Cities And Housing Archive
Thread: Tips on starting a city...
Page 1 of 2
Ssoshiss
Fri Jan 28, 2005 8:32 pm
#1
Hello all, I once before tried to start a city, but it didn't quite work out.
So now I'll actually plan this all out! With your advice.
First of all, i know i will need the 10 people to start it, and like 5 extras.
But I do have a few more questions I need answered.
How much $$$ will i need to get all the buildings just to start?
How much $$$ does it usually take to run a city? (I know it's more than a few K lol)
Should I get an architect before we start, to collaborate on getting houses and such?
How much time will it take to get an actual city started. (Hard work and dedication required of course)
Thanks for the help! /
Yafeu Fula
LordDredd
Fri Jan 28, 2005 9:00 pm
#2
Not to sound snobbish, but the best advice I can give you is to abandon this now and join an established city.
Stormtrooper Detachment Omega
Lynnaea
Fri Jan 28, 2005 9:10 pm
#3
LordDredd wrote:
Not to sound snobbish, but the best advice I can give you is to abandon this now and join an established city.
nah, if you want to start a city, go for it! It's definately a slow process and takes time, but if you're really dedicated and have friends that are willing to help you can definately do it. I helped start Mt Olympus on Rori several months back (we're the people running around with <ARGO> tags, maybe you've seen us?). We've hit a few snags here and there, but honestly, what city doesn't?
Anyway, good luck, and if you have any questions for me feel free to send me a tell in game!
Ssoshiss
Fri Jan 28, 2005 9:30 pm
#4
Heheh, <ARGO>i see everytime i go anywhere, especially at Zeevo's.
So, I guess I'll go for it. Maybe get some help from T'lara in New Horizon...
Well, any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks for the positive reinforcement, Lynnaea!
Message Edited by Ssoshiss on 01-28-2005 08:31 PM
josslyn
Fri Jan 28, 2005 10:38 pm
#6
Ssoshiss wrote:
Hello all, I once before tried to start a city, but it didn't quite work out.
So now I'll actually plan this all out! With your advice.
First of all, i know i will need the 10 people to start it, and like 5 extras.
But I do have a few more questions I need answered.
How much $$$ will i need to get all the buildings just to start?
How much $$$ does it usually take to run a city? (I know it's more than a few K lol)
Should I get an architect before we start, to collaborate on getting houses and such?
How much time will it take to get an actual city started. (Hard work and dedication required of course)
Thanks for the help! /
Yafeu Fula
Ok, here is a run down of what buildings, gardens, etc cost on my server (keep in mind prices do vary quite a bit from server to server)
Cantina- Rank 3 City- 150k (must be placed by a Master Dancer, Master Musician, Master Chef)
Medical Center- Rank 3 City- 150k (must be placed by a Master Doctor or Master Combat Medic)
Cloning Facility- Rank 2 City- 125k
Small Gardens- 80k
Medium Gardens- 120k
Large/Exotic Gardens- 150-180k
Now, cities are VERY pricey and you'll find that 90% of the time you'll be footing the bill yourself for the city. If you don't care about decorations and such it can stay on the cheaper side- however, decorating does attract more ppl to your city. For Solace we have an 800k a week "fee". It adds up quickly and i will once again say that you will foot the bill yourself 90% of the time. I have personally not had anything over a mil in my bank acct. due to taking care of the city finances and such in a very long time.. but it's never bothered me because I absolutely LOVE running the city and interacting with everyone that visits Solace.
Getting an established architect for your city is a great thing! Set something up with someone.. archys gotta make a living somehow 
Last but certainly not least.. be ready to be very dedicated to your citizens and your (their) city. Notice how i added their city in that.. it is the citizens city no matter how many mayors think they can try to rule with an iron fist. They are the ones contributing to create the city 
I used to have a city on naboo back in the day, but due to planet caps we knew we would never get the "glorious shuttleport". So myself and a former guild mate took a week and scouted Dantooine for possible locations- came up with a few areas and chose our location after discussing it with others. Many try to find that "prime flat land" but don't be afraid of the bumps.. they add ALOT of character to your city 
Personally, i have spent probably thousands upon thousands of hours tending to Solace and the ever growing list of citizens. I'm ALWAYS on call, even when i'm not in game as some do know how to contact me irl (if something drastic happens) or they have my IM id's for all the messengers, etc. But what it boils down to is keeping your citizens happy.. once your city gets going plan events for your citizens like deco contests, pvp tournies, etc. Also try to involve your server in huge events- those can be quite a blast. As far as getting a city started you have the basics down- 10 citizens to "form up". You only have 24hrs to get those 10 or your city hall will magically poof on ya. I do advise that you visit the Politician Forums and look at the FAQ's Guide that is stickied and use the City Planner Tool. Pre-Plan everything so you know what you're going with before you start it all.
I used to have a city on naboo back in the day, but due to planet caps we knew we would never get the "glorious shuttleport". So myself and a former guild mate took a week and scouted Dantooine for possible locations- came up with a few areas and chose our location after discussing it with others. Many try to find that "prime flat land" but don't be afraid of the bumps.. they add ALOT of character to your city Personally, i have spent probably thousands upon thousands of hours tending to Solace and the ever growing list of citizens. I'm ALWAYS on call, even when i'm not in game as some do know how to contact me irl (if something drastic happens) or they have my IM id's for all the messengers, etc. But what it boils down to is keeping your citizens happy.. once your city gets going plan events for your citizens like deco contests, pvp tournies, etc. Also try to involve your server in huge events- those can be quite a blast. As far as getting a city started you have the basics down- 10 citizens to "form up". You only have 24hrs to get those 10 or your city hall will magically poof on ya. I do advise that you visit the Politician Forums and look at the FAQ's Guide that is stickied and use the City Planner Tool. Pre-Plan everything so you know what you're going with before you start it all. Good Luck Yafeu! If you have any further questions please feel free to drop by the Politician Boards or send me a forum email
Chasity
Solace City Mayor
~^Dark Forces^~
Destinee
MD/MCM/Politician
~^Dark Forces^~
Ssoshiss
Sat Jan 29, 2005 11:42 am
#7
Thanks josslyn, I'll be looking at that city planning tool.
So around 800k a week? Where do you manage to get your money?
Jhett
Sat Jan 29, 2005 2:03 pm
#8
I believe that those three planets are the only ones that have city restrictions on them. And ANY planet can support an infinite number of level 1 and 2 cities. The limits don't kick in until level 3. (IIRC) I'd suggest putting your city wherever you are happy. Mos Vegas was started much later than all the rest of the PCs. We were (obviously) on Tatooine. At the tiem we were told we would never make level 3. Within 4 months we were a Metropolis. Just takes a little luck and timing is all.
Ssoshiss
Sat Jan 29, 2005 2:14 pm
#9
WellI tried putting a city on Tatooine once and it said I was unable to build there as it was "full" or something similar.
I don't know really ANY architects at all...
Haqin2
Sat Jan 29, 2005 5:06 pm
#10
Planet City Caps:
Corellia/Tatooine/Naboo - 20 Outposts/Villages : 15 Towns : 10 Cities/Metropolis'
Dantooine/Lok/Rori/Talus - 50 Outposts/Villages : 30 Towns : 20 Cities/Metrolpolis'
Although the core 3 planets may be full on your server, I would imagine you could place a new city on any of the other 4 planets.
If you don't know an architect, you could try being one yourself or maybe scout out shops around Mos Eisley which I spose is where many new players may set up and you might find a new arch with similar ambitions to you!
Good luck with it all
Message Edited by Haqin2 on 01-30-2005 12:07 AM
josslyn
Sun Jan 30, 2005 1:44 am
#12
Ssoshiss wrote:
Thanks josslyn, I'll be looking at that city planning tool.
So around 800k a week? Where do you manage to get your money?
Well, recently i had a very large donation made to the city from my guild- so that def. eased the pressure up off of me for a while. Selling crystals, etc is another efficient way of supporting the city. Otherwise, it's pure missions which is not easy with the "solo group nerf" but it is still able to be done. I have no taxes in my city, but taxes do tend to ease some of the pressure as well. But keep in mind, Solace is a Metropolis w/ a Specialization and all the deco i could possibly fit in the city So that all adds up. Every city varies in prices, but once you do hit a Metro i would say plan on paying anywhere from 600-800k a week.
Chasity
Solace City Mayor
~^Dark Forces^~
Destinee
MD/MCM/Politician
~^Dark Forces^~
Message Edited by josslyn on 01-29-2005 03:54 PM
Message Edited by josslyn on 01-29-2005 04:01 PM
Jhett
Sun Jan 30, 2005 1:56 am
#13
I am assuming the 800K figure is for a large city. Our city on Dantooine is currently at level two and costs 60K per week. Remember that the absolute fastest your city could get to level five is five weeks, and that would be an extraordinary achievement. A few tips:
Let the growth control itself. Try to avoid using ringers and whatnot, as it will hurt your city in the long run. I am much happier as Mayor of a small city that I am confident will not have some sort of disaster than I was running a metropolis that was constantly one minor exodus away from collapse.
Think ahead. I planned the layout of our city before I even placed the city hall. What I do is put all planet-specific style houses together. For our city we have a Naboo district, a Tatooine district, and a Generic district. I use the natural landscape to divide the areas and only use deco that fits the themes. (For example, Gungan head statues in the Naboo area and the Tatooine sun symbol in the Tat area.)
Retain Control. I ask all residents that the Mayor be put on admin for every house. I suppose this may not be as important with the auto-withdrawl of fees, but I used to cover all maintnance when neccessary. Another good point for this is that our Mayor is also a Master Merchant and can make all signs uniform. I would also suggest that you (as Mayor) keep a couple lots open. This way YOU can place the house EXACTLY as you want it and set the name so that it fits your theme. After you are satisfied you can use the /transferstructure command to give it over to your new citizen.
Malls = Good, Scattered Vendors= Bad. I would strongly suggest that you make a single building mall somewhere in your city. Business will at least triple for all vendors versus having people with vendors scattered all over the place. If you cannot do a single 'guild hall' style mall, the next best thing is to get merchant tents and clump them together. This will primarily benefit the merchants until the sales tax bug is fixed, but you cannot underestimate the power of happy residents.
Think ahead some more. In the earliest days try to get a master Doctor, a master Dancer/Musician, a good Architect, and a Merchant as residents. Even as Mayor you will not be able to place all types of city structures. These citizens will be able to help you at various times as your city grows. Another benefit is that the buff-types will be able to set up buff-bots in your fine city, futhering your positive word of mouth.
Location, Location, Location... Hey, if you are building a city, you most likely want it to be successful. Mos Vegas was the closest city to Fort Tusken. As soon as we got our shuttle our foot traffic increased vastly. Merchantsecstatic with the profit margins skyrocketing. Take the time to find a POI that is popular but doesn't have a PC nearby. You could have a lovely, functional city that puts all other to shame, but if nobody visits is there really a point?
Well, this is getting a bit long, so I will quit for now. I hope this helps some. Just try and remember that planning and patience really pay off in the long run. Best of luck!
Message Edited by Jhett on 01-29-2005 01:00 PM
Page 1 of 2