Soldato
Oil power station, this ties in with my theme of a casino city run on oil production, makes sense they would have an oil power plant.
Cities: Skylines
- Thread starter Scotty123
- Start date
Soldato
Looking good and blends in nicely with the map.
Are you making a single big city or a collection of smaller towns connected....?
I noticed that on your previous screens, considering that you have removed street lights, you might want to look at the deciduous trees....?
That is if I am right about them being deciduous....?
Are you making a single big city or a collection of smaller towns connected....?
I noticed that on your previous screens, considering that you have removed street lights, you might want to look at the deciduous trees....?
That is if I am right about them being deciduous....?
Soldato
Yea defo, it's not possible to remove tham all though, much of the vanilla assets have trees with them which are all deciduous, although in the city area this shouldnt look too bad. If you look at the below, Albuquerque/Las Vegas, the city area does have quite a few trees.
Infact looking at those mine seems a lot more arid! Although the city area is much more green on my map.
Soldato
That does look very authentic.
You could mod the trees out if you wanted. (Prop it up! mod)
Have you managed to find enough buildings and houses for the theme of the map you are making as that can be a trawl..?
Some of the Unique Buildings and Monuments in this game are more suited to a futuristic Anno game imo.
You could mod the trees out if you wanted. (Prop it up! mod)
Have you managed to find enough buildings and houses for the theme of the map you are making as that can be a trawl..?
Some of the Unique Buildings and Monuments in this game are more suited to a futuristic Anno game imo.
Last edited:
Soldato
Basically no, but that is because I haven't really explored this yet. I got the district theme manager mod, so in theory once I set all the building types up, I make a district, change the theme and all the zoned buildings should just change.
It's just the setting up... as you say, will need to trawl through the workshop, then set everything up per theme in the manager, which will be time consuming added to that the UI isnt particularly user friendly.
I am putting it off, I want to get to the point where my main citry area is finished, at least barring some fine detailing, tweaking etc, which is going to be some time away, probably months.
Yeah I agree. I am not using most of them, the tax office made a good country club building though! With the vanilla zoned buildings, most of the high density dont actually look too bad in the main city area, pretty much all of the vanilla residential and office buildings are ok, the vast majority of commercial also, I dont like the vanilla industry at all though. Much of this I have been using RICO to plop down instead, warehouses etc, also done that in places with residential, try to keep the some type of houses in the same few blocks, for the low density stuff.
But yea... I know I have posted some screenshots but puposely missing most of the main part out which is about 50% just gaps at the moment. Also to your ealier question, I plan just a main city, with some micro villages, more like isolated settlements, dotted around, which might be a gas station, couple of houses, something like that, maybe some spaced out rural houses, and of course all the oil derricks which will be scattered thinly around the desert, a bit like you see in Texas (image below).
On top of that, I do want to make some kind of airport, although I have not decided whether to go more of a rural kinda dirt strip for light aircraft or a more commerical functioning airport
I might also potentially make a secondary town, near the bay area, but that is very much after everything else so we'll see.
Soldato
Here this is my city so far:
Soldato
It is looking very nice and suits the desert theme of the map well.
Theme manager seems to work well enough but it can indeed be time consuming to allocate items to each theme.
Be careful if you delete a theme, even if it is just for renaming purposes. I have found out the hard way that saved games which has a district using that theme will no longer work.
Theme manager seems to work well enough but it can indeed be time consuming to allocate items to each theme.
Be careful if you delete a theme, even if it is just for renaming purposes. I have found out the hard way that saved games which has a district using that theme will no longer work.
Last edited:
Soldato
Huh weird, I was just going to ask a question about CS and thought I'd have to search through the PC section to find the thread but here it is..
I am playing on a map of two halves separated by a bigass river. There is a highway connection on each side. I have built on both sides of the river. The larger North Side was built first, and then the South side expansion came afterwards and is connected by a suitably bigass bridge. My problem is, if I connect South Side to the highway connection at the southern end of my plot (such as in the image below), it creates a rat run through my city, creating traffic carnage but also bringing many people into my city, I assume, which could be good? Which is better?
Overview (north is up)
Bridge to North Side without the connection at the southern end - no congestion
South Side without the connection
North Side with the connection in place - lots of congestion
South Side with connection in place - lots of congestion
I could leave a connection in place but accommodate the additional traffic by creating a bypass. For the Greater Good! But for the time being should I terminate the connection? For the moment, South Side needs the facilities in North Side, so I have to cut the the connection at the motorway, but once it grows and can support its own schools etc, I could just... remove the bridge?
Also - I had industrial demand but the industrial zone at the top right of North Side hasn't developed - any ideas why? It's got a good road connection compared to the industrial maze on the left of North Side...
I am playing on a map of two halves separated by a bigass river. There is a highway connection on each side. I have built on both sides of the river. The larger North Side was built first, and then the South side expansion came afterwards and is connected by a suitably bigass bridge. My problem is, if I connect South Side to the highway connection at the southern end of my plot (such as in the image below), it creates a rat run through my city, creating traffic carnage but also bringing many people into my city, I assume, which could be good? Which is better?
Overview (north is up)
Bridge to North Side without the connection at the southern end - no congestion
South Side without the connection
North Side with the connection in place - lots of congestion
South Side with connection in place - lots of congestion
I could leave a connection in place but accommodate the additional traffic by creating a bypass. For the Greater Good! But for the time being should I terminate the connection? For the moment, South Side needs the facilities in North Side, so I have to cut the the connection at the motorway, but once it grows and can support its own schools etc, I could just... remove the bridge?
Also - I had industrial demand but the industrial zone at the top right of North Side hasn't developed - any ideas why? It's got a good road connection compared to the industrial maze on the left of North Side...
Soldato
Taking at a look at the city below....
you will see one one connection only between the two banks of the river. That one road connection was put in very late and was not really needed at all.
For the reasons you have noted I have generally found that connecting two separated sections of an outside highway as you have described just creates a rat run of vehicles that otherwise add nothing to the city, apart from congestion.
The section of the city on the left started at the banks and was connected to the main city by three means...
Rail
Monorail
Metro.
Blimp - used more for the fun of it
The above were very well used, as I had no road bridge. Initially connecting a bridge meant the Cims hopped into their cars. Over the river initially was a very big block of Offices. So my Cims got there from a transport hub on the other side.
I even had ferries (limited success) travelling up a canal system on the right and then over to the other side of the river. But they, like blimps, were more for fun than a serious means of transport.
you will see one one connection only between the two banks of the river. That one road connection was put in very late and was not really needed at all.
For the reasons you have noted I have generally found that connecting two separated sections of an outside highway as you have described just creates a rat run of vehicles that otherwise add nothing to the city, apart from congestion.
The section of the city on the left started at the banks and was connected to the main city by three means...
Rail
Monorail
Metro.
Blimp - used more for the fun of it
The above were very well used, as I had no road bridge. Initially connecting a bridge meant the Cims hopped into their cars. Over the river initially was a very big block of Offices. So my Cims got there from a transport hub on the other side.
I even had ferries (limited success) travelling up a canal system on the right and then over to the other side of the river. But they, like blimps, were more for fun than a serious means of transport.
Soldato
Thanks I thought for a city just starting out having congestion like that isn't going to do it any good!
Asuming I get rid of the bridge between North and south... If my industrial is next to and connected to the southern motorway connection, does it consider this to be a "really good" connection even though the lorries in question will have to do three sides of a square (assuming they come and go from the North in general), without the link, simply because it is next to the motorway?
Asuming I get rid of the bridge between North and south... If my industrial is next to and connected to the southern motorway connection, does it consider this to be a "really good" connection even though the lorries in question will have to do three sides of a square (assuming they come and go from the North in general), without the link, simply because it is next to the motorway?
Soldato
Your original post noted that the issue wasn't the bridge, per se, but the Southern highway connection added and thus creating that excessive amount of traffic.
Remove that second highway connection and you're fine.
If you look close at my screenshot you will see that even tho I added a road bridge the AI did not see a fast straight connection between the two highways, as yours is. The game will always look to use the fastest connection between two points but it will not consider traffic jams in that calculation.
If you keep the bridge and both highway connections in place then use the traffic route overview to help you understand why traffic is now needing to travel as it doing.
Generic industry is going to need to be supplied before it can manufacture finished goods for commercial. Unless you provide your own.
Keep your eye on imports and keep exported finished goods to a minimum, you make no money from them.
There are some good Steam guides to read.
Remove that second highway connection and you're fine.
If you look close at my screenshot you will see that even tho I added a road bridge the AI did not see a fast straight connection between the two highways, as yours is. The game will always look to use the fastest connection between two points but it will not consider traffic jams in that calculation.
If you keep the bridge and both highway connections in place then use the traffic route overview to help you understand why traffic is now needing to travel as it doing.
Generic industry is going to need to be supplied before it can manufacture finished goods for commercial. Unless you provide your own.
Keep your eye on imports and keep exported finished goods to a minimum, you make no money from them.
There are some good Steam guides to read.
Soldato
You also got fast flowing traffic hitting a traffic light junction.
So, on your 5th Screen shot on the right side of the image, it seems you have left hand traffic on. So all of your traffic is fast flowing from your motorway, then hitting a (hard to see) but maybe 3 way traffic light junction? That is a lot of fast flowing traffic that all of a sudden stops.
Im struggling to explain here, so forgive the really awful analogy, but think of your traffic a bit like pressured water through pipes.
So your motorway is a bit like a fire hose, very high pressure, high flow, high volume. What you are doing is effectively channeling that flow in to a tap, that turns on an off, your hose backs up.
Same as if you try and channel that fire hose, in to say a garden hose, (so motorway to small road) that isnt going to work either.
But if you channel your fire hose, into, say 10 garden hoses, and then at the end of those 10 hoses, maybe have taps, but they all open and close at varying times, all of a sudden, you will still get reasonable flow in your fire hose.
Does that make any sense?
Probably not lol.
So, on your 5th Screen shot on the right side of the image, it seems you have left hand traffic on. So all of your traffic is fast flowing from your motorway, then hitting a (hard to see) but maybe 3 way traffic light junction? That is a lot of fast flowing traffic that all of a sudden stops.
Im struggling to explain here, so forgive the really awful analogy, but think of your traffic a bit like pressured water through pipes.
So your motorway is a bit like a fire hose, very high pressure, high flow, high volume. What you are doing is effectively channeling that flow in to a tap, that turns on an off, your hose backs up.
Same as if you try and channel that fire hose, in to say a garden hose, (so motorway to small road) that isnt going to work either.
But if you channel your fire hose, into, say 10 garden hoses, and then at the end of those 10 hoses, maybe have taps, but they all open and close at varying times, all of a sudden, you will still get reasonable flow in your fire hose.
Does that make any sense?
Probably not lol.
With roads, big guide on Steam that helped me. Then maybe 3-4 cities until I really understood it.
Now at 110k cims, with 75%ish traffic flow
Monorails and subways help too. But cims just love driving!
Also you have way too many junctions on the main road, it creates chaos. And ramps on and off rather than junctions through like you have. So a bridge over from right to left and vica versa.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=522776740
I 'cheat' and use intersections from the workshop.
Now at 110k cims, with 75%ish traffic flow
Monorails and subways help too. But cims just love driving!
Also you have way too many junctions on the main road, it creates chaos. And ramps on and off rather than junctions through like you have. So a bridge over from right to left and vica versa.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=522776740
I 'cheat' and use intersections from the workshop.
Last edited:
Soldato
Now at 110k cims, with 75%ish traffic flow
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=522776740
I 'cheat' and use intersections from the workshop.
Yea 75% is good, I have about that although much less population right now so we'll see.
That guide is awesome by the way but couple of things mentioned which I would highlight:
Footpaths - so important. Make them over large roads, highways, connect areas to each other, between roads etc, they are also great space fillers for gaps etc which in effect add detail whilst being primarily functional.
Juctions - as mentioned try to space these out, particularly on larger roads that will have more traffic.
Also I don't think using downloaded intersections is cheating, I use a few myself although I do try and make my own also, sometimes it just saves time as making nice lined up intersections does takes ages.
Yes footpaths! I make LOADS of footpaths and then use traffic manager (president?) to disable cims crossing the road. Also disabling traffic lights can help.
But the big one is main roads, not many junctions, then into a slightly bigger road and then onto a smaller road for your zoning. Traffic can't build up when cims are parking etc or it causes mayhem.
Nah nor do I it was only tongue in cheek.
Also roundabouts, I love BIG roundabouts, especially in high density areas. Also you need to think where your cims are going, and the shortest routes. Cims won't always go the least dense areas but the physically shortest routes. Hence why sometimes some areas are traffic free and one is crazy. It all comes together eventually.
Soldato
Great advice there. For some reason I seem better at playing the game than diagnosing other peoples issues from screens, or saved games for that matter.
As a generalisation it is important to keep any districts or built zones away from arterial roads, and as been posted use very few junctions and no traffic lights. Intersections / ramps can be better.
When you are laying roads try and do long sections at a time, that increases the distance between nodes, the AI users them to change lanes etc.
When looking at traffic jams follow it to the front to see where everything is trying to get to.
My city is at 586k and traffic is always above 83%. The only reason it is not above 85% is due to some vans and trucks within my industrial sector dropping off or delivering goods from my rail cargo depot.
I always try and avoid traffic in the first place rather than deal with it. If you have a biggish city and t need to zone offices and then build a large completely isolated block, with services, it will start to fill up with Cims taking jobs, goodness knows how. I sometimes keep that block isolated and only connected by a type of public transport. This is a from and to loop starting from my transport hub.
The above works really well. It keeps road traffic to a minimum.
Don't forget that Cims will walk a total max of around 12 tiles, 120 small squares. Knowing that allows you to place public transport accordingly.
If you have a good public transport system and be aware of what building industry and commercial can mean then traffic can be ok to manage. Be careful where you place industry and commercial, they need access to each other and good connections between them, sometimes to outside connections.
As noted previously keep your eye on your imports and exports. Keep your finished goods exports to the minimum you can
I too use TMPE and find it useful for disabling crossings in the game and replacing them with overground foot paths. That helps a lot to keep traffic moving.
Cims use the quickest route to their destination, otherwise why have different speeds on the roads, rather than the shortest. The only change afaik, is when they compare rail to rail journeys, as that is all one fixed speed.
As a generalisation it is important to keep any districts or built zones away from arterial roads, and as been posted use very few junctions and no traffic lights. Intersections / ramps can be better.
When you are laying roads try and do long sections at a time, that increases the distance between nodes, the AI users them to change lanes etc.
When looking at traffic jams follow it to the front to see where everything is trying to get to.
My city is at 586k and traffic is always above 83%. The only reason it is not above 85% is due to some vans and trucks within my industrial sector dropping off or delivering goods from my rail cargo depot.
I always try and avoid traffic in the first place rather than deal with it. If you have a biggish city and t need to zone offices and then build a large completely isolated block, with services, it will start to fill up with Cims taking jobs, goodness knows how. I sometimes keep that block isolated and only connected by a type of public transport. This is a from and to loop starting from my transport hub.
The above works really well. It keeps road traffic to a minimum.
Don't forget that Cims will walk a total max of around 12 tiles, 120 small squares. Knowing that allows you to place public transport accordingly.
If you have a good public transport system and be aware of what building industry and commercial can mean then traffic can be ok to manage. Be careful where you place industry and commercial, they need access to each other and good connections between them, sometimes to outside connections.
As noted previously keep your eye on your imports and exports. Keep your finished goods exports to the minimum you can
I too use TMPE and find it useful for disabling crossings in the game and replacing them with overground foot paths. That helps a lot to keep traffic moving.
Cims use the quickest route to their destination, otherwise why have different speeds on the roads, rather than the shortest. The only change afaik, is when they compare rail to rail journeys, as that is all one fixed speed.
I've made this city without any industry, and it really helps keep the traffic flow down I've found. I have a train line running to the only main commercial zone with an underground pass into it for deposits. Seemed to help a lot.
500k is crazy! My goal is 200k and then to start a new city
500k is crazy! My goal is 200k and then to start a new city
Soldato
Any idea what to put under elevated rail?
I have some sections that are double gauge (so 2 sets of two, separated in the middle with an elevated path - pictures below and forgive the gaps my sity is still very much work in progress) I use a few mods in combination to make it with the large pillars than stick a road under, think it looks awesome.
Anyway, for the single gauge sections, and I guess to some extent also goes for elevated roads, any ideas what the put under? It would be too narrow to try and put a road under, and I just think, particularly in a more built up area having nothing under these seems like wasted space. I have a few places where I have used move it to hack some buildings underneath. Or maybe a footpath under elevated rail?
What do you guys tend to do?
I have some sections that are double gauge (so 2 sets of two, separated in the middle with an elevated path - pictures below and forgive the gaps my sity is still very much work in progress) I use a few mods in combination to make it with the large pillars than stick a road under, think it looks awesome.
Anyway, for the single gauge sections, and I guess to some extent also goes for elevated roads, any ideas what the put under? It would be too narrow to try and put a road under, and I just think, particularly in a more built up area having nothing under these seems like wasted space. I have a few places where I have used move it to hack some buildings underneath. Or maybe a footpath under elevated rail?
What do you guys tend to do?
Soldato
I never intended the city to be so big when I first started out, mainly due to lacking vision really.
I need to start another one if only because of how slow this one is now.
As for what you can place under the elevated single guage section ...
Have you searched for garbage, littler and crashed or scrap cars. Along with garbage dumps and bins that should offer options, maybe not what you want tho.!
You can even find graffiti slogans etc, iirc
I need to start another one if only because of how slow this one is now.
As for what you can place under the elevated single guage section ...
Have you searched for garbage, littler and crashed or scrap cars. Along with garbage dumps and bins that should offer options, maybe not what you want tho.!
You can even find graffiti slogans etc, iirc