Simcity 4: Strategy Thread... "How to make money"

[Sava]

Well, I like having an educated, wealthy population with lots of high-tech industry from early on. I guess I should rephrase the name of my strategy to reflect this. The strategy guide is helpful in determining the exact affects of all the factors. And who said you needed to "buy" it?

[Sarxis]

Don't the teachers strike at low funding? 25% you said?

[yin26]

If I saw the direct links between water and education, I'd certainly add water. And since I don't see the link in gameplay, I also haven't seen the link between water and the higher-level jobs that higher education demands.

So it is in the strategy guide that water coming from city pipes rather than through on-property pumps (one assumes they get water somehow!) makes Sim smarter?

My assumption (seemingly supported by what I've seen in gameplay) is that education depends on your school network, and that Sims more or less start with little or no education and will remain that way for a number of game years until they graduate from these schools and move forward in their studies. Of course, reading ordinances and libraries give this a boost.

That is the way I have 'raised' my Sims to be prepared later for higher-paying job. But if Sim water has the magical effects of making Sims smater all by itself, I'll start laying some pipes! I don't see the evidence, however (and I've read many a strategy guide that wrote about how things SHOULD work not, indeed, how they actually work in the game itself).

[Sava]

Teachers strike if there are more students than the capacity. I've never had a teacher strike when I fund like 5-10% and have under capacity.

yin26, yeah the strategy guide specifically says that the education bonuses that education buildings provide are about 2/3rds if they are not connected to water.

[yin26]

Sava:

That's interesting! I can see where I might have missed that 1/3 difference just by play testing. Certainly one can play the game without water early on and not see any blatant side-effects, but for a tweaker like myself, I can see the benefit of getting 1/3rd better education through water.

I've heard that this particular guide is actually useful. Considering the, ahem, 'manual' included with the game, virtually any more information they include about game mechanics is going to help.

Still, I refuse to fall into that trap. So, if you've got any hints on a good place to 'borrow' the guide for a while, that'd be great.

[Grumbold]

Sata

Its an interesting design but I would expect your 30x6 strips to have massive traffic levels when density increases. I don't think its going to work well when you've got 60k people in the area covered by your screenshot. Where is the industry by the way?

[Comrade Tribune]

Originally posted by Sava
Look at how the residentials are circled around the schools and health care facilities. This is perfect for getting good commercial and industrial development because all the traffic goes to the intersections where the commercials flourish. On the right side (I'm not sure you can see it) I am starting a rail line. Rail lines are extremely effective if put between R and everything else. Having an efficient mass transit system is another tool for making money when your city gets large enough.

Well thought-out strat. Small is beautiful.

Also nice screenshot. Wish people would put up more screens of their cities, for those of us who don´t have the game yet.

Great sig as well.

[Sava]

Thanks Comrade Tribune... the city now about 20k, I'll post a pic on Saturday when I get home. I'm visiting my parents this weekend.

Grumbold. Believe it or not, there are no traffic problems with that design whatsoever. As I expand the rail lines, they fit nicely across those empty horizontal strips of land in between the residential blocks. The industry is along the bottom, and also along the new rail lines that I have laid out. (Again, sorry I can't post a pic now, I will later tomorrow.) At this point with about 20k people, I've upgraded a lot of the Res to medium density. The intersections are lined with flourishing medium commercial zones. The industry is mostly high tech. The only problems I've had with this design is monitoring the local funding levels of all the schools and hospitals. Because I'm so frugal with my local fundings, I need to constantly monitor the efficiencies in order to prevent strikes. I work mostly in the Education overlay on the map because I zone Res in the education zones and place other zones strategically around the Residential. Hey, can you guys share with me some of your layout strategies? Maybe post some screenshots? I'd like to pick your brains in my quest to form the ultimate Simcity 4 formula!

[yin26]

I'm working on an Uber-city idea, but the release of 1.06 for Europa Universalis 2 has taken all my time.

The sub-division idea is nice. I did note, however, that the game seems to be geared toward having a 'critical downtown mass' comprised of commerical and high-end industry. In my last game, the center of my map exploded upward as a result, so unless a person plans to keep his city a sleepy (albiet nice) town, it seems that you've got to have a focused economic center before the density demands shoot up far enough to get massive high-rises and skyscrapers.

Of course, if you don't care about those buildings, no worries...

[Grumbold]

PM me an address and I'll email some shots. I've not got my own web space or the faintest idea what to do with it if I had. I'm SQL literate but I have no web expertise I'm afraid.

[Sava]

Why not just post them here?

Yin... yeah I haven't gotten to that point yet in any of my cities. I will definitely adjust the midtown areas to adjust for that type of development.

[Comrade Tribune]

Originally posted by yin26
I'm working on an Uber-city idea, but the release of 1.06 for Europa Universalis 2 has taken all my time.

This I understand well.

Nice to have you back.

Did you try HoI, already? What do you think?

[Comrade Tribune]

Originally posted by Grumbold
I'm SQL literate but I have no web expertise I'm afraid.

Heh; you can simply include the screenshot in your replies, with the 'attach file' option down below. (The 'search' button searches your desktop.)

[yin26]

This I understand well.

Nice to have you back.

Did you try HoI, already? What do you think?

Good to see you, too! [sorry for the momentary thread jacking...] I haven't tried HoI as I swore I'd try to save more money this year. But ... and I shouldn't ask, I know, ... is it much better than EU2? PM me perhaps so we don't get Sava killing us.

[Nikolai]

Most people think it is a step backwards. I for one think it is a good and enjoying game, but not nearly as good as EU2!