So many important assets are locked behind milestone requirements at start

[Billy]

No, I'm not saying I should have everything at start, far from it. But there are certain aspects that are much needed at the start to understand how you should start your city without causing a huge catastrophy.

First and foremost, you can't build simple highways at start. Not only that, but you're forced to build two-way roads first in order to unlock the regular one-way roads. This can cause a huge displacement in how the roads work, and can generally lead to poor traffic. That, and you already have connections that are highways, so it's ironic that your first connection into a city is a high way that leads into a more narrow one-way street instead.

Next off, why can't I create districts off the get-go? it makes building industry in certain areas much more annoying because they start off primarily as those oil drilling, noisy factories that pollute the land, which can completely ruin fertal land and forests before you can get the option to fix that.

Finally are the elementary, high school, and university, which makes trying to create different areas even harder as random businesses and such complain about there not being enough educated workers, when you weren't able to educate them until your city was booming with dumb, unintelligent civilians.

[Billy]

Obviously there's more to this and other buildings that are also an issue, but these are the major ones I find to be the most aggravating when I want to start up a city.

[Kalil]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=447789816

I like to use this when starting but I shouldn't as it always causes me to overbuild before starting.

I can't help with the other points.

[sindar]

Hmmm... haven’t you noticed the built-in mods yet that come with the base game? Should meet your requirements once enabled.

[grapplehoeker]

Originally posted by Thespartzter:

No, I'm not saying I should have everything at start, far from it. But there are certain aspects that are much needed at the start to understand how you should start your city without causing a huge catastrophy.
First and foremost, you can't build simple highways at start. Not only that, but you're forced to build two-way roads first in order to unlock the regular one-way roads. This can cause a huge displacement in how the roads work, and can generally lead to poor traffic. That, and you already have connections that are highways, so it's ironic that your first connection into a city is a high way that leads into a more narrow one-way street instead.

If you are not using the Unlimited Money mod, then the only catastrophe you'll face by implementing expensive features your city cannot yet afford at the start (eg.highway upkeep costs) is financial ruin.

Next off, why can't I create districts off the get-go? it makes building industry in certain areas much more annoying because they start off primarily as those oil drilling, noisy factories that pollute the land, which can completely ruin fertal land and forests before you can get the option to fix that.

If you are referring to using districts to designate specialised industries, then remember that first you require a generic industry for specialised industries to supply to. So, generic needs to be developed first.

Finally are the elementary, high school, and university, which makes trying to create different areas even harder as random businesses and such complain about there not being enough educated workers, when you weren't able to educate them until your city was booming with dumb, unintelligent civilians.

TBH I don't see a problem here... You will unlock the following:
Elementary schools at the very first milestone.
Districts and some industry specialisations at the 2nd milestone.
High School at the 3rd milestone.
Ore industry specialisation at the 4th milestone.
Oil industry specialisation at the 5th milestone.
University at the 6th milestone.

All you require to reach the 6th milestone and unlock everything you're asking for is a population of 1,800-7,500 which really isn't much at all.
https://skylines.paradoxwikis.com/Milestones

In fact, in order to maximise your investment and build up a healthy city economy, it would be wiser to avoid building expensive services as soon as you unlock them and wait until you have a larger population. Residential taxation (ie. rent) is your biggest source of revenue by far. So, it makes better sense to grow that first and in so doing you'll reach the milestones, but by delaying implementing expensive (and initially, unnecessary) services, you can also build a very large city bankroll.
Of course, certain services can benefit from an immediate upgrade as soon as you unlock them, such as improved wind turbines, replacement of landfills with incinerators and cemeteries with crematoriums. As for everything else, it can wait until later.

[matthew]

The way I say it, you don't really have need for a lot of stuff at the start. Money is also tight (without the unlimited money mod) services like schools and police / fire aren't really needed. you only need to lay down them once your city hits a certain size, and B, you can afford to run those services in the first place.

Granted some stuff could be unlocked in a different order. but for me, I would start by trying to get a profit, expend slowly, so not to have a huge death wave. then later add more stuff as needed. plus there are different needs.

Anyway, I quite like the milestones. but yes, there is a mod to unlock everything, but be careful, or you might run out of money very quickly.

[Metacritical]

Originally posted by matthew:

there is a mod to unlock everything, but be careful, or you might run out of money very quickly.

correction, you WILL run out money very quickly.

[matthew]

Originally posted by Metacritical:

Originally posted by matthew:

there is a mod to unlock everything, but be careful, or you might run out of money very quickly.

correction, you WILL run out money very quickly.

I stand corrected!!