So, what's your goal in city-building games?

[RedRalphWiggum]

This is more a question for my fellow fans than devs (though there's obviously going to be a large overlap there).

What is your usual goal in a city-builder, and what do you think it will be in C:SL? To be honest, for me it's to have a realistic city rather than a visually beautiful or perfectly-functioning one. I like the game to punish my mistakes as much as reward good planning. If I place houses right beside a mine, I want that to backfire on me in such a way I can't ignore it. Similarly, if my transport system is very well planned, I want to see the results.

I love Tropico and Sim City, but I always felt it was a mistake that you can basically ignore major problems and focus on aesthetics. One game I think handled this very well was Grand Ages Rome. If you made a major mistake your city would be half-burnt down (perhaps it was a little too harsh). this could be frustrating but it did draw you further into the game.

 

[Stagua]

There are three goals in my games.

First of all, on early stage of playing, I am trying to build some working "business-model" which allows me to keep police, fire station, electricity, some parks and rising C$$ - I$$. Once I reached the goal within a little district, I make some more of such districts and try to keep them looking familiar.

Secondary, I am trying to make some kind of copy of town I was going to build. I.e. I play the map based on Toledo landscape: means I start from putting "business-model" districts in some corner of the map then build more or less realistic downtown and streetmap of Toledo in most recognizable parts of real town.

Finally, after when I managed to combine real town and money making model, I start making it so nobody complains on mayor - removing rocket launch, toxic plant, making some more parks, moving traffic in subway.

But the biggest and hardest goal probably is to make rail roads system, to leave the space for them when you have no money to build them in different parts of towns and not to forget where did I want to place rails later : D

I have a big doubt I would expect something more from CiS. I want to play on HUGE maps (unlike SC4 or SC2013) and I want to find out what resources are (are they working same way like in SC2013?). I like CiM2 roads system and it should make things much easier than it was in other citybuilders. But new goals... no, I doubt there will be some new ones

 

[Bipin]

My goals are a bit of a hybrid between two popular mindsets. First and foremost, I try to design the most visually attractive city,. It's an experience akin to painting a canvas, which isn't surprising, as I'm a visual artist in real life. While visuals do come first, it also must balance out with functionality. Essentially, I aim to create the most beautiful and/or photorealistic visual environment possible that still retains basic, largely uncompromised functionality. For instance, if I need to build a parclo interchange at one location, I will do so by making sure the curves are smooth an sinuous, akin to those in the real world, and that the proportions are correct to real world standards. I will then spend the bulk of my time adding landscaping, signs and other little unique details to make the scene as visually realistic and stimulating as possible. To that end, it often seems I'm making the mundane, boring constructions into visually captivating landmarks that still retain their (at the very least, basic) functionality. It's a challenge that I enjoy, especially when it comes to industrial landscapes (anyone from the SC4 community who has seen just a few of my mods or cities would know that)! :happy:

 

[zorkman]

Having fun.

 

[Wenla]

Having fun.

Same here.

 

[Sn3ipen]

Building the most beautiful city the world have ever seen.

 

[Susanna]

Having fun.

Bingo.

 

[vanadio]

Building realistic medium sized cities. Always a challenge.

 

[Stagua]

The biggest challenge in CiS probably will be to build a town which will cover whole map and will be more or less realistic.

 

[finaldest]

My Goal is to recreate my home city (London, UK) as accurately as possible with the ultimate goal of fixing all its current real life flaws. For example, In the UK our transport infrastructure is in a complete shambles so I look at the overall city layout and attempt a fix. I also try to keep an authentic look to my city. City ordinances, Taxes and public services will be experimented with until optimum results are achieved while maintaining a healthy overall balance of my city.

I also like to plan out "City Projects" and attempt to integrate them into my city with minimal disruption as this creates a somewhat real life scenario and adds challenge to the game play experience. Building a new highway through a dense area would be a slow process for me as I would not simply demolish half my city in one foul swoop, I would plan new areas in the city for my "to be" homeless citizens first:laugh:

 

[Johnnysims]

What I do is find a large map and start a town on it. My goal is then to grow this town would grow. Bit by bit, larger and larger, trying to keep everyone happy. Having all I need in one city. Until it grows enough for buildings and then I have suburbs and highways and just keep growing and try to solve all problems like traffic and crime. Until the map is almost full. Or completely full. Then I try to grow the CBD even larger with more and more people. Making cities next to this one to help with workers or industry or whatever.

 

[JPGM22]

My goal is to built the most realistic and beautiful city as possible. Start from a small village to a big metropole. Build a big and efficient transportation system. I love european cities and the challenges that they offer. Historical centers with narrow streets and with tons of historical buildings that are part of city's heritage. You can not destroy them, and to resolve the traffic problems you need to recur to other ways, that is not simply build large roads. And be versitile and with no limits. In SC13 you build a city to be an University campus, and industrial city, casino city... I want to build them all in a single city!!
And have fun offcourse.

 

[Polar Mongoose]

Working cities with as little pollution as I can possibly manage, usually with a very extensive public transport system. Also with parks everywhere.

 

[TotalyMoo]

Survive against the elements (a big fan of Banished, even though I've not played it much yet).

 

[Stagua]

Offtopic: Banished disappointed me a lot; I've bought it having a wish to play the game, not just to build source of food all the time.

 

[TotalyMoo]

Offtopic: Banished disappointed me a lot; I've bought it having a wish to play the game, not just to build source of food all the time.

Hmm, when did you play it last? I tried it at launch but haven't followed it much lately. Thought I'd get back into it after it had a few months of post-release work.

 

[Stagua]

Right after release. Ended up whole town is full of farms and hunters.
What I mean is, the game has no "fun" part, it only keeps you concentrated not to skip the moment when your food will be not enough. It's wrong.

 

[TotalyMoo]

Right after release. Ended up whole town is full of farms and hunters.
What I mean is, the game has no "fun" part, it only keeps you concentrated not to skip the moment when your food will be not enough. It's wrong.

I'll definitely give it another try, but I do recognize what you mean with trying to get food at all times. I thought that was the fun part though

This is really off topic (not going to moderate myself, power abuse woo!) but I used to love playing the ice-troll mod/game mode in WC3 where it was pretty much "find food, stay warm, don't die". Love it.

 

[Stagua]

Yea well to bring it on-topic I can add that I always loved to build town the way so future police and fire department place is reserved and not zoned, but riots and fire always been starting before I built them. I wonder whats happening in new game if I dont place police station.

 

[lemonsquid]

my own utopia