Cool thread. Visual diversity is important indeed. One reason I didn't jump on board CiM2 was because it isn't possible to create visual diversity. Same reason why I got tired of CitiesXL real fast.
Good to know there will be abandoned and burnt buildings visual effect. Wondering if these are real-time, or abrupt...
- Should be able to place some buildings (like tenements, apartment blocks) together with no gap inbetween
- This idea was knocked back in the AMA but it realy would be great if some buildings visibly aged over the years, just little signs of being dirty and outdated
- Stuff like litter, graffiti, non-perfect foliage
- As much variance in models of same-type buildings as possible, i.e. give us as many different house models as you can without getting fired for making too many house models
- Tyre marks on roads
- buildings near industry and heavy transport become visibly dirtier
Some nice ideas there. Gap-less buildings shouldn't be difficult to achieve I think, as long as the building is rectangular and there is built-in snap-to-grid zoning mechanism.
My understanding from reading the Reddit transcript is texture map rendering is the most RAM/CPU expensive factor. Ideally, visual effect has a useful function, typically as a distress indicator. My thinking is, why not add some of these suggested visual effects into existing distress indicators, on a sliding scale. IF it is technically possible, hasn't already been done, and not too resource-expensive, of course...
Thanks Karoliina for confirming the noise pollution indicator idea. I'm still trying to wrap my head around noise pollution causing dirty building look. Noise pollution is more likely to cause fast abandonment? Cracked walls visual effect as indicator?
On "Abandonment" - one of the most frustrating SC4 thing is the need to click on SUDDENLY abandoned buildings to check which of the 17 reasons caused its abandonment. It would be nice to be warned visually, on specifically why it is in distress, to give us a chance to rectify the problem before things get so dire. More intelligent visual feedback...basically...
I recall reading about yellowing trees and foliage as visual indicator for air pollution. Perhaps add a 'browning sliding scale' (specular channel?) for buildings too - into the existing Fire-Safety visual indicator. As in, Fireproof/Dirt-safe to Dirt-Accumulating-On-Roof-and-Upper-Walls to Burnt Down. OR, to Abandonment, whichever is more logical.
As to "aging" visual effect... High$ buildings as a rule do age better than low$. Point is, the Actual Age of the building in itself doesn't correlate with decay or fall of property value, so age is not a highly useful data. A young building, however, could be in an accelerated state of decay or "aging" for various reasons. This justifies a DECAY-in-progress indicator,
not linked to age. Perhaps, having the decaying looks on Happily-Occupied to Decay/Disrepair to Abandonment sliding scale. Normal + Specular channel simulating increased holes on walls and discoloured patches etc...
Grafittis and kicked over garbage bins as indicator of crime in the area.
Basically, multiple distress visual indicators on a sliding scale will be really really cool.
Just some ideas... Cheers!
