Shantys and Urban Decay

[Langeveldt]

I am pumped for the release of this game and it looks to have all the bases covered, except for one thing which has been absent from all city builders.

You can sort of tell that the game was developed in Scandinavia and everything looks a bit too clean and perfect, like I guess how many of the cities are up there. Some of the cities I want to build though are your more challenging environments and I want the buildings to reflect that more. I've spent a lot of my life in areas where "level one" houses in the game look far too good. I'm not sure how moddable things are going to be, but I think it would be great if shanties and slums developed in areas without proper sanitation and schooling. These guys pay less in taxes and huge amounts of crime develop, wherever residential is layered without services. You could have an influx of people flooding to urban centers as soon as you start the city, as happens in developing countries and that could be a huge challenge to deal with. Suddenly a load of people to house and school on a budget, or your city ends up a chaos of slums.

I'm not sure about you guys on the forum and if people can make that happen. But lets throw ideas around. I'd love to build a Detroit or a Cape Town. Mixing wealth and poverty a bit more than is evident in the game.

 

[aerosnake]

I agree that the cities we've seen so far seem to be very clean and middle class. I don't want any actual ghettos in my city, but it would be nice to have some "low rent" areas, with more grimey looking buildings.

 

[Langeveldt]

I see modders are already starting to design buildings. Perhaps some ideas for shacks or the like?

 

[Lord_P]

I am pumped for the release of this game and it looks to have all the bases covered, except for one thing which has been absent from all city builders.

You can sort of tell that the game was developed in Scandinavia and everything looks a bit too clean and perfect, like I guess how many of the cities are up there. Some of the cities I want to build though are your more challenging environments and I want the buildings to reflect that more. I've spent a lot of my life in areas where "level one" houses in the game look far too good. I'm not sure how moddable things are going to be, but I think it would be great if shanties and slums developed in areas without proper sanitation and schooling. These guys pay less in taxes and huge amounts of crime develop, wherever residential is layered without services. You could have an influx of people flooding to urban centers as soon as you start the city, as happens in developing countries and that could be a huge challenge to deal with. Suddenly a load of people to house and school on a budget, or your city ends up a chaos of slums.

I'm not sure about you guys on the forum and if people can make that happen. But lets throw ideas around. I'd love to build a Detroit or a Cape Town. Mixing wealth and poverty a bit more than is evident in the game.

. . .


Finland is not in Scandinavia.

 

[Jokurr]

I'd also like to see a bit more run down looking buildings.

At one point I want to recreate a rustbelt type city, once a booming town but once industry dries up, urban decay sets in .

 

[Bjorn0305]

. . .


Finland is not in Scandinavia.

The term "Scandinavia" can also include Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Finland, on account of their historical associations with the Scandinavian countries. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandinavia, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/526461/Scandinavia

 

[ChaplainDMK]

. . .


Finland is not in Scandinavia.

Depends on what you're going for, realistically Scandinavia could mean only the Scandinavian peninsula (Norway, Sweden), the Scandinavian language group (Norway, Sweden, Denmark) or it could also include Finland, Iceland and Faroe Islands on the basis of their similar culture/world position for the past few decades.

 

[Inge Jones]

What continent is Finland actually in? Is it Europe?

 

[JimmiG]

. . .


Finland is not in Scandinavia.

It's part of the Nordic countries, which is probably what the OP meant. Economically and architecturally, Finland and Scandinavia are very similar, though.

I think it's OK that the game reflects the reality where it was developed. To me, being Swedish, the "trailer parks" that appear at first in SimCity looked unrealistic, since they don't exist here. Here, trailers are used for camping.

What continent is Finland actually in? Is it Europe?

Finland is part of the European continent just like Scandinavia (which can mean either the peninsula or the cultural-linguistic region) and parts of Russia.

 

[Langeveldt]

I had no idea Finland wasn't in Scandinavia.. But you get my point though people. I've spent some time in Finland and the game does look like it's been inspired from the area they work in, which is no bad thing. I'd love some building developers putting down some level one buildings that look really terrible though. You don't have to go far for inspiration

 

[Simcity5]

I would like to see more low wealth. Everything looks high wealth from the start. Its very clean.

I would hope with high unemployment and bad city management and whatever you could create your own little hell hole.

It would also be nice to turn it around and fix it somehow.

Maybe the game does this already.

 

[Langeveldt]

I don't think it does, but I think it gives us the capabilities to create some shocking pieces of living space. I don't have the expertise, but I'm sure some awesome people on here do

 

[AKicebear]

I also hope this is added, either via mod or expansion (I would certainly pay for a "LDC" city challenge). The idea of trying to turn a uneducated slum into a gleaning metropolis sounds great to me!

 

[Grockefeller]

Perso, I'll be making 3 ages in my city. An industrial ages where the city devellop first. The industries are the central point of the town. Second is the "all car" ages where suburbs grow and interstate system is built. And after all, an age where the city repair their problem and build park, destroy freeway, make efficient public transport and so.

 

[Vvolkov]

+1 for ghettos!

I've stated before I always try to build a "bad part of town" where the cidiots try to lock their car doors as they go through. Some people like to build cities that reflect where they live or have lived and some want to build a utopia. I hope for a full mod makeover for run down buildings and broken down cars and maybe a few washing machines in the front yard!

 

[ByLeven]

Slums please. I need it for my urban dystopia :laugh:

. . .


Finland is not in Scandinavia.

Dude, just leave it be... They will never learn

Besides, people's perception of how far cultural spheres extend depends heavily on how relevant local distinctions are to them. Our reasons for why Finland it is not part of Scandinavia, is not necessarily equally relevant for most everyone else. For instance, if you happen to not live in China (which would be five out of six of us), then chances are you would view China as one big coherent blob of Chinese, when really it is not...
That Scandinavia only includes Danmark, Norway and Sweden is only obvious to us Nords because we live here. For most everyone else Finland is included because it sits right there, and for all intents and purposes it looks exactly the same. Also, to them, if it's not part of Scandinavia, then what the hell is it part of? Surely, you can understand... You also have to consider that English, and most other languages I'm aware of, don't have an equivalent term for 'Norden'. They say 'the Nordic Countries', which simply is too proper for casual conversation. When outsiders say Scandinavia, but really mean 'Norden', it really is no different from everyone saying America, but really mean the United States OF America

 

[brooklyntech]

I live in New York City and outside of upper class Manhattan the outer boroughs are a mishmash of decay and gentrification. Brooklyn is where I live and I'd love to recreate the vibe I get when I walk and drive through town. Public housing is a must for any metropolitan area and I know the mods have to be working on some sort of tenement housing. Hopefully...

On a side note,

It would be awesome if there were some sort of AI associated with crime that you had to combat once several elements were introduced to the region. An expansion or mod pertaining to an authoritarian approach or a police state to deal with rioting due to substandard living conditions and so forth. I used to love watching the riots break out in SC4 and having to dispatch police to quell dissent.

 

[Langeveldt]

Slums please. I need it for my urban dystopia :laugh:



Dude, just leave it be... They will never learn

Besides, people's perception of how far cultural spheres extend depends heavily on how relevant local distinctions are to them. Our reasons for why Finland it is not part of Scandinavia, is not necessarily equally relevant for most everyone else. For instance, if you happen to not live in China (which would be five out of six of us), then chances are you would view China as one big coherent blob of Chinese, when really it is not...
That Scandinavia only includes Danmark, Norway and Sweden is only obvious to us Nords because we live here. For most everyone else Finland is included because it sits right there, and for all intents and purposes it looks exactly the same. Also, to them, if it's not part of Scandinavia, then what the hell is it part of? Surely, you can understand... You also have to consider that English, and most other languages I'm aware of, don't have an equivalent term for 'Norden'. They say 'the Nordic Countries', which simply is too proper for casual conversation. When outsiders say Scandinavia, but really mean 'Norden', it really is no different from everyone saying America, but really mean the United States OF America

Haha it's fine. I'm a stickler for etiquette when it comes to good Geography. I've been trying to explain to my Dutch girlfriend how Northern Ireland is in the same country as me, yet Ireland is a different country and uses Euros. I also make the faux pas of saying she lives in Holland, although she only lives in the Netherlands, not Holland..

I was aware Finland was different linguistically but thought all it was Scandinavia by virtue of having a similar flag to all the Scandinavian nations.

The devs keep talking about Stockholm though? So maybe this game was made in Scandinavia after all!

My point still stands though, the countries are overwhelmingly pristine and well kept and this is reflected in the game art. I've spent most of my adult life in Africa and I want to make cities I've experienced which are, for me, the most interesting.

To illustrate my point, this is where I used to live, and you can see the horrors of apartheid planning, and how suburbia and shanties can rub shoulders in a depressing yet very interesting way. I like how the district model in Cities Skylines could be used to create entirely different neighbourhoods.

 

[CorkMan]

+1 for ghettos!

I've stated before I always try to build a "bad part of town" where the cidiots try to lock their car doors as they go through. Some people like to build cities that reflect where they live or have lived and some want to build a utopia. I hope for a full mod makeover for run down buildings and broken down cars and maybe a few washing machines in the front yard!

These would be nice features. Would be cool to see them in the game eventually.

 

[Leermeister]

I agree that the cities we've seen so far seem to be very clean and middle class. I don't want any actual ghettos in my city, but it would be nice to have some "low rent" areas, with more grimey looking buildings.

I want large ghettos in a smog filled industrial city. Really hoping they put in graffiti in high crime areas and decay later on after release. I have seen graffiti in games as crime increases before so i hope they do this.