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Everything About Cities: Skylines - Paradox Greets You!

Discussion in 'General Forums' started by TotalyMoo, Sep 30, 2014.

  1. TotalyMoo

    TotalyMoo Paradox Community Manager

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    Greetings CitiesXL (and citybuilder) fans!

    My name is John and I am the community manager for the upcoming game Cities: Skylines (published by Paradox Interactive (the people I work for) and developed by Colossal Order, the team behind the CIM series). I'm personally an avid citybuilder fan, but have mostly found myself deeply involved in the older series like Caesar/Pharaoh/Zeus/SimCity. So working with a game that aims to be more like the older iterations is great fun!

    I've been gracefully allowed by the staff of xlnation to take part in your own CSL subforum, so here I am, about to inform you what CSL is all about. So without further ado -- here are some fast facts about the game.

    Some basic info
    We are a 9 man team aiming to create a fun, core, citybuilder game with a lot of room for expansion. The goal is to work close to the community and modders to ensure this happens, both prior and post launch. This means our resources and thus scope are limited, this is not a 300-man AAA production with infinite budgets. Please take this into consideration when discussing the game.

    Main features:
    • City policies: Set policies to guide how the city and districts develop over the course of your playthrough.
    • City districts: Personalize city districts with names of your choice for variety and personality.
    • Road building and zoning
    • Unlock buildings and services
    • Taxation: Fine-tuning the city budget and services and setting tax rates to different residential, commercial and industrial levels and controlling what kind of areas are more likely to spawn in the zoned areas
    • Public transportation: Build transport networks throughout the city with buses and metros
    • Outside connections: Make industry and commercial districts flourish with new customers in the neighboring cities
    • Wonders: the ultimate end-game content that the players strive towards
    • Huge maps: Unlock new map tiles with unique possibilities to expand the city
    • Water flow simulation: Add new challenges to water services.
    • Polished visual style and core gameplay
    • Modding tools: Built in feature designed to encourage creative pursuits.
    Trailers & videos




    Screenshots
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    Developer Diaries
    We plan to release these bi-weekly (so two each month), starting late September.

    Developer Diary 1 - Infrastructure

    Important Links
    Paradox Forums (lots of discussion here already!)
    Facebook
    Twitter

    I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the game, please do not hesitate to ask away if you have any questions!

    Best,
    John
     
  2. kipate

    kipate Governor

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    Well, I belong to the apparently rather rare species of "city painters",
    so a game where I cannot specify which buildings stand next to each other
    will have the effect that it won't be my love at first sight.
    And apparently, I am not the worst at painting a city...

    I have to say I like the specification & diversification options that the
    game gives.

    Did I understand it correctly that you can save a construction you built in one city
    and copy/paste it to have it also in another city? That would be really a clever thought :)

    For the graphics, hmmh, well, as it rather concentrates on the simulation/sociological
    part, I did not expect to be mindblown, but some parts could have been done
    better, especially the industrial areas/buildings. Your residentials very look good, though.
     
  3. KevinTheCynic

    KevinTheCynic Executive

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    Hi John, thanks for stopping by and presenting all this information. As you've probably seen, there's a few of us here that are very interested in seeing just where Cities: Skylines goes.
    I don't have a lot of questions at the moment but I am interested in knowing how much variety there will be with buildings e.g. the second screenie shows a built-up industrial area using many instances of (what appears to be) the same building. Will this be the norm or will there be more industrial (for example) buildings to choose from?
     
    TotalyMoo likes this.
  4. TotalyMoo

    TotalyMoo Paradox Community Manager

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    Hmm, I'm not quite sure what you mean with this question. If you add a custom asset to the game you can use it in any city, or do you mean like a specific road form or something similar?

    Hello Kevin! I'm glad to hear you're interested in CSL, I'm pretty hyped myself if I am to be honest.

    Right now we're still in alpha so there are loads of assets to be added still, we aim for a relatively varied "neutral modern architecture" so that modders and future content can easily expand on this without breaking the style too much. So expect more variety than you see in these screenshots but not a crazy amount at launch. As mentioned we are a 9 man team ;)
     
  5. kipate

    kipate Governor

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    I meant the part in the interview video, from 8:00 to 8:57 or so...
    where she speaks about an editor mode, if I understood correctly...
     
  6. TotalyMoo

    TotalyMoo Paradox Community Manager

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    I'm relatively sure Mariina means that you can do this in the decoration editor, which is a tool available in-game but, to my knowledge, not whilst you're playing a scenario. Although you can of course save, go to the main menu, create something in the deco tool and then go back into the game and place it.
     
  7. gbojanic

    gbojanic Governor

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    This game looks promising.
    But like kipate said I like to choose and place the buildings manually, one by one.
    That is a major thing for me and if it lacks that, it will remain in second place, right after CitiesXL (because there is no newer city building game worth mentioning, that, of course, includes the new Sim City, which is crap).

    As far as graphics go, it could be improved. I don't if it's the lighting in the game or something else (CitiesXL looks a million times better with the Monty's lighting mod than by default. So I don't know if the game lighting has anything to do wit it), but the graphics look very nice when you view the city from a distance or up high. But when zoomed in, it looks a bit cartoonish, which I don't like...
     
  8. kipate

    kipate Governor

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    +1 point for the decoration editor, then! Very good idea!
     
  9. Monty

    Monty Governor

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    Welcome TotalyMoo! Nice to have you around here. I'm happy that city building games are going through a "revival" period. Though I'm sure CSL are going to be a great addition to the genre You've been implementing a lot of nice things (tho leaving out quite a lot too) but I feel like the game needs more novelties, most of the ideas in the game have been part of city building games for the last 10 years. Yes, there hasn't been a game containing most of them, but I think you maybe should push it forward a little bit more. Old school is not bad, but there is a thin line between old school and dated. I understand why you may be "playing safe". Maybe it's the right decision for this game, but I really hope to see something more "exciting" in the future.

    Anyway, it's just my opinion -it may change once I play the game- and even though the game may not be my cup of tea any effort to keep this genre alive is welcome. I wish you successful sales and positive critic and playes reviews. :)

    I agree with you kipate. Industrial areas don't look like that in real life. I think they maybe tried to make that "industrial area" concept extremely visual, based on the idea: industry=pipes, tanks and chimneys. Very early XX century like.

    But in real life industrial areas are quite different, mostly warehouses and low buildings:
    Register or to view Spoiler content!
     
  10. royb 98

    royb 98 Elite

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    I don't think it'll take long before someone makes a mod allowing you to place mods individually. What I'm most concerned about is how accessible that accessible building editor is. It would be great if you could make a building in just a couple of minutes. That's one of the things I hoped Cities XL would have when I bought it. I like designing buildings just as much as making cities.
     
  11. The Funky Monk

    The Funky Monk Moderator
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    I'm really looking forward to this game. So far there's a lot of things to like about it that outweigh the negatives. It probably won't be the perfect game but sure looks to be a heap of fun.
     
  12. prismaticmarcus

    prismaticmarcus Unskilled Worker

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    i was put off when i learnt that the max city population will only be a million. it's awesome that there will be (from memory) 10,000 agents, but what's the rationale behind limiting the overall population?
     
  13. TotalyMoo

    TotalyMoo Paradox Community Manager

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    Thanks, it's nice to be here. This forum is very friendly and receptive, something I've seen a lot in city builder communities. I'm glad that you all seem very open to having more than one good game on the market, it's very refreshing from the constant xbox vs playstation or bf vs cod a la my dad is stronger than your dad.

    Coexistence is possible, and you're all doing a very good job on making that clear :)

    On the point of more unique features, I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Sure, we're going for a safer core concept with our roots in the older games - but that doesn't mean we're afraid to improve and expand. We're still quite a bit from launch and we'll release developer diaries every second week, so here's to you slowly being convinced we're as awesome as we like to believe we are ;)

    Max population & city sizes will both be unlockable, but we do not guarantee that the simulation works flawlessly then. Keep in mind our citizens are all individuals with names, jobs, homes, education levels, their own economy et cetera. That's a lot to simulate!
     
  14. KevinTheCynic

    KevinTheCynic Executive

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    Actually, the more that I learn about Skylines, the more I'm liking it. So yeah, count me as leaning further towards the "will buy it" crowd.
    At the moment, I'm playing CXL and Banished but with the direction that Skylines is taking, I think I will probably end up with a triad of city builders - Cities XL, Banished & Cities: Skylines. Each one offers something a little different to the other and I think the three of them will satisfy my city building wants in most forms.
     
  15. TotalyMoo

    TotalyMoo Paradox Community Manager

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    I really, really want to like Banished. Or well, I do, but it completely lacks endgame and has some major balance issues when you get to a certain point. Like how extremely easy it is to lose your entire town population to illness if you have one mentally challenged citizen walking the wrong way to the hospital (they need to fix so that sick citizens don't finish their current task before seeking healthcare). But beyond those issues it's just so darn good, well made, polished, good looking, cozy and generally awesome.

    I'm glad to hear you're leaning towards becoming part of the CSL playerbase, but also that it's not an exclusive choice. Having communities span between games is actually something I find very positive, it's not like the citybuilder market is over-saturated anyways :p

    May I ask what the most appealing thing with CitiesXL is, according to you?
     
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  16. nicko2u

    nicko2u Governor

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    yeah looks awesome so far love how you guys are developing great roads highway interchange options etc.

    I would love to see more low rise manufacturing industry instead of some of that high chimney industrial fake looking buildings.

    I also havn't seen any landmarks buildings, skyscrapers? are you guys going to build a few or you leaving that to modders as well? lol.

    I understand its a work in progress. all good love your stuff so far.
     
  17. TotalyMoo

    TotalyMoo Paradox Community Manager

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    We're definitely adding more assets in all zones before launch, so no worries here.

    There are landmarks, wonders and single ploppables like that (stadiums, statues etc.) and both zonable and ploppable scyscrapers :)
     
  18. Rene

    Rene Executive

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    I don't get aroused nor emused by Banished. I want something modern. And Cities Skylines will offer that - I'm sure after seeing all those videos and pics.

    I love the game already.

    - Roundabouts - to be able to make as small as possible
    - loving the auto tool and sharing possibility
    - for all road sizes and types (as possible)

    A scandinavian team is perfect for city builders, it's fun how games such as implement both CXL and SC5, also keep in mind the history of the franchisee, I love it.

    - huge maps and I love the map tool already I could eat it

    1. there must be a way to have growable only and ploppable only content, just a tag
    2. but already they're zone-grow system is unique

    Love and respect for Cities Skylines.

    Now can we please some rail action on video?
     
  19. kipate

    kipate Governor

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    Regarding the highways, is there an increase in traffic speed?
    And will there be a trade-off for players given the distance between
    two junctions? Such that shorter distances allow for lower
    overall speed, as the cars that join the highway cause the other drivers to
    pay more attention and eventually drive slower, but longer distances lead to
    higher traffic on every single junction?
     
  20. Rene

    Rene Executive

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    There needs the be a way or an option to shut smoke down from the chimneys as for sure there will be anti-pollution mods.

    And what's best, green tech is evolving, Cities do not have chimneys not much at all anymore....

    The energy sector and tech sector as well as manufacture sectore are changing into more green.

    A city must be able exist without dirty industry, but might have to import the produscts... ? or what?

    Is there local or city wide pollution ranges?
    What are pollutions?
    Is traffic noise or noise in general pollution?
    Air pollution exists I assume but what's the way implemented...?
     

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