miles long. TM:PE, by far the best AI manipulator, still cannot make traffic "re-calculate" its path. For example, if Lane A is backed up, it must use that lane, even if Lane B is empty (when the vehicle spawned, Lane B was full, so it told every car that spawned for that brief moment to use Lane A). The AI needs re-working desperately, but as long as you know how it works, it's not so hard to work with. :crazy:

My primary issue with the A4, however, is the limit on the cycle length. I can't use cycle lengths longer than about 15-20 seconds, because traffic turning right turns straight into the red light for the opposite direction's right turn. I can't seem to find a configuration that allowed for longer cycle lengths, short of triple-phasing the turns (where only one direction can turn right at a time).

Thus, the only A4 that I had, has been turned into a B4. I couldn't take the phasing issues:

Before and after...

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FrwSOquv.gif&hash=8389355e894f0b60f21052a21d5d154a90f9d7e1)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Zeffy on November 02, 2016, 12:42:32 PM
How much time do you spend on your interchanges? Damn. They are incredibly realistic looking.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: kurumi on November 28, 2016, 05:38:42 PM
There's a 75% off Cyber Monday sale at Steam for this game. I took the bait and bought it for $10. Might not get much play time until Xmas break.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: noelbotevera on November 28, 2016, 06:23:50 PM
Some updates on my side.

I'm building a computer in 2017, as my current one that I share can't handle the game at a reasonable speed, so hopefully I should be able to play at at least 60 FPS.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on December 19, 2016, 06:58:09 AM
Color me impressed.  This guy just made the Carolina Bays Pkwy/US-501 intersection for the game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lwhWEHt7tc
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on December 19, 2016, 05:22:50 PM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on December 19, 2016, 06:58:09 AM
Color me impressed.  This guy just made the Carolina Bays Pkwy/US-501 intersection for the game.

Very impressive work, but I'm not so keen on the interchange itself. I'd rather the direction with the left ramps be the service road, instead of the freeway. IMO, freeways flow better when everyone keeps to the right. On the flip side, service roads seem to work better if there's even number of left and right turns.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: BamaZeus on December 20, 2016, 11:36:23 AM
I found a guy on Youtube who is recreating NYC with pretty good detail so far.  He's just a high school kid, but he seems quite adept at it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxDZ1fq9ThM
This is the first of 3 videos he has done so far
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Thing 342 on December 25, 2016, 11:33:37 PM
I recently came back to playing the game after a few months off, and I'd like to show off what I've been working on:

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs3.wesj.org%2Fimg%2Fgames%2F20161220144823_1.jpg&hash=68b9d469abe21d79efd9b8e11248c6351bdf1373)
A classic turbine, with the 485/85 intersection in northern Charlotte used as a reference.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs3.wesj.org%2Fimg%2Fgames%2F20161220144927_1.jpg&hash=a6ebdc2565c7befb4aabaadd6697ee498c52d8c5)
A recreation of the I-264/464 interchange in downtown Norfolk.

The rest are a part of a new city that I've been working on (at various stages of completion):
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs3.wesj.org%2Fimg%2Fgames%2F20161216183021_1.jpg&hash=8051b58503c6d9d6c2a786f7c2be89359d7ef35e)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs3.wesj.org%2Fimg%2Fgames%2F20161217201448_1.jpg&hash=8d76153f31493f97c12d20730ca15058518751c6)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs3.wesj.org%2Fimg%2Fgames%2F20161217211922_1.jpg&hash=45243d98170bf3f77e7c248dff6a1a888e33ff45)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs3.wesj.org%2Fimg%2Fgames%2F20161217204442_1.jpg&hash=5ecd6ff7129d9cc24da7fe6de9216f7d10a4f23f)





Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: johndoe on December 26, 2016, 06:02:58 PM
Well I'm really late to the party but I might have to give this a shot!  Hopefully I don't spend ALL my time playing with traffic... 40 hrs/week is enough :sombrero:  What's the best concise learning guide? 
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vtk on January 01, 2017, 08:07:06 PM
Quote from: johndoe on December 26, 2016, 06:02:58 PM
Well I'm really late to the party but I might have to give this a shot!  Hopefully I don't spend ALL my time playing with traffic... 40 hrs/week is enough :sombrero:  What's the best concise learning guide? 

The game is pretty easy to pick up, as it provides plenty of helpful tips.  Play for a bit with no mods or custom content.  Then, when you get frustrated with the lack of certain types of roads, get the Network Extensions mod.  Then, if you really want to micromanage things like turn lines or signal timing, look for other traffic manager mods (I am not sure which ones are up to date, partly because I'm currently playing a city with no mods so I can unlock more achievements).
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on January 03, 2017, 01:22:17 AM
Quote from: vtk on January 01, 2017, 08:07:06 PM(partly because I'm currently playing a city with no mods so I can unlock more achievements).

Try this: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=407055819

=====

Also, if anybody still needs the 'Snowfall' or 'After Dark' DLC, go over to Bundle Stars (https://www.bundlestars.com/en/games?search=Cities:%20Skylines) to pick them up.  Right now, they still have them on sale, plus they have a promo code that gives you an extra 10% of your entire order ( wintersale10 ).  So, I was able to pick up 'Snowfall' for $5.84 instead of the listed sale price of $6.49.  Smart move if you're trying to save as much money as you can. ;)  HOwever, the sale on them looks like it's ending in a little over 1 1/2 hours, so, be quick.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: ET21 on March 31, 2017, 09:11:28 AM
Cities skylines was announced for the first time on console, coming to the XBONE in mid-April

http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/cities-skylines-xbox-one-release-date-revealed/ (http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/cities-skylines-xbox-one-release-date-revealed/)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: index on March 31, 2017, 09:45:11 AM
Cities: Skylines.. Woo... I've got about 613 hours on that. (if you count the hours I've logged on my friend's PC)
My favorite thing to do would be to build a small, fully functional island city, then destroy it to bits with the disasters DLC.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: inkyatari on April 05, 2017, 09:58:19 AM
I'll have to install some of these mods.  I was fairly unimpressed with the vanilla version of this game.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: johndoe on June 10, 2018, 11:38:01 AM
Bump!  I saw some people talking about the game in the MUT thread and it got me thinking... what if we all did sort of a scenario and compared results?  I'm sure everyone's would look a little different with different mods etc. but it might be a fun exercise.  I enjoy the game and it's been awhile since I played but it gets a little boring IMO without a goal so maybe we could agree on parameters and all give it a shot.  Anyone interested?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jdb1234 on June 11, 2018, 02:53:40 PM
I have a copy I got a few years ago, but I never really got around to playing it.  I need to sit down and play it.  It is not the game to get started, though.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on June 11, 2018, 03:23:39 PM
Quote from: johndoe on June 10, 2018, 11:38:01 AM
Bump!  I saw some people talking about the game in the MUT thread and it got me thinking... what if we all did sort of a scenario and compared results?  I'm sure everyone's would look a little different with different mods etc. but it might be a fun exercise.  I enjoy the game and it's been awhile since I played but it gets a little boring IMO without a goal so maybe we could agree on parameters and all give it a shot.  Anyone interested?

Certainly tempting! I usually play with a bunch of mods and all of the easy modes turned on, so that I can experiment. But I always really enjoyed SimCity 4 because I always played it seriously, and the little things were much more satisfying.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: paulthemapguy on June 12, 2018, 12:25:40 PM
I have an addiction to this game that is adversely affecting my health.  I stayed up way too late playing it for 2 nights in a row...and now I am trying to function at work...

On the bright side, my 7th city ever Grace Valley* just broke the 175,000 population mark!  I've staved off the floods and epidemics, for now...

*-I name my cities alphabetically.  First one starts with A, second one starts with B, etc.  I employ naming schemes like this on my streets sometimes as well, in the stylings of Minneapolis and other cities.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: johndoe on August 04, 2018, 05:42:58 PM
I thought you may be interested to see something I tried.  Generally I start a city and just grow, grow, grow and it's not really very challenging.  For this, I wondered how small a city with a balanced budget could be.  (I've also kept it vanilla for simplicity/stability)

Overhead view, with roundabout interchange in the background:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi63.tinypic.com%2F25a2kyg.png&hash=3d375d80ba91d44639a3a87a0e3f24b3ccb8181e)

Budget:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi64.tinypic.com%2Fngplkg.png&hash=6dc15b256092337ed5e3f008a3a5cd694c82b7d1)

The traffic isn't too exciting with so few residents:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi65.tinypic.com%2Fk0ga3q.png&hash=02543b8ad3d767ddccc248aeb2d2a28ad7571cc5)

At one point I had an "anti-car" scenario, I'll have to see if I can find that.  I may try another "small" version of a city but including more features like public transit and education.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: yand on August 05, 2018, 01:41:59 AM
I wish I could build dumbbell interchanges, problem is I just can't stand seeing cars disappear and disable despawn doesn't work so well with roundabouts.
My favorite thing to build in C:S are low density settlements (obviously, these don't work without turning on unlimited money  :biggrin:)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on August 06, 2018, 02:03:49 PM
Quote from: johndoe on August 04, 2018, 05:42:58 PM
I thought you may be interested to see something I tried.  Generally I start a city and just grow, grow, grow and it's not really very challenging.  For this, I wondered how small a city with a balanced budget could be.  (I've also kept it vanilla for simplicity/stability)

Overhead view, with roundabout interchange in the background:
http://i63.tinypic.com/25a2kyg.png

Budget:
http://i64.tinypic.com/ngplkg.png

The traffic isn't too exciting with so few residents:
http://i65.tinypic.com/k0ga3q.png

At one point I had an "anti-car" scenario, I'll have to see if I can find that.  I may try another "small" version of a city but including more features like public transit and education.

I very rarely ever play the game with scenarios in mind, so I appreciate you taking the time to play around with it. Looks like your city is moderately successful. Mid-rise buildings, very walkable, little traffic. Thumbs up from me!

The dumbbell interchange is very cool, and looks to be handing traffic pretty well. I have a feeling that road going towards the industrial area might get a bit overwhelmed in the future, though.

Quote from: yand on August 05, 2018, 01:41:59 AM
I wish I could build dumbbell interchanges, problem is I just can't stand seeing cars disappear and disable despawn doesn't work so well with roundabouts.

I don't have any issue with despawning disabled (through TM:PE). What usually goes wrong?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: yand on August 06, 2018, 02:31:25 PM
Try stress testing any roundabout and you'll see what I mean. The roundabout will eventually stall and come to a complete halt even with all exits clear.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on August 06, 2018, 06:45:06 PM
Quote from: yand on August 06, 2018, 02:31:25 PM
Try stress testing any roundabout and you'll see what I mean. The roundabout will eventually stall and come to a complete halt even with all exits clear.

If it's not properly designed. Make sure lane guides are setup properly, and sign priorities are in place (yield for entrance, priority for circulating road).

I've used quite a few roundabouts in the past, because they handle cars really well in this game. The first photo is an overview of a neighborhood I built with several roundabouts. The second photo is the roundabout near the center of the screenshot. The third is the roundabout in the top left.

The only issue I have with the roundabouts is that sometimes one entrance can overwhelm the roundabout, especially if the popular movement is 3/4's of the way around. That was the case in the last photo. I eventually replaced that intersection with a signal. Sometimes I have to signalize one of the movements. Sometimes, I'll change priorities for one of the entrances. In the second photo, you can see the solid line across the circulating roadway. Circulating traffic has to yield there. The circulating roadway was overwhelming that entrance, so I changed priority so the few cars approaching from that side didn't get stuck.

(https://i.imgur.com/IkSjnhO.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/Dr2Y5fK.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/8FrFwP3.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: yand on August 07, 2018, 12:40:30 AM
Of course I make sure to use TMPE yield signs on the entrances. I see you're using larger 2 lane roundabouts which are more resistant to jamming than smaller 1 lane roundabouts, my point is traffic inside the roundabout should be able to keep flowing even if it is backed up/ being overwhelmed, regardless of roundabout size. TMPE yielding is imperfect and will let cars in that force roundabout traffic behind it to slow down, and when the last car fills up the roundabout it comes to a stop since no car can move forward. This is a known issue and of course not how roundabouts actually work, I live near a 5 way, 1 lane roundabout that gets backed up every rush hour (currently under construction to be upgraded to a 2 lane) but traffic in the roundabout always keeps moving.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on August 07, 2018, 03:29:37 AM
Quote from: yand on August 07, 2018, 12:40:30 AM
Of course I make sure to use TMPE yield signs on the entrances. I see you're using larger 2 lane roundabouts which are more resistant to jamming than smaller 1 lane roundabouts, my point is traffic inside the roundabout should be able to keep flowing even if it is backed up/ being overwhelmed, regardless of roundabout size. TMPE yielding is imperfect and will let cars in that force roundabout traffic behind it to slow down, and when the last car fills up the roundabout it comes to a stop since no car can move forward. This is a known issue and of course not how roundabouts actually work, I live near a 5 way, 1 lane roundabout that gets backed up every rush hour (currently under construction to be upgraded to a 2 lane) but traffic in the roundabout always keeps moving.

You may want to consider upgrading your roundabouts to double or triple lane monsters. The trick with roundabouts in C:S is to get traffic through them as quickly as possible. The more cars you have waiting at the entry points, the higher chance of the intersection locking up. Consider installing a meter on one of the entrances that's the busiest. Do this by placing a crosswalk (using the "Crossings" mod) just before the entry point, and signalize the crossing with a timed light that goes red for 15 seconds every 60, or something like that. That will stop traffic from entering there for a few moments, allowing traffic to "breathe". That's something I have to do very rarely, but it helps.

If your roundabout is large enough (with 5 or 6 car lengths between each entry/exit leg), consider disabling intersection blocking. TM:PE allows you to disable this, and make all intersections blockable by default (so cars don't stop before entering if traffic is backed up). I always turn on intersection blocking, because the jams created by drivers stopping is greater than if they just entered and briefly blocked it. If you also allow this (by checking the appropriate box in TM:PE settings), this sometimes will create a situation where cars will block roundabout exits, not allowing cars to leave the roundabout if one entry was really busy, and locking the whole thing up. Disabling intersection blocking at the busier entry might help reduce the chances of the roundabout locking up.

As you can tell on the last page, I use roundabouts quite frequently, and I rarely have issues with them. When I do, I get creative. Don't just rage quit or blame Colossal Order (even if their default traffic AI is retarded).

Here's a right-hand drive (left-side traffic) parclo interchange I created that uses a roundabout at one entry, with another roundabout nearby. They replaced two signalized intersections, which didn't operate well due to their close proximity, plus the original signal didn't include a missing movement which the roundabout was able to include (before and after, respectively) (pardon the theme change):

(https://i.imgur.com/hhyLxTm.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/Anciywm.jpg)

Probably not very strangely, the one roundabout that I truly was never able to fix (besides the one on the last page which I admitted to replacing) was this single-lane double roundabout. I don't quite remember what I put in its place (I deleted this city 2+ years ago), but I think it involved a signal and the elimination of one of the roadways:

(https://i.imgur.com/3ssNd7G.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: johndoe on August 08, 2018, 08:18:31 PM
Dang Mr. Root those are some cool cities!  Well done!  I feel like the traffic mechanic that bugs me most in the un-modded game is how early drivers get into their proper lanes.  They would rather sit in a queue thousands of feet long than go and make a different turn, etc.  Of course that's not ENTIRELY inaccurate

I also don't get how you can look at left-hand-drive maps...my brain gets confused really quickly!
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on August 09, 2018, 03:15:56 AM
Quote from: johndoe on August 08, 2018, 08:18:31 PM
Dang Mr. Root those are some cool cities!  Well done!  I feel like the traffic mechanic that bugs me most in the un-modded game is how early drivers get into their proper lanes.  They would rather sit in a queue thousands of feet long than go and make a different turn, etc.  Of course that's not ENTIRELY inaccurate

Thanks! I have 4716 hours (196.5 days, or 53% of a year) of Skylines under my belt at this point (it's by far the best city simulator of all time), so if I didn't manage to learn some tricks in that time, I've completely wasted my youth. I've built basically every style of intersection at this point, and I've worked with hundreds of different road styles, so needless to say, I know what works and what doesn't; that doesn't mean I don't still screw around, though!

Yeah, I've noticed IRL that traffic sometimes does that, especially when there's a turn immediately after an intersection. Here in Seattle, such behavior is not too common, as drivers will sometimes turn single-lane left or right turns into double turns, because why the hell not?

An issue in the game (well, not an issue, but an integral part of the mechanics) is that drivers can only switch lanes at nodes. So a single block might have no nodes in between two intersections, meaning drivers cannot change lanes at all between the two intersections. Basically, drivers have to choose the correct lane as they turn onto the street. This can sometimes create issues in areas with wide streets, as left and right turning traffic will conflict, turning into the lanes they need. Typical traffic requires the lane opposite of their turn (right turns need the left lane, and left turns need the right lane), so I sometimes will add my own nodes if I notice issues (by placing a road from any point along a path, and then deleting the road (this leaves the node in-place with two shorter paths on either side). Traffic in this game would massively improve if vehicles were able to change lanes at any point.

Credit to the author of TM:PE where it's due. The mod has really improved over the last year. One of my long-time complaints was that cars couldn't change their mind about their path after they spawned. This has changed, much to the chagrin of my processor, over the last six months, as vehicles can now change lanes on-the-fly (dynamic lane selection is what it's called, I believe).

Quote from: johndoe on August 08, 2018, 08:18:31 PM
I also don't get how you can look at left-hand-drive maps...my brain gets confused really quickly!

Virtually every city that I've built in city sim games since Sim City 4 have been RHD (sitting on right side of car; aka LHT -- left hand traffic). At this point, I'm so used to it, driving around in real life, I sometimes [unintentionally] visualize changes in infrastructure backwards (thinking of a new ramp alignment, but in the wrong direction, for example). During my visit to the UK in 2014 (pre Skylines but well after CXL and SC4), I did not find driving on the left all that odd, perhaps as a result of this.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: MikeTheActuary on September 26, 2018, 09:15:27 AM
I know that this thread has been dormant awhile, but this seemed like the best place to share. 

I'm in Montreal, waiting for bridge traffic to clear before I start home, and over on the Montreal sub-reddit, I encountered this (https://www.reddit.com/r/montreal/comments/9iscc6/satire_it_seems_someone_found_a_detailed_plan_of/):
(https://preview.redd.it/plm10z7zqbo11.jpg?width=960&crop=smart&s=d8eb1501fad979fb1decab2ec8c793c2d9ab2a23)

Apparently one resident, frustrated with one particularly unfortunate persistent area of construction (the Turcot Interchange (https://www.turcot.transports.gouv.qc.ca/en/Pages/default.aspx)) was curious about what the interchange will be like if/when completed.

He couldn't find any images publicly available online, so he used Skyline to speculate on what it might be like.  :)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: ET21 on September 26, 2018, 12:39:48 PM
TRIPLE STACKS  :bigass:
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on October 12, 2018, 06:21:17 AM
We're FINALLY getting the ability to Toll highways in Skylines!!  It's coming in the next patch.  And the best part about it?  It's a FREE update to the game, and not in a DLC!!!!!!!!

https://steamcommunity.com/games/255710/announcements/detail/2530352848516861391

QuoteThe free update coming alongside Industries will introduce toll booths (and road tolls, naturally), which will slow traffic's roll a bit, but generate extra income for the city.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on October 12, 2018, 05:38:50 PM
That's fantastic. I hope there's an option for electronic tolling, as I'm more in it for the revenue. Would rather not have to pay people to man a tollbooth.

Would love a variable toll lane feature as well, but that might be a bit more complex then they are willing to code.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: johndoe on October 14, 2018, 04:56:33 PM
I wanted to make a city that would encourage citizens to take the bus.  All the streets are dirt because...I don't know why  :spin:
Notice how inconvenient the street connections are (hardly any "up-to-down" streets, only pedestrians paths):
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi64.tinypic.com%2F30b1x7o.jpg&hash=aacd5b14d6104f991c54fbd1e74c0825bdf851ee)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi63.tinypic.com%2F28t5io.jpg&hash=85d57a03d330af3fa2df961d93f95d86aed133a7)
I made the majority of the bus stops in those little turn-offs, which double as a way for pedestrians to cross the street.  The green bus route is an "express" route with only one stop at either end of the map.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Tonytone on October 14, 2018, 05:06:11 PM
This is a great game. You can create traffic headaches & then fix them. I play it on my downtime. The last sims is horrible. Sim city. Rush hour edition in the early 2000's was that shit. Best simulator game they have ever made.


iPhone
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on October 14, 2018, 05:13:16 PM
Quote from: johndoe on October 14, 2018, 04:56:33 PM
Notice how inconvenient the street connections are (hardly any "up-to-down" streets, only pedestrians paths):

That's basically a Hoddle Grid (minus alleys), made famous by Melbourne, Vic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoddle_Grid

Tacoma, WA uses the same grid. It's definitely not ped-friendly.

Quote from: Tonytone on October 14, 2018, 05:06:11 PM
This is a great game. You can create traffic headaches & then fix them. I play it on my downtime. The last sims is horrible. Sim city. Rush hour edition in the early 2000's was that shit. Best simulator game they have ever made.

Totally agree on SC4. Certainly one of my favorite games of all time. Pretty sure it's why I'm a roadgeek.

C:S is great for problem solving, but even the modded AI (TM:PE) isn't perfect...memory hog even on my extreme setup. Hopefully C:S2 steps it up a notch.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: paulthemapguy on October 14, 2018, 07:53:45 PM
Quote from: Tonytone on October 14, 2018, 05:06:11 PM
This is a great game. You can create traffic headaches & then fix them. I play it on my downtime. The last sims is horrible. Sim city. Rush hour edition in the early 2000's was that shit. Best simulator game they have ever made.

1.  Wholeheartedly agree that the last Sim City is trash.  I still go back to SimCity4 and it's great.'
2.  You're totally right that Cities:Skylines has traffic headaches that you then go back and fix, but I never looked back on it and truly appreciated it until you brought it up just now.  I don't know how many times I had a blast reconfiguring an interchange that was no longer performing well.  This grade intersection isn't working--I know, I'll try a roundabout!  Roundabout isn't enough?  Diamond!  Diamond isn't enough?  Parclo!  And so on.  I would create elaborate interchanges leading to the cargo terminals so that the shitload of freight trucks could move through smoothly.  That's always fun
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Tonytone on October 14, 2018, 08:11:06 PM
Quote from: paulthemapguy on October 14, 2018, 07:53:45 PM
Quote from: Tonytone on October 14, 2018, 05:06:11 PM
This is a great game. You can create traffic headaches & then fix them. I play it on my downtime. The last sims is horrible. Sim city. Rush hour edition in the early 2000's was that shit. Best simulator game they have ever made.

1.  Wholeheartedly agree that the last Sim City is trash.  I still go back to SimCity4 and it's great.'
2.  You're totally right that Cities:Skylines has traffic headaches that you then go back and fix, but I never looked back on it and truly appreciated it until you brought it up just now.  I don't know how many times I had a blast reconfiguring an interchange that was no longer performing well.  This grade intersection isn't working--I know, I'll try a roundabout!  Roundabout isn't enough?  Diamond!  Diamond isn't enough?  Parclo!  And so on.  I would create elaborate interchanges leading to the cargo terminals so that the shitload of freight trucks could move through smoothly.  That's always fun

Exactly. & after the trucks crowd the roads. You realize you have to make one ways & less connecting roads. I think they took out the sim city franchise because. Unless they return to the pervious SC4. The brand will go bankrupt. I dont know what made them change the game from being able to control everything. To you can just build a road & place some houses & ems. Its a disgrace. Im glad C:S brought back the true gameplay.


iPhone
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Tonytone on October 14, 2018, 11:00:15 PM
Quote from: paulthemapguy on June 12, 2018, 12:25:40 PM
I have an addiction to this game that is adversely affecting my health.  I stayed up way too late playing it for 2 nights in a row...and now I am trying to function at work...

On the bright side, my 7th city ever Grace Valley* just broke the 175,000 population mark!  I've staved off the floods and epidemics, for now...

*-I name my cities alphabetically.  First one starts with A, second one starts with B, etc.  I employ naming schemes like this on my streets sometimes as well, in the stylings of Minneapolis and other cities.
I swear. Ive stayed up till 6 Am. Playing this game. Shit when I was younger minecraft came out when I was about 11-12. Im 20 now. These simulation games can really have you creating beautiful things. & keep you up for months.


iPhone
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: RobbieL2415 on October 24, 2018, 12:06:56 PM
Toll roads have finally been added to C:S with the Industries DLC.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Tonytone on November 03, 2018, 06:20:48 PM
Quote from: johndoe on November 03, 2018, 06:19:45 PM
I got the new Industries DLC, it's a nice new variation.  But man, it's really easy to make money.  I started a farming city and I have more than I think I'll ever be able to spend!
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Foi67.tinypic.com%2F2nbfzo6.jpg&hash=da7014e29c481e8ba88ee4050017da9d597ea841)
Wow that easy huh. I see that you can even make express lanes in the new Tolls.


iPhone
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: paulthemapguy on December 30, 2019, 10:13:21 AM
Does anyone get a kick out of watching youtube videos where a player will improve the traffic on a cities skylines map?  I get a kick out of doing it, and I get a kick out of watching people like Biffa fix the traffic in the simulated cities.  It does get frustrating, though, because, as someone who has been learning about traffic geometry and congestion relief for his whole life, I think I can do a much better job improving the traffic flow than the gamers.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vdeane on December 30, 2019, 01:35:54 PM
What gets me is how many options aren't available, at least without mods.  One time I had a major backup on a ramp that went onto the mainline; I wanted to split the ramp into one ramp for each direction, but nobody used the new ramp, and without the ability to ban left turns, I was stuck.  I tried cutting off a nearby street (which caused problems on a parallel road but took out a major intersection backup near the ramp), but that only helped a little, and I was forced to ban trucks on the arterial.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: index on December 30, 2019, 11:02:33 PM
I got a neat mod called CSL map viewer that generates maps of your cities:
(https://i.imgur.com/Ucniabs.png)(https://i.imgur.com/YxdJHvH.png)(https://i.imgur.com/9A1naVo.png)
This is based on Lake Havasu City, AZ, but if it had freeways.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: ftballfan on December 31, 2019, 02:21:10 PM
Quote from: paulthemapguy on December 30, 2019, 10:13:21 AM
Does anyone get a kick out of watching youtube videos where a player will improve the traffic on a cities skylines map?  I get a kick out of doing it, and I get a kick out of watching people like Biffa fix the traffic in the simulated cities.  It does get frustrating, though, because, as someone who has been learning about traffic geometry and congestion relief for his whole life, I think I can do a much better job improving the traffic flow than the gamers.

I watch Biffa as well!
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: yand on January 01, 2020, 12:25:32 PM
Quote from: vdeane on December 30, 2019, 01:35:54 PM
What gets me is how many options aren't available, at least without mods.  One time I had a major backup on a ramp that went onto the mainline; I wanted to split the ramp into one ramp for each direction, but nobody used the new ramp, and without the ability to ban left turns, I was stuck.  I tried cutting off a nearby street (which caused problems on a parallel road but took out a major intersection backup near the ramp), but that only helped a little, and I was forced to ban trucks on the arterial.

You can use traffic manager to manage lane arrows and ban/force turns

edit: lol you specify without mods. I am a huge advocate for integrating TMPE as a paid DLC (mainly so they have a responsibility to keep it working with every update) but the player base seems to hate realism and makes a ton of excuses for the gamey-ness of CS.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: paulthemapguy on January 01, 2020, 01:25:25 PM
Quote from: index on December 30, 2019, 11:02:33 PM
I got a neat mod called CSL map viewer that generates maps of your cities:

I WANT THAT MOD SO BAD.  Can you link me to it?  I've taken to drawing paper maps of some of my cities, plus paper maps of my metro subway systems.

Quote from: vdeane on December 30, 2019, 01:35:54 PM
What gets me is how many options aren't available, at least without mods.  One time I had a major backup on a ramp that went onto the mainline; I wanted to split the ramp into one ramp for each direction, but nobody used the new ramp, and without the ability to ban left turns, I was stuck.  I tried cutting off a nearby street (which caused problems on a parallel road but took out a major intersection backup near the ramp), but that only helped a little, and I was forced to ban trucks on the arterial.

Did you get the mod "Traffic Manager: President Edition?"  I just got it for myself and it's wonderful.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on January 01, 2020, 05:10:38 PM
Quote from: paulthemapguy on January 01, 2020, 01:25:25 PM
Quote from: index on December 30, 2019, 11:02:33 PM
I got a neat mod called CSL map viewer that generates maps of your cities:

I WANT THAT MOD SO BAD.  Can you link me to it?  I've taken to drawing paper maps of some of my cities, plus paper maps of my metro subway systems.

If you search "Map Mod" in the workshop, you'll see it pop up.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: andrepoiy on January 01, 2020, 05:12:50 PM
I play Cities:Skylines and I've played for a few years now. It's awesome!
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Thunderbyrd316 on January 11, 2020, 12:02:59 AM
   I just got this AWESOME game for Christmas for my PS4! I have been having a BLAST playing it. Here is a link to a brief You Tube video of my very first city which is VERY MUCH still a work in progress.

   Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uviSUgMB668

   If you are easily offended you are ESPECIALLY encouraged to read the description! :P

   Comments are welcome!
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: paulthemapguy on January 24, 2020, 04:38:38 PM
Quote from: Thunderbyrd316 on January 11, 2020, 12:02:59 AM
   If you are easily offended you are ESPECIALLY encouraged to read the description! :P

Sounds like someone is easily offenSIVE...
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: ozarkman417 on January 24, 2020, 05:00:07 PM
Quote from: index on December 30, 2019, 11:02:33 PM
I got a neat mod called CSL map viewer that generates maps of your cities:
image snipped
This is based on Lake Havasu City, AZ, but if it had freeways.
I may be a bit late to reply, I have not heard of this mod prior to see this post and it is SO much better than Cimographer for making a map of a city. The problem with Cimographer is when I export the city's map to OSM all the Network Extensions roads are removed, and I use them a lot.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: index on January 24, 2020, 05:49:02 PM
Quote from: Thunderbyrd316 on January 11, 2020, 12:02:59 AM
   I just got this AWESOME game for Christmas for my PS4! I have been having a BLAST playing it. Here is a link to a brief You Tube video of my very first city which is VERY MUCH still a work in progress.

   Link: snipped

   If you are easily offended you are ESPECIALLY encouraged to read the description! :p

   Comments are welcome!
It probably isn't in very good taste to randomly inject politics into a thread about a city simulation game.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on January 25, 2020, 03:38:57 AM
If you want to bypass the new launcher they just added (and don't mind losing Steam Overlay support), check out this:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1976349559
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: yand on April 03, 2020, 07:17:01 AM
I just wanna share this video I made talking about my newest city in C:S, basically a town of 29k population built on an entirely flat plain with lots of prefab components, at grade intersections, no overpasses, and very few pedestrian crosswalks. I don't have the skill to make my city look realistic (everything is too symmetrical and I rely heavily on assets from the base game, and I don't spend much time decorating anything) but I believe I've done enough to make traffic behave believably:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1W4k_rWXHE
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadgeekteen on July 06, 2020, 03:39:20 PM
I just got the game, play with unlimited funds because I'm new. Some of by interchanges kinda look off so far.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: ozarkman417 on July 06, 2020, 09:48:06 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on July 06, 2020, 03:39:20 PM
I just got the game, play with unlimited funds because I'm new. Some of by interchanges kinda look off so far.
Did you get the game because it is 75% off? I'm looking in to getting one or more of the DLC packs while the Steam Summer Sale is still on. Which one(s) should I get?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadgeekteen on July 06, 2020, 10:12:36 PM
Quote from: ozarkman417 on July 06, 2020, 09:48:06 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on July 06, 2020, 03:39:20 PM
I just got the game, play with unlimited funds because I'm new. Some of by interchanges kinda look off so far.
Did you get the game because it is 75% off? I'm looking in to getting one or more of the DLC packs while the Steam Summer Sale is still on. Which one(s) should I get?
Yeah, I got it since it was on sale.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on July 07, 2020, 01:58:36 AM
You both missed a good chance to get the game when it was on sale on Humble Bundle.  It was bundled with several DLC and even cheaper than the sale prices on Steam right now.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: paulthemapguy on July 07, 2020, 09:17:36 AM
The game isn't difficult with normal (not unlimited) funding conditions.  It just takes time.  I wonder what part of the game most people on this forum would be interested in seeing, though.  I've strung together some pretty wacky and interesting interchanges...?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Hwy 61 Revisited on July 07, 2020, 02:25:51 PM
I've been building a few cities, but as a console player I cannot access all 81 tiles, let alone the 25 shown in the basegame.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on July 07, 2020, 03:49:26 PM
Quote from: Hwy 61 Revisited on July 07, 2020, 02:25:51 PM
I've been building a few cities, but as a console player I cannot access all 81 tiles, let alone the 25 shown in the basegame.

As far as I know, there is no way to access all 25 tiles even in the basegame. There's 25 possible tiles that you can pick 9 from, but no way to pick all 25.

As a PC user and someone who also uses 81 tiles, I've had a great deal of fun building large metro areas. Without showing any pictures, here's a north-oriented map of my current hamlet:

(https://i.imgur.com/Ykse8wy.png)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadgeekteen on July 07, 2020, 05:47:46 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 07, 2020, 03:49:26 PM
Quote from: Hwy 61 Revisited on July 07, 2020, 02:25:51 PM
I've been building a few cities, but as a console player I cannot access all 81 tiles, let alone the 25 shown in the basegame.

As far as I know, there is no way to access all 25 tiles even in the basegame. There's 25 possible tiles that you can pick 9 from, but no way to pick all 25.

As a PC user and someone who also uses 81 tiles, I've had a great deal of fun building large metro areas. Without showing any pictures, here's a north-oriented map of my current hamlet:

(https://i.imgur.com/Ykse8wy.png)
I'm afraid that if I make my map too big that I will out of vehicles.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: ozarkman417 on July 07, 2020, 05:49:31 PM
I didn't know you could 81 tiles, though I do have a mod that allows me to use all 25 in the base game. If I do get the 9x9, I'm probably going to end up making multiple towns instead of one city.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadgeekteen on July 07, 2020, 05:49:53 PM
Quote from: ozarkman417 on July 07, 2020, 05:49:31 PM
I didn't know you could 81 tiles, though I do have a mod that allows me to use all 25 in the base game. If I do get the 9x9, I'm probably going to end up making multiple towns instead of one city.
There is an 81 tiles mod, just search it.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: CoreySamson on July 07, 2020, 06:13:37 PM
Quote from: paulthemapguy on July 07, 2020, 09:17:36 AM
The game isn't difficult with normal (not unlimited) funding conditions.  It just takes time.  I wonder what part of the game most people on this forum would be interested in seeing, though.  I've strung together some pretty wacky and interesting interchanges...?

About wacky interchanges:

In one of my console cities (they should really make it so console players can access more tiles, even just 12 or so) I have two grade-separated DDIs on my busiest freeway. Doesn't sound too crazy, however, the freeway is the road switching sides; in two exits the northbound lanes cross over or under the southbound lanes 4 times! Surprisingly, it works pretty well.

In another city, I have an underground highway system almost completely separate from my main highway system for trucks. I don't really like how it turned out, though; it's hardly really even used.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: ozarkman417 on July 09, 2020, 02:38:32 PM
The Steam Summer Sale has come to a close. A couple hours beforehand, I bought two DLC packs which were both half off: ParkLife, and Mass Transit.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: JKRhodes on July 10, 2020, 07:34:31 AM
I've owned the PC version for several years. My computer took a dump a couple years ago and I replaced it with a Walmart special, and the game hasn't run right since then.

So today I downloaded the Xbox One version. It seems promising, if I can get used to working all the features with a controller instead of a mouse and keyboard.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: okroads on July 10, 2020, 11:22:43 AM
Quote from: JKRhodes on July 10, 2020, 07:34:31 AM
I've owned the PC version for several years. My computer took a dump a couple years ago and I replaced it with a Walmart special, and the game hasn't run right since then.

So today I downloaded the Xbox One version. It seems promising, if I can get used to working all the features with a controller instead of a mouse and keyboard.

You should be able to use a mouse and keyboard with the Xbox One version as well. Mouse/keyboard support was added to the console versions of the game earlier this year.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on July 10, 2020, 01:37:09 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on July 07, 2020, 05:47:46 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 07, 2020, 03:49:26 PM
Quote from: Hwy 61 Revisited on July 07, 2020, 02:25:51 PM
I've been building a few cities, but as a console player I cannot access all 81 tiles, let alone the 25 shown in the basegame.

As far as I know, there is no way to access all 25 tiles even in the basegame. There's 25 possible tiles that you can pick 9 from, but no way to pick all 25.

As a PC user and someone who also uses 81 tiles, I've had a great deal of fun building large metro areas. Without showing any pictures, here's a north-oriented map of my current hamlet:

(https://i.imgur.com/Ykse8wy.png)
I'm afraid that if I make my map too big that I will out of vehicles.

The point is to spread out your city, like you might in real life. Avoid too much density, allowing you to spread out the cars. You might still hit a vehicle limit, but it'll be more reasonable than if you did Tokyo-style density across all 81 tiles.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: paulthemapguy on July 13, 2020, 05:17:40 PM
Now I am wondering if it's customary for Roadgeeks to fail to include enough public transit in their cities. A dense enough city necessarily cannot rely on only automobile transport- it's a functional requirement, not a cosmetic choice. It's relatively uncommon for American cities to reach a density where transit is a necessity, however.

LM-V405

Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on July 13, 2020, 08:25:08 PM
Quote from: paulthemapguy on July 13, 2020, 05:17:40 PM
Now I am wondering if it's customary for Roadgeeks to fail to include enough public transit in their cities. A dense enough city necessarily cannot rely on only automobile transport- it's a functional requirement, not a cosmetic choice. It's relatively uncommon for American cities to reach a density where transit is a necessity, however.

Cities Skylines, in particular, makes cities that rely only on road transport fairly difficult when looking just at the stock game. "Stock" vehicle mechanics are woefully under-coded, and you can get genuine gridlock really quick. Public transport makes this a lot less likely to happen.

In the case of the map above (that I shared), the vast majority of tourists, and a good portion of new residents, arrive to my city via the high speed rail system I have. The main hub is where the black and white line passes directly through that built-up area. At that station, there are several bus routes that connect the main city with the other suburbs. This definitely helps with traffic, especially if you're like me and use "no despawn" for vehicles (vehicles normally disappear into the drivers' pockets).
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: ozarkman417 on July 13, 2020, 09:10:50 PM
The base game has a decent amount of land-based options, including buses, trains, and metros. Of course, bridges and tunnels can be created over/under water, but the Mass Transit DLC opens a number of new options for public transit. I have a metro with scattered settlements around a large lake, so the ferry service has had a great impact on commerce in the area. I have made a monorail system around much of the perimeter of the lake, having a station at each small town/settlement. Lastly, most modes of transport can be linked together for greater efficiency with large transit hubs.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vdeane on July 13, 2020, 10:01:02 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 13, 2020, 08:25:08 PM
Quote from: paulthemapguy on July 13, 2020, 05:17:40 PM
Now I am wondering if it's customary for Roadgeeks to fail to include enough public transit in their cities. A dense enough city necessarily cannot rely on only automobile transport- it's a functional requirement, not a cosmetic choice. It's relatively uncommon for American cities to reach a density where transit is a necessity, however.

Cities Skylines, in particular, makes cities that rely only on road transport fairly difficult when looking just at the stock game. "Stock" vehicle mechanics are woefully under-coded, and you can get genuine gridlock really quick. Public transport makes this a lot less likely to happen.

In the case of the map above (that I shared), the vast majority of tourists, and a good portion of new residents, arrive to my city via the high speed rail system I have. The main hub is where the black and white line passes directly through that built-up area. At that station, there are several bus routes that connect the main city with the other suburbs. This definitely helps with traffic, especially if you're like me and use "no despawn" for vehicles (vehicles normally disappear into the drivers' pockets).
That is true.  Things like cims deciding on their exact route, including lane changes, at the start of their journey, traffic and anything else be damned, really gunks things up.  I remember once trying to separate the directions of an interchange (like this (https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5588977,-73.6791926,16.21z)) to stop the ramp from backing up onto the mainline, but no cims used the new ramp that was supposed to end the left turn movements because it was only faster when there was traffic (which there always was) and they don't take traffic into account.  Add to that the inability to define turn restrictions without mods, and I ultimately had to ban non-local traffic from one side of the street (which worked because I figured out that the trucks were using the avenue instead of the freeway to get to an industrial area).

Traffic congestion also has more severe effects in Cities: Skylines than SimCity 4 because everything is agent-based... including city services.  In SimCity, the worst that could happen is that homes start abandoning due to long commutes, and that took a while.  In Cities: Skylines traffic congestion can quickly cause most city services to break down and stop functioning.

All this discussion makes me wish I was still able to pay the game.  Unfortunately, while my computer was more than adequate when I first started playing, between needing more resources with each DLC whether you buy them or not and the Paradox launcher, the game is now unplayable on my computer (and I don't like the privacy problems of the launcher, either).  I can't even go back to SimCity 4 since I can't figure out how to get it installed on my computer; Wine on Linux doesn't work well for things that need more than one disk to install, and SC4 is especially troublesome for some reason.  None of the workarounds I have tried (which worked great for Civilization IV) have worked.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadgeekteen on July 17, 2020, 06:30:07 PM
Highly recommend this mod:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=844180955
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vtk on October 22, 2020, 09:25:42 PM
Two recently-created mods that I think are a must-have for roadgeeks are Node Controller and Intersection Marking Tool. The former lets you tweak the geometry of intersections and the road segments that lead into them, while the latter makes it easy to create pavement markings at / through intersections and transition nodes.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on October 22, 2020, 09:50:23 PM
One of the most incredible developments has been with node controller. Intersection marking tool, definitely as well. But node controller was recently updated to allow sloped intersections. This has always been one of the major issues with the game: every intersection had to be level terrain. This update was HUGE for cities built on anything that wasn't completely flat land (image from my current city showing expressways looping through hillside):

(https://i.imgur.com/wA4FwVo.png)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: I-55 on October 22, 2020, 11:18:54 PM
It's been a couple years since I played (had a bad PC for gaming). My thoughts:

- In what real world city is a subway system required for a population of 30k people, let alone what city that size has the budget to create one?

- If I had road mods I probably would've enjoyed it more. I still want to reinstall and make one of the fictional cities I've drawn maps of over the course of my life.

- It would be cool (and quite a project) for CS to have full size states to develop. Then I would really have something to fill the hours.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on October 22, 2020, 11:40:00 PM
^^
I can tell you with 100% certainty that the game has changed completely over the last three years. The mods have made it unrecognizable.

The game is demanding with some mods. I would not recommend using any without a decent gaming PC.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vdeane on October 23, 2020, 12:53:59 PM
It's demanding even without mods, and it seems like it gets more demanding with each DLC, even if you don't buy them.  It also seemed to get more demanding when the launcher spyware was added.  It ran decently well on my desktop four years ago.  These days I can't even load a city on it without issues.

That and the newer DLCs moving from a high-level city simulation to mini-games micro-managing things like industry have turned me away from the game.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on October 23, 2020, 06:54:07 PM
Quote from: vdeane on October 23, 2020, 12:53:59 PM
It's demanding even without mods, and it seems like it gets more demanding with each DLC, even if you don't buy them.  It also seemed to get more demanding when the launcher spyware was added.  It ran decently well on my desktop four years ago.  These days I can't even load a city on it without issues.

That and the newer DLCs moving from a high-level city simulation to mini-games micro-managing things like industry have turned me away from the game.

In my experience, the game is tough to run because most processors aren't clocked fast enough to manage a city simulator. These games are very demanding, especially if you have mods like TM:PE or Realistic Population that micro-manage each person. A regular computer, even with a good graphics card, will not run the game super well.

I have an i7-8086k clocked at 4GHz normally, up to 5 as necessary. Without mods, my game hits the maximum FPS manageable by my screen (120Hz) but, with mods AND a big city (with mods and small city, it's still pretty damn fast), it slows way down to around 45 FPS maximum when looking just at suburban areas, to around 3-10 when looking at built-up areas like CBDs. The more zoomed in I am, the higher the FPS. As I zoom out past certain LOD limits, the game speeds up too.

The new DLCs have added a lot of functionality where there was previously little control, but you can largely overlook these. I do not choose to micro-manage my industry and choose regular industry zoning for my port areas (as an example). The only thing I do build are warehouses, and all the trash, power, water, and heating facilities. Just managing those alone can be quite the task. Similarly, you can build zoos and theme parks now, but again, I choose not to because I find those things rather boring. I just build parks and green areas.

To be fair to developers, most of the DLCs have been things people have asked for. There is a big portion of players who either (A) don't use mods, and (B) like to micro-manage a bit more than what even a mod could do. The DLCs have created a city-simulator with greater levels of detail in this regard (just look through the city policies menu these days), but you can still largely ignore many of these additions if you choose.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Hwy 61 Revisited on October 23, 2020, 09:00:25 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on October 23, 2020, 06:54:07 PM
Quote from: vdeane on October 23, 2020, 12:53:59 PM
It's demanding even without mods, and it seems like it gets more demanding with each DLC, even if you don't buy them.  It also seemed to get more demanding when the launcher spyware was added.  It ran decently well on my desktop four years ago.  These days I can't even load a city on it without issues.

That and the newer DLCs moving from a high-level city simulation to mini-games micro-managing things like industry have turned me away from the game.

In my experience, the game is tough to run because most processors aren't clocked fast enough to manage a city simulator. These games are very demanding, especially if you have mods like TM:PE or Realistic Population that micro-manage each person. A regular computer, even with a good graphics card, will not run the game super well.

I have an i7-8086k clocked at 4GHz normally, up to 5 as necessary. Without mods, my game hits the maximum FPS manageable by my screen (120Hz) but, with mods AND a big city (with mods and small city, it's still pretty damn fast), it slows way down to around 45 FPS maximum when looking just at suburban areas, to around 3-10 when looking at built-up areas like CBDs. The more zoomed in I am, the higher the FPS. As I zoom out past certain LOD limits, the game speeds up too.

The new DLCs have added a lot of functionality where there was previously little control, but you can largely overlook these. I do not choose to micro-manage my industry and choose regular industry zoning for my port areas (as an example). The only thing I do build are warehouses, and all the trash, power, water, and heating facilities. Just managing those alone can be quite the task. Similarly, you can build zoos and theme parks now, but again, I choose not to because I find those things rather boring. I just build parks and green areas.

To be fair to developers, most of the DLCs have been things people have asked for. There is a big portion of players who either (A) don't use mods, and (B) like to micro-manage a bit more than what even a mod could do. The DLCs have created a city-simulator with greater levels of detail in this regard (just look through the city policies menu these days), but you can still largely ignore many of these additions if you choose.
I wonder why they had to make the DLCs paid anyway. I feel they could have worked just as well as free updates, especially the Mass Transit update with its new highway types.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vdeane on October 23, 2020, 09:26:51 PM
I think it doesn't help that the DLCs can feel grafted on rather than seamlessly integrated.  This is particularly noticeable with Snowfall, because instead of adding seasons, it instead adds winter maps (where it's always winter), with regular maps still being always summer.

I think the mini-game stuff started to feel that way around Parklife.  I can appreciate the parks (I actually once built some trails and added some rocks and trees to make a nice little park in a scenic area I wasn't going to be building in, though it was purely cosmetic), scratched my head a little with Industries, and started to think "are they just looking for ways to keep pushing out more DLC?" with Campus.  Kinda reminds me of some of the stuff that was talked about with Cities XL.

Hopefully Cities: Skylines 2 will have some of this stuff better integrated.

Quote from: Hwy 61 Revisited on October 23, 2020, 09:00:25 PM
I wonder why they had to make the DLCs paid anyway. I feel they could have worked just as well as free updates, especially the Mass Transit update with its new highway types.
Well, they probably want to keep the money rolling in.  That said, each DLC has a corresponding free update that includes a lot of the core features (such as the day/night cycle from After Dark or the extra help with placing roads and transit lines with Mass Transit).  Part of the reason many of the DLCs feel grafted on to me is because the general features trickle down for free with the paid part basically being an "item pack" and/or mini-game (especially recently).  This is my theory as to why the de facto system requirements go up with each DLC, even if you don't buy them.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on October 24, 2020, 02:39:05 AM
Quote from: vdeane on October 23, 2020, 12:53:59 PM
It also seemed to get more demanding when the launcher spyware was added.

There's a way to completely bypass it.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1976349559

You'll have to redo it every time there's an update to the game, but since they don't happen 'that' often, it's an acceptable annoyance in redoing to get a better benefit.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vtk on October 24, 2020, 03:39:33 AM
My PC has only a mid-range graphics card, but is quite capable in terms of general computing with a hyperthreaded quad-core (effectively 8-core) 3.4GHz CPU and 32 GB of RAM. At worst, Cities:Skylines runs at maybe 5 fps – a rough estimate, as I don't use a fps counter – which is still comfortably playable for this kind of game.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on November 02, 2020, 06:00:15 PM
Question for anyone who plays with more detailed intersection control.

I have a T-intersection where only right turns are permitted from the stem. When the pedestrian crossing is activated across the top of the T, the left and the right turns proceed, and through traffic stops. Is this how intersections with this setup IRL would operate? Took me a second to figure out proper phasing.

Ignore the red and green crosswalk lights on the right side. I disabled that crossing, so the lights are glitched:

(https://i.imgur.com/w0ThEIZ.png)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: riiga on November 03, 2020, 01:20:42 PM
Sounds perfectly reasonable to me.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on November 03, 2020, 02:39:44 PM
Quote from: riiga on November 03, 2020, 01:20:42 PM
Sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

Cool. I have it setup to allow that phase to last for 5 seconds. Which is insanely short IRL, but a lot of time in-game to allow overly speedy pedestrians to cross. I would normally set the phase to activate only when pushed, but that sort of realism does not exist in-game. So each phase includes the pedestrian walk phase. Luckily it works pretty well.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: X99 on November 04, 2020, 01:10:12 PM
Man, I wish I found this thread a year ago when I bought the game. Has anyone here tried to do a rebuild of a real life city? I'm currently working on Rapid City and Box Elder, SD (with the western cutoff at 32nd Street so I could fit I-90 exit 67 and the airport into the map). I added the full road layout with Cimtographer, but couldn't add the terrain in without my game crashing (Cimtographer) or completely misaligning the terrain (ingame heightmap tool, same coordinates as the road layout).

Here's a picture I took a few months ago of one of the few areas I have somewhat finished: Exit 61 off of I-90, looking south from the interchange. The image might seem a little dark; I'm still working on good image lighting.

(https://i.redd.it/3svmrtsrgmn51.jpg)

The interchange itself uses Another American Highways for the Interstate mainline and ramps, and BIG Suburban Roads for the crossroad. BIG Suburban asymmetrical roads don't have a bridge mesh, so I custom-built the bridge using Metro Overhaul monorail supports and quays hiding the ground clipping around the highway below. The stoplights in the middle of the interchange (the real life location) are non-functional props, with the actual stoplights at the sides of the intersection, and the intersection itself is resized with Node Controller and marked with Intersection Marking Tool, leaving the curbs as the only inaccuracy since the ramps don't have sidewalks.

In the background, some things are hidden by the camera angle because they aren't actually finished. The hills in the background were made by hand, the Springhill Suites on the left should be a Fairfield Marriott, the IHOP on the left should be a Perkins, the Comfort Inn on the right should be a Comfort Suites, the police building on the right was supposed to be replaced with an invisible station since there isn't actually one there, and the Cheesecake Factory on the right is a placeholder for Dakotah Steakhouse. The only building on Eglin/Cheyenne with completed landscaping and parking is the McDonalds since that's where I work.

Quote from: jakeroot on August 29, 2016, 02:08:40 PM
You're gonna need some mods. I currently have 85 mods installed, and I use every one of them.
I know that this comment is four years old, so how many mods do you use now? IIRC, my current cities run somewhere around 105-110 game changing mods, and around 1300 subscribed assets on the workshop translating to roughly 4000 assets in game. The recommended mod limit for my 16 GB of RAM is 1200, so I'm forced to run a 48 GB pagefile to load everything.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on November 04, 2020, 02:56:38 PM
Quote from: X99 on November 04, 2020, 01:10:12 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on August 29, 2016, 02:08:40 PM
You're gonna need some mods. I currently have 85 mods installed, and I use every one of them.
I know that this comment is four years old, so how many mods do you use now? IIRC, my current cities run somewhere around 105-110 game changing mods, and around 1300 subscribed assets on the workshop translating to roughly 4000 assets in game. The recommended mod limit for my 16 GB of RAM is 1200, so I'm forced to run a 48 GB pagefile to load everything.

I currently have 115 mods with 5695 total assets. It definitely has taken its toll in terms of performance, although it's far from unplayable (slower than without mods but not massively). I regularly go through my mods list to make sure none are screwing with performance or are suffering from issues related to recent updates. But I also have 32GB of RAM which helps load everything in about 7-ish minutes, although I'm sure I have too many assets at this point and should start uninstalling some that I don't use, to improve performance.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: MikeTheActuary on November 04, 2020, 03:24:53 PM
Quote from: vtk on October 24, 2020, 03:39:33 AM
My PC has only a mid-range graphics card, but is quite capable in terms of general computing with a hyperthreaded quad-core (effectively 8-core) 3.4GHz CPU and 32 GB of RAM. At worst, Cities:Skylines runs at maybe 5 fps – a rough estimate, as I don't use a fps counter – which is still comfortably playable for this kind of game.

Based on my experience with my desktop and laptop, I suspect that RAM is a bigger constraint in terms of gameplay (at least the way I like to play C:S) than processing power.  Of course, I have a bad habit of wanting to play with multiple mods and too-many user assets.  Those who have the self-discipline to play a "skinnier" game  may have a different experience.

My laptop has 16GB of memory and my desktop 32GB of memory, and I can feel the added "strain" on my laptop.   Biffa, one of the C:S video makers on YouTube has the specs for his machine posted in his profile - 64GB RAM, plus high-end processor and graphics card. 

I'm considering upgrading my desktop again, and I'm thinking I might splurge and go all the way to 128GB RAM based on Biffa's experience and my other needs.   (I love the performance on my main workstation for the day job, which includes 128GB of RAM.)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on November 07, 2020, 04:46:26 PM
I have 32GB of RAM but a really good processor and video card. So although 4600+ assets is beyond my recommended amount, it's still more than manageable.

Deleting a bunch of assets over the last couple days has significantly improved my performance. Anyone who knows the Loading Screen Mod will know that this screenshot was taken seconds before the game fully loaded:

(https://i.imgur.com/pzpHQ44.png)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: riiga on November 08, 2020, 05:24:25 PM
I haven't played CSL for a few years and just picked up some of the newer expansions (most notably Mass Transit) and I've been trying to get up to speed on which mods to use starting with unsubscribing my entire list which was outdated to say the least. So far I've understood that Node Controller and Intersection Marking Tool is the cool new stuff, but my city is just beginning to take form, so I've had no real use for them yet. Traffic Manager is (and was) really nice. I have 16 GB of RAM and so far no problem.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on November 09, 2020, 03:22:55 AM
One important mod that I may consider (among many others, granted) is Mesh Info. It's very useful for finding problematic assets that you might have downloaded that seem harmless, but actually are (in Cities Skylines terms) really "heavy" and cause the game to take long to load and run slow when it finally does. Using this mod (I keep it enabled to periodically check my assets, especially vehicles), I was able to locate several key assets that I've downloaded before that were taking a toll on my game.

Hopefully everyone is using Loading Screen Mod as well. In the "Asset Browser" file that it creates, sort it by "placed and size" (or something like that), and scroll down until gets to "placed: no" and look through those assets. The first listed will be the largest assets that you are subscribed to, and thus loading, but which are not placed in your city; consider, of those, which you can unsubscribe from. There are workshop links next to each asset. This also helped me remove a bunch of stuff that I wasn't using but which was making my game take forever to load.

Workshop guides often recommend certain limits based on RAM. This is good guidance, yes, but not all assets are equal. Subscribe to a million tiny assets or 100 huge assets...same effect (I believe).
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: riiga on November 09, 2020, 05:33:57 PM
I do have the Loading Screen Mod, but so far I have no custom assets apart from a few tools.

I've been trying out Node Controller and Intersection Marking tool a bit more and I think I'm getting the hang of it.

This was my first attempt:
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/20201109185434_1.jpg)

Trying to mark a motorway junction:
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20201109_224856.png)
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20201109_225021.png)

My ugly city (yesterday and today):
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/20201109191714_1.jpg)
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20201109_230944.png)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on November 09, 2020, 07:11:54 PM
Just as a quick reminder, try saving your images as JPG instead of PNG due to file sizes.  If you want to still let people see the high-res uncompressed PNG, then link to it after the JPG. :nod:

Only reason I'm mentioning this is in case somebody is on mobile and has limited bandwidth, those large sized PNGs can eat a lot of the bandwidth very quickly.  Especially if the user didn't know how many there were on a page.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on November 09, 2020, 08:38:31 PM
Quote from: riiga on November 09, 2020, 05:33:57 PM
I've been trying out Node Controller and Intersection Marking tool a bit more and I think I'm getting the hang of it.

Try using TM:PE V11 STABLE (Traffic Manager: President Edition) (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1637663252) for node control instead.  It's built into the mod, and it also gives you control over speed limits, timed traffic lights, and a lot of other great stuff. ;)

Also, the Roundabout Builder (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1625704117) is another great mod to get for your game.

And the Broken Nodes Detector (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1777173984) is another great mod to use to help you find roads that are broken and fix them so that your sims will use them instead of ignoring them like the plague.

One final thing, if you're wondering how to subscribe to them without searching for them inside of Steam, just log into Steam in your browser, and then click the subscribe button.  Then the next time you open Steam, they'll be automatically que'd up for download to your game files. ;)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on November 09, 2020, 09:00:51 PM
Node Controller is a separate mod from TM:PE, although it does require TM:PE and the "Hide Crosswalks" mod to function.

TM:PE (and its lane connectors, speed limits, etc) is best used after you've used intersection marking tool (IMT) to mark your intersections, and node controller to get the right angles and curves.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: CoreySamson on November 14, 2020, 06:41:29 PM
I wish the makers of C:S would add a rudimentary version of Traffic Manager into the base game (or at least into the Mass Transit DLC), as I only play on console and have no desire to get a PC or laptop anytime soon. :sigh:
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on November 18, 2020, 02:18:06 PM
I finally made a partial cloverleaf A4 that I am happy with. I even created a sign using Photoshop specifically for one of the off-ramps:

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50618199841_75153a8a4c_3k.jpg)

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50617464643_a8a9f449d1_3k.jpg)

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50619265677_b034aa68e7_3k.jpg)

Edit: replaced the photos after a couple of edits. You can see the originals on my Flickr (https://flic.kr/s/aHsmSeAoxc).
Edit 2: added sign for the actual off-ramp split.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: riiga on November 19, 2020, 04:15:46 PM
Very nice!
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on November 19, 2020, 05:28:36 PM
Quote from: riiga on November 19, 2020, 04:15:46 PM
Very nice!

Thought you might like that :-D.

I completely dumped Photoshop and begin working completely in Illustrator using the provided templates. The output is now much higher quality.

There are only six different sign width presets, so I'm forced to work with those. Still, you can do some pretty cool stuff:

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50622397192_60abf6f914_3k.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on November 20, 2020, 11:54:24 AM
I just started playing this a few days ago.  I'm kind of late to the party, but it's surprisingly addictive, and now I don't know if I can stop.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: TEG24601 on November 20, 2020, 12:25:07 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on November 07, 2020, 04:46:26 PM
I have 32GB of RAM but a really good processor and video card. So although 4600+ assets is beyond my recommended amount, it's still more than manageable.

Deleting a bunch of assets over the last couple days has significantly improved my performance. Anyone who knows the Loading Screen Mod will know that this screenshot was taken seconds before the game fully loaded:

(https://i.imgur.com/pzpHQ44.png)


I get that quite frequently in both Windows and MacOS.  It seems to be something with the rendering changing, but doesn't affect gameplay.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vtk on November 20, 2020, 12:27:34 PM
Anyone know a good way to find all those missing assets reported by Loading Screen Mod?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on November 20, 2020, 12:38:13 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on November 20, 2020, 11:54:24 AM
I just started playing this a few days ago.  I'm kind of late to the party, but it's surprisingly addictive, and now I don't know if I can stop.

It's one of those games that can be really frustrating, but if you can (A) keep your head on straight, and (B) find the right mods for you, you won't be able to stop. I've been playing this game pretty regularly since it came out and I've only recently realized how much I truly like it.




Quote from: TEG24601 on November 20, 2020, 12:25:07 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on November 07, 2020, 04:46:26 PM
I have 32GB of RAM but a really good processor and video card. So although 4600+ assets is beyond my recommended amount, it's still more than manageable.

Deleting a bunch of assets over the last couple days has significantly improved my performance. Anyone who knows the Loading Screen Mod will know that this screenshot was taken seconds before the game fully loaded:

(https://i.imgur.com/pzpHQ44.png)

I get that quite frequently in both Windows and MacOS.  It seems to be something with the rendering changing, but doesn't affect gameplay.

Right, definitely doesn't affect gameplay. Still, it is rather peculiar. Though it is a mod loading the game after all, so a few oddities are to be expected!
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on November 20, 2020, 12:38:39 PM
Quote from: vtk on November 20, 2020, 12:27:34 PM
Anyone know a good way to find all those missing assets reported by Loading Screen Mod?

100%. In Loading Screen Mod settings, make sure the option to "save reports to this directory" is enabled. In Windows, go to the directory listed, and you'll see the game begin to generate two HTML files: the asset browser, and asset report, both named with respect to the save you loaded in order to generate the report. Both are helpful for their own reasons. I would recommend using the asset browser. You can sort by many options; I may recommend "status". Scroll to the bottom and you'll see all of your missing assets in orange. You can click on them and see various things: what they are (usually props), their status, a link to the workshop to download that asset, and below that a list of all assets that use that asset (and are thus reporting it as "missing"). You can either (A) download the item using the workshop link, or (B) delete the asset that requires the one you have missing*.

*I think this is the wiser option. This game runs so much faster when you have fewer assets. I've gone from 5500+ to under 3900 the last few weeks, and my loading time has gone from 5+ minutes to about 90 seconds, and in-game, things are soooo much faster. I barely drop below 15 FPS in my city of 100k+, and usually sit around 20-30 FPS.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on November 20, 2020, 03:18:15 PM
California vibes (minus the Clearview :-D):

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50626049666_b70b946092_3k.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: riiga on November 20, 2020, 03:27:51 PM
Is making custom signs easy? I haven't looked into modding CSL, but I made some stuff back in my SimCity 4 days which took a lot of work. I've installed a mod to give me some Swedish signs instead of the default European ones for speed limits, etc, but traffic lights and signs on motorways are still the standard ugly ones.

I'm also plagued by TM:PE causing the game to lockup/crash which seems to be this bug (https://github.com/CitiesSkylinesMods/TMPE/issues/817). Haven't been able to play for a few days, but looking through the thread I found a debug version that seems to work for the time being.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on November 20, 2020, 03:36:02 PM
Quote from: riiga on November 20, 2020, 03:27:51 PM
Is making custom signs easy? I haven't looked into modding CSL, but I made some stuff back in my SimCity 4 days which took a lot of work. I've installed a mod to give me some Swedish signs instead of the default European ones for speed limits, etc, but traffic lights and signs on motorways are still the standard ugly ones.

Yeah, it's pretty easy. I use these signs (https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=1919670453), and place them using Procedural Objects. This guide (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1920267993) has links to .psd files that you can download and edit (or, like me, convert to .ai files) and then export as PNGs that can be added as a texture to those linked signs (Procedural Objects immediately asks for the texture for the signs when you go to place it). It's a very robust and thorough guide. It's actually quite simple. Hardest part for me was changing the scale of my pre-made sign elements that I use in the 'redesign this' thread to be larger. But it's not impossible.

You will want to use "Hide it!" to disable the game's built-in highway signs, assuming you don't use another pre-made highway from the workshop (as I do).

Quote from: riiga on November 20, 2020, 03:27:51 PM
I'm also plagued by TM:PE causing the game to lockup/crash which seems to be this bug (https://github.com/CitiesSkylinesMods/TMPE/issues/817). Haven't been able to play for a few days, but looking through the thread I found a debug version that seems to work for the time being.

I use TM:PE v11.5.0 LABS. It seems a bit more stable, strangely.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on November 21, 2020, 12:36:23 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on November 20, 2020, 12:38:13 PM
It's one of those games that can be really frustrating, but if you can (A) keep your head on straight, and (B) find the right mods for you, you won't be able to stop. I've been playing this game pretty regularly since it came out and I've only recently realized how much I truly like it.

I haven't gotten any mods yet.  It's not frustrating in the way other games are frustrating, although I'd like to find a strategy to keep people from abandoning buildings.  The method for building overpasses is not at all intuitive, and I didn't even know it existed at first.  I created several traffic problems by building at-grade intersections on my main highway until I finally said, "There has to be a way to just make a simple overpass!"  Anywho, I think I finally solved all my traffic problems!  The roads seem hugely overbuilt for a city of not quite 50,000, though.  And why doesn't a game that takes place in the 21st Century have ETC?*  I had to tear down one of my toll plazas, because there wasn't a way to get it to stop causing congestion.  (Actually, I just looked it up, and there's a mod for ETC.)*  Also, I keep accidentally breaking my bus lines, and it takes me a while before I remember to fix them, but nobody seems to notice.  :P

(https://imgur.com/DVmLI7K.png)

How's this for a newbie?

*Edit: ETC is available as a policy, but not a type of toll booth. At least I finally found it.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: riiga on November 21, 2020, 03:49:19 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on November 20, 2020, 03:36:02 PM
Yeah, it's pretty easy. [...]
Thanks for the handy guide! I'll look into it!

Quote from: jakeroot on November 20, 2020, 03:36:02 PM
I use TM:PE v11.5.0 LABS. It seems a bit more stable, strangely.
I was using the labs version until it broke, but I found a workaround in the Github thread I linked. It seems to only affect Linux for some reason.  :-/

Quote from: stridentweasel on November 21, 2020, 12:36:23 PM
How's this for a newbie?
Not bad! The areas inside the houses look a bit empty on the left island though.

Here's another attempt at using Node Controller and Intersection Marking Tool:
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20201120_222803.jpg)

And this was my city yesterday:
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20201120_222949.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on November 22, 2020, 01:39:39 AM
Quote from: riiga on November 21, 2020, 03:49:19 PM
Not bad! The areas inside the houses look a bit empty on the left island though.

Thanks!  It's more filled in now.  I just wanted to get the arterial road layout down first.

(https://imgur.com/wU7GFq4.png)

Quote
Here's another attempt at using Node Controller and Intersection Marking Tool:

I love how smooth you made everything!
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: JoePCool14 on November 24, 2020, 09:02:30 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on November 20, 2020, 03:18:15 PM
California vibes (minus the Clearview :-D):

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50626049666_b70b946092_3k.jpg)

Jake, your signs are fantastic. This is the exact kind of thing I've wanted to do in Skylines since the day the game came out. In fact, I wanted to do this sort of thing long before Cities came out (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=11530.msg276003#msg276003). If my computer can handle it, I'm absolutely going to give it a shot. But I'm definitely not using Clearview. :-P
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on November 25, 2020, 12:27:25 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on November 24, 2020, 09:02:30 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on November 20, 2020, 03:18:15 PM
California vibes (minus the Clearview :-D):

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50626049666_b70b946092_3k.jpg)

Jake, your signs are fantastic. This is the exact kind of thing I've wanted to do in Skylines since the day the game came out. In fact, I wanted to do this sort of thing long before Cities came out (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=11530.msg276003#msg276003). If my computer can handle it, I'm absolutely going to give it a shot. But I'm definitely not using Clearview. :-P

Cheers. So much Clearview hate 😥

But I agree, yes, it's definitely one of those things that I've avoided doing, but have always wanted to. Now they've made it stupid easy. I just wish we could get a few more sign sizes. The one in the above photo is the tallest it gets (although it gets much wider or narrower if you wish), as the textureless signs are based on California guide signs.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on November 25, 2020, 11:16:24 PM
Well, just for the sake of showing my progress without mods, I grew my city to a population of 123,000 and maxed out my available land area, and it still won't let me annex more. Yeah, I probably could be more efficient with my land usage, but it's not easy to solve all those traffic problems without building ridiculously huge interchanges. If you look closely, you might be able to find my crappy DDI, but more importantly, I de-cloverleafed my pre-made cloverleaf, which should be one of those random achievements that you praise for, if you ask me.

(https://imgur.com/QjW7bDO.png)

(https://imgur.com/2ltEMRD.png)

(https://imgur.com/Cmb6vEc.png)

(https://imgur.com/CoZkfiW.png)

(https://imgur.com/fYEuleH.png)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on November 29, 2020, 04:19:06 PM
I finally started playing with mods.  "81 Tiles" is pretty important, because it doesn't seem very feasible to grow your city much larger than about 150,000 with only the 9 tiles the game normally gives you.  Also, the game appeared to be missing hotels and truck stops, but fortunately, there are fixes for that, too.

(https://imgur.com/vZULwpS.png)

(https://imgur.com/upaXj3m.png)

(https://imgur.com/AxIliQl.png)

(https://imgur.com/pIlNgXs.png)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vtk on November 30, 2020, 06:44:11 AM
Umnodded game has hotels in tourism-specialized districts
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: johndoe on November 30, 2020, 06:12:06 PM
You guys make it look so good!  Decided to fire it up over the weekend - still sticking with good ole vanilla.  My roundabout was struggling, so I made it two way traffic :-D
(https://i.imgur.com/xfZzYRA.png)

Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vtk on December 01, 2020, 12:12:25 AM
That big rock looks quite wet. Is flooding an issue?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on December 01, 2020, 04:28:50 PM
Quote from: vtk on November 30, 2020, 06:44:11 AM
Umnodded game has hotels in tourism-specialized districts

From what I can tell, it looks like you need the After Dark expansion to get tourism districts.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vtk on December 01, 2020, 07:06:50 PM
Oh yeah, that sounds right. When I got the game, I also got After Dark and Snowfall at the same time, so I've never played without those EPs.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on December 01, 2020, 07:54:56 PM
Quote from: johndoe on November 30, 2020, 06:12:06 PM
You guys make it look so good!  Decided to fire it up over the weekend - still sticking with good ole vanilla.  My roundabout was struggling, so I made it two way traffic :-D
(https://i.imgur.com/xfZzYRA.png)

:-D :-D Lends some credence to those crazy British traffic designers with their two way circuses.

This is one thing I have not done in a very long time. However, I did many years ago create a roundabout that I converted to two-way traffic for the exact same reasons. It actually worked surprisingly well.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: X99 on December 02, 2020, 11:30:08 AM
Quote from: stridentweasel on December 01, 2020, 04:28:50 PM
Quote from: vtk on November 30, 2020, 06:44:11 AM
Umnodded game has hotels in tourism-specialized districts

From what I can tell, it looks like you need the After Dark expansion to get tourism districts.

Even then, all of the AD hotels are 20-story towers squished into a 4x4 zoning. Modded hotels are more accurate to the US, with two and three story hotels that take up an average 14x6 zoning space.

For my Rapid City build, those modded hotels are a requirement, as there isn't a single 20 story building in the city. Even the Alex Johnson, the tallest building in RC, is only ten stories tall.

The last time I played C:S, I attempted to finish the 900 block of downtown between Main Street and St. Joseph. I finished it, then proceeded to crash my GPU- and therefore my entire computer- when I tried to angle the camera downwards to take a look at it. If I post any more screenshots of that build, they probably won't have anywhere near the same image quality as my previous photos, since I'm clearing out all of my graphics mods except DR and ULOD to try and prevent another crash.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on December 02, 2020, 04:24:03 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on August 29, 2016, 02:08:40 PM
You're gonna need some mods. I currently have 85 mods installed, and I use every one of them.

Some of my favorites:

Quote
- Fine Road Tool: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=651322972&searchtext=
- Traffic Manager: President's Edition: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=583429740&searchtext=

These links no longer work.  What do those mods do, and are there updated equivalents?

I have one gripe about something that irks me, although it doesn't have a negative effect on gameplay.  I think someone already pointed out that the ramp geometry is very unrealistic, and yeah, I agree, but I can live with it for now.  But here's what irks me: the way expressway* ramps converge and diverge is very inaccurate.  The game treats them as turns when they should be splits and tapers.  I can deal with this for diverging movements, because the way it's handled kind of makes sense when you think about it, even though the way it's represented is wrong.

But I hate the way this works for converging roadways.  When you want to widen a ramp, your only choice is to upgrade it to a three-lane expressway* roadway, assuming you still have adequate space.  When a three-lane expressway* roadway merges into a continuing three-lane expressway* roadway, it's treated as an uncontrolled three-lane right turn.  Well, as I probably should have predicted, this leads to accidents, but instead of the accident causing a traffic jam where emergency vehicles have to come respond to the scene, the vehicles just go right through each other, because I guess every Cities: Skyline city is actually Pleasantville, where there are no toilets, because nobody ever has to use one.

Without a better tool for converging expressway* roadways, I guess my best option for achieving more realistic interchange design is to taper the three-lane roadway down to one lane in advance of the convergence.

*The game calls them "highways," but as roadgeeks, we know full well that the term is useless when describing road typologies, so I'm using the term "expressway" because the game allows you to put at-grade intersections on them, even though they work better when you design them as freeways.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on December 02, 2020, 06:35:06 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on December 02, 2020, 04:24:03 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on August 29, 2016, 02:08:40 PM
- Fine Road Tool: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=651322972&searchtext=
- Traffic Manager: President's Edition: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=583429740&searchtext=

These links no longer work.  What do those mods do, and are there updated equivalents?

For the first, these two mods: Fine Road Anarchy (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1844440354) and Fine Road Tool (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1844442251) (both go hand-in-hand).

For the second, the mod became well-known enough to become, simply, "TM:PE (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1806963141)" (that is the LABS version of the mod, which should work and is not buggy, although not all users can get it to work properly -- Riiga above, for instance).

For other mods, I would suggest going to the workshop and selecting the "mods" option on the right, and then sorting by "Most Popular" and "Three Months".

As to the rest of your comment, the issues with merges, diverges, converges, turns, and everything else are an obvious issue with the base game. Frankly, the base game is unplayable for anyone interested in traffic control. But luckily, mods make the game much better and you can create, in my own opinion, very realistic interchanges. Here's something I'm building right now:

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50673010753_c2677a9d76_o.png)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on December 02, 2020, 06:45:41 PM
In my bid to basically make my city look as Californian as possible, I've also adopted California-style traffic signals:

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50673788206_29e70624ff_o.png)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Scott5114 on December 02, 2020, 07:06:32 PM
Well, now we know how many signal heads at one intersection it takes to make jakeroot happy.  :-D
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on December 02, 2020, 08:17:07 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on December 02, 2020, 06:35:06 PM
For the first, these two mods: Fine Road Anarchy (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1844440354) and Fine Road Tool (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1844442251) (both go hand-in-hand).

For the second, the mod became well-known enough to become, simply, "TM:PE (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1806963141)" (that is the LABS version of the mod, which should work and is not buggy, although not all users can get it to work properly -- Riiga above, for instance).

For other mods, I would suggest going to the workshop and selecting the "mods" option on the right, and then sorting by "Most Popular" and "Three Months".

As to the rest of your comment, the issues with merges, diverges, converges, turns, and everything else are an obvious issue with the base game. Frankly, the base game is unplayable for anyone interested in traffic control. But luckily, mods make the game much better and you can create, in my own opinion, very realistic interchanges. Here's something I'm building right now:

Thanks for the links and the insight!  Your interchange/intersection designs look amazing!

Quote from: Scott5114 on December 02, 2020, 07:06:32 PM
Well, now we know how many signal heads at one intersection it takes to make jakeroot happy.  :-D

Maybe he's anticipating eventual adoption of the Vienna Convention in the U.S. or at least California, namely Article 23, Section 3-b.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Scott5114 on December 02, 2020, 08:30:58 PM
Nah, Jake just really likes supplemental signal heads. He advocates for them a lot in the traffic control subforum. They do have their benefits, but I think his setup maaaay be overkill, just a tad.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vdeane on December 02, 2020, 09:09:11 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on December 02, 2020, 04:24:03 PM
But I hate the way this works for converging roadways.  When you want to widen a ramp, your only choice is to upgrade it to a three-lane expressway* roadway, assuming you still have adequate space.  When a three-lane expressway* roadway merges into a continuing three-lane expressway* roadway, it's treated as an uncontrolled three-lane right turn.  Well, as I probably should have predicted, this leads to accidents, but instead of the accident causing a traffic jam where emergency vehicles have to come respond to the scene, the vehicles just go right through each other, because I guess every Cities: Skyline city is actually Pleasantville, where there are no toilets, because nobody ever has to use one.

Without a better tool for converging expressway* roadways, I guess my best option for achieving more realistic interchange design is to taper the three-lane roadway down to one lane in advance of the convergence.
Didn't they add two lane "highways" at some point?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on December 02, 2020, 09:26:59 PM
Quote from: vdeane on December 02, 2020, 09:09:11 PM
Didn't they add two lane "highways" at some point?

Not in the base game.  I don't have any of the expansions (yet), however.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vdeane on December 02, 2020, 09:29:39 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on December 02, 2020, 09:26:59 PM
Quote from: vdeane on December 02, 2020, 09:09:11 PM
Didn't they add two lane "highways" at some point?

Not in the base game.  I don't have any of the expansions (yet), however.
It must have been in the Mass Transit DLC, then.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on December 03, 2020, 03:26:02 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on December 02, 2020, 08:30:58 PM
Nah, Jake just really likes supplemental signal heads. He advocates for them a lot in the traffic control subforum. They do have their benefits, but I think his setup maaaay be overkill, just a tad.

Correct, yes. Big time advocate.

As far as the placement that I picked, I believe there's been a few intersections in California with this exact setup. But yeah, I designed it to be overkill.

Quote from: stridentweasel on December 02, 2020, 08:17:07 PM
Maybe he's anticipating eventual adoption of the Vienna Convention in the U.S. or at least California, namely Article 23, Section 3-b.

Honestly, California has just as stringent, if not more stringent standards than anything in the Vienna convention.

Denmark seems to have the best signals in Europe, and theirs really aren't that different from places like Chicago.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on December 03, 2020, 07:21:36 AM
Quote from: vdeane on December 02, 2020, 09:29:39 PM
It must have been in the Mass Transit DLC, then.

I had to get that expansion after I heard this and looked it up.  I sure hope this game doesn't become a problem for me like some people have with World of Warcraft.  :P

Quote from: jakeroot on December 03, 2020, 03:26:02 AM
Honestly, California has just as stringent, if not more stringent standards than anything in the Vienna convention.

Maybe I should have clarified, but I was specifically referring to the requirement that signals be placed either on the near side of the intersection, or, in the midpoint if placed overhead.  The North American custom of placing them on the far side of the intersection is merely an option in the Vienna Convention, and that placement alone doesn't fulfill the near-side or overhead-and-midpoint requirement.  Does California have such a requirement?  If so, there are probably a lot of signals that don't live up to it.

Quote
Denmark seems to have the best signals in Europe, and theirs really aren't that different from places like Chicago.

This is the first time I've heard "best signals" and "Chicago" in the same sentence.  How do you feel about that repeated MUTCD violation, where they use a permissive-protected configuration for left turns and then tack on a regulatory sign making it protected-only?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on December 03, 2020, 01:33:42 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on December 03, 2020, 07:21:36 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on December 03, 2020, 03:26:02 AM
Honestly, California has just as stringent, if not more stringent standards than anything in the Vienna convention.

Maybe I should have clarified, but I was specifically referring to the requirement that signals be placed either on the near side of the intersection, or, in the midpoint if placed overhead.  The North American custom of placing them on the far side of the intersection is merely an option in the Vienna Convention, and that placement alone doesn't fulfill the near-side or overhead-and-midpoint requirement.  Does California have such a requirement?  If so, there are probably a lot of signals that don't live up to it.

As far the near-side requirement: they're a de facto add on for most traffic signals in California. The use of near-side left turn signals seems to have died out, but they do exist (https://goo.gl/maps/z4GXw5uw5yaZEZEw8) (usually, as is the case here, in conjunction with near-side through signals).

When I draw up fake signals, I tend to pull different standards from different areas: overall, I'm a fan of California placement, so most of what I do duplicates that, but I also like the eye-level near-side left turn signals (https://goo.gl/maps/M3k7etMbjpFjncAAA) that prevail throughout BC, although BC tends to use 8-inch arrows for these installations so they are less bulky than my example above (I don't have any non-backplate signals).
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on December 03, 2020, 01:38:32 PM
(this was originally part of the above reply, but I moved it here because it kept growing)
Quote from: stridentweasel on December 03, 2020, 07:21:36 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on December 03, 2020, 03:26:02 AM
Denmark seems to have the best signals in Europe, and theirs really aren't that different from places like Chicago.

This is the first time I've heard "best signals" and "Chicago" in the same sentence.  How do you feel about that repeated MUTCD violation, where they use a permissive-protected configuration for left turns and then tack on a regulatory sign making it protected-only?

It's not that Chicago's signals are perfect. Those examples of "...ON GREEN ARROW ONLY" at 5-section left turn signals are pretty unfortunate, but seem to have been used to satisfy requirements for a certain number of green orbs without using overhead signals, as is not desirable along a street like that where overhead signals might clutter the skyline (a strange point but something I've learned from urban design courses). Nowadays, you'd simply cram two 3-section signals next to each other (one for left turns, another for through traffic) but I guess that didn't occur to them at the time.

What I specifically like about Chicago's signals is that they are a combination of my two favorite things: signals without backplates (allow me to explain), and excellent placement. Chicago does not use backplates which would seem like a negative, but the decision to not use backplates means that even those intersections with many signals tend to feel more..."light weight"; backplates can add significantly to the horizontal and vertical dimension of a traffic light. Multiply that by, say, 16 (assuming four signals per approach), and the overall "surface area" dedicated to traffic signals does grow significantly (perhaps by about 80%). This is an odd point, I know, and by no means do I dislike backplates (if Chicago decided tomorrow to install backplates city-wide, I would live with it), but signals without backplates do tend to feel less imposing than those with backplates. This viewpoint is entirely from an urban design perspective: I prefer design decisions that are less physically intrusive on the landscape: signals with backplates, especially when used at intersections with many post-mounted signals, can make the signals very large and very imposing.

One thing to mention: my distaste for backplates extends only to post-mounted signals. Overhead, I prefer them due to issues with bright skies (this is the only qualm I have with Chicago standards). But I find that 12-inch post mounted signals, especially when back-to-back with other signals or even a pole, are usually easy enough to spot that a backplate is an unnecessary addition. Modern LED signals are also quite bright, so it's not like they'd be difficult to spot in visually-busy areas.

If you look at Europe, most countries do not use backplates for their signals. Europe is by no means the gold-standard when it comes to traffic signal placement (although near-side signals make sense when you don't allow turns on red), but they are certainly the gold-standard when it comes to urban design, and I think their signals fit into the urban design landscape better than American traffic signals which are very large and imposing in comparison.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on December 05, 2020, 12:45:06 AM
You probably shouldn't have told me where to find a tool for restricting turns at intersections, because you probably could have guessed what I'd do with it....

(https://imgur.com/RJ4sLE1.png)

(https://imgur.com/p3Uo5Sq.png)

(https://imgur.com/vdEQ6ay.png)

(https://imgur.com/k8OpIuk.png)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: paulthemapguy on December 14, 2020, 04:34:02 PM
How do you get freeway ramps to join the freeway at anything less than a 45-degree angle?  If it's the Prop & Tree Anarchy Mod, that mod prevents my games from loading.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: X99 on December 14, 2020, 04:39:44 PM
Quote from: paulthemapguy on December 14, 2020, 04:34:02 PM
How do you get freeway ramps to join the freeway at anything less than a 45-degree angle?  If it's the Prop & Tree Anarchy Mod, that mod prevents my games from loading.
Fine Road Anarchy, Move It, and Node Controller (this last one is optional)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vtk on December 16, 2020, 10:53:40 PM
With Fine Road Anarchy, you have to turn off bending (ctrl+B) which is on by default, and in most cases turn on anarchy (ctrl+A) which is of course off by default.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on December 18, 2020, 12:41:40 AM
If anybody wants a free copy of this game, Epic Games has it on sale for free right now!
https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/free-games

However, the catch is you only have till 11AM EST today (12/18/20) to claim it! (which is just over 10 hours from the time of this post)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: CapeCodder on December 18, 2020, 04:30:39 AM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on December 18, 2020, 12:41:40 AM
If anybody wants a free copy of this game, Epic Games has it on sale for free right now!
https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/free-games

However, the catch is you only have till 11AM EST today (12/18/20) to claim it! (which is just over 10 hours from the time of this post)


Just downloaded it
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: SoDakInterstateEnthusiast on December 21, 2020, 12:05:58 PM
How does one not make their interchanges... lumpy?

That's a horrible way of describing it, but I'm constantly having problems grading my ramps properly. Especially whenever I'm trying to make a SPUI. If you went through all my CSL worlds you'd find about 5 or 6 ones with failed (and ugly) SPUIs.

I use that one mod that allows you to pick when you want to have your road elevated or ground level or tunnel regardless of its height and its supposed to let you automatically create a smooth grade between nodes of different elevations but it seems to just cause my road to bend in strange ways.

I'm probably not explaining this well at all so if I can get a picture later I will.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on December 21, 2020, 04:33:20 PM
Quote from: SoDakInterstateEnthusiast on December 21, 2020, 12:05:58 PM
How does one not make their interchanges... lumpy?

That's a horrible way of describing it, but I'm constantly having problems grading my ramps properly. Especially whenever I'm trying to make a SPUI. If you went through all my CSL worlds you'd find about 5 or 6 ones with failed (and ugly) SPUIs.

I use that one mod that allows you to pick when you want to have your road elevated or ground level or tunnel regardless of its height and its supposed to let you automatically create a smooth grade between nodes of different elevations but it seems to just cause my road to bend in strange ways.

I'm probably not explaining this well at all so if I can get a picture later I will.

Verisimilitude isn't one of the game's strong points.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: paulthemapguy on December 21, 2020, 07:08:21 PM
Quote from: SoDakInterstateEnthusiast on December 21, 2020, 12:05:58 PM
How does one not make their interchanges... lumpy?

The "Move it!" mod is great for this.  It's wonderful for precisely tweaking the elevation of points along your road.  It creates much smaller increments than the 1 overpass, 1/2 an overpass, and 1/4 overpass increments (which amount to maybe 16ft, 8ft, and 4ft in real life, respectively).
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: SoDakInterstateEnthusiast on December 22, 2020, 06:31:51 PM
Quote from: paulthemapguy on December 21, 2020, 07:08:21 PM
Quote from: SoDakInterstateEnthusiast on December 21, 2020, 12:05:58 PM
How does one not make their interchanges... lumpy?

The "Move it!" mod is great for this.  It's wonderful for precisely tweaking the elevation of points along your road.  It creates much smaller increments than the 1 overpass, 1/2 an overpass, and 1/4 overpass increments (which amount to maybe 16ft, 8ft, and 4ft in real life, respectively).
Quote from: stridentweasel on December 21, 2020, 04:33:20 PM
Quote from: SoDakInterstateEnthusiast on December 21, 2020, 12:05:58 PM
How does one not make their interchanges... lumpy?

That's a horrible way of describing it, but I'm constantly having problems grading my ramps properly. Especially whenever I'm trying to make a SPUI. If you went through all my CSL worlds you'd find about 5 or 6 ones with failed (and ugly) SPUIs.

I use that one mod that allows you to pick when you want to have your road elevated or ground level or tunnel regardless of its height and its supposed to let you automatically create a smooth grade between nodes of different elevations but it seems to just cause my road to bend in strange ways.

I'm probably not explaining this well at all so if I can get a picture later I will.

Verisimilitude isn't one of the game's strong points.

I should have specified what mods I already am using. Move-It!, Precision Engineering, stuff like that I'm utilizing, but I'm still having problems. I really need to take a pic.

I am aware it's appearance is not the most realistic but something as basic as a smooth road slope should be a given if you ask me.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on December 23, 2020, 01:37:15 PM
The game naturally makes intersections flat. These intersections exist any time two roads intersect, including when one road becomes a bridge (and then becomes a road again). The prior way of preventing these weird bumps was to use very long roads where the bumps weren't as obvious; now, just use node controller (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2085403475) and set the intersection to "slope" (or whatever the option is).
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: MikeTheActuary on December 23, 2020, 07:48:32 PM
If you missed the free copy offer last week, it looks like Cities:Skylines is part of Steam's winter sale.  $7.49 for the base game through 5 January.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: I-55 on December 23, 2020, 09:12:07 PM
There are two types of CS players: There are people who actually want to build a functioning city, and then there's RTGame (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLliBvQE3gg9dNVEj6v6iXaTqqrZYwFc7e), the player who constantly destroys cities and proved that a 1 road city (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-p5cgG8fB3o&list=PLliBvQE3gg9dNVEj6v6iXaTqqrZYwFc7e&index=7) is actually not as bad as it sounds.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: CoreySamson on December 24, 2020, 12:35:29 PM
Quote from: I-55 on December 23, 2020, 09:12:07 PM
There are two types of CS players: There are people who actually want to build a functioning city, and then there's RTGame (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLliBvQE3gg9dNVEj6v6iXaTqqrZYwFc7e), the player who constantly destroys cities and proved that a 1 road city (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-p5cgG8fB3o&list=PLliBvQE3gg9dNVEj6v6iXaTqqrZYwFc7e&index=7) is actually not as bad as it sounds.
I watch his other stuff too. He's quite possibly the most humorous Youtuber I've watched.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: CoreySamson on December 24, 2020, 01:07:49 PM
I've been playing the vanilla game for 2 years (without mods and DLCs, I'm on console and I'm a cheapskate), but my cities are continuously around 80-85% traffic flow, which makes me think you don't really need TM:PE to truly make a functioning city. So I came up with a couple of tips that have really helped me keep up such good traffic flow:

1. Give your industry easy access to the highway
Industry traffic is the bane of the game, but it can be somewhat averted by giving industry access to the highway, making it so trucks don't go through other areas, which will cause traffic.

2. Spread out your junctions
Keep your junctions far apart from each other, as it prevents weaving, which is one of the aspects that makes the AI kinda dumb. If you must put junctions close together, try using braided ramps instead of normal ones.

3. Don't add "Band-Aids" to troublesome junctions
One mistake I see a lot of somewhat new players make (I also made it myself) is that they build a diamond interchange or something like that and trucks are causing congestion issues at the junction. They see the problem and bypass the junction with a ramp, effectively putting a "Band-Aid" on the junction. Don't do that! Usually all the other ramp does is move the problem somewhere else, and it doesn't fix the real problem (or it creates a new problem). Instead, I would save up in-game money and rebuild the problematic junction entirely (for interchanges with normal roads, grade separated DDIs are excellent, and for normal junctions, roundabouts can usually work). This fixes the problem instead of moving it somewhere else.

4. Use express lanes
Express lanes are really good for industrial traffic, especially if you have well-used cargo train terminals and ports in your city. They separate industrial traffic from the other cars in the city, which helps with weaving.

5. Have well-established street hierarchies
This is another problem I see new players make. Not every road needs to be 4 lanes, but major traffic-carrying roads should be at all times.

6. Don't be afraid to try new things
My last tip acknowledges that every city is different and may have problems that are hard to solve by basic interchanges. Instead, don't be afraid to try new ideas (but be prepared to rebuild if they don't work out!). I've done odd things like having grade separated DDIs on freeway-to-freeway junctions and just recently I built a diamond interchange with flyovers instead of left turns. Both were odd ideas, but they work extremely well.

Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on December 25, 2020, 09:33:34 AM
I haven't tried the Node Controller mod yet, but I've found, with the combination of TMPE, Fine Roads/Anarchy, and Move It, I can do three nice things: (1) Make interchanges with mostly correct geometry (although my toll plaza connections are still a bit wonky, (2) make DDIs that actually make sense, and (3) make jughandles that actually make sense.  The only thing I haven't yet found the solution for is correct lane striping, but I've been having too much fun trying to build out an 81-tile city with the other mods, plus the Mass Transit and After Dark DLCs.  Move It is really a godsend if you care about ramp geometry.

(https://imgur.com/OlhmkgA.png)

(https://imgur.com/FCKrGVH.png)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: johndoe on December 25, 2020, 06:57:45 PM
Has anyone by chance experienced a lot of crashes lately?  I NEVER used to have this issue, and now it's happening every 5-10 min.  It's happening in different maps and on different screens.  I play vanilla, although I did download some patch a few months ago for some reason...I forget why... something about a new pop up or something that happens on launch?

Anyway, I can't think of anything that's changed on my machine and don't feel like thinking too hard about this so I was hoping one of you might have a hint.  Thanks!
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: hotdogPi on December 25, 2020, 07:22:29 PM
Quote from: I-55 on December 23, 2020, 09:12:07 PM
There are two types of CS players:

Cities: Skylines: Global Offensive?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on December 25, 2020, 08:45:56 PM
johndoe, how much ram do you have in your rig?

Also, read this on how to 'bypass' the popup on start: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1976349559
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: johndoe on December 26, 2020, 11:46:56 AM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on December 25, 2020, 08:45:56 PM
johndoe, how much ram do you have in your rig?

Also, read this on how to 'bypass' the popup on start: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1976349559

12MB RAM.  I think I have the "Fast Method" and I still see the command prompt open as Cities runs.  Not sure how to uninstall that
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on December 26, 2020, 12:29:00 PM
Quote from: johndoe on December 26, 2020, 11:46:56 AM
12MB RAM.

That might be your problem. Those early 90s computers aren't really known for C:S compatibility. :-D

Quote from: johndoe on December 25, 2020, 06:57:45 PM
Has anyone by chance experienced a lot of crashes lately?  I NEVER used to have this issue, and now it's happening every 5-10 min.  It's happening in different maps and on different screens.  I play vanilla, although I did download some patch a few months ago for some reason...I forget why... something about a new pop up or something that happens on launch?

If you go to the workshop, go to "Browse" > "Subscribed items". On the right, sort by "Date updated" and see if anything you've subscribed to has been recently updated. One of the updates might be broken (hopefully with a fix on the way). Alternatively, the game may have recently updated and broken an older mod. In that case, go to the last couple pages (if you have that many mod subscriptions) and see if you see people commenting about crashes like what you've experienced. It's fairly common for old mods to work well beyond when they were intended to break, before eventually breaking with a small update.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on December 26, 2020, 12:30:29 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on December 25, 2020, 09:33:34 AM
The only thing I haven't yet found the solution for is correct lane striping

Intersection Marking Tool now allows users to mark road segments and not just intersections. You can't delete existing markings without other mods or decals, but you can finally add your own markings without resorting to annoying things like placing your own decals and props. My last screenshot above shows that I've added some HOV lanes to my roads and added solid lines to intersection approaches using that mod.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on December 26, 2020, 03:53:04 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on December 26, 2020, 12:30:29 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on December 25, 2020, 09:33:34 AM
The only thing I haven't yet found the solution for is correct lane striping

Intersection Marking Tool now allows users to mark road segments and not just intersections. You can't delete existing markings without other mods or decals, but you can finally add your own markings without resorting to annoying things like placing your own decals and props. My last screenshot above shows that I've added some HOV lanes to my roads and added solid lines to intersection approaches using that mod.

Thanks for the tip!  By the way, what do you use for signs?  I'd love to start making some good ones in my game at some point.  :)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on December 27, 2020, 03:57:35 AM
Quote from: stridentweasel on December 26, 2020, 03:53:04 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on December 26, 2020, 12:30:29 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on December 25, 2020, 09:33:34 AM
The only thing I haven't yet found the solution for is correct lane striping

Intersection Marking Tool now allows users to mark road segments and not just intersections. You can't delete existing markings without other mods or decals, but you can finally add your own markings without resorting to annoying things like placing your own decals and props. My last screenshot above shows that I've added some HOV lanes to my roads and added solid lines to intersection approaches using that mod.

Thanks for the tip!  By the way, what do you use for signs?  I'd love to start making some good ones in my game at some point.  :)

The signs I make using Illustrator, by way of importing the PSD files provided below. I made a little write-up a while back describing the process. Once you do it a couple times, it becomes pretty quick.

Quote from: jakeroot on November 20, 2020, 03:36:02 PM
Quote from: riiga on November 20, 2020, 03:27:51 PM
Is making custom signs easy? I haven't looked into modding CSL, but I made some stuff back in my SimCity 4 days which took a lot of work. I've installed a mod to give me some Swedish signs instead of the default European ones for speed limits, etc, but traffic lights and signs on motorways are still the standard ugly ones.

Yeah, it's pretty easy. I use these signs (https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=1919670453), and place them using Procedural Objects. This guide (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1920267993) has links to .psd files that you can download and edit (or, like me, convert to .ai files) and then export as PNGs that can be added as a texture to those linked signs (Procedural Objects immediately asks for the texture for the signs when you go to place it). It's a very robust and thorough guide. It's actually quite simple. Hardest part for me was changing the scale of my pre-made sign elements that I use in the 'redesign this' thread to be larger. But it's not impossible.

You will want to use "Hide it!" to disable the game's built-in highway signs, assuming you don't use another pre-made highway from the workshop (as I do).
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on December 27, 2020, 04:46:30 AM
Quote from: johndoe on December 26, 2020, 11:46:56 AM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on December 25, 2020, 08:45:56 PM
johndoe, how much ram do you have in your rig?

Also, read this on how to 'bypass' the popup on start: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1976349559

12MB RAM.  I think I have the "Fast Method" and I still see the command prompt open as Cities runs.  Not sure how to uninstall that

1) Read this then since you only have 12GB (no way it can only be 12MB): https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2114415052  All I know is that even with 16GB of RAM in my system, the game occasionally crashed a few minutes into playing since I was close to completely maxing out my RAM.  Once I upped my pagefile to 12GB, I no longer had any issues playing and crashing a few minutes in.  Plus it didn't hurt that I had a lot of space on my SSD's that I could place my pagefile on one of them. (I also have the game on a SSD.)

2) You should be able to undo that setup.
2a) First, undo the tweak in the "Launch Options" that you did in the "Properties" for the game inside of Steam which added the "cs.exe %command%".
2b) Next, go back into "Properties" and go to "Local Files" and click "Verify integrity of game files...".  This should undo the what that 'patch' tool did, as it will have Steam double check the game files and redownload the original "dowser.exe" file that the 'fast mode' overwritten.
2c) Go follow the steps from the " Steam Overlay-enabled method (Windows) " selection next (once the Steam verification is finished in 2b).  This is the mode I personally use, and it works perfectly fine for me. ;)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: johndoe on December 27, 2020, 01:01:06 PM
@jakeroot @rickmastfan67 haha yeah 12GB... thanks for the suggestions!  This morning I didn't have a crash so maybe the "verify integrity..." helped.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vtk on December 29, 2020, 03:25:48 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on December 26, 2020, 12:30:29 PM
Intersection Marking Tool now allows users to mark road segments and not just intersections.

Oh sweet! When did that update drop?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on December 29, 2020, 02:20:48 PM
Quote from: vtk on December 29, 2020, 03:25:48 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on December 26, 2020, 12:30:29 PM
Intersection Marking Tool now allows users to mark road segments and not just intersections.

Oh sweet! When did that update drop?

Late November, but only for the beta version (which is currently on 1.6.0.176). The normal mod is still on 1.5 which does not have the function.

The beta version is extremely stable and I would advise anyone who does not use that version, to use it over the regular non-beta version. The creator, macsergey, is taking a break from C:S for a bit, but only after dozens of updates to the beta that improved stability and reduced errors to basically zero.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on January 04, 2021, 07:06:04 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on July 17, 2020, 06:30:07 PM
Highly recommend this mod:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=844180955

I'm so glad you recommended this mod, because I'm having way too much fun with it now:

https://youtu.be/UH9Jf-doPaA

Of course, you can't use TM:PE with it, so I'm going mostly vanilla now, but it's still way too much fun.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: paulthemapguy on January 04, 2021, 06:09:24 PM
Hopefully that CityDrive mod demonstrates how jarring all the broken-back curves are in your city and how that's a big no-no in real-life roadway geometry.  :bigass: That's something I noticed in the introductory video on Steam.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on January 04, 2021, 06:25:21 PM
Quote from: paulthemapguy on January 04, 2021, 06:09:24 PM
Hopefully that CityDrive mod demonstrates how jarring all the broken-back curves are in your city and how that's a big no-no in real-life roadway geometry.  :bigass: That's something I noticed in the introductory video on Steam.

I'm so not a fan of the way ramps merge and converge in the vanilla game.  But, without being able to use TM:PE, I'm not sure I'd trust Fine Roads Anarchy and Move It, and I've already noticed a bug when using Move It: building a road doesn't automatically push boulders out of the way, so you end up having to move them manually (if you care about your road not having boulders all over it).
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on January 05, 2021, 12:20:33 PM
I find it rather incredible that there are mods being made that are incompatible with major, widely-used mods. Like hey, good for you, but maybe work with those mod-makers to try and integrate your mod into theirs? Because asking users to give up TM:PE just to have that City Drive mod is a lot to ask. I have heard about it, but I know I will never use it since TM:PE is too important.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on January 05, 2021, 06:49:49 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on January 05, 2021, 12:20:33 PM
I find it rather incredible that there are mods being made that are incompatible with major, widely-used mods. Like hey, good for you, but maybe work with those mod-makers to try and integrate your mod into theirs? Because asking users to give up TM:PE just to have that City Drive mod is a lot to ask. I have heard about it, but I know I will never use it since TM:PE is too important.

I'm having jughandle withdrawls after not using TM:PE for a while.

Hi, my name is Strident Weasel, and I have a problem.

***

Edit: Here's another one for anyone interested.  Still no jughandles, though.  (Warning: there's an F-bomb in the music.)

https://youtu.be/we9Qm6eyDcQ
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on January 06, 2021, 01:44:20 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on January 04, 2021, 06:25:21 PM
I'm so not a fan of the way ramps merge and converge in the vanilla game.  But, without being able to use TM:PE, I'm not sure I'd trust Fine Roads Anarchy and Move It, and I've already noticed a bug when using Move It: building a road doesn't automatically push boulders out of the way, so you end up having to move them manually (if you care about your road not having boulders all over it).

I think it's actually Prop and Tree Anarchy that results in boulders getting left all over my roads.  I tried turning it on so I could make overhead signs, but I found the boulder problem again, so I'm not using it.  I refuse!
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on January 06, 2021, 08:24:40 PM
Those boulders are called "sprites" and there's at least a couple of mods that can remove them if you want: "Theme Mixer 2 (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1899640536)" and "Hide It! (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1591417160)".

I used to keep them off since I've had issues with them appearing when they shouldn't, but they are working fine right now so I'm leaving them on.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on January 06, 2021, 08:30:42 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on January 06, 2021, 08:24:40 PM
Those boulders are called "sprites" and there's at least a couple of mods that can remove them if you want: "Theme Mixer 2 (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1899640536)" and "Hide It! (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1591417160)".

I used to keep them off since I've had issues with them appearing when they shouldn't, but they are working fine right now so I'm leaving them on.

Thanks again for the tip!  In the meantime, I found a workaround to get semi-overhead signs without messing with Prop Anarchy.

(https://imgur.com/SjQO4al.jpg)

(https://imgur.com/O2wMDOP.jpg)

Yes, I used Sign Maker for the second one, with minimal graphics editing.  The most important part is knowing the canvas size.

Edit:  I swapped out the images, (1) to use JPEGs instead of PNGs, and (2) to get a better shot of my text signs.  I'm actually really liking how you can import simple signs from Sign Maker with minimal editing, because all I wanted were guide signs that had some sort of relation to the road network within the game, rather than the meaningless in-game overhead signs. 
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vtk on January 07, 2021, 07:25:30 AM
Quote from: stridentweasel on January 06, 2021, 08:30:42 PM
Yes, I used Sign Maker

Which Sign Maker is this?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on January 07, 2021, 01:10:30 PM
Quote from: vtk on January 07, 2021, 07:25:30 AM
Quote from: stridentweasel on January 06, 2021, 08:30:42 PM
Yes, I used Sign Maker

Which Sign Maker is this?

BrenStro's Sign Maker: https://www.brenstro.me/SignMaker/

I love it because it's great for providing base features, which you can use in fancier signs with free graphics editing software, and sometimes it helps to import Zeffy's BGS arrows.  Here's one example I made: https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=9539.msg2542746#msg2542746

For Cities: Skylines, you can use Sign Maker to make a simple panel like this:
(https://imgur.com/Y0xTgzD.png)

All you have to do is paste the sign panels onto a gray panel sized to specifications (552x187 for 2-lane medium), bucket-fill and paste the gray over Sign Maker's background and gantry arms, and then paste the panel into the sign panel template for use in Procedural Objects.  In this example, I also manually stretched the left-hand sign panel vertically to match its height to the right-hand panel.

It took me some trial and error with Cities: Skylines, mods, and props, but I'm glad I at least got that far.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: fmendes on January 07, 2021, 01:51:45 PM
Has anyone used the springfield interchange on the steam workshop yet? :hmmm:
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: riiga on January 10, 2021, 06:44:00 AM
TM:PE has started working for me again, so I've been playing some more. I also installed the Move It! mod which has been very helpful.

The motorway was too close to my city center so I planned a new alignment:
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20210106_162433.jpg)

Built an interchange trying to get those smooth ramps and curves:
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20210109_172058.jpg)

Rebuilt the intersection at the rightmost end of my city:
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20210109_233350.jpg)

New suburb, European style:
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20210109_195220.jpg)
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20210110_005042.jpg)

Overview. You can see the new alignment, rebuilt interchanges, etc:
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20210110_005102.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on January 10, 2021, 01:55:51 PM
Quote from: riiga on January 10, 2021, 06:44:00 AM
TM:PE has started working for me again, so I've been playing some more. I also installed the Move It! mod which has been very helpful.

The motorway was too close to my city center so I planned a new alignment:

I love how you planned out the bypass before building it. That is totally genius and adds another level of realism to the game.

The curves also look excellent. Nicely done.

Quote from: fmendes on January 07, 2021, 01:51:45 PM
Has anyone used the springfield interchange on the steam workshop yet? :hmmm:

I've never personally used the custom interchanges from the workshop. Something tells me the Springfield Interchange is too specific to the real-life Springfield, VA to actually be of use in Cities: Skylines. Never mind the whole issue of the interchange taking up hilarious amounts of land. You really need 81 Tiles to not feel overwhelmed.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: fmendes on January 11, 2021, 08:39:01 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on January 10, 2021, 01:55:51 PM
Quote from: riiga on January 10, 2021, 06:44:00 AM
TM:PE has started working for me again, so I've been playing some more. I also installed the Move It! mod which has been very helpful.

The motorway was too close to my city center so I planned a new alignment:

I love how you planned out the bypass before building it. That is totally genius and adds another level of realism to the game.

The curves also look excellent. Nicely done.

Quote from: fmendes on January 07, 2021, 01:51:45 PM
Has anyone used the springfield interchange on the steam workshop yet? :hmmm:

I've never personally used the custom interchanges from the workshop. Something tells me the Springfield Interchange is too specific to the real-life Springfield, VA to actually be of use in Cities: Skylines. Never mind the whole issue of the interchange taking up hilarious amounts of land. You really need 81 Tiles to not feel overwhelmed.
i hear its rlly massive im just gonna create my own interchanges and make the highway with local and express lanes so it can handle lots of traffic i have done this before if on xbox but now im on pc so i can have more freedom with alignments and i have tmpe so i can have even more capacity if u wanna see my other interchanges go to my gaming instagram @porkchopftc and youll see a big spagetti
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on January 11, 2021, 03:40:59 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on January 10, 2021, 01:55:51 PM
Quote from: fmendes on January 07, 2021, 01:51:45 PM
Has anyone used the springfield interchange on the steam workshop yet? :hmmm:

I've never personally used the custom interchanges from the workshop. Something tells me the Springfield Interchange is too specific to the real-life Springfield, VA to actually be of use in Cities: Skylines. Never mind the whole issue of the interchange taking up hilarious amounts of land. You really need 81 Tiles to not feel overwhelmed.

I assume this is the file that's being talked about:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=947827349

Just a heads up for people, just link to the addon on Steam so people can easily look it up instead of having to search for it (especially since some items have several different people making it using the same name).  Might stimulate more conversation even. ;)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on January 12, 2021, 04:31:32 AM
Does anyone else try to build out an 81-tile city and feel like they've made an overly ambitious mess?  I think I'm going to start playing with just 9 tiles again and cut down on the number of mods I'm using, and maybe this game will feel less like projects that I've decided to take on out of compulsion.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: fmendes on January 12, 2021, 03:07:25 PM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on January 11, 2021, 03:40:59 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on January 10, 2021, 01:55:51 PM
Quote from: fmendes on January 07, 2021, 01:51:45 PM
Has anyone used the springfield interchange on the steam workshop yet? :hmmm:

I've never personally used the custom interchanges from the workshop. Something tells me the Springfield Interchange is too specific to the real-life Springfield, VA to actually be of use in Cities: Skylines. Never mind the whole issue of the interchange taking up hilarious amounts of land. You really need 81 Tiles to not feel overwhelmed.

I assume this is the file that's being talked about:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=947827349

Just a heads up for people, just link to the addon on Steam so people can easily look it up instead of having to search for it (especially since some items have several different people making it using the same name).  Might stimulate more conversation even. ;)
yes it is and i was thinking it would look out of place in any other city and if u dont have at least a 100k pop and citizens that uses the highway alot it wont be satisfying like the one IRL yk
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on January 13, 2021, 02:01:52 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on January 12, 2021, 04:31:32 AM
Does anyone else try to build out an 81-tile city and feel like they've made an overly ambitious mess?  I think I'm going to start playing with just 9 tiles again and cut down on the number of mods I'm using, and maybe this game will feel less like projects that I've decided to take on out of compulsion.

I've been using 81 Tiles for a long time now. At this point, it would be very strange to return to even 25 tiles, much less 9. But then the way I build my cities, it's not that I'm being overly ambitious. The way I build, I largely don't use most of the map for buildings. What I do is use the 81 Tiles mod to build a larger road network, and it allows me to spread out my city a bit, maybe building some villages and hamlets way out in the country...it adds to the realism for me. At the end of the day, 90% of my population is clustered in about 4 tiles.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: I-55 on January 13, 2021, 11:25:08 PM
It would be nice to have more than just the 81 tiles. If you're trying to build large cities (to realistic American Standards) of over 300k, you'll need more than the current tiles (roughly 10 miles by 10 miles). The current arrangement allows you to build cities that landwise are about the size of Tuscaloosa-Northport, AL (population of Tuscaloosa county is a little over 200k). If you want to be ambitious like me and try a city like Indianapolis you'd probably need about 500 tiles to cover the land of the metro. In my fictional world, my home city is similar size to Indianapolis and I would need 600+ tiles to build it in game. Obviously that would be hard for the game to handle which is why 81 is much more feasible.

For the time being though I'm still doing fine planning cities that fit in with the current space constraints.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on January 14, 2021, 11:32:07 AM
Quote from: I-55 on January 13, 2021, 11:25:08 PM
It would be nice to have more than just the 81 tiles. If you're trying to build large cities (to realistic American Standards) of over 300k, you'll need more than the current tiles (roughly 10 miles by 10 miles). The current arrangement allows you to build cities that landwise are about the size of Tuscaloosa-Northport, AL (population of Tuscaloosa county is a little over 200k). If you want to be ambitious like me and try a city like Indianapolis you'd probably need about 500 tiles to cover the land of the metro. In my fictional world, my home city is similar size to Indianapolis and I would need 600+ tiles to build it in game. Obviously that would be hard for the game to handle which is why 81 is much more feasible.

For the time being though I'm still doing fine planning cities that fit in with the current space constraints.

You can easily to get to half a million population with 81 tiles.  It just takes patience.

(I started losing patience somewhere around 400,000, and I felt like I had a mess with no real scheme for making beautiful, so I decided I'd rather downsize and focus on smaller details, because that's what I usually handle better with just about anything.)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on January 16, 2021, 10:39:59 AM
Does anyone else like building highways with at-grade intersections (expressways, surface highways, arterial highways, Jersey Freeways, etc.), and seeing how well you can manage traffic on them without making them freeways?  To me, it's an added challenge in the game, although without using TM:PE and maybe other mods, you're rather limited in your arsenal of traffic control devices (e.g., you can't ban left turns without TM:PE).  What's hilarious is when the game keeps giving you that traffic warning message, even when the traffic on your surface highway is flowing just fine.

I actually found this was one scenario where I had made a conventional diamond, saw it turn into a traffic nightmare, turned it into a diverging diamond, and saw traffic improve both short-term and long-term.

(https://imgur.com/WWutSe8.jpg)

(https://imgur.com/u9fqAu6.jpg)

(You can see that the left-most interchange is still a conventional diamond, but traffic on the surface highway still flows at an acceptable rate without changing it.)

I also made a short City Drive video of the above highway (which means I can't be using TM:PE here, because they're incompatible mods).  It was originally longer and showed both directions, but I cut most of it out, because some of my graphics were flickering, which ruined it.  (Anybody know of a way to fix that, or is there just no getting around that?)

https://youtu.be/ToMGk8wABqI

On another note, I do wish the game would include more TM:PE-like features as standard features (it does already include the ability to toggle traffic signals and stop signs, making that part of TM:PE redundant).  A surface highway would probably work much better at 80 km/h (closer to 50 MPH) than 100 km/h (roughly 60 MPH), but I don't know of a way to change that without TM:PE.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: I-55 on January 16, 2021, 01:52:42 PM
^ First time I've ever seen someone use J-turns in Cities:Skylines. Doesn't look too shabby at all.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on January 16, 2021, 02:21:12 PM
Quote from: I-55 on January 16, 2021, 01:52:42 PM
^ First time I've ever seen someone use J-turns in Cities:Skylines. Doesn't look too shabby at all.

Thanks!  It helps to put stop signs on them, because C:S drivers tend to be bad at yielding.

(Heck, with the sharp angles of a lot of the on-ramps that game gives you, combined with the complete lack of acceleration lanes, you might as well pull a Pennsylvania and put stop signs on them, too.  The game's built-in cloverleaf is pretty much like this: https://goo.gl/maps/Y85HLvBT2tg8afk5A )
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: CoreySamson on January 16, 2021, 10:26:44 PM
Quote from: I-55 on January 16, 2021, 01:52:42 PM
^ First time I've ever seen someone use J-turns in Cities:Skylines. Doesn't look too shabby at all.
I put them in on arterials as a first step in changing them to freeways. They seem to work well with low traffic, but I haven't used them in a high-traffic environment yet. Might be something to play around with in one of my old cities tomorrow.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: andrepoiy on January 19, 2021, 09:14:53 PM
Good idea, I shall attempt to build a city with no freeways (like Winnipeg)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: fmendes on January 20, 2021, 09:06:13 AM
has anyone ever tried doing a realistic toll road like the NJ turnpike
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: X99 on January 20, 2021, 11:16:06 AM
Normally I would post an update screenshot of my Rapid City rebuild, but I've been stalled on it for a while since attempting to build a block of downtown and look at it from the side actually crashed my GPU. I still have to reconfigure my graphics mods before I start building again.

I'm also thinking that I might have taken on too big of a project for my first real life rebuild, and I might put it on hold and build Marion, IN instead. Much smaller population (~20k as opposed to ~70k), flatter terrain (which I'm doing manually because adding terrain through other means either misaligns the heightmap or crashes the game), and companies that actually have workshop models (seriously, I can't even find a Common Cents convenience store, let alone a Holiday, Maverik, or even Blaze Pizza).
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on January 21, 2021, 06:49:46 AM
Quote from: fmendes on January 20, 2021, 09:06:13 AM
has anyone ever tried doing a realistic toll road like the NJ turnpike

I haven't gone so far as to do a long-distance dual-dual configuration, but I make double-trumpet interchanges with a toll plaza in the middle rather frequently.

In fact, one of my favorite "tropes" in my C:S cities is to have entrance/exit tolls on the in-game freeways and then mainline tolls on any new freeways I build.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: riiga on January 23, 2021, 03:39:18 PM
Started a new city to try and make my city more European (and Swedish even). Pretty much all buildings are custom assets. My biggest gripe with CSL now is the lack of farms. I want farms surrounding my town but the biggest you can zone is 4x4. I haven't found a good solution to this which almost makes me want to play Simcity 4 again just for that.

(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20210123_172918.jpg)

Top-down view:
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20210123_191757.jpg)

1950s residential area:
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20210123_191849.jpg)

Overview (not much so far):
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20210123_192027.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: johndoe on January 23, 2021, 05:54:51 PM
Cool stuff folks!  I know we all use different mods etc, but I think we should do some sort of board challenge.  Try to maximize or minimize some attribute.  I like to play but seem to end up doing the same city every time, so want to change it up
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on January 23, 2021, 05:55:35 PM
Quote from: riiga on January 23, 2021, 03:39:18 PM
Started a new city to try and make my city more European (and Swedish even). Pretty much all buildings are custom assets. My biggest gripe with CSL now is the lack of farms. I want farms surrounding my town but the biggest you can zone is 4x4. I haven't found a good solution to this which almost makes me want to play Simcity 4 again just for that.

[clipped]

Looks great so far! I really like the grid you've started.

Farms are Cities: Skylines' Achilles heal. Even the poorly-coded Cities XL had farms that could be built by selecting edge points.

My solution has been to lay out trees in straight lines to create edges, and then dirt roads along them to build farmhouses along. You can then use texture mods to paint the ground to look like it has something planted. Ridiculously difficult solution to something that should be easy, but it is what it is.

Quote from: johndoe on January 23, 2021, 05:54:51 PM
Cool stuff folks!  I know we all use different mods etc, but I think we should do some sort of board challenge.  Try to maximize or minimize some attribute.  I like to play but seem to end up doing the same city every time, so want to change it up

The problem I have with challenges is just the sheer number of assets that I use. Plus my cities use all 81 tiles, so it takes me literally months to actually declare something as finished. My current city dates to at least August.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: X99 on January 26, 2021, 10:48:09 AM
Quote from: riiga on January 23, 2021, 03:39:18 PM
Started a new city to try and make my city more European (and Swedish even). Pretty much all buildings are custom assets. My biggest gripe with CSL now is the lack of farms. I want farms surrounding my town but the biggest you can zone is 4x4. I haven't found a good solution to this which almost makes me want to play Simcity 4 again just for that.

I started using the farms in this collection (https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=1549054316) to fill in the square-mile spaces north of Rapid City with something larger than a 4x4. In fact, the largest fields there are 32x32, AND they're still functional with Industries DLC. If you don't have that DLC, there are also prop versions linked to most of the entries on that list.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadrunner75 on January 27, 2021, 02:13:49 AM
My son is playing this on his XBox now and has been blowing money on the themed expansion packs.  I would have loved this game as a kid (in my day it was SimCity on the Commodore 64) but I'm too old with too many other worries and a shorter attention span now.   :-/
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: paulthemapguy on January 27, 2021, 09:57:24 AM
Quote from: stridentweasel on January 21, 2021, 06:49:46 AM
In fact, one of my favorite "tropes" in my C:S cities is to have entrance/exit tolls on the in-game freeways and then mainline tolls on any new freeways I build.

Sounds like how the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority actually operates these days!


Quote from: riiga on January 23, 2021, 03:39:18 PM
Started a new city to try and make my city more European (and Swedish even). Pretty much all buildings are custom assets. My biggest gripe with CSL now is the lack of farms. I want farms surrounding my town but the biggest you can zone is 4x4. I haven't found a good solution to this which almost makes me want to play Simcity 4 again just for that.
[clipped]

Yeah the agriculture in C:S is not realistic at all.  Farming and logging really should take up more land than a mining or oil refining operation, right?  And the amount of arable land in any given map is dismal at best.  Come on, you can at least grow potatoes or something in some of the more rugged, mountainous spots, can't you?

Quote from: jakeroot on January 23, 2021, 05:55:35 PM
Looks great so far! I really like the grid you've started.
The problem I have with challenges is just the sheer number of assets that I use. Plus my cities use all 81 tiles, so it takes me literally months to actually declare something as finished. My current city dates to at least August.

Even though I have the relevant mod installed and ready to go, I'm terrified of starting to expand my cities to 81 tiles, partly on behalf of my computer processor and partly because of the time I'll have to spend on that city.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: tq-07fan on January 27, 2021, 11:00:49 AM
Quote from: stridentweasel on January 16, 2021, 10:39:59 AM

I also made a short City Drive video of the above highway (which means I can't be using TM:PE here, because they're incompatible mods).  It was originally longer and showed both directions, but I cut most of it out, because some of my graphics were flickering, which ruined it.  (Anybody know of a way to fix that, or is there just no getting around that?)

https://youtu.be/ToMGk8wABqI


So roughly how long does it take to develop your city then get to get stuff to drive through it? I have rode in your car on Youtube several times now. I love it!

Quote from: Roadrunner75 on January 27, 2021, 02:13:49 AM
  I would have loved this game as a kid (in my day it was SimCity on the Commodore 64) but I'm too old with too many other worries and a shorter attention span now.   :-/

These do look really cool but could also be addictive. I used the old pencil and paper method to develop cities when I was a kid.  :D

Jim
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadrunner75 on January 27, 2021, 01:34:49 PM
Quote from: tq-07fan on January 27, 2021, 11:00:49 AM
Quote from: Roadrunner75 on January 27, 2021, 02:13:49 AM
I would have loved this game as a kid (in my day it was SimCity on the Commodore 64) but I'm too old with too many other worries and a shorter attention span now.   :-/

These do look really cool but could also be addictive. I used the old pencil and paper method to develop cities when I was a kid.  :D

Jim
Yup - me too.  I used to love drawing road maps of my own creations, both large and small scale, starting at an early age.  SimCity came much later, but couldn't come close to the old pen and paper.  I still sometimes feel like sitting down for some map drawing, but rarely ever get around to it.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on January 27, 2021, 01:46:52 PM
Quote from: tq-07fan on January 27, 2021, 11:00:49 AM
So roughly how long does it take to develop your city then get to get stuff to drive through it? I have rode in your car on Youtube several times now. I love it!

Thanks!  Honestly, I never timed it.  Roughly, if you play for several hours in a given day, you can get from the beginning level to the "Megalopolis" level (70,000 population, like that would ever be considered a megalopolis IRL  :P  ) in a couple of days.  By that point, you have 9 "tiles" available to you and all of your features unlocked (except for some of the special buildings, which have their own prerequisites).  Now, if you play with unlimited money and all achievements unlocked, you can build much faster, although your zoned land will still take some time to get developed.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: riiga on January 27, 2021, 05:18:33 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on January 23, 2021, 05:55:35 PM
Farms are Cities: Skylines' Achilles heal. Even the poorly-coded Cities XL had farms that could be built by selecting edge points. [...]
Quote from: X99 on January 26, 2021, 10:48:09 AM
I started using the farms in this collection (https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=1549054316) to fill in the square-mile spaces north of Rapid City with something larger than a 4x4. In fact, the largest fields there are 32x32, AND they're still functional with Industries DLC. If you don't have that DLC, there are also prop versions linked to most of the entries on that list.
Unfortunately I don't own the Industries DLC yet, but I'm waiting for the next Steam sale. So far I've found a promising set on the workshop, but only for eyecandy. I'll probably leave building farms for later.

The neighbourhood I previously showed is now completed:
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20210127_212923.jpg)

Overview with new roads to prepare for suburban expansion:
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20210127_213100.jpg)

Does anyone know if there are any rural or highway-style avenues, i.e. there's no sidewalk? Something like this (https://www.google.se/maps/@58.4194657,15.6588968,3a,62.2y,48.07h,89.58t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1snrxIzOBOVCw6IZJ24-BugQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656).
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on January 28, 2021, 05:41:01 AM
Quote from: riiga on January 27, 2021, 05:18:33 PM
Unfortunately I don't own the Industries DLC yet, but I'm waiting for the next Steam sale. So far I've found a promising set on the workshop, but only for eyecandy. I'll probably leave building farms for later.

It's on sale @ Humble Bundle for 50% right now.  Which is the same price as the lowest ever sale on Steam.
https://isthereanydeal.com/waitlist/#/page:game/info?plain=citiesskylinesindustries

That is if you don't want to wait. ;)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on January 28, 2021, 09:24:10 AM
Quote from: riiga on January 27, 2021, 05:18:33 PM
The neighbourhood I previously showed is now completed:

I love how nicely detailed that is!

Quote
Does anyone know if there are any rural or highway-style avenues, i.e. there's no sidewalk? Something like this (https://www.google.se/maps/@58.4194657,15.6588968,3a,62.2y,48.07h,89.58t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1snrxIzOBOVCw6IZJ24-BugQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656).

The Network Extensions mod has a four-lane, undivided "National Road" with no sidewalks.  Personally, though, I've stopped using that mod, because it has a few quirks I don't like.  With "vanilla" roads, the closest thing you can get is a divided highway, with the two roadways spaced as closely together as you can get them.  I wish they had a divided highway with a Jersey Barrier, but no such luck, although maybe there's a mod that does.

Speaking of "vanilla" roads, one thing I like to do now is make "parkway"-style roads by using highways and placing pedestrian paths right alongside them, and then trying to keep my signalized intersections spaced reasonably apart.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: paulthemapguy on January 28, 2021, 09:28:01 AM
Quote from: Roadrunner75 on January 27, 2021, 01:34:49 PM
Yup - me too.  I used to love drawing road maps of my own creations, both large and small scale, starting at an early age.  SimCity came much later, but couldn't come close to the old pen and paper.  I still sometimes feel like sitting down for some map drawing, but rarely ever get around to it.

I have a very similar experience.  I have been drawing designs for roadways, subdivisions, and towns since I was about 6 years old.  SimCity wasn't as good as simply drawing things on paper.  Cities:Skylines is the only thing that has come close; it went further into detail with some things but still didn't have enough detail for certain other things (waterway geometry, interchange geometry, and a couple other things).  Overall, the game has come out as my top preference the last couple years.  I've started drawing out freeway signage and subway system maps on paper based on my C:S cities, which has been a good amount of additional fun.  :D
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vtk on January 31, 2021, 10:33:43 AM
Quote from: riiga on January 27, 2021, 05:18:33 PM

Does anyone know if there are any rural or highway-style avenues, i.e. there's no sidewalk? Something like this (https://www.google.se/maps/@58.4194657,15.6588968,3a,62.2y,48.07h,89.58t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1snrxIzOBOVCw6IZJ24-BugQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656).

You can use Network Skins to change the paved sidewalks to gravel or dirt where desired
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: riiga on January 31, 2021, 05:10:15 PM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on January 28, 2021, 05:41:01 AM
It's on sale @ Humble Bundle for 50% right now.  Which is the same price as the lowest ever sale on Steam. [...] That is if you don't want to wait. ;)
Thanks! I'll just wait for the Steam sale though as I don't want to sign up for an account on yet another site just to buy some DLC.

Quote from: stridentweasel on January 28, 2021, 09:24:10 AM
I love how nicely detailed that is!
Thank you!

Quote from: vtk on January 31, 2021, 10:33:43 AM
You can use Network Skins to change the paved sidewalks to gravel or dirt where desired
Thanks for the tip!




Some more progress on my city. Another new residential area modelled after those of 50s and 60s here. Apartments:
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20210131_204727.jpg)

(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20210131_205126.jpg)

The lowrise homes aren't fully grown yet:
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20210131_205053.jpg)

From above:
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20210131_204825.jpg)

Overview:
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20210131_204934.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: fmendes on March 03, 2021, 10:47:45 AM
Has anyone tried doing a dual dual roadway configuration (3-3-3-3) on a highway if its Express lanes or truck lanes ive done it in past cities but it was basically one big continuous interchange due to the complextity of the traffic routes and tight ROW that i had to work with to fit this through my downtown if u want to check it out go to my instagram https://www.instagram.com/porkchopftc/ (https://www.instagram.com/porkchopftc/) has anyone else ever done a major (3-3-3-3) configuration in CS
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: andrepoiy on March 03, 2021, 11:10:13 AM
If anybody here is interested in drawing fictional maps, but perhaps online, then I have the site for you: OpenGeoFiction.

It uses OpenStreetMap architecture.

Here's a link: https://opengeofiction.net/
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vtk on March 03, 2021, 01:14:28 PM
There's a whole other thread for OGF already. I think the previous wave of AARoads Forum users have all abandoned our OGF countries. Most of what I did has apparently been erased, but a few of the roads in one corner of what was my country remain: https://opengeofiction.net/#map=13/-29.0464/32.0765
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: CoreySamson on March 03, 2021, 02:42:23 PM
Quote from: fmendes on March 03, 2021, 10:47:45 AM
Has anyone tried doing a dual dual roadway configuration (3-3-3-3) on a highway if its Express lanes or truck lanes ive done it in past cities but it was basically one big continuous interchange due to the complextity of the traffic routes and tight ROW that i had to work with to fit this through my downtown if u want to check it out go to my instagram https://www.instagram.com/porkchopftc/ (https://www.instagram.com/porkchopftc/) has anyone else ever done a major (3-3-3-3) configuration in CS
I've built some interchanges with the design (sorta like the I-10/I-45 junction in Houston), but I haven't really built any longer truck lanes aside from a one-way system to my freight train hub. I have some ideas for one in my new city I'm building, though.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on March 03, 2021, 04:40:14 PM
Quote from: fmendes on March 03, 2021, 10:47:45 AM
Has anyone tried doing a dual dual roadway configuration (3-3-3-3) on a highway if its Express lanes or truck lanes ive done it in past cities but it was basically one big continuous interchange due to the complextity of the traffic routes and tight ROW that i had to work with to fit this through my downtown if u want to check it out go to my instagram https://www.instagram.com/porkchopftc/ (https://www.instagram.com/porkchopftc/) has anyone else ever done a major (3-3-3-3) configuration in CS

I use dual dual carriageways at larger interchanges. You can see a small segment of this in an image I posted a few pages back:

Quote from: jakeroot on December 02, 2020, 06:35:06 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50673010753_c2677a9d76_o.png)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on March 03, 2021, 08:12:15 PM
Quote from: fmendes on March 03, 2021, 10:47:45 AM
Has anyone tried doing a dual dual roadway configuration (3-3-3-3) on a highway if its Express lanes or truck lanes ive done it in past cities but it was basically one big continuous interchange due to the complextity of the traffic routes and tight ROW that i had to work with to fit this through my downtown if u want to check it out go to my instagram https://www.instagram.com/porkchopftc/ (https://www.instagram.com/porkchopftc/) has anyone else ever done a major (3-3-3-3) configuration in CS

I did, but I could never get traffic volumes to come close to justify it, and I kind of got bored with it.

(https://imgur.com/bmVLJHo.jpg)

(https://imgur.com/3OmBBXK.jpg)

(https://imgur.com/jggUrpH.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: fmendes on March 04, 2021, 08:37:00 AM
Quote from: stridentweasel on March 03, 2021, 08:12:15 PM
Quote from: fmendes on March 03, 2021, 10:47:45 AM
Has anyone tried doing a dual dual roadway configuration (3-3-3-3) on a highway if its Express lanes or truck lanes ive done it in past cities but it was basically one big continuous interchange due to the complextity of the traffic routes and tight ROW that i had to work with to fit this through my downtown if u want to check it out go to my instagram https://www.instagram.com/porkchopftc/ (https://www.instagram.com/porkchopftc/) has anyone else ever done a major (3-3-3-3) configuration in CS

I did, but I could never get traffic volumes to come close to justify it, and I kind of got bored with it.

(https://imgur.com/bmVLJHo.jpg)

(https://imgur.com/3OmBBXK.jpg)

(https://imgur.com/jggUrpH.jpg)
what i found to make the traffic volume go up is to have two major parts of the city a ways away and across the highway from one of those parts put a large industrial area i was able to get a large amount of traffic on my highway with only 60000 people in my city by playing with the locations of my districts and i found a balance
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: fmendes on March 04, 2021, 08:50:38 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on March 03, 2021, 04:40:14 PM
Quote from: fmendes on March 03, 2021, 10:47:45 AM
Has anyone tried doing a dual dual roadway configuration (3-3-3-3) on a highway if its Express lanes or truck lanes ive done it in past cities but it was basically one big continuous interchange due to the complextity of the traffic routes and tight ROW that i had to work with to fit this through my downtown if u want to check it out go to my instagram https://www.instagram.com/porkchopftc/ (https://www.instagram.com/porkchopftc/) has anyone else ever done a major (3-3-3-3) configuration in CS

I use dual dual carriageways at larger interchanges. You can see a small segment of this in an image I posted a few pages back:

Quote from: jakeroot on December 02, 2020, 06:35:06 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50673010753_c2677a9d76_o.png)
yeah the thing about it is as with real life it creates a bottle neck at he end of the system and i have to extend them past the demand point where almost 50% of the traffic exits which in my city is the Westbrook gardens interchange which is the one shown in my Instagram it ties 3 highways the Westbrook expressway which is my main artery the crosstown expressway which handles traffic between the Westbrook expressway and west tpke and the interchange also contains a stack interchange wedged in there connecting another expressway which i have yet to name so its there is a lot of demand in this area and being that im on Xbox with this map i was limited to 4 lanes wide so i had to go with a (4-3-3-4) configuration to handle all of the traffic
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on March 04, 2021, 02:31:24 PM
Quote from: fmendes on March 04, 2021, 08:50:38 AM
yeah the thing about it is as with real life it creates a bottle neck at he end of the system and i have to extend them past the demand point where almost 50% of the traffic exits which in my city is the Westbrook gardens interchange which is the one shown in my Instagram it ties 3 highways the Westbrook expressway which is my main artery the crosstown expressway which handles traffic between the Westbrook expressway and west tpke and the interchange also contains a stack interchange wedged in there connecting another expressway which i have yet to name so its there is a lot of demand in this area and being that im on Xbox with this map i was limited to 4 lanes wide so i had to go with a (4-3-3-4) configuration to handle all of the traffic

Good god, I nearly ran out of breath reading that.

Honestly, I can't comment on the console versions. I've only played on PC where, with mods, the game is fundamentally unrelated to the "stock" game. I personally don't have traffic issues except in downtown cores where signals tend to "step" on each other and where I need to work on coordination.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: fmendes on March 04, 2021, 03:12:42 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on March 04, 2021, 02:31:24 PM
Quote from: fmendes on March 04, 2021, 08:50:38 AM
yeah the thing about it is as with real life it creates a bottle neck at he end of the system and i have to extend them past the demand point where almost 50% of the traffic exits which in my city is the Westbrook gardens interchange which is the one shown in my Instagram it ties 3 highways the Westbrook expressway which is my main artery the crosstown expressway which handles traffic between the Westbrook expressway and west tpke and the interchange also contains a stack interchange wedged in there connecting another expressway which i have yet to name so its there is a lot of demand in this area and being that im on Xbox with this map i was limited to 4 lanes wide so i had to go with a (4-3-3-4) configuration to handle all of the traffic

Good god, I nearly ran out of breath reading that.

Honestly, I can't comment on the console versions. I've only played on PC where, with mods, the game is fundamentally unrelated to the "stock" game. I personally don't have traffic issues except in downtown cores where signals tend to "step" on each other and where I need to work on coordination.
im sorry it was so long lol but the game i have noticed handles differently on pc with mods considering i have both the traffic rlly does handle different tho
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: fmendes on March 10, 2021, 01:46:32 PM
ok guys lets see some detailed spaghetti junctions
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on March 20, 2021, 12:55:27 AM
Does anyone else think it would be amazing if the makers of Cities: Skylines built game-version replicas of real cities and then sold them as DLC?  Mostly so, you know, you could redesign the transportation network, or just impose whatever fantasy you want on said city?  Personally, I'd be very willing to pay to download Muskogee, Oklahoma and Breezewood, Pennsylvania.  :D  (I kind of have doubts as to how feasible this would be, though.  Whatever fees people would be willing to pay to download these might not recoup the massive amount of labor hours it would take for game-makers to build all the cities people might want, especially when you get to places so obscure that they would only appeal to roadgeeks.)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: andrepoiy on March 20, 2021, 07:16:44 PM
The game "canvas" itself is really small too if you want it 1:1, and it doesn't really work out.

Also, has anyone attempted to make a collector/express freeway in C:S (like Highway 401 in Toronto)? I have a feeling that in C:S, no one would use the express lanes since they always calculate that the shortest route, and changing to express lanes and changing back to exit adds distance.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadgeekteen on March 20, 2021, 08:41:12 PM
Deathcare and garbage in this game suck... I put tons of incinerators and crematoriums and it still doesn't work. I had to download a mod getting rid of them. Otherwise, the game is great.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: JoePCool14 on March 20, 2021, 09:05:03 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on March 20, 2021, 12:55:27 AM
Does anyone else think it would be amazing if the makers of Cities: Skylines built game-version replicas of real cities and then sold them as DLC?  Mostly so, you know, you could redesign the transportation network, or just impose whatever fantasy you want on said city?  Personally, I'd be very willing to pay to download Muskogee, Oklahoma and Breezewood, Pennsylvania.  :D  (I kind of have doubts as to how feasible this would be, though.  Whatever fees people would be willing to pay to download these might not recoup the massive amount of labor hours it would take for game-makers to build all the cities people might want, especially when you get to places so obscure that they would only appeal to roadgeeks.)
I'm sure someone could build Breezewood. I don't think that would be too difficult. :-D
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vdeane on March 20, 2021, 11:49:55 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on March 20, 2021, 08:41:12 PM
Deathcare and garbage in this game suck... I put tons of incinerators and crematoriums and it still doesn't work. I had to download a mod getting rid of them. Otherwise, the game is great.
That's probably a consequence of the game being agent-based.  SimCity 4 was very simple with respect to garbage (and everything else)... the game would simply calculate how much garbage should be generated based on the number of RCI buildings, adjust down based on the number of recycling centers (I forget if any ordinances affected it), and then compare with landfill/incinerator capacity.  Any excess would then be placed on the map randomly as pollution.  None of the traffic shown in the game was real, just an approximate rendering of the statistics the game actually used.  This is made obvious by the fact that there's a setting to turn off the variable speed automata and have the cars move at the same speed regardless of what speed the game was running or even when paused (and before Rush Hour, that was just how the game worked, no setting available!).  Cities: Skylines doesn't do that.  Garbage is generated specifically by each building, and actual garbage trucks have to go to each and every one to pick it up and deliver it to the landfills/incinerators.  If they get stuck in traffic, the garbage just accumulates.  Deathcare works similarly.  Every car is a specific cim going on a specific trip and you can follow them the whole way.

Short version: it doesn't matter how much capacity you have if you garbage trucks and hearses can't get where they need to go quickly.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: ran4sh on March 21, 2021, 01:57:04 AM
Quote from: andrepoiy on March 20, 2021, 07:16:44 PM
Also, has anyone attempted to make a collector/express freeway in C:S (like Highway 401 in Toronto)? I have a feeling that in C:S, no one would use the express lanes since they always calculate that the shortest route, and changing to express lanes and changing back to exit adds distance.

I had that thought too, that if you build an express/local freeway there would be no way to incentivize traffic to use the express lanes. So I tried an alternative. Knowing that the concept of local and express also exists in subway/transit systems, I thought of other types of service patterns that are used and could be applied to highways in C:S. The A/B (alternating stop) pattern is another type of transit service pattern and I thought of a way to apply it in C:S. What I ended up doing was building a highway where the inner and outer lanes cross over and switch sides every exit, with occasional ramps to allow traffic to switch to the other set of lanes. This worked out well, I noticed that the traffic would end up getting on whichever set of lanes ended up accessing the exit that they needed.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on March 21, 2021, 04:43:40 AM
Quote from: ran4sh on March 21, 2021, 01:57:04 AM
Quote from: andrepoiy on March 20, 2021, 07:16:44 PM
Also, has anyone attempted to make a collector/express freeway in C:S (like Highway 401 in Toronto)? I have a feeling that in C:S, no one would use the express lanes since they always calculate that the shortest route, and changing to express lanes and changing back to exit adds distance.

I had that thought too, that if you build an express/local freeway there would be no way to incentivize traffic to use the express lanes. So I tried an alternative. Knowing that the concept of local and express also exists in subway/transit systems, I thought of other types of service patterns that are used and could be applied to highways in C:S. The A/B (alternating stop) pattern is another type of transit service pattern and I thought of a way to apply it in C:S. What I ended up doing was building a highway where the inner and outer lanes cross over and switch sides every exit, with occasional ramps to allow traffic to switch to the other set of lanes. This worked out well, I noticed that the traffic would end up getting on whichever set of lanes ended up accessing the exit that they needed.

Could always try TM:PE and just make the 'local' lanes a lower speed limit.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: ran4sh on March 22, 2021, 01:08:29 AM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on March 21, 2021, 04:43:40 AM
Quote from: ran4sh on March 21, 2021, 01:57:04 AM
Quote from: andrepoiy on March 20, 2021, 07:16:44 PM
Also, has anyone attempted to make a collector/express freeway in C:S (like Highway 401 in Toronto)? I have a feeling that in C:S, no one would use the express lanes since they always calculate that the shortest route, and changing to express lanes and changing back to exit adds distance.

I had that thought too, that if you build an express/local freeway there would be no way to incentivize traffic to use the express lanes. So I tried an alternative. Knowing that the concept of local and express also exists in subway/transit systems, I thought of other types of service patterns that are used and could be applied to highways in C:S. The A/B (alternating stop) pattern is another type of transit service pattern and I thought of a way to apply it in C:S. What I ended up doing was building a highway where the inner and outer lanes cross over and switch sides every exit, with occasional ramps to allow traffic to switch to the other set of lanes. This worked out well, I noticed that the traffic would end up getting on whichever set of lanes ended up accessing the exit that they needed.

Could always try TM:PE and just make the 'local' lanes a lower speed limit.

Sure, but that was before I started using that mod, and I still prefer to start new game files without the mod until the traffic becomes too much of a problem
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on March 23, 2021, 01:58:30 AM
Quote from: ran4sh on March 22, 2021, 01:08:29 AM
Sure, but that was before I started using that mod, and I still prefer to start new game files without the mod until the traffic becomes too much of a problem

As a long-time player: I really don't understand the logic.

First, mods don't always work as well when they're added to an active save. On the other hand, starting a fresh save with all the mods you want is a generally-guaranteed way to avoid the potential for errors and whatnot. I really don't see the advantage in waiting to add the mods. The biggest hurdle when loading a game, honestly, is assets. Mods really don't screw with load times too much, although certain select mods certainly can, yes.

Second, effective use of TM:PE would likely prevent traffic getting to a problematic point to begin with. Since I started using TM:PE, frankly, heavy traffic is quite rare and easily avoidable with the right level of know-how when it comes to road building and traffic operations.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: fmendes on March 23, 2021, 11:05:03 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on March 23, 2021, 01:58:30 AM
Quote from: ran4sh on March 22, 2021, 01:08:29 AM
Sure, but that was before I started using that mod, and I still prefer to start new game files without the mod until the traffic becomes too much of a problem

As a long-time player: I really don't understand the logic.

First, mods don't always work as well when they're added to an active save. On the other hand, starting a fresh save with all the mods you want is a generally-guaranteed way to avoid the potential for errors and whatnot. I really don't see the advantage in waiting to add the mods. The biggest hurdle when loading a game, honestly, is assets. Mods really don't screw with load times too much, although certain select mods certainly can, yes.

Second, effective use of TM:PE would likely prevent traffic getting to a problematic point to begin with. Since I started using TM:PE, frankly, heavy traffic is quite rare and easily avoidable with the right level of know-how when it comes to road building and traffic operations.
yeah i like to over build ahead ahead of time so u dont have to build a bigger highway by either building the highway wide or leaving a very Wide ROW in the highway to allow for expansion which is what i do in all my cities to allow for C/D roads or Express lanes
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on March 23, 2021, 01:36:13 PM
Might as well share another one:

https://youtu.be/uLJhTA55DOs

Has anyone noticed how RIRO expressways ("Jersey Freeways") work remarkably well in Cities: Skylines?  But as soon as you put a traffic signal on an expressway mainline, you're probably asking for trouble.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: johndoe on April 10, 2021, 12:59:04 PM
so I finally broke down and am no longer 100% vanilla!  I got "lifecycle rebalance revisited" to help the death wave issue.  After like 5 minutes of running all the problem seemed to be addressed.  Maybe this will get me to fire up the game more often.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: JoePCool14 on April 10, 2021, 05:49:33 PM
Quote from: johndoe on April 10, 2021, 12:59:04 PM
so I finally broke down and am no longer 100% vanilla!  I got "lifecycle rebalance revisited" to help the death wave issue.  After like 5 minutes of running all the problem seemed to be addressed.  Maybe this will get me to fire up the game more often.

Nice! Vanilla C:S is fine, but after a while some of the game's quirks become hard to ignore and you just want to use mods to fix them.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: andrepoiy on April 10, 2021, 08:42:49 PM
Going back to my comment about a collector-express system, I have started a new city and I will put it to the test. Here's how it looks like empty, will post again when I move people in:

(https://i.imgur.com/FUWnue1.png)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vtk on April 11, 2021, 03:34:50 AM
Here's an interchange I just finished today:
(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/824269245293920286/830688842545365002/20210411021903_1.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: fmendes on April 14, 2021, 09:13:52 AM
Quote from: andrepoiy on April 10, 2021, 08:42:49 PM
Going back to my comment about a collector-express system, I have started a new city and I will put it to the test. Here's how it looks like empty, will post again when I move people in:

(https://i.imgur.com/FUWnue1.png)
another tip i suggest is do direct connections to the express lanes to encourage people to use them because of its fast connection to the lanes so people that want to travel thru ur city and want to link up to the other highway they can use a direct connection at major exits
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on April 14, 2021, 12:00:48 PM
Here's something I haven't done in forever: I built myself a cloverleaf. Well, partial cloverleaf, but you still have that weaving between a couple of the movements:

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51115398644_4d3c50deca_o.gif)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vtk on April 15, 2021, 07:33:13 AM
The progression of history shown and implied in your animation is very cool!
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on April 16, 2021, 07:51:37 PM
Quote from: vtk on April 15, 2021, 07:33:13 AM
The progression of history shown and implied in your animation is very cool!

That was my goal. I always hate these pictures (nothing personal against anyone) where we just see monstrous freeways with no backstory. I'm not JRR Tolkien, but I would like to at least provide some story with what I'm doing in my city. That starts with some before and after photos, at least.

With any luck, I'll have another .gif by end of the day. Traffic flow has changed enough to warrant the closure of two of the loops.

In the interest of fairness, I did not create this map; this is the map (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2422897535) on the Workshop. The roads were originally laid by the author, and I've been having fun building a city from the map and modifying/playing with the roads to suit my modifications. Of which there are many.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: andarcondadont on April 25, 2021, 03:06:30 PM
Does anyone else take the time to name their streets?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadgeekteen on April 25, 2021, 03:12:40 PM
Quote from: andarcondadont on April 25, 2021, 03:06:30 PM
Does anyone else take the time to name their streets?
I name my streets.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: andarcondadont on April 25, 2021, 03:24:03 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on April 25, 2021, 03:12:40 PM
Quote from: andarcondadont on April 25, 2021, 03:06:30 PM
Does anyone else take the time to name their streets?
I name my streets.
Any specific theme or pattern you follow with your named streets? I'll also open this question to anyone else that names streets.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: JoePCool14 on April 25, 2021, 04:02:10 PM
Quote from: andarcondadont on April 25, 2021, 03:06:30 PM
Does anyone else take the time to name their streets?

I started playing the game on Day 1, when street names weren't a thing. My city grew to take up almost 25 tiles by the time street names came out. For me to go around naming every little street would be a nightmare. A fun nightmare, but not something I really cared to do.

What I did instead was just name my Interstates, freeways, and tollways, and then as I built new neighborhoods and districts, I'd name the new streets I built. I also started naming some streets and giving other roads route numbers so I could create mock BGS for exits.

My main map has been potentially lost (it had so much "history and lore" :-(), and on every other map I've started, I can't really be bothered to name the streets, so I just turn them off altogether.

Quote from: andarcondadont on April 25, 2021, 03:24:03 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on April 25, 2021, 03:12:40 PM
Quote from: andarcondadont on April 25, 2021, 03:06:30 PM
Does anyone else take the time to name their streets?
I name my streets.
Any specific theme or pattern you follow with your named streets? I'll also open this question to anyone else that names streets.

Whenever I created new neighborhoods, I would try to stick to a theme. For example, I distinctly remember using U.K. cities and French cities just to name two themes. I think I also had some sections where I used names of people I knew, places I've been, real streets in my area, and more. Theming is the easiest way, unless you have one specific person, event, or thing you want to "honor".
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadgeekteen on April 25, 2021, 04:22:46 PM
Quote from: andarcondadont on April 25, 2021, 03:24:03 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on April 25, 2021, 03:12:40 PM
Quote from: andarcondadont on April 25, 2021, 03:06:30 PM
Does anyone else take the time to name their streets?
I name my streets.
Any specific theme or pattern you follow with your named streets? I'll also open this question to anyone else that names streets.
Nothing fancy, mostly just after my friends.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: andrepoiy on April 25, 2021, 05:07:10 PM
I name some of my streets, mainly the important ones.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on April 25, 2021, 06:58:26 PM
Quote from: andarcondadont on April 25, 2021, 03:06:30 PM
Does anyone else take the time to name their streets?

Only till I unlocked the Steam achievement for it.  :-D
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: fmendes on April 28, 2021, 10:11:53 AM
here is my interchange i have built on a section of highway that has a complex car and truck lane system like the NJ turnpike I'm also in the process of expanding this system and constructing a massive interchange west of here which will connect to a beltway around here and this system handles a lot of traffic volume and will handle more once I complete a new neiberhood click the link for a photo of it https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CflRGQfFwlv3z11yuZxfalV-2ysnQ0yK/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CflRGQfFwlv3z11yuZxfalV-2ysnQ0yK/view?usp=sharing)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: paulthemapguy on May 06, 2021, 11:27:42 PM
Quote from: andarcondadont on April 25, 2021, 03:06:30 PM
Does anyone else take the time to name their streets?

Yes.  I have to name the streets to determine what the names of my stops on my transit lines will be...and I need to name them so I can determine what my BGS exit signage will look like.  I'll draw schematic transit (heavy rail) maps and I'll draw out what the BGS's will look along the freeways, on paper.  I also name my neighborhoods.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: fmendes on May 19, 2021, 11:24:55 AM
alright guys im calling on all u people who make some good and detailed Spaghetti Junctions like the Springfield interchange In Washington DC
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on May 31, 2021, 10:32:56 AM
None of these are very well detailed, because I don't like fussing with a million mods, but here's what I've been building with Unlimited Money lately, just for kicks:

I'd love to know if an interchange like this exists anywhere in the wild:
(https://imgur.com/kXgl2lx.jpg)

Bridge and tunnel entrance/exit:
(https://imgur.com/VxK2FGl.jpg)

Michigan Lefts (thanks to TM:PE) and a diverging diamond (vanilla):
(https://imgur.com/XDY2Cx7.jpg)

C-D lanes and freeway tangles that would probably be silly IRL:
(https://imgur.com/R4ZC1dz.jpg)

Tollway service plazas:
(https://imgur.com/wUs1NWM.jpg)

I wish there was a way to restrict the access on that service road to fire and police vehicles only:
(https://imgur.com/owa3Eth.jpg)

Lonely (for now) airport, with a cloverstack and another service plaza:
(https://imgur.com/2MrW7pX.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: andarcondadont on May 31, 2021, 04:56:23 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on May 31, 2021, 10:32:56 AM
None of these are very well detailed, because I don't like fussing with a million mods, but here's what I've been building with Unlimited Money lately, just for kicks:

I'd love to know if an interchange like this exists anywhere in the wild:
(https://imgur.com/kXgl2lx.jpg)

Bridge and tunnel entrance/exit:
(https://imgur.com/VxK2FGl.jpg)

Michigan Lefts (thanks to TM:PE) and a diverging diamond (vanilla):
(https://imgur.com/XDY2Cx7.jpg)

C-D lanes and freeway tangles that would probably be silly IRL:
(https://imgur.com/R4ZC1dz.jpg)

Tollway service plazas:
(https://imgur.com/wUs1NWM.jpg)

I wish there was a way to restrict the access on that service road to fire and police vehicles only:
(https://imgur.com/owa3Eth.jpg)

Lonely (for now) airport, with a cloverstack and another service plaza:
(https://imgur.com/2MrW7pX.jpg)


Well it looks like you used TM:PE for the Michigan left. If you have TM:PE, there is a feature to restrict access to certain vehicles.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: thspfc on May 31, 2021, 08:35:09 PM
That first picture reminds me of the Mixmaster (I-35, 80, and 235) in on the north side of Des Moines.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on June 01, 2021, 05:39:28 AM
Quote from: andarcondadont on May 31, 2021, 04:56:23 PM
Well it looks like you used TM:PE for the Michigan left. If you have TM:PE, there is a feature to restrict access to certain vehicles.

Oh, cool!  I didn't know that.

Quote from: thspfc on May 31, 2021, 08:35:09 PM
That first picture reminds me of the Mixmaster (I-35, 80, and 235) in on the north side of Des Moines.

Hmm, sort of!  The interchange I made basically just happened because I had a trumpet, and I wanted to convert it to a four-way interchange, but I didn't want to tear down the trumpet.  Such a thing probably only really works if most of your movements from one of the freeways are turning movements instead of straight-through movements.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: fmendes on June 01, 2021, 10:48:00 AM
Quote from: stridentweasel on May 31, 2021, 10:32:56 AM
None of these are very well detailed, because I don't like fussing with a million mods, but here's what I've been building with Unlimited Money lately, just for kicks:

I'd love to know if an interchange like this exists anywhere in the wild:
(https://imgur.com/kXgl2lx.jpg)

Bridge and tunnel entrance/exit:
(https://imgur.com/VxK2FGl.jpg)

Michigan Lefts (thanks to TM:PE) and a diverging diamond (vanilla):
(https://imgur.com/XDY2Cx7.jpg)

C-D lanes and freeway tangles that would probably be silly IRL:
(https://imgur.com/R4ZC1dz.jpg)

Tollway service plazas:
(https://imgur.com/wUs1NWM.jpg)

I wish there was a way to restrict the access on that service road to fire and police vehicles only:
(https://imgur.com/owa3Eth.jpg)

Lonely (for now) airport, with a cloverstack and another service plaza:
(https://imgur.com/2MrW7pX.jpg)
very impressive that interchnage at the tunnel is nice
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on June 01, 2021, 04:48:38 PM
Quote from: fmendes on June 01, 2021, 10:48:00 AM
very impressive that interchnage at the tunnel is nice

Thanks! That one was especially fun to make.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: ari-s-drives on June 01, 2021, 07:16:21 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on May 31, 2021, 10:32:56 AM
...
I wish there was a way to restrict the access on that service road to fire and police vehicles only:
(https://imgur.com/owa3Eth.jpg)
...

If you are using TM:PE, then you can restrict vehicle access (https://tmpe.viathinksoft.com/wiki/index.php?title=Vehicle_restrictions).
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: paulthemapguy on June 04, 2021, 02:23:14 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on May 31, 2021, 10:32:56 AM
Michigan Lefts (thanks to TM:PE) and a diverging diamond (vanilla):
(https://imgur.com/XDY2Cx7.jpg)

Hook yourself up with the new version of Node Controller, and you can make the crossovers at that diverging diamond look smoother.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: fmendes on June 04, 2021, 02:25:44 PM
Quote from: paulthemapguy on June 04, 2021, 02:23:14 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on May 31, 2021, 10:32:56 AM
Michigan Lefts (thanks to TM:PE) and a diverging diamond (vanilla):
(https://imgur.com/XDY2Cx7.jpg)

Hook yourself up with the new version of Node Controller, and you can make the crossovers at that diverging diamond look smoother.
and u cant forget move it mod as well i use a combination of the two to make a good road.
On a side note how do u make the pictures so u can attach them in this forum i cant do it lol?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on June 04, 2021, 03:26:50 PM
Quote from: fmendes on June 04, 2021, 02:25:44 PM
On a side note how do u make the pictures so u can attach them in this forum i cant do it lol?

Print screen, paste in GIMP, export as a JPEG, upload to Imgur, copy link, paste link in image code with 800px width and file extension appended to the end of the link.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on June 11, 2021, 02:45:17 PM
Progress GIF of some new freeway construction. The village at center is a large freight operations center and the two-lane highways were getting bogged down by all the trucks.

I'm in the process of building a new airport to improve freight operations. This involved raising the land, sinking the HSR lines below ground, realigning the Hayes Bypass (the road at top), and building a new access road. I intend to make it a bit like PDX with some shops along the access road.

The old loopy road at the bottom was the old Neville Hwy, and the road leaving to the right of the image was Raleigh St; the road from left to right is now the M2 Neville Freeway, and the bottom to top road (new construction) is the M3 Silverlands Fwy.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51241297589_e2659cd596_o.gif)
M2 / M3 Junction Progress (https://flic.kr/p/2m523y6) by Jake Root (https://www.flickr.com/photos/62537709@N03/), on Flickr

(disregard the UFO-looking things, they are to help me build my loops)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: JoePCool14 on June 26, 2021, 11:54:54 PM
So here's an interesting I thought I'd share.

I've had the same Cities: Skylines save ever since day 1. I bought the game the day it released, and have been playing the map basically ever since. That makes the map over six years old. I've got some screenshots and older saves that show the progress of the city, but something interesting I also have is an old "map" I made a few years ago, detailing the layout of the Interstates in the city.

I say "map" in quotes because it's just some crude lines in Excel with a few shields on it to mark the different roads.

(https://snz04pap002files.storage.live.com/y4m-9EmllCL8GIXtmNhC5khKi5vpEbhqTEPVbFhLgW8TQm4BbpquaxtSBJHkCq57ywp7MJl0Pr-bRT-t0UuVr0HqwTJMRyeTwWyTbLqxzMtBXQbkT9eY73E_rRQA54kQ8FUk7p5yvP6Nl1OBUiuYcZHyRHZl8P6CAfhXcR5RHU1k5z8ZZzmlspvydx4wsfPGHoJ?width=731&height=555&cropmode=none)

Well, I decided tonight that I was going to update the map to include more recent changes to the city since I originally created this.

(https://snz04pap002files.storage.live.com/y4mCceh71jEE8V7QlrV5yu3eOKEjYBKOZIaz0Hn-LOwtpA43mby2ez1QXbkbEIPl1IGgh0ECWKHm_GGqiNO-qftROg64ecipN8yw9iUNyya9opArVK137TShkgE_6G758MrgiOyld-HUZxJCXm6wZPYsDVCgyXk-LE5HLBwY-v3fYL7LcXCq4Rfh11H3rcQd2TQ?width=1920&height=1080&cropmode=none)

As you can see, I've decided to renumber many of the roads. I originally waffled about where my city is located, but given its more northern appearance and the focal point of the city being on I-90, I decided to place it in Wisconsin. Originally I had it located between Madison and Rockford, but since I-90 is really north-south in this section, I decided to move it to be between La Crosse and Tomah. Let's just say it replaces Sparta.  :spin:

Anyway, I'll try to provide some more context if people want, but it's 11 pm and I want to go to sleep instead. But let me know your thoughts on this.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadgeekteen on June 27, 2021, 12:22:04 AM
I wish you could import route shields into cities skylines.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on June 27, 2021, 09:06:56 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 27, 2021, 12:22:04 AM
I wish you could import route shields into cities skylines.

I wish they could just make a game that was an honest-to-goodness traffic simulator.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadgeekteen on June 27, 2021, 01:09:53 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on June 27, 2021, 09:06:56 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 27, 2021, 12:22:04 AM
I wish you could import route shields into cities skylines.

I wish they could just make a game that was an honest-to-goodness traffic simulator.
There are mods that make traffic more realistic I think.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on June 27, 2021, 01:15:43 PM
The mods these days make it good enough that there doesn't need to be C:S2.

There are definitely very good traffic simulator mods. TM:PE is very well coded at this point.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: johndoe on June 27, 2021, 07:22:03 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on June 27, 2021, 09:06:56 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 27, 2021, 12:22:04 AM
I wish you could import route shields into cities skylines.

I wish they could just make a game that was an honest-to-goodness traffic simulator.

Vissim, Synchro / SimTraffic, TransModeler ... why pay for a game when someone will pay you to do it as a career?!   :D
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadgeekteen on June 27, 2021, 07:25:27 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on June 27, 2021, 01:15:43 PM
The mods these days make it good enough that there doesn't need to be C:S2.

There are definitely very good traffic simulator mods. TM:PE is very well coded at this point.
Although if you play the game on console, you can't use mods. Also it can be tedious to look for mods so it would be easier if features were in the base game.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on June 27, 2021, 07:49:37 PM
Quote from: johndoe on June 27, 2021, 07:22:03 PM
Vissim, Synchro / SimTraffic, TransModeler ... why pay for a game when someone will pay you to do it as a career?!   :D

Because nobody's going to pay me to do it as a career.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadgeekteen on June 27, 2021, 07:50:11 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on June 27, 2021, 07:49:37 PM
Quote from: johndoe on June 27, 2021, 07:22:03 PM
Vissim, Synchro / SimTraffic, TransModeler ... why pay for a game when someone will pay you to do it as a career?!   :D

Because nobody's going to pay me to do it as a career.
He was joking I think
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: johndoe on June 27, 2021, 08:25:38 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 27, 2021, 07:50:11 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on June 27, 2021, 07:49:37 PM
Quote from: johndoe on June 27, 2021, 07:22:03 PM
Vissim, Synchro / SimTraffic, TransModeler ... why pay for a game when someone will pay you to do it as a career?!   :D

Because nobody's going to pay me to do it as a career.
He was joking I think

Not necessarily; if you have a real interest in it I bet you could find an employer to work for.  Without a degree it would be more challenging but I bet some organizations out there have big needs and would be willing to hire non-engineers.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vdeane on June 27, 2021, 08:34:02 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 27, 2021, 07:25:27 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on June 27, 2021, 01:15:43 PM
The mods these days make it good enough that there doesn't need to be C:S2.

There are definitely very good traffic simulator mods. TM:PE is very well coded at this point.
Although if you play the game on console, you can't use mods. Also it can be tedious to look for mods so it would be easier if features were in the base game.
Plus some of the DLCs would be better if they were properly integrated into the base game rather than grafted on.  The fact that they're added in DLC makes for some inelegant implementations (such as snow maps rather than seasons).
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadgeekteen on June 27, 2021, 08:50:46 PM
Quote from: johndoe on June 27, 2021, 08:25:38 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 27, 2021, 07:50:11 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on June 27, 2021, 07:49:37 PM
Quote from: johndoe on June 27, 2021, 07:22:03 PM
Vissim, Synchro / SimTraffic, TransModeler ... why pay for a game when someone will pay you to do it as a career?!   :D

Because nobody's going to pay me to do it as a career.
He was joking I think

Not necessarily; if you have a real interest in it I bet you could find an employer to work for.  Without a degree it would be more challenging but I bet some organizations out there have big needs and would be willing to hire non-engineers.
It's a bit hard to just switch careers in your 30s.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on June 27, 2021, 09:06:40 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 27, 2021, 08:50:46 PMIt's a bit hard to just switch careers in your 30s.

I switched from data intern to delivery driver just last week.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadgeekteen on June 27, 2021, 09:10:56 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on June 27, 2021, 09:06:40 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 27, 2021, 08:50:46 PMIt's a bit hard to just switch careers in your 30s.

I switched from data intern to delivery driver just last week.
Oh interesting cool.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Scott5114 on June 27, 2021, 11:47:11 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 27, 2021, 08:50:46 PM
Quote from: johndoe on June 27, 2021, 08:25:38 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 27, 2021, 07:50:11 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on June 27, 2021, 07:49:37 PM
Quote from: johndoe on June 27, 2021, 07:22:03 PM
Vissim, Synchro / SimTraffic, TransModeler ... why pay for a game when someone will pay you to do it as a career?!   :D

Because nobody's going to pay me to do it as a career.
He was joking I think

Not necessarily; if you have a real interest in it I bet you could find an employer to work for.  Without a degree it would be more challenging but I bet some organizations out there have big needs and would be willing to hire non-engineers.
It's a bit hard to just switch careers in your 30s.

Kind of depends on the career and how specialized your degree is. Someone with a business degree can probably work in whatever sort of for-profit organization they want.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on June 28, 2021, 12:31:35 PM
Quote from: vdeane on June 27, 2021, 08:34:02 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 27, 2021, 07:25:27 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on June 27, 2021, 01:15:43 PM
The mods these days make it good enough that there doesn't need to be C:S2.

There are definitely very good traffic simulator mods. TM:PE is very well coded at this point.
Although if you play the game on console, you can't use mods. Also it can be tedious to look for mods so it would be easier if features were in the base game.
Plus some of the DLCs would be better if they were properly integrated into the base game rather than grafted on.  The fact that they're added in DLC makes for some inelegant implementations (such as snow maps rather than seasons).

Proper seasons would be in my top three most-desired features. But, you can still load saves with snow on or off (thanks to mods), so they've kind of met us halfway. I would also like some integration of mixed-using zoning. I have to fake it now.

Realistically, a lot of key simulation changes that players have expressed interest in, have already been integrated through mods. Could DLCs be better integrated? Possibly, but the mod community is where the action is. Colossal Order is about making games that are fun, and I don't know if deeper DLC integration is going to make games more fun. If anything, the potential is that (a) development times are increased significantly, (b) players experience performance loss from running more complex simulations, and importantly (c) the game becomes too complex. For some, complexity is great. But that added complexity is why the mod community exists. For those who want deep integration, you're never going to get that from DLCs because the market doesn't seem to support that kind of game.

I'm going to avoid discussing consoles beyond this: it's a small fraction of the Skylines market, and games designed for the PC (pretty much every sim and 'tycoon' game ever) are objectively superior on PC for numerous reasons. Console versions of PC games are almost universally half-baked and that's not likely to change.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadgeekteen on June 28, 2021, 01:06:18 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on June 28, 2021, 12:31:35 PM
Quote from: vdeane on June 27, 2021, 08:34:02 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 27, 2021, 07:25:27 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on June 27, 2021, 01:15:43 PM
The mods these days make it good enough that there doesn't need to be C:S2.

There are definitely very good traffic simulator mods. TM:PE is very well coded at this point.
Although if you play the game on console, you can't use mods. Also it can be tedious to look for mods so it would be easier if features were in the base game.
Plus some of the DLCs would be better if they were properly integrated into the base game rather than grafted on.  The fact that they're added in DLC makes for some inelegant implementations (such as snow maps rather than seasons).

Proper seasons would be in my top three most-desired features. But, you can still load saves with snow on or off (thanks to mods), so they've kind of met us halfway. I would also like some integration of mixed-using zoning. I have to fake it now.

Realistically, a lot of key simulation changes that players have expressed interest in, have already been integrated through mods. Could DLCs be better integrated? Possibly, but the mod community is where the action is. Colossal Order is about making games that are fun, and I don't know if deeper DLC integration is going to make games more fun. If anything, the potential is that (a) development times are increased significantly, (b) players experience performance loss from running more complex simulations, and importantly (c) the game becomes too complex. For some, complexity is great. But that added complexity is why the mod community exists. For those who want deep integration, you're never going to get that from DLCs because the market doesn't seem to support that kind of game.

I'm going to avoid discussing consoles beyond this: it's a small fraction of the Skylines market, and games designed for the PC (pretty much every sim and 'tycoon' game ever) are objectively superior on PC for numerous reasons. Console versions of PC games are almost universally half-baked and that's not likely to change.
Mods are why I game on PC more than console.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on June 28, 2021, 01:18:28 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 28, 2021, 01:06:18 PM
Mods are why I game on PC more than console.

And it's exactly why I do as well. Mods just add too much to the game for them to be ignored.

As far as I'm concerned: base Cities: Skylines (with or without DLC) is unplayable.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Scott5114 on June 28, 2021, 04:04:17 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on June 28, 2021, 06:10:44 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on June 27, 2021, 11:47:11 PM
Kind of depends on the career and how specialized your degree is. Someone with a business degree can probably work in whatever sort of for-profit organization they want.

I don't know.  I have a computer science degree, which is sort of like the a business degree, because it's what you get when you don't know what you want to major in but you want to prove that you're smart.  Most things I've read online say you basically need a civil engineering degree to work in traffic engineering, and nobody will entertain any of the job applications I've put in for traffic engineering assistance jobs.  I haven't had good luck trying to apply for street maintenance jobs, either, although I at least got a couple of interviews.

It's kind of a stretch applying computer science to traffic engineering, though, because traffic engineering requires a specialized skill set. Now if you applied for the IT department at a traffic engineering firm, that might work.

A business degree probably wouldn't get you into an engineering position either, but it would get you into something like human resources, or management, or a number of positions like that which businesses in every industry have.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: johndoe on June 28, 2021, 07:09:29 PM
While I was sort of joking about traffic modeling programs, you could reach out to the manufacturers and see if they offer a student / limited license.  I imagine if you're not using it for profit they may not charge all that much (but I could be wrong).  tradephoric has posted Synchro files before - they may have more info.

Quote from: stridentweasel on June 28, 2021, 06:10:44 AM
Most things I've read online say you basically need a civil engineering degree to work in traffic engineering, and nobody will entertain any of the job applications I've put in for traffic engineering assistance jobs.  I haven't had good luck trying to apply for street maintenance jobs, either, although I at least got a couple of interviews.

Well if I read right upthread you've just started a new gig...so maybe the following isn't worth considering.  But one thing to keep in mind - if you're a roadgeek it'd be a bummer to get a job in the industry and then get burned out on it.  Let's say you hypothetically had a bad boss or terrible assignments- while some people suggest "do what you love" some others think it's best to keep your hobbies fun...don't risk resenting it.

Here's a guess on your past job search: you may be talking to HR people.  See if you can talk to the actual engineers and express your interests/degree to them.  Maybe you can get contacts by reaching out to your local agencies ("hey I noticed this sign isn't clear", "this signal timing could be improved", "when is this road going to be repaved?")  and demonstrate your ability / interest.  I'm surprised that "technician" positions wouldn't exist for folks with a degree like CS... things like IT, traffic counts, ITS devices, CADD technician.  If you're willing to do maintenance (which seems like a whole different animal IMO) to be honest I'm shocked you got turned down.  From what I know there is high turnover in these areas and they are constantly hiring in those departments (at least based on advertisements I hear for nearby DOT).  Have you inquired at private or public entities?  I'd imagine there are more openings and less competition with public places (cities, counties, state DOT).
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vdeane on June 29, 2021, 10:12:38 PM
Quote from: johndoe on June 28, 2021, 07:09:29 PM
While I was sort of joking about traffic modeling programs, you could reach out to the manufacturers and see if they offer a student / limited license.  I imagine if you're not using it for profit they may not charge all that much (but I could be wrong).  tradephoric has posted Synchro files before - they may have more info.
There's also the free/open source SUMO: https://www.eclipse.org/sumo/
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on June 30, 2021, 06:33:32 AM
Quote from: vdeane on June 29, 2021, 10:12:38 PM
There's also the free/open source SUMO: https://www.eclipse.org/sumo/

Nice, I hadn't heard of this one.  "Open source" is the best pair of words in software language.  I shall give this a try!
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vdeane on June 30, 2021, 01:23:49 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on June 30, 2021, 06:33:32 AM
Quote from: vdeane on June 29, 2021, 10:12:38 PM
There's also the free/open source SUMO: https://www.eclipse.org/sumo/

Nice, I hadn't heard of this one.  "Open source" is the best pair of words in software language.  I shall give this a try!
I found out about it when some students at Shenendehowa Middle School used it and gave a presentation (https://www.cdtcmpo.org/images/advisorycommittees/bikeped/BPAC_May2020_Meeting_Notes.pdf) to the Bike/Ped Advisory Committee at the local MPO.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: yand on August 01, 2021, 06:29:39 PM
Here's a city I made with a parallel bicycle road system. Its just a square without much "design" since my primary goal is to just prove the core concept.
Wide shots:
https://youtu.be/PRiXFmSXQDQ
POV videos from various road users:
https://youtu.be/APFh61RTm6w
Discussion video:
https://youtu.be/xfUn7rMLvCo
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: CoreySamson on August 29, 2021, 07:48:16 PM
Quote from: johndoe on June 10, 2018, 11:38:01 AM
Bump!  I saw some people talking about the game in the MUT thread and it got me thinking... what if we all did sort of a scenario and compared results?  I'm sure everyone's would look a little different with different mods etc. but it might be a fun exercise.  I enjoy the game and it's been awhile since I played but it gets a little boring IMO without a goal so maybe we could agree on parameters and all give it a shot.  Anyone interested?
I know this post is really old, but this idea sounds extremely fun! Maybe every month we could have a new challenge.

Here's one to get us started, if anyone else wants to join:

- Build a city without any freeways (i.e, Winnipeg) with over 100k people, and see how high of a traffic flow you can get.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: paulthemapguy on October 06, 2021, 11:08:44 AM
If you don't make a transit map for your passenger rail system in your city, did you ever even build a city to begin with?

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51543253649_974eea438c_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2mwGDz4)
Transit Map Q (https://flic.kr/p/2mwGDz4) by Paul Drives (https://www.flickr.com/photos/138603251@N02/), on Flickr
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on October 20, 2021, 08:22:04 PM
A thing I did that might be boring, but oh well:

https://youtu.be/KeDmuqiznG4

I honestly think this game has given me a better appreciation for public transit, because I can at least build fantasy cities where it's fast, readily available, and goes where I need it to.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadgeekteen on January 04, 2022, 08:17:27 PM
If anyone doesn't more the more vehicles mod it's a must.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on February 03, 2022, 01:42:43 PM
Crosspost:

Quote from: jakeroot on February 02, 2022, 08:58:06 PM
Quote from: tradephoric on February 02, 2022, 03:42:55 PM
YUMBLtv just designed a Michigan Left on Cities Skylines that doesn't require signalized U-turns.  The main issue i see with this design is that all U-turn traffic is dumped onto the left-most lane along the arterial making it difficult to safely merge to enter a close driveway on the right hand side of the road.  Very cool design though.

I've been building Michigan Lefts for years. Rarely signalize the U-turns or even the right turns:

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51858915376_6e60df16db_o.png)
Michigan U-turn Intersection (https://flic.kr/p/2n1AuNC) by Jacob Root (https://www.flickr.com/photos/62537709@N03/), on Flickr

edit: smaller road intersecting major road:

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51859648815_35c2d4727a_o.png)
Michigan Left Intersection (2) (https://flic.kr/p/2n1EfQ8) by Jacob Root (https://www.flickr.com/photos/62537709@N03/), on Flickr
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: DeaconG on February 03, 2022, 02:01:27 PM
Finally broke down and bought my copy after I built a new computer with Win10, I decided to put up with the Steam client after dealing with GOG for two years. Needless to say, now I can see just how nasty a coinkydink it was that Colossal Order pulled down 500K of orders on it's first day-the same day EA shut down Maxis-North (Sim City)...

I'm impressed...and of course, I'm going to pick all of your brains for some sweet highway designing love!
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Scott5114 on February 03, 2022, 08:01:14 PM
Quote from: Ned Weasel on October 20, 2021, 08:22:04 PM
A thing I did that might be boring, but oh well:

https://youtu.be/KeDmuqiznG4

I honestly think this game has given me a better appreciation for public transit, because I can at least build fantasy cities where it's fast, readily available, and goes where I need it to.

I like the collision that happens at 1:57. And then the damn cops don't even stop to issue a ticket for violating the laws of physics.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on February 03, 2022, 09:20:42 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 03, 2022, 08:01:14 PM
I like the collision that happens at 1:57. And then the damn cops don't even stop to issue a ticket for violating the laws of physics.

I've seen weirder things happen, like--  Did you know that if you intersect a pedestrian path with a bicycle path (not roads, just the paths available in the landscaping tools), bicycles will appear out of thin air as pedestrians approach the bicycle path, so the pedestrians can just conveniently hop on the bicycles and use the bicycle path?  I didn't realize the game had that kind of logic(?) until I saw it happen.

As for all the collision comedy, I have to wonder if the game developers decided early on not to implement collision detection, just because their genius AI cars collide way too often.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: ran4sh on February 05, 2022, 07:17:27 PM
Pedestrians in the game have "pocket cars", so I'm not surprised that they can have pocket bikes too.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on February 05, 2022, 09:25:18 PM
Quote from: Ned Weasel on February 03, 2022, 09:20:42 PM
As for all the collision comedy, I have to wonder if the game developers decided early on not to implement collision detection, just because their genius AI cars collide way too often.

I think it was a pretty conscious choice. This game, despite a lot of opinions towards the contrary, wasn't really meant to be a traffic simulator any more than it was meant to be a downtown commercial district simulator or school simulator, it just seems to have become that.

Based on the hiring of famous modder macsergey, however, we can assume that C:S 2 is likely to have a bit more complication in terms of traffic control and simulation. So maybe *our dreams of a better simulation may come true.

*not really my dream...the mods I use leave me plenty satisfied.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on February 06, 2022, 11:24:13 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on February 05, 2022, 09:25:18 PM
Based on the hiring of famous modder macsergey, however, we can assume that C:S 2 is likely to have a bit more complication in terms of traffic control and simulation. So maybe *our dreams of a better simulation may come true.

My biggest gripe by far is that you can't simply end a highway lane and have the other lanes continue straight.  You can sort of end a lane with an exit ramp, but then you have to curve the mainline for the other lanes if you want them to line up at all.  This should be easy to fix.

Quote
*not really my dream...the mods I use leave me plenty satisfied.

And yeah, the above issue can probably be fixed with mods, but I honestly don't like fussing with mods when I just want to fill up 81-tile maps with crazy-big cityscapes.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: MikeTheActuary on February 06, 2022, 11:33:06 AM
Quote from: Ned Weasel on February 06, 2022, 11:24:13 AM
My biggest gripe by far is that you can't simply end a highway lane and have the other lanes continue straight.  You can sort of end a lane with an exit ramp, but then you have to curve the mainline for the other lanes if you want them to line up at all.  This should be easy to fix.

It is, if you have the Node Controller mod.   Among other things, you can use it to select one side of the roadway to be aligned, as well as to allow nodes to be "sloped" (as opposed to the game's tendency to create little plateaus at nodes under certain circumstances).
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on February 06, 2022, 11:57:45 AM
Quote from: Ned Weasel on February 06, 2022, 11:24:13 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on February 05, 2022, 09:25:18 PM
Based on the hiring of famous modder macsergey, however, we can assume that C:S 2 is likely to have a bit more complication in terms of traffic control and simulation. So maybe *our dreams of a better simulation may come true.

My biggest gripe by far is that you can't simply end a highway lane and have the other lanes continue straight.  You can sort of end a lane with an exit ramp, but then you have to curve the mainline for the other lanes if you want them to line up at all.  This should be easy to fix.

Not sure I understanding, something like this? This used to be difficult but not anymore.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51865828611_e3baac5cd0_o.jpg)
New freeway (https://flic.kr/p/2n2cVSk) by Jacob Root (https://www.flickr.com/photos/62537709@N03/), on Flickr
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on February 06, 2022, 12:41:30 PM
Quote from: MikeTheActuary on February 06, 2022, 11:33:06 AM
It is, if you have the Node Controller mod.   Among other things, you can use it to select one side of the roadway to be aligned, as well as to allow nodes to be "sloped" (as opposed to the game's tendency to create little plateaus at nodes under certain circumstances).

Good to know!

Quote from: jakeroot on February 06, 2022, 11:57:45 AM
Not sure I understanding, something like this? This used to be difficult but not anymore.

Yes.

I might give Node Controller a try one of these days.  Honestly, though, making lanes line up is something so basic and fundamental to road-building that I can't believe the game developers didn't include it, and I really hope they fix that in CS2 or an eventual DLC.

EDIT:

It might help if I give a visual example of what I hate about the game's default behavior.

(https://i.imgur.com/Un0HhFu.png)

See the way two lanes merge into one?  That's technically okay, as it's a zipper merge, and this is sometimes implemented in the real world, even though it's not always the most desirable solution.  But, see the way three lanes become two?  I can't think of anywhere in the universe where that is okay.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vdeane on February 06, 2022, 04:43:18 PM
And the stock ramp merges too... it seems that Cities: Skylines doesn't differentiate highways from regular roads when it comes to ramp merges, changes in road type, etc. - everything is an "intersection" and treated exactly the same when the game engine renders graphics.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on February 06, 2022, 06:49:54 PM
Quote from: Ned Weasel on February 06, 2022, 12:41:30 PM
I might give Node Controller a try one of these days.  Honestly, though, making lanes line up is something so basic and fundamental to road-building that I can't believe the game developers didn't include it, and I really hope they fix that in CS2 or an eventual DLC.

First, I disagree. Freeways are more of an exception; in real life, it's not uncommon for roads to be widened equally on either side, have a slight jog when the road widens, and a constant center line (example (https://goo.gl/maps/SMHjGx73ywF1YRpv5)). When freeways are widened, yes, the inside shoulder is generally a constant and the widening occurs on the right, but for surface roads, the rule is substantially more fluid. Because of the game mechanics, it's difficult to implement one rule for highways and one rule for everything else, especially when roads are drawn based on a node-and-segment design whereby the roads are always centered on the segment upon which it is drawn.

Second...why do these features need to be in the base game? The features exist today and have a better implementation and more features than any video game developer would ever include, since those developers would have to dumb it down to work for everyone:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2462845270 (Node Controller)
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2556133736 (Network Multitool)
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2159934925 (Intersection Marking Tool)

Mods have been an essential part of city builder games for as long as they've been around; they are still making mods and addons for SimCity 4, almost twenty years on, as the developers were basically forced to walk away from the game as it had become a bit too complex. Mods exist for those who want to further complicate the game beyond how it ships; this is the case for almost every game, ever.

Before anyone says "mods aren't ideal solutions", the modding community as it exists for C:S is extremely good: developers are given beta access to game updates to prepare updates to the mods; mods are automatically kept up to date; they are easily sorted, removed, and added; mods are largely open-source so they can be kept up to date when a modder leaves the community...it's just a better experience than any game before it.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Scott5114 on February 06, 2022, 08:30:15 PM
Are mods available to every platform the game exists on, though? The only recent game I'm involved with that has an active/somewhat dev-sanctioned modding community is Stardew Valley, and with that game, mods are available on PC only. If we want to play with a mod, we're out of luck, since we play it on the Switch. (Fortunately, Eric Barone has been very responsive to community input as to what goes into base Stardew Valley, so that it's not like you miss out on anything playing it without mods, but it kind of sounds like that's not the case with Cities: Skylines.)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on February 07, 2022, 12:12:49 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 06, 2022, 08:30:15 PM
Are mods available to every platform the game exists on, though? The only recent game I'm involved with that has an active/somewhat dev-sanctioned modding community is Stardew Valley, and with that game, mods are available on PC only. If we want to play with a mod, we're out of luck, since we play it on the Switch. (Fortunately, Eric Barone has been very responsive to community input as to what goes into base Stardew Valley, so that it's not like you miss out on anything playing it without mods, but it kind of sounds like that's not the case with Cities: Skylines.)

Okay, yes, true: mods are strictly PC. But this is true for every game. In almost every case, the PC version of any game is going to have additional mods not available to the console player. While this can sometimes be bad (aimbots, etc), it is often good in terms of adding significant complexity that few game developers would normally build into a base game. Because, ultimately, these mods are almost always aimed at a smaller subset of players.

I still maintain that Skylines is meant to be a fun city builder, not a technical city builder. People like me who prefer the technical side of that, really need to play on PC. And yes, that's entirely because that's where the mods are.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Scott5114 on February 07, 2022, 03:02:43 AM
Right, which is why what is in the base game and not gated behind a mod actually does matter. While, yes, not every user is going to want or need every single mod installed, some people are going to be unable to access mods even if they really want to, so that's not a real solution to any bonkers behavior included in the base game.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: paulthemapguy on February 07, 2022, 09:55:28 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 07, 2022, 03:02:43 AM
Right, which is why what is in the base game and not gated behind a mod actually does matter. While, yes, not every user is going to want or need every single mod installed, some people are going to be unable to access mods even if they really want to, so that's not a real solution to any bonkers behavior included in the base game.

Yeah so don't come crying to me about how my cities and interchanges look with all their vanilla components, claiming they aren't good enough until I've installed all the mods you've installed.  :bigass:

(Edit: this isn't directed at Scott, this is directed at others who might try and do this.)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on February 07, 2022, 12:51:14 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 07, 2022, 03:02:43 AM
Right, which is why what is in the base game and not gated behind a mod actually does matter. While, yes, not every user is going to want or need every single mod installed, some people are going to be unable to access mods even if they really want to, so that's not a real solution to any bonkers behavior included in the base game.

Just to be clear, most mods that I'm into are aesthetic changes: where the nodes (lanes) line up, slopes, intersection markings. The actual base game mechanics have definitely improved from the past, and I think the base game on consoles is absolutely playable and quite enjoyable for everyone, even road geeks. It would be nice to have improved aging mechanics (no more death waves), or even commute hours ("Real Time" mod), but I think that is perfect for what C:S 2 should be. Hopefully we get some improved lane alignment mechanics too lol.

While I like to do things like this on PC, are we really to say that this should be possible on, say, Nintendo Switch? I think, no. Because no one wants to take the time to do this without a keyboard and mouse :-D...

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51867157082_a5fdcc6711_o.jpg)
Modern Roundabout (https://flic.kr/p/2n2jJM1) by Jacob Root (https://www.flickr.com/photos/62537709@N03/), on Flickr
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: riiga on February 08, 2022, 02:16:33 PM
Gorgeous roundabout!
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: X99 on February 10, 2022, 12:52:39 PM
Speaking of roundabouts,

(https://i.imgur.com/kpqDQua.png)

This... somehow works. The main road is still separated from the roundabout so westbound traffic doesn't have to use it (north is top). The congested ramp on the right is one lane each way for the road to the southeast which currently only leads to housing. It was originally two T intersections, with the northwestern road (commercial) linked to the northern road (industry), and I was getting constant congestion on the north to southwest movement due to traffic conflicts from northwest to southeast. The water level isn't easy to maintain either- the water source is as small as it will let me place and has to be removed from time to time to keep from flooding the apartment complex in the northeast.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Scott5114 on February 10, 2022, 08:53:01 PM
I seem to recall Ned Weasel posting a paper drawing of something similar to that a while back.

Don't post that water feature in the roundabout in a thread tradephoric watches; they might hyperventilate :-D
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on February 11, 2022, 08:56:08 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 10, 2022, 08:53:01 PM
I seem to recall Ned Weasel posting a paper drawing of something similar to that a while back.

Similar, but not quite the same.  The idea was to find a solution for where a main route takes a 90-degree turn, but with minimal disruption to traffic flow for both the "right turn" and the "left turn."  Someone else on the thread later made a rendering much closer to the above design.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on February 11, 2022, 08:57:35 PM
Quote from: riiga on February 08, 2022, 02:16:33 PM
Gorgeous roundabout!

Thanks! It's not the last I'll post here.




Quote from: Ned Weasel on February 11, 2022, 08:56:08 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 10, 2022, 08:53:01 PM
I seem to recall Ned Weasel posting a paper drawing of something similar to that a while back.

Similar, but not quite the same.  The idea was to find a solution for where a main route takes a 90-degree turn, but with minimal disruption to traffic flow for both the "right turn" and the "left turn."  Someone else on the thread later made a rendering much closer to the above design.

Right here:

Quote from: jakeroot on August 25, 2021, 08:20:19 PM
Quote from: tradephoric on August 20, 2021, 09:08:39 AM
Get rid of the jughandles (as mentioned by a previous poster) and you got a Florida T-intersection where SB thru traffic doesn't have to stop.  But the typical Florida T-intersection requires 3-phase traffic signals whereas your design only requires two (since there isn't conflict between traffic turning off/onto the main route).  I like that a lot.  Illustrations of a 2-phase Florida T/roundabout intersection would be cool to see. 

I decided to illustrate it...in a video game (Cities: Skylines).

One thing to note: to avoid conflicting with the green lights, I had to make the upper-most crossover a yield-to-entering-traffic situation. Otherwise there was a severe risk of lock-up.

Overall it flows very well in-game.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51403457934_e2356000a1_o.jpg)
90-Degree Roundabout (https://flic.kr/p/2mjmab7) by Jacob Root (https://www.flickr.com/photos/62537709@N03/), on Flickr
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: noelbotevera on February 11, 2022, 09:17:53 PM
Wondering if this game is worth buying again. I've since lost the Steam account used to play it (so like any poor high schooler, I'll commit a crime known as piracy), but I'm considering getting DLC the second time through.

I hope the pathfinding has improved, where people actually live in their houses and not "barfight" for the closest house, closest job, and closest store.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: ran4sh on February 14, 2022, 01:24:25 AM
It's worth buying if it goes on sale. I got it about 3 years ago during a sale when it was $7.50 . The normal price right now might actually be close to that.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: yand on February 28, 2022, 12:58:30 AM
Well I made another cities skylines video, this time combining completely carless superblocks with narrow 1 lane roads to maximize safety and reduce cost

https://youtu.be/75m0OE7gm9I
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on March 16, 2022, 03:15:40 PM
Built a cloverstack with HOV ramps. May add more directions in the future.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51942379968_099d0a93f5_o.jpg)
Cloverstack Interchange with HOV Ramps (https://flic.kr/p/2n8YgVj) by Jacob Root (https://www.flickr.com/photos/62537709@N03/), on Flickr
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: paulthemapguy on March 16, 2022, 09:32:35 PM
Looks awesome.  How do you get the ultra-low-deflection merge angles, where the offramps meet the mainline?  That's something I have wanted to do on Cities:Skylines for ages. Also, how do you get the chevron-shaped hatching in the dead spaces between the onramps and the mainline?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on March 17, 2022, 07:30:21 AM
Quote from: paulthemapguy on March 16, 2022, 09:32:35 PM
Looks awesome.  How do you get the ultra-low-deflection merge angles, where the offramps meet the mainline?  That's something I have wanted to do on Cities:Skylines for ages. Also, how do you get the chevron-shaped hatching in the dead spaces between the onramps and the mainline?

JakeRoot can give you the technical answer, but I can give you the non-technical answer: lots and lots of mods and time!
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on March 17, 2022, 11:24:35 AM
Quote from: paulthemapguy on March 16, 2022, 09:32:35 PM
Looks awesome.  How do you get the ultra-low-deflection merge angles, where the offramps meet the mainline?  That's something I have wanted to do on Cities:Skylines for ages. Also, how do you get the chevron-shaped hatching in the dead spaces between the onramps and the mainline?

Two mods from macsergey:

Node Controller Renewal (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2472062376): allows much greater control over how nodes (the individual points and intersections along a road) are shaped, sloped, rotated, etc. It's extremely helpful for several things in my image, including the longer on and off ramps (ultra low deflection), and the overpasses matching the angle of the road they pass over.

Intersection Marking Tool (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2140418403): fairly self explanatory, but it allows you to apply markings to each segment of road (the areas between each node), or to intersections. For the chevrons in between the ramps, the mod supports what it calls "fillers", which are markings that can fill in a specified area. Most often, these are used to fill the gore area of intersections, such as where freeway ramps merge together or diverge. It has a ton of settings to play with.

Another essential mod (also by macsergey): Network Multitool (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2560782729): Has a ton of little features for road building. There are a bunch, but some cool examples are a loop creator (I used to make them by hand, but the mod allows you to select two segment of road and it will automatically make a loop connecting them for you), a parallel road tool that isn't a PITA, a tool to create a perfect slope, and a bunch more. You can download premade markings from the Steam Workshop, or make your own (and save them as presets, copy-paste, etc).

Notice these are all by macsergey ... the guy is a genius of coding and totally revolutionized road building when he started creating mods a few years ago. He's good enough that Colossal Order (the makers of Cities Skylines) actually hired him for future projects. Unfortunately, this has meant him backing away from modding, so he mostly just maintains his mods at this point rather than continuing to make changes or add more features (although he still does so from time to time).

Quote from: Ned Weasel on March 17, 2022, 07:30:21 AM
JakeRoot can give you the technical answer, but I can give you the non-technical answer: lots and lots of mods and time!

Very true, although it should be said that, apart from TM:PE allowing me to restrict the center ramps to buses and emergency vehicles only, I only used the above three mods in making this interchange. But I do have like 80 or 90 mods and a few thousand assets. It should be noted that the above mods do make this kind of interchange much easier to build. The parallel road tool in particular was vital, as was the loop creator and curve creator tools.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on March 17, 2022, 05:13:24 PM
Went full-Ontario here:

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51944460576_a66cf2d67e_o.jpg)
Partial Cloverleaf (https://flic.kr/p/2n99WpS) by Jacob Root (https://www.flickr.com/photos/62537709@N03/), on Flickr
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: riiga on March 17, 2022, 05:57:26 PM
Beautiful! Makes me wish I could still play CSL with my mods (not enough RAM).
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on March 17, 2022, 11:09:56 PM
Quote from: riiga on March 17, 2022, 05:57:26 PM
Beautiful! Makes me wish I could still play CSL with my mods (not enough RAM).

Could try adjusting your "Virtual Memory" if you have the HHD space.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: andrepoiy on March 18, 2022, 11:38:48 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on March 17, 2022, 05:13:24 PM
Went full-Ontario here:

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51944460576_a66cf2d67e_o.jpg)
Partial Cloverleaf (https://flic.kr/p/2n99WpS) by Jacob Root (https://www.flickr.com/photos/62537709@N03/), on Flickr

Minus the concrete paving on the bridge
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on March 19, 2022, 11:48:10 AM
Quote from: riiga on March 17, 2022, 05:57:26 PM
Beautiful! Makes me wish I could still play CSL with my mods (not enough RAM).

The mods can be killer, definitely try rickmastfan67's tip though, there are usually ways around the issue.

Quote from: andrepoiy on March 18, 2022, 11:38:48 AM
Minus the concrete paving on the bridge

Wait, really?

*checks Google Maps*

Damn.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: RobbieL2415 on March 23, 2022, 01:31:36 PM
C:S should just replace all the vanilla roads (besides the narrow 2-way and 1-way roads) with CSUR.  Way more intuitive.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: dfnva on June 16, 2022, 01:23:41 PM
(https://i.ibb.co/Yh12FXz/Screenshot-652.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/0Kw2d6m/Screenshot-653.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/q7zDr7j/Screenshot-639.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/Wxbm242/Screenshot-263.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/gwPHw5g/Screenshot-264.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/Jc6P3pC/Screenshot-265.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/G2MK5f1/Screenshot-266.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/12pMxF9/Screenshot-267.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/gd1gV9N/Screenshot-268.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/gwkJYvh/Screenshot-269.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/G9Hr4dv/Screenshot-270.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/zsQZkMd/Screenshot-275.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/fv1cSgB/Screenshot-277.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/4jxCjwR/Screenshot-278.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/m92bZsb/Screenshot-279.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/RTT7G4k/Screenshot-280.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/wS2n9db/Screenshot-281.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/t8vbvQW/Screenshot-282.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/QMGs9Gx/Screenshot-283.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/Krc8sPN/Screenshot-284.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/mt9Hqhy/Screenshot-285.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/ZS0xGST/Screenshot-286.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/VWY412C/Screenshot-287.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/6W16Z9k/Screenshot-288.png)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: rickmastfan67 on June 16, 2022, 11:53:11 PM
Wait, there's a mod that that makes Left Turn lights work properly???
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Scott5114 on June 17, 2022, 02:39:48 AM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on June 16, 2022, 11:53:11 PM
Wait, there's a mod that that makes Left Turn lights work properly???

Yeah, Steve.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on June 17, 2022, 03:47:51 PM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on June 16, 2022, 11:53:11 PM
Wait, there's a mod that that makes Left Turn lights work properly???

These must be props, I'm pretty in-tune with mods for this game and I've never seen anything that allows such specific controls.

That said, I'm curious to know more about what's going on.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: dfnva on June 19, 2022, 01:48:29 PM
With TMPE, one can alter traffic signal phases and timings.

Visually, I altered the traffic signals with the Procedural Objects mod.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: RobbieL2415 on June 19, 2022, 04:40:36 PM
Anyone here still use CSUR for roads?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on June 19, 2022, 08:05:42 PM
Quote from: dfnva on June 19, 2022, 01:48:29 PM
With TMPE, one can alter traffic signal phases and timings.

Visually, I altered the traffic signals with the Procedural Objects mod.

I've used TMPE since launch but it still doesn't allow things like FYAs.

I assume the signals don't actually function? As in, the FYAs don't flash, etc.

Quote from: RobbieL2415 on June 19, 2022, 04:40:36 PM
Anyone here still use CSUR for roads?

I think with the advent of Node Controller, Intersection Marking Tool, etc, it's become a lot less popular.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: dfnva on June 23, 2022, 01:05:42 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on June 19, 2022, 08:05:42 PM
Quote from: dfnva on June 19, 2022, 01:48:29 PM
With TMPE, one can alter traffic signal phases and timings.

Visually, I altered the traffic signals with the Procedural Objects mod.

I've used TMPE since launch but it still doesn't allow things like FYAs.

I assume the signals don't actually function? As in, the FYAs don't flash, etc.

Quote from: RobbieL2415 on June 19, 2022, 04:40:36 PM
Anyone here still use CSUR for roads?

I think with the advent of Node Controller, Intersection Marking Tool, etc, it's become a lot less popular.

No, the FYAs don't flash, would be cool if I could figure out how to get them to do that. But, they're visually enjoyable as I "drive" around my cities in first person mode.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: algorerhythms on October 30, 2022, 11:05:53 PM
Lately I've been playing with TM:PE set to ban personal vehicles, and only allowing city service vehicles, emergency vehicles, buses, and trucks. Walk, you little jerks.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: riiga on November 20, 2022, 11:05:37 AM
I finally got some more RAM (and a faster CPU, thanks AMD for backwards compatibility on AM4), so now I can play CSL again!

Started building a proper "million programme (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Million_Programme)" area with lowrise apartment buildings, tree-like road structure ending in parking lots, pedestrian access throughout the area and no through traffic.

(https://i.imgur.com/t7nLogN.png)

(https://i.imgur.com/uhiPmFG.png)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on November 21, 2022, 07:16:27 AM
I like it!

More RAM makes a huge difference.

I was planning on upgrading my laptop from 32GB to 64GB, but my motherboard failed before I could do it :-D... I'll be out of commission for the foreseeable future.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: JoePCool14 on November 21, 2022, 01:48:52 PM
I have 64 GB RAM on my work PC, if only I could install it here!

It's been a while since I've tinkered with C:S. There's been a couple newer DLCs released, maybe I can try to catch up on some of the ones I missed through sales. I'm usually too occupied with other things to play, but C:S is a good way to unwind.

I'm still hoping we get a full-blown sequel soon. C:S is over half a decade old at this point.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Hunty2022 on November 21, 2022, 01:54:01 PM
I've been playing Cities: Skylines for over 3 years, a couple months ago I removed most of my cities. That includes 3 of my top 5 most populated cities. I only have 5 now.

And I play Vanilla, no mods, sadly.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: JoePCool14 on November 21, 2022, 03:07:59 PM
Quote from: Hunty2022 on November 21, 2022, 01:54:01 PM
I've been playing Cities: Skylines for over 3 years, a couple months ago I removed most of my cities. That includes 3 of my top 5 most populated cities. I only have 5 now.

And I play Vanilla, no mods, sadly.

Why would you remove them? Did you run out of space on your computer or something?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Hunty2022 on November 21, 2022, 03:47:51 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on November 21, 2022, 03:07:59 PM
Quote from: Hunty2022 on November 21, 2022, 01:54:01 PM
I've been playing Cities: Skylines for over 3 years, a couple months ago I removed most of my cities. That includes 3 of my top 5 most populated cities. I only have 5 now.

And I play Vanilla, no mods, sadly.

Why would you remove them? Did you run out of space on your computer or something?

No, I play it on an Xbox, since my computer would never be able to run the game. But I removed them because they weren't very good and up to my current standards.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: JoePCool14 on November 21, 2022, 03:54:55 PM
Quote from: Hunty2022 on November 21, 2022, 03:47:51 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on November 21, 2022, 03:07:59 PM
Quote from: Hunty2022 on November 21, 2022, 01:54:01 PM
I've been playing Cities: Skylines for over 3 years, a couple months ago I removed most of my cities. That includes 3 of my top 5 most populated cities. I only have 5 now.

And I play Vanilla, no mods, sadly.

Why would you remove them? Did you run out of space on your computer or something?

No, I play it on an Xbox, since my computer would never be able to run the game. But I removed them because they weren't very good and up to my current standards.

I would've kept them if I were you. It makes for a fun experience to come back a couple years on and see all the things you wouldn't build now. Even better, take that old save, make a copy and try to make realistic fixes to it, similar to the real world where we have to fix outdated designs.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Hunty2022 on November 21, 2022, 04:10:37 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on November 21, 2022, 03:54:55 PM
Quote from: Hunty2022 on November 21, 2022, 03:47:51 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on November 21, 2022, 03:07:59 PM
Quote from: Hunty2022 on November 21, 2022, 01:54:01 PM
I've been playing Cities: Skylines for over 3 years, a couple months ago I removed most of my cities. That includes 3 of my top 5 most populated cities. I only have 5 now.

And I play Vanilla, no mods, sadly.

Why would you remove them? Did you run out of space on your computer or something?

No, I play it on an Xbox, since my computer would never be able to run the game. But I removed them because they weren't very good and up to my current standards.

I would've kept them if I were you. It makes for a fun experience to come back a couple years on and see all the things you wouldn't build now. Even better, take that old save, make a copy and try to make realistic fixes to it, similar to the real world where we have to fix outdated designs.

I still have multiple old maps, one of which is my 2nd most populated city. I also tried to fix my oldest city, but the fixing ruined it.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: riiga on November 21, 2022, 04:46:18 PM
More progress
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20221120_182103.png)

Layout
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20221120_181712.png)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Ned Weasel on November 30, 2022, 12:41:48 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on July 17, 2020, 06:30:07 PM
Highly recommend this mod:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=844180955

This no longer works, thanks to the Plazas and Promenades update, which is devastating, because it was my favorite mod.  Actually, you can still sort-of use it to get first-person views in vehicles, but you can't create your own routes anymore.

Anywho, here's some pasta I cooked up:

(https://i.imgur.com/hPKRFFu.png)

(https://i.imgur.com/2yzCbB7.png)

(https://i.imgur.com/66QFVNT.png)

(https://i.imgur.com/BXjoKRk.png)

(https://i.imgur.com/lla9H9e.png)

(https://i.imgur.com/BVkVquX.png)

(https://i.imgur.com/vEAS5hR.png)

(https://i.imgur.com/tE9QUHs.png)

And here's a map export, from the CSL Map View mod.  The population of this town, Pastaland, is a little over 200,000.  On my PC, the game starts to slow down after that benchmark, but your mileage may vary.

(https://i.imgur.com/ntWt4Zj.jpg)

Quote from: riiga on November 20, 2022, 11:05:37 AM
I finally got some more RAM (and a faster CPU, thanks AMD for backwards compatibility on AM4), so now I can play CSL again!

Started building a proper "million programme (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Million_Programme)" area with lowrise apartment buildings, tree-like road structure ending in parking lots, pedestrian access throughout the area and no through traffic.

(https://i.imgur.com/t7nLogN.png)

Mies van der Rohe would be proud!

Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: skluth on November 30, 2022, 02:05:20 PM
Quote from: riiga on November 21, 2022, 04:46:18 PM
More progress
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20221120_182103.png)

Layout
(https://www.lysator.liu.se/~riiga/Bilder/Screenshot_20221120_181712.png)

Add a few floors and you have Pruitt-Igoe (https://news.stlpublicradio.org/arts/2011-07-11/design-competition-aims-to-revive-pruitt-igoe-site)
(https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1e4ee6f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/561x408+0+0/resize/1760x1280!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fsites%2Fkwmu%2Ffiles%2F3203034-777304753.jpg)

It ended like this

(https://i.insider.com/519bd2276bb3f7f66500000b?width=300&format=jpeg&auto=webp)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: JoePCool14 on December 01, 2022, 12:55:39 PM
Quote from: Ned Weasel on November 30, 2022, 12:41:48 PM
(https://i.imgur.com/BXjoKRk.png)

Urbanists must be shaking in their boots seeing this one.

Following up on an earlier post, I'm back into C:S a little bit! The game was on sale for less than $10 on PS4/PS5, and most of the DLCs were on sale too in bundles. Since my PS5 is the best machine I have for gaming, I picked it up along with most of the major DLC packs for less than $50 total. It runs beautifully, so silky smooth, with short load times. I know there's no mods, but I can still get a lot of enjoyment in vanilla. Arguably, I can get more enjoyment because I don't have to fiddle around with making sure packs are updated and still working. I'll share some screenshots another time.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadgeekteen on December 01, 2022, 01:57:24 PM
Anyone wish that Cities Skylines had regions and bigger cities? 81 tiles is a lot but I want to build a damn country. Also the limits are annoying.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: JoePCool14 on December 01, 2022, 02:37:17 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 01, 2022, 01:57:24 PM
Anyone wish that Cities Skylines had regions and bigger cities? 81 tiles is a lot but I want to build a damn country. Also the limits are annoying.

Not really, I enjoyed filling up 25 tiles and that was enough in one map for me. Who has a supercomputer capable of running anything more with more than 5 FPS anyways?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadgeekteen on December 01, 2022, 04:15:47 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on December 01, 2022, 02:37:17 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 01, 2022, 01:57:24 PM
Anyone wish that Cities Skylines had regions and bigger cities? 81 tiles is a lot but I want to build a damn country. Also the limits are annoying.

Not really, I enjoyed filling up 25 tiles and that was enough in one map for me. Who has a supercomputer capable of running anything more with more than 5 FPS anyways?
Not to fill up, but to build a large region or country with multiple cities, towns, and rural areas. Different regions can be loaded at different times, that's what SimCity did I think.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: JoePCool14 on December 01, 2022, 04:20:21 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 01, 2022, 04:15:47 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on December 01, 2022, 02:37:17 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 01, 2022, 01:57:24 PM
Anyone wish that Cities Skylines had regions and bigger cities? 81 tiles is a lot but I want to build a damn country. Also the limits are annoying.

Not really, I enjoyed filling up 25 tiles and that was enough in one map for me. Who has a supercomputer capable of running anything more with more than 5 FPS anyways?
Not to fill up, but to build a large region or country with multiple cities, towns, and rural areas. Different regions can be loaded at different times, that's what SimCity did I think.

I know what you mean. It would be interesting to see the SimCity 2013 concept but actually done well. But the key would be making each region be unloaded somehow.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on December 01, 2022, 08:31:15 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on December 01, 2022, 02:37:17 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 01, 2022, 01:57:24 PM
Anyone wish that Cities Skylines had regions and bigger cities? 81 tiles is a lot but I want to build a damn country. Also the limits are annoying.

Not really, I enjoyed filling up 25 tiles and that was enough in one map for me. Who has a supercomputer capable of running anything more with more than 5 FPS anyways?

If you can get a computer with a good processor, really good graphics card, and 64 GB of RAM, you should be able to build an 81-tile region pretty easily.

I had 32 GB of RAM with a GTX 1080 and Intel 8086k chip, vintage 2018, and I could fill up a map without too much issue.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadgeekteen on December 01, 2022, 11:54:21 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on December 01, 2022, 08:31:15 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on December 01, 2022, 02:37:17 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 01, 2022, 01:57:24 PM
Anyone wish that Cities Skylines had regions and bigger cities? 81 tiles is a lot but I want to build a damn country. Also the limits are annoying.

Not really, I enjoyed filling up 25 tiles and that was enough in one map for me. Who has a supercomputer capable of running anything more with more than 5 FPS anyways?

If you can get a computer with a good processor, really good graphics card, and 64 GB of RAM, you should be able to build an 81-tile region pretty easily.

I had 32 GB of RAM with a GTX 1080 and Intel 8086k chip, vintage 2018, and I could fill up a map without too much issue.
The limits might be a bigger issue than the computing power.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: JoePCool14 on December 02, 2022, 09:02:23 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 01, 2022, 11:54:21 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on December 01, 2022, 08:31:15 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on December 01, 2022, 02:37:17 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 01, 2022, 01:57:24 PM
Anyone wish that Cities Skylines had regions and bigger cities? 81 tiles is a lot but I want to build a damn country. Also the limits are annoying.

Not really, I enjoyed filling up 25 tiles and that was enough in one map for me. Who has a supercomputer capable of running anything more with more than 5 FPS anyways?

If you can get a computer with a good processor, really good graphics card, and 64 GB of RAM, you should be able to build an 81-tile region pretty easily.

I had 32 GB of RAM with a GTX 1080 and Intel 8086k chip, vintage 2018, and I could fill up a map without too much issue.
The limits might be a bigger issue than the computing power.

Limits of what? The game, RAM, graphics, storage or something else?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadgeekteen on December 02, 2022, 02:04:46 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on December 02, 2022, 09:02:23 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 01, 2022, 11:54:21 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on December 01, 2022, 08:31:15 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on December 01, 2022, 02:37:17 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 01, 2022, 01:57:24 PM
Anyone wish that Cities Skylines had regions and bigger cities? 81 tiles is a lot but I want to build a damn country. Also the limits are annoying.

Not really, I enjoyed filling up 25 tiles and that was enough in one map for me. Who has a supercomputer capable of running anything more with more than 5 FPS anyways?

If you can get a computer with a good processor, really good graphics card, and 64 GB of RAM, you should be able to build an 81-tile region pretty easily.

I had 32 GB of RAM with a GTX 1080 and Intel 8086k chip, vintage 2018, and I could fill up a map without too much issue.
The limits might be a bigger issue than the computing power.

Limits of what? The game, RAM, graphics, storage or something else?
In the game, there is a cap on the number of vehicles you can have out at one time, the ammount of people that can be out in your city at once, the ammount of objects you can have in your city, among other things. Can get quite annoying when trying to build a huge city.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: algorerhythms on December 02, 2022, 03:21:55 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 01, 2022, 04:15:47 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on December 01, 2022, 02:37:17 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 01, 2022, 01:57:24 PM
Anyone wish that Cities Skylines had regions and bigger cities? 81 tiles is a lot but I want to build a damn country. Also the limits are annoying.

Not really, I enjoyed filling up 25 tiles and that was enough in one map for me. Who has a supercomputer capable of running anything more with more than 5 FPS anyways?
Not to fill up, but to build a large region or country with multiple cities, towns, and rural areas. Different regions can be loaded at different times, that's what SimCity did I think.
I liked the SimCity 4 implementation of this, though it was easily exploitable. Any commuter traffic that couldn't find a job in a city would move on to the next city, so you could make a toll highway loop that ran indefinitely.  I often funded my cities just with tolls, and set taxes to zero.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: skluth on December 02, 2022, 04:40:01 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on December 02, 2022, 09:02:23 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 01, 2022, 11:54:21 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on December 01, 2022, 08:31:15 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on December 01, 2022, 02:37:17 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 01, 2022, 01:57:24 PM
Anyone wish that Cities Skylines had regions and bigger cities? 81 tiles is a lot but I want to build a damn country. Also the limits are annoying.

Not really, I enjoyed filling up 25 tiles and that was enough in one map for me. Who has a supercomputer capable of running anything more with more than 5 FPS anyways?

If you can get a computer with a good processor, really good graphics card, and 64 GB of RAM, you should be able to build an 81-tile region pretty easily.

I had 32 GB of RAM with a GTX 1080 and Intel 8086k chip, vintage 2018, and I could fill up a map without too much issue.
The limits might be a bigger issue than the computing power.

Limits of what? The game, RAM, graphics, storage or something else?

I tried to buy the game today and was unable to download it. I spent an hour this morning with support just trying to either a) get a download to happen or b) get a refund. I'm now waiting for a refund since Microsoft's site for downloading Cities Skylines is completely f***** up. Doesn't get any more limiting than that.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadgeekteen on December 02, 2022, 05:06:34 PM
Quote from: algorerhythms on December 02, 2022, 03:21:55 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 01, 2022, 04:15:47 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on December 01, 2022, 02:37:17 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 01, 2022, 01:57:24 PM
Anyone wish that Cities Skylines had regions and bigger cities? 81 tiles is a lot but I want to build a damn country. Also the limits are annoying.

Not really, I enjoyed filling up 25 tiles and that was enough in one map for me. Who has a supercomputer capable of running anything more with more than 5 FPS anyways?
Not to fill up, but to build a large region or country with multiple cities, towns, and rural areas. Different regions can be loaded at different times, that's what SimCity did I think.
I liked the SimCity 4 implementation of this, though it was easily exploitable. Any commuter traffic that couldn't find a job in a city would move on to the next city, so you could make a toll highway loop that ran indefinitely.  I often funded my cities just with tolls, and set taxes to zero.
I always play with unlimited money, not interested in the financial aspect of the game.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on December 02, 2022, 08:45:20 PM
Quote from: skluth on December 02, 2022, 04:40:01 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on December 02, 2022, 09:02:23 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 01, 2022, 11:54:21 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on December 01, 2022, 08:31:15 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on December 01, 2022, 02:37:17 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 01, 2022, 01:57:24 PM
Anyone wish that Cities Skylines had regions and bigger cities? 81 tiles is a lot but I want to build a damn country. Also the limits are annoying.

Not really, I enjoyed filling up 25 tiles and that was enough in one map for me. Who has a supercomputer capable of running anything more with more than 5 FPS anyways?

If you can get a computer with a good processor, really good graphics card, and 64 GB of RAM, you should be able to build an 81-tile region pretty easily.

I had 32 GB of RAM with a GTX 1080 and Intel 8086k chip, vintage 2018, and I could fill up a map without too much issue.
The limits might be a bigger issue than the computing power.

Limits of what? The game, RAM, graphics, storage or something else?

I tried to buy the game today and was unable to download it. I spent an hour this morning with support just trying to either a) get a download to happen or b) get a refund. I'm now waiting for a refund since Microsoft's site for downloading Cities Skylines is completely f***** up. Doesn't get any more limiting than that.

Are you on PC? It's better to buy and download it via Steam.

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 02, 2022, 02:04:46 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on December 02, 2022, 09:02:23 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 01, 2022, 11:54:21 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on December 01, 2022, 08:31:15 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on December 01, 2022, 02:37:17 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 01, 2022, 01:57:24 PM
Anyone wish that Cities Skylines had regions and bigger cities? 81 tiles is a lot but I want to build a damn country. Also the limits are annoying.

Not really, I enjoyed filling up 25 tiles and that was enough in one map for me. Who has a supercomputer capable of running anything more with more than 5 FPS anyways?

If you can get a computer with a good processor, really good graphics card, and 64 GB of RAM, you should be able to build an 81-tile region pretty easily.

I had 32 GB of RAM with a GTX 1080 and Intel 8086k chip, vintage 2018, and I could fill up a map without too much issue.
The limits might be a bigger issue than the computing power.

Limits of what? The game, RAM, graphics, storage or something else?

In the game, there is a cap on the number of vehicles you can have out at one time, the ammount of people that can be out in your city at once, the ammount of objects you can have in your city, among other things. Can get quite annoying when trying to build a huge city.

This is indeed the main issue with the game. Hopefully this is resolved in C:S2. There are mods that remove a good number of the limits, but not all. Many are not particularly stable, either.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: JoePCool14 on December 03, 2022, 07:07:48 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 02, 2022, 05:06:34 PM
Quote from: algorerhythms on December 02, 2022, 03:21:55 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 01, 2022, 04:15:47 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on December 01, 2022, 02:37:17 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 01, 2022, 01:57:24 PM
Anyone wish that Cities Skylines had regions and bigger cities? 81 tiles is a lot but I want to build a damn country. Also the limits are annoying.

Not really, I enjoyed filling up 25 tiles and that was enough in one map for me. Who has a supercomputer capable of running anything more with more than 5 FPS anyways?
Not to fill up, but to build a large region or country with multiple cities, towns, and rural areas. Different regions can be loaded at different times, that's what SimCity did I think.
I liked the SimCity 4 implementation of this, though it was easily exploitable. Any commuter traffic that couldn't find a job in a city would move on to the next city, so you could make a toll highway loop that ran indefinitely.  I often funded my cities just with tolls, and set taxes to zero.
I always play with unlimited money, not interested in the financial aspect of the game.
When I've been playing the console edition as of late, I keep money turned on. I do enjoy finding the balance handling money, but what it also does is stop me from being unrealistic. If I had infinite money on day one, I could go hog wild with streets and multiple future freeways that wouldn't feel right. I enjoy the financial constraint and trying to make the money go as far as I can.

One thing I always make sure I do now in any city, I reserve one road coming off the provided entrance that will eventually be upgraded to a highway. I don't even bother putting any commercial near it anymore since I know eventually it'll be replaced with an interchange. I like seeing it go from a two-lane road to a four-lane expressway to a fully limited-access freeway.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: CNGL-Leudimin on December 03, 2022, 08:16:18 AM
While I have the game on my laptop, I don't have really played it (mainly because I didn't got it from Steam). However I'm planning to draw a series of city maps based on the terrains from the game, so I can do something other than versions of One Island from Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: IowaTraveler on March 06, 2023, 03:08:03 PM
This year's Paradox Interactive announcement show has just confirmed that Cities: Skylines 2 is in development and will release later this year!
Here's the announcement trailer:
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadgeekteen on March 06, 2023, 03:26:50 PM
Quote from: IowaTraveler on March 06, 2023, 03:08:03 PM
This year's Paradox Interactive announcement show has just confirmed that Cities: Skylines 2 is in development and will release later this year!
Here's the announcement trailer:

LETS GO!
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: ET21 on March 07, 2023, 12:46:11 PM
I'm very excited for the sequel!
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadgeekteen on March 07, 2023, 12:53:55 PM
Quote from: ET21 on March 07, 2023, 12:46:11 PM
I'm very excited for the sequel!
Please get rid of pocket cars. I want realistic parking.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: paulthemapguy on March 07, 2023, 04:52:37 PM
I am beyond excited for the new C:S2! That and a Breath of the Wild 2 drop in the same year?  It's gonna be a fantastic year for my kind of gaming! I just wish the C:S2 trailer told us........anything about the game.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: on_wisconsin on March 07, 2023, 10:02:27 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9XHvsm9OVE
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on March 08, 2023, 12:20:30 AM
^^^
Ehhh, Unreal Engine...guess it's time to get a new computer.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: algorerhythms on March 08, 2023, 09:53:53 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on March 07, 2023, 12:53:55 PM
Quote from: ET21 on March 07, 2023, 12:46:11 PM
I'm very excited for the sequel!
Please get rid of pocket cars. I want realistic parking.
I seem to recall that the reason they did pocket cars was because they thought that cities would look boring and ugly if they had a realistic amount of parking. I agree with you, though, that pocket cars should go away. It always annoys me when I build a modal filter in my city just for car drivers to park on one side, walk across the modal filter, then get back in their car on the other side. (Though I guess a more American solution to that would just be to drive their pickup truck straight over it).
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: riiga on March 08, 2023, 03:01:47 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on March 08, 2023, 12:20:30 AM
^^^
Ehhh, Unreal Engine...guess it's time to get a new computer.
They've confirmed it's still Unity. Unreal was used to make the trailer, but as indicated by the text in the video it didn't show any actual in-game footage.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: Roadgeekteen on March 08, 2023, 03:04:07 PM
Quote from: algorerhythms on March 08, 2023, 09:53:53 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on March 07, 2023, 12:53:55 PM
Quote from: ET21 on March 07, 2023, 12:46:11 PM
I'm very excited for the sequel!
Please get rid of pocket cars. I want realistic parking.
I seem to recall that the reason they did pocket cars was because they thought that cities would look boring and ugly if they had a realistic amount of parking. I agree with you, though, that pocket cars should go away. It always annoys me when I build a modal filter in my city just for car drivers to park on one side, walk across the modal filter, then get back in their car on the other side. (Though I guess a more American solution to that would just be to drive their pickup truck straight over it).
I don't want cute cities. Well I do, but I want realistic looking cities. Want less need for parking? Build some public transit. I want things like parking garages and giant shopping mall parking lots in the game.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on March 08, 2023, 11:21:57 PM
Quote from: riiga on March 08, 2023, 03:01:47 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on March 08, 2023, 12:20:30 AM
^^^
Ehhh, Unreal Engine...guess it's time to get a new computer.
They've confirmed it's still Unity. Unreal was used to make the trailer, but as indicated by the text in the video it didn't show any actual in-game footage.

That makes a lot of sense. Unreal doesn't seem to fit this genre IMO. Plus, I've heard it's much harder to mod Unreal than Unity, which should be a deal-breaker given how popular modding is with Skylines.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: JoePCool14 on March 09, 2023, 08:30:36 PM
So excited for C:S 2! It'll be a great introduction to playing C:S on a capable machine for a change. Plus, my city of 350k that I've been working on since 2015 in C:S 1 is effectively dead. It'll be nice to start fresh on a brand-new game!
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vtk on March 10, 2023, 09:50:23 PM
One thing I noticed in the trailer is the roundabout with a broken line all the way around the circle. Is there any place in the world where that's done and makes sense?
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vdeane on March 10, 2023, 10:02:17 PM
Quote from: vtk on March 10, 2023, 09:50:23 PM
One thing I noticed in the trailer is the roundabout with a broken line all the way around the circle. Is there any place in the world where that's done and makes sense?
Some of the old traffic circles in NY (https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3202824,-73.9917013,154m/data=!3m1!1e3) do that.  Whether that makes sense is another question.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on March 12, 2023, 08:44:32 AM
Quote from: vtk on March 10, 2023, 09:50:23 PM
One thing I noticed in the trailer is the roundabout with a broken line all the way around the circle. Is there any place in the world where that's done and makes sense?

I believe they are called concentric markings.

Spiral-style markings, like those predominantly used in Australia, Canada, and the US are a more recent invention.

I believe several countries have been known to make frequent use of concentric markings, such as Poland, Czech Republic*, Spain, France, and the UK. Some countries don't use any markings at all. Some, like the UK, have generally transitioned over to using spiral markings.

They work because drivers don't view the roundabout as a separate road. The markings simply help dilineate the lanes within the roundabout, not what traffic is allowed to do at the entry/exit points. As a general rule of thumb, the outside lane must exit and the inside lane may exit.

So, in short: it's used in many places, and it seems to make sense to the people who use them.

* The Czech Republic's use of concentric markings has made its way to the Wiki page for "roundabout interchange (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundabout_interchange)", where you can see them being used at this interchange in the country:

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/13/Opatovice_nad_Labem_kruhov%C3%BD_objezd_from_air_K2_-1.jpg/2880px-Opatovice_nad_Labem_kruhov%C3%BD_objezd_from_air_K2_-1.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: CovalenceSTU on March 14, 2023, 02:20:49 PM
Quote from: vtk on March 10, 2023, 09:50:23 PM
One thing I noticed in the trailer is the roundabout with a broken line all the way around the circle. Is there any place in the world where that's done and makes sense?
They're rather common in the Middle East (I think every country on the peninsula except Qatar uses them) - all lanes go straight so it functions like this spiral-style roundabout:
(https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/htm/2009r1r2r3/images/fig3c_11.gif)
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: vdeane on June 11, 2023, 03:07:21 PM
There's a new trailer out!  Looks like the game is getting normal-looking ramp merges and tools to more easily make seamless freeways and interchanges (such as being able to draw both directions at the same time).  We also have a release date of October 24.

https://www.gameinformer.com/xbox-games-showcase/2023/06/11/cities-skylines-ii-launches-in-october
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on June 11, 2023, 06:35:48 PM
Yeah, looks like quite a few existing mods are being built into the game from the get-go, especially the road tool mods from creators like macsergey. Really exciting stuff, especially for those who otherwise don't mod.

For those who do mod...this is still very exciting, because I can tell this game looks ripe for modding. I am so pumped to see what people start creating, especially assets. If this game starts to move in a direction where there is less need to mod, that's really big for players because the game because less of a "there's no technical way to do it" and more of a "can you find the time to do it" situation, which is what I think everyone has always wanted anyways.

Still interested to see the maximum map size. I don't see any distance fog in the trailer, so I'm curious if it cuts of Sim City 4-style, or maybe some intelligent rendering Roller Coaster Tycoon 3-style, or what.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: hobsini2 on June 15, 2023, 04:11:49 PM
Quote from: vdeane on June 11, 2023, 03:07:21 PM
There's a new trailer out!  Looks like the game is getting normal-looking ramp merges and tools to more easily make seamless freeways and interchanges (such as being able to draw both directions at the same time).  We also have a release date of October 24.

https://www.gameinformer.com/xbox-games-showcase/2023/06/11/cities-skylines-ii-launches-in-october
From some of the YouTube players I watch who player CS1, they have pointed out certain things confirmed in the recent trailer for actual game play.
I love the more realistic look to the interchanges. Trams, Speed Limits and Seasons are all confirmed in the gameplay without needing a MOD.

I haven't been looking forward to a game release like this since Railroad Tycoon 3: Coast to Coast.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: ET21 on June 17, 2023, 12:56:40 PM
Free for GamePass users  :) :)
I'll still probably get it for PC as well
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: IowaTraveler on June 19, 2023, 10:35:22 AM
The Paradox Interactive website (https://www.paradoxinteractive.com/games/cities-skylines-ii/features) has a page showing that they're going to be releasing more in-depth information about various game mechanics every Monday from now until mid-September, so it looks like we're going to continue to get a steady stream of new information from this point forward.

Each week's feature highlight is going to be about a different topic, with this week's topic being the one that's probably the most relevant one for us: Road tools (https://www.paradoxinteractive.com/games/cities-skylines-ii/features/road-tools)!

A lot of the information in the video and associated blog post is stuff that we already know from the trailers, but there's some really cool new stuff, too. The things that I'm most excited about are two things that I was really hoping for but never actually expected to get: Roads that deteriorate over time and have to be maintained, and traffic accidents! I was already really excited for Cities: Skylines 2, but now I'm even more hyped!

As a side note, it seems that the new feature highlights are posted at 9:00 AM central time, because the video was in the middle of live streaming when I checked the page a few minutes after 9:00 AM.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: X99 on June 19, 2023, 11:20:21 AM
Quote from: IowaTraveler on June 19, 2023, 10:35:22 AM
The things that I'm most excited about are two things that I was really hoping for but never actually expected to get: Roads that deteriorate over time and have to be maintained, and traffic accidents!

time to get the steam version so i can mod out the road maintenance
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: ET21 on June 19, 2023, 03:58:11 PM
Probably gonna try and get as much done as possible in the couple cities I've built on the console version. PC I only have a modded city added so far, could do one final city
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on June 19, 2023, 06:55:11 PM
Here is a video rundown of all the new road tools announced today, including some stuff only mentioned on the Paradox website:

https://youtu.be/TfuYcAkC_Oo

It is indeed very impressive the number of features being included right out of the gate that previously were only available to those who modded the PC version of the game. Once again, this game looks to really be huge for console players, and those who played PC without mods.

One of the features that was shown last week was how the new road building tool will automatically create intersections when dragging long distances over multiple conflicting roads. I am curious to see if this can be turned off so that you can more easily build roads that you can elevate afterwards. As an example, I recently built a new railway line, and I just dragged it over a really long distance, and then went back and elevated or sunk the roads that it conflicted with; I think the new tool would have automatically created intersections, which is understandable but not always desirable.

Anyways, this game is looking absolutely incredible. Couple weeks from now is the video/diary about the new traffic AI; very interested to see what they've changed.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: skluth on July 12, 2023, 10:09:23 PM
We're up to four dev diaries  (https://www.paradoxinteractive.com/games/cities-skylines-ii/features)now. I'm curious what others think. Here's some of my impressions.


Sorry for being so wordy but I had hernia surgery today and the drugs have kicked in so this is very stream-of-consciousness.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: MikeTheActuary on September 12, 2023, 10:48:35 AM
Interested folks probably already noticed, but just in case....a few days ago, 40-ish content creators posted ~30 minute videos on YouTube featuring gameplay from Cities Skylines 2, as part of the hype-building for the upcoming release.

The conclusion seems to be that the road construction is MUCH better than CS1.  In other respects....there's both some good and some bad, and presumably the bad will be addressed with mods and/or future DLC.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: SoDakInterstateEnthusiast on November 08, 2023, 11:47:08 PM
For anyone still thinking about getting it... here's my take

Base CS2 > Base CS1

Modded + DLC CS1 > Base CS2 (by a lot)

CS2 in 1 - 5 years > modded + DLC CS1 (?)

Basically, it'll probably be way better in the long run, given the far superior tools in many aspects, but it will take some good, long mod development to get CS2 to that point.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: bm7 on November 09, 2023, 12:09:50 AM
Having watched a few videos of CS2, I quite like the more realistic art style and the new features, but it seems like it needs a lot more work. Performance issues, balance issues, all kinds of bugs, but worst of all, no mod support. Really? With how popular mods are in the first game, it seems insane to me they wouldn't have official support for modding at launch.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: jakeroot on November 09, 2023, 01:01:43 AM
Quote from: bm7 on November 09, 2023, 12:09:50 AM
Having watched a few videos of CS2, I quite like the more realistic art style and the new features, but it seems like it needs a lot more work. Performance issues, balance issues, all kinds of bugs, but worst of all, no mod support. Really? With how popular mods are in the first game, it seems insane to me they wouldn't have official support for modding at launch.

Mod support is coming, probably quite soon. When CS:1 launched, there wasn't hardly any mods, and the code limited how far mods could potentially go. So far as I know, there are no hard limits with the code this time around, and they are working with mod developers already so that when modding launches, there will already be a lot of things to start playing with. Don't hold me to that, but that's the impression I have at the moment.




Quote from: SoDakInterstateEnthusiast on November 08, 2023, 11:47:08 PM
For anyone still thinking about getting it... here's my take

Base CS2 > Base CS1

Modded + DLC CS1 > Base CS2 (by a lot)

CS2 in 1 - 5 years > modded + DLC CS1 (?)

Basically, it'll probably be way better in the long run, given the far superior tools in many aspects, but it will take some good, long mod development to get CS2 to that point.

The addition of multi-core support already makes CS:2 far superior. There is a lot of work to do to bring it up to the standards of CS:1 in terms of features, especially mods. But the potential is massive, especially map size.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: JoePCool14 on November 10, 2023, 03:40:50 PM
Potential is the key word still with C:S 2. There's a lot to like about the new game, but there's so many other gripes missing from the first game, ultimately leading to it feeling unfinished and taken out of the oven too soon. Just like almost every other modern video game these days sadly. sigh

At least I'm confident in the developers to make a great game. It will just take more time. For now, at least the new lane management and merge functionality is beautiful.
Title: Re: Anyone play Cities: Skylines yet?
Post by: paulthemapguy on November 15, 2023, 11:31:22 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on November 10, 2023, 03:40:50 PM
At least I'm confident in the developers to make a great game. It will just take more time. For now, at least the new lane management and merge functionality is beautiful.

I hear that the second game allows offramp splits and onramp merges to occur at a deflection angle of under 45 degrees...something I've been dying to see.  That alone might put me over the edge to prefer the new game all in itself.