The city-building genre has served niche audiences for decades since the original sim city Popularized the idea of allowing players to design and manage their own little utopias. With that original franchise on the ice, it came down to a newcomer, City: Horizon, to take over as the major player in the genre, and it managed to become a well-received replacement. That title received plenty of support from the developers and community, but it was finally time for a sequel to freshen things up. City:Skylines II It’s building on the same foundation as city builders of the past, but it also brings new features and mechanics that even experienced city planners will have to adapt to. Whether you’re building a city from scratch for the first time or you’ve put hundreds of hours into urban design, these are the essential tips and tricks you need to know when getting started. City:Skylines II,
Choose your plot
The first major option you will have to choose is City:Skylines II That is where you really want to build the society of your dreams. At launch, the game comes with six maps to choose from, but this decision holds more than just aesthetic differences. Yes, each map has its own look that will determine how your buildings, houses, and even vehicles will look, but there are also some deeper mechanical changes you’ll want to plan for.
First up is the map’s terrain and resources. The map’s terrain will naturally limit and influence the ways in which you can and cannot expand and develop your city, but it also has a wider impact on your road and transportation design. map in City:Skylines II They’re about five times larger than in the first game, but how much of that space you can freely create will vary depending on the map. As well as the usual terrain, each map will contain different amounts of different resources. Care should be taken in advance to properly zone and divide your various districts, depending on what type of energy is most abundant on the map, and in which locations.
Ultimately, each map is intended to represent a different part of the world that experiences unique climates. Again, sn0w and sun here are not just for show. The latitude of the map will mean whether the days are longer or shorter, and the weather is more or less extreme. What this means for you as a city planner is that the behavior of your population will vary depending on these factors. Additionally, if you’re in an area prone to inclement weather, you need to make additional preparations for increased energy use and more maintenance services if infrastructure breaks down. Consider each map’s seasonal, continental, and polar climate before making your selection.
Manage your initial budget
As much as you might want to get straight to the “good” stuff and start building giant skyscrapers, City:Skylines II Every time you start a new city you need to take it slow. This is especially important if you are new to this genre. Your initial budget may seem generous, but it will start to drain faster than you can imagine. Initially focus on establishing a functional residential area with small-sized houses and adequate electricity, roads and other utilities, so that your monthly costs remain low and then gradually occupy larger areas with larger buildings to earn profits. Get it done.
Especially for beginners, remember to pause frequently in the beginning. Time passing before you have any income flowing in is like wasting your budget, so don’t waste it planning things in real time when you can stop the clock and make a plan. This is especially important when you have citizens, but services like garbage removal and running water are not fully established.
Milestones and growth points
City:SkylinesII Uses a milestone and development system to provide you with gradual upgrades and new features as your city grows. Before you can reach the highest level of the city you have to complete 20 milestones which you unlock by earning XP. You don’t have to go out of your way to earn or spend XP, just keep building, upgrading and expanding and it will come naturally. As you reach milestone levels, you’ll find development points you want to pay more attention to.
Development points are spent on skill trees Development tab of your menu. There are about a dozen tabs you can spend these points on, including new roads, tourist attractions, advanced education, emergency services, parks, and more. Which category you’ll want to invest in depends on where you’ve set up your city and what your needs are, but sitting at these points will keep you from growing at the rate you should.
Don’t move too quickly and plan ahead
Keeping up with managing your initial budget means making a plan quickly and sticking to it as best as possible. Zoning may seem like the best way to outline your future metropolis, but you need to resist that urge. Go ahead and plan your street and district networks, but don’t designate any areas for specific purposes until you know what you need. Being a simulation game, you can never be 100% sure what your growing city will need when it gets off the ground. If you allocate too much space to one thing, but need something else first, you will not only have wasted space, but will have a less efficient city overall.
Always check your current city’s requirements city information Tab. This will tell you where your city is lacking and which areas should be given priority first.
Don’t upgrade unless you need to.
Finally, don’t be too eager to upgrade your existing buildings as quickly as possible. These may seem like big investments, especially for your service buildings, but unless you can take advantage of that upgrade right away, it’s a massive money pit. Of course, there is the initial upgrade cost, but upgrading a building also increases its monthly cost, which can easily put you in the negative if you don’t get value from it. You also can’t undo a building’s upgrades, so it’s an early mistake that could eventually lead to your collapse if you’re not careful.