The last Fair Banks County episode: a bus line calms the walking tourists, the city reaches Metropolis status, and a second highway connection from the industrial side of the island to the main highways takes load off the busy interchange, with new on- and off-ramps, S-curves and landscaping that keeps the ship lane clear. Then a prison, and a look back at the whole season.
What happens in this episode
The finale of Fair Banks County starts in the tourist district from episode 25: the Grand Hotel and an observation tower that looks a bit like Toronto’s. A new bus line should take tourists off the road between the train station and the hotel.
The map’s limits weren’t reached at all, but something essential was missing: a second highway connection from this part of the island to the main highways. The existing interchange (which comes with the game, tunnel included, and is well made) was getting crowded, and a single road maintenance vehicle was enough to slow everyone down.
The city reached Metropolis status, which brought 32 more tiles. Money didn’t matter anymore, but some of the tiles were needed for the new link.
How it was built
An elevated highway
The worst part first: a four-lane highway at an elevation of 10 steps, overlapping the rail lines. An anarchy mod would have helped. I lay out the basic idea first and do the details after. I love elevated highways in industrial areas: bringing the road a bit above street level makes things easier to handle. Some structures had to go, which was fine for a long on-ramp.
Landscaping and the ship lane
The first landscaping draft was far too broad, so the brush was reduced and the slopes softened. A ship line runs straight above the highway connection, so the shape has to work for the ships too.
A three-way junction
The goal was a junction that lets traffic travel in three directions. It isn’t one of the most beautiful highway solutions I’ve built, but it does its job. Cars took the new route right away. Some industrial traffic went too far into the city, so a new on- and off-ramp pair went in, without walkways, which I don’t like in places like this. After a short timelapse the link was used in both directions. One stretch was extended so drivers can sort themselves earlier, and a weak curve was redone with the S-curve tool, which is becoming one of my favourites.
Services and a prison
A fire helicopter depot fills a gap in fire coverage. With development points left over (no airport yet), the last missing service was a prison: another huge building with three cell blocks, placed in the industrial area. Road conditions were good everywhere. Income was about 570k per hour, with no traffic issues.
Looking back at Fair Banks County
The season started with a very ugly bridge across the river, later replaced. A first settlement grew along the island, with a historic, rural district kept on purpose. Then came the industrial area with its quays and cargo harbor, the first downtown, two closed hillside communities where only residents and workers may enter, buses and trains, a nature-reserve style park, a long strip of houses, the tourist district and, in the last few episodes, the industrial area and its highway links. Rebuilding that bridge became one of the most successful episodes on my small channel.
I never fully understood public transport in Cities: Skylines II. My impression was that it barely matters for city traffic. There’s no subway and no trams, because I won’t build something only because it looks nice.
I liked the game a lot, except for the rain, which makes everything dark and dull. The road tools are hard to argue with, even if they’re not flawless, and the game has potential for years. Next comes a new, bigger series in Cities: Skylines II, this time with mods, since Fair Banks County was built entirely in vanilla.
Video chapters
- 00:00The tourist district and the plan
- 04:04Metropolis status and new tiles
- 08:09Laying out an elevated highway
- 12:16Landscaping around the river and ship lane
- 16:55A three-way junction that works
- 21:01On- and off-ramps and a traffic test
- 25:44S-curves, fire coverage and a prison
- 29:53Looking back at the whole season
- 34:06Public transport, and goodbye
Clicking a chapter starts the video above at that point.
FAQ
Is public transport necessary in Cities: Skylines 2?
In Fair Banks County I had the impression it mattered little for city traffic. Bus lines only made an obvious difference in the tourist area, and the city never had a subway or trams.
Why elevate highways in an industrial area?
Bringing the highway a little above street level keeps it clear of the local roads and makes connections easier to handle — it's my preferred choice in industrial zones.
What comes after Fair Banks County?
A new series in Cities: Skylines II, this time trying the game with mods, since Fair Banks County was built entirely in vanilla.