The game has lack of a very important thing "Regions"!

[tombjo 13]

It is a very good game. But missing a very important part, region where your cities are and can be connected to each other and do neighbor trade like in SC4 as shown in the screenshot right below.

When you starts a new game you could choose between a single city like they are current or build cities on an region that can grow biger and biger
like in SimCity 4 and Theotown!

 

[BoraBora]

The larger SC4 maps are 16km². 20 years ago, regions were an acceptable way to compensate somehow this ridiculously small map size. A CS II map is 205 km², more than 12 large SC4 maps. With the "all map unlockable" mod by Algernon (already written, waiting for PDXMod launch), we'll be able to build on 3283 km², so 205 large SC4 maps on a single one. How's that for a region?

 

[Orinsul]

buy tiles that aren't touching and connect them via highways/rail?

 

[HideoKuze]

The larger SC4 maps are 16km². 20 years ago, regions were an acceptable way to compensate somehow this ridiculously small map size. A CS II map is 205 km², more than 12 large SC4 maps. With the "all map unlockable" mod by Algernon (already written, waiting for PDXMod launch), we'll be able to build on 3283 km², so 205 large SC4 maps on a single one. How's that for a region?

but the map size of CS II is not enough to build multiple cities, and the game design doesn't allow you to trade between two cities within the same map. I guess maybe the exporting and importing from the actual city of another saving is better, and allowing players to choose which direction leads to which city. That can also solve a part of the unreasonable import mechanism.

 

[BigYundol]

It was neat in Sim City 4 because of the small city maps, but trading between maps was buggy and semi useful.

In C: S2 this small maps are included in one whole regional map

 

[BoraBora]

but the map size of CS II is not enough to build multiple cities,

Of course it's enough. In SC4, it wasn't enough for one tiny town. I mean... 4x4 km. I know villages bigger than this. Then we're supposed to believe we're "exporting" to another town 2 km from there. That's not exporting, that's commuting or visiting his friends. Seriously, it was a fun but very limited way to add some "make believe", considering you couldn't build a city, only a village or a very small town. But try to fill a whole CS II map then, months later, maybe you'll be grateful you do'nt have to deal with some half-baked virtual "export" spreadsheet mechanic. At any rate, it's definitely not a "very important thing" like this thread title pretend it to be.

I added the SC4 map size to this map comparison: