SimCity 502: Nissan Leaf Charging Station DLC

Hey, all. I just wanted to let you know that there's a new little DLC package that you can download for free. It's a Nissan Leaf charging station. The station charges cars, but also attracts people from other cities and -- more importantly -- generates electricity for your city and reduces the amount of money you have to spend on your grid.

This is only really important at the beginning of the game when you have a fledgling city (12,000-25,000 population or so). I downloaded it and then made a video (see above) to show you how it works.

SCV on YouTube, Episode 12

In this episode of SimCityVersity, I talk about how to generate hundreds of thousands of simoleans via the building of cultural buildings -- specifically a stadium -- and how there's more to consider than just the listing price of the building.

SCV on YouTube, Episode 11

In this video, I take you through how to maximize the amount of cash that you get at the start of your game at the expense of Sim comfort since there's no penalty for treating them poorly and they have short memories anyway.

New YouTube Channel and Blog

Today was a long day, but it was really productive. Firstly, I want to let you all know that I have upgraded my YouTube page and if you could have a look and let me know what you think, that would rock. You can find it here:

AngelikMayhem's YouTube Page

But... the big reason why today was so crazy and hectic is that I launched a brand new blog to help me become raise some good revenue so I can continue to maintain this and other blogs that I own. The new site is called Today in Gaming and is all about video games. I'm posting articles and videos to my blog as well as to my YouTube page. The first video when up today.

You can find the new blog at: http://tignews.blogspot.com

Thanks for stopping by the site and I hope to have more great SimCity 5 content for you just as soon as I can.

SimCity 409: Solving the Water Crisis

Water does return to the water table when it rains or if you are near a river. However, the rate at which the water table replenishes is nowhere near the rate at which your people drink/bathe in it. So what you need to do is to create a closed loop system that keeps water flowing in your city forever.

The way that you do that is you build a sewage treatment plant -- which will pour dirty water back into the ground after "treating" it. You then plop a water treatment plant right next to it with a tank that cleans the water directly next to the sewage plant. This cleaning tank will suck the dirty water back out of the ground, clean it, then distribute healthy, clean water back to your Sims perpetually.

SimCity Site & Map: Yorkshire Cliffs

A very scenic waterfront cliff community reminiscent of Dover.

Elevation and Terrain

Flat as flat can be. Only a few spits of trees.

Water Table

Drowning. The northeast and southeast corners are your best bet for limiting pollution, but otherwise it's all deep blue.

Resources

The north end of this map has a fairly large though spider-web metal ore vein that could become quite valuable. Across the rest of the board, you're going to find some really nice coal deposits.

Usable Land

There's no waterfront, mountains, or anything -- so this map is wide open for development. The cliffs of which they speak are on the coast outside of the city's borders, so you'll have nothing to worry about from them. The highway entrance comes in on the eastern border and the rail line runs in along the north.

SimCity Site & Map: Wrangler's Rest

This might be a restful place for Wranglers, but don't think for a second that you're going to be able to sit back and enjoy this one.

Elevation and Terrain

The majority of the board (especially in the south) is flat and unremarkable. However, there is a massive cliff-strewn hillside that juts into the area, disrupting the northern border.

Water Table

The big question mark on this site is going to be the water. There is almost no deep blue and what little there is has drained into pockets in random places all over the site. It's going to be really tough to get a cohesive water plan going and it may come to either keeping this a small mining town or shipping in water from someplace else.

Resources

You're going to find plenty of metal on this one as well as a fairly large chunk of coal.

Usable Land

There is a tiny twig of rail access on -- of all places -- the top of the hill in the northern part of the map. The highway entrance is much more reasonable, located in the southwest corner of the map.

SimCity Site & Map: Willow Woods

Many many trees on this one, as you might expect. Wide open and great for beginners.

Elevation and Terrain

Flat, but the really interesting part is the waterfront that consumes bits and pieces of the southern and western borders of this site. You'll have plenty of opportunities to try different layouts on this one.

Water Table

There's one major blob of dry spot in an otherwise waterlogged site. You'll find some good places for your pollutables and still have plenty of clean water left over for your citizens.

Resources

The eastern half of the map is absolutely lousy with metal ore and coal. You're going to make some serious cash on this one.

Usable Land

There is a rail entrance along the northern border and the highway introduces itself in the east.

SimCity Site & Map: Whitewater Crossing

Whitewater Crossing sits in a strategic location in terms of transportation -- which gives it it's name. This city site is a fine site, but doesn't have a whole lot of room.

Elevation and Terrain

The southern portion of the map is sacrificed to the river and the northeastern corner of the map sits upon a high steppe that is not going to do you any favors in terms of laying out your grid.

Water Table

The river provides plenty of water for this city while the high plateau gives you some dry ground upon which to base your industrial center. It's the best of both worlds.

Resources

There are three pockets of deep metal ore as well as a medium-sized coal deposit on top of the steppe.

Usable Land

The most remarkable part of this map is that -- in order to accommodate the needs of the river crossing, the rail line runs straight through the middle of the board, hangs a left inside it's tunnel, and exits from the northwest corner. As a result, it's already set up for multiple train stations including one by the river that could really do well for your tourism. The highway entrance in the east is less remarkable. All told, it's going to be tricky getting roads up to the steppe without bridges, but there are some ramp options you can utilize if you experiment.

SimCity Site & Map: Wessex Bend

Elevation and Terrain

Flat, with waterfront along the entirety of the southern border.

Water Table

The river provides plenty of deep blue water sources all along the southern end of the map. Up north, there is a nice little spot for industrial right where the highway pierces the border.

Resources

There is a large, bold metal ore deposit taking up most of the middle of the map. Beyond that, two tiny oil fields could also bring in a trickle of revenue before or after you work on the metal.

Usable Land

There's no rail entrances on this one, so you're going solely roads -- which will emanate from the highway entrance in the north. All told, you'll have plenty of opportunities to decide what to do with this one.

SimCity Site & Map: Washtub Fields

The hedgerows are the only thing that are visually interesting about this one. It clearly doesn't look like a washtub, but from the ground, the view of the nearby keys more than makes up for the bad name.

Elevation and Terrain

No elevation, but the nearby waterfront intrudes on both the eastern and southern borders. There are a series of hedgerows, though nothing to write home about.

Water Table

The nearby body of water saturates this water table. However, in the north there is a considerable dry spot that could accommodate a major industrial center.

Resources

There is a deep, peanut-shaped sea of oil under this one -- one of the biggest in the game. Beyond that, there is the cutest little coal deposit ever. You won't get a dime out of it, but you can't just leave him there.

Usable Land

Rail and road entrances are both on the western border. The rail can easily be routed over to the waterfront to meet up with a ferry, so that's good. Overall, you don't lose too much land and zero elevation changes means you'll have a lot of options when zoning.

SimCity Site & Map: Twain

Twain is the bane of my existence. No matter how many times I try this one, I'm thwarted by the absolute void of resources. I've deemed this the hardest level to play for more than three hours.

Elevation and Terrain

Perfectly flat. The river has taken a bite out of the northwestern corner and intrudes slightly to the east as well. There are plenty of trees to the south.

Water Table

There's about an even split between deep blue and bone dry. You'll have plenty of spots to isolate your industry to prevent pollution -- especially the southwest corner below the rail line.

Resources

None. Not even wind!!!

Usable Land

The rail and highway connections both come in on the west -- neither near any water. It's going to be tricky getting the rail around to anywhere useful. The vast amount of open land is the only good thing about this city site.

SimCity Site & Map: Tudor Isle

Tudor Isle sits in the middle of a river and conceals a deep oil field. While not particularly lucrative or easy, this level is a nice challenge for people who have mastered the easier levels.

Elevation and Terrain

No elevation changes, however the major attraction is the isle in the middle of the river. The resulting deformation of the river has left you with two very narrow river branches that are easily crossed with inexpensive bridges.

Water Table

Soaking. There is no really good place for industry, save the island since you're going to have your oil pumps there anyway, you might as well pollute the whole thing and then pump water from the two sides for drinking.

Resources

A large oil deposit sits on the isle in the middle of the river.

Usable Land

There is a rail entrance in the northwest corner. While it is near water, it's hell and gone from the highway entrance which sits on the far border two river crossings away. The river that intrudes on this level will limit you enough to keep this challenging, but there's no elevation or other serious concerns.

SimCity Site & Map: Triton Valley

Triton Valley is a craggy and disturbing site not meant for the faint of heart.

Elevation and Terrain

There are numerous steppes in the area that are going to limit what you can do in terms of zoning. Plenty of trees and an overall scenic location make this visually interesting but difficult in practice.

Water Table

Patchy but workable. The deep water here is streaky, so you're going to have to move your water towers around a little more often than you're probably used to. But you can make it work. The biggest fields are in the northeast and southwest corners.

Resources

Not much. One large and one small coal deposits.

Usable Land

Rail in the east, road in the west. You're going to find few ramps to ascend from your starting location. Also, there's no water by the highway connection, so you're going to have to solve that problem sooner than later. No waterfront, so really only the cliffs are a consideration to your designs.

SimCity Site & Map: Trinity Point

My old friend. Trinity Point gives you a nice sweeping beachfront at the cost of usable land. It's a scenic tradeoff, but don't expect to top the leaderboard here.

Elevation and Terrain

None. Your focus should be entirely on maximizing your land density to accommodate the vast shoreline that comes with this map. This would make for a good "casino" town.

Water Table

Vast. There are no "dry" spots, but you can still handle some industry if you're careful.

Resources

None.

Usable Land

The highway cuts across the northwest corner, giving you plenty of connection points. The rail is perfectly placed to accommodate tourism -- which again makes a casino town a good option for this one.

SimCity Site & Map: Traviata Knoll

The big visual draw of this city site are the monster hedgerows that devour the map and the potential for the most successful mining town you can have.

Elevation and Terrain

There is the tiniest grade to the land -- technically making this a knoll. But you're not going to need to worry about that. No waterline or rocky issues make this a very plain spot.

Water Table

There is a vast deep water flow that runs across the map from east to west. However, in the south you'll find lots of dry land for industry and other pollutables.

Resources

While there is some coal, the most important thing to know about this area is the massive metal ore vein that runs the length of the map north/south and then bends back for an even more dramatic formation. This thing is huge!

Usable Land

Sucking all of the metal out of this one is going to be tricky. It's going to require you to rezone and such, so spend most of your time looking at your metal map (shortcut key: press "6") and less time with the water table. The road comes in via the eastern border and the far side of the map plays host to the rail line -- both in perfect spots to take on the mining needs of your city.

SimCity Site & Map: Trader's Ridge

Trader's Ridge is the perfect name for this location. It's a combination of a major waterfront from which you can launch trade ports with a mountainous ridge full of resources.

Elevation and Terrain

The ridge itself juts well into the map and it's wide cliffs take up lots of space. This, combined with the major coastline that also accompanies this site will severely limit your options in terms of layout. In fact, three of the four borders supply you with a plethora of waterfront.

Water Table

Soaking, yet still a huge dry spot on top of the ridge to accommodate both industry and your coal mines.

Resources

The ridge contains several nice pockets of coal, while the beach hides a small, yet deep field of oil and a shotgun blast of metal ore veins.

Usable Land

The highway actually loops around the ridge and then back out of the site. The rail, on the other hand, also enters on the south border but just ends near the water. Normally, this would signal a nice tourism setup, but I don't think you could get that to pay off on this particular level. Three borders full of water and a huge rocky outcrop leave you little room for experimentation. This is a perfect spot for manufacturing and mineral extraction; a lousy spot for a megalopolis.

SimCity Site & Map: Toyokuni Strand

I'm going to be honest: I have no idea what a strand is. When I look at the map, I get even more confused. So, let's move on.

Elevation and Terrain

No mountainous elevation changes or anything, but clearly the northern and western borders lose large quantities of land to the bay. You'll need to pack them in tight if you decide to go megalopolis.

Water Table

Deep blue as far as the eye can see. There are three blotches of dry and they are small and oddly shaped. Keeping an eye on pollution is going to be a thing on this one.

Resources

There is a humongous oil field on the northwest shoreline that is gorgeous. But, sadly, it's not as gorgeous as the humongous metal deposit that's sprinkled around the whole of the board. Between these two, you're going to have your hands full extracting and then rezoning.

Usable Land

Rail in the east, highway connection down south. The rail drops you near the coast, so if you're interested in ignoring the mineral deposits, you could make a very nice tourism town here. Just be careful with your planning because the waterfront has taken a lot of land and you have precious little to work with.

SimCity Site & Map: Tosca Cliffs

Well, Tosca Cliffs is obviously named after it's most prominent feature: the cliffs of a collapsed plateau. It's going to be a tough one to zone, but very scenic.

Elevation and Terrain

This map is all about elevation, though it does give you a grand ramp to get to and from the river. The area is lined with thick hedgerows and forests, which add to the visual splendor of the area.

Water Table

Along the riverfront to the east and the on top of the plateau on the west, you'll find plenty of places to set up your water towers. The tricky part is going to be the dry spots, which sadly run in some cases directly through the cliffs.

Resources

Four small, yet deep pockets of metal ore. In addition, there's a really nice coal deposit.

Usable Land

Those cliffs are monstrous and the waterfront factors in too -- leaving you with precious little room. Concentrate on balancing the top of the plateau with RCI and then leave the riverfront for trade ports and whathaveyou. Oh, and by the way, as if all that wasn't enough, there's ZERO rail access. This is a tough one.

SimCity Site & Map: Thatcher Overlook

An overlook implies some sort of high elevation that allows you to "look over" a nearby feature or geography. This area is a beach-front flatland with a mild steppe. Some of these names just kill me.

Elevation and Terrain

This area has actually actually two steppes: the major one that crosses the midsection of the site and then a tiny one in the northeast corner that technically can be built on -- though I'm not sure what would go there.

Water Table

The south end of the map at the bottom of the steppe around the waterline is full of deep blue. However, the rest of the map is bone dry -- meaning you're going to have to focus on water conservation and keeping the pollution contained above the cliff line.

Resources

There are two resources here: a large patch of coal on top of the steppe in the northern part of the board and then a very light hunk of metal ore that probably won't sustain you for too long.

Usable Land

The steppe is very mild, so it doesn't take too much of your zoneable areas away. The northeast corner is a little tricky and the southwest corner has a chunk dedicated to the lake. You have many choices when it comes to rail access, as the line runs across the northern border, through a tunnel, and then down the eastern border. All told, this level won't be too great a challenge as long as you protect your water.

SimCity Site & Map: Summit Vista

I'm assuming that Summit Vista implies that you can somehow see a nearby summit. Of course, every view on the whole of the Earth has a sight line to the "summit" of that local area, but we'll skip that. It's a pretty name -- if you don't think about it.

Elevation and Terrain

Only a mild grade on the ground, no hills, cliffs, steppes, or valleys. You do have a long line of waterfront on the eastern border of the map and there's a really nice forest that runs up to the river's edge.

Water Table

Tons. The areas immediately around the entrance and exit points of the main highway have tiny voids in the water level; everywhere else is deep blue.

Resources

None.

Usable Land

The highway loops through the northwestern corner of the map. The rail line runs along the northern border of the site and bridges over top of the highway. You can easily extend the rail line to make it to the eastern waterfront. Overall, there is plenty of room and good options, though clearly water pollution is going to be an issue.

SimCity Site & Map: Straussburg Isles

The Isles have a large variety of options available to you, with plenty of water and oil to diversify a well-designed tourist destination.

Elevation and Terrain

This city is one of the most visually interesting maps compared to most of the others. This site features a three-island group out in the river and, of course, a section of the mainland which is where you start. Having three islands is a great opportunity to segregate trade, tourism, and other such industries into self-contained units that don't interfere with each other -- even if the land space available to you is limited.

Water Table

This spot is absolutely drenched with water. There are very few dry spots and none of them are really big enough to warrant an industrial zone, though clearly dedicating one of the islands to industry wouldn't be such a bad deal.

Resources

Oil, oil, everywhere! This is going to be a fantastic place to produce some plastics or to run an oil-fired power plant operation that sells power to your surrounding cities. The largest of the three islands has a huge field and there are two more on the mainland.

Usable Land

With the western facing highway dumping you off on the mainland, you have some nice space to start off with and the rail access in the north dead ends at the river -- which is perfect for bringing in tourism.