Whew, the buzz around Cities: Skylines II (CS II) is seriously heating up! They just launched a Development Diary that spills all the juicy details about what we can expect from the game. And let me tell you, they’ve really stepped up their game with awesome feature enhancements and some seriously cool new additions to the franchise! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
What’s got me super pumped is that this Development Diary is like a roadmap of the upcoming content, and they’re going to release it every Monday for the next few weeks. They started last Monday, June 19th, and they’re going to keep us hooked until close to the big release day on October 23, 2023!
The best part? They’ve even given us a sneak peek of the topics they’ll cover in each diary entry. Personally, I find it really awesome because it sets clear expectations for what we’ll get to dive into each week. Plus, the categories they’re covering are crucial for getting a better grasp of what this potential successor to the first Cities: Skylines (CS) is all about.
Okay, now let’s dig into the first topic of the diary, which is all about Road Tools! 🎉🚦🅿️
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of this topic, check out this official video all about Road Tools in CS II:
If you prefer reading, you can also head over to their official blog post titled Development Diary #1: Road Tools.
Exciting stuff, right? Now, let me share what’s got me pumped about these Road Tools features. I’ve organized my thoughts based on the content sections in their blog post. This way, I can easily take notes and geek out about it!
Road Tools — Overview
So, in their overview, they mentioned a feature that allows us to easily create a grid for our road layout. It’s something that I vividly remember from the good old days of SimCity 4, and it’s pretty awesome that they’re bringing it back in CS II.
To be completely honest, though, I’m not super hyped about that particular feature. Don’t get me wrong, I love the grid model for road layouts, but I feel pretty confident in my ability to create grids without too much help. 😬
Nevertheless, it’s a great addition that’ll definitely save some time when I do decide to go with a grid layout.
What really gets me excited, though, is that they’ve integrated water pipes right under the roads where they belong! It’s such a small detail, but it makes a lot of sense and adds a nice touch of realism.
And let’s not forget about the Replace Tool! It’s a game-changer because it allows me to customize the road network with things like grass, trees, wider sidewalks, or even sound barriers. This approach feels much more practical compared to having a gazillion road options with all these additional elements like in the first CS.
Oh, and did I mention Parallel Mode and the expanded Snapping Options? These are fantastic additions that enhance the road building experience. They were previously only available through mods in the first game, so having them in CS II right out of the box is awesome! 🙌🏼
Road Building Options
In this section, they talk about how the road tools in CS II are designed to make it faster and more flexible for players to create road networks, including intersections.
What gets me really excited here is the ability to build stack roads. Even with mods in the first CS, it was quite challenging to achieve this, so having it as a built-in feature in the sequel is a game-changer.
And there’s another feature that caught my attention — it seems like we’ll be able to structure roads based on the number of nodes per lane, rather than the entire road itself. That’s a pretty interesting stuff! ⬅️⬆️⬆️
Now, for those players who are really into creating intricate intersections, this feature might be a godsend. Personally, I think it would be awesome if I could use this feature to create split and merge lanes on arterial or collector roads. It would add a whole new level of complexity and realism to the road network.
Roads & Intersections
In this part, they mention that in CS II, roads are categorized into familiar types: small roads, medium roads, large roads, and highways. Each category offers various options, including two-way roads, one-way roads, and even asymmetric variations.
While all of that is pretty cool and undoubtedly brings significant improvements compared to the first CS, what really stands out to me in this section is the ability to partially add bus lanes or tram tracks to existing roads without having to change the road type. It’s similar to the replace tool I mentioned earlier, and I find it really exciting.
And let’s not forget about the pedestrian roads or paths! It seems like they’ll receive a significant upgrade in the base game compared to the first CS, which is great news.
Additionally, they mention premade intersections and a better roundabout builder. Although I’m not overly thrilled about these last two features, I can see the potential and the promise they hold.
Parking Lots
Oh, this is definitely the most exciting part of the Road Tools topic for me! The addition of new game mechanics in CS II that involve parking lots is a major game-changer. They mentioned that parking availability will have a significant impact on how the cims commute, and I’m here for it!
According to the developers, citizens in the game will make decisions based on the availability of parking spots, much like they do with public transport options. This means that their preferences for time management, comfort levels, and even their willingness to spend money will come into play.
Some cims will prioritize finding a parking spot as close as possible, regardless of the cost, while others might be okay with walking a bit further from a more affordable parking spot or a public transport stop.
I absolutely love this because it adds a whole new layer of complexity to the game. Now we’ll have to monitor and manage the availability of parking spaces in the city, keeping an eye on their usage levels and finding the right balance with public transportation options. It’s going to be exciting to see how these dynamics play out and how they’ll impact the overall transportation system in our cities.
Road Maintenance
Another thrilling improvement that adds to the realism in CS II is the importance of road maintenance. Now, we’ll have to ensure that our roads are in good condition throughout different seasons, which will not only help reduce the chances of traffic accidents but also have a significant impact on the flow of traffic.
To assist us in monitoring road conditions, the game will introduce the Roads Infoview. This handy feature will provide us with information about the condition of the roads, using a color-coded system. Roads in good condition will be indicated by green, while those in poor condition will be marked in red.
This feature is fantastic because it adds a new layer of gameplay experience beyond just the building process and visual enhancements. We’ll need to keep an eye on road conditions, prioritize maintenance when necessary, and ensure smooth traffic flow throughout our cities.
I can already imagine the challenge and satisfaction of maintaining a well-functioning road network, ensuring that the roads are in top shape and avoiding traffic bottlenecks. It adds another layer of strategy and realism to the game, and these kind of details truly enhance the overall gameplay experience.
Oh man! The hype for CS II is absolutely off the charts! The Development Diary has been dropping loads of exciting information, and it’s making the game even more enticing with each passing week.
I can feel the excitement building up inside me. Just looking at the lineup of different topics that will be revealed every Monday has me completely hooked. It’s amazing how this game keeps getting more and more attractive!
Honestly, after reading about this first topic alone, my urge to pre-order the game has grown exponentially! 😆💸 I can’t help but feel the temptation to dive into this urban paradise as soon as it launches.
The only thing that has been holding me back so far is the uncertainty about whether my current PC specs can handle the game properly. If I decide to get it right when it launches, I’m starting to think that upgrading my PC might not be such a bad idea after all. 🙈🙈🙈
After all, what better reason to invest in some hardware improvements than to fully enjoy the wonders of Cities: Skylines II? It sounds like a win-win situation to me! 😎
Source of images: Paradox Forum/Dev Diary — Road Tools #1
