Cities: Skylines II

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Mon Jun 19, 2023 2:53 pm

I didn't see a thread for this, so I'm starting one, since we now have an actual Feature Highlights video from the devs. This is about Road Tools and since that's one of my favorite parts of the game, I'm excited. Game is scheduled to be released October 24th.

Note: This title can be pre-ordered from Paradox. It can also be pre-ordered on Steam and a bit cheaper on Green Man Gaming.

naednek · Post by **naednek** » Mon Jun 19, 2023 3:33 pm

She's a little too excited over roads

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Thu Jun 22, 2023 3:07 pm

waitingtoconnect · Post by **waitingtoconnect** » Thu Jun 22, 2023 8:23 pm

It looks really good but am I really ready to commit $400 over 5 years for this game and all the inevitable expansions. I'm a completionist by nature - for my video games I like to have the whole game - so for games I know will have DLC I wait for the Gold pack.

Paradox never does this anymore; so if you don't buy on day 1 the price of getting in is steep.

Punisher · Post by **Punisher** » Sat Jun 24, 2023 1:27 am

This is on my play list and I'm glad it's going to be on xbox pc game pass.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Sun Jun 25, 2023 11:22 pm

Punisher wrote: ↑Sat Jun 24, 2023 1:27 am it's going to be on xbox pc game pass.

It is?! Woot!

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Mon Jun 26, 2023 8:53 am

waitingtoconnect wrote: ↑Thu Jun 22, 2023 8:23 pm It looks really good but ...

Oh, who are we kidding... there are no buts.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Mon Jun 26, 2023 3:52 pm

From the devs, Traffic AI. This is a long article which covers pathfinding, traffic simulation, traffic accidents, parking, service vehicles, etc. I'll include a couple of quotes and the associated YouTube video, but the whole article is worth reading if you are interested in the "behind the curtains" stuff.

Hi everyone! We are back with another development diary for Cities: Skylines II and today is all about the new and improved traffic AI. Managing traffic in a growing city was a core part of Cities: Skylines and going into the sequel we knew we wanted to bring you a more advanced system, both to address the feedback you have shared over the years and to make the city feel more realistic and alive.

And an extract about that pathfinding:

Pathfinding works in a different way in Cities: Skylines II than its predecessor. In Cities: Skylines pathfinding was proximity-based, meaning agents would calculate their destinations or order services by straight line distance without taking the existing road network into account. In the case of a fire, this could mean the fire truck responding would come from the closest station even if it had a longer route because of how the roads connected it to the destination. Longer response times could in turn mean the fire truck would not make it in time to stop the fire from spreading or save the building from collapse. Agents would take the fastest route to their destination and stick to it, patiently sitting in a traffic jam if one occurred, only changing their route if the road network was modified in ways causing their original path to no longer be viable.

In Cities: Skylines II agents choose a route based on a pathfinding cost. This cost is calculated using multiple factors such as the city’s road network, traveling time, travel cost, agent preferences, and more which we will cover in more detail below. Furthermore, agents will adjust their route based on events along the way. They may change lanes to avoid a car accident or a stopped service vehicle or make room for a vehicle responding to an emergency.

Super, super excited about this game

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Mon Jun 26, 2023 4:51 pm

So they spent all this time developing something that's half the size of an ant on my screen and never pay much attention to? Sounds good.

Punisher · Post by **Punisher** » Mon Jun 26, 2023 5:55 pm

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Sun Jun 25, 2023 11:22 pm
Punisher wrote: ↑Sat Jun 24, 2023 1:27 am it's going to be on xbox pc game pass.
It is?! Woot!

I think i saw it in the coming soon section. Might even be able to preload although i suspect that just blocks the space. Starfield has preload available too.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Mon Jun 26, 2023 5:56 pm

Y'all trying to get me excited about an October release in June? Rude.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Mon Jun 26, 2023 6:08 pm

coopasonic wrote: ↑Mon Jun 26, 2023 5:56 pm Y'all trying to get me excited about an October release in June? Rude.

Well, then prepare yourself, we still have a boatload of dev diaries coming up

Seriously though, when I played Cities: Skylines I'd ignore a lot of the zone planning and other details and spent really a lot of time with the traffic network. For them to have expanded and deepened the experience makes it a must have for me.

Wait, did you say October? NOOOOOOOOOO...

waitingtoconnect · Post by **waitingtoconnect** » Thu Jun 29, 2023 7:35 pm

dbt1949 wrote: ↑Mon Jun 26, 2023 4:51 pm So they spent all this time developing something that's half the size of an ant on my screen and never pay much attention to? Sounds good.

Just wait till they promise full sentience for the citizens.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Thu Jun 29, 2023 8:55 pm

waitingtoconnect wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 7:35 pm
dbt1949 wrote: ↑Mon Jun 26, 2023 4:51 pm So they spent all this time developing something that's half the size of an ant on my screen and never pay much attention to? Sounds good.
Just wait till they promise full sentience for the citizens.

They might get paroled early...

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Thu Jun 29, 2023 9:46 pm

A few years ago I dinked around with the original Cities: Skylines but quickly grew frustrated with it not being intuitive (i.e., not being Sim City or Tropico or an Impressions game). It felt like the kind of game that needs a 200-page manual of the sort that doesn't exist anymore.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Thu Jun 29, 2023 10:27 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 9:46 pm A few years ago I dinked around with the original Cities: Skylines but quickly grew frustrated with it not being intuitive (i.e., not being Sim City or Tropico or an Impressions game). It felt like the kind of game that needs a 200-page manual of the sort that doesn't exist anymore.

I found that the handholding in the Cities: Skylines early missions helped me enough to figure things out. However, I do agree that if you wanted to understand more about what was going on during the later stages of a big city it required a trip to the wiki to help.

Oddly it's the last couple of Tropicos that I felt could have used more of a manual! I'll keep an eye on any CS2 articles that come out and see if they have more thorough in-game tutorials and in-game help.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Thu Jun 29, 2023 11:47 pm

jztemple2 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 10:27 pm
Kraken wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 9:46 pm A few years ago I dinked around with the original Cities: Skylines but quickly grew frustrated with it not being intuitive (i.e., not being Sim City or Tropico or an Impressions game). It felt like the kind of game that needs a 200-page manual of the sort that doesn't exist anymore.
I found that the handholding in the Cities: Skylines early missions helped me enough to figure things out. However, I do agree that if you wanted to understand more about what was going on during the later stages of a big city it required a trip to the wiki to help.

"Missions"? I didn't know there was a tutorial. I just dove into the sandbox.

I might still have this game installed, and might open it again when I grow tired of Stellaris. I do love a good citybuilder.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Thu Jun 29, 2023 11:53 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 11:47 pm "Missions"? I didn't know there was a tutorial. I just dove into the sandbox.

I might still have this game installed, and might open it again when I grow tired of Stellaris. I do love a good citybuilder.

I shouldn't have said "missions" (too many games on my mind), I meant different maps. It's been a long while since I've played it even a little (a year!) and it's probably been at least a couple of years since I've really delved into it. I do seem to remember something telling me what to do next, but I'm not sure. And now because we're talking about it I'm reinstalling it

.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Thu Jun 29, 2023 11:59 pm

And a new dev video:

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Fri Jun 30, 2023 12:01 am

jztemple2 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 11:53 pm
Kraken wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 11:47 pm "Missions"? I didn't know there was a tutorial. I just dove into the sandbox.

I might still have this game installed, and might open it again when I grow tired of Stellaris. I do love a good citybuilder.
I shouldn't have said "missions" (too many games on my mind), I meant different maps. It's been a long while since I've played it even a little (a year!) and it's probably been at least a couple of years since I've really delved into it. I do seem to remember something telling me what to do next, but I'm not sure. And now because we're talking about it I'm reinstalling it .

Heh, let me know if you discover anything like a tutorial. I need some hand-holding but I'm not motivated enough to plow through a wiki or a lot of videos.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Mon Jul 03, 2023 10:26 am

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Thu Jul 06, 2023 5:11 pm

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Mon Jul 10, 2023 2:49 pm

New Dev Diary, Zones & Signature Buildings

Hi everyone! Welcome back to the Cities: Skylines II development diaries! This time we’ll take a look at the zoning, what’s new, and what’s familiar to the original Cities: Skylines. A brand new and exciting feature is signature buildings, a hybrid between unique and zoned buildings! More on how you get them and how they benefit your dream city later.

If roads are the bones and arteries of the city, then zones must be the meat fleshing out the city. The various zone types create the bulk of the city: sprawling suburban areas and apartment building blocks, busy commercial districts, noisy industrial parks recognizable by their smokestacks, and sleek high-rise office complexes made of glass and concrete.

Each zone type has its own requirements to flourish and in a functioning city, they all benefit from each other: factories need places to ship their products, companies need employees, employees need homes, shopping opportunities, and places to spend their free time. Watch the video below for a quick walkthrough of the features or dive straight into all the details in this development diary.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Thu Jul 13, 2023 12:30 pm

naednek · Post by **naednek** » Tue Jul 18, 2023 7:33 pm

I'll pick up jztemple's slack

Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Tue Jul 18, 2023 10:13 pm

Thanks for posting the video naednek

Meanwhile, for those who want all the details, the associated articles are here and here. There is an awful lot going on under the hood in services for CS2

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Thu Jul 20, 2023 12:18 pm

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Thu Jul 20, 2023 1:42 pm

Seriously looking forward to this title.

Fingers crossed.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 1:55 pm

A new dev diary, Electricity & Water

Hi everyone! It's time for the next development diary for Cities: Skylines II and today we dive deep into the Electricity and Water services! Almost all buildings need electricity and water to function properly so these services are the components to running a city. For citizens, a lack of electricity or water leads to reduced Well-being, with a lack of water and backed-up sewage also taking a toll on their Health. Don’t leave them without these basic necessities for long as they will not tolerate it and will leave the city. Businesses and service buildings suffer a penalty for their Efficiency leading to reduced production or output and lower quality services. So let’s get into how these vital services function.

Creating electricity and water networks is different in Cities: Skylines II compared to its predecessor as both can now be transferred through roads. While electricity was transferred by connecting power lines between power plants and electricity “zones” created around buildings in Cities: Skylines, buildings now connect to the electricity grid through either above-ground or underground cables. Meanwhile, surface water and water pumps work similarly in both games, Cities: Skylines II introduces a new water mechanic in groundwater reservoirs.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Thu Jul 27, 2023 10:33 am

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Sun Jul 30, 2023 1:38 am

All these things they're highlighting are not the kind of things I'm interested in. I get the newsletters too and as of yet I have seen nothing that says "I have to have this!"

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Mon Jul 31, 2023 10:29 pm

Development Diary #7 Maps & Themes

Hi everyone! Welcome back to our weekly development diaries! Today we will go over the Maps and Themes featured in Cities: Skylines II.

To get started let's have a brief comparison between the map sizes. In Cities: Skylines the playable area consists of 5x5 tiles, 9 of which can be purchased once everything is unlocked. One map tile is 1.92 x 1.92 km which results in the total playable area being 92.16km²
with a maximum of 33.18km²
to build a city on.

In Cities: Skylines II things are a bit different. For starters, one map tile is much smaller - roughly ⅓ what it is in the predecessor - but you are able to unlock almost all tiles giving you a whopping total of 441 map tiles. That results in a playable area of 159km²
which is roughly 5 times bigger than in Cities: Skylines.

Additionally, the Map Tiles do not have to be connected to each other, so technically you can create small isolated pocket towns, and you can purchase the Map Tiles all the way to the edge of the map where you can create new Outside Connections. But wait, there’s more! The map height limit is much higher than before adding much more flexibility and freedom in how your dream city will look.

Now let’s talk about Themes. In Cities: Skylines these controlled the natural environment of a map, with predefined settings for each theme. When we talk about Themes in Cities: Skylines II, we are talking about the style of roads and buildings, with the options of European and North American themes being selectable when you start a new map. But we will get back to them later in this diary after we have a proper look at the maps themselves.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Thu Aug 03, 2023 5:26 pm

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Mon Aug 07, 2023 12:58 pm

Climate and Seasons

Hello everyone and welcome to today’s development diary for Cities: Skylines II! Last time we introduced Maps and Themes and now we will continue with two new and exciting map features: Climate and Seasons. For a quick overview check out the video below

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Mon Aug 07, 2023 1:16 pm

Now that looks interesting!

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Thu Aug 10, 2023 12:32 pm

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Thu Aug 10, 2023 3:01 pm

Well these guys certainly can’t be accused of just dressing up the old game and calling it v2.0.

Everything is looking like a lot of fun, like really cool. I must admit that I have fingers crossed they did enough play testing and balancing to make all these new systems work and not become ‘a burden’ or anything.
I like to think that they have it all under control, and I’m just worrying because I’m looking forward to it too much.

I mean, they wouldn’t be drawing this many eyes to their game if it was a shakey mess, so I’m just going to move forward with my enthusiasm.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Thu Aug 10, 2023 3:19 pm

Unagi wrote: ↑Thu Aug 10, 2023 3:01 pm Well these guys certainly can’t be accused of just dressing up the old game and calling it v2.0.

Everything is looking like a lot of fun, like really cool. I must admit that I have fingers crossed they did enough play testing and balancing to make all these new systems work and not become ‘a burden’ or anything.
I like to think that they have it all under control, and I’m just worrying because I’m looking forward to it too much.

I mean, they wouldn’t be drawing this many eyes to their game if it was a shakey mess, so I’m just going to move forward with my enthusiasm.

I've been feeling the same way. There sure are a lot of changes and things going on under the hood which hopefully are going to be really playtested to make sure they work as intended. But kudos to them for really making a lot of major changes. The way they have changed electricity, for instance, means doing a lot of planning for high voltage line management.

I tend to be really focused on traffic management so the changes they are implementing sound really good to me. The importance of providing city services to respond to traffic accidents is really cool. I imagine there will be some website game reviewer who will for chuckles provide no traffic services at all and see how badly the traffic can get gridlocked

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Thu Aug 10, 2023 5:43 pm

On that specific line item, my worry is that traffic will be backing up behind the single snow plow that’s taking it’s sweet time going down the road.

But yeah, again - I’m just going to assume them have that all ironed out.

Punisher · Post by **Punisher** » Thu Aug 10, 2023 10:41 pm

Unagi wrote: ↑Thu Aug 10, 2023 5:43 pm On that specific line item, my worry is that traffic will be backing up behind the single snow plow that’s taking it’s sweet time going down the road.

But yeah, again - I’m just going to assume them have that all ironed out.

Snow plows cost money. Much better for them to just kearn how to drive in 10 foot snow. I eagerly await the 1st sled dog mod.