SimCity/Table of Contents

Introduction
SimCity is what many players consider a highly addictive simulation game and is even used in some Urban Planning classes. There are four versions, all created by Maxis. The versions are: SimCity, SimCity 2000, SimCity 3000, and SimCity 4. They will be noted as the following: SC for the original game, SC2K for SimCity 2000, SC3K for SimCity 3000, and SC4 for SimCity 4. This part of the WikiBook assumes you are playing at least SC3K, however the basic gameplay is similar between versions, and differences will be noted. The game can be played forever as there is no end. However, it doesnt mean the game gets old by any sense of the word.

Note: SC4 Users:

Many tactics used in older SimCity games (SC2K, SC3K) do not apply to SC4. Although most of the basic concepts are still there, many parts of the game are completly different. See "SimCity 4 Concepts" for more info.


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The Basics
Obviously, by the game name, you should have guessed this has something to building cities. There are many, many different things to do.

Gameplay is controlled by the mouse, and the graphics are pre-rendered on an isometric grid that can be zoomed in and out.

Basic SimCity concepts
In SimCity, there are various concepts to learn.


 * 1) Population: How many Sims are in a city
 * 2) Simoleans: Your money. You spend this whenever you do something.
 * 3) Taxes: Simoleans taken from your Sims on a yearly basis to replenish your City's Simoleans
 * 4) Ordinances: Various laws that can be enacted/repealed at anytime. Some give you money ("Legalized Gambling" allows gambling, however, all casinos have to pay you), others take money. They also have different effects on your population, and will make some happy and others mad.
 * 5) Tile: The basic unit of measure in SimCity. Also refers to the isometric "squares" in the game.
 * 6) Zone: This is where Sims will build. The three main types are Residential, Commercial, and Industrial. Each Zone has different effects: placing Dense Industrial next to a Light Residential will probably get some Sims angry about the intense dust.
 * 7) Transportation: A tile that allows Sims to get from one place to another. They are obviously connected to each other. People will only build a certain amount of Tiles from a transportation tile.

Starting A City
Once you've loaded up the game, you will have two basic options: Create a City, or Play Scenario. It's not recommended to play a Scenario until you have the basics down, at least.

Click Create A City. A box will pop up asking you to name your city, name your mayor, choose difficulty, and other options. Then it will take you to the map-builder screen.

Note: SC2K Users:

In order to use the map-builder, you must specifically select it in the menu that pops up when you load the game. If you hit Create A City first, SC2K will auto-generate a map.
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When you get to the map builder, there will be many options in a window. This window will have three sliders, a lot of buttons below it, and a square on top that shows a general indicator of how your city terrain will be made. You can click on that too if you wanna modify how the mapmaker will generate your terrain. The sliders control the trees, water, map, etc. that the maker will generate. There are various buttons that can allow you to add trees, water, raise/lower terrain, increase/decrease water level, among others. Feel free to experiment.

Building Transportation
Roads, trains, subways, highways, bus systems, are all major forms of transportation, and are how your Sims will be able to get around your city.

In SC3K, look for the button with a picture of a road on it. That is the Transportation Menu. Click on it. Next to it, there will be some more buttons. Depending on which year you are in, you should be able to at least have Roads, Rail, and Rail Station. More options unlock as the years pass.

Note: SC2K users:

In SC2K, Road-based options (highways, tunnels) and Rail-based options (rail stations, subways) are in different menus. Not only that, but you have to hold them down to select an item.
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Neighbor Connections
It is important to connect with your neighbors. You can connect Roads, Subways, Rails, Highways, Water Pipes, and Electric Lines with neighboring towns. Usually connecting with your neighbor will cost extra simoleans.

Note: SC2K users:

You cannot connect Water Pipes or Electric Lines in SC2K.
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Neighbor Deals
In SC3K and SC4, you can make deals with your neighbors. These are to Buy or Sell either Power, Garbage, or Water.


 * Buy: This is when you buy Power or Water. This will cost you based on how much your grid takes from the neighboring cities. This can also mean taking Garbage from another City and storing it in your landfill system. You get money based on a set amount of Garbage that you import - unlike Buying Power or Water, you have to agree to take more or cancel the contract.
 * Sell: This is when you sell Power or Water. Unlike Buying Power or Water, you have to agree to sell more or cancel the contract. This can also mean exporting Garbage, in which you will have to pay a set amount based on how much Garbage you have been exporting.

Neighbor Deals require Power Line connections (for Power Deals), Water Pipe connections (for Water Deals), or Road connections (for Garbage Deals) and are proposed by neighbors in SC3K - you cannot start them - but in SC4, as you control both cities, you may begin a deal at any time. There is a penalty fee that you are charged if you cancel the deal. When buying, you only have to worry about destroying all your connections. When selling, you will sometimes run out of the commodity and the deal will automatically close, thus causing you to pay the penalty. An interesting tactic is to buy a commodity and sell the same commodity, thus creating a "safety net" in which you will never run out (when Buying, your neighbor wont ever run out of whatever your buying from them) of what your selling.

Note: SC2K Users:

Neighbor Deals do not exist in SC2K.


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SimCity 4 Concepts
SimCity 4 is the most complex SimCity game ever released. Old tactics that have worked from past games no longer apply, and now the world has gotten a lot bigger, regions can hold several to hundreds of cities that can all be interconnected to create a massive megalopolis. SimCity 4 deserves its own section as many of the rules that apply to it do not apply to past SimCity games.