SimCity 2000 - FAQ
SimCity2000 Technical Info v1.9 rev. 5/1/95
Maintained by: Kevin Endo
Please send corrections, additions, questions,
etc. to me at: thx@netcom.com
Current versions of this file are stored at:
ftp.netcom.com /pub/th/thx/SC2KINFO1.9.txt
This directory also has SC2K cities and utilities.
INDEX
0.0 DESCRIPTION
1.0 GENERAL (General questions about the game)
2.0 TOOLS (Zoning, transportation, water, city services)
3.0 BUDGET + OTHER WINDOWS (Taxes, ordinances, etc.)
A-1 Appendix 1 (Solving City Problems)
A-2 Appendix 2 (Adjusting Difficulty/Handicapping)
A-3 Appendix 3 (Making Your Own Scenarios-MAC)
0.0 DESCRIPTION
SIMCITY 2000, THE ULTIMATE CITY SIMULATOR
Product Name: SimCity 2000, The Ultimate City Simulator.
Price: $69.95 SRP.
Availability: Now for IBM/DOS and Macintosh versions.
Company: Maxis
2 Theatre Square
Orinda, CA 94563
Main: 510/254-9700
Fax: 510/253-3736
Customer Service: 800/33-MAXIS
Tech Support: 510/253-3755
WHAT IS SIMCITY 2000? Incorporating four years of customer
suggestions, SimCity 2000 combines dozens of new features and
stunning three-dimensional graphics with the intuitive
interface and engrossing gameplay that made the
original SimCity (which has been re-christened "SimCity
Classic-The Original City Simulator",) so successful. Current
SimCity Classic players will be able to start playing SimCity
2000 immediately, using just the features that are familiar
from the original game. As players learn the new features of
SimCity 2000, they will become more proficient mayors. Here's
a sample of what SimCity 2000 lets players do:
-Modify terrain with mountains, forests, rivers,
streams, waterfalls, and bays.
-Zoom into the city at three levels of magnification,
and rotate the three-dimensional model of the city
360 degrees for more realistic perspectives.
-Place new structures-schools, universities,
libraries, museums, zoos, hospitals, prisons,
marinas, freeways, bridges-as well as the original
SimCity services, with updated graphics.
-Dig underground tunnels and subways and lay pipe for
transporting water.
-Import cities from SimCity Classic into SimCity
2000.
Target Audience: SimCity 2000 is targeted to current owners
of SimCity Classic and other Maxis "Sim" games, as well as
high-end computer owners who may not already own a Maxis
game, but are interested in sophisticated, open-ended
entertainment software. SimCity Classic, which has been a
consistent best-seller since its introduction four years ago,
now includes a terrain editor and support for popular sound
cards. SimCity Classic's simplicity makes it a natural for
customers who are new to the computer game category, and want
an easy and fun introduction to gaming before advancing to
more intricate simulations.
Design philosophy: Like all "Sim" games, SimCity 2000
enables players to challenge themselves to meet their own
goals, rather than goals artificially imposed by the game's
design. Our purpose in designing SimCity 2000 was to make it
as easy to use as the original SimCity was, but at the same
time to incorporate user suggestions and many of the things
we had to leave out of the original SimCity because of
hardware constraints. For example, we added underground
infrastructure (subways, water pipes, tunnels) and a much
more detailed economic model. In essence, we tried to bring
SimCity 2000 a lot closer to reality, with 3-D graphics
that enhance the feeling that the city is real when you're
working with it.
1.0 GENERAL
1.1 Misc.
------------------------------------------------------------
1.1.1 (MAC) Will SC2K run on a PowerPC Macintosh? What about
a native mode release?
The current version of SC2K is PowerPC compatible.
1.1.2 Where can I get the v1.1 updater?
(MAC) The updater is available at the following ftp sites:
ftp.netcom.com in /pub/ma/maxis
sumex-aim.stanford.edu in /info-mac/game/Commercial
(DOS) Roger Johnson writes (4/21/95)
"Version 1.1 DOS isn't available. We had posted it for a short
while and discovered that there were more code changes that weren't
un-earthed in testing. We will, however, be releasing version 1.2
later in the Summer of '95 (Aug - Sep.)"
1.1.3 (MAC) I've installed the updater, but my old cities
still have the same bugs.
Cities that already have bugs can't be fixed by the update.
Only new cities that are created with the updated version of
SC2K will be bug-free (more or less.)
1.1.4 Where's the SimCity 2000 ftp site?
ftp.netcom.com in /pub/thx and ftp.epix.net in /pub/sc2k
1.1.5 How do I get on the Sim mailing list?
There is a digest and non-digest version of the mailing
list. For the digest, send mail to:
majordomo@cisco.com
with the following line in the body of the message:
subscribe simlist-digest
For the non-digest, use the following line
subscribe simlist
1.1.6 Can I get back issues of the Sim mailing list?
These are available at ftp.cisco.com in /abochann.
1.1.7 Does Maxis have an E-Mail address?
You can reach e-mail technical support at
support@maxis.com or maxis@aol.com
1.1.8 Where can I get a demo of SimCity2000?
Anonymous ftp to ftp.netcom.com in /pub/maxis
SC2KDEMO.ZIP is a slide show for DOS.
SC2KDEMO.SEA is a slide show for Mac.
1.1.9 How do I log on to the Maxis BBS?
The phone number is (510) 254-3869. (8-N-1)
1.1.10 Can I upgrade from the old Sim City?
No, SC2K is, pretty much, a totally different product.
1.1.11 What Usenet newsgroups talk about SimCity2000?
comp.sys.mac.games, comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.misc,
and comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic.
1.1.12 Is there an upper limit on population?
(MAC v1.0 and DOS) Yes. Only arcologies that have are
represented by a microsimulator contribute to
population - so, the theoretical maximum is somewhere
around 9.1 million.
(MAC v1.1) Well, if launch arcos didn't launch, you'd be
able to fill a map with 961 launch arcos, which equals about
62.5 million. However, since launch arcos DO launch in this
version (at about 340), this route will only get you to
about 22.1 million. Now, if you fill the map with Plymouth
Arcos, you should be able to get up to about 52.9 million.
1.1.13 Are there any books out about SimCity2000?
I know of four, so far:
* Daniel A. Tauber and Brenda Kienan have written
"SimCity 2000 Stategies and Secrets" (Sybex, 300
pages,ISBN 0-7821-1518-7, $14.99.)
* Nick Dargahi and Michael Bremer (who wrote the
SC2K manual) have written "SimCity Power, Politics,
and Planning.
(Prima, 421 pages, ISBN 1-55958-192-1, $19.95)
* Johnny L. Wilson and Peter Spear have written "The
Official Sim City 2000 Planning Commision Handbook"
(Osborne McGraw-Hill, 218 pages,
ISBN 0-07-881950-4, $19.95)
* Jason R. Rich has written "Sim City 2000 City Design"
(Compute Books, 152 pages, ISBN 0-87455-300-8, $21.95.)
Comes with a disk of sample cities for the DOS version and
you can send the disk back to the publisher to exchange it
for the Mac version.
1.1.14 What is this SimCity CD-ROM I've heard of?
There are two different incarnations of Sim City on CD-ROM.
One of them is Sim City Enhanced - an expanded version of the
old game, NOT SimCity2000. And its put out by Interplay, not
Maxis.
The other CD-ROM is the Sim City 2000 CD Collection. It includes
SC2K, Scenarios Volume I, Bonus Cities, and the SC2K Urban
Renewal Kit.
1.1.15 How is the Australian version of SC2K different?
Chris Weiss writes:
"The Australian version has a few bug fixes in it
that are more or less transparent. I think the only
external way to tell is that instead of getting a
Braun Llama Dome at 60,000 people, you get the
Sydney Opera House. A patch for the Australian
version will be available shortly."
1.1.16 Are there special versions for other countries?
No, not as far as I know.
1.1.17 Can I edit buildings, or add new ones?
Yes, but you must have the Sim City 2000 Urban Renewal Kit.
1.2 Cheats, Bonuses, and other Secrets
------------------------------------------------------------
1.2.1 How do I get more money?
(MAC v1.0) Well, the easiest way is to type
porntipsguzzardo. This will give you $500,000 and allow
all technologies and rewards to become available. It will
also prevent the military from building a base. Once you've
typed porntipsguzzardo, you can type ardo by itself to get
additional $500,000s.
(MAC v1.1) Open the map window and type pirn. Click on the
status window (next to the weather) and then type
topsguzzardo. Subsequently typing ardo will give additional
money.
(DOS) 1. Press Ctrl-F3.
2. Click on the Rotate Counterclockwise icon.
3. Click on the Resize box (lower right corner of City Window).
4. Click on the Status Window (the one with weather info).
5. Click on the Population icon.
6. Click anywhere inside the City Window.
7. Pull down the Disasters menu and select the horizontal
line between Riots and No Disasters.
1.2.2 (MAC v1.1) Where did the new cheat come from?
Anne Peck (from Compuserve) writes:
"All credit goes to my husband, Darryl. He was attending an
SPA dinner in San Francisco a few days ago, and he called me
from the dinner to say "goodnight" (my time.) He mentioned
that he'd been talking to Will Wright, and so _naturally_ I
asked him to pester Will about the cheat. Will didn't seem
to think it was a big deal and sent Darryl e-mail the next
day!"
1.2.3 Why aren't all of the cheats the same?
Apparantly, the programmers have decided that users enjoy
looking for the cheat, thus they intend to change it with
each version.
1.2.4 Are there any other secret words?
fund, cass, joke, vers. Typing cass, will give you $250 at
the end of the month. If you type more than once during a
month, you will incite a fire storm.
(DOS) In addition to the above Mac codes heck, darn, damn,
test, and memy work on the DOS version. porn does something,
too.
1.2.5 Is there any other way to get lots of money?
On a new city, type fund and get a 25% bond. Do it again.
Then take out a regular bond at .% interest. This will roll
over some internal counters and give you interest instead of
taking it away.
1.2.6 What is the Launch Arco secret?
(MAC v1.0/DOS) Apparently, there is no secret. You can build
as many launch arcos as you want, and nothing will happen.
Reports are that it was nothing more than a bad joke.
(MAC v1.1) Well, now they launch. You've got to build about
350 of them though. It really isn't as exciting as you might
think...
1.2.7 What are the city bonuses, and when do I get them?
Mayor's House 2,000
City Hall 10,000
Statue 30,000
Military Base 60,000
Braun Llama Dome 90,000
Arcologies 120,000
1.2.8 There's something flying around my city, and it's
not a helicopter or an airplane.
That's Captain Hero! He/She/It appears to take care of
disasters (sometimes) if you don't have an other capacity
for dealing with it.
1.2.9 There's something swimming around in my ocean!
Well, that's a Nessie. Nessie appears when you build
marinas. Apparently Nessie likes to eat sailboats.
1.2.10 How do I shoot down the traffic helicopter?
Click on it with the centering tool.
1.2.11 Why does Maxis have to be obsessed with llamas?
Maxis is obsessed with many things. Llamas don't have
copyright lawyers.
1.2.12 Why are the number of bungee jumps and weddings the
same at the Braun Llama Dome?
Chriss Weiss writes:
"Uhm, sure. See, the chapel at the Llama Dome is owned by
the brother-in-law of the guy who runs the Bungee jump
center. Newlyweds get a cupon for a free jump as a special
gift from the chapel. In addition, those who Bungee get a
coupon for a free wedding! (I seem to remember the top of
the coupon reading 'You've taken the plunge, now take the
plunge!' :)"
1.2.13 It seems like my statue is always made of bronze. Am I
doing something wrong?
No, the statue is always made of bronze.
1.3 Arcologies
------------------------------------------------------------
1.3.1 The newspaper just reported that some other city has
built an arcology. Why can't I?
Once arcologies have been invented, you must have a
population of 120,000 in order to build them.
1.3.2 What do I need to do to improve the conditions of my
arcologies?
Place some parks nearby to increase property value, build a
police station, add water and power. This ought to give you
an A+ rating.
1.3.3 Do I need to add water and power to launch arcos too?
Well, the online help says that they are self-contained,
however, this does not seem to be the case. I think it
may still work, but conditions will be D+ at best.
1.3.4 What do conditions have to do with anything, anyway?
I would assume that arcos that have a higher grade will grow
faster.
1.3.5 What do people do in these arcologies?
Well, look at the population of the arco. Half that goes
towards residential, 1/4 towards commercial, and 1/4 towards
industrial. This is true for all arcos.
1.3.6 Is there any way to fill up arcos fast?
Let the arco sit without power until the next January.
When January comes around, the bad conditions should
cause the arco population to go down - but, since
it's already at 0, it rolls around to 65k. When
another January comes around, the population should
go down to the proper max level for the arco.
1.4 Weather
------------------------------------------------------------
1.4.1 Why should I care about the weather?
Weather affects the output of water pumps, solar plants,
wind power, and influences the likelihood of riots and
fires.
1.4.2 The weather icon shows a tornado. Should I be
worried?
The tornado shown on the weather icon is different than the
tornado on the disaster menu. When the icon is showing a
tornado, you can pretty much ignore it.
1.5 Terrain Editor
------------------------------------------------------------
1.5.1 How do I get rid of trees?
With the tree or forest tool selected, press shift.
1.5.2 How do I make floating tiles?
Floating tiles are created by making slope tiles disappear.
First place drops of water on each slope tile you want to
get rid of (make them into waterfalls.) Then, click on the
raise water level button until the all of the waterfalls are
under water. Then, lower the water level. Presto. This
technique can be used to create floating roadways and sunken
highways.
1.6 Military Bases
------------------------------------------------------------
1.6.1 When should I get a military base?
When your population reaches 60,000
1.6.2 My population is more than 60,000, why haven't I
been asked for a military base?
(MAC) You won't be asked for a base if you use the ptga
cheat.
1.6.3 Why should I have a military base?
It provides customers and jobs. Certain bases may deter the
monster. You may be able to deploy troops during an
emergency. Military bases will increase crime and traffic,
though.
1.6.4 How big is a military base?
Air force and army bases are 8 X 8 tiles.
(I don't know what the exact size of navy bases are.)
1.6.5 Why does the military say they can't find a suitable
site for a base?
Probably because there isn't an empty piece of land that
is large enough. There may be some randomness in this,
however. Try saving your game before you get to 60,000,
and then restart from your save point if they don't
find a suitable site.
1.6.6 Will the military ever ask me to grant land for a
base again?
No. Only once.
1.6.7 How do I get rid of a military base?
You'll either have to use the raise terrain or lower
terrain tool.
1.6.8 Why does the air force dispatch tanks to disasters?
There's only one icon (a tank) for all military.
1.6.9 How do I get missile silos?
I have no idea. I've been actively trying for a while and
have had no luck.
1.7 Disasters
------------------------------------------------------------
1.7.1 How do I put out fires?
Use dispatch firefighters tool to place a firefighter icon
next to a patch of fire. If there's a lot of fire, you can
also build a fire station on top of it to put it out (you'll
have to experiment with this.)
Also, you can pause the game and bulldoze structures that
are next to fires.
1.7.2 How do I make the monster go away?
I don't think you can. Just follow it around and try to put
out any fires it makes as soon as it does it.
1.7.3 What other disasters are there?
Meltdown, Microwave Oops, Pollution, Fire Storm, Mass Riots,
Major Floods, Toxic Spill, Volcano.
1.7.4 Hey, why is the monster making wind generators?
Chris Weiss writes:
"The Monster is not neccisarily bad. He's an elemental kind
of guy. 50% of the time, he'll place something bad (fire).
The other 50%, he'll place something good. If it's something
good, there's a 33% chance of it being Windmills, Water, or
Trees."
1.7.5 What do I do about floods?
A: Besides dispatching emergency units, you can prepare
ahead be building dikes on your coastlines - use the
raise terrain tool to increase the land on the coast
one level.
1.8 Bugs
------------------------------------------------------------
1.8.1 Why do some of my police stations tell me how many
arrests have been made, while others don't?
Well, this is the microsimulation limit. Certain zones, like
police stations, power plants, schools, etc., are called
microsimulations, and each one has it's own data. There is a
limit to these of 150.
1.8.2 (DOS) Help - my city is being overrun by churches.
Graham Crk writes:
"I can tell you that when I spoke with SC2k's lead IBM
programmer, Jon Ross, he told me that he programmed this
easter egg to occur whenever you type the word "damn." After
that all residential zones will develop as churches. You
should be able to defeat this bug-like easter egg by quiting
and restoring the game."
1.8.3 (MAC v1.0/DOS) Why can't I ever get my population over
about 9 million?
In the above versions, arcologies that aren't represented by
microsimulators do not count towards population.
1.8.4 (MAC) When I try to look at a newspaper, the game says
that the newspapers are on strike.
I believe this has to do with memory limitations. Try saving
your game, quitting, and starting over.
1.9 Scenarios
------------------------------------------------------------
1.9.1 How do I beat the scenarios that come with SC2K?
From the March 94 issue of Electronic Entertainment:
"Charleston - Pause the game. Build water pumps in the
swamps then rebuild the connections to other cities
and put more onramps on the freeway system. Then let
the simulation run, keeping taxes low while you create
dense zoning in areas damaged by the hurricane.
Dullsville - Pause the game. Lower taxes to zero until
the population is big enough to make you money. Then
build dense using 13-by-6-tile zoning. Take out a bond
if you have to.
Flint - Click on the book for property taxes and set
industrial taxes to zero. Find a good hangout and
wait.
Hollywood - Control the fires the monster sets and
after he leaves, lower the property taxes to zero.
The go see a movie.
Oakland - Control the fire using bulldozers to clear a
fire break and just ignore the Sims' complaints. Then
set taxes as low as you can and build dense in the
empty area by Lake Temescal."
1.9.2 How do I get more scenarios?
The first scenario pack should be in stores now.
courtesy of Dave A. Lartigue:
SIM CITY 2000 SCENARIOS VOLUME 1: GREAT DISASTERS
"...wrestle with 10 different cities on the brink of
destruction and tackle everything from an alien invasion in
Atlanta to a misplaced microwave beam in the Silicon
Valley."
- 10 challenging scenarios with explosions, fires,
volcanoes, and other good stuff
- Easy to install - Loads right into the SimCity
2000 Scenario menu, complete with pictures,
descriptions, and objectives.
The SRP on this puppy is $19.95.
The cities and the associated disasters are as follows:
San Francisco Earthquakes/Fires
Atlanta Monster
Portland Volcano
Silicon Valley Microwave Oops
Washington D.C. Riots
Manhattan Meltdown
Davenport Flooding
Chicago Pollution
Malibu Firestorms
Homestead Hurricane
1.9.3 How do I make my own scenarios?
(DOS) There doesn't seem to be any easy way to create
scenarios for the DOS version. I believe Nick Dargahi's
book may explain how.
(MAC) See Appendix 3 below.
2.0 TOOLS
2.1 Bulldozer
------------------------------------------------------------
2.1.1 Should I buldoze abandoned buildings?
You can, but it's not necessary. Sims will build over
abandoned buildings, although, abandoned buildings lower
property values.
I also believe that the level of unemployement is directly
related to the number of abandoned buildings. Look at a city
with high unemployemnt. See what happens to the unemployment
level if you bulldoze all of the abandoned buildings.
2.1.2 Do I have to buldoze rubble?
No. Sims will build over rubble.
2.1.3 Is there any way to bulldoze large areas at a time?
No. Although you can destroy a few buildings at a time using
raise terrain tool.
2.1.4 Is there a way to get rid of lots of rubble?
You can either build power lines over rubble, or you could
use the de-zone tool to get rid of the zoning and the
rubble.
2.1.5 The sims complain when I try to bulldoze some
forest. Should I pay any attention to them?
I don't think it'll do you any harm to ignore them.
2.2 Landscape
------------------------------------------------------------
2.2.1 How do I make waterfalls?
Place water on a slope.
2.2.2.What's the magic eraser?
Select the tree tool. Press the mouse button with the cursor
on a blank tile. Keep holding down the button and press the
shift key. The cursor will now erase any type of
development. The effect is rather odd - when you query the
tile that's been erased, the old structure appears to still
be there.
2.2.3 Can I make a deep river at higher elevations?
No, the only way to add water at elevations above sea level
is to use the water tool - and this only makes water that is
50 feet deep.
2.2.4 Does the water tool make fresh water or salt water?
(MAC) Fresh water.
(DOS) The water tool seems to make fresh water half the time
and salt water the other half.
2.3 Power
------------------------------------------------------------
2.3.1 Do undeveloped zones conduct power?
No. Only tiles that have immediate contact to power (either
next to another building or next to a power line) will be
powered.
2.3.2 What type of power plant should I use?
If you aren't concerned with money, fusion plants are the
most efficient, and don't pollute or cause disasters - like
nuclear and microwave. If you are concerned about money,
then hydro is best. Hydro plants don't pollute and don't
need to be replaced every 50 years.
Output Pollut.
Eff. (16 tiles) Level Comments
Fusion $16/MW 2500 80
Micro $17.5/MW 1600 0 Possible disaster
Hydro $20/MW 240 0 Doesn't need replacing
Coal $20/MW 200 3400
Wind $25/MW 64 0 Doesn't need replacing
Solar $26/MW 50 0 Weather dependent
Nuclear $30/MW 500 80 Possible disaster
Oil $30/MW 220 1680
Gas $40/MW 50 610
2.3.3 Isn't it kind of like cheating to use hydro power?
Well, first off, it's just a game, and you can do whatever
you want with it. The most efficient use of hydro would be
to use the raise terrain tool to make a little bump. Line
the bump with waterfalls and then place hydro plants on the
waterfalls. You could even surround the hydro pants with
water pumps. This is the best, and most unrealistic use of
hydro plants. A more realistic approach would be to make a
map with a river, then raise the land on one end of the
river, and draw the river back in, having it flow down the
raised land. You could then build large dams on the slopes.
2.3.4 My power plants seem to last forever.
If you have disasters off, your power plants will
automatically be replaced when they are 50 years old. Their
cost will also be deducted from your coffers.
2.3.5 Why don't hydro plants and wind power have to be
replaced every 50 years?
Well, you could say that this is bias on the part of Maxis
to encourage the use of clean power. The real reason has to
do with programming limitations - they'd have to keep track
of the age of each plant.
2.3.6 Why should I use wind power?
I don't know - appearance, maybe? If you have extra space on
the top of a mountain, you could put windmills there. You
could use a couple of wind power plants to sustain a small
village in the middle of nowhere.
2.3.7 Do I have to use raised wires to run power across
water?
No, there's a cheat you can use to get around this.
Chris Weiss writes:
"There's a little trick you can do to run power across water
without needing lines. First, you need 3 tiles of water
between where you'd run the line from and where you'd run it
to. Build a power line bridge across that 3 tile space and
bulldoze the power line between the two "on-ramps" for the
power bridge. Replace the flat land tiles with water again
and Voila! The power flows across the no-longer-existent
power bridge."
2.4 Water
------------------------------------------------------------
2.4.1 How effective is a water pump?
A water pump (not next to water) will service approximately
24 to 36 tiles, depending on the weather.
An additional 12 tiles (approx.) will be serviced for every
water tile that the pump is adjacent to.
For example: W W W
L P L
L L L
where W = water, L = land, P = pump
The above pump is next to 3 water tiles, therefore, it will
provide 60 to 72 tiles with water. I think that each tile
requires 600 gallons of water.
2.4.2 Should I build water towers?
Each water tower will hold up to 40,000 gallons of water.
They will only fill up when you have a surplus. It's
probably easier to just build four more pumps in the space
that a tower would take.
2.4.3 Why aren't the pipes under my towers filled with water?
The pipes turn blue when the tower fills with water. For
every 10,000 gallons, one pipe will turn blue.
2.4.4 What good is a water treatment plant?
The manual says that water treatment plants will help
you prevent droughts by cleaning and recycling your water.
However, the online help says that water treatment plants
will reduce the overall pollution level of your city.
Experimentation has revealed that water treatment plants do
not really have anything to do with the water supply. Adding
one treatment plant (anywhere on the map) will reduce the
pollution level of your city quite a bit. Additonal
treatment plants have no effect, though. So, build one, and
only one
2.4.5 How effective is a desalination plant?
Desalination plants seem to have an effective radius,
so there effectiveness is rather complicated. They can
provide water to 200 - 500 tiles each, depending on how
many seawater tiles are adjacent to the plant.
I suggest that you place a few along the ocean, away
from the edges.
2.4.6 What types of water will help a water pump?
Natural water and artificial water will improve the
performance of a water pump, while salt water will not. Use
the query tool to find out whether water is salty or fresh.
Water pump performance will even be improved by a waterfall,
or a waterfall with a hydro plant on it.
2.4.7 I've built several pumps on the edge of my city,
but all the water seems to be going to the center.
Well, SC2K figures out how much water you have, then it
distributes it from the center of your city. The only way to
keep the water at the edge would be to cut it
off from the water system.
2.4.8 Where do I need to build pipes?
Sims will automatically build pipes underneath buildings,
so, all you need to do, is build pipes underneath roads. I
like to place pipes underneath my power lines.
Some people feel that a structured system of water mains
helps the performance of a water system.
2.5 Road + Rail
------------------------------------------------------------
2.5.1 How much road do I need?
A zone (residential, commercial, or industrial) must be
within 3 tiles (not counting diagonally) of a road in order
to start growing. If you're really strapped for cash (say
you start on the hard level) then you can get away with
discontinuous roads. Just drop down 1 tile sections of road
and build different zones around it:
For example: R R R
R R R R R
R R - I I
C C I I I
C I I
where - = road R = residential, C = commercial,
I = industrial
Actually you don't really need any roads at all. If you
want, you can rely totally on mass transit. You won't
have any traffic, but growth will be less and larger(3X3)
buildings won't develop.
For example, sims will build given the following setup:
R I
R R R I I I
R R R R R I I I I I
R R R s R R R I I I s I I I
R R R R R I I I I I
R R R I I I
R I
where R = residential, I =industrial,
s = sub stations - connected underground by subway
2.5.2 Why should I use rail instead of a subway?
Rail is cheaper, and, supposedly, has a greater positive
impact on heavy industry.
2.5.3 How do bus stations work?
Place bus stations at busy intersections to reduce traffic
at that intersection.
Bus stations also seem to stimulate growth (without adjacent
roads) to some extent.
2.5.4 How do you build a reinforced girder bridge?
You will be asked if you want to build a reinforced bridge
if you place a highway tile halfway over water:
before: L L L W W W after: L L L W W W
L L L W W W L L H H W W
L L L W W W L L H H W W
L L L W W W L L L W W W
where L = land, W = water, H = highway tile
Also, be sure that the other side of the river is
clear and flat.
2.5.5 What's the difference between a highway bridge and a
reinforced bridge?
Highway bridges don't allow ships to pass, but are cheaper.
2.5.6 What's the difference between causeways, raising
bridges, and suspension bridges?
Causeways do not allow ships to pass. Raising bridges and
suspension bridges both allow ships to pass. Raising bridges
are cheaper than suspension bridges, but can only be a
maximum of eleven tiles long.
2.5.7 How does my transportation system affect growth?
Residential zones must be properly connected to a commercial
or industrial zone in order to start growing. Industrial or
commercial zones must be connected to a residential zone in
order to start growing. This connection can either be made
by road rail, or subway, however, growth will be best with
roads.
2.5.8 Is there an annual charge for bus depots?
Yes, in fact, there are transportation charges for lots
of things. The chart below shows the various things that
have maintenance charges. The first column shows the
building cost. The other columns show how much is
charged, per year for each item in each category. (Some
items, like Sub/Rail, have split charges.)
Build Road Hwy Brid Rail Sub Tun
Road $10 0.10 -- -- -- -- --
Causeway $25 -- -- 0.22 -- -- --
Raising Bridge $50 -- -- 0.22 -- -- --
Suspension Bridge $75 -- -- 0.22 -- -- --
Highway $100 -- 0.80 -- -- -- --
Highway Bridge $200 -- 0.80 -- -- -- --
Reinforced Bridge $300 -- 0.80 1.00 -- -- --
Tunnel $150 -- -- -- -- -- 0.10
Tunnel Entrance $150 0.10 -- -- -- -- --
Onramp $25 0.10 -- -- -- -- --
Bus Depot $250 25.00 -- -- -- -- --
Rail $25 -- -- -- 0.40 -- --
Rail Bridge $75 -- -- 0.22 -- -- --
Subway $100 -- -- -- -- 0.40 --
Rail Depot $500 -- -- -- 1.60 -- --
Sub Station $250 -- -- -- -- 0.76 --
Sub/Rail $250 -- -- -- 0.40 0.40 --
Power Lines $2 -- -- -- -- -- --
Raised Wires $10 -- -- 0.20 -- -- --
2.5.9 Will sims walk to a road, then drive to a sub station,
take the subway, drive from the sub station, and walk
from the road to work?
Well, actually, work has to be next to the road. (See next
question.)
2.5.10 Why do some zones develop away from a road, and others
don't?
terry@laue.biochem.ubc.ca writes:
"I recently posted my theory about the trip generator
by proposing four schemes. The question came up because I
was trying to explain how you can have properties develop
which are not connected to the road. The schemes are as
follows:
A. R - I
B. R -I
C. R- I
D. R-I
After powering up, I found that neither property in (A)
developed and both properties in (D) did. This is expected
as the sims in (A) cannot seem to find the road. However,
The R in (B) and the I in (C), the squares which DO NOT
touch the road, DO develop! And, the I in (B) and the R in
(C), the squares which DO touch the road, DO NOT develop!
Therefore, for roads, the trip generator works as follows:
-assume you have a starting building X
-assume you need to reach a zone Y which is a zone
type different than that of X (ie: if X is an R
zone, Y will be an I or C zone)
-the trip generator starts from X and looks for the
nearest road segment Z within 3 squares of X
-the generator travels along the road searching
for Y
-if Y is touching the road and is within 25 squares
of the originating road segment Z, the trip is a
success
-otherwise, the trip is a failure and X will not
develop, or will be abandoned in short order if it
is already developed
Obviously, this does not take into account traffic volumes.
As stated in the manual, the trip generator will try to
avoid areas of high traffic. It is also important to note
that X is a whole building, whether 1x1, 2x2 or 3x3, whereas
Y is a single square of a zone, developed or undeveloped.
2.5.10 Do I need 2 or 4 onramps at each road-highway
intersection?
Well, really, you only need one. The only reason to have
more would be for realism, or to shorten some trip
distances.
2.5.11 Why can't I build onramps?
You must build onramps in the following fashion:
H H
o H H o
- - - - H H - - - -
o H H o
H H
H H
where H = highway, - = road, o = onramp
2.5.12 Why can't I put highways where I want them?
I assume that they only allow highways to placed on every
other tile, just so that there won't ever by a time when
highways mismatch:
H H
H H H H
H H
2.5.13 Do sub/rails do any good?
Apparently not. They seem to be only for show. Zones
connected in the following fashion do not seem to develop:
R R R R I I I I
R R D D = = = = + ~ ~ ~ ~ s I I I
R R D D I I I I
R R R R I I I I
where R = res, I = ind, D = rail depot,
s = sub depot, = = rail, + = sub/rail, ~ = subway
2.6 Ports + Connections
------------------------------------------------------------
2.6.1 I've zoned a port - why do they keep complaining?
They won't stop complaining until either a runway or pier
has been built.
2.6.2 What is the smallest size of zone for an airport?
An airport must be at least 1 X 5 tiles, in order for a
runway to be built. Since runways are 5 tiles long, you can
keep force them to only go in one direction by zoning a
4 X 10, 4 X 15, 4 X 20 etc. area for the airport.
2.6.3 Why won't my airport grow?
I don't know. Results seem to vary from person to person.
Just keep trying to zone more airport tiles. Sometimes Sims
have difficulty building over airport tiles that have power
lines on them.
There might be a problem if there's no place to put a runway
without planes being blocked.
2.6.4 Does my airport need to be connected to water pipes or
transportation in order to grow?
No. An airport only needs connection to power.
2.6.5 Does my city have to be a certain size before an
airport can be built?
No. You could build a successful airport, even before
anybody moves into your city (of course, you won't have any
money left, but...)
2.6.6 Why do I keep having air crashes?
You'll have air crashes if you have tall buildings in the
immediate flight path. Generally, it's best to put your
airport out of the way - perhaps on an island or plateau.
2.6.7 I've zoned a seaport, why won't piers develop?
Well, I think that a pier needs to be able to extend out
over water that's at least 150 feet deep.
Also, try zoning more seaport, away from the water. More
piers seem to develop when non/pier structures are allowed
to be built.
2.6.8 Exactly what effect do seaports and airports have,
anyway?
Unknown. They stop the sim's complaints. Airports
promote commerce and seaports promote industry. Beyond
that, who knows? It's a very hard factor to isolate.
2.6.9 What does it mean when connections are requested?
You must build connections to your neighbors. Run a road,
rail, or highway to the edge of the map, and you will be
asked if you want to build a connection to your neighbor.
2.6.10 What does the number on the connection sign mean?
That's the distance to your neighbor.
2.6.11 Why is it possible to build a connection to the ocean?
I don't know.
2.6.12 I've built plenty of connections, but they keep asking
for more.
They may want you to build highway or rail connections.
2.6.13 Just how useful are connections, anyway?
A connection acts as a stimulus point. Normally, residential
zones are stimulated by being connected to job zones, and
vice versa. A connection will act as a stimulus to both
residential and commercial/industrial.
2.7 Residential Zones
------------------------------------------------------------
2.7.1 What kinds of residential zones are there?
Name size population
Abandoned building 1 X 1 0
Construction 1 X 1 0
Lower Class Homes 1 X 1 10
Middle Class Homes 1 X 1 10
Luxury Homes 1 X 1 10
Abandoned building 2 X 2 0
Construction 2 X 2 0
Church 2 X 2 0 (dezones when built)
Cheap Apartments 2 X 2 80
Apartments 2 X 2 80
Nice Apartments 2 X 2 80
Condominium 2 X 2 120
Abandoned building 3 X 3 0
Construction 3 X 3 0
Condominium 3 X 3 360
Large Apt. Bldg 3 X 3 450
2.7.2 What's the difference between light residential
heavy residential?
Light residential is cheaper and will only allow 1 X 1
buildings.
2.7.2 Why should I use light residential?
Aesthetics? Not everyone can live in high rise apartment
buildings. Light residential requires less police protection
than heavy residential. If your zoning an oddly shaped piece
of land that wouldn't be able to form into a 2X2 or 3X3
building, you might want to use light instead of heavy.
2.7.3 Why should I use heavy residential?
You will need to use heavy if you want your city to have a
large population. The blank map looks large at the
beginning, but you will quickly run out of space if you rely
on light zoning. The larger buildings use the same amount of
power, therefore, you use less power per person. In
addition, you will get more tax revenue, for the same amount
of space.
2.7.4 How do I encourage my sims to build 3 X 3 buildings?
First the property values have to be pretty good.
Second, a 3 X 3 piece of land must be adjacent to
an intersection: R R R | C C C I I I C C C |
R R R | C C C I I I C C C |
R R R | C C C I I I C C C |
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
where R = heavy residential, C = heavy commercial,
I = heavy industrial, | and - = road
In the above example, the residential and commercial
zones may become 3 X 3 buildings, however, the
industrial zone will not.
2.7.6 Can I get rid of all these churches?
Dave Chaloux writes:
"You can't really get rid of the churchs but it can be
worthwhile moving them. Zone a 2x2 residential where you
want the church. Blow up the church and do not rezone. The
church will often move to the 2x2 you made for it. Then and
only then rezone as residential where the church was. The
reason this is worth it is because if you zoned for a 3x3,
you are only getting 50 pop around the church (5 1x1s). The
3x3 will give you 360."
Pat Traynor writes:
"Hmmm... I wonder if you could build an industry block 8x8,
and leave the center 2x2 area empty. Demolish a church in
the main residential section and then quickly zone the
center of the industrial section for residential. Perhaps
the church would pop up there."
This will work, but you have to build a road out to the
center:
- - - - - - - - - -
| I I I I | I I I |
| I I I I | I I I |
| I I I I | I I I |
| I I I R R I I I |
| I I I R R I I I |
| I I I I I I I I |
| I I I I I I I I |
| I I I I I I I I |
- - - - - - - - - -
where R = heavy residential, I = industrial,
| and - = road
Then, once you coerce the church into the middle, you
can bulldoze the road into the middle and replace it
with industrial.
2.8 Commercial Zones
------------------------------------------------------------
2.8.1 What kinds of commercial zones are there?
Name size population
Abandoned building 1 X 1 0
Construction 1 X 1 0
Cassidy's Toy Store 1 X 1 10
Bed & Breakfast Inn 1 X 1 10
Gas Station 1 X 1 10
Small Office Bldg 1 X 1 10
Convenience Store 1 X 1 10
Office Building 1 X 1 10
Warehouse 1 X 1 10
Abandoned building 2 X 2 0
Construction 2 X 2 0
Office Building 2 X 2 80
Resort Hotel 2 X 2 80
Grocery Store 2 X 2 80
Shopping Center 2 X 2 80
Office Building 2 X 2 120
Office/Retail 2 X 2 120
Abandoned building 3 X 3 0
Construction 3 X 3 0
Theatre Square 3 X 3 360
Corporate HQ 3 X 3 360
Parking Lot 3 X 3 360
Drive-In Theater 3 X 3 360
Office Park 3 X 3 360
Office Tower 3 X 3 360
Historic Office Bldg3 X 3 ??
Mini Mall 3 X 3 360
Office Tower 3 X 3 450
2.9 Industrial Zones
------------------------------------------------------------
2.9.1 What kinds of industrial zones are there?
Name size population
Abandoned building 1 X 1 0
Construction 1 X 1 0
Chemical Storage 1 X 1 10
Ind. Substation 1 X 1 10
Warehouse 1 X 1 10
Abandoned building 2 X 2 0
Construction 2 X 2 0
Factory 2 X 2 80
Factory 2 X 2 120
Abandoned building 3 X 3 0
Construction 3 X 3 0
Chemical Processing 3 X 3 360
Factory 3 X 3 360
Large Factory 3 X 3 360
Warehouse 3 X 3 360
Large Warehouse 3 X 3 360
Ind. Thingamajig 3 X 3 360
2.10 Education Zones
------------------------------------------------------------
2.10.1 What are the relative effects of education zones?
The manual says that you need 1 school for every 15,000
people in order to increase EQ to 90. This does not seem
correct, however. I don't think you can get EQ to 90 even
if you have twice this many schools.
Schools lose their A+ rating when student to teacher ratio
goes above 12. In other words, a half-full school gets about
an A and a full school gets an F. Colleges have a capacity
of 50,000, but, as with schools, grade goes down as the
number of students approaches capacity.
Libraries and museums increase the EQ of all ages.
Museums are more effective than libraries.
2.10.2 Does it matter where I put educational zones?
No, educational zones do not need proper access to
transportation to be effective. Educational zones do
increase land value, though.
2.10.3 What EQ is average?
The manual says that the SimNation EQ average is 100.
Although, the average age of sims that move into your city
is around 83.
2.10.4 My EQ doesn't seem to ever go above 100.
High EQ seems to require more than top notch schools,
colleges, libraries, and museums. I've built a small
city with excessive amounts of all these items. Over a
span of 400 years, EQ never got above 100. I think the
other factor must be industry - there's probably some
sort of feedback effect from the high EQ industries.
(Petro, auto, aero, electronics, etc.)
2.10.5 I just put in a school but it still says 0 student,
and 0 teachers. Why don't they use the school?
There seems to be quite a long lag time (maybe a year)
before students will shuffle around to new schools.
Chris Weiss writes:
"Micro-simulators do all their calculations in January
(well, most of them anyway). So if you place one in June,
then query on it in July, everything will be zeros (or
incorrect, at any rate). Wait until after January, then
things should look A-OK."
2.11 Health and Safety Zones
------------------------------------------------------------
2.11.1 Do police stations and fire stations need to be placed
next to roads?
No, apparently, police and fire power is not effected by
proximity to transportation.
2.11.2 Do I need prisons?
Prisons increase police performance. If you still have
crime, even though you've just built a police station, build
a prison next to the police station to improve the
effectiveness of the police station at close range.
2.11.3 Should I worry about the number of escapes from my
prison?
I believe that this is a symptom of overcrowding (high
inmate to guard ratio.) I would suspect that crime might go
up slightly around the prison.
2.11.4 How many policemen or firefighters should I be able
to dispatch?
You should be able to dispatch 1 police icon for every
police station and 1 firefighter icon for every fire
station. The maximum number of emergency units you may
dispatch (including military) is 33.
2.11.5 Do hospitals need road access?
I don't think they do.
2.11.6 How many hospitals do I need?
The capacity of each hospital is 25,000, although, they will
have a higher grade at half capacity.
2.11.7 Do I really need a high LE?
Logically, LE should have an effect on the available work
force. The lower your LE, the less people you have working
at any given population level. Well, in theory, anyway.
2.12 Recreation Zones
------------------------------------------------------------
2.12.1 What are all these things for?
Small parks and Large parks increase land value. Zoos,
stadiums, and marinas increase residential demand and
improve tourism.
2.12.2 Can I build a marina in the middle of land?
Sure, just place a drop of water, then build the marina on
top of it. The boats'll have trouble leaving though...
2.12.3 Why do my sports teams always lose?
Hmmm, bad coaching?
2.12.4 Is there any value in having empty space?
Property that borders empty space seems to have a higher
property value.
2.12.5 Who is Captain J. Scirica? He seems to be captain of
all the yachts in the marinas.
Chris Weiss writes:
"Joe Scirica is the Vice President of Product Development at
Maxis. First Light is the name of his boat that can be seen
racing around San Fransisco Bay almost every weekend."
3.0 BUDGET + OTHER WINDOWS
3.1 Property Taxes
------------------------------------------------------------
3.1.1 How much should I set property taxes at?
Well, 7% is pretty much standard. If you lower it, that will
stimulate growth. If you raise it, that will stifle growth.
3.1.2 How is property tax revenue figured?
Use the following formula:
Population * Propert tax rate * 1.29 = Tax Revenue
or, if you are taxing zones at different rates:
Rpop * Rtax * 1.29 + Cpop * Ctax * 1.29 + Ipop * Itax * 1.29
where Rpop = residential population
Rtax = residential tax rate(in decimal, i.e. 0.07)
Cpop, Ipop = commercial, industrial population
Ctax, Itax = commercial, industrial tax rate
3.1.3 Does property value have anything to do with tax
revenue?
No, not directly. High property values encourage growth and
higher densities. A piece of land will have more tax revenue
if it is of a higher density.
3.2 City Ordinances
------------------------------------------------------------
3.2.1 Why do ordinances get passed when I'm not looking?
Ordinances will get passed at random if you do not have
disasters turned off. Actually, the help says:
"If you've been doing very well, the city counsellors
sometimes take it into their heads to begin beneficial
programs using public funds."
3.3 Bond Payments
------------------------------------------------------------
3.3.1 I'm running out of money. Should I take out a bond?
Not if you can help it. If you can afford to spend
$300+/year for interest, you can probably do without a bond.
The only exception I can see is if a disaster destroys your
only power plant.
3.3.2 How many outstanding bonds can I have?
There is a maximum of 50.
3.3.3 What determines the interest rate of the bond?
The bond rate is determined by adding a percentage to the
current fed rate. The percentages are as follows:
Rating Added Percentage
AAA +1%
AA +2%
A +3%
B +4%
C +5%
D +6%
F +7%
3.3.4 What determines my credit rating?
I believe that it's a combination of city value and
outstanding debt.
3.4 Map
------------------------------------------------------------
3.5 Graphs
------------------------------------------------------------
3.5.1 How is traffic measured?
The number on the traffic graph is the average number of
cars/minute on all roads, highways, bridges. This means that
you can artificially lower your traffic level by building
lots of roads out in the middle of nowhere.
3.5.2 How is pollution measured?
In parts per million. Several different types of buildings,
most notably industrial and power plants, give off a certain
level of pollution. The pollution value is a sum of all the
pollution levels divided by the amount of tiles occupied by
development. Thus, adding zones that don't pollute, such as
a zoo, will lower the value given in the pollution graph.
Non-Polluters:
trees/water
hydro/wind/solar/micro power plants
water towers/desalination plants
Mayor's House/city hall/statue/Braun Llama Dome
schools/colleges/libraries/museums
police stations/fire stations/hospitals
small parks/big parks/zoos/marinas
airport-control tower/airport-radar
Polluters: (approx. pollution level)
coal plant - 3400/oil plant-1680/gas plant-610/
nuclear plant-80/fusion plant-80
Plymoth Arco-1630/Launch Arco-960/Darco-735/Forest Arco 610
prison-610/stadium-240
airport:runway-125/hangar-35/tarmac-30/
parking lot-10/building-1
seaport:crane/pier-110/cargo yard-84/
loading bay-10/warehouse-1
rail depot-15/bus depot-10/sub station-1
treatment plant-5/water pump-1
Industrial:(1X1-10)-3/(2X2-80)-150/(2X2-120)-250/
(3X3-360)-?
traffic-?
3.5.3 What do the power% and water% numbers mean?
This is an inverse percentage of usage - the amount of power
or water that you have surplus.
3.5.4 How is unemployment figured?
The level of unemployment seems to be directly related to
declines in R, C, or I levels. Growth in these areas
will lower unemployment.
3.6 Population
------------------------------------------------------------
3.7 City Industry
------------------------------------------------------------
3.7.1 Can I change all of the tax rates at once?
In the city industry window, you can change all of the taxes
rates at once by holding down the option key.
3.7.2 Which industries need high EQ?
Very High EQ - Aerospace
Electronics
High EQ - Petrochemicals
Automotive
Good EQ - Finance
Media
3.7.3 Which industries pollute?
Heavy Pollution - Steel/Mining
Textiles
Petrochemicals
Automotive
Mild Pollution - Food
Electronics
Tourism
3.8 Neighbors
------------------------------------------------------------
3.8.1 Can I change the names of my neighbors?
(MAC) Not easily, if at all. You would probably have to
alter your copy of SC2K with ResEdit. If you do this, be
sure to not do it on the original.
3.8.2 What other names are possible?
Oak Creek, Denmont, Fort Verdegris, Schwinton, Mill Valley,
Petaluma, PortVille, Ashland, Eubanks, Aurac, Tent Pegs,
Cherryton, Blake, Pioneers, Fortune, Phippsville, Jeromi,
Harpersville, Washers Grove, Stars County, Villa, Serviland,
Newton, Avon, Dexter, Sinistrel, Jenna, Yestonia, New Boots,
Hoek Creek, Stimpleton, Little Rogue, Krighton, Cats Corner,
Rimmer, Lister.
3.8.3 Where do these names come from?
Well, Hoek Creek and Stimpleton are from the Nickelodeon
animated series Ren and Stimpy. Krighton, Cats Corner,
Rimmer, and Lister are from the British science-fiction
comedy Red Dwarf.
Graham Wills writes:
"It appears that the designers liked a slightly obscure
British TV series - Blake's Seven. Several of the town names
are characters or places from the series:
Aurac A planet of rather pathetic telepaths
Blake A leader and hero.
Villa A thief. A very good thief
Serviland from "Servilan", a rather attractive villainess
Avon A computer expert and anti-hero
Jenna A smuggler and pilot."
A-1 Appendix 1 (Solving Problems)
------------------------------------------------------------
Growth
* Lower taxes
* Improve roads/transportation system
* Improve water system
* Intersperse zones
* Improve land values
* Build airports (Commercial)
* Build seaports (Industrial)
* Build connections
* Lower pollution/crime/traffic
* Improve education/health
* Pass Legalized Gambling ordinance (Commercial)
* Pass Tourist Advertising ordinance (Commercial)
* Pass Business Advertising ordinance (Industrial)
* Pass City Beautification ordinance (Tourism)
* Pass Annual Carnival ordinance (Tourism, Commercial)
* Pass Nuclear Free Zone ordinance (Residential)
* Remove Nuclear Free Zone ordinance (Industrial)
* Remove Parking Fines ordinance (Residential)
* Remove 1% Income Tax ordinance (Residential)
* Remove 1% Sales Tax ordinance (Commercial)
Land Value
* Build parks, trees, water
* Build recreational zones
* Build educational zones
* Build police, fire, hospitals
* Pass Pass City Beautification ordinance
* Pass Homeless Shelter ordinance
Pollution
* Pass Pollution Control ordinance
* Increase tax rate on polluting industries
* Build a water treatment plant
* Lower traffic
* Use light industrial instead of heavy industrial
* Use solar, hydro, wind, microwave, fusion power
* Move poluting buildings to edges of map
* Destroy parts of airports that aren't runways
* Destroy parts of seaports that aren't piers
Traffic
* Build more roads and highways
* Build mass transit
* Pass Parking Fines ordinance
* Intersperse different zones (build R close to I, C)
Crime
* Build police stations
* Pass Anti-Drug Campaign ordinance
* Pass Neighborhood Watch Campaign
* Use more light zoning
* Build prisons
* Bulldoze large industrial buildings
Unemployment
* Bulldoze abandoned buildings
* Zone more industry and commercial zones
* Remove Pollution Control ordinance, if in place
* Lower industrial and commercial tax rates
Education
* Build Schools, Colleges
* Build Libraries, Museums
* Pass Pro-Reading Campaign ordinance
* Give tax breaks to high-EQ industries
Health
* Build hospitals
* Pass Public Smoking Ban ordinance
* Pass Free Clinic ordinance
* Pass Junior Sports ordinance
* Pass CPR Training ordinance
A-2 Appendix 2 (Adjusting Difficulty)
------------------------------------------------------------
Money cheats
Using one of the previously mentioned methods for getting
more money is the simplest way to make things easier. You
don't have to worry about balancing the budget and you can
lower taxes to zero.
No disasters
Disasters can be quite, well, disasterous, for a young city.
It's not a good a to leave a city running overnight without
turning the disasters off. For one thing, even if you had
good fire coverage, you'd probably lose a lot of your city
to fire. In addition, most power plants need to be replaced
every 50 years, so, soon, everyone would be out of power.
Starting Level
Changing the starting difficulty level changes the amount of
money you start with, the frequency of disasters, and the
level of external demand for your manufactured products.
Starting Time
Later starting times are easier because of the increased
availability of inventions and the increase in external
demand.
Terrain Editing
It's much easier to build a city on flat ground - and you
can do all the flattening you want, at no cost, in the
terrain editor. You can also add waterfalls for use with
hydro power.
Riverless hyrdo plants
This source of power is not very realistic, however, it does
not pollute, is fairly efficient, and does not need to be
replaced every 50 years. Just place a drop of water on any
slope, and build a hydro plant there.
Artifically watered pumps
Water pump efficiency can be artificially improved by
placing drops of water next to them.
Disconnected roads - roadless city
By not building full road systems, it is possible to
keep traffic down, however, it's not very realisitic.
Heavy/Light Density Zoning
If you're interested in building a city with a large
population, you need to use mostly heavy zoning. A more
realistic city (N.Y. and Hong Kong excepted) would
have heavy to light zoning in a ratio of from 25/75 to
50/50.
Arcologies
Don't use them. Or, limit yourself to one of each.
A-3 Appendix 3 (Making Your Own Scenarios-MAC)
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Well, first, you'll need a copy of ResEdit.
(which can be located at ftp.apple.com in
/dts/mac/tools/resedit)
Then, you'll have to learn how to use it. :)
(not very hard)
1. Build a city to the point that you want the
scenario to start at.
2. Make a copy of your city and use ResEdit to
open it.
3. ResEdit will ask if you want to make a resource
fork - say yes.
4. Use ResEdit to open one of the scenario files
that came with SC2K.
5. Copy and paste each resource from the scenario
file to your city. (There should be four - PICT,
SCEN, TEXT, and TMPL)
6. Once you've got a copy of each resource in your
city, you can edit them.
PICT - This is the picture that goes with the
Scenario selection screen. Delete the old
picture and use a graphics program to make
your own picture and paste it in. The PICT
should have an ID=128.
TMPL - You don't need to mess with this one.
TEXT - There are two TEXT ID's
128 - This text describes the scenario on
the Scenario selection screen.
129 - This text is used for the extended
description that pops up just before
the city begins.
SCEN - This resource has all of the goal details.
Disaster type - There are 16 different
disasters. A 0 means no disasters.
Disaster Xloc, ylox - these are the origin
coordiantes - I'm not exactly sure
how to make use of these.
Time limit (months) - you must reach goal
before this many months pass.
City size, Ind, Res, Com Goal - build
population to this size
Cash Funds-Bonds - raise this much money.
Land Value Goal - increase land value to
this level.
Pollution, Crime, Traffic limit - I
haven't experimented with these yet.
There are 4 more goals that I don't know
what to do with.
7. Once you've edited the resources, you need to
change the file type. Use Get Info to change the
file type from CITY to SCEN.
8. Now just make sure that the city is in the same
folder as SC2K and everything should work out.
You might have to play with the PICT to make it
fit right. and you will probably need to
experiment with the goals to make your scenarios
challenging, yet reachable.
9. The disasters are numbered as follows:
1 fire 9 meltdown
2 flood 10 microwave
3 riots 11 volcano
4 pollution 12 firestorm
5 air crash 13 mass riots
6 earthquake 14 major floods
7 tornado 15 chemical spill
8 monster 16 hurricane
*DISCLAIMER*
Under no circumstance including negligence, shall I (K.K.Endo)
be liable for any incidental, special, or consequential
damages that result from the use of the information contained with
this file.