Author: Ben Ross - Talking Auckland

Admin and author of Talking Auckland Blog ( http://voakl.net )

Using Big Data in #CitiesSkylines to Fine Tune the City

Data helps

In today’s episode we look at how the data sets available in Cities Skylines and how they can be used to either fine tune a City or how it can be planned ahead.

Also included today is the Q+A session. If comments are left in the blog or YouTube videos about an episode I will do my best to answer them. This week’s Q+A looked at street design and an apparent focus on cars and buses.

Without further ado lets tuck into this week’s episodes:

Q+A – 20.10.2019

Using Big Data – Part 1

Using Big Data – Part 2: Using Data to fix a traffic problem (or did I make it worse)

Next week using the data sets I will continue expanding the Watson Heights Metropolitan Centre. Also MOAR HOUSING!

In the mean time – train safe!

Building a Metropolitan Centre Part 1

Grand Manukau/Layton Cities Expands

The Layton Busway is finally online and I am in the middle of redrawing the feeder buses so they best serve that busway. Elsewhere the rural sectors of Grand Manukau/Layton Cities continues with Meadow Heights coming on stream and I must say the scenery on the lakefront looks stunning.

This week’s Stream is a four part mini-series as I bring the busway online, continue work on the Watson Heights Metropolitan Centre, and start the foundation work on the Manukau City Centre. We also get a look at Meadow Heights as the fledgling rural sector continues to develop.

Next week I will start looking at the Data sets available in Cities Skylines and how I use them to fine tune the City. Also Part Two of Building a Metropolitan Centre, and how are those feeders going.

In the meantime: Bus Safe!

Part 1 of Building a Metropolitan Centre

Part 2 of Building a Metropolitan Centre

Part 3 of Building a Metropolitan Centre

Part 4 of Building a Metropolitan Centre . Plus One Busway!

Supplementary: Going Rural

Transit Orientated Developments and #CitiesSkylines – How Do I do TODs?

We run the infrastructure AHEAD of the developments – not behind

A Tweet about Melbourne failing Transit Orientated Developments annoyed me as I know Auckland is just as bad in doing such developments as well. This is why Japan it is normal and not a second thought is given in doing TOD’s as standard.

Given I have one mature City and another just starting out I cranked open Cities Skylines and did a four part stream into Transit Orientated Developments and how they are done in the game.

Transit Orientated Developments and Cities Skylines

Part One

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4 – Wheels on the Bus Goes Round and Round as we travel down the extended metro bus route

Always fun in first person mode and I will stream some of the game in first person mode!

Even with game limitations around multi-use zoning and developments Transit Orientated Developments can still be done and demonstrated in game as seen above.

Full stream on Monday as I build an Ore industry site and watch the residential building finally get underway (darn weekends).

In the meantime: BUS SAFE!

Introducing the Ben’s #CitiesSkylines Stream. Follow Me as I use the Urban Simulator as a Communication Tool

Weekly Streams

The initial tests have been done and the scripts are being written to keep the streams into 10 minute portions (for now). It is time to get the weekly Ben’s Cities(Skylines) Stream on the road (so to say) and out the door ready to be served every Monday.

The Ben’s Cities(Skylines) Stream

These streams will be starting off as short often two part streams commentating on all things urban simulation and urban geography using Cities Skylines as communication tool. From urban planning to urban development and onward to First Person mode (what the citizen sees) and Lane Mathematics this will both be causal but also formal as the game is used for downtime and urban geographic purposes.

Today I give a very brief overview of the game, the layout and the mods I use. From next Monday I will do both urban development and drop down to first person view so you see the world from a Cim’s perspective. At the moment both Manukau, and Grand Manukau/Layton Cities will be used in the streams. One is an older mature city the other one I recently started.

As always don’t forget to subscribe, like, share and leave a comment below. \

In the meantime: Drive Safe!

BE AFRAID: First #CitiesSkylines Recorded Stream with Commentary

First commentated video on my Cities Skylines creations

Four years after the game came out I finally recorded and commentated one of my Cities Skylines creations.

I have two cities in play at the moment; Manukau, and Grand Manukau/Layton Cities. Today’s recording was of Manukau as it is the larger and older city at 155,000 however, Grand Manukau/Layton Cities (5,500) will be recorded as well as every city I have different game plays (apart from my core rule of Urban Islands and Twin Cores).

This two part recording is a test and a few more tests will be done before I settle into recording style. Note: I will not be live streaming on YouTube or Twitch as of yet.

First Commentary Stream of Cities Skylines – Manukau

Part 2 (I am restricted to 10 minute streams which is not a bad thing as it keeps me on the short and narrow otherwise you get 20mins of me pondering what should go where (just like any city).

Muhahahah nuclear farms.

I will try and record every Sunday New Zealand Time (currently GMT+13) and upload for Monday. Content will include both First Person mode as I follow Cims and traffic around as well as urban planning and city building.

Comments can be left below – just remember still testing as I get use to the concepts.

Streaming Experiments Continue. New Urban Expansion #CitiesSkylines

More sprawl and more streams

Just as Manukau was used as my experiment City for Campus and Industries DLC’s I am using Grand Layton/Manukau Cities as an experiment for my recordings that go onto Youtube.

Today I have three recordings all from First Person view. They are:

  • The 322 bus in Brown-ville
  • New resident commuting from Kent Heights to the Layton City Centre
  • Post Van doing its run

Enjoy:

Postman Pat delivering the Mail in Kent Heights again with a stop at the Layton City Distribution Centre
Follow a Kent Heights resident make their way to the City Centre where they work
Follow the new 322 Bus as it goes through the new urban expansions in Brown-ville

I will try and run a recording where I am also commentating “live” as I undertake urban development. See the methodologies I use when building my cities.

Stay tuned!

My First-ever #CitiesSkylines First Stream – with new city (Grand Layton/Manukau Cities

Finally get round to streams rather than screenshots

It has taken me four years but I have finally gotten around to downloading and using software that allows me to record what I do in Cities Skylines rather than take Screenshots and then go through the process and upload them.

So without further ado – here is my first test run using my latest city Grand Layton/Manukau Cities:

Grand Layton/Manukau Cities

I can hook up a microphone and do Biffa or Sam Burr style recordings of what I do in my cities as I build them so will do so at a later date. In the meantime:

Quick peek at building the new retail centre

Finally a quick tour of the busway

More streams will occur where I can. As for Live Streams? Not just yet.