• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.

co_fiirdraak

Vanilla Cities: Skylines Designer
QA
Colossal Order Dev
Aug 20, 2010
127
17
Greetings, earthlings! It is me, ya boy, bringing you the latest news in space exploration and technology. The cims of Cities: Skylines will take the next step in expanding their horizons beyond the gravity well of Earth in this latest patch called ChirpX.

xBVTril.png

To boldly go...

ChirpX is a free patch which brings a new unique building to the game: the ChirpX Launch Site. The patch celebrates not only the historical Falcon Heavy launch by SpaceX but also the release of Surviving Mars as well as the third anniversary of Cities: Skylines! That's right, C:S is three years old!

Wd6mviZ.png

The ChirpX Launch Site featuring the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Launch Control Center, the Launch Tower, the Crawler-transporter and the ChirpX Rocket.

ChirpX was an idea that came up during a weekly meeting where we discussed Surviving Mars themed radio station that will be released in Cities: Skylines, coinciding with the release of the game, Surviving Mars. We thought that perhaps it would be nice to have something with a bit of gameplay added to it, something that would also look cool. And since the SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch had been a week prior, we thought that something like it would suit nicely with the theme of conquering the red planet in Surviving Mars. And so ChirpX was born.

YC8TWLk.png

The ChirpX Rocket transported to the Launch Tower on the Crawler-transporter. (By the way, the doors of the Vehicle Assembly Building work!)

The ChirpX Launch Site features a launch control center, a vehicle assembly building and a launch tower. There is also the mobile launcher platform and crawler-transporter which hauls the ChirpX rocket to the launch tower. The Kennedy Space Center was used for inspiration when the visual design for the ChirpX Launch Site was decided. The design for the ChirpX rocket took heavy inspiration from the classic Saturn V rocket which was used to support the Apollo program from 1964 to 1973. The rocket design was a close tie between the Saturn V and something resembling the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket but in the end the more classic look won.

TQs3Pcm.png

The ChirpX Rocket being prepared for launch.

Of course, the best part about having a space center and a rocket is that you get to launch it and ChirpX is no different in this regard. To prepare the rocket for a launch, the ChirpX Launch Site requires processed natural resources, ore and oil. Once the building is placed, it will start the rocket production process if there are enough resources – processed either in the city or delivered to the site from outside connections. The rocket production is divided into two phases: construction and launch preparation.

WVu3VuN.png

"We have a lift-off!"

After the construction phase is finished, the launch preparation phase starts and the rocket is transported from the vehicle assembly building to the launch tower. When the production reaches 100%, the ChirpX rocket is ready to be launched. The launch button becomes active and can be accessed through the ChirpX Launch Site info panel. In addition to the awesome visuals, the ChirpX Launch Site also generates entertainment and attractiveness to the city, increasing happiness and tourism.

dKVTNVa.png

The ChirpX Launch Site at night.

In the ChirpX Launch Site info panel you can also see the list of the past launch operations with dates and rocket names. Here you can also rename the rocket as well as change its color.

The ChirpX update will become live later today.

Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of ChirpX. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no chirper has gone before.”
- Captain Jean-Luc Chirpard
 
As a space fan myself I am little bit disappointed that ChirpX is using Saturn V instead of Chirper 9/Heavy but it's still great :D

btw, is it moddable?
ChirpX is moddable. And it was a tough choice between the two. On one hand the Falcon Heavy is topical but on the other hand Saturn V is such an iconic rocket, both for its use in the Apollo program as well as for its aesthetics.
 
Cool.

Any way to launch the shuttle from "High Tech Buildings"?
ChirpX is completely separate from the High Tech Buildings content creator pack so there is no functionality between the two in that sense.
 
ChirpX is completely separate from the High Tech Buildings content creator pack so there is no functionality between the two in that sense.

I didn't really expect it to, but it would have been a nice little bonus if it could.

I haven't seen a launch yet, but so far I think it is pretty cool. Thanks. :)
 
Very nice little update, the ChirpX is really great and nicely animated, also the Mars-Radio is great, when I started the game after the update I heard this music.

Radio OfficialMars_MyJourney

My first thought was, that could well be the theme for a future DLC.

But I'm also a bit disappointed, 2 bugs in the game have not been fixed with the update, they concern the road editor, expected the upcoming update, hope for the next update.

Where should you report errors concerning the Road-Editor, Modding or Bug?

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator
 
Last edited:
Hello! The Space is very interesting, please explore this area and launch a free extension or DLC! Thanks for the ChirpX! Success for Paradox and Colossal Order!
 
Finally launched the game and..."GazouilleX" hahaha translating is great but here :D

Since the window is entited CHIRPX, I would suggest you change GazouilleX for ChirpX to FR language.
 
And it was a tough choice between the two. On one hand the Falcon Heavy is topical but on the other hand Saturn V is such an iconic rocket, both for its use in the Apollo program as well as for its aesthetics.

I can imagine it was a tough choice. I think the Saturn V is very iconic, and I love it. I can't help but think the Falcon Heavy would have been awesome (and very relevant) as well. I would have had to do both, and have them alternate! :)
 

You know what, I have a lot of ore mining companies claiming that they aren't selling their goods at the mo, maybe a big fat rocket ship parked in their back garden will make them happy. :)
 
I can imagine it was a tough choice. I think the Saturn V is very iconic, and I love it. I can't help but think the Falcon Heavy would have been awesome (and very relevant) as well. I would have had to do both, and have them alternate! :)
Yes. It was a tough choice. Originally when I laid out the box models for the Launch Site complex, I had a Falcon Heavy style rocket with side booster rockets on the crawler-transporter. However, I wasn't satisfied with the visuals and while the Falcon Heavy is cool (and topical) it didn't convey the feeling I was after. It lacked the classic shape and it was, in a way, small and "thin" compared to the launch site buildings, the crawler and the launch tower. The building complex required more bulkiness on the rocket's behalf.

As a bit of trivia, I had originally an idea to have the Falcon Heavy style rocket with detachable booster rockets so that the booster rockets would land and be transported back into the VAB but like it usually is with projects you really care about, it started to blow up with additional art, animation, code and so forth and soon we looked at the idea as a whole and came to the conclusion that it would go beyond the scope of the ChirpX project and mess with the timetable. It was a very time sensitive thing after all. Our team really outdid itself with the ChirpX project and I am really glad we got to make it!
 
Yes. It was a tough choice. Originally when I laid out the box models for the Launch Site complex, I had a Falcon Heavy style rocket with side booster rockets on the crawler-transporter. However, I wasn't satisfied with the visuals and while the Falcon Heavy is cool (and topical) it didn't convey the feeling I was after. It lacked the classic shape and it was, in a way, small and "thin" compared to the launch site buildings, the crawler and the launch tower. The building complex required more bulkiness on the rocket's behalf.

As a bit of trivia, I had originally an idea to have the Falcon Heavy style rocket with detachable booster rockets so that the booster rockets would land and be transported back into the VAB but like it usually is with projects you really care about, it started to blow up with additional art, animation, code and so forth and soon we looked at the idea as a whole and came to the conclusion that it would go beyond the scope of the ChirpX project and mess with the timetable. It was a very time sensitive thing after all. Our team really outdid itself with the ChirpX project and I am really glad we got to make it!

Very interesting behind the scenes story. I had thought about the boosters landing, and I could see how a small project could easily become a much larger project, spiraling out of control. The fact that it is animated at all is wonderful. I think it is a pretty cool free update. Thanks.
 
Happy to see that it ended up with a celebration of all spaceflight and not just fapping around SpaceX as most of the circlejerks usually do.