Cities: Skylines (the Sim City we deserve)

[eran0004]

The town is growing, slowly but surely. Currently it has a population of 2600. Did some detailing along the railroad and started on a generic industry area across the railroad, using the Industrial Revolution content creator pack. I also build a little recreational area downstream from the town, with a fishing cabin, some cottages, a fireplace and a beach.

 

[MatskiMonk]

The town is growing, slowly but surely. Currently it has a population of 2600. Did some detailing along the railroad and started on a generic industry area across the railroad, using the Industrial Revolution content creator pack. I also build a little recreational area downstream from the town, with a fishing cabin, some cottages, a fireplace and a beach.
View attachment 1271740

Is this culvert looking thing finctional?

 

[eran0004]

Is this culvert looking thing finctional?

I’m not sure. The culvert itself is just a couple of bridge supports and shopping trolley shelters, but I used a terraforming network to lower the terrain, so it might be possible that water could flow through the gap.

Edit: Just tested it and I can confirm that it’s functional.

 

[eran0004]

The timber industry has come to town. They purchased a piece of land between the town and the highway.

To meet the increased demand for housing, farm fields around the town are being redeveloped into residential neighbourhoods. The former owners of the land have reserved extra big lots for themselves and are using the profit from the sale of land to upgrade their homes.

The new rowhouse neighbourhood, built in between the town centre and the new timber industry, is popular with the workers. Parking is situated around the edges, and the narrow streets are mainly for service vehicles.

In the back there's a generous amount of green space.

Continue up the hill from the rowhouses and you'll find some larger detached houses, for those who can afford them.

 

[eran0004]

I’m currently on vacation in Batumi, Georgia. The view from our hotel room feels a bit like playing Cities Skylines with some really good graphics mods 😅

 

[MatskiMonk]

I’m currently on vacation in Batumi, Georgia. The view from our hotel room feels a bit like playing Cities Skylines with some really good graphics mods 😅

View attachment 1275163

Bro, so what LUT do you use??

Seriously though, I just realised something else... I thought you kept naming your cities Skarmbild... which was like some kind of region in Sweden or something...

 

[eran0004]

Yeah, skärmbild is just Swedish for screenshot 😅

I suppose you could turn it into a place name by adding an -inge suffix. Skärmbildinge, could be a seaside town in southern Sweden. Perhaps that will be the name of my first CS2 project…

 

[JohnBM01]

I am interested in picking up "Cities: Skylines" in the future. As I am trying to get a feel for what "Cities: Skylines" will be like, I hear a sequel is in the works. I am a veteran of the SimCity series. I may get in on the fun in the future.

 

[eran0004]

I am interested in picking up "Cities: Skylines" in the future. As I am trying to get a feel for what "Cities: Skylines" will be like, I hear a sequel is in the works. I am a veteran of the SimCity series. I may get in on the fun in the future.

The sequel will be out in two months, it’s probably better to wait for that than to buy the first game now.

 

[MatskiMonk]

I am interested in picking up "Cities: Skylines" in the future. As I am trying to get a feel for what "Cities: Skylines" will be like, I hear a sequel is in the works. I am a veteran of the SimCity series. I may get in on the fun in the future.

I'd echo what Eran says, it can take a good long while to fully get to grips with Cities: Skylines, by which time the new game will be out, and by all accounts, though the principles of good city design will carry over, it might be better to just start off with CS2's more realistic, more detail simulation.

If you want to get into modding, the first game could be worth a go, I'd imagine we'll be a over a year before the second game starts to gather any momentum in this regard.

 

[JohnBM01]

So... what are you suggesting, then? Go get "Cities: Skylines" or hold out for its sequel?

 

[PJTierney]

So... what are you suggesting, then? Go get "Cities: Skylines" or hold out for its sequel?

If you’re buying, I’d say hold out.

If you have Game Pass, Skylines is on that though it’s pretty barebones if you don’t buy the DLC packs.

 

[Liquid]

I have C:S but every time I've played it, I seem to run into a repetitive wall of samey bamey ugly problems and crap towns and frustrating lack of QOL in the game. I've tried a few mods to improve the game but it doesn't quite click. I really do want to give it another proper go, despite C:S 2 on the horizon, and I do like seeing what everyone else does in this thread. So with that in mind:

Assume someone knows what C:S is and has just installed it. What are the essential mods and extras to have? I've never known what to "add" to my game to make it worth playing and I hope perhaps the users in this thread can help.

 

[ieatmentoss17]

I have C:S but every time I've played it, I seem to run into a repetitive wall of samey bamey ugly problems and crap towns and frustrating lack of QOL in the game. I've tried a few mods to improve the game but it doesn't quite click. I really do want to give it another proper go, despite C:S 2 on the horizon, and I do like seeing what everyone else does in this thread. So with that in mind:

Assume someone knows what C:S is and has just installed it. What are the essential mods and extras to have? I've never known what to "add" to my game to make it worth playing and I hope perhaps the users in this thread can help.

Just wondering - do you own any DLC for the game? The game can definitely be very fun without them but they greatly improve the experience and in cases, add some things that mods never do.

 

[eran0004]

I have C:S but every time I've played it, I seem to run into a repetitive wall of samey bamey ugly problems and crap towns and frustrating lack of QOL in the game. I've tried a few mods to improve the game but it doesn't quite click. I really do want to give it another proper go, despite C:S 2 on the horizon, and I do like seeing what everyone else does in this thread. So with that in mind:

Assume someone knows what C:S is and has just installed it. What are the essential mods and extras to have? I've never known what to "add" to my game to make it worth playing and I hope perhaps the users in this thread can help.

Essential mods:
(Note that some of these may be obsolete, usually the community is pretty good at writing in the comments which mod to replace it with if that’s the case.)

Move it
Find it
Render it
Network multitool
Node controller
Intersection marking tool
Building spawn points
Traffic manager President edition
Road anarchy
Prop and tree anarchy
Plop the growables

 

[Liquid]

Just wondering - do you own any DLC for the game? The game can definitely be very fun without them but they greatly improve the experience and in cases, add some things that mods never do.

I don't. Are there any that are essential or improve the game's general QOL?

 

[MatskiMonk]

I don't. Are there any that are essential or improve the game's general QOL?

I'd say mods are more about QOL, DLC's are more about gameplay.

Eran's list is more about QOL, and I'd agree with his suggestions on that.

As for DLC's, I have all the DLC's (though I never use snowfall maps, and natural disasters are switched off (I just want the helicopter services)), I have to say, it really makes it a different game.

It's been that long that I can't really remember what comes with what, but my top 2 would be Industries and Mass Transit.

Industries is the game changer for me, I play with 25 tiles mod and unlimited resources turned on. I will inevitably build my Industries DLC areas far away from each other, and tend to build local towns to support them, this immediately pushes you to build out an inter-town road network, think A-roads and B-roads. Once you have a network of A-roads, you can organically pick a location to build out a town (on the basis that the genesis of a town is normally a road junction (unless you've got a sensible coast or river). Over time you then fill in the green space inbetween and this organically forms cities. This can all be done with industry specialisations but the more granular nature and specific asset placement is more involving.

edited to add, when you start off building multiple smaller towns, I find there's more of an urge to build them with unique 'feels', and this leads you to go looking on the workshop for more appropriate assets (e.g. a smaller school, or more appropriate police station)

... basically I find it gives you a reason to build, other than just responding to the demand meter - even if it's just trying to minimize the import pie-chart and maximize the export pie-chart.

Mass Transit, I just like the options it gives you for moving people around. I tend to use trains a lot for freight so other options for people moving a welcome.

Beyond that, when you're starting to build bigger areas, Park Life and Campus again give you assets to build around and build for (for example, getting decent mass transit links into your University, Zoo or Theme Park).

 

[TheCracker]

I don't. Are there any that are essential or improve the game's general QOL?

Depends on what it is you are finding restrictive within the game?

Industries greatly expands on the standard games industry building design and use. Parklife makes your green space for the citizens much more realistic, instead of the standard game 6x6 'park' blocks. Mass Transit expands on the regular cars, trains and planes with stacks of other forms of public transport. These are probably the biggest game changers amongst the DLC packs. They all make the standard game much more flexible.

 

[Liquid]

I'd say mods are more about QOL, DLC's are more about gameplay.

Eran's list is more about QOL, and I'd agree with his suggestions on that.

As for DLC's, I have all the DLC's (though I never use snowfall maps, and natural disasters are switched off (I just want the helicopter services)), I have to say, it really makes it a different game.

It's been that long that I can't really remember what comes with what, but my top 2 would be Industries and Mass Transit.

Industries is the game changer for me, I play with 25 tiles mod and unlimited resources turned on. I will inevitably build my Industries DLC areas far away from each other, and tend to build local towns to support them, this immediately pushes you to build out an inter-town road network, think A-roads and B-roads. Once you have a network of A-roads, you can organically pick a location to build out a town (on the basis that the genesis of a town is normally a road junction (unless you've got a sensible coast or river). Over time you then fill in the green space inbetween and this organically forms cities. This can all be done with industry specialisations but the more granular nature and specific asset placement is more involving.

edited to add, when you start off building multiple smaller towns, I find there's more of an urge to build them with unique 'feels', and this leads you to go looking on the workshop for more appropriate assets (e.g. a smaller school, or more appropriate police station)

... basically I find it gives you a reason to build, other than just responding to the demand meter - even if it's just trying to minimize the import pie-chart and maximize the export pie-chart.

Mass Transit, I just like the options it gives you for moving people around. I tend to use trains a lot for freight so other options for people moving a welcome.

Beyond that, when you're starting to build bigger areas, Park Life and Campus again give you assets to build around and build for (for example, getting decent mass transit links into your University, Zoo or Theme Park).

Thanks, I like the sound of Mass Transit and Industries as DLCs to complement the previously mentioned mods.

Depends on what it is you are finding restrictive within the game?

Any town I make just very quickly turns into ugly blocs of residential, commercial and industry with very little variety and a quick build-up of both derelict buildings and cookie-cutter neighbourhoods. It just feels very samey and ugly and of course a lot of it is down to me as a player but I just feel like I'm missing on some little polish to really unlock the game's obvious potential.

 

[TheCracker]

Thanks, I like the sound of Mass Transit and Industries as DLCs to complement the previously mentioned mods.

Any town I make just very quickly turns into ugly blocs of residential, commercial and industry with very little variety and a quick build-up of both derelict buildings and cookie-cutter neighbourhoods. It just feels very samey and ugly and of course a lot of it is down to me as a player but I just feel like I'm missing on some little polish to really unlock the game's obvious potential.

Some of the smaller DLC packs are almost purely aesthetic mods that just change the look of the buildings - Mid Century Modern - University City - High-tech Buildings - Art Deco - Modern Japan - European Suburbia etc etc. You can highlight an area and toggle the 'style' of that area. Means your cities are less samey, you can build individual suburbs that look different to their neighbors.

Some of it is down to gameplay though. If you build a high-density residential area whilst the need bar is strong for residential, you will quickly get blocks of high-rise shooting up on those plots.

 

[Liquid]

Some of the smaller DLC packs are almost purely aesthetic mods that just change the look of the buildings - Mid Century Modern - University City - High-tech Buildings - Art Deco - Modern Japan - European Suburbia etc etc. You can highlight an area and toggle the 'style' of that area. Means your cities are less samey, you can build individual suburbs that look different to their neighbors.

This sounds just like what I would want from the game.

I also seem to recall there was a QOL mod called electric roads, which makes powering your city much easier. Mods like that would definitely be what I want/need to know.

 

[MatskiMonk]

I also seem to recall there was a QOL mod called electric roads, which makes powering your city much easier.

I use a combination of small and medium sized substations, underground lines, and different styles of overhead networks. At the end of the day, we do see power infrastructure around us in the environment, so I find including such stuff not only makes it easier to begin with (when you don't want to be building Coal Power stations or something), but also helps with a bit of realism.

Steam Workshop::Transformer Cabinet (Functional)

steamcommunity.com

Steam Workshop::underground power lines

steamcommunity.com

Steam Workshop::UK Electrical Substation #1

steamcommunity.com

Steam Workshop::Trafostation

steamcommunity.com

Steam Workshop::LACU 12.47 kv 3 Phase Powerlines with Props

steamcommunity.com

This sounds just like what I would want from the game.

So, there's one big distinction in ways people play with mods. Those that Zone, and those that place everything. I'm the latter, initially I thought this was because I really wanted to get that granular detail - however I now cannot zone, I've FAR to many assets that aren't attached to a theme, that if I just zone, I get all kinds of **** popping up - you get an Alpine Ski Lodge pop up next to a Glass skyscraper next to a British Semi next to a Marseille-esqe apartment block, next to a Brooklyn mid rise corner block!

It' a ball-ache when you going for big expansion - and I've never gotten around to sorting out a theme manager.

 

[Touring Mars]

C:S 2 looks very impressive, though it is likely going to be a while until I play it, as it doesn't look like it will be on PS4.

Also, my laptop struggled with C:S vanilla version, so it would probably have a meltdown if I tried to play C:S II on it.

I may upgrade to a PS5 if/when they release a PS5 Slim, however, so C:S 2 would definitely be an early purchase if that were to happen.

 

[MatskiMonk]

Also, my laptop struggled with C:S vanilla version, so it would probably have a meltdown if I tried to play C:S II on it.

I suppose it depends on how old it was, but C:S didn't run that much better on an expensive brand new PC (it does, but not as well as you'd imagine, and you still hit noticeable performance cliffs at certain population sizes) - I just don't think it was very well optimised for anything beyond the system requirements of the time.

I've pre-ordered the game, once I get it I'll be able to show system resource usage stats for the two back to back, assuming that will mean anything.

 

[redhed17]

I have C:S but every time I've played it, I seem to run into a repetitive wall of samey bamey ugly problems and crap towns and frustrating lack of QOL in the game. I've tried a few mods to improve the game but it doesn't quite click. I really do want to give it another proper go, despite C:S 2 on the horizon, and I do like seeing what everyone else does in this thread. So with that in mind:

Assume someone knows what C:S is and has just installed it. What are the essential mods and extras to have? I've never known what to "add" to my game to make it worth playing and I hope perhaps the users in this thread can help.

It depends on what specific problems you are having, as to what Mods could benefit.

I found it very useful to watch some CS YouTubers to see what was possible when I got interested in the game, but to also see what mods they were using, and get inspiration. The one I started watching first, and who I enjoy the most, is Biffa Plays Indie Games. Others I watch regularly are City Planner Plays and Overcharged Egg amongst others. I think all of those may have links to the mods they use for the series they do beneath their videos. Although some also do vanilla/mod free series too. The complexity and level of detail these people put into there cities is way beyond what I can do, but I'm getting better.

City Planner Plays did an Ultimate Beginners Guide to Mods videos a few months ago, and I think Biffa has done a few mod guides over the years. Worth a look.

 

[MatskiMonk]

It depends on what specific problems you are having, as to what Mods could benefit.

I found it very useful to watch some CS YouTubers to see what was possible when I got interested in the game, but to also see what mods they were using, and get inspiration. The one I started watching first, and who I enjoy the most, is Biffa Plays Indie Games. Others I watch regularly are City Planner Plays and Overcharged Egg amongst others. I think all of those may have links to the mods they use for the series they do beneath their videos. Although some also do vanilla/mod free series too. The complexity and level of detail these people put into there cities is way beyond what I can do, but I'm getting better.

City Planner Plays did an Ultimate Beginners Guide to Mods videos a few months ago, and I think Biffa has done a few mod guides over the years. Worth a look.

Two Dollars Twenty is one of the few I'm subbed to for inspiration, shows how thought, patience and research pays off. CityWokCityWall takes modding to the extreme, but the Kobayashi Island series was a lot more sensible than the Mars build. Skibitth does some good stuff, but doesn't really explain stuff. All these three demonstrate the power of, but also reliance on, Procedural Objects mod, to take cities to the next level.

The one thing I find is that even following instructions I can never get the look (Theme/LUT etc) of cities to look as good as these streamers, Biffa's rig in particular seems able to run virtually any configuration of the game at 60fps!

 

[eran0004]

My favourite CS YouTuber right now is Akruas. His Altengrad series is well worth watching, it spans over a couple of centuries and he is using the series to discuss architecture and city planning in Eastern Europe. Each episode is like a lecture, but in the form of a Cities Skylines YouTube video.

 

[ieatmentoss17]

I watch most of the channels that you guys have mentioned, with my favourites being CPP, OE and $2.20 as they have the most soothing voices, and make good videos, with their own unique concepts. I would also like to mention Imperatur, he is probably the best channel for vanilla "hacks", with plenty of videos full of tricks for vanilla players like myself.

I get that @Liquid is looking to play a modded game, but it is still interesting and sometimes useful to learn some of the tricks found in his videos, and he has some modded gameplay too.

 

[Touring Mars]

I'm a bit confused about how to use mods in the game. I don't see any option to download mods from the workshop, only a button that says 'subscribe to download' but then nothing happens; the game doesn't appear to be connected to Steam but I can't figure out what I need to do or how to do it...

 

[MatskiMonk]

I'm a bit confused about how to use mods in the game. I don't see any option to download mods from the workshop, only a button that says 'subscribe to download' but then nothing happens; the game doesn't appear to be connected to Steam but I can't figure out what I need to do or how to do it...

Hmmm, mine always just seems to have worked, did you buy the game from Steam?

Linking things up seems to have been done, not sure what you game screen looks like?

Also worth noting that mods have to be individually enabled by clicking the other bit I've highlighted at the bottom.

edit: you could also look for evidence of anything actually being downloaded by looking here...