Mastering Land Acquisition in Cities: Skylines: A Comprehensive Guide

So, you’re gazing out at the limited expanse of your burgeoning metropolis in Cities: Skylines and thinking, “I need more room!” You’re not alone. Every mayor reaches that point. The direct answer to expanding your city limits is simple: use the area view to purchase adjacent tiles. But there’s more to it than just clicking a button. Let’s dive deep into the nuances of land acquisition in this urban planning simulator.

Purchasing Land: The Key to Growth

Accessing the Area View

The first step to expanding your cityscape is accessing the Area View. Located in the bottom-left corner of your screen, nestled conveniently next to the milestones button, it’s your portal to the map overview. Clicking this button zooms you out, displaying the entire map and highlighting your currently owned tiles in blue.

Unlocking and Buying Tiles

Initially, you start with a single tile. As your city grows and you reach certain milestones – population targets, for example – you unlock the ability to purchase additional tiles. These tiles border your existing territory, allowing you to expand outwards in any direction.

To buy a tile, simply click on an adjacent, unowned square. A prompt will appear, displaying the cost of the tile. If you have sufficient funds and haven’t reached your tile limit, click “Purchase” to claim the land as your own.

Strategic Expansion: Planning is Paramount

Don’t just buy tiles randomly! Consider the terrain, available resources, and potential for future development. A tile with a rich supply of oil or ore, or a location perfect for a harbor, might be more valuable than a seemingly flat, open space. Think about how your districts will connect and whether you need to secure certain natural resources.

Understanding the Limits: Tile Restrictions

Vanilla Limits vs. Modded Freedom

In the base game, Cities: Skylines limits you to purchasing a maximum of nine tiles out of the available 25 on the map. This can feel restrictive, especially as your city flourishes. However, the modding community has provided a solution.

Mods: Unleashing Unlimited Potential

Mods like the “81 Tiles” mod allow you to purchase all 25 tiles on the map, significantly increasing your buildable area. Keep in mind that while this provides immense freedom, it can also strain your computer’s performance and potentially impact the game’s AI, which was originally designed for a smaller area.

Cities: Skylines Remastered: More Tiles on Console

For console players, Cities: Skylines Remastered offers a significant upgrade with 25 buildable tiles, greatly expanding the possibilities compared to the original console version.

Land Value: The True Measure of Success

Services and Infrastructure

Providing your citizens with essential services like education, fire and police protection, medical care, and public transportation is critical for increasing land value. Happy, healthy, and safe citizens are willing to pay more to live and work in your city.

Leisure and Recreation

Parks, plazas, libraries, and unique buildings all contribute to leisure access, which is a major driver of land value. These amenities create destinations for your citizens and attract tourists, boosting the economy and desirability of your city. The Games Learning Society, dedicated to exploring the educational potential of games like Cities: Skylines, understands the importance of these design choices in fostering community and value creation. Check out GamesLearningSociety.org for more.

Combatting Negative Influences

Pollution and crime are enemies of land value. Strategically place industrial areas away from residential zones, implement effective waste management systems, and ensure adequate police presence to mitigate these negative impacts.

Policies and Districts

City policies can be powerful tools for boosting land value. Consider implementing policies that encourage green building practices, promote public transportation, or offer tax incentives for businesses to locate in certain areas. You can also use districts to create specialized zones with unique policies and characteristics.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How do I unlock more tiles in Cities: Skylines?

You unlock the ability to purchase new tiles by reaching specific milestones in the game, primarily based on population size. As your city grows and you hit these targets, new tiles become available for purchase in the area view.

2. What is the maximum number of tiles I can own in the base game?

Without mods, the maximum number of tiles you can own in Cities: Skylines is nine.

3. Can I buy more than nine tiles?

Yes! Using mods like the “81 Tiles” mod allows you to purchase all 25 tiles on the map.

4. How do I install mods to increase the tile limit?

Mods are typically installed through platforms like the Steam Workshop. Subscribe to the desired mod, and it will automatically download and be enabled in your game.

5. Does increasing the tile limit affect performance?

Yes, expanding the tile limit can impact performance, especially on lower-end computers. The game’s AI and simulation engine were originally designed for a smaller area, so handling a larger city can be more demanding.

6. What factors influence land value in Cities: Skylines?

Land value is influenced by factors such as access to services (education, healthcare, safety), leisure amenities (parks, plazas), pollution levels, crime rates, and overall desirability of the area.

7. How do I increase land value?

To increase land value, provide excellent services, build parks and recreational facilities, reduce pollution, lower crime rates, and implement policies that promote development and quality of life.

8. Can I raise taxes to increase revenue?

Yes, you can adjust taxes for different zones. However, raising taxes too high can negatively impact demand and cause residents and businesses to leave.

9. How do I prevent my city from losing money?

Keep your city layout compact, balance spending with income, decentralize services to reduce traffic, and avoid unnecessary expenses.

10. What is the best map to start with in Cities: Skylines?

Maps like Eden Valley and Garden Rivers are often recommended for beginners due to their relatively flat terrain and abundance of resources.

11. How do I create a farming district?

Use the district tool to mark an area as a farm land district before zoning for agriculture industry.

12. What does the Eden Project do?

The Eden Project raises land value across the entire city and eliminates pollution from new buildings.

13. How do I empty a full landfill?

Switch a full or partially full landfill to emptying mode. Garbage trucks will relocate the garbage to an incinerator or another landfill.

14. What is the building limit in Cities: Skylines?

The building limit in the game is 49,152 buildings.

15. What are city policies and how do they help?

City policies allow you to enact specific rules and regulations that affect different aspects of your city, such as traffic management, energy consumption, and environmental protection. They can be used to improve land value, reduce pollution, and enhance the quality of life for your citizens.

Expanding your land in Cities: Skylines is a key part of building a thriving metropolis. By understanding the mechanics of tile acquisition, land value, and the power of mods, you can create the city of your dreams. Happy building!