| 1 | <head><title>Inside The Simulator</title></head><body> |
| 2 | |
| 3 | <h1>Inside The Simulator</h1> |
| 4 | |
| 5 | <h2>How the Simulator Works and Strategies for Using It</h2> |
| 6 | |
| 7 | Many factors influence the chance of your city's prospering or |
| 8 | floundering: both internal factors (the structure and efficiency of |
| 9 | your city) and external factors (the regional economy, disasters, |
| 10 | etc.). <p> |
| 11 | |
| 12 | <h3>Zones</h3> |
| 13 | |
| 14 | Your city is divided up into three primary zones: residential, |
| 15 | commercial and industrial. These zones symbolize the three basic |
| 16 | pillars upon which a city is based: population, industry, and |
| 17 | commerce. All three are necessary for your city to grow and thrive. |
| 18 | <p> |
| 19 | |
| 20 | <ul> |
| 21 | |
| 22 | <li>Residential Zones are where the Sims live. Here they build houses, |
| 23 | apartments and community facilities such as churches and schools. Sims |
| 24 | are the work force for your city's commercial and industrial zones. |
| 25 | <p> |
| 26 | |
| 27 | <li>Industrial Zones are used to site warehouses, factories, and other |
| 28 | unsightly and polluting structures which have a negative impact on |
| 29 | surrounding zones. One of the major goals of planning is to separate |
| 30 | these "nuisances" from the areas where people live. In this |
| 31 | simulation, industrial zones represent the "basic" production of your |
| 32 | city. Things produced here are sold outside the city to an "external |
| 33 | market," bringing money into the city for future growth. <p> |
| 34 | |
| 35 | <li>Commercial Zones represent the retail stores and services in your |
| 36 | city, including gas stations, grocery stores, banks, and offices. |
| 37 | Commercial areas are mainly dedicated to producing goods and services |
| 38 | needed within your city. This is called "non-basic" production or |
| 39 | production for the "internal market." <p> |
| 40 | |
| 41 | </ul> |
| 42 | <p> |
| 43 | |
| 44 | <h3>Population -- Residential</h3> |
| 45 | |
| 46 | The major factors controlling residential population are birthrate, |
| 47 | availability of jobs and housing, unemployment, and quality of life |
| 48 | within the city. <p> |
| 49 | |
| 50 | Birthrate as used here, is actually a combination of the birthrate |
| 51 | (positive) and the deathrate (negative). Within Micropolis there is |
| 52 | always a positive birthrate. <p> |
| 53 | |
| 54 | Availability of jobs (the employment rate) is a ratio of the current |
| 55 | commercial and industrial populations to the total residential |
| 56 | population. As a rule of thumb, the number of commercial and |
| 57 | industrial zones together should roughly equal the number of |
| 58 | residential zones. <p> |
| 59 | |
| 60 | If there are more jobs in your city than residents, new settlers will |
| 61 | be attracted. If the job market declines during a local recession, |
| 62 | your people will migrate away in search of jobs. <p> |
| 63 | |
| 64 | Housing for your residents is built in the residential zones. These |
| 65 | zones must be powered and connected to the places of employment by |
| 66 | roads. The structures built in residential zones are influenced by |
| 67 | land value and population density. <p> |
| 68 | |
| 69 | Quality of life is a measure of relative "attractiveness" assigned to |
| 70 | different zone locations. It is affected by negative factors such as |
| 71 | pollution and crime, and positive factors such as parks and |
| 72 | accessibility. <p> |
| 73 | |
| 74 | <h3>External Market -- Industrial</h3> |
| 75 | |
| 76 | There are thousands of variables that influence your city. All these |
| 77 | variables can be influenced by your actions with the exception of one. |
| 78 | <p> |
| 79 | |
| 80 | The external market (the economic conditions that exist outside of |
| 81 | your city) is controlled by the simulation -- there is nothing you can |
| 82 | do to change it. In many ways, this external market is the original |
| 83 | source of all city growth. Towns frequently begin as production |
| 84 | centers (steel towns, refineries, etc.) that service a demand in the |
| 85 | surrounding region. As time passes, the external market grows to |
| 86 | reflect the regional growth going on around your city. <p> |
| 87 | |
| 88 | The industry in your city will attempt to grow as the external market |
| 89 | grows. For this to happen there must be room for expansion (more |
| 90 | industrial zones) and an adequate labor supply (more residential |
| 91 | zones). <p> |
| 92 | |
| 93 | <h3>Internal Market -- Commercial</h3> |
| 94 | |
| 95 | The internal market is completely influenced by the conditions within |
| 96 | your city. Internal production, created in the commercial zones, |
| 97 | represents all the things which are purchased and consumed within the |
| 98 | city. Food stores, gas stations, retail stores, financial services, |
| 99 | medical care, etc. -- all depend on a nearby population to service. |
| 100 | Within Micropolis, the size of the internal market determines the rate at |
| 101 | which commercial zones will prosper. Commercial zones need enough |
| 102 | zoned land to build on and an existent, sufficient work force to |
| 103 | employ. The structures built in commercial zones are mainly influenced |
| 104 | by land value and population density. <p> |
| 105 | |
| 106 | Commercial zones grow and develop to serve the expanding internal |
| 107 | market. Commercial growth will usually be slow at first, when the |
| 108 | population is small and needs very little. As your city grows, |
| 109 | commercial growth will accelerate and the internal market will become |
| 110 | a much larger consumer of your total city production. This |
| 111 | accelerating effect, when the external/industrial production is |
| 112 | overtaken by the accelerating internal/commercial sector, can turn a |
| 113 | sleepy little town of 50,000 into a thriving capital of 200,000 in a |
| 114 | few short years. <p> |
| 115 | |
| 116 | <h3>Tax Rate</h3> |
| 117 | |
| 118 | The tax rate you set controls the amount of income generated by your |
| 119 | city. As taxes are collected each year (simulation time), the Budget |
| 120 | Window will appear, giving you the fiscal details of your city and a |
| 121 | chance to adjust rates. The simulation determines the amount of |
| 122 | revenue collected by assessing each zone an amount based on its land |
| 123 | value, current level of development and the current tax rate. <p> |
| 124 | |
| 125 | The tax rate has a global affect on your city's growth rate. If you |
| 126 | set it low (0%-4%), growth will be brisk but the city income will be |
| 127 | low. If you set it high (10%-20%), you will collect a lot in the short |
| 128 | run but in the long run tax income will decrease along with the |
| 129 | population. You must keep tax income high enough to invest in new |
| 130 | development, but low enough not to scare off residents and businesses. |
| 131 | A high tax rate is one way to control city growth, should you want to |
| 132 | experiment with "growth control measures." <p> |
| 133 | |
| 134 | <h3>Budgeting</h3> |
| 135 | |
| 136 | City budgeting affects the way your city grows. City infrastructure |
| 137 | cost is represented by three departments: police, fire, and |
| 138 | transportation. You may set the funding levels separately for each. |
| 139 | All three departments will request a certain level of funding each |
| 140 | year. You may supply all or part of the requested funds, in the |
| 141 | attempt to balance safety needs and budgetary concerns. <p> |
| 142 | |
| 143 | <ul> |
| 144 | |
| 145 | <li>Police Department: Police stations lower the crime rate around a |
| 146 | territory. The effective radius of your police station is related to |
| 147 | the amount of funding allocated to the police department. Police |
| 148 | stations cost $100 per year to fund. |
| 149 | |
| 150 | <li>Fire Department: Fire stations prevent and extinguish fires. The |
| 151 | level of funding determines the effective radius of a fire station. |
| 152 | Fire stations put out fires within this radius much sooner than |
| 153 | outside it, and decrease the chance that they will start in the first |
| 154 | place. Fire stations cost $100 per year to fund. |
| 155 | |
| 156 | <li>Transportation Department:When you build roads and rail systems |
| 157 | you are charged for construction and yearly maintenance. The larger |
| 158 | your transportation network, the more it will cost for upkeep. If you |
| 159 | decide not to or are unable to pay this maintenance cost, roads will |
| 160 | slowly deteriorate and become unusable. The maintenance cost for each |
| 161 | piece is: Road - $1, Bridge - $4, Rail - $4, Rail tunnel - $10. |
| 162 | |
| 163 | </ul> |
| 164 | |
| 165 | <h3>Power</h3> |
| 166 | |
| 167 | Electrical power makes modern cities possible. Efficient and reliable |
| 168 | power transmission to all zones is the goal of good "power |
| 169 | management." <p> |
| 170 | |
| 171 | The entire power grid of your city is periodically checked in the |
| 172 | simulation for links to power. If a zone is connected (by other zones |
| 173 | or power lines) to a power plant, the zone is considered powered. <p> |
| 174 | |
| 175 | Zones must be powered for development to occur. Many things (such as |
| 176 | fires, tornadoes, earthquakes and bulldozers) can knock down power |
| 177 | lines and cause blackouts in parts of your city. Development will stop |
| 178 | in unpowered zones, and if power is not quickly restored, the zone |
| 179 | will decline back to its original state of emptiness. <p> |
| 180 | |
| 181 | Redundant power plants and power connections can make your power grid |
| 182 | more reliable, but running more line adds construction costs. <p> |
| 183 | |
| 184 | <h3>Transportation -- Traffic</h3> |
| 185 | |
| 186 | One of the most important elements of city structure is the |
| 187 | transportation network. It moves Sims and good throughout your city. |
| 188 | Roads typically occupy as much as 25%-40% of the land in urban areas. |
| 189 | Traffic along these roads indicates which sections of your road system |
| 190 | are used the most. <p> |
| 191 | |
| 192 | Traffic levels are simulated by a process known as "Trip Generation." |
| 193 | Over time, each populated zone in the city will generate a number of |
| 194 | trips, depending on the population. Each generated trip starts at the |
| 195 | origin zone, travels down the road, and if a "proper destination" is |
| 196 | reached, ends at the destination zone -- otherwise, the trip fails. |
| 197 | Trip failure indicates inaccessibility of a zone and limits its |
| 198 | growth. <p> |
| 199 | |
| 200 | The majority of generated trips represent people commuting to and from |
| 201 | work. Additional traffic is generated by residents traveling to |
| 202 | shopping, recreation, etc. When analyzing traffic, the simulator tests |
| 203 | the following traffic routes: <p> |
| 204 | |
| 205 | <i>Traffic Patterns</i><p> |
| 206 | |
| 207 | <ul> |
| 208 | |
| 209 | <li>From Residential |
| 210 | <ul> |
| 211 | <li>To Commercial |
| 212 | <li>To Industrial |
| 213 | </ul> |
| 214 | |
| 215 | <li>From Commercial |
| 216 | <ul> |
| 217 | <li>To Residential |
| 218 | <li>To Industrial |
| 219 | </ul> |
| 220 | |
| 221 | <li>From Industrial |
| 222 | <ul> |
| 223 | <li>To Residential |
| 224 | </ul> |
| 225 | |
| 226 | </ul> |
| 227 | |
| 228 | <p> |
| 229 | |
| 230 | When Sims drive away from an origin zone, they have a limited "trip |
| 231 | range" in which to find a destination zone. Heavy traffic decreases |
| 232 | the trip range. If the destination zone is too far away, the trip is |
| 233 | unsuccessful. Repeated unsuccessful trips will cause the Sims to move |
| 234 | out of the origin zone. <p> |
| 235 | |
| 236 | Each road has a limited capacity for traffic. When this capacity is |
| 237 | exceeded traffic jams will form. Traffic jams drastically lower the |
| 238 | capacity of a road, compounding the problem and frustrating drivers. |
| 239 | <p> |
| 240 | |
| 241 | Traffic conditions fluctuate quickly. Avoid traffic problems by |
| 242 | providing several routes for the traffic to take. <p> |
| 243 | |
| 244 | A road must be adjacent to a zone for the zone to be connected to the |
| 245 | traffic pattern. Zones do not conduct traffic the way they conduct |
| 246 | power. <p> |
| 247 | |
| 248 | <h3>Pollution</h3> |
| 249 | |
| 250 | Pollution levels are tracked in all areas of your city. This is a |
| 251 | general "nuisance level" that includes air and water pollution, noise |
| 252 | pollution, toxic wastes, etc. Pollution has a negative impact on the |
| 253 | growth of residential areas. <p> |
| 254 | |
| 255 | The primary cause of pollution is industrialized zones. The level of |
| 256 | pollution created by an industrial zone increases with its level of |
| 257 | growth. <p> |
| 258 | |
| 259 | Traffic is another cause of pollution. There are limited means of |
| 260 | combating the pollution level. Lowering traffic density, limiting |
| 261 | industrial development, and separating the pollution from the |
| 262 | residential areas will help. <p> |
| 263 | |
| 264 | <h3>Crime</h3> |
| 265 | |
| 266 | Crime rates are influenced by population density, local law |
| 267 | enforcement, and land values. As population density increases in an |
| 268 | area, the number of crimes committed increases. Crime will also |
| 269 | increase in areas of low land value. <p> |
| 270 | |
| 271 | The most effective way to deal with high crime rates is to introduce a |
| 272 | police station into the area. Based on its level of funding, the |
| 273 | police station will reduce the rate of crime in its sphere of |
| 274 | influence. A long-term approach to lowering crime is to raise the land |
| 275 | value of the area. One way to do this is to demolish and rezone (urban |
| 276 | renewal). <p> |
| 277 | |
| 278 | <h3>Land Value</h3> |
| 279 | |
| 280 | Land value is one of the most fundamental aspects of urban structure. |
| 281 | The land value of an area affects how that area is used. In this |
| 282 | simulation the land value of an area is based on terrain, |
| 283 | accessibility, pollution, and distance to downtown. <p> |
| 284 | |
| 285 | The farther the residents have to go to work, the lower the land value |
| 286 | where they live, due in part to transportation costs. The value of |
| 287 | commercial zones depends greatly on accessibility by the populace. |
| 288 | <p> |
| 289 | |
| 290 | Land value is also affected by surrounding terrain. If land is closer |
| 291 | to water, trees, agricultural areas, or parks, its value will rise. |
| 292 | Creative placement of zones within the terrain, with little |
| 293 | bulldozing, can make good use of this natural advantage. <p> |
| 294 | |
| 295 | Land value and crime rate have a feedback effect on each other. Lower |
| 296 | land values cause crime rates to rise. Higher crime rates cause land |
| 297 | values to drop, and can cause "transition areas" near your central |
| 298 | city to rapidly decline in value. <p> |
| 299 | |
| 300 | <p> |
| 301 | |
| 302 | <hr> |
| 303 | <p> |
| 304 | <h2>Micropolis, Unix Version.</h2> |
| 305 | This game was released for the Unix platform |
| 306 | in or about 1990 and has been modified for inclusion in the One Laptop |
| 307 | Per Child program. Copyright © 1989 - 2007 Electronic Arts Inc. If |
| 308 | you need assistance with this program, you may contact: |
| 309 | <a href="http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Micropolis">http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Micropolis</a> or email <a href="mailto:micropolis@laptop.org">micropolis@laptop.org</a>. |
| 310 | </p><p> |
| 311 | |
| 312 | This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify |
| 313 | it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by |
| 314 | the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at |
| 315 | your option) any later version. |
| 316 | </p><p> |
| 317 | |
| 318 | This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but |
| 319 | WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of |
| 320 | MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU |
| 321 | General Public License for more details. You should have received a |
| 322 | copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program. If |
| 323 | not, see <a href="http://www.gnu.org/licenses/">http://www.gnu.org/licenses/</a>. |
| 324 | </p><p> |
| 325 | |
| 326 | <h3 align="center">ADDITIONAL TERMS per GNU GPL Section 7</h3> |
| 327 | |
| 328 | </p><p> |
| 329 | No trademark or publicity rights are granted. This license does NOT |
| 330 | give you any right, title or interest in the trademark SimCity or any |
| 331 | other Electronic Arts trademark. You may not distribute any |
| 332 | modification of this program using the trademark SimCity or claim any |
| 333 | affliation or association with Electronic Arts Inc. or its employees. |
| 334 | </p><p> |
| 335 | |
| 336 | Any propagation or conveyance of this program must include this |
| 337 | copyright notice and these terms. |
| 338 | </p><p> |
| 339 | |
| 340 | If you convey this program (or any modifications of it) and assume |
| 341 | contractual liability for the program to recipients of it, you agree |
| 342 | to indemnify Electronic Arts for any liability that those contractual |
| 343 | assumptions impose on Electronic Arts. |
| 344 | </p><p> |
| 345 | |
| 346 | You may not misrepresent the origins of this program; modified |
| 347 | versions of the program must be marked as such and not identified as |
| 348 | the original program. |
| 349 | </p><p> |
| 350 | |
| 351 | This disclaimer supplements the one included in the General Public |
| 352 | License. <b>TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, THIS |
| 353 | PROGRAM IS PROVIDED TO YOU "AS IS," WITH ALL FAULTS, WITHOUT WARRANTY |
| 354 | OF ANY KIND, AND YOUR USE IS AT YOUR SOLE RISK. THE ENTIRE RISK OF |
| 355 | SATISFACTORY QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE RESIDES WITH YOU. ELECTRONIC ARTS |
| 356 | DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY WARRANTIES, |
| 357 | INCLUDING IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, SATISFACTORY QUALITY, |
| 358 | FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NONINFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY |
| 359 | RIGHTS, AND WARRANTIES (IF ANY) ARISING FROM A COURSE OF DEALING, |
| 360 | USAGE, OR TRADE PRACTICE. ELECTRONIC ARTS DOES NOT WARRANT AGAINST |
| 361 | INTERFERENCE WITH YOUR ENJOYMENT OF THE PROGRAM; THAT THE PROGRAM WILL |
| 362 | MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS; THAT OPERATION OF THE PROGRAM WILL BE |
| 363 | UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE, OR THAT THE PROGRAM WILL BE COMPATIBLE |
| 364 | WITH THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE OR THAT ANY ERRORS IN THE PROGRAM WILL BE |
| 365 | CORRECTED. NO ORAL OR WRITTEN ADVICE PROVIDED BY ELECTRONIC ARTS OR |
| 366 | ANY AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE SHALL CREATE A WARRANTY. SOME |
| 367 | JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF OR LIMITATIONS ON IMPLIED |
| 368 | WARRANTIES OR THE LIMITATIONS ON THE APPLICABLE STATUTORY RIGHTS OF A |
| 369 | CONSUMER, SO SOME OR ALL OF THE ABOVE EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS MAY |
| 370 | NOT APPLY TO YOU.</b> |
| 371 | </p> |
| 372 | </body> |