Cities: Skylines II

[Unagi]

One annoying thing that has caught my eye in these recent videos is seeing everyone standing around in shorts during the winter.

It’s mildly jarring, and looks like a bunch of South Carolinians were caught in a rare snow-event.

[Carpet_pissr]

One annoying thing that has caught my eye in these recent videos is seeing everyone standing around in shorts during the winter.

It’s mildly jarring, and looks like a bunch of South Carolinians were caught in a rare snow-event.

Weirdly specific, but accurate reference. I know plenty of people that wouldn’t blink at wearing shorts in snow.

[Unagi]

One annoying thing that has caught my eye in these recent videos is seeing everyone standing around in shorts during the winter.

It’s mildly jarring, and looks like a bunch of South Carolinians were caught in a rare snow-event.

Weirdly specific, but accurate reference. I know plenty of people that wouldn’t blink at wearing shorts in snow.

Oh I do too!
I know I guy that always wears shorts, all winter.


Still, in the middle of winter you don’t see a bus stop filled with people dressed for 75°

The point being just that people also have seasonal clothes and if those are totally missing, it will be an eye sore (to some people) if you insert seasons but don’t see it all the way through.

I’m almost surprised they didn’t, seemingly, address it.
I can’t imagine it would be too hard to incorporate a change of clothes, and bad weather clothes don’t need to be as varied as the normal range of clothes. So you could just have everyone swap into like 5-6 different snow-gear and still look more integrated into the scene.

[naednek]

Greenman has both the premium and standard edition for 17% if you use code Aug17

[jztemple2]

See the article: Economy & Production Development Diary #9

Hi and welcome back to another development diary for Cities: Skylines II! This time we’ll take a closer look at the economic simulation, how citizens and companies manage and use resources, and how you can build a prosperous city knowing where citizens want to live, where companies seek to locate, and why and how to build connections that lay the foundation for citizens, resources, and services moving around the city smoothly.

While the economic simulation of Cities: Skylines is similar in concept compared to the economic simulation in Cities: Skylines II, it was simpler in Cities: Skylines. The production chain was relatively narrow, but the economic simulation served its purpose well within the game’s other systems.

As Cities: Skylines II has been built from the ground up and all of its core systems redesigned, there was also the need to redesign the economic simulation. It governs the households and their money and resource usage, businesses finding suitable locations in the city based on their evaluation of potential profit, available resources, connections, and workforce as well as city service functionality and trade. Check out the video below for a quick overview before we get into the economy and production of Cities: Skylines II.

[jztemple2]

[Carpet_pissr]

Coming 10/24/23 to PC Gamepass FWIW.

[naednek]

Coming 10/24/23 to PC Gamepass FWIW.

whew, i almost preordered

[jztemple2]

Game Progression: Development Diary #10

Welcome! It’s time for another Cities: Skylines II development diary. Today is all about game progression, which has two layers: Milestones and Development Trees. As you might expect, Milestones unlock new services, policies, and infoviews, but the process of unlocking them is different in Cities: Skylines II. Development Trees, an entirely new feature, exist for each service and bring a new level of customization to game progression. Both systems are tied together as Milestones give you points to spend in your Development Trees, allowing you to unlock more advanced services.

Our goal with this approach was to give you the freedom to create the city you want without requiring you to reach high population numbers or using the Unlock All function. If you want to build just a small town next to the International Airport or the ChirpX Space Center, then you’re able to do just that. So, let’s dive into Milestones and Development Trees!

[jztemple2]

[Unagi]

All the 'points' to earn and spend, make me a pinch nervous again. I just hope it doesn't feel like one's hands are tied too much, or that one is forced to make choices where it doesn't seem logical.
I'm just a worrier.

[Punisher]

All the 'points' to earn and spend, make me a pinch nervous again. I just hope it doesn't feel like one's hands are tied too much, or that one is forced to make choices where it doesn't seem logical.
I'm just a worrier.

You can always use cheats/trainers if it gets too picky or grindy.

[jztemple2]

All the 'points' to earn and spend, make me a pinch nervous again. I just hope it doesn't feel like one's hands are tied too much, or that one is forced to make choices where it doesn't seem logical.
I'm just a worrier.

I like the idea of the XP because before IIRC it was just based on population. I tended to throw down residential zones with abandon to get to the next milestone. This way I get rewarded for keeping my people happy

[Isgrimnur]

jztemple2, slum lord

[jztemple2]

jztemple2, slum lord

That's not true! I had the garbage picked up...eventually . And I really meant to have the sewage pipes repaired.

[Unagi]

All the 'points' to earn and spend, make me a pinch nervous again. I just hope it doesn't feel like one's hands are tied too much, or that one is forced to make choices where it doesn't seem logical.
I'm just a worrier.

I like the idea of the XP because before IIRC it was just based on population. I tended to throw down residential zones with abandon to get to the next milestone. This way I get rewarded for keeping my people happy

Yeah. It could be a very nice improvement as well.
It also sounds like you can even earn it all passively if you waited long enough.

[Unagi]

All the 'points' to earn and spend, make me a pinch nervous again. I just hope it doesn't feel like one's hands are tied too much, or that one is forced to make choices where it doesn't seem logical.
I'm just a worrier.

You can always use cheats/trainers if it gets too picky or grindy.

I wouldn’t though. I would just judge the game and play something else.
Really for all games: I want to play it as intended. (Mods that keep things balanced I’m fine with)

[Punisher]

jztemple2, slum lord

That's not true! I had the garbage picked up...eventually . And I really meant to have the sewage pipes repaired.

Just give them a bucket...

[Punisher]

All the 'points' to earn and spend, make me a pinch nervous again. I just hope it doesn't feel like one's hands are tied too much, or that one is forced to make choices where it doesn't seem logical.
I'm just a worrier.

You can always use cheats/trainers if it gets too picky or grindy.

I wouldn’t though. I would just judge the game and play something else.
Really for all games: I want to play it as intended. (Mods that keep things balanced I’m fine with)

To be fair, I'm sure there are plenty of real world governments who use their own cheat codes...so, hyper real game?

[jztemple2]

If you thought things weren't getting complicated enough, Citizen Simulation & Lifepath Development Diary # 11

Hi and welcome back to another development diary for Cities: Skylines II! This time we’ll take a closer look at the people populating your cities, their lives, and the choices they make as they grow older as well as how your actions steer their lives in different directions.

Citizens act as one of the primary agents simulated in the game. They are the residents of the houses in the residential zones, they are the workforce of the industrial, commercial, and office zones, and they are the customers in the commercial zones. Citizens suffer if the services do not operate properly but they also reap the benefits and flourish if you manage to govern your city well and answer their various needs.

Citizens are always up to something choosing from a variety of different activities. These include mundane things such as going to work or school, shopping, sleeping, or studying. They also have rarer activities such as committing a crime, escaping the crime scene, seeking medical treatment, and moving away. Many of these actions have simulation effects such as traveling to different places causing traffic on the roads, shopping causing changes in the economy simulation (albeit small when considering individual households), and getting medical treatment which takes up patient spots at the medical facility.

Citizens can own pets. Pet owners are chosen randomly from the citizen pool, and while pets are purely cosmetic and do not affect citizen Happiness or their consumption of Resources, garbage accumulation, or noise pollution, they add a bit of flavor to your city.


You can spot citizens and their four-legged friends around the city


Each citizen has their own Lifepath which describes the major events in their lives. They either move into the city or are born there. They grow up, go to school, and find work. They spend their free time at home, in the parks and other attractions, or go shopping in the city’s commercial buildings. They might get sick or become unemployed, and, if they are happy, they will stay in the city and eventually grow old and die of old age. All of which you can keep an eye on.

Check out the highlights video below before diving into all the details of this development diary.

[naednek]

When they said Chirper was back, I was hoping they'd say, and we won't be rebranding

[jztemple2]

When they said Chirper was back, I was hoping they'd say, and we won't be rebranding

Very good

And from the sounds of it, they are making it more useful by noting the number of "likes" means the issue is more widespread. I'm just hoping they will have a sorting ability so I don't have to scroll the list a lot.

[Unagi]

When they said Chirper was back, I was hoping they'd say, and we won't be rebranding

They should take the opportunity to rename it "Twitter" since it's available*

(*not serious)

[jztemple2]

[dbt1949]

When is the Sims going to enter this?

[jztemple2]

From PCGamer,

Prospective urban planners looking forward to Cities: Skylines 2 will need to get the PC version if they want to play this year. While a simultaneous launch was previously announced, Colossal Order has now pushed back the console release date, targeting a spring 2024 launch instead.

[Carpet_pissr]

From PCGamer,

Prospective urban planners looking forward to Cities: Skylines 2 will need to get the PC version if they want to play this year. While a simultaneous launch was previously announced, Colossal Order has now pushed back the console release date, targeting a spring 2024 launch instead.

I can’t imagine playing a game like this on console, but I’m an old PC gamer fart, so I’m biased.

[Unagi]

I'm happy to take that as an implication that the game was not designed to work seamlessly with consoles and is perhaps not easy for them to implement on the consoles - both of which I would take as a plus.

-also old PC gamer fart.

[Punisher]

I concur with both 9f you.
Another old pc fart

[jztemple2]

[Carpet_pissr]

Nice! Thanks for posting that. I almost always seek out good tutorial videos for builders (esp. considering I didn’t really play the first one…hopefully this one is better).

[jztemple2]

For those interested, Green Man Gaming has the game on sale.

[jztemple2]

Interesting video. The author isn't affiliated with Paradox but was given an early review copy. This is his third video that has him building a city and he's put in over 140 hours on the game. The video starts at his final thoughts about the game and I found his observations to be worth sharing.

[jztemple2]

Updates on Modding and Performance for Cities: Skylines II

MORE MODS FOR EVERYONE

We know you have been waiting, and now it's time to share the latest developments regarding modding in Cities: Skylines II.

First and foremost, our in-game editor is currently in its beta phase and will launch shortly after release. While we look forward to unleashing the power of creative modification to all of you, in preparation, we are collaborating with a talented group of creators working behind the scenes - ensuring you'll have amazing mods to dive into on its launch.

While the modding tool will have a basic framework at its inception, we are dedicated to its continuous expansion and enhancement, making it a central focus of our development efforts moving forward. More in-depth details about the editor and its roadmap ahead will be shared shortly - keep an eye out for our dev diaries.

Secondly, we're introducing Paradox Mods as the new mods platform for Cities: Skylines II. One of the core reasons for this is its inclusivity; modding capabilities will be extended to players across platforms - both PC and console - aligning with our commitment to provide as many as possible with the opportunity to modify and enjoy the game.

For console users, this means you will be able to access Asset Mods in the library. Yes, you read that right! We know it is a huge part of the Cities: Skylines experience and we're beyond excited to introduce a solution that makes mods available to everyone. As with all major updates, we are fully aware of the learning curve it might present, but we're committed to providing resources to ensure a smooth transition to Paradox Mods.


A NOTE ON PERFORMANE[sic] AND OUR COMMITMENT TO PLAYERS

On another note, we've noticed the concerns raised about Cities: Skylines II performance, especially after our previous statement with raised minimum and recommended specs. As we've always believed in transparency, we'd like to further shed some light on the current state of the build.

Cities: Skylines II is a next-gen title, and naturally, it demands certain hardware requirements. With that said, while our team has worked tirelessly to deliver the best experience possible, we have not achieved the benchmark we targeted.

In light of this, we still think for the long-term of the project, releasing now is the best way forward. We are proud of the unique gameplay and features in Cities: Skylines II, and we genuinely believe that it offers a great experience that you will enjoy.

We will continually improve the game over the coming months, but we also want to manage expectations on performance for the coming release. Our ambition is for Cities: Skylines II to be enjoyed by as many players as possible, and we're committed to ensuring it reaches its full potential.

Thanks for your understanding and continuous support. We're lucky to have a community as passionate and dedicated as you.

If you have more questions on the topic, please refer to our FAQ here:
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/th ... q.1601872/

[Carpet_pissr]

Interesting video. The author isn't affiliated with Paradox but was given an early review copy. This is his third video that has him building a city and he's put in over 140 hours on the game. The video starts at his final thoughts about the game and I found his observations to be worth sharing.

For the lazy (asking for a friend), can you give us an executive summary of his final thoughts?

[jztemple2]

Interesting video. The author isn't affiliated with Paradox but was given an early review copy. This is his third video that has him building a city and he's put in over 140 hours on the game. The video starts at his final thoughts about the game and I found his observations to be worth sharing.

For the lazy (asking for a friend), can you give us an executive summary of his final thoughts?

It's only four and a half minutes. It would take me longer to type it

[Carpet_pissr]

Interesting video. The author isn't affiliated with Paradox but was given an early review copy. This is his third video that has him building a city and he's put in over 140 hours on the game. The video starts at his final thoughts about the game and I found his observations to be worth sharing.

For the lazy (asking for a friend), can you give us an executive summary of his final thoughts?

It's only four and a half minutes. It would take me longer to type it

That's what I told my friend! Like I said...dude is L A Z Y.

Edit: Thanks for cuing it up to his summary! Nice!

I watched it, and came away disappointed. When anyone (especially someone who loves a franchise like this guy apparently does) says "I love the POTENTIAL of this game", that tells me pretty much all I need to know (for now): wait about 6-8 months for them to finish the game. Which I am more than happy to do....because it looks amazing!

[jztemple2]

I watched it, and came away disappointed. When anyone (especially someone who loves a franchise like this guy apparently does) says "I love the POTENTIAL of this game", that tells me pretty much all I need to know (for now): wait about 6-8 months for them to finish the game. Which I am more than happy to do....because it looks amazing!

Yup, this might be one to wait for the reviewed embargo to end before ordering. And according to Bard, the Google chat AI,

According to OpenCritic, the review embargo for Cities: Skylines 2 will end on October 23, 2023 at 7:00 AM PST. This means that reviews for the game will be published on that date and time.

I've been using Bard for some searches. It's not bad at all.

[Carpet_pissr]

I meant waiting 6-8 months after release because according to this guy, it’s not even close to being finished.

I abhor playing half-baked games.

[Unagi]

according to this guy, it’s not even close to being finished.

That's not really what I got from it.

"It's a very good game with some rough edges that need to be sanded" "missing some content"

I mean, I don't really care if I can't prioritize roads at launch, nor do I need to wait until I can pick my type of trees in the parkways (for instance)

That being said - it certainly cooled my excitement a bit, but I'll most certainly be playing around with it fairly early (Starfield will be my hold-up).

"expect to be sucked in once you figure it all out"