Populated map mechanics

[t.dautov]

Hi all. I enjoy playing on the populated map a lot, as it offers both extra challenges as well as advantages. I am wondering though about the precise mechanics of the existing towns and villages. It seems that the settlements and their inhabitants are not "activated" until you start reconstructing the towns, i.e. they will only go to church, they will age, and reproduce at a certain rate, while other needs such as food, clothes, sports, culture etc. will be "turned off", and so the lack of their satisfaction will not cause the inhabitants to escape.

My question is: what exactly triggers them to be "activated" and start acting as normal population with fully functioning needs? It appears that the beginning of construction in existing towns is what does it, but in that case, how close to the towns and villages do you have to build to "activate" them? Will any construction within the radius of existing towns' names on the map trigger their activation? I am concerned about situations where, for example, let's say I'm running a high-voltage power line from the border to a village or town, and if it passes close to another settlement (within its "radius") which I don't plan to develop and integrate into my economy yet, it will "activate" the settlement and its inhabitants' needs, causing them to become dissatisfied and escape.

Any thoughts or experiences in this regard? Thanks in advance.

[Mine]

I think this will activate if comrads can go to work, but I am not 100% sure.

[Geberel85]

+1 l have exactly the same doubt, and despite some basic testing I am not sure yet

[ryantheskinny]

My thinking is it occurs when you construct a building in their city/area, then their needs suddenly start riding. Also if you relocate people it appears to activate.

[t.dautov]

Originally posted by ryantheskinny:

My thinking is it occurs when you construct a building in their city/area, then their needs suddenly start riding. Also if you relocate people it appears to activate.

Yes, that seems to be the case, and in my opinion it adds not an extra challenge but an unnecessary difficulty to playing on the populated map if you're just running some train or power lines in the vicinity of existing towns, or using them as a source for workers to populate settlements you're building elsewhere. For instance, I often use Zhlopolatsk as one such source because it's a distant town which I never intend to redevelop or integrate into my economy anyway, but I guess this means I either have to re-settle the whole population of the town in one bulk rather than gradually over time, otherwise I'm risking population loss due to escapes and deaths.

I will try to run a test when I have the time (though probably not at any point soon). Would be great to hear what the developer has to say about the populated map mechanics.

[Dramoth]

I noticed one of my air ambulances flying off to a town I hadn't started to reconstruct yet. It doesn't seem to activate the town.

[longshots444]

Originally posted by pawelkrzyzak:

Has anyone get to the bottom of the topic?

Yes.
The devs have, and all will be revealed in just 11 months time.
That's right, in October 2022 a "New kind of Tutorial' will be released.
https://www.sovietrepublic.net/roadmap

[longshots444]

Originally posted by pawelkrzyzak:

Originally posted by longshots444:

Yes.
The devs have, and all will be revealed in just 11 months time.
That's right, in October 2022 a "New kind of Tutorial' will be released.
https://www.sovietrepublic.net/roadmap

Good one ;)

By the way - I encourage you to try Lubynsk map, if you haven't yet, it is really well prepared and designed map, just starting play on it, though.

I am often encouraged by a lot of people to do things - most of which are just physically impossible. I'm glad you like the way you are playing the game, but it's not the way I play.

[t.dautov]

Originally posted by pawelkrzyzak:

Originally posted by longshots444:

Yes.
The devs have, and all will be revealed in just 11 months time.
That's right, in October 2022 a "New kind of Tutorial' will be released.
https://www.sovietrepublic.net/roadmap

Good one ;)
I loaded Lubynsk map with population, (38.500ish population) after unpausing couple of farm fields built itself up. Right away people started to die and escape but, as of June 1960, 451 people escaped and after initial wave escapes seized. People keep dying though, as of June 1960 370 people died. It seems to me that in towns/areas where farm fields where built, it triggered needs for population, in other places (that includes biggest city)everything is in order. Like in vanilla map.
By the way - I ncourage you tu try Lubynsk map, if you haven't yet, it is really well prepared and designed map, just starting play on it, though.

Deaths can usually be explained by pollution from the self-heated old-town buildings - larger cities tend to die off until such a level of population which doesn't produce deadly levels of pollution.

There are problems with some populated maps from the workshop regarding escapes. One is to do with infrastructure - some of them have ready-built facilities, workplaces and passenger stations near or in the starting settlements, which triggers them to activate. Another issue is that the "sleeping citizens" mechanic only seems to work on vanilla old-town and village buildings, but not on any other housing, so the inhabitants of the latter type will have their needs activated from the start

[MrKrabs]

Little side note.
Buildings and Areas have a checkbox "Allow citizens to move in". So you can even prevent a whole area from people moving in.

[longshots444]

Originally posted by MrKrabs:

Little side note.
Buildings and Areas have a checkbox "Allow citizens to move in". So you can even prevent a whole area from people moving in.

Little side note.
This should not be the default but the players choice.

[mrddrm]

I only play with populated maps as I like the more realistic feel of rebuilding a small country post WW2. With that said, it can be equally gamey at times with some of the mechanics.

In my various restarts, I've noticed a few things with populated maps.

• It appears building within the circle of the city sets the citizens off.
  
• You can move half a town without setting off the needs of the citizens that remain.
  
• Sometimes, you will get messages of loyalty, health, etc but they do not appear to do anything if you ignore them.
  
• The towns will steadily grow in size. This was a huge issue for me, which is why I now typically start with a much lower population than before. If they grow too large before you move in, add bus/rail to take them to your main town to satisfy their needs as you build up the infrastructure.

[phx.Morby]

How can i see, is it activated or not?

[vajeeking]

don't give them roads or footpaths or place to work where they can go walk . That activated if they can walk to workplace like any. Only church because it's not workplace road or footpath is allowed. Peoples get activated if they have any change to go workplace any other than church. Also when you make electric or heat and water&sewage close to sleeping area it might wake them up. so they not self heat anymore if you add your stuff close by.
But it has nothing to do with area range if they activated. its's all about stuff close by you provide them to access.