This is important, since hydro power in the game depends on the strength and volume of water. The editor is extremely detailed, especially with regard to mapping water, which really acts like a fluid. The first is the ability to make your own maps through a map editor. There are two additional features that really put this game head and shoulders above the SimCity franchise. If only it was this easy to see data in real life! The individual fire stations are shown in light purple, and every building is colored based on its fire risk. The screenshot above shows fire protection coverage. Here’s the fire coverage map.Īlso like in the new SimCity, Skylines has great data visualization tools. That’s not part of the simulation.ĭata views are well-designed.
![best simcity 5 layout best simcity 5 layout](https://i0.wp.com/cityobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Grid-Design-Guide.jpg)
You won’t see a sea of parking surrounding big-box retail uses. Of course, even when you try to build suburban-style development with far-separated uses, the buildings in the game are largely urban-format, with facades built right up to the sidewalk. That sort of development pattern does make a difference, because the sims in the game will walk or take transit when that’s the best mode, and will drive when things are too far. If demand warrants, I’ll sometimes sprinkle office in as well. When I build a neighborhood, I invariably put a commercial zone in the center, surrounded by residential. However, it is possible to create mixed-use districts. While most cities in the real world have residential or office over retail, Skylines (and SimCity) still only recognize single-use zones. Unfortunately, like the city-builders that have come before, Skylines does not have a mixed-use zone.
![best simcity 5 layout best simcity 5 layout](https://images.148apps.com/2014/12/24551/257707/simcitybuildit-05.jpg)
The residential and commercial zones have a low-density and a high-density variant. In addition to the traditional SimCity set of residential, commercial, and industrial zones, Skylines has added an office zone to the mix, which allows you to provide jobs for educated workers. Like other city-builders, Skylines includes zones. The game has zones for residential, commercial (retail), industrial, and office.