Natural Resources button/view needs to be active from day 1

[28rommel]

The "Natural Resources" button/view found under "Info Views" should be available for use from the very start of a new game. Initial (immediate) use of this view is important to a player who is trying to properly plan their city. I for one, take the time to plan far ahead of where to place major arteries and possible highway extension/routes. And knowing where natural resources are, is vital for this style of planning.

I understand that the map usually leaves some visual clues for natural resources, but you really don't know how intense the resource is, in that area. The darker the natural resource color (when using the Natural Resource View), the more of a chance you know that you can develop "raw producers" (not "processors") in the specialized district for that area.

Developers should understand that I like the fact that you slowly introduce new buttons/views in the "Info Views" tool. This is being kind to brand new players who might feel overwhelmed with too many options/tools. What I'm suggesting is that maybe you can swap a button/view that is not "too important" to have at the start of a new game, with the "Natural Resources" button/view. The "Citizen Happiness" or the "Traffic" view/button is available from day 1, and either of these could be a candidate for swapping. Or, instead of trading/swapping, just add the "Natural Resources" view/button to the list of initial views a player can use.

PS: I'm sure there is a mod to work around this, or I think there is a new in-game mod/option, but my suggestion is for players who don't want to download outside mods or to affect the ability to gain achievements.

 

[28rommel]

It would be nice to hear some thoughts and opinions on this.
Anyone ?

 

[metacritical]

it's activated very early on in the game anyway so i don't really see the problem.

 

[Fox_NS_CAN]

I never really found it to be a problem, but on the other hand, I don't see any reason for that one to not be available from the start either.

 

[28rommel]

it's activated very early on in the game anyway so i don't really see the problem.

I'm not sure exactly what level the Natural Resources View comes into play, but it's not early enough.
The view really is needed from the very beginning.
I use the "Areas" button (that's the globe/world button in the very bottom-left corner) in conjunction with the Natural Resources View, to get a very high bird's-eye-view of the entire (future) playable area. I know what Areas to buy, to eventually get to the natural resources we need. So it's just not a necessary view for the single Area you start-off with, but beyond that.

If I can see where the resources are, then I can plan how my highway/freeway will eventually be constructed (where I will add the necessary junctions and turning of the highway). Not sure if others plan this way, but I make room for my future highway as I begin my game. I don't build in the path where my future highway will run.

Also, in my first city, I didn't know there was a resource and I built right on top of it with residential. Sure you can somewhat delete what was there, and then build the proper specialization (growables) for that area, but I didn't plan my major roads in this area for the unexpected heavy truck traffic. Or I didn't plan my highway properly to run close to the specialization area, so that trucks can more easily get on and off the highway. I am not afraid to do some minor deleting here and there in my city, I do it quite often. But having to delete highways and major roads is cumbersome, and takes major work. If you are going to do that, you might as well just start all over, and that is just a waste and a frustrating let-down.

 

[metacritical]

Agriculture Specialization and Forestry Specialization are activated in the second millstone (population of a 900)
Ore Specialization at the fourth milestone (population of 2400)
Oil Specialization at the fifth milestone (population of 4600)

edit: just played the game for 10 minutes and reached the second milestone and pressing the resource specialization button showed where all resources were. so you have to wait to reach the second milestone, which is normally before you can actually buy extra zones that contain resources. still don't see the problem.

 

[Steve B.]

it's activated very early on in the game anyway so i don't really see the problem.

The only possible problem I see is that some players like to start from "scratch"; i.e. like IRL agriculture and forestry should start the city. The game forces you to use generic industry first in order to provide jobs for your cims. I don't play that sort of game, but from comments I realize that others do.

 

[28rommel]

... so you have to wait to reach the second milestone, which is normally before you can actually buy extra zones that contain resources. still don't see the problem.

I had both forestry and farming resource in my initial Area, on my first map of play.

 

[28rommel]

edit: just played the game for 10 minutes and reached the second milestone and pressing the resource specialization button showed where all resources were. so you have to wait to reach the second milestone ...

So if it's operational in the second milestone, would you agree that swapping it for the "Citizen Happiness" Info View (as mentioned in the OP) would be feasible ?
I mean what critical reason is there to know/have Citizen Happiness from the very beginning of one's game ?

 

[28rommel]

Agriculture Specialization and Forestry Specialization are activated in the second millstone (population of a 900)
Ore Specialization at the fourth milestone (population of 2400)
Oil Specialization at the fifth milestone (population of 4600)

Note that I am not asking for the developers to change when Farming (fertile land), Forest, Ore or Oil specialization is available for players to harvest.
Their current setting is fine.
All I am saying is that we know where this natural resource is located from day one, so that we can better plan our highways and roads, and to not mistakenly develop over this important land (that we will "specialize" in the future).

 

[Kagemusha]

I agree. It wuld be very nice if you could see the natural resouces from the beginning on, so you can plan ahead which locations you leave out from building (in order to put specialized industry there, at a later point in game)