As-is, NA and EU zoning types seem too similar. The benefit is, of course, that it is easy to blend between the two. But that benefit becomes less laudable when the switching between zoning types, even on the same block, can become necessary to prevent the repetition of models.
Having them be so uniform also obscures what makes the different continents' building styles so unique, and limits some easier pathways to fixing this game's mini "missing middle." For instance, say, what if I want to include some European-style small-scale commercial in my cozy low density row-home neighborhood? Rather than what you'd see in much of Europe --a little 2-3 story corner-store, or what have you, with perhaps some apartments above-- European commercial will give me stroad-strip the same as NA. Mods are attempting to answer this through custom zoning (in this example, mixed row homes), but they're in their infancy: rough at best, and game-breaking at worst.
In short, right now, there continues to be a steep density curve in the game where office or commercial buildings are either 1 story tall, surrounded by parking lots, or 6 stories tall, with little space in between. Greater diversity between the NA and European assets could bridge that gap by allowing European style smaller 1-2 story commercial/office buildings. This would serve as a triple-edged blade by solving this game's density problem, the redundancy of the two asset types, and genuine European-style builds.
Having them be so uniform also obscures what makes the different continents' building styles so unique, and limits some easier pathways to fixing this game's mini "missing middle." For instance, say, what if I want to include some European-style small-scale commercial in my cozy low density row-home neighborhood? Rather than what you'd see in much of Europe --a little 2-3 story corner-store, or what have you, with perhaps some apartments above-- European commercial will give me stroad-strip the same as NA. Mods are attempting to answer this through custom zoning (in this example, mixed row homes), but they're in their infancy: rough at best, and game-breaking at worst.
In short, right now, there continues to be a steep density curve in the game where office or commercial buildings are either 1 story tall, surrounded by parking lots, or 6 stories tall, with little space in between. Greater diversity between the NA and European assets could bridge that gap by allowing European style smaller 1-2 story commercial/office buildings. This would serve as a triple-edged blade by solving this game's density problem, the redundancy of the two asset types, and genuine European-style builds.
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