Limitations - An open letter to Colossal Order

[unmerged(606034)]

An open letter to CO regarding limitations in the editor.

Click here to view the full post

Dear Colossal Order.

While the new editor is amazing in so many ways, I have started to realize the limitations we face when trying to map realistic cities. I'll use this post to shed light on some of them with hope that it may contribute to future development.

• Pedestrian walkway
  Let us choose whether we want an road crossing or not when attaching a walkway to a street. And please, make them available in smaller width. Fixing this would also give us the ability to do elevated / submerged road crossings.
  
  The fact that the smallest walkway is illogically enormous also limits our ability to create realistic and beautiful parks.
  
  
• Building models
  We badly need an extended library of building models to match different types of cities. Most notably for me is the lack of varied low rise architecture, with the current library it's impossible to recreate a European skyline if you're not repeating the same few models over and over.
  
  European historical 16-1800 style buildings would be a really nice addition, maybe you can refurbish some from CiM1?
  The large colossals such as shopping malls and offices should be available in more sizes to fit a more varied dimensioned road networks.
  
  The almost total lack of historical landmarks such as churches/cathedrals, civic and cultural architecture limits our possibilities of creating different distinct central points in cities.
  
  
• Props
  Well, we can all agree the new props library is laughable, I mean... not even a park bench??
  CiM1 had a great variety and is something to strive for.
  
  I really miss the different themes: marketplace, marina, industrial harbor. With them gone we are missing some great opportunities to create a living and varied city landscape.
  
  
• Fences / walls
  A prominent feature in most cities. I suggest you make use of your great road building mechanism to let us build different fences and walls. That would really open up for new levels of visual detail.
  
  
• Road types
  I am aware this is one of the greatest road building engines ever created in a game, but for realism we need a few more alternatives.
  
  Let us build roads with two lanes in one direction and one in the other. This is a very common road type in most cities. And please, make an alternative for having parking and bus lanes on only one side of the streets.

Colosal order.
First of all, thank you for a great game! Please make our wishes come true and be repaid tenfold. The community will reward you with great content that will prolong the lifespan of CiM2 with many years.

Do you agree with my arguments? Make your voices heard!

 

[unmerged(721711)]

I would like to add:

1. Tool persistence. If I have the one way road selected, and then switch to terrain tools, when I switch back to build roads it should still have one way roads selected.

2. Quick bulldoze. Often times I have to make corrections. I should be able to hold down CTRL or something to temporarily have the bulldoze tool. Less switching back and forth that way. Compounded also by #1.

3. Bulldoze should be a brush, not a single item select.

4. Multiple intersections with one click. If I am building one road and it crosses multiple other roads I should be able to do it with one click and automatically create an intersection at each one. Doing it one at a time is a waste of time.

5. Generate buildings is weak. I would like a generate buildings brush, and be able to select building type. So I can create a suburban neighborhood and then turn around and use a city center brush somewhere else. Just randomly generating buildings by road type (?) is completely useless.

There's a lot of things with this editor that need to be streamlined. I feel bad for your content artists is this is what they have to use. I am, nonetheless, thankful that an editor was included and I don't want my constructive criticism to take away from that.

 

[AshleyTayles]

A nice feature of the road tool means if you right click on an existing road in your map, the tool turns into that road.

 

[Deville]

I especially agree with the props and walls/fences paragraph, I really miss places where people actually would go and spend some time, like a plaza, or a seafront. The coast now looks so ugly and empty, even though it would be perfect to hang out there. I pointed that out in a developer diary, but CO said, they think it looks quite nice... :huh:

Also a simple footbridge like in CiM: Tokyo would be nice. Now busy stops jam up the streets nearby because of too many cims crossing the streets.

 

[unmerged(606034)]

I would like to add...

Great list! Totally agree on every point.

A nice feature of the road tool means if you right click on an existing road in your map, the tool turns into that road.

Thanks for the tip! I had no idea about that

I especially agree with the props and walls/fences paragraph, I really miss places where people actually would go and spend some time, like a plaza, or a seafront. The coast now looks so ugly and empty, even though it would be perfect to hang out there...

Yea those "small details" really made our cities come to life, didn't they?
It's irrelevant if those things don't necessarily bring any new gameplay, the "feel" and atmosphere of the maps is a very important part for many of us.



I really hope CO can absorb these thoughts and get to work when all the initial bugtracking has been completed.

 

[Butelka64]

The first point mentioned in this letter has been "developed" in this thread: http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?682068-Idea-sharing-Introduce-new-type-footpath

 

[Alucardvincent]

I pass, how you want to be taken seriously when you link instead of posting your points directly and more on adding an annoying image.

 

[unmerged(606034)]

The intention being of course promoting the blog, but i see your point and i'd rather not miss any readers so I have now pasted the list up here.

 

[Joe The Dragon]

An open letter to CO regarding limitations in the editor.




Do you agree with my arguments? Make your voices heard!

Better one to 2 way road joining is needed as well being able to have underground and upper level roads have ramps linking each other.

 

[jorbje]

I totally agree to these points:
- Pedestrian walkway
- Fences/walls
- "Bulldoze should be a brush". I would like both a brush and a single select.
- Multi intersections with one click
- Building brush. Just the same as the tree brush. diveded into different categories. Or maybe easier to program: Zone brushes (suburban, office, factory etc.)

@bclagge: Each tool set in the map editor has a F1-F5 shortcut. So if you are creating anything, just hit F5 and bulldoze, then F(whatever) to get back.

 

[The_13th_Ronin]

More tools to control traffic: Give way signs, stop signs, etc...

Overtaking...

 

[djw2000]

Yes, I miss the fences too. It might have been a bind, but actually creating residential areas with hedges and lots of trees, or industrial complexes with fences to delineate property, really made it come alive. Also YES, YES, YES - markets, benches, statues and stuff and PLEASE a tool to be able add different types of paving (in order to create squares, piazzas, or whatever you want to call it).
And, as I keep repeating, fully support a tool to add Give Way signs rather than traffic lights!

 

[Friedchicken]

The fact you cant place (most) buildings right next to eachother without creating a gap is somewhat annoying. Most landowners in cities utilise every inch of land and buildings connect with eachother. That and the lack of building variety and city props. The latter can be easily fixed and it's pretty obvious that they will be included as updates later.

 

[Friedchicken]

Also agree with paving textures. A paint brush tool and a small set of GOOD textures for painting those ugly green patches, and creating paving/plazas, as well as farms like in original CiM should of really been included this time on release as it seems like such a basic feature to create.

 

[unmerged(719831)]

Also, could we perhaps make concrete? I know a way (if interested, I will include it below), but it is complicated and in Cim1 it was possible

Now, how to make concrete:

1. Select a small building (I chose gas tank)
2. Page down to lower it
3. Place
4.Concrete will appear!