Cities: Skylines 2 is the latest simulation-building game releasing on October 24, 2023. This title won’t be an upgrade package to their previous game but rather be a separate project that brings improvements in all aspects.
City building genre of games has existed for a long time and peaked with Electronic Arts’ Simcity franchise. However, due to a lack of content updates, that game was soon overtaken by multiple games in the same genre. One of the games that found massive success is Cities: Skylines which is getting a sequel this year.
Cities: Skylines 2 is shifting the entire genre towards next-generation by implementing a new AI traffic and transportation system. This newly introduced system makes the experience even more realistic and makes players’ cities feel alive. Only three highlights have been shared by the developers and we will analyze everything that’s known so far about the city builder.
New AI-based system to feature with Cities: Skylines 2 upon release
Artificial Intelligence or AI in short had been used in video games for a long time to populate games. In simulation games, designing an AI to fill the world is challenging. AI programmers have to include the system for every individual action in the game, making it a tedious process.
With Cities: Skylines 2, the genre has moved steps further as they have introduced functioning AI traffic that adapts to situations. Like in the real world, people tend to pick the shortest and cheapest route to reach destinations rather than following the intended path.
We’re taking you behind the scenes into the making of the Road Tools, with the Developers from @ColossalOrder 👨💻 pic.twitter.com/hYpMqJh0pt
— Cities: Skylines (@CitiesSkylines) June 22, 2023
Since the AI will adapt itself, players can see which roads are being used and which ones are avoided. Thus allowing city designers to adjust paths to control traffic and support the citizens by making accessible roads. So, players need to plan roads accordingly to fit ease of access and avoid traffic congestion.
Additionally, road building has also become more effortless with Cities: Skylines 2. The developers have introduced various tools to efficiently make complex road systems within seconds. As a result, helping players to create their dream cities in a matter of minutes.
Traffic will also get affected when accidents happen on the road, as those paths will be closed off by police and emergency services. So traffic patterns will see changes if disasters happen anywhere across the map. Additionally, if accidents cause major traffic jams, then NPCs will take dangerous decisions like taking a U-turn in the middle of the road to find alternative paths.
A parking feature and infrastructure are also getting added to the game, where citizens will be able to keep their vehicles. Players can also adjust parking rates to further manipulate traffic in the game and get additional revenue.
More information about transports in the city builder game
Cities: Skylines 2 is also focusing on adding functioning public transport including cabs, trams, trains, and so on. Each type of public transport has its set of pros and cons that players need to consider.
For instance, when using buses in the city, players have to consider making bus stops at various intervals. While this type of transport is cheap and accessible, it is always at risk of getting caught in traffic. On the other hand, having trains as a transport option is faster, however, it requires a good amount of space to build stations. Players also have the option to build underground subways that can avoid all jams, however, is expensive to execute.
Plays can also build ports for ships in order to increase trade and fund the city. Additionally, waterways can also be used for public transport by building harbors near waterfronts. Overall allowing citizens to travel both inside and outside the city.
Lastly, airports are also being added to Cities: Skylines 2 to enable international transport. However, building an airport takes up the size of an entire town as it requires a lot of space to function. Additionally, building an airport also limits building heights near areas for safety precautions.
That is all you need to know about all additions coming to Cities: Skylines 2 related to traffic and transport. If you liked this article, check out our other gaming content by clicking here.
