Cities XL allows gamers to develop cities on realistic 3D maps using an incredible collection of unique structures and monuments based on American, Asian and European-influenced architectural styles. The maps feature a variety of environments: mountains, hills, canyons, beaches and islands, all set in different climates from tropical to desert, Mediterranean to temperate. Players must create the right combinations of social services, leisure activities, special events and other job opportunities within their cities in order to feed, clothe, employ and entertain their citizens. Be it planning and building a new zoo, public park, residential neighborhood or transit system - there's always a fresh and exciting challenge for would-be city managers and mayors in Cities XL.

In Cities XL, the main game will be a city builder: You will be the mayor of a city and you must try to regulate its development. We say “try” because you will not have 100% control over what happens in your city – the city simulation will have a certain autonomy, combining both unyielding logical rules (the public sector) and decisions taken by independent entities (the private sector). It is this simulation that we will describe here. This article will be spread over several blog entries.

The game’s online features and services will allow players to create interconnected cities on virtual and persistent planets. Mayors can share and trade with one another, specialize their economy and team up with befriended cities to create sprawling metropolises. Life on the planet will be punctuated by events and competitions - a concert held in one town may, for example, be attended by visitors from other areas who can also enjoy a walk around the city to admire the urban creations of multiple players. By combining a fantastic single-player game with the social and multiplayer aspects of an MMO, Cities XL will shape the future of the genre by offering more variety, bigger cities and multiple gameplay layers.

Populous Problems

Things would be easy if your indomitable will was all there was to managing a city. However, you will have to take into consideration the fact that your city is home to independent entities that make their decisions based on their own interests and not necessarily on yours! We call these entities the private sector and there are two types: citizens and businesses.

3.1 Citizens

Citizens will calculate their satisfaction levels based on four criteria: work, prices, services, and living environment. Work will incorporate salary scale (there are 4), unemployment rates, and commuting times. Prices will incorporate the cost of resources and, most importantly, taxes. (We have already discussed services and living environment in a previous blog). Citizens who are unhappy may decide to move house or, worse, to leave the city altogether. The average satisfaction level of the citizens will determine your city’s reputation and therefore its ability to attract new citizens and to grow.

There will be four levels of qualification available to citizens: unqualified worker, qualified worker, white collar, and executive. These in turn will relate to four affluence levels. Improving the affluence of your city will require you to first improve the overall level of qualification, to provide appropriate employment, and to increase general satisfaction. That’s your challenge!

3.2 Businesses

Businesses will also be independent agents. How well or badly they do will depend on conditions in your city. They can make losses and even go bankrupt! Your city’s reputation will depend on the profit margins of the businesses established there. This reputation will be important, as it can prevent new businesses from setting up if it’s not high enough. Don’t expect to attract new hotels if all the existing beds aren’t taken!

There will be five types of private business: offices, hotels, stores, leisure, and factories and farms. Each type will have its own logic and its own reputation. It will be possible to have a good industrial reputation while at the same time having a bad shopping reputation. Finally, each type will also have different affluence levels (luxury hotels, high-tech factories, etc.).

3.3 The Mayor and his means

The mayor will have access to 3 types of action. First of all, he will set taxation levels. These taxes will reduce the population and business satisfaction levels but will provide him with the means to run his city!

Using tax revenue, the mayor will be able to pay for public services (police, electricity, etc.). These services are very expensive but will meet some of the expectations of citizens and businesses.

Finally, and most importantly, the mayor will need to manage the urban space. He will have to decide where to place roads and transport infrastructure. He will decide where to locate industrial and residential zones. The city’s growth will depend on how well laid out it is.

3.4 It’s getting complicated

You think that’s everything? Not at all! There are two more complications to come for your gaming pleasure! First of all, you will be able to use the GEMs to develop certain industries from within your city (starting with a ski resort and a beach resort). These GEMs will make it possible to expand into areas that are difficult to build on (mountains and beaches), they will increase your city’s size, and they will allow it to produce the new resources and needs (e.g. winter sports) that your citizens demand.

Secondly, don’t expect to build a city that can do everything! In fact, it’s by linking up with other players around the planet, exchanging products, and sharing tasks that you will experience the full flavor of Cities XL!

Cities XL is currently scheduled to ship in 2009.