A mod conflict (Network Extensions together with a Harmony update) broke Verville's roundabout and ramps and made some road types disappear, so they're rebuilt by hand, smoother than before. With Traffic Manager unavailable, the city runs almost vanilla traffic. Industry is cleared and its pollution fades, farm workers' housing pushes River Ranch to level 5, Autumn Gardens and a nature reserve with fire towers open, and Verville reaches Small City.
What happens in this episode
If you watched episode 2, you may wonder where the roundabout and ramps went. The trouble came from mods: at first it looked like Harmony, but it was the Network Extensions mod. The Harmony publishers offered a fix on the Steam Workshop that seemed to work. Luckily the city was still small. Some road types (like the three-lane one-way) were missing, though.
How it was built
Rebuilding the ramps
Everything was reconnected by hand. I don’t use the nodes that come with roundabouts, so drivers have enough room to change lanes, which is easier to plan early. Slopes were raised and lowered until they looked smooth. It was the first time a mod caused me real trouble. Mods aren’t certified, so it happens.
Clearing industry
The industrial blocks were de-zoned and demolished. The brown, polluted ground turns green again after a few minutes, one of the advantages of Cities: Skylines.
River Ranch
More cornfields, more wheat (flour needs a lot) and a second flour mill, plus sheep and pigs, so every type of animal is on the farm. Trees go between the fields. To reach 800 workers, a new area of homes for less-educated workers went in on 12-unit blocks with a doctor’s office, fire station and cemetery. Parking is allowed there because it doesn’t matter much.
Autumn Gardens and no Traffic Manager
A large park, Autumn Gardens, gets side gates, cafés, restrooms, info booths and gazebos, and it reached level 2 almost immediately. Then I discovered that Traffic Manager wasn’t available at the moment, so traffic runs almost vanilla for now, which wasn’t my plan.
A grid in multiples of 12
The pollution from the old industrial squares was almost gone. New commercial zones replaced it. A new district uses multiples of 12 with some variation, so it doesn’t look too planned, plus a hospital, fire and police, a community school and an Institute of Creative Arts. I hardly ever use the pre-built intersections; self-designed ones work better. An emergency water tank reservoir is a good backup, because you never know.
Big Town and a nature reserve
At Big Town, high-rises unlocked and the first offices went in. A nature reserve got a winding path, side gates, campfires, a fence and fire towers against wildfires. River Ranch reached level 5 and the forestry level 3. A forestry building that didn’t quite fit was squeezed in and sorted out right after.
Small City
Low-rise homes in the future main area are replaced with high-rise zoning. At Small City, trains and cable cars unlocked. The plan: buy the tile with the incoming rail line and later run a highway through the forest.
Video chapters
- 00:00What the mod bug broke
- 04:33Rebuilding ramps by hand
- 09:31Clearing industry, pollution fades
- 14:03More wheat and a second flour mill
- 23:39Housing for farm workers
- 32:33Autumn Gardens
- 37:15No Traffic Manager
- 41:42A grid in multiples of 12
- 50:47Why I avoid pre-built intersections
- 55:07Big Town, high-rises and a nature reserve
- 1:03:24Fire towers and a level-5 ranch
- 1:12:07Small City and a train line plan
Clicking a chapter starts the video above at that point.
FAQ
What if a mod breaks roads in Cities: Skylines?
In my case Network Extensions misbehaved after a Harmony update. The Harmony publishers offered a fix on the Steam Workshop; I still had to rebuild some ramps and a roundabout by hand.
Does pollution go away after removing industry?
Yes. De-zone and demolish the industry and the brown ground turns green again over time.
Why not use the pre-built intersections?
Self-built intersections fit your city better and let you control where drivers can change lanes, which matters later.