Cities: Skylines 2 is an expansive city-building simulator, and players can often overlook some of the smaller specific mechanics of the game. If you are new to the game, then all the different mechanics might overwhelm you, but worry not. In this Cities: Skylines 2 ultimate beginner’s guide, I go over some tips and tricks that will help you get started.
Cities: Skylines 2 Tips And Tricks For Beginners
The following are some useful tips and tricks that you should keep in mind when playing
Importance Of The Map
- As you get started, you will first need to select the map on which you are going to build your city. This is important since it dictates the following:
The climate of your city - Seasons
- Buildable area
- Natural resources
The climate will affect the temperature of your city. Latitude impacts when the seasons occur. Buildable area dictates what portion of the map you can build on. Finally, natural resources dictate which industries are viable. Only forestry can be renewed; all the other resources are finite.
Buying And Selling Power From/To The Outside
You can get power from outside connections from the start of the game by placing a transformer and connecting it to the outside power connection using power lines. You do not need to invest in an expensive power plant until you can afford one. Similarly, you can produce power and sell excess power to the outside to earn some additional income for your city.
Garbage Can Be Exported To Outside Connections
When getting started, you might be tempted to set up a garbage dump. You should hold off on it since it is very expensive to run at the start, and garbage can be exported to outside connections.
Zone Management
Cities: Skylines 2, like the previous game, asks you to mark different zones to dictate what kinds of buildings are built where. Some buildings can be placed directly, while others need to be built in specific zones that have been specified using zoning tools. These zones include:
- Residential zones
- Commercial zones
- Industrial zones
- Office zones
Build Industrial Zones Close To External Connections
You want to build industrial zones close to major external connections. This ensures that your industry uses local goods when possible but is able to import and export materials or finished goods when needed.
Invest In Education Early On
Education is something that you should invest in early on since it generates high-density zone demand and satisfies highly educated workplaces. It takes in-game months for sims to go through the education system. So investing in a primary school, high school, and college early on will reward you later on in the game.
Have A Variety Of Lot Sizes
Sims pay rent depending on the size of their lot. Adding a variety of lot sizes will satisfy people with different amounts of wealth. If you have a high rent problem, then you can set up smaller lots since they have lower rents. You can also try reducing residential taxes to help sims afford their homes.
Deleting A Building Will Not Refund The Whole Cost
Deleting a building does not refund the whole cost of the building; you only get 75% of the cost back. This is something that you should keep in mind when setting up structures and deleting buildings in Cities: Skylines 2.
Do Not Upgrade Your Builds As Soon As They Are Available
Upgrading your buildings might seem like the best move to make, and while these upgrades are nice to have, they can drain your budget very quickly. Only upgrade buildings when you actually need the upgrade.
Place Building Extensions Wisely
If you do extend buildings, you will not be able to remove them without removing the whole building. This means that you will only get 75% of the building cost back. So extend buildings wisely and plan ahead.
Power Lines Can Be Hidden Underground
If you do not want to see power lines all over your city, then you can build them underground and hide them from sight. All you need to do is press the page-down key when putting down power lines.
Pay Attention To The Direction Of The Wind
You do not want the wind blowing from your industrial zone to residential zones. This increases pollution, causes people to get sick, increases the number of complaints, and also strains your health care network.
Wait A While Before Changing Your Strategy
The changes you make to finances, taxes, or education can take a few in-game months to take effect. So, you should wait and not give up on the strategy too quickly.
Tweak Settings For Better Performance
If you are getting inconsistent performance or low FPS, then we recommend tweaking settings such as depth of field, dynamic resolution scale quality, volumetric quality settings, clouds, and fogs. These have a noticeable impact on performance.
Water And Power Do No Run Across Bridges
Water and Power do not run across bridges. So if you want to move water of power across bridges, then you will need to install power lines and water pipes.
These are some tips and tricks that will help you get started in Cities: Skylines 2. If you want to learn more about the game, check out our guide on how you can turn off Chirper. You can also check out our guide on building Retaining Walls fast.