Global Build-Off: Berlin Edition - Instructions and Q&A - March 13th to April 30th, 2021

[SimNationJan]

Global Build-Off: Berlin Edition - Instructions and Q&A​

Below you will find the step-by-step explanation on how to install the Berlin maps created by AmiPolizeiFunk for the Global Build-off: Berlin Edition contest. You can read more about the details of the competition HERE.​

3 different maps are available for you: ​

• A Vanilla Map that doesn’t require you to own any Cities: Skylines DLC or to install any mods. ​
• A Modded Map, that uses highways from the Cities: Skylines Mass Transit DLC. It requires you to download the exclusive Trees assets created for this competition and the Move It Mod by Quboid​
• A CSUR MAP, featuring a highly-detailed highway network created by Andrew “VictoriaCity” Sun, one of the authors of the CSUR Reborn highway collection, in addition to the Trees collection and Move it mod. ​

Pick the one best suited for your needs, and don't worry, the map you chose will not impact the decision of the contest's judges!

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* VANILLA MAP INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS​

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No instructions are needed for the vanilla map. Just sub to the Vanilla version and start a new game on the map! The vanilla map has ~240k real world trees represented by various base-game trees.

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* MODDED MAP INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS​

Here are step-by-step instructions to install the new Berlin map with its ~368k real world trees represented by 56 custom workshop tree assets. The modded map uses highways from Mass Transit DLC. ​

• Download the overlays from: ​

1. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cvhXktRGQmSUUT0wSsU8-A9m85u5CNYc/view?usp=sharing​
2. Place the overlays in the Cities:Skylines Files directory, usually located here:​
3. C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Cities_Skylines\Files​

• Log in to your Steam account and subscribe to the trees collection:​

1. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2250868517​
2. by pressing the “+Subscribe to all” button​

• Subscribe to the Unlimited Trees Mod, Prop and Tree Anarchy Mod and The Overlay Mod:
  https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=455403039
  https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=593588108
  https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=662933818​

Make sure you have the Cities:Skylines DLC “Mass Transit” installed

• Run Cities:Skylines​
• Go to the CONTENT MANAGER->MODS and make sure that the mods are enabled​
• Go to NEW GAME and select “Berlin 2021 modded 368k” (vanilla players can select “Berlin 2021 vanilla 240k”)​
• For the “City Name”, type in “Berlin” and press START​

• To stop the game from hiding trees that are under roads, do this:​

1. Go back to the PAUSE MENU by hitting “ESC”​
2. In the left bar, find “Prop & Tree Anarchy” and tick the options shown in the screenshot, most importantly “Unhide all trees on level loading” and “Anarchy always ON”​
3. Close the PAUSE menu​

• The last thing to do is pick and try one of the overlays:​

1. In Windows (no need to stop or restart game), go to the Cities:Skylines Files directory where you put your overlays, usually here:​
2. C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Cities_Skylines\Files​
3. Decide which overlay you would like to use. The 16k overlays show incredible detail but they are massive and can require up to a minute to load on a good computer with lots of RAM. The 4k overlays are more resource friendly.​
4. Rename one of the overlays to simply “overlay.png”. This will be the one that the mod loads. It can be reloaded without a game restart by simply toggling the overlay button on and off. For example: rename “4k-Berlin-ami-2021-overlay.png” to “overlay.png”​
5. Turn on the overlay by clicking the Overlayer mod button:​
6. After waiting a few moments for the image to load, you should now see the overlay!​

As you know, Cities: Skylines can be heavily modded to change the way the game looks. Some of the “recommended mods” that are included in the Collection, like “Daylight Classic” and “No Radioactive Desert and More” do just that. I recommend these mods, but each player will configure them to their own liking.

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* CSUR MAP INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS​

The CSUR version of the Berlin map features a highly-detailed highway network created by Andrew “VictoriaCity” Sun, one of the authors of the CSUR Reborn highway collection. To play on the CSUR version of the map, be sure to subscribe to the “CSUR Berlin Map” asset collection (in addition to the modded trees collection):

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2415983536

The rest of the installation instructions for this version are the same as for the “modded” version. For the CSUR version, you do not need the Mass Transit DLC.

Once you start a new game, you can configure the CSUR roads to use the brand new “German” style road textures. Open the “CSUR Loader” Mod OPTIONS and select “German” in the two drop-down menus for “Road Arrows” and “Road Texture Style.” The changes will take effect after the next load.

HAVE FUN!


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[AmiPolizeiFunk]

I am very happy that this has now officially launched and we are underway! Good luck participants!! I honestly can't wait to see what you all can do.

We'll be checking this thread regularly and answering any questions you may have about the Build-Off.

If you'd like to share work-in-progress screenshots or anything else about this competition on social media, be sure to use the #letsbuildberlin hashtag.


-Jason aka "Ami"

 

[Cykoop]

The juging critteria for the first category are very much focused on the Waisenbrücke which is probably more Blender work. But how important is the sorrounding area (yellow circle on the map)? Should this be a very exact represantation of Berlin or do we have much creative freedom?

 

[AmiPolizeiFunk]

Hi Cykoop,

You have tons of creative freedom! You can put together the bridge and the surrounding area by any means necessary. I'm personally very aware of how challenging it is to make bridges and to customize them, so that's part of the competition. The new "green" bridge is the focus, but ofc the whole competition is co-sponsored by the Berlin Stadtmuseum and their main museum location is the Märkisches Museum. That building is also a huge challenge for Skylines players, and I fully expect people to "weld" and hodgepodge existing assets together to get the effects they are looking for. This is somehow really appropriate, because the Märkisches Museum itself is a hodge-podge of multiple architectural styles.

Over the next weeks there will be lots of great research material coming forth from the museum about its locations and its history. You're welcome to build or rebuild the area from Berlin's past, present, or future, or completely from your own imagination!

 

[Essad]

Hi Jason!
I use a lot of PO for this build but realised the move it mod doesn't let me export the procedural objects into an xml file along with my normal props/buildings/networks/etc (throws an error when i try). However I can do a separate fixed export of my PO (.POBJ file, works the same way as a moveit export) and share it as well. Would that be ok?

 

[AmiPolizeiFunk]

Hi Essad!

Sure, go for it. We don't want to limit your creativity in any way. PO is allowed.

Quboid and Simon are actually looking into this issue a little bit, to see if they can get MoveIt and PO to generate a single combined export which could then be shared. It's a big feature tho and there's no guarantee that it will be ready before the competition deadline.

GLHF!

-Jason

 

[Essad]

Hi Essad!

Sure, go for it. We don't want to limit your creativity in any way. PO is allowed.

Quboid and Simon are actually looking into this issue a little bit, to see if they can get MoveIt and PO to generate a single combined export which could then be shared. It's a big feature tho and there's no guarantee that it will be ready before the competition deadline.

GLHF!

-Jason

Thanks for the reply!
Very happy it's allowed, and that the issue is being looked into

Also thanks for all the work with this competition, and the amazing Berlin map. I am very much enjoying this fun and creative challenge!

 

[Rhel]

So, to be clear, the build should have as a good a representation as possible of the Museum and our version of what the bridge might look like on it, but other than that we can basically do as we please?
Or can we also just focus on the initial square? Cause I honestly don't fancy my chances trying to make a custom building or bridge

 

[AmiPolizeiFunk]

Yes and Yes. The Grand Prize is for the bridge and the Maerkisches Museum (small yellow circle), but for the Special Prize (big red square) you can pretty much do whatever you want.

 

[AnnaBerry]

Thank you for the information

 

[Djenve]

Yes and Yes. The Grand Prize is for the bridge and the Maerkisches Museum (small yellow circle), but for the Special Prize (big red square) you can pretty much do whatever you want.

for the big red square, isn't it better to upload a savegame instead of a MoveIt export ?
together with links to the collections of course.

 

[AmiPolizeiFunk]

Hi Djenve,

We ask you to submit Moveit exports because it takes too long to load savegames one by one.

Give it a shot and see if you can make it work.

 

[Djenve]

Hi Djenve,

We ask you to submit Moveit exports because it takes too long to load savegames one by one.

Give it a shot and see if you can make it work.

Thanks for the reply.
I will try my best.
maybe it will have some issues because of the terrain hight.