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algernon-A edited this page Jun 9, 2022 · 11 revisions

Realistic Population 2

Realistic Population 2 is the latest generation of the series of mods that began with Kundnan's PopBalanceMod, though Whitefang Greytail's Realistic Population and Consumption mod, to Realistic Population Revisited. Specifically, Realistic Population 2 is the 2.0 branch of Realistic Population Revisited.

Key new features

Notes for new users

Applying to an existing game

Due to the significant changes to the base game, this mod is best used for new games only. You can use it on an existing game, but be warned that it will significantly affect the balance of your city - most likely you'll see significant abandonment of factories, shops and offices (due to their more realistic job numbers), your transport infrastructure may be overloaded in high-density areas, and you may have land value issues. Your city can be rebalanced with appropriate zoning and transportation adjustments - exactly what's needed will depend on your specific city and playstyle, but a common thread is that you'll most likely need to demolish commercial, office and industrial buildings, and build more residential buildings.

Using vanilla game unlocking progression

This mod is best used alongside the 'unlock all' game option to allow a more natural and realistic progression of city development.

This mod can be used with the vanilla game's unlocking progression, but there may be some mismatch as the game unlocking progression has a 'game tutorial' (instead of realism) focus.

The biggest issue many people face when using this mod with the vanilla game unlocking progression is the use of space in the early stages of the game, as the average city density when starting out with this mod will be lower than in the base game. It's still quite possible to work within these restrictions (even without the assistance of other mods) - simple techniques such as zoning residential blocks in small indivdidual parcels to force the growth of smaller-footprint detached housing can help (and also makes for development and growth patterns that better mimic the history of many real-life cities). If you're using the Building Themes mod, custom building themes can also be used to limit early building yard size without the need for manual intervention.

It's also recommended to hold off zoning much high-density until after you've got some decent transportation infrastructure in place (typically unlocked later in the game than the high-density zoning itself).

Quick How-To guides

Modding info

  • This mod uses Harmony 2.0 (via boformer's CitiesHarmony) to apply multiple Harmony patches. Refer to the mod's source for more information.