Updates on Modding and Performance for Cities: Skylines II

[Approach]

Xbox players don't have mods per se, just some special assets that were added years ago. Those are called "mods" in-game for some reason, but they really aren't

Good to know. They may not have mods on consoles, but that's not because of the Steam workshop. So, I don't think OP linking these two as some kind of "relationship" is fair.

 

[homerCCCP]

Do you really have an idea about what you are talking about?

So what is this? https://mods.paradoxplaza.com/games/cities_skylines?orderBy=desc&platforms=Xbox_one&sortBy=best
Can you explain what the word "Xbox_one" in this link means to you?

You ask me what weighs more, but I don't remember that I am ever against Paradox having its own platform for players outside Steam.

I am just disappointed that they decided to kill Steam Workshop support.

Why can't we have BOTH?

Don't even get me started on the new pricing, current poor performance, and so-called "next-gen graphic." I don't think that asking for parallel support for both Steam workshop and their own platform is "asking too much."

Ok, so you claim it is possible to download from Steam workshop on the xbox? Ok...

You are getting upset about a product that you were not forced to pay for based on assumptions you don't know.

Whatever... Cancel your purchase and move on.

 

[Approach]

Ok, so you claim it is possible to download from Steam workshop on the xbox? Ok...

You are getting upset about a product that you were not forced to pay for based on assumptions you don't know.

Whatever... Cancel your purchase and move on.

You really have some serious reading and understanding problems...

Where the hell did I ?

claim it is possible to download from Steam workshop on the xbox

How did you get to this conclusion???

 

[Lucododosor]

Good to know. They may not have mods on consoles, but that's not because of the Steam workshop. So, I don't think OP linking these two as some kind of "relationship" is fair.

Also it's important to notice that, from what I understand, console players still won't have mods for C:S II. What they'll have now is the possibility of having more diverse custom assets - or "asset mods".
In C:S I, those special assets were the only option - and for Xbox only. If I or anyone else wanted to make new custom assets for console and make them available, it simply wasn't possible. Now it'll be possible for C:S II.

I understand that making mods available for consoles is an issue on its own, there would be probably some things to be discussed with Sony/Microsoft - and they aren't really that keen to allow mods on their platforms as a general rule. But at least having those custom assets is way better than how it was before.

But I agree it's not really a reason to abandon Steam Workshop. IMO having both would probably be a better solution.

 

[Lucododosor]

On another note, please remain civil and constructive in the discussion.

No snarky comments or borderline personal attacks. Thank you!

 

[Approach]

Also it's important to notice that, from what I understand, console players still won't have mods for C:S II. What they'll have now is the possibility of having more diverse custom assets - or "asset mods".
In C:S I, those special assets were the only option - and for Xbox only. If I or anyone else wanted to make new custom assets for console and make them available, it simply wasn't possible. Now it'll be possible for C:S II.

I understand that making mods available for consoles is an issue on its own, there would be probably some things to be discussed with Sony/Microsoft - and they aren't really that keen to allow mods on their platforms as a general rule. But at least having those custom assets is way better than how it was before.

But I agree it's not really a reason to abandon Steam Workshop. IMO having both would probably be a better solution.

Console players will likely only get "assets mods (buildings)" but not "function mods (Move it, TMPE...)" even with Paradox Mod on CS2 as running random user-defined programs is like a big NONO to all consoles.

 

[BaronMouths]

View attachment 1031541


MORE MODS FOR EVERYONE

We know you have been waiting, and now it's time to share the latest developments regarding modding in Cities: Skylines II.

First and foremost, our in-game editor is currently in its beta phase and will launch shortly after release. While we look forward to unleashing the power of creative modification to all of you, in preparation, we are collaborating with a talented group of creators working behind the scenes - ensuring you'll have amazing mods to dive into on the launch of the mods platform.

While the modding tool will have a basic framework at its inception, we are dedicated to its continuous expansion and enhancement, making it a central focus of our development efforts moving forward. More in-depth details about the editor and its roadmap ahead will be shared shortly - keep an eye out for our dev diaries.

Secondly, we're introducing Paradox Mods as the new mods platform for Cities: Skylines II. One of the core reasons for this is its inclusivity; modding capabilities will be extended to players across platforms - both PC and console - aligning with our commitment to provide as many as possible with the opportunity to modify and enjoy the game.

For console users, this means you will be able to access Asset Mods in the library. Yes, you read that right! We know it is a huge part of the Cities: Skylines experience and we're beyond excited to introduce a solution that makes mods available to everyone. As with all major updates, we are fully aware of the learning curve it might present, but we're committed to providing resources to ensure a smooth transition to Paradox Mods.


A NOTE ON PERFORMANCE AND OUR COMMITMENT TO PLAYERS

On another note, we've noticed the concerns raised about Cities: Skylines II performance, especially after our previous statement with raised minimum and recommended specs. As we've always believed in transparency, we'd like to further shed some light on the current state of the build.

Cities: Skylines II is a next-gen title, and naturally, it demands certain hardware requirements. With that said, while our team has worked tirelessly to deliver the best experience possible, we have not achieved the benchmark we targeted.

In light of this, we still think for the long-term of the project, releasing now is the best way forward. We are proud of the unique gameplay and features in Cities: Skylines II, and we genuinely believe that it offers a great experience that you will enjoy.

We will continually improve the game over the coming months, but we also want to manage expectations on performance for the coming release. Our ambition is for Cities: Skylines II to be enjoyed by as many players as possible, and we're committed to ensuring it reaches its full potential.

Thanks for your understanding and continuous support. We're lucky to have a community as passionate and dedicated as you.

---

If you have more questions on the topic, please refer to our FAQ here :
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/threads/cities-skylines-ii-modding-and-performance-faq.1601872/

Any news on DLSS?

 

[UsmanSyed]

I believe reading their statement, that if you don't own an upgraded new system right now, better to wait a few months to see how the game improves. As for right now, it looks like once cities gets bigger, performance issues will start.

 

[homerCCCP]

You really have some serious reading and understanding problems...

Where the hell did I ?


How did you get to this conclusion???

No you claimed my comment is wrong that people on consoles were not able to download all those mods published on steam workshop.

You said: "Do you have an idea what you are talking about?".

You absolutely fail to understand my initial comment. I will ignore your comments from now on, bye

 

[Ludwig234]

No Steam workshop is unacceptable!

Depending on how the new modding platform is, it might be way better than the workshop. The workshop is actually shit for mods, it's a pain to see which mods are outdated and its also a pain to switch between different saves with different mods.

I hope the modding platform is like the one Factorio has. It's so good! You can sync you current active mods to the game save so you can just open any save and it will ask you if you want to load the right mods. Version control is also way easier since the game just tells you what mods are outdated and which are not.

Unfortunately there is a risk that the mod platform will be shit, and some aspect of monitisation will come. They might also want to restrict mods which mimic DLCs in someway.

 

[Kedryn]

Random question. Will texture size of mods be limited to less than was permitted for CS1 so as to foster this 'inclusivity'?

 

[macbookguy]

I'm sorry but can you just not on the mods. I'm so tired of games going out of the steam workshop for consoles. Most of us on the PC won't care about consoles. I'd rather just have workshop. Two Point has done this and it's been a disaster.

 

[Approach]

Depending on how the new modding platform is, it might be way better than the workshop. The workshop is actually shit for mods, it's a pain to see which mods are outdated and its also a pain to switch between different saves with different mods.

I hope the modding platform is like the one Factorio has. It's so good! You can sync you current active mods to the game save so you can just open any save and it will ask you if you want to load the right mods. Version control is also way easier since the game just tells you what mods are outdated and which are not.

Unfortunately there is a risk that the mod platform will be shit, and some aspect of monitisation will come. They might also want to restrict mods which mimic DLCs in someway.

I'm asking for the Steam workshop because it actually provides an extra OPTION.

If Paradox wants to do something bad to mods, with the workshop available as a freedom option, they will just humiliate themself. But now they killed the workshop, so they can do whatever they want to mods and muddle through with it.

 

[homerCCCP]

Also it's important to notice that, from what I understand, console players still won't have mods for C:S II. What they'll have now is the possibility of having more diverse custom assets - or "asset mods".
In C:S I, those special assets were the only option - and for Xbox only. If I or anyone else wanted to make new custom assets for console and make them available, it simply wasn't possible. Now it'll be possible for C:S II.

I understand that making mods available for consoles is an issue on its own, there would be probably some things to be discussed with Sony/Microsoft - and they aren't really that keen to allow mods on their platforms as a general rule. But at least having those custom assets is way better than how it was before.

But I agree it's not really a reason to abandon Steam Workshop. IMO having both would probably be a better solution.

In the first place it is just a platform where you click to select or upload your mods. There is zero impact unless they have changed other things about mods that we don't know.

In the second place, I also don't believe that all PC mods will work on consoles. But with the change of platform a lot more things previously exclusive to PC will become available on consoles. Could this be treated by having two separate platforms/databases? Yes, hell, maybe in the end they will even enable steam ws in the future, who knows. Thing is, that two seperate platforms might in the end lead to the need to search on two different platforms as PC players, also more work for E&C guys to check what is uploaded.
So in the end they decided to go for one platform, which obviously is the one that will work on each and every system.
While it might come with some disadvantages (minor, IMHO, but if other people enjoy sitting in the steam workshop HMI instead of playing the game, I don't mind), I don't understand why it is so hard to understand why they did this and neglect every argument in favor of it.

I understand that people are upset about the high specs, the shifted console release, yeah I even see the concerns about seeing only few cars in the streets. Even concerning modding I see why people are afraid that some parts might not be open to modding that previously were (eventhough pure speculation).

However, in the end the platform were the mods are uploaded is what makes people most upset? Seriously?

 

[Ne0Que]

I do not think mods.paradox is ready for this. By looking at it's current state, it lacks dependency checking, and the categories for CS1, just look at that mess.

 

[Approach]

I do not think mods.paradox is ready for this. By looking at it's current state, it lacks dependency checking, and the categories for CS1, just look at that mess.

People said, "Steam Workshop is bad at search, and so on..." but I didn't see Paradox Mod as anything better

 

[antrachton]

So now I ask you a question: What weights more?
Console players having no access to mods at all or PC players having to get used to another platform?

Steam unfortunately is better. Updating all hundreds if not thousands of mods and assets manually as there is nothing automatic on paradox is not fun at all. It's just end of the game.

 

[zubozrout]

With Steam Workshop gone it will also limit the lifespan of the game as the usual approach is for the developers to shut down their servers when they see fit. While C:S1 will stay functional until Steam dies. Quite sad to see that approach taken although I understand it will allow console players the same content. Though perhaps they could have their own separate place for add-ons as even the consoles they will be playing the game on can't be expected to last too long.

 

[jcitron]

Here's to hoping!

I understand your concerns, but this may be better since the mods are done within Colossal Order's realm with mods hopefully sanctioned by CO and not people doing things on their own with good intentions. With people doing their own thing, they made use of software holes that allowed them to do unofficial things. When there were updates, this broke the mods or the other way around. Because the mod-developer used holes to tweak the operation of the mods, also this made them unstable and many times the program would crash on start-up. The error messages being error messages weren't helpful and that made troubleshooting the culprit worse.

With that said, let's see how things go. (I'm letting the skeptic in me go on a momentary holiday as I say this).

 

[jcitron]

With Steam Workshop gone it will also limit the lifespan of the game as the usual approach is for the developers to shut down their servers when they see fit. While C:S1 will stay functional until Steam dies. Quite sad to see that approach taken although I understand it will allow console players the same content. Though perhaps they could have their own separate place for add-ons as even the consoles they will be playing the game on can't be expected to last too long.

I don't see that as an issue. I use another game that utilizes the company's own FTP server. On their server, which has been in operation for over 20 years, there are now close to 750K free assets available for download.

By keeping the content within their control, they can also keep an eye on the quality-control, hopefully. There were some really nice assets on the Steam Workshop that were so high-poly they wouldn't load or would crash the game if they could load.