Alternative for impossible lane management

[Mesgolan]

Not intending to start the lane management discussion again, but there are some other ways to get more control on traffic flow and junctions that might cost less performance:
- A larger variety in asymmetrical roads. (3x2, 3x1, 4x3 and 1x0)
- A road (or option) with no left or right turn. (Ignore the first node in that direction).

This gives players a kind of lane mangement at intersections without (I hope) changing the AI too much.

(And if you put all those roads in a paid dlc, you make money with it too. I didn't say that aloud though.)

 

[Alias_RM13]

Definitely need more road options. I’d like to see roads with medians that block cross traffic too at intersections.
I remember on SC4 when using the avenues that you had to drag a road across both lanes of the avenue for it to open the median to allow cross traffic, if you only did it to one lane the median stayed intact and traffic could only turn in the direction that lane went.

 

[EFGCities]

I still don't like the fact that they apparently can't do anything about making the AI more intelligent. With the current state of the AI being the end-all- be-all, what I do is to "trick" the system by using heavy traffic ban or old town. Also, installing bike lanes may be of help.

Bad



...but with bike lanes and old town policy on the adjacent city hall district

 

[Mesgolan]

I still don't like the fact that they apparently can't do anything about making the AI more intelligent.

That is unfortunate, but with the game already pushing the limits of the console I can live with that.
Having written some pathfinding software in the last 2 decades, and given the current junction-functionality, I do however believe that adding the option to manually alter lanes at junctions should hardly impact performance. Memory maybe, but not performance.
So, despite my original suggestion of adding a limited set of roads with predefined lane directions, I think that a tool to edit directions at junctions is actually achievable.
(Assuming that the code for path creation is separated from the path finding code.)

....what I do is to "trick" the system by using heavy traffic ban or old town. Also, installing bike lanes may be of help.

Yes, those policies help to control the amount of traffic, but they are workarounds. It is a bit of a bummer that we have to use a policy just to prevent trucks from creating a backlog by doing a U-turn on a highway ramp. (e.g.)

 

[want_to_know]

Do you guys have the 2 LAne Highways ?

 

[Mesgolan]

Do you guys have the 2 LAne Highways ?

Yes. I have Mass Transit just for the additional highway roads. (The ferries are nice too)

(Refraining from saying anything about putting these esentials in a DLC.)

 

[EFGCities]

Nice to know that you have some background re: stuff like these but yeah I will take lane alteration/control even in its crudest form. Right now if setting policies aren't up in your alley then just try to build a robust public transport system, leaving enough space/areas for further expansion as your city grows. My little city above went from having 78-83% traffic back up to high 80s to low 90s as soon as my cims started taking buses and metros and adding a freight train station just outside of my ore mining complex.

 

[burbigo1]

I don't have any background personally, I think that I should re-think about that.


TweakBox Tutuapp

 

[Mesgolan]

...just try to build a robust public transport system, leaving enough space/areas for further expansion as your city grows. My little city above went from having 78-83% traffic back up to high 80s to low 90s...

Nice, and a good advice, but this thread isn't a request for help. It is a suggestion that adds more realism to the game, and more options to manage traffic.

"More asymmetrical roads" is a quick win (More options for us, easy money for Paradox).
"Lane alteration/control" as you call it, would be great. Even in its crudest form. Personally, I picture this crudest form as an option similar to the stop sign on the junction tab. A simple toggle that cycles through different lane direction setups.

Both options would actually work great together: An extra lane coming onto a junction with an asymmetrical road, and a toggle to switch it to dedicated left/right.

 

[want_to_know]

You Guys use such combinations?

 

[Mesgolan]

You Guys use such combinations?

Of Course. Lane mathematics can be done with one-way highway roads (when you have the Mass Transit DLC).
The suggestion is to add various asymmetrical roads so the same can be achieved on two-way roads. For example when a medium road (2x2 lanes) hits an intersection, you'd want a 2x3 or 2x4 road to create dedicated turning lanes without changing number of lanes in the other direction. Not only does it look less nice, it also messes up the lane assignments form the other roads on the intersection when a 3x3 road is used. (And merging the undesired 3th lane back to 2 may cause issues too.)
With asymmetrical roads many more issues can be solved than this simple example. And yes, there are several workarounds, but that is not the point.
Asymmetrical roads are an easy way to enhance throughput, do a bit of lane management, and add realism and variety to our cities.

 

[Alias_RM13]

Just to add on the above comment, I wish we had nicer looking transitions between road sizes. The median literally just appearing in the middle of a 6 lane when downsizing to a 4 lane looks awful. But yes we definitely need a console “Road Pack” DLC or something to give us Network extension like addons