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Official Paradox Interactive - Cities: Skylines Discussion

Started by threestooges, March 04, 2015, 06:37:00 PM

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threestooges

There's been some renewed buzz in the game now that it's release is approaching (March 10). I was fortunate to get in contact with the Cities: Skylines Community Manager, Jonathan (aka azurespecter), whose been with us here at SC4D since back in 2012 as a fan of SC4 itself.

What with all the discussion about the new game going on, why not get answers straight from the horse's mouth?

Care to introduce yourself to the crowd, Jonathan?
-Matt

azurespecter

Hello SC4Devotion!

I really just wanted to make sure you all knew that Paradox and Colossal Order knows how valuable you all are to the city-building genre. Your work, and your feedback, aren't being ignored =)

So whether you've been following Cities: Skylines, or just barely heard about it, feel free to ask questions and give feedback! You can also find more information on our Paradox forum here: http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?859-Cities-Skylines

And our FAQ is a great starter place too: http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?836421-FAQ-Guide

That being said, we just released a lot of early access to some popular streamers. If you've had a chance to see them, may I ask what you've thought about the game so far? Three things you liked and three things you didn't like? Comparisons to NAM? haha
Jonathan (AzureSpecter)
Cities: Skylines Community Manager
Paradox Interactive

Tropod

Welcome to SC4Devotion Jonathan  :thumbsup:.

I've had a brief read of the FAQ & I must say I'm impressed. I don't have time for comparisons, due to lack of knowing all of CSL, but one thing that stuck out though that has my curiousity/concern.....

Outside Connections, specifically in relation to Networks;
From FAQ;
Quote"The outside world is there to help find a balance for your city. The most optimal situation would be to produce only enough for your city, but when you are trying to find this balance between different zones, instead of the city filling up with goods they just are sold outside for smaller profits to help keep the game going. There is only one city in the game world an that is yours (you can have different saves but the cities are not connected) so the outside world is just the big unknown that will send tourists to your city, sell you what you need and accept goods endlessly. The focus of Cities: Skylines is your very own city so you don't have to worry about any other ones!" - Co_Karoliina (Link)

If this is the case, how is this managed specifically for commuters? For example; from one city to another, is traffic flow/count continuous from one city to another? ie I play one city, X-commuters leave city A & travel to city B. I then play city B & commuters can be seen/contribute commuting from city A to work or to city C.

joshua43214

Quote from: azurespecter on March 04, 2015, 06:47:26 PM
... Comparisons to NAM? haha

/sigh

I almost wish you had not asked this question.
To be honest, I would call it amateurish, I will not even grace the description by calling it cartoonish. Even the vanilla SC4 looks far better. The road textures are boring and drab, the road props are boring and repetitive, the road ramps/junctions are nothing short of horrid. Even the default Maxis highway did not threaten to spill drivers over the edge of a ramp. The NAM philosophy is function before form, and even with that philosophy, it looks 100's of times better.

The space between buildings is empty, boring , and drab.

The level of detail is terrible (I know this is a limitation of 3D, the failure here is to make a game that works better on computers in the future - ie. no vision for the future).

If mod-management is only through Steam, then deal breaker. Hopefully mod-management can be done directly on the game folders with out the need to involve Steam (like the Skyrim mods).

No in-game terraforming for ramps/overpasses or other interesting features = deal breaker. This is one of the most asked for features and the topic gets side-stepped every time.

I know, I know, I am supposed to come in and say it is amazing and fantastic, and you all are the best thing to city builders since whatever. Plenty of people are already singing your praise, and you can choose to listen to that if you like (other great folks like Napoleon did). Making a better game than SC 2013 is not interesting to anyone here. I know the SC4Devotion community is relatively small, but hopefully you will consider that there has been nearly 20 million downloads from the LEX (all reviewed and vetted by a human for quality). Wouldn't it be nice if CS was worthy of the same?

I love the idea of moving buildings - this is a great idea.
Thank you for making the city size editable (is this really true or a rumor?)
Thank you for no DRM.

xannepan

joshua43214 I disagree with almost everything in previous post :D

I absolutely love how this game looks!



epicblunder

Just noticed this nugget in the info page:

QuoteThe map editor also allows the importing of heightmaps. The grayscale PNG files (preferably 16-bit for more accurate terrain formations) can be created in an image editing software (or in one of the terrain generation software) and saved into the correct folder within the game folder from where they can be accessed in the editor. While heightmaps offer unparalleled realism compared to purely manual terrain editing, they usually require editing in the map editor as well to achieve the playable quality a game map (compared to real life map) requires.

For those of you not familiar with our sc4 mapping process, 16-bit png is the end result of satellite DEM that we use to make maps in sc4.  This means it will be possible to make real world maps in C:SL using the same process (satellite DEM > geoTIFF > PNG > import)

I won't be getting this game for awhile, but when i do, this will be awesome.  Thank you so much for this feature.


Quote from: joshua43214 on March 05, 2015, 05:53:03 AM
Quote from: azurespecter on March 04, 2015, 06:47:26 PM
... Comparisons to NAM? haha

/sigh

I almost wish you had not asked this question.
To be honest, I would call it amateurish...

I don't know how you think you sound here, but to be honest it comes off sounding conceitedly dickish.  When someone asks for feedback, please don't /sigh at them.

joshua43214

#6
Quote from: xannepan on March 05, 2015, 12:02:05 PM
joshua43214 I disagree with almost everything in previous post :D

I absolutely love how this game looks!


lol, if you say so...

I'm trying to imagine the Pont Notre Dame connecting to those bland road textures, or the Amsterdam Grande Central Station, or maybe the Dulles Airport...

@ epicblunder
Sorry if it sounded bad, I was more sighing at myself than them.

I contend this is not a feedback fishing expedition.
This is an advertising expedition.
The time for feedback was over a year ago. There is absolutely nothing that will be said here that has any chance of being implemented at release.
He asked for "feedback" and pointed us to YouTube.

What one learns from YouTube:


I stand by my words. Amateurish, bland, too repetitive, and drab.


EDIT: Forgot to give credit to The Sim Supply
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNztbkl5Qo8

Bipin

Hence, mods.

I've had ample time to scrutinize this game since its infancy. I'm not sure what I am and am not allowed to say, but let me assure you that I've been fortunate enough to witness and work with more details of this game, first hand, than the vast majority of people have. I think you folks can catch my drift here...  :thumbsup: I can say with great confidence (something absent from my responses to previous games hoping to surmount SC4) that the level of modding which has been added to this game is unreal. Virtually every relevant aspect imaginable is either currently moddable or will be in the future. Just think; SC4 started out with a decent amount of modding with the Rush Hour expansion pack. This alone propagated the growth of SC4 and made it into what we see today. That was just officially supported modding. Look how far we have come by altering the game on our own terms. Now take a look at Cities: Skylines. This game has an unprecedented amount of officially supported modding. It'd be futile to worry about changing mere road textures.

We've already got a head start with the current amount of modding. Taking into consideration CO/Paradox's excellent communication with the community, coupled with future modding abilities; officially and I imagine unofficially supported ones too, we've got nothing to worry about.  :)

catty

Quote from: joshua43214 on March 05, 2015, 01:40:25 PM
...I'm trying to imagine the Pont Notre Dame connecting to those bland road textures, or the Amsterdam Grande Central Station, or maybe the Dulles Airport......

I'm pretty certain I read a post somewhere that stated that it was up to us how the road textures would end up looking like ... that they were concentrating on making sure everything functioned correctly when released.

EDIT:  http://community.simtropolis.com/topic/65942-simtropolis-qa-about-cities-skylines-with-paradox-interactive/

Quote2) Colossal Order is leaving road texture variety up to the community. We've aimed to make it an easy task for you though.

But its going to be a while before I can see for myself either way, my current PC is great for SC4 and Banished, etc, but I was never able to play CIM2 on it.

-catty
I meant," said Ipslore bitterly, "what is there in this world that truly makes living worthwhile?" DEATH thought about it. "CATS," he said eventually, "CATS ARE NICE.

threestooges

There is no call in this thread, nor in any thread here on SC4D to post solely approving comments. The only thing we require is that any negatives are presented in a constructive way.

Yeah, the textures may look a bit bland on the road, but a: go look at Vanilla SC4 and b: given that this game appears to have a decent modding suite out of the gates, do what this community has done for years when given the chance: make your own set. The NAM is a project several years and dozens of individuals in the making, if this game follows suit, just think what can be made.
-Matt

azurespecter

#10
Quote from: Tropod on March 05, 2015, 04:04:45 AM
Welcome to SC4Devotion Jonathan  :thumbsup:.

I've had a brief read of the FAQ & I must say I'm impressed. I don't have time for comparisons, due to lack of knowing all of CSL, but one thing that stuck out though that has my curiousity/concern.....

If this is the case, how is this managed specifically for commuters? For example; from one city to another, is traffic flow/count continuous from one city to another? ie I play one city, X-commuters leave city A & travel to city B. I then play city B & commuters can be seen/contribute commuting from city A to work or to city C.

Glad you're liking what you see!

For your question, Cities: Skylines doesn't have any kind of intercity commuting. Although regions is an awesome feature in SC4 (and is highly discussed as being a possible feature down the road for Cities: Skylines), for the initial launch of Cities: Skylines we wanted to focus on you being able to build 1 amazing city. So you'll have tourists, freight trains, and cargo come to your city from the connections, but they aren't actually from another city. Hope that makes sense =)

Quote from: joshua43214 on March 05, 2015, 05:53:03 AM
The NAM philosophy is function before form, and even with that philosophy, it looks 100's of times better.

The space between buildings is empty, boring , and drab.

The level of detail is terrible (I know this is a limitation of 3D, the failure here is to make a game that works better on computers in the future - ie. no vision for the future).

If mod-management is only through Steam, then deal breaker. Hopefully mod-management can be done directly on the game folders with out the need to involve Steam (like the Skyrim mods).

No in-game terraforming for ramps/overpasses or other interesting features = deal breaker. This is one of the most asked for features and the topic gets side-stepped every time.

Thank you for making the city size editable (is this really true or a rumor?)

I appreciate candor, actually =) Paradox isn't your run of the mill community management, and I hope to convince you of that someday. Let me put forth some brief answers first.

1) Function before form. Colossal Order agrees! You may look at the roads and say "these have nowhere near the quality or variety found in the NAM" and be exactly right. But take into account how long the NAM took to build. Think about the fixes that the NAM had to address in the base game.

Cities: Skylines aims to create a functioning game, and then build from there. Our highways may look drab right now, but they work. The simulation of traffic is astounding! Every car, every pedestrian, every cargo truck, they have great pathfinding and it all works. Not perfectly, but pretty damn well, and it's only going to get better.

2) Space between buildings can easily be fixed with our beautification tool. You can plop decorations (assets) anywhere. Or attach them to building lots in the Lot Editor. Or make your own custom parks with pedestrian pathing.

3) I can't fault you for your want of super detailed buildings. Just remember, CO has a very small team that simply can't spend all of their time making tons of super detailed buildings. Things like giving our community members the tools to make custom content are a higher priority.

4) You can still host mods and custom content off of Steam. Steam just makes it easier, in my opinion. I'm sure we'll see plenty on the LEX and STEX and other sites.

5) I'm sorry if that's a deal breaker for you. I could explain our reasoning, but that wouldn't really alleviate the situation. We do give you a pretty powerful map editor though, with never before seen water simulation and physics.

6) Yes, due to our community having such high demand for it (and the hype kind of over exaggerated some miscommunications) CO decided they would make add it into the API to increase map sizes.

Quote from: joshua43214 on March 05, 2015, 01:40:25 PM
I contend this is not a feedback fishing expedition.
This is an advertising expedition.
The time for feedback was over a year ago. There is absolutely nothing that will be said here that has any chance of being implemented at release.
He asked for "feedback" and pointed us to YouTube.

Now, if I may be blunt in responding to your skepticisms and assumptions? (Which I totally understand, I'm a SC4 fan too)

This is where you went wrong ^^ I don't know if you had a chance to read the interview we did with Simtropolis, but pretty much this exact topic came up when Dirktator mentioned how SC4 players had gotten the shaft with post-release support. But I'll give you the same response: Go check out our track record.

We make a great, working game for release. And then we make it better by adding in new features, systems, free content, and yes, some of it will be sold DLC. But this isn't just cosmetics, we upgrade and adapt based on player feedback.

So you're right in one thing. Nothing you say will affect a change in the game before March 10th. That's just true. Hope you can understand why.

But you're completely wrong to believe that we won't be shaping the post-release development and upgrades of Cities: Skylines based on feedback from our players. Once again, I understand the skepticism, but I hope you'll give us a chance to prove our worth =)

Bring it on, friend. Put us to the test before you assume the worst out of us!

Quote from: Bipin on March 05, 2015, 02:01:41 PM
We've already got a head start with the current amount of modding. Taking into consideration CO/Paradox's excellent communication with the community, coupled with future modding abilities; officially and I imagine unofficially supported ones too, we've got nothing to worry about.  :)

Thank you for the compliments! And yes, CO has many plans to make modding and creating content even better!
Jonathan (AzureSpecter)
Cities: Skylines Community Manager
Paradox Interactive

noahclem

I'd also like to extend a warm welcome Jonathan :)  SC4D isn't the place to find the largest possible audience but if Paradox is making the effort to reach out to the particularly dedicated community of developers, builders, planners, and all-around city-lovers we're home to than it's a credit to their claims of wanting to encourage modding and post-release development. I have to say my knowledge of Skylines is only cursory and I tend towards a wait-and-see approach but my view ever since I heard of the game has been cautiously optimistic. I didn't buy SC4 until 2008 but the discussion surrounding SC13 pointed out to me the very different state of SC4 on release day and that's a nice reminder for me not to be over-pessimistic about new games (though I've yet to buy anything else).

My personal hopes (please take these into account before releasing in a couple days or else  ::) ) are that the game's been engineered for the long-term, able to fully benefit from the addition of custom content and better computing power available 1,3,5, or 10 years down the road.

@joshua43214 - your comments are a powerful statement of the loyalty the game and this site, including the NAM, inspire and that put a smile on my face :)  Companies, even Scandinavian ones, rely on promotion to succeed and I don't think it makes since to fault azurespecter or Paradox for making their case to us (unless you're still waiting on one of the many ideas for an open-source simcity to work out). The community does benefit from making them answer the tough questions though, so thanks for your contribution on that end.  And don't worry, I'm not being compensated for the opinions I offer here ;)

Haljackey

Hi guys,

I've been given early access to Cities Skyline courtesy of Paradox and Simtropolis. Check out my ongoing playthrough here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHxDKhkauacw5GkB7nTdejWtn6jhaazMI

Might be interesting to see how a SC4Der is tackling the game.  ;)

CahosRahneVeloza

The nerve of some people on Steam:

http://steamcommunity.com/app/255710/discussions/0/610574394228737276/

Calling the great Haljackey a n00b  :angrymore:

Given the game is brand spankin' new, it's only natural that an SC4 Master will not be at home with it just yet  :angrymore:

itsacoaster

#14
Quote from: Haljackey on March 07, 2015, 07:24:40 AM
Might be interesting to see how a SC4Der is tackling the game.  ;)
Nice that you have taken the true roads enthusiast approach to city-building:  screw the city, it's time for HIGHWAYS!  :D (I joke... I frequently make huge 8-lane freeways before the first person settles in my city.)

I'm sure you'll get those curves down sooner rather than later.  ::) ;D

Anyway, I've been following the development of this game fairly closely for some time.  I've watched some of the developer's videos and I have to say that it's impressive what the developers have been able to do with a tiny staff.  It's really the only city builder outside of SC4 that has caught my eye and said "hey that looks pretty cool!"

Like many here I've been invested in the work of the NAM team to build complex road and highway networks to keep everyone moving smoothly.  I've watched some of the preview videos that have been released in the past few days and I really like the pathfinding etc--like how the citizens prefer to take the main roads and highways if they can.  That will make efficient traffic design paramount--those traffic jams can get nasty!!--and that's a big draw to the game for someone like me.  I also like how you can create your own bus lines.  That's an extra layer of realism that I haven't seen before.  I appreciate this feature because it is at the expense of ease of play, and not many developers seem willing to do that anymore in the age of smartphone games and whatnot.

Regarding the vanilla look of the game, well, my SC4 plugins folder is now 2 GB.  I'm certain others here have much larger plugin folders.  It wasn't until I started using the NAM and later the CAM that I really got a ton of variety in my cities.  I mean it's practically verboten around here to talk about using the vanilla Rush Hour highways with their bad proportions and such.  Yet when I was just starting out with the game, I still enjoyed finally being able to create my own highway networks.  The plugins serve to keep the game fresh many years after the game's release.  If what we've heard about modding capabilities is true, I feel like Skylines could be much the same experience if there's a community dedicated to it.

If Jonathan is going to be answering questions, I have one.  It seems from the videos I've seen from people with a preview copy of the game that people really, really flock to public transit.  There is nothing wrong with that, of course.  But how much flexibility would there be to, say, create an American-style city where public transit is available but the citizens by and large still prefer their own vehicles?

wallasey

Hi there Johnathon, thanks for taking the time out to come on here! I think it really does mean a lot that you guys are keen to talk to us.

I've spent most of the day watching dev vids (It's been a nice distraction from coursework!) and looking at the material out there now, it does remind me of the young days of SC4...and a bit of SC3 if I'm honest! It's taken me back (in a good way!!)

There's two things I have wondered...

1) I am a proper Brit, and like things just so. Some people may have spotted my old MDs which where very...very British. I like to replicate what I see around me, so I like my terraced houses, neat suburban semis and the odd gritty tower block here and there. To what extent is it possible that I could do in Skylines what I've liked to have done in SC4 for the last 10 or so years?

2) There's been a lot of talk about modding ect and how it is being encouraged for us to get involved. Is there much "skill" (for wanton of a better expression) required to contribute to the community? I tried Batting in SC4, but never really got the hang of it. I'd like to make my own buildings...to have my cities truly looking like they could have come out of Liverpool or Manchester. Would it be possible to provide more information on how the creation of new buildings will work please? I am almost more interested in this than the game itself!

Thanks again for your time!


Haljackey

Quote from: CahosRahneVeloza on March 07, 2015, 03:07:21 PM
The nerve of some people on Steam:

http://steamcommunity.com/app/255710/discussions/0/610574394228737276/

Calling the great Haljackey a n00b  :angrymore:

Given the game is brand spankin' new, it's only natural that an SC4 Master will not be at home with it just yet  :angrymore:

Haha thanks for pointing me to this thread!

If you're going to compare me to someone who steams 15+ hours a day for a living, you're goona have a bad time.

Plus, I went into the game blind. I didn't want anything to influence my gameplay, and this is the result. Ran into some snags, especially in the first part, but its to be expected.

I'll have some more parts coming in the next few days. I can only post the stuff at Simtropolis and under a Simtropolis Youtube account due to some rules set up regarding the game's distribution prior to public release.


Edit: Im a n00b when it comes to Steam threads, says "Your account is not allowed to post in Cities: Skylines discussions". Know why? Do I need to buy the game?

azurespecter

Quote from: itsacoaster on March 07, 2015, 03:20:28 PM
If Jonathan is going to be answering questions, I have one.  It seems from the videos I've seen from people with a preview copy of the game that people really, really flock to public transit.  There is nothing wrong with that, of course.  But how much flexibility would there be to, say, create an American-style city where public transit is available but the citizens by and large still prefer their own vehicles?

Not being a programmer, or even a modder by any means, I don't know if that's something easily accessible through the API. I do know that we already have a policy that tweaks public transportation rates (Free Public Transportation). So I'm assuming a good modder should be able to do something similar, just with a negative affect. And if there isn't, lets make sure to gather that feedback so CO can open up access to that kind of change!

Quote from: wallasey on March 07, 2015, 03:31:59 PM
1) I am a proper Brit, and like things just so. Some people may have spotted my old MDs which where very...very British. I like to replicate what I see around me, so I like my terraced houses, neat suburban semis and the odd gritty tower block here and there. To what extent is it possible that I could do in Skylines what I've liked to have done in SC4 for the last 10 or so years?

2) There's been a lot of talk about modding ect and how it is being encouraged for us to get involved. Is there much "skill" (for wanton of a better expression) required to contribute to the community? I tried Batting in SC4, but never really got the hang of it. I'd like to make my own buildings...to have my cities truly looking like they could have come out of Liverpool or Manchester. Would it be possible to provide more information on how the creation of new buildings will work please? I am almost more interested in this than the game itself!

1) Right now, I'm sure you noticed building variety isn't huge. But it shouldn't take long before we start seeing some great British style buildings being made. Vehicles can be altered, so that'll help. The roads will probably have to wait until CO is able to make a Road Creating Tool or new road content. But on the plus side, you can switch to Left Side Driving with the click of a button!

Oh, and Wall to Wall buildings are going to be implemented right after launch. That and tunnels are first the list. So to really answer your question, it's totally possible, it will just take time for that new content to be made.

2) Don't worry, I failed too! haha. Aside from actually modelling new buildings, there are many ways you can alter or adjust your own lots. For example, you can take a building model and then change all the assets on it. Satellite dishes, hedges, parking places, foliage, and all sorts of little props can all be switched up to make that lot look the way you want! It's also really easy to make minor modifications such as color changing, and adjusting the building parameters. I'd give examples, but I've actually never been to the UK =(
Jonathan (AzureSpecter)
Cities: Skylines Community Manager
Paradox Interactive

Tropod

Quote from: azurespecter on March 07, 2015, 08:16:36 PM

1) Right now, I'm sure you noticed building variety isn't huge. But it shouldn't take long before we start seeing some great British style buildings being made. Vehicles can be altered, so that'll help. The roads will probably have to wait until CO is able to make a Road Creating Tool or new road content. But on the plus side, you can switch to Left Side Driving with the click of a button!


I've posted/asked a question relating to this (& others) here.

Given there'll be plenty of the player-base out there like myself (ie rarely buy games &/or don't pre-order, live under a rock etc), you guys really need to get out there more & promote all the good stuff with the game. It's gearing up to be awesome, but personally I hadn't really bothered checking it out until the last few days. The FAQ is a great starting place, but it doesn't provide enough FAQ, it's just really basic, you need like a long/detailed list/description of what the game can do. Watching all those videos, even though they're great, is time consuming & doesn't provide the sort of quick snapshot some City Builders like myself are after  :thumbsup:.

wallasey

Quote from: azurespecter on March 07, 2015, 08:16:36 PM

Quote from: wallasey on March 07, 2015, 03:31:59 PM
1) I am a proper Brit, and like things just so. Some people may have spotted my old MDs which where very...very British. I like to replicate what I see around me, so I like my terraced houses, neat suburban semis and the odd gritty tower block here and there. To what extent is it possible that I could do in Skylines what I've liked to have done in SC4 for the last 10 or so years?

2) There's been a lot of talk about modding ect and how it is being encouraged for us to get involved. Is there much "skill" (for wanton of a better expression) required to contribute to the community? I tried Batting in SC4, but never really got the hang of it. I'd like to make my own buildings...to have my cities truly looking like they could have come out of Liverpool or Manchester. Would it be possible to provide more information on how the creation of new buildings will work please? I am almost more interested in this than the game itself!

1) Right now, I'm sure you noticed building variety isn't huge. But it shouldn't take long before we start seeing some great British style buildings being made. Vehicles can be altered, so that'll help. The roads will probably have to wait until CO is able to make a Road Creating Tool or new road content. But on the plus side, you can switch to Left Side Driving with the click of a button!

Oh, and Wall to Wall buildings are going to be implemented right after launch. That and tunnels are first the list. So to really answer your question, it's totally possible, it will just take time for that new content to be made.

2) Don't worry, I failed too! haha. Aside from actually modelling new buildings, there are many ways you can alter or adjust your own lots. For example, you can take a building model and then change all the assets on it. Satellite dishes, hedges, parking places, foliage, and all sorts of little props can all be switched up to make that lot look the way you want! It's also really easy to make minor modifications such as color changing, and adjusting the building parameters. I'd give examples, but I've actually never been to the UK =(

Thanks for all the info there! Very much appreciated! I think the main message here is SC4 has become what it is today, but only after many years of batting and modding through the community, and that keeps growing! I'm sure that if the tools are there...Skylines will grow and mature into a title on a par SC4. No doubt about that.

It's great to see there are additions lined up for after the release! I've played Cim2 for a while and the extensions which you did for them really did help the game a lot!

As with the creation of new buildings...as long as I can strive to get something like this, it's all good!

Thanks again, very much appreciated!