After years of immersing myself in the intricacies of Cities: Skylines, I have developed some rather questionable habits. As a devoted city builder and colony simulation enthusiast, I find immense pleasure in understanding how my strategic choices impact the lives of the virtual citizens in my virtual settlements. Discovering that the upcoming Cities: Skylines 2 will provide even more in-depth information about these simulated individuals, I am thrilled to embrace the “You little stalker” achievement. Call me eccentric, but observing the intimate moments of my Cities: Skylines citizens, also known as Cims, has become a captivating pastime.
The true satisfaction of playing a city builder or colony sim lies in the emergent stories that arise from the design choices. The habit of naming roads and farms after the town’s first settlers, which I picked up from City Planner Plays, has become an enduring practice for me over the years. This idea that the settlers have a legacy that grows along with the city enhances the rewarding experience. However, the original Cities: Skylines lacked the ability to keep an eye on specific characters once they were out of focus, which limited their stories. In contrast, games like Rimworld offer a more immersive experience by providing limited settlers with fleshed-out personalities, allowing players to track their progress and well-being.
Fortunately, Cities: Skylines 2, as announced in a recent blog post by the developers, promises a more profound and complex life for Cims. The introduction of the Lifepath Journal, a new tool, proves to be immensely useful in understanding the needs and lives of the citizens. Not only can players monitor their happiness levels, but they can also stay up to date by following their Chirper feed. The Lifepath Journal allows players to witness significant moments in their citizen’s lives, such as graduation, marriage, job changes, and relocations. Moreover, households now have income, expenditure, and resources that need careful balancing to ensure the city functions smoothly. Shopping habits and product preferences become crucial considerations to meet the citizens’ needs effectively.
A groundbreaking addition to the simulation in Cities: Skylines 2 is the introduction of homelessness as a statistic to monitor. If a household is unable to secure a new apartment due to financial constraints, they may become homeless. As a result, citizens may temporarily occupy city parks until their living situation improves or changes. This novel aspect of the game brings the citizens to the forefront of the city building experience, allowing players to intimately engage with the lives of their simulated inhabitants. In a way, players assume the role of an intrusively benevolent surveillance state mayor, involved in the citizens’ personal lives and housing predicaments.
The Lifepath Journal and the depth it provides for storytelling excite me greatly. Each citizen’s lifepath promises a plethora of narrative possibilities, from witnessing their joy upon moving into a new home to observing their journey towards their dream job. Additionally, unexpected events such as rat infestations, unlocking the “Things Are Not Looking Up” achievement, add further twists to the stories. With the lifepath feature, I anticipate spending a significant amount of time enthusiastically stalking my Cims. And while I may occasionally experiment with creating challenging situations for them, I approach it all with a genuine love for narrative development. I eagerly anticipate recounting these virtual stories to my future grandchildren, alongside tales of dragons and swashbuckling adventures in the world of Dungeons & Dragons.
As I delve into Cities: Skylines 2, one particular mischievous plan captures my imagination: overtaxing the rich until they face homelessness. Though it may simply be a playful exercise, it adds an extra layer of amusement to my city-building adventures. The power to shape the citizens’ lives and experiences fuels my excitement as a player, driving me to explore every possible outcome and narratively rich scenario.
The upcoming release of Cities: Skylines 2 promises an immersive and deeply engaging city-building experience. With the Lifepath Journal and the ability to intimately track the lives and stories of individual citizens, players can delve into the joys and challenges of being a virtual mayor. By focusing on the emergent narratives that arise from the choices made throughout the game, the developers have crafted an experience that goes beyond mere simulation. Through the lens of a devoted and inquisitive player, Cities: Skylines 2 becomes a world ripe for exploration, storytelling, and the joy of playing the ultimate virtual voyeur.
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