Break from the grid: new building placement idea!

[flame1396]

Hey....  I got a cool idea. So for ploppable buildings (mainly towers, box stores would work well too) rendered as props they'd be made as mayor mode "trees".

Sooo... to make that ^ make more sense... A building is rendered as a prop (or made, not sure how it works) and made into a mayor mode plop. For rotations you would make it into 4 props cycled through by successive clicks on the same spot (like jeroni's plop rocks). This makes it so the building's placement is not restricted to the grid.

But there is the lot problem (actually I figured this'n out too)... Make a blank lot with the jobs for the building have the user place it under the mayor mode plopped building (or place the lot first) and viola! jobs!

There could also be lot pieces that would be one size fits all... You design the lots with modular sections. This gets rid of the good-BAT-bad-lot issue, the base for the building is designed by the user in-game!

It's just a thought, but could be pretty easily done. (however I'm not sure how the rotations would work, there would need to really be 4 props - hopefully NOT 4 different renders - one for each rotation and potentially more for odd rotations)

Comments ? Reasons why it's a crap idea ? Praise ?

[Glenni]

i'm not too sure if it could work for larger buildings, but i've allways thought smaller things like cabins, shacks and other things could be interesting in game!

[Andreas]

I also played with the idea in my mind, but I doubt it would work for larger buildings. The mayor mode trees are plopped rather randomly, so you can't control in which rotation they show up. As Glenni said, it wouldn't matter that much for small cabins and stuff like this, but now imagine a big box store that isn't properly aligned to the parking lots on your "blank" lot - it would look rather odd... Also, I'm not sure if nightlighting would work on flora props.

[wouanagaine]

The building will still face the four rendered directions, so it will still have some gridiness.
Now if instead of rendering a single aligned building, someone render it in 3 different angles ( 0, 30, 60 ) and make a familly with those 3 buildings, and make 3 to 6 lots using the family, it will certainly give a sense of non gridiness also

[flame1396]

Glenni - I like that as well... And a cabin wouldnt need nightlights which I doubt wouild be doable with this.

Andreas - the lot bases would be modular so you'd design it how it fits in your city. and you could keep plopping it until you get the orientation you want.

Wounagaine - that would work.... but despite the advantages of that method, it is still a bit more constrained....

Oh. and If anyone does want cabins like this... I suppose I could do the modding...

[Glenni]

What also could be very interesting is old car wrecks laying arround, like abandoned cars from the 60's, 50's, 40's and 30's and so on!

Hmm, i might fiddle with something like this, would need someone to mod them into plop trees ,though!

[Andreas]

With the current prices for scrap metal, I doubt those old car wrecks will lay around that much longer...

[flame1396]

Glenni.... there's a tutorial... I'd be happy to mod them as well