User Guide

II. THE CITY LEVEL

The City Level screen consists of a Main Map View,

an Overview Map, and a Control Panel. The Main

Map View is where the real action will take place.

Here, you will build buildings, water systems, and

roads. Soon your city will come to life — you’ll see

buildings growing and changing and people hustling

through the streets. Certain areas will thrive, others

will wilt, and don’t be surprised when the occasional

emergency pops up at the most inopportune time!

City development is influenced by three main

variables: Land Values, Limiting Factors, and

Roads. These variables will be discussed in detail

elsewhere in this manual, but briefly:

Fluctuating Land Values cause houses and other

structures to rise and fall in quality. Land Values will rise

if an area contains many desirable features, and will fall

if it contains undesirable features, and will be limited if it

lacks some essential component or components.

Most structures you build will either enhance or limit the

value of the land surrounding it. A Temple or a Theater,

for example, will raise Land Values, while a Barracks or

a Market will limit Land Values because of noise and

pollution. Land Values determine how much the

structures in your city will grow.

Some buildings, no matter how many positive

influences act upon them, will not rise above a

certain quality level due to Limiting Factors.

A limiting factor for housing might be the lack

of a water supply. Even if a house has access

GAME MANUAL