Big City arrives with 11 development points and 18 more tiles. A sloped road with quay walls refuses to work, so the slope tool has to do; a new neighbourhood gets a school, clinic, police, fire and parks; roadside greenery clears a parking-induced jam; too-small low-rise lots are rebuilt bigger; four gas stations become one; and the shoreline fills with beach houses — while palm trees were still missing from the game.
What happens in this episode
During the build, Fair Banks County reached Big City: a slightly higher loan limit, 11 development points and 18 more tiles. I didn’t need the tiles yet, but they’ll come in handy.
How it was built
A sloped road that wouldn’t work
I wanted a sloped road with quay walls into a new area. After many tries I couldn’t get the quay walls to cooperate. I hadn’t found the technique yet, so the regular slope terrain tool and a moved road had to do.
A neighbourhood with everything it needs
The new neighbourhood gets a school, a doctor’s office, a police station and a fire station, then parks and playgrounds, including a dog park, placed before letting the game run so they’re ready for decoration. The base game’s ready-made roundabouts come in handy. A new signature building, a film academy, and a justice building that lowers crime in its neighbourhood were unlocked.
A jam caused by parking
Traffic piled up badly because of a parking lot in the wrong place, and cars switched lanes at the wrong point because a node was missing. Roadside greenery, which removes street parking, cleared it just enough. A motorcycle accident brought police and road services, a small detail in Cities: Skylines II that I adore.
Bigger lots, fewer gas stations
New medium-density homes and shops create a transition to downtown, along with a welfare office. A row of low-rise homes was far too small next to its neighbours: affordable, but out of place. Rezoned at full size, it filled slowly at first. Four gas stations had spawned in one spot, so most of them were bulldozed and replaced by other businesses, like an interior design store.
The shoreline
The shoreline filled with small beach houses. I wanted palm trees along it, but there were none in Cities: Skylines II at that point. A few landscaping touches and another tile purchase fixed the shore.
Density and transit
Mail service, communications and job availability need attention as the city grows. A station with 119 employees serves the area, the industrial district now sees only delivery trucks, and the old sewage pollution near the shore is almost gone after many in-game years. A server farm and the welfare office join the city services, and the mid-density zones with shops and offices are the start of a second downtown.
Video chapters
- 00:02Big City and a sloped road that failed
- 13:20A neighbourhood with its own services
- 17:30Signature buildings and a parking jam
- 26:29Accidents, a welfare office, bigger lots
- 30:33Too many gas stations
- 35:14A packed shoreline, no palm trees
- 44:42Density, transit and fading pollution
Clicking a chapter starts the video above at that point.
FAQ
Why does a parking lot cause a traffic jam?
If it sits on a busy road where cars have to switch lanes to get in, queues pile up. Moving parking away and adding roadside greenery so nobody parks on the street cleared it in Fair Banks.
Can you control which commercial buildings spawn?
Not directly. When four gas stations appeared in one spot, I bulldozed some so other commercial buildings could take their place.
How long does water pollution last in Cities: Skylines 2?
A very long time. The old sewage pollution near the shore took many in-game years to fade almost completely.