Ultimate Guide to Proper Train System

I struggled at first with making my trains operate in an optimal manner. All they seemed to do is cause traffic jams on my streets, fail to deliver enough of the citizenry and cargo to the various destinations, and general provide a giant pit to throw money into and burn. Eventually the entire rail system would come to a grinding halt, as a myriad of cargo and passenger trains would block each other’s path. This guide is meant to help solve these problems. I learned all of the following through observations and much Trial/Errors. I hope this helps many of you out there.

Station Placement

Passenger stations should be placed first near residential areas and then near any possible destinations like the places of work or commercial centers. (So everywhere, really)

Cargo stations should be placed in industrial areas including the specialized forrestry, ore, agriculter, and oil areas of your city. This will greatly reduce heavy vehicle traffic coming into the city from outside and even reduce heavy vehicle traffic from one area to another. Heavy vehicles will still be present as they still need to travel between the industrial buildings and the cargo station.

Rail Placement

Rail placement is key to avoiding unnecessary vehicle traffic on the streets and to avoiding the backups on the rails that can bring all trains to a grinding halt. Heed the following for much better results.

1. Place two sets of rails! One rail is for your passenger trains and one is for the cargo trains. I know what you are thinking. “That’s going to take up a lot of space and cost double the money!” Well, yes. But its worth it. When you inevitably need to connect the two lines to pre-existing track (to connect to the outside world) place the intersection as far from your city as possible as this will be a choke point. In the photo below- The track on the right is exclusively passenger trains (meaning the track only connects to passenger train stations in the city and only joins the main line as far away as possible) The track on the left is exclusively cargo trains and also only connects to the main line far from the city.

2. When you construct intersecting rails, make the track long enough in the intersection to hold at least an entire train length. One train may have to wait while another passes in front of it before it can move again. If there is enough space in the intersection, then the train behind the waiting train would not be blocked from continuing on it’s way. (assuming it’s not going to the same location) Also, when placing the passenger and cargo lines to the main line, make the two interactions far from each other so that there is no back up on the main line. If there were more than a momentary back up on any line, it will cascade to backup the entire system.

3. Elevate the rail lines in the city! (Or elevate the roads over the rails, which I found far more difficult.) Trains have the right of way when rail meets the road. This means that your vehicles have to wait for the train to pass through before the vehicles can cross the tracks. Also, if a train is stopped and blocking a crossing, then no vehicles are going anywhere. So to avoid that mess all together, just construct your track off the ground. (page up and page down keys) One elevation is enough to freely pass over ground level roads and other rail. Although you may go much higher if you wish. Just leave enough space to drop the elevation of the track as it approaches the stations in order to make the connections. This will cost a bit more money per section of elevated track. The higher you go the more it will cost. But again, it’s well worth it.

4. All of this may seem to be overkill and a bit paranoid, however, all this work will pay off for your city. It should also be stated that nothing I have done has ever completely worked 100%. Given enough stations and a high enough population, your rails will eventually clog and become useless. This just delays the Armageddon that awaits.

Example City

Here are some photos of a city I constructed to test these concepts. ( Early photos before I allowed it to develop so its easier to see the lines and stations.) It is a bit complex and way overkill, but it worked really well. I made about 7 million, then leveled everything and made this which costs about 5 1/2 million. Although an easier way would be to do this to your favorite city, section by section so that it isn’t a money pit and a big risk of utter failure for going bankrupt. I had to restart several times from this save to jump start this city into existence and I had 1.5 million in the bank. I didn’t help that the weekly road maintenance was 11,000+

Please feel free to leave any tips or corrections on this subject in the comments. I may include them, time and testing permitting. Thanks.

Source: Ultimate Guide to Proper Train System

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How to create your own Billboards

Hey guys, i quickly wanted to raise some attention to someone i made for people,that don’t have the ability to Model objects but still want to bring own creativity into their cities: http://1drv.ms/19j48E2

This Link includes the model and LoD file for a Billboard, including the Template for the Texture. Just open up Paint or another program and fill in the designated Blanks and save the file

The Blue part will be the big front of everything,having slight Purple edges that you can also fill out with an edge color,to make it seem that someone wrapped the poster around the billboard.

Below you see a Pink area, that will be the Back of the Billboard. Feel free to experiment there ^^

After that all files need to be saved in the Following Location:

C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Colossal Order\Cities_Skylines\Addons\Import

Important: The game is Case_sensitive, so the Texture HAS to be saved as “billboard_d.png” /.jpg

If you want to make a Glowing Neon sign, you can also add a “billboard_i.png” file to the folder, with the glowing parts marked in white and the rest being black (it will be a black and white image)

Tip: If you are in need of textures for the background or sth: www.cgtextures.com provides a ton of free textures

You should then be able to import your creation into Cities:Skylines!

Source: How to create your own Billboards

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I Want It All Achievement

I Want It All is one of the hardest achievement in Cities: Skylines…

Landmarks

You don’t have to build them but just to make sure, build them. When you 1 requirement drops, it will lock again! Example, you filled 7 cemeteries and you accidentally emptied one, the Grand Central Terminal will automatically Lock! So, you have to build them as soon as they unlock!

1. Statue of Liberty – City produce 5,000 of goods from industry.


2. Arc de Triomphe – have 15,000 children in elementary school. Most difficult! I have to jump to the New York Map (in Workshop) then go back to my Save game to unlock it!


3. Brandenburg Gate – 10,000 full lifespans lived in the city (born and raised).


4. Eiffel Tower – 30,000 of industrial zone, does not include offices and commercials.


5. Grand Central Terminal – Fill 7 cemeteries.

Others you need to unlock:

1. You don’t have to build them but just to be sure, build them.


2. Complete Parks, Trees and Paths. Drop everything in the map.


3. Build all services even though you don’t need them anymore like, wind turbines, etc. Consider every possible services like the Hydro Power Plant and the Sewage Pumps.
   
   
   
   • Electricity
   
   
   • Water
   
   
   • Garbage
   
   
   • Health
   
   
   • Fire
   
   
   • Police
   
   
   • Education
   
   
   
   


4. Build every transportation buildings. Drop everything even though you don’t have lines set up.

Source: I Want It All Achievement

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Monument Achievements

In Cities: Skylines, Monument Achievements are quite easy. Just follow these suggestions to complete them!

New Eden

Build Eden Project. This Monument help reduce with both ground and water pollution.

1. Business Park – 20,000 Sq Commercial Zone built


2. Official Park – 10,000 Sq of Office Zone built


3. Cathedral of Plentitude – Construct all city service buildings


4. Servicing Services Office – 300 city service buildings


5. Friendly Neighborhood Park – 10,000 Sq of residential zone built


6. Statue of Industry – 10,000 Sq of industrial zone built

Beam Me Up

Build Space Elevator. This Monument helps increase your Tourists.

1. Expo Center – 2,000 tourists in the city


2. Stadium - City produce 1,000 units of goods


3. Grand Mall – Construct Airport


4. Statue of Wealth - have 500,000 city money


5. Opera House – City extracts a total of 4,000 units of natural resources


6. Transport Tower – public transport has 1,000 weekly passengers

A Huge Hardon

Build Hardon Collider. This Monument helps with your citizen’s Education.

1. Colossal Oder Offices – have weekly Education expenses at 20,000 for 10 weeks


2. Grand Library – Construct 7 Universities and maintain for 10 weeks


3. Aquarium - 5,000 children in elementary schools


4. Statue of Shopping – have -1 city money


5. Posh Mall – maintain all tax rates less than 4% for 20 weeks


6. Theater of Wonders – Construct 3 elementary schools, 3 high schools and 3 universities

Short Fuse

Build Fusion Power Plant. This Monument provides 16,000 MW of electricity in your city.

1. Tax Office – Construct Water Treatment Plant, 3 Water Pumping Stations and produce 1,000 MW of electricity


2. Science Center – 5,000 full lifespans lived in the city (citizens born, raised and died in the city)


3. Observatory - 1,000 abandoned buildings in the city and maintain for 5 weeks


4. MAM Modern Art Museum – 50% of population are highly educated


5. Fountain of Life and Death – One full lifespan lived in the city (1 citizen born, raised and died in the city)


6. Plaza of the Dead – Fill 3 Cementary

Medic!

Build Medical Center. This Monument help with citizen’s health

1. High Interest Tower – City debt of 2,000


2. Oppression Office – Unemployment rate over 50% for 5 weeks


3. Court House – Crime rate over 50% and maintain for 5 weeks


4. Mall of Moderation – have average garbage pillling per building at least 25 (have citizens complain about garbage pilling up, at least 25 of them)


5. Lazaret Plaza – maintaing average citizen health under 20% for 3 weeks


6. Sea-and-Sky Scraper – Consctuct Harbor and Cargo Harbor

Source: Monument Achievements

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City in Motion 2, Metropolis and Heavenly City Achievements

In this guide, we are going to complete these hard dark blue Achievements in Cities: Skylines: City in Motion 2, Metropolis and Heavenly City.

1. City in Motion 2 – Have enough money to cover for possible losses of income due to upkeep. Do the same thing with the City in Motion Achievement above, only on a larger scale at least 10 stations or more but don’t spam too much or it will have a negative impact on your income.


2. Metropolis – Have enough people live in your city at least 100,000 population. I found this hard especially I don’t have Industry zone, just Offices. I needed to draw tourists and have extra residential zones, and jobs for them in the office zones. Just keep growing your city but be careful with the up keeps. Took me 8hrs to reach 100k, they keep popping from 75k to 92k, population, until I added tourist spots, extra office zones and residential zones.


3. Heavenly City – Unlock Monuments. Just keep growing your city and eventually it will unlock for you. Requires 75,000 population.

Source: City in Motion 2, Metropolis and Heavenly City Achievements

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Higher Education, Power to the People and Make them Pay

Higher Education, Power to the People and Make them Pay are such hard achievements in Cities: Skylines. To complete theses missions, you need to have a quite good experience about this game.

• Higher Education – This needs a lot of Money. You need to have at least 2 million in the bank and a greater positive stream of income weekly. You need to put a lot of elementary, high school and university all over your residential areas. You may also need to implement the Education policy. Make sure you have a lot to recover from your losses.
  
  
  
  1. Make sure you have no RED lot with all types of schools (elementary, high school and university) in all of your residential areas (low and high).
  
  
  2. Make sure all of your residential lots BLUE or HIGH (low and high residential).
  
  
  3. Make sure you have activated Education policy to all of your residential zones.
  
  
  4. Check on the Education panel and check the stats, All levels of education must be 70% higher. (educated, well educated and highly educated levels).
  
  
  5. You can use the Hardon Collider Monument to help boost Education.
  
  
  
  


• Power to the People – This is easier if you don’t have industry zones, just office zones. If you don’t have industry zone, make it 30% and run it for 1 year. You can leave the rest normally.
  
  
  
  • Have Industry 13% and Low or High Residential 7% (choose the lesser residential zones built you have to save income)
  
  
  • Make Commericals (High and Low) 13% just to be safe.
  
  
  • Run it for a year.
  
  
  
  


• Make them Pay – This is also easier if you don’t have industry zone, just office zones.
  
  
  
  • Have Low Residential 12% and Low Commercial, Industry 6%
  
  
  • Have High Residential 13% and High Commercial, Office 7%
  
  
  • Run it for a year.
  
  
  
  

Source: Higher Education, Power to the People and Make them Pay

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Climbing the Social Ladder, Rolling in Dough and Tough City

In this guide, I am going to guide how the easiest way to unlock Climbing the Social Ladder, Rolling in Dough and Tough City achievements. These achievements are quite hard.

• Climbing the Social Ladder – You just need 1 citizen who graduated from a university. Careful on having a university on your residential area. The upkeep can give you negative income. Best way to have this is to put University on Low Residential. It will require Elementary School and High School built before you can achieve this.


• Rolling in Dough – Have income of 15,000 per week. Just reach that number and it’ll get unlocked. Best way to have this is to have citizens happy.
  
  
  
  • Maximize the services. Don’t spam them too much. Just enough to have a Blue or High level of satisfaction on surrounding areas.
  
  
  • Check on your policies. May be disable some of them.
  
  
  
  


• Tough City – Crime rate 41% and above for 4 years. You may have to start a new city for this if you don’t want your current city to be ruined. You can read the detailed guide for this achievement at: Tough City Achievement

Source: Climbing the Social Ladder, Rolling in Dough and Tough City

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